Rue: Web of Deceit - Part 38

Artistic creation

Finally on the same side, Rue and Blue make a stop for supplies in one of Bathala City's secret shops and Rue is confronted by something they never thought they'd have to do.

Within moments of reaching a truce, Rue and Blue are back in the van and, despite their reluctance to give the Detective too much credit, it does feel like a tension has been lifted between them as they head towards the Recreation District. Passing by the mall mall and down a quiet side street, "There's a little shop down here and the owner has a side-gig kitting out supers."   ''Oh, please tell me they call it a Super market...'' They say jokingly, watching the familiar scenery go by, ''So what kind of supplies do you need?''   "You know, I don't think he's named his little side enterprise. You should suggest it," Alec says as he pulls up the van and hops out, "I've got some infiltration gear and restraints here and..." he pauses, swallowing before muttering the next few words under his breath, "I also had him make a costume for you." He doesn't wait for their response, quickly making his way into the back door of the establishment before Rue can complain, "Come on, Kid!"   ''You- what?'' Rue asks as they shut the door to the van, gaping wide-eyed at Alec's back as he enters the establishment. They hurry to catch up with him, mind reeling, ''What do you mean, a costume? What the hell do I need a costume for?!''   "Did I just hear some wayward superhuman asking what they need a costume for?" comes the aristocratic voice of a man from within. Upon entering the back door of the boutique clothing shop, Rue is confronted by a well-dressed figure sat behind a desk, a measuring tape draped over the lapels of his deep brown waistcoat. Being from an area with as diverse a population as The Railyard, Rue is hardly taken aback when the man stands up to greet them, climbing down off a stool and revealing himself to be a little person.   "Rue, I'd like to introduce you to Alphonso Dufrane," Alec says, shaking the man's hand like an old friend and even reverting back to his human form, much to Rue's surprise, "The best damn superhero tailor in Bathala."   "I'm afraid the Detective is wrong on two accounts, there," Alphonso responds, a confident smirk spreading across his face as he offers the same hand to Rue, "I'm the best tailor in Bathala, and the best superhero tailor in the world."   “Yeah, see, I think there’s some sort of mix-up here,” Rue stammers awkwardly, looking much like a deer caught in headlights, “I’m not a superhero. If you want me to wear a disguise for what we’re about to do, we’ve got that covered,” They hold up the balaclava as if to prove their point, “See? Costume sorted!”   Alphonso raises a brow before holding out a hand, "May I see that?"   Rue looks at the hand suspiciously, “What for?”   "I'm a superhero tailor, dear," he says, only massively condescending as he rolls his eyes in their direction, "I need to see that it's fit for purpose."   “And I’m not a superhero,” Rue deadpans, unimpressed. They lightly throw the balaclava at Alphonso, crossing their arms over their chest.   "That so?" The man asks as he takes the mask in hand and looks at it and then to Alec.   "I mean..." Blue says, trying to speak delicately, "You have taken down at least four criminals using your powers..."   “Do you talk to your barber about my powers too, or is it just this guy?” Rue grumbles, clearly uncomfortable with the subject at hand despite Blue’s overt transformation back to his human form in front of the tailor. With no way to undo the conversation, they heave a weary sigh, “I’m just- I’m not- whatever you think I am, can’t I just wear the damn balaclava? It’s fit to cover my face, that’s all it needs to do.”   "What, this?" Alphonso says, capitalising on Rue's little outburst to hold a lighter below the object. It goes up in flames far faster than they could ever expect, and before they even have a chance to douse the flames with their powers, the balaclava is ruined beyond repair.   "Oh, no... Something unfortunate has happened," he drops the flaming heap to the linoleum floor and stamps it out before continuing like nothing happened, "Now, if you'd like to follow me to the next room, we'll have a look at some more fire-retardant options."   Rue gapes at the destroyed balaclava, then at Alec, and at the tailor disappearing into the adjacent room. “How’d you meet this pompous ass?” They ask the hero loud enough for Alphonso to hear.   "He taught a textiles class at the adult learning annexe a few years ago," Alec says, shrugging, "Didn't take him long to work out what I was using his teachings for. He may be a little... abrasive, but he knows his stuff."   