Riddick's words stuck with me. Just more to add on top of the other stuff demanding my attention. Even when I didn't sleep, it still seemed like there weren't enough hours in the day. But there was no time to dwell on things. Work awaited, and we were assigned a mission. One that we as students had a very vested interest in.
I carefully selected my teammates, David (Prodigy), Sofia (Wind Dancer), Noriko (Surge), Josh (Elixir), and Laurie (Wallflower). All members of what used to be the New Mutants squad. There was a good reason for that.
"We've found Jay," Cyclops told all of us during the mission briefing. All of the others reacted immediately, almost jumping out of their seats with loud, frantic questions, "Calm down."
I was the only one who didn't flip my lid, only because I hadn't been nearly as close to him before he'd left, and because I'd been informed of this beforehand, "That's why I picked all of you guys for this."
David looked over at me, and then to Mister Summers, "And what is this?"
Cyclops continued the briefing before another outburst could happen, "You're to make contact with Jay, ascertain his condition, and if possible, see if he's willing to return. At the very least, see if he's willing to return to his family."
That one struck a chord with me. The guy hadn't even talked to his parents, his brothers, sisters, nothing since he'd split from the school, leaving all of his supposed friends behind in the process. Friends he'd endangered and didn't have the guts to face afterwards.
I started to think maybe I wasn't suited to go on this mission, seeing as how my thoughts on Jay Guthrie were as such. Oh well. Best case scenario, I didn't have to interact with him beyond potentially flying him back to school, or home, or wherever he wound up going.
"We won't be going alone," I said to the others, "Mirage – you guys' mentor, and Jay's brother are coming with us too. You guys know Cannonball, right? He's technically in charge."
Between the New Mutant alum, and Jay's older sibling, there should have been enough people there. Come to think of it, why was I even going in the first place if senior X-Men were going?
"Where did Jay go?" Sofia asked the obvious question that had likely been plaguing them for weeks, "Why did he even leave in the first place?"
I knew why he left, or at least had an idea as to the likely reason, but I wasn't going to be the one to tell them. That he was the one that had unknowingly brought the mutated Legacy Virus to the school under the guise of a mutant cure to those who would rather have been human. That he had unknowingly killed students that we all knew, manipulated by an evil man using religion to control others and target kids.
Cyclops wasn't eager to drop that bomb on the former New Mutants either, "Not my place to say. That's a question you can ask him when you find him. Cannonball is waiting in hangar. Suit up."
They were all out of the room quickly, eager to get their former teammate back. I hung back for a moment, waiting to make sure they were all out of earshot before I posed my concerns.
Cyclops beat me to the punch, however, "Yes, Solaris? Do you have any questions? Questions you couldn't bring up in front of the others?" He asked knowingly. At least he had the good grace to realize what I was doing, and waited just like I did.
I shoved my hands in my pockets to try and keep as casual as possible, "I have one obvious question that I'm not gonna ask because I think I know the answer, and another less obvious one that just messes with me personally."
Cyclops shrugged his shoulders, "Okay, shoot."
"Why am I going?" I asked him
Cyclops grinned in amusement, a smartass reply on his lips, "Because you lead the team."
No shit. That wasn't what I meant, and I know he knew it. Still, I elaborated, "But this seems more like personal business than something I should have a part in."
"-Which is why you picked the team you did," Cyclops correctly added in my stead.
"Yeah," I nodded, "So let them go sort this out."
Cyclops sized me up for a moment, scrutinizing something about what I was saying, or how I was saying it, or how I looked while I was talking to him, "...You don't want Jay back at school, do you?"
I winced at being seen through, but felt no reason to lie when pressed in the slightest on the issue, "Honestly, no."
Might it have been bad of me to feel that way? Possibly. After all, the school was meant to help mutants, and if anyone needed some kind of help at the moment, it was Jay Guthrie. He'd been questioning his own existence before the Purifiers and the Sapien League attacked Xavier's. Afterwards, knowing what his role had been in endangering the lives of his friends and even some of his family, that couldn't have done his mindset any favors.
But... he'd nearly gotten me killed. He'd nearly gotten my friends killed. He had gotten others killed. He'd put enemies of mutantkind in a position to hurt them, and not just that day they'd raided the school. There had been others that had been predicated on information he'd leaked to Stryker while seeking counsel. Even if he hadn't meant to, it had still happened, and I was the type to hold grudges, even when I didn't really want to.
Jay could come back. When push came to shove, I didn't see myself stopping him. But I couldn't see myself being cordial with him ever again. He wasn't cool with me.
"Best case scenario for me, we find him and he decides to go home," I said, shaking my head, "If he stays, he gets nowhere near getting on this team. Ever."
I would quit first. Because if my opinion on even that much was overlooked and overruled, I was clearly a figurehead, and wanted no part of being the patsy to higher-up decisions. I was promised some measure of autonomy. The entire reason the team existed was so we could stop relying on the senior X-Men to powder our bottoms and protect us.
"I hadn't considered it," Cyclops said, "If it comes up later from Dani or Sam trying to get him on, I'll handle it."
Again, I didn't need him to powder my bottom for me, "No-no, you can send 'em my way. I'll take the heat. One teacher here connected with some of my teammates already probably doesn't like me. Might as well go for a trifecta."
Cyclops let out an exasperated sigh, "Emma doesn't hate you, Bellamy. You were there when she said so herself."
I gave him the most shit-eating grin I could in response, "Oh, I wasn't talking about her, but since you brought it up – two teachers. I guess I only need to piss off Dani or Sam now, instead of both," Hey, if I was going to do something I didn't necessarily want to, I was going to get my kicks where I could, "...I still don't know why you're sending me, but a mission is a mission."
The shared levity only lasted a moment before Cyclops got serious again, "If you recall correctly, Jay's departure was a result of Reverend Striker's machinations. The Purifiers didn't die with their glorious leader, Sol."
I could read between the lines enough to make a connection, "You think the Purifiers might go at Jay?" I asked with a wince.
It would make sense. He was a loose end, and after getting their asses handed to them, they probably would have liked to take out some frustration on whatever link to the school that they could get. It didn't help that he was a fairly soft target.
"Them, or the Sapien League," Cyclops said. I'd almost forgotten about those other psychos, "I allowed Dani and Sam to go so that he feels more comfortable in dealing with us. I'm sending you because if something happens, you'll be prepared to help the others deal with it."
Right. Basically, I was just there so if a can of whoop-ass needed to be opened, I could direct traffic. I could live with that.