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Mutants & Masterminds: Future Imperfect - Quest


Joani

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"I said," Juno called, "I can smooth things over. I know them. They've been crashing at my place for awhile now. I dunno what you want with them, but I can at least get you all talking which is better than I figure you've got right now."

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Sam didn't dare move her eyes from her work as she continued to go spelunking in the military's database. "I should ask why the fuck she even knows we're looking for them. But that question is obvious and you must have a really good goddamn reason to explain that, which I will get later." She said to Frostbite, "And you know Fen is already on it, so unless you think this girl's ability would let her find people that are teleporting around like Dr. Who on a pogo stick, I suggest you leave me alone and wait for him to report back in...because in case you hadn't noticed...I'm a little busy here."

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"There ya have it." Jaunt said with a flip of the latch. "If Adrian is willing to trust you enough, then I'll support his decision. But, please Ivan, don't fuck with us. My 360 blew up, there's a war on the street, I've had to fight with cops, vomit in the can, and teleport my happy ass all over this city trying to keep away from what seems like an army of village idiots trying to capture two kids who just want to be left alone."

"Aside from meeting hotness over here," He thumbed to Rebecca. "My days been a pretty shitty one. I'm so not in the mood for back stabbing, cloak and dagger bullshit, or vague answers to straight questions. Keep being straight up with us and we'll be straight with you."

The teenager back away from the cage and let the door sway open a bit so Fenris could let himself out.

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The older mutant stepped out of the cage and stood up, nodding at Jaunt's words. "Not a problem." he said easily, smiling a little. The British accent was back in place, slipped on as readily as the boots Jaunt had handed back a few minutes before. "No vague doubletalk bullshit. If I can't tell you something, I'll say so." He reached down and pulled a small, slim device from his back pocket, weighing it in his hand as he considered it. "Not yet." he said, half to himself, leaving the tiny cellphone off. "We need to get clear of this zone first." He paused for a moment and looked at them all measuringly.

"How soon can you all be ready to move?" he asked calmly. "I understand you might be tired and stressed, but if you don't absolutely need rest right now, we should get going. Things are getting strange out there, what with the mechanised armour suit things. We really should get going while it's still light and things are still chaotic."

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Adrian looked to the couch on which his sister was sleeping. „I think she is mostly stable now but maybe Jaunt shouldn’t touch her again – at least not until there’s no other choice. I will pick her up and carry her.“, he nodded at Fenris and smiled nervously at the others. For his part he was ready, waiting longer felt wrong.

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“I still think this is a really bad idea,” Rebecca said nervously. She bit her lip in an insanely cute way; had she not looked really worried, it would have been too adorable to endure. “But I’m not leaving you guys alone, not now.” She smiled, her expression still awkward and uneasy. “We need to pack some food – the stores aren’t going to be open and who knows how long we’ll be stuck at this place. We should grab some toiletries, too. Towels… everything we’d need for a trip.”

She turned to Jaunt, her mind already racing ahead to their needs and the practicalities of the situation. “Jaunt, do you have all that?”

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"The safehouse should be well-stocked, but grab what you can easily carry anyway." Fenris said as he crouched and looked over the unconscious Becca, careful not to touch her. He looked up at Adrian, who was hovering watchfully, and nodded to him. "Let me know if you get tired." he instructed the boy- no, young man gently as he stood and stepped back. Adrian sat by his sister and waited as Rebecca and Jaunt threw some clothing and supplies together. Fenris watched him, wondering if he'd had a family beyond his mother. He didn't remember - didn't remember much from before the bombs started falling and the world blew apart. But he remembered his mother's body and the hate his young heart had held for the fascisti. He spent a little time cleaning himself up, washing the blood from his face and hands and sponging down his clothing.

When they were ready, Jaunt 'ported them all outside one by one, pausing to recover as Fenris stepped to the end of the alley and scented the air, ears cocked and listening to the rumble and crackle of urban war. Beyond the MIC, the rest of Vegas would be waiting nervously, police and citizens alike keeping an eye on the skies as they prayed the chaos wouldn't spread to their world from the contamination of the mutant zone. Fenris spent some moments plotting his next few moves, then headed back to the others.

"Move when I say, stop when I say." he told them quietly. "Watch your footing, watch your backs, and keep an eye on rooftops. We're going to keep indoors as much as possible, going through buildings where we can till we reach an entry point to the underground. From there we'll keep going." He looked at Adrian. "It'll be a long hike, but tell me if you absolutely need to rest. Same goes for all of you. Once we're outside the police and army perimeter, we'll steal a car and things will move faster." He looked from face to face and smiled slightly. "Let's go."

They went.

Several times the blond guide told the teens to stop, and they did despite seeing no cause for his caution. Fenris moved ahead of them a little, not bothering to creep or crouch, instead walking quickly and confidently, now and then pausing to sniff the air and listen. They reached an entrance to the storm drain network and slipped in, moving through the gloom and leaving the the uproar behind them. For a long time they walked, Fenris now and then listening attentively to the echoing surroundings. They didn't say much, both Rebecca and Jaunt making sure that Adrian wasn't pushing himself and letting their guide do his job.

"Here." Fenris said after what seemed like hours, and climbed up out of the tunnels, leading the four teens into daylight. He had them wait in a side alley for a short time, the minutes ticking by nervously before he rolled up in a cheap-looking pickup truck.

"Where'd you get that heap of crap?" Jaunt asked as they jumped in. Fenris smiled and shrugged.

