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Lorna had tried to avoid training with her father that weekend, and as a result, Erik had driven down and picked her up. The wayward teenager had just come inside, and was busy trying to find a quiet corner to avoid the talk that was sure to follow. Her father had been concerned about her mention of Raven previously, and while he had no idea about the blue skinned woman's second run in with Lorna.. it was difficult for her to not broadcast her anxiety about it.
Keep away from my brother..
"Not the big one. But Charles. And if you happen to see him, tell him I said hello? I do miss our talks."
Among images of explosions, gunfire, and news of mutants going missing and Raven's scowl.
Lorna tried to stop thinking about it, but by virtue of trying not to think about it, she did. A groan escaped her lips and she picked a book up at random, flipping through the pages and trying to read that instead.
*
Elsewhere in the mansion, there's that sort of awkward pause one gets when someone is doing the mental equivilant of shouting at the top of their voice about what they don't want you to hear. Xavier pauses halfway through turning a page, shaking his head a bit as he starts to shore up his shields…
And then he catches that snatch of Raven.
Tell him I said hello? swirled in amidst the collage of gunfire, scowling, mention of kidnapping?
More often than not, Xavier finds respecting privacy as a telepath means pretending not to see the things you see rather than expecting to somehow manage the impossible task of never hearing anything you're not meant to. But one of the things he sometimes makes exceptions for are things that concern him personally.
Whereas the thing he always makes exceptions for is when someone is in danger. As this seems to rather encompass both, he gets up from his desk, and makes his way towards the library.
Of course all Lorna knows is that a few seconds after she tries to bury herself in a book, a somewhat bemused voice sounds in the back of her mind; Perhaps we should simply have a talk, and thus tidly spare the both of us all the fretting about the possibility of having one later?
*
Lorna groaned at the mental voice that echoed in her thoughts, but closed the book and settled down into a chair to wait for the professor to enter the library. His mental voice earned the equivalent of a startled jump, but when he finally arrived in the library he'd find the young woman curled up with her arms around her knees.
"She told me to stay away from you," She mumbled, her cheeks turning hot. "And not to tell my father."
There was another buzz of thoughts, of Raven turning around and pointing at her in a store, stolen goods that Raven had tossed her way in her arms as Raven point blank told her that she'd hurt her if Lorna pissed her off.
Lorna dug deeper into her chair, biting her lower lip.
*
"So I'd gathered." Xavier agrees with the sort of twist to his smile that only tends to show up when his estranged family is involved. He steps over to one of the overstuffed chairs near Lorna with his hands in his pockets, content to remain quiet as he turns it to face her a bit better and settles into it.
After a few moments have passed he speaks again, "..I don't suppose my wayward sister mentioned why exactly you were to keep your distance from me?" the flicker of thoughts giving a bit more shape to the alarming nature of Lorna's encounter with Raven lead him to add, "Lorna, are you alright?"
*
A blink, and another as Lorna struggled to keep her thoughts away from all the details of what had happened, and fight off the urge to tear up before Xavier. But the question was one that made her lower lip tremble.
"I'm fine." She mumbled, she was lying, she knew better, but she did it anyways. A sniffled and she rubbed her nose against her sleeve.
"I just.. I'm gonna mess everything up. I mess everything up." She bit her lower lip. Hard. Memories and thoughts of exploding cars that she'd halted from ripping into people. Bullets that she'd caught midair and then Raven's angry face.
"She was trying to get information on these people that are kidnapping mutants in Mutant town, and I just thought I was helping save people.. but it was in the middle of what the Brotherhood was doing. And I.. I just.."
*
"Lorna, being afraid when threatened is nothing to be ashamed of. And trying your best to save lives certainly isn't." Xavier says, reaching over to pat her reassuringly on the arm. "But what happened after that?" he's caught flashes, yes, but even if he'd caught it all, best to let her explain in her own words.
*
Lorna squirmed, her gaze flickering up and back down to her stocking'ed feet. Her shoulders drew closer together and she chewed her lower lip. There was no small measure of guilt there, as she picked at the soft fabric of her pants instead of speaking plainly.
"You can't tell my dad, because she said not to. I want to help, and.." She winced, glancing back toward Xavier.
