3605/Take this kid off my hands, jeez!

Take this kid off my hands, jeez!
Date of Scene:	08 January 2018
Location:	Xavier's School, Westchester, New York City
Synopsis:	Finale of a 3 part story. Batman takes a dangerous young mutant to somewhere he might be helped.
Cast of Characters:	Batman, Phoenix, Cyclops

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Batman has posed:
    The Batwing roared over the clouds, the swirls of vapor racing beneath it with its grim winged silhouette casting such an ominous shadow over them that when it finally breaks through the cover it might seem like a spectre against the night's sky. The flight is hurried, and inside the cockpit keys are struck in sequence as the pilot tries to get a hundred things finished at once all within a small window of time.
    "Computer, contact O-tag active 14, designation Jean Grey. Text message follows." His brow knits as he looks to the side at the monitor, the youth's vital signs were steady and the limbic inhibitor was still functioning at full capacity. But there was no knowing the duration of it, or the effect the tranquilizers might have on Thomas Abernathy. The thirteen year old boy was silent, sleeping in the small cot-space in the storage area of the Batwing, vital signs keyed into the system diagnostics and his ragged features still haggard from the recent nightmare of his life.
    "Rooftop approach incoming. Need to speak with authority. Emergency. ETA..." He turns his head to the side, the cowl's eyelets sliding back as he frowns, "Seven minutes." At their current speed and distance, that will serve.
    "Computer, send." And then, as the Batwing continued its rushed approach it began to descend further and further until it was a blur over the rooftops, clipping trees and absolutely destroying the reception of any number of residential homes.

Phoenix has posed:
Thankfully it was a quiet night in the school. Most of the kids had finished up dinner and were now in bed in their rooms and the dorm halls.

Jean Grey was in in the Loung eon the third floor and she was preparing to go to bed herself when she got that text message. She took off the black glasses she was wearing and set them down on the table in the lounge, then stood up and sent out a call to others inside the schook via her telepathy to let them know.

By the time the Batwing was over the school's airspace, the security systems were already alerting of an aircraft.

Jean stood up on the dimly lit castle rooftop. She's dressed in a black business style suit and skirt this evening as she had some rather official meetings with school related affairs. Her firey red hair was tied back in a bun ontop of her head still too.

Cyclops has posed:
     Having received Jean's message that there was company, Scott had joined Jean at the tower. He was still garbed in today's teaching clothes, along with his distinct red glasses. "Any idea on what they want?" He asks his colleague idly. A bit perplexed their corner of the world has received attention.

Batman has posed:
    At a glance most might not notice anything untoward against the night's sky. But the X-sensors would likely register the approach of the aircraft, keying off subtle differences in the readings. Not quite enough of a reading as to gauge the size of the craft, but better than most sensors in the world that it can even detect the Batwing's approach.
    There's a rush of wind over the treeline, a wavery shifting shape seeming to cut across the night sky. Jean Grey can assuredly sense the minds within the vehicle. One aware, intent upon the moment. The other unconscious, yet ragged and seemingly in a state of disarray with curious 'feelings' coming from it that would lead one to think of some telepathic awareness beyond the ken of normal humanity.
    Slowly the engines become audible, then the smell and rush of exhaust as they shift. The outline of the craft shimmers again, but it's easier at this range to see it's just some form of electronic cloak effect using shifting colors upon the lower fuselage. A hatch opens and then with a rush of movement a dark figure drops to that rooftop opposite them, landing in a crouch with a crunch of gravel. Then rising.
    The cloak of the figure seems to engulf the man, flaring faintly around his feet to cast the image as if he were naught but that cape and cowl. His horned head turns to consider each in turn, hidden eyes turning from one to the other. "We don't have much time. Your school serves as a sanctuary to the young who manifest powers."

Phoenix has posed:
Jeans hands were clutching onto her elbows, crossed over her stomach as she was looking around in the sky. It wasn't until she caught the feelings of those two minds coming closer that she zeroed in on their location. "Not yet." Jean replied to Scott, sparing a moment to look over at him in his ruby lenses. "I don't think its hostile though." She assured him.

A second later and Batman descided down onto the castle tower in all the dramatics that he was known for. Jean's green eyes went right to his cowled face... he was intimidating, to say the least, and instantly recognizeable based on the notorious history he'd created for himself in his city to the southwest of here.

Jean made a rule, never to search or intrude the minds of those who gave her no absolute reason too... but this was... enough to make her at least probe at the surface thoughts of the Batman.

"We offer shelter and education to gifted children in hopes of bettering our world for the future to come, yes." Was Jean's reply to the Batman.

