Beacon of Hope



Chapter One

DISCLAIMER :: This fanfiction is based on Superman from DC Comics. All rights reserved. Art by CWBlaine on Deviant Art.
Author's note: Perhaps it is the start of a new collaborative universe or a standalone project for myself. I don't know, yet.

(( Chapter Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQOBUrRaPU0 ))

A soft, subtle “ding-dong” tone sounded throughout the cabin and my eyes instinctively looked slightly upward to be greeted by the illumination of the “Fasten Seatbelts” sign. It’s a good thing I relieved myself about twenty minutes ago. Following the command, I draped the belt over my lap and connected it just like the flight attendants showed us at the start of the flight. It fit well over my thin physique draped by dark blue slacks and a white button-up shirt. It was time for final approach.

Glancing out the window on my left, the wing of this particular aircraft was somewhere behind my seat but below was the grand expanse of Chicagoland. Home. It would be a lovely joke if I could say that I could see my house from here, but I seem to be on the wrong side of the plane for this approach. The weather is clear and winds seem to be blowing our direction as we’re coming in from Lake Michigan. I could probably see our old house in Oak Park if I squinted hard enough.

I have to make this conference trip every quarter or so. Sometimes, you have to schmooze the media and other firms when you’re the corporate communications specialist for a company so mid-level in the tech industry that nobody’s really heard of it. Most days, I loathe this job. On days where I actually get to rub elbows with some of my old colleagues that still work in the news media, it’s a better day. I only took this job because the Tribune went belly up and I got laid off back in 2015, right after my wife surprised me with her third pregnancy. I had to do something to keep the family afloat and we needed a bigger house for the kids. I did the right thing for my family, but the wrong thing for me. I just have to suck it up and deal with it because there’s no way I’m uprooting the lives of my wife and kids to New York, D.C., or L.A. just for my own ambitions.

Life wasn’t always this monotonous and filled with existential dread. At one time, I was a starry-eyed kid from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, watching Dan Rather and Peter Jennings carry on the legacy of Walter Cronkite. Part of me wished I’d been alive to see a Cronkite broadcast and I technically was but infants never remember things. When I learned the things Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein had done, I knew I wanted to be a journalist. After graduating high school, I went straight into college for journalism. During my senior year, I met the love of my life, Laura. We dated for a while as I got my career off the ground and she got through the rest of school then her residency. I’m a news man, she’s a healer; a registered nurse. The wedding was nice. Our first child was a bit of a surprise, but nothing we couldn’t handle.

Everything was coming along great. We planned to buy a house as our second child was coming into our lives. That three-bedroom in Oak Park was quite cozy. Then, simultaneously good news and bad news: Laura got pregnant again and I lost my job at the Chicago Tribune. I gave my all for twelve years to that newspaper and got a “thanks for all the fish” moment from the finance bros from New York as they knee-capped an institution that had been in operation for one hundred and sixty-eight years at the time. We needed a larger house and I needed a job so we could do it. So, I took this vampire of a corporate job for the sake of my family. It’s been sucking the life out of me for ten years, but it means Laura and the girls have a cozy, safe home and a decent standard of living.

The plane touched down and then taxied to the terminal while I wore my disappointed scowl. I don’t ever show this side to my kids. Laura knows I’m unhappy, but newspaper journalism is all but dead, anymore. She understands my convictions. I was taught that a man puts himself to the side and provides for his family. Is it healthy? I doubt it but I’ve never spoken with a therapist, so what do I know?

At the terminal, it’s the same old story: once the flight attendants announce that we’ve docked and are able to leave the plane, everybody stands up at once. I’ve done this enough times that I simply stay seated until there’s enough of a gap to accommodate me. It takes a few minutes, but once I see an opening I reach for my carry-on in the overhead bin and casually make my way off the plane. Some people get a little impatient with the process and start shouting or pushing at this stage. I’m not them. I merely blend into the crowd and don’t impose on anyone. I even move far to the side of the gangway to let the impatient ones pass by without objection.

Inside the terminal, there are reunions all around me. Whether it’s a return from vacation, college, or even military service, there’s always somebody waiting for one of the passengers on the flight. Nothing for me, though. It’s a routine business trip. Nothing to get all worked up about. Laura is probably still at the hospital working a shift and the girls would be getting home from school in about an hour. I simply drape my suit jacket over my forearm, adjust my glasses, and pull out my phone. Call me old fashioned, but I’d rather call a cab than hail an Uber on an app. Within moments, I’m on with a dispatcher who reserves me one of the drivers already parked outside the terminal and tells me the number on the cab I should look for. I thank her cordially, stick my phone back in my pocket, and make my way out of the terminal.

When my head comes back up, something on one of the television screens catches my eye. It’s tuned to one of the 24-hour news stations with the volume disabled and closed captions enabled. The bottom third chiron reads “Scientists Debate Mystery Stellar Energy Wave Headed For Earth”. There are two scientists sitting around a table with the behind-the-desk personality. My curiosity gets the better of me and I read the captions on the screen.

[Dr. Marquez: “This is unprecedented. We’ve never detected an energy signal like this before. We don’t currently know its origin or how it will affect us here on Earth.”]

The second scientist scoffs. [Dr. Pierce: “Oh, please, Isobel! There’s no need to frighten the public! We became scientists to study the unknown. We shouldn’t be afraid of it.”]

The first scientist pinches her nose bridge. [Dr. Marquez: “Alan, we need to be serious, here. People have the right to know the truth. We’ve been tracking this thing for several days and it will hit in mere minutes. We have to prepare for any contingency.]

The host finally steps in. [Host: “Are you saying this thing could wipe us out?”]

[Dr. Marquez: “We don’t know. It’s traveling too fast for intensive study. I would advise the people at home to at least hug their children.”]

The screen went black. Everything went black: all the televisions, all the lights, and even my eyes. I felt myself crumple to the ground and there were a couple screams that echoed as I lost consciousness.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It must have been only moments later that I regained consciousness. I found myself on the floor looking up at the ceiling tiles. My body felt rather heavy and my vision was blurred at first. My fall had apparently been cushioned by my carry-on luggage, at least for my upper body. Rolling over ever so slightly, I found my glasses and slipped them on. Now, my vision wasn’t blurry and I scanned the surroundings. Lights were on. Televisions were on. The only difference seemed to be a general unease the people around me seemed to wear on their faces. A lot of those faces were fixed on the television screens. My only concern was rolling over and getting out of this airport.

Upon standing, I pulled out my phone and checked the time. A few minutes had gone by since I’d seen the time on the screen during the broadcast. The cabbie would no doubt be waiting for me and I needed to get home to my family. Getting on the move was proving a little difficult. Everything felt strange. My body didn’t want to work correctly as if I’d suffered a stroke or something. On the way out to the exit, I called my wife.

It only took one ring for the other end to activate and my wife’s somewhat frantic voice to answer, “Chris?! Honey, tell me you’re okay!”

I lightly chuckled in response. “I’m fine, Laura. I’m a little sluggish, probably because I fell over a minute ago.”

“Fell over? Sluggish? What are you talking about?”

“I think there was an EMP blast or something. All the televisions and lights went off, then I fell over. I landed on my luggage, though, so I’m generally okay.”

“Chris, that wasn’t an EMP. It was that energy thing they’ve been talking about most of this week. Are you tasting metal? Dizzy? Nauseous?”

I mentally take stock of my condition as she asks her questions. “No, honey. None of that. No stroke for me.”

“How’s your heart rate?”

“I don’t feel anything out of the ordinary there, honey. I’m just… sluggish. My body feels heavy. I’m going to catch a cab and head home. One of us needs to check on the girls. You may be stuck at the hospital for a little while. I’ve got this.” I finally reached the exit doors and scanned the surroundings for the area where the cabs were congregating.

“Be careful, Chris. I’ll look you over when I get home.”

I smiled at her as if she was right in front of me. “Wouldn’t expect anything less, Laura. See you at home. I love you.”

“Love you, too, Chris.”

Spotting the yellow cabs, my eyes started to scan the numbers on them for the one the dispatcher gave me moments ago as I tapped to hang up the phone and slip it into my pocket. It takes more than a few moments to find the actual cab I was looking for. It’s the standard Toyota Prius painted roughly the same yellow as a school bus with the trademark black-checkered stripe down the side. A guy in his mid-30s stood beside it. He was a bit shorter than me; most people are since I grew to 6’2” in high school. His polo shirt and jeans combo did little to hide all the body hair on his arms and chest. He looked up at me.

“Kent? Christopher Kent?” The cabbie asked.

I smiled at him. “Yes, that’s me. Thanks for waiting like this. I know you’re a busy man and I’d hate for you to miss a fare that got you more than my ride.”

The man shrugged. “It’s fine, my friend. Where to, today?”

“Home. Arlington Heights.”

He smiles and nods as he moves to help with my bag. “Oh, nice spot, Mr. Kent. Got lucky with that one, I’d think.”

I slowly nodded as I climbed into the back seat. “You might say that. We bought before the pandemic when prices were a little better. It still wasn’t cheap, but our three girls were not going to be happy sharing a room in a three bedroom.”

He climbed into the driver’s seat and started the meter. “I’ve got two of my own. Some say you can have them in the same room, but I’d rather avoid World War III inside my own house.”

I laughed. “I know exactly what you mean.”

“Being a girl dad is not for the faint of heart.”

My smile grew wider on my face. “No, it is not. Wouldn’t trade it for anything, though.”

“Me either.”

With that, we drove onward toward my address. We chatted a bit more about our kids. His girls were younger than mine, but that didn’t matter. He was smack dab in the fun stage when they try to do your hair and makeup. My youngest, Olivia, is in that stage. Just last week, she did my makeup to mixed reviews from the others. She’s only nine, so I imagine she’ll get better at it. His oldest is eight. They probably go to the same school.

I do take a few moments to give him a little advice. In a few short years, his girls will get to a point where they may seem like they hate him for a couple of years. Hannah, my oldest, did for a while. Madison, the middle child, did for a shorter amount of time. Laura always assured me they’d come around eventually, which they did. The rapid hormone fluctuations and the reality of menstruation can do a number on girls. Laura informed me that female puberty is just all around painful, which I relayed to my cabbie. After relaying a few anecdotal examples, we pulled up to the curb in front of the house Laura and I bought in 2017.

“...and above all, be there for them when they ask you to.” I reassured him with a tap on the shoulder.

He blinked rapidly for a moment. “Well, thanks, Mr. Kent. I knew I was in for it, but I didn’t know how bad. It’s good to know there’s a light at the end of that tunnel.”

“There always is, my friend.” I nodded to him as I took my carry-on out of the trunk. Grabbing out my phone, paying for the ride with a little extra tip was simply a tap away. “You have yourself a good day, now. Drive safe!”

The guy waved as he drove away and I turned toward my home. Like almost everything else in American Suburbia, it really wasn’t very special. Two above-ground floors with a finished basement down below. It had fake shutters and a brick facade. The two car garage held both mine and my wife’s car when we were both home. I kept the lawn looking nice enough without having any semblance of a green thumb. It was just a typical house built around the time I was born and looked like it was the star of some family sitcom back in the day. The outside didn’t matter to me as much as what was inside.

Slowly, I made my way to the front door and then through it. Alas, no one was home. Calling out would do no good. School would be in session for maybe the next hour and shifts are long at the hospital. Letting out a sigh, I trudged over to the living room and set myself on the couch. The cushion felt lovely beneath my body. My eyes shut fairly quickly.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“DADDY!” Olivia’s shrill glee startled me awake.

My body rose to a seated position much faster than I would have liked. I turned to see a bouncing blur of blonde hair and orange sundress. She’d discarded her backpack near the door. The force she used to tackle me with a hug knocked a little wind out of me. Naturally, I reciprocated the hug.

“Well, hello, to you, too, sweetheart,” I chuckled.

Hannah and Madison nodded at me from the foyer in typical teenager fashion. “Hey, Dad,” they greeted in unison before heading to their rooms upstairs. I can’t blame them, much.

Hannah, our eldest at 18, had hair like mine: a deep chocolate brown with the slightest hint of a curl to it. Watching her grow into her 5’8” frame was truly a privilege. She’s always had a fierce independence, like her mother, and a love of sports even if she didn’t play on any teams at school. Madison, our middle child at 15, was blessed with auburn locks and a 5’6” frame. She was our creative type that dabbled in dance, theater, and played her electric guitar as often as she could get away with. Olivia, our youngest at 9, inexplicably has blonde locks with a bit more curl to them than even mine. Right now, her personality is changing by the day. I’m lucky if I can convince her to watch Bluey with me from time to time.

Olivia looked at me with those pretty green eyes her mother gave her. “Did you bring me anything, Daddy?”

With a small smile, I chuckle, “Not this time, Princess. It’s one of the places I’ve already been a few times and all the stuffies were pretty boring.”

Her entire body slumped in disappointment. “Dang it.”

“That’s what I said! I was really disappointed. I’m sorry, kiddo.”

She tried to grip me in a tighter hug. “It’s okay, Daddy. You tried.”

A tear forms in my eyes as I wrap my comparatively huge arms around her. “Of course I did, sweetheart. Anything for my girls.” We linger on the hug for a few moments. These are the moments I’ve always treasured. They’re gone so soon. She released the hug and I went back into parenting mode. “Okay, sweetie, why don’t you get your backpack upstairs and do your homework.”

She slumps again. “Homework?” she whines. “Do I have to?”

“Yes, ma’am, you do. C’mon. Chop-chop.”

I watched her move back toward the foyer in reluctant, dramatic fashion. It’s a skill preteens the world over have probably mastered. If nothing is said, then they’ll do as asked but they are certainly trying to get you to reconsider your request. There have been times in the past that I have faltered but after two other children who have tried this tactic I was on my A-game. Not feeling well was also helping.

As the girls settled in after school, I stayed on the couch. Remote in hand, I wanted to see what the world was saying about the current state of affairs. After being laid off, I lost all access to any of the apps or group chats people used in the business. Thus, I’d have to rely on them to find out what’s been going on. The challenge, anymore, was finding the truth. A lot of broadcast news sources just go for “dibs” and forget to actually do much journalism. My media literacy had always been fairly spot on, so I knew which channels to trust and which ones to not even glimpse at.

Settling on a channel that was usually quite truthful, I found myself in the midst of the broadcast about the events of the day. It would seem the “Stellar Energy Wave” from earlier at the airport is everywhere right now. There seems to be quite a bit of sensationalization about it. Getting to the truth of the matter took a few minutes. After sifting through the cross-talk, I was able to glean that some kind of energy wave or pulse had struck the Earth today. It knocked out a lot of electronic devices and lights. There had been more than a few car accidents as a result, but thankfully no plane crashes. Air traffic control had been set back about ninety seconds, which had caused massive delays for air travel all around the world. It’s speculated that supply chains have been affected, but no one knew by how much just yet. Worse, nobody had any idea what kind of energy passed through our little blue marble or what kind of long term effects will be felt.

All of it was giving me quite a headache. I sunk further into the couch and closed my eyes. Before long, I actually fell asleep. The sound of the newscast faded as I did so. No dreams came to me while my body lay there on the couch. No passage of time was perceived at all.

The next thing I felt was something impacting my face. My eyes struggled to open at first, but then another slap hit my face and they shot open. The first thing I saw was the worried face of my wife, Laura. Just behind her stood all three of our daughters with the same worried face. Confusion overtook me.

“Jesus, Christopher!” came the worried shrill from Laura. “I’m so glad you’re awake! I’ve been slapping you for five minutes!”

My voice emerged hoarse. “What? What’s going on?”

All three of my daughters breathed in relief. Meanwhile, my wife began taking my vitals like the seasoned nurse she is. “How are you feeling, honey?”

A sharp pain erupted in my head while a ring in my ears crescendoed like Madison had hit the highest note on her guitar and turned up the amp. “GAH! My head! My ears!” As my arms moved to cover my ears in a vain attempt to stop the ringing, the material of my shirt barely managed to slide over my sweat-drenched skin.

“Something is wrong, Chris. Very wrong! We may need to get you to the hospital! Your heart rate is up, you’ve got cold sweats, and your skin does not look right!” Laura frantically informed me.

After clamping shut with the sharp head pain and ringing ears, my eyes opened again, but something was very off. All I could see was some bluish tint to the world, the outlines of objects and the four people in the room, but the thing that got me the most was the fact I could actually see their skeletons. “WHAT THE HELL?!” As Laura moved closer, all I could see was a vague outline of her body and her skeleton, mostly her skull, move closer to my face. I shrieked.

I could clearly hear Madison whisper to Hannah as if she were whispering in my own ear. “When has dad ever used a swear word before?”

Then, Hannah seemed to be whispering in my other ear. “Never. This is freaky.”

When Laura spoke, it sounded like she was in a stadium at the microphone with thousands of speakers projecting her voice. “Tell me what’s going on, Christopher!”

I tried my hardest to move away from her… and found myself on the far side of the room in the blink of an eye. Turning back to my family, it was still the same blue world and skeletons. I couldn’t see the expressions on their faces. “All I see are skeletons…”

A pain erupted in my core that forced me onto hands and knees. All of my muscles spasmed at once and I felt a sense of vertigo. My entire body felt like it was radiating heat it shouldn’t be capable of. I closed my eyes and clenched my teeth. My hands and knees felt like they were moving along the floor for a moment. Simultaneously, my clothes felt like they were getting bigger by the second. As my muscles vibrated my body with their spasms, it seemed to jiggle like Jell-O. I even felt my throat constrict ever so slightly. Inexplicably, my shoes completely slipped off my feet. I could hear the gasps and stunned grunts from my family as they looked on. Something tickled my cheeks and the back of my neck as I breathed through whatever was happening.

After a few moments, the world became a lot more quiet and there were no more strange sensations. Breathing heavily, I opened my eyes. Mercifully, the world was back to normal. My hands looked very strange and the sleeve of my shirt was very loose. I struggled to stand, but finally managed to do so. My clothes, which had fit quite well moments ago, felt like they had grown several sizes. When I turned to look at my family, all their eyes were wide as dinner plates. There was awe, fright, and worry written into their expressions.

“What?” The voice coming out of me was not my own. It had said what I wanted to, my vocal chords vibrated, my lungs released air, and I could feel vibrations on my lips. However, gone was the gruff baritone. It was replaced by the light lilt of a teenage girl. My strange hands shot up to clasp over my mouth in disbelief.

“If I had not just watched it happen, there’s no way you could convince me THAT is my father.” Hannah stated plainly.

“Deadass.” Madison responded breathlessly.

Laura cautiously stood up. “Christopher?”

The voice of a teenage girl came out of me once again. “It’s me, honey. What happened?”

Tears began to stream down Olivia’s face. “Daddy?”

My heart broke. “I’m right here, Princess.” My attention turned back to my wife. “Laura, what happened to me?”

She looked me directly in the eyes. “We’re going to the hospital.”

Beacon of Hope



Chapter Two

DISCLAIMER :: This fanfiction is based on Superman from DC Comics. All rights reserved. Art by CWBlaine on Deviant Art.
Author's note: Perhaps it is the start of a new collaborative universe or a standalone project for myself. I don't know, yet.

(( Chapter Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_MlBCb9-m8 ))

The trip to the hospital was unsettlingly quiet and filled with tension. Laura insisted we take her vehicle and I was relegated to the passenger seat. The girls were in the back. A few times I glanced toward Olivia and she wouldn’t even look at me. A pit had formed in my stomach and a frog lodged itself in my throat. Many thoughts ran through my mind, none of them much intelligible. Sparks of emotion, really. Nobody said a word as my wife’s SUV weaved through the street grid toward her place of employment.

One thing I really noticed before we climbed into the car was that, beyond my clothes being uncomfortably loose, I wasn’t much taller than Laura or Hannah. At six-foot-two, I should be much taller than either my wife, who stands five-foot-nine, or my eldest daughter, who stands five-foot-eight. Walking to the car, it seemed I was roughly the same height as my wife and just a little taller than Hannah. There were other oddities such as: how my body felt, how it moved, and sensations in places there shouldn’t be any or where there should be. About a mile from the hospital, curiosity got the better of me and I flipped the sun visor down. Opening the lid on the vanity mirror, I caught my first glimpse at myself.

Wavy, dark chocolate hair draped from my head to just below my shoulders. There were no wrinkles on my face whatsoever. Overall, my skin seemed to have lightened a few shades and gained a youthful sheen. My eyes seemed to be a striking and vibrant shade of blue, which was close to how I remember them in my youth. My nose seemed smaller and my lips a little more plump. Examining myself, I tilted the mirror downward a bit more. My neck was as smooth as my wife’s or my daughters’. Looking a little further down, the mirror showed me two prominent fleshy mounds on my chest that could only be referred to as one thing. Startled, I closed the lid on the vanity mirror and flipped the sun visor back up.

“Honey, I have breasts…” I announced through quick breaths.

“Noticed that at the house, Chris.” Laura stated, keeping her eyes on the road.

“...and I look like a child.” I added.

“You look like me, Dad… except you… except like a girl.” Hannah stumbled through confirming.

Laura didn’t respond. She pulled into the parking lot of the hospital and prepared to leave the vehicle. “Enough stating the obvious, everyone. Let’s go.”

I could plainly tell that she was confused and frightened. We all filtered out of the car and toward the emergency department without another word. Olivia opted to hold Hannah’s hand rather than mine like she typically might. Deciding not to focus on it, I scanned our surroundings and found several ambulances near the entrance. It was perfectly clear this might be the case when I was watching the news at the house.

The headache came back. The crescendo was much faster than before. My hands flew to my head and I fell to my knees. In the next moment, a red filter applied itself to my vision as if it were a slow shutter until it closed in the middle. Panicked, I looked all around me. The moment my eyes fell on one of the concrete pillars outside the building, my eyeballs felt hot as if I had a fever. I watched as it seemed to be impacted by something. Adversely, my headache disappeared as I watched a localized blast impact the pillar like a large-calibur bullet. I quickly closed my eyes and held them shut, deducing that I must be causing the damage.

As I struggled to keep my eyes closed, Madison exclaimed, “Fucking LASER EYES?! What the shit, Dad?!”

“Madison! Watch your language!” My wife and I chorused in scolding her.

“Looked more like a red-orange phaser to me,” Hannah quipped.

The heat finally left my eyes and I opened them cautiously. With the world looking the same as it always does, I lowered my hands and turned to the others. “Let’s get inside and find out what’s going on.”

No one objected.

Through the doors, our first stop was the security station. The rent-a-cop behind the desk checked everyone in but me and gave them little identification stickers. Further in, we reached the registration desk. The person behind a computer looked up at us and saw me as the only one without a visitor sticker.

“What seems to be the issue, folks?” She asked.

I spoke up. “Something really strange happened to me and I need to get checked out.”

“Gonna have to give me more than that, sweetie. What happened?”

“Well…” I began.

Laura stepped forward. “Until about ten minutes ago, this person was my husband, Christopher Kent.”

Some of the nurses behind the counter looked over at us and one recognized my wife. “Laura? Didn’t you get off shift about half an hour ago?”

Laura nodded. “I did. Can we just get checked in so somebody can take a look at Chris and figure out what happened?”

The nurse pointed at me. “THAT is your husband? The teenager that’s a dead ringer for one of your kids?”

I got a little angry at this point and raised my voice. “Can we just can it and get me checked in, please?! This is weird enough without the scrutiny, thanks!” I took a quick breath to calm down. As I exhaled quickly, frost formed on the plexiglass dividing the waiting area from the staff area, a protective measure from the pandemic. “Christopher Kent. Date of birth: April 18, 1980.”

I could hear my daughters gasping in the background. Madison leaned over and whispered to Hannah thinking I couldn’t hear. “You thinking what I’m thinking?” She waited for a non-verbal response I couldn’t see. Once she got it, she responded, “It’s giving Superman.”

Rolling my eyes, I simply extended my arm awaiting the inevitable hospital bracelet. Laura finished relaying our address, my phone number, confirming herself as the emergency contact, and confirming our insurance information. Typical hospital things. Finally, I felt the bracelet being wrapped around then fastened to my arm. We turned and did our best to find a spot to sit together. It wasn’t easy with the number of patients around. It had been a weird day, so more than the usual amount of weird things happened that sent people to the hospital emergency room waiting area.

We sat there for HOURS while we waited. It was clear I wasn’t actually hurt, so I was definitely not a priority. That suited me just fine because it was definitely my feeling that the people actually hurting should be seen first. Comparatively, I’m just having a weird day. Hannah and Madison messed around on their phones. Laura had brought a tablet for Olivia. After a while, I stood up and started pacing.

The girls were all born over at Rush Oak Park Hospital about twenty miles from here. We don’t go to hospitals much. I was accustomed to the surroundings at ROPH. I was not as familiar with the interior of Northwest Community, where we had gone and Laura works. The difference in my surroundings was what was affecting me. Generally, everything is a little further away than it was at that time. The tops of doors seemed a little higher. The chairs seemed a little taller. It wasn’t just the comparative heights between myself and my family. It was such a slight difference. The only comparative concept is an “uncanny valley” in art or film: where a face looks almost human but our brains know it isn’t, subconsciously, so it looks weird to our conscious minds. That’s what I was feeling about the world around me: the uncanny valley.

At one point, I stopped to stare at a television screen while the news was on. It was one of the stations I know to be a little more loose with the truth, but I was looking for those kernels of truth. It was all still much the same. Nobody knows what exactly happened. Scientists are baffled. There have been some casualties and fatalities linked to car crashes all across the United States. No plane crashes but massive delays. The airlines have been delayed four to six hours, they speculate. The thing that caught my eye was isolated reports of people with certain… abilities. In the exact words of the commentator: powers like people in comic books or comic book movies. Could that be what’s happening to me?

I’ve read several comics in my day and seen a few movies on the big screen about superheroes. In 2025, who hasn’t? They’re fantasy, though. Some are science fiction, but that’s basically the same genre in a round about way. They’re not real. Like the gods, monsters, heroes, and villains from antiquity we study in literature classes, it’s all myth with a deeper meaning. They teach lessons as well as entertain people. The things they can do are larger than life. They were never meant for the real world.

On a whim, I returned to sitting with my family. Each of them looked bored, except for Laura who seemed to have the weight of the world behind her eyes. Olivia was slumped against her refusing to make eye contact with me. Letting out a sigh, I turned to the teenagers.

“What did you mean by ‘It’s giving Superman’, Madison?” I asked cordially. The pitch of my voice was still confounding me.

She leaned forward from behind her sister to look at me as we were all sitting in a line with Laura and Olivia opposite us. “You heard that?” She asked, an eyebrow raised.

I closed my eyes and took in a breath. “Yes, Madison, I heard you.”

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “There’s another one.”

“Another one what?”

Hannah scoffed. “Madi, don’t.”

Madison sneered at her sister. “He’s gonna figure it out eventually.” She then turned to me. “Okay, so… remember back at home when you said all you could see was skeletons? Did you mean that literally?”

That creepy image came back to my mind and my eyes widened in response. “Unfortunately, yes. There was this blue filter over my eyes. There were all kinds of outlines of the things in our house. I could see the electronic structure of the TV. When I looked at all of you, all I could see was the outlines of your bodies… and your skeletons.”

“So, x-ray vision.” Madison concluded. “Also, when you moved from the couch to the bay window, none of us saw you move. It was REALLY fast. Then, you shot these beams out of your eyes that took out a chunk of that pillar outside. When we got here, you frosted over the plastic spit barrier at the check-in desk. Just after that, you heard me whisper to Hannah.”

My brow furrowed at her. “What are you saying?”

“Your power set, Dad.” She counted on her fingers as she listed things off. “X-ray vision, super hearing, super speed, heat vision, and frost breath. If we find out you’re super strong, basically invulnerable, and you can fly, you’re basically Superman.”

Hannah joined in. “Normally, I’d call my sister an unhinged, cringe-worthy nerd but she’s got a point. Some weird stuff is going on today. Especially with you, Dad.”

Letting out a sigh, I allowed my head to fall while closing my eyes. “No kidding.” Taking a large breath, I continued. “The reason I asked is because I was watching the news on the TV over there. The desk anchor was reporting about some people actually having powers, like in the comic books or in the movies. Unsubstantiated, of course.”

“What’s ‘unsubstantiated’?” Hannah asked.

“In the news business, it means they’ve heard some rumors but haven’t been able to collect enough sources to report it as fact.” I rolled my eyes. “In the rush to be first to report on something, they’re forgetting to tell the irrefutable truth.”

Laura finally joined the conversation by rolling her eyes and responding, “The old ‘some people are saying’ that some stations get away with.”

I nodded in her direction. “Exactly. Perversion of the news, if you ask me.”

She managed a smile in my direction. “My husband: the news man with integrity.”

“Darn tootin’ I am.”

My teenage daughters slapped their faces with their palms. Hannah spoke for both of them. “Geezus, Dad. You can be so corny, sometimes.”

Olivia finally spoke, looking up at Laura. “Mom, why does Daddy look like Hannah?” Her eyes then finally landed on me.

