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xp_logsIt's a typical morning at the X-Factor offices, and a typical case of a missing mutant child.
There was a quiet moment during the day, when everything was ticking over, when heads were bowed over desks in work...or in relaxation. Sue never really bothered with worrying about which was which, as long as the work got done that was all that really mattered to her, it was a far cry from the more...controlled nature of a corporate office, but X-Factor Investigations had developed its own work ethic. One which was fueled by large amounts of coffee delivered at a regular basis.
Which was how she found herself here, returning from a Starbucks run, the shop down the street actually knew them by sight now, knew the myriad of orders that would be thrown their way. It was only a shame that Warren wasn't around anymore, Sue had always enjoyed coming up with the most outlandish drinks for him to try. Still, between several trays of coffee and the requisite bag of snacks and pastries, it was a surprise that she had managed to make her way through the building's front doors, let alone manage the elevator as she thought loudly at the offices. Someone better let me in.
It was clad with mitts of hot cardboard on her hands and a paper bag clenched between her teeth that the blonde found an older woman staring nervously at the door, teeth chewing the flesh of her lower lip as she attempted to wave to catch her attention. "Hiiiruuuuwaitinfoosomone." It wasn't really English, it was barely understandable, so it was no surprise the woman didn't really seem to register what was happening as her gaze shifted between the overladen woman and the door before she hurried forward to open it for her.
Hope looked up from where she was covering the reception desk for an hour or so and immediately rose when she saw the woman hesitating behind Sue. Throwing her lover a glare, she hurried over to the woman. "Good morning. Please come in. Is there anything I can help you with?"
The woman glanced back and forth between Hope and Sue with a bit of a frown. "I don't know... are you the detectives?"
Alex had heard the commotion from his desk and assumed Sue was back with the Starbucks - which he was right, as it turned out. Just not alone. "That's us," he said with a bright smile, bouncing forward to grab the bag from Sue's mouth, then holding a hand out for the woman. "I'm Alex. This is Sue, and Hope. What can we do for you?"
The blonde offered a bright smile as she twisted to slide past the woman, depositing the liquid sustenance on the table before turning around to face the woman. "How can we help?"
Nervous eyes flitted back and forth as the woman raised her hands, twisting them around one another as her fingers worked across one another. "It's just...well...I shouldn't have come here."
"Yet it looks like something is seriously wrong. You would not have come here otherwise." Hope pointed out gently, yet firmly. "Even if we are unable to help you directly, we might be able to point you to others who can. Sit for a moment and let us grab you some coffee or water while you consider?" She guided the woman towards one of the chairs in the waiting area, throwing her lover an expectant glance. "What is your name?"
"Sandy... Sandy Lopez."
Alex grabbed a notepad to start taking notes, eyes flitting between Hope and the woman - Sandy. "Are you in trouble?" She shook her head once. "Is someone else?"
She hesitated. Alex didn't push, waiting for Sue to grab the water and Sandy to collect herself.
A bottle of water seemed to appear in front of the woman, as if by magic as Sue retreated back to the main table, apportioning out the coffee, one ear open listening to the woman talk. She might not be a trained investigator like the others but she could always try to help.
"See...it...I don't want to cause any bother it's just my son..."
Alex wrote missing son? and circled it. He didn't know for sure, of course, but he would bet his next paycheck on it. "Is he a visible mutant?"
Sandy nodded, still looking around. "He's been moving between home and friends' houses because he can't find his own place and my neighbors aren't always... kind. But no one's seen him in a few days. He never goes this long without talking to someone."
"Ms. Lopez, could you describe him or maybe you brought a photo of him?" Hope asked, alerting Sue with a quick twitch of her finger.
"I have a photo... Miguel doesn't like it, but I wanted to..." Hesitantly Sandy pulled the photo from her pocket and handed it to Hope.
"Would you mind if we scanned it so you can have it back right away?"
The woman hesitated, uncertainty dancing across her face as Sue stepped forward, delicate fingers wrapping around the photo as she eased it out of her hands. "Don't worry," a small smile flashed at her, "I'll have this right back to you."
The woman's eyes followed the photo to the computer and back before she seemed to relax, "Do you...do you think you'll...that he's ok?"
Hope shared a quick glance with Alex, just a little unsure. She usually wasn't the one dealing with clients. "I cannot make any promises, Ms. Lopez. But we will do what we can to make sure he will be okay."
A delicate hand slipped the photo back into Sandy's hands as Sue gave her shoulder a soft squeeze, "This is what we do, if anyone can bring him back to you it's them."
