13268/It's time to fly.

It's time to fly.
Date of Scene:	13 May 2021
Location:	Garage - Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Alex Summers leaves the mansion, a Rogue, and a Beast behind. Then Rogue and Beast have a 'come to terms' moment.
Cast of Characters:	Havok, Rogue, Beast

---

Havok has posed:
    Earlier, Alex told Rogue that he just wanted to be in his own bed. Adding that he really just needed some sleep, he managed to slip away with the promise that he'd text her as soon as he woke up. And he will text her. He just didn't sleep. No, he sat alone in his room and thought and stewed and stewed and thought until he finally packed a couple suitcases and headed down to his jeep. Once there, he fires off the promised text, <Meet me in the garage.>

Rogue has posed:
After getting Alex off to his room for what Rogue thought was a well deserved nap, she had gone off to her own room. Her own thoughts stirring, boiling, simmering, stewing and whatever other cooking euphamism one can have for thoughts in the brain pan. When the promised text comes from Alex she's quick to leave her room and come down to the garage where he's asked for her to meet him. She's changed into a black bodysuit, wearing cut off shorts over it and a tee shirt that reads Southern by Birth, and her black boots. Plus gloves. Always with the gloves. As she enters the garage to find Alex, she smiles. "Feelin' better?"

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy is not anywhere obvious at the moment. It's a large garage and thanks to Deadpool's recent activities, there is some TLC that badly needed thowing at a vehicle. Or two. He may well be under one.

Havok has posed:
    Alex flashes Rogue a toothy smile that doesn't quite reach his blue eyes. He tosses one of the suitcases into the back of the jeep. He's already taken the top down, it's not terribly cold outside and the sun was shining last he checked. "Yeah, guess so," he replies and follows up after less than a beat of his heart, "...but I need a break from this place, maybe a permanent one. I couldn't just take off on you." Second suitcase goes in the back. "You can come along if you want, but I really don't have a clue where my path is taking me. I just know it's not here right now."

Rogue has posed:
"Wait...slow down...Alex..." Rogue says, moving to the man's side and reaching a gloved hand to touch his arm. "If this is about this morning. That argument with Scott... we can smooth that out. Scott's got a lot on his plate right now...and we did sorta just...bombard 'im with stuff..." True stuff, so she's beginning to feel, but none the less. She looks back towards the door she came through, and then to Alex again. "We cain't just leave like this..."

Beast has posed:
Under the van: Aroo? Turning his head, Beast's brows go in opposite directions, one down, one up and he peers out at.... feet. Wrench goes into his mouth so it doesn't clunk and he rolls the dolly out from under a bit, using the palms of his hands nice and slow. Peer.

Havok has posed:
    "It's not just Scott, Rogue, it's..." Everything... and she might have gotten to hear what everything is and why it's not just Scott and why this just isn't working and why he can't turn back now. But something, maybe it was the squeaking wheel of that dolly, maybe it's just a feeling, maybe he caught a hint of Hank's cologne on the air, but something alerts him to the fact that someone else is here. ...so he keeps it simple instead of spilling his guts and pouring his heart out. "I just don't fit here anymore."
    "It's not nice to listen in on private conversations," Alex calls out to whoever's in the garage with them.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue gives Alex's arm a squeeze and is about to say something in contest to that, or perhaps even ask him to expand on it more. "That's not true...you only got back and things have been...crazy..." Is what she offers instead before Alex calls out whoever is eavesdropping on them. She stiffens, and then takes a slow step back while green eyes search Alex's blues for a moment. Maybe to see just how stubborn he's going to try and be about this while their eavesdropper's heard...a fair bit already.

Beast has posed:
**Pttoie** Spanner in hand "Well, that's the thing about eavesdropping on private conversations, there's really not a whole lot you can do about that, when you're working on the fourbanger and people come on in, talking willy nilly and saying things with words," Hank finishes wheeling himself out, still peering as he rolls himself to his feet, grabbing a rag to clean his hands of grime and dirt. "So, you're beating a hot retreat are you? Right, right. You're welcome, by the by."

