Envisionings (2nd Edition) Part 10 💉🩸

X-Mansion - Sub-Basement Lab

Jean turns when she hears the door open. She smiles. "Alex. Good to see you."

Alex gives a reciprocal nod: "Jean."

Seeing Scott looking over at the other work station, Jean provides:

"Hank is in the Ready Room with Xavier."

Scott heads there while Alex hangs back.

In the Ready Room, Hank and Xavier are working on what looks to be a new module of the console.

Xavier: "That should be the final correction."

"Then so completes 'Desktop Cerebro'; a most elegant blend of human and mutant technology. You can sojourn in peace knowing mutant activity will be detected as accurately as by yourself in Cerebro-proper."

The older man smiles: "Well I would like to think my mind still has something over machines, though this is a weight off of it-- Ah, Scott." Xavier turns at his entry. "Hank informed me of your power situation. I'm sorry to have caused a delay to your visor adjustments. I needed Hank to help with some final ones to Desktop Cerebro before tomorrow."

"It's fine." Scott shifts attention to Hank. "Actually I was coming to see you about Alex."

Xavier looks at him with interest: "I thought I sensed another Summers mind. What is the situation?"

Back to the Lab  Scott returns to Alex and Jean in mid-conversation, the latter presently responding:

" ... even events considered positive can be sources."

Alex (glancing to Scott): "Like reuniting with a thought-to-be-dead brother."

Jean's look affirms as much, though she adds: "Being more than a year ago it's too long to be a delayed experience. Though it is a point of emotional change you two share, and are still adjusting to."

The brothers exchange a look; "still adjusting to" being an apt summation.

Jean adds to Scott: "I was just saying to Alex how I'd like to take fresh blood samples. I'm interested what changes might be observed from the ones I took previously."

Scott starts rolling his sleeve up higher in response.

Jean looks towards a supplies cabinet from where she takes out the necessary equipment via telekinesis. "Of course, Hank will have to field the analysis if we don't want to wait on results."

As if on cue, Hank had entered.

"A liberty I may have taken myself were it not afforded to me."

Scott explains to Alex: "Jean and the Professor will be attending the World Conference of Human Rights."

Hank: "Proclaiming the truth that 'mutant rights are human rights'."

While impressed by the endeavour, Alex remarks: "Be sure to take in the sights or something so it's not a wasted trip."

Jean acknowledges him in between setting aside one vial of Scott's blood and taking another one.

Scott: "Speaking of trips, you didn't get back to me on what you thought of the Summers Camp location last week." He curls his forearm to compress the gauze against the needle site once Jean has finished.

She moves on to drawing Alex's blood -Hank stepping back from having been making some note of Alex's suit, which we can see by the circles has absorbed another blast in the time since he came in.

Alex: "Guess I was busy."

Picking up on something in his disposition, Scott stares at his brother.

Whatever it might be goes unprobed for now as Hank speaks up from his work station: "It is fortuitous timing you should need an upgrade to your suit, Alex. The other day I had a sudden inspiration on how to optimize it. I'll implement that alongside the increase to its capacity."

"Thanks, Hank."

Later - evening sets in on the X-Mansion Grounds.

Rogue, Bobby and Colbur seem to have spent the day hanging out.

Presently their new friend looks out at the expanse; a couple of students seen coming back from a hack on the school's horses. "How'd you guys ever stand to be in class, here? You couldn't have paid me to sit still inside if all this was my backyard."

Bobby: "Well it's structured a little different from a regular school for one thing. And mutant teachers have a way of making class a little more interesting."

Rogue: "So do the students."

They share a smile like they're sharing a memory before Rogue looks at Colbur with a new thought: "Did Professor Xavier never come to see you, Colbur?"

Colbur looks to her: "What?"

"Lahk to see if you'd lahk to come here after you knew you were a mutant?"

"Oh," he kind of laughs, "I was a late bloomer. 'Here's your diploma, here's your membership to the Mutants Club'. Too late to get offered a spot in a nice mutant highschool."

While she and Bobby take that in, Colbur reverts to taking in this slice of seems-too-good -to-be-true, made-for-mutants world he's at once found himself in yet not a part of.

This mixed emotion settles as he spies Alex walking up to them; no complicated feelings there: "Hey. All fixed up?"

"That's the expectation." He stops in front of them. "I thought it would be a simpler fix. But it doesn't look you had a bad day here, huh?" He claps him on the arm.

"Nah it was cool." He gives an acknowledging glance to Rogue and Bobby before asking Alex: "So does your new suit mean you can concentrate on driving again?"

"Yeah. But you did a smooth job getting us here, why not complete the circuit?"

