6131/Pied Piper: A dark Place

Pied Piper: A dark Place
Date of Scene:	07 January 2019
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Another hero is lost to #BlackSleep (backdated).
Cast of Characters:	Forge, Storm
Tinyplot:	Pied Piper

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Forge has posed:
The world was, quite possibly, ending soon. Magic was needed. Many of the students had fallen into the #BlackSleep, hard for Illyana to keep up, to stop it. And then she'd left, to go tend to trying to stop it at the source. Forge was going to show up to try to assist, but he never did show to help.

Perhaps the stress of magic was too much: he was uncomfortable with it from the start, when it was first mentioned. The price of using magic was extremely high. Isolated as he often is away from others, he may not even know what the cost is of him staying out of things.

Storm has posed:
Ororo knew that the idea of magic had been a touchy subject for Forge. When he disappeared, she let him. But now is a time for mending. For those who were asleep, and for those who weren't. It seems many who were not, we're still deeply affected by the events. And Forge may be one of those.

"Forge?" Storm calls out into the vast and echoing hangar. "It's Ororo. I wanted to make sure you're all right..."

Forge has posed:
Forge may be sulking or unable to hear her, but there's some soft music playing towards the vicinity of the Blackbird, and the entrance is open to the ship, lights are on inside. The engines adjust, going through a test sequence: one of the hallmarks of Forge being nearby; Forge has been regularly updating and keeping the systems ready for sudden use.

When she explores into the plane, though, she'll find the inventor is running his tests, but is also relaxed for once. He's in the co-pilot seat, feet up, a computer terminal showing scrolling data that projects onto his face and chest in a dance of light. He's dressed comfortably, but napping.

Storm has posed:
Ororo can't help pausing to watch the man napping in the Blackbird. He looks more at peace than even she has seen him. She hesitates for a moment, trying to decide if it's worth waking him, or if she should let him rest. Finally, she resolves to speak with him. She places a gand gently on his shoulder as she speaks his name softly. "Forge?"

Forge has posed:
Then the scrolling continues to prompt on the screens, that it has completed. Would another scan be desired? It has been completed for two hours, and this is the 50th time it has attempted to prompt Forge about it.

He doesn't stir or respond, not at all. And his position in the chair, while it looks like he did decide to nap for just a moment, is not one to suggest a fitful sleep position.

It would appear the Xmen are minus one more resource, as the #BlackSleep continues to take and take.

Storm has posed:
A shock of horror runs through Ororo as her hand retreats from Forge's shoulder. He isn't asleep. He has been claimed. The certainty and uncertainty if it strike her with overwhelming dread. Her blue eyes go misty and white, as the colour drains from her face. Inside the hangar, outside the Blackbird, a whorl of clouds and snow appear from nowhere, the wind tossing objects at will through the vast expanse. All she can think is "No. No, I won't let you claim him. And no. He will no be harmed. And no. No, he won't be taken from me." Not this one. She will not allow it.