Garrison and Adrienne - European Escapades 1 (Backdated)

[x-adrienne.livejournal.com]

On the first leg of their backpacking tour of Western Europe, Kane and Adrienne land at the Milan airport. Adrienne's purse is stolen but it's no big deal. Unbeknownst to them, the thief has saved them from being exposed as mutants by a vengeful goon.

"I still have no idea how you're able to rotate your hips like that." Kane collected his shoes from the security scan, referencing Adri's version of the Mile High club. "But, man, that was... insane, babe."

"You're welcome?" Adrienne responded with a smirk. "And yoga. It's done with yoga. Are you sure you wouldn't rather go to India?"

"My blood is too thick for that kind of heat. I'd just keel over and slow broil to death." He shifted the backpack up on to his shoulder. As was traditional, he had even sewn a Canadian flag on the back to avoid being mistaken for an American. The thing was, he was excited like a teenager. His role with Beta Flight and the RCMP had dominated his life since he was sixteen, and while all his friends had done spring break or a year off travelling, Kane had gone from class to class and training to training without a break.

Adrienne shot him a thoughtful look. "So if I ever want to off you, that's how I'd do it? Heat? I'm joking, I'm joking," she told the burly security officer checking their passports. After they were cleared for entry into Italy, Adrienne turned back to him. "It's nice not to have any sort of criminal record in this universe," she mused. "Makes it much more convincing when I tell law enforcement that I'm joking about killing people." She rolled her carry-on towards the gate.

"That's true. Although, I kind of miss my badge. I didn't realize how annoying it was to wait in line at security." Kane said. His badge usually got them fast-tracked to the front of the line as a professional courtesy. Bypassing the luggage belt was also a handy way to save time. They'd agreed to travel light, happy to shop if need be for clothes. It seemed outlandishly expensive to Kane, but just like in the other universe, his bank account had been the recipient of two full paychecks and few costs for years now.

"Poor baby," Adrienne teased. "When did you become such a snob, Joe Middle Class?" Adrienne was used to waiting in security lines, and always used the experience to snoop on the other passengers in line using her powers. Sometimes it was better than a telenovela. "Clearly I'm starting to rub off on you." She waggled her eyebrows at him- as she usually did when using a double entendre.

"At least wait until we're out of the airport for any more rubbing off, Adri. I'm told that security in Milan interrogates you using the Italian Espresso Torture, where they strap you to a board under a drip coffee machine for hours on end."

***

Vic Chalker adjusted the camera slung around his chest and tapped on the tablet screen he held. The camera was really a specialized sensor array that was linked to the tablet, sending him information about the people who walked by. One day soon, he promised himself, his invention would be in every airport, police station and security checkpoint in the world. They'd call it the first true mutant detection system. No, they'd called it the Chalker Detection System. Kids would talk about mutants being 'chalked' while trying to sneak through.

He knew very well how dangerous mutants could be. The Chalker family had lost their matriarch when a miserable mutant exploded in the apartment under hers, sending Ma Chalker to a pre-mature death, cursing and swearing the whole way. They'd made a pact; mutants would pay for what they did and it was Vic's invention that was the start. Once he identified a viable target or two, they'd take the mutant by force and use him to demonstrate the effectiveness of the CDS (he wanted to hug himself over how official it sounded). As the money poured into the family, a global net would close over mutants.

His tablet beeped and Vic's eyes went wide. An attractive couple walked by, bantering back and forth. The sensor analyzed their genetic structure and outlined them in red - MUTANT. He had two of them and they didn't know it! Vic finished his coffee and stood up, following them into the terminal.

***

"So, how do you feel about pretending to be tourists from other countries while on this trip? Isn't that a gap year thing?" Adrienne asked hopefully, smirking at him. "Pretending to be someone you're not?"

"I think that's just an American thing so you don't get ragged on for your country's foreign policy. Canadians get told to tell Europeans our nationality." They went through the crowded terminal, already starting to adjust phones, wallets and IDs to other pockets. Adri had been very clear about the problems with pickpockets in Italian cities and had given him a mini-tutorial on how to protect against it.

