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Post by havok on Jul 7, 2005 8:48:03 GMT -5
As Scott shared his sympathy over his own lack of control, he saw a red headed beauty walking towards them from behind his brother. At first glance, she looked like a caring and gentle woman. After she introduced herself as Scott's wife, he suddenly remembered what Scott had told the guy with the patch over his eye. He had forgotten through the realization that his older brother was standing in front of him.
"My name's Alex," he replied, taking her hand in his. Normally with a beauty like this, he wouldn't care if she was taken but seeing that she was married to his brother, he would let this one go. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Jean," Alex continued to say as he offered her a smile then he released her hand.
The man with the patch on his eye came walking up behind Scott's wife, Jean, and offered his thanks for the timely help. Alex had forgotten completely why he had helped in the first place. Something had taken over him, a sudden urge to get involved. He couldn't help it or stop it.
"No problem," Alex said finally. He had no way to describe it, he just wanted to be involved somehow. "Good to meet you as well," Alex nodded slightly in his direction. He glanced down at his watch and saw that there was still plenty of time before the geophysics speech.
"So what brought everyone to DC?" Alex said, wondering what exactly brought this little family reunion about.
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Post by Phoenix on Jul 8, 2005 23:55:51 GMT -5
“It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Alex.” Jean gave the blonde a warm smile as they shook hands, getting a mental sense of the younger Summers brother. He wasn’t giving off any negative or deceptive feelings to her, which let her relax a bit more.
< I'm sorry, honey, > Scott’s face was apologetic, < I just got caught up with... > He didn’t finish. But he didn’t need to. Jean already understood what he was feeling and nodded, offering him a reassuring smile, < It’s all right. I understand. Just don’t forget about me permanently, hm? > Her elbow gave him a small teasing nudge.
Standing with the three men Jean placed her gloved hand back in her pocket as Priest introduced himself and thanked them for their help. The crowd was long gone, back to their daily activities. ‘Probably setting up for more Anti-Mutant demonstrations,’ Jean couldn’t help but think, her brows creasing.
"So what brought everyone to DC?" Alex asked, bringing Jean out of her thoughts.
“Well,” Jean fielded the question, glancing at Scott before looking to Alex, “we’re here to attend the Senate meeting dealing with the Bill for the Mutant Registration Act that’s up for vote tomorrow.” It was true that both she and Scott would be attending, as per the Professor’s request, and she kept any mention of the X-Men or the information they would be reviewing that night out of the conversation for the time being. It was a big enough shock finding out your brother was alive and well, much less discover he was part of a mutant crime-fighting organization.
< You okay? > Her voice gentle, Jean knew Scott was feeling very anxious right now, as his emotions collided with one another. It was easy to assume he was always calm, cool, and collected to anyone who only knew him on a surface level. That was all Scott let everyone else see. Jean knew better.
“What about you both?” Jean addressed both Priest and Alex, though knew she and Scott would have to get back to work on the mission in a while.
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Post by havok on Jul 9, 2005 8:16:45 GMT -5
"I'm here for a convention. A Geophysics lecture at the Hotel: Regency where I'm staying," Alex replied. He was going to be late for it, too. He knew it but it didn't matter anymore. Finding and meeting his brother and his wife was much more important than a lecture he could read about later. The Mutant Registry Act was a far more discomfort to him than missing the lecture as well. If he had to register himself as a mutant, knowing the professor's that he knew, he wouldn't be allowed in their presence anymore and that would end his search for a way to block energy that he absorbed.
"This mutant registry act, is there anyway to stop it from being passed?" Alex asked, more concerned for himself than anyone. It was selfish and he knew it but that could mean that his power could raise out of control. He couldn't live with the possibilities of himself being out of control. He would end up killing so many people. Using his powers was something he tried not to do that often, other than training with them. Control was not his best asset and he wanted, desperately, to learn how to control it. It was something he pldged his life to. He didn't want to be one of those out of control mutants he read about or saw on the news. They were uncontrollable and they killed many. Alex wouldn't be able to live with himself if he turned into that.
