1963-06-26 - Missing Medusa
Summary: An unexpected visitor to the Xavier Institute prompts the X-Men to use Cerebro. They discover something remarkable.
Related: None
Theme Song: https://youtu.be/qiiyq2xrSI0
warren erik xavier crystal 


The Xavier Institute is a school, and as such, there are no doubt visitors every now and then. Parents dropping their children off, even the occasional concerned family looking in before they decide to enroll a child. Less often, though, are there unannounced visitors without children. Especially ones who just walk up to the door.

There was no cab dropping Crystal off, no car driving into the front. Just one young woman walking up in a green dress ten years out of fashion like it's entirely natural. Anyone paying attention to psychic signatures in the area might have noticed how hers just appeared about a mile outside the institute as if out of nowhere, but she doesn't look all that unusual as she stands on the front porch, knocking on the door.

*

Not too far off, there sits an old Volkswagen motorbike, which had been collecting dust in the school's motor garage ever since Erik first left.

A clanging sound can be heard, followed by a voice.

"Scheisse!"

The exhaust pipe rises into the air, seemingly of its own accord, and fits itself back into place. The screws come next, slowly moving into position before twisting around to the right, fixing themselves into place.

Erik crawls out from beneath the bike. He removes the goggles from his face and rises to his feet, wiping some grease and dirt off on his work pants. He wears only a tank top on his upper body, which has become honed and muscular in the past few years, but the exposed skin is similarly soiled by engine grease and dirt.

He's about to reach forward and test the exhaust pipe, when the knocking sound draws his eye. He turns and peers across the way, reaching to lift the goggles from his eyes and perch them against his messed up hair.

*

Xavier is seated in his office while music plays softly in the background. The system is of the highest quality, but the record has been run through far too often and gives a slightly scratchy sound as he sits and looks out over the grounds. He folds his hands calmly in his lap and then notices a gigantic, burned divot out towards the south east. Charles raises his eyebrow and makes a mental note to ask someone about that.

But just then someone's mind simply appears out in front of the Mansion. Cause for immediate concern, Xavier is to his feet immediately. Even before he reaches the door, his hand is up to his temple as he begins to attempt to broach the mind of the person who has come to this school and find what they are in search of.

*

It's quite a mind. Or rather, it's full of the most unusual things. A city like nothing in the world today, full of people that make the population of Xavier's look normal. But at the forefront, there's an image of a woman in her mid to late twenties with long, red hair that seems to act of its own accord. And with it, worry. And beneath it all, a longing for a home that may well be lost.

At the sound from the garage, though, Crystal steps back from the doorway, looking over just in time to see the exhaust pipe fit itself neatly into place. She arches a brow, but a small smile flickers across her features. "Excuse me," she calls over in German, starting toward the garage. "Do you know where I could find Charles Xavier?"

*

The would be mechanic, who we might add is a bit out of his gourd in repairing the old motorbike, raises an eyebrow when the young woman calls out to him auf Deutsch. "That depends upon who is asking," he calls back in German, before reaching down to reclaim a rag.

Erik cleans his hands while closing the distance, then throws the towel over his left shoulder when he draws near. Keen blue eyes inspect Crystal, then flitter off toward the front drive, denoting the absence of any car or cab. "Long walk," he mentions in English. "On a hot day?" There is clear suspect in his tone, something he doesn't even try to conceal. "You must be parched."

*

In Crystal's memories and visions, in her world far away with mutants at every turn. No, not mutants. Something else. Xavier suddenly appears, and looks up at her at the high place of honor she holds, eyebrow reaching impossibly high.

Meanwhile, in the Mansion, Xavier is trying to navigate through a group of children, walking briskly, dodging artfully, and being careful not to bring worry to the minds of his students. All the while his hand at his temple as he rushes towards the garage.

*

Crystal switches over to English without a pause, smile flashing. "I find a long walk to be good exercise, actually," she answers, glancing back over her shoulder toward the mansion and the road out to the countryside. "Besides, this is a beautiful part of the country." She looks down to her shoes, the kitten heels dusty and the fabric worn. "Although I might have chosen better shoes. But. Appearances are important."

She keeps her hands clasped politely in front of herself, wrapped around a sensible clutch as she turns back to the mechanic. "I understand that this place is something of a haven for…unusual people,"she explains. "My parents and I have been looking for my sister. She went missing years ago."