There was a quiet moment during the day, when everything was ticking over, when heads were bowed over desks in work...or in relaxation. Sue never really bothered with worrying about which was which, as long as the work got done that was all that really mattered to her, it was a far cry from the more...controlled nature of a corporate office, but X-Factor Investigations had developed its own work ethic. One which was fueled by large amounts of coffee delivered at a regular basis.
Which was how she found herself here, returning from a Starbucks run, the shop down the street actually knew them by sight now, knew the myriad of orders that would be thrown their way. It was only a shame that Warren wasn't around anymore, Sue had always enjoyed coming up with the most outlandish drinks for him to try. Still, between several trays of coffee and the requisite bag of snacks and pastries, it was a surprise that she had managed to make her way through the building's front doors, let alone manage the elevator as she thought loudly at the offices. Someone better let me in.
It was clad with mitts of hot cardboard on her hands and a paper bag clenched between her teeth that the blonde found an older woman staring nervously at the door, teeth chewing the flesh of her lower lip as she attempted to wave to catch her attention. "Hiiiruuuuwaitinfoosomone." It wasn't really English, it was barely understandable, so it was no surprise the woman didn't really seem to register what was happening as her gaze shifted between the overladen woman and the door before she hurried forward to open it for her.
Hope looked up from where she was covering the reception desk for an hour or so and immediately rose when she saw the woman hesitating behind Sue. Throwing her lover a glare, she hurried over to the woman. "Good morning. Please come in. Is there anything I can help you with?"
The woman glanced back and forth between Hope and Sue with a bit of a frown. "I don't know... are you the detectives?"
Alex had heard the commotion from his desk and assumed Sue was back with the Starbucks - which he was right, as it turned out. Just not alone. "That's us," he said with a bright smile, bouncing forward to grab the bag from Sue's mouth, then holding a hand out for the woman. "I'm Alex. This is Sue, and Hope. What can we do for you?"
The blonde offered a bright smile as she twisted to slide past the woman, depositing the liquid sustenance on the table before turning around to face the woman. "How can we help?"
Nervous eyes flitted back and forth as the woman raised her hands, twisting them around one another as her fingers worked across one another. "It's just...well...I shouldn't have come here."
"Yet it looks like something is seriously wrong. You would not have come here otherwise." Hope pointed out gently, yet firmly. "Even if we are unable to help you directly, we might be able to point you to others who can. Sit for a moment and let us grab you some coffee or water while you consider?" She guided the woman towards one of the chairs in the waiting area, throwing her lover an expectant glance. "What is your name?"
"Sandy... Sandy Lopez."
Alex grabbed a notepad to start taking notes, eyes flitting between Hope and the woman - Sandy. "Are you in trouble?" She shook her head once. "Is someone else?"
She hesitated. Alex didn't push, waiting for Sue to grab the water and Sandy to collect herself.
A bottle of water seemed to appear in front of the woman, as if by magic as Sue retreated back to the main table, apportioning out the coffee, one ear open listening to the woman talk. She might not be a trained investigator like the others but she could always try to help.
"See...it...I don't want to cause any bother it's just my son..."
Alex wrote missing son? and circled it. He didn't know for sure, of course, but he would bet his next paycheck on it. "Is he a visible mutant?"
Sandy nodded, still looking around. "He's been moving between home and friends' houses because he can't find his own place and my neighbors aren't always... kind. But no one's seen him in a few days. He never goes this long without talking to someone."
"Ms. Lopez, could you describe him or maybe you brought a photo of him?" Hope asked, alerting Sue with a quick twitch of her finger.
"I have a photo... Miguel doesn't like it, but I wanted to..." Hesitantly Sandy pulled the photo from her pocket and handed it to Hope.
"Would you mind if we scanned it so you can have it back right away?"
The woman hesitated, uncertainty dancing across her face as Sue stepped forward, delicate fingers wrapping around the photo as she eased it out of her hands. "Don't worry," a small smile flashed at her, "I'll have this right back to you."
The woman's eyes followed the photo to the computer and back before she seemed to relax, "Do you...do you think you'll...that he's ok?"
Hope shared a quick glance with Alex, just a little unsure. She usually wasn't the one dealing with clients. "I cannot make any promises, Ms. Lopez. But we will do what we can to make sure he will be okay."
A delicate hand slipped the photo back into Sandy's hands as Sue gave her shoulder a soft squeeze, "This is what we do, if anyone can bring him back to you it's them."