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Post by Cyclops on Jul 9, 2005 14:08:45 GMT -5
Scott watched as his wife and brother shook hands. It was something he never thought he'd see. Jean smiled at him reassuringly, then elbowed him playfully in the side. < It’s all right. I understand. Just don't forget about me permanently, hm? >
He smiled awkwardly at her mental joke, but his reply was somber. < Never, Jean, > he said solemnly through their link.
Alex's reply to her question of what they were in the city for surprised him, mainly where he was staying. "You're at the Regency as well?" he remarked surprised. "So are we." Jean told them that were attending the hearing on the Mutant Registration Act the next morning. This was completely true, but Scott noticed she was still watching him closely, her concern obvious through their mental link. He looked at his wife and knew he shouldn't tell his brother any about the X-Men yet. It was too much to for him to handle now. "Like Jean said, we are attending the hearing tomorrow. It's very important to us both, to all mutants, that the bill not pass."
< You okay? > she asked him, softly.
Scott didn't answer her right away, as the news of the MRA seemed to alarm Alex. "This mutant registry act, is there anyway to stop it from being passed?" his brother asked worriedly.
Cyclops let out a long, heavy sigh and shrugged. "To be honest Alex, I don't know," he admitted. "From what we've heard, it looks pretty grim. Recent events have really put a strain on human-mutant relations." He took his wife's hand and squeezed it gently, looking over at her with a brief smile, hopefully reassuring her he was fine. "There's still hope though."
The moment was brief though and his returned to his usual sober expression. "We really need to go Alex," he admitted, holding out his hand to his brother. "We have a very important errand to run. Why don't you give us the number to your hotel room and later, when we get back, we can stop by and do some catching up?" It was a feeble offer, he knew, but he had no choice really. The mission he and Jean were assigned to was vitally important and as much has he wanted to drop everything and catch up with his long lost brother, the X-Men had to come first. It was frustrating and Jean could probably feel this through their link.
He nodded to the man who'd introduced himself as Priest. "It was nice meeting you, as well, sir," he said evenly. It really hadn't been nice, but Scott could be polite to him after all. "And no problem. We would have done the same for anybody."
He looked over at Jean and tugged on her hand lightly for emphasis. "Honey, we should get going," he reminded her. "It's getting late."
In her mind, he finally replied to her question. < No, I'm not, > he told her grimly. < But I don't have time right now to be not fine. So I'm fine. We should go. I want to get a car and find this place. I have a bad feeling about it from what Charles told us. >
Scott didn't mention anymore about Alex, because he knew he needed to concentrate on the mission for now. If that bill passed, he might be catching up with his brother in a containment camp. That was the last thing he wanted.
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Post by Phoenix on Jul 10, 2005 23:20:25 GMT -5
Scott reached over and took Jean’s hand, giving it a squeeze as he discussed the MRA Bill with Alex. Jean was relieved to see the smile grace his features, answering her previous question. Scott was fine for now, as much as he could be with everything that’s been transpiring in the last day, as well as the last few minutes.
The sincere demeanor fell away as Scott asked for his brother’s hotel room and number, promising to catch up later on. It was frustrating, and Jean understood how Scott felt, even without the bond. If she had just met her sister, whom she’d feared she’d never see again, on the street twenty-some years later and have to leave minutes after meeting her, she’d be frustrated, too. Jean gave Scott’s hand a comforting squeeze in return.
Scott tugged lightly on Jean’s hand, “Honey, we should get going. It's getting late."
“It was very nice to meet you, Alex. We can’t wait to catch up.” Jean offered Alex her hand after Scott, and noted her husband’s formalities with Priest. “You too, Priest. It was nice to meet you. Perhaps we’ll see you again some time.” She felt bad that they weren’t able to talk with him more, but perhaps that would come at a later time. Scott finding his brother had taken precedence.
As they readied themselves to leave, Scott replied to her inquiry from before, < No, I'm not. But I don't have time right now to be not fine. So I'm fine. We should go. I want to get a car and find this place. I have a bad feeling about it from what Charles told us. > His ‘voice’ sounding very somber, Jean glanced up at him, finding his eyes behind the ever-present ruby quartz shades.
