Downtime Week 1--Back so soon, Ms. Morita?

[Ayami Morita]

Security had discovered Teri's esacpe and Ayami's beaten form lying in the security room, and had brought her here.

She was sleeping rather peacefully at the moment; the doctors said that other than a black eye and some bruises, she'll be fine, she just needs a good rest...

[Barbara Chronopolis]

Binary stands near Ayami's bed. Hooked into the school network as she is, her physical location hardly impacts her ability to work productively. As such, she remains on hand while waiting for the young student to awake.

[Ayami Morita]

Ayami opens her eyes.

"Ohayo-gozaimasu, Chronopolis-sensei"

[Barbara Chronopolis]

"It may be morning, but it is not particularly good. Are you functional, Ms Morita?" Binary is dressed rather severely today, garbed in a dark skirt-suit complete with black leggings and functional boots. As usual, her emotional state is dampened nearly to the point of non-existence.

[Ayami Morita]

"I am. What's the matter?" she asked, frowning.

[Barbara Chronopolis]

She quirks a brow, "What do you remember about last night?"

[Ayami Morita]

Ayami paused, as in deep thought.

"...I had a nightmare. I'd been hearing Teri's voice for about a week, and I guess she managed to fully pierce my dreams. I remember getting up to confront her...after that, it's kind of a blur."

[Barbara Chronopolis]

Her lips twitch and her composure nearly cracks for a moment, but she retains her self-control. "Indeed. So after having a bad dream, you decided to infiltrate the secure mutant holding facility by force, including incapacitation of the guards, and overload the security cell in order to facilitate Teri's escape. That is an inadequate defense of your actions."

[Ayami Morita]

"I did what?" Ayami asked, incredulously. "You're kidding me."

[Barbara Chronopolis]

"Have you known me to kid?" Binary pulls a small unit out of a pocket and holds it in the palm of her hand. A holographic representation of various security footage starts to play, beginning at the first public camera closest to Ayami's room and tracking her movements all the way through to the assault in the cell. "Your psychic surge overpowered the dampeners in the room. I am going to have to completely purge and reformat the emitters to restore functionality and remove the echos of your breakout attack."

[Ayami Morita]

"Ohmigod,"Ayami gasped. "And...and...Teri?" she said, turning pale.

[Barbara Chronopolis]

"Unfortunately you failed to kill or incapacitate her, and as such, she is at large. Needless to say, recapturing her will prove difficult now that she has been released to the wild."

[Ayami Morita]

"How....oh my god, I am so sorry..." she started, and then stopped.

"It's...quiet. For the first time in a week, I don't hear her..."

[Barbara Chronopolis]

"It is good to hear that your paranoid delusions have started to pass. I hope your unhealthy obsessive behaviour follows suit. That should make your upcoming work more successful."

[Ayami Morita]

"My upcoming work?" Ayami said, a little confused.

[Barbara Chronopolis]

"Yes. You exhibit a remarkable degree of passion and determination, which is unfortunately untempered by critical thought and awareness of objective facts. We will be working together to rectify this discrepancy before your lack of judgement gets someone killed."

[Ayami Morita]

Ayami pauses, and tilts her head sideways. "I suppose. If you think it is best."

[Barbara Chronopolis]

In response, Binary holds up the holo-projection again and loops the portion where Ayami effectively ambushes and incapacitates the cell guard. The cycle repeats again and again as she watches Ayami's reaction.

[Ayami Morita]

Ayami just nods.

"I still don't really remember...is he alright? I should apologize..."

[Barbara Chronopolis]

"That would seem prudent. He is making a swift recovery after being tended to by a telepath on staff."

"At least for the short term, I would strongly suggest that you do not leave campus alone. Indeed, even on campus, I would recommend staying close to friends. There is a good chance that Teri bears a grudge against you and it seems her level of obsessive behavior rivals your own."

[Domanic Taylor]

The clicking of hard-soled shoes on the hospital floor is followed by Lumis's appearance in the room. In sharp contrast to Binary, he is fashionably dressed and his emotions, while controlled, are extremely strong.

He is currently feeling a mixture of emotions that could most easily be described as resolute.

"Binary, Mood Ring. Greetings."

[Ayami Morita]

"Sir," Ayami responded.

[Domanic Taylor]

"Mood Ring, I imagine by the tense social climate that Binary has informed you of the seriousness of what happened?"

[Ayami Morita]

"She has, yes, even if I still find it hard to believe..."

[Domanic Taylor]

"You find it hard to believe that the situation is serious, or that it happened at all? Understand, while the latter is better, we do expect students at this University to have some measure of control to the point that they can nearly always be responsible for their own actions. We want our students to enjoy a lot of freedoms, including a certain degree of ability to act outside the law, but that freedom comes with a price, and that price is control."

[Ayami Morita]

"I'm just surprised--that it happened at all. I don't...well, I thought I didn't...have that sort of power. I wonder if it was all me, or if she brought it out somehow....

Are we sure Phoenix got all of her the first time? I mean, are we really, really sure?"

[Domanic Taylor]

"Phoenix is one of the most competent telepaths on the planet. Even if she didn't get all of the bugs, any left-overs would have been cut off from the main mind via the psi-shielding on the cell. Such leftovers wouldn't have been able to form much of a mind. This incident is, unfortunently, on you entirely, Mood Ring. Part of making this right is coming to an agreement with Binary and myself as to how you will work to avoid incidents like this in the future."

[Ayami Morita]

"I...I suppose you're right. I just..."

She shakes her head. "No sense on trying to blame this on someone else. What can I do to make this right?"

[Domanic Taylor]

"You will help repair the jail cell you destroyed, in whatever capacity you are able. You will work with a school counselor of your choice, to see that you are able to remain in control of yourself in the future. While that counseling is in progress, your choice of mission assignments will be more limited, and you'll be suspended from the teams until the counselor agrees that you are ready to return. You will be required to check in with a telepath on the security teams at least once a day, also until the counselor deems such check-ins unnecessary."

"And lastly, as proof that you have acquired such control, if that deranged swarm of locusts is still at large when you are given a clean bill of health by the counseling staff, you will be the primary agent in the effort to apprehend her."

[Ayami Morita]

Ayami nods, seriously. "I wouldn't expect anything less. I've been working with Dr. Cross some, I will continue to do so--and I shall help with any skills I have available."

[Domanic Taylor]

"You have a sincere and contrite attitude that I don't think is disingenuous at all, so as long as that continues, imprisonment or expulsion are not on the table. However, if you fail to gain control of yourself, either by lack of effort or simple inability, we would have to separate you from the students and staff you'd be endangering. We have a holding facility outside of London that would allow you to continue your studies without any chance of harming staff or students. However, I'd prefer not to isolate you that way if it can be avoided."

Lumis's tone is one of concern for Ayami, but there is a hard, no-nonsense undertone to it. An unspoken promise that if he ever felt that putting her in isolation was the right choice there would be no hesitation at all.

[Ayami Morita]

"I promise you, sir, I shall get it under control. You won't have to worry about my powers for too much longer; I shall find a way to conquer them. I really shall."

[Domanic Taylor]

"I'm going to hold you to that promise. Now, I expect Binary might have something more to say, but as far as I'm concerned you know what you need to do."

Lumis stands up, puts a hand lightly on Binary's shoulder. "I'll see you at that meeting later." He heads out of the room at a fast pace, pulling out his cell phone and dialing a number.

[Barbara Chronopolis]

Her fingers lightly rest atop Lumis' hand and she nods, "Of course." Her gaze flickers back to Ayami. "I will email you a suggested reading list prior to our first meeting. Take care." And with that, she too rises to depart.