2013.03.14 - Stay Safe

So. Jocelyn had been missing for most of the day and evening, and it has settled into night. For anyone who has hunting Jocelyn, she's left a merry trail of misdirection that, without certain supernatural gifts, might make it hard to identify her, including some dips in the water to mask her scent at times. However, her trail has eventually been picked back up in Gotham. Nobody has seen anyone matching Jocelyn's description, if they are asked, but given the news, most people would probably have turned her in to the authorities by now if they had.

Northern Gotham City is really the last bit of civilation before tracking in an urban environment will become difficult, but it also means it will be the last place Jocelyn can easily stop to stock up on any necessary supplies or to rest up, so there are still some options in the city, though if she isn't in the city proper, that means she's possibly made it to the forest already.

Yes, there has been someone after Jocelyn. So to speak. Someone who does have supernatural gifts, or at least metahuman like gifts, plus a certain amount of experience tracking. At times this person has lost the scent, for upwards of 100 feet.

And yet despite that, this tracker doesn't give up. After all, Laura Kinney is not exactly known for giving up.

All though considering this is Gotham...

Never mind.

Either way, Lauara is working her way through this city to find a certain other girl.

While Jocelyn hadn't been aware of Laura, she knew that someone would be tracking her, somehow. That was how it worked at Xavier's. She had been there long enough to know that. She had decided to stop and get some food and provisions before leaving town. Having secured a backpack and put her purchases inside, Jocelyn comes out of a grocery store about a thousand feet ahead of Laura. She's dressed, notably, in a leather jacket, a New York Yankees baseball cap, black leather gloves, jeans, and sneakers. Of course, the most obvious change to her outfit, from this distance, is that she's managed to change her hair to a brown color and has done it up in a braid. Given her height, it isn't a terrible disguise, at least from this distance.

Of course, that doesn't mask her scent, though with the various water activities and other things she's purchased, that at least adds to the number of scents Laura is going to have to contend with.

Jocelyn starts making her way out of Gotham proper at this point, either unaware of Laura or she doesn't care that she's being followed. From this distance, it is rather hard to tell.

Just be glad it is Laura Jocelyn. After all, if it were certain others, things might not go so well. At least not in the long run.

Then again...

Despite the extra smells, Laura does continue to track her fellow 'student'. And yet as she does so, she can't help but frown. She keeps trying to get closer. And /may/ even notice the young woman that sort of looks like Jocelyn, but for the moment... It's smell she relies on as she just tries to not only get closer, but to also try to stay out of the line of sight on the person she's tracking.

Indeed, there are those who would be...most upset with her. Or who aren't related at all to Xavier's Institute that would cause some problems for her. As it is, Jocelyn continues to walk along. Laura may notice that Jocelyn certain has that very 'aware' walk of someone who is quite comfortable and aware of the area they're in. She turns her head at seemingly random intervals, making it a little harder to get too close. The girl is certainly aware that this isn't a great place to be, and will be quite glad to reach whatever her destination is.

She continues walking, and is getting to the part where the city itself will soon start to fade into the distance. From there, if it is Jocelyn, she may feel more free to use her powers, given she is disguised and is in an area far less likely to attract much attention. This is made more apparent when she makes a sharp turn down a trail that is marked as a mountain trail, though it would be some time, obviously, before either of them would reach a mountain on foot.

And the very fact that they're running out of city may very well be why Laura is picking up her pace. Trying little by little to close the gap. The fact the Jocelyn does appear so aware of her surrounding and comfortable is enough that Laura is curious. but still...

Her goal is to close enough that she can at least speak to the other girl. And then, odds are she'll just let her go. But to do that without frightening her off is a challenge. After all, Laura knows all too well what it's like to be chased.

Hence why she's here. And doing this.

The terrain is enough to cause Jocelyn to slow a bit once she gets in there. Forests are something she is not an expert at navigating yet, and Jocelyn has to move a bit more cautiously, though she is maintaining some stealth in the process. She's prioritizing silence over speed at the moment, which will make it easier for Laura to catch up to her. However, it will make tracking her by mundane means more difficult, though certainly not impossible. Up and over a fallen tree trunk the girl goes, and then around a rock, where she pauses when she misjudges a step and slams her foot into it, biting back a curse. She pauses briefly to look down at her feet, and then starts moving again.

The longer this goes on, the more Laura puts a priority on speed over stealth, while trying to at least maintain a certain amount of stealth.

In fact, as the pair reach the woods, Laura actually breaks into a full fledged run.

Only she does not run directly /towards/ her 'prey'. Instead, after pacing her a bit, she actually starts to turn, and tries to do a loop to get around her, maybe even ahead of her if she can.

All though the female clone of Wolverine is once again starting to worry about her fellow student even as she does that.

That elicits a pause from Jocelyn. Not because Laura is too loud, but rather because Jocelyn can sense energy, and the heat from a person running is enough to make her stop. It won't be hard to get in front of her, especially when she stops and starts looking around.