< You’re a good leader, Scott. That’s why the Professor and the team trust you so much. Even Logan when he’s not being stubborn. > A small amusing quirk touched Jean’s lips before fading back to sincerity. < That’s part of why I trust you. No one may ever know the sacrifices you make in order to benefit the good of the dream, but you do it anyway for what you believe. And you take all the flack anyone dishes out at you, me, the team, and the world included, and continue to strive for that dream. You’re one of a kind, Slim. > Jean’s mental voice lit with the small smile on her face, using her nickname for him. < And I wouldn’t have it any other way. >
There were times when the outlook was grim, and things were at their worst, but Scott was always level-headed in the face of adversity. It was like an internal switch clicked on and he remained calm, no matter what the situation. There were countless times when their good deeds went unthanked, and Scott never thought much about it. He just went on with the next mission, being a steadfast example to those around him. Though no one else may ever know the sacrifices he made for the good of the dream, Jean knew. It was part of what attracted her to him, securing her belief in him. It wasn’t easy being the leader, of anything. Any person in that position could testify to it, though Scott would probably never admit it. He was like that. Stubborn and considerate at the same time.
Jean knew Alex was on Scott’s mind. < We’ll get to talk with him later, as soon as we’re through.> She wanted to reassure him. < Whatever this research holds, we’ll take it on together. > Not that she wasn’t apprehensive about their information search as well, but right now she was more concerned with Scott. Holding his hand, she offered him a smile before waving to Alex and Priest as they began to cross the street to rent a car.
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Post by havok on Jul 11, 2005 9:12:42 GMT -5
Alex was disappointed to hear that they were in a hurry. He could have stayed and talked with them all night but he understood that they may have had plans for the night. Tking out an old reciept he had in his pocket, he wrote down his room number at the Hotel: Regency and handed it over to his older brother.
"It was good seeing you again, Scott," Alex shook his hand once more. He couldn't help but feel like he wasn't going to see him again. Alex hoped it wasn't true but finding his brother after all this time, and at random, was a miracle. Was I just not what he expected his brother to be? Was I not good enough? The paranoid thought rang in his head but he pushed it away. If he had let it get to him, there could be a problem with keeping his powers under control. He would go haywire and lose it. His emotions needed to be more controlled. Scott's wife, Jean had broke his his thought process as her voice was as lovely as the woman herself.
"It was nice to meet you as well," Alex said reciprocating the generous gesture. While he shook her hand, he turned back to Scott. "You're a lucky man, Scott. It looks like you've done well for yourself," Alex replied, congradulating him on his choice of a life partner. He stood there and crossed his arms across his chest while he watched them take off. Their destination suddenly reminded him of his own rental car.
"Damn, I left my rental car in the middle of the road," Alex admitted to Priest. Not knowing just how to get back to it, he hoped that Priest would be generous enough to show him back to where the mob had started but he didn't know exactly how to ask. Alex had already missed the Geophysics lecture so he thought about just going back to the hotel and hope for his brother to contact him. "Where are you off to?"
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Post by priest on Jul 11, 2005 17:49:20 GMT -5
Priest stayed out of the conversation once he realized why the two of them were making googly eyes at each other. He felt out of place but didn't blame them. He would have done the same. As Jean and Scott left, he waved to them. "Thanks again. Have fun." He would've said something about seeing them again but knew it was unlikely. The chances were very low considering the amount of people in this city. Plus, he didn't think Scott liked him very much. Looking back at Alex, he said "I'll probably park it in a motel for the night and get out of town tomarrow, You?"
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Post by Cyclops on Jul 11, 2005 18:15:52 GMT -5
Scott listened to Jean's mental pep talk, his heart lightening a bit. She had such faith in him, in his strength and determination to see Xavier's dream, their dream, through. No matter what. Her words strengthened his resolve. With her by his side, he could face anything. He squeezed her hand gently and offered her the briefest of smiles. < Thank you, > he replied in her mind.
He took the paper from Alex, glancing at the number and mentally conveying it to Jean as well, so that even if he lost the receipt, they would still have his room number. He would see his brother again before the hearing tomorrow, even if he had to forfeit sleep to do it. He watched as Alex and Jean shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. Then he turned back to Scott again. "You're a lucky man, Scott. It looks like you've done well for yourself."
