You get a bonnet.. and you get a bonnet..

December 23, 2015:

The final bonnet delivery ends with Jean, Betsy, Nate and Scott speaking on latest events.

Jean's Office

Characters

NPCs: None.

Mentions: Beast, Emma Frost, Kitty Pryde, Doug Ramsay, Ravager

Plot:

Mood Music: [*\# None.]


Fade In…

Scott went away for a bit - it was a mutual decision between him and Jean that Rachel was probably better off outside of the United States, so after some calls, he and Rachel travelled to Muir Island to help her resettle for now under the guise of one of Moira MacTaggart's assistants. Scott had at first said he'd be home on Christmas Day, but with the news of the joint attack on the Hall of Justice, Scott had cut his vacation short to return to the states.

He just didn't bother to tell Jean he was coming home two days early.

He gives a couple of sharp raps on the door of the office before he opens it up, carrying a shopping bag from Scotland. "Jean, you in?" he asks, a slight grin touching upon him lips. Yes, she probably felt him arrive well before he got here - but he's trying his best to be stealthy in coming back to her.

"But what I'm saying is this, Nathaniel.. there really is no need to worry about my sleeping habits. All I need to do is travel to that space again and find the Baku and offer my nightmares as sustenance. No harm, no foul, and no children will be kidnapped through the dreamscape as long as I live, or the next poor soul comes along to take my place." Simple sacrifices.

Her office wasn't a mess, it was sparkling clean, the floor obsessively vacuumed as she leans back within her chair, crumpled paper within her hand endlessly tossed into the air as she stares into the ceiling as she waits for a small response, or for nothing at all. "I need to know what you and Rose are going to do on your end before I consider stepping out into the fray, for with you two I know that I really do not nee—…" She pauses, as well as the paper that hangs within the air as her eyes squint towards the door, right before the knock.

There was a slight grin, and a gesture towards the door.. if Nate wanted to use his powers to open it, he could! And if he does, she'd study him. "Your father's here." Tease. She can be such a meanie.

Nate is shaking his head, half smirk in his lips. "If you are gonna do that with this Baku thing, you better check out with Illy or some other magic-savvy person. Or you are going to get into trouble. Dream eating critter sounds right up their alley."

As for Rose. Hmm. He loses his smirk. Rose is doing things with her own not-dad, and Nate is not prying even though he is almost sure it involves dirty mercenary stuff the kind the X-Men wouldn't approve. But Rose has issues she needs to work on her own, even if she ends up hurting. His job is picking up the pieces and helping her back to her feet, see?

Wait, change of subject? Nate glances at the door, and scans. "Oh? He got back just in time for Christmas, I guess." Father. Rrrrright. He mock glares Jean and stands up to open the door. "She's here, yeah. Welcome back, Scott. Come in?"

She thinks she's sooo funny. She probably is, but that's not here nor there as the door opens. "Hello, Nate. I didn't realize you were here." Scott offers up a ghost of a smile as he comes into the office. "Thank you." he offers as he glances around the office. She's been cleaning again, which means she's been thinking most likely as he comes around the desk and greets Jean with a quick kiss and a placement of the bag on the desk. "Greetings from Muir Island." he offers before he starts to pull away. "Don't let me interupt, please. Unless this is one of those leader meetings that I should step out for." There's an absent shrug of his shoulders.

"You're just now noticing? Where is your head, kiddo?" Another joke. She seems to be doing that a lot lately.

The paper ball drops into her hands as she tosses it into the garbage pail (no Michael Jordan, it was right near her foot) and stands, both hands pressing upon the desk as she leans forward, and then to the side to accept the quick kiss with a peck of her own. As the bag was plopped down, she looks inside, but doesn't open it yet. She doesn't even try to scan Scott's mind to find out just what it is. She likes her surprises! But she doesn't want to make Nate uncomfortable.

"No no, you can stay. We were just discussing our options and our team members." She leans back, then falls into her chair, her feet lifting just a touch as she does so. "Pull up a seat."

Right, he didn't notice Scott. Nate keeps shields up in the school because he can. It is safe grounds, usually. Or maybe he is getting soft in his old age. He will be 22 soon!

"Hmm, not sure if it is a leader meeting," he mentions, flopping down on the chair again. "I got here just a few minutes myself. And I have not done much field work for the team the past couple months besides watching over some of the Purifiers backers."

Settling into a seat after giving Jean's hand a quick squeeze, Scott reaches up to push his glasses up onto his nose, settling the rose quartz lens into place. "Speaking of members, Hank was exactly where you said I would find him." he admits as he settles his hands into his lap. "I don't know if he's going to go with the idea of becoming a more vocal and visible presence, I think he's worried about stepping on X-Red's toes." If Scott could roll been seen rolling his eyes, it would be totally visible.