Cyclops has posed:
     Scott's reaction to Batman is very calmed. He holds his arms in front of himself. "Which is exactly why we work so hard on making sure our presence is subdued. Those who need this place are indeed safe to not only learn their abilities, but to be children as well."

  Scott offers a bit of a shrug after. "I'm guessing you didn't just manifest powers." A bit of a rhetorical question, but this was not one of your usual parent meetings.

Batman has posed:
    The imagery in the mind of Batman is intense at the moment. She will see flashes of the recent past, an old shed surrounded by police officers, a terrified 13 year old boy with a shotgun in his mouth, another man tall and dark haired aiding him as they seek to calm him. Medical readings, an injection given to him. Then the hurried flight across several states, only pausing long enough to send the other man to another task in Gotham City, there's no mistaking that skyline.
    But right now, as she glimpses at Batman's surface thoughts, sees herself and Scott through his own eyes, will see how his brain works. How he is judging them, gauging them, the situation. How everything around them comes into play in the scenarios he is building in his mind even as through it all like a beacon of light is this focus on the task at hand. That ask currently being in helping...
    "Thomas Abernathy, thirteen years old, from Missouri." He looks to Scott pointedly, and Jean could probably sense the man's thoughts going through several scenarios as to what this man's role was here, what aid he could bring, what possible problems could arise. But elements of his 'read' on Scott seem to conclude to some degree he is a care-taker, likely a role model to some of the children. He looks back to Jean.
    "His ability manifested in a diner. Seventeen people lost their lives including his family. He seems to exude a pathogen of some sort, some bacterial behaviour. Inert until people come within roughly seventeen meters of his telepathic ability. Then they suffer fatal necrotic tissue infection and die."
    Looking between the two of them he asks bluntly, "Do you have the facilities to aid him?"

Phoenix has posed:
When all of this explained to them both, Jean's attention turned toward Scott again and she gave him an 'Oh dear' type of look that Scott would likely be all too familar with on her face.

She looked back to Batman. "Yes." She answered his last question. "I'm a telepath and I can keep his abilities... held down until we have the opportunity to get a full picture of the ins and outs of his situation and his mutation."

Jean nodded her head once toward the Dark Knight. "You did well, bringing him here. But if he hurt others, killed others... are the authorities after him?" She had to ask, because that was trouble they definitely didn't need.

Cyclops has posed:
     Scott is usually known for stoicism. But the description of young Thomas' manifestation staggers him a step back. "Good lord." Is all he can say, he's seen violent and dangerous mutations before, but this is something else all together.

  Scott turns to Jean, giving a nod of his head. Even with her abilities, she knew Scott well enough that this expression of emotion spoke volumes. "Even if they are, he has no one else to turn to right now." A feeling that was all too familiar to Scott, and his experience as an orphan was not good to say the least.

Batman has posed:
    A nod is given, "Likely." Batman answers her question then turns to look towards Cyclops. He looks back, "His ability is entirely involuntary. He currently has no way to disengage it, and his current mental state is..."
    And for a moment she'll be able to most likely sense a strong touch of empathy, a heartfelt pang of commiseration, but then he turns back towards the two of them. No external hint of those thoughts or feelings are visible. His voice changes not one whit from that steady rumble. "When I stepped in they were likely going to put him down. Right now my main concern is safety, getting him into a place where he can't hurt others and fear of his abilities will not trigger reprisal. Once that's done he may have to answer for what passed."
    There's a pause, then he frowns. "I understand if you can't accept that responsibility or aren't in a position to give him the care he needs. There are other ways I can see to his safety. This was my first choice and I believe you are the best suited."
    The Batwing above continues to slowly drift through a small arc, keeping its distance for now even as the quavering shift of the heat mirage from the engines causes some of the stars above to flicker.

Phoenix has posed:
Jean looked between the two men she shared this rooftop with, it was cold out tonight and she was still hugging her torso to hold in as much heat as she could.

"What happened wasn't the boy's fault. If we turn him over to the authorities... we're going to damn him to a life of which he won't ever recover from. They'll be likely to keep him drugged and unconscious... run tests on him. Countless other things of equal ilk that we've already discovered in our time concerning mutant affairs."

Jean felt tempted to search for Batman's identity, because cowls made her uneasy, to say the least... but she refrained from doing it. He'd given her no reason to afterall.

"You can leave him with us, sir." She told him. "But I'm not sure we can turn him back over to you later. His safety is better here than it is anywhere within the hands of the government."

