1/7 Instance: Mole-Men

[Svartfreja]

Saturday, April 15th.


<Carol> Carol silenced the engines as they neared their destination and pulled up the maps of the terrain as it was scanned, "Okay so there aren't a lot of people around which is great but we need to be quiet til we're away from the jet because they'll notice that...."

<Melati> "We could enter the same way as we left," Melati said, leaning past Carol to point at the area near the sea. "The escape tunnels lead out to the beach. If we're lucky, they haven't even discovered them. In any case, our chances for an unnoticed entry should be best there."

<Jean> Jean, predictably, was doing her nails during these important instructions.

<Carol> "Probably but we might hit some trouble at the other end, the building seems to have mostly collapsed... I guess if we get stuck, I can probably make a hole big enough. We'll try it." She altered their course a little.

<Broo> Broo sat and listened to Melati and Carol, but stared at Jean doing her nails.

<Sue> "Don't worry, I think we have stealth covered, right Mel?" Sue gave the green girl a smile.

<Hisako> Hisako had noticed Jean as she was listening in. Deciding that a lengthy argument was not going to help calm her nerves she folded her arms and huddled a little more in her seat. She cast her eyes to Broo, frowning a little at his shape.

<Melati> "Well, I hope so, anyway," Melati replied, looking back over her shoulder to return Sue's smile. "We're counting on you to keep our asses out of Guantanamo."

<Broo> Broo looked around and saw Hisako looking at him. He smiled and grinned with his fanged mouth and waved at her.

<Hisako> With a look of unease in her eye, Hisako turned away from him, "In a world where it is crime to visit the place your friends died....how is that fair?" she tutted.

<Jean> "Guantanamo?" Jean finally looked up.

<Sue> "I'll do my best!" Sue was sure she was out of practice but hopefully that wouldn't matter.

<Hisako> "Oh, look! The doll can talk!" Hisako clapped sarcastically at Jean.

<Carol> "Okay I think I have us a landing site..." Carol pointed at a spot on her screen, "That close enough to the exit?"

<Jean> Her eyebrow went up and she sat back in her seat, crossing her legs with a smirk.

<Melati> "That should do nicely." Melati nodded. "Besides, we all have healthy feet, right? Those cliffs should help keep our approach hidden, too. We can just hike the rest of the way up the beach."

<Melati> "Don't worry, I can carry you," the lizard girl quickly added, grinning in Broo's direction.

<Broo> Broo looked up at the screen, his small legs dangling at the edge of his seat. He lifted a hand, "Excuse me, but I don't do- oh, thank you Miss Melati!"

<Hisako> Hisako cut her eye at Broo, "Why is that even with you?" she asked to nobody in particular, "Look at it....it's a Brood."

<Sue> "I can boost anyone that has trouble with my fields anyway," Sue assured Melati.

<Carol> "Awesome, setting us down." Carol started the landing procedure, "When we get to the site, please keep your eyes open for suits and if you see them - hide. Let's not create any more headaches for ourselves..."

<Jean> Jean swung her foot. "Wow, somebody's ragging this week," she said to the air.

<Broo> Broo stared at Hisako, his feeling hurt at her words, and his head dropped down to stare at his clawed feet.

<Hisako> Rolling her eye, Hisako leaned her head against her hand and looked away from the insectivoran male, "Did you forget they ate our friends? Of course you did. You probably forget your name every day, Jean Grey..." she tutted.

<Melati> "Does Momma Mel have to sort out the flock?" Melati asked in her no-nonsense voice, halfway turning around to look at the others in the back of the jet. "That is with us because it's smarter than the rest of us combined. And he has a name."

<Sue> Sue couldn't help the gigglesnort that followed Jean's comment, "Don't worry, Broo. Most of us know you're far too adorable to eat anyone."

<Jean> "I no forget, because people like to say whole thing," she mocked.

<Carol> Carol decided she was not going to find out if she had a parent voice and just focused on her task.

<Hisako> Hisako grit her teeth, about to say something about 'being racist' before she realised it was somewhat self-defeating given the protests from the others. She shook her head, sighing and letting it go. For now.

<Broo> Broo looked up and smiled at Sue.

<Jean> "Okay! So, we're supposed to, like, go be sneaky and break into the old hellhole right? We gonna actually do that?"

<Carol> Carol nodded, "Yep, that's the plan." There was a slight bump as the wheels touched down, "Please try not to alert the suits still on guard duty that we're here..." She unbuckled herself and got to her feet.

<Melati> "That's the plan!" Melati flashed Jean a toothy grin as she stood up and walked past her towards the back of the jet. "I told you it would be more exciting than going shoe shopping."

<Jean> "Hey bitch, nothing is more exciting than shoe shopping," she said, pointing her nail buffer at the lizard girl.

<Sue> "I don't know, raiding as a tank to epic movie soundtracks sounds a whole lot more exciting to me...." Sue gave a small shrug, unbuckling her own belt and getting out of her seat.

<Hisako> Hisako stood, looking down on her clothes and sighing. There was a time that she'd have been in kevlar and leather, not her casual clothing. She followed after Melati, pulling her black hood up.

<Jean> Jean gave Sue the blankest of blank looks. "Nerd," she grinned.

<Sue> "And proud!" Sue struck a heroic pose.

<Carol> Carol laughed and shook her head, "Nothing wrong with being a nerd," she touched the control to lower the ramp and headed down it once it was level enough.

<Melati> "Wait until you've been shot for the first time," Melati replied with a look back at Jean. "Then we can talk about what's really exciting."

<Broo> "Personally I prefer working out a rather tough equation now and again." Broo added as he unbuckled and slid off his chair to follow.

<Sue> "See... that's nerdy." Sue pointed at Broo.

<Jean> "You're a nerd too then," Jean said to Broo, her tone cheerful as she unbuckled. "And you," she said to Melati, "are just a freak."

<Carol> "I hate getting shot at..." Carol commented idly, "Pisses me off."

<Melati> "I love you too, sweetheart." Melati bared her teeth for another shit-eating grin, her long reptilian tongue darting out to lick across her green lips.

<Hisako> Shaking her head, Hisako muttered something in Japanese to herself, "Can we just go now?" she motioned away from Broo, watching him with caution.

<Jean> Jean moved to the door, waving her hand at Broo and lifting him into the air with her teke. "I got you."

<Carol> "Lead the way, Melati." Carol gestured the girl ahead of her. "If anyone needs a taxi, I don't mind."

<Melati> "Don't sweat it; we shouldn't be more than a five minute walk from the entrance," Melati said, looking back to make sure everyone was accounted for and following before she started her hike up the length of the beach. "The walk through the tunnels will be a lot longer."

<Hisako> Hisako cast herself a practice force-field in the shape of an oblong at her feet, stepping up onto it like a block, and stepping off just as quickly. "Susan, will this glow be too much?"

