"Is the knowledge gained, worth the price of the pain?"

[ororo_munroe]

It was a somber ride back to Westchester on the Blackbird until the plane finally descends to the hangar deck and the VTOL thrusters are switched off.  Minor scrapes and bruises were tended to courtesy of the plane's medkits.  Those with more serious injuries will be helped with the aid of Elixir and soon by Beast, waiting on them in the Medlab

Comments

[green_anole]

Anole stood up immediately, as Storm's gaze rested upon him, despite the fact that all of his muscles were screaming in agony at him. Of course this had to be done before he could shower and put on some clothes other then his tattered uniform.

The Professor, as he had just been told was waiting, and he might as well get this over with.

[cynosurejpb]

Northstar glanced over at the kids that were disembarking -- or being carried -- from the jet. They would be fine in the Medlab. There would even be other adults there to help if it reminded them too much of the Cube. He needed to get something to eat and collapse, himself. Between his exhertion and the healing, he was about worn to nothing, but he still couldn't seem to wind down. If possible, he'd let Logan do most of the talking and slip out as soon as possible.

[ororo_munroe]

There is compassion felt. She feels it for all of them, but particularly for the newly battle-hardened X-Men.

When X-Men buy into the Dream, payment eventually follows. A lesson she'd never wished for the children to learn.

A thought is sent toward Charles.

"For everyone, let this be quick? The children are not acquainted with the usual protocol and their friends shall have need of them, Professor."

[x_professor_x]

'Of course, Ororo.' The mind of Xavier comments, 'I intend to do more listening than speaking.'

And, with not all that much adieu, Professor X rolls out into the hangar room, nodding slightly at the various leaders. "I am certain you all want some quality time with your beds, my X-Men. And so, in interests of brevity, I shall let you take the lead."

With that, X steeples his fingers, leaning back in his chair a little to listen.

[ororo_munroe]

She hadn't made it to the woods before her temper got the better of her. The Professor will find her instead on the wooden dock leading out and over the lake bordering the nearby grounds of the school.

Her lightning races across the waters, her winds churning the surface, and the thunder rumbles what she feels from the heavens. A perfect reflection of her mental state.

[x_professor_x]

As much as Xavier doesn't like being around water, he does like the shorter roll. The tempest surrounding Storm causes Charlies...for a weak moment, a bit of envy. So many of his students have harmless ways to vent through the use of their powers...to just let go, to emote in that most primal of fashions. It's always been a temptation for Xavier.

But he's trapped his students inside his nightmares before; the thought of what an unfocused conscious use of his power would do has been a nightmare sceneario for Professor X since nearly the beginning. And, most importantly, he's not here to feel sorry for himself. He's here to help. He's not a cripple.

"Do you want to talk about it, Ororo?" Xavier's voice manages a deceptive amount of composure as he waits, patiently, for his student to share her pain.

[ororo_munroe]

She registers the squeak of his chair on the dock's wooden boards first. A tightened fist unclenches in a summon to the lightning to stop its dance across the waters in a gesture toward the Professor's safety. But Ororo doesn't answer for a moment and he's left waiting until a slow hiss of painfully held breath escapes her.

"I do not know. What is there to say that has not been discussed before? X-Men go to battle, none come back the same. At times, none come back. The choices made in the past; made by you, Scott, and myself have brought this school and the X-Men where we are today. You made us teachers of the next generation of mutants to impart the lesson that mutants and humans can coexist peacefully and the consequences -though we've accepted them- have occasionally been high."

"I would ask you why I cannot stop the realization that we keep failing our students, Professor. But that is not something you can answer, is it?"

[x_professor_x]

"Becides the problem that's weighing on the front of your mind?" Xavier asks, lightly, in response to Ororo's inital argument. "There is little I can say to make you feel better. I could, if you wished, stimulate the pleasure centers of your brain to allow you a pleasent night's sleep