“We don’t know, yet, honey. That’s what the doctors are going to figure out.”

As if on cue, one of the nurses approached us. “Hello. Are you folks the Kents?”

Laura turns to her. “We are… ?”

“Which one of you is Christopher?”

I held up my arm with the hospital band on it. “That would be me.” I may have to get used to the double-take she gave me at that moment.

The nurse led me to the triage room and set about taking my vitals. Laura and the girls waited just outside the room. She first put me on a scale with a ruler on it, getting my height and weight: five feet and ten inches tall, weighing in at one hundred and fifty three pounds. Last I checked, I was six feet and two inches tall while weighing about one hundred and eighty six pounds. In a matter of moments back in my living room at the house, I’d lost four inches of height and thirty-three pounds. That doesn’t take into account an apparent change of sex and return to youth. The other vitals such as blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, temperature, and breaths per minute were all within normal parameters.

After a heated discussion about not being seemingly sick or injured at all, I was finally escorted to an exam room with my family in tow. Once again, we had to wait a while for anyone to even come into the room to attend me. When they finally did, they were rather dismissive but cooperative. Nearly an hour passed before the doctor even came into the room. In his green scrubs, he looked utterly exhausted and a little confused when he walked in. He did that double-take in my direction.

“Am I in the wrong room? The chart is showing that there’s a forty-five year old man in here.” The doctor asked.

“You’re in the right room, doctor.” I sighed as I spoke. “I’m Christopher Kent.”

He blinked several times. “Wow… okay… I mean… you’re the third one this shift.”

“Third one what?”

“Mysterious, almost instantaneous sex change or age regression… or both.” The doctor announced before taking a strong breath. “Okay, we’ll get a full blood panel, some CTs, and a full MRI. I don’t know if we’ll be able to get any answers about how or why this happened. You’ll probably be here for a while. Are you okay with that?”

I turned to my wife. “Laura?”

She firmly nodded. “We need to know, Chris.”

My gaze turned back to the doctor. “Let’s do it, Doc.”

He simply nodded and got to work. I turned again toward my wife and kids. She looked worried still and they all looked tired and bored. My conscience would not allow me to inconvenience them for many more hours. A minute or two after the doctor left, a phlebotomist came into the room armed with needles and vials. She began to prepare my skin for the needle poke.

“Honey, maybe you should take the kids home. They look really bored and tired. I don’t want to feel like I’m forcing them to stay here or anything.” I stated toward Laura.

None of them responded at first and all of them looked at the arm the phlebotomist was trying to get a needle into. I turned to look and she’d already broken or bent three needles. She was trying one last time to put a needle in my arm. It wouldn’t penetrate. Instead, the needle bent under the force. The phlebotomist looked at me with surprised eyes.

“I can’t get a needle in. Your skin isn’t even indenting when I try.” She stated plainly.

Madison raspberried her lips. “Invulnerable.”

“Madison, don’t jump to conclusions.” I scolded her before turning back to the phlebotomist. “Has this ever happened before?”

She shook her head. “No. I’ve never bent or broken a needle against someone’s skin. This is too weird. I’m gonna talk to the doctor.”

“You tried your best. Thank you.” I softened my tone toward her, understanding the plight.

She shuffled her cart away with the bent and broken needles. I felt really bad for her. As soon as she left the room, Laura turned to me.

“Okay, Chris. I’m going to take the girls home. They have school in the morning.” She sighed. “I’ll get them settled in and come back.”

I nodded slowly. “Sounds like the best idea, honey.”

No one hugged me or gave me a kiss when they left. There’s never been a time in my life where a parting from my kids or my wife didn’t involve some sort of hug. Laura and I don’t part without a kiss good-bye. My heart sank as I watched them leave. Part of me longed for that connection but the other part understood that this entire situation must be just as weird for them as it was for me.

The next few hours crawled along like anyone that’s been in the hospital and subjected to such a vast battery of tests would experience. The staff had me strip out of my sweaty clothes and into a hospital gown. There was a moment that I marveled at how completely my body had changed. I’d seen very few naked women before Laura and I got together. This body seemed fairly standard fare. I didn’t dwell on the moment too long before slipping on the hospital gown and subjecting myself to whatever tests they deemed necessary. CT scans, x-rays, MRIs, a pelvic exam, and urinalysis were all conducted. I had empathy for my wife at the gynecologist before, but now I knew exactly what that was like. Laura came back after the CT scans and held my hand through the pelvic exam like I’ve done for her numerous times. They at least let us order some food since we were there so long.

After a couple hours more, the doctor finally came in to speak with Laura and I. It was a different doctor than we’d seen hours before. This one was a thirty-something woman that actually wore a lab coat over her scrubs. She came in with a clipboard that contained the chart information that had been gathered through the night.

“Okay, Mr. and Mrs. Kent. I’ve got good news and bad news, depending on your perspective,” She announced.

“Doctor, I’m a journalist. There’s no such thing as good news or bad news. There’s only objective truth. Please, proceed.” I stated.

“Well, that’s good at least.” She responded. “So, there’s nothing wrong with you, medically. No broken bones. No internal bleeding. We didn’t detect any pathogens in your urinalysis. We, apparently, can’t take any blood samples, so that’s not saying much.” She held the clipboard to her chest and took a quick breath. “As you no doubt already discovered from the pelvic exam, you are definitively female, Mr. Kent. MRI confirmed the presence of a female reproductive system with no trace of any male systems. Based on corroboration between the CTs, x-rays, and MRI, you seem to have anatomically become a young woman approximately seventeen years old. I have no explanation for you, other than that.”

“How is that possible? One minute, I’m a forty-five year old father of three and the next minute I’m my own daughter’s younger sister? It’s madness!” I exclaimed.

“I agree, Mr. Kent. If I knew how this happened, I’d be getting a letter from the Nobel Committee. Complete change of sex is something less complex organisms do every day, but not creatures as complex as humans. There’s no scientific precedent for age regression.”

Laura actually took my hand in comfort. “What are we supposed to do?”

The doctor shrugged. “I have no idea, Mrs. Kent. The only thing I do know is that we’re going to discharge you. There’s absolutely no medical reason to keep you. I suggest you go home and… I don’t know… adapt?”

Both Laura and I slumped. “Thank you, Doctor,” I sighed and moved to get off the gurney.

While getting myself dressed, Laura and I didn’t say a word. Neither of us were really prepared to face this new reality and “adapt”. Something quite profound had happened and a lot of things had changed. Worst was: there were no answers. Questions swirled around in my mind about what this meant for me, for Laura, and for my children. Yet again, there were no answers.

Laura accepted the discharge paperwork on my behalf and we shuffled out of the hospital. All I had on was the button-up shirt, boxers, slacks, and socks I’d worn home from the airport. They were stained with dried sweat and it smelt horrific. None of it really mattered. The chill of the forty-five degree weather didn’t even register. My feet walking on the hard surface of the sidewalk and parking lot on the way to the car didn’t even register in my mind. It was as if my entire body was as numb as my mind. I settled into the passenger seat of my wife’s SUV, buckled in, and just stared out the window watching the suburban landscape pass by. Neither Laura nor I said a word to each other on the way home.

Once home, I followed Laura into the house. It was fairly quiet. It seemed like the girls were all in bed sleeping. We ascended the stairs to our bedroom. Laura excused herself to the bathroom and closed the door, which was a new behavior to me. I stripped out of the sweaty clothes, deposited them into the hamper, and found a t-shirt and sweatpants combination. My usual choice of underwear was proven unnecessary, so I didn’t wear any.

Laura and I climbed into bed and turned off the lights without exchanging a single word.

Beacon of Hope



Chapter Three

DISCLAIMER :: This fanfiction is based on Superman from DC Comics. All rights reserved. Art by CWBlaine on Deviant Art.
Author's note: Perhaps it is the start of a new collaborative universe or a standalone project for myself. I don't know, yet.

(( Chapter Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOTcr9wKC-o ))

Waking up the next morning, every fiber of my being wished the prior evening and night was all one long dream. Maybe I fell asleep on the plane? Once I opened my eyes and shifted, reality set in. Laura was nowhere to be found. There was a thrown aside comforter and an indentation in the bed where she slept. The call of nature forced me out of bed and toward the bathroom. The act of relieving myself confirmed yesterday was no dream. The corroborating second source was the mirror.

Much like the vanity on the back of the sun visor in the car last night, I got a good look at myself. The wavy, dark chocolate brown hair was in disarray from a restless sleep. My brilliant blue eyes stared back at me, albeit with dark circles under them. My nose was basically the same, albeit smaller. My jaw had lost all pretense of masculine angular profile and become more rounded, even streamlined. My chin was more of a point than before. My lips seemed a little more plump, but basically the same. The wrinkles on my face were completely gone. There was almost a bioluminescent sheen to my skin. The overall shape of my head was smaller. At least my ears didn’t change much. My neck was smooth and thinner than it had ever been. Two mounds tented my t-shirt but I couldn’t see much of anything else with how loose the shirt and sweatpants were. I was glad for that.

Hannah was right, though. The girl in the mirror did look like her, but only in age range and familial resemblance. Thus, like her but me but female. There is no self-respecting editor that would ever allow a sentence like that to reach a page.

Turning from the mirror, I ventured back into the bedroom Laura and I shared to make the bed. Once it was tidy, I ventured further into the house. All the family bedrooms were upstairs. Laura and I had our own ensuite bathroom. The girls shared a bathroom in the hallway. They each had their own room. Descending the stairs brought on sensations I was not ready to face right now. At the bottom of the stairs, the living room where my own personal nightmare began was to the left. I rounded the corner and followed the hallway to the kitchen near the back. There was a good cup of joe calling my name.

Even as I went through the motions of pouring cold coffee into a mug, popping in the microwave, and waiting a couple minutes, there was the feeling of isolation. The five bedroom and three bathroom house felt like an enormous cavern. All that space for one person. Laura had probably gone to work. The girls had already gone off to school. I glanced at the digital clock on the coffee pot. Eleven twenty-two in the morning. I hadn’t slept in like this since my raucous college days. At the microwave beep, I grabbed my now hot cup of coffee, added some sugary liquid creamer, stirred it, and padded my bare feet on the laminate wood flooring we’d had installed to replace carpet a few years back.

The only activity that came to my mind was to watch the news. I’d missed a lot overnight, so it was time to catch up. Entering the same living room where everything happened last night gave me momentary pause, but I slowly overcame it. Finding the remote in the same place I left it last night, I tapped the power button. In much less than a second, the TV was on and still tuned to the same channel.

For the next few hours, I lost myself in the stories of the day: Russia v. Ukraine, Israel v. Palestine, Sudan v. itself, and the President v. everything else. Unfortunately, those pertinent issues are relegated to side stories. The breaking news was all about yesterday’s events. Per usual, most of the “reporting” was speculative. Nobody seemed to have any hard facts to report. They were making it up as they went along. Such is the nature of 24-hour news. Real journalism requires time. Time to investigate, time to corroborate, time to organize into coherent reality, and time to actually inform people.

Frustrated, I decided to check for any local news coverage on the situation. I managed to catch the WCIU broadcast. They were also talking about this breaking story. However, they decided to interview a scientist rather than talking heads with national scope. The anchor was the usual late-20s pretty boy. The interviewee was a Hispanic woman that appeared to be a little older than him. She was dressed very well in her suit jacket but looked uncomfortable wearing it. Her dark hair was tied back in a tight bun and black plastic rim glasses sat atop her nose.

“Here with us today is a researcher from the University of Chicago, Dr. Isobel Marquez. As the world has been trying to sort out what exactly happened yesterday, Dr. Marquez has been at the forefront of solving that puzzle. An astrophysicist and cosmologist, she has dedicated her life to discovering the mysteries of our universe. It’s an honor to have you in our studio, Dr. Marquez.” the anchor introduced his guest.

She nodded cordially to him. “It’s my pleasure to offer insight into the truth of what we’re all experiencing, Mr. Olsen. Thank you for having me.”

He shifted his posture ever so slightly as he began the interview proper. “Dr. Marquez, the elephant in the room is obvious: what, exactly, happened yesterday?”

“I’m glad someone finally asked that question. It’s simple, really. A wave or pulse of energy was detected by the Gemini Observatory in Hawaii several days ago. Many astronomers and cosmologists have been hypothesizing what it could be because we’ve never witnessed anything else like it. We believed it to be a novel astronomical phenomenon. As we observed it, we became aware of its blueshift wavelength.”

“Mind breaking that down for our viewers, Doctor? What’s a blueshift wavelength?”

“A blueshift wavelength refers to the frequency of the light getting shorter. Adversely, a redshift wavelength refers to the frequency of the light getting longer. In astronomy, these denote an object or phenomenon moving closer to the observer or further away. It’s called the Doppler Effect. You can observe a similar phenomenon watching a video of a semi-truck blowing its horn or in person. The horn seems to increase in pitch as it approaches you and decrease in pitch as it moves away. We have observed many of the galaxies in our cluster moving away from us. The light coming from them is in a redshift wavelength pattern. However, our neighbor the Andromeda Galaxy is moving toward us, its light emitting a blueshift wavelength.”

“So, you’re saying that this unknown thing was moving toward us?”

“Oh, yes. Observatories all around the world were confirming it within hours. We had no idea what it was but it was, by all calculations, going to hit our planet. We were able to deduce that it was, in fact, energy rather than a solid object, which brought immense relief. There was no use tracking its speed as it was the speed of light. At first detection, it was well outside the solar system; approximately twenty-five times the distance from the sun to Pluto. We didn’t have much time to really study it before it was going to hit.”

“The public was notified that some disruptions to our lives may occur mere hours before it happened, but why weren’t we notified much sooner if you and your colleagues knew it was going to hit a full six days in advance?”

The good doctor clenched her jaw. “National Security.”

This kid was really asking some hardball questions. I had underestimated the guy.

The anchor, now identified as Jakob Olsen on the screen, nodded quickly. “I see. What do you make of the reports of ‘people with powers’ coming in? Could this be linked to your phenomenon?”

“My hypothesis on the topic is this phenomenon originated from interstellar space. It could perhaps even have originated in a neighboring galaxy. I’ll have to retroactively track its trajectory to be certain. As a cosmologist, I know that there is still quite a lot we don’t know about the universe. What I won’t do is respond to speculation and rumor.” Dr. Marquez stated plainly.

The anchor smiled. “I think we’ll punctuate with that. Thank you, Dr. Marquez.”

The broadcast moved on to the weather afterward. Why had I never heard of this guy before? Who was this Jake Olsen person? What was readily apparent was that he was quite the journalist. He wanted the truth. He danced around the speculation, but wasn’t concerned with it. Good, solid, honest reporting. The good doctor handled herself well opposite such a journalist. She kept to the facts without veering off course. She never took his bait. This interview could go national.

A phone rang. The sound hit my ears as muffled. I started searching the couch cushions to no avail. It rang again and I did what I could to discover its location. Slightly frantic, I rushed upstairs, but had to stop myself. I had just ascended the stairs in less than half a second. I looked behind me to marvel at the achievement for a moment before the phone rang again. It was coming from mine and my wife’s bedroom. I once again experienced myself move at incredible speed and heard the tail end of the ring. It was coming from the hamper. I dug into it and discovered the pants I’d worn yesterday with my phone still in the pocket. Pulling it out, the screen read “Mom and Dad”. Without thinking, I answered the phone.

“Hello?” I greeted.

“Hannah? Madison?” My mother’s voice wondered. “Why do you have your father’s phone?”

The realization of what I’d done hit me like a ton of bricks. I answered honestly, “It’s not Hannah or Madison, Mom.”

“You sound too young to be Laura. Who are you, young lady?”

“Mom… it’s me… Christopher.”

My mother has always been a pragmatic, facts-oriented woman. It was never a mystery where I inherited those traits from. She was quite skeptical at first. As I explained the events of yesterday, she began to understand more. I told her about the trip, the airport, the pulse thing, the ride home, and the rest of the evening. I left nothing to speculation. Just the facts, as Joe Friday used to say. She asked a lot of probing questions and I answered honestly. Our conversation carried on for over an hour and I still wasn’t sure whether or not she believed a word she was hearing. She then asked the one question I didn’t expect.

“What’s the family secret? Christopher would know this.” She asked firmly.

Caught off guard, I didn’t know how to answer at first. My mind searched for the one fact she was looking for. When my mind finally reached the answer, I breathed a heavy sigh. “We’re Jewish. Grandma barely escaped Europe after being planted with a Catholic family in the Netherlands when she was six, just before the German invasion. They hid her until the liberation, when she met an army corporal, fell in love, and moved to his hometown: Sheboygan. You found her original birth certificate hidden in a letter written in Yiddish in her cedar chest. You also found her Dutch passport with her assumed name: Mieke Keller. Most people called her ‘Marie’, though. We don’t talk about it because grandma was really traumatized by it all.”

The sound of the phone dropping on the ground was rather loud, to my ear. It had never been that loud before, but I guess this is part of that “super hearing” Madison was talking about. Noises denoting she’s fumbling with the phone followed before it was back up to her ear. Strangely, I could hear her heart rate increase.

“Christopher…” She breathed shakenly. “...is… is it really you?”

Not that she could see me, but I nodded. “It is, Mom. I can’t explain how at all, but it’s me. I don’t even know how to tell you how alien this voice is and I’m not even going to entertain the idea of my body, right now.”

Her voice was still shaking and her heart rate was up. “How… how did this even happen?”

“It happened right here in my living room in front of my wife and children last night. We went to the hospital, but all they could tell me was that I was a perfectly healthy seventeen year old girl. All the parts and everything. It’s all the same thing we just spent the last hour discussing.” I sighed, emotion climbing and causing tears to build up in my eyes.

“Your father and I have been hearing about that pulse on the news. It tripped his pace maker.” Her heart rate remained high.

It was my turn for a rise in heart rate. “Oh my god! He’s okay, right?!”

I could hear her skin glide against the phone. She was nodding. “Yes, honey. Your father is fine. It was only a few seconds.”

The well of tears increased in volume. “Geez, Mom… please don’t scare me like that.” I swallowed a knot in my throat. “Yea, so… there’s a correlation between the wave and what happened last night. Nothing definitive whatsoever.” I let out a groan sigh. “I wish I still had a newsroom full of people to work the angles with.”

I heard my mother nod again. “We noticed that, too. There’s a lot of talk on the news, but very little being said.” She took a moment to think. “Have you heard them talking about people with powers? What kind of nonsense is that?”

I hung my head and closed my eyes. “That one is probably true, Mom. I’ve had some really strange experiences since last night.”

“Christopher, I need to be honest: I still don’t know what to say about all this. I know my son to be a forty-five year old man. He’s a good husband to his wife, a good father to his children, and a positive member of his community. He makes sacrifices that might harm him but lead to a good life for his family. He’s engaged in his children’s lives. He’d give the shirt off his back or the last dollar in his wallet if he felt someone needed it more than him. I know it’s you, but… it’s really throwing me off that I think I’m talking to Hannah or Madison in the back of my mind.”

“I know, Mom. Can you imagine what I’m going through, right now?”

“Oh, HEAVENS yes. What are you going to do? Are you even going to be able to go back to work? How are you and Laura going to work? What about the girls? There are so many unknowns right now.”

Tears finally began to fall. “I don’t even know, Mom. I’m scared. I don’t know what I’ll do to provide for my family and back Laura up on the bills. She seems so withdrawn, Mom. This is probably just as confusing and scary for her. And the girls…” I sobbed. “Olivia wouldn’t even look at me, last night. Wouldn’t make eye contact.”

My mother’s voice shifted to a tone I’m convinced only mothers can achieve. The soft, comforting, soothing tone they adopt when their children are in crisis. “Oh, sweetheart… I know it’s bad now, but it can improve. A lot of people are going to doubt you. Honestly, right now, I do. You have to hold your head up and show us who you are, honey.”

“I’ll try, Mom. I’ve always tried to be the son you deserve. Everything’s upside down now. I don’t know which end is up and I’m the stuffing of a bratwurst in a casing that isn’t mine.”

“What was that thing your English teacher in high school would always tell you?”

She took me off guard. “Mr. Hanson? I…” My eyes wandered over the surface of the wall in front of me, searching for the answer. That particular English teacher had made an impression on me and helped make me want to be a journalist. Suddenly, the answer arrived in my conscious mind. “He said ‘show me, don’t tell me’.”

I heard the skin slide over the plastic of the phone again. She nodded. “Exactly. I still can’t believe the voice I’m speaking to is my son. Show me. Don’t tell me.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Hearing the front door startled me. I quickly sniffed back some excess mucus and wiped the tears from my face. “I have to go, Mom. The girls are home.”

We quickly said our good-byes before I hung up the phone and desperately tried to wipe the tears from my eyes and face. The phone was set upon the night stand before I exited the bedroom and entered the hallway. At first sight of me, Hannah rolled her eyes and slipped past me without a word. A soft smile was extended to Olivia, but she gave me an odd look before entering her bedroom. Standing in the hallway, I was 0 for 2. Madison reached the top of the stairs and gave me a disapproving look.

“You kinda look like crap, Dad.” She noted.

I let out a sigh. “Yea, I know.”

With a cheeky grin, she pointed finger guns at her bedroom door. “Homework.”

I meekly nodded as she, too, disappeared behind the door. Oh for three, I guess. In a bit of a sulk, I descended the stairs, rounded the corner, and headed to the kitchen to prepare some dinner. It’s an unwritten agreement between Laura and I that the first person home after work cooks dinner. Tonight, I was emotionally drained and did not possess the drive to make anything elaborate. After a quick check of the cupboards and refrigerator, it was decided that tonight would be sloppy joes and macaroni and cheese with some broccoli on the side. Once the hamburger was browned, the sloppy joe mix was released from the can, the pasta shells were al dente, the cheese sauce added, and the broccoli steamed, I called everyone down for dinner while I served up plates. The entire process took about an hour.

Though the girls and I sat at the table to eat, nobody said a word. It was a lot of awkward silence and uncomfortable glances. Glancing at the clock on the wall, Laura was working late again. When the girls finished, at least they cleared their own plates before they shuffled off to their bedrooms. The dishes were swiftly rinsed and set in the dishwasher. Yet again, I felt myself just going through the motions of life.

My mood found me moving out to the back deck, leaning against the railing. We bought this house to have room for each of the kids. The spare bedroom was a bonus that was nice to find should either of our parents visit. The deck was the icing on the cake. We could watch the kids play and have some time to talk. Hannah was only ten when we moved in. Madison was seven. Olivia was barely a year old. Watching the sunset, I was keenly aware that those days were gone. I think, on some level, all parents would wish for those days to last forever.

I could hear Laura’s car pull into the driveway. She shuffled into the house through the mudroom. I might have marveled at this new ability of mine if the acquisition of such a thing hadn’t broken my life. Laura hung her keys near the garage and set her purse on a ledge I built for her. Her tired feet shuffled on the linoleum of the kitchen floor. I didn’t leave my perch on the deck. Her footfalls started moving toward the sliding door and she stepped out onto the deck.

“Hannah? What are you doing out here, sweetie?” She asked.

I hung my head and lay it against my arms on the railing. “I’m not Hannah.”

She stopped short a few feet behind me. “Oh…”

I turned to meet her eyes. “Long night again?”

“Yea… uh… Chris, I think you should sleep on the couch.” She turned and went back inside.

She was trying to hide it, but I could see the pain and confusion on her face. Maybe she accepted a bit of a longer shift at work so she could avoid coming home. I didn’t know for sure and she wouldn’t tell me. After twenty-two years of marriage, there wasn’t much that was still a mystery between us. It was starting to feel as if a rift was forming.

Turning back to watch the sunset, I couldn’t help but note the juxtaposition between the actual sunset and what felt like the sunset of my marriage. Laura and I had always acted like teenagers one minute and a well-oiled machine of teamwork the next.

I wanted to just start running somewhere. Anywhere. Problem is: where are you supposed to run to escape from yourself?

Beacon of Hope



Chapter Four

DISCLAIMER :: This fanfiction is based on Superman from DC Comics. All rights reserved. Art by CWBlaine on Deviant Art.
Author's note: Perhaps it is the start of a new collaborative universe or a standalone project for myself. I don't know, yet.

(( Chapter Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz2DYae3xKE ))

Awakening the next morning after spending the night on the couch, I was surprised to not wake up with back pain as I anticipated. I made quick work of folding and organizing the pillow and blanket before setting them at the far end of the couch. Thankfully, I could smell fresh coffee in the kitchen. Finding my way there, I was under the impression I would once again be the only one home. Perhaps this was the perfect opportunity to get through some housework that had been neglected the last few days.

Turning around after adding the right amount of creamer to my mug, Madison was standing at a slightly slanted angle with one arm on the back of one of the dining room chairs. I must not have been paying attention because she seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. She was at least dressed with a blue T-shirt, gray hoodie, blue jeans, and her go-to Converse sneakers. About to say something once completing my first sip of coffee, she beat me to it.

“We have a problem, Dad.” She stated.

Finishing my sip, I lowered the coffee mug. “I’d say we do. Why aren’t you in school, young lady?”

She casually shrugged. “It’s May Day. Teacher strike day. They’ve been talking about it for weeks.” She shook her head. “Not the point, Dad. How long are you going to wear the same T-shirt and sweatpants that don’t remotely fit you?”

The comment caused me to take a quick glance down at myself, then slumped. “I’d forgotten I was wearing the same thing since I changed after getting home from the hospital.”

“You’ve been forgetting a lot, Dad. Like how to shower, for one.”

I furrowed my brows at her. “Who’s the parent here?”

“Don’t deflect. After you finish your coffee, will you go upstairs and shower? I’ve got an idea.”

A quizzical eyebrow raised on my face. “Oh? Have a plan, do you?”

“Yes, I do. So, shower for me? Please?”

I rolled my eyes. “If it’ll make you happy, sweetheart.”

She smiled, nodded, then spun around to leave me with my coffee. It’s difficult to nail down the motivations of teenagers, at times. Nothing explaining her behavior would come to mind, save for the fact I really did need a shower and to put on fresh clothes. Her empathy likely picked up on my low mood the past couple of days. Laura and I had gone great lengths to foster those sorts of things in our children.

After finishing my coffee and putting the mug in the sink, I followed the request. Once in the bedroom Laura and I share, the shirt and pants came off and went directly into the hamper. There was always a fresh set of towels in the bathroom, so all I had to do was jump in and do my business. The air moving over my bare skin was one thing. Hot water cascading over it was another. Washing this foreign casing was yet a third. I’d like to think I did my best but I may not have.

After a few minutes, I emerged from the steamy bathroom having washed this alien body and my hair. Unfortunately, I had wrapped the towel around my waist as I had always done and Madison was waiting for me in the bedroom.

“Holy boobs!” She quickly turned her head. “Cover up, dude! Sheesh! Wrap the towel around your chest!”

Darting back into the bathroom, I resituated the towel with an embarrassed blush on my cheeks. “Sorry, Madison. This is new to me.”

She had already left the room. She spoke at a normal volume as if she knew I could hear her regardless. “I left some clothes on the bed. Put them on, please.”

I could, in fact, hear her perfectly. Clinging the towel to my body over my chest, I reemerged from the bathroom and cautiously scanned my surroundings. Madison had disappeared but left behind a collection of clothing sitting on the comforter on my side of the bed. I looked at the collection curiously as I toweled off. I couldn’t tell what all was there, but it sure was colorful. Atop the neatly folded pile was a pair of white tennis shoes. The rest was a blend of blue, red, and yellow. Since when did my daughter wear primary colors like this?

Lifting the shoes off the pile and setting them on the ground, I picked up the first article of clothing: panties. With a sigh and a shrug, I slipped them on. They fit fine, I assume. Next was a sports bra. What was Madison getting at? Having seen Laura put one of these on several times, I slipped it on like an incredibly tight tank top. It seemed a little tight, but otherwise fine. Next was something that somewhat looked like pants but weren’t. Laura and the girls called them ‘leggings’. Slipping them on, I was surprised to learn they fit well. Next was a yellow tank top. Finally, a blue hoodie. Unfurling it, I learned that it was the hoodie we’d gotten for Madison with the new Superman emblem specifically designed for the movie set to release over the summer on the chest. Rolling my eyes, I slipped it over my head. With the provided socks and shoes slipped on, I was dressed; albeit in my daughter’s clothes.

I exited the bedroom to the sight of my daughter smirking at me with a metal baseball bat slung over her shoulders. My surprise was written all over my face.

“Not bad, Dad. Figured you’d whine about the underwear, but you’re a trooper.” She nodded toward the stairs. “Let’s go.”

“Madison, I don’t know what you’re planning. Why am I dressed in predominantly primary colors with your new hoodie?” I wondered.

“Driving the point home, old man. You’ll see. We’re going out to Busse Woods, by the way.”

“Would you mind elaborating why you’re making all these requests?” I was fairly suspicious of her intentions. However, after having gotten the cold shoulder from the family for a full day, I was more than happy to engage with someone.

