11056/New Snikt in Town

New Snikt in Town
Date of Scene:	13 February 2020
Location:	Backyard - Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Gabby is found on the grounds of the Institute and brought in to join the other students.
Cast of Characters:	Cyclops, Samuel Morgan, Honey Badger, Nightingale

---

Cyclops has posed:
Cyclops is in his Cyclops costume, sleek blue-black trimmed in gold and red. His visor is set in place. He has a training session to run later, and he prefers to do it in his X-men uniform just for appearance sake. Before he does, however, he decides to do a quick walk of the grounds. Over the last few weeks, there have been anomalies in the security system, notably the motion detectors. Could be a wild animal.

Could be something else entirely.

He starts with the most recent anomaly, heading towards a large set of bushes near the slope up to the lake. Anyone else in the backyard can easily see the team's field leader searching about.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Someone is, of course, in the back yard. In fact, not just the back yard but shoveling snow off the tennis fields and baseball diamond. Someone had once mentioned to Bean that they couldn't play because the markings were underneath the snow, and he took that to mean that someone should be clearing away the snow. Cue a Teutonic sense of duty and a total inability to balk at chores that nobody else wants to do.

    Seeing Cyclops move around in full outfit, the teenager slings the shovel over his shoulder and walks over, the indomitable Bear traipsing by his side. Sans vest, because after the snow has been cleared, it'll be play time. The bestest of times.

    "Afternoon, sir. Looking for anything in particular?"

Honey Badger has posed:
The shrubs in the area were well used by local wildlife as spots for hiding during the winter. One would expect small animals like rabbits, squirrels, even the occasional deer passing through to find shelter there. Yet this one had been relatively untouched save for one spot. It was dug down deep against the roots of the bushes with old foilage lining the apparent burrow to help insulate against the cold. Though still small it was of an unusual size... and recently abandoned if the slush of snow that was dusting over the undergrowth was any indication.

This was the place that Samuel had last spoken to 'Laura' and now it was vacant.

Nightingale has posed:
     To see Scott about the grounds was not unusual. But to see him in full uniform, searching about? Now the mansion's resident winged healer was intrigued. With a thick cream tunic sweather, jeans, caramel suede boots, and her favorite red and white hat in evidence, she takes to the air with a few powerful downstrokes of her wings. It only takes her a few moments to wing her way out to meet the senior X-man, and she calls out below. "Need eyes in the sky for something?"

Cyclops has posed:
Cyclops is kneeling down looking at the den. There's no other real term for it, a hand on his knee as he peers into its depths. "I"m afraid I need something more subterranean than aerial, Shannon, although the offer's appreciated," he says.

He rises up to stand, "Have either of you two noticed any unusual activity out here in the grounds? Noises, movement?" he says, gesturing towards the hole, "Strange creatures?"

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Subterranean? Bean gives a meaningful heft of the shovel across his shoulder, lifts it and sets it down blade first on the ground with a satisfying *thunk*. Bear sits next to the den, looking in, tail wagging happily. This is where the treats appear! And his human seems to remember that very well, because Bean shrugs at Scott, glancing at the den.

    "Not really. Just the usual. But you could ask Laura, she might have seen something." And then he looks a bit more closely at the abandoned den. "Guess she's not home at the moment."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon comes to a landing next to Scott, folding her wings in neatly behind her. "The last incident I recall on the grounds was the attack in the garden a few months back. Did a number on Andrea at the time, minor injuries to myself, and Laura had to be knocked out by a ground-pound from Cannonball." She raises her eyebrows and simply hangs back, to observe and learn. Regardless of what the other students' opinions were on Scott, she had learned to respect his wisdom.

Cyclops has posed:
Cyclops cocks his head at Samuel, "Laura? You're saying X-23 is responsible for this?" he frowns. That would indicate her returning to a more primal or feral state, which would make her both dangerous and regressing. The last thing they needed was her programming coming to the fore again.

