Players:
Summary: When Julian finds out that Theo is in the base, it's a reminder of the old enmities just waiting to re-emerge after the war is over.
Date: June 14, 2020. Note: This takes place directly after Best Served Cold
Log Title: Traitor
Rating: R
The Underground - Mutant Base
Hidden in the maze of tunnels is the open area that the mutants have turned into their have, their home. Not wanting to risk electricity being detected down here, there are battery powered and gas powered lights leaving the place dark and damp. At least three mutants are always on guard down here at the entrance to the mutant camp and secret passwords and codes are needed to get into this room. Theres a large door with a large piece of wood barricading it as those down here dont take any chances.
Theo gives Rashmi a look that doesn't seem to reflect much hope that she's right, but he understands her need to pursue it and won't hinder her. "As long as you know," he says. The two have just finished a pair of sodas, standing in one of the tunnels. Their tone seems rather sober. Theo holds a toolbox in his right hand.
Rashmi nods slowly letting out a deep, shuddery breath. "I do… Oh. Save the bottle. Scourge probably has some crazy mad science he'll need the glass for, and Jono can sculpt. We try to keep everything we can use, anyway… but I guess you're learning that the hard way."
Theo laughs, "Is that supposed to refer to me?" he asks. "Hey, I've been in the same boat as all of you for the last five years, I was just better at it," he comments. Of course, he was just providing for himself, not for 200+ other mutants as well.
Approaching from the Living Area, a familiar face to those in the Underground. Julian Keller, the telekinetic hot shot. As always his head is held high as he approaches Rashmi and Theo. He's quiet at first, attempting to listen in on the conversation as he walks to the two. His hair cut down to a minimal crew cut, no readily accessible product to style it with so he opted for a military look.
"Mh… bit of a grander scale than what you're used to," Rashmi replies with a shrug as Julian approaches. "Sort of like being good at cooking for home, then getting plunked into a cafeteria." Thirty feet from the pair, Rashmi lifts her empty bottle in Julian's direction, never once taking her eyes or apparent focus off Theo. "Hi Julian, have you visited Captain America yet? Anyway speaking of cooking, I guess somehow someone managed to find some decent vegetables yesterday, so the soup's a serious hit recently."
Theo grins, "Well, that's why I have my fingers in every bank in America. I like to work with a big budget." And why not? He had been stealing money out of ATMs long before he became a supervillain. He turns at the mention of Julian. A former teacher. His smile drops, not sure how Julian feels about his presence. "Where do you guys get the vegetables anyway?" he asks Rashmi.
Hellion shakes his head as he is asked about Captain America. "No, not yet." As to why not yet he doesn't explain. But he does look at Theo with his cobalt blue eyes. "And him?" He asks Rashmi. He's a bit defensive about Theo since he sees it as a weak spot. A failure on his record. But of course there is no sight of that weakness on his face, only telepaths could have felt it coming from Julian. "You going to sabotage the gardens too?" He asks right off of the bat after the question from Theo.
"He's been checked out, Julian," Rashmi says immediately, stooping to rest the empty bottle back on the cloth she'd brought them in. "If there's a mole, it's not him. And whatever's happened in the past, frankly, we need his help. Scourge can't build everything on his own, after all, and Theo's working on charging that cell Volk found up to full. So basically with Theo here, we have the gardens for longer than we can expect the war to go on."
"Quick," Theo comments on Julian's interjection. "And to the point, I like that. Yeah, my first mission is to destroy the battery, and then I'll work on the gardens," he says with a smug response.
Behind Julian, two lumbering robots arrive from the tunnel. They are about seven feet tall, and they look like they are made to kill. They look at Theo expectantly, their faces one single camera eye. However, Theo doesn't seem to be giving them any instruction.
"He bett…" A turn around, and back again. Hellion's eyes surge green as the two robots come up. "What's this Terminator bullshit?" The situation has gone from tense to close to FUBAR quick. Julian is just itching for one of those two to try and come at him. "I'm not going to be worrying about metal in here."
"Theo," Rashmi says quietly, pinching the bridge of her nose, "can you tell your friends to get back to moving rubble, please? We might need that dead tunnel space anyhow, remember?"
