12490/Tuesday Training

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Tuesday Training
Date of Scene: 24 November 2020
Location: X-Men Base
Synopsis: Damaged gym equipment, damaged mutant-everyone relations, and three egos who are stubborn enough to plod through it all.
Cast of Characters: Phoenix, Cyclops, Wolverine




Phoenix has posed:
There wasn't much to do schoolside with the holiday break, which meant Jean was free to spend some of her work day attending to her /other/ job which she's becoming more and more aware that she's been neglecting. She's stepping out of the locker room in workout gear, which is a fairly simple pair of black fitted pants and a yellow tank top. She's fighting with her hair as she walks to finish a messy braid - which is about the only kind of braid she can manage without professional assistance - while on the way to the gym.

Cyclops has posed:
Making his way into the base as the doors swish open is Scott Summers. The Field Leader is dressed in a button down shirt, a tie and a pair of slacks. In his hand is a folder that he is flipping through with a furrow upon his face. Whatever he is reading clearly doesn't please him.

Squinting his eyes shut, he slips his glasses off to give his eyes a rub, then carefully places them back on before he reopens them. "Hey, Jean." He says as he spies her in his field of red vision. "How're you doing?"

Wolverine has posed:
"Dammit!"

It's not uncommon to hear shouted expletives at random times around the X-Men's training areas. Especially expletives that are shouted in the gravelly smoker's voice of the X-Men's third-shortest member (Thanks, Jubilee and Shadowcat...).

It is a bit uncommon to hear shouted expletives from Logan when there isn't anything obviously wrong though, which seems to be the case at the moment. There he is, wearing his Wal-Mart Special as usual (the wife-beater shirt is a bit less grimy than usual though, he must have bought a new pack this month). And to all outward appearances, he simply seems to be waiting near the entrance to the gym, which is... kind of near the entrance to everything else.

It's only on closer observation that one might notice the tiny white earbuds in his ears, which would count as a new development since he's opposed to any and all attempts to join modern society.

"Scuz-bucket no-talent sumbitches! I had fifty bucks ridin' on that game!"

He takes the earbuds out of his ears, and chucks them both across the room. Now he's out probably more than fifty bucks, since it's highly unlikely he will ever pick those back up.

"Red. Slim. Or... should I say 'Lululemon' and 'L.L. Bean...'"

Phoenix has posed:
"Hey, Scott." Jean says over her shoulder with a wide, bright grin as said man arrives in the hallway. "Doing good, just going to get a workout in. It's a bit too cold and damp outside for me, so I'll get a run in where the temperature's a bit nicer. What're you up to?"

She slows her pace so that he can catch up while she heads for the gym. It seems she's not the only one headed there as her eyes take in the sailing earbuds on their neat arch through the air.

"This is why you don't gamble when you aren't influencing the outcome. And neither, because I am not spending half of my paycheck on a pair of pants. Actually... I'm pretty certain these are Target."

Cyclops has posed:
"Logan."

Scott lets out a soft breath at the sight of the hairy Canadian. He leans down to pick up the earbuds, then puts them into his pocket. Finders Keepers.

"I'm just going over the field report from Betsy and her team from the other night that she compiled from Jeremy after their mission. I sent you all an email this morning with the bullet pointed details." Tucking the folder under his arm, he reaches up to loosen his tie a bit.

"If you're going to work out, I won't bore you with the details. I may join you. I should have a change of fresh clothes in my locker."

Wolverine has posed:
"Well, dumper like yours makes damn near everything look like Lululemon."

That was probably meant to be a compliment, though it looks a bit more like a leer and sounds a bit more like a growl.

Logan seems unbothered by the shameless appropriation of his possessions. It's easy to not be materialistic when you buy everything on Xavier's credit cards anyway, but this will probably be the last time that he makes a foray into consumer electronics. Aside from the clock radios that he slices into four pieces nearly every morning.

"Yeah... I read that email... real enjoyable with the right punctuation and everything... but uh... I mighta actually forgot to read it. I got attacked by ninjas again last week, same ones as before... and uh... they broke my PalmPilot."

Phoenix has posed:
"Good to know. Then I'm still getting out of the chair enough." Jean replies without missing a beat, because she's had years to get used to Loganese. "But holidays are coming, so can't rest on my laurels. Literally."

