[Plot] The Wonderland Complex

[Alice]

Alice's cheeks flushed as her body stiffened in Cheshire's grasp and then relaxed, the water pouring over the both of them as he moved closer. But... not close enough? She shivered when she felt his hand grasp her neck, her little gasp lost in the drone of the music. It was like something out of those romance novels she used to see for sale at flea markets. And then came the words.

Alice's body was very still for some time, before her body made a ever so subtle convulsion of some rupressed sound. Eventually, her arms wrapped around his waist, one hand giving a cheek a squeeze.

"I should have known. Despite all of your talk and posturing, you're just too... good for this sorta thing." The woman played her part, tilting her head back for a moment before she was back in again.

"But if you think we can do it during that mission they've assigned us, you're crazy. They're going to be watching for that. The slightest hint that we're not playing ball and they'll be on us so fast your head'll spin. They'll have us locked up in solitary... or worse."

[Basil Benson]

"They're going to be watching for it all the time. Why do you think we're both standing here in our birthday suits not fucking?" To seem as if he was responding to Alice's arms around him, Cheshire in turn re-positioned himself down to his knees, allowing his arms to be wrapped around his neck instead, his head moving from the one side of her face to the other.

"That's why we have to play along in other ways... I don't know if you've realized this yet, but she's playing a subtle sort of game to convince us this is home. It's worked on the others. I don't think the others know what to do with themselves if they're not here, but it's clear to me you don't view this as home either, even if you've no more bloody clue where home is than I.

She knows we're not buying in. She doesn't think Hatter is either, and that's why she's put me with you and Hatter for training. She could've just as easily pitted me with the Knave, but she didn't. She wants another Bunny and Caterpillar. Perhaps maybe to take over in their absence.... but Hatter is far too unstable for me to be paired with. Up you go. " He commented casually,and followed by putting is hands on her waist to lift her up, her back pressed into the wall.

[Alice]

It seemed that Alice was pretty good at the fake moaning game, which helped to lend credence to her whispers being just unintelligible mutterings when she did bring her face closer to Cheshire's.

"So, we play the part, make it seem like her plan is working and... then what? We just make a run for it the first chance we get? That's not much of a plan, kitty cat." For her part, she did make herself a little lighter and easier to lift as she wrapped her legs around the young man's waist.

[Basil Benson]

He wasn't entirely surprised by her grabbing at his waist with her legs, though he did seem a little flustered by it despite himself. Nevertheless, he coaxed her into putting her arms around his neck so they could stay close enough for conversation.

Once he was comfortable the subterfuge was holding, he continued.

"Of course it isn't. It's not a plan at all. I don't know enough yet to know how to get these bloody tags off, or even what they are supposed to do if we don't mind. We need to continue to play it cool for awhile and act like her little game is working until we're absolutely certain how to get out of here.

From now on, we do everything together. Sleep, eat, hang out... And we definitely go into the showers together. I don't expect you to keep up the act like this every time, just entering together should be enough from here on out. i'll shower with my powers on facing the door to watch for prying eyes."

[Alice]

"I know, I hate this thing. At first I thought it was just to keep me from changing size, but once they let me out into genpop I knew that wasn't the case. Whatever it is that we do, the mission will be our best shot to do it. It'd be suicide to try it Ahn! D-don't finish inside! It's not a safe day!" Alice squeezed Cheshire tightly like a monkey as she shook her body and curled her toes.

"Sorry, I've been a little too quiet for too long. Everything together, solid foundation to build on, got it."

[Basil Benson]

Considering what little physical input he was giving back, Cheshire definitely seemed like he was a pretty passive participant in all this. But then again Alice was making herself out to be pretty hungry for it, so maybe he just didn't have to try that hard.

Cheshire on the other hand was making the sourest expression at her as she gyrated on him, so it was a good thing he was the one with his back to the entrance.

"Jesus Christ, I was already going to make myself out to be a two pump chump, you really needed to add the concept that I'm careless idiot as well?"

Nevertheless he went with the narrative, since it was basically where he was going anyways.

"Oh God!" He added to Alice's statement, a mixture of anxiety and embarrassment in his voice. "I-I'm so sorry! This has never happened before, I swear!"

[Alice]

Alice ran her fingers through Cheshire's wet hair and cooed softly as if to console him. "Sssshhh, it's okay, it's okay. It's been so long, hasn't it? You were just so pent-up... wow, really pent up." She laughed softly before swinging her legs down, letting out a little groan as she eased herself down onto her feet, but kept her arms around the boy's neck all the while.

"Don't worry. Next time, we'll be able to take our time and focus." She was pretty certain he could read between the lines.

