eyecondition | 01-2 [Action / Voice]

[It's a weird sort of deja vu to go to sleep in one's own bed only to wake up on the ground in the middle of some forest. His first instinct was to assume it was a hugely unfunny joke, and he picked himself up and groped around the closest trees, eyes clenched tightly.]

Very funny, guys! Now give me back my glasses before I end up hurting someone.

[He gropes at two of the nearest trees, trying to gather his sense of direction. He'd memorized every tree around the perimeter of the school for just this occasion. This one is as thick as one of the old oaks, but didn't have any of the telltale carvings he'd notched into the closest trees years ago. That means he's either out farther than he thought or that this isn't a prank at all.]

Whoever's out there, this isn't going to solve anything. [It can't be Mystique again. Mystique is dead.] We can talk about this. You don't have to put everyone into such a dangerous situation.

[There isn't any answer. That means worse things. Had there been an attack? Was he separated from everyone again? There's only one way to find out.]

Look, I don't know if anyone can hear me. But if you can and you're close by, please get back right now!

[He dares to open his eyes, for just a flash of information. A beam shoots out, splintering the tree in front of him and sending chunks of wood blasting out in all directions. Luckily, there hadn't been anyone standing there, though he was almost positive he'd seen a rabbit. And if he'd seen a rabbit, that rabbit wasn't alive anymore. It was a mistake to check at all.]

It's fine, Summers. [He coaches himself now that he assumes he's alone.] You've done this before. Just reach out to Jean and she'll come find you and everything'll work out again. Assuming she's all right. Jean, please be all right.

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Glad to know you missed me.

[He settles down beside Logan, not even questioning the random Dr. Pepper. As much as he'd normally be wary about mysterious drinks, Logan would be good enough to punch anyone who tried to spike it.]

Has it been long for you?

In this place? [He takes a drink because the answer is not one he particularly savors.] Made it to one year a few months back. Just long enough fer folk to realize they have to put up with me.

A year?

[Logan, you almost made him do a spit take.] What have you all been doing here for that long? [He couldn't get a straight answer out of Rogue.]

Drinkin'. Beatin' people up. Makin' questionable life decisions. [He grunts.] An' that's just between the drafts, experiments, and missions. We do our best to keep busy. To keep movin' on. But they don't make it easy on us.

But with all of you here together, there wasn't any chance to get home?

[Dude, they're X-Men. Things get rough, but rarely for more than half an hour or so.]

It ain't a matter of just grabbin' the nearest jet and flyin' home, kid. A few months ago, the smartest man we got in this dome tried to build a portal home. The damn thing blew up in his face. We ain't here fer lack of tryin'.

[That prompts a solemn nod from him. If Wolverine says something's so, then that's the way it is.]

Are they working on something else? Is there anything I can do to help?

At the moment? I don't think so. Our next move, now, is to wait for the Malnosso to make their move. [He lets out a huff.] 'course, even if we do get out of this bubble, there's still the war out there.

What kind of war? [Because that's clearly the most important thing Logan just said.]

Cultist. A horde of ax-crazy maniacs with the crazy idea of sacrificin' folk for some greater good. They're dangerous'n when they die, they come back same as we do. If no one's told you yet, then they just invaded this place not a month ago.

If they could get in, then why didn't we follow them out?

Hell if I know, kid. The controls fer gettin' in might be on the outside of the barrier. Cuz they sure as hell didn't leave the way they came in.

[He swallows.]

... You're saying there's only one way out.

Not for us. [He takes a drink.] They just stuff us back in here again after.

Wait, what do you mean "after"?

Are we already dead?

[A smirk and Logan slaps Scott on the shoulder.]

Not just yet. Don't get paranoid just yet. I ain't even got halfway through all the bad stuff.

[OH JEEZ LOGAN THAT'S KIND OF HARD.]

There's more?

First of all, there ain't just the cultists no more. Word is, they got someone new leading 'em now. Former Malnosso. They invaded last month, like I said. But they didn't do it by any kind of fightin'. They brainwashed us before we ever got to make a fist.

[The idea of people invading telepathically almost sends Scott reeling from his stool. His thoughts turn to Jean, and the trouble she's had with other telepaths. Of the steely way the Professor redirected the thoughts of a stadium full of people ~~for the greater good of everyone involved~~.]

How did you break free of it?

I didn't. Someone else did. Killed the bastard that caused it.

[And that is the worst part of it. He didn't overcome it. There was no struggle to reclaim his mind. One minute he believed something, the next he didn't.]

[Sorry, what.]

If you didn't, then who did?

[How did anyone manage to be more resilient than Wolverine?]

[He shook his head.]

Don't know. I ain't seen anyone claim credit yet.

[He takes a deep breath, struggling to process all of this.]

So. We're just stuck without a plan?

... I'd argue if I could. But that's about the size of it.

[And he hates admitting it. Because it just reminds him of how he's failed in Lueceti so far.]

That's impossible. There's got to be something we haven't tried.

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