Still Not Safe #2 [M&M 2nd ed]

[Matar]

Todd takes everything that James has to say. He knew deep inside that he couldn't promise James a happy ending. He knew that he couldn't relate to anything that James had gone through, after all, he felt no pain, nor lost anyone so close to his heart.

But, even if he couldn't give him exactly what he wanted, that didn't mean he had nothing to give at all.

"I can't... tell you that I know what you're going through."

Todd takes a step forward.

"I refuse to lie to you like that."

Another step.

"And, even though I want to more then anything, I can't promise you a happy ending."

Another step. Todd is standing directly behind James. His voice is unwavering and powerful, yet you can hear a hint of sadness... from not being able to promise more.

"But what I can promise you..."

Todd wraps his arms around James and gives him a hug. A tight, warm hug.

"Is with all my power, I will help you find the truth. To all the questions raised today, and when you taken away from the person you care about."

And those words were as binding and powerful as any contract, geas, or blood-bond. It was a promise straight from his very soul.

[Drascin]

Andy meets an unexpected person.

"Umm, uh. Hey." Someone calls you behind your back. If you turn, you see Matilda there, standing with an expression of shyness and determination fighting each other for dominance.
"You are Todd's friend, right? I want, uhh... I need to talk to him."

Andy smiles amiably, trying to make the girl feel less shy. "Yeah, I am. I can pass the message to him, if you want. No idea what he's doing now or where he is, though - but tell you what, tell me your room number, and I'll send him to you soon as I meet him"

--------------------

A bit after Matilda leaves, Cat appears. Andy waves at her - not as cheerfully as usual, though. It's pretty obvious today is rather weighing on his mind.

"Hey there. How are you doing?"

[kamikasei]

Spoiler

Show

That miscommunication about Lorne's whereabouts has made Cat look much weirder and/or ruder than I'd intended. I was taking a normal conversational preamble as read... Oh well, abruptly interrogating Lorne through his door works too XD

Cubey, anything interesting on the news when Cat was watching?

"All right," Cat replies. She sighs, obviously tired - how much from the use of her powers and how much mental exhaustion from trying to keep up with the pace of events earlier is an open question. "Puzzled. I don't understand what happened. Hoping Lorne might have some ideas. Want to help me see if anyone else is wandering around who might want to hear him?"

She finds something to rest against without sitting down - a table, a counter, just a wall if that's what there is - and leans back, arms crossed, and looks at Andy. "What about you? You okay?"

[Cubey]

Andy:
"No, it's alright. If you don't know where he is... I'll find him." Matilda scurries away.

(It's up for Todd to decide if she finds him or not - if yes, feel free to react to seeing her.)

Cat:
The news have a special report. Its topic - a terrorist attack in Brussels. How surprising. At least the news are clear on one thing: the Thoughts of Ascension are terrorists. According to the report, there is between 6 and 10 casualties, all of them civilians BUT highly suspected to be members of the Thoughts. Other than that, the media seem to know less than you do. But it seems that for once, their opinion is on your side.

[Tengu_temp]

Cat shakes her head in answer to Emi's question. "Just wondering something about what happened today. We can talk it over with the others if I can find any of them... if you're up for it, Lorne. I'll see who's around, you can meet us when you're ready?"

"Alright. I will probably be up for this too, I guess..." Emi doesn't sound as if she was looking forward to it much, though. She waits for Cat to leave and then puts her back against the wall.

"Emi..." He leans against against the door, still not opening it. "Hey...doesn't it seem so strange, now, that we were so worried about the conference?" His tone of voice is bleak, but somehow relaxed.

"Yeah. We were so caught up in it that we forgot about the really important things. Just because the conference turned out to be okay didn't mean other matters will go smoothly." Emi sounds emotionally tired. She pauses for a short while.
"Why is that each time we try to use our powers for anything else than slaughtering another SE, we fail? Is fighting the only thing our PSAs are good for?"

[Drascin]

"All right," Cat replies. She sighs, obviously tired - how much from the use of her powers and how much mental exhaustion from trying to keep up with the pace of events earlier is an open question. "Puzzled. I don't understand what happened. Hoping Lorne might have some ideas. Want to help me see if anyone else is wandering around who might want to hear him?"

