Respects Finally Paid (OPEN)

[northstar]

Jean heard what Mittens, sorry, Sherridan Kaine, had said and the look of disgust was apparent on his face. Who did this guy think he was? Jean lowered himself to the ground and sat on a nearby bench.
"Hurry up, Magneto, you've been here for long enough, don't you think so?" Jean wanted them to leave, he had things to do, and these two couldn't be trusted here alone, who knows what they might do, he might come back to find an empty hole in the ground, Xavier's body exhumed and stolen, who knows what the head of the Brotherhood would do?

[Magneto]

Magneto had had enough of speedy's mouth and what patience he did have was gone. This was Magneto's time of mourning and he would not have it disrespected and made fun of in such a manner. Turning quickly, his cape snapping and whipping around behind him, Magnus crossed his arms and rose into the air about two feet. His eyes showed his frustration with Northstar and with his poor manners but most importantly he was fed up with the way he disgraced the Institutes name or more importantly, Xavier's name. "Do you have any idea how much iron is in the blood stream?," Magneto asked coldly, "Probably not so let me inform you rather quickly. A build up of iron in one certain spot in your body is enough to cause you to have a brain aneurysm or the total removal of said iron is enough to make you bleed out from every pore in your body and I don't care how fast you are, your speed won't save you there," he said as he thought about just showing Northstar instead of telling him.

Magneto had fell back into his role rather quickly as head of the Brotherhood and as such he would not tolerate any sort of threatening behavior toward him, be it physical or vocal and besides, Northstar's attitude was one that needed a little adjusting. "Too bad Charles wasn't around long enough to have you as one of his X-twits, maybe he could have taught you some manners and maybe even have helped you find a way to keep your mouth shut," he said tauntingly, almost as if he wanted Northstar to try something.

[Sherridan Kaine]

Fuck! Sherridan thinks quickly, his eyes making sure that no one else is watching, and then takes a few relaxed steps towards Magneto. Being a trained diplomat that he is, Sherridan knows that speed, emotions, and in this case fear, are definitely not the best starters of a successful deal.

"Magneto, please, we can deal with him later. I know that I have no idea of who Charles Xavier was, and what he meant to you, but for that very reason I beg of you not to do this. Not here, on your friend's grave. It would be the farthest thing you could do from paying your respects to him." he says methodically, compassion and pleading edging his voice.

What the hell is wrong with you?!?! You are confronting fucking Magneto! Are you that sick of life? these few thoughts successfully destill themselves from the raging chaos that is now Sherridan's mind. He has switched to autopilot, and luckily that same autopilot is an expert diplomat, or else there would be more trouble than needed, or wanted.

"We will deal with the fool later, but don't taint the friendship you had with the professor now, at the very end of it." he says, hoping that the words will get through to the mutant. If not, Magneto will be the only one walking out alive.

[rileyfletcher]

It was the middle of the night, and there was a girl laying in bed with her eyes wide open. Riley had no idea why, but lately she hadn't really been sleeping at night. She was really begining to hate this, but there was really nothing that she could do about it. So the only thing she could do was get out of bed and just wander around the school or out on the grounds. But before she left, she put on her ripped jeand and a white tank top.

Walking around the school at night and trying to be quite, isn't very interesting, so Riley decided to go outside instead. Once she was outside, she had walked around the school a few times, noticing that no one else was up or around. Riley decieded it wouldn't hurt to fly around town for a bit and maybe it would get her tired. So she let her wings out of her back and took off.

About an hour had gone by and Riley began her return trip to the school, after flying around the towns that were near by. She was glad it was late and that everyone was asleep, so it made it more fun to fly. Also she didn't have to worry about anyone spotting her or trying to take her picture while she was in the air.

Soon Riley arrived back at the school, but when she looked down at the ground, she saw Northstar, Magneto, and Sherridan all by Professor X's grave. Riley had a feeling what was going on. Magneto was paying his respects to the Professor, because they were really close friends and had always stayed as friends. Then Northstar was there causing some sort of trouble, like usual, and getting on everyones nervous. But then she had no idea what Sherridan was doing there.