"Let's see if we can track where this leads. Maybe whoever it is - Laura or otherwise - is still close by."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Yessir, Laura Kinney." For some reason, Bean always seems to refer to Scott as 'sir' rather than 'Mister Summers'. Now he glances at Shannon, nodding. "I remember that day. Vividly, it's the reason we have the protective spell around the school."

    It seems he's not entirely concerned, leaning on the shovel in an almost casual pose. Almost. The trained observer will note that his balance is only pretending to be on the implement, when in fact it's all on his back foot. "She said she came back to the school, and was doing some winter training out in the back yard. Last I heard she'd left on a vacation, but... She seemed entirely cogent to me. But let's go find her and ask her about any strange animals, by all means."

Honey Badger has posed:
As luck would have it the person who had created that hidey hole was indeed nearby. Not too far off, though further up the hill so that there could be a vantage point for the spot she had been hiding in case it was found again. Forewarned was forearmed, after all. The new spot she'd chosen wasn't beneath the windbreak of bushes though. This time it was up the side of a pine tree still lush and full.

Unfortunately Gabby couldn't be there -all- the time. She had to leave to fund sustenance on occasion, as well as stretch her legs due to boredom. Coming back from Salem Center with a bag of now-cold burgers tucked in a small pack over her shoulder, she carefully along a path different than she took last time while dragging a bough of another pine behind her to erase her tracks in the snow. It wasn't perfect, but she wasn't an expert at outdoor survival. Everything she knew she'd gleaned from a library book she still had tucked in her bag as well.

The sound of voices wafts up to her from down the hill causing her to freeze on the spot a moment straining her ears to hear what was being discussed. It only takes a moment for her to realize she ought to keep moving to her cover again.

The shadow of Gabby flits through the trees abandoning the branch behind her.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon smiles a little bit to Bean. "The spell was in the works long before that, actually. My very first time accompanying a team out into the field was to retrieve the first component for it... the necroplasma... but I never knew what it was for at the time. I was just grateful to be included."

Perhaps eyes in the sky were needed after all. Nodding to Bean, she withdraws a small earpiece from her little brown bag and tucks it neatly into her ear. She glances over at Scott. "Air or ground? Your call, sir."

Cyclops has posed:
Cyclops may not have the enhanced senses of some of the other X-men, but he's tactically trained and ever-alert. Since he was already investigating, he was paying enough attention to note the sudden movement, brief and peripheral though it might have been.

"Air please, Nightingale. If things go south, we may need you to get further reinforcements. Samuel, you're with me," he says.

He turns toward the noise and takes a few steps, but not so many as to frighten anyone off, "Whoever you are, please show yourself." he says in a loud, firm voice.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    It's only a flash of movement. But when you've just been told you're about to start looking for one of the most dangerous assassins ever trained, a flicker of movement is enough to set off warning bells. Bean nods in response to Shannon, dons the ear piece and does what he does best. "Comms up. Bear..." With a wag, the German Shepherd looks up expectantly. Is it play time? Is it? Is it? How about now? Is it play time now? "Bear, kitchen." There is no way he's going to have his trusty furry friend involved. Taking it in stride, the canine stands and lopes off, jumping in the snow like a springbok.

    "On your six, sir." and the other dangerous assassin in the back yard starts to move, shadowing Cyclops.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods, taking to the air with powerful downstrokes of her wings. It seems her recent incident out on patrol was well past her, and she has healed well. She gets above the treeline, circling slowly overhead to keep an eye on the area. She keeps her improvised Bluetooth comms open in case the call for help goes out, but for the moment acts as lookout. There was no sense speaking now, and spooking their would-be interloper, especially if they were potentially dangerous. Comms open, but silent.

Honey Badger has posed:
Shoooot. Gabby knew she was had. If this were the city she'd have a myriad of ways to escape already lined up. Here in the woods, in enemy territory (or at least dangerous territory) she had no recourse. There's no response at first to Cyclops' call out for her. She remains quiet... At least until she sees Shannon take to the air. Now, there really was no way to escape.

"... No one here but us trees," comes a voice from the large pine that sounds suspiciously like Laura. A little rustle of tree branches comes. "Uh, so says the Great Tree." Rustle.

