Mutants & Masterminds: Future Imperfect - Labyrinth

[z-Ronnie Collins]

Ronnie shivered; her clothes were gone except for the rags pressed between her and Travis’s body. She was basically nude and could feel Travis’s hands on her. Thankfully, he sounded too tired to take advantage of that fact. Hopefully, he’d remain drained until after she’d found something to wear. Tyler was close to her size that she should be able to find something.

“There,” Ronnie said, “I recognize that roadway.” From there, she was able to guide Travis into the cottage. ‘Beach house’ wasn’t a perfect description of the building; it was set back from the beach, hidden in a stand of trees. It was small but had creature comforts; a hammock under the trees and there was no sign that it had detached plumbing. An electrical line ran to it, taking care of concerns about power. A satellite dish half-obscured by trees and the roof suggested cable or internet or both.

Travis set down warily in front of the house. Carefully, Ronnie stepped back, grabbing at her ruining clothing and holding it to her chest. She was hoping to preserve some modesty, because she knew she had none from behind. Travis watched her, a smile crossing his face. “After you,” he offered.

Ronnie rolled her eyes but turned, walking toward the house and the closet she knew was inside. She could feel Travis’s eyes on her ass and out of pure spite, she put a hint of sway into her step. “Nice. Very nice,” she heard him say. Her face flamed with a blush but she ignored him.

At the door, she reached to open it only to have it pop open. “Ronnie!” Tyler said, grinning at her. “Nice to see… so much of you.” Stepping forward, he caught her face in his hands and gave her a kiss. Ronnie was shocked into compliance, her stomach twisting as she suddenly understood the extent to which things had gone wrong. Tyler Frenching her was only the start of the imbalance.

Tyler finally noticed Travis as he broke the kiss and looked past Ronnie. “And you brought company,” Tyler noted. “Does he want to play or were you trying to steal my bungalow for a private tryst?”

Ronnie hit him. There was no finesse to the maneuver; she simply balled up her fist and struck him in a rising arc, sending him flying backwards. “Don’t worry,” Travis assured the prone, unconscious man, “she does that to me when I kiss her, too.”

“Shut up and give me the phone,” Ronnie snapped. Her modesty was abandoned utterly as she knelt next to the man and started to bind him with the rags.

“Wh-?”

“Just do it!” she growled, holding out her hand. Travis realized that it was serious either from her tone or her lost concern for being naked and fished it out for her. Ronnie dialed the only number that had ever been used on it.

“Kincaid, I only answered so that I could gloa-” Ronnie hung up on Lena. “Oh fuck,” she said, feeling her world spinning out of control. “Travis… this isn’t the real world,” she said, her voice full of conviction.

Travis’s eyes narrowed but he didn’t argue. “There have been some… oddities,” he said. “The Virus not affecting us is a big deal. But why are you saying that?”

“Because Tyler and Lena are aliases of one person,” Ronnie told him, “a mutant with the ability to assume other appearances like we change clothes. They can’t both be here at the same time!”

[Travis Kincaid]

"Well that makes two compelling arguments why this isn't real," Travis mused.

"What?"

"I said-"

"I know what you said. I don't understand, what is the second argument?" Ronnie asked as she finished tying up the fake Tyler.

"Well, I must be dreaming this because here you are naked, and-" Travis didn't finish, his jaw was jammed shut by Ronnie's fist as she sprung up from her crouch. His head rocked back and he grinned. "Mmm, even better," he mused as he ogled her, his hands gesturing in such a way as to indicate her figure.

"Asshole."

"Yup, but this is all fake so we probably won't remember anything once this thing en-"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Damnit," Horton cursed, "They caught on again?"

James nodded, "Yessir, the lack of a viral effect tipped them off but apparently some of our intel on the other AEGIS agents is bad, apparently Lena Wu and Tyler Morgan are the same person."

"What? Shit, OK, pull them out. Now. Keep them apart, separate sims. They're working together, helping each other see the flaws." Horton poked at the terminal controlling the machines, "And turn the virus effect on."

