1818/Not Forgotten At All

Not Forgotten At All
Date of Scene:	24 May 2020
Location:	Various due to portal use
Synopsis:	A team of Xavier's folks go out of find what happened to their companions... and find more questions than answers.
Cast of Characters:	Illyana Rasputina, James Proudstar, Jamie Madrox, Piotr Rasputin, Rahne Sinclair, Emma Frost

---

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
That first traverse to Limbo is an experience, even for the inveterate traveler. Stepping out of the dimensional reality they call home is rather like being flung through the prism of existence, falling upwards with a step while the feet go hurtling along non-euclidean planes. Vibrations of universal superstrings shake soul from body, swandiving in a wild magic carpet ride, a sort of ascension to the Pillars of Creation that makes the hardest drug trip seem no more mundane than tying shoelaces. Something is absent though: the harsh delirium fractured by pain, its intensity reduced by a magnitude. One step through the portal brings the mutants into that alpine meadow of surreal flowers, an aerie protectively sheltered from the seething storm raging on a downward slope where there's an honest to god dragon having it out with a legion or six. Fire, storm, and flashing weapons are a brief spectacle to be had before the doorway opens into a service alleyway behind the Hyperloop station.

Hey, Illyana takes public transit! She knows where these things go.

Unfortunately (or not), leaving has the exact same self separation and re-embodiment as entering, except they fall upward into reality to find their footing and the Demon Queen banishes the Soulsword. No need for it here, not when they're totally cool. "I will keep up surveillance while you do what you need," she murmurs.

James Proudstar has posed:
"Rahne and I will have a look around the platform." Jimmy notes, They might have to get passes if they don't already have them, but he's pretty sure that won't be a problem. "Maybe you can find out who was on duty night before last, Jamie?"

Jamie Madrox has posed:
"Oh gods, I forgot how much I hate that." Jamie says, rubbing the back of his neck as he steps through the portal. "The Illyana Express is never going to be a popular way to avoid traffic." He takes a moment to get reaccustomed to normal space before looking around. "Do we still have any ultranerds at the school? They could hack into the surveillance system and get the camera footage."

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr is present, but was among the last to join them. He does not enjoy traveling through Limbo, but time is of the essence at this point. The Russian is taken aback by this and then suddenly he finds himself near the hyperloop station. "Thank you again, sister."

Piotr then looks to Jamie, "Kitty would be our best bet, I believe."

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
"Kitty may be best, or Doug. But I can manage," Illyana says dryly from behind them. Spend a lot of time among the encomputered and even she can pick up a few things. Her loose hair pushed off her face, she nods a little. "I can use my phone or grab the laptop. Or we cheat. Ask security, maybe someone is willing to talk. Anything unusual, a scuffle or someone getting sick. Quarrel. Things that stand out. Piotr, walk around the station with me and see any signs of marks, the unusual?"

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
    Traveling by portal....is not Rahne's favorite. Nor even her second favorite. The whole falling in and out of existence besides...it's the fact that it goes against her normal sensibilities. Her highly religious sense of beliefs But....drastic measures and all that. And....she's taken the express route enough. So, when Rahne arrives, it is again with crossed arms, closed eyes, and a holding of breath...until solid ground as she knows it greets her feet.

    Then, it is the usual release. Deep breath, arms slowly drop. Those green eyes open, then swivel to James. "Ah'm bettah as mah wolf self. Ye want me to shift innit? It will make it harder tae talk tae ye all without Dani 'ere."

    There is a pause as Rahne cocks her head...almost dog-like as she considers. But...then shakes the thought free. Need to concentrate on the now.

Jamie Madrox has posed:
"We can ask but them not remembering or noticing something doesn't mean there wasn't something to notice." Jamie points out. "If I were going to kidnap mutants, I'd use a powerful tranquilizer and distract anyone watching by something as simple as just asking them a question and drawing their attention away from the target." But that being said, he starts for the station to get a look around and question those working there.

