xp_logs | Reality Coming Down

The mansion is forced to recruit the younger students to defend the mansion

The tension in the mansion was almost palpable. The chaos had boarded the Blackbird with the X-forces, but it left a quiet anxiety behind that had those mutants left behind on edge.

Waiting, waiting, waiting.

The students and staff that remained in Westchester were keeping themselves busy enough, but the tasks they'd been given proved to be little distraction. Now, that waiting period was over, and more of their own had fallen.

Charles' office was deathly silent, broken only by the slight sound of his breathing. the founder of the X-Men was sitting by the window, staring unseeingly out of the window, where snow was falling fitfully. The still white blanket over the grounds was just another contrast to the turmoil that was Charles' mental and emotional state.

Behind him, the door opened, and he finally spoke without turning from the window:

"Emma. Please, come in."

"Charles." Emma’s acknowledgement of the Professor was curt. "Watching the world end? A bang or a whimper, do you think? If, of course," she added as she settled into the chair opposite Charles, "you think we’ll be around long enough to see it end."

"We were here at the beginning. I never thought there would be an end, let alone one like this." Charles finally turned from the window, moving his chair so that he was facing Emma's seat. "You've heard about India, I suppose?"

"As if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced," quoted Emma. "I could hardly fail to hear about India," she said. Emma had faced death and destruction and the threatened end of the world on a number of occasions now. Her reaction, as always, tended towards the acerbic. "That many people dying makes... a hole in the world."

"In all the worlds." Charles' expression was distant again. "All of this... it's punching holes in the fabric of reality and everything is beginning to bleed together. We both can feel it. So far, the mansion has been an oasis in all of this chaos. But that won't last."

"Of course it won't," replied Emma. "We aren't that lucky." She sighed suddenly. "All I ever wanted to do was save my brother and sisters from the monsters," she said. "I don't remember signing up to save the world. I'm fairly certain the lawyers would have mentioned it." She let the smallest fraction of her cold mask slip. "Do you think we can save it, Charles? It. Them. Whichever applies."

"I don't know, Emma." Charles sighed again, thinking of everything - everyone that had been lost already. Below them, outside on the grounds, a bundled up figure, one of the students, hurried past. "But we must try, regardless. For their sakes." His expression changed then, his next words losing that lost tone, once again the crisp, authoritative tones of Professor X. "We don't have much time - the fluxes in the fabric of reality are growing stronger and more focused over the school. It's up to you and I, Emma, to organise the defence, such as it will be."

"Dark gods and firebirds and holes in the world," said Emma dryly. "How does one defend against those?" She raised a mental hand as Charles went to reply. "Shall we just start with plans for defending the mansion and work our way out to stitching the universe back into place?" She closed her eyes for a moment, giving the pain less than a second to have its way with her, and then putting it back in its box. "Much as I'd like to resurrect the dead, I suspect that may be beyond even us."

"The dead are gone. Our duty now is to the living." Charles' voice was flat, but his mind was a raging storm. "As much as we have always tried to protect the children, this will be their fight also. There are too few of us left."

Emma had a number of views about Charles and the protection of children, but now didn't seem the time to raise them. "The children will understand what is necessary," she chose to say. "Their friends have died. Saying we can protect those that are left would hardly be believable in the circumstances." She sighed, turned to practicalities. "How many do we have left here? And how many can lead a team?"

"Of the X-Men, none. Those that survived Muir are still recovering." Charles looked grim. "Johnny Gallo is the only one unharmed and he is a relatively new trainee. There are some of the graduates and older residents: Sarah Vale, Meggan Szardos, Sue Storm, Tandy Bowen. Of them, I would suggest Sue as a team leader. She has a good head on her shoulders and is used to responsibility."

Emma nodded slowly. She had got to know Sue reasonably well during their lessons in robotics and what she knew indicated that Sue would not fall apart under the pressure of sudden command. “And the younger students?” she asked. “I know Molly, at least, is still here.”

Charles nodded. "She is, yes, along with Topaz and Hope Abbott. There are also our two newer students - Miles Morales and Tyrone Johnson. Miles has some... experience at least, in taking care of himself in dangerous situations, and Topaz has seen more than her share of combat with various magical incidents."

Emma closed her eyes, visualising the layout of the school in her head. “I would think,” she said slowly, “three teams. That’s probably the best we can do with the numbers that we have. With Sue leading one and I can lead another, but...” she frowned, opened her eyes. “I can’t think of anyone that could lead the third?”

Charles had nodded his agreement with Emma's suggestions, and then hesitated. "Well, there is another new face... Gabriel Cohuelo. You may have seen him on the journal system. He..." Despite himself, a faint grin crossed his face. "He came to our notice when he attempted to steal Jean's wallet in a bar in downtown New York."

Emma raised an eyebrow in polite not-quite-disbelief. "That... doesn't sound like it would end well," she said dryly. "Are you sure you trust him to lead the team, when he's that poor at judging risk?" Her question was almost, but not quite, teasing.

Charles caught the tone and inclined his head. "Touche, Emma. But he is resourceful and cunning, and I think in this situation that will be needed. And he has made friends here even in the short time since he arrived. I think he will do what he can to keep his people safe."

"As will we all," replied Emma, softly. "I can only hope that it will be enough."