2014.11.16 - Short Session

Jean hasn't been down in the Danger Room in a long time. Not that she hasn't wanted to train but she has been busy between meetings and symposiums and everything else she does when she's not working here. And when she's been here? The kids have been keeping her busy! Thankfully today presented her with some free time, enough to allow her to spend much needed time training.
Dressed in the uniform she wears while in here, the spandex-like full bodysuit comfortable and allowing for her to have much in the way of range of motion, she stands in the middle of the room. The scenery flickers, shifting from the default blank walls and floor to an urban setting, a familiar one as it's a program she's used numbers of times. The buildings are ruined and numerous cars are strewn about here and there, and the streets are empty with no signs of what is coming her way to be seen, yet. Her attention, however, is slightly unfocused as she's soon sending Scott a telepathic message, asking if he'd like to join her before the fun gets underway.
For some, Sundays are spent having a beer and watching the game. But Scott Summers has always measured what is 'relaxing' by a different rubric. Which is why he's already doing his second workout of the day, in full combat gear
But apparently that's not enough to tire him out, as he not only answers her question with an affirmative answer, but he's at the wooshing Danger Room door almost as soon as he's summoned. However, he pauses before placing his hand on the access panel, wouldn't want to appear as if he were too eager.
Having taken a breath and collected himself, he opens the door and strides in with just the right amount of carefully-calculated swagger. But though his posture is a bit rigid, his voice is soft and almost shy when he greets the redheaded mother of his future alternate universe children.
"Hey you."
Of course Scott //tries// to act casual but Jean knows better, not that she'll do anything like call him out on it. What she does is turn her head slightly to one side to try and conceal a forming smile he almost always brings out in her when he tries so very hard not to seem skittish. "Hello, Scott. Thank you for joining me." He'll feel a slight brush of her mind against his as she tries to sooth him, not wanting him to feel too anxious just because they are in the same room together.
Taking a second, Jean remembers how well the two of them used to work together as a team, the memories pleasant. Of course, that was a while ago. What if things have changed and such isn't the case anymore? Ugh, no. She will not allow herself to go down that path. That path will only lead to her becoming depressed and running to the kitchen for a pint of Chunky Monkey. Nope. She'll just keep the thoughts light. "I am glad you were free. I didn't want to do this alone today." God, she's been alone enough in the past. Enough so to make enduring it now painful.
"Not a problem. I was hoping to work on a few new maneuvers today anyway." This is probably true, considering that Cyclops spends about half of his time training, and spends the other half planning. However, he tenses up noticeably when he feels the familiar presence of Jean's mind, but does an almost passable job of playing it off.
Leaning casually against one of the abandoned cars, he surveys the area with an appreciative look. "Nice. Haven't used this one in a while. Not since that time we... " his voice trails off, and he rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. "Anyway, this is your training session, what did you have planned?" It's perhaps amazing how quickly his tone can switch from businesslike to tender and back again in the space of just a few seconds.
All the up-down with him has Jean sighing a little. It isn't that she isn't used to it but damnit, she wishes they could move past this and be more... okay than this. But it can't be forced, otherwise it might push Scott away, not draw him closer, that something perhaps seen in him in the past. What she does is force the smile to stay in place while she walks up to him, considering him for a few. "I was thinking we could use some time together, working on our teamwork," gets explained while one of the 'cars' soon floats, held aloft in the air by Jean's telekinesis.
At the same time the car starts to 'float' lights begin to shine, first off in the distance only to then come closer with what sounds like heavy footsteps accompany the illumination. The way the light hits the ground might make someone think of headlights from a ground vehicle but it isn't a car or anything like this that it comes from. No, the source is easily four or five stories tall.
"Ugh. I hate these guys..."
Now that the exercise has started, Cyclops is quick to take cover behind the car he was leaning against just a second ago. Not the most protective shield against Sentinel blasters, but it'll have to do until he has an opportunity to find something better.
His manner when chatting Jean up might be unpredictable, but once he shifts gears into 'mission mode' he's suddenly colder than ice. It's taken years for him to develop so much focus, but now it comes as naturally to him as breathing.
"Better get airborne, Jean. You hit him high, I'll hit him low!" He's shouting orders, but his tone is so controlled that it almost doesn't feel as if he's shouting at all. Almost as if he's talking someone through a math problem. A really simple math problem, that is.
Scott... Cyclops' suggestion is met by a nod from Jean who is quick to take to the air, floating as easily as a feather caught in a breeze, her ascent slow at first but soon it speeds up and she's at about head level at the thing coming into view. It's a Sentinel, of course, one of the older models that used to plague the team when they were younger. Means they should have an easy time of this, assuming Jean hasn't programmed any surprises, which she just might have.