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr nods to Illy, "Da, that will work." He looks to Jamie and Rahne and says, "If you think it will help, then perhaps, Rahne. Good call, Jamie, that would be a valid concern, but that's the upside of looking at video, it is not so easily distracted." The larger Russian then turns to his sister, "We had best get going then, I will keep my eyes open for trouble."

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
It takes her a while: pulling out her phone, tapping in the details. Compared to Kitty or Doug, Illyana is a charming high school student next to a full-time master. Or mostly master. Synced into different networks or running her own protocols is a bit much but she can manipulate what she has well. Quite well, with a fiendish application for swiping through different fields and reading information at a clip. It goes, probably, with being a demonic sorceress. Messing around with the CCTV camera pointed outward, if it comes to that, is a slow and delicate process... or a wrecking ball one. She goes for the former where she can.

Give her a good long span of time and she eventually circles around to find Jamie first. By then, though, there are probably like 62 other findings. But she can be proud of her work.

James Proudstar has posed:
"Did you bring an image inducer, Rahne? I think wolf form might not go over so well on a busy Hyperloop platform. But you can probably paint over a partial shift." Jimmy notes, adding, "Maybe leave a dupe or two with Illyana? Probably don't want any of us flying solo right now."

And with Rahne and (at least one) Jamie in tow, Jimmy heads to the platform, though after several minutes of looking around and searching he doesn't look too happy about what he's (not) finding. He speaks as discreetly as he can over the comlink, "There's been too many people through here. I don't think either of us are gonna find a scent trail here. And it may be nothing went down here anyway."

Jamie Madrox has posed:
Jamie heads on over to one of the employees working to try questioning them. The tack: a friend and he'll give a description would have been here a couple nights ago but they never returned home. He doesn't expect them to remember seeing his friend but did they maybe notice anything weird that night? Any disturbance? Unusual people? He's really worried and would appreciate anything they might recall. Or if they weren't working then, who was?

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr gets a notification on his comms, he makes a quick note of the message and responds with, <Excellent, thank you. Will inform if any news.>> He then turns to Illy and says in Russian as they walk, "Our good friend has found us Roberto's last known location, between here and home. This is helpful, da?"

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
    A actual frown crosses Rahne's features...but she does nod. "Yea, Jimmy. Ah got one, though not mah thing, usually." Still....no sense scaring the locals. The shifts to hybrid form is less than a second...and tapping the image inducer on takes about another second for it to compensate for Rahne's new height and visage. Instead of a nearly 7 foot walking talking werewolf, it just seems to be a rather exceptionally tall redhead. And...with that inducer on, Rahne nods over towards the platform and goes for a stroll, letting her enhanced senses try to pick up any trace. Though, with it being so long...her hopes are rather small that she will find anything.

James Proudstar has posed:
<<Sounds like we've got a lead folks. Let's head back and check it out, I don't think we're going to find much here, but we can comb through whatever Illyana got later.>> Jimmy notes, moving back off the platform and over towards where Illyana waits.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Illyana takes her time, listening through the commlink only half-heartedly. Her attention is on putting together scraps and bits, forking data where she can. When Piotr speaks up, though, her head lifts. A soft response: "He made it to the parking lot after he dropped off Stephanie. Da, let's move. Back to the service alley."

Piotr and the Magik School Portal are on their way. Platforms aren't much by way of a trustworthy sight. She offers her arm to Jimmy in something of a hesitant, unpracticed manner. Possibly to keep them altogether, or because she has wicked tricks up her sleeves. "Jamie, Rahne, stay close. I want to shield you before we get to the other side." Permission is sought before she taps into that byroad through the worlds.

In Limbo, though, there is a temporary stop rather than just springboarding off of the cracked marble temple she alights them all on. They overlook a sea of broken columns sheared off like reaching fingers, mists threading through a landscape smote in half by a deep fissure. There, charging up the shielding spell from ambient energies is effortless and the girl draws a sharp circle with her hands, a dome of iridescent energy dropping on every willing recipient and fading out before they dance through to the mundane world again.

