2727/Mansion Recon and New Friends.

Mansion Recon and New Friends.
Date of Scene:	06 October 2017
Location:	Xavier's School, Yard
Synopsis:	Nate Grey does a bit of a fly-by.
Cast of Characters:	Shadowcat, X-Man, Havok

---

Shadowcat has posed:
The massive lawns offer plenty of open space to run, to engage in games... and on this fine morning, for one member of the household to be outside in a what appears to be a leotard working on a kata with a with a sword. Her movements have a dancer's grace while the blade flashing in the sunlight may or may not be a simple practice sword. Whichever is the case, as the slender brunette finishes the motions, it's clear that she's very good. She holds the final pose for a long moment and then drops it, padding back across the lush grass toward the stone terrace in bare feet.

X-Man has posed:
It's been a few days since Nate has done a 'fly-by' on the Mansion, so far he has had mixed results with the folks he has had a chance to meet, and so he decides to try his luck again this morning. His path brings him in from the direction of the Lake, his powers cloaking him from even the most sophisticated of the detection equipment, and providing the lightest of touches to folks that /may/ be watching from inside the Mansion. As before, luck is with him as the Yard is quiet except for a long individual practicing with a sword...

<Huh..> Nate thinks to himself, <...first time I've seen that since I've been here. Well, here goes nothin'...> The young man makes sure to land far enough away to not be a threat, his left eye and aura around him glow a golden light, his bare feet softly landing on the grass. He wiggles his toes slightly with the feel of the Earth beneath them again, and pauses for a moment to consider what to say... "Uhm, Hi..." great opening line, of course, "...I was wonderin' if you are one of the teachers or students that live here?" His head motioning to the Mansion behind them. Forge always told him not to mince words...

Shadowcat has posed:
Well... she doesn't turn on him as if expecting any kind of threat. Kitty does pause, turning to his voice. And one eyebrow goes up. "Well... if you were already a student here, you'd likely know that answer. Since you're not and came out of nowhere, *and* you seem to be the spitting image of someone here... *and* the alarms aren't raising hell.... Are you from an alternate dimension, from a different time, or does Scott have some 'splainin' to do?" Her tone is both amused and perhaps slightly wary. "Those, of course, aren't the *only* possibilities, but they're the ones that seem the most likely given where we're standing."

X-Man has posed:
The aura around him dies down, but the glow to his eye remains as he gives a little grin in response to the barrage of questions. "Hmm, fair 'nough, I guess... Some random guy flies in askin' questions, I should expect to get questions back..." He thinks for a moment, not making any move to come closer, "Right, so I'm definitely not a student here, I'm livin' by the lake...

He thinks about answering the next question, but shrugs in deciding 'why not' "Your detection systems are not bad, but I can speak to them to let them know I'm not a threat. The people who are watchin' are decently trained but there's only one here who would notice me and she ain't 'round right now.."

He get's an obvious look of concern on the next topic, "Yeah..." he starts, "...I've been told there are a couple people here I should talk to, but haven't had the chance yet."

"Different World, kind of like a different Dimension, but one that's more like a Parallel to here from what I've gathered. Rogue told me I need to talk to your Beast to find out."

Realizing it'll come to this soon enough, he says, "Hi, I'm Nate... Nate Grey... Nice to meet you."

Shadowcat has posed:
Ayup... the name pretty much consolidates the situation in her mind. Kitty moves to lay the sword down, as much to convey that she's not going to be a threat (and doesn't see him as one) as to simply not be standing in front of a stranger with both her hands full. And then she walks toward him, studying him intently. "All right... so probably parallel dimension and a bit to the future," she nods slightly. She's clearly had at least some training on keeping her mind shuttered -- he's only getting the surface ones from her. The ones she wants him to have, such as the flashes of people's faces (like Jean and Scott) or the assessment she's made that he's no threat. "I'm Kitty Pryde... graduated from here a couple years ago. Just got back from a stint in England." She smiles and holds out her hand, perhaps just a little in challenge. After all, if he's Jean's kid, he could be some kind of telepath. "Nice to meet you, Nate."

X-Man has posed:
"So, the World I'm from had Apocalypse conquer North America, and expanding. He went on with his 'Only the Strong Survive...' mantra, and started culling Humans and Mutants. From what I've been told, I was there to stop him..." He keeps on eye on the blade, more out of curiosity than anything else, "...Might be a future, but there are many differences. Cyclops and his Brother worked for Sinister in their Slave Pens. Beast on my world did genetic experiments to 'hone' Mutant abilities. Rogue and Magneto ran the X-Men to protect Humans and Mutants."