She didn’t say a word further. She led me through the house to the mudroom, tossed me my keys, opened the door, and waited by the passenger door of my car. I hadn’t touched the navy blue Toyota Camry in over a week. Fob in hand, the doors opened automatically when I put my hand on the handle. She climbed into the passenger seat as I climbed into the driver’s side.

After buckling in and reversing out of the garage, I guided the car southward in the direction of the Ned Brown Forest Preserve. A lot of people just call it “Busse Woods” because of the Busse Forest Natural Preserve. It’s one of the last remaining preserves of old growth hardwood flatwoods left in Chicagoland. It’s a pretty big draw for people in six townships seeking some good recreational areas. From her directions to head down Golf Road, I deduced that Madison wanted us to head over to the Ned Brown Model Airplane Flying Field. My mind remained suspicious yet curious about her intentions.

We arrived and settled into the parking lot about fifteen minutes after leaving. Madison unbuckled and climbed out of the car. I followed suit a moment later.

“Madison, what is this all about? Why are we here?” I finally asked her.

She scanned our surroundings. “It’s a Thursday and, like, nine a.m. Nobody’s here, yet.”

“Why does that matter?”

With one arm out, she gestured toward the front end of the Camry. “Pick up the car, Dad.”

“Excuse me?”

“We’re here for an experiment. Would you please indulge me?”

I continued to look at her with a raised eyebrow and confused expression. What was she getting at? There was no way I was going to be able to lift a vehicle weighing in at nearly two tons. Sighing at her, I bent down and made sure to grasp onto the frame rather than the plastic body panels. With my legs, I pushed upward.

“See, Madison, there’s no way…” The car lifted off the ground as easily as if I were lifting one of the children’s books I’d read to the girls to get them to sleep. With wide eyes, I gently put it back on the ground and turned to Madison.

She grinned at me like an imp. “See? Super strength.”

I was still squatting by the car with a stunned expression when something hit my shoulder and Madison cried out. I spun around quickly. The bat she was carrying lay on the ground with a dent in it and she was shaking her hands.

“Admittedly, I did not think that one through.” She announced. “Ouch.”

“What did you do, Madison? Are you hurt?”

“No, Dad. I’m fine. My bat isn’t doing so well.” She chuckled. “I hit you with it.”

“Why would you do that?”

“To prove a point. See that dent? I smacked you like I was going for a home run. You’re invulnerable, so far.”

“Madison Louise! What on Earth would possess you to hit me with a baseball bat?!” I narrowed my eyes on my daughter.

“Remember when the syringes wouldn’t break your skin at the hospital?” I nodded slowly, so she continued. “It’s because they can’t. The curve of your shoulder dented my bat because I hit you with everything I had. I knew I wouldn’t hurt you, Dad. I just needed to prove it to you.”

“What has gotten into you?”

“Nothing. Something really weird has happened to you and it’s not just that you look like a sister born between me and Hannah. You shot that pillar at the hospital with just your eyes. You saw our skeletons!” She was very animated in her description. “I’ve been hearing about people with powers all over social media. Instagram is full of people showing off. You would think it was doctored until you saw it for yourself.”

“What does this have to do with anything?”

“I’m trying to get you to acknowledge what’s happened to you, Dad.” Tears formed in her eyes. “Nobody else will. Hannah’s in denial and all depressed. Mom’s barely speaking to anyone. Olivia doesn’t know what to make of anything anymore.”

My heart and posture sank simultaneously. I spoke quietly. “I know.”

“Okay, so maybe you don’t look like my dad anymore. The gruff, depressed, but kind old guy is gone.” She sniffled as a tear rolled down her cheek. “You’ve slogged through the mud for so long you kinda forgot who you were. It’s about time something cool happened for you.”

Without thinking, I strode over and pulled my little girl into a hug. “Oh, sweetie… I’m not gone. I’m right here.” It shocked me that my voice came out with the same tone my mother had used in our phone conversation yesterday.

To my surprise, she hugged me back. “Kinda feels like it. You don’t look like you anymore. Everybody’s all depressed like you died or something, most of all you.”

“I’m really going through it, right now, kiddo.”

“I know. Mom made you sleep on the couch. She only does that when you’ve done something stupid.” She sniffled. “I’m trying to give you something to brighten up. I’ll work on everybody else later.”

“That’s not something you need to do, honey.”

“Somebody has to. Otherwise, the family’s going to fall apart and I don’t want that.”

“I admire your conviction, Madison. You’re only fifteen, though. You’re still a kid. It’s not on you, honey.”

She pulled back out of the hug. “Then maybe you need to. Look at me and focus. Try to see my skeleton.”

“I’d really rather not.”

“DAD!” She insisted.

With a sigh, I looked at her. It took a few moments of intense focus, but the blue filter came back like a closing shutter. I could see the outline of her body, her bones, the outlines of her internal organs, and beyond. I turned and looked at the car, seeing the outline of the body with all the metal parts inside.

“Whoa…” I breathed.

“X-ray vision. I told you.” She pointed at the bat on the ground. “Shoot that with your eyes.”

I blinked quickly, dispelling the blue filter and returning the world to normal. “What?”

She didn’t answer, merely pointed at the bat. Letting out a sigh, I tried to focus again. This time, I imagined the bat glowing red with heat. As I stared at the bat, a red filter filled my eyes like a closing shutter of a camera. Once it closed, the bat actually started smoking and Madison shrieked. That brought me out of focus as I blinked a few times before looking in her direction.

“Okay, that’s definitely heat vision. The movies and TV shows are actually pretty close.” She admitted. “Now, blow on it before it starts a fire!”

I cocked my head to the side, but followed her guidance. Taking in a breath, I blew toward the bat like I was blowing out a birthday candle. I could see my breath all the way to the bat like it was an extremely cold day. The bat shattered under the effects of being super heated then super cooled.

Madison laughed again. “And that’s super breath. Dad, are you not understanding what I’m getting at, yet?”

“You’re trying to prove that I’m basically Superman.”

She nodded. “Pretty much. We already know you’ve got super hearing. So that leaves super speed and flight.” She pointed in the direction we had come, toward Golf Rd. “Why don’t you dash to the end of the parking lot?”

Moving around the car, I lined up toward the end of the parking lot. Taking in a breath, I tried to focus. Two little hops, then I was off. The world seemed to slow down the moment I started to run, almost if it were standing still. I glanced around me to see birds almost frozen in the air, squirrels mid ground hop, and the trees not even moving in the wind. At the end of the parking lot, I came to a stop and slid in the grass. The motion of the world resumed.

“That’s super speed.” I heard Madison say at conversational volume. “If you can hear me, jump toward me.”

Feeling sheer exhilaration, I bent my knees and really put in some effort. I shot into the air in a way I’ve never experienced before. The arch of my trajectory was toward my daughter but the height of the jump is the highest I have ever been above the Earth without being atop a tall building or in an airplane. Frankly, it scared me. I flailed a bit, experiencing self-preservation like any sane human. I didn’t realize I had closed my eyes until I just stopped moving. Confused, I opened my eyes again to find myself about thirty feet away from Madison but about sixty feet in the air. I was hovering. Madison’s smile has never been larger.

“My dad is freakin’ Superman!” She shrieked.

By jove, she was right. Somehow, she knew. Fascinated by my situation, I wanted to test the limits all the sudden. Taking in a breath, I was nervous. Slowly, I willed myself up a few feet. Mind-blowingly, it happened. Then, back down and I went downward. Side to side. Forward and back. All of it worked.

“Go for it, Dad.” Madison whispered.

Taking in another breath, I gave her the first smile I’d given anyone since the other night. By simple thought, my trajectory changed to straight up. I don’t know why I put my fist out in front of me like I did, but it seemed like the thing to do. The wind rushed by my face at a speed I couldn’t calculate. The hoodie and my hair responded to the forces. Shifting to a lateral trajectory, I could now see the ground. I wasn’t quite at cloud level but pretty close. Chicagoland rushed by underneath me. This must be why Peter Pan never wanted to grow up. With a giant smile on my face, I kept my body straight and put my arms out beside me like they were wings and just… flew.

Everyone has those dreams where they’re flying. They remember the exhilaration and intense hit of dopamine to their brains. I’m here to tell you that feeling doesn’t come close to the raw exultation of doing it for real. Angling my arms a bit further backward like some kind of high tech fighter jet, I willed myself to go faster… and I did. My heart skipped a beat and I flew over Michigan faster than I ever have. Banking beforehand, I turned around just before Detroit and headed back. I went even faster. Behind me was a loud ‘crack’. The wind rushed past me so fast it barely registered to me.

Within seconds, I was over Lake Michigan and once again back in Chicago. The city whizzed by underneath me so quickly I almost hit Willis Tower without intending to. Willing myself to slow down as I headed Northwest, dodged around O’Hare, and came back around toward Busse Woods to meet back up with Madison. Moving my arms forward seemed to help me visualize slowing down. Before I knew it, I was back in that classic pose with one fist forward. One problem: how was I supposed to land?

There was a thought in the back of my head about how the movies always showed someone who could fly coming in for a landing. None of them helped. I flipped my body so my feet went first and the ground grew closer. When my feet actually hit the grass, I was just traveling too fast and went tumbling end over end. My body rolled right past Madison and continued on for another ten feet before I came to a stop in the grass, laughing.

Madison ran up beaming from ear to ear. “How was it?”

“That was single handedly the most exhilarating experience of my entire life.” I managed to say after laughing at my own folly. “I’ll have to learn how to stick the landing, but Detroit looks nice this time of year.”

“You made it all the way to Detroit?”

“Almost. I turned around just before I got there.” I rolled over and stood up, brushing off the debris from my less-than-graceful landing. “You were absolutely right, kiddo. About everything.”

Madison smiled. “Glad to see you having some fun, Dad.” She paused for a moment. “You know what this means, though, right?”

“Not really following.”

“It means you could be a real life superhero. You’ve got the powers. You just need the tights.”

I held up a finger. “I think I’m gonna draw the line at tights. There is probably going to need to be a lot of practice, too. What if I hurt someone?”

“Well, I mean, superheroes kinda beat up bad guys, so… that’s probably part of the package.”

“I’ll leave fighting as a last resort. Besides, I’m terrible at it.” My eyes scanned the park, hoping we were still alone and no one saw my display. Finding none, my eyes turned back to my daughter. “What made you want to encourage me?”

“For one, all the depression stuff. For two, do you remember the first comic book you ever gave me?”

I nodded firmly. “Like it was yesterday. Kelly Sue DeConnick’s take on Captain Marvel from 2012, issue #1. You were seven and not quite sure you were ‘the right kind of girl’. I wanted you to see a diverse way to be who you are, honey.”

“Did you read it?”

“Of course I did. I gave you my copy.”

“That’s why I encouraged you, Dad.” She took a breath and stuffed her hands in the pockets of her hoodie. “When I saw the things you could do and what happened, I figured you’d brush it aside like some dream. You needed to know for sure it wasn’t. Maybe it’ll give you something to hold onto while all this crazy family drama plays out?”

I smiled like a proud parent. “Look at you being all noble.”

“Bah ba-da bah-bah… BUM, Bum, bum…” She shot me a cheeky grin as she sang the melody of the iconic John Williams score.

Laughing, I shook my head. “Goofball.” I shrugged. “You hungry? I feel like pizza.”

Beacon of Hope



Chapter Five

DISCLAIMER :: This fanfiction is based on Superman from DC Comics. All rights reserved. Art by CWBlaine on Deviant Art.
Author's note: Perhaps it is the start of a new collaborative universe or a standalone project for myself. I don't know, yet.

(( Chapter Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltoaQo2ynSo ))

"Breaking news tonight: the Superman is real and he is American. SkyCam footage from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and WGN-TV in and around downtown Chicago show what analysts have confirmed to be a human being flying under their own propulsion. The blurry images have been analyzed by several experts in the fields of photography and aeronautics since they surfaced online this morning, going viral on social media. Take a look." The broadcast cuts to a video that lasts no more than five seconds, showing a single small object traveling at immense speed over the skyline of the city. It then cuts to another video from a different angle showcasing roughly the same object. "It's gone in the blink of an eye, but we'll slow the images down as much as we can to show you what's going on." The second video seems to have a closer vantage point. Going frame-by-frame, the small object is a blur of royal blue and red encircled by a Mach effect. One image lingers on the screen. "As you can see, there is no way to truly identify what we're seeing here. What has people talking is the blue and red color of the object. Experts have confirmed that the size and mass of the object based on the profile of this white cone on the latter third, called the Mach effect, matches that of a human being. With the color scheme and speed, it has people talking. Whether or not that's good news for Warner Brothers Discovery and their movie directed by James Gunn set to release in July remains to be seen."

The news wouldn't shut up about it. Every channel. Every station. Every affiliate. All visual news journalism was showing the videos. All print media, if it even exists anymore, was showing still pictures and freeze frames. Madison showed me the explosion of content on TikTok and Instagram about the situation as well. The world was going crazy over the possibility of a powerful superhero existing among them.

Meanwhile, back at home, the weekend came and went like a winter gust through downtown. Hannah practically ignored me. Olivia seemed almost afraid of me. Laura was more ghost than person. Madison was the only one really connecting with me, even if most of our interactions were her going full fan girl. The only time I could get her off the topic of Superman was Star Wars Day when we shared our love for the space opera George Lucas created. I was feeling more and more like a stranger or novelty in my own house. It didn't help my perception of myself at all, either. It was as if the entire foundation I'd spent the past twenty-five years building was crumbling underneath me.

Utilizing the office space I'd put together during the pandemic in the basement, I resumed my dead end job. With everything going on, it completely skipped my mind. Though, one email to HR about being involved in an accident in the back of an Uber was enough of a plausible excuse for my absence. The fact I never used Uber didn't matter. I never expensed my ground travel when I went to conferences. Working from home meant I wouldn't have to explain why a seventeen year old girl was doing a forty-five year old man's job, either.

Looking at the house, one wouldn't be able to tell the family life was in turmoil. I might only have been walking around in a T-shirt and sweatpants while sleeping on the couch every night, but all the household chores were done. Unlike many men in my generation, I would never forgive myself for simply assuming Laura would do it all – going to work, raising the kids, and accomplishing all the household tasks – while all I ever did was go to work and watch sports. We were proud of our fifty-fifty distribution.

Wednesday night, I was at the sink hand-washing a couple of pans and cutting boards that don't really fit in the dishwasher. For once, my mind was blank. I knew Laura was standing in the archway to the corridor behind me and that she had been standing there for a few minutes. I kept hearing her take in breaths as if she were about to speak and then hesitate. After a few tries, I decided to speak first.

"You can't really sneak up on me, Laura." I told her while still facing the sink and scrubbing a particularly dirty pan. Cheese is very sticky. "I heard you come in the house about ten minutes ago."

She let out a sigh. "Chris, can we talk?"

"I'm listening."

"No... I mean... facing each other. Maybe at the table?"

"Okay." I set down the pan I was working on, rinsed my hands, dried them, then turned to face her.

My wife was the most beautiful human being I have ever laid eyes on. Her auburn hair was situated into a messy bun. Her demure chin quivered ever so slightly. Her button nose appeared slightly red. Her hazel eyes seemed to have shed some tears recently. Her kissable lips were shaped into a small frown. I adored her and yet my heart broke at the sight of her.

Following the request, we both moved to the table and sat opposite each other. "What's on your mind?" I asked.

She hung her head then brought it back up to meet my eyes. "I'm really sorry, Chris. I've been really absent and avoidant of you."

I nodded to her. "Seemed like you needed some time, honey."

She smiled and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "Understatement, Christopher. Truth is..." She breathed deep. "...I couldn't cope. The night it happened, I was really there for my husband – for you. When I saw the radiology and spoke with the doctor, I knew there'd be very little chance I would get my Chris back. I'm sorry, but it's been affecting me to think of a girl the same age as Hannah that I don't really know sleeping on the other side of the bed where my husband used to be."

"I'm well aware, Laura."

"I'm not finished." She breathed quickly. "That's why I asked you to sleep on the couch, but you can't do that forever. You need a bed to sleep in. You can't keep wearing those T-shirts and sweatpants that look like you stole them, either. You need your own clothes. I've set aside some money for you to take care of things. I know we usually make financial decisions together, but this is new for both of us. I thought a proactive approach might be best."

"Very wise of you, Laura."

"I'll take you to do some shopping tomorrow. I took the day off. What do you think?"

I hesitated for a long moment. "You mean, like... when we take the girls back-to-school shopping sort of situation?"

"Basically, but without knowing your sizes. We'll have to work that out. Beyond that, why don't you take the spare room as your own bedroom." Her eyes teared up a little. "This entire situation is really hard on both of us. I don't really know the right way to do things, but this is the best I can do for now."

Tears started welling up in my own eyes. "I know, Laura." I tried to swallow the knot in my throat. "What does this mean for our marriage?"

"I don't know, Chris. I just don't know." She stood and walked out of the kitchen.

The house fell silent in a matter of minutes. After finishing the dishes, I investigated the spare room. It was situated on the ground floor, just past the living room. We usually only used it for guests – such as if Laura's parents or mine were in town for a visit. It was a rather sanitized and impersonal space. There was a queen sized bed, nightstands on either side of the bed, a dresser, and a walk-in closet. The bedding hadn't been changed in nearly a year, so that was the first thing to go. Fetching some fresh bedding from the linen closet of the laundry room, I set about making the bed. It wasn't the best and was all miss-matched but it was functional.

Sleep didn't come easily that night. My relationship with my wife and children was completely uprooted. Thus far, the only one that would really talk to me was Madison. There was no real way to know what Laura was planning the next day but I was comforted in the fact she was willing to spend time with me. Trying to discern what she intended for the day was enough to drive me a little crazy.

The next morning, Laura woke me up somewhat early and threw clothes at me. Not maliciously, mind you. She was being playful for the first time since everything happened. It was a simple T-shirt, pair of jeans, the white shoes Madison loaned me the other day, and feminine under garments. She told me she wasn't going to take someone that looked like a "shlubby teenager" shopping. I dressed without protest. When I encountered her in the kitchen, she already had a mug of coffee prepared for both of us before requesting we both get in the car. She even ran a brush through my hair.

Still disoriented and confused, I simply followed along. Once in the car and seatbelt buckled, I did not really anticipate a visit to Woodfield Mall, the largest shopping center in all of Chicagoland. Thankfully, we had arrived on a Thursday which was one of the less busy days. Similar to back-to-school shopping, Laura had a plan and I was basically just along for the ride. We made our way into the sparsely populated interior of Nordstrom. Inside, Laura consulted with some people who set about wrapping measuring tape around different sections of my body. They relayed some numbers that meant absolutely nothing to me. Laura nodded, thanked them, and continued guiding me along her planned out path.

Four and a half hours later, we had been to no less than eight stores and spent about the same amount of money that we might have with all three of our daughters in tow. Laura made sure to grab all the essentials and I was only there for a yes/no vote on select items. She was the one who knew what she was doing, afterall. All told, I had a small wardrobe at my own disposal that anyone in my current position might need. Underwear, socks, jeans, T-shirts, leggings, sweaters, and some sportswear that can double as pajamas were all acquired. I vetoed any idea to grab anything resembling a skirt or a dress and Laura nodded in agreement.

We both ordered some chicken teriyaki at the Suki Hana and sat down to eat it. Laura looked exhausted, but I felt like I could keep the same pace all day. Neither of us had eaten breakfast, so we both sort of shoveled the food in our mouths.

"Thanks for today, Laura." I softly spoke between bites.

She finished chewing her own bite before responding. "You're welcome, Chris. You need things that actually fit you..." She gestured to my body. "...now."

"It's incredibly weird, but appreciated. I wouldn't have known where to even start."

"Measurements. Always measurements." She wiped her mouth with a napkin. "You're a size eight, by the way. Medium tops, medium pants. Size eight shoes. You need to remember that."

"I don't really want to think about it, most of the time."

"We can't deny reality, Chris. Something profound has happened to you and it's affecting all of us – especially you and me."

"Laura, I –" I stopped the conversation short. My ears had picked up an odd sound. The sound of fire. Then a couple of screams. My head turned toward the noise.

"What?" She asked. Then, she heard screaming.

I turned to her quickly. "Stay here."

Without really thinking, I jumped up as the world around me entered slow motion. Having heard the sound behind me, I got to the balcony area and looked around. I could see panicked faces slowly moving away from the far side of the mall from me on the ground floor. Not having the time to ponder why anyone would put the food court on the third floor of a huge mall like this, I vaulted over the railing. While falling, I willed myself to fly like I had with Madison a few days ago. Amazingly, it worked and I propelled myself toward the faces. I took a left at Macy's and spotted the problem.

A person engulfed in flame stood in the middle of the corridor and a pillar of flame was growing toward the American Eagle store. People were panicked and there was a teenager on the ground with her hand up trying to protect herself from the flames. I swooped in and gently picked her up. Having taken her a good thirty feet from the flames, time around me returned to normal. She looked at me with shock in her eyes. I set her down.

"Are you okay?" I asked. She nodded. "Good. Get further away to safety."

She obliged without a word and I turned back to the problem at hand. The guy was lit up like Human Torch and shooting flames from his hands. The world slowed down again and I ran to the front of the store. Planting my feet, I stood in front of the flames with an arm forward in front of me. I could hear panicked screams inside. After a moment, the flames stopped and I lowered my arm. My clothes were a little singed, but I was unharmed. I stared down the flame guy who looked at me entirely bewildered.

"Who the fuck are you? Where'd you come from?" He asked.

"Doesn't matter. Stop what you're doing. You're putting people's lives in danger." I requested.

"Some little girl comes out of nowhere and wants me to stop trying to burn down this shithole? Are you with their corporate public relations?" He cackled.

"No. I work for a different company. Nowhere near this big."

"Oh. Another corporate stooge, huh? Do you know what this place did to me? Why are you protecting it?"

"I'm not. There are some very frightened people inside. You're scaring a lot of people. People will get hurt. They are who I'm going to protect."

He scowled. "Suit yourself."

He positioned his hands again and the wall of fire came at my face, this time. I put my arm up in a vain attempt to block. Strong, encouraging words weren't going to stop this guy. My brain started searching for solutions. Finally, it came to me. Taking in a deep breath, I began blowing it out in the guy's direction. Once again, it looked like I was blowing a fog out of my mouth. I kept blowing until not only the pillar of flame coming at me was extinguished but the flame guy was extinguished as well. Once I could confirm that, I rushed over to grab his shirt and push him against the far wall. I knocked the wind out of him.

"Knock. It. Off." I ordered him with a slight growl to my voice. "If you want to get back at someone for some perceived slight against you, this isn't the way to do it. You don't put innocent people in harm's way because a corporation wronged you. Understand?"

He coughed. "Jesus! What kind of freak are you?"

"A lot like you, I suspect. The difference is: I'm stopping you."

"There's not even a first degree burn on you and you blew out my flame with your breath!"

"I'm well aware. Are we going to stop comparing powers, now, and get to the point? Stop this, now. This isn't the way to do things."

"Who do you think you are? Superman or something?"

I chuckled. "Clearly, I'm not." He went silent. I lifted him higher. "Are we done with our tantrum, now?"

He screeched. "Yes! Jesus Christ!"

In the distance, I could hear sirens as I lowered him back down onto his feet. I didn't let him go, however. Behind me, I could hear the mall security people gathering. My head turned toward them. At least one of them had a firearm drawn.

"There's no need for lethal force." I stated to the guard who looked fairly frightened. "I have him subdued and he's agreed to play nice, now. You wouldn't happen to have some handcuffs or zip ties, would you?"

The nervous guard fired his weapon. I spun around and positioned myself between the bullet and the guy who had been on fire only moments ago. Astonishingly, it bounced off of me harmlessly. All the guards' eyes widened.

"Whoa... how did you know you were bulletproof?" Flame Guy asked me.

"I really didn't. I just knew you weren't." I stated plainly to him before looking at the guards. "Guys, c'mon. Zip ties or cuffs, please." One guard approached me with a set of zip tie cuffs in his hands. I nodded to him before turning back to Flame Guy, getting his hands behind his back, and getting the cuffs secured on him. "Don't fight it. You're already in a lot of trouble. Don't make it worse for yourself. Okay?"

He hung his head. "Yea. Okay."

Both of us turned in tandem as I handed him off to the security guards. To the one slowly holstering his firearm, I nodded. "You okay?"

"I... I just shot you..." He softly reported.

"Yes, I think you did. No harm done. Are you okay?"

"I don't know."

I shrugged. "Maybe take the day off?" Turning my attention from him to the people inside American Eagle, I moved over and gently pushed the barricade they had constructed away from the entrance. "Everybody okay?" Roughly eight people nodded, their eyes wide. "The coast is clear, everybody. It's safe now."

Turning around, a crowd had formed a short distance away. I recognized a few of the faces of frightened people that had run off before I got here. The girl I had saved from the flames started clapping, tears in her eyes. In the next second, everyone joined in. My face felt a little flush as I gave a small wave before running off.

The world around me returned to slow-mo mode as I made my way back up to my wife on the upper level. It was a little tricky to maneuver around people on the stairwell, but I managed. When I reached the food court, Laura was looking over the railing. She must have been trying to figure out what was happening.

"Honey..." I began.

She spun around and squealed with a hand on her chest. "Jesus, Christopher! What happened down there? Why are the clothes you borrowed burnt?"

"We'll talk about it in the car. Right now, can we get the shopping bags and go?"

Cocking her head to the side, she barely nodded and moved toward me in an effort to help. With all the shopping bags divided between the two of us, we made our way down the stairs toward the ground level. The endeavor was a bit complicated by the commotion earlier. Even going through Primark and trying to navigate toward the eastern exit doors was hampered by the efforts of the police to clear the mall. Eventually, we did emerge into the partly cloudy weather and walked one-third the way around the mall back to my wife's car. Laura kept trying to get me to tell her what happened along the way, but I deflected.

Eventually, we did make it back to the car. When the bags were in the back and we were settled in with the doors closed, I did finally tell her what happened. I divulged every detail and left nothing out. If she hadn't seen me move faster than the blink of an eye and vault over the railing to the ground level without dying, she may never have believed I could fly or that the fire never actually hurt me. She took a long moment to really consider what I had told her. It's not every day that one learns they're playing chauffeur to someone with super powers.

"So..." She began. "You can actually do all those things Madison was getting excited about?"

"Yes, I can." I stated plainly. "I can relate to the excitement from Madison. She's been fawning over me since we tested all of the powers over at Busse Woods last week."

"You know, I really doubted the whole idea of 'special powers' that people have been talking about until today. Once I saw you turn into a blur right in front of me, all pretence was gone."

"It's been reality for me since last week with Madison. You know she hit me with a metal baseball bat?"

"She did what?!"

"It didn't hurt. It hit me in the shoulder and just bent the bat. It's how I had an idea that I wouldn't burn with the fire. I wasn't totally sure about the literal 'bulletproof' part until today, though."

"You really should be more careful. You might be fireproof or bulletproof, but your clothes aren't. One hole in the wrong place and you are instantly 'not safe for work'. It's very different with female bits, Chris."

"I'm becoming aware of this, Laura." I sighed. "You know the best part? Remember the viral video of that blue and red object from last week?" My wife nodded. "That was me."

She shook her head. "I still can't quite believe it. I have one question, though: why did you hop up like that, today? Why put yourself in potential harm or step in front of a bullet you didn't know whether or not you'd survive?"

My gaze focused forward out the windshield. "Because it was the right thing to do."

Beacon of Hope



Chapter Six

DISCLAIMER :: This fanfiction is based on Superman from DC Comics. All rights reserved. Art by CWBlaine on Deviant Art.
Author's note: Perhaps it is the start of a new collaborative universe or a standalone project for myself. I don't know, yet.

(( Chapter Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aJUnltwsqs ))

As one might expect, the mall incident blew up. The local news was talking about it. The national news was talking about it. Social media was filled with amateur videos of it. None of the angles actually managed to capture my face, but they caught everything else. It was interesting to see my speed, flight, and frost breath from a perspective other than my own. To see this young woman no older than my own daughters accomplish these feats from an outside viewpoint was eye opening.

Madison had become something of a confidante. I wasn't happy to learn that she would sometimes climb out onto our roof, but her reasoning was intriguing. She would climb out there and lie down on the shingles, gazing skyward for solace or to think over impactful events. Before now, I hadn't known her as such an introspective person. Maybe I had been a bit too busy with work or turned off in a way. A few evenings after the mall incident, we had climbed out there together and watched the sunset.

"You're going to have to be more careful out there, Dad." She advised after a while.

Taking in a breath, I nodded. "Your mother said the same thing on the way home from the whole thing."

"It's not just the danger of a wardrobe malfunction. There's a reason superheroes wear costumes and masks, you know. It's not just because it looks cool or distinguishes them from others."

My head nodded while my eyes stayed on the horizon. "Yea, the whole 'secret identity' thing."

"Why do you think Batman wears the costume, cape, and cowl?"

I turned to look at her and shrug. "He says it in the comics: to strike fear into the hearts of the people making the people of Gotham afraid."

