Action Report Still Due

April 20, 2018:

Nate is trying to brood alone, but apparently he is not allowed: Scott goes looking for him, Jubilee tags along and Cable drops from the sky for mutant business.

The Roof of Xavier's School

Characters

NPCs: None.

Mentions: Magneto, Mr. Sinister

Plot:

Mood Music: None.


Fade In…

At the end the missing from the wedding disaster teleported to the school medbay about eight hours after Genosha went into sleep/blackout, and just two hour or so after the mass awakening of Hammer Bay. Most of them were injured.

Besides some bruises Nate's main problem was 'flash damage'. Bloodshot eyes and very blurred vision. Annie was actually unsure what to do with his left eye, which has shown extensive technovirus spread since the Omega Shift event. Just as a precaution he has been given wraparound black prescription glasses, actually fully padded in the right side. So he is still almost blind.

Somehow he still managed to sneak out of the medlab and avoid Annie. But he didn't left the school grounds, he was been seen on the rooftop, brooding like a summers. Except with more booze.


Scott's preparing the indoors of the school itself for 'summer' as it were, windows being opened. Improvements, checking the systems and presetting temperatures. Menial things to keep his mind off the current issues they are facing. The tall X-Men leader has already met with Lorna, spoke enough to be aware of the basics.

Standing in the first floor of the basement he is wearing civilian clothing, a t-shirt thats far too tight, he swears it fit last year and jeans, simple slip on shoes that many have taken to calling 'old man shoes' but then, most of his style is heckled. He has gotten used to it.

"Reboot." He says loudly, a voice command to the limited AI that runs most of the school outside of the Danger Room and Cerebro. It is intentional its 'lesser' for reasons. Always reasons.

A viewscreen pops up on the console showing Nate drinking on the roof and Scott lets out a sigh, headed up that way. His footfalls a loud paced walk. Like a soldier. Always moving with purpose and discipline.


Jubilee is slipping down the hallway toward the gymnasium when she sees Scott heading somewhere like a man with a purpose. She tilts her head, repositions the goggles atop her head, and preps the bomb pop she just nabbed from the kitchen to collide with Scott. Quiet. Steeeeaaalthy…Aaand…

"Scott!" She calls out his name just as she hops up for a piggyback ride wherever he's going. Bomb pop in hand, she leans her chin over his shoulder. "Where we goin?" She gives the red, white, and blue popcicle a lick. Good thing she prepped it. However one preps a bombcicle for boarding procedures.


Sure enough, Nate is being a disappointing Summerspawn again.

In his defense he has not finished his first Tequila bottle yet, and he has been brooding for a couple hours at least. But the sun is setting down right now. It is still early. "I came here to be alone, relatively speaking," he points out when the older man comes closer.

And suddenly, Jubilee attacks.

Yeah, that makes Nate turn back to look at Scott's plight. As much as he can watch through those dark sunglasses. Now, that was amusing, and totally ruining his brooding time. "Uh. Jubilee, right?" He asks.


Scott's unaware that hes being Assassins Creed style stalked by Jubilee until shes shouting his name, it's not even a spin to see her before shes on him and latched like a backpack.

"Christ… you scared the hell out of me." He grunts at the new fashion accessory that is Jubilee. "What are you doing?" A shift of his shoulders as if to half-assedly dislodge her then hes walking again, shes joining or not. Still latched or on her two feet the man is in motion, the balcony walked out on to then a upper latice and outcropping is gripped to easily haul himself up. Clearly Scott works out.

"Nate, the concept of alone around here is only that. A concept."

"Why are you drinking on the roof?"


Clinging like a spider monkey, Jubilee peers over Scott's shoulder at the drinking, disappointing Summerspawn. "Yup! Hiya!" She pushes the bomb pop into her mouth to free up her hands and hops down, circling Scott and watching Nate narrowly as Scott questions him about the tequila. "Should you -really- be drinkin' that right now? You're lookin' kinda rough."


