2012-07-26 The Bad News Is...

The conversation came through short spurts from Sam who rushed in trying to find anyone he could; anyone with even marginal authority. Scott got him calm, but couldn't make sense about some of the rambling. It wasn't Sam's psyche, it was the episode he's trying to describe. Summers put a call into some of the more experienced members of staff, including the Professor to see if they could help make sense of it. After getting Sam a drink of water and putting him in a chair in his office, people start to file in.
Bobby's got both brows arched as he saunters into Scott's office, wondering what's going on. In jeans and a t-shirt, he blinks when he sees Sam. "Hey," he offers as he enters the office fully. "What's going on?"
It didn't take long for Charles to respond to the request for help. It's entirely possible that the only reason Bobby beat him there was the elevator ride up from his own office. Blasted stairs. His face is etched with concern as he follows Bobby in, the tumultuous state of Sam's mind difficult to miss from so close.
Sam looks... well, frazzled is generous. "I'm crazy," he says to Bobby. "That's what's going on. Lost it. I could be imagining all of this." He turns to the Professor. "I swear my brain was not broken when I got up this morning. All I did was eat some chocolate and then *bam* I was somewhere else. Kids probably thought I finally blew myself up."
Scott nods to Sam, "Tell them what you told me, Sam. About the game." He sits behind his desk with a stone face, hiding his own exasperation at the tale. Yet, he still believes his old friend. He doesn't think he's crazy.
The stairs or just Bobby being in the area to set up a prank that'll go off later. Either one. For a moment, Bobby wonders if this is about what Sam told him in the diner but he doesn't mention it. He walks over to put a hand on Sam's shoulder. "What's going on, Sam? What game, Sam?"
Charles' eyebrows leap further up his forehead. Not in skepticism, but in surprise. "None of us are going to think you're crazy," he promises, bringing his chair closer to Scott's desk. "It's all right."
Sam takes a drink of water--see, he likes Scott but no one else would give -water- to a guy who just got kidnapped by aliens or went crazy, or maybe he's just used to Kentucky--and shakes his head.
"Okay. Skippin' the part where I got teleported by chocolate, and I'm just glad it was me and not a little kid," Sam says, "I ended up in this holding tank with a collar on me. The guards weren't human. I wasn't on Earth anymore. And... that's where it gets weird. I was okay until the crash-course in BASKETBALL. Basketball. A handful of us dragged in from somewhere to play basketball for some Jabba the Hutt guy."
Scott listens to the story again and it seems just as insane as the first time he heard the bits and pieces. He stays stoic however. Stoic and supportive. "Did you recognize anyone else? Or was it just you?"
"Collared to play basketball for Jabba the Hutt? Are you sure this was normal chocolate and not 'special'," air quotes. "chocolate?" he has to ask. It's his job.
"If it's any consolation," Charles says slowly, "You're not the first person to say something like this to me this week. On the one hand, it likely means you're not just imagining things," he says, smiling wryly at Sam. "But on the other hand, it likely means you're not just imagining things. You're all right?"
"I'm okay, yeah." Sam sags back in the chair. "I got lucky. It's my game, even if something's shooting missiles at me or I'm getting roughed up by some lady with six arms. I saw Hank there, guess he can tell his own story." He glances up at Bobby. "No one else I know was there. But the people with us looked mostly human and so did the people in a special part of the stands."
Scott raises his eyebrows at the Professor. He hadn't heard anything about this. Perhaps it's some sort of mutant kidnapping group?
"Wait, seriously?" Bobby stares at the Professor. "Who else did you hear this from?" Bobby asks. "Since when are missiles and multi-armed dominatrixes part of basketball? Did something happen and no one give me the memo?" he jokes a bit. Mention of Hankk definitely gets Bobby's attention. He catches Sam's gaze and his eyebrows raise slightly. He can guess who was in the stands.
"Bethany Cabe," Charles replies to Bobby, with an apologetic smile next turned towards Scott. "Who is, as far as I am aware, entirely human. A very capable one, but not a mutant. She described something much like this to me the other day, right down to the chocolate, though neither of us have any insight into what actually happened. Henry would make three." He frowns thoughtfully and lightly strokes his chin. "I suppose the first thing to do will be to check the security records. If you and Hank were taken from the school, there would have to be some sort of sign left behind."
