11907/Visiting Creed in Detainment

Visiting Creed in Detainment
Date of Scene:	04 August 2020
Location:	Security Center - X-Men Base
Synopsis:	Scott and Jean gives Victor options to earn his freedom.
Cast of Characters:	Cyclops, Phoenix, Sabretooth

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Cyclops has posed:
After their mission fighting against Crimson Dynamo stolen armored up weed planters, Scott found himself sleeping in for a rare change. While the mission was a success, and the flight home was filled with comedic moments that hopefully were not recorded, he was wiped out.

The doors swish open to reveal Scott Summers as he walks inside, carrying a large tray of meat slabs as well as a fresh gallon of water. "Rise and shine, Victor." He calls over as he makes his way to the cell, then places the tray down at the small table.

"How're you doing in there? Watching anything good on TV?" They got him a TV at least mounted on the wall outside the cell. They even gave him a remote so he can control the channels.

Phoenix has posed:
Psychics and mind-altering substances are not a good combination, especially when you've got something primordial riding shotgun in your brainpan. Dreams across the mansion were likely on the odd side, but at least nothing stranger or outright dangerous seemed to have happen. Jean doesn't look ultimately worse for wear as she comes in behind Scott, even if she couldn't be bothered to put on more than jeans and a green t-shirt. She stifles a yawn behind one hand as the door shuts behind her.

Sabretooth has posed:
    Victor's room is still kept dark as a cave although the glow of the TV adds a different tint to the darkness. Victor is back in the shadows so not easily seen still, but the channels of the TV flip around. Nature show. Cooking show. Pulp Fiction which gets a deep laugh from the shadows. As the pair enter, there is the sound of movement and slowly Victor can be seen in the glow of the TV. He is crouched low, back on his haunches. THe glow of the TV reflects on the metal that is still attached to his face, feet, and hands. He sniffs at the air as the food is set down. "You two were up to something yesterday. Can smell the smoke still on ya."

Cyclops has posed:
"A friend of Henry's was in trouble and asked us to come help out. Mutant weed farmers .. illegal weed farmers .. was being attacked by a rival farm who stole armor from a Russian super soldier and was attacking them with it. So, we took them down and at the same time may have set fire to the fields." Scott pushes a button on the wall to release the bars. He pushes the table into the room. "The locals were so thrilled they gave us free samples to take back with us. We'd be quite irresponsible if we were to sample them while leading up a school full of young minds."

There is a pause as he gives a subtle glance towards Jean, then another tilt of his head back towards the tray. His brows lift upwards.

Phoenix has posed:
"We were helping the *legal* ones. The illegal wanted to take out the competition, so we advised them that it was a poor decision." Jean remarks. "But yes, the fields did catch on fire. Thankfully Storm put it out before too much was lost." Or inhaled. She finds herself a nearby wall to lean against with a quiet huff at the look Scott gives her.

"Anyway, we've been thinking on where to go from here. With you. I asked you when we spoke last to think on why you were here with us and if you thought there was anything else we can do for you. What are your thoughts?"

Sabretooth has posed:
    Victor moves out and settles down at the table slowly. His eyes barely move from the pair before finally looking down at the meal in front of him. He brings his hands up to the table and lets them fall to the surface with a heavy clunk of metal gloves on the table. He snorts slightly at the story about the weed farmers. "Course, the boy scout can't be seen doing anything that bends the rules. That might hurt too much. You though," he says with a glance towards Jean, "like playing with just how far they can be bent. Dontcha?" He chuckles again and sits back in the chair, regarding the question Jean asked him. "Let me out too. The room thre is all nice and pretty what with the TV and all, but it is still a cell. I'm never going to be a house cat like the Runt, but I can come back. Just need to walk by myself once in a while, and sure, I can help you out against the nastier things out there which is what you need."

Cyclops has posed:
"Right. That's me. Mister rules lawyer who never bends or breaks." Scott says as he folds his arms over his chest as he watches him. His chin lifts upwards some, then gives another mild glance over towards Jean in thought. "We are not trying to domesticate you, Victor. Logan sure isn't. It's why he doesn't stay at the school. He enjoys his solitude at his own place where he can be at his own peace."

Giving a rub of his face, he seems to be at odds with himself. His own thoughts are filled with frustrations, even if on the outside he is stoic and rocksteady. "I don't want to have you as a weapon here. I want you to be your own man. A free man. But, also a mentally stable man that I can trust not to gore our student body, and the rest of us, in our sleep. We did not take you in as a prisoner, but as a patient."

