Meeting Room: Bobby's Call

[Shadowcat]

[About 6 PM the day of Bobby's arrest; crossposted to Telecommunications. PS Ren, sorry about the god-mod; if we can talk before the thread gets started, I'll edit depending on Paige's whereabouts and wishes etc.]

"Um--Is Forge around? Or Kurt? Is there any way you can get everyone together and put me on speaker phone?"

"Yeah, somewhere," Kitty said, blissfully unaware that Kurt was currently nursing Mystique-induced bruised ribs - or that Mystique had been anywhere closer to the Mansion than Baltimore in the last two years. "I'll call a meeting and we'll put you on or something, Forge can figure it out. Ask your guards how long you have, will you?"

She was already charging up the main steps, her breath growing slightly shorter; while the climb normally wouldn't have fazed her, her nerves had her heart tacking as it was. There was a weird bootprint in the middle of the hall. Had to be Piotr; no one else could've made a print like that. She wondered vaguely what he'd been stomping about.

As her feet hit the carpeting, Bobby was talking again.

"They said it was for second-degree murder. And get this! They think I'm in with The Brotherhood."

Kitty felt a cold fist close around her stomach, but forced a disbelieving snort. "I don't know how they expect to prove that one," she said. "Try not to worry about it too much."

In actuality, his broken friendship with John, as much as they hated each other (or appeared to), would probably lead the police to suspect more... but she wasn't going to tell him that. She'd just let him worry about being under suspicion of murder.

At least it was second degree. That would make an insanity or control plea so, so much easier.

"They said something about me being a suspected terrorist, pending questioning and further investigation. Kit--what are you guys going to do? I mean...how am I going to convince them? Hey, you could testify, couldn't you? She got in your head, too."

"I'll testify," Kitty said immediately, though the idea of getting up in front of a courtroom and testifying on behalf of a murderer - he's not a murderer, it's just a charge, it's just a charge - made her stomach turn. "We'll figure you out a case. Warren's lawyer is supposed to be really great, and I can get my dad to consult, and I don't know how we're going to prove that Emma was in our heads, but if nothing else, there's always the insanity plea - I think you may qualify, since you weren't in control of your senses at the time. You will get off."

Just keep tellin' yourself that, Kits.

She found Jubes' old door. She had no clue where Paige's room was, but she knew Jubilee had headed back, and as one of Bobby's best friends, she might know where Paige was. (Kitty ignored the fact that she was one of Bobby's best friends and also didn't know.) She knocked once on it before phasing through the door, short of breath. If Jubes was indecent, too bad for her.

Jubes wasn't indecent. But Paige was there.

Well, that was simple.

Kitty grabbed Paige's arm rudely and without asking, which caused her stupid pain, and held out the phone, pulling her up with the grabby hand. "It's Bobby," she explained. "Come on, we have to get a meeting together."

Kitty released Paige and pushed through the door this time rather than phasing, turning back to make sure the other girl was following her to the elevator.

Inside, she punched the button for the underground rooms where the Meeting Room was and then clicked the button on her communicator.

"Shadowcat to X-Men," she said into it, "everyone free to the meeting room immediately. Bobby's on the phone. Someone find Jubes - she should be here, too."

She unclicked and the elevator whooshed down to the Meeting Room, where she took up nervous residence standing near the table, her fingers itching to have the phone back.

"Shoot," she said, her version of nervous cursing. "How do you get that thing on a speakerphone?"

[forge]

Like a ghost in the machine, Forge's will blipped all the monitors on in the room. All of them had a chibi (anime child-like) version of Forge on the screen. Text was typing across them.

I'm Interrogating a possible murderer right now. Don't ask details, I'll explain later. What's the meeting for? Just talk out loud, I can hear you.

and then after a second.

I am Big Brother.

[Shadowcat]

Kitty jumped as the screens surrounding the room went suddenly blank, then came up with... weird little Forges. And text.

I'm Interrogating a possible murderer right now. Don't ask details, I'll explain later. What's the meeting for? Just talk out loud, I can hear you.

Kitty opened her mouth, but there was more.

I am Big Brother.

...okay. (She hadn't had to read 1984 yet.)

"Um," Kitty said. "Bobby's on the phone. Like I said. I need you to put the phone from the hall on speakers down here, so we can all talk to him, and stuff, and I guess... if you have any questions for him, just put 'em on the screens..."

