Second Thoughts: Request

[x-velocidad.livejournal.com]

Gabriel calls Jean for help. (On the phone, like it's 1999 and there's no texting.)[Backdated to Saturday night.]

Technology sucked.

While Gabriel was speeding through the world, he apparently couldn't do anything about how long it took cell phone signals to communicate with towers and then get to wherever they needed to go. Which wasn't actually that long, but when you were outpacing time, every real-second sometimes felt like forever.

So with the crazy couple now hot on his heels, Gabriel had to run at a normal speed so that he could dial and make the phone call he now, unfortunately, had to make.

At least he'd thought to put her number in his phone just in case.

School hadn't started yet, so Jean had nothing to grade and was feeling pretty good about that as she turned the page on her romance novel, The Dreamer of Swords, while sipping a glass of Merlot on the couch. Romance novels were one of her guilty pleasures, though she was prepared to defend herself if ever found out.

The phone rang, set to a ring tone for calls that were outside her normal circle. Quirking a brow at a number she didn't recognize, she picked it up.

"This is Dr. Jean Grey."

"Doc?" Gabriel was trying not to sound too panicked, which he imagined was impossible since he was short of breath and taking a brief pause from running for his safety. "This is Gabriel. Or maybe Andrew Jimenez? I can't remember which name I gave you, but I'm the guy who tried to steal your wallet a few weeks ago?"

Closing the book, the glass of wine floated down and came to rest on a nearby table as Jean sat up straight on the couch, "I remember. You gave me both names, actually," she said.

"What's going on?" He didn't sound like he was calling for an idle chat.

"Oh, you know." Gabriel wiped some sweat from his neck, continuing to walk west. "Nice evening on the town. Figured I'd check in." He was talking fast, but he was too freaked out to slow down. "Oh, also, remember that thing you told me might happen if I kept doing that thing I did? Well, that happened. And now Catwoman and her Portia di Rossi lady-friend are stalking me, and I might be in danger."

Jean paused, taking a moment to facepalm as she dragged herself off the couch. Of course he was. The words 'I told you so' weren't even going to begin to cover it so she kept that to herself. Heading to her closet, she grabbed her X-Man uniform.

"Where are you?"

"Manhattan?" He offered sheepishly. "Midtown. West Side. I'm..." His eyes darted toward a nearby street sign. I'm on 23rd and 9th, but I'm - I'm kinda near the High Line? Is this an iPhone? Can I drop you a pin?"

"Android," Jean said, keeping the phone to her ear telekinetically as she got dressed. "But I think some modifications have been made to the OS to allow certain features."

"I don't even know how to drop a pin," Gabriel admitted, "but I saw it on a TV episode once so it seemed like a thing I should say." He was aware how inappropriate this was. "I'm going to — I mean, I'll try to do it but if Lady Paralysis and The Cat Girl come by me, I'm gonna have to bolt, so..." He was at a loss. "Jesus, Jean, what do I even do here?"

"Stay out of sight and stay alive until I get there," Jean said, zipping up her uniform. "You said one of them was a cat girl? It's possible she can track you by scent. You may need to figure out a way to mask it."

"Oh, good thing I keep a bottle of Drakkar Noir on me at all times." Gabriel would have rolled his eyes if the situation had called on it. "She's not - she's, like, feral or something. It's the other one I'm worried about. She can, like - I think she might have shut down my speed for a little while. If you — shit!" He jumped back from the street as a car barreling through a red light almost ran him over. "Sorry, just... what was I saying?"

"Snarking at the person trying to save your life...not helpful," Jean said, leaving Scott a note as she headed out the door toward the lower levels. Most people were out of the mansion at this hour. Who was around? She stopped in her tracks when he cursed, poised to hit the emergency button on her comm, but resumed pace when he spoke again, not sounding injured.

"What happened?"

"I didn't look both ways before crossing the street. Not being rude this time, that's actually true. I'm not—" Gabriel paused and took a breath. "I'm trying to walk, talk, chew gum and juggle flaming batons at the same time, and it's obviously not working."

"You're doing fine," Jean assured him, pulling out her X-Men communicator to text the nearest available X-Men who weren't still recovering, in this case Garrison and Kurt on the X_Team comms.

"It's going to take me a few minutes to get there. I'm not in the city. I need you to elude them as long as you can. I'm bringing a couple of friends."

"Okay. Okay. I can do that, because I'm fast and generally clever when I'm not in moments like this one." Gabriel nodded to reassure himself that all those things were true. "Everything will be fine. Everything will be fine, right?"

"Right," Jean echoed with encouragement and a soft smile. She knew he was terrified, and the attitude was a defense mechanism. "You're fast and generally clever in this moment too. You have been so far already....You called for help and you haven't been captured yet...pretty clever to me."

"Yeah, well, you know." Gabriel mumbled. He was silent for a minute as he stood and took stock of his surroundings. "I should go. This call is slowing me down, and I'm trying not to die tonight, so..."

"If you get cornered call again if you can. Keep your GPS on on your phone, I'll find you," Jean said, stopping by the medlab for her medical bag. She never wanted to use it but she brought it just in case.

"Yep, okay." Gabriel agreed. "Get here fast, okay?"

"That's the plan," Jean said as she heard the footsteps from the others approaching. "Stay safe."

"Thanks." Gabriel pulled the phone away from his ear and hung up. After a quick scan around him, he decided the best plan of action was to keep moving.