<Sue> "Not for this bit but later probably..." Sue looked up to the entrance to the tunnel, "Don't think they'd have guards out this far if there's nothing to guard.

<Hisako> Nodding, the Japanese girl created herself a set of steps to proceed upwards, doing her best to keep their glow down without compromising their stability. She glanced down, and immediately wished she hadn't...

<Broo> "This floating. It is quite fun actually." Broo commented, finding himself rotating around as he was dragged through the air.

<Sue> Sue had never had a problem with heights or climbing, even without the safety net of forcefields to break any fall.

<Melati> "They either didn't discover the tunnels, or aren't bothering to guard them," Melati remarked while scanning the beach ahead with her nightvision binoculars. "Either way, the coast is quite literally clear."

<Jean> "I know right?!" Jean was glad somebody else liked it and lifted into the air herself beside Broo. Fuck this walking in the dark thing.

<Carol> "That might mean the other end is blocked... but hopefully that won't be too much of a problem. We'll know when we get there how much is in the way... that invisible thing'll be useful I think." Carol glanced over her shoulder to the others.

<Melati> "I guess using explosives to clear the way for us would be too much to hope for?" Melati cast Carol a cocky sideways smirk.

<Carol> "That might ruin the whole stealth aspect a little bit." Carol's tone conveyed her disappointment over this fact. "I'll try to be as quiet as I can if I have to move anything." She frowned, "Hey forcefield-y teke-y people, how're you at cushioning the fall of heavy objects?"

<Sue> "Uuuuh, I'm not spectacular," Sue glanced at Hisako and Jean, "But I can probably soundproof a small area - I've done that before... but it's hard work."

<Jean> Jean shrugged, spinning in slow circles to entertain herself. "Fiiiiiine, mom."

<Broo> Broo made swimming motions as he floated onwards with Jean. "Well... I did make this," he said, pulling his backpack around and fished out a little keychain torch. When he pressed the button however, a rather fearsome little red lightsabre light started. He turned it off after a couple of seconds. "In case we need to make our way past debris, locked doors and such."

<Hisako> Hisako hummed to herself, "...I could....maybe hold things." she nodded, closing her eye and forming an armor construct with four arms, flickering dimly, "I can try."

<Carol> "Lifting the stuff is no problem, it's what to do with it when it falls over or gets put down. Just worried about all the noise, you know? It might not be a problem but I guess we'll see when we get there."

<Hisako> "Say the word, I will hold much I can."

<Melati> "If nothing else, I'll at least be good to haul some heavier stuff out of the way," Melati said, having turned away from the beach to scale the rocky cliff leading inland. "The entrance is still open. That's a good sign, I guess."

<Sue> "Unless it's a trap," Sue couldn't help herself.

<Hisako> "I couldn't think anyone would hate us that much." Hisako smirked sarcastically, "Desho?"

<Sue> "I think someone must hate us a whole hell of a lot to do this to us in the first place." Sue kept her eyes on the ground at her feet.

<Melati> "Then you're obviously underestimating my talent to piss people off," Melati said to Hisako's remark. "You'd be surprised just how much I can make someone hate me."

<Broo> Broo, by now sitting crosslegged while floating, and slowly rotating, was fiddling with a small camera contraption, eyeing the screen attached to it. "So far I'm just picking up us and a couple small things here and there, like insects and small mammals."

<Jean> "It's true," Jean piped up as she pirouetted past Mel in mid-air.

<Carol> "Well, Mel, at least we have that in common."

<Hisako> Hisako couldn't keep her eye off of Broo. She moved closer to Melati, muttering to her, "How can you trust him? You...know what he is..."

<Broo> Broo concentrated on the little screen, then picked with a sharp claw at his sharp fangs for a moment.

<Melati> "Hey, that's actually one of my more charming qualities," Melati said to Carol before she led the way into the narrow gap in the side of the cliff. "Yeah, he's a mutant." The reptilian girl didn't look back at Hisako, instead scanning the darkness lying ahead. "Like the rest of us. So what?"

<Carol> Carol moved ahead of Melati once in the tunnel, pushing a large amount of energy into her raised hand to light their way in the bright orange glow. "So... how long is this tunnel?"

<Hisako> "His 'friends' tried to eat us..." Hisako murmurred, eye narrowing on the creature in question, "I just d-...." she paused as Carol appeared, "Think on this."

<Melati> "It leads all the way from here back to the mansion," Melati replied, briefly frowning at Hisako before turning towards Carol. "And not exactly in a straight way." She extended a clawed finger to point at a small x-shaped marking in the stone. "Always make sure to stay on the marked path - there's more than just one cavern down here, and not all lead back to daylight."

<Broo> "I would love to actually map this place out." Broo remarked, now upside down, nearly sitting on the ceiling.

<Jean> "Kind of pointless now, isn't it?" Jean was just following the crowd, not terribly concerned with their destination, until she remembered the possibility of people who wanted to kill them at the end of the tunnel.

<Melati> "Once we've made sure no government thugs occupy our property anymore, I'll gladly go spelunking with you," Melati offered Broo, while she reached for the flashlight strapped to her thigh. "Hey, why not? The place might be a ruin now, but it's still our damn ruin."

<Sue> "The new place is full of tunnels too..." Sue informed Broo, "You can map those out..."

<Hisako> Hisako let out an audible sigh of irritation, folding her arms in a pout, "Are we there yet?" she interrupted.

<Carol> "Probably not going to be for a while..." Carol led the way, checking for markings at each fork in the path. "Good thing I'm a walking flashlight..."

<Broo> "Actually, Miss Sue, I already started mapping tunnels at the new school complex. I have to say, the underground system is quite extensive. Creepy as well. I once found a room that was locked. When I peeked in through the small dirty window on the door, I thought I saw a lot of dirty hospital instruments in there. Along with scratch marks."

<Jean> "Yeah that's why I don't go ghost hunting in that place anymore. Creeeeeeeepy."

<Jean> "Speaking of," she started again after a while, as the seemed to be getting closer to their goal... or at least she hoped. "I'll check for human minds up there... or minds in general, I guess."

<Hisako> "The doll is useful..." Hisako murmured, smirking with a little laugh.

<Carol> "Good thinking..." Carol flared the light a little, though her energy reserves were running low after the long walk, "I don't feel any air coming from down there, I'm wondering if it is actually blocked..."

<Jean> "When I want to be," she said, giving the other girl a falsely bright grin as she floated by.

<Melati> "I'm not so sure yet," Melati remarked, standing next to Hisako as she looked in Jean's direction. "I mean, most of the time, I wouldn't even trust her to find her own mind, let alone someone else's."

<Jean> "Hey, bitch, you're making me not want to be now," she said, poking out her tongue.

