The Catch Up and Break Down

November 14, 2017:

Lorna and Scott finally get to catch up on Genosha, as well as Nate's home world.

Garage of the X-mansion

Characters

NPCs: None.

Mentions: Marcos, Nate, Magneto, Jean

Plot:

Mood Music: [*\# None.]


Fade In…

he Institute's garage although not a circular room gives the idea that it is from the printing on the flooring, central the X for Xavier makes the room focus down on it, centerpiece in. Beyond double doors from the inside the rears of six cars are visible, three to each side. Two sports, a sedan, an SUV, a van and a jeep. Faculty vehicles and Xavier's own. If they're not outside parked in the round-about they're likely in here.

Immediately to the left is a metal gated workarea, bench, hanging tools and spare parts, a motorcycle drawn up to it with the rear wheel off, seated up on a sawhorse. A chain connecting it to a lift to keep it upright.

Scott Summers stand inside that very /cage/ eating a sandwhich, a coffee cup to his left. Casual enough right now its jeans, a button up shirt rolled to the sleeves, grease on his fingers and his shades as usual seated neatly upon his nose. It's a loud day in the school, final 'take offs' for many of the kids and he's already said his share of fairwells to them until January when they will be returning. Right now, hes seeking comfort alone.

*

Lorna came seeking Scott, and after asking around, was directed to the garage. It would make the third visit in less than a week, it was far more than she had visited before Hallowen. Of course, now she had set herself on a mission, on a goal.. She opened the door to the garage with a wave of her hand, stepping down inside with a light step of her steel toed boots.

Green eyes scanned the room until she spotted Scott and she made her way over.

"Hey, got a minute?" She knew the garage was likely a place where he wanted to be alone. She typically respected the need for alone time—but the time was past to actually sit down and have a chat.

*

The open and swing close of the heavy inner garage doors has Scott tipping his head to the side curiously, not many lately other than him spend time out here. Logan was his biggest contender for space usually.
"Lorna… Right now, plenty of time."

Scott takes a wrapper up and folds it around the sandwhich setting it back on the workbench by a grinder.

"Soda? Beer?" The mini-fridge by his feet being bumped with a booted toe.

*

Lorna's lips twitched faintly as Scott bumped the mini-fridge and she shrugged, moving to find a somewhat clear space to sit down. "I'll take a soda, for once." She murmured, crossing her legs as she shifted on whatever junk it was she was perched on to make a seat for herself.

Sure there might be actual chairs, but this would work plenty well for her purposes.

"And thanks." She sighed, leaning back and letting her hands settle on her lap.

"I wanted to talk to you about a lot of things. I didn't get details on Genosha.. Besides what Nate said and bits and pieces from Rogue. But, I also wanted to talk to you about Marcos. He wants to go to Genosha with me… and he needs training."

*

Scott manages to crack a smile at the acceptance of 'soda' the fridge nudged open and he kneels down to fish out a Root Beer offering it over, "No problem."

Crouched with his arm extended the older Summers brother studies Lorna quietly before he speaks, "I'll answer the ones I can. It's got a lot that everyone is still curious about… and Marcos, hrm, I can't exactly tell him not to go. Just like you. I don't think its safe or wise but at the same time it could use more good people there, ones hopefully not completely blinded by… well, people who know what Magneto is capable of."

"Training for a mutant like Marcos is always an option here. I'd like him to at least enroll or accept some sort of job as an excuse to hang round. We're still under the outword idea that it's not a complete housing of metahumans and mutants. For our own safety and the students." Even if the DEO and SHIELD are onboard with protecting the school, measures are taken and Scott is always aware of them.
"Does he like to cook? We have an opening in the cafeteria. It'll pay." Scott might be joking about that but its hard to tell. Hes very flat in tone.

*

Lorna exhaled a breath, taking the root beer and cracking it open. She sipped at it, and listened to Scott, shifting her weight forward as she rested a forearm on her thigh. Green eyebrows furrowed in consideration. "It's my responsibility to be there just as much as anyone else's. If it's a tense, diplomatic situation, I might be able to help. I don't know how Magneto will react to my being there. I haven't seen him for years. Since I found out. But I might be able to do some good there." She murmured softly, her eyes downcast.

"All I know what happened in Genosha previously is that the government was using Mutants as slaves, it was bad. And Nate mentioned Sentinels. I know that Magneto is there and a lot of people died, including Nate. And that it messed up Rogue." She glanced up at him. "Beyond that I'm going in blindly."