Rue watches him hesitantly, stepping towards the door the tailor disappeared through whilst muttering, “I’m not wearing any spandex or a fucking cape…”   "Capes are for big, imposing figures, Dear," Alphonso calls back to them as they enter the fitting room, "Not really your style."   The room is lined from wall to wall in various fabrics and clothing items, all ready to be put together into whatever combination takes Alphonso's fancy. Rue's immediately surprised that he would risk setting the mask alight in a place that's such an obvious fire hazard, but the thought is tempered by thinking it'd serve him right to see his business go up in flames.   They don't immediately see the man, but he quickly emerges from within a fitting cubicle as Alec pipes up, "If that's the case, then why don't I have a cape?"   "Now, Rue," Alphonso interjects, ignoring the Detective, "I have prepared a costume that I think complements your personal style and will help you out in the field, all while still maintaining that... je ne sais quoi that makes a superhuman stand out from the pack."   “I don’t want to stand out…” Rue objects, though at this stage there’s a level of resignation (and perhaps a hint of curiosity, though they would rather die than to admit that out loud) to their tone as they follow Alphonso to the cubicle.   "No, you wouldn't. That's the idea," he says, grinning like he's just about to declare checkmate, "There's no point concealing your identity if you're just going to be immediately recognised anyway, but this way no-one will think it's actually you under there, and you can act with impunity."   “I- huh?” They blink, visibly confused, “So, I- what?” They decide to give up on their attempt to follow his logic, shooting a quick glance in Alec’s direction as if to say ‘You’ll pay for this’, “Just- show me what I’ve got to wear…”   Alec, seemingly enjoying the whole ordeal, sits on a nearby wooden chair and begins to flick through a nearby fashion magazine, smiling at them as if to say 'Have fun with that'.   "Now, dear. Don't be so glum. I've got just the thing," Alphonso says as he claps his hands and a second version of himself emerges from an adjoining room carrying a delicately wrapped suit bag, "We think you'll really like this one."   “Umm…” Rue starts, brows furrowed as they try to establish if the second version is an exact copy, or if they’re just very identical twins. They take the suit bag from him, “Thank you, Mister Dufrane.” They turn towards the other tailor, gesturing towards the dressing room, “May I?”   "What?" the twin says, grinning to himself, "You think everyone with powers wants to beat people up?" The original Alphonso rolls his eyes at his copy, placing a hand on his shoulder and causing him to vanish in a flash of smoke, "Go right ahead, Rue. We'll be out here if you have any trouble."   Rue opens their mouth as if to say something, but lets the comment die on their tongue, instead giving him an appreciative nod before disappearing into the cubicle. Despite their previous snarky remarks, they are careful with the suit bag as they gently place it onto the hook on the wall, intrigue driving them to slowly zip the bag open and reveal the costume within.   Expecting the worst, Rue is surprised by how understated the costume actually is. Primarily black and dark blue in colour, the costume primarily consists of dark leggings with padding on the knees and shins, and a dark jacket made of some sort of thick, almost leathery material. The jacket also features a large hood and zippable pockets in the front and back where lightweight metallic plates are inserted, providing some armour without hindering mobility.   ''Huh.'' They say, still not exactly thrilled by the prospect of wearing a costume, but silently admitting to themself that, as far as costumes go, it could've been a lot worse. They take their time getting changed into the clothing, amazed to find that the items fit them almost perfectly. ''How'd you know my size?'' They call out as they shrug on the jacket, patting the metallic plates to check where they cover their torso.   "I showed him some pictures from Amelia's recording," Alec calls out from his position in the corner.   "I'm very good at what I do, dear," Alphonso reiterates, "But as for footwear, I am going to need your size."   ''Any chance those recordings can be deleted?'' Rue asks as they step out of the cubicle, pulling a little at the fabric on their legs, unaccustomed to wearing anything this tight. They look down at themself, a blush colouring their cheeks. ''This is ridiculous...'' They mutter under their breath with a sigh.   "Well, for now, they're the only thing keeping Creel's spy in jail, so we'd prefer not," Alec says, looking up as they step out, "It's not so bad. Looks a little more protective than your usual hoodie, at least."   "It's far more than that, Detective," Alphonso responds, "The jacket and leggings are both fireproof and stab resistant, and those plates will protect your vital organs from most firearms your local criminal is likely to get his hands on. But, you're not wrong, Rue. It's definitely missing something..."   ''Don't say it's missing a cape after all...'' Rue grumbles warily, rolling their eyes.   "No. Though glad to hear you're keeping an open mind," Alphonso says sarcastically, "I'm thinking the mask! The whole idea is to conceal your identity, after all. Now, tell me. Do you have any sensory or face-based powers I need to account for?"   Rue nervously chews their bottom lip, glancing between Alphonso and Blue as they consider how to answer his question. ''Pretty much all my senses are heightened...'' They confess reluctantly, ''I can see through objects, hear things most people can’t, and track people through scent,'' They give a wry smile and a shrug, ''I also don't do too well with spicy food.''   "Hmm... Well, I do have one thing in the back. One second," he says, disappearing into another room for a second before returning with some sort of opaque, black helmet, "This design features a rebreather apparatus that should help you for a little while in smoky environments, and a voice modulator. I designed it for a blind hero, so it hasn't got any eye holes, but I doubt that'll be a problem for you. And it's modular, so you can detach the bottom half if you want to use your scent tracking."   ''That's...'' Rue takes the helmet from the tailor, inspecting the design, ''That's pretty cool, actually.''   "Did I just hear... approval?" Alec asks, putting the magazine down as his mouth gapes in exaggerated shock.   "Quiet, Detective. We're having a breakthrough," Alphonso quickly shuts him down before returning his attention to Rue, "Why don’t you try it on, Dear?"   Rue rolls their eyes at Alec's comment, running their hand through their hair to get it out of their face before slipping the helmet on. They adjust their vision so they can look through the material, shrugging at Alphonso as he watches them expectantly. ''Well, it fits.'' They say, letting out a surprised chuckle upon hearing the way the modulator distorts their voice.   "Hmm, not bad at all," he says, nodding in approval, "Now, let's see it with the hood too."   ''What is this, a fashion show?'' Rue says, letting out an exasperated sigh as they put the hood up, ''Happy?''   "I'm a tailor. Indulge me," he says as he watches them complete the look, "Now that works. Very... faceless spectre."    "Huh," Alec says, nodding with approval, "Looks like we've got a theme going."   "Maybe hold off on the faceless merchandise,” They say, lowering the hood and removing the helmet so they can meet Alec’s gaze, “This is just temporary, okay? I’m not about to join your little hero group.”   "Of course, of course," the Detective says, lifting his hands defensively, "Once the pedos have been punched, you can go straight back to..." he pauses, his eyes darting between Rue and the tailor, "Whatever it is you do."    “Deal,” Rue smirks eagerly at the prospect of roughing up the pedos, “So are we done here?”   "I think so," Alec says, standing from his seat, "Alphonso, you're a miracle worker. Never thought you'd get this one in a costume."   "What can I say?" the tailor shrugs, "I'm a genius."   Rue watches the interaction with incredulity, shaking their head and muttering something about the pair of them being assholes as they collect their own clothes from the cubicle, packing them away in the backpack they brought with them. “Right, you’ve had your fun,” They say to Alec, impatiently waiting for him by the door, “Now it’s my turn, let’s go.”   "Alright then, Rue. Let's get to it," Alec says as he leads them out of the building, bidding a fond farewell to the tailor before joining them in the van, "You ready for this?"   “I was ready before you decided I needed a wardrobe change,” Rue grins widely, placing their bag on the ground between their legs, “So, where to first?”   "I decided you needed the wardrobe change before I picked you up earlier," Alec remarks as he pulls off, the van heading around the City ring road as he explains their heading, "First stop is Manfred Walten, a soap opera actor with grandiose delusions. Thinks that just because he's got money and fame, he can do whatever he wants when the cameras are off. He was the Dingo's last client before biting off more than she could chew with you and Rani."