Cyclops has posed:
     Cyclops wasn't quite known for being the most hospitable of hosts, especially with other costumed heroes. But what Batman had done in this situation immediately earns Scott's respect. He holds out a hand in thanks, giving a perfectly respectful shake should it be accepted. There are times for the alpha-male squeeze-off, but this was certainly not one of those times. "Thank you." He says, succinctly.

  Scott turns to Jean and gives as much a warm smile as he would usually give. "We don't make a practice of giving over a child to be experimented on." He adds in with Jean's comment.

Batman has posed:
    A gauntleted hand lifts, slipping forth from the shadow of his cape to stay her objection, "He needs help. And safety. What happened was a tragic accident." And that settles it as far as he's concerned in his mind. The authorities... will have to deal with this even if they come knocking on his door. If they manage to ever find it. "I will not come looking for him to answer for this. But he needs to be seen to, to make sure something like this never happens again."
    A glance is given to the proffered hand and then with a solemn nod the Dark Knight accepts it, business-like in its precision, three pumps and done. Then he lowers his hand and there's a faint click from his belt. He extends a small data display towards Scott and presses it into his hand, his eyes narrowing. "Here's the data I've been able to collect. Several samples of the pathogen and the multiple states of activity. I've used a limbic inhibitor injection to temporarily disable his telepathic ability." One hand lifts as he turns it over, examining the clock function on the data display there, then he looks back to them both. "It will likely wear off in thirty seven minutes. Will you be able to contain him or control his ability?"

Phoenix has posed:
Jean's eyes looked back to Scott when he initiated the handshake and she was surprised, for some reason, to see Batman accept it. But her mind drifted to what the Batman said next. She wasn't a doctor yet, she was still in college while dealing with a rather taxing job here at the school... Jean Grey was a very busy woman.

"We have doctors on site who can handle it and... well... a wealth of experience dealing with telepathic situations." She glanced at Scott and gave him a soft knowing smile. The troubles revolving around that were something they all knew quite well.

Jean walked toward the Detective and she'd accept whatever he'd give over to her. "The boy will be safe here. I assure you. If you ever want to come by... and observe the place, first hand, you'll see our student body holds a very diverse... cast of young characters. With a wide variety of mutations that, well. Always keep us on our toes. I'm sure they'd all be very thrilled to see you as well."

She didn't think he'd accept such a proposal, but offering it was nice all the same.

Batman has posed:
    "Perhaps another time," Is the answer he gives but once the words of agreement come forth he gives a single sharp nod and as if on its own behest the Batwing begins to descend, turning slowly. The optic camouflage flickers and then fades, but its uncloaked visage is still terribly black against the night sky. Lights flicker on delineating the small bay that opens in the rear of the vehicle even as the engines are focused and low thumping and thudding in a low rhythm.
    On a small wheeled gurney, Thomas Abernathy is pulled from that cargo bay. The youth is ragged looking, his St. Louis Rams jersey partially blood-spattered and grimy. His features, even in sedation are wracked with a misery that Jean can almost feel as a palpable thing between them.
    Once he's set and clear of the vehicle, Batman turns back to them both. "Thirty six minutes. If you need me you can contact me through that." His nod indicates the data display he handed over to Scott.
    There's a pause then as the Batwing whirls around smoothly in a clean arc, the wind of its turning passing over them all and causing his cape to flare like a grim wing to the side. For a time he says nothing, but then he looks to Jean and she may well hear in his thoughts, // Thank you. //
    That sentiment conveyed he turns with that cape washed back away from his shoulders even as a hatch underneath opens and he vaults up into the cockpit.
    There's another flare of the engines, the cloak reengaging with a checkerboard latticework over the ship's hull until it's mostly invisible again. And then there's the roar of engines... and he's gone.

Cyclops has posed:
Clutching the data cache, Scott hands it over to Jean. Cuclops keeps back now, though he would be sure that a visit from Batman would bring out all of the students.

  Scott takes hold of the gurney once it descends. "I'll have Jono's old room prepped in case he can't be with the other kids. Have you ever seen a mutation like this before?" Scott honestly isn't sure about it.

Phoenix has posed:
Jean watched Batman leave and then she sighed a small breath of relief. "He was more friendly than I had anticipated a man like that would be." She quietly commented as she turned around to assist Scott with their new youngling.

Jean would move to help get the boy inside and she'd use her telekinetic powers to make him descend the stairs safely without disturbing him. "I"ve heard of telepathics who can't control their ability to inflict pain others, but nothing like what he just described. That... that is something I haven't heard of before." It concerned the young redhead, but she was optimistic that they could help him.

"And that is a good idea with Jono's room. I've already woken Hank and he's downstairs in the lab waiting for us."