*

Warren's morning routine combines free weights and a good, energetic flight on most days. Staying the night at the Institute has not interrupted this ritual thus far, though he's just as cautious about answering doors without his wings bound. The knock comes when he's on the phone fairly near to the foyer. There's a towel draped over the back of his neck and a fine sheen of sweat over his skin that soaks through in a small spot on the front of the white undershirt he wears. He's also wearing a pair of grey sweatpants and a pair of sneakers.

The wings are out of course, folded against his back at rest for the moment while he multi-tasks, munching on a bowl of Grape Nuts while speaking into the receiver. "Thanks, Gail. And could you deliver the quarterlies to my personal address? Sorry again for putting you out. Uh-huh. Aw, now you know I couldn't live without you. Yeeesss we will discuss your raise. Uh-huh. Alright. Buh-bye." All the while, he also leans over to pull the drapes on the window to see who it is calling. Finally, the phone receiver is replaced on the rotary-dial phone and he tentatively starts making his way towards the front door…while still munching on cereal.

*

"Indeed, but hydration is also of critical importance," Erik answers, and finally allows his eyebrow to drop back to its resting place.

That being said, he doesn't find himself feeling entirely too comfortable with Crystal's words. This marks the second time visitors have come here with some knowledge of the Institute's unique function. Erik has been giving Charles his space, but there's a mounting number of concerns growing in his mind. He's of half a mind to tell the girl to wait here while he goes to find Charles himself, and give the man an earful.

Instead, the better part of valor takes the German. "Your sister?" he asks, before turning to motion toward the door. "Well, don't allow me to be rude. Come in, we'll find you some water and ask about your sister." It's worth noting he hasn't yet introduced himself.

Erik leads her to the large oaken front doors, but he stops there with his hand on the door. He turns back to her with a concerned expression and asks, carefully, "Pray tell, have you reported her disappearance to the authorities?"

*

"She is the authority," Xavier says as he appears at the mouth of the garage, behind Crystal but where he can be seen by Erik. "Ma'am, my name is Charles Xavier. It is me you have come to see. I am afraid that your sister is not here and has never been. Alternatively, I would very much like to help you find her. And to learn about you and your people."

If Xavier has been acting weird lately, he's really acting weird now. As Erik looks to him, he gives a nod. Warren will be able to see his back from the front door, but not what happens around in the garage.

*

"Which authorities would you report missing family to?" Crystal replies blandly to Erik's question, arching a brow slightly. "She disappeared somewhere around Prague, but we've heard reports that could be her in Paris, London, Berlin. The most recent was in New York City, which is why I'd hoped…" She trails off with a sigh, waiting patiently outside the doors.

"I apologize. I understand that this is…irregular. But I can assure you, you have nothing to fear from me. I have no desire to disturb what you seem to be building here, or draw any attention to it. I only wish to find my sister. Our family is all that we have left of-" Tucking the clutch beneath her arm, she holds out one hand as if about to make some demonstration, just as Charles appears.

His words bring a roil of emotions beneath the surface. Anger, sorrow, despairing disappointment, suspicion, curiosity…Yet on the surface, she only smiles politely, a touch of weariness in the expression. "Dr. Xavier. Thank you. A pleasure to meet you."

*

Warren has a very real interest in keeping his mutation a secret, but he's always at war with hiding his rather obvious mutation. The person at the door is looking for a sister and if both Erik and Charles seem comfortable letting her into the mansion, it's likely she's not a member of the press or anyone that might be able to ruin him with a word. Taking a deep breath, he approaches the foyer with no small amount of curiosity and steps out a few feet behind Charles.

Still holding the bowl full of milk and Grape Nuts, he stops the noisy munching of it to settle the spoon in the bowl and then wave. He remembers his state of dress then and turns the waving hand to a vaguely pointing finger. "Hello, Charles. Erik." His blue eyes then settle on Crystal and her words. Wings may not be such a problem after all. While he seems to relax a little, he does look just a little suspiciously at Crystal when he nods his greeting to her. No name is offered. Instead, he addresses Erik and Charles both again. "Anything I can help with?"

*

"Local police," Erik answers, dubiously. "FBI, perhaps?" He listens to Crystal'sreport, but anything he might have told her in response is halted when Charles appears in the garage.

The German looks from Crystal's outstretched hand toward the Professor, and can't help but arch an eyebrow again. He receives a sharp upnod from Erik, and a simple question. "What authority, Charles?"

Warren's appearance receives an approving look, but he offers no answer. There simply is not enough information at hand to determine how to answer Warren's query.