The TK'd car is raised higher as well but as soon as it's at the robot's chest-level it's hurled in its direction but their enemy sees it in time and it swats it out of the air, batting it away like one does an annoying gnat. Hmm. Maybe Jean made this one a little smarter than normal.
While the Sentinel is batting away the car, Cyclops is taking advantage of the distraction. Leaping from behind the car, he takes three running steps and then drops to the ground, rolling to better cover behind a concrete barrier. Some mutants don't have the ability to erect telekinetic shields around themselves...
"Watch out for shrapnel!" Cyclops makes sure Jean has a heads up before he fires off an optic blast at the robotic monstrosity's chest. Unfortunately, the Sentinel's arm is already in the same general vicinity, allowing it to block Cyclops' shot with surprising ease. Of course, this isn't healthy for its arm, but it prevents his power core from being pushed through the back of his body at Mach Something or Another.
Several pieces of metal do hit but instead of causing harm to Jean they bounce off of her shield which glows slightly. There's a pause before, with a gesture, she brings the building the Sentinel is next to down, the loose mortar making it easy for her to do so with minimal effort. The metal skin gets some dings and dents, mostly about its head, but like before it's a distraction and nothing more.
Glancing at Cyke, she raises a brow, curious as to what it is he'll do. "My feelings won't be hurt if you take it out," she yells, not bothering with the telepathy this time. "Let loose!"
Now that Jean is clear of the robot, there's no reason for Cyclops not to dial his visor up to 11. Which, is precisely what he does, twisting the small knob on the side of his visor until it's at its maximum setting.
"Roger that. Letting loose in three... two..."
The entire area is lit up with a flash of red light as Cyclops' optic blast hits the Sentinel with enough force to punch a hole through a mountain. Fortunately the safety protocols are in place in the Danger Room, or they'd probably have to get Forge to build a new one.
It is predictable, the outcome. When Cyclops finally lets go and makes with the full attack the Sentinel's body winds up with a void in its torso where its power source used to be. The hulking metal mass freezes at first, it's eyes flickering dim before going out entirely and its body crumbles to the ground. Once taken out, the Danger Room returns to its default setting, the destroyed cityscape fading out of view. Short session, yes. Jean really wasn't expecting him to join her so only programmed one enemy unit this time.
Taking to ground again, Jean walks over to Scott, her smile amused. "Now if we can just convince you to let loose like that more often," she teases, risking embarrassing or angering Scott by doing so.
Cyclops avoids any sort of self-congratulatory nonsense. A half smile as Jean descends is about as much celebration as he allows himself, but at least it's something. He stands up as his cover vanishes in front of him, and slowly adjusts the collar of his training uniform as Jean walks up.
"What are you talking about? I cut loose a few years ago at Coffe A Go-Go. You must have been busy listening to Bernard the Poet." It's a deadpan delivery, which is how he always tells jokes. But the careful observer could perhaps detect the fainest traces of mirth right at the edge where his face meets his visor.
"Oh yes. I forgot. Then you're not due for another couple of years, I suppose." There's a grin when she says that, of course. Not a full on smile but close. Reaching up, she tugs at the collar of Scott's uniform while looking at him, her eyes held to his face. "We should do that someday. Go and find a place to hang out." A shoulder lifts and she turns to take in the room as a whole, her expression thoughtful.
Reaching up, she pulls the partial hood-like part of her uniform off, allowing for her hair to tumble fully about her shoulders. "I think I forgot what it's like to have fun," she intones, the grin fading. "I miss that."
As Jean's hair cascades down her shoulders, a completely involuntary reflex action occurs. Scott's lower jaw drops slightly, causing his lips to part. Then he awkwardly covers it up by coughing and looking in another direction. "Ahem. Yes. Definitely." Deep breath.
He takes about a half step closer to her, tentative as always. He's gotten completely comfortable yelling orders at people, but Jean still has a way of reducing him to the awkward gangly teenager who couldn't work up the courage to ask a girl to see a movie.
"Well... maybe we ought to see what Bernard is up to these days? I think I heard that he bought the place a few years ago, maybe he's still confusing the patrons with his nonsense? We... we could drive up there after work sometime this week?"
Does Jean know the kind of reaction she brings out in Scott? If she does she plays ignorant to how he looks at her and then goes to act like he didn't. It isn't until he moves that she turns, her expression warm and perhaps slightly expectant. Thankfully he doesn't let her down and does in fact ask her out on a... dare she call it a date? "I would like that... but just the two of us, right?" As much as she loves their friends she really does not want to make it a group 'thing', that being something that can be saved for later. This time, however, she'd like it to just be Scott and her.
Reaching over, she brushes a bit of lint from his shoulder and nods slowly. "Let me know in advance so I can make sure to keep an evening free. And we can drink coffee and listen to horrible poetry until all hours of the night." Just like old times.
Category:Log