She fell silent for a moment in regards to Marcos and reached up to drag her hand through green locks. "..I wasn't talking about a permanent set up. Just a few Danger Room runs before we go to Genosha. He won't stay here if I go. And he's never fought in that type of a situation. He ran with the Cartels before. Mostly blowing up things here and there. He can handle himself on the street, and has had my back for a few things.. But it's not the same." Her lips twitched briefly. "And no, he can't cook for shit. I run the kitchen if we don't order out."

*

"Says the girl who doesn't want to be an X-Man." Scott teases her, there is a smile again. "The Professor would be proud of those words." Which by proxy makes the red eyed mutant feel similar.

"We discovered the Genoshans had mutant slaves several years ago, we couldn't act so it went public with the Professor himself setting up a debate against them. They tried to assassinate him and well, it went south from there."

Scott straightens to a stand now and a look of concentration passes his features, "The Human Rights movement who have lingering funding and business with Project Wideawake transferred much of their Sentinel program to Genosha, war was going to happen so we struck. Everyone went through some personal trials there, I had to make some shit judgement calls."

"I see. Temporary is fine as well, a few prep missions in the Danger Room won't hurt anyone though, thats access usually not allowed to just anyone. He goes down there its your responsibility to make sure he never talks about the sub-basement or any of this. We'll work with him." Scott almost sounds a little disappointed its temporary but its only a beat. Business again as usual.
"Four hours a day are yours and his along with whoever else wants to train down there. This is a security lapse so, please, realize this and possible outcomes. I trust you therefore… I am extending trust to Marcos."

*

Lorna's lips twitch faintly, "Magneto is my father, and no matter how much I try to run from that, it's not going to change. He's my responsibility. I might be able to influence him. I dunno. I've never tried." She murmured softly at Scott's gentle praise and shrugged with a gentle rise and fall of her slim shoulders. Her leather jacket creaked and she fell silent for a time, listening with care.

"It was Human Rights activists that harassed me out of college. It got.. pretty bad." She murmured, "It's why I came running back here. It.. they freaked me out and I didn't particularly want to end up escalating things." She exhaled a breath. "Marcos and I got separated for a time—I never told me to find me here. Never told him how to get here. Just told him to try to find me in Mutant Town when things calmed down." She sipped at the root beer she'd forgotten otherwise and nodded at the consideration he'd given the two of them in regards to the Danger Room.

"I know. Thank you. It's why I'm talking to you about it. I can ask Jean to poke around in Marcos' head if it helps with security. I know he'd agree.." She tapped her fingers against the side of the can.

"It's not that he doesn't want to come here more permanently. He does. I know he does. He doesn't say it, but he wants nothing more than to stay here full time and train…" She trailed off, looking down at her lap as she fell silent once more.

*

"Influence him, I find that honestly pretty unlikely. The man has been at this much longer than you or I were even a consideration." Scott rubs the back of his neck, an exhale escaping him. "My advice? if you do run in to your father is simple. Stay away from the politics, be a daughter and leave the rest alone. Try to… just enjoy what you can out of it. Everything else will turn sideways."

"They've been quiet, after the Purifiers started openly slaughtering and televising mutants back in 2014… 2015 people were revolted, it turned a lot of sympathy our way, well, memories don't last. After the Charity event, it feels like we just took two steps back, we're getting a lot of negativity for Genosha too. People are getting afraid of us again. We need to stick together, X-Men or… well just our friends. I'm sorry you were forced away from Mutant Town, its going to get worse there before it gets better but you'll always be safe here." Scott catches himself in his ranting as she mentions Jean, "No, it's fine. I am putting faith in you on this one. Likely if Jean or the Professor have concern they'll do it on their own anyways." Not tha they would without Marcos permission. They're not those kind of telepaths.

"Whats stopping him?" Scott is curious now.

*

Lorna shrugged, "I doubt it would be over anything big. I don't imagine it would do any good against the political back drop. But maybe he'll twice about wiping out everyone on the island if I'm there. He.. he stayed out of my life because of a promise to my mother, Scott." She swallowed a lump in the back of her throat. She had only told Marcos about what she'd spoken with her father about before..

"I doubt he would do anything that would get me killed, is what I'm saying." She doubted that he would think too much about it if push came to shove, but maybe it would be enough to give them an advantage. However slight.

Her lips pursed together briefly as she considered how to broach the topic of why Marcos wasn't at the school full time. Her fingers dragged over the codensation on the outside of the can. "Because I'm not here. Because I took the job that Jamie offered me to work his detective agency… Marcos goes where I go." Her lips twitched faintly as she spoke, her voice soft.

