“I’ve been sharing information with The Avenging League. We’re working on finding the locations of NOVA’s other detention facilities.” He’d considered long and hard whether or not to trust Lorna with heading to another of them after how the first mission had ended, but her father would not be involved. Not by Scott’s request, anyway. “I want them cleared. Cleaned out.”

He looked away from the program to watch Lorna. “Beyond that, we’ll see what threats we’re facing. My priority is keeping the people in these walls safe, but…we can’t let the world outside keep building up against us, either.” She knew that. Scott had just wanted, needed, to make sure they weren’t taking shots before they could back them up. “Are you up to inviting Gambit to the team?”

Her eyes narrow a bit at the news of the Avenging League, but she’s not too surprised. Nor is she too opposed to their help. They’d need everything they could get, after all. "Can we trust them?” but her expression shifts to one that is way more satisfied as he continues. "Good. That is something I can most definitely do,” and this time is different, certainly. There would be more of a plan, and mainly, different people. 

Lorna’s friendship had been unexpected, and, in Laura’s personal opinion, undeserved. Laura tended to avoid relationships with people whenever possible, and if they absolutely had to happen she tended to keep them at arms length. But when Gabby had came into her life, her and Daken, that had…changed things. Started to open her up more, even if just a bit. Even when she left them, came to Star City to start her own path, a small part of that openness had stayed. Until NOVA came calling, and with her imprisonment a reminder of her past, wrapping around her ankle and pulling her deep into the freezing waters that were her own subconscious, that instinct to pull away when things got dangerous. 

Lorna had simply came to her about some mutant underground business. It was simple, professional, not meant to start a friendship. But the stubborn mutant had wormed her way through her walls, and the two had become actual friends. Other than Remy, she’d probably call Lorna her closest friend. She often wondered why she bothered, Laura certainly hadn’t made it easy for her. 

Her lips quirked upward in a smirk at her statement, before letting out a deep sigh. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m sorry, Lorna. Truly. You’re my friend, too,” the word felt foreign to her, strange and terrifying but also made her…happy. It was nice. “So…how have things been going? It has been a while, and I’ve missed you.”

Call her a sucker, but anyone that had as dysfunctional a father as her was worth befriending. Sure, Logan was tolerable many moments, a teammate, and on many levels a friend, but he was also quite dysfunctional as a person. It wasn’t like any of them were exactly immune to that, of course. She couldn’t talk much. But, that commonality along with Laura’s insistence on simply helping within the underground before made it quite simple in Lorna’s mind. Whether they were wearing X’s or working in shelters, they were friends. Lorna was quite stubborn when she wanted to be.

Even the slightest resemblance was more than enough to elicit a bad taste in the back of his throat. The physical attributes of the other was only part of what made him attractive. No. There was the compassion he expressed. He remembered the other telling him something that left him in distraught. 

His thoughts would be interrupted by the voice of a face he hadn’t seen in quite some time. Of course, being in the area where he was at, he was bound to run into familiar faces here and there. He elected to ignore them most of the time, reiterating his point to Scott a few weeks prior that the only residents in District X he was concerned about were Laura and Gabby.

He narrowed his gaze at her, which was made more evident by the wrinkling of his brow underneath his mask. She was the last person he expected to see trying to prod at him. But they had worked together in the past. It seemed only natural for her to become curious as to what he was up to. 

“I’d suggest you leave me alone,” he mumbled, crossing his arms. “What I’m doing and why I’m wearing this is nobody’s business, especially not Scott’s. I’m just taking a shortcut is all.” 

“Oh I’m convinced,” she doesn’t move a muscle, shooting him a bit of a withering look, “seriously? You really thought that would work?” Lorna rolls her eyes with a sigh. She couldn’t exactly talk about being closed off and prickly. Most times, she tended to default to that sort of temperament herself. Of course, the fact that she’d also just gone rogue was in her head, and seeing a friend go through it made her feel quite stubborn. She wasn’t going anywhere.