"She thought those men were tied to the kidnappings. My friend Seth.. I was looking for him, he's a homeless mutant and I hadn't seen him in weeks. And .." She bit her lower lip again, "Raven said no, that I couldn't help.. and I-I pushed.. And she said.." She trailed off, but her mind supplied Raven's words readily enough.
"No doubt you inherited his and my brothers moral views as well. You cannot do what I am willing to do….. that is kill."
*
"I see." Xavier says, brow furrowing at talk of the kidnappings. "I wonder though — Why is it you feel that you must do the things Raven told you to do or not do?" Charles wonders gently. Considering the memory of threats and implied uselessness he can certainly imagine reasons, but again he'd like to hear her take on the matter. "Not being able to take the path Raven might choose to is hardly the same thing as being unable to act, wouldn't you say?"
*
A heavy, gusty sigh escaped her and she hung her head, nails picking at the fabric of her sleeve as she kept her gaze angled low. "Because my friend Seth might've been kidnapped and I want to help rescue him if he was.. And.. and I wanted to be there if she finds where they're keeping the kidnapped mutants.. I want to help save them! I can deflect bullets! I mean, they weren't aimed at me.. but I've been training! I can break down steel doors and rip up buildings to get in and out.." She bit her lower lip.
"She won't let me come with her though if.. if I didn't .. If my father comes. She really doesn't like him. And he said that she used to be here.. and everything and I.." She dragged a hand through her hair.
*
"Yes," Xavier replies, sounding as if even now it baffles him a little bit that that's not somehow still the case. "Yes, she was."
But she's not, not any longer. And because of that problems like this are developing. "Lorna," Xavier says, leaning forward where he sits a bit with a concerned frown, "You're frightened for your friend. Of course you are… and any possible lead to finding him can't be ignored, certainly. But perhaps Raven wasn't wrong, at least in refusing your help. What if you did accompany her on her terms? What if she expected you to let her murder innocents on the way to this information, or for you to join in that? Would you want your friends to do that if you were the one taken?"
*
Lorna glanced up again at the creak of the chair as he leaned forward, she didn't answer immediately, instead taking the time to truly think about her response. How would she feel? What might happen, truly? On some level, she had convinced herself that if she was there, maybe less people would die. That maybe she could help avoid the need to take lives..
But she knew better. Knew that the men Raven had already taken wouldn't live to see freedom again. Yet at that thought was another, one that had been given voice under Raven's needling. They were doing just that to mutants and who knew what else. Was that okay? They were bad people and they'd never see a day in jail…
The young woman screwed her eyes shut, and then slowly shook her head.
"No.. I wouldn't. Though.. I think that a few would do that.." She mumbled. Illyana would. Seth would. Her extended family? She wasn't sure..
*
"They might." Xavier agrees. "…I suppose Raven must. But for my part, I don't believe becoming ourselves like the people who hate us will ever lead to anything better. …I believe there are other ways."
Letting out a breath, Xavier folds his fingers together, eyes lowering though his shoulders have a resolved set to them. "That said, if Raven does know something, it's all the more reason to talk with her. I don't know if I can talk her away from the path she's chosen, but even so she ought to recognize the odds of helping these people would be greater with more people trying to help. Perhaps we can still help your friend." he raises his eyes again, offering a simple smile. "Yes?"
*
A flicker of unease bloomed to life in Lorna's thoughts, worries that she'd messed up by revealing to Xavier anything. That she might have messed up her chance to learn what Raven knew and possibly help save her friend. It was a niggling thought, a worry, illogical as it was.
//St. Michael's Church.
St. Michael's Church.//
The place burned over her mind as she tried harder to not think about it. The location where Raven had told her to meet up.
A flush crossed her cheeks and she fidgeted, biting her lower lip. "I still want to go and meet with her. I can handle it. I know I can." She didn't, but the desire to be there was still firmly rooted in her mind. A stubborn glint in her gaze and in the set of her jaw that mirrored her father's almost perfectly.
"And she won't talk if tata is there. And you can't tell him. Not till after. He showed up in Mutant Town 'cause he was worried about me and sat watching me from the car. There's no way he'll let me go!"
