Envisionings (2nd Edition) Part 17 💉🩸

And so we return to Professor X's Telepathic Probing. . . .

. . where wisps of memories come and go in front of his mind's eye, he sorting through them by way of reading their residual signatures as one may read time stamps on a photograph, finding those most recent. . .despite the scattered, prompted recollections of those to whom these memories belong, he indeed finds something uniformly stand-out in each of their Rogue-swiped "memory files". .

. . and now we see them coalesce like a dissolve-transition, where in an interesting subversion, clarity comes in the form of a fog. . .a peculiarly red-tinged fog, not unlike the supposed rare phenomenon reported on the news. . -!

--Xavier comes out of his cerebral voyage at once -becoming cognizant of an alerting tint to the physical space he's in.

Rogue, having been laying more or less relaxed with her eyes closed, also opens them to the lights of the Medical Bay, which have suddenly started to slow-flash red.

Back in the Danger Med Bay - Chaos

Individual environments - down.

Powers - releasing uncontrollably.

It's hard to tell if Scott's groans are from the shockwaves, the combination of them with suddenly unstable gravity exacerbating his dizziness, or from the walls of the Dark Room having retracted back into the Danger Room's wall and floor exposing him most of all to the photon energy of certain electrical spheres -- presently drifting dangerously closer to him -- and the only lights in the entire room now that it's suffered a power outage.

Even if Scott's mutation were functioning properly, absorbing that type of light energy would be a pain to his system -- yet even in the face of struggle and personal doom, his mind is beyond himself -"Alex!!"

-- to say nothing of the risk the lightning also poses to him, the aforementioned disturbances in physical stability threaten to disconnect the younger Summers brother from his crucial assistive devices -- which fortunately run on their own sources of power --

-- Ororo manages to take command of the lightning -likely by the feel of the electricity in the space, as the rattling air and fickle gravity makes it hard to focus visually- and prevent it from entering the machines -- or anyone else.

She then flashes sheet lightning to provide some illumination -- the compromise to Alex and Scott outweighed by the necessity for the others, as screams of fear, pain -- particularly the pain of ignition in the case of one -- create a punctuating din to the darkness -- the sound of powers added to the mix-- Bobby's newly among them as he tries to aim relieving blasts of ice at Jen; cooling the air around her in the very least -- the enclosed space, vast though it is, acting like an echo chamber not so much for the sound, but for the shockwaves -- which present further problems as Colbur's scattered rocks hang in the air --

-- RATATAT RATATATAT!!!! --

-- not to mention the very real beds and other non-simulated items;

the former actually serving to provide cover.

--and it is on this chaotic, coruscating, cacophonous scene that Rogue arrives -- standing just outside the door at the base of the ramped hallway connecting the Danger Room proper to the Control Bay -- her body twitching with the instinct to help yet awareness that attempts to do so will only make things even worse.

The alerting lights having brought other X-Men into the Sub-Basement and out from the lab--

Control Bay

--Xavier is quick to direct (telepathically): 'Kurt, take Ilé to the caverns and Alv to the outer west Grounds.'

BAMF

We understand why Xavier was speaking mentally as he adds: 'Ororo, be ready.'

BAMF By Ororo's light Kurt takes Ilé away -managing first to grab a pillow with his tail for some guard against the hard surfaces of the cavern network which exists beneath a portion of the Grounds - a place Ilé can't affect much with their gravity distortions, and which doesn't have an endless sky for them to be lost into.

Ororo uses her wind to "catch" anyone who might otherwise have suffered a harsh collision from the sudden restoration of gravity, and stabilize them against the still harsh shockwaves.

Xavier: 'Colossus, take Willow into the hallway -stay with her.'

Kurt has already come back and gone with Alv.

Now free from obstruction, Bobby provides Jen with a more targeted counter to her powers.

BAMF

Kurt returns to the Control Bay.

Xavier: 'Bring Ororo to the chase wall. ' BAMF "Hank, we'll need to be ready to re-engage the program the second we're able."

All having moved at the speed of thought, it's in almost as narrow a time as the chaos started that the Danger Med Bay is back to function- thanks to a jolt of mutant lightning providing enough auxiliary power to sustain it ahead of a permanent fix -- the environments back up- thanks to nimble fingers and minds, and computer memory banks -- and all still once more. . . .by grace before any irreversible harm could be done. . .at least as far

as the occupants' physical conditions. . . .

We next see Colossus out on the Grounds with Logan, finishing replacing some underground wiring.

While back in the Danger Med Bay, all but the affected X-Men are still coming down from shaken nerves -the latter group far more used to processing unexpected and chaotic circumstances, largely from the training typically held in this very room.

