Compiling Data - Scott and Ororo, over the weekend (backdated)

[x-cyclops.livejournal.com]

Scott and Ororo spend much of the weekend putting together as comprehensive a file on Sabretooth as possible from all the bits and pieces in the X-Men's database - and the previous experiences of a number of the mansion's residents - at the request of the Secret Service.


Friday

Scott frowned as he skimmed through Ororo's written description of what she'd seen and heard at the rally. Jean's had been very detailed as well, and Sam would add his once he was finished talking to Kyle and getting everything he remembered from him. One never knew when the smallest detail could be important. "... we need to call the Secret Service," he said finally, looking up at her. "I know you all talked to them briefly on-site, but we have resources of experience with Sabretooth that they really need. I can't imagine he's not going to try again."

With a nod Ororo steepled her fingers, remembering the few brief words exchanged all the rally and the card the agent had handed over. "Yes, I cannot imagine letting them go into any further investigation without more information... it would just be cruel. I am sure they would be welcoming of any help we could give them."

"But why target Creed?" Scott said, puzzled. "His political views... wait, I'm jumping ahead here," he said, his fingers tapping out an agitated rhythm on the top of the table. "We don't know that this is a Brotherhood operation, do we? No jumping to conclusions just yet..."

"We know next to nothing," Ororo reminded him with sigh. "Except that he remains, as always, a despicable man who can now add threatening children to his long list of questionable activities." She was not at all happy that Kyle had been threatened and injured by the other mutant, oh no, and if she had her way he would answer for that as well as the life he had nearly taken on Friday.

"Kyle's encountered him before," Scott said with a sigh of his own. "Damn, I'm glad he kept his head like he did... this could have turned out so badly if he didn't." Scott reminded himself to tell Kyle that, personally, as he turned his attention back to the screen. "Maybe we should-" He paused, mid-sentence, seeing Ororo do the same as Charles reached out to both of them, conveying the message.

As the Professor's presence faded, Scott blinked across the table at her. "Well. I guess that solves the question of calling the Secret Service ourselves..."

"Somehow, I am not too surprised." Getting to her feet, Ororo glanced back at Scott as they headed for the door. "Perhaps when we are finished there, a game of rock-paper-scissors? The loser must sort through everything pre-Liberty Island. And bring the winner coffee."

--

Saturday

"They got back to us finally," Scott said, walking into the Situation Room. He felt a little bad, having played hooky for some time with the 'Bird and lunch upstairs, but they'd been stalled, waiting for clearances and agreement on the other end. "Charles is still fielding questions about the coincidence of X-Men being at the rally, but I think he's making headway. I suspect Cooper's involved somehow."

"Far be it for us to have an interest in politics or social awareness," Ororo replied, the faint hint of sarcasm evident in her tone. "Show them Sam's syllabus if they really doubt us." Time in the greenhouse had done much to soothe her after the previous day's run-around with the Secret Service, but knowing that there was suspicion about their involvement was almost an insult

"The bad news is that they want to question Kyle." Scott raised a hand before Ororo responded. "I know. But Charles is going to be right there in the room with them, and we know Kyle didn't have anything to do with it."

"Has anyone told him? And does he know that it does not imply anything, and that we trust his story?" she wanted to know.

"Charles is going to handle it. And talking to his parents, too - they can't question a minor without parental consent." Scott shook his head as he settled into a chair. "I suppose it's got to be done, but I hope they remember he's a kid who had a really shitty day yesterday."

"Charles will make sure they will," Ororo said, completely assured of this fact. "Meanwhile, what else can we do to facilitate their investigation? We have more than enough information, but the trick is deciding what is needed and what is merely superfluous."

"They want facts," Scott said. "Hard facts, details about his behavior, that sort of thing." He shook his head, frowning. "It's not all in the database. We're going to have to make some phone calls -out to the West Coast at the very least."

"Then let us tackle that first, while there is still time. And the rest of the evening can be dedicated to going through the database... I know this is exactly how you wanted to spend your Saturday night."

"Alison's head is going to explode," Scott said with a sigh. "Want to flip a coin to see who gets to call her?"

"Very well," Ororo sighed, reaching into her pocket to dig out a quarter. "This time, winner gets the coffee."

--

Sunday

Ororo and Scott were in Scott's office, thanking their lucky stars that almost the entirety of the files and reports they had to go through were completely electronic. Otherwise, they might've been buried up to their knees.

"There," Ororo said, tapping in the last of her notes and turning the monitor towards Scott. "Everything Alison was able to remember." She grimaced; it had been almost painful asking Alison to recount any useful information from amidst the torture.

"We're going to have to think carefully about what to do with the information that Marie will probably be able to give us, once we get to that point," Scott said after a moment, wincing. It really was better that Ororo had talked to Alison, but he'd felt like he was wimping out, letting her do the hard work... "We've got to keep Remy's involvement out of it, but we can't leave out whatever she got from Sabretooth in Egypt. Talk to her tomorrow, maybe? Leave her until last?"

"Yes, that seems logical. I would not want to ruin her nice weekend so soon." Ororo smiled thinly. Somehow, spending the past few days digging up and rehashing Sabretooth's habits and behavior over the past few years had put her in a less-than-stellar mood. "And you have spoken with Pietro? He is willing to collaborate?"

"They... warned me off," Scott said. "I think they want to go through proper channels regarding him, possibly because of the immunity agreement? I reminded them that he's probably the best source we have at the moment, but that was about as far as I dared go. We don't want them thinking that we're honing in on the investigation. There seem to be too many people involved here who are twitchy about that."

"Fair enough. They may go about this however they like... we have done our part. I hope for Creed's sake it is enough. It seems unlikely that this was an isolated event, regardless of the motives behind it."

"Once we fulfill all their requests for information, we should be able to say something publicly to the school," Scott said after a few moments spent studying the file on-screen. "Thank goodness that it happened relatively quietly - I'd have hated to be fending off agitated inquiries all weekend."

"As would I," Ororo agreed, sipping at her nth cup of coffee with a nod. "Although I imagine once the news gets out we will have a few of those to field. Understandably so, of course."

Scott yawned and then tilted his head at the screen. "The words are wiggling," he muttered and then froze as both his and Ororo's beepers went off. He dug his out of his pocket. "Sit Room," he said, then sighed. "It never rains but it pours."