*
"This doesn't have to be on her terms, Lorna," Xavier says gently. Though the side of his mouth does curl up a bit in muted amusement as he adds, "Though if I understand correctly, she did say to send her regards should you see me. I don't see that she can exactly fault you for it were I to turn up." the matter of consulting Erik he leaves unaddressed for the moment.
*
A sigh, and Lorna angled her gaze lower, fidgeting once more. It was a constant twitch to pick at something, or shift in her chair when she was thinking before talking. "Yeah.. I guess.." She wrinkled her nose faintly.
"She wanted me to meet up with her this coming weekend there.." She grimaced faintly, reaching up to drag her fingers through her hair. Raven's words about her father's inability to do things that mattered, to help mutant kind, rankled. Especially when she knew it wasn't true. Yet here she was.. playing Raven's game about not wanting to tell her father.
"And I still want to go."
*
Catching Lorna's memories causes Xavier to grimace. His concerns in contrast tend to run the opposite direction. But that's an unrelated matter.
"Lorna, let me ask you something. Do you believe Raven is right about Erik?"
*
If there are lookouts the would probably note a flying object coming towards the Mansion. As it gets closer, some might recognize Iron Man, blasting up from the city. Maybe he's flying by? But no, apparently he was intent on showing up at Xavier's Mansion for he lands, a little unsteadily, at the front. He's not quite staggering as he makes his way to the door to lean on the bell. And lean. And lean. There's a bang on the front door if it's not immediately answered and it doesn't seem he's willing to leave until it's opened.
"Sherlock!" is called, the speaker on his suit amplifying Tony Stark's voice. "Open up! Shhhheeeeeeeerrrrrllloooooock!" There's a pause before he continues, "If you sold this place, I won't ever forgive you!" Another pause. "But if you did…uhm…shit."
*
Lorna blinked, and shook her head quickly. "No! I think tata is trying to do what's best for everyone. He's .. I mean he.." She exhaled a huffy breath of air. "He's happy, he deserves to be happy and spend time with Miss Crystal. He can't be every where at once. And he's trying to follow the laws. Like giving the orphan to the police in Sacramento. I get why he did that. It's not wrong.. And he helped protect everyone from the giants." She pursed her lips.
"She said that he was.. was.." Her train of thought broke off at the door bell going off. Her brows furrowed and she nearly jumped in her seat.
"Whaat?"
*
There's kids on the grounds this time of day, and more than a few got stirred up by an unknown object hurtling towards the front door. Tony might actually pick out one girl's hands start to glow warily with who-knows-what before she blinks, jaw dropping and hands sputtering out when she recognizes his armor.
Meanwhile in the library Xavier nods earnestly. "And that being the case-" he starts to reply. But as the doorbell rings on only to be replaced with surprisingly loud hammering, Xavier turns, recognizing a certain hyper-active tangle of thoughts he hasn't encountered in some time. "What in the bloody-" he starts.
Tony? he sends, half from surprise and half to forestall his pounding on the door before even it's heavy hardwood construction gives out.
*
Tony isn't using his full strength with the suit or he -would- have broken the door down. He could have blasted it, but he doesn't want to destroy the place; after all, it was a remnant from his childhood. Sort of. His mind is also a bit liquored up so it might take a moment for the mental voice to seep in. When it does, though, the pounding stops.
This is Tony Stark, though…so a gauntleted finger slowly reaches out to ring the bell. And again. "Chaaaaarles…open the doooor…"
*
A frown pulled at Lorna's lips as she sat up, glancing around the room and leaning on the seat as she glanced around. "Professor? What's going on? Who's at the door? Is that the doorbell or an alarm?" She couldn't possibly know who was there, or what was going on.
But as she focused she most assuredly could sense the large presence of iron outside suddenly.
"Wait, what is that? Are we under attack?"
*
The alcohol does not help, no. Charles never has been as good at reading drunks, it fuzzes everything out if you aren't really making an effort.
Of course that worked both ways, an application which possibly explains why they got on so well in earlier years.
For now though, Xavier heaves a sigh, raising two fingers to the side of his head. Could I possibly prevail on you to leave that poor beleaguered doorbell in peace? You're frightening the students. I'm in the library, so I'll need a moment.
