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Summary: Robyn seeks Addison for help. Addison is mildly distracted.
Date: March 3, 2010
Not The Help He Wanted
Rating: PG
Xavier Mansion - Courtyard
Surrounded on three sides by the school, a large courtyard forms the front yard. The courtyard leads right up to the door of the mansion. Yellow square stone slabs cover the ground where the grass would be. The most noticeable thing about the courtyard is the large statue of Jean Gray, aka Phoenix, in the middle as a memorial. Benches surround the outside of the statue so students can sit and hang out in the courtyard. There are two paths leading off the courtyard, one to the left and the other to the right.
Everything is all wrong. It's not supposed to be like this. The constant worry and wondering. The not knowing. That, and that stupid voice calling out. Addison just can't seem to get a break out here, and he doesn't know why. He's currently out in the courtyard, looking at the statue of Jean Grey. It's not his mother, and he knows it's not, but it sure as hell looks like her. He may not have known his world's version of her for very long, but they got quite close in that limited time with the Shadow King pulling the strings and revealing everything inside and about them to the other. "I just don't know." He says softly to the statue.
He's been trying to find Addison for the last fifteen minutes and finally someone told Robyn that they saw the red-headed telepath outside. "Addison, sorry…um…do you have a moment?" He asks knowing that Addison is pretty much the only person who would /really/ know how he feels right now. It helps that Addison is a telepath but that Robyn thinks he's in the same situation as himself at the moment.
"What?" Addison says looking skyward before realizing the voice was here, physically. He blinks, turning to Robyn. "Yeah. I've got nothing but time. There's nothing I can really do at the moment. I can't quite feel Brian, and I can't locate them with Cerebra right now." He rubs the bridge of his nose. This time, he's not looking as worn out as he was during the entire situation with the demons.
"I…need your help." Robyn says cautiously, Addison's a teacher and he might be stepping on thin ice here, but he's gotta try anything he can. "You can't? Well…I…I don't want to do nothing Addison, I don't want to say there's nothign I can't do, that's why I need your help. James…he can track peoples scent the problem is, we can't leave the school grounds."
"Right, but how long and how well can he track scent? Sinister has been doing this for a very… VERY long time." Addison says. He looks absolutely terrified. "I want to find them, but I know what Sinister is capable of…" He bites his lip. "He created me." Robyn may not know that. He may. He's not sure if he's ever told that part. "Not this one. The one on my word."
"I don't know how well he can Addison but it's /something/ and isn't something better than nothing?" Robyn asks and he's got the look of someone whose desperate. Someone whose willing to try anything. "I…I didn't know he created you. I just…what if he kills Jordan or Brian and we just stayed here and said, we couldn't do anything. I don't know if I could live with that. There's a possiblity that James might fine /something/, I know it's probably nothing but…" He's clinging onto the slim chance.
"That's not Sinister's MO. He doesn't kidnap unless he's got something to DO with someone. If he takes them, he wants them. He doesn't want them dead. He kills when necessary. But, he obviously took the time to carry them all away." Addison says simply before looking skywards again. "What is it? Can't you see I'm busy?" He looks a little irritated as he does so, but he shakes his head. "It's not that we're not doing anything, Robyn. We are. It's just hard for us to do anything. And using a student to track… one that has to physically go there… is dangerous. And Scott won't allow anything like that. Students aren't here to fight. They're here to learn. Fighting is my job, and Julian's…. and Brian's."
Robyn doesn't know if Addison talking to him or not when he says that 'he's busy'. "Fine…I'll let you do something, at least you get to. I'll leave you to whatever it is you have to do." Robyn says and like most teens his emotions are unreasonable. He thinks he /has/ to do something, he feels a bit betrayed by Addison, the one person who could understand his need fo find Jordan seems to tell him the same thing everyone else does. "Everything is just a guess right now Addison, we don't -know- anything for certain. Let's just hope he doesn't want them dead."
"Huh? I wasn't talking to you, Robyn." Addison blinks. "Someone's talking to me. Here." He says, tapping his head. "I'm not mad at you. I understand what you're wanting to do, but I can't approve something that Scott won't allow. We do know he doesn't want them dead, Robyn. If he wanted them dead, he wouldn't have taken them. He would have killed them where they were. Though… I don't know why he took Jordan. The other four have a connection. The other… doesn't." He pauses. "And I may not be able to tell where they are or how they're doing, but I'd know if they were dead. I'm one of the strongest telepaths on the planet. I don't think even Sinister could hide killing them from me."
"Huh? Whose talking to you?" Robyn's not sure what's going on but he does listen to Addison though every bit of his body language is defeat. "So, basically, I can't do anything. I just have to sit here and wait and hope that they come back okay. How do you stand this, not being able to do anything to help Brian?" Addison is a completely different situation than Robyn though as Robyn's still just a kid. "What…would happen if I did sneak out?"
"You would probably be severely reprimanded and possibly expelled, and your parents would be called immediately upon your running off." Addison says, offhandedly. "And I don't know WHO it is. They just keep calling my name." He grumbles. "At all hours of the night. And I can't reach back to them. Whoever it is."
Robyn sighs and he really doesn't know what to do. "Maybe it's something to do with all of this Addison, and I just…I hate feeling usless." Robyn leans against the base of the statue. "I hate this Addison, I hate all of this." Though he is wondering about the name thing. "You don't recognize the voice at all?"
"Not at all. And I know a lot of telepaths." Addison says with a shrug. "They're not being harmful. Just annoying. So, I'm not too worried about it. Not since my shields came back." He admits, reaching out to place a hand on Robyn's shoulder. "I know. I don't like it either. You think you feel useless… try being in my boat. Having the power to do something, but not being able to get in the right position TO do something." Addison sighs.
