just outside the lab

[forge]

Once outside, Forge breathed in a deep breath, and began what had to be considered something of a tirade – at least for him. His voice was low, as to avoid anyone overhearing what he had to say from the other room.

None the less, he spoke as quickly as he could, to get his point across before Storm could argue too much.

“Storm. I understand you’re the headmistress around here, but that’s not necessarily applicable to me. What matters to me is that you’re the leader of the X-Men. I’m an X-Man, not a student. I was signed on with Professor X before he passed, and, as far as I recall, a member to the fullest degree. I’m also a grown ass man. Please… PLEASE don’t treat me like one of the children. Especially in front of them. I may have made a bone-head move, yeah, and I mean it when I say I’m sorry – but I have to ask that if you want to deal with me about a decision I’ve made, you do so in private without causing a scene.”

[Storm]

Storm looked at him somewhat imperiously.

A whole host of things to say jostled around in her brain and she gritted her teeth to stop them all coming out.

"You can ask, but I don't have to say yes.

"You frightened me, you woke the entire house, you brought students out of their beds. I wonder at your accusation that I was the one who caused a scene. I would have spoken the same way to Scott" - oh, God - "or Logan." The stony look on her face left no doubt this was the case. "I do not think I said anything inappropriate, nor did I say everything within hearing range of the students.

"You're new here, Forge, and I don't want to get off on the wrong foot with you. But I don't know you personally, so I hope you understand if I don't give you free reign on your first day."

She took a deep breath, ready to give in a little. "However, I do want to discuss the issue with NovaTeX. I think that should have our attention next. But there is a sick child in there and I should see to her first."

[forge]

Forge’s eyes narrowed, and he seemed to take a second to calculate. A million thoughts and reactions flowed through his consciousness by the time she was done, but in the end he went with:

“It’s your boat, run it however you want.” And the on top of that: “As for NovaTex, before you go into that little girl – I want to express my opinion. And sorta the reason I considered it an emergency, for that matter. You said we had time, but I think the Brotherhood are going to move on the location as soon as possible. Their last known location was in Europe, but that was back during the bank robbery. They could be on their way to Baltimore now. They could even be there by now, for all we know. Not only that, but notably the cure is only available in this one spot - just this one spot. A few weeks ago the government released a news report on their new Sentinel program. Whata better testing grounds for these... mutant hunters... than this? It stinks of a set-up. Worse, it stinks of a blood-bath. In my professional opinion, we need to go and wait in Baltimore – stake the place out, and wait to see when they will pop up, and be there ready. It’s only a matter of time – and if that report was released late last night, time is something we probably don’t have.”

Forge’s memory was cast back to news footage of Pryo blasting a clinic to burnt rubble, killing God knows how many mutants and humans alike. Even if they just blew the place up, and didn’t try to annex some of the cure themselves – which he wanted to do – they could kill dozens, if not hundreds, of people.

[Storm]

Storm, turning back ot the door, was stopped by Forge's explanation. She pursed her lips and stared at the wall with an intensity that indicated he had set her wheels turning.

"Oh my God, the Sentinels," she said quietly.

She cocked her head towards him and looked him in the eye after a moment. "What good is our getting involved?

"If you are right and it is a set-up, the Sentinels and the Brotherhood will fight it out. Neither of them are our allies. I don't -" she paused. "Heaven knows I don't like to see bloodshed. But would our interference really do good? Enough to justify a battle with the two forces that are most dangerous to the X-Men?"

Her hand was on the door, but she did not know whether to go or stay.

[forge]

Forge didn’t take his eyes from her. As angry as he was, he knew this conversation would be of paramount importance. For that matter, it may do well to define the relationship between himself and Storm for years to come.

“If we don’t go… well… Something tells me that neither the Brotherhood nor the Government whack-jobs behind the Sentinel’s gives two cups of monkey piss about the innumerous mutant and human lives that will be caught in the fire. I saw the footage from Alcatraz, I can imagine the carnage left behind a full scale mutant battle scenario. Imagine how many mutants and humans are going to be showing up for the cure – for, against, to see the show. The media, tourists. Knowing the government, the Sentinels aren’t going to be loaded with rock-salt rounds.”

[Storm]

Storm's eyes closed for a moment. She never wanted to make the decision to send the X-Men into battle.

But angry as she was still at Forge, she found herself at that moment alone, with only him as an aide. And she could not deny that Xavier had trusted him, and his words held truth. The images flashed through her head... children, tourists, protestors, mutants looking only for hope...

She opened her eyes to his again. "Who will we be fighting for? The Brotherhood? The government?" She shook her head.

After another moment, she said slowly, "I would say yes, only to defend the innocent bystanders.

"But - I don't want to make this decision alone. We must have time to ask the others." She looked almost pleading, wanting the comforting logic of someone like Kurt.

[forge]

Forge nodded, and sighed heavily. What a morning.

“I completely agree… I don’t see the X-Men as a military. I see us a group of volunteers, who volunteer to go into battle where we are needed. I volunteer to go to Baltimore, I’m sure you do as well. We should go see if the others do as well, yes…”

He looked down.

“As for who we are fighting for… well, I’d say those civilians. To hell with the Brotherhood, and to hell with Uncle-Sam’s mutant hating robots. Maybe we won’t do any fighting at all, for that matter, just do some damage control…”

He hated to see any one obviously as torn up inside about a decision as Storm was, and to a degree, it softened him a little – but only so far. Fact was, very soon, there would be a butcher’s bill in Baltimore. They needed to get there as soon as possible.

“Let’s get goin’.” He said simply, referring to the meeting more than the actual trip to Baltimore. “Good thing about my PA call, anyone who considers himself an X-Man should be on his or her way here right about now.”

[Storm]

Storm nodded once and narrowed her eyes slightly. "Damage control," she repeated firmly, and put her hand to the lab door to go inside while she listened to his last words.

She almost smiled at his mention of the PA system, although not quite. She wasn't entirely over the shock yet. "If they didn't fall asleep again. Give the house a little longer while I help the little girl." There was a slight twinkle in her eye. "Then perhaps a more explanatory message would be appropriate."

[forge]

"Then perhaps a more explanatory message would be appropriate."

He smirked. “Deal.”

With that, the two stepped back into the Med Lab. The conversation hadn’t exactly gone in the direction that Forge had planned, but he hoped that he at least had some respect from Storm now, particularly in regards to plan making. Forge had real world military experience, if nothing else, to fall back on.

As he stepped into the lab, he drew another donut from his tool-pouch, and began to eat it. Say what you will about modern science, but to the man known as Forge, Krispy-Kreme was a miracle of culture, probably even a paragon.

[Storm]

[OOC: Success!

Con't back in "In the Lab."]