2014.08.20 - Last month, on Days of Our X-Lives...

Kitty Pryde was out of town at a technology conference for a couple weeks.. now that she's back she's trying to hang around the old haunts more, she feels she's gotten a bit out of touch with folks there. And her chat with Logan the other day only increased her feeling she ought to be here more.

It's an overcast, stiflingly hot day outside, the skies heavy with the promise of an early evening cloudburst. Roberto da Costa just came out to sunbathe and he is honestly feeling so attacked right now. Jaw tight, he runs along the edge of the woods behind the Xavier Institute wearing a pair of pumas and some yellow shorts whose jaunty disposition he does not share. He's been out for the better part of an hour already, and still he's not feeling like his solar batteries have been properly fed. Plus, he's sweating. Plus, there's no one out to talk to, because the weather sucks. This day just keeps getting better.

Rachel Summers hasn't been around the mansion much herself lately, as she's been visiting her kind-of great grandparents on her kind-of father's side. It was exactly as awkward as it sounds to start with, but in the end it was a pleasant vacation. A pleasant vacation in Alaska, though, so she for one doesn't mind at all that it's hot outside - she's just happy to be able to go outside without a heavy coat and some snow boots. Emerging onto the back patio, she takes a look up at the threatening clouds but decides she's not going to be chased back inside unless it actually starts to rain. And even then, she might just put a telekinetic shield up and enjoy it! Dropping her gaze back to the grounds, Rachel catches sight of the running Roberto, and without really trying picks up on the mental black cloud that seems to be following him. Drawing back from the light mental touch, she leans up against the back wall of the mansion, one foot up to brace her, and waits to see if his run brings him in her direction.

Kitty Pryde just arrived back at the mansion, and saw Roberto running around the side and towards the back. She knows there's a patio there, and figures it's a likely place for him to stop off after his run is finished, so she meanders that way first, only to find Rachel there. She grins and waves. "Oh, hey, Rach! Haven't seen you in awhile."

Roberto does indeed slow as he nears the patio, and even cracks a smile. Company tends to bring out the best in him; maybe today it will brighten him up a bit. "Olá, Rachel, Kitty." He nods to the latter, adding, "It has been a long time, hasn't it? I hope you're both doing well." He flops into a deck chair with an exhausted sigh, looking upward at the weak sunlight straining through the clouds. "No supervillain attacks? Anti-mutant riots? Alien invasions?"

It's hard to sneak up on a telepath. Even when they're not trying, they sense the presence of minds around them - which is why when Kitty wanders into view, she'll find Rachel already looking that way, with a bit of a smirk on her lips to boot. Pushing back off the wall to stand upright, Rachel answers Kitty's wave with one of her own. "Alaska." She says by way of explanation for her absence. "Meeting the relatives... the ones that DON'T live here. You'll have to fill me in on what I've been missing later." She tells her one-time room-mate, before looking around as Roberto arrives and greeting him with a friendly nod. That smirk of hers only becomes more pronounced as he jests with them. "Not today, but I'll see what I can do?" She offers.

Kitty Pryde says, "Hey, Alaska's not that bad-- aren't some of your relatives space pirates?" she grins and waves to Roberto, rocking on her feet. "Oh, the usual. Magneto's apparently got his floating nation off the coast of New York, and there's not one but -two- groups of hazmat mutant wannabes farming for materials according to Bobby. At least it sounds like those guys haven't had much luck so far, but I guess that's because the aliens have been lax on their job this week."

"Please do. I could desperately use having something to punch," Roberto answers Rachel with a small smile. As he brings his breathing under control, she might notice that he's running through a few rudimentary mental self-defense exercises, without much skill. The barriers are shaky and there's not a lot of gusto behind it; he's approaching the process as one does a repetitive practice drill or particularly unpleasant homework.

"Yeah, I can see Magneto's palace from my house now," he tells Kitty. "Think we can get the hazmat guys to make a house call? For punching purposes? Bobby's crashing in my guest room anyway; I'm sure we can use him as bait."

It is hard to sneak up a telepath, they can hear you thinking. That is why Nate knows where the others are when he arrives to the school's gates. In a cab, instead of flying. Then he walks to the back of the grounds, letting Rachel know he is around, in the case she didn't sense him coming.

