xp_logs | The Gates: Standing by the Wall

Nathan and Rahne attend a meeting at the UN on the situation in Prague. It turns out the man who ordered the barriers built is at the UN that day as well - and so are two opposing groups of protestors. Nathan and Rahne get a graphic illustration of just how heated tempers are getting on the situation in question.

"Well," Nathan said as he and Rahne left the conference room, "that was pretty grim, wasn't it?" He smiled a bit, although there wasn't much humor behind the expression. The meeting that had just wrapped up was effectively the UN's working group on the Prague situation, although it wasn't officially called that as of yet. If things progressed the way they appeared to be, it wouldn't be long before it was. "That Red Cross representative looked grim. I can't believe they're having trouble getting access. They're the Red Cross, for pity's sake."

Rahne shook her head. "Really not a good sign."

Nathan looked down at her, sighing. "Too little information," he said, reiterating the conclusion that the meeting had come to. "Something has to be done about that." They were the only ones who'd left the meeting quite so quickly - they were halfway down the hall, and no one else had yet emerged from the conference room. Nathan just hadn't had the heart to stick around for the post-meeting chatter. Joel would let him know if anything valuable came up. "I can't believe Minister Syrovy's upstairs and didn't bother coming down to say anything."

"I'm not much liking what it suggests if he's got nothing to say that he wants to tell us," Rahne murmured.

"You and me both." Nathan shook his head as they kept walking towards the front doors of the UN building. "I worry about the political tendencies in a situation like this. I do think they went into it feeling they had no other choice. But if they're digging in now because they don't want to lose face in front of the international community..."

"It starts looking a lot less temporary." Rahne paused. If she'd been shifted enough, her ears would have pricked forward. "Do you... 'hear' something?"

Nathan glanced down at her, then looked up again, lowering his shield a little. He'd been so distracted by the meeting, mulling over everything he'd heard... "There are a lot of people outside," he said slowly. "And they're not happy."

Rahne let out a breath. "Lovely...."

Nathan took her arm. "Come on," he said quietly. "I want to see what's going on." There were numerous people gathered in the lobby, they saw as they made it that far. All looking outside, most anxiously, and Nathan shook his head as he got a look out himself. "Someone messed up," he said, extending his mind outwards again. "Syrovy's visit wasn't supposed to be common knowledge, but we've got FoH and pro-mutant groups out there. Shouting at each other across the plaza."

"Chanting," Rahne said. She could just feel the two competing rhythms. "Nothing else so far?" And hope they could keep it that way.

Nathan wobbled on his feet briefly as he lowered his shields just that little bit too much and the pressure of the crowd outside was suddenly painful. "... ow. I don't like protests," he muttered, raising a hand to his temple.

Rahne shot him a worried look. "Not wild about them myself."

Nathan went over to an unoccupied bench and sat down, eyeing the dark-suited security officers who hurried back into the lobby from outside, shooing people away from the windows. "I think we're stuck in here for the duration," he said with a sigh, inclining his head at the empty spot beside him on the bench. "I really can't wait for the evening news and its take on this."

Rahne sat down next to him, still listening. "Too bad we can't ask for an appointment with Minister Syrovy while we're stuck here," she said, "but I suppose he's busy."

"I imagine he's got security galore with him on this trip." Nathan leaned back against the wall behind them, sighing. "Seems so... frustrating," he said. "Look at where we are. All the supposedly bright minds that come to work every day in this building... and there were a good number of them back in that conference room. And yet we leave, or are trying to leave, at the end of the day, and we've gotten precisely nothing accomplished except to agree that the situation is getting worse."

"Well... the people who'd need to be involved in accomplishing more than that don't seem to want to talk to us." Rahne sighed too.

"I have to wonder if all we're doing is spinning our wheels and the only progress is going to be made in the political arena." Attilan was pushing, Nathan knew from what Medusa had told him, and Hungary was as well. He suspected the US was perhaps doing something behind the scenes as well, but all he'd caught of that were hints, stray comments back at that meeting. It wasn't enough, in any case, and he grimaced, dissatisfied.

"Slow and steady wins the race, they say," he muttered, listening to the sound of sirens coming closer outside.

"I always thought that hare was an idiot."

Nathan looked down at her and laughed - an instant before something hit the front of the building and glass shattered, flying outwards into the lobby. He moved without thinking, on his feet and grabbing Rahne, reversing their positions so that he was the one closer to the front of the lobby, shielding her with his body. Glass hit the TK shield he raised an instant later, and he swore, looking back over his shoulder.

"Thanks," Rahne muttered. She closed her eyes for a second, silently begging for this not to get any worse here or make things worse there than they already were, but without much real hope that this would be the case. "This is not going to help."

Nathan stared hard at the hole in the windows. Almost circular, and there was only glass on the floor of the lobby. "Don't tell me some energy-projector out there actually took a potshot at UN headquarters..." The lobby was clearing out, and he sighed, giving Rahne a brief, reassuring hug before nudging her gently in the direction they'd come. "Let's go get Joel. I think we need to look into slipping out the back way."