Light A Way

58

Peeking around the door Elsie smiled at Logan as he shifted and allowed her into the room. She looked around at the consoles and monitors in the room. "How do you sleep in here, Hank?" Elsie asked while crossing her arms.

Hank turned in his swivel seat and smiled at her. "With ease, actually...not that that matters at the moment, that isn't why we're here." He said awkwardly while readjusting his glasses. Elsie smiled awkwardly, she didn't mean to tease Hank and cause him a moment of embarrassment.

"Behave," Charles said while sending her a mock serious look before looking back to Hank. "Why are we in your room though, Hank?" Charles asked, Hank shot him a look too before turning back to the desk he was seated at.

Elsie sent Charles a look, "Behave."

"Sorry. I do apologise, Hank, unlike some." Charles said.

Elsie put a hand to her chest and gasped. "Don't make me sound like an unapologetic person."

"Can we just get to the point?" Logan asked shortly from the doorway. Though Hank seemed more than used to their behaviour, Logan was getting a little short tempered at the aversion to the point.

"Okay," Hank said while gesturing to the monitors and whatnot in front of him. "This is the system I designed to record any news about Paris, over all three networks and PBS." Hank explained somewhat humbly yet proudly.

Stepping forwards Elsie couldn't help but look over his handiwork. She let out a low whistle and smiled at him. "Nicely done, you smart cookie." She did have to hand it to Hank, this was one serious piece of kit.

Turning when there was a scoff, they both looked to Logan. "All three? Wow." Was the sarcastic comment that came from him as he crossed his arms and moved more into the room so he wasn't lingering in the doorway any more.   

"Yeah, and PBS." Hank seemed to wish to point out in a blank tone. Shaking his head he turned back to the monitors and controls. "Sorry, can you move please?"

Holding her hands up Elsie shuffled backwards and stood beside Charles. He just stood silent and curious by Hank's little show and tell. He did look away though to look at her when he felt her hand simply slip to hold onto his. Giving her a gentle smile, he looked back to Hank when he had finished tinkering about with the controls by his side.

"Look what I found," turning the volume up he glanced over his shoulders briefly before wheeling to the side in his chair so everyone could see the monitor properly.

"Tomorrow in front of the White House, the President will make his announcement. He'll be joined by the Security of Defence Laird and has even sought the help of renowned scientist Bolivar Trask, he's special advisor to combat this mutant issue. The White House has asked-"

Hank stopped the recording and looked to the faces of his companions. Logan let out a troubled sigh, while Charles ran a hand down his face and kept a reassuring grip on Elsie's hand. At the mere mention of Trask she had tensed and tightened her hold on him.

"Raven doesn't realise that if she kills Trask at an event like that with the whole world watching..." Charles's words trailed off and hung in the silence of the room. He didn't need to state the obvious ending to his sentence.

"Then I came a long way for nothing." Logan said seriously with a frown while looking around the room.

"And there's more bad news," Hank said uncertainly. He didn't wish to layer the problems on, but with what he discovered they deserved to know.

Elsie gave him an incredulous look. "More? How in the name of all that is good and mighty can there be more bad news?"

"With painful ease, it seems." Hank said sadly while putting his hands in his lap. "I saw the report, they've found traces of her blood in Paris. For all we know, they already have her DNA, which is all they'd need..."