"Yeah, welcome to the club. I still don't know what the **** just happened" Andy sighs as well, sitting down on the floor with his back against the wall near Cat. "One moment we're on top of everything, having owned the conference, and the next we're running like hell in the midle of a city to save a girl from herself again". He nods. "And yeah, getting people together and seeing what the geniuses think is a good idea"

She finds something to rest against without sitting down - a table, a counter, just a wall if that's what there is - and leans back, arms crossed, and looks at Andy. "What about you? You okay?"

He does a dismissive gesture with his hand. "Eh, pretty bummed out, but alright. Thinking of ways I could have done better out there, and actually catch up to the girl. Wondering what chances we have of finding her again, what the point of this was, how James is, what they're going to do to her now, just how the hell she managed to conceal the ability to Shift... You know, classic "Andy is overthinking **** again" stuff" he jokes weakly. Truth be told, he's pretty surprised with himself. He rarely bothers other people with his problems, preferring to just shut up and find some answers before asking for the help of others in implementing said answers, but, perhaps because they've spent so much time together, but he doesn't feel it as intruding as he usually does.

He snaps up, more cheerful. "Well, let's get the guys together then, shall we? If even I'm moping, no telling how Emi and Lorne'll be - we better intercept things!" he jokes, trying to get the mood a bit better.

[kamikasei]

Cat waggles her hand, demurring. "Better let them join us in their own time. I figured we'd just gather whoever isn't still in their rooms. If someone isn't looking for company yet, we should probably leave them alone. I've seen Lorne already - left him with Emi."

While she speaks, she falls in to step beside Andy, starting a circuit of the shared areas of the hotel and inviting anyone they run in to, from any of the teams, to join them until they can start trying to work out what happened.

[Matar]

(It's up for Todd to decide if she finds him or not - if yes, feel free to react to seeing her.)

((After his conversation with James, Todd plans on relaxing in his room. So I'll post under the assumption that she knocks on my door.))

Stifling a yawn Todd turns down the volume on the cartoons he's watching (An old rerun of Johnny Bravo) and heads off the answer the door.

"Imma comin!" Todd brushes some hair out of his eyes with his free hand and opens the door to his room. "Oh hey! You're from the American team, right? Uh." Todd begins searching for a name. "...Matilda, right?"

[Cubey]

Cat:
You find several people around. First, is Sara, who looks a bit better now.
"I'll come along. No genius meeting is complete without me!"
Yeah, definitely better.

And another is Takeshi, who just hangs around aimlessly. When asked to accompany you, he just nods quietly. And finally, we have Akiho - but she refuses.

"Kazuma-kun isn't feeling too well. I have to guard his room to make sure nobody bothers him!" Thanks to Takeshi's translation, you can understand what she means. And indeed, she is sitting in front of a door to a hotel room, a tome of manga in hand.

Nobody else is around the corridors (except for other players if they decide to, of course). Did the depressing atmosphere cause everyone to lock themselves into the rooms?

Todd:
"Umm, yeah. That's me. Hello." Matilda looks around uneasy, avoiding direct eye contact.
"I see you remembered my name. Well, I just wanted to say..."
She pauses. It feels like she's not going to finish, but then.

"At first I thought you're going to be a mean asshole like so many people I had to deal with, but... it's not true! You're different. Maybe... your friends are different than that too. So... we're leaving tomorrow, flying back to the US. But I don't wanna lose contact with you. Here's my e-mail! Bye!"
She shoves a slip of paper into your hands, turns around and quickly retreats. The paper indeed has an e-mail adress written on it.

[kamikasei]

In all honesty Cat isn't too overjoyed about Sara's presence - the girl has a tendency to... overanalyze things... but what can you do? With Sara, Takeshi, and anyone else they can find in tow, she leads Andy to the lobby nearest Lorne's room.

"A couple of the others said they'd join us, so we'd better wait for them," she begins. "To try to work out what happened, at least. But meanwhile, are you guys okay? Have you talked to the others - does anyone seem like they're having trouble?"

If James is present, she looks at him - of course, they'd all expect him to be the hardest hit.

[Matar]

Todd looks at the peice of paper in his hand and gives his head a small nod.

Hrm. HRM.

This obviously could mean only one thing.