Phoenix has posed:
"There are boundaries for everyone." Jean says towards Victor with a cool look on her face. "Like it or not. Everything comes with a cost, and rules are sometimes one of those."

"Scott's right. At this point, keeping you in a cell isn't going to accomplish anything. We can let you out, but the question is still there. Why? You've never been inclined to do anything more than gut us until now. But now you're suggesting long term recreational plans and supporting us on missions. Why the change of heart?"

Sabretooth has posed:
    Victor shrugs slightly and then crosses his arms over his chest. "Right now, this is my den. For better or worse, you lot are my pack. If it comes to a point where I think I can lead better than you, I'll gut where you stand, but for now, I'll defend the pack as it is my own." His eyes flash with a wicked look of amusement to them. "But don't worry, Summers. I'd rather leave at some point than lead your little troop here." He pauses and rocks back and forth on his chair. "And you don't have to worry about the pups running around here unless one of them challenges me."

Cyclops has posed:
"You know, I'm not sure if that makes me feel better or worse." Scott says with a loud noise of frustration. "Geezus, it's like dealing with Logan but on steroids and three more feet of height." He is heard muttering to himself as he gives a shake of his head.

"Normally I have all the answers when it comes to leading my little troop, but when it comes to you, I'm at a loss. You're obviously playing us for fools. The moment I let my guard down, you will run rampant in this school, blood soaking the walls, and if anyone of us makes it out, we'll have to answer to upset parents as well as upset friends who have to bury their own." As he passes by Jean, he reaches out to put a hand on her shoulder.

"Forge built us a restraint collar to use on you. One that will prevent you from harming us. Made of a powerful alloy that can almost rival adamantium. Acts as a shock collar of sorts, except far more painful and it only registers when you try to attack someone who has been coded into the collar. We logged every student, faculty member and X-Man into it's database." His lips press into a thin line of thought.

Phoenix has posed:
Scott would feel it under his hand, and it's drawn in every muscle as tension draws them tighter. When the collar is mentioned, Jean bristles. She tries to hide it but no one can completely hide their body language. Something about it strikes a cord that does not resonate well with her. "To protect them," She says in a low and measured voice, "We'd need to restraint you."

"Or," She says abruptly as her gaze twitch away from Scott and onto Victor. There's something fierce and fiery at the back of her eyes. "We take you well and far away from here and civilization and give you back your freedom. You'll be responsible for your own mental wellbeing then, and if you dare to harm anyone outside of anything other than self-defense, we will not give you a second chance."

Sabretooth has posed:
    Victor bristles visably at the mention of a collar. There is a growl beneath the mask he wears and his eyes narrow. "No one is putting a slave collar on me." He stands up from the table and takes a step back to better keep his eyes on both of them. "I told you that your pups have no worries from me as long as no quarrels with me. Challenge me, and it is the law of Nature. Point me in the right direction, and I'll do my part to take 'em down." There is a slight sound of claw against metal beneath the gloves as his body tenses up, still watching, waiting to see if this collar makes an appearance. "That is about as mentally stable as I am going to get. I won't kill without reason. I won't be that monster, but I am never going to be domesticated either."

Cyclops has posed:
"You already wear your restraints that is far more limiting, Victor. Consider it 'dress code', soldier." Scott says with a frown upon his face. "Because that is the only options you have. You wear the collar until we absolutely trust you to not be a threat, or we drop you off in the middle of the woods in a third world country and you can run around and be as feral as you want to be. Go chase down some zebra and terrorize a river for all we care. There is no third option. There is no Buts, or What Ifs, or Pleases."

"Because as far as I'm concerned, you're playing a long game with us and it's not one I'm willing to entertain. You want the muzzle off? The kitten mittens off? You wear the collar and you gain your freedom. Hot showers. Access to a state of the art gym. Beating the crap out of Logan when you two look at each other stupid. Prove it, Victor. I don't care about your bullshit idea of you living in the jungle and everything has a pecking order and laws of nature and all that other crap. You're a man, not an animal."

Phoenix has posed:
"It was those options or turn you over to SHIELD." Jean remarks, still sounding quiet like none of it was settling well in her stomach either. "Who'd probably just stick a bomb in your head and use you as their personal missile and lock you in a box when they're done, like a rabid fighting dog. Or just skip all of that and kill you. I know... /I know/ a collar goes against everything you want, it's everything you hate. But, we need that assurance, Victor. We're ready to give you that space, but that level of trust still has to be earned. There's too much history and too much at stake."