Robyn looks at the ground and nods. "Yeah, but when Scott does something, he'll at least let you join them. I've gotta stay in here, locked in my room like a good kid." Robyn says not moving his eyes up. Yeah he's being a bit of a stubborn kid but he's afraid and upset. "The difference is you're allowed to do something."
"Robyn. What will you do if Sinister sends an energy blast at you too fast for you to get away? You can't shield against it. What are you going to do if he reaches out and controls your mind? You have little defense. And Sinister is old and experienced. There's nothing you CAN do. It's not about allowed to do something, it's baout having the capability. I don't even know if -I- can hurt him. Most of us wouldn't be able to." Addison explains.
Robyn continues to look down at the ground and doesn't say anything for a bit. Just letting what Addison says sink in. It's one thing to hear it from another student, but form Addison, it just hits harder and more true. It doesn't make him feel better, not in the least, but it does make him think about going out there and that he's probably not. "So just sit here and do nothing, that's about all I can do?" It sounds more like a resignation than anything else.
"No. You can cheer up and hope for the best. If you're religious, pray for the best. Other than that, keep people's spirits high. Do you know how hard it is to concentrate and focus on the task at hand when everyone is moping around a telepath? Or even non-telepaths. It creates a gloomy presence that affects everyone." Addison says, shaking his head. "And practice. Work on yourself. Make yourself more able to defend and act. The stronger you are, the more likely you'll be able to do something in the end."
Robyn isn't religious he's never been to a chruch service in his life so he's not about to pray, but he will go hide out in the chapel since it's quiet back there. "I don't know Addison, you say cheer up like it's easy. I don't feel like doing anything, I just want to get him and Jono back, and Brian and the others." It's hard for him to be cheerful right now, damn next to impossible. "How am I supposed to keep other peoples spirits high when I feel like I don't have any right now myself?" Practice though…that's something that might work. "Can you set up practice so I can learn to mentally shield myself better?"
"I can put in some Danger Room situations, yes. I need to start teaching a class to let people learn the basics of mental shielding." Addison says with a nod. After all, all of the X-Men have a basic level. "It takes time, but we can get you to at least stop broadcasting thoughts within a couple of weeks." He says, considering. "Yes. I think I'm going to start teaching a class on that."
"I want to be able to protect myself from more than just basics, I don't want to be controlled again like with Nathaniel." Robyn says honestly as that is a big reason for him to want to practice, he was supposed to a while ago but things have just been busy. "My powers are all mental based, I should be able to defend myself." He says with a nod as his fists start to clench a bit.
"You should be able to. I can give you your own classes. We can incorporate it into the others if you like. It'll just add an extra half hour or so to them. But, they won't be easy. They're going to be harder than almost any danger room course you have ever run. Harder than running a marathon once we get to the higher levels. If you understand that, and you're fine with it, then we will." Addison says with a nod. "Mentalists make the best shields. Mentalists and those with high willpower. You'll leave the room worn out, sore, tired, and sweaty on some days."
"That's fine, I can do it." It might take Robyn's mind off of other things and make him feel like he's doing /something/ even if it just bettering himself. "How many danger room sessions are designed for mentalists?" His squad leader is Van, the guy who thinks that teaching them to fight Sentinels is a good idea. "I need to get better, not to be an X-Man someday, but so that I can protect myself."
"I'll come up with a few myself. I'll design some around you. Maybe even… hmm. I might even see about allowing you in there on your own to access certain pre-programmed lists of things. With strong protections active." Addison considers. "Might be good for some of the other kids, too. Some of them are worthy of their own training times, if they like. Of course, they'd have to sign up in advance. AFter all, the Danger Room sees a lot of use." Addison starts making mental lists and jotting things down in his head for future reference. Again, he stops to look up. He looks like he's focussing… on the sun.
"I won't abuse it." And Robyn's serious about that, but there's the chance that he might be down there at midnight practicing when he should be sleeping. Not like he's been able to sleep lately but that's what those lovely sleep aides are for right now. He doesn't want to have a mental collaspe like last time. "I really appricate it Addison." He says as he noticed the telepath look to the sun. "The voice again?"
"Yes. I know it's up there somewhere. But… Cerebra can't find it." Addison says, distracted before he nods. "Of course. And, eventually, maybe you'll be able to overcome the need to take other's psy-energy." He says, with a half a grin. "Just practice and work with it. Of course, as long as I'm here, there's plenty for you to draw on."
"You and…Jono…when he's here." Robyn's become almost as close with Jono as he is with Addison. It's the same kind of teacher/student relationship that's more friend than professional, but at Xavier's, it really doesn't matter. "I hope so, that way I live as normal as possible." But it will be hard since his body doesn't produce enough psychic energy for him to fuel his powers a the moment.
It's still within the realm of possibility, though. "We'll do what we can." Addison says simply. "Anyway, don't you have classes today?" He asks, raising an eyebrow at the closest thing he has to a protege.
Robyn looks at his watch and sighs. "Yeah, I have Mutant Ethics in ten minutes." He actually came to see Addison on his lunch break but of course, he didn't eat anything. He maybe sleeping this time around but eating is being forgotten a lot as well. "Sorry if I'm adding the gloom around here for you Addison, but please, don't expect me to be cheerful, I can't be right now." He says honestly before giving Addison a small smile. "Thanks though." He doesn't plan on running off now, knowing it's not worth it.
"Then focus on something NOT gloomy. Like working on yourself. That'll help a lot." Addison says with a nod, slightly distracted. It may not be such a good thing right now. But he seems to be able to deal with it. "I need to get something to eat, then go back and see if Cerebra can help me."
