1832/The Tall and the Small

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The Tall and the Small
Date of Scene: 05 August 2017
Location: Unknown
Synopsis: Summary needed
Cast of Characters: Cypher, Colossus




Cypher has posed:
Danger Room. Interior. A single Smile-Face stands alone, that ridiculous goggle-eyed grin painted on its domed helmet at odds with the fearsome battlesuit and shoulder-mounted machine gun. Cypher is dressed in an ordinary black workout uniform, and is slowly walking around it, with his hands behind his back. He's thinking, his eyes cast downward. And he doesn't seem to have noticed that his session time has expired.

"Danger Room, please give a visual depiction of the arc of coverage and effective killing range of a Smile-Face's shoulder gun." It's highlighted, in a red cone extending from the barrel of the weapon.

Colossus has posed:
Cypher may not have noticed that his session ended, but Piotr has. At some point in Doug's slow, considering lap around the stationary Smile-Face, the large Russian came by to take the Room for a spin, but stopped when he noticed Doug still inside. Rather than interrupt, Piotr simply took up a post in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest, shoulder against the frame. For close to a minute he stood there in silence, before calling over: "Menaces, and highly dangerous. To anyone."

He pushes off and takes a few slow, meandering steps into the Danger Room, moving closer to Doug with each. "Very dangerous," he repeats, a look of friendly concern clouding his dim smile.

Cypher has posed:
"Moreso for some than to others." Doug says. "I'm sorry, Piotr, I knew you were scheduled for after me, but it looks like I've lost track of time." He stretches his shoulders, "Computer, dismiss all holograms and clear my program." Then he turns and walks back toward Piotr. "I've just been thinking about how I might be effective, that's all. Jean knows I'd like to become an X-Man. But that kinda begs the question, 'Where will I be most useful?'"

He looks up and says, "But don't worry, I'm not planning anything stupid. Well. Anything lethally stupid. In this case I was trying to get a feel for the language of the Smile-Face's battlesuit. How they move, how their gun works. Having a working understanding of that makes me more effective. Especially since they showed up at the school." Ah, that one bothers him a bit.

Colossus has posed:
"Do not worry," Piotr insists, waving his hand dismissively as Doug approaches, "I was only intending a short session for today." When he gets within arm's reach of Doug, he drops a heavy hand on the other man's shoulder and gives him a solid pat, "You would be a valuable asset to the team -- any team. You will do a lot of good wherever you end up, ultimately, so I would not worry too much about it."

He flashes a broad, but brief smile, bowing his head in a couple quick nods as he crosses his arms again, "I am glad to hear you don't plan to go after them, because /that/ would be lethally stupid." He looks back up at Doug after that, considering him, trying to be sure that he really isn't planning on doing anything that reckless.

Cypher has posed:
Doug shakes his head, slowly. "No. Not on my own, anyway. I will start looking for them, if I'm given the order to do so, but I think that's something the X-Men would prefer to keep in house, and even though some of us are here, Jean hasn't farmed anything out to the junior team yet." He looks up at Piotr and then says, "How are you doing? We never really got much chance to speak... before. But I remember admiring your art. It had many beautiful things to say."

"Do you still paint?"

Colossus has posed:
'Mmm' is all Piotr grunts as he watches Doug for a handful of beats before he nods once, accepting his answer and relaxing his stance. "I am sure we will take the fight to them at the proper time," the giant assures with a smile, "Hopefully soon." The slight hardening of his features implies that despite his gentle, caring attitude at the moment, there's something more violent beneath the surface when he thinks about the Smile-Faces.

But then the subject shifts to art, and once again, his face softens, "I am well, of course. Illyana is safe, you are safe. I still paint, and now I get to teach others about the joy of art. To help them express themselves, da? It is good." He flashes another of his smiles before tilting his head towards the other man, "And you? How are you doing, Doug?"

Cypher has posed:
Doug says, "Ohhhhhh, the flip answer to that is 'I feel more alive than I have in years.'" Then he says, "But really, my own language is somewhat muddled. There's the usual existential debate - am I really who I think I am, or am I someone new who was built in his image with his memories. Does it matter?" He puts one hand on the back of his head, as he steps aside, allowing Colossus to take control of the Danger Room.

