>>”The fire escape?!”

Did she have a better idea!?

Nope! Just swearing and getting her things.

Did these guys have guns? Yeah, probably. Was standing with his back to the door they just might decide to SHOOT to get through to them seem in hindsight like the most sane of things to do? Definitely not. Was this one of those types of doors you could stuff a wooden board through between the handles to prevent entrance? Nope! So he could just toss those bathroom implements away.

Toss.

Though... not on her carpet... Frick. Hindsight. Again.

She reprimanded him for standing around. Among other things. Did he know where he was going?

Aurum thought about that while me moved away from the door, to the window.

You know, surprisingly, he did.

"If we can get to the Mansion, we'll be safe." He stated. "Now, hurry. Ladies first."

Out the window they went, and as Riley picked her way down the fire escape on the side of the building she wondered three things. First: Why on earth had she thought living so far up in the building was a good idea? If it wasn’t stupid malfunctioning elevators, she’d surely die if there was ever a fire. Second: Why hadn’t she grabbed shoes while Aurum had been holding the door shut ? It was cold outside and the slippers she’d put on just weren’t cutting it. Third: Why had they run in the first place? The fight had been no contest…she and Aurum had kicked ass against those guys.

At least he had an idea where they were going, and as Riley dropped the ladder to the next level she mulled over Aurum's words before they'd left the apartment. “The Mansion” what the hell was that? Some kind of hotel? Surely he wasn’t talking about a real Mansion…though coming from money would have explained his idealism…Riley didn’t care, she just wanted to get off the rickety contraption and go back to worrying about what those guys were going to do to her apartment if they got inside.

”You know. I’m holding you fully responsible for all of this…” she called, not caring if the whole world and the cat lady on the third floor heard. ”If you hadn’t worked for that a-hole Lonnie…and let me dump Ginger Ale all over your stupid ass, and apologized...then turned out to be so damn.....you. I’d have never felt obligated to help you out. This whole thing defies logic. Absolutely. Defies. Logic.”

It was a great rant…one of the best she’d probably given…but then the unmistakable sound of cracking wood and a loud crash echoed from inside the apartment they’d just left. Riley stopped talking and moved, ”I swear Aurum…if you get me kicked out of my apartment…”

She was holding him responsible? That was a laugh. Somehow, he'd gotten the impression that she had contacted him about the whole sleuthing idea. If it weren't for her working for Hart and digging on Lonnie... and if it weren't for the ginger ale. Wait. The ginger ale? Being so damn him? Aurum spared a glance Riley's way, then tore his attention seriously back to the art of climbing.

What was Riley going on about now. Were those those reasons she didn't hate him? She didn't hate him. Wasn't that a good thing? And why was it that every five minutes, he seemed to forget that fact. Despite all her hostility, she didn't hate him. Not absolutely. Back at Full Circle, they'd been able to talk like sensible people. And in the elevator. And in the apartment. Maybe her attitude was just some sort of barrier she put up?

Bingo. Everything made a bit more sense. No wonder he'd been able to give her lip and call her on her BS. She'd known a lot of it was BS. She was a sensible woman in insensible shoes. Complaining. And maybe expecting others to buckle under her fiery onslaught of angry words.

In the future, he resolved to call her on more things. She wasn't that scary. For now... he called her on her complaints.

"Keep your mind on what we're doing! Complaining won't achieve anything. You can kick my ass later."

Riley was tempted to stop right where she was…just to be spiteful and defiant. Thankfully, though, the fact that someone had just broken into her apartment after trying to attack her motivated Riley to take Aurum’s advice and continue down the ladder. Not because he’d said so though… there were sounds from up in the apartment, and that was why she moved.

Slippered feet hit concrete, but Riley didn’t stop. On she moved, wondering just how far they were going to have to go before the thugs would stop chasing them. Or if the thugs would stop chasing them. Riley picked up the pace, hoping Aurum was behind her…geez it was cold, and she was getting winded. ”How far….how do we get to this Mansion place? Is it your house?”

"It's across town. We'll need... a ride." He huffed. Aurum came up beside her. Running was luckily one of his fortes. "I know some mutants who live at the mansion. Those thugs won't mess with them."

As they reached the end of the alley, Aurum reached out and grabbed her hand. "This way!" He said, pulling her 'round the corner... just in time. Gunfire ricocheted off the cement nearby. These people weren't kidding... and stupid. Really stupid.

Hushed shouting came from around the corner. The two of them were arguing. Aurum didn't wait around to hear it through. Him and Riley were already running down the block towards a bus stop.

It was a shame that city buses did not run at night. Aurum hailed a cab.