Havok has posed:
    "You can announce your presence when other people start taking and saying things with words," Alex counters. "...and thanks Hank, for saving me AGAIN and for every mother fucking time you've had to save someone that's been hurt through the years." Really that sounds genuine enough but there's this, "...all because they're 'only humans' and it would be in poor form if we /really/ defended ourselves." He turns his attention back to Rogue, catching her gaze with his this time. "I just can't... I can't go into another fight to rescue another abused, tormented KID and be told... 'they're only human, go easy'. No one *here* gets it but you."

Rogue has posed:
Rogue looks over at Beast for a moment, then she looks back to Alex. If ever there was a time in her life to be torn over something...AGAIN...it had to be on the line she's consistently straddling. "And if we leave, what happens? We go join the Brotherhood? Catch up with Magneto? Who - by the by - aren't any better on the other end of the spectrum. There's no middle ground if we don't try to gain that middle ground and the best people to gain it with are right here..." She takes a step back then.

"What will you do if they try to pick you up again tomorrow? Or the next day? And there's no one there to find you?" She offers this then. "I know it sucks, it gets tiring...but we're always going to be the only ones if we don't try and show Scott and the others that we can push back a little more. Especially against the humans who are doing *nothing* but taking away our dignity..." It's there, the desire to go, the want to stay...and finally she shakes her head. "If you really think you need to go, then go. But...I can't go with you..." A pause. "Just promise me you'll stay in touch?"

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy peers over the top of his glasses, totally under his eyebrows at Alex. He doesn't look terrifically enthusiastic, or even particularly smiley at the response he just got. His lips twist into the shape of someone that has them very much buttoned up against the visciously sharp tongue that lurks inside. Occasionally, it's best to say absolutely nothing at all. Instead, he takes a deep breath, slides his eyes to Rogue and back to Havok. Mouth opens, words hang, his mouth shuts again and he exhales and tosses the spanner aside. Unfortunately, he does it a little bit TOO hard and imbeds the spanner in the wall of the garage, up to about 8 inches into solid concrete and drywall.

This startles him just enough to blink multiple times at the display of strength and he walks off. Stalks off, really.

Havok has posed:
    "His name's Erik, he's my best friend's father and he's not entirely wrong either," Alex points out first. He reaches up to scrub his hands over his five o'clock shadow that's a few hours late. "...and if they try again tomorrow, I won't lay the fuck down and roll over. I'll fight back." He's cut off by Hank's presence becoming much larger than it was before. He waits it out, waits to see if the Beast is going to tell him off, try to put him in his place or... whatever. When it doesn't happen, when the only thing that gets a lashing is that wall, Alex just nods his head a little and returns his attention to Rogue. "It's cool, I get it. This is your home. I just can't. If I don't leave, I'm just gonna wind up disobeying some direct order from Scott to 'do no harm' and it'll just be worse then. I'll figure it out on my own. I'll find those fuckers too, every last one of them. ...and I'll keep in touch." He gives Rogue a wink, kisses his finger tips before waggling them at her and jumps over the driver's side door of the jeep. "...offer stands if you change your mind."

Rogue has posed:
Rogue actually jumps a bit herself when whatever Hank throws at the wall sticks into the wall. A lot. Her gaze shifts to the other man for just a moment before she looks to Alex again and nods her head. "Just take care of yourself and don't do anything stupid. You have my number. Use it." This said just before Alex wiggles kissed fingers her way and then jumps into his jeep. The last thing he offers gains a nod. "I'll keep that in mind..."

Then there's a Hank, who's stalking away. Rogue shifts to follow him in the direction of his stalking. "...Hank?" It's offered, gently, and if ignored she'll just follow Hank to wherever he's stalking off to.

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy does not look back, but there is absolutely no question that he can hear what's said. He makes it to the other end of the garage, slides open one of the doors to the back yard and leans there, staring out over the grounds. There's no attept to ignore or avoid Rogue, just slow, deep breaths taken without having to look at Jeep, Alex and the inevitable get-away.

"Anna-Marie, there's a lot of things I would very much -like- to say right now, but overall, I don't think a single one of them would actually contribute to a meaningful dialogue so I'm just going to say -- welp, that's another fine mess we have ourselves. It must be a day ending in Y."