*

Cylops tongue clicks against the back of his teeth with an audible noise and he nods, "I believe you in that. I think it would be against his best interests to annhilate Genosha anyways, hes wanting to turn it in to a mutant utopia." Perhaps part of the X-Men's fear is revealed in that, some concern she may go there and join him. Thats not a good thing either. Jean would have a better way of voicing that.

"I see. Well, you can do both. Not saying live here and be a teacher… " Scott laughs a quick light noise, "Not important honestly, you're here when you can be and thats what matters. Eventually, maybe, you'll return to us. Jamie too. I will help in training Marcos if you need, you can have several hours out of the day up until you guys leave for Genosha to use the room at your leisure. Security will regulate to allow you guys in without having to ask for a senior members sign off."

*

Lorna nodded, a hand rising to push her back from her face. If only Jean was present, she would see the self same fear reflected in Lorna's mind. That the conditions there in Genosha would draw her closer to her father's side enough that she would stay there for him.. That she would lose herself in the process. It was one of her greatest fears, and why she'd relented to bringing Marcos along.

But Jean wasn't present, and while Lorna confessed her fears to Marcos, Scott wasn't her confessor. She respected and admired the older mutant, but she didn't exactly see him as someone to express such things to. In the field, Scott's commands were listened to without question… here.. it was a little less so.

Still, her lips twitched faintly, "Scott, you might have a telepath as a girlfriend and all so she can give you guys some privacy.. but I don't have that advantage. Till I get around that whole mutant kids with increased senses thing.. I'm not interested in moving back in with my boyfriend." She drawled lightly. A small reason, but a reason, to why she wouldn't move back in. Or so she told herself.

"But thanks, really.. I really appreciate it. Letting us use the Danger Room.. I mean.."

*

"Flimsy excuse but like I said, I'm not trying to recruit here. You know it's an open invitation." Scott lifts up his own soda, chugging at it before thumbing the tab on it noisely, "Besides, who says you'd pass the entry test anyways." A wink that will be missed beyond his shades is given the magnetic mistress.

"Of course, authorization won't allow you anywhere else but it should do the trick. We have a whole new list of Genoshan simulations in it also. Just about every scenario you can think of. If you need anything, anything at all while youre in Genosha make sure you call us too. We'll have our people there but it doesn't hurt to be prepared."

*

Lorna's lips twitched into a full blown smile at his calling her out on her excuse. His comment about passing the entrance exam had her out right chuckling softly as she continued to sip at her soda. Her gaze distant on some thought or another briefly, before her gaze returned to him as he mentioned the supports in place. And she nodded.

"Armor. I.. Marcos needs armor. Not an X-suit, but one of the plastic polymers. Nate and I were talking.. I'm not losing Marcos because some guy came armed with a ceramic gun that I can't stop bullets from or some other thing.." She knew that there would be such things out there. People were facing her father, and that meant his powers.. which were more or less her own.

"If that's okay. I just.. I don't want to make him armor and.." And have her father crush her boyfriend to death. It was a fat chance in hell that he'd care enough to do that, but Lorna wasn't taking chances.

*

"We might have some armor. Not common use around here but most of our suits anymore are fitted with a specialized composite that gives some safety against most conventional firearms. I mean, its a little better than leather and will stop most calibers. You're asking for something more though, huh?" Scott studies Lorna, the amount of emotion she has for Marcos is truly astounding. The fear of Magneto crushing him is a real one, a legit one. So he really cannot say he blames her right now.

"Lets see how he does after a few sessions in the Danger Room, after that we can fit him. We've got some collected bits and pieces that might be appropriate."
The tab being left alone now as Scott sets his drink down.

*

Lorna nodded, looking more relieved at what Scott had to say. Her jaw worked tightly through her emotions before she spoke again, and she downed the rest of her root beer. "Yeah.. more would be better. He's effectively going into a war zone, and while I trust him to take care of himself in bad situations.. He's going into this because I want to go. It's my fault if he gets hurt.. and Scott.. I .. I don't know what I would do if something happened to him."

She knew what she would do… and it wouldn't be pretty. Depending on who and what hurt Marcos? She could very, very, easily become her father's daughter and that terrified her almost as much as the thought of Marcos being hurt or killed because of her.

She rubbed her upper arms to warm them as she got up from her makeshift seat. "And.. and thanks. Again.." Her gaze dropped and she swallowed a dryness at the back of her throat again. Her hands curling up into fists at her sides. She looked as if she would say something, stopped and exhaled a ragged breath.