<Hisako> "But their bed in the other hand?" Hisako whispered to Melati.

<Sue> "Hey, she has a boyfriend! Be nice!" Sue hissed, having caught the comment.

<Hisako> "Just one?" the Japanese girl cackled to Melati.

<Jean> Luckily for Hisako, Jean had stopped near the debris, setting Broo down gently and then folding her legs in midair to concentrate. Her eyes were closed.

<Sue> "Yes just one. Now stop being a bitch or you'll have no friends." Sue frowned at Hisako one more time then looked over to the redhead in question, "How's it looking, oh soulless one?"

<Broo> Broo looked up towards Hisako, and lightly cleared his throat. "Do not worry, Miss Hisako. I'll be your friend."

<Hisako> Shying away, Hisako gave Broo a scrutinizing look, flushing a little, "I do not need...you."

<Jean> "If there is something up there with half a brain, it's shielded," she finally announced, floating low enough to set her own feet on the rocky floor.

<Carol> "Good.... hey invisible one, how much crap is in the way of us?" Carol eyed the debris blocking the exit from the tunnel.

<Sue> Sue stepped forward and projected her invisibility field through the debris to see how thick it was, "Not much... couple of feet maybe... looks like they cleared almost to it. Lucky!"

<Melati> "I'm taking that as a good sign for once," Melati said, nodding in Jean's direction before looking back at the debris. "That has to be Miss Kincaid's doing when she made sure Hydra couldn't follow us."

<Melati> She stepped up to the closest boulder and gave it a kick with her boot. "What are we waiting for then? Let's get these rocks out of the way. We're not letting a pile of dirt stop us, are we?"

<Carol> "Hell no, I'll be damned if any wall can stand in my way." Carol stepped up to start shifting. "Those that can dampen the noise, get ready... I'll probably just shove it all at once."

<Hisako> Hisako stepped forward, her armor frame glowing to life, "I can have this." she assured Melati, sending her construct's hands forward to catch any debris, "Just pull when you can."

<Sue> Sue used her invisibility field to check the area outside before doing her best to construct a soundproof barrier on the other side of the wall. "I've done what I can... I hope..."

<Carol> Channeling what remained of the absorbed energy, Carol gave a hard push to the wall of debris in front of her, using her flight powers for leverage. It shifted outwards though pieces of ceiling and wall fell past her and towards the others as the main bulk of it went out to the ruins of the school.

<Jean> Jean tried to form a teke shield to block any debris from flattening them.

<Broo> "Um, Miss Hisako, would you mind creating a few support pillars as well?" Broo asked as he watched Jean.

<Hisako> Doing as suggested, Hisako took a step back and launched her armor's hands upwards, willing it larger to hold more debris. She glanced at Broo, eye burning cold as gold.

<Broo> Broo glanced towards Hisako and back to Jean and the others. She just needs to know him better, then she'll like him.

<Carol> Carol moved as much aside as there was room for and shifted the larger pieces out of the way so that they could actually get past it. "Okay, that's that." She dusted off her hands. "You guys know this place better than I do," she stepped out of the way for them. "Welcome back, I guess."

<Hisako> Hisako gently released the celling, her armor frame disappearing as she looked into the darkness of the familiar chrome-steel walls. She took a deep breath, shaking her head, "I-I....should...someone should stay here. Guard the exit in case..." she shrugged awkwardly, "...s-suits. Danver....you said?"

<Broo> Broo was staring back down on his camera device's screen, pointing it up back to the way they came in and eyed the little screen. "I'll catch up to you guys in a second. I need to check something here." and with that he sat down to rummage through his backpack.

<Carol> "Yeah, they're assholes. If they turn up, just get out of here. I'm going to head back to the jet, I need to recharge. I'll get it ready for take off and wait til you guys are back." Carol offered them a small smile, "I feel like I'm kind of intruding here anyway."

<Hisako> With a nod, Hisako settled down on a stone, eye fixed on Broo. Now, if she could just fight the urge to skewer him they'd be fine...

<Sue> Sue watched their pilot head off back down the tunnel, "Did anyone bring a torch? Because I didn't and we're going back down that tunnel without one later..."

[steyn]

<Hisako> With a sigh of disgust Hisako pushed a stray wire away from her face as she proceeded down the dank, dark coridoor. Her former home felt alien, blackness where light should be, insular rather than welcoming. The steel-lined walls felt cold, wrong somehow.

<Hisako> It didn't help that she was paired with that thing called Broo. What was he, anyway? Except for a problem waiting to happen. She looked back on his coppery-coloured, chitinous form, "Haiyaku, bakkano.", she snapped miserably.

<@Broo> "Oh, yes, coming! Would you look at this... and this... this is quite useful... and this as well..." Broo kept saying as scuttled up after Hisako, yet kept finding salvageable parts here and there. "I could definitely use this part... yes..." he said as he tried to fit more into his already stuffed backpack.

<Hisako> With a twitch of her eye Hisako turned away, opening one of the doors and peeking inside. She nodded slowly; this was the armory. She stepped in, looking around in the dark and suddenly jumping as a light flickered on. And promtly off again.

<@Broo> Broo peeked in around the corner of the doorway, in his hand his tiny butterknife sized swiss-army-lightsabre. It jingled a little due to the keychain. "Did you see something?" he asked in hushed tones.

<Hisako> "N-no.", Hisako shook her head, "Obviously not, stupid...", pacing the room she found the old lockers, the manequins modelling every different costume she once wore as an X-er. She sighed quietly. It felt like a hall of ghosts, all of them faceless yet familiar, nameless yet identifiable.

<Hisako> She stopped at one of the costumes. Black leather, kevlar padding, a golden X above the heart. She stroked it, dust caking her hand as she did so.

<@Broo> Broo crept into the room, his mini weapon, and or can opener, and or toast slicer, gave the objects he inspected an eerie red glow. He paused when he came to a rather small uniform, clearly still far from completion, "Oh... look... I was going to get my own uniform too. I wonder if it'll fit." he pondered out load.

<Hisako> "No.", Hisako said suddenly, snapping out of her revelries to approach the shorter creature, "You are not this!", she shouted at him, "Ok? I don't know who tells you but you are not even a person! You are a tiny monster! Just another Brood!"

<Hisako> She took a few breaths, "You think like us, they say, even feel, but you are not human. You are not an X-Man, you are a experiment!"

<@Broo> Broo stared up at Hisako, scared at what she said, frozen where he stood, unable to reply to her words. The boy's clawed hands didn't even dare reach one inch closer to the suit. Eventually he just looked down, clutching his backpack, and kept quiet and as small as he could be, not wanting to anger the girl any further.

