(props to Jacen for the quote and Laraby)



Mr. Laraby had tracked down another one, he was convinced she was more than the perky little smile on her face suggested, they had been tailing her for a couple weeks now and had observed several types of erratic behavior it was like she was a wolf in a dog show. Jumping threw the hoops and running the track, but once she found what ever it was she was looking for she was going to kill the competition cut her losses and make a run for the woods. The girl was astonishing.

He went over the typical spiel that had slowly worked on every other member that they had acquired.

“You are a special woman with an extraordinary gift." "The term our scientists have come up with is 'Adapted'. You are a human but somehow your brain has changed, adapting in such a way that it can now nullify mutants around you."

“I'm a member of the Regional Urban Preternatural Examinations and Recovery Team or R.U.P.E.R.T. for short. We're a government organization that has been formed to clean up some of the messes that mutants leave behind. We've realized that mutants themselves aren't the biggest threat to this country, but instead it is the fear of mutants that is the biggest threat. By cleaning up messes and making sure that the public never hears the real story, we can gain at least some semblance of control over the situation."

He wondered how much she knew? Did she know how her parents really went? They certainly did thanks to some girl with a thing for one of their potential boys. If she would fall for the old bait and slow reel she could learn too, at least she could learn what they wanted her too.Damn it, the girl was lost and searching like mad, why couldn’t they just offer her something a hand out of the quicksand she insisted on sinking in.

He stretched as he thought of the life he left at home and the innocent business trip they thought he was on.

Tyranny stared at the suit across from her, the bath tub nearby started to fill, The chase had taken them into a random apartment and unfortunately for the man, no one was home. He was answering her questions with more question and less than satisfying answers. The water steamed as it filled the soap scum infested tub, The people who lived here must have been shower people, because no one in their right mind would cuddle up to a rubber duck in that grimy thing.

" I don't care what questions you have for me, you are going to tell me why you have been following me for a week or you are going to get tortured and then tell me why."

"Mam! I have already told you! I am with an organization called Rupert and we." The urgency in her fellow adapted voice said that he understood the situation all to well.

"you are not listening, I didn't ask you for a speech. I asked you." She stared and said very slowly. "Why are you following me?"

"We want you to Join us!" the man exclaimed frustrated for the forth time he had told the apparently dense woman.

"So, you thought following me around was the best way to do that? if you've been following me, you should have noticed that I am fairly approachable. why not approach me?"

" Mam! if you would just wait for my partner to talk to you she is better at this sort of thing!" the adapted squirmed beneath the seven belts and several strips of duct tape.

"I don't believe you. " Tyranny said, still very unsure of the man, he was just saying what he needed to not get interrogated properly. "and why would I want to wait for someone better at lying?"

Tyranny continued. "Listen 'rupert' I really don't want to have to drown you or electrocute you, how about you convince me, that you are who you say you are before I can drag you over her and push you in the tub"


"what!!!" the man exclaimed. " you can't do this! I have a family, please.'

Tyranny walked behind the chair and started nudging him toward the bath, the computer chair was more than willing to slide across the linoleum. " clocks ticking."

"rupert stands for Regional Urban Preternatural Examinations and Recovery Team, could I make that up so quick? we try to stop mutants from making headlines, as an adapted you'd be good at helping us with that! Please don't kill me."

The computer chair caught on a towel and Tyranny placed a boot covered foot on the back rest. " And this benefits me how?"

The man shouted. " We pay and have great benefits. We know what really happened with your parents! and its not what you think, let me out of here and I will tell you what you need to know!"

Tyranny pressed her leg forward extending it out all the way and tipping the chair forward. he really should have stopped at the pay and benefits.

Was Larraby in trouble? Larraby? The was the voice. The suit and tie. The rows of pearly white teeth that made RUPERT sound like a controlled guardianship instead of the haphazard group that was trying to keep a handle on a slipping feeling of normalcy.

No. It was never the suit. It was the hero. The adapted. It was Noel's partner. Nabbed right out of the line of duty.