Emma Frost has posed:
The county road south of of town in Westchester is fairly empty on this Sunday afternoon. It's a two-lane road, and while county taxes have it well-paved and maintained, it's not exactly a major throughfare.

This is the co-ordinates Scott had fed to Piotr's comms. The area around the road is wooded and rural... well, that sort of semi-rural you get between and outside of cities and towns.

There are skidmarks on the road, however, leading off into the woods.

Jamie Madrox has posed:
Jamie's more than ready to move on, knowing eyewitness testimony is unreliable assuming they even saw anything. "Shields up." he agrees, always happy to have some added protection considering he usually has none. At all. He looks around their destination when they get there then says "I'm no expert but I'm gonna take an educated guess and say he went thataway." And he points off into the woods in the direction of the skidmarks.

James Proudstar has posed:
Jimmy bears the transition to and from Limbo stoically, if only via having grown familiar enough that its' intensity can be borne without outward effect, even if it's still very much felt. He does take Illyana's offered arm, though, and might even still be holding it when they emerge, whether it departed to cast a spell or not. Though he parts to start looking around as soon as they've materialized.

"Keen powers of observation." Jimmy replies to Jamie, though the tone carries no venom in it, just a tiny hint of wry humor, though less than might usually be expected, given the circumstances. He studies the direction the tracks veer off, and looks to Rahne, gesturing a bit further down the road from where the unwanted detour was made, "Take a look up the road a bit, I'm gonna take a peek out here to the right. See if maybe we can pick up some strange scents or footprints, if he was ambushed." Not that he won't check the other side too, but it stands to reason Berto would veer away from the initial threat.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
    Okay...so they make a longer stop in Illyana's personal playground. This...doesn't seem to sit exactly at ease with Rahne, but still, she does not make any objections. Especially when Illyana offers to shield. Again, a faint shuffle of hesitation, but the werewolf accepts the shielding spell with a nod and a wry grin upon her wolfish muzzle. And then....another twist and twirl as Rahne's reality returns to her.

    The road is greeted with joy, as the inducer is turned off, allowing Rahne to stand in her own wolfish form. That lupine mein turns to regard James, offering a nod. "Right. Just gimme a moment tae go look." And...with that, off Rahne bounds, to see what her wolf eyes can see.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
"What powers of deduction you have," says Illyana. Now, with fewer people around, drawing the Soulsword causes no question whatsoever. Let no one think they're affected by magic, or Magik as the case may be. "Blood?" A question thus for Rahne, who might know. Hers is a look of dark shadow and hope behind it. Violence, all awaiting its unleashing. She looks for conventional signs of trouble: trip wires, telekinetic blast radii, spent bullets. Good for the soul, romping around in the woods.

Jamie Madrox has posed:
"It's one of my mutant powers." Jamie replies. The words are light, the tone is forced. The attempt at humor staving off the possibility of finding a body. He heads into the trees, following the path indicated by the skidmarks. "Umm, guys? Did he drive a Maserati?" In a lower volume, more to himself he murmurs "I hope his insurance has new car replacement"

James Proudstar has posed:
Jimmy moves a few meters into the woods, and crouches down, peering at the ground intently. He moves in a fairly tight circle, not really branching off much in any given direction, more as though looking for something. "No tracks leading to the site..." He mutters, more to himself than anyone else, before glancing upwards, "No broken branches or disturbance from any kind of overhead transport." He sniffs at the air again, "Little bit of blood...but not much. Incidental. Something burnt though..." He takes a moment to relay his findings to the others.