Waitaminnit.

Possible murderer?

One thing at a time. One thing at a time...

"He's been charged with second degree murder," she said, soldiering through, "and he's under suspicion of terrorist activity. He said they think he's tied to the Brotherhood, because - because Pyro was there, when it all... happened. And that's all I know."

[forge]

Sounds about right. That was a marine pilot - it was in the news a while back, but they didn't pin Bobby - only Pyro.

The phone's signal was sent directly into the speakers of the meeting table, and Forge thanked God for the ease of the digital communication age.

Tell Bobby I send my regards, and ask him what that Collar was, and what jail he's at.

[angel]

Truth be told, Warren was grateful for the excuse to stop playing cards with Remy when his communicator went off in his pocket. The cajun was taking far too much money from him, and though he'd searched, his sharp eyes hadn't been able to spot any marks or anything that would be allowing the other man to cheat.

Apparently he was just that good at cards.

"Sorry to deprive you of the chance to completely empty my wallet, but I should go to this." Whether Gambit would come or not was completely up to him.

Draining the last of his coffee, Warren put his cup in the sink and headed down to the meeting room in time to see Forge's last message flash across the screen.

"Has he been waiting long?" Warren looked to Kitty with what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Not to mention the hot blonde - this must be Paige. Hopefully the rest of the group would assemble before too long.

"Can he hear us yet? Cameron's on his way, he's already getting a team together." By this time tomorrow, Bobby would have the best mutant-friendly lawyers in the country on his case, figuring out how to get him off.

For some reason, Warren's stomach hadn't stopped churning, and he shifted his wings irritably as he took a seat on one of the tall stools.

[Iceman]

Bobby could hear Kitty talking faintly in the distance, assuming she was calling the X-Men again. He sat and waited, until suddenly the voices became crystal clear. He realized that he was hearing Warren, and again felt a wave of relief at hearing a friendly voice. Though he had just been talking to all of them that morning, it seemed now like years ago.

"Yeah, I hear you, Big Bird," came his voice from the speaker Forge had hooked up. "I'm amazed at the treatment they give suspected criminals these days," he managed to joke. "The hotel I'm in is probably a five-star."

The fact that Bobby could joke in the face of his situation might have baffled some, but it was how he dealt with fear. He tried to laugh it off, put on a brave and calm front. But he hoped to also give them all the information he could, so they could get a pin on where he was exactly. He didn't expect them to break him out, but it would be comforting to know that they were following him. He wouldn't feel quite so alone.

"It's got a jacuzzi of a bathtub, and a huge TV, mini-fridge...And the most gorgeous red and pink floral print on the sheets." It was a unique print; hopefully someone would think to look up hotels in New York on the internet and find one where the pictures showed a floral print that was actually a little on the obnoxious side. And the fact that he'd managed to sound utterly metrosexual describing the room was a plus. Bobby Drake was eternally trying to keep the situation light and happy.

[husk]

Paige had been a little stunned, being handed the phone. She'd struggled to say hello, and hadn't even the chance to say hello before the phone was taken from her again, and people were crowding in the room, and she was shuffled to the side.

It made it pretty clear where her place was...

She folded her arms around herself and had a seat a distance away from the others at the big table.

[husk]

ooc I didn't say anything because I was waiting to hook up with you in order to run the phone conversation before the thread got moving. I assumed I'd have time to get in touch in the morning or that you would know to get in touch with me for it before we all posted. It's really not a big deal, let's roll with this since everyone's waiting now.

[Shadowcat]

"Has he been waiting long?"

"Not really," Kitty said, matching Warren's smile with a much smaller and less reassuring one of her own.

"Can he hear us yet? Cameron's on his way, he's already getting a team together."

Kitty breathed a sigh of relief. Lawyers made everything better.

Tell Bobby I send my regards, and ask him what that Collar was, and what jail he's at.

"Oh - kay," she said, realizing he must've patched Bobby through already, her assumption proved correct when Bobby's voice emanated from the surround-sound speakers that ringed the room.

"Yeah, I hear you, Big Bird. I'm amazed at the treatment they give suspected criminals these days. The hotel I'm in is probably a five-star. It's got a jacuzzi of a bathtub, and a huge TV, mini-fridge...And the most gorgeous red and pink floral print on the sheets."