[Basil Benson]

It wasn't the naked lady climbing all over him like a jungle gym that got to Cheshire psychologically. He seemed to be handling that relatively well, like a really weird game of 'let's pretend'.

It was when Alice began to pet and praise him that Cheshire began to crack, ever so slightly. His eyes rolled a bit in their sockets at her fingers in his hair, a response that made things very awkward, at least for him. Thankfully, the nervousness in his response could easily be chalked up to the tale they spun.

"Y-yes ma'am." He stuttered back in reply. Immediately turning invisible as a stress response, she would then feel the wide palm and slender fingers of Cheshire's left hand press firmly against her sternum as a sign to let go of him. The message he was sending was incredibly clear. That's enough.

[Alice]

And it was the touch to her sternum that made Alice blush in turn. After all, up until that point it had been playing pretend. Knowing that she'd gone perhaps a little too far in their little game made her a bit flushed. But there would be time to apologize for the awkwardness later. Right now they still had to sell their little scene to lead credence to their future endeavours. She released her hold on him and hugged herself a bit, and slowly returned to her washing.

"Jhesus, I think the C stands for Clydesdale, not Cheshire. Alright stud, you'd better hurry back to your own shower before someone walks in on us."

[Basil Benson]

Once he was free of Alice's entanglement - "I hate you!" was what he spat back in irritation at the Clydesdale comment, slinking off into the shower room somewhere alone, probably to sulk invisibly.

[Alice]

Alice was caught a little off-guard by Cheshire's reaction, she had meant it as a compliment after all, but maybe he had felt she was playing it up a little too much. Whatever the reason was, she'd find out eventually if she needed to. After all, they had a lot of rendezvous left together yet before they could figure out some means of escape. Also it would have been a little difficult for her to find someone she couldn't see, and didn't want to be found.

[Basil Benson]

Cheshire didn't hang around. He'd disappear into the men's shower to do what he originally came here to do: Get off the grossness of working out. Whether he waited Alice out in the men's or snaked out of the showers before her wasn't clear.

He wouldn't appear again until dinner, when he silently filed in and sat down in his space in his empty hospital scrubs.

The rest of the gang hadn't shown up yet, but Caterpillar was there, smirking around his pipe as Cheshire entered the room.

[Hatter]

Hatter was the next to arrive. She seemed to regard Cheshire with a judgmental expression. But it faded as soon as he noticed it. She had to keep up her thin nice girl veneer after all.

[Basil Benson]

"Good evening Hattie." He greeted despite himself. Things had been awkward between the pair of them since she tried to strangle him with that jump rope that one time. Or her power did? Or her other personality?

All he knew was that he'd had the rope burns on his neck for two weeks, and it definitely wasn't the polypropylene he preferred.

[Alice]

Alice eventually showed up with her hair bouncing a bit with her steps, and took a seat on the other side of Cheshire, as was her norm.

"What's up?" Which was kind of a dumb question to ask - what ever happened in this place? It was the same routine every day, unless someone new arrived, or someone got stabbed with a fork in genpop. She of course noticed the boy's "absence" of sorts but thought better than to ask about it.

[Narrator]

Knave filed in behind Alice carrying the much smaller Dormouse in their arms, and as per usual the majority of the key players were here, save Bunny. Knave gently placed Dormouse in her spot, and took their seat next to Dory quietly, as was the standard. Nothing unusual to see here so far, except the Cheshire that couldn't be seen.

Caterpillar chuckled. " Feels like a question we should be asking the two of you." He commented.

"Did you fuck him into transparency Alice? That's a real talent."

[Alice]

Alice's face flushed with an mixture of embarrassment and anger. This MAY have been what they'd been shooting for, but she had been hoping more for hushed whispers. She sputtered a few times before she spoke.

"Oh. My. God. Don't be such a neckbeard, you're disgusting."

[Hatter]

"Ha!" Hatter barked.

"You expected discretion in a place like this? Oh, you silly girl," she chided with passive-aggressive sweetness.

[Narrator]

Caterpillar didn't seem even remotely phased by her statement, but it was highly likely he had no idea what that word meant.

"She's right you know." He comments pointing to Hatter with his pipe.

"I mean, everyone knows that Bunny and I are twisting limbs, but they at least don't know when it's happening.

Coincidentally, if you all could keep in the men's showers, that would be incredibly convenient for us all. I don't want my eye put out by Cheshire's apparently monstrous pecker."

[Alice]

Alice was practically pulling at her hair.

"Everyone might know that, Caterpillar, but they don't bring it up at the Goddamn dinner table now do they? Because they have at least a crumb of tact."

