AoA: Save Our People

October 17, 2017:

Several X-Men meet the leaders of AoA America to talk in favor of the Vault's prisoners.

The AoA Triskelion

Characters

NPCs: AoA Magneto, AoA William Stryker

Mentions:

Mood Music: None.


Fade In…

When Jean and Lorna returned to New York, Jean felt Scott (her Scott) presence right away. Apparently he had arrived to this bleak parallel Earth later than the other X-Men. Perhaps to neatly fit within her plans to convince the president and the vice-president to pardon the -other- Scott. With the emergency situation going, the meeting was scheduled for a couple days later.

Explaining Scott than two of the worst enemies of the X-Men, William Stryker and Magneto, had been democratically elected to govern the remains of America also took some time. That is a very unlikely pair! But the latest amendment to the Constitution states that if the president is a human, the VP has to be a mutant, and vice-versa.

Scott himself has gotten many odd looks from the security at the presidential mansion in New York. Apparently everyone finds very odd he has two eyes. His local counterpart was pretty famous. And one-eyed.

Nevertheless, at the appointed time, the mutant trio is led to a meeting room and left alone for a few minutes.


Lorna had been twitchy since her verbal argument with this world's Emma Frost. On edge was to put it lightly. She'd taken to staying alone, trying to keep her temper in check. Something was increasingly becoming harder and harder for the green haired mutant the longer they remained in this world. So when Jean told her Scott had arrived?

Lorna was more than happy to help fill the man in with every single messed up detail she'd found out about the world and it's people. With gusto.

Now that they were left alone to wait at the presidential mansion? She couldn't seem to sit still. Her leg bobbed, and she fidgeted on the chair she'd taken up. She wanted to do almost anything else besides sitting there on a meeting.


Jean had been relived when she had returned to New York and felt Scott, within the city. It was the first real sense of relief she had felt since arriving in this world, since it meant that she at least knew he was safe.

In the days since along with Lorna, she had tried to do her best to get Scott up to speed on all that she had remembered.

She began with their arrival, explaining how Rachel, Nate, and Illyana had possibly done something with their combined powers that she had tried to stop. It was sad, but she also in lighter detail told Scott of the graves at the Mansion and the state of it, bracing him for the shock that Magneto had taken Xavier's place in this world and Stryker was the President.

Reluctantly she spoke of Miss Sinister, her 'clone daughter' that was part of some plot to resurrect Mister Sinister, or even perhaps Apocalypse; she didn't know for sure. There was so much to cover, and so little time she felt.

The most important thing she let Scott know about was the coming war, the attack by Gabriel Summers which took Nate and her hopes of convincing Magneto and Stryker to free not only Scott's duplicate in this world but also the rest of the prisoners.

Lastly, she told Scott of the M'kran crystal and that it might be their only way home.


Scott is no stranger to odd looks. As an X-Man it is expected. The security get their own studious glances in return before they are brushed off and the mutant is listening to Lorna and Jean fill him in, occasionally shifting his attention from one woman to the next. If he wasn't tired as he is right now he would be amused at how restless Lorna appears. Once Jean has him fully up to snuff and hes working a process for approach he starts to inquire, "The war is unfortunate and we must help where we can but this world is not our priority." The last thing he had stated, which isn't final or him saying they won't help. It's just him keeping them oriented on a direction.

"We… " A pause and he stares at the wall. "We don't belong here but we'll sure help where we can manage." The unfortunate mention of graves and what is at stake has his jaw bouncing with a twitch of muscle under flesh but Scott is ever the one to keep focused.


Stryker and Lensherr arrive a few minutes late. Both men look haggard, specially Magneto. He is in a wheelchair and looks thinner than Scott might remember, but his eyes are not as hard and cold as the Magneto he knew back home. Oh, he looks surprised to see him here too. 'What? You are an X-Men?'

He is too in control to ask the rhetorical question, but he almost did.

Stryker on the other hand looks as unphased as always. Apparently he is invulnerable to surprises.

"Mr. Summers, a pleasure to meet you," offers the President. "I believe you know Mr. Lensherr." He takes a seat, loosening his tie. "We don't have much time, I'm afraid. What can I do for you, Ms. Grey?"


Stryker and Lensherr arrive a few minutes late. Both men look haggard, specially Magneto. He is in a wheelchair and looks thinner than Scott might remember, but his eyes are not as hard and cold as the Magneto he knew back home. Oh, he looks surprised to see him here too. 'What? You are an X-Men?'