She rolled her eyes at me. "Dad, how do you think the press in Gotham City would react if they found out the richest man in Gotham was going around beating up street criminals in the middle of the night? What if Mark Zuckerberg took all that kickboxing training, went into San Jose, and started beating up on the gangs or some guy robbing a convenience store?"

I recoiled at the questions. "Well, as a journalist, it would probably be a top story and not a good look for Bruce Wayne or Mark Zuckerberg. The story would come out, then lawsuits and criminal prosecution would likely follow."

"Right. But Batman's a good guy, right?"

"Well... his methods leave a lot to be desired, but he gets to justice in the end. I don't appreciate all the violence as a means to an end, personally."

She leaned a little closer to me. "And what happens when the villains find out the true identities of the heroes?"

My face showed an expression that conveyed I finally understood the point. "Oh."

"It puts the loved ones of the hero in danger, doesn't it?" I nodded and she continued. "It makes it hard for the hero to hold a normal job or lead a normal life, doesn't it?"

"So, you're suggesting that I need some kind of costume and probably a mask if I'm gonna do other things like I did at the mall, aren't you?"

"The question is: how? It's not like you've got a baby blanket from the planet Krypton you were wrapped in that Grandma can sew a suit together from."

I let out a laugh. "Madison, you know your grandmother can't sew."

She joined in the laughter, playfully pushing me. "You know what I mean. It's gotta be just as tough as you are now. I have no idea how that's possible, though."

I searched my mind for possibilities, but really only came to one. "Military grade advanced materials research, probably. We're in uncharted waters with that thing that hit Earth, whatever it was. If it made me like this and that guy at the mall like he was, what else is possible?"

"I'm too tired to think too deeply on it. I'm gonna head in for bed. You gonna do your flight practice tonight?"

"Probably... after I make sure you make it into your bedroom safely."

We both began to make our way off the roof. We were only a few feet from her bedroom window. There was just a slim bit of roof in front of it. I walked alongside her and made sure she didn't slip and fall to the ground below. She made it just fine without my help, but one can never be too careful. Once she was safely inside, I leaned in to kiss her forehead as I'd done since she was a child.

"Sweet dreams, sweetie," I stated softly to her.

She smiled. "G'night, Dad. Have a good flight."

She closed the window and I was alone on the roof. I walked back to the spot we'd just been sitting and stood waiting for darkness. I had decided that practicing my abilities might actually be a good idea. There was no way to know my limits without practicing. Exercising caution was a good idea, especially after how my exploits have been blowing up on the news and social media. Flying, specifically, had been documented by public access cameras and reposted online which led to its virality. Deciding to fly at night reduced the chances of that happening drastically.

Once the sun went down and the light faded a bit, I slowly lifted off the roof and propelled myself upward. Once about cloud level, I could hide amongst the fluffy water vapor without attracting attention. The trade off was that it was really hard to see anything that might be approaching with the naked eye, so I had to resort to "super vision". I had discovered it wasn't simply limited to fluoroscopy but I could also utilize thermoscopy. This way, I could see birds and even planes around me. Strange for most people, but it seemed more natural to me the more I used it.

There was no real flight plan on these excursions. I merely picked a direction and let my whims take me. Most people might start jogging or riding a bike as a means of focusing internally and processing their stress. Before all this, I had no such outlet. Now, taking a flight was becoming the activity that was allowing me to process everything that was going on and reflect on it. Not to mention, it was the most exhilarating experience of my life. There truly was no equal.

My mind drifted to my family. Laura and I were talking more, but our relationship had most definitely changed. Neither of us had as yet determined to what extent. Hannah had still not spoken a word to me. Madison had become something of a confidante. Olivia was finally beginning to speak with me. She remained quite laconic, but I'll consider even a single word to be progress. I'm not truly sure what role I play in the family anymore. I act as if I'm still the father, but it doesn't seem like anyone else considers me to be such any longer.

Suddenly, something grabbed the front of the off-shoulder sweater I was wearing, flipped me over, and forced me downward. Falling out of the sky, the mystery was solved. I was looking up at a man that appeared to be close to hitting thirty with long ginger hair and a thick beard. His blue eyes were nearly the color of ice. Underneath his blue tunic, it seemed his muscles had muscles. Behind him, the clouds seemed to almost form a halo and really showcased the stairs beyond. In seconds, my back hit the ground but he did not release his grip. Instead, he raised his right arm. His right hand wasn't human. It seemed to be an entirely metal hand of some kind. The craftsmanship seemed archaic, but it worked.

"Hver ert þú? Hvað ert þú að gera í mínu landi?" He nearly growled.

Instinctively, my hands rushed up to cover my face. Panic filled my voice. "Whoa! I don't know what you're saying!"

He seemed to hesitate for a moment and release his grip a little. He spoke with a thick accent I couldn't decipher. "Who... are... you? Why you come here?"

The panic remained in my voice. "My name is Christopher Kent! I'm not sure where 'here' is!"

His grip was entirely released and I heard him stand. "Kristófer? What father would give his daughter that name? Do you mean to say Kristín?"

Feeling safer, I lowered my hands and looked up at him. For all the world, the man looked like someone from a Renaissance Faire that decided they were a Scandinavian from the Viking Age. "No. I mean Christopher." I stood and brushed myself off, getting a look at the crater that had been caused by the rough landing. "Where am I?"

With his human hand, he gestured to the landscape. "Ísland."

I shook my head. "You mean to tell me I was lost in my thoughts so long I ended up in Iceland?!"

"I do not know of this." He stated, his accent still very thick.

"Whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?"

He took a moment to collect his thoughts. "I am called Týr Hymisson. I am protector of these lands."

"Tyr?" I asked then let out a laugh. "Really? They let you have that name?" I knew from a piece several years prior that Iceland actually passed a law that governed what names parents could give to their children. I sometimes thought a similar law should be implemented in the United States, but alas...

"My name precedes the law by many years." He stated plainly. His brow furrowed in what I interpreted to be thought. "You are called Kristófer. You fly. You do not get harmed when I bring you to ground. Yes?"

My own brow furrowed. "All correct. Where are you going with this?"

He started pacing and stroking his beard. "It has happened again."

"What has happened again?"

"The beacon of the stars."

"Excuse me?"

He stopped pacing and looked at me directly. "Many years ago, when the world was young, the sky blessed many. All over the world, blessed beings emerged. They became known as The Gods. We were people, like any. We were changed." He hung his head. "I was changed." He sighed. "I was called Tewiyā then: mother of seven and leader of our people. Forty winters passed before that day."

My eyes widened at his admission. "Wait, you're saying this event has happened before? Where the Earth is struck by some cosmic phenomenon and people emerged with powers?"

"As you say, it was some time ago. Five thousand winters have passed."

"FIVE... THOUSAND... YEARS?!"

"In your words, yes." He shook his head. "How many are you?"

My eyebrow raised almost instantly. "I don't understand."

"How many like you?"

"I have no idea. This only happened about a week and a half ago."

"Still new? Chaos has not come?"

"Uh... what do you mean 'chaos'?"

He growled. "It happened to us. People change. They have power. Some use for good. Others... not so good."

"I don't think anyone has sorted themselves out, yet. Though, I did stop some guy who used fire in a shopping mall a few days ago. He was going to hurt people."

He narrowed his eyes on me. "Why do that?"

I stood firm. "It was the right thing to do. People were going to get hurt."

He kept his eyes narrowed and I was left wondering what he was thinking. "What else you do? Just fly and not get hurt?"

I shrugged. "A few other things."

"What things?"

I took in a breath, not knowing why I was divulging this information to some Icelandic man I'd just met that thinks he's five thousand years old. "I... can see in the X-ray and infrared spectrum. I'm really strong. I'm really fast. I can blow really hard and make it cold. I can shoot hot energy from my eyes. I can even hear and smell really well."

He nodded. "Strong, fast, and the other things?" He took a stance and smirked. "Show me. Hit me."

I chuckled nervously. "I'd really rather not. I'm non-violent."

He hit me. With his metal hand. It actually hurt a little and I went flying backward. I hit a big rock and slumped to the ground unceremoniously. The rock cracked. Shaking my head, I came back to my senses just in time to see him coming at me in a leaping strike while screaming some kind of war cry. He intended to punch me again. The world around me went into slow motion again as I stood, dusted myself off, and stepped to the side. Time returned to normal and his hand impacted the rock instead of me. With a twisted grin, he turned to me and attacked again. It was clear he was not going to stop.

He raised his fist to attack once more. The world slowed again. I moved to dodge each of his blows. The first couple missed but a third hit me and knocked me over. When a fourth blow came at me, I put my hand up and caught it. The world returned to normal and I merely held his fist in my hand while he stared me down. It was quite the feat because his hand was absolutely huge compared to mine. It took very little effort for me to hold his hand in place.

"What are you trying to prove?" I asked him.

I could feel the effort leave his arm and he pulled his fist away. "Testing. You are fast, tough, and strong. Good. You cannot fight. Maybe I train you."

"What? Why do you think I need you to train me?"

"Many trials lie ahead. You need to be ready."

"I already told you I'm non-violent. I don't want to fight."

He took in a breath and let it out slowly. "What you do when you have no choice but fighting? Give up?"

"Well, no, but –"

"Exactly this. You learn to fight so you don't have to."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"It will. Where you live?"

"Chicago... ish."

"United States? Is bad place to be... or good place."

"You are still not making sense."

"Accent is thick or your head?" He sighed, frustrated. "You train with me here. I call you and you come, yes?"

"Maybe it would be better if we set a schedule or something." I shook my head. "Why am I negotiating a schedule with a deranged Icelandic man?!"

"It maybe best if you come at night. You have day job? You keep it. You come here at night and we train. Deal?"

"I still don't know who you are, really. I know you can punch me. That's it."

"I am Týr. The people of my homeland called me the god of the skies, war, justice, and heroes. They did not know things. I accepted and did what I could." He smirked. "Because it right thing to do."

"You're telling me you are THE Týr?"

He nodded firmly. "Yes. Týr Hymisson. Where is mystery?"

I threw up my hands. "Okay, I'm going home now."

"I come with you, then. I fly too." He actually smiled.

"What? No! My wife would rightfully have my head for bringing some strange man home in the middle of the night!"

He nodded. "Forgive me. I have not known people for some time. I follow, but find other place so your wife not angry."

I let out a groan. It seemed there was no deterring this man. "I can't really stop you from following me, but don't make it weird and be discreet. People make a spectacle if you can fly without wings."

"I know. People change." He nodded.

Keeping an eye on him, I slowly rose into the air. I'd gotten rather proficient at controlling the speed of my flight since I started practicing. After a few moments, he started to follow me. Turning and heading higher into the sky, a large part of me was trying to understand why I had begun to tentatively trust this man. There is no way we'd have known one another otherwise. We had just met. And yet, there was a trust between us. Explanations escaped me.

Further, he seemed to have something of an understanding of the event that changed me. He claimed it had changed him, too. A very long time ago, a similar event had occurred and created the beings ancient people had referred to as The Gods, according to him. Anthropological history was never my strong subject, but I do remember that the gods of Sumer had first appeared in text about the time he was describing. I wouldn't bet on my accuracy of knowledge, though. It's been thirty years since I remember any talk of world history on a daily basis. It would seem that I had a mystery on my hands. I had no idea where to begin finding the answers.

Once over my home, I bid my compatriot adieu and flew down toward my house. He stayed back, thankfully. I could safely enter my house and move toward my bed in the spare room without worry. Changing out of the now dirty sweater and sweatpants, I grabbed another set of loungewear and crawled under the blankets. Something told me my world was about to get a lot bigger.

Beacon of Hope



Chapter Seven

DISCLAIMER :: This fanfiction is based on Superman from DC Comics. All rights reserved. Art by CWBlaine on Deviant Art.
Author's note: Perhaps it is the start of a new collaborative universe or a standalone project for myself. I don't know, yet.

(( Chapter Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnhXHvRoUd0 ))

The following day, I continued as if nothing had happened. The loungewear I'd slept in remained in place but I did at least brush my hair. Laura had gone to work after the girls left for school. In between reports and missives for work I did the house work. Once again, I was alone with my thoughts. Standing in the midst of the spotless living room, my eyes scanned the room and the adjoining ones taking in just how lonely my existence really was at this point. Where once there was family driving me forward there was nothing of substance.

The doorbell rang.

Head tilted and eyebrow raised, I moved to the front door and pulled it open. On the threshold stood a young woman, likely in her early twenties. She was quite a bit shorter than I. Her blonde hair fell to about her shoulders, not unlike the length of my own. Something in her hazel eyes seemed familiar, but I couldn't really place it. Her body was covered in a dark grey T-shirt, dark denim jeans, canvas sneakers, and a black leather jacket.

"Can I help you?" I asked her.

Her eyebrows furrowed at me. "Hannah? Aren't you still in school? Why are you home?"

I kept my head tilted and eyebrow raised. "I'm not Hannah. Once again, how can I help you?"

She shook her head. "Sorry. It's just... may I speak with Christopher Kent, please?"

"Who's asking?"

"I'd really rather speak to him, please."

Something about her demeanor signaled she may be up to something. I stepped to the side. "Please, come in." Nodding, she stepped inside and I closed the door behind her. "I'm going to give you one chance to explain how you know my daughter."

"Okay, first of all: who are you and where is Christopher Kent?"

"I am Christopher Kent. Now talk!"

She nearly jumped back. Her eyes widened with shock but instant understanding. "Chris! It's me, Larry Lang!"

Lawrence "Larry" Lang and I go way back. We met on the school newspaper team way back in Sheboygan. He went off to Notre Dame like a good Catholic boy and I had gone to Northwestern. We stayed connected as much as we could. We even moved to Chicago together to pursue our careers. I got the gig at the Chicago Tribune and he got the job at the Chicago Sun-Times. He was the best man at my wedding to Laura. He knew my kids. I was the best man at his wedding to Alana. They only had one child, Chloe. She was Madison's age. We'd fallen out of contact in the last few years as I was dying a slow death as a corporate communications specialist instead of what I really wanted to do.

"Larry? Really? How did you..." I stumbled over the words because of my confusion.

"...Know it was you without question? Easy: happened to me, too. That cosmic phenomenon that somehow gives people powers? Well mine include preventing you from lying to me and detecting your unique energy signature associated with the alterations from the pulse."

"You can sense when someone is lying or compel them to tell you the truth and detect the unique energy associated with that thing?"

"That's what I just said, Chris. Haven't flexed those journalism muscles in a while, have you, buddy?" She shook her head. "Look, that doesn't really matter so much. I'm here as a warning, Chris."

I motioned for the girl that was apparently one of my best friends to the living room to sit down. "What kind of warning?"

She plopped down onto the loveseat. "I've been working on a story since a couple of days after that pulse thing. My editor wanted me to dig deep. You know me: that's my bread and butter. I found some things, Chris. For starters, I know you went to the ER the night the pulse happened with no injuries. I couldn't access your medical records, so no worries there. HIPAA still works, for now."

I sat on the couch diagonal from her. "Well, that's comforting, at least."

"It won't be for long. It's no secret this president has been breaking a lot of rules. Things that should be confidential aren't staying that way, especially if your skin is brown and you speak Spanish." She took in a breath. "It goes deeper. Word is that they're going after people affected by the pulse, too. The guy that tried to burn down the American Eagle over at Woodfield a few days ago? Nowhere in the system. He should be on a prisoner list, but he disappeared yesterday."

"Where'd he go?"

"Not the faintest clue. One minute, he's in the Cook County Jail getting arraigned for property damage and attempted murder. The next, he never existed. Two other people on my short list for potentially having powers also disappeared. I came here hoping you hadn't disappeared, yet."

"No leads on where they might have been taken? DHS has been known for lack of paperwork filing leading to lost inmates in the past." Now I was invested.

"Worked that angle. Nothing in the Department of Homeland Security logs to suggest anything other than kidnapping immigrants, except..." She smirked. "A contract filed with the Congressional Budget Office last week from Orivox Enterprises."

I sat up straight. "The tech firm that started during the early days of cellular phones back in the '80s that somehow has a private army?"

"The very same. Old Man Lowen kicked the bucket a few months back. Lukas Lowen, the kind of man that lives in Peter Thiel's nightmares, is now head of the company and has been ramping up federal contracts. He was spared from the DOGE nonsense because he fed Elon Musk's ego. The company gobbled up a GEO Group competitor and has been expanding their operations." She let out a sigh. "I'm not gonna sugar coat this, Chris: everybody affected by this pulse thing is in danger. I've already created myself a new identity. I've got a new place. Alana and I weren't doing well after all this happened. It was best for us if I left. I keep in contact, but as discreetly as I can."

"You left Alana and Chloe? Just like that?"

"Not totally. Mostly just on paper. I had to get a new cellphone and I don't call her. I had to fake my own death and create a whole new identity. We may have to do the same thing for you. If I can find information on pulse-affected people, what makes you think Orivox can't?"

Panic started to rise in me. "Has all this put the families at risk?"

"Not yet, but the Orivox subsidiary, American Vanguard Solutions, is the company that has the contract. They're a paramilitary organization with even less oversight than ICE, if you can believe it. I haven't seen any reports of family members being harmed, yet, but it's really only a matter of time. If someone stands in the way of an apprehension, it could get ugly."

My body slumped back into the couch. "Geez, that's crazy."

"It's a crazy world, Chris. Up is down. Left is right. Cats and dogs are living together. It's mass hysteria."

"We can't just stand back and let this happen, can we?"

"What other choice do we have, Chris? This is the US government and a powerful corporation we're talking about. We're a long way from FDR and into Mustache Man from Germany territory. With facial recognition, they're gonna get us pegged from a mile away unless we scrub their records and become officially dead."

I let out a deep sigh. "Let me think for a minute."

Closing my eyes, I slowed my breathing in an effort to let my rational mind take over. There would never be a scenario where I would allow Laura or the girls to be harmed because someone was trying to get to me. The thought of leaving them to this nonsense didn't sit well, either. This ICE nonsense hadn't been sitting well with me for a long time, either. If there's a private contractor out there doing the same thing to equally as innocent people who just happened to develop powers because of the stellar pulse event, that was inherently wrong on its face. Two thoughts bubbled to the surface of my conscious mind: my talk with Madison and a quote. I leveled my eyes on my friend.

"Larry..." I began.

"It's Lauren, now. We should get used to using new names for each other."

I shook my head. "Lauren... whatever..." I let out a quick sigh. "Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing," I quoted. "John Stuart Mill." I looked right into the depths of Lauren's hazel eyes. "We can't let this continue."

She chuckled. "Oh, yea? Getting all noble, huh? How is anyone going to be able to accomplish that without being identified in our modern digital age?"

"It might sound crazy, but... there's something Madison said to me. What if we lean into the superhero thing? I mean, we've got the powers, right? Get a suit and just do it. We'd probably have to find someone that's at the forefront of advanced materials research that can be trusted, though."

"You're joking, right?"

My head firmly shook. "I am not. I'm quite serious. The world's gone crazy. Embrace the crazy."

"Chris, these people have guns. I'm not bulletproof."

I smirked at her. "I am."

Lauren's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. "The mall thing. Was that you? What kind of stuff are you working with, buddy?"

I softly nodded. "Yes. I stopped the guy at Woodfield Mall. I'm basically Superman."

She stood and started pacing. "Oh, this is big. I mean, really big."

"It's not that big, Lar – I mean, Lauren." I rolled my eyes. "It's gonna take me a minute to get the name right. Sorry."

"Okay, well, we'll have to do this methodically. First, we need to get you and your family safe. I'll work on that. Maybe you could work on finding that materials researcher in the meantime. You just have to keep your head down until I get things figured out."

I scoffed. "I barely leave the house as it is. I only go out at night and fly off somewhere."

She stopped. "How are we casually having a conversation that involves a comment about a human being flying without the use of an airplane?"

I shrugged. "It's a new world, isn't it?" In the next instant, I was reminded of something. "You said you can detect this energy – whatever it is – right?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Yeah..."

Standing up, I moved through the house to the back porch. "This might blow your mind." Once out on the deck, I called out, "TYR!"

For a few moments, we were both quiet. There was a sound of rushing wind, then the redheaded Icelandic man was standing on the back deck with us after having dropped out of the sky. Lauren squealed.

"What need?" He asked me.

I didn't look at him. "Lauren Lang, meet Tyr Hymisson. Would you mind confirming something for me? Do your thing?"

She looked him over and the shock left her face, turning to curiosity. "Interesting... it's not like us, but similar. Older, too. Why?"

"Turns out, the Gods do exist, just not the way we thought."

After Lauren got over her astonishment, we started to relay everything to Týr. He was well aware of the immigration injustice going on in the United States. As Lauren gave him the background on the situation at hand, he grew angrier with each detail. As we evolved into the superhero idea, he was less than enthusiastic.

"These injustices cannot stand." He stated firmly. "Heroes do not hide their faces. It is cowardly."

"It's a different time from when you were relevant, big guy." Lauren informs him. "Showing your face is a bad thing. We're talking about arrests happening and potentially families being harmed by this."

I let out a quick breath. "He's got a point, though. If we cover our faces, we give off a sense of being unaccountable. Look at all that talk about ICE agents, right now."

"Okay, blue eyes." Lauren shrugged. "If you're gonna go full face on this, you do you. I'm gonna have something obscuring me from the digital eyes, okay?"

"Fine by me." I stated. "We just have to figure out something plausible for me. What kind of backstory do we tell with this new identity thing?"

"You let me worry about it, Chris. I'll work it out with you when the time comes. About what age did they say you were physically?"

I grumbled. "Seventeen."

Lauren physically recoiled. "Ouch. You may or may not want to talk to your parents. Now I gotta work on a cover for a minor."

Another sigh escaped my lips. "Right, I'll look into the scientist we need."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lauren vowed to remain in touch over the next few days. Týr may not have been very pleased with the idea of superheroes in theory. However, after an explanation to him about their origins and purpose in our modern world, he was more amiable to the idea than previously. When I told him they were similar to ancient tales of heroes and monsters, he mentioned something called 'The Sagas'. I'd never heard of such a thing; thus, I had some homework to do in an effort to understand this strange man I was becoming better acquainted with.

Once parting with him and promising that we'd do some training that evening, I went straight to a computer. It was clear in about five seconds that a Google search isn't what it used to be. It would be necessary to flex muscles that I'd not used in a few years. Investigative journalism is not for the faint of heart. It's full of twists, turns, dead ends, and more questions than you started with. Thankfully, I wasn't trying to find some link to corruption in a local political race. I was just trying to find the best-known and preferably local advanced materials researcher. To no one's surprise but my own, Chicago is something of an epicenter for this particular field of study.

After two hours of reading through research journals, I ran across a not-well-known researcher that had worked on fabric polymers for NASA's new spacesuit concepts. Interestingly enough, she did use some of the most cutting-edge synthetic polymers but was also trying to find the best natural polymer that other researchers had overlooked in their pursuit of contracts with chemical companies. At least, that's what she said in her biography on a website that made me slap my palm against my face. She worked out of my alma mater: Northwestern University. I should have known the school was at the forefront of advanced materials engineering. In my defense, I graduated about twenty years ago. Her office was listed in the Technological Institute, which I knew was just off Sheridan Rd.

Fifty-two minutes later, I made the left into the SGT Lot at the northern end of the Technological Institute building. Passing by some of the buildings along Sheridan showed me that there had been quite a few changes to the campus since I was last here. Nostalgia filled me the moment I climbed out of the car and set foot on campus grounds. Laura and I had met in the Deering Library and participated in events all over these grounds when we were in college here. Taking a somber breath, I continued toward the building and entered through the northern doors. The corridors were fairly quiet as I glanced at the directory. The office of Dr. Ingrid Voss was listed as being on the second floor somewhere in the middle of the building, based on the numbers. Navigating the corridors was a little confusing as I had never really been in this building when I went here.

Eventually, I found myself at the doors to a laboratory with "Ingrid Voss, D.Sc." written on the placard next to the door. Stepping through the wooden double doors, I seemed to enter an entirely different world. Beyond the seemingly archaic wooden doors revealed an almost gleaming white space in an ultramodern style. The room was filled with the hum of a wide array of equipment I couldn't even begin to categorize. Electron microscopes with glowing interfaces, some type of fiber spinning devices, and very high-tech tensile testers meant for measuring the strength of experimental materials. The sleek walls held what could only be meticulously organized samples of materials I couldn't begin to name paired with swatches of fabric.

At the far end of the room, I heard the squeak of an office chair. In the next moment, a woman that instantly reminded me of Jessica Chastain with her bob-style ginger locks parted on the side, bright blue eyes, and white plastic-framed glasses came from a room to the left and began walking toward me. Her outfit didn't strike me as something a scientist would typically wear. Her silk halter-style blouse, high-waisted A-line skirt, tailored suit jacket, and kitten pumps seemed out of place.

"Young lady, this office is not on the campus tour." She scolded me. "This is a limited-access space. What are you doing here?"

"I'm not on a tour." I responded, trying to be respectful. "I'm looking for Dr. Ingrid Voss."

She stopped only a couple of feet in front of me. Her shorter stature wasn't as imposing as she may have wanted it to be. "You've found her. What can I do for you?"

I suddenly lost a little nerve. "How do I put this... ?"

She folded her arms. "You can simply begin."

My eyes met her gaze once more. "Your paper, Multifunctional Hybrid Biomaterials: Integration of Bombyx mori Silk, Lab-Grown Crystalline Matrices, and Sustainably Synthesized Graphene for Next-Generation Sustainable Textiles, was really some ground-breaking work. I was genuinely impressed by a next-gen materials researcher looking for more sustainable options while trying to develop NASA's next extravehicular mobility unit."

Her expression changed from stern to stunned. "A kid your age read my work? And understood it?"

I shook my head and chuckled. "I'm older than I look."

"How much older? That is some pretty advanced biochemistry, not an article in the Babylon Bee."

"I'm one of the victims or beneficiaries of that stellar wave, pulse, whatever from a couple of weeks ago. There's a forty-five year old father of three in here." I pointed at myself.

She nodded slowly. "Say I believe you. You still haven't stated why you've come to my lab."

The nerves returned and I tried to swallow them. "Well..." I let out a sigh. "It's a little embarrassing and maybe a little stupid, but... I was hoping to talk to you about what materials might be needed for an outfit that can endure the same things I can."

She raised an eyebrow at me. "And what sort of things would that be?"

To my trained journalist eyes, she seemed skeptical. I did the only thing I could think of: lifted myself off the ground high enough to tap my head on the ceiling. Said ceiling was approximately seven and a half feet from the floor. Her eyes lit up as I started to hover.

"I trust you've read a comic book or seen a movie, Dr. Voss? Heard of Superman?"

"The most iconic hero in all of comics? Who hasn't?"

I lowered myself back down onto my feet. "I need something that would work with him. It needs to endure that kind of punishment."

"Are you... are you asking me if I can help you make a 'supersuit'?" Her smile grew.

"In the most round-about and awkward way possible? Yes, probably." My eyes closed momentarily and I let out a sigh. "A credible source is working on a piece for the Chicago Sun-Times that will reveal American Vanguard Solutions, a subsidiary of Orivox Enterprises, is starting to round up people – innocent people – that were affected by that cosmic phenomenon and putting them in holding facilities not unlike 'Alligator Alcatraz'... or worse. I can't let that happen, but I also can't put my family at risk of retaliation."

She folded her arms again and looked me up and down. "Is it purely a selfish reason or more like an altruistic endeavor?"

Looking into the eyes of judgement, I took a deep breath. "I've been numb to the world for too many years. I grew apathetic. I knew things happening in this country and the world were just not right. I've felt powerless to affect any real change. This event happened and my entire world has been flipped on its head. After some soul searching, I can't sit idly by and let things happen anymore. I have the ability to be the change I want to see in this world. At the same time, I can't put my wife and three daughters at risk of retaliation from nefarious sources. I mean to misbehave. I mean to do the right thing. My family shouldn't be a victim of people that might disagree with me."

"You want to be a hero?" She asked with an indecipherable tone.

"No. Just someone that does what's right because it's the right thing to do."

She smiled. "Let me show you something."

She spun around and headed back toward the room she'd emerged from. My feet shuffled along behind her. We rounded the corner and entered the door, my eyes beheld a brightly-lit, eastward-facing office space. The colors on the walls were much more pronounced and inviting, staunchly contrasting the sterile environment of the lab. In one corner was a desk with a computer littered with little tomato-looking pin cushions. In another corner was a drafting table where several designs were sketched and taped to the surface. Another table held a sewing machine and a few bolts of brightly-colored fabric. The walls were covered in photos of models on various runways from fashion magazines as high up as I imagine Dr. Voss could reach. The two spaces were a whiplash-inducing juxtaposition.

"I minored in fashion design," Dr. Voss admitted. "It's not much more than a hobby, now." She turned to me. "You say you can do everything Superman can do?"

I nodded. "Pretty much. Did you see the viral video from Woodfield Mall?"

"I did."

"That was me."

