ways_infirmary | (no subject)

She eyes the bar a little suspiciously, because hey, weird tech. Then she puts it on, and moves to sit in one of the chairs.

"Right. Well, it kinda starts when I first ran into White, about eight months ago now. It was after we torched Manticore...he was trying to lure everyone who'd escaped back so he could kill them. We changed the message he was transmitting so it read 'go to ground', and managed to break a few of the captives out. He...ah...might have been a little pissed at that..."

Hank touches a few buttons on the monitor and it begins the scan. Then he comes and sits, listening.

He nods as she reaches that point.

"So White had been a member of Manticore, I assume? What happenned then?"

"No, I think he's NSA. He only came in after Logan exposed Manticore, and the facility was destoyed. Genocide disguised as a clean-up mission."

She frowns slightly. "Well, he hunted us for a while. And Logan, Joshua, and I - and later Alec - spent a lot of time trying to keep those transgenics who couldn't pass as human safe. Which...well, it pretty much means underground."

She looks a little shamefaced at this.

"My world is kinda lethal to those who're different, like I said."

Hank nods.

"Sounds a lot like mine. Sometimes it is good, sometimes bad. But it is never pleasant to be different."

He shakes his head.

"So you ran silent for awhile? Doing underground and trying to keep things quiet?"

"No, we just tried to keep those who couldn't pass below the radar." Max grimaces slightly. "White knew - knows - about Alec and I, he just couldn't pin us down easily. So he went after easier prey. People who hadn't been on field missions, didn't know how the real world worked."

Hank nods again, listening.

"And... did he manage to catch any?"

"Yeah. Some I know of, others..." She exhales silently, face falling into a blank mask. "We can't be everywhere. And Seattle's turning into freak central now, but after Manticore burned, we all scattered. Just like we did when my siblings and I escaped years ago. So...I have no idea how many people have been caught and killed."

She looks down. "We try to save who we can, but it's not easy, and it doesn't always work..."

Hank listens quietly.

"You can only do what you can, Max. When you fight a war, you only have so much strength, so many resources, and you only can do so much. It doesnt stop you from hurting for everyone lost, or for every mission blown, but it is a fact. You cant save them all."

He sighs and looks down./

"I know."

Then he looks back up.

"What happenned next?"

"Yeah, but it's my fault they're out there with no safety net. I mean, it's better than Manticore. Even with the threat of death hanging over all of our heads, it's better than being slaves. But still...they're my responsibility."

This might seem a bit off, given the training she must have had. It's not pragmatic, not practical.

"Right. Next. Well, Logan got a call from a woman who'd lost her son - six years old, been kidnapped. Eyes Only doesn't usually do missing persons, so it was a little weird..."

"You gave them a chance and their freedom, but you can only do so much. You are, for all your gifts, only human."

He nods and listens.

"But he took it this time?"

"Yeah. She was desperate and...well, he's a softy. I'm the only one in the organization who's practical."

Only usually not.

"Her name was Wendy Olsen. She went by her maiden name. Her husband's name was Ames White. When we first saw the surveillance videos, we thought the kidnappers were transgenics. Same strength, same speed. And what better way to gain leverage over the guy who's been hunting you than by snatching his kid, right?"

Hank nods.

"Sounds reasonable. What went wrong?"

"Well, they weren't transgenics. They were something else. White hired 'em to kidnap his own kid, so his wife wouldn't know about his little breeding cult. 'Course, if I was a psychopath who was part of an apocalyptic cult that's been around since 5000 BC, I wouldn't want anyone to know, either."

She grimaces slightly.

"They pick their mates, have three kids. The first two are killed as newborns. When they're sure the third is what they're looking for, they kill the mother, too."

"Son of a ..."

Hank swears and then nods.

"Shades of ages of genetic engineering all brought back to life."

He sighs then looks at her.

"What happenned when you found out?"

"Managed to distract him long enough for Wendy to get away. Found out in the process that the fucker's even stronger and faster than I am, and he doesn't feel pain. They're all like that, and they're everywhere."

