2013-02-25 Accepted

It's early morning, well before classes, and Jocelyn is back doing her morning workout routine. She's a creature of habit, if nothing else, and time being drugged by some crazy whack-job of a mutant hater didn't do her body any good. The weather isn't as bad as it's been at times since she got here, which is a small blessing that the new student is rather grateful for. It's so much more obnoxious when the weather is bad, and she hates treadmills when forced indoors. So much less interesting! So, the teenager can be found out back near the athletic field, dressed in a pair of black yoga pants, a blue jacket, and gloves. She's alone this morning, as she hasn't seen Gloria in awhile and most of the other students wouldn't be caught dead getting up this early. She's just finishing up a quick set of pull-ups on a nearby tree branch.
Scott Summers is out on the back deck with a cup of coffee in hand and the morning newspaper. As Jocelyn runs towards him, he gives her a small wave. "Good morning, Jocelyn." The young girl, still very new to the Mansion, performed rather admirably against Trask and the Sentinels, making her mark with the team early on.
"Morning Mr. Summers," Jocelyn replies as she approaches, pausing when she gets near. She could afford to take a bit of a break to chat. Besides, she did have some questions she wanted to ask Scott, though she really had no idea how to phrase them. Her usual method of questioning people, which involved bluntly asking, hadn't been working so well at the mansion. She takes a drink from the water bottle. "You're up early. This place is usually pretty much silent at this time of day," she points out casually.
Scott nods, "I'm usually up and in the basement by 4:30. I have to get some things done before class starts." Mondays, it seems, are especially quiet in these parts. "I ran into Gloria the other day," Scott begins. She was injured in combat and will be taking a few days off. She wanted me to let you know."
Jocelyn nods. "Ahh. That's probably why I haven't seen you then. I'm usually up by then, but not in the basement," Jocelyn says. Because if it's the sublevels, well, she wasn't allowed down there, so she wouldn't, of course, be down there. At news of Gloria's injury, Jocelyn frowns. "She going to be okay?" Jocelyn asks, a frown crossing her face. She got along with Gloria pretty well, and the girl didn't like seeing people get hurt. "I hadn't seen her, well, for a few days before everything else happened," the teenager explains. "I was hoping I hadn't scared her off," she adds as an attempt to lighten the news a little bit.
"Scared her off?" Scott says with a raised eyebrow before shaking his head. "No, she received an injury when she was attacked in New York. She'll be okay. She'll be out of comission for a bit, but will heal." Scott frankly didn't know either very well, to be honest.
"Oh, you know, with the usual teenager blathering," Jocelyn explains with a small shrug. Not that the girl was prone to blathering, but still, some might see it that way. "I'm glad she'll be okay," she adds. There's a pause. "So, I've got kind of an odd question to ask. Do things like what happened at the Arctic, is that something that's sort of common? Or was that more along the lines of a really weird event?" Since nobody has actually told her about the X-Men, Jocelyn is trying to reconcile all of this stuff that happened.
Scott takes a deep breath and lets it out in a slow sigh. "This world, for whatever reason, seems to be wrought with hatred towards our kind. We don't seek trouble out, but we do defend ourselves and others against tyranny. Is it common? More than I'd like to admit, really. But not usually as bad as what you saw"
"Well, people aren't comfortable with people who are different than them. Look at politics," Jocelyn says with a shake of her head. "Makes perfect sense there are people who have an issue with mutants, though the giant robots, that was something I never thought I'd see," the girl offers. "I've had a gun to my head a few times, and that was definitely worse than that. Thanks for coming in after us," she adds. After all, she was part of the squad that got itself captured.
"Well, the entire thing /is/ politics," Scott says with a resigned look on the lower part of his face. "I'd not seen the robots before the attack on the island. I think it surprised all of us." He nods slowly as she thanks him, "There was no way we would have left our teammates behind. That's not what we--the X-men--are about."
"X-Men?" Jocelyn asks, her eyebrow raised. Really, that question was probably the biggest one she had now. "Well, I think I prefer fighting robots to people, even if they're more dangerous. I might spend hours training, but I'd rather not actually kill someone. Pro fighting has rules and doctors and stuff, you know?"
