xp_logs | Log: [Julio and Scott]

Julio gets called into for a Talk with Scott.

Even as furious as he was, Julio remembered to knock. He announced his presence with three sharp raps on Scott's door.

"Come in." Scott was sitting over by the window, not behind his desk. He gestured to the chair across from him. "Sit down."

"I shall stand." Julio said tightly, hands clenched into fists at his sides. "I do not want to break your chair."

Scott shook his head, looking up at the young man. "Are you blaming yourself for this, too?" he asked after a long moment. "Because of the connection to San Diego?"

The "~fuck you~" came out before Julio could stop it. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he met Scott's gaze, eyes blazing. "They are murdering people, because of what happened in San Diego. How can I not be pissed off?"

"People died today because someone, possibly someone only a few years older than you, got nervous and happened to be wearing a tank when they were startled." That much had been clear enough, judging by the video. "People died, because other people panicked."

"And so we kick back and watch, safe in our little school, complain about how awful it is?" Julio snarled. "You risked being killed to save me, why are you not doing anything now?"

"I want you," Scott said steadily, "to tell me just how you think any of us could help anyone in Prague if we were instead focused on defending ourselves."

"I do not know!" Julio threw up his hands. "You train endlessly for things like this! You are the adults, you tell me! What is the purpose of this whole operation if you are not saving lives?" His hands shook as he tried to keep control of his temper. "You say people are dying because someone panicked, how many people died because I panicked? And yet you were there to help!"

"Because we knew where to look and were able to get there to help." It was so ironic, and the irony had only hit him just now - here he was, talking like he was the field leader of the damned X-Men, as if none of the last year had happened. He felt like it hadn't happened, and that was the most astonishing thing.

"Then what about what happened when you were kidnapped?" Julio said darkly. "The X-Men did not know anything at all, and yet they still did everything in their power to find you. They got there, they saved you. You could not stop me killing hundreds, but you still tried. Why are you not even trying now?"

Scott's expression tightened slightly. His voice was soft, however, as he answered. "We tried. You may not recognize it as the same sort of trying, but there were a number of people who did all they could to get us into Smichov. People you'll probably never meet. There are other ways to fight besides putting on black leather and getting into a stealth jet, Julio, as some of your classmates tried to point out."

"That is my point!" Julio exploded, "Why are you not helping? The leather, or the jet, fuck that. Why are you not helping, as a person? As a human? Why are we even here if we do nothing?"

"Why aren't you helping?" Scott countered. "Hindsight's always twenty-twenty, isn't it? Why didn't we go into Smichov two days ago and tell the Czech government to screw itself. Why didn't the team find me before I was tortured for five days. Why didn't we find you before Magneto forced you to cause that earthquake." Scott gazed up at him steadily. "None of those situations should have turned out the way that they did. You can hate yourself or the people around you for the fact that they did - no one can stop you from doing that. We can try and help you see that there's a better way to go forward, though. When was the last time you saw Doctor Samson?"

Julio was slightly thrown by the last question. "Thursday," he responded. "He said I was making progress," he added bitterly. "The difference between what happened before and now, is that you were at least trying. I see no trying, now."

Scott smiled a bit sadly. "Have you forgotten the five people from here who are in Smichov this quickly?" he said with a sigh. "The one who've been there for the last week, trying to help? No, they're not X-Men. No, they're probably not doing dramatic things... although I'm not sure I'd lay money on that. The difference is that they can be there - they have an in we don't, a way to be able to help that doesn't immediately label them the enemy."

"If they can help." Julio said coldly, "Then why can we not? If they are there, then there is possibility for you to get yourselves in. Are you not afraid that they will cause the 'international incident' themselves?"

"They can help because they're accredited NGO observers," Scott said, "and I have only a very vague idea of just how much work it took the head of Elpis to get them that status. Any mutant who shows up uninvited is liable to be regarded as a militant or a terrorist. It's not just our people on site, Julio, I don't know if you realize that... there are teams there from other NGOs, as well. The last time I looked at the news it said that the Red Cross will be moving in, in force, overnight. Finally. The people in Smichov haven't been left to fend for themselves."

Julio sighed. "And they are doing so well. How high is the body count?" The boy shook his head. "You do not understand, not at all." He cracked his knuckles impatiently. "Are you finished? May I leave? Or do I need to be lectured some more about how wonderful the X-Men are?"

"Given that I haven't been lecturing you on that subject I'm a little lost on where that came from," Scott said, calmly but very firmly. He knew Julio was angry and lashing out, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to call him on that. "You can leave. But Julio... I'm going to be talking to Doctor Samson, and the Professor. I want to be upfront about that, just so that you're not surprised if one of them asks you about how you're feeling about this."

"Go ahead," Julio said sarcastically, "I have made my feelings known. Repeating them a dozen or so times will not hurt. Perhaps they will be able to give me answers." Julio turned to leave.

"I have one thing to ask you," Scott said quietly before the boy could leave. "When Nathan gets home... talk to him, about what really happened in Smichov. Maybe if you hear the details from someone who was there, doing what he could, you'll be able to find some of those answers for yourself."

Sure," Julio said simply, feeling the beginnings of a migraine. "If I wished to talk to him, that is."

Scott rose. "I'm going to have faith that you actually want those answers and will go looking for them," he said, "that this wasn't just you using the situation as an excuse to lash out. I'm going to give you that much credit, Julio." He walked over to his desk. "You can go," he said. He had newsfeeds to watch.

The door slammed behind Julio without so much as a word.