9999/In Search of Fuel Metal

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In Search of Fuel Metal
Date of Scene: 11 November 2019
Location: Xavier's Office / Classroom
Synopsis: Vi talks to Professor X about replenishing the metals that fuel her powers.
Cast of Characters: Vi, Professor X




Vi has posed:
Vi came around to the Professor's office. Hesitating outside for long enough he might pick up on her thoughts before she knocks on the door. She's a little nervous. Though he's been nothing but nice, she's worried about asking too much, it seems. As she is coming asking something.

Eventually Vi moves over to the door and raps on it softly. A quartet of students head past her down the hallway, glancing over. "Looks like new girl might be in trouble. Off to get scolded by the Professor," one says to another, nudging and then giving a head nod over towards Vi.

"Probably got more kids scared of her Hydra connection," another says. "What's Hydra anyway?" A third asks. That results in a bit of silence and a few shrugs. Hydra's not exactly a household name outside of intelligence circle, their villainy not widely known. But people heard enough comments to have picked up the name after what happened with Vi and Samuel. Though the pair put that behind them long ago.

Professor X has posed:
"Enter," Charles calls from inside his office as he hears the knock, not glancing up. On the desk in front of him is an antique typewriter - though someone in the prime of their youth would be forgiven for not recognizing the old machine. He taps at the keys, punching out several letters. He surreptitiously triggers the mechanism for the door beneath his desk, prompting it to open slowly for Vi as she stands there waiting.

He doesn't immediately address her, instead holding up a finger and calling for silence. He punches a few more keys, finishing whatever thought he sought to get down on paper, and then turns his attention fully to his newest student. His hands fold on the desk and he looks at her with an expression that, while not stern, certainly conveys a busy man.

"How can I help you, Vi?"

Vi has posed:
In Vi's case, she would need to be forgiven for never having heard of typewriters before. The nineteen year old steps inside the room as the door swings open. Seeing the gesture for silence, she stays quiet. She's holding a small backpack as she waits quietly until the Professor finishes what he is doing and speaks to her.

"I'm sorry for bothering you," Vi says quietly. She opens up the backpack and pulls it from a black metal case with a strap. Pressed into the metal as an indentation without additional coloring is the standard of Hydra. Vi sets the case on an empty part of the desk and opens it, turning it so Charles can see the inside.

The inside is filled with foam, from which little holes have been cut, form fit to carefully cradle dozens of vials, at least a hundred in number. They are split six different sections, with one section taking up half of the case, four others getting the bulk of the remaining space, and one small section with space for only a dozen vials.

Quite a few of the spaces are empty. Vi pulls out one of the vials and Charles can see it contains a clear liquid, but glitters where metal flakes and even tiny pebbles are contained within the vial. "These are the metals that fuel my mutant power. I took these from the Hydra lab when I escaped," Vi says quietly.

She offers the one vial to Charles. "Tin, Pewter, Iron and Steel, I need to swallow them to fuel my powers. Though they upset my stomach if I swallow too much. The researchers put these together to power me up easily. Some have all four metals. The others have only a single metal so just one can be replenished without giving me so much of the others I would throw them all up," she says.

Vi pulls out a few other vials. They are empty. "I'm running low on these. The researchers, I heard them talking about how I need... they called it precise compositions I think? In order to be at full power. I was hoping you might be able to help me with getting more, so I can refill these."

Professor X has posed:
"I have experience in a lot of fields," Charles answers, looking at the container and the vials curiously, "Though I'm afraid metallurgy is not one of them. That said, I'm certain we can help you."

He doesn't reach to touch the vials, though he does inspect them carefully with his eyes. Once he's satisfied with whatever he has seen, he turns his attention fully back to Vi and regards her thoughtfully.

"Do you suffer any detrimental effects when you don't have these compositions in your system?" he asks her, "If we can take time to ensure that we get this right and don't cause you any health issues, I would prefer to do it that way. I know it can be disarming to be without your abilities, but your health and wellbeing are my primary concerns."

Vi has posed:
Vi seems willing to hand one of the vials over should Charles wish to see it, from the way she's holding it in kind of an offering. "No, none that I know of," Vi says quietly. "I didn't know where the power came from, only that I could feel that warmth in my stomach at first. The researchers decided it was iron in the groundwater. After long enough it would build up to a point I could burn it for my power, just a tiny amount before it was gone,and would have to build up again. I didn't know what it was coming from. They figured that out. Plus the extra metals I could use. I didn't ever have them before they started experimenting," she says.

There's a brief thought when Charles asks about detrimental effects. Aluminum pops into her head, though she didn't mention it in the list.

"Is this, will it cost the school very much?" she asks quietly. "I've been doing chores and saving the money I'm given for them. But I have no idea what this would cost."

They are pretty basic metals. Perhaps an order for a specific composition would have to be made, but considering she ingests such small amounts, probably an insignificant expense really.