"I'm not talking about the American thing," Adrienne retorted goodnaturedly, opening her purse so she could begin shifting her belongings as he was. "I'm talking about, y'know, telling people we're circus acrobats or professional dog breeders or something." He dropped his sunglasses and Adrienne stooped to pick them up for him, subsequently causing her own to fall off her head as she put her head down to get his, which he had already started crouching down to get, causing them to bump heads. In the momentary activity, they both failed to notice a tracker being dropped into her open purse by the triumphant Chalker brother.

"That I don't mind. How about we're on vacation from Tulsa, where I sell heavy equipment used in animal insemination on factory farms and you write jingles for Christian radio?" He said, patting his pockets for his sunglasses.

Adrienne rubbed the spot where they'd collided and put her own sunglasses back on top of her head. "I like it! Do I have any number one hits?"

"How about 'God Would Use Our Credit Card'?" Kane said as they walked through the doors of the terminal towards the taxi stand.

The line of travelers waiting on cabs was long, so when they had stopped moving Adrienne followed Garrison's lead and started her own adjustments. Now that they were headed to a hotel where they could leave their carry-ons she could offload a bunch of stuff she'd thrown into her purse during the plane ride so she wouldn't have to climb out of her seat to access the carry-on in the overhead bin. Laptop, tablet, six magazines. A file folder of her Meridian work she'd brought along. They all went back into her luggage. "Shit, my little box of mints opened and spilled everywhere," she complained, handing him her wallet and phone. "Can you hold these?"

"Yeah. Here, I think I still have your passport from Customs too." Kane remembered as she dug through the purse. He was idly watching the cabs roll up when an overpowered scooter slipped between them. As it passed, it suddenly swerved close to the sidewalk and the man reached out, snatching Adrienne's purse out of her hands.

"Wait! Shit-" Kane yelled. With his hands full of Adrienne's things, he couldn't react immediately and as the man sped off, the only way to catch him would be to reveal his powers to the whole crowd.

"It's okay," Adrienne told him quickly, after recovering from her own momentary shock. "Don't bother." She took her wallet and passport back from him and took his hand to keep him from going off after the guy. Holding on to the only things she really needed made her realize there was no point in going after the scooter. "There wasn't really anything left in it. And I left my good purses at home, so the purse itself isn't worth much. We can file a report but it's not a big deal if we don't find it."

"If you're sure..." Adrienne seemed nonplussed about the loss of the purse. It forced Kane to quell his own anger. "Alright. Let's not let it get in the way of our vacation."

"Exactly." She linked her arm through his. "Now I can buy a new purse! It's like Christmas. Besides, the guy is probably connected to some sort of organized crime family here. That's big time. I wouldn't want you getting in over your head over a stupid empty purse. If you were killed by mafioso, just like Steven was in this universe, people might get suspicious of me."

"Perish the thought, babe."

***

Vic Chalker checked the signal from the tracker again. He'd assumed the two Americans would be in a tourist trap as opposed to a rustic and slightly shabby hotel in one of the older parts of town. Maybe they were those 'hipsters' who thought that staying in crappy hotels was more 'authentic'. He shifted the handgun from his pants to his jacket pocket before walking in. The lobby was deserted and he quickly went up two flights of stairs. His plan was simple: capture the two at gunpoint and then walk them to the police as mutants who snuck into the country without announcing their status and show off his tracker. They'd be the first sale of the CDS.

He opened the door hard, coming in immediately with the gun in front of him. Vic stopped dead as instead of a pair of Americans, six pairs of eyes came up from their card game to look at him. Two semi-automatic pistols sat on the table, along with several other guns, blades and neat stacks of stolen money and jewelry. They had the look of hard men and Chalker could see the stars of La Stidda gangsters tattooed on several of them. Behind him, an unseen seventh person quietly closed the door.