"Your sister... she and I were very close, once. One of my best friends. But there are two deaths between us, hers and mine. The language of Magic is one of obligation. When you receive a service, you tender a payment. You must, or terrible things can happen. What I am getting off of Illyana is... that sort of language. She's here at least in part because of a debt she believes she owes. To the New Mutants, to the X-Men... to you. I'm afraid to ask her what happened to her. I'm afraid... she might tell me."

Colossus has posed:
Colossus is far from the most well equipped person to even try and offer Doug any answers to his existential debate. He doesn't even do very well at hiding his regret that he can't think of anything helpful to say. Eventually though, he takes a step forward, moving closer to the center of the Danger Room, but stopping, ultimately, beside Doug. "You are you, that much is obvious to anyone, and we happy to have you back," he says, offering another, softer pat to the other man's shoulder before continuing on into the middle of the room.

"My sister is the strongest person I know," he offers back to Doug, pausing briefly to bring up a visual interface in front of him rather than rely on voice commands, "I dread to think what might have happened as well, but... I know that if anyone could have handled it and come out intact, it would be her."

Cypher has posed:
Doug Ramsey gives a little smile, and says, "For what it's worth, I believe she will. As I said, we... haven't spoken much about what happened. I'm looking to talk to her soon, if she's of a mind to speak with me." Then he blinks, slowly. "If you'd like," He says, "I can run a scenario for you. I used to do it for the New Mutants all the time. I don't really think 'Teen Avengers' is what you're looking for, but if you have anything specific in mind..."

Colossus has posed:
Piotr scans through the various pre-programmed scenarios, looking for one he hasn't run through at least a half a dozen times already. "Da," he finally agrees, nodding over to Doug, "Let's see what you can throw at me." He flashes him a smirk, then, in an instant, he's a foot taller and plated in organic, flexible metal. The jumpsuit he was wearing stretches to keep up with his growth, as intended, and his voice gains a curious reverb to it, "No need to take it easy."

Cypher has posed:
Doug nods. "All right, give me just a minute." He climbs up to the control room, and settles into the chair at the main console, before he slips on a headset. "All right." He says, as he sorts through options, "Give me just a second... annnnnnd--" He sets a location, first, and the hologram flickers to life, placing Piotr in the middle of Hell's Kitchen. Doug leans back in his chair and strikes a few buttons on the console -- and a little girl holding a teddy bear on the street corner appears, sobbing gently into the stuffed animal. "And... go."

Colossus has posed:
Still armored up, Colossus looks around the area with careful consideration. When he spots the girl, he pauses, eyeing her momentarily before he starts to approach. "Little girl," he call to her as he gets closer, close enough that he doesn't have to yell, "Are you alright? Are you lost?" He still approaches, but he keeps his head on a swivel, stopping only when he comes within arm's reach. "My name is Colossus, what is yours?"

Cypher has posed:
The girl looks up at Colossus, and blinks, slowly, before she opens her mouth -- and keeps on opening it. Impossibly wide, and as she does, the teddy bear drops to the sidewalk and sprouts spidery legs and pincers. It scuttles away, as the girl explodes outwards into a Brood Queen, massive jawed and slavering, its razor-sharp claws flashing as it tries to grapple at Piotr.

Cypher sits back in the booth, and puts his hand over his mouth. "Probably should've warned you."

Colossus has posed:
"Yobannye passatizhi!" Piotr swears, leaping backwards as the Brood Queen emerges from the little girl and attacks. Two metallic hands reach up to grab at the claws in an attempt to hold the thing back, even for a moment. Then, with a sudden yank, he tries to pull the thing in close and slam his chrome skull into the Queen's face, right between its yellow, bug eyes to try and stun it before he goes for a toss, right over his shoulder and towards the nearest solid looking object.

