While on the FoH mission

[x-cyclops.livejournal.com]

The group was milling inside and outside the motel rooms they had procured for their stay, waiting for Scott to give the word to go. Scott was in his room, though the door was ajar. His cell phone was in his hand, obviously talking with one of his contacts. Piotr was using his cellphone outside the rooms.

Scott finished his call, stood up, and stretched. He glanced out the door at Piotr and smiled, knowing that the Russian called home to talk to Warren every morning.

"How's Warren?" Scott asked, shrugging into his jacket.

"I didn't speak to Warren. Paige answered the phone, because Warren was at lunch with the other students. I forgot about the time zone difference," Piotr shrugged embarrasedly. Piotr paused. "Mr. Summers, it appears there's something wrong at the mansion."

Scott's movements stopped for a few seconds, and then restarted. He turned to look at Piotr.

"What is it this time?"

He thought of the situation they'd left behind. Either John was creating trouble again, or Jono blew up again, or maybe something was wrong with Doug. But Piotr didn't say something was wrong with one of them, but with the mansion.

At that moment, he knew. Without Piotr even telling him, he knew. Alison had checked in with the school earlier, but she hadn't said anything. She wouldn't. She knew about him, and Betsy. A large part of him wanted to stop Piotr from speaking, from giving him the knowledge, from confirming it. But the smaller part was louder, the part that wanted to grab Piotr and shake the words out of him as quickly as possible.

He did neither thing. He merely waited, quietly, silently, for Colossus to speak.

"It appears that Betsy is missing. Paige was very unspecific in our conversation, but it was clear that Betsy was no longer in the mansion," he said in a careful manner. "Mr. Summers, I think we need to finish this mission and head home as soon as we can. Paige mentioned the professor will explain everything when we return."

He closed his eyes behind his visor, dropping his chin for a moment before tilting it up, as if staring at the sky. Quiet seconds passed this way, then he turned and look at Colossus.

"Good thing I just got the intel we need to do just that. Let's go."

Scott gathered his bag and moved out of the room, shutting the door behind him carefully.