"I was on the basketball court one second and then I was gone. The game had just ended." Sam's less flustered now, more agitated. Pissed-off, really. "We ended up in that big toy store downtown. I don't think they planned for us to get back that way. Some little Australian dude made a portal for us and we all just bailed out of there after I broke the cage--with some unwilling help."
Scott nods to the Professor, "I'd be more than happy to review the tapes, sir." He sits up and begins to review things on the computer. It'll take a few moments to find the right spot.
"Did you win?" Bobby asks, frowning. "What kind of unwilling help, Sam? These guys were going to keep you or something?" the idea of people messing with his friends is not sitting well with Bobby and it shows with the room getting a little cooler.
"Thank you, Scott." Charles was terribly grateful to have him around. While Scott works, he smiles at Bobby and Sam, holding up a hand. "Whatever they intended to do, they've failed to do so twice over now, that I know of. All we can do now is try to figure out how it happened so we can work to prevent any future attempts -- or, if necessary, capitalize upon them." He glances to Scott. "As loathe as I am to suggest it, if these kidnappings continue, steps should be taken to protect future targets. That is likely done most simply at the source, if we can determine a way to get the X-Men there on our own terms."
"At least I'm not going crazy. About this. I didn't recognize the others who were with me besides Hank, but they were good. The opposition was going to be tough," Sam says. "I want to go back when we figure out how. I can, right?"
Scott winces, looking up from the computer and at Sam. He's not sure that's such a good idea without proper intel. He looks to the Professor for guidance, but surely his mentor feels his concern.
"Yeah, let's go there and kick some ass," Bobby declares, pumping a fist in the air that quickly becomes coated in ice armor. "We'll show the Hutt-wannabe not to mess with the X-Men," he just wants to make sure no one else gets kidnapped.
"If we can find a way to get a team there *and* back again safely," Charles says, glancing to Scott. His concerns are definitely shared. These are, in his mind, still rather big 'if's. "If we can do that, having at least one person there who has been there before could be advantageous. But it is going to take some time and research to discover if it is even possible. If you have any of that chocolate bar left, ask Hank to examine it. I'm fairly sure you won't need to tell him not to eat it, considering."
"I think it came with me but they were doing stuff to me, and... I'll make sure it didn't get dropped on the grounds. I'm so dumb. I shoulda done that first." Sam groans and barely refrains from smacking himself in the forehead. "I know better than to leave stuff around the kids could get hurt with."
"Don't blame yourself, Sam. This isnt' your fault. And as far as we know, no one else other than you and Hank was taken," Scott responds. He's pulled up the security cam and pulls up another window on the current cameras to start doing a head count. "It looks like you guys just sort of....dissipated." Scott scoots so the others can see.
"Doing stuff to you?" Bobby looks to Sam with concern. "Should we get you and Hank checked out?" he asks. "There weren't facehuggers were there?" trying for a little humor. He leans over to squint at the video and frowns. "Huh..."
"It may not be a bad idea to take the precaution," Charles agrees, glancing to Scott with a thoughtful frown. Of course, if Hank needs a check-up too, there's really only one other doctor on the grounds: Jean. Of course, knowing Hank, he was probably already knee-deep in running diagnostic anaysis on himself.
"Hey, check me out all you want. I feel okay." Sam shakes his head. "Brain's not rattling. I'm hard to hurt. I was more worried about other people on our team than myself. And now I want to get back there before they hurt someone else. The opposition didn't have collars on that I saw. The lady with all the arms, she could do what looked like magic and pop from one place to another. There was a tall guy, looked like a movie star, and he was just weirdly -good-. One of them at least had long claws and stuff."
Scott nods to Sam, "I can understand how badly you want some vengence, Sam. We just need to make sure we're not walking into a hornets nest."
"What were the collars doing anyway? This some kind of kinky show?" Bobby asks, crossing his arms. He looks Sam over with a frown, just making sure there were no injuries that hadn't be noticed. "Sounds like you were playing against the home team maybe."
Charles Xavier and the others are gathered around Scott's desk, apparently rather deep in discussion. Something serious, if the Professor's expression is anything to go by. "I think what you could do to be most helpful right now," he says to Sam, "would be to write down everything you can remember. Even if it seems trivial. We'll ask Henry to do the same, and I'll see if Miss Cabe can't do us the favor of sending us her own account as well." [Charles leaves IC/OOC.]
It never seems to be peaceful at the Mansion when Warren shows up. He was here to meet Scott for lunch and talk, but he's directed to Xavier's office. Making his way there, he knocks on the door before peeking his head in, "So...uhh...what's going on now? Did someone else get thrown into space?"
