We're back in the Ready Room...
Cyclops is once again at the control panel: "Alright everyone as you can see, this subterranean map overlay strongly suggests each of the mist locations pertain to some underground area of origin; old tunnel systems, obsolete subways....Obviously someone's been making use of them recently and right now our objective is figuring out who that is."
Storm summarizes what they're dealing with: "Something that furthers an individual's mutation, strengthens their powers if they have any, but to the degree beyond their control and at least in the case of your brother, beyond what their body can comfortably cope with."
Cyclops: "I can think of just one person who'd want to increase mutants' power and be reckless enough to try it."
Iceman (now sporting cold-resistant gloves): "You're thinking Magneto?"
Storm has to agree: "If it is, it wouldn't be the first time an experiment of his has gone wrong." She seems uneasy by the memory*.
*See 'X-Men', the first movie!
Just then, the doors open to admit Charles Xavier: "It isn't Eric. In fact all but one of the Brotherhood have been out of the city since before the mist occurred."
Storm: "It could only take one given how staggered the release has been. Who-"
Someone else enters behind Xavier, answering in a woman's voice though with strange undertones of more: "Trust me, I've released no mist." Mystique. She shapeshifts between multiple different bodies before holding her natural, scaly blue. "None of that was intentional," she states, her voice steady as one this time.
Xavier: "As you can see, Mystique has been affected as well."
Cyclops is leery: "You could've been Magneto's first test subject before he left the city for all we know." "What you know is that I don't require a power enhancement, or complicated ruses if I have any other reason to be here," her tone is one of assured superiority and minor impatience. She looks at the monitors: "I've tried looking into two of those underground locations and at each one I was prevented by an offensive security system."
Since when have security systems stopped Mystique? Cyclops isn't buying it; he presents an incredulous look.
She stares at him: "Imagine for a minute how challenging it might be to avoid getting shot when the proportions and muscle mass of your body fluctuate multiple times in seconds." even as she's saying it, hers does again. "It also attracts more attention, or I could've arrived here earlier."
Xavier: "To answer the question now on your mind, Scott, Mystique is here to make sure we knew what we do about the mist, and to be treated like the others we've collected."
Cyclops gives a laugh of disbelief: "We're not seriously letting her stay here."
Xavier (just firm enough): "We are."
Mystique: "I'm invested, similar to you, in what's going on. I have no intention of diverting your concentration." That being said, she smiles in a mischievous way. "I'll be on my best behaviour."
Cyclops scowls.
Back in the Medical Bay...
Beast: "Can you try controlling just one hand?"
Alex: "Believe me I have. And the result has me on the fence if this is a 'work through the pain' or a 'take it easy and let it run its course' situation."
"Yes, I admit the same. Conventional logic to foreign bodily invasion would lean more towards the running its course route. However, if the effects, that being power increase, are permanent, it might require a bit of both." He's had something hooked up to Alex's breastplate -Alex's shirt folded up to expose it- and now checks results on a screen.
"Some good news is it doesn't seem to be causing a ceilingless increase to power, which I feared after learning of your pain. In fact it's at the same level as when you arrived seeking the assistive devices."
Alex sighs. It is good news, but what does it help in this moment?
Beast: "We should try some Danger Room sessions designed to retrain your brain for control. Once, of course, we've found the adequate cocktail for your pain and you're feeling up to it."
"I can think of a few cocktails I wouldn't mind trying right now."
Beast smiles: "We don't have any such 'medication' on the premises. Fortunately and unfortunately. Is there anything else I might get you?"
Alex sighs again. "Different accommodations? If rest is how I have to spend my time for the next however long, and here is where I have to get it while we work things out." He tries to get more comfortable after Beast disconnects the attachment -Alex rolling his shirt back down- and Beast moves the monitor away. "I'll see what I can do." He departs.
It's hardly a minute before the door opens again.
Alex has closed his eyes: "Forgot something?" When he doesn't get an answer, he opens them curiously - to find the young Holo standing there.
She now seems unsure about herself; if she's disturbing him: "Hi."
"Hi there." Alex isn't sure what to make of this meeting. "Are you one of the ones affected?" His expression creases like he'd hate that for someone this young.
Holo furrows her brow, shakes her head, and finds her voice: "You're Professor Summers' brother, right?"
"Oh, yeah that's me. The name's Alex."
She smiles: "I'm Holo."