Scott nods, "Normally, our custom is not to go out and do much fighting at all, much less killing. I'm afraid, however, that you've come to us at a difficult time period. Things have been rather severe lately. I should mention that being involved in the team is not a necessity."
"Well, what can you tell me about the team?" Jocelyn asks. "So I know what I might be getting into, aside from the obvious fact that there's danger involved". Jocelyn likes to know exactly what the group she's joining is about. A nod is given about not killing. "Yeah. I think I figured out how to just knock out with my blasts instead of, well, electrocute or something like that. Illyana's demons, I suspect, will be glad of that if she ever gives me another impromptu practice session," Jocelyn adds.
The mention of Illyana gets a chuckle from Scott and a nod. Thanks goodness for the young Russian, or Scott might not be here talking. "Well, what's their to say, really? Some of us have chosen to take up arms to defend humans and mutants and to help, proactively, the world to be a better place. As you know, mutants are the victims of all sorts of racism and horrific things. We aim to defend them and others."
"Seems good to me, though I am still learning. Captain Marvel almost overloaded during that fight, and that's something that I'm still prone to doing if I'm not careful. I'm glad to help out with the team and work with them and everything. I just have to keep working at this," Jocelyn explains. "I've seen enough bad stuff in my life that I figure if I've got these abilities, I should use them to make things better".
"Couldn't have said it better, myself," Scott says with a nod. "And learning how to control your powers is sort of the point of this place. I think I've already discussed what happened when I first found that I was a mutant. Just being able to live with your powers and not hurt anyone else is a big reason this place is here. Some of us just want to do more."
"Well, it helps my control that my head doesn't feel like someone is taking a jackhammer to it from the inside now. I think my brain had to adjust to seeing energy ribbons," Jocelyn explains. She pauses. "And, uhh, sorry if I sounded really loopy or stoned or anything when you first picked me up. I wasn't feeling well at all". To say the least. "Well, I don't have any intention of not doing something, so if the team will have me, count me in". She pauses. "So, who is in charge of the team, anyway?" She has no idea what the chain of command is, though she'd guess Xavier was the overseer of everything.
Scott was in pretty bad shape when Xavier found him, so he's not quick to judge. "I'm just glad we found you when we did." He pauses to consider the question of the X-men, "Professor Xavier is both the spiritual leader and the overseer of the program. He's put me in charge as Field Commander, but several former students have leadership roles on the team. Ororo, Jean, Colossus, Logan..."
Jocelyn starts putting names to...names. "So am I," the girl adds. "So I can assume pretty much all the staff and anyone on those mission knows about the X-Men," she adds. It would make sense to her. "Mr. Logan is...Wolverine, right?" She'd put that name together from various comments made during the fight and at the school. "I guess Rogue and Shift telling me I should come up with a mutant name is somewhat practical too, huh?" She'd talked with Rogue prior to the mission a little bit about certain matters.
Scott nods to Jocelyn about the Logan comment. "Practical, yes. Some mutants also see their 'mutant name' as a source of pride and honor. A sort of declaration of their abilities. I've never been big on that, but some folks are. It's really different for everyone."
"I haven't decided yet where I am with that aspect of it," Jocelyn comments easily as she takes another sip of water. "Though I think I'm leaning towards the name 'Channel'. Seems appropriate enough for me". Short and easy to say, but describes the basics of her abilities, too.
Scott nods and smiles, "Channel? Sounds like both an apt and cool sounding name." Scott takes a sip from his coffee and looks at his watch, "Well, almost class time for me." He nods towards the field, "How many more laps you going to do out here?"
"Don't count it in laps, count it in miles. But I'm basically done with the morning workout now I think. I've got to get breakfast before my first class," Jocelyn tells Scott. "Thanks for everything, and explaining things to me," she adds. She really does appreciate not being in the complete dark now.
Scott nods, "Sure thing, Jocelyn. I'll see you today in Social Studies. Have a nice afternoon and a good week."
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