"I bought it." he said simply. "Easier than stealing one and having people looking for it. I chose this area to come out in because of the used-car lot down the road." He drove carefully, avoiding the main roads and not speeding - not that the truck could speed, probably. The engine sounded as though it were trying to pass gravel. Noticing Rebecca's dubious look, Fenris shrugged again.

"It was cheap, and good for at least this trip." he explained with a smile. By now they were out of central Las Vegas, heading into one of the low class suburban residential areas used by the thousands of blue-collar service industry workers who kept the glittering city running. The sun had gone down, but the warm of the day still lingered as he turned the pickup into a driveway and killed the engine, which settled with a grateful rattle. The others stirred and started to extricate themselves as Fenris hopped out of the truck and cast about with his senses, trying to detect anything amiss. Apparently satisfied, he moved to the edge of the driveway and fished around in the bushes, emerging with a set of keys in a small baggie.

"Consider this home, for now." he said to the stretching and weary teenagers as he opened the door. Kicking aside the pile of junk mail, he waved them all in before closing the door behind them. They found themselves in a comfortable lounge with plenty of sofa space, and as they stood looking around Fenris went to check the kitchen. He grunted with approval as he found the cupboards and fridge containing at least a little food, enough for a day or two.

"Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a pool out back." he told the four kids as he came back into the lounge. "Get comfortable, feel free to turn on the tv. No 360, I'm afraid." he shrugged apologetically at Jaunt. "I'll see what can be arranged."

He picked up the phone, checking the device attached to it before he dialled the number he'd committed to memory. No tap on this line - good. There's shouldn't be anyway, since it'd been months since this safehouse had been used. Landlines were safer than cells - for this sort of business anyway.

"This is Fenris." he said when the other end was picked up. "Tell Orphan we're safe and home."

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"Nice digs." Jaunt smirked as he slumped his pack to the floor near the doorway. "What kinda salary does an air sniffer get these days? You're doing pretty well for yourself."

Sighing, he folded his arms and thought for a moment them looked at everyone else. "You guys looked exhausted. Adrian, Becca, pick a bedroom and get some rest while we can, okay?"

Neither seemed to argue much as they shambled off like zombies in search of a bed room. Looking at Rebecca Jaunt relaxed a bit and approached her, his voice was soft and almost... caring? "Hey, tough girl, come on you too." He rubbed her shoulder a bit and gave her a reassuring grin. "Take one of the other rooms and try and take a short nap while we have the time. Don't worry, I'll be right out here, okay?"

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Rebecca swallowed before shaking her head. “No,” she said quietly, “I’m too wound up. I doubt I could sleep right now.” Her eyes darted nervously to Fenris and away, revealing that a great deal of her nervousness came from his presence.

Besides, she’d just seen that the phone worked. She needed to get a few minutes on it to contact Raven and get the kids extracted. She didn’t want to imagine what horrors the Mutant Underground could unleash on innocent people if they had someone who could absorb the virus like Becca could.

Turning to Jaunt, she added shyly, “If you’re going to be up, too, maybe you can help me relax.” Jaunt grinned broadly at the suggestion as she added, “I have some cards in my bag. A few hands of poker might take our minds off of this.” She paused at the look on his face. “What?”

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"Poker?" He chuckled lightly. She could see he was just as weary as she was but refused to let his guard down with Fenris around, lest he bite them like the legends of his namesake. "You'r eso straight laced, where'd you learn to play poker?"

"Um, this is Las Vegas." She gave him a 'duh' look that mentally gave him the 'stupid question of the day' badge.

"Right." He smirked, applauding her logic and taking the 'duh' shot on the chin. "You grab the cards, I'll see if we got anything to drink in this place." With a signature shift in his features, he jaunted to the kitchen.

After several minutes Rebecca had shuffled the cards and set them up a nice spot on a long glass coffee table for their tournament of poker. With a glimmer and a pop of air, Jaunt reappeared with a pot of water, glasses and a box of Lipton tea. His sudden appearances though were really nerve wracking. Did he ever walk anywhere? "Tea might help, I think. So, we playing for chips, coins," He smirked wide and gave her that impish look of his. "Clothes? Dirty secrets perhaps? Or just for fun?"

He started pouring the tea while she dealt the first hand.

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“Hmm,” Rebecca said thoughtfully, “hang on.” She rose and disappeared into the kitchen, coming back a couple of moments later with a can of peanuts. “Let’s play for these.”

“You wanna play for nuts,” Jaunt said flatly, looking at her.

“Yes,” Rebecca said, even as a flush crawled up her cheeks. Her dark eyes met his boldly as she said, “I want to play for nuts.” She glanced sideways at their warden, where he was just finishing his phone call. “How about it, Fen? Wanna play some poker?”

“For my nuts,” Jaunt added with a grin as he scooped up his hand.

Rebecca blushed harder but added, “Yes, for Jaunt’s nuts.”

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Fenris smiled slightly at the wordplay and shook his head as he set the phone back in it's cradle. He wasn't fooled - neither teen was comfortable around him, and Rebecca in particular was nervous. It was understandable enough, so he didn't let it bother him. For the stoic older mutant, it was strictly speaking irrelevant whether the people he was helping liked him, just so long as they were willing to cooperate.

"I'll pass. Two teenagers from Vegas could clean me out - I'd end up with no nuts at all." he said straight-faced. Jaunt smirked as Fenris sat down next to the phone and leaned back in the easy chair. "The house isn't mine, so try to resist the urge to redecorate." he said deadpan as he closed his eyes, hands resting on the arms of his chair.