Havok has posed:
    Alex starts the jeep and pulls out of the garage without looking back. If he did, he might have second thoughts, so he doesn't. He doesn't do anything childish like lay rubber in the drive way, he just drives away. His parting words are spoken to himself, but MIGHT reach Hank's ears, "I never shoulda come back... woulda been better on everyone."

Rogue has posed:
"Well, as you can rightly see, I haven't been having much meaningful dialouge all fucking day. So please, get whatever you want off your chest..." Rogue's about had it with people treating her with kid gloves. She bowed up to Scott and pissed him off, and she'll bow up to Hank too. "Come on, Hank. Out with it. Don't curb your tongue just because it's me. Go ahead. Let it out. I'd love to hear whatever's on that mind of yours." And she stands in front of Hank, hands on her hips, green eyes staring the man down - it'll be up to Hank what happens next.

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy's ears twitch back, he turns his head a fraction as the vehicle pulls out of the driveway and then looks Rogue square in the eye. He gestures with his right hand across his chest toward the departing dust of a vehicle leaving the premises. "The entire of that. Ninety nine percent of that was emotion, one percent of it was uncalled for and all of it makes me question why I even bother. There have been... times. Many times, in fact when I wonder whyever someone hadn't smacked entitled little asses upside their heads and told them that television is a privilege and not a right, for want of a better analogy. I feel, quite frankly /insulted/. AND I only got to really pick up on a couple of lungfuls of that dialogue." It ends with a growl he can't contain.

Rogue has posed:
"Well of COURSE it was emotion, but don't stand there and tell me it's not warranted emotion!" Rogue offers, stalking off a couple steps and then throws her hands in the air. "Scott keeps telling us to go easy on the humans, to not harm them, because they're humans...for fucks sake, you SAW what was happening yesterday, Hank..." Then she stops, she just stops. "Forget it. Everyone has their own opinions. Entitled to their own ways of taking the truth...but at the end of the day we're too far on the side of good, and the Brotherhood are too far on the side of bad. There HAS to be some sort of middle ground...HAS to be! Because this morning with Scott was stupid. Being in the middle of a Summers' brother battle is exhausting... and now Alex is leaving...and...just..." She stops. Again. And turns her back on Hank.

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy stares at this for a few long seconds. He gestures then in a vague direction of Bob, his electric blue Bentley, under his special dustcover. Not that Rogue can see this, but that's neither here nor there. "I saw. You know that I did, I was there, pulled up on it. In front of a lot of security cameras, cellphones and CCTV isn't the best place to have a barney. So, so that you know... I tailed those cops, radiod back to the school, got other people involved that could help with controlling that situation and scared the living shit out of the kidnappers. I don't kill fundamentally because it would be /extremely/ easy for me to do so." He takes a hold of the edge of the concertina door and just crushes it in his hand. "And every time I go out, I let the Beast out to play for a while and have to remember that if I let loose, I will kill people, as I react way faster than most people do, even other mutants, I can destroy an armoured vehicle with my bare hands, much like you can Rogue and when I'm angry enough, the Beast inside me either wants to fight, run, feed or fuck. That's why I go easy on humans, because they're exceptionally breakable things. So are mutants. And you know that I'm not shy of holding back. I just don't kill if I don't have to. You were there when we busted the gang in hell's kitchen. It's not like it doesn't happen. But people see what they want to see, when they're full on with emotion."

Rogue has posed:
Yeah. Rogue was there when they busted into hell's kitchen. She was there at the farm. She was there when the bunnies attacked (no bunny was harmed). She's killed, she's seen others kill, she's maimed, and she's followed orders to keep humans safe. The difference is that Scott wasn't there when they were maiming and killing, and she did what she felt she had to do to save someone else's life. Her back's to Hank, so she doesn't see him gesture, but she listens to every word he says, and that's when the dam breaks. Some would say she's just being a silly girl, others might just understand. Scott called her out on it this morning, Hank's bringing it a bit more home to her now. "...Maybe it's all just bullshit. This isn't a fairytale... it never was..." Her words are quiet, and she looks back to Hank with a gaze that's filled with tears and wet cheeks. Emotions are a bitch. "Speaking of crushing things...I could really use some shit to punch to holy hell and back again..." It's way off topic, but sometimes one has to derail, detatch, so they can move on.

