om_main | Philip and Scott - backdated to 04/15/14

Summary:Scott tracks down Philip to talk about Alpha Flight and his new possible team.

Usually when Scott went to the gym, he was hoping to be alone in there. Not that he was self-conscious, or couldn't get done what needed to get done when others were there, it was just kind of nice to have some space to get his own head together by simply not thinking for awhile.

Today was not usual, though. Today, Scott was on a mission to find Philip Coulson. The gym seemed like as good a place to start looking for him as any.

The gym was usually a good bet, either Philip was working out himself or he was helping to train people. That particular day he was running, not because he particularly liked it, but there was a value in being able to outlast anybody chasing him on the run.

Scott wasn't inclined to walk up to the other teen and interrupt his run. So, instead, he went over to one of the stationary bikes and began pedaling, waiting Coulson out.

Seeing Scott at the same time was unusual enough that Philip wasn't in a hurry to keep running, he was probably there for something. He hit the button to slow down gradually, taking in deep breaths as he did. No stitch in his side, that was a good thing.

Once Philip had finally slowed to a stop, Scott climbed off the bike and walked over. "You have a few minutes, Coulson?"

"Sure," Philip said, though the last name got an eyebrow raise. "What's on your mind?"

"Canadians in hideous uniforms," Scott replied. Which, wasn't exactly right. "Or, actually, what we should take from what they're doing, and what we shouldn't."

"That they're a nightmare come true?" Philip said with a groan.

Scott smirked. "They are, absolutely. Government-controlled, propaganda machines. Real aims unknown. I take it from Lydia's reaction that their clothing is awful. But...

"They also aren't entirely off-base."

"Well, no," Philip admitted. "It's just that having an unknown agenda is potentially a problem."

Well, they seemed to agree. So far. "So what if we did what they are, but got rid of the shadowy government overlords?"

"I think we would have to be extremely careful," Philip said immediately. "As much as I distrust a government source that I don't have intel on, it does lend them a certain legitimacy, like police and a badge."

Scott nodded slowly. "You're absolutely right." Because Philip was. It was something Scott had thought about as well, though he was of the opinion that it would balance out. Less trust from some people, more trust from others. Just depended on who they were talking about. "But, assuming we can get enough in the way of resources, it would be better to know exactly what the score was, rather than just wondering."

"Assuming we can keep on the right side of the law, yes," Philip said after a moment of thought. "The advantage of a visible presence means that it'd be harder to make someone disappear. Not impossible, but harder. But you do know that there's a chance of it starting an escalation."

He was already shaking his head. "Coulson, there is no way to guarantee this will be on the right side of the law. Vigilantism is illegal. If we fight with anyone, it will likely be assault, at the very least. Possibly battery.

"And the risk of escalation will be there, yeah."

Philip quirked an eyebrow at Scott at the first part of the statement. "How did we get from helping people out to fighting with? Or were you looking for something besides natural disasters?"

"Helping people, yes. But that's not limited to natural disasters," Scott pointed out. "Getting mutant kids out of sticky situations, to bring them here. Maybe keeping people from shooting little girls. That's all helping people, too. And...it might not be completely non-violent."

Philip shrugged with a non-committal little wave. "It's not the violence, per se, that's an issue. It's the response to it, and the very real possibility that there are students that would want to go that route first. I'm just saying, we'd have to be very careful with how it's used and when."

"I absolutely agree." Violence as a first recourse would be disastrous, in addition to being incredibly fucked up. As someone who had hurt people before, badly, Scott wasn't particularly inclined to do it again, if it was avoidable. Even so, as he realized that it might not always be avoidable. "I don't want to create a mutant hit squad, or mutant paramilitary terrorists. I want us to have a squad of people who are well-trained, not just as individuals but as a group, that can respond if they are needed."

"That, I think I can get behind then. Popular opinion is far more likely to get behind what looks like selfless heroism than it is vigilante 'justice'. And not to borrow trouble before it happens," Philip said, because of course he was. It was how he thought. "We're going to have to think of what to do if someone goes off the rails."

Scott nodded. "We'll need a number of protocols." He didn't respond to Coulson's comment on popular opinion at all - sometimes what was popular wasn't right, and he wasn't really willing to compromise on doing the right thing for the sake of good PR. Which was precisely why Lydia had been so insistent on her team being kept in the loop to begin with.

"Who were you thinking of being involved?" And that there was the question. Philip knew that depending on the roster, they'd definitely have to tailor to it.

"The Beaubiers, well, Northstar not until he gets back obviously. Britannic. Psylocke. Diamond. Talon. Shatterstar," Scott listed off. Those were the ones he thought he had the best shot with. "And I want to talk to Captain, Chroma, and Backlash, too."

"Disparate group," Philip said absently, but he was already thinking. "I can set up some scenarios, I think, if it'd help. I've been working out some ideas."

Scott nodded. It was a disparate group. Hell, if given his choice of team members from anyone in the school, no limits, that likely wouldn't have been the line-up he'd suggested (even if many of them would have featured). That wasn't the situation they were in, though. "Disparate, but powerful, and nearly all of-age. So...if you have any ideas...I'm all ears."

"Being legal is a good idea, isn't it?" Philip said. It hadn't occurred to him, but then, age was usually an annoyance as far as he was concerned and he'd be glad to stop dealing with the pesky thing himself come summer. "Full disclosure, I have to wait until the summer myself. Or should. I have good documentation, but I don't want to strain it. unnecessarily."

Scott nodded a little. "I suspected. No rush on the field work, Coulson. I'll take whatever help you're willing to give."

"We'll see what happens," he said with a shrug. "Ideally, it wouldn't be an issue as no one would know I was there anyway. But I'm hoping to avoid situations for my skill set regardless."

"I'll leave you off the flyers," Scott promised dryly.

"That would be appreciated," Philip deadpanned back. "I'm hardly four-color material."

Scott smirked and then offered Philip a hand to shake. "So...you're in?"

"I'm in," Philip agreed as he took the offered hand. "Somebody needs to keep everybody out of trouble, right?"

"Or help us get into more of it."

"I have no idea what you could mean," Philip said blandly, settling into his best, 'nothing to see here' face. It'd gotten considerably better since he'd first come to the school.

The other teen snickered. "Of course not."