<<Yeah, it looks like a pretty textbook ambush. Got about five sets of tracks and scents...nobody I recognize...Looks like they rushed the road and there was a scrap. There's no sign of how they got to where they were waiting, and no scent trails away from it. So we're either talking fliers or teleportation. Either way seems like it's beyond the means of the garden variety anti-mutant crowd, unless someone's gotten some major upgrades.>>

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
    Romping around in the woods is certainly good for the soul. Particularly Rahne's soul. She bounds down the road a good section, as per Jimmy's suggestion and then stops. The werewolf's head shifts, drifting to the left, then to the right, as she turns, wandering back towards the skid. As she gets closer, she adds her collaboration to Jimmy's account. "Yeah. definitely five o' them. Sittin' over there, all together, Ah think." That comment about burning receives a nod, too. "Yea...smellin' that, too. Somewhere around here, Ah think..."

    Following her nose, Rahne wanders across the road, over towards the swerve itself. That nose of her wavers, to the left and right again, as she walks...until it dips down and a very undignified shout is given...at least to those that speak Gaelic. "Sìol!" Rahne slowly backs up...her eyes riveted to a bit of undergrowth as another bit of Gaelic slips from her. "A thighearna milis..."

    Right...speak English. The Scot shakes her head, realizing she was probably uttering nonsense to everyone. With a hesitant air, she points a paw towards the underbush. "One of the five. Incinerated to a crisp. There....there's nothing but ash." And...with the way it appears....with a flash burn in just one spot...with hardly a twig outside scorched.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
"Lucky for us." Illyana takes her way into the trees, circling in the aftermath with that sword illuminating the shadows as they threaten to congeal information away from roving eyes and curious fingers. The faint glow off the blade gives an easy way to track her to some degree, though woe to anyone actually seeking to strike her. As it is, she frowns at the mention of the Maserati. "Fuck."

Yes, she's swearing with Piotr around. It is English, no less. Soft under her breath, though, even while halting in front of one of the trees. Jimmy's statement warns her not to try climbing it, though that still gives her cause to gaze up into the canopy and beyond. "Folded space sometimes leaves scars. I might be able to track them that way. Five people, one dead. We can remove the Purifiers from the list, da? He was conscious enough to fight after the accident with lethal force. Any signs of cartridges or residue if he was taken down unconscious?"

Almost enough to convince her to summon one of her damned servants. Almost. Instead, she walks widdershins around the wreck site, where Rahne stands, where Jimmy marked the five. Three circuits as it happens, dipping into the side of her lore that so rarely gets to be seen. Magik isn't a joking codename; it isn't an aspiration so much as a warning, like a coral snake's banding or 'Australia' is a byword for stay the hell out of here, we're deadly. Each circuit, reviewing the fine details of space with the enhanced senses bent to the mystic. Round, round, round. <<Come out, come out, wherever you are,>> she chants in Russian.

Jamie Madrox has posed:
"No blood." Jamie says as he surveys the wreck. "Not enough anyway. Car was forced off the road, they attacked while he was still inside. He blasted his way out and fought back. These might be claw marks. These aren't humans this time, that much is clear. They couldn't do this and capture him. Text the others to watch themselves."

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr tried to keep up, but tripped and fell, slowing him from arriving; however, he is caught off-guard by the explanation. He sighs and mutters quietly in Russian, but gives no sign of disapproval at Illyana's swearing. If any time was appropriate, now is one of them. When he takes the moments to process he says, "Da, Purifiers are out. If they wanted blood, I wager there would have been more blood." He is a bit defeated in his pondering. "But a kidnapping is a strange act, why would they do this?"

Emma Frost has posed:
There's a small crackle in the fabric of reality. It's more of a reflection, really, an echo. And echo of a rip in space and time.

Teleportation.

James Proudstar has posed:
"Emma, Julian, Jenny, and Berto are all rich or connected to people who are. Hank is pretty famous, what with being an Avenger and all. But Gabby and Dani don't fit that pattern." Jimmy notes, moving back towards a central location. "So I got nothing yet, besides either trying to draw our attention or not giving a damn if they attract our attention. Neither are real comforting, y'know?"

