[Video: Sunday]

[cantcatchme]

[Compared to the last time he was on the network, Pietro looks like a million bucks. A skinny, pale million bucks, maybe, but he's much less sickly. And it even looks like he's trimmed his hair at some point. Just like Quicksilver to prioritize style when he's recovering from near-death.

His expression, however, is flat, cold, and carefully dispassionate. And the background is definitely inside the ship.]

I don't know if anyone's left who actually cares, but Erik's gone. Or asleep, or whatever. He's in a pod, anyway.

[He knocks on the pod he's standing next to.]

He ditched us. Can't say I'm surprised.

Locked to the 'Brotherhood' - yes, this includes Kurt and Hope

So I guess we're out a sponsor. But Mister Mutant Solidarity did have a point. We should still stick together, when we can.

Comments

[voice]

[jimkirk]

[ Jim recognizes the name from something Todd told him. Is this Erik the guy who wanted to cause shit with the natives? ]

So people really do go back into pods.

Is that a voluntary thing?

[ he can't imagine why anyone would CHOOSE it. ]

Re: [voice]

[cantcatchme]

They sure are. And I doubt it's voluntary. My father has his own agenda, but he wouldn't intentionally put himself out of commission.

[Nope, the guy had to be involved in everything. Everything.]

[voice]

[jimkirk]

[ his dad? Ouch. ]

Oh, your...I'm sorry, then.

Do you have any idea how people get shoved back into stasis?

Re: [voice]

[cantcatchme]

['Dad' was probably pushing it a bit.]

Don't be.

And I don't have a damn clue. Not like he left a note. It's not happening to me, though, I can tell you that.

[voice]

[jimkirk]

Not to play devil's advocate or anything, but how can you prevent it if you don't know what causes it?

Re: [voice]

[cantcatchme]

Simple. Anyone who wants to put me back in these things has to catch me, first.

[He smirks. Overconfident? Maybe. But he won't let himself believe that he could wind up trapped again, by something beyond his control.]

[voice]

[jimkirk]

Good attitude to have. Hope you run fast.

[ Wow, if only he had any idea. ]

Re: [voice]

[cantcatchme]

[Well, congrats, Jim. You actually got Pietro to laugh. Pretty hard, too.]

...thanks, man, I needed that.

[voice]

[jimkirk]

Uh, you're welcome?

[ he clearly has no idea wtf is so funny. ]

Audio

[thefuzzyguy]

[He'll just... not mention Magneto at all. It's clearly a sore subject. For both of them.]

Ja, that's the plan, mein freund. Remember? You had Toad sell me on the idea as soon as you got done calling me a muppet.

Re: Audio

[cantcatchme]

Not everybody's so eager to have me in charge when ol' Bucket Head isn't backing me up.

[Thankfully, Todd doesn't know why that'd be a problem, just yet. And he hoped it'd stay that way.]

Audio

[thefuzzyguy]

Bucket Head?

[Snort.]

One, Bucket Head was my problem. Two, no one said you're in charge. You said sticking together.

Re: Audio

[cantcatchme]

Oh, and I suppose you're a more qualified leader, fuzzball? Tell me again whose idea it was to teleport into the Dome without a plan or any weapons?

Audio

[thefuzzyguy]

[And facepalm.]

Whose idea was it to yell that into the monitored network? Arschloch.

Re: Audio

[cantcatchme]

Chill. This channel's locked, and only Hope didn't know about your little adventure, unless you'd already told her.

Audio

[thefuzzyguy]

Excuse me if I don't trust the terrifying techno-overlords to respect polite requests that they keep out.

[But he smiled anyway.]

I blame you if I get kidnapped by the space KGB.

Re: Audio

[cantcatchme]

KGB?

Whatever. Far as I know, nobody's been bothered over something they've said under a network lock. And I think that's the kind of thing people would mention, y'know?

[Audio]

[catchingflies]

[And a couple hours later, once Todd checks his phone....]

Uh. Wow. I guess that explains why he's kinda been gone lately, huh?

[He doesn't comment on the whole... sticking together thing. Since obviously he's here, and they're... there. And now he feels kind of bad about that.]

Re: [Audio]

[cantcatchme]

Gee, you think?

...and I haven't seen Jocelyn around, either. We're on our own here. At least we're used to it. Blue boy might have some trouble.

[Audio]

[catchingflies]

[There's a pause, and when Todd finally replies, it's actually sounding worried. He really kind of likes Jocelyn, after all. She'd fixed his head, told him he was kind of awesome, and was nice to him.]

Um. Can you check at her house? Jocelyn's house? It's down by the lake... hard t'miss, it's the only one there. If she's not around the hospital, she oughta be there, right?

Re: [Audio]

[cantcatchme]

Uh.

Yeah, sure Todd. Gimmie, like, five seconds.

[He's struck by how unfair it is that every adult role model Todd ever meets ditches him. Why it's more unfair when it happens to Todd than any of the other Brotherhood boys. Maybe it's because the little guy always goes and gets his hopes up.]

[It takes closer to a couple minutes, but Pietro does come back.]

Bad news. Nobody's home, and it doesn't look like anyone has been for a while. Sorry.

[Audio]

[catchingflies]

[Todd spent those few minutes holding his phone and kind of ignoring everyone else. When Pietro comes back with the results, he's a little surprised, himself, just how bad that makes him feel. So he tries to shrug it off.]

Eh. It's okay. It's not like I saw much of her recently, anyway, ya know? Thanks fer checkin'.

Re: [Audio] LOCKED NOW THNX

[cantcatchme]

Hey...

I'm not going anywhere, all right? Even this stupid illness didn't get me.

[And now he's done being sappy okay?]

[Audio] locked is good!

[catchingflies]

[Though he can't see it, Todd does pull together a wry sort of grin. Pietro? Being reassuring? ... not very well, but still! Todd takes what he can get.]

You'd better not. Or I'll-- uh-- figure out some way to make you sorry.

Re: [Audio] locked is good!

[cantcatchme]

Oooh, threatening.

But nah, I'll stick around here. You jokers would just get yourselves killed or something, without me.

[He's almost bantering like he used to - or rather, like the Pietro this Todd would remember.]