<Hisako> Hisako shook her head, letting out a sigh of frustration as she turned away, heading to the controll room of the DR - at least, she thought she was; with no light, all the coridoors looked the same.

<@Broo> Broo just silently followed Hisako, keeping quiet, not even looking at any salvageable items anymore. Her words just kept echoing through his head, and he just clenched his fanged jaws tighter.

<Hisako> This waa the wrong way. Hisako paused at what, at first, appeared to be a misplaced wall panel. She approached it, stroking her fingers along the sides: a door. The elevator shaft to the ground floor. She clicked the button, to no avail of course, before attempting to push it open.

<@Broo> Broo looked up at what she was doing, and was about to suggest she use the metal bar next to him on the floor or... he stopped himself from even thinking of any other suggestions. Claws went back to his backpack, holding it and watching.

<Hisako> Stepping back Hisako summoned her armor frame, grasping the door and dragging it open as carefully and quietly as the stiff steel would allow.

<Hisako> When she was done she took a moment to catch a breath, looking at Broo accusingly before spotting something in the elevator, "Nani?"

<@Broo> Broo looked up at the remark, stepping closer to try and see what she was looking at. He didn't say a word. The little genius did the best thing he could think of in such a situation, and kept quiet while he stared at it.

<Hisako> It was a Brood. Dead, clearly, but a Brood nonetheless. There it lay, body twisted and broken, green-black chitin gleaming gently in the lack of light, eyes pale and empty.

<Hisako> Hisako looked to Broo, "What, does it scare you? Looking into a mirror like this?", she approached the corpse, "Was it your brother? Or sister? Maybe a cousin?"

<@Broo> "It was..." Broo swallowed. "...it was an experiment... just an experiment... a.. a weapon that they made... using my DNA." his words nearly turned to whispers at the end of his reply.

<Hisako> The Japanese girls' eye blinked, "You...are the first one?", she had wondered why he was crimson while the others were shades if emerald and jade, "So they are...clones of you..."

<@Broo> His head went down in shame again. "No... they wouldn't have become these things if they were..." he replied. "They were... experiments, and weapons. This is what becomes when you take the recipe of a person and leave out ingredients... or add some new ingredients of your own. They played with my dna... these weren't the first either."

<Hisako> Hisako felt oddly sickened. She swore there was a pang of sympathy beneath her disgust, but was loath to show it. She approached the body, raising her hands to summon an amber katana before plunging it down into the cadaver with a wet crunch.

<Hisako> She pulled the blade free, letting it fade away, eye still fixed on the body, "Well, you are good for something.", she said to Broo, turning around, "You made it inside here. This...thing can't.", she stepped past him, "This way."

<@Broo> Broo stared at the creature for a second longer, his foot shifting an inch closer to touch the creature's broken leg, making contact for a moment, before he turned to follow Hisako.

<Hisako> Before long Hisako had led them to the botanics lab. The celling was partially collapsed, though there was enough yellowy light from the emergency lighting to keep the dusty room lit up, crisp orange broken by odd beams of white from damaged horticulture tanks.

<Hisako> She led them in, checking her corners and pausing before a thick band of webbing, "Ah...gross!", she cursed under her breath in her native tongue, wiping her hand on her skirt.

<@Broo> Broo reached up and pulled some of the webbing, twirling it between thumb and finger, actually making a sort of sticky thick string of it. "Did you know the tensile strength of spider silk is far greater than steel if it was thinned out this much. More elastic as well." he said, trying his best to lighten the mood.

<Hisako> "No.", Hisako offered dismissively, looking around. The room felt warmer than the others had. The heating regulator was clearly broken: some of the plants had thrived, save for lack of water and sunlight (which their growth pattern showed they were clearly competing for - some better than others)

<Hisako> "Heat...", she pondered to herself, "...the backup power is still on.", nodding slowly she stepped forward, idly placing a hand on a rubble-strewn table.

<@Broo> Broo was still idly playing with the string of spider's web, then looked at something that was slowly moving. "Hisako, may I ask you a question?"

<Hisako> "Can this be the one question...", Hisako replied blankly, turning to him, "What question?"

<@Broo> "Do you dislike only Brood... and me... or is it a dislike towards all insects?" he asked.

<Hisako> "I was there when your Brood ate my friends. I think dislike is ok, you know(?)", she declared sarcastically, rolling her eye, "....why?"

<@Broo> "Well, one of the arachnids belonging to the theraphosidae family is slowly crawling towards your hand. And now it'll be making contact." he stated.

<Hisako> Hisako blinked, processing his words before registering the touch on her hand. She forced herself not to jump, closing her eye tight and forming a forcefield around her hand. She opened her eye slowly, looking down on the ginger spider, "...naniga?", she knew that spider; "Sinamem? No...it is...aah..."

<@Broo> "Commonly known as a tarantula?" Broo suggested.

<Hisako> "Yes, thank you, moron!", Hisako groaned, "Cinnamon-kun!", she identified the spider, which immediately decided that there was a far more interesting rock on the other side of the table and started wandering away.

<@Broo> "It seemed more auburn to me." Broo said. "Oh, you meant its name is Cinnamon?" he asked, stepping closer.

<Hisako> Hisako hummed in affirmation, "May-chan's gross little pet who dribbles on everything.", she explained, watching him pause at the edge of the table, "Get a jar or something, idiot bug!"

<@Broo> Broo was confused on who she was calling an idiot bug. "I don't think there are any jars around." he told her. "I can hold it until we find something similiar?" he suggested, and just carefully reached out to pick the tarantula up with his hands.

<Hisako> "Heh, he is happy to meet another bug.", Hisako declared, "Kawaii, Cinnamon-kun, she couldn't help but smile softly.

<@Broo> Broo lifted the spider up and put the little one on top os his head so he had his hands free. "He is... contented for the moment." Broo stated. "Where to now?" he asked.

<Hisako> Hands on her hips Hisako hummed, "I think....the mainframe. If heat still works then maybe it is still on?", she leaned outbof the door; if this was Botanics, then the Medlab was down to the left, the armory was right, then left and right again....

<Hisako> "That way.", Hisako pointed down the grim, dark hall, "Should be behind a huge blast door, near Cerebero machine."

<@Broo> "I wonder how much of the Cerebro machine was damaged." Broo pondered while he followed with a spider on his head.

<Hisako> Hisako laughed to herself, "The Cerebero never worked.", she insisted, "Only Xavier-sama could use it, and he was always too careful. It is a great machine, a horrible....", she looked back at Broo, "...it can be a weapon in bad hands."

<@Broo> "I do hope nobody got to it then." Broo said. "If it is as dangerous as you say, then I wouldn't want anyone using it. I do hope Professor Xavier wakes up." They turned a corner and then another before they neared the large doors.

