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By the time Sylvia arrives at the gym word has spread about what happened in the halls.  All the other girls are there, along with Principal Landis and the girl's gym coach.  The girls seem a little nervous, but are immediately relieved when they see Sylvia arrive.

Sylvia does her level best not to project her irritation, but for god's sake, didn't they just talk about being careful?  Still, no one was hurt--that she knows of.

She seats herself amid the group and, for the moment, gives Landis the rapt look of the most innocent Girl Scout of all.  What's he saying?

"Ms. Avery-Vaughn, some of the girls were reluctant to talk until you arrived."  Principal Landis begins, "Something about not wanting to say anything that might get you in trouble?"

All of the girls immediately break out all at once trying to explain what's been happening to them and how Sylvia told them what was happening and not to say anything and to be careful and and and and.......

Principal Landis reaches over and takes the whistel from the gym coach, blowing it to get everyone's attention.  "So.  Someone did something to the squad and now it seems that you're all developing super powers?"

More chaotic explanations and agreements.

He blows the whistel again, "Would it be easier if I just talked to Ms. Avery-Vaughn then?"

The other girls nod.  Mr. Landis instructs the gym coach to send the girl's home as soon as the dismissal bell rings, and he cuations them all to be extra careful.  Then he motions for Sylvia to follow him, and leads her to his office.

Once there, he closes the door and offers her a chair.  "I assume you have more details than you gave the other members of the squad.  You and your friends tend to be on top of things here.  Anything I should know, other than I have to call the parents of the opther girls and tell them that they got super powers at school."

Crap.  So much for the innocent act.

Sylvia hasn't spent any time in the principal's office, a fact she attributes to low-key, if not exactly good, behavior, so she hasn't made much of an acquaintance with Landis.  He has a nice face, but given the creep factor of Oak Park's assorted faculty, she's loath to trust that.  Still, secretiveness isn't actually one of Sylvia's traits, not so much as stubborn independence and a telepathy-born respect for other people's boundaries.  She decides to give him the truth, a little at a time.

"We're investigating.  We think someone, a teacher, dosed the pep squad with some kind of mutagen."

"Let me ask.  Is it Mr. Heep?"  he says calmly.

"No," Sylvia says, giving him a sidelong look as if she's waiting for him to spill some information.  "Mr. Hamilton.  What made you think it was Heep?"

Landis seems relieved.  "Mr. Heep has had some trouble with the law before.  I would hate to think his reform had faltered."  he seems somewhat alarmed, "Mr. Hamilton?  Really?"  He rubs his face in the way someone might to push away stress.  "I take it there is not sufficient evidence to warrant a police investigation?"

"Not yet, but we're looking."  She knots her fingers together and suppresses the principal's-office jitters.  "I was wondering, do you have a copy of the school blueprints?"

"I'm going to pretend you didn't ask that question."  he says, "I'm going to advise the parents of the squad girls to go see a doctor.  This can't just be left to sit.  I suggest you go as well."

The dismissal bell rings.

"Should I call your mother for a ride?"

Sylvia shakes her head.  "A call from the principal's office?  No way.  She'll think I'm in trouble."

Her eyebrows pinch.  "Does that mean you're not going to do anything but send them home?  I'm not asking for blueprints to do anything bad.  I'm just trying to figure out where the mad doctor is hiding his lab."

"I'm going to tell their parents to take them to a doctor.  I'm going to explain that they may have been exposed to something, but that we don't know what it is.  Then I'm going to hope that they can be helped.  And if you want the school blueprints, I suggest talking to someone else.  Perhaps Mr. McBride, or Mr. Darklighter."

OOC: McBride is Dave.

Sylvia sees how it's going to be.  The man isn't the sheriff so much as he's the law.  "Okay," she chirps and hops to her feet.  "If we learn anything, you'll be the first to--well, no.  You'll probably hear about it from the PCD.  I promised them dibs."

"That's good to hear.  And I'm sorry these things have fallen to you and your friends.  You should go and call your mother."  He gets up and opens the door for her.

Sylvia leaves, but not to call her mother.  Instead she texts Donnie.

ur in hamiltons machine, stealin his dataz?

dunno

She texts the whole group.

where is hamilton?

Sammy sees the text message and grimaces.  She presses herself against Elrod and wraps her arms tightly around him.  "Gotta go," she whispers against his neck.  "They need me to help find Mr. Hamilton.  I'll see you in a while, if that's all right with you."  She kisses him lightheaded, then darts back into the sky.  She starts peering through classroom windows.

There's a text message from Alicia:


in teacher lounge acting innocent. can i slash his tires?

going 2 haxxor hz comp. Warn if on way.

Donnie heads to Hamilton's classroom and looks to see if there is a class in there. If not, he'll pop the lock (Using Donnie's Lock Charm) and then go to Hamilton's computer, hacking in with Datalink to see what he can find. If there seems to be no incriminating files, he will check on Hamilton's browser history, and see if he ftp'd or logged into his home computer. In addition, he will see if Hamilton has a laptop in his room that perhaps he uses for his private projects.

Computers Skill Check: 1d20+6=23 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2051987/) Booyah!

The only computer in the room is his laptop.  The door was locked, and the laptop is in his bag under his desk. 

OOC: I assume you can get the files, but even looking at them wouldn't tell you much since they're encrypted and even if you can bypass that it's high science shorthand.  You can copy them to a portable media though.

If Sammy can get a line of sight into the teacher's lounge from the outside, she will.  If she can't, its time for Plan B.  Or H.

Donnie copies the files onto a 2gig flashdrive and exits the room after putting everything back where he found it. He also locks the door.

Two hallways away, he texts out a message.

Got it. Mr Heep? It's gobldygook 2 me.

Dave might be safer.  Or Elrod.  He can pay guys who can do this stuff.

my vote:  copy and share.

meanwhile, sammy i assume appt w/ strange canceled?  im going to see if hamilton has anything in particular on his mind today, could use backup.

Sylvia can always use backup.

Sammy finds Sylvia a few minutes later.  "Ready when you are, Chief."