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
    fRahne slowly steps away from the underbrush, as she rejoins her friends. The wandering Magik is noted...a watchful eye cast her way as Illy does things that Rahne has no desire to understand. Instead, the werewolf falls back on her senses, trying to follow her instincts. And...her instincts point to the trail ending right at that rip in space and time.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
"Mutants. Jenny now?" That brings a sharp look from Illyana as she walks right up to the echo and trails her fingers through the air around it. This means some measured review. "They came through here. The break is here. Not flying, teleporting. That means we will change our strategy when we face them. Their range changes; some, like Kurt, do not travel so far. Then, like me or Clarice? Rahne has the right of it, here we are. Someone has to reclaim the call. You have their scents, da? What -is- it?" She shakes her head a little and rests on her heel, seeing the scope of the forest.

Eventually she walks back over to Piotr and wordlessly wraps her arms around him in a rarely seen hug, pulling herself to him. Not a chance of dragging him back to her.

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
"Dammit," Piotr says audibly, grumbling to himself. The litany of the missing repeats in his head over and over. "Da, the only pattern is that they are mutants. It does not help we are against something we cannot so easily track, and only know its quarry." His anger from earlier begins welling up again, but the surprise hug from his sister causes him to hug her back, slipping back into Russian, <<It will be all right, we will find them.>> His tone has switched to reassuring, now was not the time for anger, but to take care of everybody else.

James Proudstar has posed:
"I think short of getting a full forensic team out here we've gotten about all we're gonna get from this site." Jimmy moves back towards where Piotr and Illyana are. "Of the reports we've got which one takes us closer to the Mansion? Dani's, I think?"

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
     Rahne shifts, her countenance shifting to that of concern. Not the same sort of concern for Roberto, though it was present. No...this was deeper, more personal. Dani was one of her best friends, if not the best friend Rahne had. So, it is definitely more personal for her.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
From within the circle of Piotr's engulfing hug, Illyana seems so much smaller and more fragile than she really is. Though in the present company she's probably the second squishiest, if anyone decides to get right down to it, and Jamie can make a few hundred copies of himself. The crumbling visage of normalcy does not affect her but precious little does, when she steps into that space of fewer emotion. An exchange in Russian is perilously quiet, though Rahne or Jimmy might hear easily, but translate? That is another matter. She nods firmly to the response. "Our friends need us. We will not fail them. There are more answers, and we work together to bring the results they need. I am nearly mad enough to take us back to before Berto was taken." She so rarely speaks of that side of things they might brush it off.

Except the halcyon skies of Limbo are over them, including one startled purple demon who shouts excitedly and starts scrambling up the vertical rockface to get away from the humans. Ewww, forests! Through she goes, stepping up, and holds her hand out to help anyone else. "Let's go."

Emma Frost has posed:
The wooded area just outside Xavier's grounds is exactly the kind of place Dani, Rahne, and/or Jimmy might take a well-deserved break to for a day or two.

It's deep in the woods, but a discerning eye can see where Dani (and perhaps the others) have set up a few natural bit of camping comfort... a couple firepits, dug out and neatly lined with stone. Trees somewhat woven together to make windbreaks. Even a couple of hidden stashes for various basic supplies.

Rahne and Jimmy quite likely recognize the place well, in fact. They likely helped 'build' a couple of the places that make this a solid campsite.

The portal lets them all out near a firepit that has the ash and coal remnants of what was once a small but likely warm and functional fire. Not too distant is a 'bed' made of tree boughs, that would keep the sleeper up off the chilly ground. It's empty, of course.

There's no sign of Dani, or any struggle, really. Visibly.

James Proudstar has posed:
Jimmy comes out of the portal, and a look of recognition flits across his face, but he only takes a few steps before that expression changes.

At the best of times Jimmy is a fairly stoic fellow. Especially when "on business." So it takes a lot to crack that exterior, and thus when the look of utter confusion flits across his face, it's telling that whatever it is he's sensing...it's very much not what he expected.

"Rahne, am I imagining something or...you smell that too, right?"

