Time after Time: Arrival

[x-firestar.livejournal.com]

Scott takes Angel into the Danger Room to work on her powers but they don't get very far before they're interrupted.



Angel peeked out from behind Scott's back as they entered the Danger Room.  "Does it ever lose it's 'Oh my god, this is so awesome!'ness for you, Mr. Summers?" she asked, her normally loud voice almost a hushed whisper as she darted her eyes back and forth.  "Because, seriously?  This place is so awesome!  Have I told you that yet?  Or before?"

She also, possibly, might have been stalling despite the fact that she had asked for some needed training for the new set of powers.

"A couple of times," Scott said, tolerantly enough. "And sadly, yes - when you spend as much time as I do down here, it becomes very blase." She was definitely having some nerves. He knew the look.

"It's a room that can be another room, pretending to be another room. Man, I hope that never gets old to me."  She hopped from foot to foot for a moment before sighing.  "Sorry, Mr. Summers.  The next level, whatever, of my powers is kind of daunting.  I don't like that my skin goes away or that I don't have that much control over it.  I don't even know really how to get there..."

"One step at a time," Scott said. "I know that sounds trite, but you're not going to achieve control, or even a plan for achieving control, in a day, or a month. Maybe not even a year. Each one of us is a special snowflake," he said, his voice turning deadpan. "With many wonderful individual peculiarities, to which any training plan has to be adjusted."

"Are you being sarcastic-y?  I thought old people didn't know how to be sarcastic."  Angel's mouth twitched, just a little bit, and she took a hasty step away from Scott.  Just in case.

Looking innocent, her powers flickered on and she stood there, staring down at her arms in concentration.  "If you have any fairy dust, some wishful thinking might help this process along..."

"No wishful thinking necessary," Scott said amiably. "Just persistence. And I have plenty of that for both of us, if need be. Don't worry - I'll only kick your ass if necessary. And only a little."

She assumed that was his revenge for the old comment.  She hoped it was.  Angel took a deep breath and closed her eyes, feeling the fire and power run over her body.  Now that she knew there was another step to go it she could almost feel the difference between what she normally did and what she could do.

The last time though - there'd been confusion, and some pain; terror right before Forge had dropped the blanket over her.  The memories of being kidnapped and having her powers boosted caused something to quiver in her and she reached for it...

And stopped, staring up at the ceiling.  "Mr. Summers, is something wrong with the Danger Room?" she asked, watching something ripple above them.

In a sudden blinding flash of light and incongruously bitter cold, a shape appeared in midair, then fell to the floor of the Danger Room in an ungainly heap. Bathed in the strange light, a humanoid figure clad in a strange silver suit rose to its feet, featureless shining helmet pivoting back and forth as the light faded. Taking a step forward, the figure dropped to one knee, clasping both hands to its helmet.

"Son of a-" Scott, for an instant, was torn. The closest control panel, where he could hit the alarm, was several steps behind him, but Angel was in front of him, and closer to the intruder. "Angel, stay still!" he barked at her and dashed across the short distance to the wall, hitting the alarm and whirling in the same instant, intending to go back the way he'd come and put himself between the intruder and the girl.

She hadn't been that far from the guy when he'd dropped through the ceiling and she'd taken one hesitating step towards him before Mr. Summers' words pierced the 'Holy crap' fog that had clouded her brain. Angel yipped in surprise when the stranger made a sudden move towards her.

The intruder lurched, still struggling with the silver helmet as its suit hissed and pinged like a hot skillet dropped into cold water. Finally, with a sound of depressurizing air, the helmet fell to the floor of the Danger Room, and the man inside the suit dropped to his hands and knees, gasping for air.

Glancing up through a mop of sweat-soaked red hair, he panted as he surveyed his surroundings. "Civilized technology," he gasped, "wonderful. Please, I don't mean you any harm - dear God, tell me you at least speak English. My name is Benjamin Russell and I..."

He stopped as his gaze passed from Scott to Angel, a sudden look of shock passing over his features. "Angelica?" he murmured in surprise. "I... I don't believe it. You're... this shouldn't be possible. I found you. I... found...y--"

His last words were weakly mumbled as his eyes rolled back in his head and he fell forward onto the floor of the Danger Room.

"..."  Angel stared in shock at the unconscious man on the floor at their feet and then up at Scott.  "It's bad when strange men in weird suits fall from the ceiling and know my name, right?" she asked, her voice a little more high pitched than normal.

Scott swore, reaching out and pulling her back, away from the unconscious man and behind him. JEAN! he yelled down the link. We need you or Amelia in the Danger Room.