Though he appeared to be sleeping at first glance, Fenris was actually just relaxing, letting his senses pay attention to what was around him whilst the rest of him relaxed. He was napping in that specialised way that experienced soldiers and wild animals share, one metaphorical ear cocked up and waiting for some sign that aught was amiss.

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"Yer loss dude." Jaunt popped a few peanuts into his mouth with a dexterous toss and crunched them. "My nuts are delicious. Ain't that right Rebecca?" He grinned.

She was smart enough not to take the bait and just went about dealing the first hand.

Jaunt took his hand and looked it over, letting the water absorb the tea. "So what do we now? Just sit and wait for Orphan to deliver instructions on how she wants us transported to her? Bound and gagged, with sacks on our heads, quietly passed through the streets but never touching the light of the moon except on Thursdays... or whatever other cockamamie, cloak and dagger B.S. she can come up with?"

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"Speak of the devil..." Mouse piped in, his face looking over at a monitor away from his webcam. "Fen just called in from one of the safehouses, he has them all there...and I just got kicked, Sam. You're on your own, they must have finally found us."

Sam nodded at Mouse as she glanced at the location of the call from Fen. "Frost, take your new friend down to the house and see if you can bring them back, if she really knows them, then it should be no problem. Take Steve with you, I'm tired of the hippity-hop bullshit."

With that, Sam turned back to the monitor, beads of sweat forming from her concentration as her hands flew across the board, now just trying to keep herself from being traced and booted as she continued to download everything she could.

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Rebecca glanced at the man sleeping on the recliner, next to the phone. “I guess,” she told Jaunt, frowning a little. “Adrian seems to want to trust these people.” She studied her hand for a moment, looking as relaxed as she could be right now. Her fingernails tapped the table once as she grumpily added, “When I said find some help and trust people, I didn’t mean the people who just offered to blindfold and gag him and his sister for transport to locations unknown.” She discarded a card, tossed a peanut into the pot and said, “Your turn.”

As Jaunt nodded and ate another piece of his loot, Rebecca considered her options. She trusted Fenris to deliver the kids alive, but she and Jaunt less so. She could think of no way to get to the phone, so she was going to have to try something more dangerous. She let the hand play out, grinning as Jaunt make jokes and won the pot. “I’ve got to use the bathroom,” she said, standing up and stretching. “I’ll be right back – and leave my nuts alone.”

Jaunt raised his hands in mock surrender. “Don’t touch with your nuts. I am alright with this,” he quipped.

Rebecca was still smiling as she closed and locked the bathroom door, but that quickly faded as she took a seat on the toilet. Drawing a deep breath and hoping the Virus played nice this time, she reached out for a familiar mind –

Raven’s consciousness was right there, almost as if she were waiting for her. Rebecca blinked in surprise, even as Raven thought, *Rebecca! Thank god you reported in.*

*Ah, yeah. I was worried about me, too,* Rebecca told her, then proceeded to lay out the situation, including her location. *How soon can you extract us?*

*Not immediately,* Raven thought. *I’m trying to recollect my resources from the military.*

*I’m not comfortable with Garm here,* the teen thought nervously.

*I’m not either,* Raven agreed. *We’ll have you out ASAP, especially with what is at stake.* Rebecca paused. She hadn’t mentioned what she’d learned about Becca yet, but she really shouldn’t obfuscate that any longer. *Rebecca?*

*The sister… she’s no cure. The Virus affects her, too. Just not the same way it does me,* Rebecca said before launching into an explanation. When she was done, she asked, *Does that change anything?*

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Garm – that name rang a bell but she didn’t have the time nor the the tools to make a safe research so it would have to wait for later.

The news about the girl not being a cure was a setback she wasn’t prepared for and even though she tried to keep her disappointment out of her thoughts Rebecca could still feel some of it shining through as Raven answered. *I think we could still benefit from having her and studying what she is capable of. Maybe it helps us in understanding how the Virus works and eventually give us a hint how to cure you from it. Aside from that those kids deserved a better future than they have now.*, Rebecca could feel that Raven knew more about the kids but didn’t share it.

There was a short pause before Raven added, *You did a good job, Rebecca, I’m proud of you. I promise to get you out of there ASAP... and if your life is in danger I don’t want you to risk anything. Safe yourself – that is more important to me... us, sorry*, Rebecca couldn’t recall hearing such a slip on Raven’s side before. Her handler seemed oddly emotionally involved and she wasn’t sure if it was flattering or caused her to worry.

*What is your next move? Where are you now and where can we meet for extraction?*, Raven asked back to her usual business like attitude.

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Dexterously one of the peanuts was flicked into the air. Up it went until gravity beckoned it downward landing on target into Jaunt's mouth. He crunched impatiently as the boredom of watching Garm sleep swept over him.

Truth be told, he was tired as hell but he refused to let himself sleep with this Garm guy breathing down the necks of the younger ones. With a shimmer and a 'bamf' he was gone from the room and quickly standing beside the bed where the children had decided to sleep.

He pulled the blanket up to cover the siblings as they a slept, offering them an unseen smile.