Bobby: "We don't usually have a program running for this long. It's never blown the system like that."

Jean is making the post-chaos rounds with a dual focus, as we just manage to hear the end of a conversation with Graysen and a fatigued-looking Willow, the latter sitting on her simulated stoop.

Graysen (nodding to what he's just been asked): "Yeah. It was kind of by my house."

Willow: "Same."

Jean acknowledges, then touches Willow on the shoulder: "Your Mom should be by soon."

As she proceeds towards Alv's room, Graysen sits down next to Willow with an "it's been a long day" kind of sigh and look, holding his head in his anti-disintegration-gloved hands as he eyes the older mutants.

Ilé, leaning listlessly against their doorframe, makes a like-effort to recapture the lighter mood from before: ". . .anyone still want to take up that shuffleboard game. . ? I'll leave the trash talk at the door."

Colbur turns from staring at the Dark Room to exchange a look with Bobby, who shrugs ahead of them wordlessly moving to set up; Colbur looking like he's really not feeling it -but doing this is preferable to sitting with what he is feeling.

Jen (from her doorway - applying a fresh coat of aloe to her first-degree burnt skin): "I think I'll just try and relax in my room for a while," she puts her hand on the door in prep for closing it, "thanks for the assist before, Bobby."

"No problem. And, hey, lemme' know if you want someone to hang out with," he eyes her climate-controlled room, "cold's never bothered me. Or Rogue," he turns an inclusive grin her way.

Rogue, standing with her arms folded tight across her chest, half-heartedly teases: "Ah wouldn't say never."

Meaning just to demarcate the shuffleboard zones with ice "bumpers", Bobby accidentally casts a sheet of ice across the entire floor.

Colbur shrugs, getting down to test the less frictive surface with a rock, but rocking-up his hand instead. Like someone still getting a handle on specific dexterity, he has a bit of a time working out how to un-rock it and, giving his hand a slightly frustrated shake, suddenly manages --to send a rock sliding-out sideways from his palm.

It winds up ricocheting off someone's shoe. Logan: "What am I walkin' into, here? A hockey rink?"

Bobby: "Oh hey, Logan. Just trying to blow off some steam."

Having moved to where the rock wound up, Colbur absorbs it back into his hand before rising with fresh attention: "So you're the famous 'Wolverine'?"

"Famous?" Logan scoffs, "right." He stares a second at the rocky appendage now proffered before taking it.

Colbur can't maintain the rocked-up hand the length of the shake--Logan finding himself shaking with a handful of rocks while more spill over his fingers.

"Shoot- sorry. ." the grasp broken, another stone the size of his mid-palm falls from it.

Logan picks that one up, proceeding to pop two claws from his other hand and slash an "X" into the stone.

"There ya' go, 'Rocky'. Now you got my autograph."

The stunt working to ameliorate Colbur's embarrassment, he raises his eyebrows and turns an impressed look towards Bobby: "You got one of these?"

Bobby shakes his head with a grin, which we actually see on Rogue's face, too. Colbur (to Logan): "Think you could just put it there?" He points to the rock garden. "I don't wanna'. .ya' know." He shifts his hand.

Logan cast a glance at the garden ahead of tossing the rock into it. "So, I guess you guys aren't doin' too bad in here, still."

At this point the door to Alv's room opens; Jean finished checking-in with him: "Come back when you've got something useful to say!"

Jean (to the now closed door): "Pleasant."

Logan: "Someone in there need to learn some manners?"

"Maybe. You'd need your accreditation first." The light tease is made as she passes him by on her way to the Dark Room.

Now looking thoughtful, Colbur comes up and pauses her. "Uh, since you're goin' in there, think you could give Alex something for me?"

"You know it's okay if you go in to visit him?"

"U-uh, yeah -that's fine. I'd rather see him later." He turns towards the rock garden, pointing out the slashed one, "that Wolverine guy just gave me that. I hear he has a healing factor? And so. . .I don't suppose you believe in healing rocks?"

"A lot in nature can be healing," Jean answers, bringing the rock to her hand via telekinesis. "Just ask Ororo."

Colbur smiles, a little heartened. "Yeah -well couldn't hurt at least, right?"

With an agreeing look, Jean takes the rock with her into the Dark Room.

We join her after she's already assessed the brothers, seeing through her "night vision" as she presently lifts her hand from Alex's, beneath which she's placed the rock.

We also join her in mid-conversation with Scott, who speaks like he's answering: "A fog had just rolled in when I left the prospective Summers camp location. Alex was just about to come up. . ."

If he's feeling more pain in the aftermath of the chaos, it isn't readily apparent; his response steady, if not now subdued. ". . .I didn't recognize there was anything distinct about it."