"Sir, the bio-feedback, they could kill themselves before we get what we need."

"Fuck the bio-feedback, if it looks like they are pushing too hard dial the sims back. Something so obvious as the virus ... fuck, that is sloppy. Fix it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"... ends." Travis blinked his eyes open and yawned. "Weird dream. Could have sworn- nah." He sat up and realized that he was being stared at by half a dozen people. He had been reclined in an office chair.

At a conference room table.

During a meeting.

"Oops."

"Mr. Kincaid, how was your nap? Would you care to, perhaps, pay attention to the rest of the mission briefing, or should we adjourn and let you get some more rest?" Dresdener asked, anger and sarcasm dripping from his tongue in equal volume.

"I ... err, no ... go on."

"Oh, can I? Thank you so very much." Dresdener shook his head in frustration, and Travis could see the hint of an eye roll as the man turned back to the screen.

Travis' lip curled churlishly as he stared down the others at the table. He did a double take as he realized Ronnie was on his left, apparently asleep as well. He nudged her foot under the table and she awoke with a start, mumbling something about wiping a grin of somebody's face.

"OK, that's it." Dresdener yelled, "This op can wait. You two; go home, you have forty-eight hours to get some goddamned rest." They didn't move, Travis didn't even snark out a comment. "NOW!" Dresdener yelled, throwing his hand out and pointing at the door.

[z-Ronnie Collins]

Ronnie woke up to find everyone staring at her. “Uh…” she managed before Dresdener lost his cool and kicked them out of the meeting. “Sure,” she said, rising with a shrug and heading for the door. Travis shadowed her out into the hall. The hotel was immediately recognizable; they’d been here for two days. UNISON’s ‘office’ in Prague was a single-room office. From what the two mutants had understood, they didn’t even have a great coffeemaker. They were getting ready to raid Prvni Farmaceuticke – First Pharmaceuticals. The lab was doing experimental brain surgery on mutants, though no one was sure what their goals were, yet.

“Alright,” she asked when they were out in the hall, “what the hell was that?”

“We fell asleep in a meeting,” her partner said nonchalantly, as if there was nothing wrong with two UNISON agents dozing off in a briefing. His sensual mouth quirked up into a smirk. “Of course, now I’m curious about who was keeping you up all night, since I know why I’m tired.”

“Liar,” Ronnie snorted as they turned a corner together.

“I’d never lie about my night-time entertainments,” Travis huffed.

“No, I don’t believe that you remember her name,” Ronnie said, smirking at him.

“Does her name matter?”

Ronnie grimaced. “Pig.”

“So who was he?” Travis asked, doubling-stepping to get the door. He didn’t so much hold it open as force her to brush against him as he pushed against it.

“No one,” she mumbled, looking annoyed. “I was… watching TV.”

“Next time you’re that bored, call me,” Travis ordered, still grinning like a fool. “I’ll make sure you have something better to do than watch television. Let’s get lunch.”

Ronnie nodded as they turned another corner. “Hotel restaurant or authentic Czech cuisine?”

“Let’s get room service and feed each other in bed,” Travis suggested. “Dresdener did order us to get some rest.”

“Like you use a bed for sleeping,” Ronnie snorted. “Hotel it is.” The food was almost familiar; it was nearly American but the Czech influence was clear. “So are you even tired?” Ronnie asked halfway through the food. “I couldn’t stay awake in the briefing but I think I’m good now.”

[Travis Kincaid]

"I don't know," Travis said as he poked at his lunch. "I'm not really hungry and yet I eat, I'm not really tired and yet I was asleep. Life is strange like that. Like I'm not really trying, and yet I am still awesome. Some things just are."

"Oh brother," Ronnie rolled her eyes.

"You don't try to be hot, and yet you are," he continued.

"Hey, I try!"

"I don't have to try to be handsome, and sexy, and I rarely try to get women to sleep with me, but they do."

Ronnie laughed, "You don't try to be a self absorbed overindulgent ass, but you are."

"Exactly!"

Travis downed the rest of his drink. "I hate this place. I don't even know where here is, but I just have a sense of this place being sucky."