*****

"So, I guess mom told you huh?" The sun set lazily across the Nevada skyline while a gentle but arid breeze caught the curtains of the wide open window. Jaunt sat on the railing of the fire escape. Jenna, his twin sister, sat on the iron wrought steps directly across form him that led up to the next floor. Her eyes were swollen and puffy from hours of crying. "Jenna, look I-"

"She said you ran." She looked at him, her voice a mixture of sorrow and anger. "You put officers in the hospital. She's just trying to help, Devin, mom wants to help you."

This was his sister and he couldn't get angry with her, she'd been through enough already. "Jenna, mom's changed. You weren't there. The experiments, the cutting, the needles. She let them do it, all of it, no matter how much it hurt me."

"She wants to help, to cure you." She tried to reason with him but her brother only offered her a sardonic smile.

"Jenna, I'm a mutant. There is no cure for 'mutant'." He held out his hands to demonstrate holding a mutant in one hand and a human being in the other. "You can no more cure a mutant of 'mutisim'," he shrugged having no better word to use. "Than you can cure a human being of humanity."

He folded his arms and resumed his balance on the iron perch several stories above the alley below them. "I am what I am. You are what you are."

"A human?" She she mocked him, a bit irritated that he'd trumped her with logic. Her brother had never been one for logic.

"My sister." He said lovingly. "Look, I know I've been a pretty shitty brother at times, but circumstances being what they are Jen, well, I love you. There I said it. I'll always be your brother."

She smiled and launched herself at him. He locked his feet into the space between the bars of the escape to prevent from falling but eventually just smiled and returned the hug she'd wrapped around him. "You're leaving aren't you?"

"I have to." Devin said, choking back the lump in his throat. "We're all we have left, Jen. I'll always be watching over you. Call me if you need me," She backed away from him but still had her arms over his shoulders. Her smile was as genuine as he'd ever seen on her and it warmed his heart to his sister happy despite such dark times. "I'll be at your side in the blink of an eye."

...and like that he was gone. Nothing more than a shimmering scar where his wormhole distorted space briefly before fading away. Jenna stood there for several moments, stunned and looking around for where her brother could have gone to before resigning herself to the fact that he was far away.

*****

"I know what you're going through Adrian." Jaunt, now kneeling beside the bed whispered into the darkness of the room. "From one bro to another, I respect what you're doing. I love my sister too, and I know that if anything, or anyone came for her or tried to hurt her that I would bring down a wrath so relentless that even God himself would be impressed. So you do me a favor, Guardian: you hold on to her with everything you have. Stand up for her, protect her and promise her she'll never be alone as long as she has you in heart, kid."

He turned to let them continue their sleeping and walked to the door slowly, "And then do me one better. After you say it all, keep your word, because trust me Adrian, you never know how important a family's love is until you've lost it all. Stay strong, bro, stay strong."

With a 'bamf' he appeared back at the card table. He sniffled deeply but showed no other signs of his talk with the sleeping brother. Instead of popping peanuts though, he just sort of thumbed them around the table, lost in thought until Rebecca returned from the longest tinkle in recorded female history.

"Dude," He said to the inattentive Fenris. "For a half starved homeless girl, she sure can pinch off a deuce. Christ, my nuts are going stale."

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"She isn't."

"Huh?" Jaunt looked over at the suddenly-awake older man. "Care to give us the expanded universe there, old-timer?" Fenris's eyes were on the ceiling of the lounge, narrowed slightly.

"She isn't 'pinching off a deuce'. Nor has she done anything else toilet related." Fenris was still sitting relaxedly in the chair, but there was a subtle change in his posture now, a tautness that the perceptive Jaunt picked up on. He followed Fenris's gaze to the ceiling, then looked back at him.

"Dude, how can you tell- know what? Don't answer that. I'm glad I don't smell the whole world, jeez." He idly flicked another nut into his mouth, his mind working over what he'd just heard. "Uh, maybe she's crying or having an attack of the shakes or somethin'?" Fenris merely looked at him, and Jaunt felt a sinking sensation. "Lemme guess: no? You can tell that too?" Fenris nodded.

"Well that sucks." Jaunt muttered.

"It may be nothing." Fenris said, getting up and checking the stun gun, mace, smoke and gas grenades he'd taken from the dead SWAT. Then he appropriated one of the MP-5s and sat back down with it across his lap, checking that it was loaded and the safety was on. "She isn't talking to anyone on a phone or hidden mic. She isn't texting or typing. She's probably just be thinking things over in peace and quiet: having some alone time. Like I said: nothing."

"Yeah." Jaunt said, watching as Fenris made his preparations. "Then why the gun?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"In case it's 'something'." Fenris sat back in his chair again, one hand on the grip of the SMG as he closed his eyes once more. "I heard what you said to the boy. They were good words." he said laconically as he settled back down to rest.

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Rebecca sent the address to Raven as well as directions. *By the way, I’m here with another mutant who’s helped me. I want him left alone.*

*Is there a reason we wouldn’t?* Raven asked. Rebecca could feel her trepidation and unease at the question. She didn’t want to hurt the young man, but things were done a certain way.

*Yes, but promise me you’ll spare him from whatever.* Rebecca looked up at the ceiling, as if beseeching God for help, too. *Please. He’s a good person.*

*I can’t promise that, Rebecca. You want him not involved, you need to get him out before we get there,* her handler told her. Raven was kind enough not to point out that action was just as likely to get her in trouble as trying to keep him out of harm. *We’ll be there as soon as we can.*

Rebecca felt the connection close; for a long moment, she sat on the stool, head in her hands. God, she prayed, wondering if he heard mutants, please protect Jaunt, Adrian and Becca. Please guide me to the right choices. I… I… I just don’t know what to do.