He’d hidden nothing of his agenda from Lorna. She’d agreed to it openly, understood the anger, the motivation, the intent, and her regret over doing so wasn’t his to control even if he wished that were not the case. Lorna wanted what he wanted. Unlike Wanda and Pietro or even his grandchildren, she knew how futile peace was, yet reigned herself in and pursued it anyway. Over and over. Not everyone was capable of turning away from relationships and family in dogged pursuit of a better future. He knew that he made great sacrifices, willingly and repeatedly, and often did so alone. That he had Anna with him seemed both miraculous and likely temporary, hinged only idea that he did not cross some particular line in the sand again. Lorna seemed unwilling to put herself in that position. 

“Nothing to be afraid of.” He held it out toward her with a slightly raised brow. “It’s a gift. Consider it an olive branch, if you want, or perhaps just something to make up for missed holidays and birthdays.” There had been plenty of those. With the exception of sweet Luna, he seemed doomed to know his children and grandchildren only after they were grown. 

Perhaps the worst part of this dance Lorna felt the need to play was that she wasn’t mad at him, really. She definitely knew what she’d been getting into. Lorna was far from unintelligent, and she knew the consequences before anything. She was more mad at herself, but still she presented it with caution around him, as if anything he said might be talking her into a new plan. It was irrational, she knew that, but she still did it. Sometimes, you were irrational with family, that was that.

She opens her mouth, brows knitting together in brief confusion, but thinks differently and says nothing. The look she gives him is a soft form of confused, not offended, perhaps a little worried in the shift, though certainly this side wasn’t unheard of. After all, she’d be much less defensive of him if this side didn’t exist. She offers him a smile before she opens the box. She can’t even hide her surprise at the contents, a little gasp escaping.

“You wanted a way to respond,” he reminded her, even though she’d already agreed, “and this is it. Logan, Remy, and Quentin Quire will be joining you. If he proves himself, Nathan will be there, too.” Scott knew that his son was capable, he was well versed in what he was able to do and all that his older counterpart had accomplished, but it didn’t change the fact that he was young. He was young and Scott had an unexpected opportunity to actually protect him. He wasn’t going to throw it away just to put him on some team. “I’m partially open to other suggestions.”

He hit the start button on the control panel and looked up as the Danger Room darkened and began the simulation. It was only a Demo and didn’t need anyone to run it, but the obstacle course he’d created was formidable even at a glance. “I’m working on the first assignment.”

Lorna nodded, she did indeed want something to do. The small smirk on her face was satisfied, thrilled even, ready for the idea of a place on this new team. Her brows raise at the lineup, “Some interesting choices there. Not complaining, just interesting,” in thinking about it, she enjoyed the diversity of the dynamic, and of course she pleasantly excited to work with Remy again. She thinks for a moment, but shrugs the next, “I’m ready to see how it all goes.” 

As the third distant figure disappears, Lorna floats over the edge of the roof and down, green glow lighting up her rather summery and very civilian outfit up as she gently lowers herself down to stand in front of him, resting a hand on a cocked hip. “Well hi there. Fancy seeing you here,” she looks pointedly at him, “dressed like that. It’s like in the 80s, I highly recommend something not so stuffy and mischievous. I especially recommend not letting Scott see you like that.” Lorna tilts her head and gives him a look that makes her curiosity clear, and she was never one to let her curiosity go, “What are you doing? And who are you watching?”

Jeb knows that his outburst wouldn’t help the Humans see their kind in a positive light, but they already held hatred for him just knowing that he’s a Mutant. They didn’t even need to know what his powers are, just focusing on all of the potential for ill intentions. Jebediah really messed this one up, didn’t he? “Does that mean ya have been in a similar situation? What did you do?” Jebediah looks at the woman with a childlike wonder in his eyes, willing to listen to the story. The excitement only grows with the promise of doughnuts, making him grab his flannel to toss over his plain white shirt. Jeb follows after Lorna as she walks off, staying close while moving through the shelter. “Ah wish it was swept under th’ rug, but ah know that we don’t always get what we want.” He only frowns for a moment, but then looks back at her with a smile of his own. “It’s overwhelming since ah’ve never been ta the city before, but ah like it. Ah like getting t’meet other people like me. Ah don’t feel as alone anymore, is that normal, Lorna?”