So Riley quickly, but quitely, landed behind the three men. She then let her wings go back into her back. "Is there a problem?" she asked them. She knew that she wasn't a teacher here at the school, but she really wasn't much of a student here either, so she wouldn't get into any trouble. Plus she was always good at getting people to calm down, and let them go back to they were doing before anything happened.

She looked over at Magneto. "I'm guessing your her to pay your respects. Don't worry I'm not going to cause any trouble here, and I know you and the Professor were and still were close friends." she told him calmly. Riley was never afraid of Magneto, she never knew why, but she just wasn't.

Then Riley turned her attention on Northstar. "I know your older then me, but would you just Shut your mouth! You need to realize that Magneto would never try doing anything here. This was once his home, and is a huge part of him, so he wouldn't dare try anything here. Ok?" she told him. Riley didn't care what Northstar would think about her, but she knew about Magneto's and Charles relationship, since she use to spent almost everyday with him, learning how to control her powers, and they would some times talk about their pasts. So she knew about a few things.

[northstar]

Jean turned to Riley, "Get to bed, NOW! Unless you want Storm to hear about you leaving the school at night without permission." Jean decided to step back, this was turning into a Northstar bashing. Jean looked over at Magneto, "Please, you could cause some panic if any of the students see you here, they aren't all as... knowledgable of yours and the Professor's relationship as Riley here."

[Magneto]

Magneto's anger at himself had manifested itself a new outlet in Northstar and hearing Sherridan speak along with the new girl, Magneto began to realize this. He held himself partly responsible for Charles' death, even though he probably couldn't have done anything about it, but then, he could have at least tried. Nevermind that Jean Grey was more powerful than him, it was the principal of the thing.

As he was calming down, Northstar had to speak and rile him once again. It seemed this mutants ability was to be able to stick both feet in his mouth at the same time. Looking him over again, with another disapproving and disappointing look, "Apparently," he said in reply to Northstar's comment. The twit talked about how not everyone was aware of the relationship that Charles and Erik shared and here he was the prime example of such a statement.

Turning his head, he looked at the girl who had joined this little would be showdown. He gave hear a half hearted smile and nodded his head a bit, "It seems someone shared a bit more personal time with Charles than needed be," he said referring to the personal knowledge that Riley seemed to hold. Maybe she had been one of Charles more private students, a protege of sorts, just as Jean Grey or Storm had been.

[rileyfletcher]

Riley quickly turned her attention back on Northstar. She crossed her arms, and raised an eye brow as she looked at him. "I don't care if you go running off to Storm telling her what I have been up to. She knows that I can come and go as I please, I'm not considered as a student here. The only reason why I have been staying here, was just for a place to stay, until I can get a job and save enough money to buy my own place. So you can't order me around." she told him. He now just put himself in her bad books. Northstar seemed really good a pissing people off, by the rate he was going he should have the whole school hating him by the end of the month.

"Anyways, there wont be any panic at the school. Everyone is sound asleep, and wont be getting up anytime soon. I know this because I have been up every night and there is never anyone awake. Plus, there might be a panic soon, if you don't learn to Shut Up! You are being so loud that you would wake everyone up soon at this rate." she told him off.

After telling Northstar off, she quickly calmed herself down before looking back at Magneto. She then noticed his half hearted smile and he nodded his head at her. He then said a few things to her. "Not a lot of time, but a bit. As you would have just heard, I'm not a student, but I have had some trouble with my powers." she told him. Riley knew that she shouldn't give out a lot of information about her and her powers to Magneto, incase they meet again and it was in a fight. Then he would be able to know her strengths and weaknesses, so she watched what words she said to him.

Riley then remembered that Sherridan was there too. She looked over at him. "Sherridan, what are you doing here?" she asked him. She remembered the day that they first met each other and it wasn't that long ago either. Riley wondered what he was doing here, but at the moment she was more worrided about keeping some peace here. So then there wont be a fight or anything like that, that would get someone hurt and wake everyone up.