There was no answer and she sat another moment. After a bit, she sighed and used the facilities as they were intended; she had come here to do that and she might get in a situation where she wouldn’t have a chance again. One look in the mirror as she washed her hands made her flinch. Her face was a dirty; her hair a rat’s nest. She dug in her backpack – like all homeless kids, she didn’t leave it behind anywhere – and pulled out a brush. After she’d washed her face and brushed out her hair, she put everything away and went to rejoin the game.

“Uh,” she said, stopping in the entrance to the hallway to stare at Garm. Fear flooded her; her fingers knotted around the strap of her backpack in a nervous gesture. “What’s happened?”

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Click to reveal.. (Emotion Sensing roll)
Roll: 11 +6 Modifier = +17

I'm not sure whether there's any bonuses or penalties on this due to the physical nature of Fenris's ability (senses changes in body chemistry) I made the roll just to see if ordinarily Rebecca's fear would get past him. Of course, if she doesn't know he's capable of smelling emotions, she might not be trying to damp down her reactions.


Fear! A lot of fear. Rebecca stank of it, and it was a sudden flood of the various chemicals into her bloodstream that clued Fenris into her emotional state. She'd been nervous before, but not frightened like this. Simply because he had a gun on his lap?

Fenris thought it unlikely.

"Nothing. Yet." he said without opening his eyes, one hand resting on the sleek black shape of the firearm across his lap. He paused for a moment, then tilted his head forwards and looked at her intently. "I'm just being cautious." he told her in an even tone. "I've given Jaunt an alternative safehouse to snatch the kids away to if the wrong people knock on that door." He smiled then and shrugged, leaning his head back again on the cushion, half-closed eyes regarding her. "But I'm not really expecting trouble. After all, no-one could know where we are unless someone here told them." He said in a reassuring tone and waved his free hand at Jaunt, grinning.

"Go on with your game. Jaunt's nuts will be shrivelling by now."
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Jaunt didn't reply to Fenris's comment about hearing what he'd said. It's not like they were on the fast track to becoming good pals or anything.

Quote:
He said in a reassuring tone and waved his free hand at Jaunt, grinning.

Jaunt smirked at him in return and waved back, spinning his hand about until Fenris was looking at a boldly presented middle finger. It was his way of rebelling against Fenris for hearing him while he let his guard down with Adrian and the heart-felt speech. Garm didn't buy it, he was far to old and mature to fooled by Jaunt's gestures of immaturity.

With a flicker he was near Rebecca (God, keeping up with this kid's movements was a pain in the ass sometimes). Gently clasping her wrist he led her around Fenris and away from the gun toting merc. "Give it a rest dude. You're subtlety is for shit. Leave her alone, alright? No one here is telling anyone, anything. We're all friends right? Well, for the most part, you're kind of a douche, but we can all trust each other, so chill with the gun and the Rambo style 'yet' bullshit, kay? You wanna accuse, then accuse, but quit with the drama."

It was kinda sad in a way. Of all the people caught up in this whole mess, Jaunt was the only guy in the dark. He had no 'side', no one to answer to, nothing to lose and no reason, aside from his word, to stick around. Perhaps he was just hard-headed, or stupid (survey says 50/50) but through it everything tonight Jaunt had no idea that eventually someone, at some point, was going to seriously betray his faith in mutant kind.

When they were 'out of earshot' Jaunt turned and faced Rebecca. "Don't let him get to you, you've got me here to protect you." He smiled at her and offered her a reassuring wink. "Him or his buddies come breakin' down that door and I won't need to get us anywhere safe; I'll be to busy whoopin' ass. I'm kinda up to my ears with all this back stabbity, spy shit for one night night, y'kno-"

He paused mid-sentence and cocked his head slightly. His expression grew more intense and more serious as if something about her had captured his attention. "Hey... you uh... washed up." It was his turn to become a flustered idiot. Garm could hear his heart rate increase and smell the increased production of the boy's pheromones as they filled the air. "T-there is a woman under all that dirt, eh?" Not that he was one to talk at the moment, seeing as he was just as covered in the night's events as she.

He chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck. He'd been making cracks at her expense all night, 'hottness this' and 'hottie that' but it was obvious the kids' mouth moved way faster than his brain ever could. Rebecca could see it this time... Jaunt had no witty quip or one liner to explain or deflect his appraisal of the young woman that revealed the blossoming of what could be a crush. For Rebecca and her line of work, that was so un-good. He just smiled, unable to look away from her. "I'm not sure if you're beautiful yet," He said with a tone that was uncharacteristically charming. "I haven't made it past your eyes..."

Oh yeah... it was a crush alright.

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Rebecca froze, looking up at Jaunt. This had just gone to a whole new level of complication. He likes you, really likes you. She could dismiss the flirting before, but this was much more personal. She blushed red to her roots still, atwitter with the thought that this boy thought so highly of her. “Yeah,” she agreed shyly, wishing that she could be anyone else than Rebecca Howards, teen spy.

“I…” Rebecca paused, biting her lip. Everything she wanted to say would only make things worse in the end. Anything she could say to make things better would only result in Fenris living up to his namesake and swallowing her whole. “You’re sweet.” Against her will, she stepped forward and gave him a quick hug, feeling incredibly bold. Excitement made her almost dizzy as she stepped back.