"Dani was here...but the only other scents I'm catching are...Scott and Jean's?"

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
    Again with the portal. However, this time, when Rahne steps off the silvery disc to the woods, it is instantly recognizable. Not the campsite, for yes, Rahne knows the site rather intimately. She is here frequently. She certainly helped to craft it. Dani and Jimmy and Rahne. But, that is not what catches Rahne's attention.

    And..the wide-eyed look of astonishment is all the answer that Jimmy needs to his question.

    "Ah smell it, too. Definitely Scott an' Jean an' Dani. No one else...." That look of confusion settles in...."Ah...Ah don't understand it. But it is definitely them..."

Jamie Madrox has posed:
"We don't know she was taken from here though, right?" Jamie asks, following the others out of the portal. "Just that she was here. She could have gone somewhere and then was taken." He starts walking closer to the campsite but then stops so as not to contaminate it. "Whose scents are stronger? You can tell that right? Stronger scent means it was more recent?"

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Portal time. Piotr has never played Portal, nor does he presently have any desire to after today. He walks out and hears what Rahne and Jimmy say, "Scott and Jean?! How?" He looks frantic, but does not move, lest he ruin any tracks. "I don't get it..." He takes a deep breath and calms down, "Do we need to go check on them?"

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
'Jean or Scott would never' is not a sentence crossing Illyana's lips. Because in her world, they absolutely can. They absolutely /did/. Her world is a tale of Other Selves, others gone exquisitely wrong. It is enough to listen to the explanations from those with noses infinitely sharper than her own, with senses and talents far exceeding any she has to command.

For a time she stands there on a bed of needles scattered under the greening forest lush in its late spring finery, eyes wide and blank. The hollowness in her response comes to tapping that otherness, her feet still on the ground in Limbo. "We saw Scott in the school. I suggested calling Jean, da?" she repeats, voice far away for scouring her surroundings. "No signs here of teleportation other than my own." A gesture indicates the precise circle of the camp, and she breathes out the dark air of Limbo, inhaling the forest. Standing in between two dimensions doesn't seem to bother her any, though a faint fiery pop behind her indicates something hitting magma in the other space. <<Brother. Calm. They take their strength from your strength. Borrow whatever resolve can offer you, but /you/ are their heart.>> Russian, then to English. "Ask Xavier."

James Proudstar has posed:
"They were all here at the same time. Dani was here first, but...This is the last contact Cerebro had with Dani, just like with Berto up the road." Jimmy frowns, "I didn't think anyone besides the three of us really knew about this spot." He says to Rahne, not so quietly he can't be overheard but more quiet than his initial reply to Jamie.

"Hey Rahne...You check the site perimeter, I'm gonna look a little bit down the trail to see if they all used it to get here." Because there's really only one semi-clearly delineated path to get out here, and even then it's the type that takes a fairly experienced survivalist to recognize and follow easily. The spot was chosen for a bit of seclusion, after all.

And that's the path Jimmy sets down, backtracing Dani's scent, and looking to see if Scott and Jean were either with her or followed her using the same path.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
    There isn't any objections to Jimmy upon his request. And...no contradiction to his statement. All three of them were here at the same time. There was no questioning that, at least not in Rahne's mind. And so with a nod, Rahne makes to go....but not before she shifts once more, to a 10 foot red wolf. It...is the usual form she uses when she is out here....and the form most adept at tracking down Dani.

    And then off she bounds, taking to the forest with ease. Not only is Rahne exploring with all of her lupine senses at her disposal...but one more thing. The empathic link that she shares with Dani. Rahne isn't too sure if it will work...but if it will...then her lupine form is the best chance for that. Considering Dani's expertise...

Jamie Madrox has posed:
All here at the same time. That is... not good. Damning even. But not conclusive. Jamie looks over at Piotr and says in Russian <<We do not know for sure that this is where the dog lies buried.>> Then switching back to English, he adds "Calling the Professor is a good idea."