Alex manages a smile that comes out closer to a grimace what with his pain. "So you're a student of my brother's?"
"Sort of. I'm not in his trigonometry or mechanics classes yet. But there are some others that the professors kind of take turns teaching."
"Holo's your mutant name I take it?" He adjusts his position again.
She smiles again: "Yeah. Do you have one?"
"Havok."
Her brows go up.
He seems mildly amused. "So what kind of powers come with a name like 'Hollow'?" Another position adjustment, this time to what he's lying on so he can relax a little more upright.
Holo thinks a moment, then answers with a question: "What's something you and Professor Summers did when you were kids?"
"Oh..It's been so long..I think I remember playing ball. Him teaching me."
Holo, staring at Alex in a studious way, now gives a nod before turning her attention to the space in front of them, but nearer to the height of Alex's eyeline.
Soon images, holographic-like in appearance -the room can still be seen through them- appear of two young boys, an older one with dark brown hair wearing red sunglasses, and a younger blond, who's being shown by his big brother how to catch a ball in a mitt.
Holo's grinning at the scene herself when she suddenly realizes "Oh-" the scene flickers as her concentration does, "he wouldn't have his glasses then, would he?"
"Nope."
Holo corrects the imagining, the image of the older boy changing to have blue eyes. It takes some concentrating before Holo gets them to a look she thinks fits.
"Hey, you even got the colour right."
Some embarrassment comes into Holo's voice: "Yeah, I had a little moment one time at lunch wondering, aand..he told me after."
Alex shifts his eyes between the scene and the girl creating it. He takes a guess: "This doesn't always happen just when you want it to, does it?"
"No," she admits.
Alex continues to watch: "That's a pretty good likeness of us."
Encouraged, Holo imagines with more detail; sound.
Imagining of Young Scott: "Great catch! Now throw it, just like I did. Straight wrist."
Imagining of Young Alex: "Was that right, Scott? Did you see?"
The real Scott has entered the room and has paused. He observes as the imagining of his younger self answers playfully: "I'll have to see it again. Throw it back to me, Alex!"
Real Alex (reminiscent tone): "He used to call me 'Lex."
The real Scott watches the imagining of himself first throw the ball back to the imagining of his little brother, who doesn't manage to catch it this time.
"No problem," Young Scott collects the rolling ball and comes to ruffle his little brother's hair with it. They laugh.
The real Scott moves into the room enough now that the automatic door closes.
Though Holo and Alex had missed hearing it open, Holo at least hears it this time -- the surprise of it and her shift of attention causing the imagining to fade-out.
Regrettably, it seems, for the real Alex. "Hi, big brother. Your little pupil here just came to-" he realizes she never actually said what she came to do.
Holo smiles shyly: "I wanted to see how you were doing." Her face creases with concern, "I saw when you came in."
"Holo's the reason I knew so fast," Scott adds.
"It didn't look good."
"Still isn't great," Alex admits, "but they're doing their job, and hey, you did a trick there. You're good at that, kiddo."
Holo grins, swiveling a little in place with her hands behind her back, before speaking to Scott again: "How did training go? Or are you just about to start?"
It's the fact that Scott is no longer sporting his regular clothes and glasses but his combat suit and visor that she's responding to. He gives an answer of partial truth: "Just about to start."
Holo takes on an air of anticipation, like maybe she'd like to watch but isn't so bold to ask. Scott: "Can you give us some time, please, Holo?" "Oh." She half-collects herself and starts to leave. "Thanks for the memory," Scott adds with a smile.
Alex: "Yeah, come back again, I'll think of some more. Or what the heck! You can."
Holo beams, waving before exiting properly.
"Well she's a sweet one," we can hear Alex say before the doors close.
Outside in the hall, Holo is seeming quite pleased with herself, when she comes upon Mystique, who happens to experience another cycling of forms right as she looks down at Holo.
Holo's eyes widen.
Mystique smiles.
Beast steps out from the lab, speaking to Mystique as though continuing a conversation they'd been having: "It will take little time, no more invasive."
Mystique: "No." She walks to the elevator and gives Beast a look, knowing full well he's watching to ensure she doesn't linger down here.
The doors close and Beast addresses the young student: "Hello, Holo. I take it you just saw one of the most fascinating mutations among us."
"Uh, yeah." She looks towards the elevator, the one who just departed up it still fresh on her mind; such that she projects an imagining of Mystique, though she can't get the shapeshifting detail correct.