*

"I've been where you are. I know what you would do." Scott says, its some dark memories he can tap in to at those words but he still manages another tight, thin-lipped yet understanding smile. "We'll figure something out."

"Marcos going to be okay with you shoving him in some battlegear though? A lot of guys might have their pride injured by this."
Lorna's exhale has him making a questionative sound, "Hrm?"

*

Lorna nodded briefly, and glanced back at him at the mention of Marcos' pride and laughed, shaking her head. "No, I saw his look at Nate's armored suit. I've never seen him starry eyed before over someone's gear before." She murmured, her voice dry and amused lightly.

"Like I said, he would be here in a heart-beat if not for me." Her smile faded, guilt crossing her features. She was keeping her boyfriend away from such a place because of her selfish want to not be at the mansion. To be on their own. It was a hard thought to think of and she avoided it firmly.

His last question had her jaw squaring briefly with a need to not share. But Scott was doing more to help her, to assuage her fears her worries..

"…I know who attacked the Charity Gala… they… there's a chance.. that they're my siblings. Scott."

*

"Nate's suit?" Scott doesn't remember it but his alternate reality 'son-clone' changes looks often enough. It might just be a mood thing.
"Brownie points for you then." Scott says lightly, "Hes where you go. I get it. This is good timing for me to get a feel of him anyways."
A wrench is picked up and placed in a green military ammo can that doubles as a tool box by the others, its while hes doing this that he dead stops. "… siblings?" He questions. One word sounding very chill to him. "How would you think that? Why would you think that?" Still his back is to Lorna.

*

Lorna's lips twitched faintly, and she nodded, her hands shoved into her pockets. "Yeah, he saw Nate outside when we were trying to find you yesterday. It's how I know how much training means to him, how much armor would mean to him. I've never seen his eyes light up quite like that. I'll definitely get brownie points.." She drawled, watching him.

Her smile faded though as she looked at Scott as she dropped the last detail about her possible siblings. Her gaze lingered on him, but she didn't move.

"..In that other world.. You showed up at the end. But I was there for weeks. I met Quicksliver there. Pietro. He was the leader of the X-men.. and Magneto's son. Wanda, his twin.. she had died years before. Pietro.. that Pietro, told me that we were related." She breathed.

"He knew because he had changed the DNA test results so that his world's Lorna wouldn't know they were related. So he could get rid of her.. because she was crazy.. And he wanted everyone to think that too.." She whispered the last part, her anger, her rage at that Pietro hadn't abated. If she had stayed there? It would've been hard for her to not track him down and try to beat the man senselessly.. if she could catch him that is.

"..My relations hadn't changed there. So why would they here? I think Pietro, Quicksliver and his sister, Wanda.. are my siblings.."

*

It's Scott's turn to exhale. He turns around to face Lorna, his arms resting in an overlap across his chest suddenly looking stern, almost like hes about to lecture someone for leaving Legos on the stairwell, brows knit together.
"The other world. That, mishap with the Danger Room, right?" Not a full question. Just confirmation. "It's possible, I mean, more possible than not I suppose. This is pretty serious if so. This why you want to go see your father? To ask him?" A flex of one bicep looks to be in tandem with the jolt in Scott's jaw, a muscle bouncing there. He has become very aware of his teeth right now. They're tightly clenched between speaking.
"Lorna, you understand if they are your siblings they're considered murderers and terrorists of the worst kind right now? Right in line with the rest of your family. I can't… I mean, this isn't a good revelation." Like father, like son and… daughter(s)? A cold feeling creeps it's way in to Scott's chest.
Where are you, Jean??

*

Lorna nodded, her lips thinned as she looked away from Scott's words and stern look. It felt like she was back in high school and getting lectured for going on a joy ride with the car and the other kids. But this was far more serious, and Lorna knew it. The green haired girl squared her jaw, emotion clogging her throat as she stood there, her hands in fists in her jacket pocket.

"Yeah. I don't imagine he accidentally misplaced three kids. He knew about me. I'm willing to bet he knows about them too. I want to ask him." She exhaled a breath, green eyes lifting to gauge Scott's reaction anew.

"And yeah, shit, Scott. Of course I know they're wanted. How could I possibly not know? I read it in the papers. I talked to you about what they did." Her voice broke off and she twisted around, kicking at the air and struggling to pull in her emotions.

"The rest of my family.. My family is made up of nothing but murderers and crazy terrorists. I know. Alright? It's not the sort of thing a girl forgets." She exhaled a shaking breath, turning around to face him again. Her boots clicking against the floor.