"It felt like a good idea when I first thought about it," replies Nate with a faint smirk. But hey, he can share. He has more bottles. Offers one to the new arrivals.

"And yeah, being alone here is hard. But I don't want to leave until my eyes are a bit better," no sense in making it easier to his rather numerous enemies. He has no pressing projects in mind, anyway. Well, finding Bolivar and Larry Trask for a 'chat' sounds more and more like a plan for the near future. But he is not going to talk with Scott about it. Besides, he does most of his investigation telepathically.

So instead, he adds. "What are -you- doing on the roof, oh fearless leader?"


"She isn't wrong. You look terrible." Scott agrees with Jubilee at the observation.

"The drinking lately is becoming a rampant thing. Remember, still a school." It feels absurd saying that considering their sidegig as X-Men, not that he goes to take the bottle or stop anything further.

"I seen you up here. I've been making rounds to check on everyone who crossed with Sinister and the Marauders. No one has written much in regards to a report so footwork is a thing."


"Well, if you want, I could just go take care of Sinister and his Band of Buffoons, and you guys can sit back here and take it easy. I'll let ya know when the coast is clear," Jubilee offers in a chipper and self-confident tone. "I probably wouldn't even drop my bomb pop. See, I have something y'all don't have…" With that, Jubilee deftly trips over a shoelace that came untied in the dismount, and she does a belly flop on the roof, bomb pop jarring loose and skittering across the rooftop and over the edge. She scrambles up and runs to look over. "Awww, maaaan…third one today." With a solemn salute, she begins a dootdoot rendition of TAPS.


A flash.

Upon the roof, a column of white-light cascades from seven feet above the ground in a localized disturbance encompassing approximately four square-feet. Within the disturbance a being is quickly assembled the entire effect taking only 1-2 seconds before it fades away..

Cable; seemingly the fusion of a human being and a refrigerator he is currently dressed in a set of tactical pants imprinted with digital camouflage and a black crew-neck T-Shirt. Nestled within the drop holster on his right side there is what those versed in weaponry would observe the futuristic version of an FN P-90 which has been configured to mechanically collapse to about half its natural size. He carries a blue gym bag in his left hand.

The Askani'son stands stock still the right-side of his face - the living side — twisting in examination of the gathering. Scott. Nate. Jubilee. Intoxicants. The entire gathering swept up into his gaze and processed through complex cybernetic architecture which immediately informs him that there appears to be no external threat; well, beyond alcohol and mixed genders but he surmises his age and bearing will make him only a tertiary target and so his mission will be unaffected.

"Do you know where Sinister is?" He asks them gruffly as if preternaturally aware of Jubilee's comment the red glow his unliving eye gaining intensity.


Nate laughs, but without much humor. "Not too young to go to war against Magneto, but too young to drink, only in America, Scott," he points out. He means Scott's America, obviously. Nate's America was a different kind of beast.

But it is true, he has not written a report. Bad Nate. He had kind of promised he would be writing reports for the X-Men database. "I am fine, but yeah… but I can download a report directly to your skull. Sinister and his Marauders were bad, but nothing I can't handle." He mock-glares at Jubilee.

So why the brooding? He considers lying, but he is a bad liar. He could also shut up, but he rarely does. So the young man sighs. "What bugs me was the shared illusion before, okay? That thing… do you remember it? Do you remember 'Madelyne Grey'? That is the name she was claiming in that dream, and she was the sleeping woman in Genosha last summer. The one that tapped into the fucking space firebird and killed me." Another pause, "and that is only one of the things that I keep going around in my head from that weird dream world."

So Nate mentions Madelyne and Cable just shows for the first time in years. Coincidence? Not such thing! "What the fuck, Cable. At least have a drink before asking. Also, ask Illyana about the exact place. All I saw was some kind of snowy mountains before she ported us out."