[Hatter]

"Tact is for people not giving the guards in the security room a free trial of Cinemax," Hatter smirked.

[Alice]

Alice just let her head drop face first onto the table with a groan.

[Basil Benson]

As she laid her head on the table in defeat, Cheshire became visible.

"We get it. We'll be quieter the next time, and take it to the mens showers." As he spoke, he reached out to Alice to gently brush her hair behind her ears for her, gazing at her affectionately.

Once he felt he'd sorted that out He reached down to take her hand, saying no more on the subject and patiently awaiting Bunny's arrival.

[Narrator]

As always Bunny arrived late to the party, just in time to cut the awkward tension. Appropriately dressed as the boss bitch in a powersuit, red dress shirt, and a tie printed in hearts.

"Evening everyone, gather round." She commented, setting down a briefcase on the table and popping it open, distributing envelopes of information to everyone present as she made a circle around the dinner table. The envelopes were stuffed with new training schedules, as well as schematic layouts of what appeared to be a nightclub.

"We've finalized what we need to gain access to the location of our next job. We're going to be topside for an extended period: days, potentially weeks before we get what we need. That means a lot of access to the outside and I know how temping that is, so I just want to remind everyone of the consequences of non-compliance.

If there are any objections to your assigned roles, you must speak up during this meeting for you to be re-assigned. Non-compliance during the mission will result in penalization.

If this non-compliance results in a walk out, walk outs will end in termination." Bunny didn't leave that information open for questioning.

"Now then... Through new patients in gen pop, her Majesty has been informed of a mutant trafficking ring operating out of Lambeth. Specifically, they're targeting sexworkers there who's mutations pose little threat to others, but are exotic looking enough to be kept as prizes. As per the standard, the authorities don't give two shits about sex workers, and even less about mutant ones, so the disappearances have continued.

While Lambeth wasn't exactly known as a hotbed of 'red light' activities, now that the mutant population has carved it's little mark into London, it stands to reason that the world's newest people have come to the realization that they bring something unique the world's oldest occupation. As you may or may not know, street prostitution in London is illegal. However, due to this they've organized a nice little unofficial red light district for themselves one of a building of walk up flats. But they've still got to go somewhere to find customers to service, and the most popular spot to find those customers is an adult venue called Miscreant. It's proprietor saw the writing on the wall and opened the place as the district was taken over by mutants. Miscreant is just close enough to Lambeth North Station that tourists and thrillseekers can find it, but hidden enough that the city won't try to come in and shut them down for being an eyesore.

Our job is to infiltrate the club by posing as staff members and collect information about missing workers and anything we can about the ring.

Assignments are as follows.

Hatter, you're taking over the position of club DJ. The way this club is set up, the DJ has the best vantage point of the club from their position at their booth. You'll be capable of seeing anything strange that's actually happening in the club.

Dory, as per usual you're our cooler. You'll be playing the role of the bar regular, leaving you available to be on standby at the bar as a customer without arousing too much suspicion.

Caterpillar, you're working bar. Try not to get too bogged down with playing with the drink combinations, you need to be paying attention to who's showing up regularly and who's just lookie-looing."

"You know me far too well." He chuckled.

"Alice, you're going to act as a waitress. Wait staff isn't expected to dress too skimpy at this club, but you may need to get used to high heels and a skirt above your knees if you aren't already, girl scout.

"I don't think that's going to be a problem." Caterpillar threw out casually as a reference to the earlier conversation.

Bunny tilted a brow, but continued.

"I'll be on the floor with Alice.

That leaves Knave and Cheshire. You two will be on as talent. We need people at every level of this thing, and not only are you two the most comfortable with nudity, but you also happen to be the most obvious mutants among us."

Knave tilted their head curiously, then cocked it back. As they did so, features started to mold, blond hair lengthened out, and a mouth split the recently featureless facade of Knave.

"Ohhh myyyyy gooooddd you guys, I am sooo fucking high right now!" The voice exclaimed from Knave's lips in an airheaded, American accent.

"Alright... bit stereotypical..."

Knave slowly turned their head towards Bunny, and locked a purple-eyed gaze upon Bunny that Alice would find incredibly familiar , but she couldn't pinpoint why.

"Oh.. eeeehhh.. Ya want me t'try dat again?" She asked, in an accent that no one at the table could pin point, but definitely sounded north American.

"Work on it Knave. Make it localized and try not to characterize like you picked a script out of the seventies.

These people are regular folk just like you an-" Bunny realized as she said it that was a stupid analogy. " They're a regular lot who just have a different set of options on what they're willing to do to make their ends meet than some.