*

Xavier's voice softens as he can feel the emotional roller coaster that this woman is on, and, from her memories, has been on for quite some time. He trusts her, privy to more of who she is than either Erik or Warren to this moment. Speaking of Warren, Xavier turns around and nods to the blonde man as he joins them. "It may be that you can help, Warren. I will only know after a trip to Cerebro."

"I should not want to divulge anything that our guest would not appreciate let out, but I should say that you are standing in the midst of royalty, Erik. I imagine she can fill you in on the rest once she feels ready."

And now to Crystal, "Tell me, how did you find this place?"

*

Warren, at least, gets what looks to be a genuine smile from Crystal as he appears. She doesn't evenblink at the wings, save to give them an appreciative glance. "Those are beautiful," she says politely, in the same tone most people would use to say you have lovely eyes or a nice smile.

Charles' statement briefly gets a quizzical look, head tilting as she looks to him more closely before nodding once, as if she's fit something together. "Of course. You're a telepath. My cousin would appreciate your company, I think," she smiles faintly, still standing just outside the mansion. "If you will forgive me, Dr. Xavier, I think this might go more smoothly with a demonstration first."

Still on the front stoop, looking every bit a young housewife from a decade earlier with her clutch tucked under her arm, she looks back to Erik. "My name is Crystalia Amaquelin," she introduces herself. "And my family is in exile from a kingdom that has been a secret since long before this place was built. We are, as I understand it, fundamentally different from you on a genetic level, although I would like to confirm that for myself. But on a practical level…"

She holds her hands out in front of herself, a flickering ball of fire appearing above one and a spinning sphere of water above the other. A soft breeze swirls around her, fluttering her skirt, and a ball of dirtcoalesces from the lawn behind her. "We are not very different at all."

With a thought, all of the elements settle back to their natural positions, and she looks back to Charles. "Our family watches carefully for signs of unusual people here in the world for our own protection. Our exile is…not entirely a peaceful one."

*

Warren seems to consider Crystal thoughtfully as he regards her, taking a slower bite from the bowl of Grape Nuts he's still casually munching on. The crunch is somewhat distracting, but he minimized it how he can. A curious furrow of his brows is then given to Xavier as he is regarded. "I'm…not sure where that is. Serryborough? Is that upstate?" Still, he stands by and seems more than willing to help should it be called for.

When he looks back to Erik, he gives him a curious look as well at the approving nod. The lack of response doesn't stop him from trying to discern any silent communication that might be put across. He does nod and agreement to his words to Crystal as well, though. "Can you think of any reason she might be in trouble?" he asks, still somewhat suspiciously.

The comment about his wings does bring a warmer smile to his face and his blue eyes once again shift to settle on Crystal more fully. Sure he tends to worry over keeping the wings hidden, but less so recently. He is also not immune to compliments. "Oh, thanks. It's uh…the secret is conditioner?" At the same time he gives a subtle little roll of his shoulders, his wings give a less subtle but very brief flap. Nothing strong enough to knock things over, of course.

*

It would be an understatement to claim that Erik doesn't appreciate secrets. It's written across his face, even while Charles makes to defend this woman to him. Doubt is evident upon his face, written there without apology, even he claims that they stand in the midst of royalty.

Not unlike that of the self proclaimed Atlantean King, who at least held some power to display in a manner to back his claims.

Said doubt flickers when Crystal begins shedding some light upon her own identity. Erik turns his attention back to her, forehead creased with a clear mixture of concern and curiosity. A mixture that quickly becomes fascination when her power is so readily displayed.

With a fluttering of his eyes, Erik's demeanor changes. "I'm… sorry, madame," he tells her, eyes swimming with delight and wonder. He strides forward to greet her with a hand extended. "I am Erik, Erik Lensherr."

He'll greet her in whatever manner she sees fit, and will nowwillingly allow Charles to take the lead on what to do with her. It is his home, after all. That being said, he echoes her word with one of his own. "Peace doesn't seem to be following those of our kind, these days." A supportive look to Warren, who was at his side the day of the massacre, followed by a pointed look in Charles' direction. Yes, he clearly has unfinished business with his oldest friend, something he hopes won't be too far behind the appearance of a lovely, young, empowered woman.

At least he isn't stooping so low as to bring up Doctor MacTaggart.

"It's not conditioner," he quietly asides to Crystal, with a playful perk of the eyebrow. "It's goats milk."

*

"Perhaps indeed, Crystal," Xavier says as he steps aside and allows her to show them what she can do. After she's finished, he cannot hide a smile upon his face and even gives her a quick clap. "Absolutely splendid."