"Prague, you idiot."

"Hey, Prague you too, honey buns." Travis heaved a sigh, "I need some air."

"Let's pay and go for a walk then."

"Not that kind of air. I'll catch you tomorrow. OK?" Travis tossed a couple of bills onto the table, they covered the bill and then some.

"Yeah. OK, just don't get lost we have that thing at the home office in two days."

Tavis scowled, "Home office? Ok, sure. G'night." Travis headed for the door, sparing a glance back at Ronnie. Home office? That's odd, he thought. He dismissed it, and pulled out his phone. It rang twice before it was picked up. "Hey baby. Yeah. No I'm fine, you know how boring his little briefings can be. You in your room? Mmm, sounds perfect, I'll be up in a minute." He hung up. Travis' day was already looking up.

[z-Ronnie Collins]

Ronnie jerked awake, blinking in disorientation. Booming music cut through her brain like a hot knife, making her wince. Was she hungover? It was possible, but rare. She must have drunk a lot.

Considerations of what were sidelined after a moment because she’d seen where she was. The interior of the ‘Rhino spread out around her, full off dancing forms, pulsing lights and pounding tunes. Well, they had alcohol at the Rhino, but would she really drink so much as to pass out here?

Then she realized she’d passed out in the Rhino, without male company, and glanced down to make sure her clothing was in place. It was, but with a few extras. Someone had laid matching panties and bra on her, in the appropriate places. “Travis,” she growled, knowing that her partner was the only one who could get away with something like this. She’d kill anyone else for doing it.

“Yes?” her too-handsome partner asked as he dropped onto the couch next to her. “Get in your beauty sleep, hot stuff?” Before she could answer, the stripper he’d been leading by her hand sat down on his lap. She was very pretty, with green eyes and black hair. She reminded Ronnie of Raven, a little.

“Your girlfriend like to watch?” the girl asked, grinning at Ronnie. “No need to look pissed, I’ll do you, too, hon.” She winked an impossibly green eye at the purple-haired mutant. “I like girls, too.”

“I’m sure you like the tips more,” Ronnie replied casually, wishing her head would stop throbbing in time with the tempo.

“I’d pay for a lap dance for you,” Travis spoke up, tearing his eyes away from the naked bosom in front of him long enough to add, “but only if I get to watch.”

“No, but thanks,” Ronnie said, slowly sitting up. “I’m just going to sit here and have some of the hair of the dog.” The offending lingerie slipped off of her body; Ronnie caught them and tossed them at Travis. “Next time, get me black. It’s slimming, you know.”

[Travis Kincaid]

"But purple is your color!" Travis said in protest. The girl on his lap laughed. "Sheesh, fine," he replied to her glare. "You gonna leave? You look pretty bad, never seen you pass out before. Well, other than that one time, and I still swear I didn't slip you that mickey. Honest." More glaring. "What?" Travis sighed, and whispered something in the stripper's ear. With a pout she got up and walked away, an exaggerated sway to her hips making Travis more than reluctant to see her go, but plenty willing to watch her leave. He turned to Ronnie, "OK, where we going now? Cause you look like crap, which says to me you need some food."

"Flattering, and you wonder why I won't have sex with you," she sounded irritable, and felt worse.

"Har har, come on." Travis hauled her to her feet and steered her wobbling through to the exit. Thankfully it was dark outside, quiet, and cool in the dry desert air. "I'm guessing a casino buffet isn't the right call for this. In-n-Out? Or something else?"

[z-Ronnie Collins]

“In-n-Out is fine,” Ronnie mumbled, her mind more on her pained head than her uneasy stomach. “Dunno what’ll keep down. Almost feel like I have the V.” She felt so wretched it took her a moment to realize that Travis had turned down a lap dance to get her some food. “You hungry?”

“Nope, but I’ll eat with you,” Travis said, flashing her a grin. Normally, that smile would melt her heart like snow in summer, but she was on guard now. After those weird dreams, she wasn’t sure about anything anymore, even Travis.