"Hey folks, how goes by the X-school?" He greets. Like he is not coming here twice a week himself since the Halo building was attacked. The school has a pool, you see.

"So I'm told! They're still on the to-meet list." Rachel confides to Kitty, a bit of a mischievous and thoughtful look in her eyes as she says it. Maybe next time the Guardians call on her she'll see if they can look up Corsair and the Starjammers for her. Her look of quiet amusement is replaced with a sympathetic wince as Roberto proves to be far more keen on her suggestion than she expected. "That bad?" She asks, mostly for form's sake - she felt his bad mood already as he ran. Just like, this close, she can feel him working on his defences. She doesn't take offence. Telepaths are unsettling, after all. Her wince becomes rather more heartfelt when Genosha is brought up. "Don't remind me." She says in a somewhat grim tone. "I visited once, someone else can go next time." The 'hazmat guys' distract her, though - they're a new development as far as she's concerned, so she keeps quiet and listens. Although the idea of Bobby as bait gets a snort of amusement.

Her expression goes a bit distant as the faint sound of a car can be heard pulling up to the gates, and her brow creases a bit - before smoothing out as she recognises Nate's mind. Again, she's already turned her head /before/ he comes into view. "Still standing." She replies. "Hey Nate."

Kitty Pryde chortles. "Do you think they'd go for frozen bait? But he -is- pretty shiny.." she gets a bit more serious. "You guys okay..? Him with that clinic, and I heard some about you..sounds rough." she may not be a telepath, but Roberto's mood isn't so subtle to pick up on. She does sneak a cheerful grin to Nate, though. The's been around telepaths long enough

"Hot and sticky and miserable. You?" Roberto answers Nate with a wry smirk. "Also, since half of those present can already tell and are just trying to decide whether to call me on it: no, I haven't really been practicing the stupid mental barriers and yes, that means the Shadow King could suck my brain out through a straw."

He leans his head against the chair back and winces up at the gloomy sky. "It's been a long month. I would really like to go back to the days when the worst I had to worry about was one of Illyana's demons sticking my hand in a bowl of warm water when I slept."

"Me? Just peachy," replies Nate with a small smirk. "What is making your life so hard? Surely New York's summer is cool and pleasant compared with Brazil's. Even when there is a loose telepathic ghost. Which by the way... strange Xavier has not found him yet." He had how own little problems, of course. But little interest in talking about them. "There is the pool for the overheating muties, y'know?"

Rachel, for one, HASN'T heard about whatever's been happening to Bobby and Roberto while she's been away, and her green eyes sharpen with a look of definite curiosity when Kitty speaks. She doesn't even glance in Kitty's direction as her thoughts slide into the back of her friend's mind. << You really DO need to tell me what's been going on here. >> The mental touch is fleeting, she's still looking at Roberto as he speaks, and her brows go up a bit at what he says. "Darn." She drawls. "I'm going to have to work on my poker face." She smiles, and offers, "If you want help with the 'stupid mental barriers', let me know. You being left brainless and drooling isn't an appealing idea." She means it helpfully, however it might sound.

Kitty Pryde hehs. "You, Roberto? Hot?" she frowns though..she'd heard about the public response to his project, and that it was having trouble, but.. "Shadow King? Did the aliens not show up because someone stole their slot..? What's that about?" she looks between the other three--apparently she's not up on -all- the news. ..Which makes a fleeting smile touch her lips at Rachel's mental contact--seems she's not the only one. <>

"It's not as hot here, but it's not as pleasant, either." Roberto points upward to the overcast sky. "Rio has a sea breeze. Rio has sun. Rio has very lax dress codes." He glances over at the pool, his eyebrows lifing in interest. "The pool I could go for, I guess. Speaking of dress codes, though, these shorts aren't lined. Fair warning."

But he sighs and settles back into his chair. "But I really could use the help, Rachel. We've had an attack on the school and Xavier wants me to work on my mental defenses so that I don't get body snatched. I guess that comes before swimming."

"Yeah, telepathic defense, and you are..." Nate was going to say Rachel was a more skilled telepath, but shouldn't Roberto ask Xavier about that? He glances suspiciously to the Brazilian. A brother-ish warning kinda look. Then again, maybe it is not his business. Can't be worse than the Shift guy. He finds a chair to flop down without finishing the sentence.

