Xaviers!

"Well if you're so smart then you obviously don't need my help in figuring this out."

Haley is getting more but as things get a little more complex the metaphors break down. While the ultimate step does seem to be some kind of conquest, prior to that she gets the impression of political machinations, aimed at the UK in response to, well, their meddling. Beneath that she can get the smug satisfaction of having already replaced someone. Several someones? She gets the clear impression that the X-Men are what they're considering a high priority enemy right now, but a frontal assault is definitely not these peoples' preferred approach... Before she can dig too deep into their plans and who has been replaced with one of them the Skrull's thought suddenly slow down and almost dissipate.

In the cell in front of her the alien shifts and a moment later there's a bed sitting on each side of the cell. If Haley didn't know that one of them is a sentient being she would probably miss it's minuscule mental presence entirely.

The connection lost, Haley's eyes snapped open in frustration to reveal why she'd lost it. "God damnit! I was getting close and that bitch turned into fucking prison furniture."

Tosh headed over to her. "Did you get anything before you lost the link?"

"Yeah. A few things. This might be a much bigger issue than just us and Tereza," she frowned. "I think they may have replaced some politicians...maybe more than one. I think here in England."

"Fantastic... Invasion of the body snatchers..." X-23 mutters as she glances around the room, absolutely not trying to assess the people in the room one by one at all.

"That's... certainly not at all good," he said, oblivious to Miss Kinney's scrutiny. "We'll need to find a better way to ID them than a blood check, that's for sure."

"Well it worked once..." she says and her right hand balls into a fist, adamantium blades snapping out with a snikt.

Tosh gave X-23 a nervous look and took an involuntary step back. "Wait... wh-what are you doing?"

Her hand relaxes and the blades snap back, leaving behind two deep gashes between her knuckles that bleed red for a second before they close up.

"Fuckers had their hands on me couple weeks back, yeah?" she reminds everybody as she holds up her hand and the trickle of blood running down.

Haley chewed her lip nervously as the implication of what X-23 just did settled in. "I mean...I think I'd be able to tell most people apart. It's just that Tereza already has like...two things in her head, and one is really growly. And she also had like something else happen to her when she was out there. So it didn't really work for her. But I think for anyone else it would."

"....Please don't cut me."

"Why would she cut... oh."

He looked at X-23. "You think someone here's been pod peopled don't you."

"I think it's a distinct possibility. And I'll remind you that healing factors don't come with pain tolerance." she adds with a glance at Haley.

"We're not getting out of this room without needing bandaids are we?"

"You got a better idea?"

"Not one that wouldn't destroy my favorite shirt."

"...no." she murmured.

"...it hurts every time those come out?" she asked, clearly trying to buy time and avoid getting sliced.

"Sure does, kiddo." she says. "And we need to figure something out. You brainscanning everyone here only clears 'em if you're you." she tells Haley.

Haley grimaced and rolled up the sleeve of her uniform a bit, exposing her forearm and holding it out towards Laura. "Alright, fine, fuck it, just don't cut my shit entirely off, it won't grow back like yours," she said, a hint of panic in her voice as she looked the other way.

It's probably good she's looking away, because otherwise she'd have to watch Laura basically throw a punch as the claws snap back out, which would probably make the whole thing way worse. Instead she can barely feel the cut, at least for a couple seconds, then it starts to burn slightly. It's superficial and almost scary clean before it's obfuscated a little by the beads of red blood.

Haley wondered what the hell happened as she felt the rush of air from the punch and heard the sound of the claws snapping out, but didn't immediatley feel much. She looked back, confused, then down at her arm and hissed as the wound started to burn, but she looked satisfied that her blood was the right color and her humanity had been proved.

"God damn those things are sharp," she said, cradling her arm protectively.

Tosh winced as X-23 cut his girlfriend. He had to fight himself not to do something needlessly protective.

"I really shouldn't have watched that," he commented nervously before extending his arm and looking away. "Please be gentle."

"Your girlfriend just took the blow for you. Don't worry, not gonna tell anybody. But if she's good then she can clear the lot of you now."

Haley looked to Tosh and reached out with her mind just in case--she had to be sure.

Tosh's mind felt the same way it always did, which was mostly human with a side of shark-bro.

"This would be a sharking plot twist, wouldn't it babe?"
"Ugh. That was a bad one."

He's Tosh alright.

Haley smirked, turning to Laura. "He's good. But can you cut him anyway, just a little, for the terrible pun he just made?"

"I'll consider it. Just... keep your eyes and ears and... brains open. Don't spread panic, but if we're being infiltrated then we need to find out."

He poked his tongue out at Haley for her comment.

"I have a couple of ideas about that. Do the cell cameras have infrared capabilities?"

"The main one covering the hallway does. Why?"

"I wanted to see what her heat profile is without the forcefield interfering."

"Really sure we should open that force field, even for a second?"

"Not remotely. Exactly why I was hoping for that camera. But the hall recording might do."

"Knock yourself out. Just swap one of the monitors in the briefing room over to the security feed."

"Thanks. I'll keep you posted," he answered.

Looking to Haley, he said, "I should go get to that. Thanks for... you know... taking a claw for me."

"Better buy me something pretty," she giggled mischievously, pecking him on the cheek.

Was she kidding? Probably not. Damn those twinkling eyes.

"I have your tiara all picked out Princess," he teased.