Clearing her throat, she softly asked, “Do you want to get cleaned up?” Realizing how that must sound, she quickly backtracked, “I mean… not that you seem too dirty or anything, I just thought you might… maybe there’s a guy under all that dirt?” she finished, blushing and smiling awkwardly.

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Originally Posted By: Sam
"Speak of the devil..." Mouse piped in, his face looking over at a monitor away from his webcam. "Fen just called in from one of the safehouses, he has them all there...and I just got kicked, Sam. You're on your own, they must have finally found us."

Sam nodded at Mouse as she glanced at the location of the call from Fen. "Frost, take your new friend down to the house and see if you can bring them back, if she really knows them, then it should be no problem. Take Steve with you, I'm tired of the hippity-hop bullshit."

With that, Sam turned back to the monitor, beads of sweat forming from her concentration as her hands flew across the board, now just trying to keep herself from being traced and booted as she continued to download everything she could.


Juno's new 'friends' didn't take long to drive her to the safehouse. To her surprise everything around here was fairly well organised. It must've been the combination of Brick and Steve that fubared their mission.

Fenris noticed their approach long before the kids realized that someone was coming. The conversation between Rebecca and Jaunt was interrupted before he could muster an answer and so their short flirt remained unresolved... for now.

The Van parked next to Fenris' transport and FB got out with Juno always keeping an eye on her. He nodded at Fenris and flatly commented, "She's supposed to know the kids. If they don't know her I guess the boss doesn't care what you'll do with her. Otherwise she may be helpful."

FB ignored Rebecca and Jaunt completely while Steve remained in the Van.
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Hearing the new arrivals, Rebecca looked up at Jaunt, worry in her eyes. It was clear that she was thinking that they were now outnumbered. Jaunt didn’t seem worried by this but Rebecca was starting to sense that he didn’t really bother being troubled by anything.

The two rejoined the others in the living, Rebecca blinking in surprise. “Juno!” she said, grinning a little. She didn’t feel so bad knowing that Juno was here; then the obvious reasons for her presence supplied themselves and Rebecca felt her heart sink.

After all, she didn’t really know much about the other girl, other than she was a mutant and helped runaways. It would really suck if Juno were a terrorist; Rebecca liked her.

Then there was the other man. From what he’d already said, Rebecca didn’t like him. Talking about Juno – anyone – like something that only mattered if they were useful just pissed her off. “Well, I can see that you’re as civil as I hear your boss is,” she said icily to the new mutant.

Without hesitation, she began to worm into his mind. She might need a shower after, but she needed to know what he was thinking. But his mind was like a brick wall, stopping her attempts to penetrate.

Click to reveal..
Telepathy, 4 ranks: Roll: 2 +4 Modifier = +6

Hooboy, that roll sucked. Can’t risk higher usage just yet and Rebecca doesn’t know she just got a shitty roll. She thinks he’s going to be as hard to read as Fenny.

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He nodded at Fenris and flatly commented, "She's supposed to know the kids. If they don't know her I guess the boss doesn't care what you'll do with her. Otherwise she may be helpful."

Fenris's eyes narrowed as he studied Frostbite from where he sat, then turned his pale blue-green eyes on Juno. Then he uncoiled from his chair and stepped over to them. He stopped all of two feet from Frostbite, staring levelly at the other man.

"Okay. You wait in the van." There was a dreadful stillness about the large blonde mutant. Frostbite bristled, hearing the words and missing the visual cues.

"The fuck I wi-" He stopped as Fenris stepped closer. Though his face was placid, it was too calm. As was his voice.

"These youngsters have been through hell. They placed trust in me that the Underground would care for them as people first, resources second. I intend to honor that trust. You probably did not intend to come across as a nekulturny asshole, but you did. You also implied that Orphan would countenance me disposing of a non-hostile mutant. You and I know this is not the case." Fenris nodded at the door, his eyes never leaving Frostbite's. "Wait out there. You are unnecessary here."

For a long moment Frostbite glowered back, his fists clenching slowly.

"Be sure of your next action." The words were a murmur, Fenris's lips barely moving. Something in the terrible stillness of his posture got through to Frostbite, and with a reluctant grimace he stepped back and moved to the door, keeping his eyes on Fenris.

"We'll talk about this later." he said in an ominous tone as he yanked the door open. it slammed behind him.

"I am sure." Fenris murmured as he turned to Juno before smiling in a friendly fashion. "I am sorry for Frostbite, he is somewhat... brusque. Welcome to the party, Juno, isn't it? Rebecca knows you, and that is good enough for me." he told them all. "Come in, get comfortable so we can talk." So saying, he led the way into the lounge.
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"That's what I've been saying," Juno sighed. "Adrian AND Rebecca know me. Not that I've decided to recommend they throw in with you guys yet. We were doing just fine before the MIC melted down...and frankly, your club or gang or whatever you want to call it seems like it's got problems telling friend from enemy."

She followed Fenris into the lounge, still focused on him.

"But since you're doing Good Cop now, maybe you'll tell me what all this is and why you're after my kids."

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Clearing her throat, she softly asked, “Do you want to get cleaned up?” Realizing how that must sound, she quickly backtracked, “I mean… not that you seem too dirty or anything, I just thought you might… maybe there’s a guy under all that dirt?” she finished, blushing and smiling awkwardly.

The conversation between Rebecca and Jaunt was interrupted before he could muster an answer and so their short flirt remained unresolved... for now.