"Warren, Erik, perhaps we should take Crystal down to the basement where we can begin looking for her sister. Would you mind telling us about her?" he asks conversationally, blatantly ignoring Erik's dagger beams coming out of his eyes.

*

"Crystal," the young woman introduces herself more simply to Erik, smile easy as she takes the offered hand in a simple, polite shake before she finally steps inside. "I'm sorry if I concerned you earlier. I understand the challenges of maintaining a safe space for your people when the world is growing closer by leaps and bounds." The comments about Warren's wings get a laugh, though Charles' comment gets a curious look.

"The…basement?" she echoes, quirking a brow at the other two. Because someone has to recognize that 'let's go to the basement' sounds fundamentally odd.

*

"Something I'd like to discuss with you both sometime soon," Warren says offhandedly, trying to only draw as much attention to the statement as is necessary immediately. He may have to set up an appointment, after all. A pointed nod is given to both Charles and Erik with the utterance of the sentence in regards to peace, however. He seems content to move along with the matter at hand.

"I can understand. It's family." This coming from a man whose family is mostly dead for reasons that are a proverbial bag of cats. Warren still does give her a reassuring look, however for all that he also smiles warmly at her laughter. While the levity is kept aloft by Erik, he looks to him with a raised brow as well and points at him with his spoon with wide eyes. "Patent pending."The playfulness seems to be mirrored well enough.

When Xavier mentions the basement, Warren looks to the man with a great amount of curiosity as well as a small amount of mortification. He's not seen Cerebro yet and the statement strikes him as a little odd as well. "I uh…" There's a pause then before he just shuts his trap. He looks to Charles to explain this one.

*

"Closer, and more dangerous," Erik agrees. The journey into the mansion comes easily, though it's worth noting that Erik reclaims the rag from his shoulder and seeks to further clean some of the dirt and grease from his shoulders and arms.

"Yes, the lower levels of Charles' school are… quite sophisticated." He stops near a seemingly empty wall, and reaches out to press his hand against one of the wooden panels.

The wall gives a creak and recedes two inches, before pulling back to the sides. A sleek elevator is revealed behind the wall, and Erik gestures for the others to make their way inside.

*

"Sophisticated is one way to put it. Come along," Xavier says as he steps in after Erik. Once everyone's aboard, he folds his hands patiently in front of him. "Crystal, in order to search for her it will be most efficient if I know as much about her as possible."

Once they get to the basement, the elevator gives way to a rocky cut out where stone meets steel. A room right in front of them is slightly ajar and seems to reveal a long walkway hanging over nothingness.

*

Crystal's brows rise when the panel opens. Fascinating. She hesitates for just a moment outside the elevator, considering the others, before she follows them inside, clearing her throat at Charles' question. "Yes, of course. I'm sorry," she says, frowning slightly. "Her name is Medusa. She's several years older than I am. I assume you must have gotten her image from my mind. She's meant to marry our cousin when he ascends to the throne." Royalty and their cousins. "She's brave, and clever, and wise. Responsible. She protects the people she cares about, but she knows that her duty comes before all else. It's why we- None of us can imagine she would have left on her own," she explains. "Something must have happened to her. But she knows how to fight. She can defend herself. The mists imbued her with the power to use her hair as other people use their limbs, with enhanced strength and dexterity."

*

Warren looks to Erik and then Charles as they mention the sophistication of the basement and gives an understanding look. He'll just have to prepare himself to be impressed, really. "Sophisticated," he echoes, his tone curious. Rather than asking further questions, he prepares to follow along as well. He'll have to put his finished bowl back in the kitchen, after all.

While the talk of thrones creates many other questions, Warren doesn't deign to ask them out in the open as they are. Instead, he just watches and listens, prepares to move off to the sophisticated basement to talk to, apparently, Royalty. Life just gets more and more interesting. Still, his curiosity is certainly nearly palpable.

*

Brow creased, Erik listens with intent. He's a man who understands the way of genetics and mutation, thanks in part to Charles, in part to his own journey, one of a darker nature. Word of mists and the imbuing of power has him understandably concerned.

"We call it, Cerebro," Erik tells them as they move toward the long walkway. "An earlier version of it had a limited range, until we realized its power could be further magnified by the use of ferrous metals in proportion to a perfect, unmarred sphere."

This fact seems evident as they enter the room proper; the entire place seems to be carved of metal, blocks cut into perfect rectangles that make up a rather sizable, not to mention mathematically perfectcircle.