Professor X has posed:
"I'm not going to bore you with the vagaries and complexities of economics," Charles tells her, "But money shouldn't be of a concern for you here. I have made certain that nothing is beyond our reach in a financial sense. You weren't brought here to work and earn your keep. You're here because we want to help you. You're at home here - you aren't an employee."

Once the vial is offered, he takes it. Well-manicured fingers graze her palm as he scoops it up into his hand, turning it over and looking at it critically. He recounts in his mind the sort of metals required, and observes the contents on the vial with a look of deep thought.

"It won't be costly," he adds, "It may take some time to ensure the composition is right. But I'd like you to tell me about aluminum, Vi."

Vi has posed:
Vi's relief at hearing the school will be able to provide the metals she needs is visible in her posture even if one isn't a telepath. This being the first time she'd been allowed to use the powers of her own choice, she has been training them particularly hard. And often on her own rather in the Danger Room, he might detect. Something about... overshooting and falling into the Lake? But Vi had been alarmed when she realized how quickly she was working through the contents of the case.

She is caught by surprise as he asks about the aluminum. Vi glances down, and Charles will be able to tell the smallest section of vials, is set aside for that metal.

The girl looks back up, a hand going to play with her hair in a nervous way. "They use it to control me. They found if I have aluminum in my stomach, if I try to burn any of my other metals, they all disappear in a flash," she says, snapping her fingers to indicate just how fast. "So they'd force me to swallow some at night and then burn another metal. So they could send me to my cell not worrying I'd be able to use any remaining metals to fuel my powers."

Professor X has posed:
Charles simply nods his head, hearing yet another story of the brutality that was Vi's captivity. He regards the aluminum vials for a second, reaching to pluck one from the case and holding it up to the light. He then shakes his head with a sigh.

"This is a common implement of fear and misunderstanding used against mutantkind," he explains, "Be it collars that suppress mutant powers, or weapons that temporarily nullify them. It seems your captors found a similar means in a simpler and more novel guise. Regardless, I don't think we will have a need for this particular concoction. We'll obviously have some manufactured for you if you would like, but we aren't about to force you to go without your abilities."

He smiles now, a gentle sort of expression: "We aim to educate here, not suppress or deny."

Vi has posed:
It will be clear from Vi's thought she didn't expect the school would force it on her. "I haven't really told anyone about it. I figured, it's not something it would be good to have many people know about," she says quietly. Which from her thoughts, is her way of hoping the Professor won't share that information with others.

Vi glances behind her towards the door. "I like it here. I like it here a lot. Thank you for letting me stay," she says. "I've been learning to read, and learning about the world out here a lot. Miss Grey took me to her parents house to meet her family and see what a... a 'normal' life is like here," she says.

Vi hesitates a moment and then asks, "Professor Xavier? Would it be ok to maybe get a pet?" There's a memory. Dinner at Clint Barton's home, meeting Melinda May. Two cats. Not feral things that Vi knew, that stole into Echo looking for food and more likely than not because a rare source of protein for whoever was fast enough to catch it. Sweet animals that liked to be pet.

Professor X has posed:
"I won't speak of it with anyone," Charles tells her earnestly, "If you'd prefer, we can keep the mixture in my safe here to ensure nobody should get their hands on it unintentionally."

He gestures towards the bookcase, behind which a small and fireproof goods safe is located It's not visible at the moment, but the way he gestures indicates that there must certainly be something hidden behind the many treatises on ethics and philosophy.

"You're very welcome here. I would venture to say that this place was built with someone like you in mind - a young lady from an environment of fear and confusion, learning to live the life she was owed but not given."

The question of the pet causes his arched brows to furrow thoughtfully: "We have a policy about pets at the school as it can be a dangerous place for them with so many unstable mutant abilities at hand. That said, I believe a companion animal may prove beneficial to your recovery. If you give me time to think it over and discuss it with your teachers, I'm sure we can come to an arrangement."

Vi has posed:
Vi gives a grateful smile as Charles indicates he'll consider the pet question. "Thank you," the girl tells him. She glances towards the safe, or the location Charles Xavier seemed to indicate, at least. Vi looks down towards the case in a considering way.

"Ok, that might not be a bad idea. I'll just keep one... two vials of it myself. Not that I can imagine why I'd need them, but in case I ever did," she says. She pulls out the other eight vials that contain aluminum and pass them over to Charles when he is ready for them.

Vi puts the other vials back into place. She isn't running dangerously low, but one can make a guess how fast she's using them based on how many are empty and how long she's been there. There should probably be plenty of time to have someone run the contents of one through a mass spectrometer and get the specific compositions that they contain, and get an order in to a place that can produce such metals. Some of it can probably even be made at the school.

"Are you doing well, Professor?" Vi asks after she's closed up the case. "I see how everyone comes and sees you. Do you have people that you get to go and talk to when you need to?" the petite young woman asks quietly.