Noel looked at the display on her phone. Kael was now a blippy dot she was to retrieve. Or at least assess the damage. Larraby was off golfing no doubt, but Kael's dot hadn't moved in a while. It was Noel's opinion that he was dead. Kael, of course, would have maintained the opinion that she couldn't know until she had completed her mission.

Temporary partner Yale had a good feeling about all of this.

Noel hated temporary partner Yale.

"He'll be alright."

"..."

"You need to cheer up."

"..."

"Is this the place?"

"SHUT UP." Noel hissed outside of the apartment door. She was trying to listen. The blip indicated that this was the place.

Was that... water?

Tyranny grit her teeth, "you are making a lot of demands for being tied up and threatened. Tell me about my parents now and I might let you live. no guarantees, but your chances are a hell of a lot better than right now punk." she smirked as she threw in a bit of Clint Eastwood for flavor. "hurry up if you want to see your wife and two point five worth of children."

The hot water started to flow over the side of the bath. "Talk Dammit!"

"I don't have all the details, It was a mutant!" the Rupert said panicked as hot water brushed his cheek and a rubber duck slipped over the side. "It wasn't at King Pharmaceuticals either, not like you've ben lead to believe."

Now that had her attention. "Your life is getting more valuable with every syllable, you aren't done telling me what I want to hear I hope?"

"Mam, they have all the info you could want about it and more, I am just supposed to get you to agree to a meeting." He squirmed as the water ran down his chest, soaking his shirt and flowing down his pants.

" I am not convinced to let you leave much less go to meeting, I hope you have more than that." she was just messing with the guys mind now. but he had chased her and made her fight him...he could have just tapped her on the shoulder and asked.

The air conditioning in the apartment complex's hallways was on too strong. Noel was sweating nervous bullets that gelled instantly in the wash of cool. They'd turned the heat off a little too early this year.

A few moments of bouncing on the balls of her feet and Yale couldn't stand it anymore.

"You're going in without back up aren't you."

"So glad you suggested it." Her gun was in her hand and she didn't remember pulling it. Magic. One step back. One foot up.

"Allow me." Without asking he stomped his way through the wooden door. Noel shrugged. The door was down and this way no macho-man feelings were hurt in the process.

Yale swept right toward the hall bathroom, Noel swept left toward the bedroom. Both lights were on. Both had opportunities for water.

Squidge. The carpet under Yale's feet made ewwy gooey noises. He took a deep breath and kicked in the bathroom door, gun leveling not far behind.

Man tied to chair. Yale tried to switch with him. No luck. Tried to switch with pissy looking woman. No luck. He'd known Kael was an adapted, but her too? Gun pointed at her.

"Noel?"

She was already running. Her bathroom had been empty.

The door burst open in the living room and Tyranny swore. "%*&^%" She didn't have her guns today, but damned if she didn't have her brain. She reached over and grabbed the radio on the other side of the toilet. and held the piece of electronics over the bathtub, it would make it in, whatever genius put the plug there wasn't thinking about safety. With the water on the floor. This Ruppert tied to the chair there wouldn't be the only extra crispy in the room.

"I don't like guns pointed at me."

she stated as she turned the radio on and started tuning it.oh good the only station they were getting was smooth jazz. fan freaking tastic.

"Oh are the female rupperts called Noels?" she grit her teeth. How the hell did she let herself get backed into a corner. with no way out. well, one drop of a radio and they would all have there way out.

The man in the chair started talking again. " I've been trying to tell her what is going on but she won't."

"Shut up Or so help I will do it." She cut soggy off at the explanation of the situation. " shut up and if their story matches yours, well we might be able come to a pass." When everybody dies was your best card it was time to negotiate."

"I don't like guns pointed at me."

"No one does, I gather. Glad to finally meet you, ma'am. You're a real horse's ***."

>"He's not as tough as he thinks."< Good old Kael. It didn't matter that he was tied to a chair, he wasn't abiding by anyone's crap.

