9275/Tensions and Troubles

Tensions and Troubles
Date of Scene:	21 September 2019
Location:	Gym - X-Men Base
Synopsis:	Scott and Betsy talk about the Sentinel problem.
Cast of Characters:	Cyclops, Psylocke
Tinyplot:	Sentinels

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Cyclops has posed:
The mind is a muscle, just like the body. It can get tense, or cramped. It can cramp up onto one specific thing, or one task, and it can feel like there will never come the ability to relax. Frustrated with a mental block during his work in the War room, Scott finally makes himself take a 'break': a workout should help alleviate some of the tension. If not that, then at least his emotions can fuel a heavier workout!

And so, that is how Scott left a trail: an explosion of graphs and documents in the War Room, along with a mostly finished plate of food, leading in to the locker rooms with a discarded water bottle and some clothes hung up inside a half-open locker, and finally to the gym in the X-Men base. Scott is alone, dressed down to athletic shorts, sneakers and dark blue-tank top, charging full tilt on a treadmill as if it might lead to the answer to whatever is on his mind. His gaze is focused harshly on the wall, that he could nearly bore through it, even wearing his protective lenses.

Psylocke has posed:
If there is one thing Betsy has managed to learn in her time at the mansion? If she wants to use the gym, do it when the kids are asleep. It's easier that way. Otherwise, it is crowded and she has to deal with a level of attention she'd prefer to avoid, particularly from the student body.

When she enters the locker room, the disarray at Scott's locker catches her attention. She walks over to the door, checking the closing it while taking the empty plastic bottle over to the recycling bin. Then she quickly changed herself, mental scanning in progress to make sure she was not interrupted while doing so. Once in a pair of shorts and a loose, scoop necked tank top, she closed her own locker and headed into the gym.

Spotting Scott, she watched him a moment, a quick analysis. Then she moved toward the treadmill next to him. Stepping to either side of the machine, she started the tread then stepped on and began a nice walking pace. Enough she'd start warming up at least.

"Good evening, Scott. I hope you are well," she says in that crisp British accent, glancing his direction as she spoke.

Cyclops has posed:
Wherever it is that Scott is running to, he's going there full tilt. His expression is extremely focused, his mind somewhere other than the gym, though his face is hard to read, as always, with the glasses making his eyes impossible to see. So much feeling conveys through the eyes. And so it is almost masklike, the lack of reaction, when Scott turns his head just a little when Betsy climbs onto the treadmill by his side.

At first it is just a nod, and he reaches out to adjust the pace of his machine, his breathing adjusting, evening out as well. He had been moderating his breath; it will be easier to speak if he slows down.

"Hello, Betsy," Scott replies, voice a little ragged from the physical exertion, but not tired. "You've found me in my thinking place," he observes, with a brief, slight smile. "Unfortunately the answer hasn't appeared on this wall quite yet. How are you?"

Psylocke has posed:
"I'm quite well," Betsy responds while continuing at her walking pace. It was a brisk walk at least. Enough to start the blood pumping, work on bringing up the cardio slowly, get the muscles stretched and ready for more as things intensified.

"Funny how walls have never proven to have the answers to all things, yet we find ourselves staring at them nonetheless in our times of concentration. Strange that." She adjusted the speed a little, moving into a light jog. "Would talking help? Or is this more a private situation?"

Having not been to the war room, she has no hint to let her know which. Not without trying to 'peek' and she doesn't do that generally speaking. Especially with friends and teammates. Students, at times, fell under different rules.

Cyclops has posed:
While Scott doggedly will work on something, he is never prideful about bringing his team in, or sharing a problem. More minds ARE better, and he truly does believe that. "No, it isn't personal or private, but thank you for checking," Scott replies. He continues on his run, but is phasing down in speed, now: more to a long-distance, even stride, instead of the fast near-sprint he had been accomplishing before. He may mostly be artillary due to his mutant ability, but he is physically powerful as well, should it be necessary: important to not ignore some areas in favor of others.

"I took another long pass over all of the reports that we have for the Sentinels, and the motives of those that have them. My instinct is to lead several scouting teams to learn more, but with them evolving new abilities to block our mutant powers -- it is uncomfortably risky, for many of the team. It may end up requiring us to act entirely without powers, and some will struggle with that."

Psylocke has posed:
"Probably best to confront them without powers, when at all possible. See if we can get some sorts of weapons that might work on them. Also might be better to send in things they won't expect, such as any non mutant allies. Or those of us with abilities that are not completely mutant in origin." Betsy pauses, dropping the minor illusion she maintains almost instinctively now, that hides the triangular tattoo over her eye. "In Danger Room simulations, I have managed to cut the leg off of a Sentinel using the Crimson Dawn powers. Not sure if it is something they would be able to adjust for since it is an outside source? Not sure if we want to test and lose that advantage at the same time. What is that saying? Six, one half dozen the other?"

Cyclops has posed:
"I've been very successful against them in the danger room, so long as I keep a lot of distance," Scott agrees, "But when I study their tactics more closely, from more of what we've seen in the field, they do a great deal of flanking, and those of us with very long range may only have short windows - as those that normally would keep them off of us are subject to being nullified."