"I think I got through to him that being a spokesperson for mutant and human relations is not the same as the mostly mutant-centric work that X-Red is handling. Which is great and all for District X, but I don't think Hank quite grasps that what I'm asking was more.. encompassing." There's an absent frown. "I don't think I noticed that he was so rather avoidant on such things."

When Nate brings up the Purifiers, Scott leans forward, settling his hands on his knees. "I saw that on the news. Also saw that we had our own there - I have to admit that it's a little frustrating that the only news we got out of it came from X-Red - and the signs were there. Sentinels should have been expected sometime." He's not casting blame at anyone, except maybe himself. "But it's still worrying. I doubt that they were simply able to steal parts and the assembly instructions were right there and now the government is being quiet about the whole thing. I think we should take a closer peek, just not sure how to approach it yet." But Jean can tell, the new development has Scott troubled quite a bit. Especially at the lack of response.

"Anyway." he says with a sigh, turning thoughtful. "Talking to Hank kind or highlighted a problem. We're all family in a way.." a glance to Nate. "Some more than others." he offers up a smirk, accidentally playing off Jean's earlier mean teasing. "But it seems like besides the occassional post, sharing in the idea of what family does has become something. I dunno, maybe it's just me.. I guess I just feel a little distant from the others. Hank's in his lab - you and I are fine, of course, Jean.. but it seems like other than the occassional hello, contact is more like a business. Which I guess, is what some people want." It just doesn't sit so well with him.

"I don't see the folks from X-Red coming here much," points out Nate. Of course -he- doesn't come much either. But he lives in Salem Center now. "I guess they like to be independent from Xavier, hmm? Can't blame them. This place is far from New York, and pretty secluded. Besides, if Illyana and Berto are anything like I remember them, they do not like to be told what to do, or report to anyone." Scott should know that, but sometimes a reminder is needed.

"As for the Purifiers. Man, I am a bit surprised they had so many people in Metropolis. And they got hold of Sentinels, which means probably someone gave them the blueprints. Which means one of the Trasks might be involved," and… Scott and Jean might not know much about Trasks besides knowing about Trask Industries. "Anyway. They are a different cell… or cluster of cells, probably organized completely different to the New York Purifiers. There are folks over them, though. Frost has people tracking their communications, but they come from rogue servers and something called the Unternet that is pretty much untraceable."

"He's always there." Jean murmurs.. though, it wasn't said as an aside to Hank, however, she admires his dedication to his passion and is very glad that he is.. well, near. "You have to understand his personality, Scott. He's not exactly shy, but he drives the point home and often times is a bit too harsh for his own good. He just needs refining in that regard, and to be open and comfortable with doing what you've suggested that he does. That's all. I would -love- it if he showcases his inventions at some sort of statewide scientific inventors event.. sort.. of thing." She waves her hand briefly. But she does understand. Those frustrations were expressed before, in private to Xavier once upon a time.

"There are that they come when they are needed, Scott." She looks towards him and Nate.. a little smile pressed upon her lips. "But don't think that they're not our family, they are. Just think of them as a different branch, a different sect as you will that completes the whole. If we call for them, they'll come. If we need them, they'll be at our rescue. Local is nothing for the likes of you and me, Nathanial, and we're all interconnected upon the same network. And I know you both think differently than I or as Brinley would but.." She reaches out to tap her chest, right above where her heart lies. That's where family truly is.

There was a bit of silence when it came to the Purifiers, her brow furrowing as she leans back to draw her fingers along her jaw, her leg hitching up and crossing daintly as she relaxes back to listen. Hearing about Trask was new to her but if they were true to their reports she would soon read it all. "See if Emma could possibly have one of her own infiltrate the Unternet." And.. really, that's all she offers up! She's not the master tactician like the two before her.

"It's not that I'm looking to say - hey, here's orders, go follow them, Nate." Scott points out in response, a brief look of frustration. "I know I come across like that most of the time, I'm sure. But we knew that the Purifiers and the Reavers one had gotten a hold of Sentinels more than a month ago." he reaches up to rub the side of his head and gives his hairline a small scratch. "I know X-Red has a good repitorie with the Justice League…" he trails off for a moment, the prevaling thought of his time in captivity coming back for a moment before he shakes it off.

"But this is no longer just a threat to X-Red. It's extended to the Justice League, us.. hell, everyone out there." he quiets for a moment, forcing himself to remember that he gave the operation up to Jean. He draws in a steadying breath and settles his hands in his lap. "Perhaps it would be a good time to find a liaison for us to the League. Someone that doesn't mind that their identity might be found out, because they will dig it up. I considered talking to Fury, but with the silence that we're getting now on the Sentinels.. I'm not sure if it's wise if we go with our cards out on the table." he admits, reversing his earlier thoughts on the ideas that he had.

