[ "Promise I'm fine. Back when I can be. Talk to you soon." were too few words to go on for months without knowing anything else about Peter's situation. Just how soon is soon, Quill? was what Kasumi thought every time she checked to see if maybe, just maybe, he'd sent an update. But she dealt with it, for a little while, trusting that he'd make good on his word.
That is, until she found out that he wasn't on the Milano with the rest of the Guardians. It had been, thankfully, Gamora that she inadvertently reached when she sent a message through the private comm, poking around for an update in case he could spare the time. And it was Gamora who had to break it to her: "...Goto, he's not with us. We were separated a few months ago. We thought you knew."
That's when Kasumi's heart sank--why hadn't she bothered to confirm this when she got the message months ago, instead of assuming the it meant that he was going to be away with the Guardians for a while? Gamora, and probably the rest of the Guardians, were probably the only living individuals in this galaxy at that point to have ever witnessed Kasumi in a panic. Even if it had been a veiled, controlled panic over the comm channel, it was still panic and they weren't sure how to deal with her--only knew to answer her questions. "We're certain the Ravagers took him," they said.
"Ravagers?" Kasumi paused. There had been a job, sometime ago, before Peter disappeared, during which she may or may not have swiped a target just a split second before the Ravagers; her contact had warned her that she'd be pissing them off, but at the time, Kasumi didn't particularly care. "So? They can join the club." were her exact words to the contact. Then it was "Damn it!" over the comm, startling the other Guardians, as she realized she gave them reason to track her down and--god, Peter, I'm so sorry. It was too easy to connect the dots and come to the very possible conclusion that she had been used as leverage, if they really did take him, of which Kasumi had been convinced at that point.
What followed then was a mad frenzy of data gathering, calling in a few favors, and even asking for help from the Shadow Broker, just to find out where exactly the Ravagers would be and when, and how Peter was doing. The latter hadn't turned up anything, and when Liara noticed that the typically enigmatic and playful thief was clearly perturbed and asked if she was okay, all Kasumi could say was, "No news is good news."
It had been somewhat of a challenge to coordinate this entire effort with the rest of the Guardians, somehow, despite the fact that they were all mutually invested in finding Peter (even if some of them would not like to admit as much out loud), but all that matters to her is that they're on the mining colony now, and Kasumi's somehow convinced them that letting her scout ahead while they wait at the Milano, while the more prudent course of action, is the best way to ensure this whole operation goes smoothly.
She's cloaked and grace under pressure doesn't even begin to describe her level of focus. While the initial shock of him being gone certainly sent her into a panic, it's more than enough for her to know that he's alive and she can actually do something about it. Still, she has to very consciously keep herself from leaping out of cover and out of her cloak when she finally, finally spots him in an alley, looking bored as hell.
Instead, she nestles herself in the shadows of the alley, just to make sure that none of the other Ravagers see her deactivate the cloak before she says, very quietly from behind Peter: ]
no subject
That is, until she found out that he wasn't on the Milano with the rest of the Guardians. It had been, thankfully, Gamora that she inadvertently reached when she sent a message through the private comm, poking around for an update in case he could spare the time. And it was Gamora who had to break it to her: "...Goto, he's not with us. We were separated a few months ago. We thought you knew."
That's when Kasumi's heart sank--why hadn't she bothered to confirm this when she got the message months ago, instead of assuming the it meant that he was going to be away with the Guardians for a while? Gamora, and probably the rest of the Guardians, were probably the only living individuals in this galaxy at that point to have ever witnessed Kasumi in a panic. Even if it had been a veiled, controlled panic over the comm channel, it was still panic and they weren't sure how to deal with her--only knew to answer her questions. "We're certain the Ravagers took him," they said.
"Ravagers?" Kasumi paused. There had been a job, sometime ago, before Peter disappeared, during which she may or may not have swiped a target just a split second before the Ravagers; her contact had warned her that she'd be pissing them off, but at the time, Kasumi didn't particularly care. "So? They can join the club." were her exact words to the contact. Then it was "Damn it!" over the comm, startling the other Guardians, as she realized she gave them reason to track her down and--god, Peter, I'm so sorry. It was too easy to connect the dots and come to the very possible conclusion that she had been used as leverage, if they really did take him, of which Kasumi had been convinced at that point.
What followed then was a mad frenzy of data gathering, calling in a few favors, and even asking for help from the Shadow Broker, just to find out where exactly the Ravagers would be and when, and how Peter was doing. The latter hadn't turned up anything, and when Liara noticed that the typically enigmatic and playful thief was clearly perturbed and asked if she was okay, all Kasumi could say was, "No news is good news."
It had been somewhat of a challenge to coordinate this entire effort with the rest of the Guardians, somehow, despite the fact that they were all mutually invested in finding Peter (even if some of them would not like to admit as much out loud), but all that matters to her is that they're on the mining colony now, and Kasumi's somehow convinced them that letting her scout ahead while they wait at the Milano, while the more prudent course of action, is the best way to ensure this whole operation goes smoothly.
She's cloaked and grace under pressure doesn't even begin to describe her level of focus. While the initial shock of him being gone certainly sent her into a panic, it's more than enough for her to know that he's alive and she can actually do something about it. Still, she has to very consciously keep herself from leaping out of cover and out of her cloak when she finally, finally spots him in an alley, looking bored as hell.
Instead, she nestles herself in the shadows of the alley, just to make sure that none of the other Ravagers see her deactivate the cloak before she says, very quietly from behind Peter: ]
It's boring without me around, huh?