Rooms

[A tentative thought, a touch of sentiment, a suggestion of support and good feeling. No question, no intrusive presence. He doesn't want to intrude. He doesn't even have words. But Preston is strong, very strong. He can reach Steve wherever he is, even all the way into the city. Just for a sort of mental hug. Or a hint of one. If he wants it.]

[X-Mansion Crew - current and former etc- you know who you are]

Is everyone all right?

[Preston spent most of his time in his room, the one that stayed silent and kept him in and everyone else out. Silence? Perhaps closer to peace. It wasn't noise Preston felt, and he had difficult putting words to it. It was pressure, of a kind, like going way up a mountain or deep under a sea. He could feel it on his skin and in his ears, and the mood of a room was not quite the temperature all the metaphors said it should be.

So he stayed in the room, crept out like a thief at night for supplies, and read books on meditation.

Now that he knew Steve was coming, he did the equivalent of sticking his head out of the ground like a ground squirrel every few minutes, so he would know when he should go out to meet him and not look like the coward he was. It was because of this he was standing out on the lawn when Steve arrived, exuding nervous anticipation and good will in equal measures.]

[Wren H]

It's been a while.

[Louis D]

How is the sleep?

[Preston R]

Hi.

[After this.]

[Call to Charles X]
Ring!

[Locked to Preston R]
Sorry about before. It [...] I had to [...] tend to things on short notice.

[Locked to Sharon C]
Home, Agent?

[Locked to Carol D]
Sir.

[Locked to Avengers+: Banner, Stark, Thor, Romanoff, Barton, Drew, Danvers, Parker, Maximoff, Barnes, Carter, Torunn, & James]
I've been notified that Ms. Lyons, Crane's [...] accomplice, has gone [...] missing from federal custody. There is no footage or evidence of how she escaped, leading me to believe she didn't. That the hotel [...] was the cause. I'm working with the FBI, but there's no way to explain it to them. We may be expected to participate in or promote a manhunt.

[Locked to Bruce W]
Ms. Lyons is gone.

[X-Mansion.]

[A general, localized feeling of fatigued calm, the kind that comes after a restless night and a zombie morning. There is the sensation of being drained, of having no energy to even be tired, except you are, so tired. It's just a feeling, small and light, without identity. Telepaths wouldn't feel formed thought, and even identity is missing from the emotion. Yawn.]

[Two in the morning, the post comes through. It's locked, rather vaguely, to 'friends', which should hopefully do the job, and ends up covering any person friendly to him, including strangers. Handwrting looser than usual.]

why am I still awake?

[Charles X.]

I'm awake. I had a nightmare, I think. Something. I didn't wake anybody? The room is working?

[Steve R.]

Are you awake?

Who: Preston Rawlings and Charles Xavier
Where: X Mansion
When: Sometime after this
What: Trying to help this dude.
Warnings: Good manners and a lot of telepathy?

( I am eating my weight in m&ms right now )

[Because being anonymous is so totally anonymous.]

I'm having problems controlling my ability. I'm sorry if I [...] imposed. On your privacy. Sorry.

[Marvel. Preston isn't searching, but he is nearly up from a formless dream that was, surprisingly enough, rather innocently pleasant. One is left with... something like tangible clouds of cotton candy in the mind. Sweet, obscuring, blank.

It's strongest nearest Stark Tower.]

[ETA: Closed.]

[As Annabeth M]

Any other mutants out there?

[The New York Public Library was set up as a medical station. The line went around the block for the antitoxin and for other basic assistance. FEMA was on the ground, doing their governmental best to patch the city back together after yet another nightmare. The roads seemed almost unnaturally quiet after the two successive invasions (extraterrestrial and biological, in that order) fairly well decimated the population. News reporters spoke in hushed tones, and the rest of the country was donating to Red Cross funds to help NYC back on its feet.

Under a tent that was made up of not much more than plastic and metal poles set in concrete-filled buckets, Preston was sitting in a folding chair, listening to the minds around him. There were others in the tent too, most of them in some sort of emotional distress. The bad cases had already been flown off to hospitals, and minor injuries were quickly treated. The City as a whole was suffering from shock, and those left in the crowded tent all stared blankly and blinked slowly. The overwhelming majority of them were grieving for lost wives, sons, brothers and lovers. Preston was grieving only because they were grieving, the fluid mix of emotions stronger than liquor fumes and far more potent.