"Who said anything about being too young?" Scott exhales, Lorna and Nate."Look, don't drink in front of the students. That is all. I've repeated this to several of you and again, not why I am up here. At this moment thats not a big deal, drink up just try for some discretion. We're still a school."

"No downloads of report, use the proper channels. Paperwork is essential to communication."

The man goes silent as Nate starts to talk about Madelyne and the Illusion just in time for Cable to transport in to their proximity. A sound exudes from Scott, a low hiss through the teeth but this isn't anything he isn't used to, its just a day of 'surprise!'

"Working on that." First response though he is yet unaware if Magik or Nate have further details on Sinister. His own focus has been Trask and the Brotherhood. "Nathan, good timing." A subtle shift in Scott's demeanor is a tight halfsmile, just to one side of his lips.

"We were just about to figure out a way to launch Jubilee at our enemies and destroy them all, right?" A lighter moment as he looks at the 'dootdooting' Jubilee.


"Hmm….death from above. Death by annoyance….It just…might….work." Jubilee has her hands clasped behind her back, and she's pacing with measured steps, one shoestring flopping with every other step. "I'm gonna need a rubber chicken…a blowy-outy party favour, aaand…a bomb pop."


Nathan Summers looks at the cooler and then to Scott, "I'll drink if Scott does," is his response to Nate the barest touch of a smile tugging at the right-side of his face. He steps forward then and reaches towards the cooler with his cybernetic hand to procure a pair of bottles such that they are wedged between his pointer-middle-ring fingers. Seemingly oblivious or uncaring of the dream talk; at least for the moment.

"Catch," a movement of his hand flicks one of the bottles towards Scott allowing his fingers to collapse around the neck of the one he still clutches. The tip of his thumb goes underneath the cap but does not remove it yet as he still stares at Scott; waiting to see if he should open his.

"If you find him before I do," Cable speaks to the ongoing search, "let me know. The delicious irony of a child who was born only a few years ago returning from the future for vengeance is the best kind of literary device. Call it, Paradoxical-Irony."

"Jubilee, I think its time for shots." Why? Well, he hefts the gym bag a bit higher so that its apparent to all, "Nate, what we're here to celebrate. What are we shooting?"


"Proper…" Nate looks up at Scott from his perch, in frank disbelief. "Yeah well, Annie told me not to strain my eyes. I have an idea, ask Illyana for the proper paperwork." Good luck with that, Scott! "Or wait a few days."

To the others he adds. "No bomb pops here, girl." He checks the cooler, "I have tequila and whiskey and some beer," which is from the last time, really. "On the other hand we can celebrate. Hmm… no one died except maybe some Marauders. Also, Magneto was left looking like an idiot. Always a plus."


"Whats a bomb pop?" Scott has to ask.

A swat of his hand through the air and hes gripping that bottle, he tips it in his hand left to right then walks to the edge of the roof, it looks almost like hes about to lob it off but instead he lifts it, holds it in front of him then pops the cap off to take a quick drink. He had to make sure no students are present, since the Demon Bear incident their numbers have been down and right now it is summer break. They don't have a lot of residents to be overly concerned with.
"Nathan… " A look from Nate to Nathan, "Proper… channels and approach. This isn't the Age of Apocalypse in any form. We're under heavy scrutiny right now."

"We can drink to all that then, this time. Just leave my car alone, I don't know who shoved it in to the lake last time, I am thinking Rogue but… not cool. Not again either."


Jubilee continues her pacing right to the edge of the roof and gives an emphatic gesture, pointing downward toward the splattered and shattered red, white, and blue bomb pop melting sorrowfully on the ground. "That…was a bomb pop." Then she turns on her heel and looks back toward the cooler. "Shots? Really? Maybe…just a little…"


Metallic finger against bottle cap. Cable uncorks his beers and lifts it to his mouth taking a single swig.