She gave me a long nod in recognition. "It makes sense, now." She started to tap her lip. "So, you need something that can withstand whatever atmospheric forces you encounter, Mach conditions, friction from your speed, and just as nearly invulnerable as you are?"

I nodded firmly. "That's it in a nutshell."

"Come back in a day or so. We'll get a full laser scan of your body. You'll never find a more accurate way to determine every measurement imaginable."

"So, this means... ?"

"I'm making your suit."

Beacon of Hope



Chapter Eight

DISCLAIMER :: This fanfiction is based on Superman from DC Comics. All rights reserved. Art by CWBlaine on Deviant Art.
Author's note: Perhaps it is the start of a new collaborative universe or a standalone project for myself. I don't know, yet.

(( Chapter Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP7zpdwo3Xo ))

Once back in the car, I sat for a moment to think. A large portion of my psyche couldn't believe that Dr. Voss had agreed to the task with so little convincing. At least, from my perspective it didn't seem like much convincing. Beyond that, my world seemed to be changing in so many ways. If I had been told a month ago that in a short amount of time I would no longer be male, physically regressed back to seventeen, would discover mind-blowing abilities in myself, consort with a literal god, be on the verge of losing a job I hated anyway, and was contemplating some kind of altruistic endeavor that could put my family at risk, there would be discussions about the merits of psychotherapy. The truth is stranger than fiction.

After taking in a weighted breath, a text was submitted to the family group chat. Hannah suggested we start one when she got her first phone at fourteen. We added Madison just last year. Eventually, Olivia will be added as well but it's too soon. My text was to announce a family meeting at the dining table once I arrived at home. Setting my phone in the alcove built into the car, I started on my way home. At this hour, I was well aware it would be a long drive. The sun was setting, casting orange and yellow light across the landscape. Rush hour was still going strong.

Finally at home, I pulled into the garage. Thankfully, Laura's SUV was present. At the door to the mud room, I took in a deep breath to prepare myself for what was about to transpire. Afterward, a simple message that I had arrived was sent to the group chat. I opened the door and stepped into the house. The corridor was rather short and I emerged into the open floorplan that was our kitchen and dining room. I leaned against a chair and waited for whomever would actually arrive. Given my relationship with the family of late, I only expected Laura and Madison to show.

Over the course of the next few minutes, everyone settled themselves at the table, even Hannah and Olivia. I tried not to show my surprise. The faces of my family were rather blank and unreadable. Laura seemed tired from work. Hannah hadn't yet put down her phone. Madison just kept looking at everyone else. Olivia seemed to want to be anywhere but here. After a moment, I cleared my throat.

"Thanks, everybody." I began. "I really appreciate you all being here." I let out a sigh. "It's no mystery that things have changed in the house. Ever since this thing happened to me – to us – there has been a lot of silence. Not many of us have said much to one another. There again, things are still changing somewhat and maybe I just can't hear you speaking to one another. Let's address the elephant in the room."

I took another deep breath. "I have not been the best husband or father to any of you for a long time." All of them stopped and looked at me with widened eyes. "Since my layoff at the Chicago Tribune, I've all but disappeared. I've gone to work, come home, spoken a few words, and then gone to bed. The light has gone from my heart. My only concern has been your comfort and happiness. I've even failed at that." Tears built up in my eyes.

My eyes turned to my wife. "Laura, you've deserved better. You have deserved a partner against the world and I was wrapped up in my own. I retreated into my shell and almost forgot you existed. I thought if I just put my head down, helped around the house, and made sure the mortgage was paid it would be enough. I was wrong." My wife's eyes misted up as I spoke.

My eyes moved to my eldest. "Hannah, I couldn't find the right words to say to you for the longest time. I don't know your friends anymore. I don't know if you have a boyfriend or girlfriend or what. All I know is my little girl is about to graduate high school and move on to bigger things while I still hold onto the ten year old I built pillow forts with on the weekends." Tears were now running down my cheeks.

My eyes moved to the middle child. "Madison... I'm so glad we've been able to actually connect, recently. I'm sorry it didn't happen sooner, sweetheart."

Finally, my gaze landed on the youngest. "Olivia... baby... you have needed a father for far too long. All I did was try to placate you with stuffed dolls as the only way to let you know I was thinking about you. You have needed bedtime stories of epic proportions. You've needed more hugs and tea parties. I'm sorry I haven't been there for you, sweetheart."

My focus returned to the group as a whole. "I'm about to do something brave... or stupid... or both. Only Madison really knows what I'm capable of now and even then at a basic level. Larry Lang stopped by today."

"Larry was here?" Laura asked.

"Not as such. Her name is Lauren, now. She's like me. She told me her family basically fell apart after all this. Rather quickly, too."

Laura nodded. "Alana and I have been talking."

It was my turn to nod. "I thought you might. Honestly, I don't want that to happen to this family, but Madison is the only one that's really spoken to me in almost three weeks. Besides, it goes deeper than maybe any of you realize."

"What's deeper than your dad basically becoming your sister in minutes right before your eyes?" Hannah finally spoke. Her words had bite to them.

"You guys have been seeing what's going on with ICE recently?" Laura and the teenagers nodded. Olivia looked confused. "That's going to start happening to people like me. Larry – I mean, Lauren – has sources that show Orivox Enterprises is going to mobilize their mercenaries, American Vanguard Solutions, against people affected by the same thing that changed me. That, coupled with the fact Larry is now a 20 year old young woman named Lauren, is what destroyed his family. There's nothing saying they're going after family members, but they might in order to get to people with powers."

"What are you gonna do that's stupid, Daddy?" Olivia eventually spoke.

I took a deep breath. "I'm... gonna do a superhero... thing."

"You're right. That is stupid." Hannah quipped.

"No, it isn't! You haven't seen what Dad can do!" Madison defended me.

"I don't really care, Madison! And, if you hadn't noticed," Hannah pointed at me, "that isn't Dad! Not anymore!"

"Hannah!" Laura gasped. I merely hung my head.

"What, Mom?! Use your eyes! That's not my dad and it's definitely not your husband!"

"Young lady–" Laura started to scold her.

"She's got a point, Laura." I sighed before I looked sullenly at my eldest daughter. "Your feelings are valid, Hannah. I've been feeling rather similarly for a while now." My gaze turned to Laura. "You kicked me out of our room the night after this all happened. First, I was on the couch and then I moved into the spare room. We've barely spoken."

Laura nearly huffed. "I'm just going through things, Chris."

"As am I, Laura, but even a blind person can see that our relationship just isn't going to work, anymore. We can't lie to ourselves about that. I love you more than anything, but it would be a bad look for both of us to try to continue like nothing happened." My eyes landed on each child as I spoke. "What good will it do trying to pretend to be your father when I look about a year younger than Hannah but almost like her twin? More than a few people have mistaken me for her in the last three weeks. I battle it every day, but the mirror is winning."

Hannah slumped in her chair. "This family is fucked."

"Hannah! Language!" Laura and I chorused.

Madison, desperate to change the subject, spoke up. "So... you're gonna wear tights and a cape, huh?"

I slapped my face with my palm. "I'm gonna pass on the concept of tights. I don't know, yet, what the uniform I'm going to wear will look like. I spoke with an advanced materials researcher today. Just now. That's where I was today."

"What can you do?" Olivia jumped into the conversation.

"Basically everything Superman can do." I informed her. "Flying, all the eye things, the breath, the strength, and I'm bulletproof."

"So, that girl at the mall? That was you?" Hannah finally straightened back up.

I firmly nodded. "Yes, it was me. That's why I thought a uniform might be a good idea. Can't stop dangerous people and risk a wardrobe malfunction."

"It was kinda dumb to do that in broad daylight." Hannah chided.

"Your mother thought the same."

All the girls turned to Laura. "You knew?!"

Laura held up her hands. "Not really. I was just helping with the wardrobe in the first place."

"Don't be hard on your mother, girls. She's dealing with all this just like you all are." I tried to deescalate. "The biggest problem with the thought of doing the 'Caped Crusader' thing is that it could endanger all of you. That's the last thing I want. I don't know what I'd do if any of you were harmed because of me."

"That's why superheroes have secret identities." Madison stated plainly.

"Exactly. Mine has to be ironclad to keep all of you safe." I sighed. "It might mean I have to go the same route that Lauren did: fake her own death and/or disappearance."

"Larry's not dead, though. Not that we know. No funeral or anything." Laura questioned.

"That's what I thought, too. Larry – I mean, Lauren – has something in the works. I don't know what it is, yet. I wanted to get a sense of how all of you might feel about all of this. Sounds like the general idea is that I'm simultaneously stupid and not really a member of this family anymore." I hung my head again as the tears returned.

"Honey..." Laura began to gently protest.

"I'm not deaf, Laura. I even have super hearing, remember? I've heard everything that's been said."

Hannah groaned. "I'm not trying to be a dick, okay? I just feel like my dad's already dead. Ever since you changed, I've been hit pretty hard. I don't know what you are right now but I don't want you to not be a part of my life."

Madison nodded. "Yea, it's pretty weird calling you 'Dad' when you look like my big sister, but I wanted to keep acknowledging who you are inside. You're still the big dork that's cool to geek out with me sometimes."

"My daddy's not dead, but you don't look like him anymore. You look like a stranger I'm related to." Olivia observed.

Laura stood and approached me, putting her arms comfortingly over my shoulders. "You're not stupid, Christopher. You are a part of this family. We just don't know what part. We'll have to figure that out. It'll take time." She took a deep breath. "I personally think your idea to help others shows your heart is in the right place."

"Stupid..." Hannah began, then smirked. "...but noble. It's kinda right up your alley."

"You've always been my hero, Daddy." Olivia stated plainly.

My heart melted and the tears came easily.

"You know how I feel, Dad. I've been pretty excited about this the whole time."

I gave them a weak, teary smile. "Thanks, you guys."

My phone emitted a tone that signaled a text message and vibrated in my pocket. I fished it out, unlocked the screen, and read the message. My blood ran cold. Without a second thought, I spun out of Laura's comforting gesture and the world slowed to a crawl. I ran out the sliding door to the deck and jumped. At the apex of the leap, I willed myself into flight and to travel as fast as I possibly could. There were several sonic booms that clapped behind me. The wind whipped through my hair and clothes. It was cold enough to freeze the fresh tears on my face from moments ago.

'Christopher, your father is having a heart attack. I called 9-1-1 but I don't know if they'll be here in time. Prepare for the worst, honey.' The text from my mother had read.

Knowing that if I went east far enough to hit Lake Michigan, I could follow the coastline all the way to Sheboygan. I wouldn't have to go all the way into town, though. The family farm was on the south end of the city. There was no time to note how suburban developments had swallowed a lot of old family farms. I still have yet to figure out how to land properly because I slammed into the wheat field, rolled, and even skidded. The world remained in slow motion as I ran toward the house. It only returned to normal when my feet landed on the front porch of the house. I knew the door was unlocked, so I let myself in.

"Mom?! Dad?!" I called out, not even considering they wouldn't recognize my voice.

The house was arranged like any other mid-century ranch-style house. The family room no child was to ever enter was on the other side of a half wall to my right. Before me was the main hallway with family photos through the years. Beyond the family room on the right was the kitchen. To the left was the actual living room. My mother emerged from around the corner. The tears returned.

"Hannah?" She asked, causing more tears.

"It's Christopher, Mom. Where's dad?"

"Christopher? How did you get here? It's two hours drive from Arlington Heights and I just sent you the text."

"Doesn't matter right now, Mom! Where's dad?!"

She pointed down the other hallway. "In the bedroom. We were –"

The world slowed once more as I started running toward her, then around the corner to my parents' bedroom. My father was sitting on the edge of the bed, clutching his chest and breathing laboredly. When the world returned to normal speed, he looked up at me.

"Hannah?" He struggled to ask.

"I don't have time to explain, Dad. It's me, Christopher. Trust me on that." The world adopted the blue hue around me and I could see all of my father's insides. Unpleasant to be sure, but it had purpose. It took me a second to really decipher what I was looking at, but I found his heart. I could hear his weak pulse but I couldn't decipher what I was seeing other than the fact his pacemaker wasn't doing its job very well. Blinking quickly, I looked up at him when the world returned to normal vision. "Let me take you to the hospital."

My mother entered the room behind me. "I've already called the ambulance."

"You said you didn't think they'd be here in time!"

"I still don't, but what can we do?"

"Quite a lot, actually." I swooped in and gently took hold of my father. Once I had a hold of him, I maneuvered through the house. Once outside through the front door, I took to the air.

Holding tightly to my father, it dawned on me he was the first person to fly in my arms. The closest hospital I knew to take him to was Aurora Medical Center. It appeared as if they'd made some upgrades in the past few years, but the Emergency Department was in the same place. Carrying precious cargo, it was incredibly important to figure out how to land correctly. I did everything I could think of to slow myself down enough to gently touch down on the sidewalk near the doors. I stumbled a little, but at least nobody was hurt. Running at normal speed, I entered the doors with him and went straight for a wheelchair.

"Heart attack!" I yelled as I wheeled him into the waiting room.

"What's the patient's name?" The woman from registration asked me as the triage nurses jumped into action.

"Jonas Kent." I responded, watching helplessly.

"Birthdate?" Came the voice of the woman from registration.

"February 29, 1956." I turned my gaze toward the registration woman. "Is he gonna be okay?"

"We're going to do everything we can to help him. What's your relation, sweetie?"

"I'm his kid."

Her eyes became as big as dinner plates. "I've heard of having kids late, but your case takes the cake, honey. He was, what, in his forties when you were born?"

Not wishing to answer that particular question, I turned around and made my way out the door. Once clear of prying eyes, I took to the skies again and headed back to the farmstead. Once again, I landed less than gracefully. Dusting myself off, I found my mom standing on the porch with worry written on her face. As I strode up, her hand shot to her mouth.

"Where's my husband?" She exclaimed.

"I got him to the hospital. The triage nurses are handling it." I informed her as the first wail of the ambulance sirens could be heard.

She looked me up and down. "You moved like the wind. You got here in two minutes from Illinois. What is going on?"

I motioned to my body with my hands. "May I present the aforementioned brat casing, Mom. All quarter-Jewish of it. Remember the 'nonsense' about people with powers?" She nodded. "It's not nonsense, Mom. I can do a lot of things. I panicked when I read your text. Emotion pushed me to limits I'd never even tested before. I flew here as fast as I could."

"You can fly?"

"Yes, Mom, I can fly. Landing is the hard part, but I got Dad to the emergency room without hurting him."

She took a few tentative steps toward me, giving me a look I couldn't decipher. She reached out and cupped my face in her hands. After a moment, she smiled broadly. "There's my Christopher. It's right there in your eyes." She pulled me toward her and embraced me against her chest. "Thank you for coming to help your father, honey."

"Of course, Mom." For the first time in years, I wrapped my arms around and embraced my mother. Full of emotions, the waterworks were fully operational.

"We're going to have to make up a story for you. It's gotten big, but Sheboygan is still a small town. You probably went to school with the EMTs about to come here. Maybe even their parents."

I spoke through sobs. "I don't care, Mom. I'm just glad I could be here for Dad. I did tell the lady at registration that I was his kid, though."

She tapped my back to reassure me. "You let me take care of it, then."

Beacon of Hope



Chapter Nine

DISCLAIMER :: This fanfiction is based on Superman from DC Comics. All rights reserved. Art by CWBlaine on Deviant Art.
Author's note: Perhaps it is the start of a new collaborative universe or a standalone project for myself. I don't know, yet.

(( Chapter Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJxrX42WcjQ ))

As my father laid in a hospital bed hooked up to all the machines, my mother dutifully tended to him as much as she could. After telling my mother I had my phone on me, I began to aimlessly walk the block – which consisted of County Road TT, South Taylor Drive, and the combination loop of University/Campus Drive. The scenery was the hospital, the Performing Arts Center for Lutheran High School, and the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Extension, as well as the woods separating all of them in tandem with Bookworm Gardens. It was a long walk. Perfect for someone that needed to process something big.

In one night, my entire family dynamic was changing. Looking at my diminutive left hand, I glanced at the comparatively gigantic wedding band I stubbornly still wore; albeit on my thumb because it wouldn't fit any other finger. I was going to lose my wife. Inside, I was still the man two years older than 'that Danvers girl' I'd fallen for in college. The man that stood with sweating palms in an uncomfortable tuxedo waiting to see her in her white gown. The man that was so proud to meet his first child, as well as every child after, and simultaneously believed that was the moment my wife was the most beautiful. The man that was so proud to buy a first house with her. The man that felt like an utter failure when the Tribune laid him off. The man who loved his children with every piece of his soul.

The man that may be about to lose his father. My parents had always been a solid bedrock in my life. I was their miracle child. The only one to be born. Mom and Dad had difficulty conceiving children and Mom had a lot of miscarriages. I'm the one that made it. Ironically, I was also Mom's first pregnancy. My parents had raised me with all the love in the world. Dad taught me how to be a man and provide for the family. He taught me to farm, but I always wanted to be a writer. Mom taught me how to be caring and nurturing. Both would always say that the best man was a well-rounded one. They did their best to mold me into that ideal. I'd like to think it worked.

My parents were the first ones I called when I met Laura Danvers, my future wife. They were the ones I confided in as to whether and when I should propose. They were the first to know about the birth of each of our children. Dad was the one that told me being a father would have many triumphs and failures, but was ultimately the greatest experience of his life. Mom was the one that told me my wife would generally figure out most things, but would need support through it all. They were the first to know about every failure, too. They consoled me when I lost my job at the Tribune and gave me the strength to keep going in spite of it. They urged me to keep going, for my sake as well as my family's. In the last few years, I retreated from them as much as I had Laura and the girls.

As I walked, tears ran down my cheeks. I'd never shed so many tears in a single night. What else can one do when their whole world falls apart?

As I approached Bookworm Gardens, Týr landed gently beside me. He said nothing for a few minutes. As I sniffled from the crying, he gently tapped my shoulder. I don't truly know why someone that was still quite a stranger to me was so comforting in that moment. For a few minutes, we walked in silence while the crickets sang their chorus in the distant foliage. My footfalls were quiet while his were lumbering. We must have been quite the sight: a 5'10" crying teenage girl with a hulking 6'7" giant of a ginger man.

"Your family coming." He informed me softly. "They are worried... for you and father."

"Thanks, Tyr." I struggled to say.

"I tell you many times, name is said like 'toor', not 'tier'."

"Force of habit, I guess. Sorry."

"Much like you cling to Kristófer though you are not." He took a breath to let his words sink in. "When the cosmos blessed me, I was not ready to release my name. I was mother. I was leader. My children and the people thought other things. They give me new name. In time, I forget what is to be mother, but never what is leader. New people gave me new name. I keep Týr. Maybe the people give you new name in time. Things change."

"I still can't see you as a woman. You've said it, but I can't picture it."

"Is many winters ago. Is lost to the memory of people. Is not lost to me. Like you, things change fast and kvennváðir, as you say 'dress', no longer fit. I had to become new thing. It take time for thinking to change, but must be done." He sighed. "I, too, lose father young. I lose him when still in swaddling clothes, not yet bleeding. He was good man, but young man. I lose husband with baby still on breast during war."

"Death is part of life," He continued. "Is like wheel. Snows leave, plants grow, harvest come, plants die, snow returns. Is cycle. People who name me 'Týr' believe in life after this. They say there place called 'Fólkvangr'. It is place of sheep people, weavers, tailors, farmers, and other things. It not place of glory and feasting, not Valhöll. It place of Freyja. Maybe, if death happen, your father go there?"

Tears kept streaming down my cheeks. "Is it a pretty place? A happy place?"

He shrugged. "At times. Is most beautiful of places to people who live in place of mountains, snow, and cold."

"Good point."

"What I say is: you're man here like I am woman here," He gestured to the center of his chest. "But you not man to people. I am not woman to people. Not for many winters. You woman to people." He scoffed. "More like girl, but point same." He shook his head. "You need to find heart of girl and accept like I find heart of man and accept. I must afklæða, remove, my kvennváðir, clothing of woman. You must klæða, put on, kvennváðir. Understand?"

"I have no idea what language you're speaking, but you're at least kind of making sense."

"Your people call it 'Old Norse'. I call it tongue of my mother."

"I thought you sounded vaguely Scandinavian, but I wasn't completely sure."

"It is tongue that birth other tongues." He shook his head. "We are not holding oar."

"If that means the conversation has drifted off course, then you may be right." I sniffled, then inhaled deeply. "I'm losing everything I hold dear: my marriage, my daughters, maybe even my father. I stopped being a journalist years ago. All of this is destroying my sense of self. I don't know who I am anymore."

He nodded. "I know this. When I changed, world became lonely place. No children. No people. I must wear the cloth of man. I must live life of man. I not know how to do this. No teacher. My boat had no oars. Many winters have passed but I remember." He turned to looking at me with a look of warmth. "I will be your oar. Your teacher."

"It's been five thousand years since you were female. How would you even know?"

"Winters pass, but does the seed not linger?"

"That makes far more sense than I anticipated. Times change, but the essentials remain?" He nodded to me. "I guess I can understand that."

"Now is not time for these things. We must return to your father. You must be with him if light fades. Is the way of things."

The walk back to the hospital wasn't very long. Our conversation had nearly lasted the full distance around the block. Back in the waiting room, I found my mother sitting alone with the worry of many on her face. I sat next to her and took her hand. She was only in the waiting room because they had taken my father to surgery. It would be hours before we heard anything. Cardiovascular surgery is a complicated process. Týr stayed at a distance, but close enough to be a reminder of his presence. It was obvious that it had been many years since he had been comfortable around many people.

After a while, Laura and the girls appeared in the doorway before joining my mother and I in the waiting room seats. Everyone exchanged pleasantries and condolences. There was a lot of awkward silence among us until the surgeon called my mother to speak with her. The tension was thick while they had their conversation. My mother returned with new tears in her eyes.

"What did the doctor say, Marian?" Laura asked, breaking the silence.

My mother struggled to speak. "That he... he made it through the surgery, but... there was a lot of damage. He... he might only have a day or two." She sobbed. "He's... sleeping now."

For all of us that understood, tears began flowing. Olivia hadn't been fully briefed on what was happening.

"What's the matter?" She asked.

Temporarily releasing my mother's hand while Laura took the other one, I knelt down to our daughter and struggled to speak the words I needed to. "Sweetheart, Grandpa... is very sick. That's why I left the house so quickly. His... his heart is not doing well." As my words sank in, she started crying. "We... we're gonna lose Grandpa, honey." My tears came heavier. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart."

To my surprise, she reached out and pulled me into a hug before crying on my shoulder. "I don't want Grampa to go to heaven."

"Neither do I, baby." I squeaked out and cried harder along with her. "Neither do I."

It was a bittersweet moment. My youngest was actually coming to me for comfort and I was going to lose my father. In the next second, Hannah and Madison joined our embrace with sobs of their own. I did my best to embrace all my girls and try to offer comfort, but we were all hurting just as much. After a few moments, Laura and my mother joined our embrace and cried as well. For a while, we were a ball of hugs and sobs. None of us were coming out of this unscathed.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hours later, Laura had taken the girls to the Super 8 just north off Taylor Drive. She knew if anything happened, nobody could get there quicker than I. She and the girls were exhausted, physically from the drive and emotionally from the news. My mother had since drifted off in the hospital recliner holding my father's hand. Týr remained vigilant on the periphery but tried to not get in anyone's way. Meanwhile, I remained at my father's side opposite my mother. To my surprise, I wasn't the least bit tired. I was perfectly content to watch over my dad through the night.

Memories flowed through my mind, one after another. The time he came into the house covered in grease from working on the tractor and scooped me up while I was watching Sesame Street. He held me over his head like I was flying. The smile on his face when interacting with his young son was palpable. The time he actually wore a suit as we attended his mother's funeral. It's the first time I saw him actually cry. The time I had peeked through the crack in the door and saw him comfort Mom after her final miscarriage. He held her head against his chest and let her cry as long as she needed to. They never tried for children again. The time he was in the stands when I landed my first successful hit in baseball. He had a team cap on and spilled the popcorn by cheering exuberantly. The time he gave me "the talk" right before my first date which consisted of simply telling me to be respectful and not doing anything stupid. The time I turned back to him after getting my high school diploma to see the proud smile on his face. The time he helped me move into the dorms at Northwestern. The time he first met Laura. The time we first brought each of the girls to see their grandparents after only being born days before.

There were so many more, both good and bad. He always told me the bad days just allowed the good ones to feel that much better. At the time he said those words, I couldn't fathom what he meant. I was beginning to understand. My tears had been flowing freely all night.

"Ope. Look who it is... not-Hannah," A weak voice broke the silence. "Word is that you saved me."

I straightened up and gave a meek smile. "Hey, Pop. How you feeling?"

"I'm feelin' kinda crummy. Why are you callin' me 'Pop'? I'm not sure who you are." My father's eyebrows furrowed at me.

Feeling like crying again, I reached out and wrapped a hand around his arm. "I'm your son. I'm Christopher."

He actually chuckled. "Sure thing, bud."

"Remember that thing that happened about three weeks ago? The one that tripped your pacemaker?"

"No, yeah. That was no picnic. Scared my wife somethin' fierce. How'd you know about that?"

"And you remember hearing that it changed some people? Gave them powers?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Where you tryin' to go with this?"

"Do you remember how you got here to the hospital?"

He almost answered, but stopped himself. After a moment, he sighed into his words. "Well, I'll be... You flew me here. You're really fast."

"I can do other things, but they weren't needed. I just wanted to help."

He looked up at the ceiling. "It was like an angel."

"Not quite like that, Pop." I shook my head. "Remember when I was a kid and you'd hold me up so I could feel like I was flying?" The tears and sniffles came back. "I can do it for real, now."

His eyes returned to mine. "What's my middle name?"

The question caught me off-guard, but I shrugged at him. "Clark. Why?"

"How old am I?" He kept his focused stare.

"You're sixty-nine."

"Yeah, no. How old am I?"

My mind searched for his meaning. He meant something other than his chronological age. He'd joke about it sometimes. Still crying, I actually laughed. "You're seventeen, Pop." Having been born on Leap Day, there had been seventeen since the year he was born. It was one of his favorite jokes.

He smiled at me. "Yeah, you're my kid. How old are you, now?" My guess is that my answers to his questions convinced him of my identity.

"I'm forty-five, Pop." He glared at me again. I rolled my eyes. "Fine. The doctors say I'm seventeen, too."

"Seventeen, huh? Ain't that somethin'? Me and my kid the same age?" He chuckled. After a moment, he motioned toward my body. "So, this all happen with that... thing?"

I nodded. "Yea."

"So, what all can you do?"

"Basically everything Superman can."

"And you're a Kent. A real one. How 'bout that?" He looked up at the ceiling again. "I wanted to name you 'Clark' but your mom thought I was bein' stupid." We shared a chuckle before he continued. "Y'know, Chris, I never told your mom this: I always wondered what kinda dad I'd be to a daughter. I always wanted one. Broke your mom's and my heart when we couldn't have any more babies." He returned his gaze to me. "Don't get me wrong, son: raisin' you was the best job I ever had. You're special to your mom and me." He let out a whimsical sigh. "I guess the stars was playin' darts, again. Hit a bullseye right on you."

Sniffling and tears flowing, I chuckled. "Yea, they did."

His voice turned somber. "What's the prognosis?"

More tears flowed. "It's not good, Pop. You're dying."

"Been dyin' since the day I was born, kid." He shook his head. "It's my heart, ain't it?" Tearfully, I nodded in response. "Your gran-dad always said my heart was too big for this world. I'd like to think he kinda had a point. I've always tried to live up to that, y'know. This world's too mean to not be. I've tried to teach you to be that way." He took as deep a breath as he could. "You're a good man, Chris. You took care of your mom and me. You took care of your wife and kids. You took a hit on the chin and kept going. I did the best I could think of for you and you turned out better than I ever dreamed. You've got words, kid. Always have. It's your actions, though, that show people who you are. That sayin', I'm proud I got to be your dad."

More tears than I've ever shed poured out of my eyes as I got up and hugged him.

He bent at the elbow and meekly tapped my shoulder while turning his head so our foreheads touched. "Whatever you're gonna be goin' forward – man, woman, boy, girl – you just show people the kind of person you are. Use what you've been given to leave this world better than you found it, like I tried to do every day."

Through sobs, talking was hard. "I'll make you proud, Pop."

"You already have, kid."

Beacon of Hope



Chapter Ten

DISCLAIMER :: This fanfiction is based on Superman from DC Comics. All rights reserved. Art by CWBlaine on Deviant Art.
Author's note: Perhaps it is the start of a new collaborative universe or a standalone project for myself. I don't know, yet.

(( Chapter Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIqBXPtolcw ))

Five days later, we buried my father. I wore a suit. With my car back in Illinois, Laura and the girls came with me to buy the suit. Hannah tried to convince me to wear a customary black dress with sensible flats and Madison somewhat encouraged this, but I repelled the efforts. I compromised with a sensible pantsuit from the women's section, but insisted on a tie. Laura was more accommodating than the girls and even found a suitable pair of loafers for me. We even managed to find Týr something to wear so he didn't look like we dragged him to a funeral from a Renaissance Faire.