With a roll of his eyes Jaunt sighed and let his shoulders fall. "Oh. Come. On." He mumbled, with Rebecca in ear shot. "You gotta be kidding me, we were totally sharing a moment... this is balls."

Rebecca knew Juno? Small world, Jaunt thought silently as he gave Juno an upwards nod and a street appropriate, "S'up. I'm Jaunt."

Jaunt stayed quiet during the exchange between Frostbite and... well... everyone else. He didn't' like the guy right off the bat, but then again he really didn't care one way or another. He was going to protect the kids, and there was no reason to stir the grass until the kids themselves were directly threatened. He could bypass any security or barrier and instantly transport them anywhere they wanted to go. All in all, Jaunt wasn't too concerned about Orphan's lackeys, although they certainly spoke volumes about the sort of organization Orphan was running.

"There isn't a guy under all this dirt." Jaunt leaned down and whispered into Rebecca's ear. "It's all man, baby." With a playful smirk and a goofy flex to emphasize his masculine point he walked around her and joined Fenris and Juno. "Well, let's get this started. Anyone want a tasty beverage?" He asked like he was Sam L. in Pulp Fiction. "There were a few sodas and couple beers left."
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Juno glanced around at the new voice and saw...'Jaunt' was it? She nodded coolly at him. "Hey. Sure...Coke, I guess. Whatever's coldest."

Then she saw Rebecca, and realized that they hadn't been talking about Adrian's 'Becca. They'd meant...whoever this other Rebecca was. A grin broke out over Juno's face.

"Well damn...seems like the muties in Vegas all got together for a party, and I never got my invite," she said with a laugh and went over to give Rebecca a hug. "How've you been, girl? Hanging out with these clowns now? You know you can always come to my place if you need somewhere to crash. Standing offer."

She looked back at Fenris, still wary, but not nearly as tense.

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"Whatever comes to hand first is fine for me." Fenris said as he sank back onto the chair he'd occupied previously, nodding at Jaunt, then because it was Jaunt he smiled slightly and added. "As long as it's decent to drink. Thank you." He glanced at Juno.

"As to your kids..." he said with an easy smile. "I'm trying to help them. Orphan originally sent me to get them out of danger and persuade them to come in from the cold. And I mean persuade in the non-sinister normal sense. Not 'persuade'." he made the little quotation mark sign in the air with his forefingers. "I'm not in the habit of enslaving anyone, least of all my own kind."

"We had heard that the little one was a cure to the Virus somehow, and with the MIC in uproar and them hidden away by Jaunt, I was the best person to find them. I did, found out that the poor child isn't a cure after all, and brought them all here." he fixed his gaze on Juno, quiet force in his voice as he continued. "My first priority, always, was and is to keep every mutant out of the hands of those who would exploit them callously. None of these youngsters are part of the MU - they are not soldiers in the war but non-combatants. They are not going to be conscripted either - contrary to how Orphan comes across under stress, she would never stand for that. And if she would, I wouldn't. Adrian is here because he wants to be. Once we've determined that 'Becca is not a cure, we'll spread that information far and wide so people will stop chasing her, and then get both of them out of reach of the U.S. government."

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Juno gaped. "Becca? A cure for the Virus?"

For a giddy instant she dared to hope...then shook her head. He'd already said it wasn't so.

"Yeah, I dunno where they're getting their info from, but I'm pretty sure if she could cure that, I'd know it by now. Adrian and Becca have been hiding out with me long before this all happened."

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With a vacuous thump Jaunt was gone and before the shimmering in the air that marked his exit evaporated he returned with the same sudden 'thump' holding a beer in one hand and a coke for Juno in the other.

"Here y'go." He said as he played 'gracious host'. Truth be told he really didn't have a problem with anyone here, but he sure as hell knew he couldn't trust a single soul and a that lack of trust easily made his exterior a tad bit icy.

When Juno finished his eyes narrowed. "Then why didn't you protect them?" Jaunt guardian tone sounded almost accusatory, like Juno was somehow to blame for them being in this mess (and by proxy Jaunt and everyone else present). "They're kids. How could you let this happen to them? They sure as hell have needed you. If you're 'so close'," He borrowed Fenris's air quotes to accent his point. "Where the hell have you been while we've been riskin' our ass to keep your 'kids' safe."

It was obvious that Jaunt was under the assumption that Juno had simply abandoned them or hung them out to dry or worse, was trying to sell them to Orphan or something. His lack of trust for the shady people he was meeting this evening was broadly displayed on his sleeve and he didn't seem to have the tact and flair for diplomacy that Fenris possessed.

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"Now wait just a second," Juno said. "All this happened, literally, on a shopping trip. I take care of them, but that doesn't mean I spend all my time right behind them. They were just going to WalMart. How was I supposed to know the MIC was going to explode and cut us off from each other?"

She shook her can at Jaunt. "The second I knew there was a problem, I called Adrian, couldn't get through, so I hightailed it towards WalMartm which it turned out was right through the center of a fucking demilitarized zone. Then all this OTHER shit started happening with the EMP and the escapees, and I hear from...whatshisface...the guy driving the van...that these Underground guys had Adrian and Becca. So here I am, still trying to do what I've been trying to do since this fucked up day got started...get back with them."

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Jaunt shrugged nonchalantly. "Okay. Works for me." Apparently he wasn't hard to please when it came to explanations. With a single step he jaunted near Rebecca and sat on the arm of the chair they were standing by a moment ago.

"Here," He handed her a soda. "Got you one too."

