[Logan | Video]

[plaidsamurai]

 [Logan looks a little rougher around the edges than usual and it's pretty obvious he hasn't gotten much sleep lately.]

Hope no one waited up for me at that party. I was busy. 'Course I was s'posed to give something to you, Carter, I'm just full of disappointments lately, 'specially for you. Maybe I'll be able to make it up to you. [He seems pretty distracted, rambling a bit as he thinks about what he needs to actually say.]

I got a real important question for everyone. Has anyone seen a girl, black hair, lil' shorter than me, kinda talks like a robot- not like a digital voice thing, just all proper and, um, mechanical. Claws come out of her hands and feet if that helps any. Goes by Laura. She's missing and I've run into some issues, but I gotta find her.

Any help would be appreciated. 

Comments

[agentx13]

Don't worry about it, Logan. I'm not going to make a fuss about presents when we have other things that are more important. [Her voice is brisk, businesslike.]

And I haven't talked to Laura since I sent her to find you when she first arrived.

What issues?

[manofiron]

You lost someone? When?

[ Having had some issues of his own, he can't help asking. ]

What's going on? Are you all right?

[plaidsamurai]

I figured you wouldn't mind forgoing some poorly whittled... I dunno, gun, or something. Or maybe I coulda sliced you out a nice wooden frame from a tree trunk and decorated it with dried macaroni. [He was definitely one of the grumps who hadn't wanted to do the secret santa in the first place.]

[He glances up at the screen, his expression once again going serious as he thinks on whether or not he really wants to get into this over the Network, or even over the communicators at all.] One second. [And his finger jabs at the screen a few times. He definitely doesn't successfully turn the conversation to private. Oops -_-] Right. I dunno what happened, but I can't really... smell... or hear... like I could anymore. Everything else is like it should be, but I can't... [He actually looks bothered and anxious, both unusual for him.] I can't figure out what happened to her if I can't track her, Sharon... and I gotta find her.

[plaidsamurai]

Yea, I did. I've been looking for her since just before that Christmas party. She's my... [and here's where things get difficult to explain] kinda my daughter... kinda.

[He pokes at the screen, again not pressing the right buttons to make the conversation private because he and this communicator don't really get along very well.] Issues like not being able to smell or hear like I usually can. [He looks down anxiously.] Which means I can't track her.

private;

[manofiron]

[ He doesn't know what to say about this revelation. He's never had kids and he's not always the most comforting person in the world. Better, he thinks to address the other issue, and after a moment's fumbling, switches the feed to private. ]

Are these recent issues? Like within the last day or two? Because I've been having some issues too. So's Steve. Maybe they're related. Maybe they're some kind of distraction.

[onteamdyson]

CLAWS come out of her HANDS?! ... Dude, how do you lose a chick like that? [Wow, Kenz. Insensitive.] Sorry. Don't freak, Logan, I'll help!

private;

[plaidsamurai]

Yea, real recent. [He cocks his head to the side, digesting what Tony's saying.] Distraction from what?

[plaidsamurai]

[His brow furrows. Thanks, Kenzi, like he didn't feel guilty enough already.

And excuse him if he doesn't exactly look super convinced that you'll be a ton of help. You get a raised eyebrow for that, dubious, but accepting.]

I'm not even real sure where to start to be honest.

private;

[manofiron]

I don't know. But if more of our people are disappearing, maybe it's got something to do with that.

I'm blind. Some people I know can't speak. You can't hear or smell? Seems kind of fishy to me.

[onteamdyson]

Where did you see her last? Any places she likes to visit? Did she mention anything about the woods?

private;

[plaidsamurai]

Yer blind? [That's... well, now he doesn't feel quite so sorry for himself.]

Mm... I can hear and smell a bit, but usually- I have heightened senses, that whole mutant thing, y'know. They're not gone, just... not like they should be.

Has anyone else gone missing that you know of?

[plaidsamurai]

I... she lives in the same house as me, here by the woods. That's where I last saw her, night before that Secret Santa thing. Not sure where she liked to go, and the woods would just... make sense. She doesn't much like people.

private;

[manofiron]

Yeah. Last two days have been a trip.

[ He's not going to dwell on it, there's nothing he can do about it, so he moves on. ]

What about the rest of your abilities? Are they intact?

[ He shakes his head. ]

That I know of, no. But I've been a little out of the loop, so maybe I'm not the best one to ask.

[onteamdyson]

Alright, now we're getting somewhere. Finding missing people is kind of my job back home. Now all we have to do is search the forest without getting killed! Piece of cake. Totally easy.

[plaidsamurai]

[He studies her through the video, not even sure what to say at this point and ends up just smiling in gratitude.]

Keeping us alive in the forest will be my job. Don' worry about that part.

When can you start?

[onteamdyson]

Depends on what you're paying me.

[She'll do it for free, obvi, she's just trying to lighten the mood and keep him from freaking out.]

What issues, by the way? Didn't get your facial hair a little too close to an open flame, did you?

[plaidsamurai]

My gratitude isn't more than enough? Kids these days... [He chides teasingly.] Just get over here as soon as you can, the longer we wait the colder the trail is gettin'.

[He scratches his finger over his cheek and gives her a lopsided smirk.] Nah, havin' my hair singed off wouldn't be anywhere near enough to keep me from lookin' for Laura. I'll explain when you get here.

private;

[plaidsamurai]

Yer tellin' me.

'Intact'. [Smirk.] Weird word to use there, bub, but yea, so far as I know everything else is fine.

I wonder if Laura's lost one of her senses... maybe something happened, and she ran off... [Anything's better than being kidnapped by people in lab coats.]

private;

[manofiron]

Cut me some slack, I'm a little off my game right now.

[ But there's no hostility in his voice as he says it. If anything, it's an attempt at a joke. ]

Maybe we should organize a search party. Didn't work so well when Bruce disappeared, but that doesn't mean we'll have the same results again.

[ Video ]

[hark_and_hush]

Someone's missing? I can help you look for her. I'm pretty good at... finding things.

private;

[plaidsamurai]

I would, y'know, 'cept I know you'd never cut me any. [Smirk.]

Search party... mmm-probably not a good idea. There is the slightest possibility that it ain't all that safe to be lookin' for her. If anyone goes lookin' I wanna be with 'em... just in case...

[plaidsamurai]

[He raises an eyebrow at her. Not that he doesn't want the help, but he's got some trust issues.]

I... suppose... if I can come with you. Don't want you runnnin' into anything you can't handle.

... no offense.

[hark_and_hush]

[She smiles.]

Absolutely. I'd rather not run into anything I can't handle, either.

[Because she's just a poor, helpless young woman, right? Right.]

private;

[manofiron]

[ That's probably true. He's terrible at cutting people slack. So he lets that one go. ]

You mean like robot Hulks in the woods? Yeah, I found that out the hard way. But not looking at all... If it is just a, I don't know, whatever it is that's going around, she might need help.

[agentx13]

[She sighs and rubs the bridge of her nose.]

Logan. If that was your attempt at talking privately, maybe we should meet somewhere and I can show you how to do it properly.

Did you get a mysterious present, too?