He is too in control to ask the rhetorical question, but he almost did.

Stryker on the other hand looks as unphased as always. Apparently he is invulnerable to surprises.

"Mr. Summers, a pleasure to meet you," offers the President. "I believe you know Mr. Lensherr." He takes a seat, loosening his tie. "We don't have much time, I'm afraid. What can I do for you, Ms. Grey?"


Lorna knew when Magneto was approaching. She could sense the electromangetic displacement he created as he approached, even when he was disconnected from the magnetic fields, he was more than powerful enough in his own right. She quit fidgeting, sitting up in her chair as the two entered. Everytime she saw the man it was a little harder for her to not burst out with what she'd learned from Pietro.

And even that was only because she wanted to find this world's Lorna first.

Still, she kept silent, she wasn't going to be address the President and VP. This was Jean's idea and plan. Jean could explain it and would likely do a better job of it. Lorna was really only there for backup at this point.


Jean nodded in agreement with Scott before they entered, her number one priority being rescuing Nate and making sure everyone got home. It was precisely why she wanted to insure that they had every edge in the coming battle.

"It's lovely to see you both again." Jean said to Magneto and Stryker, "I thought you would be interested to know what we learned at your prison facility, and to meet the man, your Scott Summers could have become, and still could if he's given the chance." She smiled at the pair of men, giving them time to speak with Scott if they wished. Lorna would have felt a bit of telepathic reassurance from Jean, < Don't worry, we've got this. >


"Mr… President and Mr. Lensherr." Scott manages, his voice not as solid in greeting as he coached himself on simply because its shocking to see these two in this situation. "I am an X-Men, yes." He states firmly though, much more so than the greeting almost with some level of challenge but it bleeds off. Pride. Thats what that is.

Their presence has the wall a lot less interesting now and his thoughts circling back in to the present, Lorna and Jean are observed again before he speaks, "If he is indeed the son of Christopher Summers in this world and has even remotely a touch of Professor Charles Xavier's influence… or a Jean… or family. I refuse to think he is a bad egg." Not quite correcting Jean but encouraging. It's obvious this Scott is still adjusting.


Awkward. "No. Charles died before he was born," explains Magneto. "Scott Summers was raised in one of Horseman Sinister orphanages. In Nebraska, I believe. He didn't meet Jean Grey until he was in his early twenties."

"Very few left those 'orphanages' anything less than fanatically loyal to Apocalypse," adds Stryker. "The children were conditioned to become sociopathic killers. Most of them ended up in the Mutant Elite Forces or the Dark Riders. Prelate Scott Summers was one of the best. Not only deadly in the battlefield, but also a competent administrator and strategist."


Lorna glanced between Scott and Jean, folding her hands on her lap as she listened. Even Jean's calm reassurance had her mentally wrinkling her nose. Even as she thought pointedly at her friend. 'This isn't going to work Jean. They'll hear you out 'cause they liked this world's version of you.' She closed her eyes exhaling a breath as she shifted.

"This world's version of Scott Summers wasn't put to death though because he broke free of that conditioning, right? He worked to free several prisoners. Nate Grey and this world's version of myself, correct?" She arched a brow.


Jean nodded in agreement with Lorna, emphasizing, "By all accounts, the very reason him and so many of these prisoners are still alive is because they have some chance of redemption, or they showed in some way they might be capable of reform."

"They are alive, because they still possess their humanity, unlike the Horseman who would see everything destroyed, for their own gains even if it means the destruction of an entire world." Jean didn't once falter in her calm, "That's why, we'll need you to listen and consider what is going to be asked."


"Orphanage in Nebraska. Heh." Scott huffs. Some emotion in there buried somewhere, Sinister had him in an orphanage in their world before he found the Professor or was found. "Not too dissimilar. Are there no methods you employ to counter this conditioning?" Idle curiosity there. Scott is letting Jean and Lorna take the lead, if anything hes here to assist and back them up as the late comer. Not the forward leader he usually assumes role of. He's still on lap one and they're more than capable of coming up with a sound course of action.

"As much as I want to vouche for an alternate /me/.. it is hard. There are too many variables but if he is risking his neck to save others, I wouldn't suggest counting him out yet."

Loud thought: This is so bizarre and unreal feeling.