[Sherridan Kaine]

Sherridan wasn't prepared for the newcomer out of the sky, and it wasn't his primal concern. He did, however, hear the sound of her wings a bit earlier, but decided it wasn't important. As she landed, he didn't move a muscle.

This state continued as the three others exchanged words, insults, and witty comments. Or at least some of that. At her question, however, he smiles that friendly smile again. "I followed Magneto here. I was curious as to what he might be doing here." only the partial truth is said for a very good reason. First off, he had guessed what Magneto was doing before they even got there.

Secondly, he didn't say the word "boss", or any synonym, and he didn't either say that he was on either side of the conflict. Sherridan knew that he still had a chance of doubling up and tricking Riley, or some other Institute mutants. Sherridan doesn't, however, want to do it for the benefits it brings, but simply so he can test his skill and play a little game. This little situation just made everything harder, since Northstar knows that Sherridan and Magneto are on the same side, but that becomes less of a problem as Northstar seems to be an idiot, and also Riley is hardly going to listen to him now.

However, if Magneto doesn't see what Sherridan is doing, the cat-man's efforts are going to go to waste. But the lord of magnetism is more than capable of noticing that. Still, he is preoccupied with other things to pay any attention to the needs of others.

[Jake Sheppard]

Shit.

It was not normally in Jake’s nature to swear (well, not much, and not outside of his head) but this demanded every expletive going… and then some, because somehow shit-bugger-bollocks-fuck etc etc, eloquent and articulate though that was, didn’t quite convey how screwed he was…

… how screwed they all were, he corrected himself. Bugger (that wasn’t swearing. He was a Brit, and in America all Brits said that a lot. So the law of Hollywood stereotypes decreed), he was a staff member now, wasn’t he? Not just any staff member. The Principal. Which made dealing with this his responsibility.

Being woken up by a psychic screaming match was never a good sign, and though he had, sort of, gotten used (well, more resigned himself) to the fact that everyone here was angsty as all hell and therefore broadcast said psychic screaming pretty much 24/7, this was different. Very different. He didn’t know the specifics of the situation – damn limited telepathy (a fact-finding hitchhike out of the question, of course. No time. Barely enough time to slip into and shut down Northstar’s mind, holding him in a sort of suspended animation… which was a new trick, though he couldn’t afford to start taking notes in case the lapse in concentration, um, killed his host) – but when you hear the word ‘Magneto!’ then you don’t really need to ask, right?

He only hoped that one was a flier in the ethics committee as well as in his head, because what he was going to have to do to get something of a handle on the situation was not… conventional. Or safe, really. But Northstar had to be shut up. Had to.

(Was that how Magneto reasoned things, in imperatives? That’d be a great start, wouldn’t it, crossing whatever line divided them from him?)

<Um… hello. Sorry to interrupt>

Not a bad start, really, considering how tongue-tied he and how complicated what he was doing (not least because, although shut-down was easier than control both were still normally beyond him and something of a minefield) was.

<This is J.. erm, Professor Sheppard, on mass broadcast. Excuse me talking to your minds… and erm, Professor Beaubier will be fine. I’ll explain everything later. Can someone please fill me in on what’s… Oh hell… You’d be Magneto, right?> A mental gulp was an interesting sound…

[Magneto]

Unfortunately for Xavier's little fill in, Magneto was well protected from such actions as telepathy and mind invasion at the moment thanks to his "dorky" helmet as Pyro had so lovingly referred to it as. Of course, it was all funny until someone started mind raping you and then oh how everyone wished they had a dorky helmet. Mind you, Magneto didn't need to hear what was said in order to figure out something was up. The look on the other's faces told that tale for him and the way Northstar seemed to be a bit preoccupied in some other fashion was another tell tale sign. Magneto sighed with a slight smile and tapped the side of his helmet, knowing that whomever was probably sending out this little message would be able to pick up his actions through the eyes of the others.....maybe.