“Let’s go, then,” Ronnie said, heading for the parking lot. “Your car or mine?”

“Mine,” Travis said, making a face. He hated Ronnie’s car, so that was right at least. Ronnie found herself going over everything that had happened since she had awoken, trying to figure out if he really was her partner. Travis unlocked the car for her, then got in as she settled into the passenger seat. Sighing, she closed her eyes and tried to think, wondering what the hell was wrong with her. Had she triggered the V somehow?

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“What’s wrong with her?” Horton demanded.

“The biofeedbacks are screwing with her,” James said, dancing from machine to machine, trying to figure out why. “She’s reacting to it like a shapeshifter, not a body augmenter.”

“There’s a difference?”

“Yes, sir, a huge one. And it really messes things up,” James said, making a few minute adjustments. “This should help.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“Hey, Ronnie.” A gentle hand shook her awake. Ronnie jerked to with a start, her violet eyes wide as she stared at Travis.

“I fhell asweep?” she muttered, winced and then tried again. “I fell asleep?”

“Yeah, you are feeling bad. Come on, this food will either make you feel better or make you hurl,” Travis said, climbing out of the car and coming around to her side.

Ronnie unfolded herself from Travis’s sportscar, feeling the world tilt only a little. “Maybe I need sleep,” she muttered, holding onto his door.

“Here.” Travis offered her an arm.

Oh-kay… he is being way too nice. Either he’s softening me up for something, or he’s not Travis. Ronnie smiled and played along with him, leaning against him. “Thanks,” she said as he helped her to the counter. They placed their orders, then found a seat and tore into the grease-tastic food.

[Travis Kincaid]

Travis ordered off menu. He always did. Ronnie suspected that he came here a lot. This time he didn't. Cheeseburger, fries, and a soda. It was so obvious it may as well have been a neon sign, but for whatever reason Ronnie didn't notice. It wasn't until he started to eat his fries that it occurred to her. There wasn't any ketchup. Travis was like a little kid in that respect, drown something in enough ketchup and he'd eat it. Why that little fact stuck in her mind and pierced the fog to alert her she couldn't say. Later, much later, she would find his absurd ketchup habits reassuring, but for now she added another clue to the "not Travis" side of the roster.

"Feeling any better?" he asked as he toyed with the idea of refilling his soda.

"Marginally," came her reply.

"Need more soda?" She nodded and he went to refill both cups. Sitting back down he said, "Maybe you should go home, take the rest of the night off. We're supposed to fly to HQ tomorrow for that meeting. Probably don't want to be feeling crappy at the airport right?"

[z-Ronnie Collins]

“Nope,” Ronnie said casually, anger churning in her gut. “I’d hate to feel this shitty while in the air.” Motherfuckers think they can wear my partner’s face and I’ll just roll over and play their game. I’m actually insulted as well as pissed now. “Man, I can’t even remember what we’re going to HQ for.” She somehow managed to keep a sneer out of her voice at the term ‘HQ’.

Travis shrugged. “That’s because they haven’t told us. You really are feeling shitty.”

Ronnie nodded, feeling her brain slosh with the motion. This wasn’t the V but it wasn’t unlike the V either. “Told ya.” She finished her meal in silence. She was in the cold, ass-deep in hostiles without even her partner to help her. Where could he be?

First, she had to lose the goomba. Travis was solicitous of her all the way home, talking to her, holding doors and trying to cheer her up. Ronnie tolerated it, pretending she was just fine with this stranger wearing Travis’s face. At her place, he parked and walked her up. “Thanks but I’ve got it from here,” Ronnie said at her door.

“You sure? I wouldn’t mind sitting with you a while.”

I fuckin’ bet you wouldn’t. Ronnie shook her head. “I’m gonna lay down and probably pass out. Thanks but go back to your hooker.”

“Take care,” he told her and then he was gone. Ronnie let herself into her place, grabbed the duffel out of her closet, added a few things from her safe and headed from her balcony. With a shift of her legs, she cleared the jump to the next building and went on the lam. Find Travis, find these fucks and fix this.