The rooftop is a place for gathering. There are a number of chairs and tables and so Cable approaches the nearest one that is not obstructed by coolers or drinkers before setting the gym bag upon it. Then he takes another swig of his beer inserting the bottle specifically into the right side of his mouth as if preferring that his humanity revel in the experience and because of the fortune of evolution his liver is upon the right side of his body and so he will be able to savor the alcohol a bit longer because it will be shunted to his living systems.

"I'm sorry, Scott." Nathan Summers apologizes casually as he reaches for the zipper of his bag, "I did not mean to make light of your protocol. These are complex times and I consider us fortunate to be able to have this moment of fellowship."

Then he unzips the bag and reaches inside of it. Still clutching the beer bottle in his cybernetic appendage, it is his right-hand which pulls a complex technological device from within. Momentary examination would make it apparent that it is a ring, unclasped, the collar a pair of half-circles connected at one end so that its wide enough to easily accommodate the neck of a mutant subject.

He puts the device down upon the table next to the bag.

He would take a shot here if he had one.


Since his eyes are behind prescription glasses no one sees them widen at Scott drinking. Because he never accepts when he offers. WTF Cable. The Askani secret booze techniques?

Illyana is not going to believe him. Hell, ALEX is not going to believe him.

"Who is watching now? SHIELD?" He rolls his eyes. "Or the DEO?" There is hatred in the second question.

Fortunately Cable derails that train of thought. Nate can't see much at the moment, so he stands up to get a better look at the device. "Trask stuff," he guesses. "The inhibitors, right?"


Scott waves off the apology around a drink, his lips twisting down in a grimace.

"Oh." All that he musters about the bomb pop. His interest in it more than evident.

"Who is not watching is a shorter list, Nate." It's the first time he recalls being around both of them at the same time, it's eerie to an extent but in their world, this feels natural, this is after all family. Minus a few others.

"The inhibitors are just a part of it, yeah. It's not the first time we've seen them these are just vastly improved and they're set more for mass production than the last run, probably more capable this time. With the amount of publicity we get lately and DEO up my ass, I am not sure how 'guerilla' we can operate, times have changed."


"Yes," Cable confirms for Nate.

"This is a duplicate of one of their prototype devices," his gravelly voice remaining level in its exposition, "I've been unable to test its effectiveness because of the potentially lethal effects it would have upon me given my infection but.." Cable looks from Nate, to Scott, to Jubilee, and then back to Scott whom he listens to with consideration.

"..once we confirm the effectiveness of this device we can begin working to counter its design. I concur that an immediate retaliatory strike by the X-Men would only serve to complicate security concerns.

He sets his beer down and hefts the device, "As an alternative, I propose that we crack the micro-architecture of its circuit board and supplant the existing design with one that is modified to accept a modified protocol. I believe if we simultaneously overwrite the manufacturing protocols and then leverage less diplomatic assets to destroy the first run of devices we can then focus on a strategy with less immediate concern. The proliferation of a mass-manufactured device with a hidden vulnerability will provide us with a strategic advantage."

He moves his hands then clapping the open ends of the collar together, "Once we are certain that the duplicates we use for testing are an accurate facsimile."

Locking eyes with Scott, "Take another drink," he commands with subtle illumination to his right eye, "and then let's give you a look at the world uninhibited by ruby-quartz."


There is something eerie seeing Nathan Summers and Nathaniel Grey together again. A few years ago, when Nate first met Cable, it would have been difficult to believe they are genetically the same person. Half-siblings? Maaaaaybe.

That was when Nate was a scrawny teen, survivor from a ruined world. Before he got infected by an alien technovirus. Before earning most of the scars than now decorate his body. Before he grew up to be taller than Scott.

'History doesn't repeat itself but it often rhymes.'

"Yeah. I would probably overload it. I usually do," comments Nate. So who is going to be the guinea pig? Scott? "Inhibitors are also bad for the nervous system long term, if I remember correctly. We could use the Danger Room sensors to see what it does on a simulated mutant?"


"An actual functioning duplicate?" Scott doesn't question the where or how.