Cypher has posed:
Brood Queens are tough, and this one grapples with Piotr before he headbutts it, and picks it up, and hurls it into the side of a dumpster, which indents it, even though it's made of solid steel. "Very nice," Doug says, before he engages the next phase of the program--windows begin to shatter and Broodlings begin to climb down out of them, hissing and snapping their jaws, dozens of them; possibly more. The Queen is getting back up.

"Think fast, Colossus; even as strong as you are, they can pull you down."

Colossus has posed:
"The best way to deal with an infestation," Colossus replies, barreling into a broodling, shoulder checking it away before he rushes the next, making his way to the side of the street, "Is to hit more than one at a time." He rushes a third, slamming it back, at which point he reaches his destination: a car parked on the side of the road. With barely any effort, he flips it onto its side, slams his hands through the bottom to get a good grip on it, and then charges forward, shoving it ahead of him like a plow as he rushes towards the Queen again.

Cypher has posed:
Broodlings are piled against the car, a writhing mass scrambling to get over it, but Colossus comes on like a locomotive, not stopping for the weight and resistance piled against him. The Brood Queen rears up, and its own spawn overwhelm it like a wave, pushing it backward and into the wall. It lunges out of the mass, toward Colossus, its jaws wide, saliva so caustic it could even threaten his steel body, as it moves to lunge at him, its tongue out--

"That's right, Piotr--" Doug says, more than a little into it now, "Finish her off! You're the man!"

Colossus has posed:
Colossus rears back, ripping one arm free of the car's undercarriage as the Queen's tongue darts out. He twists, just barely avoiding the acidic spray and corrosive lash of its tongue, before twisting right back, flowing into a solid uppercut aimed right for that disgusting, oversized jaw. He's hoping to catch it with its tongue out, but even if he doesn't, he rips his other hand free and shoulder checks the car again, leaning into it to keep it in place. With a grunt, he punches through into the hood, grabs hold of the engine, and yanks it out before rearing back and slamming it into the Queen's face. Then again. And again. And again.

Cypher has posed:
Brood Queens are tough. This is nasty work, and yellow ichor splatters everywhere, as Colossus used the engine block to crush the Queen's skull. When it's down, Cypher hits a button, and pauses the scenario. "Pretty simple, right?" He says, "I'm a little rusty, but it's all coming back to me. What did you think? Should I send more Brood Queens?"

Colossus has posed:
Once the scene freezes, Colossus leans back away from the car and grunts again, dropping the engine block as he catches his breath. "Nyet, that was fine, Doug," he says to the air, knowing it'll be translated back to the control room. "It was a very good warm-up," he insists, stepping away from the car now, but not moving very far as he waits for the scene to fade away.

Cypher has posed:
The tableau fades, and Doug says, "Sorry about the jump scare. I was going for a De Palma moment. I figure you should never trust anything you see at first glance, at least when I run scenarios." He looks through the files, and says, "Ha, Teen Avengers is still here. ...Last used three months ago." He taps his chin, and grins. "Okay, Piotr. I've gotta go hit the weights. Would you like me to set up an auto-run scenario for you? How about... Madripoor Deathtrap? Or, the Deathtrap of Dr. Doom?"

Cypher has posed:
He frowns. "Lot of deathtraps in here..." Then he slaps his forehead. "Kurt."

Colossus has posed:
Colossus mutters under his breath as Doug brings up the Brood Queen reveal, his focus momentarily turning back to the spot where the 'little girl' was standing. "You are right. We should never take anything at face value in the field," he replies, nodding as he speaks to the crushed body of a broodling. "Da, run the Madripoor Deathtrap. Enjoy your workout, Doug." With that, he settles into a ready stance, waiting for the scene to morph once again...

Cypher has posed:
Doug selects it, and nods, to Piotr. "Using the recommended difficulty level for the scenario." The scenario wavers and changes to a Madripoor dock, practically crawling with Hydra agents, a hovering gunship, and in the thick of it all, Viper and the Silver Samurai. Deathtrap indeed. "Take it easy, Piotr. I think maybe I'll sit in on some of your art classes. Painting's a language it might be fun to master." Then he's departing the control room, and leaving Piotr to it.