Someone wanted to be his friend! Yaaaaaaay!

With a wave (Which she couldn't see, seeing as how her back was turned) Todd tells the retreating Matilda "See you again!" before walking back into his room and finishing up his cartoons.

"A couple of the others said they'd join us, so we'd better wait for them," she begins. "To try to work out what happened, at least. But meanwhile, are you guys okay? Have you talked to the others - does anyone seem like they're having trouble?"

Todd is there as well, having been brought in after the whole thing with Matilda. He's been mostly silent so far, not really being too sure on what to say.

[ChronicLunacy]

Ben Brooks

Ben was there as well, but he looked characteristically brooding as usual when things didn't go well. He wore a simple pair of jeans and a black collared shirt and looked to be freshly showered and shaved.

[Haven]

"Why is that each time we try to use our powers for anything else than slaughtering another SE, we fail? Is fighting the only thing our PSAs are good for?"

"...it does seem that way, sometimes, doesn't it? But...no, there's not nearly enough evidence for me to accept it. After all, you've saved a few lives, right, with your healing?"

[Tengu_temp]

"...it does seem that way, sometimes, doesn't it? But...no, there's not nearly enough evidence for me to accept it. After all, you've saved a few lives, right, with your healing?"

"That's true. They were just normal soldiers, not any important players in the game we're all participating in... but that doesn't mean their lives weren't important." Emi sounds a bit more upbeat now. "Still, the fact that so many of us couldn't even prevent the kidnapping of one girl makes you doubt..."

[Drascin]

Cat waggles her hand, demurring. "Better let them join us in their own time. I figured we'd just gather whoever isn't still in their rooms. If someone isn't looking for company yet, we should probably leave them alone. I've seen Lorne already - left him with Emi."

"Oh, if so, I'm no longer worried, then" Andy smiles.

----------------

In the reunion, Andy simply sits beside Cat, supporting her wordlessly, and looking at people to see just how they are taking things, while people assemble.

[Cubey]

Although Cat found only two who were willing to come with her, more people waited for you at the place you chose for the meeting. How did they know about it?

"Hello there. We would like to join in and talk about what happened, too." Amanda waves in a friendly fashion from her seat. She had time to unbraid her hair and change into casual clothes, apparently.

"Yeah. You're not keeping me out of the loop." She is accompanied by, out of all people, Anne. The short girl sounds rather proud this time - was she happy to participate in the failed Sarah rescue operation?
"I already heard there's some kind of security measure in our amplifiers. Why is this a secret, huh?"
Fortunately, there is nobody around who can overhear the Shifters casually mentioning stuff they shouldn't know. That is, there is another person, but she too is a Shifter - your arrival is met with a serious gaze of Usagi's eyes. The Japanese girl stays around the two Americans, quiet and dark as usual.

[Drascin]

Andy waves at the joined people friendily - but then Anne speaks, causing his face to go into an "erk" gesture, and he gestures imperiously at her to keep it down. "Goddamn, Anne! Are you freaking stupid or something? Keep it down!" he whispers. "If it's kept a secret from us, how about not radioing to the whole building that we found out on our own?"

He looks around. He says nothing for a moment, but his face says all - okay, who told Captain Secrecy here?

[Cubey]

"Ah, so it's true after all." Anne keeps her voice down, but not as much as Andy does.
"Don't panic. You think I'm blind? I can see that there's nobody around but us."
She is right... a bit. There's no third party in the nearest vincinity, but if you start yelling or arguing loudly, someone is bound to hear a word or two, sooner or later.
"So, what is this about? You can as well spill it now. Or am I inferior to you and do not deserve to know?"

[Fri]

"Thanks Todd.... Heh, this isn't fair. Next time, you should tell me your secret origin..."

If James is present, she looks at him - of course, they'd all expect him to be the hardest hit.

James is present, but it seems that he's only there for formality of some kind, and doesn't seems to be interested in talking or even making a sound.

[ChronicLunacy]

Ben Brooks

"So, what is this about? You can as well spill it now. Or am I inferior to you and do not deserve to know?"

"Argh, shut up already! When have we ever once suggested that you were inferior to us? No one ever brings it up except for you! Your complex is really starting to bug me. We already have Todd around to annoy everyone so keep it to yourself." Ben barked out, his tone biting and irritated. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, glaring at Anne. It seemed like his anger hadn't subsided very much since Sarah's escape/abduction.