My father had seemed to make an impact on the small village surrounding the Kent Farm south of Sheboygan, WI. Nearly two thousand people came to show their respects. I only recognized about a third of the faces. We held the ceremony at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church because my parents both loved the interior. My family had been Catholic for as long as I could remember, but it never caught on with me. The priest had some lovely things to say during the mass and the choir sang some lovely songs. It was the dedications that really caught much of the audience. First, the priest said a few words about my father. Then, a couple of his friends. I had the responsibility of the official eulogy.

It hurt that I couldn't write it completely genuinely. Nobody was going to believe this seventeen year old girl in a pantsuit was actually the child of Jonas and Marian Kent. Thus, I wrote it like one of my articles and read it in a third-person voice. It started with an apology for the absence of their son, Christopher Joseph Kent. From there, it was a collection of all the things I could remember about my father, good and bad, with a few jokes thrown in – inside jokes, including the one he always told about his birthday. It told of his willingness to help others at the drop of a hat. It told of a man torn over the fact he and his wife couldn't have more children than one; that he took most of the blame for. It told of a warm hug awaiting anyone that needed one. It told of a man dedicated to his family and friends. It ended with my favorite quote of my father's.

"...and remember to always leave the world better than you found it." I concluded with a giant knot in my throat and tears streaming down my face. "Good bye, Jonas Kent."

I stepped away from the pulpit that we used for the podium and returned to my seat in the pew between my mother and my family. To my surprise, my mother still wanted me to be one of the pallbearers. Thus, at the conclusion of the ceremony, I helped carry my father to his final resting place. It was difficult to compensate for the other five people as I could carry the whole load as if it were a feather. We dedicated his grave at the cemetery and the priest gave his blessing. One toss of dirt later, everyone began to disperse. I stood and stared at the casket as the cemetery staff lowered him into the pit. Týr, again, stood in the periphery as did Laura and the girls. The only one that approached was my mother. She extended one arm over both my shoulders, holding my deltoid, with one arm and gently placed her other hand on my deltoid nearest her. Even in her own pain, she was trying to comfort me.

We stood there for an indeterminate amount of time in silence. I could hear Laura and the girls walking back toward the car. Once we knew we were truly alone, my mother spoke.

"He's already through the pearly gates, honey. They had a pass saved for him." She tried reassuring me.

"I can do all these things, but I couldn't save him." I sniffled. "I couldn't even give his eulogy as his son, Mom."

"Hush, now, child." My mother turned me toward her, keeping her hands on my shoulders. "You came the minute that text reached your phone. I can scarcely believe how fast you arrived or that you flew. Your only concern was your father's health. You did everything you could do. The almighty has plans for all of us, Christopher. If this be his will, then so be it. Funerals and eulogies are for the living. Your father is fully aware of how much you love him and what he meant to you."

I absently wiped a new tear from my cheek. "Thanks, Mom."

"Now, I have something to show you."

Arm over my shoulder, she led me a few plots down to a couple of older headstones. The first bore the names of James Harold Weber and a name I'd not seen before: Miriam Krista Weber (née Katzenberg). The second bore the names of Ernest Jonathon Kent and Astrid Karin Kent (née Johannson). The second was fairly aged, but the first seemed newer.

"These are your grandparents. You were really young when they passed away." She pointed at the second headstone. "Those are your father's parents. Your middle name starting with a 'J' came from them. They were all about boy's names with a 'J' somewhere in the name." She pointed to the first. "These are my parents. I updated the headstone after my mother passed. Daddy died first in a tractor accident. Nobody would plant in that field for a few years because of that. I had already found my mother's original birth certificate in her hope chest and discovered her true name while I was pregnant with you. I updated the headstone when she died of cancer."

She took a deep breath. "I never told your father, but I secretly hoped for a daughter. You almost had a little sister, but then the miscarriage. It broke a part of me, Christopher. It really did."

"Dad told me that he did, too, but never told you." My eyes looked down at hers. She was the same height as Hannah. "He told me that first night. Everybody else was asleep."

A single tear rolled down her cheek. "Thank you for telling me, honey." Her eyes returned to the headstones. "Your situation is very confusing. I don't understand it, but I want to help the best I can. I already told anyone that asked at the funeral that you are a foster child. Jonas and I took you in when your parents died in an accident about a year ago." She sniffled. "You need a name. I want to name you for my mother, if you'll let me. She went through so much in the war. She had to learn a new way of being, like you do now."

"Really, Mom?"

She nodded firmly. "Naturally, it won't be exactly the same. Your name 'Christopher' already came from her name. I've been doing a lot of thinking. 'Krista' might be a bit dated for someone your age now, but 'Kristen' seems fine. 'Miriam' is a fine middle name. So, what do you say? 'Kristen Miriam Kent'?"

"Did you talk with Dad about this before he... ?"

"I did. He agreed it was the most pragmatic. I don't know if you noticed, but he was only calling you 'Chris' before the end because both names have the same nickname. The new one would just be a 'K' instead of 'Ch'."

"Sounds fine, Mom." I took in a long breath. "I was actually going to talk to you about something like this. A friend of mine uncovered something sinister."

"That Larry Lang boy you've been friends with since high school?"

I nodded. "Her name is Lauren, now."

"Oh... so it changed him/her, too?"

"It did. Lauren found out that the government is going to start rounding up people like us through a federal contractor." I turned to look her in the eyes. "I can't let that happen, Mom. I can't let the things that have been happening continue. I intend to do just what Dad told me to do: leave this world better than I found it."

"What are you going to do, honey?"

"I'm going to get some kind of uniform and help people. At the same time, I can't put Laura and the girls at risk. If these federally sanctioned stormtroopers come for me and can't get me, I'm afraid they might do something to hurt my family. We're going to need to have another funeral. This time, it would be for Christopher Kent."

My mother considered my words for a moment before nodding. "What do you need from me, sweetheart?"

I smiled. "You just gave it to me. That... and we might have to redo my bedroom."

She nodded again. "It was getting dusty, anyway."

"Thanks, Mom. I'll call Lauren and have her get to work on all the logistics."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The days seemed to melt together after that. I called Lauren later that afternoon and filled her in on the situation. She offered some very sincere and very deep condolences. She promised to begin crafting some plausible reason why 'Lauren Lang' and 'Kristen Kent' existed while 'Lawrence Lang' and 'Christopher Kent' did not. My next communication was with Dr. Voss, informing her of the reason I'd not contacted her in six days. She, too, offered condolences. I made a promise to stop by the lab when I was back in Chicagoland.

Two days after the funeral, I rode with Laura and my daughters back to Arlington Heights. Discussing my new name and the situation going forward was not an easy conversation. Laura first objected because she didn't want to see me go and thought she might be pushing me away while she dealt with her own issues about me. Hannah shed a few tears for reasons she kept to herself. Madison was bummed that our growing closeness would stop. Olivia really didn't like the idea of my leaving. I reassured all of them that the idea to leave had not been taken lightly, that my love for them was not any less, and that I could just zip over from Wisconsin at a moment's notice. Their acceptance of the situation at hand did grow as we talked. It's a two-hour drive, after all. In all fairness, I really didn't want to leave them. I was doing the hard thing in an effort to keep them safe.

Back in Chicagoland, I drove to Northwestern that very day. It was still early afternoon and I confirmed with Dr. Voss that she was ready for me. Half an hour later, I was in her lab/office. She showed me several sketches, first. She'd drawn up some concepts of what the suit might look like at completion. They were mostly more modern adaptations of Supergirl costumes I'd seen in several comics, skirt and all. I stressed two things: the need to avoid copyright infringement and that I did not want a skirt. She rubbed her temples in frustration.

"Here's the thing: we'll start with the basics," She began. "The colors. They're the thing that's going to make you stand out. For the blue, I went with a staple: middle saturated azure. I borrowed from Christopher Reeve's costume and whatever I could grab from the trailers featuring David Corenswet's costume. It's bright and cheerful, which works for color theory. The red doesn't have a name. I went a little darker and a bit more bold. It compliments the middle saturated azure wonderfully. For the yellow, I put down the banana and went with a bright yellow gold to tie everything together and make it a good, modern look. Back in the day, all they had was primary colors, so that's why we have the pallet we do."

"Won't a suit made with those colors be claimed as copyright?" I wondered.

She shook her head. "All you have to do is change about twenty-five percent and you get plausible deniability. It's the 21st Century, honey. A lot of ideas are copies of what came before." She rolled her eyes. "Since you hate all my skirt ideas, I've got..." She had to dig deep in her pile of mock-ups to find the one she was looking for. When she showed it to me, it looked like a Superman costume with boobs. "That's the best non-skirt one I came up with."

I smacked my forehead. "Oh, Warner Brothers Discovery is going to come for my head if American Vanguard Solutions doesn't beat them to it!"

She narrowed her eyes on me. "You're looking to be a super hero in this world, honey. You've got all the powers, so why not lean into it? People are going to instantly recognize this uniform. The guy is, after all, the most well known super hero. Even people who have never read a comic book or watched one of the movies know who Superman is. They're gonna know you're there to help just by looking at you. That's the goal, right?"

I stared at the sheet of paper. "Yea, that's the goal. Did we have to do the trunks, though?"

Again, she rolled her eyes. "I'm not budging on those. For one, you're female so they're basically like hotpants. They're not a fashion faux pas. For two, I watched an interview with the new actor and I liked his take on the classic trunks. He thought they were intentionally silly. It was to make the guy approachable and show he doesn't take himself too seriously. On you, they'll look fine and serve to contrast and break up the suit a little. I also hired a graphic designer friend to envision an 'S' symbol for the chest. You're welcome."

"I don't even have a name and you're putting an 'S' symbol on my chest?"

She grumbled. "The total package is a statement! The blue suit, the red trunks, the yellow belt, the red boots that I will add a yellow band to the top of, and the pièce de résistance... the ankle-length billowing red cape with the yellow shield on the back! It's a look that will say 'I am powerful, noble, and approachable'!" She sighed like I offended her. "Suit first. You can figure out a name later."

I sighed in relinquishment. "Fine. What do you need from me?"

"I'll take you to the imaging suite where we will get a full 3D model of you. Then, you get naked," She shrugged.

"Cheese and crackers, I haven't been naked in front of anyone but my wife for twenty-three years!"

"It's the most precise way to take measurements. I'll show you where to stand when we get there. After that, you'll be alone. Yes, the 3D scan will come up on my screen but it never shows the really intimate stuff. You're perfectly safe, okay?"

My body squirmed. "I don't know about this..."

A small digital 'ding' sound emanated from the tablet on her desk. She spun around, strode over, picked it up, and glanced at the screen for a moment. "Oh, lovely. Your symbol is ready." She flipped over the tablet to show me. The design was similar, yet different in subtle ways. There was still the classic diamond-shaped shield design with three layers: yellow, then red, then yellow again for the background. The "S" itself was a more angular and somewhat digital design, a far cry from the looping and curvy nature of the English letter itself. "Thoughts?"

My eyebrows raised in appreciation. "Okay, that looks pretty cool. I did not know I could appreciate an angular 'S' shape and I lived through the '90s."

Her facial expression melted into a blank, unapproving glare. "You may want to tone down talk of 'the late 1900s' as the kids call it. If you're going to develop a secret identity, I suggest getting on TikTok and studying as much of the lingo as you can before they ban it for real." She started walking toward the door to the corridor beyond.

I shrugged. "I could just talk to my daughters. I've got two teenagers."

Stopping short at the door, she turned to me. "No, you don't. You're seventeen, remember?" She motioned for me to follow her with her head. "Let's get this over with."

Sighing, I started to follow. "Oh. Right. I keep forgetting."

She led me out of her lab and down the corridor with the click-clack of her heels echoing endlessly. The architecture of the Technological Institute at Northwestern was nothing short of a modern marvel. The floors were clean and coated with linoleum. The walls to the labs and offices were framed with wooden accents. The upper levels were mostly glass. Steel beam rafters framed the entire structure in a blend of industrial design and modern science. It was a wonder I never came into this building when I studied here.

Dr. Voss rounded a corner and ushered me into what looked to be a newer lab. It had fewer windows than many of the others. The byline on the door read: Digital Simulation Research for the Purposes of Digital Art and Interactive Media. Once inside, there was a corridor that branched in two directions. I was directed to the left while Dr. Voss moved to the right. The right seemed to be a control room of sorts. The left as a room with a giant white ring with all kinds of cords and hoses attached to it. It looked like it had been ripped right out of an episode of Westworld or, perhaps, inspired the design.

"I'll start up the imaging suite while you close the door and disrobe." She announced over a PA system somewhere in the room.

Turning around, I made sure to lock the door. Afterward, my eyes scanned the room. There were no windows, mirrors, or one-way glass sections. It was me and the Westworld scanning device. That's it. Taking a deep breath, I felt comfortable enough to disrobe. Folding my clothes and stacking them in a corner, I stepped into the marked area in the middle of the machine.

"Are you ready?" She asked.

"Let's get this over with." I answered.

She had me stand in several poses whilst the machine whizzed around me. From T-pose, to t-arms and spread legs, then A-pose, then A-arms and legs spread. She asked me to strike a pose like a superhero with my fists on my hips and legs shoulder-width apart. She even asked me to pose like I was flying so I hovered a little and obliged. After that, she asked me to do a "superhero landing" and I had no idea what she was talking about. She told me to think about Natasha Romanov from the Marvel films. I obliged but I felt really silly. There's no way to know if it was pertinent to anticipating the stretch the fabric would need to accommodate or if she was being facetious. When she cleared me, I hurried putting my clothes back on, unlocked the door, and stepped into the corridor.

After a moment, she joined me with her tablet in hand once more. She held it up for me to see. "These are the results," She stated plainly. With her finger, she panned through a 3D model of each pose I had assumed. The 3D models looked like a faceless, gray Barbie doll. "See? I got all your musculature and nothing I didn't need."

My eyebrows raised in astonishment. "Wow. I look like an athlete. Like... a girl that plays softball or volleyball in school or something."

Dr. Voss exited the imaging suite and started down the corridor toward her lab with me not far behind. She tapped on her tablet as we walked. Before long, we were back through the doors into her lab and heading toward her office. She kept her focus on the tablet for a few more moments, completely ignoring me. I simply leaned on the door frame with my arms folded and somewhat mindlessly glanced around the office and lab. Occasionally, she'd curse to herself in a volume she may have thought I might not be able to hear, but I heard it all. About the time I moved to pull my phone out of my pocket to play a game or something, she happily shrieked.

"Got it!" She exclaimed. She held the tablet to her chest for a moment. "Now, remember: this is really just a rough mockup. I'll clean it up and get to work on the production model. It's better than the concept drawing." She then turned the tablet to show me her work.

Grasping the sides gingerly, I pulled it closer in an effort to really examine what I was looking at. She'd used the hands-on-hips pose and put the suit with the trunks on my body. Admittedly, it looked pretty amazing. She pointed at different parts of the rendering as she spoke.

"The end product will have a hexagonal texture to the main blue of the suit. That happens with the materials and tech I'm looking forward to using. The emblem on your chest will be raised and embellished nicely. I'm going to work on adding some utility to the belt. Right now, it's only decorative. You can see the yellow-gold band at the top of the boots. The cape will flow nicely, I think. The emblem on the back won't be raised. What do you think?"

Offering a warm smile. "I think you're incredibly talented at what you do, Dr. Voss. It looks very nice. I'm excited to see what the final product will look like."

"It's going to be cutting edge, I assure you. I have a couple of my Bombyx mori that I think were impacted by the stellar inversion pulse as you were. Their silk is coming out stronger than any natural fiber I've ever seen. With a little contingency reinforcement and a little tech, it'll be a perfect suit for someone like you."

"I really appreciate everything you're doing for me."

She shrugged. "It's nothing, really. I finally get to indulge in my dream of fashion design and you get to be a guinea pig for some new materials. It's a win-win."

"How long until the suit will be ready?"

"Maybe two weeks? Give or take? Natural, sustainable fibers take a little longer to cultivate than the synthetics someone else might try to peddle you."

"Worth that wait. Thank you, Doctor." I extended a hand for a handshake.

She happily takes my hand and shakes it. "The pleasure is all mine. Now, get out of here. I've got work to do."

I gave her a cordial nod before turning to leave. Something inside was telling me the next two weeks were going to crawl by with how much I was going to anticipate the suit.

Beacon of Hope



Chapter Eleven

DISCLAIMER :: This fanfiction is based on Superman from DC Comics. All rights reserved. Art by CWBlaine on Deviant Art.
Author's note: Perhaps it is the start of a new collaborative universe or a standalone project for myself. I don't know, yet.

(( Chapter Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjhkSjb41VQ ))

The next couple of weeks were torture for a multitude of reasons. Luggage needed to be purchased to move my effects from the house in Arlington Heights to my mom's in Sheboygan. A small voice inside was saying that moving back into my childhood home was some kind of failure. In that process, Lauren had stopped by when I was in Wisconsin. She left a message that the girls had found and gave to me about meeting in the future. She wouldn't call for various reasons. Týr volunteered to move onto the farm and help out. He set up his own small encampment out near the barn so as not to impose on my mother. In the midst of moving, I got a visit from someone I was not in the least bit expecting.

In the twilight of the evening after the sun had set, I was transporting luggage to my mother's. When I arrived, she was tidying up my childhood bedroom. It was a small space only about two-thirds the size of any of my daughters' bedrooms, but it had always been cozy and intimate to me. The walls were still covered in the same 1970s wallpaper my parents never replaced when Dad inherited the farm. My own personal touches were a few posters featuring Nirvana, Rage Against The Machine, Star Trek: Generations, The Matrix, and a signed Babylon 5 poster. My old bookshelf held the boxes most of my comic collection was stored in and several figurines from Star Wars, Star Trek, the X-men animated series of the time, and a Pokémon or two. The desk looked as if I'd left for college yesterday with several notebooks scattered over the surface and the oldest computer I'd seen in years. My phone had easily ten times the computing power of that dinosaur from the advent of the Digital Age. Over the old twin bed was my corkboard with several photos from those bygone days featuring my friends and I. A lot of them featured Larry, my best friend for years. One from graduation featured us with our arms over each other's shoulders and cheering at the camera. It brought a tear to my eye.

When I bent over to shuffle some things into place, my mother had mentioned the arrival of Aunt Flo. At first, I didn't know what she meant but she mentioned the red stain and it finally clicked. She helped me get cleaned up and showed me how to use some things I'm going to need from now on. I shook my head and wanted to move on from this. I was beginning to understand why Hannah and Madison had unceremoniously told me to leave them alone when this happened to them. I wanted to help, but I had no clue I was just making the experience unpleasant. Leaving the managing of the situation to Laura was probably the smartest thing I could do. My mother handled things graciously and with kindness, even if the idea of this event assaulted both our cognitive dissonance.

After a few days, my mother began to truly appreciate Týr's presence on the farm. My parents had scaled back their operation since I left the farmstead and their ages caught up with them. While working on putting together a wooden fence for the subsistence area of the farm, he regaled my mother with tales of "the people" and how they were accomplished farmers – even in the worst of conditions. He showed us some techniques to increase the yield that modern farmers like us had never seen before. That's because his methods were practically ancient. "The people" he spoke of were the Norse of Scandinavia and the methods were about a thousand years old. Time will tell as to their efficacy, but the fact he suggested we raise a few sheep and get a dog got my mother's attention.

Once I was moved in, the farm was tended to, and the household chores were done, Týr began his training regimen. Being outside the city limits and not having another neighbor for about half a mile, both he and I could really let loose with our powers and not attract much attention. At first, I expected some kind of gladiatorial pugilism. Instead, he had me sit in the upper level of the barn, close my eyes, and open my ears.

"There was one among us who had sight – Heimdallr. He was called 'haym-dahl-r', not 'high-m-doll'. He among us was only one that see what he see. He see all corners of world. You have same, but with ears," He said to me. "You must learn listening."

Thus, there I sat for hours on end. At first, it was incredibly uncomfortable because my insides were churning in on themselves thanks to Aunt Flo. As the days progressed, it became much easier to concentrate and I began to learn the true scope of this "super hearing" thing. In the beginning, there was a lot of noise: car engines, tractors, people speaking, children playing, dogs barking, bugs beating their wings, birds chirping, and so on. It was all a garbled mess and a little painful. Hours became days and days became a week. I was starting to hear more while I was doing the laundry or sweeping the kitchen floor. Slowly, I was beginning to realize that this is going to be something I was really going to need to control. I even started to smell more things. I do not recommend this. Take my word for it: a menstrual teenager mixed with animal dung and ripening crops is incredibly unpleasant.

When night fell, I would take to the skies. It was really becoming my equivalent of jogging. I'd visit the house back in Illinois, but the only one awaiting me was Madison. She would sit on the roof and make her flashlight strobe to guide me in. She laughed about me getting my first period. Beyond that, it was friendly chatter about how school was going and how the family was doing. At some point, I would love to have this kind of chat with all my girls. After about half an hour on school nights or an hour on the weekend, I would wish Madison a good night before flying off again.

One night, Týr encouraged me to discover just how high up I could fly. Accepting his challenge, I took off from the farm and traveled straight upward. Hearing them coming in advance, I was able to dodge any air traffic that might be in the area, civilian or commercial. Kicking my ascent into high gear, I watched the cloud layer sink below me ever faster. Further and further I climbed. A small part of me wondered if this feeling would be similar to someone in a spacecraft. After a while, I lost track of how far I'd gone. Somehow, I knew I could keep going. When I felt the warmth of the sun on my skin, I turned and looked at where I was. I could see the curvature of my home planet all around me. I could see the expanse of stars all around me, unfiltered. Below me was a dark mass illuminated by millions of lights that marked out population centers. The sun was barely peeking from the other side of the planet.

I was in space. I don't know if it was "outer space" or not. I'm not an astrophysicist. How am I surviving without a space suit? Am I even breathing?, my brain searched for answers while my eyes took in all the spectacle. I looked at my hands, but no ice crystals had formed. My clothes stayed mostly in place. My hair seemed to be floating like the astronauts' aboard the International Space Station. I wasn't actually breathing but something told me I didn't need to. The exhilaration of discovering you can fly is one thing. Finding out you can fly in space is another. After a few moments, I elected to go back down again. I learned quickly why everything has to reenter the atmosphere at an angle after being batted away by the ionosphere. Trying again, I'd been flung somewhere over the Atlantic and came back at an angle. Reentry is a whole ballgame I was not prepared for. The plasma effects were simultaneously dazzling and frightening. I don't doubt my invulnerability anymore.

My voice basically reached the level of sonar as I excitedly recalled my experience with Týr once I found the farm and landed. Yet again, the landing was less than graceful but I didn't break anything. It woke my mother, which I immediately apologized for. I'm still not accustomed to the capabilities of this new voice, either. I don't think I've reached pitches that high since I was nine.

That was all in the first week. The second week was a little more boring. There was still training to be done, more farm tasks to complete, and more chores to be done in the house. It was mostly the same. The only difference is that because I was predominantly back in Wisconsin, Lauren left a message to arrange for us to meet. The slip of paper included her address and a date, Wednesday. Madison passed it along to me Monday night. It was a little tough to get through the couple of days until the appointed meeting. Týr took some time to teach me how to land. It took a bit of doing, but the number of less-than-graceful landings where I hit the ground and went rolling for several meters was diminished. I was starting to look like I knew what I was doing.

On the appointed evening, I took off from the farm and flew at what I might call a leisurely pace so that it took me about a half hour to reach Lauren's apartment in Auburn Gresham. Staying above the cloud layer, I was able to avoid most of the cameras used to monitor weather and traffic conditions, learning my lesson from a previous excursion. The lower building heights of the South Side made it a little easier to avoid such things. Her building was an old brick building probably built in the 1920s with eight units inside — recently renovated but still with the old boiler-driven radiant heating. Once I'd made sure I wouldn't be seen, I lowered myself back down to terra firma in front of the building, then tapped the buzzer attached to her apartment number. She came down the stairwell to meet me in sweatpants, a sweatshirt, and her hair up in a ponytail.

She grabbed me by the hand and practically dragged me up the stairs to her apartment. Once inside, a multitude of questions came at me in rapid succession: How did I get here? Did anyone see me? What took so long? It was enough to make my head spin. Finally, once she secured the locks on her door, she turned to me and took a breath.

"Pardon the mess. I haven't really learned how to survive without my wife, yet. Back to the bachelor days, I guess." She apologized.

"Yeah, no, I'm not even sure I'd be surviving without being at my mom's, right now." Was my reply.

Her entire demeanor sank with her posture. "How is your mom doing? I'm really sorry I wasn't at your dad's funeral. It's this whole 'cutting ties' thing. I'm a little paranoid from all the things I've uncovered." She sighed. "Sorry I wasn't there for you, buddy."

Feeling the weight of the apology, I tapped her shoulder. "I know. I saw a picture of us from high school on my wall and I got pretty choked up. Mom's doing as well as can be expected, I guess. Týr has moved onto the farm and is helping us out." I let out a sigh as I plopped onto the couch. "I'm... I'm here."

She nodded. "I get it." She moved to a desk with what looked like a state-of-the-art computer atop it with things I couldn't really make out on the screen. "I've been trying to get a hold of you for a minute. I guess that talk with your folks went well. You can hide out there and keep Laura and the kids safe, at least."

Tears started forming in my eyes. "Yea... talked to my dad on his death bed, no less. Made something of a promise to him, ya know?"

"I can't even begin to imagine how hard that was for you."

"Better than expected, but I lost my dad, so it still sucks." One difficult, vibrating inhale later, I managed to speak again. "Funny thing: Mom gave me a name. After the funeral."

"And you agreed?"

"You know I did."

"Well, what was decided? I can plug it into my little program and we can get your paperwork sorted right now."

I spoke the name with a little pride, but still a heavy dose of dysphoria. "Kristen Miriam Kent. Mom suggested I be an adopted foster child after my folks died a year ago. It's the tale she's been weaving around town."

Lauren spun her chair to the computer and started typing away. "Pretty good name for a kid born in 2008. Your mom's got taste. Always has."

I smiled in reminiscence. "No, yeah. You remember her fish frys, right? Best in the community, for sure." I paused for another inhale. "She named me after my grandmother. The one that escaped the Nazis only to land in Sheboygan."

When she finished her work, Lauren spun to me with a chuckle. "How have you managed to go from FIB to Sconnie in a week? You're talking almost exactly like we did back in high school."

I smirked. "Careful or my 'dontcha know' will haunt your nightmares in a couple-two-three weeks more. Maybe even less."

She laughed. "Geez, you're making me want some brats and Spotted Cow."

"So, what did you just get done doing?"

Lauren turned to glance at the computer and then back at me. "Basically creating a paper trail for you. I've worked up an algorithm that copies your name to all the files I need. While it was running, I did what I could to create the backstory your mom's been telling everybody. It's not exactly easy fabricating a birth certificate and adoption papers. That'll probably take me a couple of days."

"You're more tech savvy than I ever gave you credit for."

She smirked like she was keeping a secret. "Little do you know..." She shoved off away from the desk and over to a bookcase. She picked up something small and obscured it from me for a moment. "You used to wear glasses, yeah?"

An eyebrow raised in her direction. "Yes... I was also a forty-five year old man, too. I don't need glasses anymore and I'm not all the rest."

"Well, I had a thought. Ya know how they're always trying to defend why Clark Kent wears his glasses in the comics?" She finally opened her hands to reveal a set of wire-framed spectacles with round lenses. "I fashioned these babies." She pointed at little metal pieces at the edge of the rim where the hinges meet the temple pieces usually reserved for rivets or embellishments. "These little things produce a digital signal that obscures your face from any A.I. facial recognition software. It's kind of like a wi-fi virus that disallows your identity from being shared by data brokers." She handed me the frame.

Gingerly accepting, I examined the frames and voiced my observations. "These things look like they're Harry Potter's glasses but twice the circumference. The wire frame is nice, I guess. I've always been partial to the plastic, though."

"Well, these are more in style with our new age demographic. I'd like to go back to my square lenses on an executive-looking frame but it'll just make me look like an old man. We're not going for that, remember? Try them on."

Opening the sides that go over my temples, I slipped them onto my head and rested them on my nose. They were comfortable, at least. "No prescription for the lenses, so they're just for show."

Lauren held up an old iPhone and showed me something on a monitor beside her. "Observe: the signal is actually scrambling your face in real time. To us, it's not so noticeable, but to A.I. you're a Picasso. They're not hypno-glasses like in the comics. Couldn't get that to work at all."

As I watched the screen, Lauren flipped a switch that apparently switched on and off some facial recognition software. Under normal camera conditions, I looked like the girl I've been seeing in the mirror for nearly a month now. With the software enabled, the results were absolutely frightening. I actually lurched backward a bit. "That's like a horror movie!"