"No," he answers Lorna, pushing himself up out of the chair with a small smile and a shake of the head. "It's just another old friend. As to Raven, I'll try to talk to her before this weekend, and we'll go from there. Alright?"
*
Tony's gauntleted finger is nearly to the bell as the voice enters his head again. Oh. Right. He considers the doorbell before he gives it a last, quick ring and goes to lean against the door. "Wait, what?" The helmet turns to look around, "Students? Sherlock, what have you done?" Granted, he's just talking to the outside. Maybe he's talking to the door that he's leaning against.
A door that, when opened, will cause him to fall backwards.
*
Lorna bounced up from her chair, as Xavier got up, her brows shooting upwards. "You're not gonna tell my tata are you? Please? He won't let me go, I just know it." Or at least not on her own without him there. Her voice had that typical teenage lilt, as if she were discussing going to some party and not wanting her father to know.
"Pleeease?" She wheedled, and then tilted her head to the side. "Also why does your friend feel like he's covered in iron and steel?" A blink. She was definitely Erik's daughter in regards to her powers if nothing else.
*
Walking through the mansion halls Xavier turns to Lorna with concern. "I hadn't intended to talk to him until I'd tried to speak with Raven." he says truthfully. "But if you do consider him family to you Lorna, I'd caution you to think deeply about weather you really want to start a precedent of keeping secrets from him. Especially about things that truly matter to you. As to our visitor—"
Which is exactly when the door is pulled distractedly open, sending a genuine-article Iron man toppling to the entry way floor.
"…You always did know how to make an entrance."
*
The door opening causes Tony to lose his balance and Iron Man stumbles backwards to land on his iron-clad kiester in the entryway. "You should really hire a butler. You could name him Wadsworth. Or Jeeves. Or Fred." Getting to his feet in the suit, however, might be easier said than done. It really is a design flaw.
Iron Man shouldn't be a Turtle.
"A little help…" a gauntleted hand is held up, "Usually I get thrown backwards into something and then I fall forward." Because he needed to explain.
Then he notes Lorna and the lights in his eye-holes flow a little, "Well, hello there…"
*
Xavier's words earn a pause in Lorna's light foot steps as she kept pace with him. "I want to tell him. Just.. I want to be the one to do it." Oh her own time. After said event had come and gone. Better to ask forgiveness than permission, right? It's what Crystal had told her in regards to keeping boys away from Erik.
Then she turned her attention toward the visitor and she gaped. "Woah! You're Iron Man? Oh. My. Gosh. This is totally crazy." She pressed her hands against her lips. Turning red as he turned his gaze toward her.
And she thought it'd been cool when she'd run into Patsy with Kitty at Macy's!
*
A national hero flailing around inside his front door does little more than draw a long suffering sigh and an amused smile from Charles. "You never change, do you?" He walks up to Tony and leans over as if to offer Tony a hand up, but hesitates. "As much as I do try to keep up a certain degree of chivalry, how much exactly do you weigh in all of that, Tony?" he glances to the green haired young woman, opting to stand straight again. "Lorna, might you help Tony up, please?" he says with one of those little smiles that suggests he's expecting his seen-it-all friend to be thrown for a loop.
Hopefully not literally.
Lorna really has gotten better with her powers, after all.
*
"A few hundred pounds? I'm working on a lighter alloy," Tony answers truthfully through the speakers, his head turning to look at the young woman and his older friend. "If I changed, I wouldn't be -me- anymore, right?" He might be sobering up a little. Maybe. He's not -too- drunk. A hand lifts in a wave to Lorna, "Nice to meet you, Lorna. I'm Tony. Interesting name…not one you hear very often."
He then tries to roll a little onto his side, "Anyone going to help me up?"
*
A glance was spared from Tony to Xavier and back again before she nodded with a smile. And Lorna managed to calm that squeeing internal teenager for a moment. Iron man! Oh my gosh! (on repeat), as she cleared her mind to focus on her powers.
"Yes! Right, gotacha!"
A delicate hand reached out and then the other then slowly pushed upwards. The metal in Tony's suit would twitch only briefly before rising to mimic the hand motions she made.