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr takes a deep breath and begins to relax. He nods to Illy, <<Da, just, it is a bit jarring, but I will be fine.>> He listens as the others speak and says, "Calling Jean would be wise, as would calling the Professor. Jamie gets a knowing nod, got to appreciate someone using an appropriate idiom.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Probably not the time to start having a picnic, if any of them could actually eat. Illyana watches the two massive figures rushing off, leaving one massive figure and Jamie. She steps forth from the portal, leaving no traces of Limbo on the forest twilight behind him. <<We will have our answers.>> She cannot give false faith other than the soft lift of her hand to her brow, shielding her eyes as they slowly regain their colour. Not much to have, but she tries. "Call then. Jamie and I can..." What the hell can they do? "Proceed from here. There is bound to be another signature."

She starts following a path visible probably to her, or by doing something she loathes, opening her metaphysical senses wider than they ever normally are. Not likely too many people other than Pixie are mixed up enough to leave scars on the landscape, but an otherdimensional sorceress supreme with the third eye wide open is prone to see things and truths she'd really rather not.

James Proudstar has posed:
It's a minute or so before Jimmy returns from down the trail, "Dani came this way from the school. Scott and Jean didn't. Or if they did, she was carrying them telekinetically above the trees." Which seems a bit...public of a display, even here, for those two, at least to Jimmy's mind. "If they didn't teleport out of here, I guess that's how they could've gotten away. But we'll see what Rahne finds."

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
    It doesn't take long for the dire wolf to make a perimeter check. Not here...not in her forest...and certainly not in her current incarnation as the wolf. Even though Rahne would have more territory to cover...it doesn't take all that long at all. It is only a matter of perhaps a minute more before the large red wolf is seen entering the clearing, padding up to the search party.

    And....the wolf doesn't stay a wolf for long. The transformation occurs in a smooth fluid motion....one moment, it was a wolf on four paws...the next, it is bipedal. And able to speak. The Scottish drawl escapes from the wolven muzzle...but the news isn't good. "No good. Found nuthin' out there apart from Dani's scent on the trail. It's just like Jean an' Scott just appeared, then disappeared."

Jamie Madrox has posed:
She and Jamie can what? He's definitely out of his element in an outdoors setting. He should send a dupe to become a forest ranger but that's not going to help now. "And at the same time if you're right about the scents. Yet we just saw Scott and he didn't say a word." Maybe something is buried here after all.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
"Teleporting again." Illyana's statement comes with a flat bluntness to it, coloured by wandering through the vagaries of a mystical forest setting or the auras clashing from every which way. She turns in a full, slow circle, then goes stalking off to another spot, stopping. This swift back and forth motion doesn't quite end up delivering obvious results. It takes her back down the trail where Jimmy went, a path zagging back into the campsite with its promise of shelter and comfort. A nicked patch of civilization from the ancient mixed forest that once stretched from coast to coast, reduced when the English brought their saws and axes to fell the mighty, ancient oaks for masts in their ships.

"Here." An X marked on the ground. Twenty feet over, she veers back to another spot, marking it. "Here." A little further, and there she halts, holding up her hands to frame a shape. "The break was here. Dani was terrified," she says with an odd degree of dispassion, transparent to the emotion trying to eat her alive. "Terrified. Betrayed. She saw who they were. Da? Jean and Scott came for her here, say. Say they attacked her. Maybe she has time to lash out, but it would not leave marks. Not her arrows, not her illusions. Then she is spirited away."

James Proudstar has posed:
"That doesn't make any sense, but..." While he knows senses can be deceived, all he can go off of here is the information he has on-hand. "I'm not sure we should call the Professor. Or Scott or Jean. I don't..." Jimmy scowls a bit, "If we look at the worst case scenario here, and someone's managed to mind-control Jean of all people...then they could do it to just about anybody." He shakes his head, "I don't know what to do here, guys. But I'm not sure if going back to the Mansion is even safe."

