Envisionings (2nd Edition) Part 14 💉🩸

Hank: "In either case, this would imply a foreign influence rather than something isolated to your genomes. . .Perhaps I should have considered such an avenue yesterday, when Ororo suggested I run bloodwork on Rogue," he reflects.

Scott: "If you can find anything in hers, that would all but confirm we're suffering

from the same thing." He reverts attention to the screens. "In the meantime, we should operate on the principle that's so."

With a nod, Hank exits.

Alex: "So the question now, I guess, is-" he turns towards the screens himself, "what do we have in common with this bunch?" spreading his arms like 'any ideas on that?'

Cut-To Sequence of Hank initiating the analyses. . .

. . .Later, back in the Med Bay. . .

We see Alex breathing in a meditative way; a form of pain management. At a sound, he opens his eyes and turns them towards his brother. . .who's just getting up again.

Scott: "How long was I out for this time?"

"I'll put it like this: you're not gonna' make your three squares today. Though," he points to where a cloched plate of food has been left. "Feeling much better?"

Scott sighs: "still residual pain," as he eases himself into a standing position; literally not going to take this lying down, despite that.

He pauses once on his feet, and Alex clues-in that he's re-checking the reading on his visor. "Any change?"

"No. Any conclusions made on the cause of what we're dealing with?"

"Not that I'm aware or that I've come up with. Ororo went to the home of one of the subjects, though. A kid with ball lightning powers, I think. Your team hasn't gotten a read on where the others are, though."

"That in itself could be confirmation. Desktop Cerebro works by detecting mutant power signatures." Looking at a clock on the wall, Scott appears to make an evaluation before moving towards the food.

Alex: "Couldn't you use that to check if theirs increased?"

"It's made to log only instances of a certain degree. Otherwise the database would be saturated by mutants just living their lives. And it hardly came online before these events. These mutants literally wouldn't have been on our radar." Beside the food is a blended drink of some kind. He goes for that. "Have you eaten?"

"A bit. Not really feeling very hungry."

Cut-To New York City Apartment - home of "Ball Lightning Kid"

Ororo is let in by the mother.

We see a tween-aged girl watching TV.

Ororo approaches: "Hello, Willow. How have you been?"

Willow looks up, looking straight into Ororo's eyes with tired ones of her own.

Willow's Mother explains, "her seizures have returned," gesturing for Ororo to join her at a seating area back from the living room. "She was diagnosed with epilepsy two years ago, though they disappeared once she became a mutant. I guess that's the trade-off. . ."

Having taken a seat, Ororo asks with awareness: "Do you mean she does not have her powers anymore?"

"No, she doesn't seem to." She glances across the room at her daughter. "However you'd helped her before seemed to have taken them right away."

Ororo's face reflects the oddity of this. "I had removed the excess electricity in the air. That should not have removed her powers."

The mother frowns, appearing unsure sure if she should be concerned by that or not. She looks down. "It's hard to know which life would be better for her. . .maybe I should let her go to your school." She looks over at her daughter again.

X-Mansion - Med Bay

The drink having been set down at some point, Scott stands with his hands on his sides; realizing he's not that hungry himself, or paused by his thoughts?

Alex voices his: "I wonder how long it'll take for being normal again to feel like it, after all these years?" At no response from his brother, Alex eyes him. "Wouldn't you like it? Not to have a visor get in the way of people seeing you?"

By the positioning of his head, it's clear Scott's gaze is downward; thoughtful. "Sure."

It sounds like more should follow that, though it isn't forthcoming.

Maybe that's the only thing Scott is sure of about this. Or all he feels is worth saying, given who he's talking to hasn't vibed with his X-Men lifestyle.

Just then, the dimmed lights turn an alerting Cerebro-blue.

X-Mansion - Ready Room

Hank enters to find Scott already there.

Via connection to CCTV, we can see the alert relates to a small group of mutants using their powers to vandalize a city street -the Shockwave Mutant from Central Park is there, still apparently powerless.

Scott frowns - this guy's making things personal.

Willow's Apartment

From the positioning of Ororo and Willow's Mother, they can see the girl watching TV but not what's on the screen, nor the look on her face as she takes in a breaking news report. . . .

X-Mansion - Ready Room

Scott's looking over what the other mutants' powers are, laying the groundwork in his mind to formulate a game plan on the go--when another alarm goes off.

Scott shifts his attention to another screen.

While he can only see a map-view of the location, we can see the situation by Cutting-Back-To - Willow's Apartment

Willow is alternating between convulsing and releasing balls of lightning - - as if holding it in has been the source of her seizures' return. . !