Kitty paused for a moment, her brow wrinkling again.

"You," she said finally, "are so weird. They took you to a hotel? Did they tell you why? And then Forge says hi but he's busy, and he wants to know what was up with the collar they put on you and also where you're at, if you can tell us."

[Iceman]

Bobby pulled on the metal collar as he answered Kitty. "Oh, this lovely little accessory? Yeah, drains my powers. I think it's called a Kiddie Cure Collar." His voice was sarcastic and held a tinge of bitterness to it. "I'm cold right now. Can I tell you how much that blows?"

Bobby sighed, shaking his head. "And I don't know why, or where." He paused, glancing at the guard on the couch. Saying 'it took a few hours to get here' or anything else that might seem like he was trying to help them find him was probably not a wise idea.

"So...who all's there right now?" Bobby asked curiously, but suddenly he had a handful of questions he wanted the answers to. "Did Hannah calm down okay, did somebody explain things to her? And Paige, she didn't get in trouble, did she? She's okay?"

[husk]

"I'm fine, Bobby," she looked at Warren for a moment, curiously, then shook the thought away. "Hannah's fine too. Sugar why do they have you in a hotel room and not a cell by now? You know, you have rights honey." She couldn't help her southern accent slipping in, too rattled to bother and hide it.

[forge]

It was getting hard to concentrate on both events. Fortunately, Maggott seemed to take his time in responding to everything. He was awfully... thoughtful.

Forge sent another message across the screen.

Make sure he gets their name and Fed numbers. If they're putting collars on him that could potentially kill him, I'd like to make sure those guys there specifically lose their jobs when I hit Washington.

A pause.

Particularly since they're also not giving him his due arrest.

He'd taken the hints that Bobby had left, and already was typing up a plan of action. He'd have to assign it to someone. Someone who could find BObby, and follow the agents he was with. Just in case something shady was going on. Maybe they'd move Angel's lawyer to that location.

Yes. That was a particularly good idea.

[Shadowcat]

Kitty winced on Bobby's behalf. She couldn't imagine not having access to her power; for better or for worse, it had stuck around for three and a half years. That was quite a while, especially at 16. Almost 17, she suddenly remembered.

Bobby was probably going to miss her birthday. Dang.

"And I don't know why, or where. So...who all's there right now? Did Hannah calm down okay, did somebody explain things to her? And Paige, she didn't get in trouble, did she? She's okay?"

"It's just me and Paige and Angel," Kitty said. "I put out a mass call, but it was, like, six seconds ago. And Forge is here, sort of. He can hear us, anyway, and he's been putting junk up on the screens when he wants to talk..."

"I'm fine, Bobby. Hannah's fine too. Sugar why do they have you in a hotel room and not a cell by now? You know, you have rights honey."

"Forge, are you taking a recording of this?" she asked the room in general. "Paige's right - they should really have him in a cell. A record would help if we want to prove mistrial."

[Iceman]

"I'm fine, Bobby,"

"Oh--hey," Bobby said as she made him aware she was there, and sounding glad that she was. "Good."

Bobby listened to Paige, and then Forge's messages as relayed through Kitty. They affirmed his suspicions; that all was not as it should be with his detainment. "You know, I was wondering the same thing," he said, turning and looking at the guards, who were still pretending that they weren't listening.

"Names and FED numbers, you say?" he repeated, turning innocently back around and whistling a few notes as the guards both jerked slightly, as though they started to turn toward him but thought better of it. "Gotcha," he said, not realizing until afterwards that it would come across to the guards like he had been trying to trick them. He laughed inaudibly as he rested his elbows on the table.

"Paige's right - they should really have him in a cell. A record would help if we want to prove mistrial."

"So...how much would...that help? Would it fix it completely?" Bobby asked, pausing a few times to think of how to word what he said so as to not let the guards in on it. Though they could have had the line tapped, easily. 'Would it get me off the hook?' he willed Kitty to understand mentally, though even if telepathy had been his power, the metal choker had made that impossible.

[Shadowcat]

"You know, I was wondering the same thing."

"Ask them about it," Kitty advised. "If they've already screwed it up, it's basically the same thing."

"Names and FED numbers, you say?"

..?

Oh. Bobby was being sneaky. Or at least trying very hard to mess with his guards. Kitty sighed and sank down into one of the meeting room chairs, nervous energy finally centering enough for her to stop moving.