Cyclops has posed:
Cyclops can't help but relax a little. Whoever it was might still be dangerous, but most people coming here to murder probably wouldn't have such a cartoonish reply. Well, Deadpool would, but this didn't sound like Deadpool. Thank ****ing god.

"I repeat. Please show yourself and explain your presence on the grounds, please." he says. He does keep his voice even, not trying to sound too aggressive, but there's a definite tone of authority. He expects to be obeyed.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    It's quiet authority backed up by a Bean carrying a shovel over his shoulder. Although he's not an expert in these environs, he does have the advantage of having spent quite some time out here mapping the grounds for the contingency project under Logan. And, of course, he has seen action in forests before. That's why he's never entirely visible, always taking advantage of broken line of sight to obscure his position, and give himself a variety of possible approach routes.

    "Sounds like Laura to me, sir." He subvocalises into the comms "Her voice anyway. But that's not her usual behavior."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon taps her bluetooth headset. "Techno, Nightingale here. On your eleven, the large pine. There's no wind, but it's moving." She frowns. Who or what could be behind there? A quick glance back towards the mansion, and she's gauging how fast she could fly back there. If need be, she could get help quickly but... hopefully it would not be necessary.

Honey Badger has posed:
Gabby sits astride the branches of the tree Shannon had just picked out. There was enough of the pine boughs in the way to hide her still should she choose to not come down, but it did seem pointless now. Besides, she was becoming tired of camping out around here waiting for one of the people she was told to find. Even if it was relatively safe, it was also completely boring.

"Fine." It's said with just a hint of annoyance so of course at this point sounds *exactly* like Laura in spite of the earlier silly response. The tree moves again, just enough for a lithe figure to flip out of the tree itself without any concern for how high up she was. It was only about ten feet. Nothing dangerous.

Gabby lands in a crouch with her head lifted, except she'd donned her white mask with a face drawn on it. It smiled with red lips, and had a bandaid painted over one eye. Green eyes peer from those empty eyes out at Cyclops, and Samuel, and even roll up to scan the sky where Shannon was.

"I'm here to find Laura, or Wolverine. Though I've gained enough information to know that Laura isn't around at the moment." Thanks to Samuel of course.

Cyclops has posed:
Cyclops regards the figure of Gabby steadily, holding a hand up to make it clear to Sam and Shannon to hold back any aggression for the moment.

"Finding her for what purpose? If you came to take her back to where she came from, you'd be rebuffed in any case. She's not here, but her enemies aren't welcome regardless. If you came to do harm, you'll regret it. If you came following her trail, seeking asylum..." he says, capable of reading enough of the similarities in Gabby's body language to Laura, "Then perhaps we should talk instead. At any rate, haunting the grounds isn't a viable solution."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Okay. Unexpected development. It looks to be another shark vs. shark moment, and Bean very slowly removes the shovel from his shoulder, putting it down and 'leaning' on it again. Same as before... although he's absolutely certain erzatz Laura will see through the deception, he wants to at least appear to be entirely at peace for Shannon and Scott's sake.

    "Nice dismount." He'll start with a compliment, or as the case may be, an accurate observation. A proverbial olive branch that also seems to imply that he's willing to overlook the deception for now.

Nightingale has posed:
     Spiraling lower and lower, Shannon comes to hover in the air just above and behind Bean and Cyclops, her wings sending little swirls of snow skittering along the ground. Her hands remain at her sides, open, palms outwards, in a display of non-belligerency. She offers Gabby a light smile, ticking her chin upwards in a bit of a nod. "Hi there," she offers. After all, what could a simple greeting hurt?

Honey Badger has posed:
"It's hard to know who to trust." Gabby remains standing stoically for a moment. Not tense, or at least not seeming so, but she has one foot leading toward the pair in front of her with the other back. A decently braced posture to defend from an attack should it come. Even Samuel's motions are noted. "I was told to trust only them." But... A hollow, tired sigh comes from behind the mask. "But I guess I'm out of options either way. I didn't come to attack Laura, or try to bring her back anywhere," she assures simply. Reaching up to grasp her mask she pulls it down letting it hang around her neck.