*

"Thats not entirely what I am asking. Do you understand the depth of those accusations, the fact that they're true the… " Scott murmurs under his breath, "Just, look, I don't know what you're going through over this. I just want it to be clear you know what exactly it is you might be getting yourself in to. Making sure you've thought about this from all angles."
"Sounds like you have, more than I might be giving you credit for." A lift of one hand and hes rubbing the side of his jaw, tracing an almost invisible scar here. "No, Magneto isn't one to misplace anything. You have to ask him. There isn't any other way to go about this. You need to confront him and if you need the X-Men to go with you, we will."
"Do you think they're aware of you as well?"

*

Lorna arched a green eyebrow upwards, "What that I'm not aware of the thousands of people that my father murdered? Or how most countries have a Magneto Protocol out there in the event he decides to show up and wreck shit? Or that my siblings managed to attack you, Captain America, and Iron Man along with others and managed to escape? Yeah I've thought of it. And how much it means I'll be screwed if word gets out that I'm related to all of them? How fast I'll disapear into a black hole of a lab some where and get used against my family and other mutants? Or how about the ways that I might fly off the handle and join them on the 'dark side' and kill how many other people, Scott?" She threw up her hands, and her voice broke off. It was getting harder and harder to think straight as her emotions spiked and she had to breath in and out slowly. Try to control her temper and by extension, her powers.

"This is why I can't be part of the X-men Scott. Why I can't come back. Because if I get outted that's it. My family's reputation and me by extension could bring down a shit ton of problems here.. and.. I can't risk that." She turned away, pacing and seemed content to do that until Scott's last question.

Then she paused, her gaze dropping to the floor.

*

"Magneto is no secret." Scott states as she riles herself, the rattle of his toolkits around them has him turning his head slightly, his hand reaching over to settle down on the top of the table vice, clutching it as if that'll stop its shaking.

"No one will find out through us and we'll make sure you're protected. Lorna, being an X-Men means acceptance. You have that here no matter what and I will never, ever, let you feel like you need to go hide away in some hole."

A step forward and Scott releases the vice; hand now placed on her shoulder, "Please calm down. You're not your family. You are Lorna Dane; mutant name Polaris and you are very much your own woman. I have faith in you as do the others. Look, just… becareful all right? This is going to get much harder for you."

*

Lorna's figure was as tense and rattled as the tool kit was. Getting a magnokinetic upset in a garage was not the best of situations. Still, she seemed to focus on Scott as his hand settled on her shoulder and she glanced up from the spot in the floor she was glaring daggers into. She exhaled a shuddering breath, her jaw clenched as her hands in her pockets.

"They're not going to stop with the Charity Ball, Scott. They're part of the Brotherhood, or at least enacting their self same beliefs.. I don't.. I don't think they knew.. know.. about being related to Magneto. I don't think they're working with him. Which is why I'm willing to risk to asking him." Her voice was taut with emotions and she was slow to calm herself. It took a long time of her standing there, inhaling, exhaling.. before her powers and her emotions were drawn back in.

"…Not everyone thinks that Scott, you know that. People look at me in fear that some day I'll end up being just like him.. them now.." She swallowed a lump that formed in the back of her throat, and drew back.

"I .. I just thought you and the X-men, Jean deserve to know. I can write up what I know about Pietro, but it's not much since it's from another world. And I know nothing about Wanda besides her name and the fact that she's his twin. She died in that other reality years before." A sigh fell from her lips, and she looked mildly embarrassed about her emotional outburst. But the guilt still stayed with her. She wasn't sharing everything. Like how she'd run into Pietro in Mutant Town once already.. that she had talked to him. How she still clung to the faint hope that she might convince them to change their ways, or something..

She kept that still, to herself for the moment.

"..I'll be careful.. I should .. I should get going though. Let Marcos know we can use the Danger Room.." Her lips twisted, she couldn't smile yet. "Thanks.. again.." Sorry, for almost losing it, seemed lame to her.

*

"Then they'll learn won't they?" Scott says with his usual stubborn confidence. "You're not your father or your siblings." That comforting hand with drawn the man sets to righting things shaken loose, "If they're Brotherhood then we deal with them as we have every other member of the Brotherhood in the past. No exceptions." Once again his back is facing her as he tidy's up.

"And thank you for telling me this. It shows you trust me. I'll make sure it's handled with care… " They would have found out sooner or later but this is definitely the best course. Scott frowns at his hands as he starts to place bits back in to casings. Even as she exits his thoughts are loud, focused and it's clear the man's got a lot more on his plate that hes digesting.

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