Across town…this Mansion that Aurum spoke of was across town, but it was okay because he knew people there. He knew mutants there. Wait…wait wait wait…hold the phone. Riley slowed a bit, almost ready to run the other direction, but Aurum grabbed her hand and drug her around the corner. A bang sounded and something ‘ping’d ‘ off the concrete and the wall they’d just rounded.

”They’re shooting at us Aurum…they’re actually shooting! Riley was shocked, and her breathless voice definitely echoed the sentiment. The fact that they were actually being shot at put a healthy new respect for the two thugs deep in Riley’s chest. Her field wouldn’t stop bullets. She jerked her hand free of the Lawyers and struggled to keep up. They had to get out of here, had to get to this mansion….with the mutants.

But….”Aurum…mutants don’t like me…they don’t like what I do...” she said, all pretenses gone in the face of the legitimate fear their current situation caused. He was trying to hail a cab…they all drove by. Riley couldn’t figure out why and until she stopped staring the way they’d just come from and looked at Aurum.

”Get out of the way.” she said, ”No matter how much money you make off that chest during the weekend….no cab is going to stop.”

>>”They’re shooting at us Aurum…they’re actually shooting!"

He'd noticed. He hadn't liked it. He still didn't. This was the first time in his life he'd been shot at. Maybe he should have been flattered? All the fellas were gunning for him.

Yet he still couldn't get a cab.

"Well, damn." Was it how he was dressed? This lil ol thing wasn't enough? He looked down at what he was dressed in and realized. Oh. Right. He was still not wearing a shirt. He looked to Riley. Maybe the cabbies would have stopped for them if their situations were reversed?

And what did she mean 'mutants don't like me'?

"Wait. Mutants don't like pin-up models...?" He asked.

Riley stared at Aurum, stared at him like he was the biggest, dumbest, idiot on the face of the planet. She wanted to walk right up to him and slap his stupid face. ”Haven’t you listened to a word I’ve said?!” she exclaimed incredulously. ”I don’t know, or care, what they think about my job.”

Riley put her hands in her hair, tugging her ponytail loose and putting it back in almost the same smooth motion. It was a calming tactic, something to keep her itching palm busy doing something other than swinging at Aurum’s face. She took a deep breath and continued trying to hail a cab, if one didn’t stop soon, they’d have to move.

”I told you Aurum. I told you. I’m an adapted. Your friends in the cab, you know how their powers stopped working? That wasn’t the cabbie. It. Was. Me. We went over this in the elevator…you must have smacked your head at some point…you reacted, remember?”

She was raging and it wasn’t getting them anywhere…especially not in cab. Riley sighed and started walking, ”Nobody is going to stop with you dressed like that. We need to find you a shirt…besides they’re going to figure out where we went eventually.”

"In case you hadn't noticed, and I know you have, they're shooting at us. I can't remember everything when guns are going blam."

She'd blown up at him... again. Tensions were high. Gunfire was involved.

"If you want encyclopedic knowledge, go find a dictionary."

It wasn't his fault he didn't have a shirt. Wasn't his fault he hadn't remembered she was an Adaptwhatever. Adaptoid. Wait. Adaptoid? She made... powers not work?

Aurum upped his pace and caught up with her, stepping so he was facing her, walking with his back in the direction he was going. He tried looking her in the eye, even though the chances were high she wouldn't want to look at him. "What do you mean, you make powers not work?"

Was she a mutant? Did she just make powers not work? And how was any of this line of questioning going to get him a shirt?

Riley had no choice but to shut her mouth. What was she going to say? There were options, of course, but Riley didn’t want to turn into a third grader and say something like, ’I WILL’, and other options were scarce. So she kept walking…until suddenly a chest appeared in her field of view.

For the first time since they’d climbed out the window, Riley wished for her heels. Aurum was so damn tall, and even though she could tell he wasn’t trying to…he was looming. Looming and asking questions.

”I mean what I said. I make powers not work. They just stop.” Riley clenched her teeth as she walked, trying to speed up and get past Aurum so she could stop looking at him.

”And I get absolutely sick of having to explain it.” she said, ”So yeah. There. Now, could we please find somewhere to get you a shirt before I get shot too?”

"So, you're a mutant," He said, stepping backwards faster to keep up ahead of her. Over her shoulder, he saw the two goons. One pointed at him. He picked up the pace. "I get it. My dad's one. It's cool. Over here." He stepped smoothly into a nearby alleyway, pressing his back against the wall.

A homeless man by a trash can not too far away shifted, glaring at them. He tipped back his beer bottle, but found it dry. Hopefully, he tried shaking out a few drops. Eyed the bottle of the bottle. No luck.

Aurum looked to him, then back to Riley. An idea had struck him. "Got any money?"

”I am not a mutant.” Riley said in a huff, trying harder to get around Aurum. She didn’t have any problem with mutants, none at all. ”I’ve had the test…lots of them in fact. No stupid X-Gene or whatever it is.” she explained tightly. ”I told you in the elevator. Freak of freaks.”