"Unternet? Is that anything like the internet? It's not a matter of asking Emma about someone that can.. we have two people that can probably get in their themselves - yes, Doug is with X-Red, but if Kitty is half as good with the internet as what she appears to be, it might be a good option to set her up in an isolated and secure server to see if she can find her way to digging up some information, Jean." he suggests.

"Sure, I can give Kitty and Doug what I found out," replies Nate. Not that he is an expert in networks, but he looks sharply at Scott when he says he doesn't know about Unternet. "Parallel network designed for untraceable communications. They say super-villains designed it, y'know? I'm no techie, but I bet Hank would know quite a bit about how it works."

He has little more to add about the Purifiers. Betsy is supposed to be his team leader when they have to admit there is a team at all. "You know about the cyborg the ladies destroyed, right?" He addresses Scott, but then realizes he wasn't in New York when it happened. Maybe he doesn't know.

Betsy walks into the office like she owns it, the door latch clicking and turning without a hand upon it. "Hello hello," the heiress says, greeting everyone with a diffident flicker of one hand. Despite the weather outside rapidly fouling, Betsy's still togged out like she's more dressed for a fashion show than enduring the elements, in the very latest style of knit tops and winter-friendly boots.

"Are we talking about working with the Justice League?" she inquires, moving to her (Jean's) favourite high-backed reading chair, and dropping smoothly into it. She crosses her legs at the knee and rests her elbows on the arms, fingers interlaced atop one thigh. "They're still a bit fragmented from the Apokalips debacle, but they're coming together finally," she offers in her cultured British tonals.

There was a modicum of silence that came from Jean as she watches the two banter. She could feel it then, her eyes soon lifting towards the door, the bestie of the bestest clicking and pushing her way in without word or need to even lift a finger. A slight grin touches her face, which was soon covered with fingers that drape along her lips and rest along her temple. Her free hand remains within her lap, thumping away at her kneecap as she finally brings the three into view.

She wasn't used to leading. Giving out orders. But it seems as if.. well, a certain man in the chair was rubbing off on her when it comes to watching and listening to debates.

Her mouth opens, snaps shut.. eyes still making those motions darting from one person to the next, yet it was Betsy's words that causes her to voice her opinion then and only then.

"No. Neither of you are having anything to do with Justice League."

She looks at the three pointedly. "Find your own angles and work them out." That was towards Betsy and Nate. They were.. a kind of sort of team, right? "No one in this room is suited to go public, considering the implications of what happened previously with.." Well, Scott and Rachel. "We're still recovering from that little blowback and upset. Leave Justice League to X-Red, they're already out in the forefront and this has been their problem since the beginning. That is not to say that we're going to leave them high and dry. But Justice League and X-Red, if they choose it, are a perfect fit and one that we very well don't outright mesh with."

Her lips purse quietly, her eyes gone to Scott. "And.. For some reason I think I'm going to regret this.." Her grin was totally playful. "You really need to sit with Kitty and watch while she works over that information dealing with the Unternet. You know.." Her hands lift, dancing a touch in the air. "Get your google-fu going."

Scott frowns at the sharp look. He can't keep up with everything, but he's trying his best to stay on top of things. Nate explains what the Unternet is, he nods slowly. "Hank might know, but I don't want to give him an excuse to lock himself further in his lab." he admits as he lets out a breath. "Anyway, this sounds like that whole social media thing, and Jean just now has me understanding how Facetime works and that they're not the same as Facebook, so it's probably better to hand it off to one of them. My suggestion is Kitty, simply because she's already handling the systems here, it's more localized. But maybe they'll work together."

"Not working with, per say. Hello, Betsy." Scott corrects Betsy gently. "More like a liaison or even an information exchange. In light of the recent attack on the Hall of Justice, it might be a chance for us to finally start a communication with them…" in a capacity other than interrogations. In a room full of telepaths, hiding such a thought is just not an option. Taking out a small bag, he tosses it over towards Betsy. "Happy Holidays from Muir Island." Really, they bought out all of the bonnie blue bonnets that were on sale in the gift shop. So everyone gets one. How wonderful! It's not all Jean got, so she doesn't have to worry that he was that cheap.

"No, I think I missed the report on that, Nathaniel." Scott admits as he leans back in his seat, settling his hands across his mid-section. "What's this about the cyborg you gals destroyed?" he asks as he glances to Betsy and then back to Jean. "Just so you know.." he trails back towards Nate and Betsy. "I suggested to Hank that he perhaps considers taking a more.. political role.. in handling mutant and human relations. He's mulling it over." And then Jean starts handling things, and he is in perfect agreement with the idea of not going anywhere near the Justice League for now. But at the mention of the whole idea of the Unternet, he blanches. "Jean.. I'm a field asset. Sitting at a computer.." he copies her movement, miming the whole keyboard in air thing. "Isn't exactly my forte. I'll learn what I can, but really." It's only a minor protest, but one that can be handled in private later.

