May 26th: The Break-in and Doom: What YOU need to know

[Narrator]

Excalibur had been called to an emergency meeting in the South of campus, after the breakin at the embassy.

The people who responded to the breakin were welcome, as well.

[Rachel O'Brien]

Rachel took a seat at the conference table.

[Nailah Weaver]

Nailah was sitting next to the agent at the table, a folded map in front of her. She looked unusually dressed in what could (theoretically) be called her combat uniform.

[Janice Gilbertson]

Captain Britain made her way in, waiting for the meeting to begin.

[Kevin Gravis]

Kevin took a seat as well, humming a song that was stuck in his head.

[John Hino]

John took a seat near Rachel.

"Good to see a little explosion doesn't keep you down long," he said to her.

[Rachel O'Brien]

"The healers here do good work." she whispered.

[John Hino]

"That they do," he whispered back, flexing his formerly burnt hand.

[Veronica Freud]

"Everyone here does good work." Ronnie pointed out.

[Narrator]

"Indeed. I would like to commend the ones who responded to the break in," Agent Pennington added.

[Byrna Cooper]

Bear came in, wearing a uniform with much more black than her usual colorful choices.

Doom was darkening more than her attitude, it seems.

[John Hino]

"Thank you. Not too much property damage I hope."

[Narrator]

"Significant, but mostly to displays and things--not to the priceless artifacts."

[Veronica Freud]

Ronnie was a bit more concerned about people than artifacts, but kept her mouth shut. Which was good, because she'd probably start grilling Byrna about her wardrobe change since super suits were kind of her thing; it was subtle, not many people picked up on that.

[Rachel O'Brien]

Rachel squeezed Bear's hand in quick greeting, but didn't otherwise respond.

[Janice Gilbertson]

"But we're thinking we know who was really after the artifacts, I'm guessing?"

[Narrator]

"We do. Professor Weaver?"

[Rick Ferguson]

Rick had come in a couple of minutes before, listening attentively.

[Nailah Weaver]

"Right. One of the women involved in the break-in confided to us that they were forced to acquire the scepter by none other than Doctor Doom. Apparently he has been 'liberating' artifacts at every stop of his journey and we can only assume it ties into what Miss Valentine noticed." With that she unfolds the map on the table. It's a map of Europe with lines drawn over it.

"These are ley-lines. For those of you who don't know what that is, they are a kind of magic conduit that play an important part in the natural order of things. Doctor Doom has been moving them, which has already caused dsiturbances, some of which we noticed here on campus." She places another map on top of the other one. Most of the lines run differently now, most notably that many now intersect in one place. Stonehenge.

"This is what we extrapolated. We are not one hundred percent certain, but all signs seem to indicate that Doom will be attempting to siphon them for his personal gain. Not only would that make him extra-ordinarily powerful, it would also have catastrophic consequences for the entire planet were the ley-lines to be even partially drained."

[Narrator]

"You'll notice on the map," Pennington added, "that there are a few lines not yet moved----one notably headed right through Manchester--where you will be confronting Doom today.

He is NOT to move this last lay line. Once everything is in harmony, I'm not positive we'll be able to stop him, at all."

[Nailah Weaver]

"And since our resident sorceress is indisposed I will be accompanying you. Any questions?"

[Rachel O'Brien]

"Are we supposed to do this with or without causing and international incident?"

[Nailah Weaver]

"This is no longer a mission to escort a head of state, it has officially escalated to stopping a megalomaniacal super-villain."

[Janice Gilbertson]

"So don't worry about hurt feelings and damn the torpedoes, eh?"

[Kevin Gravis]

"About damn time we actually fight the bad guy," Kev mused.

[Narrator]

"Yes. You have official permission to take him out, if necessary, though we'd prefer to have him alive."

[Veronica Freud]

"Ooh, this should prove interestin'." Veronica said. "Those of us who've been escortin' him, he's got a chance to see how we work together. We definitely can't underestimate how much he's got planned."

[Byrna Cooper]

"Good, I'll break out the big balls."

Bear's sour look stayed sour, glad to finally get the chance to mail the creepy Latverian douchebag back to his castle in a tiny box by fourth class postage.

[Janice Gilbertson]

"I realize the brass ring here is capturing Doom or otherwise taking him out, but let's not forget that this is a feat you can count on one hand the number of people who've accomplished it."

[Narrator]

"We are aware.

It is out belief, from information provided to us by Alice and Ms Valentine that he leaves himself rather week to assault while actively moving lines, so that should be the timing."

[Janice Gilbertson]

"I'm not saying we won't come through for the mission, simply that we might have to settle for just saving the world from a sorcerous megalomaniac."

[Narrator]

"We will take it, in a pinch."

[Byrna Cooper]

"Time to win one for Merry Old England, then!"

[Rick Ferguson]

Rick was a veteran of the X-Men at this point. But even after four years of fighting some pretty horrible Big Bads, this still made him feel a bit nervous.

Not that he was going to let it show. He helped take down the freaking Master Mold of the future, for God's sake.

"Hear hear," he said with Bear.

[Veronica Freud]

"Ooh, after kissing up to him for so long it is gonna feel good to be able to call him a jerk right to his rusty face!" Ronnie grinned.