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Cold... I'm cold. Why am I cold? My hand flails a bit to my right until I find my comforter and pull it back over me.

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It's just as quickly torn off me again.

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Grunting a guttural snarl under my breath, I reach over and yank it back again. The retaliation is soon repeated.

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Nathan and his stupid sheet hogging. Well two can play at that game. I reach over and yank the blanket back again. This time my hand lingers and when I feel it beginning to shift I reach out and drag the rascally raccoon right up against me and wrap the blanket tight around both of us.

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"Hey there," I begin to say as I open my eyes, "hot stu..." I stop, eyes shooting wide in panic as I find myself staring at a black speckled white pinniped. Despite the difference of species it still takes my brain twenty seconds to resolve the fact that a feral zoo animal was not my husband.

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The pinniped must have been having a similar thought process, because at that moment of realization that he speaks, "Arf arf arf," in a brisk feral tone before shooting out of my arms like a greased rocket, slapping my face with it's tail playfully on it's way out.

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Sputtering to clear both my mouth and indignation, I throw off the covers and look around. I was not in my studio apartment with my husband. I wasn't even in a shared hotel room with Garthfield. I was in... a cave?

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An ice cave, apparently, as I quickly tuck my bare feet back on top of the padded mattresses I was sleeping on. Stuck on an island of warmth on a frozen world, I take a moment to take stock of my surroundings as my eyes search for some clothing.

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Two sources of light illuminate the room. First is was a green blinking light from a black cube a few feet away. Second was staggered vertical line from what I could only assume was gaps in a tarp blocking out the light from outside... be it outside this 'room' or outside the cave I don't bother guessing right away.

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Focusing on the block, I notice that there is a black cord running between it and my comforter. At this point it becomes clear that the sheets weren't warm due to my body heat but because they were electrical. Thinking of what else might be electrical, my eyes scan the box for more cords and I find two more. One leads deeper into the cave where I can't see, and the other to the wall right behind me. Reaching up, I follow the cord to what on tactile inspection appear to be a lamp. It takes maybe five seconds of fumbling to find the power switch and cast some proper illumination on the situation.

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Yep, definitely an ice cave. No sign of dirt much less granite. Not too small, but sparsely furnished. On the other side of the generator was an ice hole with a complex apparatus of glass and tubes. Little hard to tell what it was without up close examination, but it certainly explains how the seal got in here with me.

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Thinking of which, the little guy chooses this moment to snuggle back up to me. I can only imagine how cold it must be out there for a mammal covered in blubber to be attracted to an electric blanket. Still, with no signs of any clothing, a blanket that was only going to do me any good plugged in may as well be useless. So I flip it over onto the seal to reveal a second surprise since waking up.

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Apparently I was fully dressed.

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Well, for certain definitions of full. I normally sleep naked so some boxers and a muscle shirt were leaps and bounds above what I was expecting to see. Still, this does confirm that I'm not suffering from amnesia; someone intentionally undressed me down to my skivvies and tucked me into bed in the middle of an arctic glacier... or antarctic glacier... or tropical glacier in an infinite universe. Just given what the last reality I was...

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Memories of where I was before come crashing down on my mind. Location: tropical polar cap on the continent of Pergo, on the planet Mentango, in reality 864792834921. Mission: capture a fugitive who has evaded entire squads before with only one exception. Backup: Agent Garfield; short temper, marginally larger dick, but still a cute butt with that short little bear tail. Fugitive: Subject 83N; a nondescript plump brown rat with observed dimensional abilities that makes R&D salivate.

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Subject 83N has been a thorn in the MMIB's side for years. While certain fugitives like the albino otter S17 were frequent annoyances, they were easy to handle... S17 almost appeared to be eagered to be captured. But 83N was different, constantly staying within reach of the MMIB but only on a few rare occasions being caught. 83N was a thrill seeker, a loose cannon, and.... apparently the benefactor for my current one star artic hotel arrangements.

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Sighing, I brace myself for the cold before standing up and striding across the ice floor. I'm no polar bear, but it's just a little cold. If the perp is still here I can subdue him and call for an extraction with that confounded black devices of his. Sure, there was a question if he still had it after that fall, but it was a dismissive concern. Same with questioning why the rat would still be here if it meant risking capture. 83N's files emphasized his morality; he would not leave without knowing I would survive.