He adds, "On the other hand, the best-case scenario is that this is all some kind of fake-out and we go back to the mansion, Scott and Jean have an iron-clad alibi, and we get to compare notes and maybe figure out what the hell is going on." He pauses, still frowning, "Trouble is, for most of us if Jean or the Professor or even Betsy WANTED us to believe everything was fine...we would."

James Proudstar has posed:
"And they got Emma too. Isn't she a powerful telepath?" Jimmy adds, "Like someone that might be able to be a problem for them if someone's messing with other telepaths' heads?"

Jamie Madrox has posed:
"Jean and Scott don't teleport." Jamie points out. "Maybe shapeshifters? Who can take on their scent too? Or really good illusions?" Can illusions do scents? He has no clue but he really doesn't want to believe it was Jean or Scott. Except he's not really convincing himself either.

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
"Jean can fly and carry others," Piotr notes, while pondering deeply. Though Illy's remarks also catch his attention, "Either way, we are going to need to gather more data, because if it is them, we have a problem internally, or" he gestures towards Jamie, "Or they are doppelgangers or something like that," Piotr sighs and thinks deeply.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Illyana picks up on Jimmy's scowl, lifting her head to watch his expression with a fixed intensity that might border on downright unpleasant if it weren't marred by slight worry. On the other hand, she drank down Dani's fear and anguish. It leaves her hands in her fists at her sides, hands that clearly would rather be gripping the hilt of a particular sword and erasing inaction. "Depends on how thorough they are. Shapeshifters would have their scent, their pheromones, especially wearing their clothes. Some things might be wrong: soap, shampoo, cologne or perfume," she answers Jamie first.

The harder lines of her expression fall into a statuesque Russian harshness formed by winter and rigors that turned a child three years ago into that. "An illusion would show all that if crafted well. Magic /I/ would know. Except Dani is very hard to trick with illusions, though Jean would have the talent. She uses them. Emma is probably the same." Stillness lingers there a little longer, her eyes narrowing. "Others can teleport. Megan, me, Kurt, Clarice. Jimmy has a point, it could be inside the mansion. Another thought, this might be the work of someone using Stryker's message as cover or an opportunity to sow discord between us or target us. Put Xavier on the back foot and turn our attention inward, so we are chaos. What is it covering up?"

Her fingers curl and uncurl. "I can account for all of you. I can give sanctuary in Limbo, much as you may not like it. It's outside the timestream. We can recover there if we need shifts."

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
    "Well...Ah sure as hell don't know what's goin' on." The Scotswoman is rather besides herself at this point. It was helping, to look, to help. But...it's clear that the more Rahne thinks about the situation, the less sure of herself...of what she knows as right is. "Ah mean, it's possible that it may be shapeshifters...but even they have a unique scent. It's bloody hard tae duplicate that. And...this was *Jean* and *Scott*. Ah know them anywhere, just as sure as Ah know Dani. She wouldn't have just run off. Not Dani."

    Rahne shakes her head....as she shift from hybrid to just plain old Rahne Sinclair. The now-human appearing redhead sinks to the ground slowly, shaking her head. "Ah just don't know wha tae think at this point. Fer all Ah know, there could be multiples. It all just hurts mah head thinkin' about it."

Jamie Madrox has posed:
"Or we do both." Jamie says and slaps a tree trunk, producing a second identical Jamie. "Put the shields on me and send me back to the mansion. I'll see what I can learn." the second Jamie says. "Or better yet..." The split is still fresh so both Jamies are thinking the same and Jamie Prime hits the tree against to produce a third. "Even mutants who know what I can do don't really think that there's more than one of me running around. I can be talking to Scott in the foyer while rummaging through his room."

James Proudstar has posed:
"That might be our best bet, yeah." Jimmy says of Jamie's suggested plan. "Get some eyes in the mansion to figure out what's what and the rest of us can wait to hear word back. Guess we'd just need to set a meeting time and place to report back?"