What we put up with for Jean

August 23, 2015:

Emma and Hank discuss how to help Jean through rather unconventional means.

Xavier's School for Gifted Children

Secured, warded, monitored and highly, highly secret, this is the operational base for the X-Men, containing most of the high tech monitoring equipment the organization possesses along with relevant specialized gear for individual X-Men and mission ops. The facilities themselves include living and sleeping quarters for the teams and guests (though not all of the teams operate out of the base proper), a medical facilites, storage for supplies and of course the hangar for the Blackbird.

Characters

Beast

White Queen

NPCs: None.

Mentions:

Plot:

Mood Music: [* None.]

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Fade In…

Emma being Emma, she doesn't really ask permission, and convoluted missives by email are not her thing. Instead, as she is in the process of departing the Mansion, making her way to the stairs even as her driver is coming up the driveway to gather her for a return trip to the City, Emma's mind reaches out, seeking until she can find Dr. Henry McCoy. Then she simply makes herself known. ~// Doctor McCoy. I understand you are seeking details regarding the form and function of the device currently influencing Ms. Grey. Or, in this case, Ms. MacKenzie Green. //~ Yep. She just reaches on out and invades the privacy of his mind. It's incredibly rude, but so efficient.

There is definitely surprise when an unfamiliar mind touches his own and there's a flash of rage, ~Who is this?!~ Beast is outraged that someone can think that they can just force their way into his mind, but he really doesn't have any defenses. The words, however, are not covered by the indignity of someone poking about his head. He tries to focus his thoughts so that any others could be read, ~Yes, I am. This would be easier if we could speak with voices rather than this way…~ He's not one terribly skilled in telepathic speech. There is a jumble of thoughts around the ones he tries to bring to the forefront.

~// This would be Emma Frost, Doctor McCoy. ~ Emma responds, seemingly unruffled by his outrage. How inexcusable! But she's the White Queen, and she does things her own way, so help her. ~ If I intended to describe this with words, you are absolutely correct. It would be more efficient spoken. But I do not have time for that, and I cannot afford the miscommunications of word choice. This is too damned important. //~ Why it is that this is so important to Emma, she does not explain. She's like that.

~// Just relax, Doctor. I will keep this as brief as I can, and as painless as possible. //~ That said, Emma stops at the bottom of the stairs, just feet away from the front door to the Mansion, as she concentrates on the experience in Battery Park. The memories of that encounter coalesce, take form and become a true, palpable, solid thing, as she then transmits those memories, playing them back in Henry's mind. It will never feel entirely 'right', as the memories include awareness of senses Henry himself does not possess, and do not include cues and clues his own senses would have carried. But she is careful enough and thorough enough to play out every bit of what she saw of the device, as well as every detail of its function she gathered from listening to MacKenzie Green's thoughts.

~It would be nice if we actually met in person, Ms. Frost, but I trust that will happen sooner rather than later now…~ Hank offers before he makes himself calm down and 'listen'. Maybe the fact that even she said it was 'too damned important' that made him decide on this action rather than another. He's not happy that 'rules' have been broken, but even he understands the need to do so every now and again.

It's true, though, that the images and sensations wouldn't necessarily be described as easily through speech. It also means that he will most likely have a better memory for recall even as he quickly moves to grab a piece of paper and sketch what is being shown in his mind. Notes are also taken as to the function of the thing.

~We don't know where it came from, right? And do we know if this is the thing preventing her from remembering who she is?~

~// Based on my perceptions and readings, the device is from the Purifiers. Where they obtained it, however, she does not know, and I was not around her handler myself to see if he does. ~ Emma offers. Nevertheless, a mental image from MacKenzie's mind of her handler does appear, for reference. ~ I suspect that this device is part of what is preventing her from remembering. But there are also injections involved. She believes they are part of helping to suppress the powers. But I do not believe that is true. I believe they are instead a supporting cocktail to maintain the brainwashing. //~

After a few moments, Emma resumes waking, heading for the door and opening it, making her way across the porch and heading for the limo's back door, even as the driver is opening it. ~// I have to attend to several things in the City. I expect to be gone the rest of today and a good part of tomorrow, perhaps even the next two days. If you are available when I am able to return, and you truly would prefer to meet face to face, we can make the attempt then. If you need anything sooner than that, Elizabeth has my numbers. //~

Well, it's a start. ~// I would like to meet face to face, Ms. Frost, but this will be a good start, I think. I'll see what I can make of this and see what I can find about injected drugs to maintain brainwashing. Poor Jean…~ is offered before Hank's mind begins to work through potential theories. ~ I appreciate this, even if the method is a bit unconventional. I look forward to our eventual meeting.//~

~// If it helps assist Ms. Grey, that is worth it. ~ Emma responds. ~ I'll contact you when I am able to return. Do reach out, if you feel it is important, before then. Good luck in your research, Doctor McCoy. //~ Emma doesn't address the unconventional method. But the feel of her mental presence recedes as the car drives away. It will only be afterwards, most likely, that Hank may realize how and why Emma's mental contact felt quite so invasive or disturbing: there was no emotional content. None at all. It was all so clean, precise, and coldly impersonal, with no sense of the 'self' on the other end. As if Emma were a machine. It really is nothing like communicating with Jean or Rachel, Nathaniel or Elizabeth that way.