Beast observes, an idea coming to him: "You may want to consider further observation." He grins at Holo.
Meanwhile, back with the brothers.... Alex gets serious: "So, you're actually about to do one of your X-Men things, aren't you?"
"Yes. Relating to what we and everyone else has. We've mapped the mist locations to underground passages which we'll be checking for anything that might shed a light on things. For caution in case of any lingering mist only a few of us will go. It isn't ideal since we already know at least a few of the passages are outfitted with security systems, but we can't risk exposure for the remaining members of the X-Men."
"Which means you're going as well as...? "Colossus, who accepts the outcome, his mutation isn't dangerous if he loses control of it. And Iceman."
"No Rogue?" "If her powers have increased like the rest of us affected she could be near-instantly lethal. It's been decided safer she stay here."
Alex shifts position again and segues: "So you figured you'd come see how 'little brother' was doing before you headed off."
"Well actually it's while I wait. We decided to check the locations in reverse order to when they were sighted. Rogue's just verifying." Some of his all-business disposition falls away: "has your pain gotten any worse?"
"It's more constant, so yeah."
Scott's eyebrows knit together. "When did you last take something?"
"Too soon ago to take any again. Not that I want you to share in this bit of my life, but I wonder why it's only me?"
Jean has come in to get Scott, but answers: "Your powers are more, lets say, explosive than anyone else we know of who's affected. As for Scott, I think it comes down to your disparate histories with control. Besides, I'm sure, a time when your X-Gene first activated, Alex, you're used to control. Or rather your body is. Where as Scott's has never been. I believe the pain you're experiencing is from your body's fight to maintain that control. You can think of it like being used to benchpressing a certain amount of weight, then your response when more weight is added on."
Alex takes that in then looks to his big brother: "So you're a lightweight, in other words."
Scott gives him a look. Jean smiles lightly before getting back to business: "Scott, Rogue has some new information. Not only has she found an additional underground location that, as the rest connects to some venting system, but not to a known mist sighting, she's also found one of the sightings to be false, despite the underground connection. Which means two areas potentially part of this underground network that haven't been used, yet."
Scott: "We're due for another mist sighting so those are the locations we'll hit first. In this case I hope they are gearing up for another release so we can catch them. I'll come back after, Alex." Jean pauses Scott for a quick kiss: "Stay safe."
Scott says quietly: "Take care of him."
At his departure, Alex speaks to Jean: "He told me there are only three going. That won't be an even split." He seems to suspect the scenario.
Jean confirms: "Scott is the most seasoned. He'll take a location alone."
Alex seems unsettled by this.
In the garage.... Cyclops turns around as he -and the others- are paused by a voice: "Scott, wait-up!"
"Havok" is there, wearing a spare combat suit with the jacket open to reveal his breastplate, uncovered by any shirt. "I've already been exposed too, and I'll be in pain anywhere, might as well be making something out of it." He flexes. "We Summers gotta' stick together."
Cyclops shakes his head: "You're not coming with us."
Havok: "And here I was thinking we'd bypassed the 'no little brothers allowed' phase."
"It's dangerous! You haven't even-"
Havok gets serious: "-you know what I've done."
Cyclops is affectively reminded of who he's speaking to. "You don't have to do this."
"And I still say neither do you." He looks around at everyone. "Now who's driving and what?"
So things get underway down in the underground.....
Iceman (cold-resistant gloves removed; hands kept icy) and Colossus have taken out the security systems in the passage they're searching.
But they're coming up on nothing.
Cyclops and Havok, curiously, haven't encountered even security; their location is an obsolete subway station.
Havok: "Maybe you're wrong and this isn't part of the network?"
"Or we just haven't hit the right spot. Alright next track."
They'd gone the length of one side of tracks -each taking a different direction- and reconvened. Now they're climbing back up on the platform to cross to the other side, but Havok is feeling strained.
"Here I've got you." Cyclops keeps a hand on his brother after both are up on the platform. "Are you okay to continue? I can go on myself."
"It's what I'm here for." He flexes a bit then nods to go on.
Cyclops is unsure but doesn't fight it.
He gets down on the other side of the tracks first, then looks back at Alex but he seems alright getting down on his own. Once again, they head in different directions.
Havok is moving more slowly than Cyclops and doesn't get as far down his end of the tunnel...he hears a noise from behind....