Colbur grins. "Score." He turns his attention properly back to Bobby and Rogue: "So hey, the Youth Center's having a party at the end of the week. Just a Summer thing we do. You two could come." He puts a hand casually in the pocket of his pants. "Like if you don't have anything else-" his eyes drift to the stables, "-any other plans already."

Rogue: "No. Sounds lahk fun."

Bobby: "Yeah, we'll be there."

Colbur smiles.

Alex: "You can probably carpool with Scott, if nothing gets in the way of him coming."

And on that, we advance a day to where nothing is getting in the way of the going of Professor Xavier and Jean Grey --except for a few items still needing to be packed in the Professor's suitcase.

The receptacle lies open on his bed beside the remaining articles, while a broadcast of the morning news accompanies his task.

News Anchor: "Authorities are looking for a Blackhawk helicopter which simply vanished from MacDill Air Force Base last night. No one reports having seen or heard anything. While personnel are working to shed light on this mystery, members of the public have already come up with their answer: aliens. And from aliens now to the otherworldly, a rare phenomenon saw a rosy haze descending over--"

Our attention goes away from the broadcast at the close of the Blackhawk report as Xavier lifts his gaze to the screen with a knowing look: "What are you up to, Erik?"

These thoughts are interrupted by the calm voice of Jean in his head:  'I'm ready at the front.'

Xavier: 'I'll be there directly.'

Adding a book to his stack of clothes, he snaps the suitcase shut.

Cut-To X-Mansion Foyer

With a suitcase beside her, we see Jean standing in conversation Scott.

Scott: " ... goes better than Alex seemed to expect it will."

"So do I."

They're joined by Hank just ahead of the Professor.

Xavier (approaching with suitcase in lap): "Go ahead, Hank. I'd like to hear the verdict."

Jean and Scott turn curious looks towards Hank, who hands Scott his visor:

"Retooled to function accurately with your new power parameters. Off an inspiration of Charles', we've also installed a mini-computer to monitor your base power. Should a future fluctuation occur, you'll be alerted and provided with the new measurement in real time with no need for further servicing." He smiles toothily. "Though I am always happy to tinker."

Scott looks it over before shutting his eyes to swap his glasses for it. The scene now from Scott's perspective, we see a second after he opens his eyes -releasing his optic blasts behind the safety of the ruby quartz shield- a small output of data appearing in a corner of his visual field: percentage of power and if it matches previous read; simple to see and process in a moment. It disappears as his eyes shift from focusing on it.

While Scott's doing this Hank adds: "The inspiration came just in time for me to include a similar monitoring system in your brother's suit, yesterday. I should have a spare visor upgraded for you shortly."

"Thanks," he says to them both. "It looks perfect."

While Scott repeats the careful swap of eyewear, Xavier, satisfied, gets on to other business: "Now, you'll find our itinerary by the phone in my office, should any trouble arise that warrants contact."

Something about Xavier's tone prompts Scott to question: "Are you expecting any to?"

"No. However we still don't know what Magneto means by his absence."

Scott gives a nod. "I'll keep vigilant."

Content the school's in good hands, Xavier starts toward the door: "We'll see you on our return."

Jean picks up her suitcase. "You and Alex take care of yourselves."

"Travel safe."

Hank raises his hand in a wave: "Give my regards to our itinerant teammates."

Cut-To - a following day - Ready Room

Scott is studying the screens, specifically the log files from Desktop Cerebro, when Bobby appears at the door.

Bobby: "We're getting a basketball game together, younger X-Men vs. older."

Scott doesn't appear to shift his gaze -and gives only partial attention: "Not today, Bobby. I don't wanna' miss anything."

"The alert system's hooked up across the whole mansion. You'll know from anywhere if one comes in."

"I mean, we've had 5 alerts in the last 10 days. That's distinctly unusual."

"Weren't most of those related to the weather? Doesn't seem strange to me; I used to go crazy in the heat before my x-gene activated."

"It isn't a pattern we observe every Summer."

Bobby glances at the screens, as unconvinced there's more to it as Scott's convinced there is. "Well, maybe taking a break will have it come to you. Even Hank's taking one from his labwork."

Scott: "No. .Next time."

". .But then the teams won't be even."

Finally, Scott gives him his full attention: "Not now."

Bobby doesn't say 'lighten up', but he leaves with an expression that suggests it.

He doesn't get far, however, when the lights lining the sub-basement suddenly turn a familiar, Cerebro-blue.

Outside, we see the lights of the basketball court -not presently needed in the daylight- flicker on with the same hue.

Ororo, Hank, Rogue and Piotr turn to it with knowing attention.

Back inside, Bobby remarks "so much for a game".