Nate turns to Betsy and nods, "hey, Bets." Then to Scott. "I wasn't there for the fight with cyborg, I was in L.A. Don't ask." He stands up and paces. "Anyway, there was some movement of transports and materials from some supporters of the Purifiers. Betsy, Luna and Rose went to investigate and fought an invisible cyborg assassin, and also got attacked by armed drones. Not the typical Purifier thugs operation, although there were also some Purifier thugs. At the end several mutant civil leaders and human reporters got killed, and Rose got hurt bad, so they left the dead cyborg body to the cops. We got the forensics report a couple weeks ago, but it was not very useful. Apparently there is an island in western Pacific called Gomorra where they implant those kind of cybernetics to anyone that can pay."

"I know you're a field asset, dear heart. But there are things that we all need to pick up on. Even the Professor could run a trick or two on the computers without batting an eye. Trust me on this." She smiles faintly, but she already knows there's going to be a little fight in that regard. But still she'll press on it and encourage it.

"Speaking of, see if you could possibly catch up with Reed and find out if he could also give us some insight on what we're dealing with. But.. be kind. He's going through a little bit of a rough time. At least that's what the tabloids are saying." She winces just a touch, quieting down as Nate begins to explain what happened.

"Gamorra?" She questions outloud. Nate could already sense her wheels turning as well as Betsy, and they could already hint and sense at what she'd say. Check it out, be discreet. Follow leads, the entire debacle, but that doesn't need to be said.

"So Gomorra could be where these Reavers are coming from as well? Or do you think they might be homebrewed? If they're local, they have to have a factory or something within range of where they're attacking for repairs or however they keep getting more of them. They just seem to come and go as they please and there's not been a way to track them or even guess where their attacks are going to be occuring next. And now they're using ads to call out their shots. I want to turn the tables on them and set the terms, but.. that's not my place." Scott gives a glance towards Betsy. X-Black may be more suite to the mission. "But if X-Red is saying they have it handled, it's better to just let them handle it." And with that, he lets it go. See, he can be reasoned with, even when the heels are dug in.

"You sure you don't want to be the one to talk to Reed, Jean?" Scott asks in concern. "Or even Betsy. I'm not sure I'm the best one to send when it comes to just.. talking things out." he admits with a chagrined look. But there is something on his mind, he's just not touching upon it yet as he glances between the others, and goes back to being quiet. He doesn't lead, he's not quite a follower - he's just somewhere in between all of it as he just listens for the moment.

"Maybe. I don't know, never had heard about Gamorra before a couple weeks ago," admits Nate. "It seems one of those lawless places, like Madripoor, but more high-tech. Regardless, it looks like some of the Purifiers are willing to become super-humans. Well, you can't ask racist assholes have a consistent ideology, can you? But they do have deep pockets. Androids, cyborgs and now their own Sentinels."

"You can." Jean speaks up. "It's everyones place to want to protect." She smiles a little towards Scott, but keeps quiet most of all, though.. as the mentions of her talking to Reed come up, she does finally draw out a sigh, leaning forward to thump her head upon the desk. "Oh.. god.. you're right.." She mutters quietly. It wasn't that she didn't like Reed, but a doctor didn't too much appreciate.. well.. being doctored. She did promise to visit and get a check up.. and she was worried about the Fantastic crew..

"I'll go talk to Reed." She mutters, almost as if she were forced into it. "Maybe I could cook them all dinner.."

"Nate.." She starts. "Maybe you, Betsy and Emma can do something about that. But.." She slowly rises from her desk, taking her present with her. "I'll let you all figure it out. Deal?" Talk about the hands off approach, they've just been Xavier'd.

"Well.. you don't have to go alone, Jean." Scott offers, and clears his throat. "I mean.." he rubs the back of his head, as he considers, and just the flare of color in his cheek suggests the step he's about to take. "I mean, if we're making this all official, I could accompany you?"

And with that, he nods towards Nate. "I'm sure they can handle it without me." he comments as he rises to his feet as well. "I still had something to talk to you about, Jean. Just.. well. Not here."

"Hmm, alright," Nate glances to Betsy. Unseen telepathic communication, probably. "We have a couple leads to follow. And you should also check on Trask and the Unternet with Kitty and Hank. Mind you, I doubt our leads take us to Metropolis, the Purifiers seem very well compartmentalized. Annoyingly so. I'll keep in touch," he heads out.

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