As far as Nate's mental touch, to Kitty it would be non-existent, no probes, no peeks, nothing to let her believe he does anything than passively protect peoples interest in him or the area around him. Sometimes emotions may slip through, but that is mental slip than a directed effort. "Nice to meet you Kitty Pryde." his own hand reaching out to take hers in a friendly greeting. "England? Met someone else recently from there..." As he shakes her hand, he seems to remember something, "Wait... Kitty Pryde... Shadowcat? I didn't meet you, you weren't with the X-Men when I fought Apocalypse, but I heard that you were..."

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty nods slowly. "Shadowcat," she agrees quietly. His story of Apocalypse taking over the world sobered her amusement pretty abruptly. With a faint smile, she comments, "If I was fighting for Apocalypse, please don't tell me." She doesn't really want to know if the darkness she knows she carries managed to take her over. Her hand in Nate's lingers a moment, allowing him the opening to scan anything on the surface he would like to know. She's not afraid of allowing him that opening, not here on the grounds. "Is there anything I can do to help you settle into this time and place?" she offers. "You're welcome to look at it," she adds, noting his interest in her katana.

Havok has posed:
Having entered the general area, Alex Summers overheard Nate's last remarks. Alex's curiousity perked up and instead of handling what he came out here for, he redirects and walks toward Nate and Kitty. Alex calls out, "Sounds like I'm a jackass in mulitple realities. Damn, I must really suck.". His tone is light hearted and he even offers a smile when outing his other selves. Alex is wearing his super suit at the moment, all blue/black with gold affectations <see desc>.

In his approach, Alex will smile to Kitty, since it's been a while since they've seen one another. Or at least this incarnation. He offers a segue, "Good to see you Kitty. Who's your new friend?"

X-Man has posed:
She can feel the curiosity ripple across her mind from Nate, a bit of mental struggle for sure, but he quickly squashes any further thoughts as he let's go of her hand. "No..." Nate says, pausing for a second before adding, "...you didn't fight for Apocalypse." He runs a hand through his hair, and offers a friendly smile, "Thanks! There's been a few folks that have been nice so far... Jubes, Rogue, Madelyne, Doom, and Domino..." Probably /not/ the list she expected. "But I'm interested in hearin' more 'bout here, and what's goin' on at the Mansion. I was told I shouldn't track down Magneto until I talked with a few folks at the House..."

A familiar voice, a mostly familiar face, and immediately Nate's demeanor changes. The glow that had started to die down in his eye flashes brightly, and narrows as Alex moves into the lawn. It is very obvious to Kitty and Alex that Nate is on full defensive mode, and the pressure in the area increases slightly. Both will also feel an active scan come from Nate, but doesn't seem as if it is directed at them... almost as if there's a mental ping to the area... There's a moment where he closes his eyes, and under his breath Kitty can hear "Different place... Different place.." and the pressure slowly starts to ease up.

As he lost focus, both Alex and Kitty get the mental picture of a twin of Alex, an evil sneer on his face, beating a Nate that couldn't be more than ten years old with something similar to a shock club. The pain is intense from each electrical strike, Alex's voice cold "Sinister said make you strong, Boy! Sinister said make you a Weapon. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger..." and then the memory fades...

A long sigh comes from Nate, posture relaxing slightly, "Hi..." an attempt to keep the strain from his voice failing, "..I'm Nate."

Shadowcat has posed:
A hand flies up to press her palm against her temple as Kitty gets that sort of flash-ping of Nate being beaten by Alex, verifying that -- yep! he's a telepath!! -- and without conscious decision she steps between the men. Who she may be protecting is completely up in the air, but she murmurs, "I think perhaps you already know Alex." She doesn't comment on the familial resemblance to Scott or the fact that she's pretty sure he's Nate's uncle. Instead, she says to Alex, "Good to see you, Alex. Nate Grey... alternate world." Her tone is a little pained, as if what she just saw makes her want to not allow the two men too close to one another. Slave pens! Nate said slave pens! Oh this isn't going to go well, is it?

Havok has posed:
Alex was about to say something to try and disarm the situation. His mind was clearly going with a nice remark. But then all of a sudden his brain is flooded with images of his otherworld jackassery. He grabs his forhead and flenches away to his right. His body flashes white hot and the lines on his super suit glow brightly. He struggles with the imagery and grimaces, "Arrrrrg! What the fuck, man!?" The image intensity fades as quickly as it entered, but it will linger for days. His sharp blue eyes peer at Nate with uneasy aggression over and beyond the defensive Kitty. "Damn... wait. What?". Confusion sets in as he hears the last name of Grey and puts it all together very quickly. Like Rachel, Nate is an alternate reality relative. That helps Alex become even more disarmed and while rubbing his right temple, he asks in a softer tone, "Nephew then?"