"Speaking of the email, I did a quick skim, though I planned to catch up with you after. I just wanted to make sure I was up on the details, just in case, and I want to make sure Jeremy's doing alright after. The kid can push himself harder than he should. Has Betsy spoken with the prisoner yet?"

Cyclops has posed:
"Sure you were."

Scott says in regards to ninjas and PalmPilots. At this point, it's like trying to deal with a child. A smaller, hairy child.

"Jeremy is doing fine. Betsy checked up on him and gave him the day off from classes. He did not sleep and was ensuring he was removing all traces of the team's involvement. Either way, the intelligence we were able to gather is good and gives us a lead to move in on Metaforce proper and follow up with this mutant cure."

There is a bit of a pause as he gives a glance over to Jean, then clears his throat. "And I concur with Logan. You wear the pants well."

Wolverine has posed:
In Logan's defense, getting attacked by ninjas sounds better than getting drunk in Saskatchewan with a couple of fur trappers. And who knows? Maybe he did both last week. He's a busy guy.

"Good kid, that Jeremy." Not a blatant subject change. "Can't wait to see if them Metaforce dweebs can come up with a fancy cure for a foot and a half of Adamantium up their exhaust ports!"

He holds up a fist and releases the claws on that hand for dramatic effect. He might be slightly exaggerating the length of his claws, by about fifty percent, but it's not like anyone carries around a tape measure at this school.

The Children of the Atom have little use for Shop Class...

As the claws slide back up into his forearms, Logan's expression turns a bit more serious.

"That mission ain't next week, is it? 'Cuz I promised my buddy Two-Limes I'd help him put his grandfather's ghost to rest."

Phoenix has posed:
"Cure." Jean says slowly through her teeth, like the word had as much appeal as a rotten lemon. "That's just what we need, and the exact kind of attention that this was going to draw. This needs to stop. Now."

Thoughts of the gym are banished as she crosses her arms, a corner of her lip pulled back in the first phases of a snarl as her nails tap restlessly against her forearm. "Scott, are you sure you don't want me along on this? This is escalating beyond just property damage and injured people. If there's an agency tracking Metaforce, what happens if they try to start tracking those who get involved?"

Cyclops has posed:
"I suppose lucky for Metaforce, we can track them easier than they can." Scott says with a frustrated noise in his throat. "But I want to jump on this as soon as possible. Betsy will be the one calling the shots on when and where you guys will strike. James, Remy, Victor and Jeremy should be included as well. I hate the idea of utilizing a student, especially in secret from the rest of his friends in the New Mutants, but his skill-set is invaluable and the fact he can do it from his bedroom makes it easier for me to stomach. The last thing I want is to send kids in the field, or have the rest of the New Mutants get it in their head's that this is what the X-Men do."

Soctt puts the file off to the side on a desk in the war room before he heads back out to them.

"I would love to have you involved, Jean, but at the same time .. after everything that's happened to you lately .. and the fact you're the face of the school right next to Charles .. I don't want it getting out that you're apart of .." He gives a motion towards Logan.

"I want you to interrogate the prisoner though. You should use your telepathy to rip out whatever we can from them. But the last thing I'd want is you getting made by some government agency." Or nuking the universe.

Wolverine has posed:
"Bah. Kids these days are too soft. When I was their age... well... actually..."

It's times like this that Logan is acutely aware that he has no idea what he did when he was 'their age.' But whatever it was he did, there's a good chance he was best at it.

"Just don't rip out the poor slob's whole brain from his skull, Jeannie. 'less he really deserves it, I guess. And as long as it ain't on my day to clean the cells..."

Logan seems to be pondering the various ways in which having their resident Mental Hulk try to extract info from a Mental 98 Lb Weakling might go horribly wrong. But it's a pretty far-fetched set of concerns. She's more than capable, regardless of everything that's happened to her lately. Right?

"Rippin' brains out is usually my side project, but I haven't really heard what you want ME to do, Cyke."

Phoenix has posed:
There's a complex noise from Jean that wraps up the breadth of her aggravation, frustration, anger, and resignation all in one growly nasal exhale. She swats the air with a hand as she says aside to Logan, "Crude. I don't need to physically rip anything out, but I'd much prefer not to have to go to that kind of level. But I'll see if our prisoner wants to talk nicely or if I'll just have to read their private diary." The mental kind, that is. "They'll physically be in one piece, nothing to worry about. I'm not killing anyone if they can be assured to not be a threat."

