[i]They use humans?[/i] That was a different type of unsettling. 

[color=#0096FF]"Who--"[/color] the question was cut off when Ryder suddenly reacted to her mental probing; Xavier's astral form doing so, as well.

And just ahead of Ryder's warning, it would feel as though a call had just dropped in all the minds Jean was connecting -preceded by ear-splitting static, so to speak, for Cyclops alone.

He immediately knew what must've happened: [i][color=#0096FF]'Jean?!'[/color][/i]

She'd felt like she'd been wading when she suddenly found the drop-off --or something that lurked there had found her, forcing her down.
Managing to surface, Jean reacted like waking from a nightmare; breath catching, eyes wide. [color=#DAA06D][i]'-I'm fine, Scott.'[/i][/color] 
In fact, reality was still settling back in for her -her physical surroundings coming back into her visual field like a mood light turning up. 
[color=#DAA06D][i]'But this mind is [u]powerful[/u].'[/i][/color] Great as the mind of Jean Grey was, and the one adjacent which taught her, she felt concerned. 
This experience felt on a different level than even that of Ryder's mind.

[color=#0096FF][i]'We should keep to our comms. now. Telepathy only if-[/i][/color]

The gathered X-Men's attention suddenly went to the radios.
Afterward, Cyclops' reverted to Ryder: [color=#0096FF]"I know you came here for this but if he's [u]as[/u] willing to face you alone, it doesn't sound smart. We might have an opportunity here if he doesn't want us engaged with."[/color]

[color=#D3D3D3]"You do not have precedent for how a face-off with him may go,"[/color] Storm chimed in. [color=#D3D3D3]"Allowing us to engage him first will not cost you anything."[/color]

[b][i]SCREEEEEE---eeeeee[/i][/b]

As one their attention turned again, this time in the direction of the next elevator shaft some distance on.

First thought was that Umbra was making his way up, except the sound had dissipated as though getting [i]farther[/i] away.

[color=#D3D3D3]"Wolverine."[/color] The presently missing member of their party.

[color=#4169E1][b]"Charles' astral projection has gone as well."[/b][/color]

[hr]
Able to move in all directions and through solid matter in this form, Xavier didn't strictly require the elevator shaft to efficiently make his way down; he could travel like someone using a walk-through-walls glitch in a video game.

And he was just as determined as Ryder to have [i]his[/i] 1-on-1 with Umbra.