X-Man has posed:
"Sorry..." Nate says to both Kitty and Alex, "...still workin' on not lashin' out when I get surprised by... uhm..." His eyes shifting to Alex, ".../know/." His breathing slows, heart beat steadies, fists unclench as he tries to relax, "I don't know." he responds to Alex's question first, "All I know is I lived in the slave pens until Prelate Cyclops let me out. Whole life was like what you saw..." He grimaces a little, "...at least what I can remember of it."

He rubs a hand over his face, "People say I look like Prelate Cyclops and this Jean person. I don't know or remember any parents, but that was common in the Slave Pens..." He looks at Alex, Nate's own blue eyes searching Alex's face for similarities, "...I got special attention from the Prelates. All of them. They.." he avoids using the word /You/ "...worked for Sinister."

Shadowcat has posed:
Pulling in a tight breath, Kitty lets it out slowly and blinks dark eyes at Nate. She hurts for him, and it shows in her gaze and in the emotions coming off her. Not pity, just raw sympathy. She cannot even imagine what he has lived; just that glimpse is enough to make her feel rage for him. "So... I'd venture to guess that between the red hair, the fact that you look like Scott and even Alex, and uhm... what you just said about special treatment," Kitty murmurs, aware that Sinister here has always seemed interested in the Summers clan, "I'd say it's a good guess that Alex is your uncle." Her tone is gentle. "I ... don't know if you even want to know that, but... Scott, Alex... they're not like that here. Occasional Summers stick-up-the-buttness aside, they're really good men."

Havok has posed:
Alex grimaces at the descriptors that Nate shares and shakes his head in annoyance, "Sinister again... yeah, that dudes a real jackass. He jacked with me in another reality I was just in. Believe me, I got payback. Kicked his ass all over the globe." Alex looks to Kitty and smiles, "Some more with the sticks than others. But yeah, Nate. We're all good here. And glad to have ya, if you're stickin around."

X-Man has posed:
Nate offers a smile in Kitty's direction, the emotions are appreciated, and he will send to her as such with a gentle push. "Could be..." Nate starts hesitantly, "...Sinister and I have fought before, when he killed the man who raised me..." His eyes tighten a bit at the unpleasant memory, "...He told me that he molded me into a Weapon against Apocalypse. I should thank him, and somethin' 'bout his 'Greatest Creation'." He visibly shakes his head, attempting to rid himself of the memory.

Chuckling a little at her comments about the Summers, "Well, Prelate Cyclops was more, by-the-book, when it came to his 'training sessions'..." The fact that Nate can joke about such things may be a bit disturbing, "Even when I first dealt with him, though, I could sense it wasn't something he wanted to do. Hesitation, I guess is the best way to put it... But it was his Duty to Sinister, someone he felt a fatherly emotion towards."

Looking back to Alex, he offers a small but genuine smile, "Thanks. I seem to cause trouble wherever I show up, because everyone has been so different. I think I'd like to meet some more folks, and get to know more people here. I doubt I'll ever get back to my Earth again."

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty actually chuckles softly when Alex comments on how Scott is far more with the sticks than he -- he's not wrong. Alex was the one who could be counted on for a good amount of cutting up and getting into chaos. She offers Nate a simple nod at his gentle nudge with regard to the emotions and leaves that unspoken. Based on his comment, she wonders absently -- did Scott and even Alex, in their own way in that horrific world, do what they could to spare the boy from even *worse* at the hands of others? She'd like to believe so. But she merely says to him, "I'm not sure that it's a bad thing, that you'll probably never have to go back there. I cannot even begin to imagine..."
    There's a moment when her eyes slip across to Alex, and a frown crases her brow. He looks older. And his comment about living in some kind of his own alternate reality suddenly registers. "I hope, Nate, that you'll spend some time around here with the people of this world."

Havok has posed:
The story goes on, then again don't all of them. Mutants have never had it easy in any world that Alex has been privy to. Why should Nate's be any different. But it does seem way worse through the imagery and descriptors. Alex is glad that here, in this reality, life isn't as troubled. But in the moment, Alex realizes that he interrupted Kitty and Nate. So Alex will say, "I'll leave you all to it. I need to get stuff done." And he'll start to move away. "Oh, and Nate, catch up with me before, rather, if you leave. I've got a few questions." Then he looks to Kitty, smiles and says, "Later Kat." Alex will then turn and start walking away. He's got stuff to get done.