<< Thanks for the newsflash. >> Rachel's reply in Kitty's mind is swift and honestly grateful, although there's an undercurrent of concern about the news. Her pleasant vacation is already being pushed out of her mind by the reality of life at the X-Mansion. She chews over that in silence for a few moments as the others discuss the weather, but can't help but chime in at Roberto's mention of dress codes. "Any more lax than that and you'd probably be arrested." She jests, then shakes her head firmly when he asks for her help, but there's a grin to go along with it. "Oh no. You get to go swimming first. Your mind needs to be relaxed or you'll tie yourself in knots." She smirks. "And I'll get a headache." Catching the look Nate shoots toward Roberto, Rachel glances at Nate, her head tilted in a very definite 'what?' look.

Kitty Pryde says, "The pool sounds like a great idea all around, it's -way- too muggy today. But anyone want to fill me in on this Shadow King thing?" Kitty Pryde thinks back to Rachel <>

"I can't exactly go shopping dressed like this, Rachel," Berto answers with a laugh. He returns Nate's glance with a quizzical one, not sure how to process the hint, but it doesn't seem too pressing if they're swimming first.

He stands and starts walking toward the pool, eager enough to get started. "There was a strike on the mansion. Then one of our students was taken over and abducted," he answers Kitty, voice grim. "People haven't been keen on talking about it, I guess. I can't really blame them."

He himself gets past the topic by taking a running leap off the diving board, his form questionable but his enthusiasm obvious.

"The Shadow King has been... stalking Xavier, I guess," explains Nate. "There was an attack in New York, and finally he snuck in the school and took over a student called Allison. Allison has a battlesuit similar to Iron Man's." And for some reason she was allowed to wear it all the time. Puzzling, he is pretty sure students are not allowed to carry handguns to class. "I think his plan was to fry Xavier, but we interfered and he fled with Allison's body, and suit."

And Roberto took the pool suggestion very seriously. Well, it is one of the main reasons he comes to Xavier's, seriously. "Do you ladies have swimsuits?" He asks to Ray and Kitty.

<< Sounds like a way to make myself useful, at least. I'm starting to feel guilty I took the trip to Alaska. >> There's more than a hint of frustration in Rachel's mental tone. << I'd better check in with the Professor first, if I can. >> Giving Roberto a bit of coaching is one thing, her ethics and the Professor's might not match up too well when it comes to interrogation. Outwardly, the only sign of Rachel's growing disquiet is the slightly absent smile she offers in response to Roberto's laugh, accompanied by a bit of a shrug. "Guess not." She answers, but she's more interested in the answer to the question that Kitty's posed.

And the answer she gets from Roberto and Nate is far from encouraging. "So he still has one of the students?" Rachel asks, a bit hotly, but then realises that although this is news to HER, measures must already be in place to deal with the situation. She closes her eyes for a moment and takes a breath, knowing her temper isn't going to be of any use. "I've GOT to stop taking vacations." She says under her breath, in a dark tone. Opening her eyes again, she looks toward the pool, the idea having lost some of its appeal after hearing the grim news, but she makes an effort. "Nate, it's me. I can have whatever I like." She tells him, and fire flashes in her green eyes - and with a bit of telekinetic rearrangement, she's wearing a blood red two-piece swimsuit. She grins at Nate, and heads for the pool.

Kitty Pryde 's playful demeanor evaporates fully at the explanation of events. "Did we get her back yet, or..?" she asks somberly, about when Rachel does. She nods absently to Nate.. she still has things here, swimsuit included. <> she realizes, then adds, <> she thinks, encouraging, even if the tone of her thoughts is still grim.

After resurfacing, Roberto swims over to the side and pulls himself out of the water again. He looks a bit guilty at the way he left the others hanging, so he sits on the edge and explains, "She's disappeared. We can't even find her with Cerebro. But we have some leads, and I have hired agents all around the globe to investigate certain hot spots of activity Xavier thinks are related to the Shadow King. We figure that he'll try to use Allison to protect himself if we attack him, which will give us a chance to free her."

Nate eye-narrows to Rachel's stunt. Man, he misses being able to do that. Instead he has to go to the pool house to change, coming back wearing red trunks and jumping into the water without sparing a second. He kept tabs on the conversation telepathically, but really, he is also trying to find Allison with his telepathy and had no luck. "Yeah, no vacations allowed for the X-folks," he comments idly at resurfacing.

