The Enemy From Tomorrow, Today (Part Four)

With my entire team, plus Saberwolf, gathered in a student annex area, Eddie and I sat back clicking through slides in a Powerpoint presentation – the subject matter involving our new bestest friend, Skip

We didn't have any pictures of bastard, so the first image was a drawing that Laura had made based off of descriptions from everyone else. Honestly, it was really good. Apparently sketch artist training was part of the curriculum at the Facility. Who knew?

I made a big grandiose gesture, despite where I was lazing about from my seat on the big couch, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the enemy."

Hisako was seated off by herself in a single chair, arms crossed with her legs up on the arm of the couch, "Why did you have to make a Powerpoint and put it up on a projector?"

Of course, she had to question everything. If she went with the flow more, she'd probably be less grumpy. Eddie, of course, had my back, because this was half his idea as well.

"Because we had to make it visual somehow," The red-haired flier said, "Come on, Hisako. Don't kill the vibe right now. We aren't the big boys. In exchange for a supercomputer full of files on everything, this is the best we've got."

Hisako was far from impressed, "A hand-drawn portrait that you scanned in the library, and a bunch of half-assed notes?"

"Not half-assed," I interjected, gesturing to Ruth, who was sitting comfortably under my arm, "Ruthie went through all of our heads and got all of our perspectives on the kidnapping and the fight," Other than having a camera film the whole thing, which we didn't have, that was the best we were going to get.

Wolf, surprisingly, was much more supportive, "Any information is good information. It will all help my job go that much smoother, just in case."

I raised an eyebrow, "You have a job?" When did this happen?

"Cyclops recently offered me a position," Saberwolf explained. There was actually an inflection of pride in how he spoke, "I am now a security consultant for the Xavier Institute."

"Oh," Eddie leaned down and gave him a high-five. Hand met clawed metal paw, "Way to go, dude."

I wiped a fake tear away from my eye, "Yeah. Look at my little Saberwolf growing up, getting a job. He's come a long way."

"He's an A.I." Hisako pointed out, "Are they paying you money? What are you going to do with money?"

I eyed the machine before hitting Hisako with the easy answer? "Buy video games and whatever other shiny baubles get his attention," I said bluntly, getting a cold, mechanical stare from Wolf, "You know I'm right."

Hisako shook her head at the interaction between me and my roommate before getting us back on track, "So what's the play here? We're going to be the ones to take this guy down?"

Why not?

"Yes," Eddie said resolutely. "He's gonna try again. We just don't know when or where... or how, really. It's not like we know how to find the guy either."

"We could though," I said. In a perfect world, I'd have been in a position to drop Skip myself, but realistically I knew I'd need lots of help to corner and beat him, "Wolf, how good is your tracking?"

Wolf lazily waved his tail as he tried to recall his limitations, "Uninhibited by outside factors, my tracking of individual mutants has a maximum range of 11,469 miles."

I used the word 'limitations' lightly. I didn't know how strong Cerebra was, but as long as we were on the same half of the world as who we were after and Wolf had their signature, who needed anything with even more range?

Hisako gave Wolf a look of newfound respect, "So... like half the distance around the world?" Wolf gave her a nod, "Wow. The people who made you really didn't want to mess around with their mutant-killing, did they?"

Wolf's potentially salty origin aside, we had the loose dressings of a plan, "Anyway, if Wolf can get a bead on ol' Skip's particular signature, he can find the bastard anywhere in the country, as long as he's not three miles underground, or something stupid like that."

Laura chimed in for the first time since we gathered, "Does that mean you'll wait to be attacked again?"

"-And if we can't end it there, at least Wolf will be around to lock onto him. Then he can't hide," I was happy she was interacting with me again, at least in the context of a mission. Maybe she just felt more comfortable that way?

"Are you going to offer yourself up as bait? Don't you think he'll see through it?"

A fair point. But my trap wasn't really a trap, "I really don't think I'll have to try that hard," It was more like an organically occurring opening.

Skip knew about my therapy sessions and waited for me in New York. He somehow knew things about me; about what I got into at this point in my life. It probably wasn't a stretch to assume that he had details on other things.

I let everyone know as much, "He's not trying anything on campus again since he blew his first shot, and I wasn't planning to leave again until the weekend, so I can pretty much guess when he'll try to jump me next."

Eddie's eyes went wide as he looked over at me, "You don't think-?" He started before cutting himself off with a shake of the head, "Dude, no way he has the balls to try anything there. No way."

I grinned over at my wingman, showing just how confident I was in my assumption, "I don't think he'll give a crap. I'll put even money on it that he goes for it anyway. Fifty bucks."

Eddie immediately went for his wallet to produce the cash, "I'll take that action. I mean, it's not like I have to pay you if he up and kills you."

"I'll just put it in my will that you have to pay my next of kin," I shot back, "Have fun explaining to my parents why you're handing them a fifty at the funeral."

Hisako snapped her fingers to get both of our attentions, "Hey," She barked, not very pleased at being out of the loop, "For the sake of everyone in the room who's not smartened up to the conversation, or not a mind-reader, what are you two babbling about?"

Eddie was the one who clued her in, "The date thing. Friday night."

I took the opportunity to elaborate, "If Skip knows about it, or he's just waiting for me to leave campus again, he's gonna fuck with me there, guaranteed," I would have if I were him, "It's perfect. I'm gonna be distracted trying to keep Julian from being an asshole, trying to keep the New Mutants from goading him into a fight for being an asshole, trying to keep Eddie from doing anything stupid that would turn Cessily off..."

"-And Pixie's booty," Eddie felt the need to finish, usurping my last point.

"-And Pixie's-..." I had to stop myself. Son of a bitch, Eddie almost got me with that one, "Wing, shut up. I'm being serious here."

Eddie stood up with his hand to his heart, "I am too. On that list of things to be worried about, how high is you getting laid? Because I need it to be at least down to third, behind me getting laid. Oh, and you not dying," Not in that particular order, I hoped.

Hisako got up and gave Eddie a smack before marching up to me, leader that I was, "I hope you have a plan if this is how you're going to do things."

If anyone could understand her thoughts on the situation, it was me, "I know, I know. It's not the most inspiring stuff so far. I'm working on it, but I'm open for any constructive input. Ruthie?" I asked, getting a shake of the head from the blindfolded girl next to me, "Lau-... where'd Laura go?"

Conspicuous by her absence was our close-quarter combat specialist, which sucked, because I really needed to pick her brain to help set a decent ambush. It was a nice disappearing act, but not one that I appreciated.

"Come on," I muttered in irritation, "When the hell did she even leave? She was just here."

From her interacting with us, and with me, I figured she'd worked herself out of whatever her deal had been. Clearly, I was wrong. It left me a little miffed, if I were to be honest. Fine. If she didn't want in on this, she didn't need to be. No one did. I just wanted everyone up to date with what was going on anyway.