xp_logs | Charles, Ororo: Skilled Intervention

Ororo's phone startled her out of her meditative peace and she realized that it had never occurred to her to turn the ringer off. No one ever called her when she was in the house - emails or personal visits or text messages were the local standard. "Munroe here," she said pleasantly, when she'd unfolded her legs and stretched far enough to reach the phone.

"Good evening, Ororo," Charles said. "I hope I'm not interupting things."

"No, not at all, Charles." Ororo got to her feet and padded into the kitchen to heat water for some tea.

"Excellent. I need to speak to you about a news report here from Scoville, Iowa. Are you familiar with it?"

"Yes, I saw that one come in today. It's been on a few of their local feeds since it started on Monday." Ororo opened up the web browser on her computer and sat down to bring up the article again.

"It would seem to me that the child and the plant issues are related, of course. And since the plant growth remains local, so does the child, I expect." Charles frowned, looking at a map of the area on the display in front of him. "I'd like you to leave tomorrow morning to look for the girl. I'm a little concerned that her manifestation may have more than once facet and I'd like to avoid any unpleasantness. Skilled intervention could prevent a catastrophe."

"Have you got any suggestions for a team?" Ororo sat down in her chair, trying to smooth over the nervousness that gripped her. Lead position on a mission, even a simple-seeming one, wasn't something that she was convinced she was ready to take on.

"Take Kurt with you as your second," Charles advised. "He has the temperment for this kind of task. And I think it's about time that Sam got out, I've noticed he's making an effort to be more social. The extra activity should be helpful and he's a farm-boy, he'll have a good idea of how to talk to people out there. If you think you need anyone else, go ahead. I just spoke to Marie on the phone, though, and I'd rather she didn't go this time."

"I'll keep that in mind. I think I'll take Tabitha," Ororo mused, looking down the roster. "She worked hard at the Stonewall fire. I'll keep you updated on our progress, Charles."

"Thank you, Ororo. Have a good evening."

"You're welcome, Charles. You too." Ororo hung up the phone and stared at the roster a little longer, then keyed in the mission call, summoning the other three to the hangar at five the next morning.