Scott had to genuinely smile at that. He squeezed Jean's hand and nodded to Alex. "Yes, I am, little brother," he agreed quietly, turning his head towards his wife. "Very lucky." He turned his attention back to his brother. "We'll see you later. Probably much later. But I'll be sure to stop by your room as soon as I can."
He knew his brother had to be as disappointed as he was they couldn't catch up now, probably more so, as he didn't know why and Scott couldn't tell him. Not yet anyway. He walked away with Jean, hearing her reassurances in his mind. He would keep his word and catch up with his brother. This might be the only chance he had to do so.
Scott heard her speak of the information Xavier had given him. She was right, whatever it said, they would face together. He nodded minutely in response as the headed towards the car lot. He allowed himself to glance back at his brother just once, then he crossed the street and forced himself to concentrate once again on their mission.
Twenty minutes later, they had a tiny little sub-compact in questionable working order. It was the last rental on the lot, and it would have to do. Scott opened the door for Jean. "Ready to do this?" he asked as he waited for her to climb into the car.
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Post by Phoenix on Jul 11, 2005 23:50:05 GMT -5
Jean made a mental note of Alex’s hotel information, storing it away in her mind just in case. She knew how important this was to Scott, and from the looks of his face, how important it was to Alex. Both seemed to want to have more time with one another. Jean wanted to make sure she and Scott got through all the information as thoroughly and as quickly as possible, so he’d have that opportunity.
Hearing the Alex’s approval and Scott’s adorations, Jean couldn’t help but flush a bit. Her cheeks turned a light red, almost matching the color of her hair as they crossed the street. The daunting task ahead of them momentarily forgotten, she gave Scott’s hand a knowing squeeze. The revelry was short-lived however, as they entered the rental store.
They were given the last rental the shop had available, which wasn’t much. But still, if it got them to where they needed to be, it would do.
"Ready to do this?" Ever the gentleman, Scott held open the door for her and Jean slipped inside.
”Not really. But as ready as I'll ever be." Giving him a small reassuring smile she buckled her seatbelt. Reaching over, she unlocked the door for Scott. As she waited for him to enter the mental thought of Charles crying surfaced in her mind again. Whatever they were in for, it was enough to upset even the most controlled of psionics. Jean couldn’t help but be worried. A slight unease passed her features, but she tried not to show it.
”Off to check out the building?” Jean glanced over at her husband, knowing that’s where they were headed but asked for asking’s sake. She kept hope that the mission would go well, and wasn’t as daunting as it seemed.
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Post by havok on Jul 12, 2005 8:50:06 GMT -5
"I'm heading back to my hotel," Alex replied to Priest. He had already missed the lecture. It was starting to get late and he wanted to be back in time to see if Scott will live up to his word. "It's probably best that you get out of the city, I'm planning to do the same," Alex concluded.
Checking out the location where they stopped running from the mob, he tried to mentally retrace his steps back to his car. Finally, figuring out how to get back, he turned to face priest once more. "Need a lift somewhere?"
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Post by priest on Jul 12, 2005 23:35:37 GMT -5
"Naw, I've got a truck back at the motel. I left it there because I always wanted to take a walk in crazyland." He said, with a straight face although it was a joke. Priest had a tendancy to be dry at times. Again, he doubted he would ever see this guy again either, but he hoped for the best between him and his brother. Priest always wanted a brother, a real brother, not the bastard kids he was forced to live with as a child. "Thanks again for the help. I hope it works out for you two." He said with a smile as he started on his way back to the Hotel. "See ya."
((Continued at Hotel: Rathole))
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Post by havok on Jul 13, 2005 9:58:45 GMT -5
Alex nodded as Priest declined his generous offer. He understood though. As Priest left, Alex waved farewell and good luck to the man. It was too bad the guy had to leave. Alex knew no one in the city and hoped to have found someone to show him around. Unfortunately, things didn't work out for the better and Alex was back to where he started.
Alex walked back towards where he left his car in the middle of the road. It was still there and it was blocking traffic. Quickly, Alex jumped back into the vehicle and took off before he could get attacked by another angry mob for a completely different reason.