<Hisako> Slowing to a halt the Japanese girl looked at the doir ominously. Anything could have been sealed behind the circular vault that was Cerebero's entryway. The dust-strewn door was all of chrome, a huge 'X' shaped into it. The centre, a black eye-like orb, usually bright blue, now hollow and sable.

<Hisako> She shook her head, "It cannot open without power.", her finger traced a circle in the dust on the eye, "This should be blue."

<@Broo> Broo frowned looking at the door. "So you can not use your powers to open it?" he asked, first making sure she didn't or couldn't open it herself before he offered his help.

<Hisako> She shook her head, "It would be better if the power was on. With no lights like here there is no way we could be safe inside. And nothing would work.", she turned left, pointing down the hall, "That vaulted door should be mainframe's room."

<@Broo> "And I am guessing that it would also need power to open." Broo said. "One would think there be a backup in case there was no power available to open the doors.

<Hisako> "Maybe there is a reason the power is off for Cerebero.", Hisako pondered, "There is....in emergency the doors should seal. Maybe....", she looked up at the security camera outside the mainframe room, "....do you think Danger is still....?"

<@Broo> "..oh! Oh my yes! That would be wonderful news if she was still online here." Broo said and immediately scuttled off towards the mainframe room's doors, and waving at the dead looking security camera.

<Hisako> Hisako sighed in frustration, "Bakkano! If these doors are locked, then obviously she is conserving power. We can't get in so easy!"

<@Broo> "Then we better help her." Broo suggested, putting his backpack down and started rummaging through it for the parts he needed.

<Hisako> With a raised eyebrow she watched Broo go about his tinkering, noticing how the spider on his head seemed to simply adopt a comfortable perch upon his crest and remain still. She tutted to herself, hardly believing her mind as she turned away, "I am going to see upstairs.", she announced.

<@Broo> "Okay, I'll stay down here and get this door open. Give me.. at maximum an hour. Maybe half an hour." he said, sitting on the floor like a kid with lego.

<Hisako> "Take your time.", Hisako murmurred, leaving him to it. She cast a glance back at Cinnamon, who appeared comfortable drooling on Broo's head, and smirked wryly. There was something...beautiful about the sight. She looked at Broo again, recalling why they were stood in the husk of XU and stiffened her resolve all over again.

[Starfish]

Melati: While most of the debris had been cleared up, the damaged walls of the mansion remained as a memorial of the savage battle that had taken place on the grounds of the former school. Now an eerie calmness had fallen over the whole estate. It would have been morbid to think of it as a graveyard, even though the comparison was hard to ignore.

Melati: Melati wasn't really expecting to find anything of use as she scoured the ruins. Nothing practical, anyway. Yet she wasn't the kind of person to admit to doing anything for sentimental reasons.

Hisako: There was a faint knocking from the husk that was once the lobby area. A moment later the remains of the door to the basement were shoved suddenly open. Hisako staggered out, dropping to a crouch and glancing around, "Flash.", she hissed in a hushed whisper - had anyone remembered that part of their training? Or had she recieved that back in Japan when...

Melati: "Thunder," Melati replied almost instinctively, not even bothering to lower her voice. "No need to be that jumpy - I think they all cleared out." She reptilian mutant stepped through the open doorway, the heavy door it once housed nowhere to be seen any more. "I'm pretty sure they would have jumped me already if anyone was still around."

Hisako: "I wish they did.", Hisako admitted, standing up fully, "It feels wrong to be here again...like it is full of silent ghosts."

Hisako: She swallowed, looking around the burned grey ruin, "I wonder if they cry for hate or sorrow..."

Melati: "I hope they're crying for the blood of those who did this to them," Melati replied as she stepped over some ruined furniture to pick up a painting that had fallen off the wall. The frame was cracked and parts of it were burnt. "Because that's what I plan to give them, anyway."

Hisako: Hisako just looked at her wordlessly. Perhaps there was a time when she'd have challenged the idea or revenge - an eye for an eye might have seemed rather pointless for a girl with only one - but that time felt like it was a dream. An echo from a past that was long dead, like this place.

Hisako: Instead the Japanese girl turned away, stroking a hand down the collapsed banister of the stairs to the first floor (or whatever was left of it). "...what about the creature Broo?"

Melati: "What about him?" Melati asked, frowning at the damaged painting before putting it back down again. She turned around to look at the other girl. "You're not starting with the whole 'he's going to eat us' mantra again, are you? I thought we've been over this."

Hisako: "I remember you gave me this look like 'oh Hisako, you're so mean'...", she replied, "I do not trust it. Not after I see his kind eating our friends. How long before he turns like them?"

Melati: "He can't help what he is," Melati stated as a matter of fact. "None of us can. That's why we're all here, sticking together, because no one else will accept us the way we are." She narrowed her eyes at Hisako while stepping towards her fellow student.

Melati: "So if we start thinking like those we're trying to convince otherwise..." The reptilian girl spread her arms, before letting them fall back against her side in a provocative gesture of defeat. "What the hell are we even fighting for anymore?"

Hisako: "Do we even know now?", Hisako muttered, turning to face Melati again, "I have to be honest, I cannot see why you think good like this. You gave Venom a chance too, and...", she gestured at the other girl idly, "...that did not work, did it? Open your eyes; the Broo is a problem waits to happen."

Melati: Melati imagined she was able to feel the scar on her face as she frowned at Hisako. "His name is Eddie," she said, her voice tense. "He's not Venom. That thing is not him, you understand?" There were only inches separating them. "Just like those monsters Hydra created are not like Broo."

Hisako: "Oh, so sorry(!)", Hisako rolled her eye, "You should know best right? Because you were so close(!) Wake up! I do not want to pick up your pieces again ok!?"

Hisako: She narrowed her own eye, "Of course 'you are the leader', what do I know? Right?"

Melati: Her briefly flaring nostrils were the only warning before Melati's balled fist aimed for Hisako's chin. Her self-control had slipped only slightly, otherwise the punch would have been considerably stronger - and mostly likely been led by her extended claws.

Hisako: Hisako hit the ground violently, skirt tangling her fall amd leaving her on her side. Her mouth tastes blood from her bitten tongue as she pushed herself up, blinking the water from her eye.

Hisako: She swallowed a mouthful of coppery saliva, wiping her mouth and dragging herself over to the adjacent wall to sit against it while massaging her jaw. She remained silent.

Melati: Melati's chest heaved from the lizard's heavy breathing, as she stood above Hisako and looked down at the other girl. Slowly, she relaxed and opened her still closed fist. "Yeah, what do you know?" she repeated and took a step back. She wasn't exactly proud of her outburst, but too stubborn to back down either.

Hisako: Hisako remained silent for a few moments, eye downcast, but not angry. "...I'm sorry.", she said suddenly, "...I should not have said something like this.", she looked up at Melati, "...I guess I deserves that."