He was decidedly lighter than the cars her father had been training her on.
Another gesture and she was balancing him on his feet, or trying to. There was likely a few wobbles to accompany the movements. But she beamed, glancing toward Xavier after.
*
"Well! That's a debatable sentiment; We none of us are the same person we were yesterday, if you prescribe to the wisdom of the esteemed Mr. Dodgson." Charles remarks with amusement. "There's always room for a little change."
Xavier steps back then, smiling to Lorna as she settles herself and starts righting Tony.
Very nicely done, Lorna— and yes, he is indeed.
*
"Don't you get philosophical on me, Charles," Tony starts, but then he's rising off of the ground…and not with his thrusters. "Whoa. All right, that was pretty interesting…" his arms spread some to keep his balance until his feet are on the ground. A hand lifts to pop off the front of the mask so that there's a very human face there, "Just remind me not to get you angry." He is, however, casting one of his most charming grins at Lorna before he flicks his eyes to Xavier. "What kind of students do you have here? College?"
Please be a coed, please be a coed, please be a coed…
*
A grin pulled at Lorna's lips, brightening her whole expression as she glanced between Xavier and Tony, a hint of laughter in those green eyes of her's. "I can manipulate the magnetic fields. So your armor is easy enough to lift. I'm glad I could help." She dragged a hand through her hair, ruffling it backwards sheepishly.
"I don't go to school here, my father lives here though. So I stay on the weekends."
*
"Surely the great Tony Stark can handle enough philosophy to tolerate Alice in Wonderland." Charles remarks, still grinning. "And no, not yet. We're hoping to expand the curriculum in time. But to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?" the amusement flickers to show a touch of concern as Charles adds, "I tried to phone before, but I never heard back." it probably isn't difficult to tell when he means by 'before'.
*
"Father?" Tony looks sharply at Xavier as if trying to see if -he's- the father? Technically he's old enough to be the father of a teenager, right? "Uh. Thanks for not keeping me on my back like a beached turtle." He might be a little steadier on his feet thanks to that surprise, but he's also standing there in the middle of his armor.
Awkward.
"That is a really messed up book," Tony points out before he looks from Xavier to Lorna, "So you're a High School Principal? And is she…" even though Lorna is right there, he tilts his head to her. "Your's? Because you're the only one I know who lives here."
Although it -has- been a while. "Oh. Before was…a hand lifts to his eyes before he realizes that he's still wearing the suit. That won't do. A button is pushed and the suit begins to fold off of him and into itself until it's about the size of a briefcase. Stark is, at least, dressed. "Before. I'm sorry about that. I guess we should catch up. You have any scotch?" Another look to Lorna, "Three tumblers…"
*
A blink, and Lorna broke into giggles as she realized what exactly Tony thought. "Oh no! The Professor isn't my father at all. I mean, not to say he wouldn't be a good one, but no. My father is Erik Lehnsherr. It's a bit complicated on that story though." She grinned sheepishly, and shrugged as she stepped further back into the mansion.
Then her brows shoot upwards as Tony presses the button that dismantles his entire suit, and she stares, astonished. A 'That's SO cool!' loudly echoing in her thoughts.
"Uhmm. No, I don't drink. Thanks though. If you want to talk Professor, I can go up to my room, it's totally cool."
*
Charles scoffs, thinking to Tony, If I'd had a child all this while and you had only just now noticed, I think we'd have larger concerns. though he too looks rather impressed as the suit folds tidily away. Even if he's trying not to outright gape, he rather agrees with Lorna.
As she speaks Charles replies, "Alright. Let's talk again after I've had a chance to look for Raven, yes?" and at Tony's request for scotch he can't quite help but note, "Tony, this is a school."
A school that actually does have a very nice collection of spirits, but far less prominently kept than they once were.
*
Drats. That might mean she's too young. Tony gives a little snap to himself before he looks between the two again, "Oh, did I interrupt something?" No apologies though. As Charles' voice enters his head again, he makes a face, "That is still -so- weird." Not bad, just weird.
"Wait, what about Raven? Is she here? Is she ok?" He seems to know her as well. The comment about it being a school just gets a blink. "And? It's also your house. Do you need me to show you where we used to stash booze?"
*