the_lioness | (no subject)

"Yeah," K says rather jauntily. He pulls out a different jet-black and very shiny case and flips it open. A holographic display appears in the air above it, depicting a.... well, it *does* look like a sheep.

Mostly.

The glowing red eyes do stand out. But it's undoubtedly fluffy.

"The list of standard features runs as long as your arm. And the extras--," K chuckles. "Oh, those extras."

Mel is ahead of the others, only really 'with' them by necessity of still not having a clue where they're heading, and really not being happy about it.

She hasn't looked at K the entire journey, and isn't about to start now. Not while he still has a thing that can get at her brain through the eyes.

"Bet that'll come in handy," she mutters, her sarcasm making it significantly more audible.

"Will it track Mike?" Alanna asks, casting a worried look at her friend's back.

Something catches her eye a moment later. Something shiny, up a tree over the creek. As she watches, a leather boot dangles into view, mostly camouflaged by branches and leaves. Alanna's lips curve in a small smile and she looks expectantly at K; she'll have an answer before calling out to Jamie.

"It will," K assures her. "Ninja Turtle i-dent signatures have this way of standing out, even when they're in human form."

"Mind you, this would go a whole lot faster with 21st-century galactic transport. But I don't suppose your people would appreciate a Xerxes aerial gunship doing a low-altitude cruise over downtown Corus."

"...there a reason you're not using it right now?" Mel says, over her shoulder.

He has a Mike tracking device, and he's just talkinng about it?

"I'd just as soon ask the Lioness' permission here first before bringing more tech into her world," he gestures toward Alanna, "Than have her use me for sword practice."

He gives Mel a Look, "If that's quite all right with you."

Attitude can go both ways, after all.

Alanna grits her teeth and digs in her heels.

"Cease and desist. Both of you," she grumbles. "We will find Mike. We will do so in a way that will not call undue attention to anything that might incite panic, understood? I have to continue living and working here, and enough of the citizenry already thinks me mad."

If her nostrils actually flare, it would be best that no one mentions it.

"Yes, call for whatever tracking devices you have at your disposal. Discreetly would, indeed, be best. No gunships. We'll strap the..." She frowns. "...demonic looking thing to a cart and be on our way to... JAMIE! Get down from there." Eyeing her son, she points at K. "Send for it."

A loud thump signals Jamie's less than graceful descent from on high. He rolls to his feet, grins and dusts himself off.

"Hullo. I don't know where he is now, but I know where he's been and the direction he was going." He'd been listening. "Did Abigail send the cake? What happened to your hair?"

Only then does he stare at Mel and K, K and Mel, until his grin shifts into an easy I'm-totally-older-and-more-mature-than-you-think smile.

Mel breaks into her first smiel since Mike went missing, because she's got a weakness for kids that involves never underestimating them at all.

"Hey, Jamie, right?"

"Uh huh. And you're Mel." Jamie grins back. "You helped with the Stormwings! At the palace."

It's the hair. And the red axe thing. Jamie isn't very good with a sword, so he has decided unusual weapons should be his thing.

"Why does Uncle Mike think he's a pig person?"

"Because Uncle Mike is a ruttin' moron," Mel says cheerfully. "It's not a new situation."

K, meanwhile, is making another phone call.

"Ready B?... Yeah? Outstanding."

K flips the phone shut, "I do love trans-dimensional time differentials." He pulls out the holographic device again and starts punching buttons.

There's a quiet hum in the air a moment later, and a second after that the air...opens...like a doorway. Through it are standing a couple men and one woman, all dressed very much like K. One man in particular is shoving a very sheep-like looking thing through the portal into Tortall.

"Here. And bring it back in one piece for fuck's sake, or Zed'll have my ass."

K smirks, but doesn't bother looking up as he continues punching commands into his device. "Accessing the unit. Field-testing configuration--."

"I did that already," the other Agent snaps testily.

"Configuration confirmed," K continues, obviously ignoring the Agent which seems to really annoy the crap out of him, which is probably why K is doing it. Finally K looks up.

"Ok, B. I'll take it from here."

"Oh no, you don't, dammit, I have important instruc--! Fuc!" K punches one more button, and the portal snaps shut.

A rather smug Man in Black turns back to Alanna and Mel, as the ominously quiet sheep... thing suddenly quivers and then waddles over to Alanna, nudges her hand, and looks up, adoringly, with its glowing red eyes.

"Baaaaaaaah."

"Huh," K muses. "I think it likes you."

"Good?"

Great Mithros, that thing is more frightening than an entire flock of Stormwings ridden by Spidrens and tossed around by rampaging ogres.

"CAN WE KEEP IT?"

Jamie takes the doorway and other people in stride, but is nearly wiggling with delight over the sheep thing. Think of how many pranks he could play!

THINK, Alanna!

Mel rolls her eyes, more relaxed tnow there is a minor in play, but still very much focused on the mission.

"So how's it work?"

"All right, Bob," K calls out, and the SheepBot's head snaps around to look at him.

"Search quarry: ninja turtle. Search parameter: shortest walking distance. Search mode: rube avoidance."

Another unsettlingly metallic, "BAAAAAAHHH!" and the Sheepbot takes off at a steady, but walking, pace.

Then stops after a few steps and snaps its head around to look at Alanna. "BAAAAAAHHHH!"

Alanna remains at a loss for words.

"I," she manages, eyeing the thing, "was going to get horses. He has a significant head start."

Unfortunately, her son is already chasing after the 'sheep', laughing, and the 'sheep' might eat him if she delays further.

"Please tell me that thing goes faster?" Mel says, eying K again.

She can ride a horse, yeah, but she'll be happier actually running.

"He was at Peter's farm," Jamie says. He is wholly focused on the sheep, patting it and laughing. "Peter told him he didn't even HAVE pigs and sent him toward the north end of the valley."

He glances back at Alanna and K.

"Ma, it's waiting."

"It'll wait," K assures Alanna. "At least it will for you now." Isn't she lucky?

K then nods to Mel. "It broke the sound barrier in tests last week. 'Course it had a flat, clear stretch for that, but it'll go plenty fast enough."

By now he's standing by Jamie and the SheepBot. K adjusts the holographic display to show a long list of the SheepBot's 'special features,' conveniently rendered in Common.

Oh, very lucky.

Also rather disturbed.

"Then I'm going for the horses."

Alanna does an about face and trots off in the direction of the keep.

Jamie knows he should help her.

He stays where he is anyway, peering at the display.

"Rat catching," he reads. "Neat. Scent dispensing and dispersal, too." A pause. "Nail gun?"

Mel hops from one foot to the other, then flips backwards into a handstand.

"You need a hand, Stabby?"

Can she just be quick?

Alanna shakes her head and calls "No" over her shoulder. The stable-hands will help and are more than used to preparing horses in a hurry.

Then she adds, "Just watch him."

Whether or not she means Jamie is open to interpretation.

There are three 'hes' here - in Mel's mind at least, she can't tell a roboram from a roboewe - and as far as she's concerned, they all need an eye kept on them.

So she leans her ass against Bob and waits.