Timelined immediately after Last Free Pass
<Shinobi> He flipped through the channels on the enormous television, deciding he wasn't in the mood for insipid romantic comedies or holiday specials. Christmas had never meant much to him before, or now, for that matter. He looked over to his young stepmother, glad she didn't notice him.
<Shinobi> The television stopped on one of the news channels, and the words Boston attack caught his attention. His head whipped to watch and he sat forward slightly at the grainy footage that looked like it must have come from a mobile phone. "Is that one of those sentinels you told me about, Jess?”
<Shinobi> On screen, the robot swooped through the air and sent some sort of energy blast into the building. Parts of the structure seemed to already be on fire, and he frowned at the ticker. "Boston Children's Hospital. It's attacking children?" Even for Shinobi that seemed a tad radical.
<Jessica> The name of the hospital got her attention, "Yeah it is... that's where Paige works...."
<Shinobi> "Paige? Who is Paige?" He glanced between her and the screen. The image switched to live footage of the aftermath, with the parking lot swarming with police and unmarked vehicles while the colorful hospital burned in the background. The White House will not confirm if the First Daughter was on scene, but witness reports place her as present during the attack.
<Jessica> "She's my best friend's fiancee..." at the mention of Hope, Jess' eyes widened and she scrambled for her phone.
<Shinobi> Ah, maybe that was the blonde who visited the other day. He'd looked, of course. Unconfirmed reports state that Hope Stark and at least two other unknown mutants evacuated patients during the attack.
<Jessica> "Not again... not again..." she didn't want to have to visit Hope and Bobby in another hospital after another Sentinel attack, it wasn't fair. She managed to get enough of the right letters in a row to send a somewhat legible text to Viper.
<Shinobi> He gave her a curious look. "You think Paige was working?" Details are sketchy, but seriously injured patients have been evacuated to Mass General. The images on screen switched to a black helicopter, clearly military grade, and a tall man with a bright red mohawk. The ownership of the Osborn sentinel robot is unknown, but SHIELD has taken over the investigation.
<Jessica> "Pretty sure... today was one of the days she gave me that I could come and see her there if I needed to..." her eyes kept flicking from the television to her phone.
<Shinobi> The mobile phone video repeated, with reporters speculating over why the sentinel was attacking. More video of crying children and terrified hospital staff was shown. "It's quite the mess..." ...initial attack was centered on the hospital's neo-natal unit... Shinobi tsked.
<Jessica> It just kept getting worse! This was why she avoided the news. She got up from the sofa and retreated to the kitchen. Tea. She needed it.
<Shinobi> The stock image of Hope Stark at a White House function was pleasant to look at, however. Pity he'd shot her... The home's security system startled him from his contemplation of this with a notice of a visitor at the front door. Widget moved past, burbling and whistling. "It seems you have a delivery. More ducks?"
<Bobby> Downstairs, shifting from foot to foot nervously and oblivious to the looks he received from passers-by since he was dressed in only a t-shirt and shorts, Bobby stared at the door. "Come on..."
<Jessica> "Um... not that I know of..." she left the kitchen and headed for the stairs, following Widget down. Maybe it was Viper? But she'd just teleport in...
<Bobby> He took a deep breath and watched it frost. Finally, he heard movement inside. Okay.
<Jessica> "It's okay, Widget," she called to the robot, hurrying down the last few steps, "I'll get it..." She passed him in the hall and opened the door where she just stared dumbfounded at the sight that greeted her.
<Bobby> "Hey, babe..." He gave her a nervous smile, and though he at first met her eyes his gaze soon fell to her belly. Wow, bigger every day.
<Jessica> "Hi... Where are your trousers?" It wasn't the most pressing question but her brain was stuck.
<Bobby> "Huh?" He looked down at the SHIELD issue shorts. "Oh, right... I was just in a hurry." Shaken out of his own baby bump surprise, he pointed past her. "Can I, um, come in?"
<Jessica> She nodded, moving back down the hall out of the way, "We were watching the news..."
<Bobby> "Yeah, about that..." He rubbed his hand over his hair, darting glances around the room. This place never ceased to amaze him.
<Jessica> "Come upstairs where it's warmer... I'm sure there's some trousers you can borrow too." She started for the stairs ahead of him, getting the feeling she was going to need that tea and a sit down.