While Jocelyn can't make Laura out in terms of actually seeing her, she can tell that someone is there, and she speaks up, her voice perhaps giving her away. "Who is it?" the teenager says, already charging herself up, just in case whoever it was meant her harm. No other movement is made, though Laura may recognize Jocelyn fall into her 'casual' combat stance that she's used in the gym before.

And that combat ready stance is answered.

Sorta.

Kinda.

Because as Jocelyn stops and readies herself, the clawed girl slows down. And then, without making any threatening moves Laura just tries to /walk/ into the line of sight of the other girl, before saying two simple words.

"It's me."

Jocelyn is already scanning the area, looking for anyone else. "Is anyone else with you, Laura?" Jocelyn asks. She's a little surprised it's just Laura, honestly. She'd expect a few people before she expected Laura to be the one sent after her. "Guess I don't have to ask why you're here. I'd say I hope you didn't have trouble finding me, but I have to admit I was hoping nobody would".

"I'm alone."

Yes, that's still said in a calm, matter of fact way, even as Laura continues to just stand there and to try and look non-threatening. Then again, since this is Laura...

"No trouble. I'm use to running. And trying not to be found. Experience. Thanks to /THEM/." is said before the clone takes a deep breath, and releases it slowly.

Yeah. She doesn't cut directly to the chase either.

Jocelyn will just have to try harder next time, that's all. Jocelyn nods, and relaxes a little bit. The words about the mysterious THEM that Laura refers to gets another nod. She hadn't grilled Wolverine further, but she could make some guesses from what the man had mentioned that morning. She would also bet that pressing that issue would just make Laura upset, and that was something she didn't want here.

"You here to bring me back in, or to talk?" Jocelyn asks. "One I'm willing to do. One I'm not".

There's a slight pause before Laura says just one word.

"Talk."

And then she lowers herself to the ground and sits cross legged.

"You want to go? I won't stop you. You don't want to be followed, and I won't."

"You probably know what I was. Or what I use to be. You know that they are after me. That they will not stop until they have me. That is why I run."

"Why are you running?"

"I'm going towards my demons," Jocelyn says, leaning against a tree. "You once told me you killed". A pause. "I have too. Not like you did, but when my ability first manifested, it blew apart that gym because I didn't know what was happening". A shake of her head. "Of course, try explaining that away to people who want to euthanize mutants, and you see the problem. People were supposed to think I was dead. But that isn't the case now, and I need to find a way to fix it".

Another pause. "And someone out there faked who I was. Falsified identity. That's not something I ever did. I need to find out who I am, Laura. And if I stay at the mansion, I'm not going to find that out".

There's a slight nod at that. Laura even remains silent for a few moment after hearing that. At least that is before she reaches into her pocket, and pulls out a cell phone which she tries to toss at the other girl.

"Burner. Not in anyones name. My number is stored. People I trust... Who could help you are on there too."

"If you need... Want help, call."

A nod is given, and the girl catches the burner easily, slipping it into a pocket. "Thanks. I picked one up too. But the information will help". Jocelyn pulls out a piece of paper from her jacket pocket and uses a bit of energy to push it to Laura. It has her burner's number on it. "Didn't want to bring the suit". Because then she'd be stupidly easy to track. She's not that stupid, nor is she good enough to disable that level of technology. "Call if you need help with something while I'm gone. If I can get there, I'll get there".

Another pause.

"Doug and Illyana are going to tear into me when I get back. They already think of me as too much a wild card anyway. Do me a favor? Tell Shift and Vic I'll be okay. Shift will understand. Vic is probably just going to be pissed".

"No. They won't." is said as Laura catches the number and pockets it. Odds are she has no reason to sound as certain as she does, but she does sound certain.

On the other hand...

"I'll tell them. But you should call Shift and tell him yourself."

And yes, she does consider saying something regarding the suit, or possibly offering something, but then again...

She doesn't move. Or start to get up. She just continues to sit there.

"I should. Didn't have a chance to leave a note for him. I might give him a buzz when I'm out of the state," Jocelyn conceeds. She doesn't argue the point about their instructors, however. She takes it for what it is, and gives Laura a nod.

"Thanks for coming, much as I wanted to make this quick and silent. I'll see you when I get back". The girl focuses her energy, and she lifts off the ground a few feet. Flying is such cheating. "Don't let them give my bunk away too quickly". She has a couple hunches as to what Laura is saying by continuing to sit there. But she wasn't going to ask those things of her, either. She could also be dead wrong.

"And they won't give your bunk away..." is said in the same emotionless tone as Laura continues to sit there. All though after a heartbeat or two she does add one more word to that. "Room mate."

Wait... WHAT?!?!

Oh well. There might be something regarding that, but that can wait until Jocelyn is back at the mansion to be sorted out. Right?

"Stay safe."

Jocelyn gives Laura a smile and a nod before she flies up into the trees and out of sight. Normally she'd give Laura a ride home...but there are a few too many fliers at the mansion who'd pin her down way too quickly.