And there in front of them all stands... Laura? It wasn't just similarities, it was identical but younger. If not for the scars that marred her face it would be even harder to tell the difference. Her green eyes flit from the ever serious commanding presence of Cyclops to Samuel, and then to Shannon when she lands and greets her.

"Hi. I'm ... Gabrielle. Gabby." Then, though it probably wasn't needed at this point she clarifies, "I'm one of Laura's clones."

Cyclops has posed:
Cyclops softens a little bit, at least for him. Which is still pretty stiff, frankly, but he does allow his arms to fall to the side, "Stand down, guys," he says to Shannon and Samuel as he makes a slow approach, keeping his hands up in a hold harmless gesture.

"It's nice to meet you, Gabby. My name is Scott Summers. I'm one of the people who helps to run this place. When Laura was in trouble, she came to us and we tried to help her. She's pursuing her own interests right now, but she's welcome back here. And, if you'd like to be, you can, too," he says.

Of course, she'll have to be vetted by the Professor or Jean to make sure here programming is actually fractured enough to make her safe around the others. But her face alone is testament to some of the truth of her words. Even if she's been sent to infiltrate, she's someone to rescue, not someone to fight.

"Introduce yourselves, guy," he says to the other mutants.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "It's impossible to know who to trust when you've been raised to trust no-one." Bean agrees, and this time actually leaning onto the shovel. That would leave him at a disadvantage against any attack, having noted the defensive posture that Gabby has chosen to adopt. "Laura told me some of her stories, I told her some of mine. Is that trust? I don't know. But it's a start. So let's make a start."

    Now he straightens up, putting his hands behind his back in a semi-formal pose. "Samuel Able Morgan, Sam for short, Bean to my friends. Ex-HYDRA, former weapon, current student, eater of much mac 'n cheese." Well, he's not going entirely formal then. Someone might have finally installed a sense of humor into him.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon just giggles softly, humming a snippet of the theme from Jaws. "Eater, nothing. Devourer. The Pasta Pirahna. Take your pick." Smiling at Gabby, she finally lands, tucking her wings in neatly behind her, with a light little ruffle to flick free any bits of snow. "Shannon Lance, healer in training. I never really got to know Laura but would have liked to. I was studying with Logan, though. Good times, those."

Honey Badger has posed:
Gabby eases just a little bit as the introductions are made. Enough that she reaches over to rub at her elbow idly while listening with a faintly emerging smile as Shannon teases Samuel about eating. Apparently she has some manners though. "Nice to meet you." Before it gets much further though she looks to Samuel. "I'm sorry for scaring you the other day with your dog. I wasn't trying to hurt him. I've just never seen a dog up close before and wanted to get a better look." Then there was the whole faking to be Laura thing but that was more working with his assumptions... Clearing her throat she shrugs faintly.

"I guess if she trusted you all I can too for now." It's a start at least. Right?

Cyclops has posed:
Cyclops nods, "I'm not sure if a lot of trust is in Laura's system. It probably isn't in yours either. But we'll do our best to earn it. You're allowed to be cautious and look out for yourself. Still, I think you'll find yourself welcomed fairly quickly. Most of the kids here are friendly," he says.

"Why don't we get you inside? I see you have a bit of food there. You can eat it at the table and we can see about getting you a room for now. It might be temporary, at first, until we sort out proper bunking assignments, but even the guest rooms here are pretty nice."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Pasta Piranha?" Bean blinks and looks over his shoulder at Shannon, giving her a faintly incredulous look. Really? Oh well, it's done now. One more sobriquet for the list. Then he picks up his shovel and slings it back over his shoulder, careful not to fling a lot of slush around.

    "Oh, Bear was fine, don't worry about it. He's about as friendly as they get. I sent him to the kitchen, where someone is probably spoiling him rotten right now." No work for the canine right now, which means lots of goofing around, lots of treats and lots of invading people's personal space. "And Laura and I had an agreement. Far as I'm concerned, it still stands." Details this time, however, are not forthcoming.

    "It's warmer inside. As, I'm sure, you know very well."