Back at X-Mansion

The other X-Men are filing down to the sub-basement - towards the Ready Room to see what's up, just as Scott is coming out - or was. More alerts flash in succession!

Scott takes in the new images on screen at the same time Hank states from the readings: "It's the rest of the cases save one."

Piotr (incredulous): "All happening now?"

Scott takes things in for another second or two before a little pre-mobilization: "Rogue, do you have any reservations?"

Surprised by the question, Rogue no less has a ready answer: "No. Ah can take these gahs again."

"Good, because we'll be spread thin as it is." He starts leading the way out. Let's move, X-Man," he gives an inclusive nod to Hank. "Assignments enroute."

Discussed while moving--

Rogue: "Spread thin is raght. Most of these came down to me the first tahm -ah'll be needed in three or four places."

Bobby: "If there was ever a time to need Nightcrawler back."

Scott (like he has that solved): "Or need a partial doppelganger." Having been striding towards the X-uniform closets, Scott unexpectedly finds Alex standing there. "Sounds like you could use an extra body."

Alex watches Scott hesitate; the protective older brother.

Alex: "Hey if you can do it I can. Might as well use these powers while I've still got 'em."

He looks Scott as much in the eye as he can: "It's where we need to be, right?"

Scott accedes with a nod.

Already having been wearing his suit, Alex steps out of their way: "I'll be in the jet."

Back with Ororo

The weather master uses her powers to keep Willow's lightning balls contained, all the while speaking through the young girl's ordeal in a strong, comforting voice: "Keep letting it out, child. You are safe."

Ball Lightning Kid's Mother: "I should have had her go to your school before- oh my God!" She struggles between wanting to rush to her daughter and keeping away from her body where balls of lightning still exude.

Ororo: "We will take her now. Though in this moment, let us focus on restoring calm."

The TV still displays the triggering newscast - now switching to the scene of another breaking story--

--and so too do we!

A news helicopter flies above cars and virtually anything not attached to the ground as it all rise gradually higher, as if gravity no longer applies to them --nor to a particular individual.

While most people have managed to anchor themselves by holding onto something, or escape the scene entirely be getting inside, this person is drifting higher into the sky - their cries chief among the frightened populace.

Suddenly--

--BAMF--

--Holo's sister Jacilon, known by the mutant name OfAll, mimics the powers of Nightcrawler to rescue the person --revealed to be the unintentional source of the problem as OfAll

BAMFS them -a little roughly- back to the ground to a waiting Rogue.

"Great!" Rogue acts at once- taking the other mutant's powers -and their consciousness- with a forgiving touch.

Everything hangs in a degravitized suspension while Rogue gets a hang of the powers-

"Whoa--!" rising three body lengths into the air until she manages; gradually bringing everything down afterward.

OfAll (relieved/praising): "You got a hold of those, fast."

Rogue jokes: "Maybe ah was born to fly."

OfAll, already with a hand on the Gravity Mutant, now takes Rogue's to BAMF them to

the next location.

There are fires - appearing to flare up just as fast as they can be put out -- by both FDNY and Iceman.

The latter takes a moment to direct his sub-zero blasts towards guns held by the police. "Don't you think we have enough fire power here?"

He ice-slides away, revealing who the officers had their weapons trained on -a mutant woman who seems to be caught in her own conflagration; flaring-up where her skin is exposed, which is unfortunately most of her body given the season. Colossus is embracing her - keeping her safe from any further risk of gunfire while aiming to keep her powers contained: "Keep focus on me!" He encourages, resistant to the flames in his organic metal form. "I'm not hurting, I promise! You have control."

Though she doesn't. And worse, she seems to be the one in pain. "Make it stop!!" In the seconds' break between flare-ups, we can see her face, neck, limbs and hands appearing as though badly sunburnt.

Iceman: "Colossus! Give me an opening!"

Colossus loosens his hold so Iceman can aim a blast at the mutant woman.

--It's at this point OfAll arrives on scene with Rogue.

Iceman: "Good timing! I think her brand of heat's messing me up." While we can't see what he means, Iceman adds: "I'll keep her chilled for you!"

Rogue gets within reaching distance. . . .

. . . . .while elsewhere, Cyclops, Havok and Beast are handling Shockwave Mutant's cronies -who aren't happy their friend was "de-mutantized".

Beast (taking that one down): "A creative choice of words from one who could stand to be more creative in their fight."

We can see the news crew retreating though not ready to all-out abandon the scene.

Shockwave Mutant's presence reflects intent on watching the X-Men pay -not that that's the way things are going. He gets angry -- trembling -- tremoring!

Havok losses his footing: "Supernova thing happening, Scott!"