Jean has never been one for outright murder, even in defense. But that statement still seems to be leaving a lot of grey area.

Cyclops has posed:
"I want you to do what you're the best at. Stabbing whatever Betsy tells you to stab. She's leading this up. She'll be your point person." Scott says to Logan with a nod of his head.

"I do feel like I should reach out to the Avengers and give them a head's up. I don't want SHIELD involved in them getting their hands on mutant cures or whatever you want to call it, but I'm also sure they already have, or at least poking their nose in this. Maybe they have some intelligence we haven't found yet. I trust Captain America though, he's always done right by us."

As he heads into the gym, he starts for the back where the lockers are, sliding his tie out to settle on his shoulders. He gives a glance over towards the pair of them, lips pressed together for a moment in thought.

Wolverine has posed:
"Hey uh... I gotta avoid that Captain America. He says I owe him twenty bucks from the goddamned forties. You know how much interest that is?"

Logan certainly doesn't know how much interest it is, but he clearly thinks it's quite a lot. Seems to be Logan's day for owing people money, but fortunately he has amnesia.

Following the X-Men's stalwart leader into the gym, Logan looks a bit guilty. Not apologetic necessarily, but guilty. Makes one wonder what exactly he was doing in the gym before everyone arrived...

"Hope you two weren't planning on using that new weight machine. I... mighta been havin' trouble lifting it earlier... then I started gettin' mad... well, you know how much you both like shopping for discounts? Well... think of this as an opportunity."

There's always a silver lining. Not for the fancy new weight machine though.

Phoenix has posed:
"You realize how much of a pain it was to get that down here?" Jean says aside to Logan with a faint frown, more annoyance than anything. Property damage comes from keeping Wolverines inside. It's right there in the fine print. "You're carrying the new one from the driveway down here on your own. Guess I have something to actually look for on Black Friday."

"I really hate running to the Avengers for our issues. They're also far more public in ways that we can't afford to be." She says as she steps into the gym. "But they do tend to have more high level contacts. They've also worked with mutants before, so if any of their directs are in danger from this than it'll be important to loop them in. Once I see what our prisoner can offer, we can give them a call."

Cyclops has posed:
"We'll take everything in chunks. Let's see what you can get from our new friend, then based on what you get, we'll go from there." Scott slides his tie off his neck, followed by unbuttoning his shirt as he steps into the lockers and shower room. He gives a roll of his shoulders to crack the joints loudly.

Once he makes his way to the lockers, he finds his and presses his thumb against the bio-reader to unlock it, then strips out of his shirt to hang it up inside.

"You know, Logan." He calls out as his voice echos from the lockers. "You don't have to destroy everything. It's challenging to find workout equipment that Pete can take advantage of."

Wolverine has posed:
"Maybe next time get one without so many buttons, is all I'm sayin'... Or one that don't ask such... 'personal' questions..."

It asked him for a name, age, and weight. All three of those questions make Logan angry.

Logan's locker is on the wall perpendicular from Scott's. Whether  this was done for alphabetical concerns (likely) or to keep a few spaces between the two (also likely) or simply because Scott got dibs on the best locker (most likely) is irrelevant. Logan's certainly not mad about it. Even though he has to walk a few extra feet and his locker is next to Beast's and Beast sheds...

Pressing his thumb to the bio-reader, the locker pops open and Logan pulls the door all the way out. Inside his locker is just a mini fridge that takes up most of the locker, an old pair of hiking boots, and a box of CDs with titles like 'Waylon Jennings' Greatest Hits' and 'Truck Driving Classics: Vol 4.'

No CD player though.

He opens the minifridge, and pulls out a can of Molson, generally regarded as the world's eighth-shittiest beer, but which Logan seems to think is not only drinkable, but possibly posessed of life-giving and restorative properties, like some sort of mystical elixir.

Punching a hole in the side of the can with a claw, he shotguns the beer and crumples up the can in his fist.

"You kids want one? Really helps ya get the most out of your pump."