"Neither are we."

Noel had tucked her gun away before squishing around the corner with her hands up. "I'm Noel by the way and you have my partner."

No. Not all female ruperts were called Noels. Just this one.

>"I've been trying to tell her what is going on but she won't--"<

"Shut up Or so help me I will do it... If their story matches yours, well we might be able come to a pass."

It was a small yappy protest like the bark of a purse dog, but it didn't taste like anything to Noel. She glanced briefly at Kael. He looked soggy. Unhappy. A bit stressed, but really not too bad off. He was probably close enough to the girl to negate Noel and Yale's abilities too.

"You want talking? Let's get talking." Noel always kept her hands visible and proceeded to deftly ignore Yale. If this was rupert's target then Noel should know some about what was happening.

~~"No one does, I gather. Glad to finally meet you, ma'am. You're a real horse's ***."

“one more reason, I want nothing to do with you.”

>>"He's not as tough as he thinks."< Good old Kael. It didn't matter that he was tied to a chair, he wasn't abiding by anyone's crap.

“And there’s two.”

**"Neither are we.". "I'm Noel by the way and you have my partner."

>>"I've been trying to tell her what is going on but she won't--"<

"Shut up Or so help me I will do it... If their story matches yours, well we might be able come to a pass."

**"You want talking? Let's get talking."

“what does Rupert stand for? and” “Why have you been following me instead of just called me or something?” A sappy bit of saxophone wailed up from the radio in her hands.

“What does Rupert stand for? And why have you been following me instead of just called me or something?”

Noel was going to pretend there wasn't a gun at her back and that the woman wasn't threatening to end them all with a saucy bit of jazz radio to the soaked carpet. Even if Noel was willing to bet there were failsafes in place in the walls and in the radio, this woman had been done an injustice in her eyes. It was time to be cordial.

So she was just going to talk. Because that was what the woman wanted. "Regional Urban Preternatural Extraction and Reconnaissance Team. It's a mouthful hence the acronym. We're in the second and most active urban region in the States." She could have shown her a badge or something, but Noel was pretty sure her hands were going to need to stay in the air.

"We sometimes shadow persons of interest. It's best to look before you leap." A person of interest usually meant she was a mutant that was highly disruptive to society or an adapted human. Considering that she was threatening to kill them all, Noel's bet was disruptive mutant.

~~ "Regional Urban Preternatural Extraction and Reconnaissance Team. It's a mouthful hence the acronym. We're in the second and most active urban region in the States."

A regretful sigh escaped tyranny’s lips; there was no way two people could have said that same string of words without having a bit of truth to it. She pulled on the radio unplugging it from the wall and then set it on the counter, she reached over with her foot and turned the water off feeling sorry for who ever lived here.

"We sometimes shadow persons of interest. It's best to look before you leap."

“Well, this time could have cost you one of your boys. Thank you for being calm and rational. That one said he had some information about the real reason my parents were murdered, I would be interested in seeing some facts supporting that bit of information. Other than that I am not seeing where this really benefits me?”

“Well, this time could have cost you one of your boys."

Only because this little lady had taken the initiative to jump, tie up and half drowned one. She wouldn't bother relaying that sentiment, though. It might just make her angry. Considering the progress they had made, insults were not the way.

"Thank you for being calm and rational."

"Thank you for turning the radio off."

Noel put her hands down. Yale put his gun down. Now. Weren't they nice, reasonable people?

"That one said he had some information about the real reason my parents were murdered, I would be interested in seeing some facts supporting that bit of information."

"I would be interested as well." Just because Noel had heard it before didn't mean that she remembered. She nudged the chair legs with her foot and Kael rocked back onto all fours away from the overflowing tub.

"Think you're done with the water now?" As long as the girl looked to be fine with it, Noel leaned in slowly, no sudden movements, and turned the knobs.

"Other than that I am not seeing where this really benefits me?”