The shockwaves are causing more radial damage than anything directed at them, their adversary's priorities apparently changing -or something else.

--In any case the stability of the entire city block is at threat!!

Cyclops' attention shifts to Rogue as soon as he sees her: "Rogue! You have gravity?"

At her confirmation Cyclops jerks his head up: "Take 'im away from the buildi--ah!"

--One of the other cronies causing interference!

Havok (looking like he'd been freshly knocked over): "Hey- you didn't finish with me yet, pal!"

He sends a blast towards the guy bothering Cyclops at the same time Cyclops was just about to --instead Cyke has to do damage control as Havok's blast also brought

down a light post --An optic blast now sending it away from a couple of civilians.

Colossus, much more stable against the shockwaves, works on getting lingering people to safety. As does OfAll, who can BAMF around them-

-though the instability is quickly getting mitigated as Rogue, on Cyclops' earlier direction, had reached her hand out -this time in way of directing her borrowed powers- and aimed at the Shockwave Mutant whose gravity she cancelled out- lifting him and his damaged powers into the open expanse of the sky.

We see another news helicopter -- or the same -- making a sharp turn away.

Next Rogue tries to cancel out her own gravity in order to reach her quarry in the sky and finish this, though she's having trouble splitting her attention -and he can fall quicker than she can rise!

The others are split between the remaining cronies, the crowd, and averting worse disaster from the fight --all but the latest on scene: "I will keep him held safely in a current, but move fast!"

Rogue doesn't sit with her relief at seeing Ororo, following the older woman's direction at once -though coming to experience even worse pushback in the air as she had on the ground in Central Park: "It's too crazy without gravity! And his shockwaves are stronger!"

Shockwave Mutant: "Make it stop!!"

A similar call to their first encounter with him, though Cyclops -reverting attention now that his foe's been dispatched- notes the difference: "He means it this time- he's in pain!"

Havok: "I feel ya' buddy-" he aims towards the sky, "-hey Rogue! Ever play outfield?"

Bankin' on the shock of a hit at least interrupting the flow of the shockwaves, and the impact being enough regardless to send him towards Rogue quicker than she can be pushed back, Havok fires a shot--

"Aaaahhhh!!!"

--doubling over!?

--But the play works, Rogue making a power-zapping "catch" --then becoming overwhelmed by the intake of yet another power in short time --if not for Ororo's guiding winds, both she and Shockwave Mutant would've plummeted back down to Earth.

The previously absorbed heat and gravity powers go "on" and "off" intermittently -like a light with a faulty switch- while Rogue fights to get a handle on the tremors --a struggle compared to last time.

-And speaking of struggle --what's happened with Havok?!

Expressing sounds of severe pain, we see him laying with his arms wrapped tight around his chest.

"'LEX!!!!"

Heading for him, Cyclops sees a car --which has become accidentally -and unequally- de-gravitized by Rogue-- tipping over his brother.

Cyclops blasts it away, but-- "ahh. . !!" his head has snapped back with the force of his blast -he slips to the ground, clutching now at his head as he wrests his attention back towards his brother --working to stagger towards him --unsteadiness persisting even as Rogue's shockwaves dissipate. . .the unsteadiness all in Cyclops' head as his world dramatically tilts.

"We need to get everyone to the Mansion-" -he falls next to Havok- "-this isn't what I thought--!!" --and falls unconscious.

Ororo: "OfAll- how many can you take?"

Breathing with some exertion, OfAll rises to the situation: "As many as I need to. Someone just take care of Holo -I won't be making it back home tonight."

. . .and as restless night falls on New York City,

we transition to a calm morning in Geneva, Switzerland. . .

Swiss Hotel Room

About to leave her room, Jean Grey reacts like she's getting a headache -or a sense of something.

Understanding still just settling in, Jean remains paused, processing.

Then shifts attention to her suitcase.

Meanwhile - Hotel Lobby

Kurt Wagner A.K.A. Nightcrawler: "Sorry ve are late, Professor."

Xavier (no matter): "It only means you missed what might've engendered pessimism.

But today is a new day."

Logan A.K.A. Wolverine: "If you think that'll change anyone's mind."

It's clear he doesn't.

And also clear what's on his mind as he looks around -clear at least, to Xavier:

"Jean should've been right behind me. Just a moment."

Xavier speaks telepathically: 'Jean? We're all ready to go.'

'. . .we need to be going back home. Something serious is happening.'

Xavier feels the weight of this sense at once. 'I'll send Kurt ahead with Logan. He's used to teleporting longer distances with him.' He eyes the two men who come to attention, understanding something's changing their plans. 'If you can collect my things, I'll meet you at the airport. I will ensure we get on a flight.'