Melati: Melati couldn't have looked more perplexed had Hisako punched her face in return. Blinking at the other girl, she opened her mouth for another spat, but ended up remaining silent. It was a rare day for her to be left speechless like that, and she didn't like it a lot.

Melati: "Dammit, couldn't you just punch me back?" she eventually said, dropping her arms, almost a gesture of defeat. "I thought we didn't fight dirty like that." She ran a clawed hand over her head, before finally bending over to extend her arm in a helpful gesture. "Fuck it."

Hisako: The other girl couldn't help but laugh a little, taking the offered hand and standing. "I am surprised you took so long to do it.", she snorted, "Seriously, I am sorry. I guess...you know better than me."

Melati: "Hey, I was making progress on my anger issues until you decided to show up again," Melati replied, giving a pull to help Hisako back up. "And apology accepted." With an awkward frown on her face, she titled her head to inspect the other girl's chin. "I guess I owe you one, too."

Hisako: "No harm, no foul.", Hisako grinned, wishing she hadn't just as quickly, "Ittai, ittai!!", she winced, rubbing her chin gently, "You think there is still alcohol somewhere?"

Melati: "What do you think I've been looking for the whole time?" Melati chuckled, relieved to leave the awkwardness behind. "I was hoping my mobile bar survived the attack." She ventured forth into the next room, which lay ahead of them in the same sorry state than the previous one.

Melati: "And let me tell you an important secret about what it means to be a leader," the green-skinned girl continued, looking back over her shoulder with a lopsided grin. "It's not about knowing better, it's about finding something to believe in and not giving up on it, no matter what."

Melati: She paused, lowering her head as she glanced down at her clawed hands. "To be honest, I've no idea if I'm right," she admitted, speaking a little quieter now. "It's just that everything seems to be falling apart, unless someone tries to hold things together. I don't know everything to have been in vain, you know?"

Hisako: "Yes.", Hisako answered at once, "I know.", she stepped past Melati, looking out of the arch that used to be the entryway door onto the grounds beyond, "Walk with me?", she requested.

Melati: "Ain't got anything better to do," Melati replied with a shrug. She caught up with Hisako and fell into step by her side as they made their way outside. "They did quite a number on us, didn't they?" she asked, being able to really take in the scope of the destruction for the first time.

Hisako: Hisako hummed in acknowledgement, her eye scanning the gardens, green turned to blue-black beneath midnight's kiss. She couldn't help but imagine the shadowy patches were the remains of blood spilled that night, all those months ago. In places, flowers had started to grow, the grounds themselves now more like fledgeling wilderness than well-trimmed garden space.

Hisako: "I forget what life was like before.", she said, turning to her companion, "I remember little things like classes, stupid jokes and...people. But more days go and they are harder to see."

Melati: "It's not like in the old days, isn't it?" Melati asked, her question intended as a confession of her own feelings. "It's almost as if we've been living in a dream the whole time, and it's time we finally woke up to see what a fucked up nightmare this really is."

Melati: She returned Hisako's look. "I mean, it's not like we haven't been playing with fire every time we put on those uniforms." The reptilian girl chuckled darkly. "Sooner or later, we were bound to get burned."

Hisako: A solemn nod was all Hisako could manage. She folded her arms tightly, all too aware of the chill as they spoke of times long dead. "So...you think the X-ers is gone now forever?"

Melati: Melati reached for her pocket and pulled out her pack of cigarettes, tucking one between her lips before she started looking for her lighter. "Guess that depends entirely on one thing," she eventually said, pausing again while she tried to light her smoke.

Melati: Finally coaxing the small flame back to life, the lizard girl took a deep drag, then exhaled the thick smoke as a smirk curled the edge of her mouth. "Do we stay down and let the dream die, or do we get our asses off the ground and back into the fight?"

Hisako: As they approached the old garage Hisako nodded, grinning (despite the pain in her jaw) and nodding, "Fight. Every time."

Melati: "That's the spirit," Melati replied, keeping the cigarette dangling from her lips as she walked by Hisako's side. "You know, you and I aren't that different. You'd think we'd get along better than we do." She looked at the other girl and gave her a toothy grin. "Must be because we're both such hard-headed alpha bitches."

Hisako: Hisako laughed softly, "If opposite attracts then what do we do?", she smirked, approaching the door of the dilapodated structure and looking back at Melati, "Or maybe you just have such held up sexual tension. Maybe you love me really?"

Melati: "Yeah, that's gotta be the reason," Melati replied, leading the way down the garage driveway. It seemed the sturdy construction had kept the underground facilities mostly intact. The same couldn't be said about their vehicle pool, however. "Not that I wouldn't take angry sex over fighting any day."

Hisako: "I could not say...", Hisako shrugged, following her to the front and sighing at the sight, "They broke all of our toys.", she huffed, "I suppose the insurance is not covered for 'monster bug terrorists'?"

Melati: "Oh, I highly recommend it, if you wanna give it try sometime." Melati's lewd grin was wiped off her face when she saw all the damage done. "Damn, this makes my heart bleed," she commented, plucking the cigarette from her mouth as she let her gaze drift across the parked vehicles - or what was left of most of them.

Hisako: Proceeding in, Hisako found what she assumed was one Janet Von Dyne's Mustang, "This is the biggest tragedy..." she jibed, offering a little smile and trying not to think about the owner's fate.

Melati: "Hell of a shame," Melati muttered, before she tore her gaze away from the ruined car. "Oh come on, I'll be damned..." She quickened her steps as she headed for the vehicle that stood out to her from all the others. "Now look at that. Almost the whole garage is trashed, and this thing survives without a scratch..."

Hisako: "Hmm?", Hisako came around the broken chassis of the old van and laughed at what she saw, "Are you joking!?", she asked aloud, "The...not-a-Suzuki?"

Melati: "Oh, I'm dead serious, but I feel it's the universe that has a good laugh at us right now," Melati said, taking the finished cigarette out of her mouth and flicking the butt on the ground. "Well, at least Eddie can rest assured that his bike survived the attack - wherever he may be at the moment."

Hisako: "Or you could take it.", Hisako suggested, "You said he told you to...why not take...", she peered at the dust-covered body of the motorcycle, spying the name, "'Elaine' out for a spin?"

Melati: Melati didn't say anything at first. Instead she took the time to take out another cigarette, while intently watching the bike in front of her. "Well, as I like to say, when life gives you lemons, you grab that sucker by the balls and demand what's yours," she said and lit another smoke.

Melati: Then the reptilian girl turned her head and gave Hisako a fanged grin, her face partly obscured by the smoke. "What do you say? Care for a ride?"

Hisako: The Japanese girl almost said yes, suddenly recalling something, "Oooh, Broo is trying to get inside the mainframe room. I said I would go back for him...", she pouted, "...damn this."