"Not space. Just some crazy alien running the 'Mojolympics' and other aliens with six arms or three breasts or tusks." Sam gives Warren a brilliant smile. "Good to see you again, man. I got kidnapped." He seems to be adjusting to that okay.
"Hey Warren," Scott says with a nod. "Looks like lunch will be a bit late." He nods toward Sam, "Sam got taken captive by some...I guess I don't know how to categorize them."
"Sam and Hank got kidnapped to be part of some kinky alien gameshow but escaped before they got faces full of wing-wong," Bobby explains to Warren, completely serious and still joking at thee same timee.
Angel steps in and looks between the others before he blinks at Sam. "Wow, I really -do- miss all the fun." He manages to keep a straight face as he says that. "Although...alien wing-wong...might not be as interesting. Three breasts, huh?"
"There were some pretty odd looking characters there. Made this place look completely average." Sam points at Warren. "Do -not- eat any chocolate if you don't know where it came from. It's so surreal that it's hard to take seriously but it is serious. I think if you screwed up and died, you'd be dead."
Scott's eyebrow shoots up at the mention of the curiously endowed woman, but he says nothing. "We need to know what's in that chocolate bar. I have trouble thinking that it's not some sort of hallucinagen, but the evidence speaks for itself." He motions to the screen that shows the security footage of Sam disappearing.
"That's what happens when you don't live with your mutant buddies," Bobby teases his friend a little. "So, do we start a chocolate collection among the school? Have everyone bring out their stash for immediate examination?" he asks, actually serious this timee. "Maybe this was some kind of magic thing. Or you ate some little tech thing they used to lock on and beam you up."
"Wait a sec. The chocolate was all swirly. And it said 'Spiral Bar' on it. The magic one who could teleport, they called her Spiral." Sam looks surprised at his own revelation. "If she put magic in it, like a trap, that could have been what did it."
Angel continues to look between the other before he blinks at Sam, "So...you ate a magic chocolate bar which teleported you to this weird, alien place?" He tilts his head at that, "You know...if I wasn't standing here with giant wings, with a guy who can turn into ice, a guy who can shoot lasers out of his eyes, and a guy who shoots flames out of his bum, I'd have a hard time believing this. It sounds like...Willie Wonka gone wrong. Not to discount what happened, but...just saying."
Scott tries not to chuckle at Angel's explanation; the blondie has a point. "It does sound pretty ridiculous, doesn't it?"
"What in our lives doesn't when you step back and look at it?" Bobby remarks with a smirk.
"The Professor said someone he knew was affected before we were," Sam says. "A human, even. So it's not just us getting messed with. I'd feel better if this Mojo guy was picking on people with actual powers who could do something about his crap." He makes a sour face. "And it's not flames and it comes out of my feet, thanks," he says to Warren.
Angel holds his hands up as if in defense, "I'm just telling you what it looks like..." but as even Scott seems to have a hard time keeping a straight face, he actually does grin. "That's why I was saying...if we weren't who we were...yeah. It sounds nuts and kind of intriguing, to be honest. Aside from the death part."
"Don't feel bad, Sam," Bobby reaches over to ruffle Sam's hair. "Warren's just too distracted by that perfect backside of yours to notice, man. Right, Warren?" he laughs. "Either way, we just find a way to get to this Mojo guy and stick a bit X-boot up his non butt then we're safe."
Scott chuckles and shakes his head at Bobby, "Sam, I'll talk to Hank and see if he's got any opinions on what this was, or how to confront it. We'll work on it."
"I'll write down what I remember, like the Professor said. Maybe we can find some of the other people that were there, I think I remember some names." Sam runs a hand through his hair. "Though I better hurry up and get writing, I'm not quite as sharp as some of you all, might start to forget."
"I do not look at men's backsides!" Warren sputters, his face flushing. He sort of falls silent after that not sure what else he could say to that.
Bobby Drake just gives Warren a confused look. "Dude...I'm just joking with you and Sam. Chill," he goes a little quiet too, wondering if he and Warren have something in common. "Yeah, Sam, get to writing..."
"Sounds good, Sam" Scott chuckles at the banter between Bobby and Angel.
"Thanks, Scott. I'll get out of your hair. C'mon, man." Sam gets to his feet and slaps Bobby on the shoulder, leaning in to mutter something in his ear. "Need something strong than -water- after all that."
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