Lauren laughed. "That's kind of the point. It'll limit the abilities of bad actors to try tracking us down. I've been tracking their actions lately. American Vanguard Solutions is working as a contractor with the Department of Homeland Security, officially. Things are about to kick off, I think. Don't post any superhero stuff on TikTok. I think they're using that predominantly. We all know Twitter is already down to cooperate with them. Instagram probably isn't far behind, since it's part of Meta."

"So, no social media. I already don't go on there, so that's not a problem."

"Social media isn't the only problem. Even still, if you start doing what I think you're gonna do, then you're definitely gonna end up in videos. They're probably gonna go viral. Be prepared for that."

"Somebody's gotta do it, Lauren. Why not me?"

"Chris – sorry, Kristen – I'm not trying to discourage you. Exactly the opposite. I think you can really make a difference. I'm only telling you to be prepared for almost instant internet fame." She pointed to a blue square of fabric on her wall. "Stand over there for me with your glasses on?"

Not sure what she was getting at, I reluctantly obliged. "What's this for?"

Once I was in place, she held up a digital camera and quickly snapped a picture. "Your ID." She turned to her computer once again, tapping in some information. "What was your height and weight, now?"

"Last I was checked, five foot ten and one hundred fifty-three pounds?"

She tapped several keys on her keyboard. "We'll put it at one-fifty-five because nobody's all that precise on their licenses." Once she was done, a machine near me came to life and printed a small plastic card.

It was immediately apparent that the card was oriented in a portrait style. This had been the standard for underage identification in this new millennium. At a quick glance, there was a big, red letter and numbers "U21" at the top, the name of the state of Wisconsin, a tiny little picture with "USA" above the state name, a black circle with a transparent star pattern, the words "Driver License - Regular", then a red line, a large black-and-white picture of me Lauren had just taken, all my vital information including a 4-18-2008 birthdate, and indicators of when I'd be "of age" for certain privileges – "Under 18 until 4-18-2026" and "Under 21 until 4-18-2029". All that information was superimposed over a watermark of the capital in Madison and a state flag waving behind it.

"It's really trippy to look at this for several reasons," I told Lauren without removing my examining glance from the card. "One, I haven't held a Wisconsin identification card in about twenty years. They've really changed. Two, I don't even recognize my own picture."

Lauren nodded solemnly. "Yea, well, you haven't tried to go in for a drink at the bar and been thrown out then harassed by construction workers halfway down the block, yet." She sighed. "Your life in suburbia or on your parents' farm is pretty insulating, right now. Enjoy it while you can, buddy."

A wild thought crossed my mind. "Odd question: have you gotten your period yet?"

Her cheeks flushed red. "I don't wanna talk about that, okay? Suffice to say that there's a lot that's changed about us other than being faster than a speeding bullet or able to leap tall buildings in a single bound."

I smirked and rolled my eyes. "So, that's a 'yes'. Could have said that without the outdated reference."

"Our brains still hold all the knowledge and experience of men in their forties, bud."

"Maybe but that reference is older than our parents. It's so old, it's new to Captain America."

"You need to catch up on some MCU movies and stuff. He's black, now."

Slipping the ID into my back pocket, I cocked my head to the side. "He's black, now? Since when?"

"Didn't you catch Infinity War and Endgame?"

"No, Lauren. I'm a forty-five year old man with a wife, three kids, and a job that's leeched my soul from my body for ten years. I've been beyond caring about much other than those three things."

"Does your mom have Disney Plus? You could probably catch the movies in your free time. You really should, too. They're really good. I'd avoid most of the shows unless you wanna put an imprint into the couch by sitting there for, like, three months."

"It's a farm, Lauren. There's other things to do. Also, I'll probably be doing my thing in a couple days. The suit's nearly ready. I'm just waiting on a phone call."

"You found someone to make a suit? Who?"

"Dr. Ingrid Voss. She's a researcher down at Northwestern. She's supposta-gonna be calling me in the next couple-two-three days to have me come in and try it on."

"You okay if I come with?"

I shrugged. "I guess. I'll probably grab my car from Arlington Heights and drive in. I can pick you up on the way in."

"Okay, we have a plan."

Two days later, that call came. Týr and I were cleaning up the barn. It seemed this particular part of the farm had been neglected for years. There was dust and old hay just about everywhere. My phone had been in the back pocket of my jeans. I answered and informed Dr. Voss that I would be in as soon as I could. With confirmation from Týr that he would finish the chore, I bolted into my room to grab a hoodie before heading off to the house in Arlington Heights. During the day, it was better for me to use my speed rather than flying because there was a far smaller chance of being seen. I may be able to fly as fast as I can run, but I didn't want even a single, blurry frame of video to be evidence of my existence without the uniform. People don't watch street cameras as much as they do SkyCams.

Back at the house I had bought with my wife and helped raise our children in, I used the key to let myself in. It being Friday, no one would be home. I locked the front door once again and headed to the garage to grab my car. Once I was on my way, I hit the button so the garage door closed behind me. I sat at the stop sign down the street from my house to send a text to Lauren, letting her know I was on my way. Much to my chagrin, it would take an hour to get to her apartment and then another hour back up to Northwestern. Knowing that I could travel so much faster outside of the vehicle felt like torture as I navigated the streets and highways of Chicagoland.

Soon enough, I was outside Lauren's apartment building. She commended me for remembering to wear my glasses and wrinkled her nose commenting that I smelt like an old barn. Rolling my eyes, I drove the car along the path of the second leg of the journey. Lauren saw fit to start messing with my satellite radio, finding a good station to really jam to. The one she found had a mix of music from the '90s, giving us both a feeling of nostalgia.

It was about lunch time when I parked the car in the lot across the street from the Technological Institute at Northwestern University. All the way to Dr. Voss' office, Lauren marveled at the building. I had done the same thing when we visited his alma mater for a football game a few years back. Both campuses were quite beautiful in their own right. Through the doors into Dr. Voss' lab, Lauren again gasped at the surroundings. All the equipment was certainly intriguing to her technologically-inclined mind. With a smile on her face, Dr. Ingrid Voss awaited us in a white silk blouse and fashionable A-line skirt with kitten heels.

She could scarcely contain her excitement as she wheeled out an apparatus similar to the ones they hang IVs off of. What was actually hanging on it was one of the most magical sights I've ever laid eyes on: my new suit. The blue popped and complimented the blue of my own eyes. The red was deep and purposeful. The yellow accents were wonderful. It was almost surreal. Lauren wasn't quite as speechless as I, but I almost wish she were.

"Holy shit," She breathed. "That is fucking spectacular!"

Dr. Voss performed a curtsy. "There's about a decade worth of material science in this baby, so I appreciate the enthusiasm." Her eyes landed on me. "I'd love to hear what the beneficiary of this marvel thinks, though."

I couldn't take my eyes off the suit. "If you don't count my wife in her wedding dress, the look of her after giving birth to our babies, or those babies themselves, this is the most beautiful thing I think I've ever seen."

Dr. Voss switched into technical mode. "Okay, let me explain this thing." She started pointing to each piece as she spoke. "The suit itself is fashioned like a gymnast or dancer unitard. If you look closely, you'll see a small hexagonal design. This has many functions. Not only does it serve as a tertiary measure against wear and tear, but it allows the suit to expand and contract as needed. You're seeing it now in its expanded shape. Pull up the zipper and..." She pulled up the zipper in the back. We all watched as the suit contracted and seemed to become the exact shape of the 3D models Dr. Voss and I had created two weeks ago. "...it forms to the intended user."

"I fashioned the whole thing from a couple generations of Bombyx mori that seemed to inherit alterations from the same pulse that affected you, Mr. Kent, and–" She continued.

"Uh... you're gonna wanna go with 'Miss Kent' from this point forward. Also, discretion is of utmost importance," Lauren interjected.

Dr. Voss looked offended. "And who are you?"

"Lauren Lang. I'm a friend. Also a victim of this... pulse thing." Lauren looked rather sheepish. "I'll shut up. Sorry."

"As I was saying..." Dr. Voss began again. "...the base is the Bombyx mori silk – the generations affected by the pulse, at least. Add a bit of graphene with a dash of nanotech and it will bring you this. All pieces are the same materials. The main body of the suit, the yellow-gold belt, the red trunks that are more like hotpants if you think for half a second, and the cape are all one piece." She ran her hand along the "S" symbol on the chest. "The emblem is part of the design; this will expand and contract with the rest of the suit." She pointed at the bottom of the apparatus. "The boots are a separate piece. The all-in-one design was for the ease of quick application and removal. Pull the zipper loose..." She again pulled the zipper in the back and the suit returned to its expanded shape. "...and the suit can be removed quickly and easily. The only inconvenience is the cape, which does not have the expand and contract functionality. You'll have to flip it back and forth." She smiled once more. "All-in-all, you have a suit able to withstand anything you can while remaining breathable and wicking moisture away from sensitive areas."

I stepped a little closer and ran my fingers along the soft, textured surface. The outside felt wonderful. In its contracted shape, I had seen that the cape reached about the middle of my calves. It felt like the right length. My eyes wandered over the blue of the main body, then over the red of the trunks, and finally marveled over the yellow-gold of the belt. My fingers ran across the raised shield on the chest and a sense of pride began to swell within me. Dr. Voss' smile grew wider, if that were even possible.

"Methinks we have a winner." She stated. Then she held up the cape a little. "Naturally, the all-yellow shield on the back of the cape has the same properties of the cape itself." Tapping my shoulder to gain my attention, she mentioned one more thing. "If you'll notice, there is a pouch in the cape. You can store whatever you wish, but I'd hazard a guess it'll simply hold your clothes as it does for the man in the comics." She shrugged. "Or you can do like Spider-Man and carry your clothes in a backpack you might lose somewhere in the city every time you go out. It's up to you."

My eyes blinked several times in rapid succession. "It's a good thing you thought of that because I may not have."

Dr. Voss' smile turned to a smirk as she pulled the suit off the hanging apparatus. "Why don't you try it on?" She flipped the cape forward. "Get down to your underwear and climb in. You'll find the process nearly like second nature."

Nervously, I obliged the request. I'd worn a gray sports bra and plain gray panties. The underwear was a far cry from the bold, colorful suit. Dr. Voss instructed me to step into the suit from the back. Once my legs were secure, I put my arms in the designated holes and flipped the cape over my head. The process wasn't the least bit difficult. When everything else was in place, I flipped my hair clear of the garment and Dr. Voss showed me where to start pulling the zipper. There was an extension string to ensure that I could execute the whole process by myself. With the zipper all the way up the back, the suit began to contract as if I were Marty McFly and the suit was his jacket. It shrank over my shape and conformed to every contour. In a couple of seconds, the process was complete and the suit was on. I expected it to be a little heavy feeling but it was like the best shirt I'd ever put on. It was like a second skin that moved with me. Without any trouble, I bent over and put the boots on.

The ensemble was in place and I stood at the eastern end of the lab. With the windows oriented in that direction, the high-noon sun bouncing off the nearby buildings backlit me as if I were on a stage. With the look complete, I put my hands on my hips and nervously looked towards Dr. Voss and Lauren.

"How do I look?"

"Like a comic book, the 1978 movie, and all the trailers for the new movie came to life." Lauren stated with eyes incredibly wide.

Dr. Voss rolled her eyes. "For clarification: you're not Superman. You're not Supergirl. Yes, the suit is an homage to those characters for the sake of visibility, but you're your own person. You're going to have to earn the recognition all on your own." She smiled again. "But you look amazing, honey. Why not take it for a test?"

I actually nibbled my lower lip as my smile grew. The world around me slowed to a crawl as I moved out of Dr. Voss' lab, ran down the hallway, jumped down the stairs, exited the front doors, and leapt into the air.

ChangeDay: Advent - Part One - by: Danielle Krieger (c) 2010 How would you react if all of the sudden everyone around you began a fifteen-minute-long metamorphosis from one sex to the other, including yourself, only to learn that it isn't an isolated incident but happens worldwide? Then, exactly twenty-eight days later, the whole thing happens again, only in reverse. Over several years, humanity will adapt and this sort of thing will become common place. But, we witness this crucial advent through the eyes of an average American teenager, Micheal MacAllister, and learn how he copes with the fact that for half his life he will now be known as Mekayla. In this installment, we witness the first two events to soon be called "Change Day" and what could be in store for Micheal, his friends, his family, and the whole world.

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(Originally posted on FictionMania, so forgive some continuity mistakes in this disclaimer. xD)

DISCLAIMER: The following story is based on the ChangeDay universe, created by BobH. However, below I use exact dates that are NOT conducive with the universe canon and should not be confused as such. As part of my creative process, it helps if I have exact dates, but, again, these dates are NOT universe canon. If you feel the inspiration to write in this universe, I would suggest contacting BobH first. He's a very nice man and incredibly helpful. It's been a pleasure to experiment with this universe, thus far.

I apologize for how long it has actually taken me to finish this much of the story. It has been a while since I announced on the "hyperboard" that I was writing this. Sadly, life has occasionally gotten in the way. Other times, there was some major game launch during this holiday season that distracted my attention. Yes, I'm a gamer and highly recommend my distractions of Fallout: New Vegas, Fable III, and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood to those interested parties. Other than that, the holidays are a busy time for a lot of people.

On this final day of the first decade of the 21st Century, I submit this tale to you. I hope that you enjoy it. If so, do not fret, there are more installments of the tale to come. I don't know, yet, how long the tale is going to be, but it should be a great ride. If there is sufficient response, I may extend the tale longer than anticipated. Feeding my ego is very welcome. xD

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— Prologue —

"...A day which will live in infamy!"

Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, said that on December 7, 1941, after the Japanese had attacked the Navy at Pearl Harbor that Sunday morning. Admittedly, it was a terrible day for anyone who was alive to see it. In the collective minds of the United States, it unified the country into a new resolve to end the isolationism that had permeated since World War I and march headlong into its successor, World War II. Certainly, it was a day that has lived in infamy. However, it’s not the most infamous day in modern human history. There was another day, not too long ago.

If one takes certain things literally, then strange happenings occur on planet Earth every single day. Television shows, books, stories online, movies, and even religious texts tell of such amazing things that it’s impossible to categorize and list them all. The tales are so elaborate that it’s hard to fathom all the alternate realities that could be generated from them. In all reality, however, life on Earth is rather mundane and humdrum. In the early part of the 21st Century, there are amazing things that happen, but they can all be explained by science. Gone are the days of wonderment when Henry Ford first capitalized on mass production of the automobile; or when the Wright Brothers first put Bernoulli’s Principle to the test at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and launched us all into an age of manned flight; or the days when mankind was taking its first steps off the confines of the planet we’ve called “home” for more than 10,000 years and then proceeded to walk upon the moon. All these are in the past though ingrained in our collective psyche as great things man has done.

However, as I stand naked as a newborn babe in front of the mirror in my bedroom, I await with hesitant anticipation the recurrence of an event that changed mankind forever. The event was so profound that it uprooted deep-seated cultural and philosophical beliefs that had been a part of humanity for longer than I can recall. With baited breath, I check the time on my radio alarm clock. Thirty-five seconds remaining. The entire world was on the very same countdown. It had been this way since the first day it had happened two years ago. The one and only truly paranormal event to ever be catalogued into the history books as true fact that it very much happened.

To some, it was very much the day that will live in infamy as the day that is more infamous than all the others. In retrospect, it was not a terrible tragedy, after all. However, when you add into the equation the mass hysteria and confusion that occurred all over the world, it trumps any preceding day, easily. In random places all over the world, there were car accidents, riots, frightened mobs, and even mass suicides on that day and those following it. In my lifetime, I have never seen so much panic, despair, and confusion from the human race. The news reports were filled with all manner of human beings showing the negative side of all of us that we never want revealed in polite company. It begged us to question every “moral” value we ever had.

The new day that will live in infamy for the whole world was June 2, 2008; the first Monday in June a little more than two years ago. From that day forward, mankind has never been the same. That was the day the first “Change Day” occurred. On that day, every man, woman, and child suddenly felt strange and fifteen minutes later found themselves in a body that belonged to the opposite sex. Naturally, given our bonds to our own physical sex and the social constructs of gender that accompanied such a thing had been officially challenged. There was panic, confusion, and despair to go around for everyone. However, not everyone acted this way. Certainly, the media had a field day with this information, so that is what they broadcast. In truth, most people (though very disoriented) would deal with such a thing on their own terms in a calm and rational matter. Most, though, feared the change was permanent and the ramifications of such a suggestion was not comfortable for them. However, four weeks later, at the exact time of the first, the second Change Day was upon us and we all reverted back to what is now referred to as “the alpha stage” or the original sex we started out as. Many were relieved, others were complacent. It took us, as a worldwide society, quite a while to catch on that this cycle would likely continue on for the rest of our lives.

In my own experience, it took a very long time to catch on. I was nearing my seventeenth birthday, coming in October that year, and looking forward to becoming a junior in high school. I did not take to Change Day very well, at first. Though, it’s said that the younger generations adapted to everything much sooner than the older ones. Still, many remember exactly what they were doing at the very moment the first Change Day came upon us. It’s the same as any other significant event in history that people still ask questions about, such as: “Where were you when J.F.K. was shot?”; “What were you doing when you learned Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated?”; “Where were you when they were chasing O.J. Simpson on the L.A. freeway?”; “Where were you when the Twin Towers fell on 9/11?”. Many people ask these same questions today and the answers are much more numerous and varied.

I remember very vividly what I was doing the exact day the first change hit us. Allow me to share with you my experiences during those first few cycles. Perhaps, someone will read this at some time in the future and learn something from an average citizen of this time… the time before Change Day was common place.

— Chapter One —

Friday May 30, 2008 — 3:15pm Mountain Daylight Time (MDT, GMT -6)

The final dismissal bell for the day echoed through the hallways of Century High School in the sleepy “rural metropolis” of Pocatello, Idaho. Like any Friday, students flooded into the hallways with the decibel level steadily rising as their excitement grew. The day had come. It was finally the last day of school before Summer Vacation and many were discussing their plans for the next three months. It being the last day and all, we’d already taken our final exams and were not really doing much at all, besides turning in books and finalizing our grades. Most carried emptied backpacks and folders they wouldn’t need until next year.

I emerged from my final class with a smile on my face. My history teacher had just reassured me that I would be maintaining my 4.0 Grade Point Average with an “A” in his class, my father would be pleased. There were a few people that greeted me in the halls and wished me a happy summer. I wasn’t too popular, so there weren’t many at all. I navigated through the crowds and went straight for my locker. Unfortunately, most of the student body had the same idea at that point. Most people were digging things out and clearing everything in preparation for the next fool that got assigned their locker next year. I, however, typically kept mine in immaculate condition. Save for the single mirror inside (yes, I was a little vain), there were only 3-ring binders and a few notebooks to collect and take home.

“Ready for the camping trip this weekend?” A voice greeted me from over my shoulder with a volume level sufficient to override the dull roar of the hallway.

I glanced up from stuffing my backpack to view the visage of one of my best friends. Kaleb Anderson and I had known each other since my family moved to the Portneuf Valley when I was still in the early years of elementary school. He was a little older than me, having just turned 17. He stood a little taller than me, as well. He was about six feet even and I was holding at five feet, ten inches. His brown hair reminded me of Christian Slater when he’d played “Will Scarlet” in that Robin Hood movie we both liked so much, starring Kevin Costner and filmed way back in the early 90’s. His eyes were a neutral blue color and I envied his physique. He had some really nicely toned muscles and never went to the gym. I almost hated him for it.

“Oh, hey, Kaleb.” I grinned stupidly at him. “Yea, dude, I’m pretty psyched. My parents aren’t big fans, though.”

He cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. “Why not? Don’t they trust me, yet?”

I shook my head as I continued to stuff my bag. “Nah, that’s not it. I think they have a problem with the idea that there’ll be girls there the whole time. You know, the parental paranoia of 10 teenagers out in the woods with no supervision.” I let out a sigh. “That, and Dad wanted to take us all out to Massacre Rocks again for Memorial Day.”

He scoffed. “You guys do that every year. Can’t the old man give it a rest for this one time?”

“I know what you mean.” I rolled my eyes. “He makes us suffer because he’s such a huge history buff that he’s even a History Professor at I-S-U.” My father pretty much ran the History Department at Idaho State University. Since we moved to the region, he’s been climbing the ladder up to his current position. “Not only that, he gives us a new factoid about the region every year and tests us on it before we can get new clothes for school in August.”

I could see the pain in his face. “Oh, man, that’s rough. Doesn’t your mom speak up about it, though? Wouldn’t she vouch for you?”

I finished gathering the notebooks and binders, grabbed my mirror, and slammed the door shut. “Heck no! She’s on his side!” I felt quite a bit deflated. I had actually forgotten about the ill-fated camping trip until he had brought it up.

I zipped my backpack closed and stood up just in time to have a large hand land on my shoulder. Startled, I spun around to face the grinning visage of my other best friend, Mekaisto Lahoma. He was an inch taller than me and quite the muscular Native American. His ancestors had been Apache, so I had long ago assumed that there was a genetic predisposition for him to be one big side of beef. He had typical features of dark skin, black hair, brown eyes, and almost no body hair to speak of. I always thought it sucked that he’d likely never grow a beard… and thanked I my lucky stars that I was only a quarter Native. My family was predominantly Irish, but my mother was half Sioux.

“Geezus, Kai! You scared the frakkin’ daylights out of me!” I shouted.

His laugh billowed. Oddly, for such a big guy, he had a pretty decent tenor voice. “Relax, man. It’s not like I’m gonna scalp ya.”

Kaleb and I both rolled our eyes at his reference to his tribe’s legacy to the ages. “So not funny, Kai.” I glared.

He shrugged. “You white boys are just jealous that I can get away with sayin’ it. And, Mike, you really need to lay off the Battlestar Galactica. It’ll rot your brain.”

“What? Because I used ‘frak’?” I protested.

Kaleb shook his head. “I keep telling him that.”

Kai pursed his lips. “So, what were you guys talking about before I almost made Mikey here wet himself?”

“His dad’s a douche bag.” Kaleb sighed.

“I could have told you that.” Kai chuckled. “Seriously, what’s goin’ on?”

I almost spoke, but Kaleb beat me to it as we all continued down the hallway. “Kai, you’re coming camping, right?”

“Hell yea! Wouldn’t miss it! Why can’t Mike go?”

I rolled my eyes and released a very guttural grunt. “Because my parents are afraid of my ability to reproduce but not considering my overriding sense not to. That and Dad’s doing his thing at Massacre Rocks again this year.”

Now Kai scoffed. “Doesn’t that guy ever get tired of that? I mean, haven’t you guys done that for 10 years straight, now?” I nodded. “There’s only so much you can learn from one place, man. Believe me. I’ve been on that Sho-Ban reservation for a few years. There’s only so much desert and mountains you can explore and learn about before you want to scalp yourself.”

We all laughed.

“Yea, they really put those guys on a crummy piece of land, didn’t they?” Kaleb added.

“No joke. You should see the Apache lands, though. They’re almost worse.” Kai nodded. “It’s either in the middle of nowhere in Oklahoma or out in Crapsville, Arizona.”

Kaleb looked a little uneasy as we traversed the threshold of the school out into the late May sun. “So… anyway… camping?”

I shrugged, becoming more deflated as the time passed. “I dunno. I’m ready to give up, really.”

“Some warrior you are.” Kai furrowed his brow. Then, his entire face lit up with some sort of realization that was some kind of profound importance. “Hey, wait a sec. Does your mom stick pretty heavily to the Sioux ways or would she let me do some kind of vision quest with you?”

I stopped dead in my tracks. “Kai, neither you nor anyone in your family is a recognized medicine man. My mom would know that. There’s no way you would get that to slip past her.”

He shook his head. “No, no, hear me out… I tell her that, yes, we’d be going up camping with everybody, but I’d take you off and show you some of the more traditional ways to become a man in Native culture. Specifically, Apache, but we might make it work. She knows more of the Shoshone, Bannock, and Sioux stuff, but she wouldn’t know about the Apache ways. I’m pretty sure of that.”

Kaleb threw his hands up in surrender. “I’m out of that discussion. You both know I’m just a clueless white boy when it comes to that stuff.”

Kai’s face turned to pleading. “C’mon, man. It’s this or you do that boring history crap with your dad again this year.”

I took a moment to consider the options. I sure as heck didn’t want to be stuck going back to the same historical location my family visited every single year. I often wondered why we never toured the battlegrounds where Lt. Col. Custer had skirmishes with the Nez Perce tribe and Chief Joseph. Combining U.S. History with a little Native American history would have done us all some good. Alas, my father was hooked on the history surrounding the Oregon Trail. He still goes out and finds lost pieces of the route by observing the environmental damage of hundreds of wagons following the exact same route when he has days off. He’s mapped about 6 miles of previously unknown forks in the path. It somewhat unnerved me, really.

I let out a long sigh. “Okay, let’s see what we can do. Kaleb, you got a ride home?”

He nodded sharply. “Yep, I’m good. I was gonna hang out with Danika for a bit.”

“Still chasing her, eh? You know it’s really unlikely she’s gonna cave to your whiles, right?” Kai smiled as he attempted to stifle his laughter.

Kaleb tried to object, but I stopped it by interrupting. “Okay, so, Kai’s with me?”

He grinned. “Lead on, dude. Let’s work a little magic.”

Again, I was rolling my eyes.

* * * * * * *

Sunday June 1, 2008 — 9:30pm MDT

The fire at the center of our campsite snapped and crackled through the wilderness’ ambient sounds that were always ever present. Somewhere in the distance, there was a pack of coyotes whose cries echoes across the mountaintops. A few owls hooted. Of course, there was always the near constant crickets chirping. We’d been out here for a night and a full day already and I still couldn’t believe that Kai had convinced my parents to let me come along. Along with the sounds of nature were the sounds of several adolescents on the cusp of adulthood chattering, laughing, and otherwise making whatever noise felt good at the time. My eyes drifted skyward and I couldn’t remember the last time they’d viewed such beauty. In the mountains outside of Hailey, Idaho, there were no cities to produce enough light to obstruct the view. I would guess that we had a better view of the stars and one arm of the Milky Way galaxy than many astronomical observatories.

As predicted, there were about ten of us. Kaleb and Mekaisto were off to one side, supposedly discussing courtship ideas for the young, fair Danika Haines who had several times previously rejected such advances. The short (5’5”) brunette with astonishingly pleasing proportionate curves that had had Kaleb lusting after her for almost a year. She and I got along well, but Kaleb was always asking me to “put in a good word” with her. He was my best friend, but I really hated it when he put me on the spot like that. She was sitting on some camping chairs discussing I could only guess what with Jessica Newton and Jakobi Langley. Jessica was something of a late bloomer. She stood about five feet, four inches and her curves had yet to be truly defined. She kept her nearly platinum blond hair in near perfect condition at all times, even out here which I imagined was quite the feat. Jakobi, however, stood over both of them at five feet, eight inches and truly had a model or dancer’s physique. Being on the drill and flag teams had sculpted this, I’d wager. Her chocolate tresses always seemed to be in a ponytail, so I didn’t give it much thought.

As for the other guys in the troop, most of them were horsing around somewhere down by the cars. I knew Marcus Sanchez and Silus Ramsey fairly well, but the other two guys I didn’t know. There was another girl with Danika, Jessica, and Jakobi that I’d never met as well. Marcus was a wiry half-Hispanic who got all the Hispanic benefits of dark black hair, brown eyes, and nice tan skin, but all of the European disadvantages of a tall, lanky frame with very little muscle tone. He was a six-foot tall distance runner on the track team, so he didn’t give it much thought. Silus, on the other hand, was the group’s “super jock”. He stood six-foot-one, had muscle tone at every angle, played almost every sport, and could have any girl in school he wanted. He had that perfect combination of blond hair, blue eyes, and blemish-free fair complexion that was the envy of just about everybody. To say that I was jealous would be a massive understatement.

For the moment, I was alone with my thoughts. If I wasn’t staring blankly into the fire, I was glancing up considering the vastness and infinitely beautiful wonders of the universe. This is what ancient man must have seen many years ago. I knew that the land this national forest we were in had been the hunting and foraging lands of at least six local tribes. For me, seeing the silhouette shapes of the mountains against the interminably numerous stars above was something I almost never had the chance to see. Back then, they wouldn’t have appreciated the beauty as much because it would have been common place for anyone who wasn’t using the stars to make one prediction or another. Back then, they used the stars for everything.

My thoughts began to wander to the fact that I could never truly understand some of my heritage the way that Kai could. He was fully Native American. I was only one-quarter. I looked like the invading “White Man” instead of having some Native features show. It frustrated me when some would doubt that I was Native at all. Looking at me, one could see a young man of fair complexion, a small bit of muscle tone, naturally red hair (if I slept with anyone, they’d know that for certain), and not a freckle on me. One good thing about my heritage, I could actually tan and not have hundreds of little brown spots all over. I kept my dull red hair rather short in a style that even Danika had said reminded her of Leonardo DiCaprio, except that he’s blond. She also compared my eyes to what the waters of the Caribbean Sea look like on a fair day: a deep light green, I’m told. I felt torn between two worlds. Little did I know that in just over 14 hours, the feeling would be even stronger.