She moves up closer to where Victor stands, even as he growls and flexes his claws. "And if that's too much, then we'll find you a place to live where you'd never have to see any of us, or any of this, again. It's your choice."

Sabretooth has posed:
    "Man or Mutant. We are all still animals. Put on fancy clothes. Fly around in some plane. Live in a big house. We...are...all...still....animals," Victor snarls out slowly. "You forget that. You forget the balance between your civilization and your animalistic nature. There will always be a pecking order. Xavier is your boss. Always has been. That is your pack leader. Don't forget that." He takes another step backwards, still growling. "You want to trust me? Stick me with Braddock on some mission where she can shut my brain off if I get out of line. Keep me somewhere else in this Mansion and watch what happens. I don't like that collar." He is still tense but he is still in control of his anger. The red lights are not flashing in his mind. There is the animal, but it is the flip side of the emotions. Defend what is yours. Pack. Home.

Cyclops has posed:
There is a noise of frustration from Scott as he rubs at his face with his hand, then sweeps it over the top of his head. He gives a look to Jean, then lets out a long sigh as he walks away from the detention cell.

<< I don't know what to do. I hate this. I feel like I'm failing everyone. There is no good decision to make. I never should have brought him here. >>

Phoenix has posed:
Jean Grey stands in front of Victor, watching him. Studying him, not just the physical or the verbal, but the emotional as well.

<< I... think he's being truthful. If he wanted to leave, he would have jumped at the offer. He didn't, he's backing up. He's controlling himself, Scott. Xavier gave all of us a chance, even with as dangerous as any one of us can be, because he trusted in our ability to make a choice. You, me, Logan. He took dangerous people and showed them there was another option. >>

She takes in a slow breath before she says out loud, "Betsy would rather just remove your head from your shoulders. We brought you in this school, but the school is my responsibility. So now you're mine. You don't go upstairs or into the hanger. I'll see one of the spare rooms down here is converted. A prison cell isn't a hotel. You can go there, the showers, and the gym without escort, but know we will be watching you. /I/ will be watching you, awake and asleep just like good old Santa Claus. Anywhere else, a senior X-Man goes with you. I don't care if a kid gets snippy. Raise a hand against them, then we're done. Threaten them, and we're done. Look at them with even a shred of ill will, and we're done. Do not betray us, Victor. I will shut you down permanently before you can even curl a lip. They may be kids, but they are /my/ kids, and I will do precisely what any mother on this planet will do if her children are threatened. You may see yourself as an animal, but even an animal knows who not to fuck with. Are we clear?"

Sabretooth has posed:
    There is a seething tone to the rough growling of breathing coming from Victor. He is studying Jean now more than Scott as she speaks. He remains silent for a long period of time and his body remains tense. The gloves creak and groan as Victor attempts to clench his hands. Finally he begins to nod. "Deal." He moves back towards his cave of a cell, ignoring the food and edibles on the table. He doesn't seem or feel happy, but the aggression and anger are fading. He moves back to the shadows. "Keep the drug candies," comes his voice from the darkness. "They don't work on my healing factor." There is a thud sound as he obviously drops down to the ground.

Cyclops has posed:
"I figured, but they're tasty. Berry flavored. I'm not going to eat them." Scott says once the smoke clears between himself and Jean. This a decision he isn't satisfied with, but at the end of the day, he trusts Jean. He trusts her with all his heart. He lets out a heavy breath, then reaches out to tap a button on a console panel, releasing the muzzle and gloves from him. Free.

"If you want to train with us, we have a session tomorrow at seven in the morning. Going to do a workout against a Sentinel in the Danger Room. Would be a good chance for you to cut loose. Let out some of that anger you got in your gut. Put it towards the real enemy."

Phoenix has posed:
This time, the released bindings don't hit the floor but hover in the air in a glow of pink that leaves an afterburn of red to look at it. Jean directs them towards a locker on the other side of the room who's door opens all on its own. The restraints are dropped inside with a deafening clatter of metal before the door shuts with a clang of finality.

With the alpha card put on the table, Jean relaxes her posture and turns to walk for the door in a brooding kind of silence that seems louder than the falling restraints. There's nothing about her that seems happy or satisfied either. She looks like she wants to rip a hole in the wall, but she doesn't. She just steps out of the security center with a parting, "I'll go get the room set up."

Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.

Sabretooth has posed:
    There is no noise from the darkness now, but the TV resumes flipping channels slowly.