Jean drops the new samples off with Beast in the lab, where he's already established himself this morning. She then returns upstairs for some breakfast.
It's after breakfast when Iceman, Rogue and Colber catch Jean before she heads back to the basement.
They get her attention and the latter launches in: "We think whatever Alex and uh, Cyclops? are dealing with, they're not the only ones."
Jean looks to them with puzzlement and concern. "I don't think those rocks I dropped down there were from stress, I mean, not entirely. It's usually just pebbles when that happens but I don't know," he shrugs, "I didn't question it until I talked with him," he gestures to Bobby. "My powers have been coming out randomly, just like Alex's were when Colber first came here." Jean: "How long has this been going on?" she looks to them in turn. Bobby: "Since just this morning." Colber: "Might've started last night, for me."
While Jean is thinking, Rogue pays attention to a nearby conversation: Student #1: "It's typical and I hate it!" The hubbub of the post-breakfast scene interrupts her listening, but.. Student #2: " ... lose control." Rogue steps over: "Hey, what are you two talking about?" Student #1: "The latest s*#@ from the 'other half'." Student #2: "A report on the news about mutants faking losing control."
Jean has taken attention too: "When was this?"
Student #2: "Just now. This morning's news."
Jean exits the cafeteria and goes to where an older teen is seated in front of the TV. "Jones, can I see the news from earlier?"
The teen changes the channel with blinks of his eyes. "You want that piece about us?" he asks in an uninterested tone of mild disgust.
"Yes, please." With a double flick of his eyes to the left, he rewinds the broadcast back to that point Anchorwoman: "--seems the 'I just lost control' excuse has been picked up by other mutants since our previous broadcast covering the water damage found in an apartment complex. These most recent reports involve a mutant nearly draining an ATM, though they claim they meant only to properly withdrew a portion of their own money, and a local florist on Crosby Street has had to close their doors temporarily as a woman with her mutant son were reported to have wilted every flower in the store following a failed transaction."
The two younger X-Men and Colber also stand watching the broadcast. The latter speaks again: "I think I know the kid they're talking about." Jones: "That's about it." He blinks the news away to avoid hearing the anchors share their biased thoughts on mutants any more. Jean turns to Colber, who goes on: "He's new to the Centre and the neighborhood. With his mom, yeah. They tried to get a community garden going but once some other folks saw him manipulating the plants, they made up some story about the lot being slotted for something else."
Jean (covering bases): "Do you think he would've done what was reported on purpose?" Colber shakes his head. "Plants are like people to him and he's got zero temper."
Some more stones drop from Colber's open hands, eliciting the attention of other students passing by, and Jones: "Cool."
Colber closes his hands. The couch, which Iceman has a hand on, starts freezing. Jones shifts away: "Too much." Bobby retracts his hand, clearly not meaning that either.
We cut-to...Mansion Basement. The group is in the elevator which has just come down. Jean: "With a blood sample I can confirm you two have the same anomaly I've been seeing in Scott and Alex's blood." They walk towards the door to the Medical Bay. Rogue: "If they do, what could it--" She pauses as she notices Colber ("Oh man..") has stopped. "Colber?" Bobby and Jean pause as well, looking back at him. He looks from Rogue to Jean: "Do you think whatever this is only affects mutants with powers?" "What we've observed so far in Alex and Scott is an increase to their powers, which seems to be what you two are experiencing now. What's on your mind?" "I think there might be more of us affected from the Centre. Most of us, well you guys saw," with still closed hands, he gestures between Rogue and Bobby, "they don't have powers so much as just LOOK different, and I was just thinking how a few of those guys...I don't know how to say it."
As if on cue, a certain someone walks out from the Lab: "Have become more 'beastly'? I couldn't help but eavesdrop on your conversation."
Colber: "Uh, yeah. I mean just in appearance. But they're younger, you know. Like new to being mutants. If we thought anything it's that their mutation was still settling or whatever." His expression reflects new concern as, "I haven't seen Walley at all since...last week?"
Rogue: "Who's Walley?"
"He kind of looks like a fish."
Beast: "Oh. If he's become more piscine he may be restricted in what environment he can exist in."
By Colber's expression he gets what he means.
Just then, the door to Medical opens. Scott comes out holding the tray of now empty breakfast dishes. Before the door closes behind him we can see Alex resting - either the meds are doing the trick or perhaps he's no stranger to his Centre's meditation area.
Pausing, Scott stares with puzzlement at the gathering before him. Jean: "Scott, something might be going on beyond just you and Alex. Colber and Bobby's powers are now also off, news reports seem to indicate similar instances occurring in the mutant community, and based on something Colber's just said the X-Gene of several others from the Outreach Centre may be over-activating as well."
"What do you think it is?"
"I don't have an idea, yet. We were just coming to get samples from Colber and Bobby to confirm there is something shared between you, for a start."
Scott's brow furrows at this development. "If there is do you think we're dealing with some environmental exposure or something contagious?" His expression reflects concern - if it's the latter, there's the macro scale, and the micro; who has HE potentially spread it too?
"Not contagious, I don't think. I've been checking my own blood and what I've observed in Alex and yours isn't in mine." The implication is there: if he were going to pass it on to anybody./
Rogue: "Yeah but what if you're immune from, you know, being in space?"
Colber looks between them like 'in space?'
Jean: "I might be if I were Phoenix, but not as myself."
Colber -slipping some rocks from his hands into his pockets- wears a perplexed smile: "You...can be someone else?"
Jean: "It's complicated."
Scott: "You said there've been other instances reported on the news, if it's environmental exposure we need to get those other locations and deduce what might be causing it."
Jean: "We'll also want to make contact with those mutants. Regardless of cause, If their powers are growing beyond their control we're the safest place for them." From down the hall, Xavier suddenly comes out from Cerebro: "I've just been gathering that information." He rolls up to them. "Lately my routine scans have presented anomalies. I've been trying to come up with an answer for them. You may have arrived at one ahead of me."
Cut-to the Ready Room. The "3D Pin Table" sits in the centre, not in use presently - instead, Rogue is working a control panel beneath a display of screens on the wall when Jean and Cyclops come in.
The latter has an unopened breakfast bar in hand.
Jean: "It's confirmed. The same thing in Scott and Alex's blood is in Colber's, Bobby's and yours, Rogue." Rogue nods to her.
Cyclops: "Alex agreed with Colber on who else from the Centre may be affected and supplied one other name along with their locations..If you'll excuse me." Rogue shifts aside so he can key-in the new information.
Rogue: "Ah got an idea thinking how Bobby and Colber's powers went off about the same time. The nahght of the party we all went outside for a bit and came up on some of that 'Rose Mist' that's been on the news all the time. Ah just finished getting up all the reported s'ghtings." On one of the screens, Cyclops has zoomed-in on their mapped list of mutant locations and made them slowly cycle. He now straightens. "Well I haven't been anywhere where that mist has been, so strange as it is I don't think-" his attention is caught by one of the other monitors which is also cycling through locations, "-wait. What's this?" Rogue answers with some puzzlement: "The Rose Mist locations."
Cyclops has paused the cycling and gone back a slide. "This one was never on the news."
"Ah got the list off a citizen sc'entist blog. Some didn't make the news but they were all confirmed."
The location Cyclops is focused on is that of a park or campsite. "I was there the other week....I didn't notice the Rose Mist." It's not a denial but a statement of realization as we see the screen reflected in his ruby quartz lenses.