*

"Most fascinating. Can you tell me anything else about her disappearance? And, also, anything else that might make her stick out as an individual."

As the four of them walk out upon the catwalk, Xavier takes the lead. They spill out onto a larger circular area where a group of instruments connected to a metallic looking helmet sit. "Would someone please grab the door?"

Once they are alone inside the perfect sphere, Xavier takes a deep breath and puts on the helm. He continues breathing deeply, even as he begins to flick switches, press buttons, and pull on levers. The illumination in the room, found behind the panels at the ends of the circle, go dark abruptly.

Just as abruptly the room lights up as hundreds of millions of stars in a planetarium. Yet, the closer one looks it's apparent that the outline is of the populated areas of the world.

"This, my friends, is Cerebro," Charles offers.

*

"I can feel it," Crystal murmurs when Erik mentions the ferrous materials, fascinated. "The application is precise. Did you help?" Apparently she did see the hovering exhaust pipe in the garage earlier. Her heels click along the walkway as she follows Charles toward the center, turning in a slow circle to get the view of everything.

"Her hair," she answers absently. "Everyone has always noticed Medusa's hair. Deep red, ankle length. And her bearing. She will be Queen, and given our cousin's…condition, she will rule every bit as much as he does. And she will do it well."

When the lights come up, she catches her breath, still turning circles. "Incredible," she breathes.

*

Warren follows along with the others as they all make their way down to the basement and then on to Cerebro. As soon as he steps into the room with them, his eyes immediately go wide. He really can't help a look of jaw-dropped wonder as his blue eyes scan around the place. "It's like it's out of some sort of science fiction novel," he breathes out.

For a long moment, the others aren't even registered. It's easy to see that this place is like nothing he's ever seen. When he finally does 'come to', his eyes are on Charles. "Cerebro?" he asks, his brows furrowing just a touch.

With the question asked, he awaits response while giving a curious look to both Crystal and Charles as they discuss her sister. The distinct feeling that he shouldn't interrupt overcomes his desire to say more, but he does look on with no small amount of interest when heisn't looking around the expansive room in awe.

*

Erik is the one who seals the door, and ends up taking up the rear, allowing Warren and Crystal to be closer to Charles. He looks to the woman with a knowing expression and slowly nods his head.

"It amplifies his telepathic ability," he explains for the others' benefit. "Connects him with the minds of everyone, across the planet." With this revelation, it may become understandable why Erik seems to protective of the institute and its many secrets.

His eyes dance around. Yes, he's seen this before, many a time… but it never ceases to amaze him.

*

"Spanish for brain. Though I did not come up with the name, I rather like it. It speaks to my interest in world travel. And fitting, given its utility," Charles says with a chuckle. "First, these are all of the humans on the planet."

The white lights dim slightly as the mutants are taken away.

"These, are the mutants."

A dark blue light is far less prevalent in the room due to far less numbers. Additionally, while they are spread all over, the masses seem to be congregated in nations with nuclear power and/or weaponry.

"The real question is, who are the ones that are neither?"

Remaining are a handful blips of orange light. Perhaps 100 to 150. Charles goes wide-eyed at this realization. He was not expecting this. Not at all.

*

"There are so many of you," Crystal murmurs, an odd sort of longing in her voice as she turns to track the lights. An odd statement too, perhaps, until the bare number of 'others' appears. Her eyes track the dots quickly, flickering to a spot near China in the Himalayas first, then to France, then New York where she searches desperately, as if she might be able to recognize something about one of the dots to mark it as her sister.

Charles, no doubt, can sense the thoughts tumbling through her mind. That this is a threat to her and her people. That if someone were to convince him to go after them, centuries of secrecy would be lost. That perhaps this was all a very bad idea, and she would be better served by pulling all of the oxygen out of the room until- But no.

Taking a deep breath, she calms herself, forcing the thoughts away. "I'm sorry," she murmurs, aware that for some, she may as well have said everything out loud. "That was inappropriate. Can you tell if one of them is her? Some connection to me, maybe?"

*

Erik's explanation of what the machine does does not help Warren's imagination from going completely off the rails. The implications of being able to scan minds at a distance doesn't settle in yet, but rather all just boils down to… "Cool," Warren says to Erik while he folds his arms over his chest and tries to look very much the part of the descriptor tossed out there.

When Xavier beings giving the grand tour of this space-age technology, he just blinks and watches as the lights are revealed. He stands quietly for the time being near Erik, giving him a quick sidelong look before returning his eyes to what's going on. "Amazing," he mutters to him, doing his best to express his very genuine amazement while remaining largely innocuous.