Coming as though out of the wall itself is a large robot, outfitted with artillery; likely more weapons hidden beneath its casing. It turns to head down the tunnel after the unsuspecting Cyclops.
"Look out, Scott!" Havok takes no chances - his breastplate opens like an aperture, letting loose his plasma blast. It decimates the 'bot-- --Cyclops' attention is caught by the yell- the blast- but mostly-
"HUUURRRRRGGHHH!"
Havok doubles over clutching at his chest (the breastplate closed once again).
"ALEX!"
Xavier, using Cerebro, has a mental picture of the two: "Scott, why has Alex gone down?"
Cyclops, having raced to his brother, is down beside him. "I don't know!"
Havok's words come out in a breathless grunt: "I feel like I just tore my insides out!"
Cyclops is horrified - he tries to check if that is indeed true, though it's hard given Havok's positioning -- there doesn't appear to be any lacerations or blood coming out around the plate....
His attention is taken by another sound -a second 'bot that's come up from further down this end of the tracks.
Cyclops raises his hand to the side of his visor and clicks to discharge a blast --but his head recoils as though he's hit himself -the unexpected motion causing him to fall back.
Though now half apart with wires exposed, the blast wasn't enough to stop the 'bot.
Cyclops tries to get up but he can't seem to maintain standing; his hand goes to his head.
Xavier: "What is happening, Scott?"
"I'm dizzy. Extremely...."
Alex is still incapacitated by pain --the 'bot is bearing down on them, readying its gun.
This time, Cyclops steels himself for recoil as he discharges another blast --angled down
-bypassing his inability to get up by ricocheting the blast off the ground --it hits.
The robot collapses, effectively disabled -but so too, does Cyclops.
Alex practically yells: "We need help! Scott's passed out-" he loses his breath, "-and I....."
Xavier: "Piotr, Bobby, abandon your location for theirs! Scott and Alex require an immediate extraction!"
In the lab, Jean seems distracted; distressed from a sense of something.
She doesn't waste time going to Xavier -she couldn't get in while Cerebro's in use, anyway. She speaks telepathically: 'Charles, what's happened?'
'I'm not sure. But I don't think Scott has been as unaffected as we'd thought.'
They share their concern in silence.
Once Iceman and Colossus are on scene....
Iceman: "You got 'em?" In Colossus' mutated form, he's got both Cyclops and Havok; both unconscious. Iceman: "Go ahead, I'll catch up." He makes an ice slide in mid air to "surf" quickly down a length of the tunnel.
Xavier: "Bobby. What are you doing?"
"Robots weren't part of the security we faced, only the automated guns Mystique mentioned. Something has to be here."
Xavier weighs the choice, then: "Piotr, if Bobby doesn't return to you in a timely fashion return here on your own. Bobby, consider yourself on recon unless you are positive you can take down any further threats on your own. Do you understand?"
"I got it, Professor."
Iceman's already come up on one dead end and is turning around to streak down the other way.
He's perplexed by what he finds: "There's nothing here! I was so sure."
"It's still reasonable someone may yet show up. You have the advantage now, you will stay. Keep aware."
Iceman had been heading back to the platform. "Copy -wait." He gets off his ice slide and walks back to the wreckage of one of the mechs. "I've found something after all."
He puts one of his ice-resistant gloves back on to pick it up; a damaged piece of metal yet with an easily distinguishable logo on it; for Trask Industries.
Later at the Mansion....
Jean is in the lab concernedly looking over one head CT scan and one fuller-body one.
Outside in the hall...
Rogue: "Even though those were Trask Industry robots, ah still don't think they're behind the mist. That wasn't one of the locations, it could just be coincidence. Lahk wah would Trask make something that makes mutants stronger?"
Xavier: "We've been assuming everything has been a side-effect of a desired increase to the strength of an individual's mutation. In fact, the truth could be that the increase to powers is the side effect, or at least an accepted risk, with the loss of control and durability the goal."
Storm: "That's a rather reckless way to bring us down. If it were swapped among the X-Men who's been exposed and who hasn't, I can't imagine how disastrous the result would be. Most likely to larger numbers of non-mutants."
"Given general sentiment and how the media plays to it, it would always end up worst for us. It is possible any non-mutant fallout was considered acceptable risk as well, or, that the releases were more calculated than we assume, and it isn't mere chance that-"
Jean comes out of the lab: "It's worse than loss of durability or control." She addresses them all: They're losing their immunity to their own powers."