((Continued at The Hotel:Regency))
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Post by Cyclops on Jul 13, 2005 12:33:00 GMT -5
Scott closed the door after Jean sat down and buckled herself in, giving him her honest answer. He wasn't ready for this either, not with what had just transpired and what they might find at the building they were heading for. He headed around the car and got behind the wheel. Jean asked if they were going to the building and he nodded in agreement, starting the car and putting into gear. They were already way behind schedule. And they should check in the with Professor.
"Honey, why don't you get a hold of Charles and let him know we're heading there now," he suggested. "As upset as you said he was, he's probably worried. Also, find out when Logan and Betsy are supposed to be getting here, if you can."
He turned onto the street, and headed towards the facility, trying to decide what to do when they got there. They needed to observe, but keep as low a profile as possible. He carefully kept track of the route they took, in case they had to make a fast getaway. He hoped it wouldn't come to that, but if these people had a way of finding and containing mutants, there was no guarantee they couldn't detect himself and Jean just outside their building. They had to be prepared for anything.
Truthfully, Scott hoped that they'd find nothing, or not need to stay long to get information they needed. It was selfish of him, but he wanted to at least see his brother one more time before tomorrow morning. Besides, he'd said he would and he prided himself on keeping his word. He'd go visit Alex after they got back if it meant he got no sleep at all. Who knew when he'd ever see him again if he didn't?
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Post by Phoenix on Jul 13, 2005 22:27:39 GMT -5
It was as if he could read her mind. Technically he could in a way, but she hadn’t been projecting the image of the Professor to him. It didn’t surprise her though.
"Honey, why don't you get a hold of Charles and let him know we're heading there now," Scott was worried about their mentor as well. "As upset as you said he was, he's probably worried. Also, find out when Logan and Betsy are supposed to be getting here, if you can."
“Sounds like a good idea.” She wanted to see how the Professor was doing. And it’d be good to know when Logan and Betsy were coming, so they knew when to expect them. Jean sat back in the passenger seat, her hair brushing over her shoulders while she concentrated. Blocking out all the noise of the traffic and any bustle going on in the outside world, her eyes slid closed, focusing on creating a mental link with Xavier.
Jean focused. And focused. And focused.
For some reason, it was difficult for her to get a mental rapport with the Professor. It had never taken this long before. Granted, they were miles apart, but for telepaths of their caliber it usually took a few moments. Jean found his physical body, and tried to enter his mind.
< Professor? Are you there? > Blockades. Every way she tried to probe through his mind, she was blocked. Something wasn’t right. A slow panic crept into Jean’s chest. "Scott, I can't reach the Professor. It--it's like his mind is blocked." Jean didn't want to alarm Scott, but she knew she had to tell him. "I'm going to keep trying." Jean tried to keep the panic she felt from seeping over their bond, hoping it wouldn't add any more stress.
Calming it down as much as she could, she tried again. If something happened to Charles, they’d have something more important than a Mutant facility and a Bill to worry about.
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Post by Cyclops on Jul 17, 2005 13:39:07 GMT -5
Jean's words did nothing but alarm Scott. Jean was one of the most powerful telepaths in the world, second only to the Professor himself. If she couldn't get into his mind, there was something very wrong. He immediately began back tracking towards the hotel. The mission could wait. Even if he and Jean found something there, there was little the two of them could do anyway.
And if their mentor could not speak tomorrow, there might not be any way to stop the Mutant Registration Act from passing. Unless Jean and he reviewed the materials and spoke in his place. Either way, they were needed more at the hotel.
Cyclops drove as fast as he legally could back to the Regency. He could tell through their link that she wasn't having any luck getting through to Xavier by her growing feeling of concern. He laid a hand on hers and squeezed gently as he pulled into the parking garage. Pulling into the first available parking space, he unbuckled his seat belt and hurried around the car. He opened Jean's door and held his hand out to her.
"Come on," he said softly. "We'll find out what is going on. If someone's harmed him.." Well, Scott didn't need to finish that statement. The X-Men didn't take kindly to others attacking theirs, especially their mentor.
[[Exit Phoenix and Cyclops to the Hotel: Regency.]]
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