A wash of identities made surface and primal emotions strongest, and the visual minds were available only for those most vulnerable, but Preston had a strong, strong reach, even as tired as he was. He recognized Steve quickly, the competent yet warm complexity of his mind and also his deliberate stride. As the soldier neared, heads turned and mouths smiled, all of them with unnatural synchronicity, as one, and more of them as he drew closer to where the massive stone lion crouched guard over the tarp. No one actually spoke, and no one showed recognition, but they all turned to watch him as he passed.

A summer rain was misting over the muggy air, and dusk would be a welcome relief from the eighty degree heat.]

[Public]

Eight seconds.

[Steve R]

[A quick-sketch, pencil. Not as good as photographs, it's not his strength. But enough. Small figure, hand outstretched.]

I think I owe you a thank you.

[Preston R]

You sent Captain America.

[Wren H]

Are you safe?

[X-Mansion]

Is everyone well? There is a lot of work happening right now. and a lot of talk

[Steve R]

Captain Rogers, how are you?

[Preston R]

Hello, Preston.

[Erik L]

Hello.

[Wanda M]

Hello, my dear.

[Right after this, and before meeting Bucky re: Clint.]

[Locked to Bucky B]
Buck—I could use your help. I'm [...] not feeling well, but a couple people, likely infected, need assistance. [He jots in the address.] Can you get the antitoxin to them, maybe get them somewhere someone will care for them?

[Locked to Preston R]
We found Saint.

ETA: [Locked to Thor]
[A forward of this.]

[Relatively anonymously. Unless you know his handwriting.]

It was [...] hellish in New York the last few days. So, thank you to the people that made the cure possible. I know it probably couldn't have been easy.

[fuzzy timelines are fuzzy - guys we're in the middle of plot plz to be bearing with me. timelines are mostly so fuzzy]

[Erik Lehnsherr - Brain chat]

[Directly after this]

Erik?

[Preston R - Brain chat (sorry bro)]

[After this]

Preston? It's Charles - just me this time.

[Jack C - Brain chat attempt v1]

[Also after this]

Jack? It's Charles Xavier. I'm here to help you.

[Thought at Preston R]
Checking in again.

[Locked to Bucky B]
Bucky, please check in with me.

[Comm: Avengers+ (sans infected)/locked to Rocket & Alison V (separately)]
ETA: [Rocket is added to the comms following this.]

Crane is dead. We have his body in custody for lab work. (Do not answer any questions from anyone regarding him. As far as they're concerned, for the moment, we know nothing.) His girlfriend, however, Becky L, is still at large. [Steve sends everyone the visuals provided by Eddie.]

We need to find her fast. Alison V, a woman assisting us, is going to reach out to her, as they've talked before. If you see Becky L, let me know.

On top of that, we need to figure out how to get those infected among us to Stark Tower. Dr. Banner is close on the cure. Rocket is going to be our transport. He's been patched in to comms. Let him know where he's needed, and he'll pick you and whoever you have up and take you to the Tower.

Updates on various pursuits?

[Locked to Charles X]
Sir, I was wondering if I could ask for your assistance.

[Locked to Eddie N + Dick G + Jason T + Bruce W]
Crane is dead. Killed, we think, by Selina, who's now in Stark Tower. We're getting people on finding Becky L, the man's girlfriend, ASAP. Dr. Banner is close with the cure.

[The usual dump of articles, news, CDC updates included.]

[Later comm: Sharon C]
[Quietly.] Sharon?

[Locked to self]
Carol -- ST
James -- no update -- ST
Selina -- en route to ST
Wanda -- pursued by P. X -- no update
Sam -- no update -- ST
Peter -- AWOL -- pursued by Drew
Jack -- AWOL
Gwen -- sedated -- ST
Sharon -- sedated -- ST
Pepper -- sedated -- ST
Bucky -- AWOL
Mary Jane -- AWOL ST
Billy -- AWOL (w/ Wanda)
Loki

[After waking from this.]

[Comm link to Tony S]
[Beep, beep, beep!] Shit. Shit—Tony? Can you hear me?

ETA: [Note to self]
Carol -- pursued by JD -- Central Park(?)
James -- lucid -- ST
Selina -- no update -- Harlem
Wanda -- pursued by P. X
Sam -- no update -- ST
Peter -- no update -- ST
Jack -- no update -- ST
Gwen -- sedated -- ST
Sharon -- sedated -- ST
Pepper -- sedated -- ST
Bucky -- AWOL
Loki

- Thor, Torunn, Drew, Rocket, Nat, Alison V, 15 of 25 agents [their names are listed], me.
- Banner

[Scribbled in the margin, and crossed out after a while.] Find Saint R.

[A very pointed thought to Preston R]
I'm checking in.