"If it is untested we're not putting it on any one here." He states. "Nate is right, we will clear it first with what we have on disposal or… " Alternatives being non-X-Men and criminals. Though he doesn't voice that.

"Once it is for sure safe, we'll let Nate here put it on, if he thinks he'll overload it thats a good added test for it's capabilities." An low exhale from Scott, unsure when Jubilee disappeared he doesn't take that extra drink, the taste of it's not sitting well with him, hes grown soft on liquor. A beer likely more to his speeds lately.

"I'd be happier with having a way to remote disable them."


Cable stops as Scott rebuffs him.

"Graymalkin has already run computer simulations," the Askani'son replies taking a step back and looking from Nate to Scott, "The goal of this exercise is to determine its actual effectiveness and then to evaluate it for flaws which can be exploited remotely."

Looking at Scott, "Don't you see? If we work out how to remove them using their current software they'll roll out updates. If we hardwire an unknown vulnerability into production then they'll have to recall and re-manufacture the existing devices."

Stepping back his nostrils flare as a precursor to what comes next. Flipping the collar around in his grasp he slams it against the meat of his neck so that it snaps closed along his spine. An array of LED lights come to life.

Collared. Pain. Cable falls to his knees in a roar of anguish. The left side of his body begins to bubble as steely tentacles lash upward and begin to crawl up his body. The Askani'son's fists drive into the ground as he diverts the entirety of his being not to removing the device but to reach beyond himself. To find the most receptive amongst them; Nate, and to place even the barest whisper into his mind.

But no whisper is heard.


Looks like the conversation got to serious or boring for Jubilee. It is too serious for Nate, who has already most of a tequila bottle in his blood. Inhibitor collars issues have a way to sober him up, though.

And then Cable does a crazy thing. "Are you crazy?!" Yells Nate.

Quickly, he reaches to grab that collar and attempts to pull it off Cable's neck, tearing it apart if necessary. The older man was just saying it could kill him! He is definitely one of the mutants that shouldn't get one of those things close to his own neck. In fact he should wear some kind of anti-collar protection.


"I see just fine. I also see the risk… " Scott shuts up entirely as Cable uses himself as the guinea pig.

"Get that damn thing off of him." Likewise Scott is no longer paying mind to what he was doing but what he is now doing and that is trying to save Nathan from himself.
His bottle of alcohol rolling off the roof and shattering on the sidewalk below.

"Of course hes crazy."


As Nate grabs hold he finds the device locked fast but it is no match for sheer force-of-will sparks erupting from the locking mechanism and then the whole thing comes apart in the youth's hands pieces of it simultaneously floating mid-air from the after shocks of his power and raining upon the ground.

Immediately the bubbling of Cable's cybernetics subsides and his human hand moves reflexively to his throat as if needing to feel that the device had actually been removed in order to be certain that the re-emergence of his powers had not been due to a faulty device.

Cable spits. The taste of metal and blood in his mouth as he pulls a leg up under himself and moves to stand, "Crazy." Nathan confirms looking a bit glassy eyed as he blinks back the tears that the pain had induced, "but we've successfully tested the device and we know," he looks at Nate, "That it's strong enough to contain even you," because it contained him.

"There's a second device in the bag. Disseminate it to Kitty and Hank. I've got one additional errand to run before we get to work, but," dread pause, "I'll be back."

And then he says, "Bodyslide by one," and for a second Nate might feel an odd sensation as if some advanced power were briefly confused as to which 'one' was to be targeted but - in a flash of light. Cable disappears.


"For fucks sake," Nate is not sure if he wants to punch Cable for that stunt or bro-fist him. The usual dilemma around Cable. Of course he is crazy. Were they in a hurry to test the collars?

"Wanna bet it burns in less than ten seconds when around my neck…" or, yeah, instead of betting he can do the Illyana-style vanishing trick. He had not seen Cable since… three years? Since X-Men Black team. AKA X-Force. Lots to catchup to do he is avoiding. "Jerk. I need more booze," he tells Scott.

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License