Phoenix has posed:
"I need to wear off calories, not drink them." Jean calls from the gym proper, leaving the boys to the locker room. Neither room is overly large, leading to easy communication. "I've also been trying to avoid so much alcohol." It was a poor kept secret her arguments with her less pleasant side led to some questionable coping mechanisms. And does anyone really need Jean's willpower compromised?

"Those questions were designed to customize the workout. I'll keep that in mind, though, and not buy the extended warranty next time. There are some things even those don't cover." Like self-conscious Wolverines.

No lifting for her, though. She's headed for the treadmill to get in that indoor run she was talking about. She makes sure her hair is secure before turning on the machine.

Cyclops has posed:
"I'm good."

Scott says as he gives an amused noise as he gives a long stretch of his body, then reaches in for his tanktop, followed by his workout shorts. He shucks his pants off after stepping out of his shoes. No tightie whities for him. He's graduated to boxer briefs of a solid blue color. After pulling on his gym clothes, he slides his glasses off, then puts on his wraparound goggles so they won't fall off during any heavy lifting, or cardio.

Smirking, he turns towards the Canadian once he tugs on a pair of sneakers, tying them up tightly. "Maybe you should stick to a jump rope."

Wolverine has posed:
Tossing the crumpled can into the bottom of his locker, where it will live for all eternity with its many brothers and sisters, Logan grabs another and quickly repeats the shotgun process.

"Brraaaappp! Be that way, I guess. But when you're as old as me, you're not gonna be sittin' around wishin' you'd drank less beer."

There's a simple beauty to Logan's attempts at philosophy.

"Jump rope? Bah! What say I spot you on the heavy bag, eh bub? You know how much Jean likes watchin' you punch things. Almost as much as you like watchin' her organize her shoe closet."

He's smiling, and his gravelly voice has taken on the jovial tone it usually takes after his second Molson. But he doesn't appear to be joking.

Of course, it's not like he really knows any jokes anyway.

Phoenix has posed:
"Hey! Don't you bring my shoes into this, Logan!" Jean calls out from the 'mill as she sets an easy pace to start and let herself get warmed up. "They're innocents. I don't insult your choice in beer."

"And I like watching him punch things just fine, just under him being covered in grease with his car." Because two can play at this game. "They're both perfectly acceptable ways to blow off steam. That I can watch." And probably in no small part cause from time to time.

"Speaking of reasons to drink, Scott, with everything going on I told my family I'm just stopping in for dinner and that I'll make it up to them over Christmas. I don't want to be away from here in case if things go south."

Cyclops has posed:
Smirking a bit in amusement, Scott gives a nod to Logan, patting him on the shoulder as he passes him by. "Sure. You can spot me if you want. I'll hit the bag a few times. You know, just because Jean likes to watch."

There's a tone in his voice as he chuckles as he trots out into the gym area and towards one of the hanging weight bags. He slips on a pair of fingerless gloves, giving a few flexes of his fingers, then gives a quick one-two combination into it real quick to test it out.

"And I like watching her organize her shoes. I'd watch her organize forks in the kitchen if she asked me to. She makes even the most simple of chores pleasing to the eyes." He tips a wink over to the red head.

Wolverine has posed:
Forgoing another beer, Logan closes up his locker/fridge and makes his way out into the gym proper as well. Gotta keep the locker closed, lest the children get into his beer and/or throwing stars. Or, god forbid, both.

But when he emerges from the locker room, Logan isn't empty handed. He's holding something silverish and round, and surprisingly not a throwing star. It's something that's nearly as antiquated, however.

Over on one of the walls, Logan fiddles with the controls on one of the panels, until a small tray pops out of the wall and he drops the mysterious silver disc into it. The mystery doesn't last long though, as the tray retracts back into the wall and the sounds of Dave Dudley's baritone fill the room, albeit at a respectful level that still allows for conversation. It's not like Logan has trouble hearing or anything, no need to blast the stereo.

"Well I pulled outta Pittsburgh rollin' down that Eastern Seaboard...."

He hums along a bit as he heads over toward the bag setup, though he's completely stopped humming by the time he gets in Normal People Hearing Range. Posting up behind the bag, he places both hands on it to brace it and looks over at the back of the treadmill while he waits on the next round of punches.

"Think my favorite is the joggin'..."

Probably meant as a compliment, but it looks more like a leer and sounds more like a growl.