And now's the time for questions and concerns."

[Alice]

Alice shot Caterpillar a glare, but she was just glad that she wasn't going to have to act as entertainment. After all, while her mutation didn't result in any blatant physical signs, it would have been very easy to use them to make herself... unique. And even though seeing Knave morph themselves into something between, well, Knave and human, was a little unsettling. It was that inbetween stage that was the most upsetting, but she tried not to show it. Instead, she raised her hand.

"How is this gonna work for Cheshire? Isn't the appeal that the dancers are visibly mutants, Cheshire's powers make it obvious yes but you... can't see the goods when he's using it."

[Narrator]

"You'd know...."

"Alright, what the flying fuck happened while I was gone?"

"Oooh.. eehhh, Petey's all yanked off on account'a Chaz havin' shared his monster dick with Alice er summin..." Knave snapped their unusually long fingers in Cheshire's direction. " Ope! That'll help, hey?"

Bunny made a face that was bes described as 'okay then!'. She shrugged along with it and added -" Well then you'll be comfortable around him when he's down to his pants.

I have every confidence Cheshire will figure it out, but if you want you can always switch places with him. Nothing's set in stone."

[Alice]

Alice reached for her dinner fork and held it firmly in her hand. "A one-eyed bartender isn't too suspicious, right?" Still she shook her head at the offer to swap places with Cheshire.

"... sorry kitty, but she's right, you've got more confidence than I do."

[Basil Benson]

Cheshire had been leafing through his briefing notes, and slowly leaned over again seemingly take Alice's hand to comfort her while he read, but in reality he was using it as an excuse to pry the fork from her hand.

"I'll do it, I think I can cook something up. Alice just thinks I can't because she enjoys looking at my pretty face so she presumes everyone else will."

[Narrator]

The blonde, purple-eyed entity tilted their head back and forth as if weighing their options, and then, slowly, their face melted and contorted into Cheshire's.

[Hatter]

Hatter started giggling, then sighed. "Oh my God, here I assumed we were gonna be robbing a bank or something."

[Narrator]

Hatter's comment prompted a follow up from Bunny.

"I feel the need to point out for our rookies that we do not do harm simply to do it. Everything we do has a purpose, regardless of the methods we need to use to achieve our goals. We're exist to do the things others don't want to, but more importantly, we are here to help those who others won't."

[Basil Benson]

Cheshire spoke up with another. "I don't think I know how to pole dance... is that going to be a problem?"

[Narrator]

"We'll be bringing in members of Genpop to The Court to show you all the best tricks to making you seem like you're used to your positions. People who have worked these sort of jobs before.

From my understanding it's mostly about core strength. Your work with Alice should help prep you for that." She comments, not really seeing the dangling line she left out there.

[Alice]

Alice raised her hand again.

"If I do a really, really good job... could I start getting cups of coffee instead of tea? You know, as a reward?"

[Narrator]

"You know I can't make any promises about Court rations Alice.

But the bar does have coffee available as it's a consistent ingredient in mixed drinks so I am sure if you're very kind to P, he'll be happy to prepare you a cup."

If Alice bothered to look at the young man, he'd mouth the word 'never' in her direction.

[Alice]

Alice visibly tried to take her fork back from Cheshire's grasp as she stared daggers at Caterpillar.

[Basil Benson]

Cheshire laid his paperwork out on the table, and passed the fork casually to his hand away from Alice, twiddling with it in his right hand. With his now empty left he reached out to brush his finger along her earlobe gently, attempting to calm her down.

He wasn't really paying attention to her though. It was more like how a parent tried to look at their cellphone while bouncing the baby and going 'shhsshhshhshh'.

[Basil Benson]

((On the night of the break in))

Elsewhere in the complex and unknown to Victor or Robin, Cheshire, Alice, and the others returned to the facility, cleaned up, and prepared to tuck in for the night. Once their 'outside' tags had been replaced with their 'inside' tags by friendly orderlies, Hatter, Knave, Cheshire and Alice were left to their own devices. Bunny and Caterpillar wandered off to be alone.

In the common area that acted as the gym, Cheshire immediately turned to Alice.

"Come and stay with me tonight." He asked Alice in front of the other two. " I don't wish to be alone."

[Alice]

Alice's face flushed considerably, but she tried to play it off like it was no big deal. "I-I, uh, sure, of course. No problem."

[Hatter]

"I'd say 'get a room,' but that's exactly what you're doing," Hatter commented jealously.

I told you nobody cares about you but me. You see that now, right?

You aren't even real.

I'm as real as you want me to be. And together we can make them notice us.

Yes... together.

Wonderful! Now this is what we do...