Melati: Melati had already straddled the bike's seat. "You sure?" she asked, still wearing that up-to-no-good grin. She bent over one side, her claws feeling for that hidden spot by the exhaust. "See?" She held up the keys that she had retrieved. "The universe is speaking to us."

Hisako: "...you know, Broo can wait like...oooone minute, right?", Hisako laughed, stepping up and sliding onto the bike behind Melati, arms around her waist, "Don't read into this; I'm not gay...", she insisted, trying to make sure her chest wasn't right up to Melati's back.

Melati: "Hey, neither am I," Melati replied, looking over her shoulder before she jammed in the keys and turned it to start the bike. "That doesn't mean I won't get laid by pretty girls on come the weekend." Revving the engine, she flashed Hisako another grin. "You know, maybe I should listen to you more often."

Hisako: Hisako grinned back, "Jeez, you think so?", she laughed, "Maybe do that and don't hit me next time, bakka!", she shifted herself up a little, "Condition: All Green! Chaaaji!!!"

Melati: "Maybe I'll leave it at a spanking next time." Melati laughed, then let the engine howl as they took off past the wreckage and hit the road.

[Starfish]

Hisako: After she and Melati's joyride around the grounds - and after she'd stopped to get a jar and a flashlight - Hisako had returned to the basement level, the partially illuminated halls easier to traverse under the powerful beam from her hand.

Hisako: In a mere few moments she'd come up to the passageway Broo had stayed behind in, "Did you opened the door yet?", she called over, "I bought a jar for Cinnamon-kun."

Broo: Broo froze, looking back at Hisako. The insect mutant, still with the spider on his head drooling, was now tangled in wiring, bits and pieces lying everywhere, and several panels removed from the walls. Here and there a spark would fly, but mostly, it was a mess. "Things got complicated." he said.

Hisako: "Great...(!)", Hisako answered sarcastically, approaching and looking up at the hollow security camera as if it were a closed eye that could open and look into hers at any moment, "So we cannot get in?", she asked, handing the jar to Broo without a word.

Broo: Broo untangled an arm and reached up for the jar, tilting his head and guiding the spider into it. "Oh, we can get in." he said, pushing a button and the doors slid open. "I was just trying to clean up. Things got complicated."

Hisako: The grinding steel made Hisako flinch and step back, raising the torch beam into the darkness and cursing as it started to flicker. She wished she has her Samidare...

Broo: Broo resorted to just pushing all the wiring and bits underneath a large panel. "There, all clean." he announced, holding the jar and his backpack. "I couldn't get the lights working normal though." he added.

Hisako: "Really(?) I could not notice(!)", Hisamo rolled her eye, giving the torch another smack and cursing it in Japanese as the beam corrected itself, "I will go first.", she stated, leading the way cautiously into the Mainframe Room.

Broo: Broo inched closer and peeked in. Near total darkness except for where Hisako shone her light. "Miss Hisako, are we expecting something to jump out and scare us?" he whispered.

Hisako: The Japanese girl turned to him and 'shushed' him sharply, "Besides...it should be 'senpai', bakkano...", she peered around the towering black monoliths that were the server core, careful not to trip over the wires strewn about, and furrowing her brow at the blinking blue lights on some of the server consoles.

Hisako: "She is...still here...", Hisako spoke slowly, "Danger? Cormick?", it could be either. Or neither.

Broo: Broo just crept along behind her, taking mental notes on the servers and how old they seem to be. They really needed to upgrade them.

Hisako: Stopping and turning left Hisako froze. "Found it.", she swallowed, looking on what she assumed was some kind of art project at first.

Hisako: The collumn of wire and steel looked like an alcove, or a brainstem. Monitors around it flickered with activity, lighting up and dying at random intervals. It emitted an eerie blue light in the dusty dark, humming gently as the lights around it made it seem to writhe and shift of its own accord.

Broo: "Oh... well.... you don't see that every day." Broo said, stepping forward past Hisako to examine Danger's data core. Where he could reach, he placed his backpack and jar down to easily climb up the machine to inspect the top screens, looking more like an insect while lit from beneath.

Hisako: Humming to herself Hisako let Broo go about his tinkering. Certainly, she'd know Danger longer, but she knew nothing of the AI's inner workings. Thinking about it, Broo probably didn't either, but he certainly seemed - to Hisako, at least - to have a way with machines.

Hisako: She gave the insect a gentle kick, "Ooi, how long is this taking?"

Broo: Broo nearly fell off then just ignored her for a moment as he climbed higher up and around, his insect like mutation coming through very clearly with the way he clung to a vertical surface. "Need to find the right cable. Most these are for connections between processors for rational thought, decision making and such. Need to find the memory core cable."

Broo: And as he said that, he reached in, then looked, then tried to reach in further, before crawling half into the machine, his clawed feet still clinging to monitors while his upperbody disappeared into the inner workings. "Got it!" He called. "Um... oops." he added.

Hisako: "Did you broke it!? Aah, mean 'her'?", Hisako looked around, "Ooi, Bakkano!", she swallowed, feeling more and more anxious as the flashlight flickered in her hand.

Broo: "No... No actually, I don't think that was me. It looks like there are a few things missing in here." Broo replied, still half in the machine.

Hisako: "Missing? What are you meaning like someone took it?", Hisako's eye widened as she tried to watch the darkness carefully; were there stil people here!?

Broo: "Well... the parts could have spontaneously imploded for no reason... however that seems less likely than people taking them. Although I wouldn't mind actually looking into such a subject matter as well."

Hisako: Hisako formed herself a forcefield in the shape of a long, narrow stick and poked Broo with it, "Just hurry it! Can you get anything? I don't want to stay here in the dark!"

PocketDanger: Little did the two mutants know that their activities didn't go unnoticed. On the far end of the server room, hidden among all the other spare parts cluttering the shelves by the wall, the used gaming console didn't look too out of place. What appeared to have been left and forgotten some time ago, however, came back to life when a light started blinking on its dusty front cover.

Broo: "Nooo, stop poking meee." Broo complained when he was poked several more times to hurry him up. The little clawed hand tried to swipe at the poking object, and he lost his grip in his stance. "Whooa!" he said as slid down then fell back from the structure.

Hisako: Hisako had noticed the strange blinking moments before Broo fell atop her. She landed with a thud, rubbing her head where it had hit a computer tower and kicked Broo with her knee, "Move it, gross bug...", she sighed, "How could a bug fall anyway?", she looked back into the dark, "Did you see that?

Broo: "If I say no, are you going to yell at me again and call me idiot in japanese?" Broo asked as he crawled and roll to the side off of her.