[Cubey]

"Then, prove it and tell me. You already know about that secret, I'm no worse so I deserve to know it too."
Anne looks Ben straight in the eye.

[Matar]

Todd, doing exactly what Ben just said (That is, annoying people) decides to chime in.

"Well." Todd looks at her butt. People like Anne were always fun to tease. "At least you have our group beat in the ass department." Todd pats James on his shoulder in an attempt to cheer him up. "Sorry buddy, but she has ya beat there."

It was difficult to tell, but Todd was just as upset about the Sarah incident as everyone else, but hell. Someone had to smile.

[Fri]

James can't help but smile at Todd's remark. With all that happen today, Todd still can cheer him up.

[Haven]

"That's true. They were just normal soldiers, not any important players in the game we're all participating in... but that doesn't mean their lives weren't important." Emi sounds a bit more upbeat now. "Still, the fact that so many of us couldn't even prevent the kidnapping of one girl makes you doubt..."

"Well...we made some mistakes. ...I did, actually. It was exactly what I worried would happen, too. I let my phobia get the best of me when it mattered the most."

His voice gets a little shaky. "I...I feel like I shouldn't be allowed on the team, after that...probably going to be court-martialed, or whatever the SECT equivalent is..."

[kamikasei]

"That's not what we came here to discuss, and it's something that your entire team should probably hear about at once," Cat points out. "Let's discuss it later, with more privacy. Lorne knows the most about it anyway, so we should wait for him in any case." She's managing to keep her tone even and isn't even scowling at the obstreperous American. Go Cat!

"The reason no one mentioned it is that we had more important things to worry about and couldn't even be sure you didn't already know. How did you find out, anyway?"

[Cubey]

Anne looks behind her to glare at Todd. There is a lightning-quick movement, and the latter finds himself slapped over the cheek with a loud smacking sound.

"Oh, and here I thought you were going to punch him." This comment came from, out of all people, Amanda. You didn't expect her of snarking - maybe being Anne's teammate does it to everyone.

"We have been informed by Elizabeth. This sounded important for us, but please do not hurry with explanation until you are done with more pressing matters. Just... do not forget to tell us about it eventually." She explains, as Anne is too busy fuming at Todd, waiting for his reaction - possibly to deliver more blows.

[Tengu_temp]

"Well...we made some mistakes. ...I did, actually. It was exactly what I worried would happen, too. I let my phobia get the best of me when it mattered the most."

His voice gets a little shaky. "I...I feel like I shouldn't be allowed on the team, after that...probably going to be court-martialed, or whatever the SECT equivalent is..."

"What exactly did you do?" Emi starts to sound worried. "I wasn't there with you when the battle started. Maybe I should have been..."

"In any case, I don't think if the commander is going to do anything to you. He didn't contact you yet, did he? And he said we all did our best - to say something like that aloud, and then do something opposite in the shadows... he's not that kind of man."

[Matar]

Todd grins and touches the large red mark on his cheek (Though it's rather hard to see given his dark tan) and winks at Anne. He then adds (In a very... suggestive voice.)

"You hit pretty hard. Maybe when we get the chance we can get a little... physical." Todd grins a small grin and holds up his that has the amplifier on it "On the training field, of course."

[Fri]

"Careful Todd. Don't want to make Devon jealous..."

James then sighs and start to give his opinion on the last mission. "I was stupid last time. We spent too much time fighting.... Stupid, stupid! Should've trusted the nutjobs with you and kept chasing her...

What's the word with the captured shifters?"

[Drascin]

"That's enough, Anne" Andy says calmly, standing between the two. "Please leave that stupid inferiority complex out of here and start acting like a civilized person if you want people to stop mocking you. And that's also enough from you, Todd"

James's joke does, however, manage to extract a chuckle from him - and it also cheers him up to see James is actually managing pretty well. He's come quite a long way from his usual broody self indeed.

Then he simply nods his head. "Yeah, they feinted us and we fell for it hook, line, sinker, fishing rod, fisherman, and factory fishing boat. We really need a touch more coordination..." he wonders outloud, absently.