Rachel finds herself wishing that Kitty had managed to avoid the bad news for a bit longer when she sees the lightness leave her friend's expression, just as it has her own. Kitty's mental contact draws her out of her brooding thoughts before they can get on top of her, though. << I guess. >> She projects to Kitty, her tone a bit grudging but clearly willing to be convinced that her vacation wasn't an indulgence too far. << But you're right. It's done, we just have to fix it. >> Her telepathic laughter is grim. << I make it sound so easy, don't I? >> But that's as low as her spirits go. Turning back before she reaches the pool, she grins back at Kitty. "Want me to fix your outfit?" She asks. She didn't even consider Nate's lost telekinesis, she's so used to him knowing all the tricks before she does! Still standing on the edge of the pool, she folds her arms and mock-glares at her sort-of brother. "Stop trying to make me feel worse." She tells him, though she's at least somewhat amused. Her gaze moves to Roberto, with a rueful look. "Well that's my first idea blown out of the water." Cerebro, obviously. She shrugs, frustrated once more. "Sounds risky, but I don't have a better idea."

"A hostage." Kitty agrees grimly with Roberto. "Any clue what this Shadow King guy wants with the Professor?" there's lots of plausible reasons a man like Xavier or simply his school could be targeted, but it doesn't make it any less useful to know the specifics. She starts to head to the mansion to change too when she hears Rachel's offer, and the grin reappears. "Sure, surprise me!" she trusts Rachel not to surprise her -too- much. "Between you and Illyana, I don't know why I bother to buy clothes anymore, you know?"

"//Sim//, risky is an understatement," Roberto agrees with a cocksure smile. "But don't worry: I'll be wearing a helmet." Even in a bad mood, he never quite loses touch with his sense of bravado.

He answers Kitty's question with a small shrug, saying, "Our best guess is that he sees Xavier as a threat to his plans. Which is encouraging, in a way. If the Professor can take the King, I'll be happy to beat up as many pawns as necessary." He slips back into the water, swimming a lazy lap sidestroke.

"Making you feel worse is part of my job description, Ray," states Nate with a smirk. Also, since she is not in the water yet, he splashes her with his hands. "I know that Shadow bastard from his reputation back in my world. He was one of Apocalypse minions, a bodyless telepath that hunted down other telepaths. They called him the Shadow Thief."

"Kitty, don't you know BETTER than to say things like that to me by now?" Rachel says, donning a particularly evil smile as she says it, complete with a sneaky gleam in her eye. But it's all in fun, because when she waves a hand toward Kitty, and red-gold telekinetic fire flickers around the other woman, she's left with a flattering but not /too/ daring swimsuit in a deep sapphire blue. "That do?" She asks, before shaking her head with a bit of a chuckle. "And you still buy clothes because shopping's FUN, Pryde."

Between playing tailor for Kitty and Roberto's display of confidence, Rachel's spirits lift once more. "Gonna leave any for the rest of us... HEY!" She started to tease Roberto, but then got splashed by Nate. "Cut that out!" She scolds him, but she's laughing as she says it. "All right, all right, I'm getting in..." She mutters to herself, replying to the unspoken intent behind the splashing, and dives cleanly into the water, coming up and blinking water out of her eyes, pushing her hands back through her now-wet hair and leaving it an interestingly spiked mess.

Kitty Prydedoes a satisfied twirl, looking over Rachel's handiwork. "Niiice." she approves, and after tying her longer hair back, she dives in right after with a laugh as she bobs to the surface. "Auuugh, this feels nice and cool." she proclaims, floating around. "He targets telepaths, though..?" she returns to the topic at hand after a moment of indulgence... after all, considering this school, that's more than a little concerning. "But he's afraid of the Professor?"

"Xavier has beaten him before," Roberto explains to Kitty. "With backup from people like Rachel and Nate, he undoubtedly can again, if we can force him into a confrontation. As for those of us without the brain powers? I'm a generous man," Roberto answers Rachel with a smirk. "I don't mind sharing with anyone who would like to join in on the demon-thrashing. Although I'm not fool enough to ask you to dress me as you please." He flashes her a teasing grin, only too happy to let the conversation slide into friendly ribbing rather than the serious topics they were just covering.