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Rebecca said nothing, her mind racing. Juno might be the key to getting the kids out of here without them landing in some terrorist group. Becca may not be a cure for the Virus, but it wasn’t hard to imagine how useful she would be in the wrong hands.

Hands that include the government.

“Thanks,” she murmured to Jaunt, taking the soda. He got a smile, but he could see she was distracted, her eyes worried as she watched the room.

*Raven, can’t talk.* There was no sign of Rebecca’s silent communication. *But MU’s reinforcements are here.* Without getting a reply, she shut down the link, knowing that Raven would understand.

Rebecca wasn’t blindly loyal to UNISON. Each government agency was only as good as its agents, and they were only human. The best of people lost their heads when true power was put in their hands. The backlash against mutants by the general populace was the perfect example. All that anger and jealousy from years of being ‘just’ human had risen to the top like rotten meat in a soup.

When it had been a choice between UNISON or MU, the choice had been easy to make. Now another factor had changed the game. It would be hard. It might be impossible. But with Juno, there was a chance.

“We could stay with Juno.” Rebecca’s suggestion came at the first pause in conversation. “I’ve stayed there before and I trust her. Between herself, Jaunt and I, we could keep Adrian and Becca safe.” She looked at Fenris. “No offense, you had a great speech there, but your boss has been just as… uncaring as Frostbite. Originally, the plan was to blindfold us all and take us in a van somewhere. That doesn’t inspire the greatest amount of trust. What you’ve done since is better, but we still don’t have any good reason to trust our lives to you, or those of Adrian’s or Becca’s.”

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Juno nodded and popped the top of her can. "Thanks, Jaunt. And yeah, you guys'd be welcome. I've got a decent spot. Out of the way, quiet neighborhood. Enough room for everyone. It doesn't have the...nuclear survivability of the sewer but it'll keep the cops and everyone off of our backs."

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"Thanks." Fenris accepted the can and popped it open, taking a sip as he listened to Rebecca and Juno. At Rebecca's suggestion Fenris fought the urge to narrow his eyes suspiciously. She might just be playing big sister surrogate to the kids, wanting what was best for them, seeking to keep them out of trouble. That was normal, and might be the case. Or it might not. The girl had suggested contrary courses of action at pretty much every turn. And she was far too nervous around someone who'd shown no hostility or signs of volatility.

Back when he was Vanya, Fenris had been trained for this sort of thing - it was natural for a person to settle down around even strange circumstances. The human psyche just didn't maintain a constant edge of nervous tension without snapping. That was what made hostage situations stable when the hostage-takers were professional. Jaunt was acting normally - the boy was suspicious but not constantly on edge. The two youngest were asleep. Even Juno, newly arrived, was rapidly settling mood-wise. But Rebecca was not. The girl was constantly nervous, and seeing as she was not being given much reason to be, she was either of an incredibly high-strung disposition, in which case she was a liability to those she helped, or there was something else causing her massive unease. The last AEGIS operative he'd killed, who'd played at being an MU operative to lure Fenris into a trap, had smelled like that. Either way, the Wolf resolved to watch her.

"How about we ask the youngsters?" he suggested mildly. "Adrian has already stated that he'd like to give the MU a shot, to help us and to receive our help. Frostbite and Orphan's poor people skills notwithstanding, the MU does stand for the protection of mutantkind." He sipped his beer again, settling comfortably into his chair.

"You're welcome to talk to him, to talk him out of it. He's not 'mine' any more than he's 'yours'. But if he goes with you, I'd like to come too. To keep an eye on the children until the current mess blows over. Then when they're safe, I'll be gone." The large man shrugged his broad shoulders, smiling wryly. "I can't force you to let me stay with you. But I tracked them down once, and there's not really much you can do to stop me keeping an eye on them." His blue-green eyes looked from Juno to Rebecca.

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Juno shrugged. "As far as I'm concerned, it's always been up to them."

With a nod at Fenris she added, "And if they're alright with you sticking around them, I'm alright with it too. The whole 'mutant underground' thing is fine with me as long as they don't start getting into the whole mega-idealistic 'you're with us or you're against us' thing. My place isn't for wars to be fought. It's to put your head down, chill a bit, and just get people off your back. It's a place to be safe and survive."

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"Word." Jaunt added in his two cents to punctuate Juno's statement. "Sides, I could seriously go for a shower, if you don't mind of course, Juno."

"Clock's tickin' though guys," He tapped a wrist the bore no watch. "We need to either shit or get off the pot though, because half the city is looking for us, those two, and anyone unfortunate to be born with the wrong set of genes. Let's get rollin' people."

He offered Rebecca a flirtatious wink. "Admit it, I'm sexy when I take charge."

She just sighed and rolled her eyes, despite wanting to smirk at his antics. "Let's just check on the siblings, shall we?"

"Okay, okay..." He looked to Juno and whispered. "Playing hard to get, it's so hot." And in a *thump* he was gone, leaving her with an annoying ringing in her ear.

Jaunt leaned silently to the left of the doorway with his arms folded, waiting for the others to arrive.

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Juno grimaced and poked a finger into her ringing ear as if the tinnitus was something that could be swabbed out. Still, she didn't seem angry. In fact she was kind of impressed. Teleportation was cool. Depending how far it could go, you could keep a hideout full of food and water and everything without ever risking giving it away. Nice.

She turned and focused on the familiar face; Rebecca.

"Okay, so...where are they? Lead the way."

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