Re-Evolution: Episode 2: In the Blood

Up in the complex network of vents in the School for Gifted Youngsters a figure in grey camo  lurked in the shadows behind a small blower, lying prone and careful as they crawled delicately towards the illuminated slats to get a view of the room inside.The room was a large laboratory and medical office, where a couple of women were chatting. One of them was a slim and tall blond in a white pantsuit, seated sideways in a rolling chair. The other was Ororo.

"Three of them in the tour group hm? That's unusually large."

"They're a set of twins." Ororo was musing, leaning by a currently spinning centrifuge. "Both of them mutants. The other is a boy we've invited in the past. He had declined...but something seems to have changed his mind."

"Huh," Emma frowned. "One of the ones from the local high school? Well, whatever it was, it's probably a good thing, given....."

"yes.." Ororo said, brushing a lock of pale white hair over her ear with a pensive frown on her face. "...given the Hellfire club's recent activities..."

The figure in the vents had already hit record on the microphone in their suit, and unhooked a small camera from their belt to aim down into the lab.

"Yes...." Emma agreed with a frown. "The way they’ve stepped up their recruitment is becoming a problem."

"I don't know how they're finding young mutants before the professor," Ororo said with concern, her brow knitting as she thought it through. "...but the implications of all this will certainly keep me up at night. ...I have to wonder why they need so many of us."

The centrifuge stopped beside her, and she ducked down to check the contents before looking back at Emma.

"Speaking from experience, I doubt its for anything we'll look forward to," Emma mused. "Though it may technically count as a party."

".....I was worried that you may say that."  She shook her head and sighed, her tousled mane of pale hair cascading over her shoulders. "...we just have to step up our recruitment efforts and protect as many people as we can from their reach." 

The figure in the vent waited until they were looking away and then slowly attempted to inch closer to the slats, aiming a small pen-like object at the metal. Once they were sure they weren't looking, they activated it and a small red light began cutting through the metal at a steady and persistent pace.

"Yes, we'll--" Emma paused, and turned. "Hmmmm...."

The figure turned the device off as soon as Emma turned, and pressed low in the vent-- quiet as a mouse as they gazed at Emma through impassive lenses. Emma looked slowly across the room, and seemed, for a moment, to be zeroing in on the figure.

That was the exact moment the door flew open and snapped her concentration. 

"Guh!"

"You can help her to one of the cots, Greg," Jean instructed, striding into the room ahead of the group. Todd was following Greg as closely as he dared, as Greg half-carried Morgan to the cot.

The figure took one last parting snapshot of Emma Frost's face in profile, and crept backwards into the shadows. Dazzler rushed into the room behind them, a nervous smile on her face. 

"Hey there, Emma darling, same it's not a peppier introduction but ah, here's our tour group!" 

"What has happened here?" Ororo's hand covered her mouth, and she looked at the  nearly unconscious girl being hurried into the lab with sympathy. 

"One of our guests is feeling faint," Jean explained. "Morgan..."

"Sorry," Morgan murmured, shielding her eyes from the light "I've felt like shi--I've felt terrible all morning, but I didn't want to get in the way of Greg's big tour." 

She tried to sit up  more in Greg's arms, but the spinning in her head made her feel ill again, and she swallowed down a sting of bile.

"Put her down on the cot. " Ororo said gently. "Ms. Frost will take a look at her"

Greg gently eased her down on the cot, and carefully put the pillow under her head. 

"Yeah.... " he turned to Emma. "Are you a doctor?"

"I've studied medicine," she shrugged. "Allow me." 

She stepped toward Morgan.

"She's capable." Ororo promised quietly, glancing at Greg. "Is this the first time you've seen her like this?"

Morgan stirred on the cot, and looked over at Emma with half closed eyes. 

"...who're you?"

"My name is Emma Frost," she explained. "I'm a teacher at this school, and I'm going to shine a light in your eyes."

She did so, watching her pupils. Morgan did her best to keep her eyes open, following the light. 

"At least you warned me; thanks, teach."

"My pleasure," she said, snapping the little light off. "Well, no concussion. When was the last time you ate?"

She leaned in and pressed her fingers to Morgan's neck to check her pulse.

"I had a soda...and a bit for breakfast. But I've been feeling kind of sick to my stomach all day...like , even if I was hungry, everything just makes me feel like I'm gonna be sick."

"Hmmm... you might be a little anemic," Emma suggested. "Ororo, can you get some juice?”

Ororo stood, and nodded firmly.

"I would be happy to." without another word she drifted out the door and towards the kitchen.

