[Network Video]

[target_audience]

[The video is chaotically shaky, and the noise staticy with what turns out to be splashing water, sending droplets splattering across the lens. In it, Shaw is standing on the sand, being recorded from the water. The camera is drifting away from her, or more accurately, kind of in circles. Stu's voice is off screen, sounding panicked.]

Anybody out there? Hello? This lady just cornered and threatened me. Hello? I'm in the ship, I'm in the--beach--if anyone is close to the ship--

[ooc: The Agrii have recognized a threat and lowered the boarding restrictions for the ships. Anyone can board, if they choose!]

Comments

same feed

[cactusy]

I'm unarmed, and I'm not threatening to do anything more than hang around and cramp your style.

[She lifts her hands, palms out, and stares dead-on at the screen.]

You wanna stay in the pool all day? Fine by me.

[target_audience]

I don't want to stay here, man--ma'am--sorry for calling you 'dude' earlier, that wasn't, uh, what I should have called you. Miss.



HELP!

[cactusy]

[She sighs, heavily.]

Babysitting your ass is really going to suck. I wish I'd found the other one; I like Billy better.

[target_audience]

You're the chick who called just to tell me you hate me!

[The camera remains on Shaw, but lists as Stu starts to whimper, then sob.]

Why are you doing this to me, man? I hate this place. I want to go home. I want my mom.

[cactusy]

The thing is, even if they buy that I said that--

[ She gives the still-recording tablet a little wave. ]

The fact that you're spinning this bullshit tells me I'm on the right track, and knowing I'm on the right track means I can keep an eye on you. What I really wanna know is Loomis' role in this, 'cause I think there's several possible options.

[target_audience]

[Overlapping while Shaw waves:] What do you--You did!

[The camera keeps tilting down now, until its obscured and fumbled around, then its very close to Stu's red face.]

I'm sorry, Billy. I think I'm gonna die here, man. I'm sorry. Don't let her get near you, okay? She's not worth it.

[tempredmental]

What the hell is going on?

[Keith had shown up on the beach, standing there with his arms crossed, looking annoyed.

He'd been watching the video since Stu started broadcasting, and, with the attacks recently, someone calling for help wasn't a good sign. He knew this was the ship he was assigned to, so he popped over to the hangar with Kosmo's help. The large blue wolf was standing next to him, eyeing the water eagerly for a moment before glancing up at Keith to see if he was allowed to go in this time.]

[target_audience]

[This sudden appearance is almost enough to startle Stu off of his lounger, then he's flailing around to try to reverse direction again, paddling toward the shore and a body to put between himself and Shaw.]

Get me out of here! This chick is crazy!

[cactusy]

[And Shaw, for her part, continues to pace along the shore, following his progress.]

He's the one who's been stealing communicators and using them to lure people in so he can attack them. Possibly with an accomplice, either knowing or unknowing, but it's definitely him.

[tempredmental]

[Honestly, Keith didn't know either of them, so... he wasn't sure who to believe at this point.]

Ooookay... that's a lot... from both of you.

[He turned to the woman.]

Do you have proof of what he did?

[cactusy]

What is it with this place and people expecting you to have proof before investigating? That's just ass-backwards.

[She crosses her arms over her chest, her jaw set.]

I didn't before, which is why I came to question him. His reaction was to start filming me and crying about how I threatened him with a weapon, so yeah, I'd say I have proof now.

[target_audience]

[Stu looks taken aback by the dismissal, enough to pause his crying entirely and look between them in shock.]

Are you buying this? She's toxic, dude, she shows up here and--she convinced Donnie to hate me, all I did was try to be his friend, that's why he won't even talk to me! Now she calls this an 'investigation' and all she's doing is telling me she's going to kill me for shit she's made up!

[tempredmental]

Okay, but clearly you had a reason to think it was him in the first place.

[Honestly, Keith was kind of meh about listening to someone panic out in the water. He gave a sidelong glance at the guy for a second.]

Something tells me that, if she had wanted to kill you, you'd probably be dead already.

[That's always how these things went, anyway...]

Action

[thelastechidna]

[Knuckles is on high alert with everything going wrong lately, and when this comes up, he hurries over to the ship and inside.]

What's going on here?

[He comes upon the beach scene glowering and looking intimidating ... at least as much so as a three-foot echidna can.]

[target_audience]

[Stu has to stop crying to stare at the weird little creature that looks angry to have been disturbed.]

Uh...Keep your distance, man, I think she has a knife.

[This would be more energized if Stu was more sure what he was looking at.]

[cactusy]

[The only thing that saves Shaw from having the same reaction is that this isn't her first encounter with a sapient animal. Thank you, Fang and the turtle kids, for saving her from having to process that for the first time right now.]

Hey, you can search me.

[Shaw offers knuckles, her open hands still held up.]

I came to ask him if he's the one who's been attacking people, and he started trying to publicly frame me for it instead. No more damning indictment than that, if you ask me.

[thelastechidna]

So why does she have a knife? Is she one of the killers?

[That is his immediate thought right now instead of the other possibility, that such a knife is for protection.

He looks to Shaw with a start when she speaks and willingly suggests a search.]

Okay, sure.

[Which makes for a strange sight as he comes over to search someone so much taller than him. He listens to her side of it with a frown.]

Maybe he's just scared? What made you wonder if it's him?

[Knuckles unfortunately can be gullible, but at least right now he seems willing to listen to all sides instead of just flying off the handle.]

[target_audience]

Frame you?

[He is incensed, but he knows a good distraction when he sees one, and is paddling for the shore to make his way around Shaw while she gets patted down by the alien.]

I wasn't botherin' anybody, and she stalks me in here and tells me I'm not leaving. I'm outta here, dude.

[cactusy]

Cool, me too.

[And while she'll allow the pat-down, she'll keep her attention on Stu at all times, moving to follow the instant he goes to leave the room.]

Dude stole Donnie's tablet--

[This is directed at Knuckles, over her shoulder as she walks.]

-- which was used to get to Robin. Then I show up to confront him, and he starts crying to you guys about how I threatened him and I'm armed. Put two and two together.

[thelastechidna]

[Knuckles finishes the search and follows them.]

How do you know he stole it?

[He has to admit, if there's proof of that, it sounds pretty bad.]

[target_audience]

[He's not going very gracefully, to keep the camera lifted and abandoning his pool toys.]

This is my cellular phone! We all got one!

[He is getting out of there as fast as possible, for a cameraman, so he's shouting as he goes banging out.]

I show up here and someone stabs me, then this chick calls just to tell me she hates me, and now she's cornering me--your math is shit, lady!

[cactusy]

Quit playing dumb; it's annoying.

[She says, as she follows out of the pool area and through the greenhouse. Good thing Knuckles is following, or he'd get left behind!]

You should ask Donnie for details; he was the one who was there.

[thelastechidna]

[Knuckles keeps following. He grimaces at this.]

Great.

[His one interaction with Donnie had not gone well. He's not sure he'll get a straight answer.]

Let's all go talk to Donnie.

[He smirks intimidatingly at Stu.]

Then maybe something will make sense.

[Since he didn't find a knife, he's more inclined to believe Shaw.]

[target_audience]

You're annoying.

[And now the muppet is looking threatening, too. Time to exit.]

Great, you guys have fun with Donnie and his totally stolen phone that he has with him.

[Stu is booking it.]

[cactusy]

Goddammit--

[Shaw gives chase, tearing after him with no thought as to whether or not Knuckles is able to keep up. Sorry, bro; it's not you, it's her.]