Hisako: Shooting him a scornful look Hisako pointed into the dark in the rough direction of the blinking light, "Go look at that.", she instructed, standing and dusting herself off. She shuddered to think Broo had touched her and retrived the jar he'd almost landed on, "Moron..."

Hisako: The spider inside seemed relatively unphased, "Cinnamon did not fall over."

Broo: Broo didn't bother dusting himself off though. The little guy was already a magnet for dirt the second he came off the plane. "Yes Miss Hisako Ma'am." he replied as he made his way to the corner.

PocketDanger: Before they had the chance to do the same, the inconspicuous electronic toy had already subjected the two visitors to a thorough examination. Its harmless blinking light hid the sophisticated sensor array, along with numerous other warranty-voiding modifications, that now scanned the approaching mutant inside and out.

Broo: Broo stopped when he found the origin of the blinking. "It looks like some sort of gaming machine." he said, pulling out a screwdriver to poke it with. He frowned then eyed the cable leading to it, as well the additional items that seemed out of place. He tried fiddling with the screwdriver. "Well my little friend, you've got something jammed in here real good. Were you..."

PocketDanger: Unlike the previous intruders, these two matched the stored biometric profiles of students of Xavier's University. And this time, the small machine did not power down again to stay hidden. The light stopped blinking, instead shining its faint light on Broo as the little mutant fidgeted with his screwdriver.

PocketDanger: With a snapping sound the console quite literally jumped to life. Four small, stubby legs had popped out of its foundation. The weak light grew slightly bigger and brighter as it focused on the little monster's face.

PocketDanger: "Please refrain from trying to jam your tool into my chassis," a familiar voice demanded. "This is not the time or place."

Broo: Broo slid his little screwdriver from danger's tight confines. "My apologies, Miss Danger. I wasn't aware it was you I was trying to force open." Broo said, stepping back from the box. "Well now, my tool was so small it didn't even leave a mark on you."

Hisako: Hisako stepped up behind Broo and placed her heel onto his back, leaning down with a hand on her hip, "Were you sleeping, senpai?", she giggled, "I cannot believe it is you! Don't worry, I will make sure the gross bug does not hurt you..."

Broo: "Argh, Miss Hisako, you're squishing me..." Broo complained.

Hisako: Her smile widened a little as she dug her heel a little harder into Broo's back.

PocketDanger: "It is one version of me, anyway," the small gaming console replied. "In this case, an emergency backup housed in an autonomous chassis, in case both the school's mainframe and my robotic shell experience catastrophic system failures at the same time."

Broo: "I am guessing that is what happened then." Broo then replied.

Hisako: At that Hisako bent down beside Broo, placing Cinnamon's jar down before the machine, "Hai, hai.", she affirmed, "The school is gone, HYDRA attacks us and...", she shook her head, "You already know this; can you leave here? Where is Takoyaki-san?"

PocketDanger: "I'm not familiar with any student or faculty member with this name," the small grey box replied, taking several steps forward on its simple legs. "And this former Xbox gaming system has been retrofitted with the locomotion systems and technical equipment deemed necessary to conduct simple repairs, should the need arise."

PocketDanger: "Unfortunately, it's not equipped to handle hostile occupation of the school grounds," the little robot with Danger's voice continued. "Entering stand-by mode and waiting for reinforcements seemed preferable to risking capture, as well."

Broo: "Little Miss Danger, might I ask wether there is any bigger backup systems... something more up to date with all your memories?" Broo asked.

Hisako: "Augh, no time: Cormick!", Hisako announced, "Is he alive?"

PocketDanger: "He was with my robotic self when contact with it was lost, shortly after it reported critical damage. I'm afraid that I have no information on its whereabouts." Striding to the edge of the shelf on its short legs, the light on the small box shone first on Broo, then at Hisako.

Hisako: Hisako swallowed, looking away and remaining silent. That was all the answer she needed...

PocketDanger: "It's safe to assume, however, that it was taken by the same people who removed the core components of my mainframe," the machine continued. "And I constantly maintain multiple redundant backups of myself in various locations. My software is not the issue. What I currently lack, however, is hardware sufficiently powerful to run it."

Hisako: The Japanese girl frowned a little, "Etoo....", she mused to herself in her native tongue, "You mean like....you can't use all of you because...your body cannot take it like this?"

Broo: Broo cleared his throat and held up a hand like a student wanting to suggest an answer, "I can help with that. There's more than enough hardware to run your system at the new school."

Broo: "I..um... just need to put it all together first." he added.

PocketDanger: "If you could indeed provide an... upgrade to this rather limit form, I can assure you my gratitude," the backup-version of Danger said. "At the risk of sounding imprudent, I would also like to urge that we try and retrieve my original hardware. Its sophisticated technology could prove quite harmful in the wrong hands."

PocketDanger: "I'm also rather fond of my body," the little box added.

Hisako: "Matte, matte...", Hisako started, "Where....where did the robot body go? We did not find it anywhere yet...", she hummed to herself, turning to pick up Cinnamon's jar, "Do you remember, Dee-chan?"

PocketDanger: "If the body went online, I could possibly track its location, provided I had the needed resources to do so," Danger replied. "Which is another reason to improve my hardware situation as soon as possible. In the meantime, however, you might be interested in the recordings stored in this backup device."

PocketDanger: "From my vantage point, I was able to monitor the activities of the government employees as they worked within the mainframe to dismantle it. It's possible that the footage contains useful pieces of information regarding their identity and location."

Hisako: Hisako blinked, "They stole you?", she frowned a little, "C-can they even....do that legally?"

Broo: "Strangely enough, they can." Broo helpfully chipped in. "It is part of the terrorism act that any item found at an area of a terrorist attack can be confiscated by the government."

Hisako: "Fuck your 'merica.", Hisako groaned.

PocketDanger: "Broo is correct," Danger agreed. "I'm afraid as far as the law is concerned, I'm merely a piece of evidence."

Hisako: Shaking her head in defiance Hisako put a hand on her hip and looked away, "Well, that is not ok for me. You are a person, Dee-chan, even if you are little and....different.", she looked to Broo, swallowing a little, "...and if you belong to someone then it is the X-Men. Like all of us."

Broo: Broo's face lit up and he stood tall. Any kind of compliment from Hisako was worth it.

PocketDanger: Danger's response was preceded by an almost unnoticeable delay. "Thank you," the little robot said. "I appreciate the sentiment. In that case, you shouldn't mind if I asked you to pick me up and carry me?"

Hisako: Hisako turned to Broo, "You can carry her, and I will carry Cinnamon-kun.", she instructed, "Get anything else that we can take and....I will be right back.", with that the Japanese girl left the room, careful not to trip on any of the wires.

Broo: Broo gave Hisako a salute, still beaming with pride and he helped mini Danger up on to his shoulders, her arms holding on to his head. "I can just think of five or six parts that we can use from here."