Emma turned back to Morgan.

“You don't have a history of diabetes do you?"

"No she doesn't," Greg answered for her.

"I asked Morgan, dear," Emma said, firmly.

Morgan laughed weakly.  She gave Emma a thankful smile at cutting in over Greg.

"Anemic, huh? Oh boy." She reached up to pinch between her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Not that I know of...but uh, my body chemistry's probably gotten all kinds of fucked up since ...you know...I mutated."

"Yes, that's unsurprising," Emma nodded. "I would suspect that your body is now not getting enough of some chemical that it needs. Honestly, I'd recommend a full blood panel. It can be done here, of course."

"Damn, yo," Todd muttered. "Whole in-house hospital."

Emma looked over her shoulder at Todd.

"It's sometimes necessary. Hospitals are not always able to provide the kind of care that one of us needs."

"Not only that." Dazzler cut in, leaning on one of the counters. "For some of us, hospitals aren't even an option. So... we try to provide the right kinda care for the job."  She gestured to the room.

Morgan pressed her hand to her head, nodding slowly. 

“...Full blood panel, huh? maybe...might..not be a bad idea , I guess. I just wonder why it took so long to hit...I haven't really changed how I've been eating."

"You moved, recently, isn't that correct?" Emma asked. "It could be related to something as subtle as a change in schedule or environment. Or perhaps you've been exerting yourself more often?"

Emma's icy blue gaze seemed to stare straight through Morgan as she leveled the last suggestion. Morgan shrank back from the stare. 

‘She can't possibly know about that, right?’ she thought, a nervous smile crossing her face as yesterday's incident at Calamity flashed through her mind . ‘I wish she'd stop staring at me like that, it's giving me chills.’

"Not really," she lied with a shake of her head, brushing her hair over her ear, "...maybe a little bit , like when I showed Piotr and when I fell off a fence but..."

"Mmm," Emma nodded  without any particular agreement or challenge in her tone. "In any case, I'm going to give you a multivitamin when Ororo gets back, and we'll see if that helps. How are you feeling now?"

"I guess a little better." Morgan muttered, finally averting her eyes away from the woman's icy stare. ‘She seems like a cool lady...can't shake the feeling that she sees right through me, though…’ She continued, aloud, "Like, I think I could stand if I tried."

Dazzler  walked over to her and clapped her hands together. 

"Oh goodie...do you think you can finish the tour or would you like an escort home?"

Greg gave Morgan a concerned look. 

"We can go home if you're not feeling well, Morgan..."

"I'm fine...I am." Morgan insisted. She sat up, and attempted to fix her hair. “I'm not ruining this for you...or for me, I'm gonna push on." 

Ororo came back into the room with a glass of orange juice in her hand. 

"Here, drink this." she said as she handed the glass to Morgan. "It should help you. But you really should eat something soon."

Emma turned and fetched a jar from a nearby shelf and proffered her a large capsule. 

"And take this."

“Yo, you *sure* you okay, Morg? No shame in callin it early...."Todd frowned, seeming almost as concerned as Greg.

Morgan took the capsule, and placed it on her tongue. With a nod of affirmation, she sipped orange juice to swallow the multivitamin before finishing off the rest of the glass. 

"No," she declared, flashing them a fanged smile. "I'm alright. I'm gonna push on, alright? It'll be okay."

Jean, who had been watching with worry from the edge of the room, smiled. 

"Have fun, but remember to take it easy-- Scott, don't make them run laps around the vehicle bay or anything like that."

"I'll make sure she has a permission slip to skip gym today," Scott promised with a smirk. "Don't worry. We'll take it easy."

Dazzler sighed with relief.

 "Oh good... but we'll keep an eye on her, Scott, alright?"

"Thanks everyone. Sorry to put a damper on the tour. You have a lovely facility." Morgan shifted to try and stand, holding her hand up for someone to help her. 

Todd looked like he might have been about to take her hand-- before her brother swooped in and did so first.

"Easy does it, sis," Greg said, helping her to stand up.

"I'm pleased it meets your standards, Miss Morgan,” Emma said. “Enjoy the rest of your tour. All of you."

Morgan nodded slowly, standing with the help of her brother. 

"Thanks bro, I appreciate it." She dusted herself off, and stretched, "And thanks to you too, Miss Frost. Hoping to get to know you better sometime. You seem like a pretty interesting lady."

"Pretty and interesting." Dazzler piped up. "You're right on both counts."

"Flatterer," Emma purred. "In any case, I won't keep you any longer.