"A job's a job, but working with the government has it's peaks a valleys." A peak? Nice benefits, job security, a nice shiny badge. The valleys? Being tied to a chair and dunked in water repeatedly. Noel shoved her sleeve up and went to pull the drain stopper out.

"You gonna start talking, Kael? Or do you like being tied up?"

~~"Thank you for turning the radio off."

“Sorry, Smooth Jazz was all I could find.”

~~"I would be interested as well."

Damn, She was hoping the woman would have more info, so she could avoid talking to mister clean there.

~~"Think you're done with the water now?"

”I am, if he is.”

~~"A job's a job, but working with the government has it's peaks a valleys."

“fair enough, Nurse work pays the bills, but I am good for a chase and if this is a normal day in the office, it could be a nice change of pace. So, are we all adapted then?”

~~"You gonna start talking, Kael? Or do you like being tied up?"

Tyranny’s eyes swing back to Kael as she hopes down and starts undoing belts.

“Oh he likes being tied, up just not the rough treatment, he’s one of those pansies that like to fake S and M, but not really participate.”

Kael Grit his teeth as he got his limbs back, flexing his fingers and enjoying his freedom, he had to resist the urge of slapping the girl across her face, she was lucky she was coming around to the Idea of being a Rupert. Thered be plenty of time to give her crap cases if she signed on.

**“Your parent’s were murdered by a sociopath self deemed Pulse, We wouldn’t have realized it, because he typically worked for the most part in Flordia. He has already been taken care of after he seemingly pressed his luck too hard for too long That being said, with the happenings surrounding King Pharmeucuticals, already, and with the goal of our organization being to limit mutant headlines, we didn’t make it obvious that your parents were killed under very different circumstances. We have however tried to make contact with you a few times since. Today being the most recent in a long string of missed attempts. Thankfully my partner showed and didn’t make this last miss a tragedy. “ He nodded to Noel. “ And no we aren’t all adapted.”

“Nurse work pays the bills, but I am good for a chase and if this is a normal day in the office, it could be a nice change of pace. So, are we all adapted then?”

"You're a nurse?" Noel sounded skeptical because that was exactly how she felt. This girl looked and acted a bit too... rough around the edges for such a nurturing profession. But she supposed nurses were made of tough stuff.

"Not all adapteds, not all Noels.~"

>>"The rest of us are mutants." Yale was a jolly enough guy, but he never did know when to keep his yap shut.

While Kael explained about Pulse, Noel nodded and picked at the knots of rope. She smiled all the while because of what the girl had said about faking S&M

>"Pulse got a lot of the Adapted's parentals. He was part of a pro-mutant agenda."

"He got my mother."

Noel pat Kael's shiny cue ball head and then tugged the last bit of rope free from her partner's wrists.

"Well, are you satisfied?" She'd certainly dragged up painful memories for some. And learning how someone died never seemed to fix the inherent problem of dead relatives. Neither did vengenace. "Before you go chucking radios down in South Beach, you should probably know that Pulse is dead." Noel went to work on the leg ropes. Kael rubbed at this wrists and went for the other leg.

Yale had their backs if the girl decided to go bananas again.

~~"You're a nurse?"

Tyranny let smirk rise to her face as the question hit her, like a slap in the face. “Honey, any job that comes with working with the public in the city, comes with a nessecity of learning how to take care of yourself.”


~~"Not all adapteds, not all Noels.~"

>>"The rest of us are mutants."

“I see, So both adapteds and mutants are in the field, I assume that there are generic brand humans as well?”

>>"Pulse got a lot of the Adapted's parentals. He was part of a pro-mutant agenda."

**"He got my mother."


~~"Well, are you satisfied?"

“I am sorry to hear that.” A tender hand landed on Mr. cleans shoulder.

~~"Before you go chucking radios down in South Beach, you should probably know that Pulse is dead."

“Well, that’ll save me a trip. I’d like to read a file on their murder if you have it, after that, I think I very well might join you. I already have some suggestions.”