Synthetic Beauty (re-posted)

Chapter Twenty: A Mission or Setup?

Kyle had explained what a mission would be like and how she would have to go through it all. She never knew what a rush it would bring. Kevin and a few other Specials send her off on her mission.

"I've got my eye on you, Posena," President Bridges smiles at Phoebe despite his bitter tone.

Phoebe smiles back, "Now why would you have to do that?"

He only grimaces curtly and escorts her to the hovercraft. Kyle sits inside with large headphones and a collar for Phoebe.

"You ready, Posena?" he hands her the collar as she sits down in her combat suit.

Phoebe sighs nervously, "Yes, but why can't I just use my combat suit to turn invisible? Why do I have to wear that stupid disguise collar?"

Kyle laughs, "Because, you want bubble brain to see you, right?"

She nods her head and pulls the collar around her neck. The roar of the hovercraft stirs below Phoebe and Kyle like a sea of outraged lions. Her heart thumps against her chest as the hovercraft slowly, but surely ascends into the air. Phoebe looks back at President Bridges who puts on his sunglasses, but not before leaving Phoebe with a glare. It takes a while before they begin to descend, but not to land as expected, they begin to glide across the water as gears change and shift under them to prepare for descent into the water. Slowly, the water engulfs them and Phoebe feels comforted by the familiarity of it all.

Taking out her sword, she looks in its reflection. Her hair remains pure blonde and her eyes a hazel. She looks as if a dull minded Pretty. Her skin remains a pasty white that suits her new look. Her outfit is a lace overshirt with a tank top underneath and ripped skinny jeans feel tight in all the most awkward places.Her purse strains against her shoulder in the place where her backpack was.

"Heels? How am I supposed to run in these?" Phoebe looks at the yellow heels that match her shirt.

"Remember, you really have combat boots on. It just looks like you have heels on. You'll be fine, Posena," Kyle reassures Phoebe.Kyle looks out the window of the hovercraft, "Here's where you'll just jmp out and swim over to the Capitol. That is the Central City, right?"

"Yeah. Wait... I have to jump out in the water?" Phoebe stares a him with disbelief.

"You're a Special, so you don't have to breathe, and the water won't affect your collar at all. You'll still have dry blonde hair, though your normal hair will be wet and your combat suit, too," Kyle looks at the window.

Kyle escorts her to the back room and locks her in there without him. She inspects the valve door beneath her feet and the window that shows the fish and the submarine cars. Some brave Pretties swim around each other. They're probably one of the few that had the mermaid operation. It means they can swim and breathe underwater. They swim gracefully as, suddenly, the floor beneath her deteriorates, leaving her to swim with the fish. Phoebe's eyes catch Kyle's as he nods reassuringly to her.

Here we go... Phoebe thinks to herself. She swims incognito, hiding behind corals and large fish who swim past her as if it's normal. The dome of the Capitol shines brightly in the darkness of the sea. Phoebe holds her breath, not used to not breathing. She continues on, making her way to a body shaped pod in the dome. Her feet plant on the pod and she looks at the reflection on the wall. Kyle was right. Not a spot on her looks different or wet. The water slowly drains from out of the pod and Phoebe reaches to the door to open it. An elephant stands on her chest as she slowly walks into the dome. A billion people walk to and from malls, medical buildings and parks. Phoebe knows exactly where she is to meet Tyler. At the Central Park. That was where Phoebe ran and fell into his lap. That was where she had confessed her feelings of remorse to him. Remorse of not becoming a Pretty sooner to meet Kevin once again.

A knot formed inside her stomach as she walked through the crowd of mindless Pretties. Her lips curved upwards at the innocent Uglies and her mind wandered about what it would have been like if she had never become a Pretty. She would still be at home with her mother and maybe without Kevin, but she would have never known the truth about his disappearance. Maybe then she would have still been happy...

"Hey there, Sweet Cheeks," a Pretty behind Phoebe slaps her butt and her first reaction is to grab his arm and throw him to the ground, but she contains her fury.

Phoebe turns around slowly, gives him a wink and walks away, very slightly swinging her hips. She knew she had to act like all the other Pretties. After a while of wandering, Phoebe finally ushes through the last crowd of people and enters through the green-leafed archway into the park that is fenced off by hedges.There's still an opening in the hedge of when she ran in without knowing it as a Pretty and fell right into Tyler's lap in the bench under the oak tree.

Memories playback in her mind as she rounds the corner to the bench. Familiar blue hair peeks from over a rose bush.Containing the ecitement it gave her, Phoebe slowly walks over to the bench and sits right next to Tyler. Tyler only gives her a sideways glance.

"Good evening," Phoebe says politely to the unknowing Tyler. Pretties wander throughout the park, a couple making out, a woman walking her dog, and a man raking the leaves.

"Good evening," he smiles back. Something feels off about him. Phoebe couldn't put a finger on it, but the way he carries himself is different.

Phoebe shifts to her side closest to Tyler, "What is such a handsome Pretty like you sitting alone on this bench for?"

He smiles curtly, "I'm waiting for someone."

"Oh? Is it a girlfriend?"

He looks at me, something off in his smile, "More like an ex."

On the inside, Phoebe feels a stab to her heart, but ignores it. She doesn't let it show on the outside, "Why would you be seeing an ex?"

His eyes drift over to a couple in the corner and for a split second, his eyes switch to a shade of red. Phoebe gasps at this, "I have business to attend to."

"Tyler, are you waiting for Phoebe?" Phoebe looks at him intently as he slowly looks at herstrange.

Tyler's smile turns into a full on creepy smile. Phoebe has seen creepy smiles in the past from her fellow Specials, but none of them compared to the look of craze on Tyler's face. Phoebe watches as he flicks a button resting on the inside of his palm. Suddenly, all the normal looking Pretties drop what they're doing and race over around Phoebe and Tyler.

"What's going on here?" Phoebe stands up as a Pretty pouces on her and holds her down with a force she doesn't fight against.

Tyler laughs mockingly, "You've been set up. That's what's going on. Pretty good for Bubblebrains, right?"