<Bobby> "It's fine, babe, the cold doesn't bother me..." He followed her up the stairs, however.
<Jessica> "Well it bothers me..." not as much as it used to but still, "Do you want tea?" She poked her head into the living room when she reached the landing for the kitchen.
<Bobby> "It's..." He had wanted to do this fast, not hang around for tea and scones. Then he spotted the guy on the sofa. "Oh. You."
<Shinobi> "Yes, me." He looked up at Bobby Drake with a lazy smile and waved with the remote. This one he remembered well.
<Bobby> Undecided if he should dive across the room and choke the guy, he just stared.
<Jessica> "Kettle's boiled, speak now or no tea for you, Shinobi." Jess prompted, interrupting them staring each other down and turning for the kitchen.
<Shinobi> "I would love some, mom." He kept his eyes on Drake, then he smirked.
<Jessica> Jess went to get that tea sorted out, sitting down on a stool in the kitchen while she waited for it to brew.
<Bobby> Bobby rolled his eyes and went past the pest to find Jess. "Babe... the reason I'm here is because Sebastian was at the hospital."
<Shinobi> Listening in, he perked up at this news and turned the volume on the television down a couple notches.
<Jessica> Jess stared at Bobby, the colour draining from her face, "Is he okay?"
<Bobby> "I haven't seen him for a couple hours. SHIELD took him and Hope... she fucking dodged her security again and this happens, of fucking course." Bobby was on a rant now, not noticing her change of color.
<Jessica> "So... so you don't know where he is? He's alive? Right?" Her voice cracked as she started shaking.
<Bobby> Oh, shit. That's when he noticed, turning around and going back to her to take her upper arms and steady her on the stool. "Yeah! Yeah, he's alive, babe... sorry."
<Jessica> She sagged against him as the relief hit her, "Okay... okay..." she gave herself a moment to process that, "And Hope? She's okay too? And Paige?"
<Bobby> "They're all beat up... the sentinel got their powers. Paige is back home at the school, I left her to get some sleep." He moved around to give her a hug. "Stan and Phil took Hope and Sha... Sebastian. I didn't really talk to either of them much, but Paige said the hospital fell on him. Dunno if it was before or after their powers... but he was walking, anyway, he got Paige out." That tidbit still irked him, which may have shown.
<Shinobi> With a sniff, he turned the volume back up.
<Jessica> Jess nodded, clinging to Bobby. "Where did they take them? Can I see him?"
<Bobby> "Um, he's on base, at the medical facility. They wouldn't give me a status since I'm not, like, family." He shrugged. If you want to go, I can take you. He had his truck, which was more than he could say for Shaw's car. For the first time, he felt a twinge of regret for that.
<Jessica> She nodded again, releasing him to transfer her tea into a less breakable mug with a lid and get the milk from the fridge. "I want to see him."
<Bobby> "Okay, we can do that." He could hide in the hallway or something.
<Jessica> She finished with the tea, put the lid on her mug and the milk back in the fridge before picking up both mugs to deliver Shinobi's to him. "I'm going to see Sebastian... if I'm not back by dinner, can you feed Sharky? There's stuff in the freezer you can heat up in the microwave if you don't feel like cooking for yourself and Doreen..."
<Bobby> Bobby watched all this with bemusement, even more so when Shinobi looked up at her with a somewhat blank stare.
<Jessica> "Don't give me that look, you know how the microwave works." Jess raised her eyebrows at him.
<Shinobi> "Yes... mother," he deadpanned, then turned his attention back to the television. "Give dear father my regards." He wriggled his fingers in a dismissive wave.
<Bobby> Bobby bit his lip.
<Jessica> Jess rolled her eyes, "I'll tell him you were distaught with worry but I made you stay here because I didn't want SHIELD to arrest you again." She went back out into the hall, "I'll call you in a little while."
<Bobby> "Wow... you're like... a mom. You sure you don't need some curlers in your hair? An apron maybe? Whack him with a spoon?" Bobby started down the stairs ahead of her in case she fell... front heavy, after all.
<Jessica> "Pfft, I have hands that can zap people and pheromones that can make them wet themselves. I don't need props."
<Bobby> "Point taken." Note to self... don't talk about the car.