Sort of. Her leg was jittering enough to power at least half the Mansion. Okay, maybe more like one of the electric mixers in the kitchen. But still.

"So...how much would...that help? Would it fix it completely?"

"Might," Kitty said. "If the judge is a stickler for detail, especially. I don't know if it's better or worse than doing the Miranda rights wrong, but it's definitely screwing with your civil rights, which is always a bad thing, even if you somehow get a jury stacked with anti-mutant people."

At least Kitty could understand that much subtext. Granted that it was Bobby, it wasn't hard, but Kitty still wasn't so hot with subtext.

[angel]

He'd been sitting on his stool while everyone jabbered on about rights and numbers and all of that, silently contemplating what was going on.

"I got the numbers of Smith and Jones. Have them in my phone."

Which rang, right as he said the word.

Odd coincidence.

Pulling it out of his pocket, Warren looked down at the screen.

"Listen, that's Cameron. He's probably on his way. You sit tight, Iceboy, we'll get him over to you as soon as we can."

Not that he could do much else. Warren spoke over the phone, which was still ringing insistently.

"I'll see you soon, I'm sure of it."

Even if that was just waving hello through the window of whatever this hotel was.

Sometimes, he wondered what the government was doing with themselves.

"If I don't get to talk to you again before they make you go, I'll talk to you soon." Cameron would keep him updated. But for now, Warren had to answer the phone, and he pushed out the door, flipping it open as he went.

"Sorry Cam, I was talking to Bobby. They have him in a hotel."

[husk]

Paige listened to it all, rubbing the back of her neck again and again. Kitty seemed nervous. For some reason, that touched her. Bobby had people here who really did care about him. That was awesome.

"I'm sure they'll let you talk to your lawyer, right Bobby?" She said suddenly, thinking. She didn't know about that part. Was that something they were required to do? How did people in jail ever have lawyers if you couldn't make phone calls?

[Iceman]

Kitty's words gave Bobby a slight hopeful feeling. Maybe they could get him out of this. Then Warren's phone rang, and Warren spoke to him before leaving. "Listen, that's Cameron. He's probably on his way. You sit tight, Iceboy, we'll get him over to you as soon as we can."

"I knew I kept you around for something, Bird Boy," Bobby said, laughter managing to reach his voice this time.

"I'm sure they'll let you talk to your lawyer, right Bobby?"

"Yeah, they said I'll be able to meet with a lawyer and all that stuff. I mean...They say they're going to do everything by the book. But we'll see."

Bobby had been trying to formulate a way to discuss an even more secretive topic without giving it away to the eavesdropping guards, with little success. "So just, uh, sit tight and see what happens. Right? I mean, unless they decide to skip over any more rules or rights or anything, I think we can definently work this thing out." He sounded far more positive than he felt, but if he was going to get away with saying what he was saying, he needed to mask the way he said it. Hopefully they would let him know what the game plan was.

[husk]

Paige listened to them talk in code for a bit more, feeling uncomfortable and confused.

"Alright, jeez." Bobby said midsentence. "Okay guys, I have to go."

She sat up in her chair, speaking before Kitty could. "'Kay baby, you just stay calm, and keep your chin up. We're doing everything we can okay?" She didn't know what else to say. They hadn't been dating that long and non-verbal communication tended to be their forte.

"I'll be thinkin' about you.."

[Iceman]

As everyone said their good-byes, Bobby replied with his own. "I'll see you guys soon. And then we're going to buy a huge chocolate cake and celebrate...in freaking Iceland." Despite his words, he sounded miserable.

"I'll be thinkin' about you.."

There was a moment of silence from his end of the line. He'd always let the world know when he was in a relationship, never kept it quiet, and usually he'd been the one to say such things when other people were around. It was a nice change to hear someone else say it, especially when she was in a room full of people she barely knew and he wasn't there with her.

"Thanks, baby...I can't wait to see you again." His tone had changed; those words were just for her, though others were listening. Then it changed again, back to it's more casual tone. "I'll call again as soon as I can. Warren's lawyer will probably be in touch soon. 'Bye."

After another round of good-byes, Bobby hung up the phone. He sat in front of it for a moment, staring down at the desk as his thoughts processed. Then he heaved a sigh and pushed the phone back to it's place by the wall.