Beast has posed:
There is a sigh from behind her. "No, it's not a fairytale and nothing in life ever is. Sometimes, it's hell on toast and someone used the last of the peanut butter so it's hell on /dry/ toast," but that's when Hank shuts up for a moment, looking at the tears, eyes roving that face and there's an elbow donk, with clothing between him and her, nodding. Doesn't actually say a word, just goes to one of the hangar doors where some of the older vehicles are stored and drags out a punching bag. "I filled this with non-neutonian fluid. It's as strong as you are, love punching this bastard when I'm having a bad day. Occasionally I doodle faces on it and go to town."

Rogue has posed:
"Dry toast is horrid..." Rogue says. It's not the only thing that she took from what Hank said, but it's what she's going to comment on. There's a sniffle or two, and she lifts hands to swipe at her eyes just as Hank is giving her an elbow nudge. Attention drawn, she watches as he pulls out a punching bag and explains what's inside it. "Well it's a good thing then, cause I'd probably destroy a normal punchin' bag..." She smiles, or tries to, and walks over, looking the bag up and down a moment before she just...pushes it. Maybe her hearts not in it at the moment...she just kinda slumps then. "How do we fix it, Hank?"

Beast has posed:
"That's why I walked away and didn't say anything, because honestly? We don't. We can't. People have to make thier own mistakes, screw up, find their way again or not. This particular instance is just so painful, because Alex is Scott's younger brother. I've been through a lot with him and he just... did this. Again. It isn't the first time he's had a moment of emotional overload and run off, it's kind of a trademark of his. Alex is hotheaded, where Scott is kind of the opposite and sometimes comes across as an impassive stone." Hank kicks the bag, which swings where it hangs. It's not on standard chain, probably so that the chain doesn't just break on him when he goes to town. He stuffs his hands down into the pockets of his dungarees. "You know... sometimes, I suspect I should brag more. Except that I don't really like doing that. The fairytale doesn't exist, but the ideal does. See... Scott and Jean are non-functional in the real world. They can live in the suburbs and keep to themselves, but that's the extent of their life." He sighs.

Pondering on this, he looks down at her feet, then at the bag, kicking it again so that it swings. "Scott in the real world could have a wardrobe malfunction and obliterate the side of a house, kill a lot of people because someone knocked his glasses askew. Jean could have a bad day and melt all of manhattan. She could lose her temper and destroy the galaxy. So... they've got a very narrow view of the world outside of the walls, even though they know it's there. THey get involved when it's the pits. We get involved when we need to fix something and nothing ever seems to change. But that's where I end up doing my job and so very many people don't think about it." He looks at her sidelong, smiles and looks down, the smile fading. "I look like a freak, I am not pretty like Warren and although I have quite a lot of money behind me, thanks to the careers I've learned and mastered, I still stand out to every individual with eyeballs. But I speak regularly to the president and to the white house and oval office. I have contacts in the west wing. I can actually get the CIA and FBI involved in things if I have to, though I don't usually because it's a headache. I can't hide who I am. A while ago, I ended up working with the Avengers as a consultant in mutant affairs. I do the work on the macroscopic scale which is so huge people don't see it /and/ it's neverending. I've lectured to humans and mutants alike and the one thing prejudice can't argue with is good science, proven facts... even though the media tries to spin that on both sides. I have respect for who I am, not what and they all know I am a graduate of Xavier's school. Sometimes, that's how you can fix it. One very painful milestone at a time."

Rogue has posed:
Rogue blinks. She knew there were bigger dealings than she was privy to, and maybe that's where and why she looses sight sometimes. She still listens to every word Hank says and then she takes a breath. "I had no idea..." She offers this and then eyes the punching bag again. She gives it one good punch. Then another. And another. Soon getting into a sort of rhythm of punches against the bag. "One more question..." She asks as she continues to punch. "...hows the best way to apologize to Scott?"