"He did let a few prisoners go," admits Magneto. "I wasn't aware Nate Grey was one of them," he adds. "Indeed the exact reasons why Forge was found the younger Grey wandering among the ruins of Manhattan were always unknown to us, but still," he shrugs. "Prelate Summers received a fair trial. The fact remains he was accomplice in crimes against humankind being the security chief in the Holding Pens of New York. Tens of thousands died there. His acts of rebellion against Apocalypse, including that last, heroic breakout that cost Jean Grey her life but saved many lives were considered during the trial. The Aaronson brothers and he were spared the firing squad because of that." He looks at Scott, "maybe he broke his conditioning, but Sinister and the Shadow Thief's psychic tampering would be hard to detect even if we had well-trained telepaths, and we don't."

Stryker keeps quiet meanwhile, but he is studying a folder he brought.


Lorna glanced side long at Jean as the woman spoke, falling silent as Scott continued the thread of conversation briefly. Of course, when Magneto spoke she shifted in her chair, another glance spared for her friend and she arched a brow. She wasn't going to volunteer the redhead, she hated being volun-told herself after all.

"Well, you did suggest that this world's Scott Summers might talk if it was Jean and I. You were right. And he was more than willing to volunteer intel to us. He doesn't know about Gabriel Summers either. Though he does think that there's something to be found in DC." She left it at that. Let Jean do the major lifting conversationally.


Jean looked between Stryker and Magneto, even as she tried her best to assure both Scott and Lorna of her plan, < This can work. It's our best shot at rescuing Nate. I need them to think so as well to. >

"You do." Jean said with a knowing smile, "You have me and you have my word, that I if you let Scott Summers and any other prisoners who are willing to earn their redemption, fight to protect New York and to help stop the Horseman. I will personally meet with each and every one of them and I will leave no stone unturned in their minds."

She didn't sound benevolent right now, her voice taking on a dark edge, "If I have the slightest doubts of any of them, they can rot for an eternity for all I care. You want to save your people, I want to save mine and many of those prisoners would be an incredible boon to our side."


"Gabriel Summers?" No. He has no clue who that is and never met him. Maybe that’s something they can fill him in on later. Skipping past it he carries on, "Jean is personally trained by Professor Xaviers, the greatest mind in our reality. She is your best option." His gaze lingers on Jean when she mentions they can rot though, a concerned look is handed off to Lorna. Scott is definitely in need of some catch up.


Magneto seems to consider this, "it can't hurt. Specially in the case of Bruce Banner…" he glances to Stryker and frowns. "What are you reading, William?"

Stryker looks up, a ghost of a smile in his lips, "oh, you are going to 'love' this one, Eric. It is Graydon's new pet project. The Initiative Thunderbolts. Strike teams of convicted mutants, volunteers with control mechanisms, led by human officers." He looks at Jean. "Indeed, Ms. Grey. I will arrange with the Vault warden for you to have access to the prisoners immediately. On the condition they agree the psychic scanning, of course. I will await your report."


Lorna shared the look Scott aimed her way in regards to Jean's darker edged tone. But who was she to judge? She'd been acting more than little on her anger as of late. If Jean wanted to leave horrible people to rot, who was she to say anything?

Of course, that's when Magneto and Stryker consider Jean's words and agree to them her brows shoot upwards in surprise. That certainly went way easier than she expected. She barely caught herself from gaping. She'd been ready to argue the point. Something.

Though the mention of mutants with some kind of a control mechanism creeped her out a little. She didn't say anything further. What else could she add?


There was still quite a bit to fill Scott in on, even for Jean there had been far too much to cover; and far too many events of significance she had not been personally involved in, she would do her best to help with that later.

"Thank you, I'll get to work immediately. With Scott here, you will probably want to try and co-ordinate efforts with him." Jean suggested with a smile, "He's one of the greatest tacticians and leaders you could hope for. We're very lucky he's here with us."

Looking over at Lorna, she nodded, the relief rolling off her in waves. Scott would never need to know the lengths the pair were willing to go to, to make sure that Nate was freed.


"I'm here to assist where I can." Scott says, "I'd prefer an advisory role only; however."

// You have this Jean. I will back you. // Not telepathy on his part. Just loud and focused thoughts. "I go where my team is and needs me. If she has given you our aid you have it." Even if hes swimming in a sea of confusion right now. He is doing his best to have faith in his fellow X-Men.

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