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Pushing aside the tarp, I step into a more brightly lit cavern. Not warmer, but that is a blessing on a frozen ball of ice. I find much more permanent bedding arrangements along with a desk and computer. More importantly I find a black fuzzy bathrobe on the back of the desk chair. Scanning the room quickly, I see a freezer chest and several plastic stacking draws forming a rudimentary cabinet wall. One exit on the other side of the room.

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In the clear, I quickly take a moment to throw on the black bathrobe. It doesn't go unnoticed that it's the perfect size for my broad short frame, but that just makes me move faster. Not wanting to alert the rat if he was just on the other side of those curtains, I skip searching the drawers for weaponry and instead pull free the belt from the bathrobe. Now armed, I advance towards the next tarp.

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Just in front of the tarp I stop, hearing the tell tale sign of someone texting at thirty words per minute. Feeling confident, I prep my snare between my fists before bursting burst through ready to get a quick knockout hold done... only to get all but knocked out by the view.

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If you stare too long at the abyss, the abyss will stare back at you. I've heard the line before, but I've never believed it. I've looked at the blackness of space before, and never felt anything. Heck, I've traveled through literal abysses and have passed through unphased. But this... this is...

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"There are no stars," the rat says suddenly. When I whip my head in his direction, I see that he isn't looking at me but is instead pocketing his black communication device. So much for the element of surprise. "This is a dead universe... well, mostly dead. We obviously haven't reached the point where matter is falling apart, but even the red dwarves have gone cold, so give it time. This comet is just an oddity that's managed to find stable orbit within a cluster of black holes... well, mostly stable."

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I stop my slow approach on the rat with this revelation. I'm on a sealed habitat in the vacuum of space with a mad man. That significantly reprioritizes the amount of aggression I can employ with my violence. Lowering my fists, I uncurl my left hand and allow the cloth belt to dangle freely from my right. "So... is this your fabled Sanctuary of Solitude?"

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The rat pauses at my words before turning around. One of his eyebrows are raised above his brown eyes and behind his thin glasses. "A superman reference? For me? Well that's a little misplaced." 83N did have a point. The fluffy burgundy windbreaker only served to overemphasize his his paunch while at the same time doing little to cover up his scrawny arms... it was almost a contradiction. If this rat was secretly superman, then the visage before me put Clark Kent to shame.

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"Fine," I grunted, clenching my right fist slightly as I gauged the distance between us with a calculated eye, "Hidey Hole of... Hiddenness?"

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The rat blinks before emitting a single brief chuckle, "Good one. I'll have to keep that in mind if I ever trademark these things." He turns away from me, taking one step forward as he gestures grandiosely to the emptiness. A step I match pace for pace; no more, no less. "But as my statement just implied, this isn't THE Hidey Hole of Hiddenness. I have several scattered across the realities of the Nexus Conglomerate. Can't be running from you boys all the time," he says as he glances back at me, "Rat's gotta sleep sometime."

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I break eye contact as I take one step forward and to the left, trying to create the illusion that I'm keeping my distance from him even as I close it. "I guess it makes sense. Still, didn't realize the Conglomerate had so many dead realities in it's inventory."

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I don't make eye contact, but I can almost hear his smiles as he says, "Time's a dimension too. Even a profitable venture has to have a lifespan." He pauses, and when he speaks up again he is of all things closer to me. "Besides, not all my Hidey Holes are at the end of time."

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He was confident. Admittedly, he had every right to be. He probably didn't know I could hack any safeguards on his communication device, and without that I was very much stranded here with a small refrigerator of food and no way out. Still the balls from someone who looked so weak was riling. I did my best to push it aside. His file warned agents about how he's maneuvered agents were he needed them through short tempers.

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"So," I say as I turn to face him again, "I guess the real question here is why you've taken me here rather than some... random public hospital on some random world." Stalling tactics aside, it was a very valid question that's been bugging me since my short term memory patched together how I was here.

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Tilting his head to the side, he answers, "A public hospital? You mean there's actually one with sufficient medical facilities you'd consent to be in a coma in that also wouldn't detain whoever brought you in for a police interview." He smiles as I overemphasize my twinge of embarrassment. "Trust me, there were other options. I simply choose this one because I thought maybe if I could talk to one of you Muscular Men in Black, that maybe I could get you to call off the hound dogs. I only comment on the occasional story, after all."