[Sherridan Kaine]

Sherridan's eyes go widely open. Widely, and wildly. He doesn't know where the voice is coming from, but the anger and frustration within the cat man's mind are going to hurt the person wherever he is. You fucking imbecile! You better have not just informed the whole school of Magneto's presence! Idiot! he thinks directly to the strange person, but does not expel him from his mind. It is hard to do that, but Sherridan can revert to his cat instincts only, and expel all thoughts from his mind. This, however, is extremely hard and doesn't work much, and it would also mean Sherridan curling into a sleeping fur-ball next to someone's feet- probably Riley's.

"Perhaps, you should go, Magneto." Sherridan says diplomatically, still careful not to divulge his own alliance.

[rileyfletcher]

Riley didn't say anything to what Sherridan had just said, but she knew he was up to something else, and she would figure it out soon. But before she could say anything else, she heard Jake's voice in her head. She knew that he was using telepathy, since she also has it, but needs to learn a different way to control it.

Riley listened to him calmly, and then looked over at Sherridan. A small smile came across her face at the look of Sherridan, and she found it funny. Riley then looked over at Magneto and noticed that his helmet was on so he wouldn't hear anything.

So she thought that she should try to use her telepathy to let Jake know that Magneto can not hear him. <Jake. Your better off just coming down here, cause Magneto can not hear you.> she sent to him. Riley really hoped that it had worked and that he would get down here soon.

[Jake Sheppard]

Hang on a sec… Head? Helmet? What now?

Oh… hell. This did not bode well. Because on top of everything else it seemed that Magneto knew more about the whole telepathy gig than Jake himself did… since when had helmets blocked out the whole mind-wave-thing (the fact he was calling it that, rather than whatever the ‘proper’ name was, probably went some way to explaining why he had little or no clue…)? Out of his depth, definitely, and starting to flounder.

Exactly how out of his depth that was was only clarified by the cat guy’s comment. He didn’t think everyone knew… broadcasting from a foreign brain, factoring in all the other stuff… no, fairly sure it was only those four. Probably. But the uncertainty wasn’t exactly a promising sign.

Maybe playing it as if everyone knew wasn’t a bad idea… they might run. Then again, maybe Magneto and Mittens would flip out, which wouldn’t be good, seeing as how there wasn’t really a mutant army on red alert to kick their asses but just a few confused and uncontrollable kids. Shit. How the hell was he meant to make these decisions? One decision that was taken out of his hands, thankfully, was that he couldn’t just continue as he was, because keeping from screwing up Jean-Paul’s head was getting harder the more he had to concentrate on other things, and killing a teacher wasn’t a good idea.

<Jake. You’re better off just coming down here, cause Magneto can not hear you.>
Thank God for Riley. At least someone knew what the hell was going on… sort of. Small mercies and all that jazz.

Going down their in the flesh would take too long (and put him in danger – hero? Him? Don’t be silly)… but that didn’t preclude any involvement. It would just take time… time he hoped Riley could continue playing her current streak and give him so he could get a halfway decent astral form together, since this required something more than flicking between hitches usually demanded. Pulling back from Northstar’s brain to his own, he fired off a private telepathic response to her. <Thanks, Riley. I’m, erm, en route. It’ll take a moment or two. Can you keep a handle on things down there? Do whatever you have to.>

[rileyfletcher]

There was a very long and slient pause. No one was moving or saying anything at all. Riley began to wonder what on earth was going on, and hoped nothing bad will happen. She kept her thoughts cleared in case Jake tried sending her a message or something. She also kept a close eye on, Magneto, Sherridan, and Northstar.

After what seemed forever, even though it was only a few minutes, she heard Jake. Riley knew right away that they were only talking to each other and no one else was listening to it. She heard what Jake had said. <Alright, I'll try keeping everything under control down here. But please hurry, I'm not sure if I could keep Northstar shut up much more longer, since he seems to be getting on everyone's nervous.>

Once Riley had finished responding to Jake, she continued on keeping an eye on everyone. She knew that they couldn't start any fights here, and that she need to keep everyone calm. She didn't care if they did fight verbally, but as long as it wasn't physically she was going to be fine, hopefully. But Riley did hope that Jake would be there soon, since she knew that Northstar would listen to him.