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy just looks at her. It's not judgemental because he usually tries very hard not to be that, because you never know what's inside. But it is a look. A kind of 'now you see a bit wider' kind of look, coupled with a good deal of 'how do you bring that up in a regular conversation?' and so it ends with a shrug of kind of helpless accord. He does rejoin slightly with: "See why Alex doing that was a bit more vexxing than it should've been? I don't really want to have to speak to the defense ministers and the consultant teams at the white house and persuade them to give us the time to talk him down off of a ledge. Or Erik Lensharr either, for that matter. Damn that man is an enourmous hypocrite, but oh no, he's got the charisma to make people forget that. Survivor of auschewitz who quite happily advocates for racial supremacy..." he mutters something under his breath in what sounds like russian and clucks his tongue. "I'd give it a day or two. Chances are strong that mister Summers is giving himself one hell of a time at the moment out of simple frustration. Sometimes I don't even think -he- gets it, but..." he waves his hand. "See there's a reason that this place generally doesn't get bothered by people. We have a whole school full of societal freaks and nobody ever seems to question how that remains mostly sacrosanct." Again, a shrug. "Emotions are frustratingly personal things. And there's always two sides to everything. If I ever don't see the other side, please spank me with a frozen codfish."

Rogue has posed:
"Alex really got me at the right point. Spoke a lot of things that..." Rogue begins to explain and then shakes her head. "But I didn't know it was going to become..." She waves a hand in the direction of the garage. "I almost thought yesterday would have sobered him up a little bit... but it didn't. I think it only made him more angry...and until you told me just now what happened after he was hauled away?" She shakes her head. "I wouldn't have known all the details. I just...I try to see the good in everyone. Maybe that's a fault of mine..." Punch. Punch. Punch. "I just know I need to apologize to Scott at some point. I was a total twat to him this morning...going off of yesterday...to this morning...with little context.." PUNCH! The bag swings in such a way and she's a bit distracted to where the bag knocks into her and staggers her back a couple steps, and falls flat on her ass. "So yeah...couple days. I'll do that."

Beast has posed:
Laws of physics, meet Rogue. Whoops! Looking down at her, Hank can't help the slight chuckle that escapes him, complete with muttley like wheezes and he extends a hand to help her up. "You didn't know. And frankly, that's one of the downsides of our system here, for trying to keep kids safe and secure and give them what might pass for a normal life, give them shots at the real world. Not all of the nitty gritty gets shared, and I swear to the powers Almighty, that I /did not/ think Alex was going to go off like this /one day/ after I essentially stopped him from going thermonuclear with Jean's help. I could crap a brick, Anna, I swear..." He shakes his head at this, throwing arms wide afterwards with a bit of handflailing. "Bring him back, stop him from exploding, create an anti-toxin cure for the drug those asshats gave him in record time, thanks to Technomancer, multiple coordinated hands on deck and everything else and he spends a grand total of one day recouperating, then takes off without actually being grateful for the bailout of the situation that he seemed unsurprised that he was landed in!" He waggles a finger at her. "Never work with Summers if you can help it. They're hell for harshing on your mellow." Small mouth, big eyes, grin, nod. Sotto voce comes an aside: "By the by, I'm rather good at chess."

Rogue has posed:
Rogue isn't hurt by a long shot, and so she accepts the help up easily and then listens to Beast vent onwards. Seems the man had a bit more on his chest to get off and he just needed a path to lay it out on. They were good for each other in that regard, and in many ways this was just how their relationship works. "No, I get that. I...I'm surprised he left too. I was sort of hoping he'd stay. That he could have been talked into doing such. But he IS a Summers, and they're stubborn as any southern man I could rightly never get to pay mind to me." This offered and then she smirks. "Chess huh? Never played. Might could be I could learn a thing or two..." Then her phone goes off and she checks it, giving a raised brow. "...Fuck... I ah... I should go take care of something."

Beast has posed:
"You go do you, I'm good. I'll finish up with Beauregard and then hit the danger room," Indicating the van he was working on with a wave of his hand, Hank nods to Rogue. "Welcome to my life. Love him to pieces, but I've been dealing with Summers' since I was sixteen. It's one hell of a ride." But then he gives her a genuine smile, one that's tinted with a tinge of bittersweet, given life's recent turns of events. But Hank did hear -- she has Alex' number the lines of communication are open, so perhaps this isn't entirely a lost cause. Those suck big fat rocks.