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I raise an honest eyebrow, "You honestly think that just talking to one agent is going to call off the strong arm of one of the most powerful multireality conglomerations in the universe?" I pause for a moment as my curiosity gets the best of me and I add. "And what do you mean about stories?"

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For what it was worth, that last question caught him off guard. He looks to his left and mutters something I can't fully make out... though I do catch the phrase, "...Jacob would be proud...". Turning back to me, he coughs before saying. "Best not to delve down that last rabbit hole until I've talked to your Director on how far down I'm allowed to show you. As for the first... well it certainly couldn't hurt to try. At worst I'll have to vacate a few Hidey Holes."

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I tilt my head to the side questioningly, for a moment wondering if 83N is nothing more than just another means for the Director to regulate his employees. As a member of the MMIB I know about such thing... heck, I've helped facilitate such projects over the years.

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Still, it just didn't sit right. While no one is above the Director's whims, 83N has been a thorn in the MMIB's proverbial foot for almost as long as I've been in service. It didn't make sense why a long term project aimed at agitating an entire division of the conglomerate would suddenly focus on one agent, much less me. The Director was sometimes fickle but never heartless, despite his own testimony to the contrary, and I go to bed every night knowing that if I wake up and find myself made redundant I would also find Nathan ensnared in whatever wet dream the Director was bringing to life.

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With more on my mind than I was expecting from this calculated diversion, I checked the distance between us and made a calculated risk. I stepped forward and crossed my arms. "You do realize that this will never work. More than any other arm of the Conglomerate, the Director has direct control over the MMIB."

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The rat, of all things, shrugs, "Tell that to S17." I once again over emphasize my shock, though not by much. When he turns around and actually steps away, it takes a colossal effort for me to remember to match his step pace for pace. "But this will get me something even if it turns out to be a complete waste of time."

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I scowl slightly, wondering for a moment what dangers this fugitive could pose to the Conglomerate if his efforts were turned towards something other than messing around with the MMIB. "What could you possibly have to gain from losing resources and an increased risk of capture."

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The rat stops his movement, and I use the momentum to take one necessary extra step to be within range. Before I can strike, 83N glances over his shoulder and sheepishly grins as he answers, "Writing practice?"

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I don't bother to act overly shocked at the insane remark. Instead I lash out, quickly pulling the cloth belt around the rats neck as I step forward and pull him firmly against my hard chest. There isn't any escape; we aren't called the Muscular Men in Black for no reason. The one flaw in the plan is the flexibility of the cloth as the fugitive is still able to breath regardless of all my strength by forcing the fabric to stretch with his hands. Even the weakness has an advantage, though, as it keeps both of 83N's hands occupied to accomplish this.

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"Right" the fugitive stammers to say, "I was wondering when we would get to this." Sucking in another breath, he wastes it almost immediately by continuing. "Do you want to know the two flaws in this plan of yours?"

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I don't bother with a reply, but just continue to press the strangle hold tighter until it can do it's job. A proper questioning can be made at his interrogation.

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83N appear to take my silence as a sign I want him to continue. "One, I know the real reason this black void of space has suddenly unsettled a hardened dimension traveler of the Conglomerate."

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Those words do give me pause. The entire reason I needed this long drawn out conversation to close the distance between us is due to the fact I faltered when seeing the abyss of space. My hesitation didn't make sense then, and is leading to more hesitation now when I should be finishing the job.

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My evaluation of my own actions come too late as 83N comes to his next point, "Two... snapping is just for show."

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For a moment I don't understand what he mean, but the sudden pop below my feet provide all the gravity I need to understand his threat. Mostly vertical gravity as I start freefalling on the spot.

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In my panic I lose my grip on 83N, but the rat quickly latches onto one of my forearms. As we fall, I get a good view of the fugitive dangling above me as gravity pulls me into the spaceless darkness. There are far too many ways to interpret his almost exhilarated grin as we fall into the black void between worlds. The mystery of what lies behind his eyes, however, is nothing compared to the mystery behind my own.

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As I fall into darkness, staring up at the closing door back to the light... why are the words Not Again screaming unheeded in my own head?