*

Erik's eyes quietly dance from the changing lights to each of the others in party. To Warren, with raised eyebrows. To Charles, the eyebrows drop, then to Crystal, his forehead creases.

"A truth I fear the world is not yet ready for," he echoes to Crystal's observation about the number of mutants. The revelation of orange lights, however, draws his lips to part in wonder. "Neither human, nor mutant…?" He looks toward Warren then, dumbfounded by this revelation. Some other type of sentient being? Something else entirely? Extra terrestrial?

*

"I have no idea," Charles says, able to feel Erik's thought leaping out of his mind. "Whoever or whatever they are, they know how to prevent themselves by being seen by me."

Xavier gives a sad look towards Warren and Erik before finally turning to Crystal, "I am extremely sorry."

*

"It is…complicated," Crystal smiles faintly to Erik and Warren, perhaps a little self-conscious. She meets Charles' news with mixed emotions, finally nodding. "I understand. It's…Well. At least it means that we are not so easily tracked as all that," she concludes, drawing a careful breath and letting it out slowly.

"Thank you for looking," she adds, though she stands there for a moment afterwards, at a loss. What now?

*

"I'll say," Warren says, though quietly, in response to Erik's assessment of the world's readiness for Cerebro. Still, he doesn't seem to have an overabundance of anxiety when it comes to technology like this. Perhaps the sinister possibilities of the machine don't fully sink in yet. "There's a lot the world isn't ready for, evidently." There is a look towards Crystal then, eying her curiously.

Despite some suspicion, he returns the look from Crystal with a small smile on his lips. "I…get complicated,"he says, trying to provide some reassurance. A look of sympathy then takes over that one and he gives her a small frown. "Well. Maybe we can still help?" He looks to Erik and Charles both then before taking a deep breath. "I mean…time and resources I have." With that said, he prepares to follow everyone back up.

*

A long sigh is released when the search proves fruitless. Erik turns around and strides back toward the doorway. A hatch is revealed, beneath which is a lever that he turns, unsealing the door and allowing it to slide open from side to side.

"If she seeks to remain hidden," he tells the others, "there may be a very good reason for it. A search may be more akin to grinding your tires in a muddy ditch. You could try to draw her, lure her out of hiding, but if she's hiding for a reason, that might put her into danger."

He lifts a hand then, and gestures toward the others. "A wiser course of action might be to determine just why she's hiding. Who she's hiding from. It would be foolish to assume she was taken against her will; as foolish as it would be to rule that out of possibility."

*

"All good ideas, Erik. How we proceed, I presume, will be up to Crystal." Charles puts the helm back where it goes even as the lights begin to fade and are replaced by the panels on the wall.

"I imagine today seems like a wonderful day for a cookout. Crystal if you would like to stay and wander the grounds, you are more than welcome. If you all do not mind, I would like to excuse myself to try and hail Dr. MacTaggert once more."

*

Crystal looks to the others as they offer their explanations, summoning up a small smile. "Yes. Thank you, all of you," she says with a dip of her chin. "We have been searching for her for years now. There is no reason to give up hope after just one more setback. And this place is quite impressive already," she adds, starting back down the walkway. "I would be honored to stay a bit longer and perhaps learn something of your people."

She actually looks somewhat cautiously to Erik at the last - clearly he's the one with the most concerns about secrecy. Maybe he's the head of security here?

*

Warren looks to Erik first, nodding his head in what looks like agreement to his words. There is some consideration, of course. His adventures into the world of masked adventuring have largely been street-level. This is all just a little above his superhero pay grade."That…well. Yeah. Just let me know if you guys need anything. Really."

The mention of Doctor MacTaggart does have his attention shifting to Charles, though. There's a furtive, but pleasant fondness there for a moment before he's speaking up to that. "You won't reach her. She's at a conference out of country until next week, I believe." A curious look is then given to Charles. Indeed there had been a conversation with the woman about some memories being tampered with.

Snapping out of whatever introspection he's engaged in, he snaps his gaze to Crystal and flashes her a broad, warm smile. "Of course." The mention of a cookout has his mind on that for the moment and he looks towards the door, prepared to head back out onto the grounds with the rest of them when they're ready to move themselves.

*

"Well, then." Erik smiles earnestly, and stands beyond the doorway, gesturing for the others to go on ahead. "Bratwurst und sauerkraut, bitte?"

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