Jean focuses on Scott's tinted eye covering and what's surely on his mind. Of all the ways his optic blasts could challenge him. . .

Jean: ". . it's near a fallout shelter. Grates seem to correspond to the instances in the city, as well."

"It's coming from underground?"

"That's our speculation. Xavier is having Kurt investigate."

BAMF

Nightcrawler arrives in a network of tunnels beneath a certain span of New York City.

We see why he may have specifically been chosen, beyond his fast mode of transport, as he comes up on an obstruction anyone else would need to work to get through. BAMF

On the other side, he looks around. Curious lighting affording him enough light to see by, though only so far.

He continues cautiously onward, alert for any sounds of company. . .

. . .soon turning his attention in the direction of a large pipe.

Nightcrawler: "No need to be afraid."

A small figure steps out -a boy with a facial difference and sickly hue to his skin -though that could be from his living environment.

In a moment, Nightcrawler smiles: "See? I look different, too."

The boy looks over Nightcrawler's blue tone, his tail, and meets his yellow eyes.

"You come stay here too with Leech?"

Nightcrawler cocks his head. "Leech? That is you?" The boy nods. "Vell I am Kurt, also called Nightcrawler. But nein, I am here only to find answers."

Leech hangs his head. "Leech likes new friends. Others don't much like Leech."

Nightcrawler frowns. "I am sorry for this. I must now do my vork, but how about a promise to come back vhen I can?"

Leech looks up. "You be Leech's friend?"

Nightcrawler smiles: "I vould like to be."

Leech returns the smile ahead of pointing: "Others go there. They not like The Alley with Leech."

"Thank you."

Nightcrawler touches the boy's shoulder before proceeding,

and as he moves on, we see someone else appears to be watching him from the shadows, evidenced by another pair of distinctive yellow eyes. . .

. . .and as he comes to be deeper in, an eye of an even more distinctive quality watches his approach --a crackling optic orb of electricity breaking the dark; one figure or more standing amongst the shadows.

Nightcrawler meets this "gaze", bracing himself somewhat, yet unafraid. "Hello, Erg. Forgive my trespassing."

The figures step forward, and we see why there was only one "electric eye", as the one called "Erg" bears an eyepatch over his other. The second figure's eyecatching hair of a pastel-prismatic hue is just visible as she steps from the shadows. But it is the third, androgenous figure who answers, stepping out in front of both of the others: "That forgiveness will depend on why you've come?"

"Callisto," Nightcrawler gives an acknowledge nod. "A substance has been released into the air from underground. It is causing much pain and suffering to the mutants who haf come into contact vith it."

Callisto scowls: "You think this is our doing?"

"Nein. I wonder only if you have vitnessed anything?"

She fixes him with a level stare, as if assessing if sharing information could backfire. "There may've been two who needed scaring off," she fingers a knife held in her belt.

Erg's electric eye crackles anew.

Nightcrawler's expression creases with concern: "How much did you hurt them?"

Callisto stands straighter: "They got lucky. We found their camp while they were out. They noticed us in time to make a quick retreat, and had the sense not to return there. Sounds heard on the fringe of our North border after could've been them, but they didn't last long."

"The camp you found, vill you show me?"

"There is nothing to show. We destroyed anything we couldn't take for ourselves."

"I see. . .Then forgive the curtness of my visit, but time is of the essence. Vhatever this is is causing mutations to deteriorate with pain. Should any of you experience this, ve vill treat you as ve can any other. Danke," Nightcrawler BAMFs away. . .

. . .though we hear this more than see it, as we follow the echoes of his voice back down the tunnel where he met Leech; where yellow eyes still watch keenly.

"Step away from me, Leech. I need to change."

"But you will hurt with no Leech?"

"I'll be fine. . .I promise."

Leech retreats into the intersecting pipe.

We're just able to catch a glimpse of "feathering scales" before we hear feminine groans of pain cutting in and out -mixing with other tones before they settle- the sounds ending at a lower place than they'd started, as if the figure has doubled over. "Leech-" she calls in a strangled voice "-now come here."

X-Mansion - Outside Cerebro

Nightcrawler: "No evidence did I find to the North. None that can be used, anyvay, as rather it is vhat I didn't find that confirms someone vas there."

Xavier almost chuckles. "Fancy yourself a detective now, Kurt?" He sighs, the moment of mirth gone. "I had hoped for more. But perhaps with this direction I can home in on the residual mental signatures and trace them-"

Suddenly the lighting shifts -this time to a held, deeper red.

Nightcrawler looks up: "Vhat does-"

Xavier (grave/pained): "He's at the crisis point!"