Riley almost stopped when Aurum stepped around the corner, it would have been easy to leave him at this point. In fact, splitting up they probably had a better chance than alone against the thugs . It was a lot to consider in a short amount of time…but she made the decision, and followed the shirtless wonder into the alleyway.

Oh good. A drunk. Riley watched, and sighed some more, watching the guy tip back an empty beer. Right now, Riley sympathized with the guy…that was exactly how she felt. Aurum asked her for money, and Riley grabbed her purse protectively, holding it tight to her chest.

”No. Chance.” she said, crossing her arms over the bag. He could freeze before she ran around with him wearing a shirt they’d bought of a hobo.

And guess what. The situation got better. Police sirens wailed, and a spotlight shone into the alleyway.

”You have got to be kidding me.”

He let her think what she wanted to think. Whatever she said. He trusted facts. Mutants exist. He knew that to be a fact. Adaptoid freaks? He'd never heard about any studies. Maybe it was incredibly rare? Maybe she was a bit delusional. Maybe the tests had been wrong.

Occam's razor dictates that when confronted by several situations with explanations of increasing complexity, the least complex of the explanations was most logical. It was more likely a few tests had been wrong. But dozens? Well, hey. Maybe the world was wider than some scientists had thought.

It certainly wasn't time to get into science! right now, though. It was time to try and bribe hobos for articles of clothing!

Yeah. In situations of great stress, there are always two options. Freak out and do something extreme (like cry or complain and moan), or laugh it off (like a crazy person). Aurum had chosen the latter.

... And been rebuffed.

>>”No. Chance.”

As if to add insult to injury, police sirens sang their heartful cry in the distance. The hobo ran off. Riley complained.

Aurum stuck his head around the corner of the alleyway, looking around for the cops. They were stopped on the curb. The thugs were nowhere in sight. Aurum waved Riley to follow him, and started approaching the police.

"Officers, boy are we glad to see you!" He said confidently. They were cops. They'd help him, right? There was nothing to fear. Thugs wouldn't shoot at him when cops were pointing their guns at him defensively and telling him to get on the ground. ... Wait. What? Aurum's smile vanished. "Care to run that by me again...?" He asked.

"On the ground, NOW, SCUMBAG. Hands over your head." A cop gestured with his firearm.

The officer next to him sighed. "That isn't the way to do it, rookie. You've got to be more hardboiled."

The cops were there, and when Aurum stepped out like they were walking down the middle of Mayburry and greeted them, Riley almost reached out to try and stop him. She didn’t though. This was the perfect lesson for an idealist like Aurum…and when guns leveled on him and ordered were barked, Riley almost laughed.

It wasn’t that she was used to situations like this, she just knew how cops operated when you were on the ‘wrong’ end of the law. They shouted, and sometimes bullied, and you simply did what they said or you literally got the nasty end of the stick. There really wasn’t anything amusing about this situation, but she figured they were going to be safer in the back seat of the cop car than they were in inappropriate clothing running from bad guys with guns. At least these guys with guns were supposed to be the good guys.

Riley stepped out from the alleyway with her hands up and nobody shouted at her to get on the ground. The rookie had been reined in by his superior…she simply got cuffed…and patted down.

”Welcome to the real world…..” Riley muttered in Aurum’s general direction.

The redheaded rookie cop's eyes trained on the woman of the night coming out of the alley and he made connections even quicker than his partner dropped the shirtless man and got him cuffed. A woman and a man... with no shirt... exiting an alley together. It was obvious. He hadn't even needed a reason to bring her down to the station with the shirtless man. They were suspicious characters.

Neither of them had guns, though. Despite all of no-shirt-guy's protests, he was harmless as a mayfly. The redheaded cop, Ron, wheeled the pretty lady over to the back of the vehicle, copying his boss word for word.

The doors slammed shut. Aurum was alone in the back of the police car with Riley. He felt like less than garbage.

In the front of the squad car, one of the officers was on his radio calling it in. Two suspicious folks found in area of gunshot. One shirtless, one in slippers, potential prostitute. Shirtless man claimed 'they were after him,' that he needed to find 'the water cop' who knew what was up. Suspicious. A raving lunatic, perhaps? The older, more hardboiled of the two officers didn't know. Maybe MRC would have to be dragged into the picture. Someone had to know what was going down in the city. Apparently, as shirtless had constantly intoned, he didn't. First thing he'd heard of it.

"Hmph." A thin smirk drew across his lips. Whatever the hell was going on, it was messed up. Kind of funny, really. But not funny for the two in back if they were lying and causing trouble. Maybe shirtless would trade his skin for a nice red jumpsuit? They'd see soon enough.