The Hardline 'better than you' smile creeps across Theo's face. "This is A-1 and A-3," he says proudly. "They're my goons." One of them makes a metallic sounding groan. "Of course not," Theo answers, before speaking to Julian again. "They never have gotten sarcasm all that well," he says. "Don't worry, they aren't going going to attack you. I had them come to help me work on the generator to charge the battery." He looks back over at the two monstrosities. "And you two, go…get that engine block from 4-B you saw last week." The two robots lumber with heavy steps, off to do their master's bidding. He regards Julian with a little contempt. He doesn't have any notions of being friends, just working on the same side for now.
The better than you smile? Against Julian? Aww hell no. Hellion's eyes surge green once more before he holds himself back. His eyes losing the glow. "I'm sure you and Scourge are going to get along /real/ well." It goes unsaid, but Julian is not going to hesitate to implant a boot in Theo's ass should he attempt to screw him and the Resistance over again. As to where Theo regards Julian with a little contempt, Julian regards Theo with an abundance of contempt.
Rashmi's eyes flick heavenward, a deep, aggrieved sigh pulled from somewhere deep in her chest. "Boys. Do I have to turn this Rebellion around, or can you behave like grownups for five minutes?"
Theo just continues to smile, "Oh? Scourge and I go back quite a ways," he says, "But you probably already knew that." His smile is measured though. He pretends as if he's playing lightly, but everyone in the room probably realizes that it's more serious. "I'm glad to see that you have such a good grip on your emotions. You should listen to your boss, Julian, she has your best interests at heart. Now, If you'll both excuse me, I have a generator to maintain." He's done with the conversation, and so he turns to leave.
"She is /not/ my boss, you fucking traitor! Best watch your back, lots of places around here with no technology for you to use!" Julian exclaims, as Theo leaves Rashmi and Julian. A punch to a heavy piece of wall next to them. "Where the hell did you find that /scum-sucker/?" He asks, looking back to Theo. "I don't give two shits if he's gonna save all our asses, I'd rather give up my ration to someone else than ask that asshole for help."
"I didn't," Rashmi replies, eyes following Theo as he ambles off down the cave. "Daisuke and Chloe did. Took some scrapes saving them from Deadpool, as I heard it." Glancing at the impact site, the redhead raises an eyebrow. "The way I see it, we can sort everything out when we're all done surviving. Myself, I don't care who we have to deal with, if they're cleared, until we can finally bring the Captain out of this hole and set him in the monument he deserves. Before that? Help is help, Julian. I'm past caring about who fights until the fighting is done."
After a second, Julian scoffs. "Once a traitor, always a traitor." Julian looks down at Rashmi, sneer on his face after Rashmi speaks. "I'm sure you'll be saying that when he's sold us out to the camps. Someone like him, I bet they'd just love to make into their little puppet. I can see he's already making you into one." The telekinetic is cool with Rashmi, but not with Theo.
Rashmi's eyebrow twitches upward, a slow shake of her head. "Julian… It's like you forget who you're talking to. I'm not the little girl who thinks everything can turn out okay by wishing hard enough. That girl died when my *baby* did. Trust me; if he *does* turn us over to the Hunters? I'll put two in his head myself." Her eyes glint, hawklike and pitiless as she stares down the tunnel. "But as long as we can use him, *I* damn well will get use out of him. Believe it."
"I'll take that as you taking responsibility of him, then." Hellion starts to make his way to the Gathering Area, walking slowly. He turns around, looks back to Rashmi. "And you can believe, that if he betrayed us /and/ the Brotherhood, that there is a quartermaster here that is going to put a barrier on the armory twenty-four seven."
"I'd hope so," Rashmi replies with a chuckle. "Otherwise they'd be a pretty poor quartermaster, wouldn't they? Sure, I'll take responsibility for him, Julian. Least throwing in for Volk paid off, Betsy vetted him and he's in all the way, now."
"He's already a bullet-pincher. I doubt he'd be up for letting Theo into his workplace." Julian gives a wave before continuing to the Gathering Area. "And Volk has been nothing but beneficial if not a pain in the ass at times. But as far as we know, he's never betrayed us."