A moment's pause. "Wendy kept looking for her son. We found him, but she's dead. They were keeping the kid at a boarding school for psycho-cult initiates."

"So, you went in after him? With a team, I would suppose?"

He is watching her and glances at the scanner as it continues it's work, then back at her.

She raises an eyebrow. "What team? Logan's human, Joshua can't go out in public, and Alec's not about to risk his life for anyone who isn't one of us. I went in alone. Managed to interrupt their wacky initiation ritual, get myself cut up in the process. And infected with whatever the hell it is they use to 'test' their initiates. That was fun."

Hank winces and nods.

"Sounds pretty bad. I'm glad you made it out. What happenned?"

She shrugs. "Managed to fool 'em into thinking I was dying, and escaped. And found out in the process that flashing a telekinetic is a good way to distract 'em. Got Ray - that's the kid - out, too. He pulled through, though it was touch and go for a while. And that's when we found out about the Coming. Which is some sorta apocalypse that screws over anyone who isn't a card-carrying member of the freaky snakeblood cult."

She shakes her head. "So far, my best clues as to what the hell it is come from a six-year-old and some long dead Argentinians."

"Great. So you need to figure out what the Coming is and how to stop it? And how the Cult is involved...Right? Well-"

At that moment the monitor chimed and he stood, walking to it. It blinked a red light to him and he punched one button then stared at the screen. He swore in one long breath, then turned back to her.

"I was right. Your brain chemistry shows signs of tampering. Someone has messed with your memories, Max."

"Yep. And then actually go about stopping it. Which will be fun in the 'I am probably going to end up a corpse' sort of way. 'Least I can count on some support for that, though. We all want White and his buddies dead."

She blinks, then smiles wryly. "No surprise there. Standard operating procedure for Manticore. Hell, they even taught us how to do it to ourselves."

"And you can count on more than that. I am with you. People whio do that kind of thing are the very thing I have fought againts my entire life, Max. And they are screweing with your world. Let me help?"

Then he nods.

"I wish I could pinpoint exactly what was done to your memory, but I cant. Someone else might be able to though."

"If I can bring you through. I know I can bring a couple people, but I'm not sure just what boundaries there might be on comings and goings."

She freezes, suddenly wary. "...Who?"

"I dont know. I meant that asd a generic, as in someone else might be better able to tell you. If my Jean Grey was here... I wouold reccomend her, but, I dont know anyone else here with the kind of strength and control she had."

He sighs.

"There might be a hypnotist but that requires trust too. Maybe a magic user? But, again, trust. I dont know who you know, or trust enough to do something involving your mind. And I am not about to tell you to open your mind to someone."

"If Rachel wasn't hurt... But the shape she's been in, since the manse...I don't want her seeing what's in here." She taps her temple lightly.

"I could, I suppose, talk to Jean..."

She seems reluctant.

"Or... Well, I suppose there may be others."

"The only person I know I could reccomend who might be able to do it for you... an it is a long shot, is Magius. He is a magic user. But you would need to decide whether you wanted to trust him or not, on your ownn judgement."

He smiles.

"I know you will find a way. Just be safe, if you can."

She laughs a bit at that. "Hank, I'm not sure I trust the magic users I already know enough to let them screw around with my brain. I don't think I'll develop a deep and abiding trust in a complete stranger that quickly. Besides...if it's the standard sort of block Manticore uses, trying to break it would be unpleasant at best."

Hank nods.

"I know. I just figured I would throw my two cents out there. Whatever you do, if you need a room here in the Infirmary to do it in, let me know and I will hook you up with a privacy screen. No questions asked."

He nods to her.

"Heh. Precautions might entail a temporary stay in the cells, actually." She rises, managing a faint smile. "Thanks again for the help."

He nods to her and smiles.

"Anytime, Max. Have a good night, okay?"

"Thanks. You too." She pokes him lightly in the shoulder. "Get home to that pretty wife of yours."

And off she wanders.