X-Man has posed:
"Most of the people I've met so far have been good people." Nate replies back to Kitty, "Everyone has tried to help in their own way." As Alex heads off, Nate nods his head in agreement, "Yeah, I think that'd be good. Talking with you will help remind me that I'm in a different place now. Happy to answer whatever questions I can..." After a long moment, he adds, "...it's really nice to meet you, Alex."

He watches Alex head out, different thoughts easily seen to cross his features, before turning back to Kitty, "That..." nodding to the departing Alex, "...is why I wanted to come up, and meet folks at first. Some people can cause that reaction, and it's hard to control. The more I meet people, see it's different, the easier it gets to control those reactions."

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty nods slightly and gestures toward the chairs on the patio. "Why don't you come sit with me? If you want to tell me about where you come from, I'll listen. If you'd rather talk about things here in this world, I'll tell you what I can," she offers with a small smile. "I'm curious why my katana keeps drawing your eyes," she admits with a grin. "You said I wasn't fighting for Apocalypse, so that's a good thing."

X-Man has posed:
"Sounds good..." Nate says, and moves towards the chairs, "...I don't mind talking about what happened on my Earth. My powers keep growin' so sometimes things like what I did earlier happen. Images, Visions, Memories. I'll try to keep my Focus so it doesn't happen..." He offers Kitty the first seat, waiting for her before he sits down, "...and most of it is pretty bad. This World is like heaven compared to what I've lived in."

"Ah, the Katana, uhm..." Now there's a real hesitance to his response, "...I've got memories that I..." Letting out a sigh "...I took, honestly. From my World's Domino. She killed and Hurt the folks I traveled with, and I didn't let her get away with it. I learned everything about her, and what she could do. She has an interest in blades..." His face blanches slightly, "...and some of those things are good, some are sadistic."

Shadowcat has posed:
"Ah," Kitty says quietly. She's been away so much that she's not exactly in the loop with some of the people or stories of the mansion currently. (OOC: I don't know if KItty's ever met Domino, so playing that one off for now!) "I'm sorry, Nate," she tells him. "My own training with a blade wasn't exactly so much on the light side of things, so... I can understand. Even here, it's perhaps not as light and easy as it might seem at times." She glances toward the sword she was working with, curling her feet up under her in the chair she's sitting in, and she works to keep her memories an evil old Japanese creep from floating too close to the surface. "I think it shows an indomitable strength to come here and even attempt to meet the people who may be biologically your parents... it's pretty clear you never really had *parents* per se."

X-Man has posed:
Trying to make the topic a little lighter, he adds "and I know Shadowcat in my World was trained by Weapon X. So, it's kind of interestin' that it looks like you've got similarities. I think that's one of the issues that I'm tryin' to reconcile. Similarities and differences that matter." Once she's sitting down, Nate pulls over a chair so he can easily face her as they talk, "Thanks, Kitty. I know the World can be a tough place, but we've got to make the most of it. It's nice to know that there are folks that are willin' to make it easier. I appreciate it..."

His eyes move in the direction of the Lake, "Hmm, might be somethin' I have to check on real quick..." He glances back to her, "...You can find me at Jube's cabin at the Lake, or near the Lake most days. Or, dependin', I'm pretty good with trackin' people down Mentally. Happy to have that longer conversation whenever you'd like."

X-Man has posed:
Almost as an afterthought, he adds "Or if you ever want to practice..." nodding towards the Katana, "...happy to come down and dust off my skills. A few weeks of loungin' around might have taken the edge off that I'm used to... I know /I/ could use the practice."

Shadowcat has posed:
"Weapon X.... Logan?" Kitty asks, tilting her head. "That's definitely a similarity to here. There are.... things that happened to me that necessitated my learning a great deal about martial arts from him. Among other things. He's..." She grins a bit. "In probably all the ways that really count anymore, he's my father." Her own father's weakness has destroyed a great many of those bonds, though Kitty does still love the man. But it's Logan who has seen the darkest parts of Shadowcat and taught her everything she has needed to know to be able to move through this life.
    When he says he needs to slip out, she nods quickly. "Sure. I would love a sparring partner. And please... if you need anything, let me know. I'm around. I'm staying here for right now, until I figure out the job situation."