Log: Scott and Sooraya

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Scott meets Sooraya in the Danger Room and she has an important question for him

Scott walked slowly down the hallway to the Danger Room precariously balancing a stack of folders in one hand and carrying a cup of coffee in the other. The Danger Room was supposed to be free now which made it a perfect opportunity for him to update some of the programs. He rounded the corner frowning as he saw the in use light on, glancing at the screen to check the program running he thumbed open the door and leaned against the doorjamb looking into the room

Sooraya didn't even notice the door of the room opening. She was running of one of her most complicated programs to train her control and accuracy. Several drones were moving around the room and she was moving around in sand form. Small whips lashed out from the sand cloud, hitting the area's that lighted up on each drone. A mark would appear when she hit it, green if it was the right amount of strength, red if she would have caused physical damage. 

Scott took a sip of his coffee, not wanting to step into the room or disrupt Sooraya's concentration. He ran an experienced eye over her movements, she had definitely improved significantly over the past few months. He remembered bringing her into the Danger Room to work on disabling guns, she wouldn't ave been able to pull off a complicated move like this back then. He smiled slightly, impressed at the young woman's dedication.

The last few whips lashed out from the sand cloud as the program came to it's end. The drones marched back to their alcoves as Sooraya reformed inside her clothing and let out a long deep breath. She turned around around to head out so she could grab a shower, but stopped suddenly as she spotted Mr. Summers leaning against the door jamb. "Mr. Summers?!?" A faint blush colored her face. "How long have you been there?" 

"Long enough," Scott replied. "You've improved a lot," he told her as he pushed off fro the door careful not to unbalance any of the folders. He carefully threaded his way though the mannequins heading towards the control room.

"Thank you." Sooraya said with a nod and a small smile. "I have been working hard to improve my control and many other things. The Whip is of the hardest maneuvers to get right"

"It looks complicated," Scott agreed, "but I can see how it would be useful in a fight. Isn't it kind of an offensive your of your powers though?" he asked. "I thought you wanted to learn to defend yourself not attack others," he gestured at the mannequins as he spoke.

Sooraya took a deep breath. It suddenly occured to her this might be a good occasion to have that talk she had been wanting to have. "That was my original intention..." She agreed. "But... could we maybe go somewhere we talk?" She followed up a little more hesitantly.  

Scott looked at Sooraya curiously, "Sure," he agreed gesturing up at the control room, "Would the control room be ok? Or would you prefer to talk in my office?"

"The control room is fine." Sooraya grabbed her bag that was lying against the wall and dug out a bottle of water. She took a few quick sips as she headed to the control room. She waited until Mr. Summers has sat down before she took her own seat. "I have been training the offensive side of my powers for a few weeks now... Especially since what happened in Attilan... I am tired of being kidnapped and see the people around me get hurt..." She explained honestly. 

"And you decided that the best way to cope with that is learning to attack other people?" Scott asked curious to know Sooraya's reasoning.

Her eyes widened immediately. "No, absolutely not." She protested vehemently. "I still think the less you have to fight, the better. It's just... sometimes working purely defensively, with the idea of trying to run as soon as possible, doesn't work or is not enough. Especially when you are defending other people then yourself. I see it more as becoming more well-rounded or widening my range of options. Isn't it a kind of balance you have to keep?"  

"It is," Scott agreed. "Just as long as you understand that the balance is centered around protecting people and not attacking them. Like any tool, and that's what our powers are, what matters is how and why you use them,it's one of the hardest lessons to learn. Too many people, both mutants and non-mutants, forget that they're supposed to be protecting people and end up lashing out in those kind of situations." He leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his coffee, "So what did you want to talk about?" he asked.

"I know all too well what can happen when I just lash out with my powers, Mr. Summers." Sooraya replied, an image of Mahad's blooding arm once more flashing behind her eyes. "When I was in Attilan... and when I was working with Angelo and Yvette to rescue Leyu and to arrest Achmed... Afterwards something has changed for me, Mr. Summers... I have spent some time talking to people and even more thinking since then... I would like to become a trainee with the X-men."    

Scott took another sip of his coffee gazing speculatively at Sooraya over the rim of his cup. "Are you sure?" he asked. "The X-men do more than just defend our friends, or protecting people in need, although we do that too. It is a major investment of time, and you'll be starting college in the fall. Will you have enough time to train at he mansion and enjoy your college life as much as you deserve to?"

Sooraya met his gaze steadily. "Yes, I am sure. I have considered this seriously, Mr. Summers. I talked to a number of people about their experiences. The time investment was one of the things we discussed. They managed and I think I will be able to manage it as well. I wish to help mutants in the world and I feel very strongly that my path has guided me here at the moment." 

Scott nodded, "It sounds like you've done your research," he noted. "I'd be happy to confirm it with Charles, but," he held out his hand, "welcome to the X-men Miss Qadir."

Her mouth stretched into a big smile and she accepted his hand. "Thank you, Mr. Summers. I am looking forward to starting training."