Scott nods affirmatively when Betsy asks of the saying. "Yes: they are two ways to say the same thing. Potay-to, Poe-tato."

Scott glanced at her, but ends up maintaining the look in her direction, as she dropped the illusion away. It is actually very difficult for him to see, with his red filtered sight, but he caught the edge of it there on her features. "Maybe Kitty, Forge or Doug can provide an answer about if they would adapt to it. That would be very useful to know."

Scott pauses. "Speaking of answers-- You met the 'John Doe' advanced sentinel, didn't you?"

Psylocke has posed:
"Have to reach out to them and see. If it can only adjust to mutant abilities, that is another advantage we have since there are other things at play for many of us or our allies," Betsy says with a brief nod. She turns her face forward again, reaching to adjust the pitch now. She's going for a nice burn in her calves hopefully to come from this one. No more increases in speed though.

After she is done, she glances back over and nods. "Yes, I met him briefly in an interview. To see if he was human or not. He is...unusual to say the least. I could tell he was different but I couldn't have sworn he was not a human. Frightening to think if there are others like him out there that we don't know about."

Cyclops has posed:
"I remember the Professor also went to talk to him, a long while ago," Scott says, continuing to lead the shift in topic towards the puzzling, more unique Sentinel.

"I trust the Professor's view; at the time he had considerable concerns, but he must have felt safe enough to have met with him in person." Scott seems to mostly have forgotten about his current speed, and just continues along at the same even jog. "Did you sense danger in the same way we do from these others?" Scott asks, interested in her opinion, clearly, as part of his analysis. "I know that this Sentinel called off the other ones from attacking the vigil. If there's a way to do any of this without bloodshed, it has to be looked at. Even if my instinct tells me this isn't the way."

Psylocke has posed:
"Not danger in the exact sense of the word. At first," Betsy replies, thinking back carefully as she tries to find the right words to explain. "He seemed lost and confused. But when he dealt with me, realized I was a mutant, I could see that he despised me. It wasn't as though he knew why himself. More that he just felt that way without having a reason for it. He didn't attack though. Not like the others do when near a mutant." She pauses in her talk to touch the controls on her treadmill once more, giving a touch more speed so she was in an easy run. Nothing too strenuous.

"It was only when asked by me about his abilities that he ended up blasting the interior of the room. Considering how confused he was, it just makes me think his programming is messed up. But once that programming is straight, either through an outside source or him repairing it? He's still a Sentinel and he could not stand us. I wouldn't trust him in controlling the other Sentinels unless we knew his programming had erased that dislike of mutants."

Cyclops has posed:
Scott's jaw tenses. He listens to every word she says, though his head faces forward while he does so. It's just easier to run that way, insteaf of with his head turned. While he thinks it over.

Scott also then realizes, belatedly, he should move into a cool-down, and puts the speed way down, to a rapid walk. With how likely it is that they will need to do a mission, he can't exhaust himself this way.

"All right. All of this is very helpful. Thank you, Betsy," Scott says, thoughtful, but direct in his appreciation. The report IS helpful, even hearing her tone as she speaks: it's all part of the story. "They are programmed to hate. That IS the bottom line."

Psylocke has posed:
"That seems to be the case. The only difference is Bastion at least was willing to speak to me, though I could tell he thought little of me because I was a mutant. I don't know if he considers us flawed or how he sees it. The larger ones, the less complex, just seem to want to ...I'm not really sure what they want. They order us to stand down and such but then turn around and start killing so I'm not sure if even their programming is properly in place. The fact there seem to be multiple factions, all with their own agends. Trask, Friends of Humanity, Bastion. Who knows what else."

Cyclops has posed:
"Different factions asking different things of the same base programming on the robots?" Scott suggests, picking up the small light blue towel from the side of his machine, using it to wipe one side of his face and cleanshaven jaw a little. He also adjusts his glasses, but with the utmost safety as always: he shuts his eyes whenever he even goes near his lenses in that way.

"Well. I have confidence in the team. I'll put together the scouting missions. If you would like a hand in helping to decide which X-men are going to be best for each application, feel free to join me in the War room this weekend. I think I will have a camp there, until I have a good plan." The responsibility is heavy on his shoulders, but he put it there. Someone has to.

Psylocke has posed:
"I'll get with you but I'm certain you will have it well in hand. You always do," Betsy tells him. It's more so he is reminded of the fact. It's not like she has to say it. Just, it's good to hear at moments when someone is feeling overwhelmed or some doubts.

"As always, I will do what needs to be done. Front lines, infiltration. Anything goes," She gives a little grin at that, glancing his way then falling back into the motion of the steps.

Cyclops has posed:
"I know. I appreciate your versatility, and willingness, Betsy," Scott says honestly, even if he appears to still be looking straight ahead at the wall. The truth is, he has some very talented side-eye, that he is aware others don't notice. He did watch her expression. It's important for a leader to know his team, and to pay attention to them when they give signals.

Scott slows his cool-down, and finally steps off of the machine. He wipes it down, respectful of whoever may come next. "Don't exhaust yourself; I suspect we will be on a mission sooner than we'd like," Scott recommends quietly. "Goodnight, Betsy, when you do rest."