After an additional, hurried exchange, Director Becker turned from the two scientists with whom he'd been speaking, to answer Xavier: [color=silver]"Yes, let's get out of this-"[/color] glancing up, he seemed to realize for the first time how Jean was blocking any sparks and water from raining down on them. The director made a waving-away gesture to his scientists behind his back, who proceeded where ever as the director lead the way to the fire door. [color=silver]"Sorry for all this during your visit. Technology can be so unreli-" [/color]

[color=#7393B3]"Where is it your two personnel are headed?"[/color] Xavier queried.

[color=silver]"Just coordinating with security. Making sure everyone is out who should be. Checking valuable research hasn't been lost to all this-"[/color] he blinked, feeling the water as Jean had now let down the forcefield; the main lights having all blown out.

The time for pretense was over. [color=#DAA06D]"Every child I know to be here is already outside. Who is it that's--?"[/color] abruptly she paused as a disturbing sense entered her mind.

[hr]
It had happened. The potential for Cyclops' initial error to turn critical became reality as the kid unloaded on him. What had he been waiting for? He should have blasted the gun right out of her hands as soon as he got his own hand up. That's a bullet for each of your mistakes, Scott Summers. 

With what he and Xavier [i]had[/i] been anticipating in coming here, Cyclops had suited up. Being designed for other sorts of impacts, however, not bullets, his jacket had merely mitigated the penetration, didn't prevent it. He fell as he heard the teen's footsteps hurrying away.

[color=#DAA06D][i]'Scott! What just happened?'[/i][/color] her voice sounded in his mind through the searing pain.

[color=#0096FF][i]'She shot me and ran,'[/i][/color] he answered mentally as he drew short, pained breaths; trying to collect his bearings. He could still catch her off guard. She wouldn't be expecting to get tripped up by an optic blast. 

[color=#DAA06D][i]'Shot with what?'[/i][/color] In a world where people could shoot force beams from their eyes, ice or pyrotechnics from their hands, a mental energy bolt from their mind, just to name a few, the answer wasn't an obvious one.

[color=#0096FF][i]'A gun from the armoury.'[/i][/color] A loud, metallic sound almost drowned out his own thought in his head as Cyclops rolled onto his side as well as he could without exacerbating the pain radiating around his shoulder, seeing only the aftermath of Ryder's effect on the high security gate; not her doing it. [color=#0096FF][i]'She got through the gate...'[/i][/color] The kid's mention of having planned this was causing something to click. 

The terrain sloped beyond the gate and he could no longer take a shot. [color=#0096FF][i]'I'm coming back.'[/i][/color]

Gradually getting himself up, Cyclops noticed Umbra's security now headed this way. 
They radioed back to Security Main to get the doctor for him, but otherwise left him to his own devices having made a quick assessment of his injuries as non-critical. 

Cyclops couldn't tell what they might've been concealing; what they were going after the kid with. He had to get patched up fast so he could get back out there himself.

[hr]
Jean, meanwhile, reverted attention to where she was, catching up with the director just outside the front fire door. [color=#DAA06D]"Why do we have an armoury here?"[/color]

He stared at her like 'how do you know?' but had a ready answer: [color=silver]"For the same reason we have the high security fencing."[/color]

[color=#DAA06D]"I was told that was for the [i]illusion[/i] of high security, so no trespassers would discover the young mutants here."[/color]

[color=silver]"Exactly. And heaven forbid they do, we want to be ready just to scare them off."[/color]

Jean transmitted to Xavier what had just occurred; this was most unsettling.
He gave a nod to something else, and Jean went back into the building after first stepping over to where another guard had just come to relay the message to the doctor. [color=#DAA06D]"He's one of my guests. I'll take care of him."[/color]


Before Becker could take a turn asking where someone was going, Xavier caught his attention again: [color=#7393B3]"It would seem one of those weapons was just used against my friend,"[/color] he stated seriously, glancing towards where the guard had met with the doctor as though Xavier had overheard things from there. 

[color=#7393B3]"So now, director,"[/color] he looked upon him steadily, [color=#7393B3]"what can you tell me about this charge of yours who has run?"[/color]