In my daze, I didn’t hear Danika approach and sit down on the log beside me. At this point, my eyes were focused on the dancing fire before me. She mocked clearing her throat, which sent a jolt through my body as she pulled her legs toward her chest and wrapped her arms around them. I offered a weak smile.

“Hey, Danika.” I stated softly.

“Hey, yourself. Penny for your thoughts? There seem to be a lot of them.” She noted.

I shrugged. “I’m fine. Just got a lot on my mind, I guess.”

“And…?” She almost pleaded.

“Just some stupid stuff.” I sighed. “Enjoying the trip, so far?”

She rolled her eyes. “I guess. I might enjoy it more if Kaleb would back off a little. I should bring a whip next time so I can actually yell ‘Down, boy!’ ” She threw her head back and let out a good giggle.

I joined her. “Yea, that might actually work. Though, I’d be careful. He might actually enjoy it.”

She visibly shuttered. I shook my head. It took all of my strength to stop myself from slapping myself with the palm of my hand, the fabled “facepalm” maneuver.

“Hey, look, I’m sorry. If there was anything I could do about the situation, I would have done it. They guy’s like the friggin’ Energizer Bunny, he doesn’t know when to quit.” I let out a sigh.

She shrugged. “I know, Mike. I’m not mad at you, though. You’re not his keeper.” She gave me a reassuring smile that I was obliged to return. She let out a quick breath and continued on another topic. Girls seem to be proficient at such a task. “So, why not hanging out with the guys?”

I glanced over at Kai and Kaleb, then back at her and pointed to them with my thumb. “Them? Oh, they’re finding new and dubious ways for Kaleb to seduce you. I’d wear your armor if I were you.”

She nodded. “Oh, really…? Thanks for the tip.”

“You’re welcome.”

She indicated by moving the crown of her head quickly toward the other male bonding occurring. “What about the other guys?”

I glanced over in their direction. “Oh, those guys?” I shrugged. “I dunno. I guess I’m not all that great at this ‘male bonding’ thing. They kind of strike me as the ‘Neanderthal’ type and, even though I play football, I don’t see us having much in common.”

She furrowed her brow. “You are a tough one to crack. No wonder she’s into you.”

My eyes widened and I could swear someone had dropped a pin and scratched a record in the same instant. “Um… what? Who?”

A raucous laughter emitted from her luscious lips and perfect teeth. Though, I found myself somewhat self-conscious at this. She reached over and playfully slapped my arm. “You are pretty dense, Michael MacAllister.” She nodded. “You haven’t been noticing any notes in your locker for the past couple of weeks?”

Was there some sort of female interwebs that guys were just not privy to? How does this sort of news get around? “Um… yea, I found some notes. They were interesting. Why do you ask?”

She let out a quick sigh and shook her head. “You still haven’t figured out who sent them, have you?” I shook my head. “And, I’ll bet you haven’t noticed the eyes baring down on you in U.S. History, either. Am I right?” Again, I shook my head. Girls really knew how to make a guy feel totally inadequate and foolish. There’s a sucker born every minute, they say. “So, you couldn’t possibly have a clue that the same girl is actually here tonight?”

My eyes darted over to the new girl. I really had no idea who she was. Sure, I’d seen her around campus and in classes, but her name eluded me. She, unlike some of the other girls, was full-figured. I’m not saying she was grossly overweight, but the girl probably enjoyed a slice of pizza or a burger more often than most girls would. She was a brunette and wore a stylish cut, but I’d never noticed her soft, subtle eyes behind the glare from the fluorescent lights on her glasses. Tonight, she wasn’t wearing said glasses and I think the other girls may have helped her do her hair. As for her height, I don’t think she ever came close enough to me for me to make an accurate guess to how height compatible we were.

“The… new girl? The brunette over there that usually wears glasses she’s not wearing tonight?” I wanted to point, but I knew it was rude and would likely embarrass the poor girl.

“Catches on quick, doesn’t he?” Danika grinned sarcastically. “She’s been eyeing you since she overheard you telling Marcus about a lightsaber thing your parents had gotten you for Christmas.”

I nodded, knowing she was referring to my Force FX Lightsaber gushing. I had been a very spoiled geek that Christmas. Before the lightsaber, I’d unwrapped a new, bigger hard drive for my Xbox, Fable 2, Gears of War 2, Fallout 3, and Dead Space. The lightsaber trumped them all. “Yea, I was a little excited about it.” I could feel my cheeks warming as I blushed.

She let out a quick sigh. “Yea, it was a little too obvious, if you ask me. I mean, my dad bought me a brand new car when I turned 16, but you didn’t see me gushing over it all over the school did you? Don’t get me wrong, I love my car, but you got a little annoying about a plastic stick that lights up and makes noise through a speaker at the bottom.”

I lowered my head in near shame. “Danika, I know you’re not a near total geek like I am, but could you not stampede all over my hobbies like that? It’s a little harsh.”

She sighed. “Sorry, Mike. You know I don’t get into that stuff. Though, she does and I’m sure she’d like to hear more about it. You up for it?”

My head quickly came back up again. “Um…” my palms started to sweat and my heart rate increased dramatically. “You’re playing ‘Matchmaker’, aren’t you. That’s the whole reason she came.”

“Hey, I didn’t have to drag her kicking and screaming. Do you wanna hang with her or not?”

“Sure. What the heck.” I shrugged.

She gave me a devious grin as she bounded back over to the other girls. With each passing moment, my anxiety grew. I watched as Danika gracefully walked over to the others and nodded her head for some reason. Jessica and Jakobi looked rather excited, whilst the new girl seemed pretty apprehensive. She was shaking her head and mouthing the word “No” several times. Finally, the other girls lifted her up and brought her over to the log and sat her down beside me. You could cut the tension between us with a butter knife.

“Shelby Whitmore, this is Michael MacAllister. Mike, this is Shelby.” Jessica introduced.

Without glancing over, I nodded. “Hi.”

“Hi.” She stated meekly.

— Chapter Two —

Monday June 2, 2008 — 10:15 am MDT

After unzipping the door, I climbed out of the tent I shared with Kai and stretched as far and wide as my body would allow. The morning air was crisp and clean with a slight chill to it that was quickly fading since the sun came up. I had slipped on a hoodie over my white T-shirt with some design I forgot about and khaki-colored cargo shorts. Today, we’d be picking up camp and heading back to our families back in Pocatello. But first, the girls had prepared breakfast. I grabbed a plate, piled on an assortment of eggs, hashbrowns, and bacon, and sat on my trusty log once more to enjoy their culinary prowess… or lack thereof. I would soon find out which it was.

“Thanks, girls.” I stated through half a mouthful of hashbrowns.

They all giggled. “You’re welcome, Mike.” Danika smiled.

At that very moment, it struck me as a little odd that the girls were doing most of the cooking during the whole trip. None of them ever struck me as the type and I’d never seen any of them perform any semblance of domestic duties. Yet, here they were making sure all of us were fed and nourished the whole time. I began to wonder if such a thing was hard-wired into the female psyche. Was it natural for a woman to perform such duties or was it something that society had always told them that these things were precisely what was expected of them? In the proceeding years, I would find the answer to that question sooner or later.

It bothers me, now, as I think back on that day about how much of blur that morning was. Minutes after everyone was fed, we began cleaning up the campsite and packing our vehicles for the trip back home. The previous night, everyone stayed awake much longer than our parents would have allowed were we still at home. The conversations carried on into the wee hours of the morning, including the one Shelby and I had once we actually got going. She seemed like a smart girl and I was actually willing to give her a chance. It surprised me that she wished she’d had the chance to attend E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) before they became a press only event. I had similar feelings, though I’d been to [San Diego] Comic Con and PAX (Penny Arcade Expo) more than once each, already.

There was just never enough time, though. It’s funny how life hands people these situations more than we’d like to realize. I’m sure that in the face of tragedy or other significant event that many people wished for the same thing I did on that morning: more time. At least, it would have been nice to get a warning.

- 11:55 am MDT —

We had finished packing everything in the vehicles we’d brought with us. Now, the campsite appeared pretty desolate with only some camping chairs around that still belonged to us. We’d left the fire going while we packed everything away. The sun was now blazing high in the sky and we were all warmed by the physical exertion as well. I’d taken off my hoodie and set it in the front seat of my car. Now, I was back on the log where I’d been sitting last night. Most of the guys were wearing the same ensemble of T-shirt and shorts. The only real variety was which guy was wearing the khaki, cotton, or denim shorts. I didn’t care to make a head count. The girls, however, were another story. Shelby wore denim “short-shorts” and a tanktop with her bra underneath. Jessica and Jakobi wore large T-shirts and cotton shorts with their bikinis underneath. I think they hoped to go for a swim before heading back home. Danika, however, was the odd one out. She had on some sort of summer dress with a box neckline and a sports bra underneath. At least they looked relaxed.

Exhausted, we had resolved to lounge around for a bit while cooling down, catching our breath, and enjoying a cold soda. Everybody talked amongst their perspective cliques, unfortunately. Kai, Kaleb, and I were chatting about the possibility of taking a boat and some jet skis out to the American Falls Reservoir in the next week or two, after we recovered from this weekend. Marcus and Silus also expressed an interest and hoped we could invite the girls along to, as they put it, “enjoy the sights, too”. I’d imagine the girls would have been less than impressed with the wording of that particular idea.

There had been some sporadic clouds that had rolled in throughout the morning. During an Idaho summer, they never really got much bigger than a few square miles unless it was some sort of major storm that would be gone in a few minutes anyway. Some of them had a black-ish gray bottom which meant they probably bore rain, but nothing too overly concerning.

- 12:00pm MDT -

There are a million different theories about what happened the moment the clocks around the world hit a specific time. Every human being on the planet experienced something at that exact moment. The strangest thing of all, it happened at the exact same time for everybody. For us, it was just as the clock reached the noon hour. Scientists, religious leaders, politicians, conspiracy theorists, and paranormal investigators all have their own theories. Many times, it’s conflicting. Most of the time, all the stories are different. Even now, there is no clear explanation of what exactly happened. All we know is what happened next.

On my grandmother’s grave, I could swear that I saw a bright flash at that exact moment. I’m not sure everyone had that experience, but I know for a certain fact that I did. To me, it seemed as though someone had taken my picture with an old-fashioned film camera with some sort of flashbulb. It wasn’t too intense, but it was enough to have my attention. Less than a nanosecond later, my entire body began to tingle as I looked around for the source of the flash. The tingling feeling was very faint at first but became very apparent in the next second.

“Whoa, dude… I feel really weird.” I stated.

A chorus of “me too” and “yea, I know, same here” came from my compatriots. Some of them were shaking their hands or their feet as though they’d fallen asleep. The sensation was like nothing I’d ever felt before and everybody I’ve ever talked to about it has said the same thing. Like watching Neo dodge bullets in "The Matrix", time seemed to slow to an incredibly crawling pace. Something was really off.

For a few minutes, I had this sense of vertigo like the ground was coming at me. At the same time, I felt as though something had begun to tickle the back of my neck and my shoes felt a little loose. I held my knees together and rested my elbows upon them as I placed my palms on my forehead. I closed my eyes and tried to breathe carefully. Even that young, I’d been drunk before and that’s something akin to what I was feeling. The tingling feeling remained and I could almost feel like something was tugging on my clothes or someone had lathered my whole body in Vaseline. It was just an all-around strangeness that I couldn’t wrap my head around. A moment later, something was tickling both the side of my face and the back of my neck.

I didn’t open my eyes until I heard some sort of hysterical whimpering and the sounds of clothing beginning to tear and buttons popping. My eyes shot up and darted about my surroundings. Nothing could have prepared me for the sight before my eyes. Everyone, save for me, was actually standing and their eyes darted from themselves to others with bewildered and frightened looks on their faces. I had a very strange perspective. To my right, the girls all looked like they were getting much taller and their hair seemed to be receding into their scalps. To my left, the guy looked like they were getting much shorter and their hair seemed to be growing at a rapid pace. The whimpering was coming from the girls, though mostly from Shelby. She seemed about six or so inches taller than she had last night and her body was straining against the confines of her clothing. All the girls seemed as though their clothing were ill fitted and odd looking on them, while the guys appeared to be swimming in their clothes.

I couldn’t stop staring until the waistband of my shorts started to pinch me. My eyes lowered and I panicked at what lay before them. My legs and arms, which had been toned and athletic before, seemed very much a diminutive representation of themselves. I looked pale. Even though I hadn’t had much body hair at all, it seemed to have completely disappeared. My muscle tone was much more sleek and lean. I could feel and see something budding on my chest and rubbing against my shirt. Now, I stood up to grab the waistband of my shorts and alleviate the pinching feeling. The vertigo was back. The world seemed bigger than it had a few minutes ago and so did all my clothing.

Horror rocked my senses in the next moment. Once standing and looking down at myself, whatever sensation my chest was giving me was right before my eyes. Two small mounds were visibly growing larger and pushing against my T-shirt. I pulled out the neck and found my fears to be true. I, Michael MacAllister, was apparently growing breasts. I released the neck and it snapped back into place, albeit loosely. Some strands of hair fell before my eyes and caught my attention. I grabbed a lock and pulled it taught in front of me. Earlier that morning, my hair had been the color of rust. It was bland, light, unassuming, and on the threshold of blond. However, now whatever was growing from my head appeared to be a shade somewhere between fire and blood. My vote went to “cherry”, but others had different opinions. Now, I was really freaking out.

Not paying any attention to the others, my eyes frantically darted over my own form. Breasts were still growing at an alarming rate on my chest. I ran my hands down my sides, starting at the ribs, and noticed that I now possessed a natural waistline. My hips were flaring outward right before my eyes, which is what had been tugging at the waistline of my shorts. Suddenly, a wave of shock washed over me. I pulled out the waistline of my shorts and underwear and flew into a panic. My penis, which I’d actually been rather proud of, was a size I hadn’t seen it as since I was six years old. It was so small and flaccid, yet appeared to be getting smaller and retreating into my groin. Just above it, though, was a strange mound of flesh I’d never seen before. Unlike most other guys, I’d never seen a pornographic magazine, movie, and any visual whatsoever. I had no idea what that little mound was. My pubic hair, though more straight than curly now, was the same color as the hair on my head. At least I was still a “real redhead”.

A rational person would equate that all of this should actually hurt. You “reinvent the wheel” with the human skeleton and it isn’t pretty. All of our skeletal structures were completely changing, along with a few choice internal organs. We should have been writhing in agony over this. However, no one I’ve ever talked to about this had any other physical sensation than the background tingling sensation all over their bodies. Mental sensations, however, were varied depending on who you talked to. For example, I was panicked, frightened, and just freaking out in general (as were most that first day). Physically, though, I was completely healthy… about as healthy as one can be when they transition from one sex to another in the span of about fifteen minutes.

A few moments later, about fifteen minutes from the time it all started, the tingling sensation became a decrescendo and faded away. We were still ten teenagers on a camping trip, but our demographic had completely changed. Six boys and four girls had made the trip. Now, there were six girls and four boys. Even though I’d watched many of the changes happen, I didn’t really recognize anyone. In shock, everyone was slowly examining themselves with their eyes and could scarcely believe what had really happened. Though, we should have taken pictures of that. I think back on it now and can joke with my friends about how we looked that first day. There were six girls who looked like they had raided their brothers’ closets and joined some nature cult that burned their bras. Adversely, there were four boys who looked like they had raided their sisters’ closets and had terrible “drag moms” that didn’t tell them how to properly fit their sizes. Their clothes strained against them and their empty bras lay flat on their chests.

“H-holy… fuck… dude!” I heard someone shriek to my left. I looked over in time to see an impressively beautiful and lithe Native American girl cup her hands over her mouth. “Shit! Is that my voice?! Fuck! It is!” From what she was wearing and her ethnicity, I knew that had to be Kai. The girl looked like she was wearing a nightshirt and her legs were exposed because her pants had long since surrendered to gravity and fallen to her ankles.

“This is some whack shit, yo!” Another girl shrieked. At least, she looked like a girl. For all the world, I swear she looked just like she could be J-Lo’s daughter. My mind told me that had to be Marcus.

“Tell me this isn’t fucking happening… somebody tell me this isn’t happening! I can’t be a fucking chick!” A rather anorexic-looking blond screeched with tears building up in her eyes. Her long, straight platinum blond hair hung loosely at her shoulders. She had somewhat small breasts, but looked like she could be captain of the cheerleading squad to me. I conjectured that must be Silus. He would be the one thinking it was a curse to become a woman, as much as he lusted after them almost constantly.

“You can’t be a chick?! Look at me, fucker!” A deep, billowing voice came from the other side of the camp. I’d almost completely forgotten about those that now looked like guys. My eyes darted back to them, now, to find the source of that voice. “I mean, my fucking God! My clothes are ruined and I’m hanging out at all angles and you’re crying about being a chick?!” My eyes met the voice. From the outfit, it was Shelby. She… um, he?… looked like the worst off, in the manner of wardrobe malfunctions. The tanktop had almost completely torn off, the bra was useless, the button and fly of the shorts had flown off, and the socks were in tatters. During the transformation, she’d grown almost ten inches of height and had the physique of a very lean wrestler in a “heavy weight” class. Unfortunately, with the fly open, the pink cotton panties could scarcely contain the bulge that now resided in the nether regions. It was very apparent that they didn’t just look like guys. Everyone, including me, was very shocked and stood in awe at the “Greek God” that stood before them.

However, now was not the time to gawk. He looked incredibly uncomfortable and vulnerable. I don’t know what came over me, but I marched right over to the… guy? “Um… Shelby?” Lord, had I gone through puberty in reverse? My voice was about the border of alto and soprano — low enough to almost sound sexy but high enough to break glass if I screamed. “I’ve got some things that you can borrow, if you want.”

This big guy’s eyes dropped on me. He looked positively huge compared to my perspective. He squinted a little, taking off Shelby’s glasses. “Wait… Michael?” I nodded quietly. His eyes grew huge. “Holy shit, you should look at yourself! You’re a fucking knockout!” He squinted again. “Hey, weren’t your eyes green last night?”

“Wait a second…” Another deep voice stated. “His eyes have always been the color of the Caribbean Sea.” I heard footsteps and another guy, though not as tall but still towered over me, came up and squinted at my eyes. He was wearing a dress and a sports bra. This was Danika. “Holy shit, you’re right! Those are the most stunning dark blue eyes I have ever seen in my entire life!” I could see his eyes move toward my head. “And your hair’s darker, too. Man, that’s weird.”

The other two guys came over and were saying the same things. I was hot. I had deep red hair. And, my eyes were blue. With all the gawking, I could feel my cheeks warm up. I was completely embarrassed and did not want to be standing here being fawned over, right now. The warmth in my cheeks intensified and I could feel it in other places, too. This had to stop.

“Will you stop that!” I shrieked. It sounded so very strange coming out of my mouth. “This is not the time for this! There is someone here who could really use a change of clothes. You want weird? How about I’ve got tits and no dick?! How’s that for weird?!” I growled, though it was a much less imposing growl belonging to the fairer sex.

The three fawning over me looked very apologetic. “Sorry, Mike. That was kinda fucked up.” Danika stated. “We should really be worrying about other things… like calling our parents?”

“Oh, yea, that’ll really work! What are we gonna say?” Kai chirped. In the next moment, the girl brought her hand to her ear and mocked a phone call. “Oh, hi, sorry Dad. I know you don’t recognize my voice. I’m a chick, now.” She brought the “phone” away from her ear. “Yea, I can already tell you that’s not gonna go over well.”

“So, what? You suggest we stay up here for the rest of our lives?” Another billowing male voice that I didn’t recognize came from behind me. I could see Kai’s point. If we couldn’t recognize our own voices, how would our parents?

A girl I didn’t recognize who’d likely been one of the guys I didn’t know strutted towards the fire. “Um, bad news everybody: There’s a problem with that idea. I got no signal at all up here.”

Suddenly, there was a mad dash around the camp. Everyone was digging through their pockets and purses to grab their cell phones. As soon as they were retrieved, they were switched on and everyone was playing the game of “Can you hear me, now?” by holding the phone at arm’s length and slowly walking around the campsite to try and achieve some sort of reception level. I didn’t bother. We were in the mountains in the middle of nowhere in Idaho. There would be no chance of getting any signal from where we were. Now, if we drove down the mountain and crossed over the Galena Summit to Sun Valley or Ketchum, then we might get a signal. Scratch that, all the rich Californians lived there. There’d be signal. After the futile search, everyone looked a bit more deflated.

“We’re not going to get a signal until we get off the mountain and into Ketchum or Sun Valley, guys.” I stated plainly.

“Okay, so let’s pack up and get out of here.” Danika stated plainly.

“First…” I stated, grabbing the incredibly muscular forearm that now belonged to Shelby. “…I think somebody would really appreciate a new set of clothes to wear.”

“Got that right.” ‘He’ stated plainly. The deep voice was really playing with my head–about as much as my own lark voice was.

“Wait… we’re actually gonna go out among other people like this?” Girl-Silus looked frightened.

“You got a better idea, Miss Pretty Little Thing?” Another deep voice I didn’t recognize retorted. It had to be either Jessica or Jakobi. I hadn’t heard either of them speak much.

As Boy-Shelby and I trudged out of the camp, a verbal battle drew to crescendo and I’d wager anyone in the mountains could probably hear it. A couple of things I couldn’t help noticing were the natural sway my hips took on as I walked and just how scratchy my clothes felt as I moved along and my skin came in contact with the fabric. I ignored that and the incessant jiggling on my chest as I guided the poor “lad” to my car where my pack was. Once beside my little 1996 Toyota Camry, I swung open the back door… right into my chest. A twinge of utter pain erupted through my whole body and I visibly recoiled.

“Fuckin’… OW!” I screamed.

Boy-Shelby chortled. “Found the door, did ya? With… your boobs?”

“I guess so.” I whimpered. “Fuck, that hurts!” I rubbed my chest, which wasn’t a bright idea. It didn’t alleviate the pain, but as the fabric ran over my nipples they grew stiff and I could feel some sort of electric pulse through my body that ended in my groin. Besides that, my breasts felt huge and really squishy.

I saw his lips crease into a grin. “Welcome to the joys of womanhood… and all the ‘OW’ that goes with it.”

My eyes seeing a guy, doubled up my hand into a fist and threw a punch which met with abdominal muscles (damn, I’m short!) and I quickly learned that wasn’t brilliant. I cracked a couple of knuckles and it hurt, but it didn’t break anything. All that happened was boy-Shelby winced a little. It didn’t even phase ‘him’.

“I guess that rumor that redheads are feisty is as true as they say.” ‘He’ laughed.

I glared. “Look, do you want clothes or would you rather stay in those rags?”

I’d never seen anyone stop so quickly. “You’re right, sorry.”

I slowly turned and carefully opened the door, this time. Lowering myself into the car, I could feel the full weight of the mounds on my chest. It was a very strange and awkward feeling. As I rooted through my pack to grab appropriate clothing, the fact my pants kept wanting to slide down my ass annoyed me to no end. The Vaseline feeling was ever present as well. Not that I was all oiled up or anything, but my skin just felt so much softer and everything just slid over it with relative ease. However, my clothes still felt really scratchy and that was annoying, too. In moments, I had a T-shirt, shorts, a pair of socks, and a pair of boxers. Though, all the girls had taken off their shoes when we underwent the transformation and they no longer fit. Thus, grabbing the socks was likely not such a good idea.

I turned around to boy-Shelby and handed him the clothes. “Here ya go. I grabbed a pair of socks, but I don’t know how much good they’re going to do you out here without shoes.”

“You don’t have another pair of shoes?” ‘He’ almost looked pathetic when he asked.

“What do I look like, a Payless? No, I had one pair of shoes and that’s all I need.” I shrugged.

He nodded as he took the clothes, set them on the trunk, and began to undress. I folded my arms, suddenly feeling a little chilled as the sun was blocked by a cloud. Trying to ignore the odd sensation of my nipples becoming erect and rubbing against my shirt, I watched boy-Shelby try to make sense of the tattered clothing. He hadn’t succeeded in pulling the tanktop over his shoulders, so he simply tore it off. It was on its last leg anyway. Now, he stood there bare-chested with the exception of a pink bra that hung on his shoulders. He pulled at it and it slipped right off. He was better formed than I could have ever hoped for. His muscles were so well formed and toned that I found myself very jealous. I smirked at the little chest hairs he had and the little “happy trail” from his belly button to his…

“Whoa! Dude!” I quickly turned my head. I’d seen something I didn’t want to.

“What?” I assumed he looked at me with my head turned and one hand shielding my field of vision from him. I could almost sense him look down. “Holy shit! A boner! So, that’s what that feeling was?!”

“Oh, come on! How could you not know you popped wood?” I protested.

“Gimme a break, Mike! I’ve been like this for how long?” He growled. Wow. Did I sound like that when I growled? It sounded almost menacing and imposing, something primal.

At least, I could hear him getting dressed. I heard another couple of tearing sounds.

“You’re safe, now. I’ve got the boxers on.” He seemed to grimace.

I turned around to see him slipping the shorts up to his hips. His legs were really hairy. “Everything fit okay?”

He nodded as he buttoned the fly. “Yea, surprisingly.” He looked over at the pile of tatters that used to be her clothes. He picked up the bra, of all things, and looked a little somber. “Damn. The clasps are all ruined. This was one of my favorite bras, too.” He sighed.

Sighing in reciprocation, I patted his shoulder. “It’ll be all right. We’ll figure this out, right? Maybe there’s some fluke and somebody can change us back?”

He balled up the rags in his hand. Jeez, it was huge. “At least you’re optimistic.”

“Yea.” I shrugged. Then, a thought hit me. “Hey, why’d you pop wood, anyway?”

He chortled. “Hey, if you could get a good look at your ass, you would too. You’ve got a pretty nice ham, there, Missy.”

I furrowed my brow. “Please, don’t call me that.”

Oddly, it was that moment that I noticed just how quiet it was back at camp. There wasn’t so much as a peep from anyone and I didn’t even hear the fire crackling. However, people were filing out of the campsite with whatever trash we’d left, the camping chairs, and several pairs of women’s shoes. The guy in a dress, Danika, and the girl in the nightshirt, Kai, seemed to be leading the group and walked toward boy-Shelby and I. Girl-Kai had a pair of denim shorts draped over one shoulder.

“There’s the two love birds.” The Native girl grinned. “How’d it go down here, you guys?”

Boy-Shelby shrugged. “It went okay, I guess.” He looked at me with a knowing smirk. “Found out that I really am a guy, though.”

Boy-Danika looked at him quizzically. “Oh, yea, how so?”

I was flushed before he said anything. “Well, Mike here was bending over into the car to grab clothes. I had a really good view of her ass, especially with her shorts falling down every few seconds. Let’s just say that nature is a sick, twisted bitch.” He stuffed his hands in the pockets and lowered his head.

“Honey, we knew Mother Nature was twisted. We’ve had periods, remember?” Boy-Danika stated plainly.

Kai’s eyes lit up. “No way! You seriously got a case of the ‘stiff rod’? Damn!” Shelby almost shamefully nodded.

Boy-Danika shook his head. “Okay, look, guys. I think it’s pretty safe to assume that we all look like a bunch of idiots, right now. Especially those of us who were actually girls until not too long ago. We’ve formulated a plan, based on Mike’s offer to Shelby for clothes. We’re gonna go down into Ketchum and grab something to eat. We’re hungry. Now, to do that, we’re going to need a change of clothes. Many of us have agreed to exchange clothes, provided the sizes fit. Are you guys on board for that?”

Boy-Shelby pointed at the new T-shirt and shorts. “I think what I’m wearing solves that problem.”

“Mike, what’s your take?” Girl-Kai asked.

I blinked. “What, Kai? Are you nuts? Put on girls’ clothes?! Um, no, you can count me out!”

“Mike, you should really look in a fucking mirror. Wake up, Geronimo! You are a girl!” Kai screeched. In hindsight, there wasn’t any arguing with his logic. However, I still wasn’t thinking like that.

“No fucking way, dude! There’s no way I’m a chick!” Classic case of denial, I was.

Girl-Kai dropped everything she was carrying and glared at me in a manner that was difficult to decipher. “Mike, stick your hand down your pants.”

I furrowed my brow. “What?!”

“Stick… your… motha-fuckin’ hand… down your motha-fuckin’ pants!” She paused for a moment. “Did I stutter that time?”

My response was an expression of apprehension. Boy-Danika scoffed and rolled his eyes, moved over to me, grabbed my arm at the wrist, pulled open my shorts, and firmly stuck my hand in my pants. As an added measure, he held it there. I could feel just how very soft my skin had become and just the top of my pubic hair. I looked up.

“Keep going.” He stated firmly.

I moved my hand down further, feeling the mound, now. Continuing, I could feel the space where my penis and scrotum used to be. Most of it, now, was dead space. I bent my wrist, maneuvering my hand toward my crotch. In the next moment, my fingers felt an alien presence. “What the fuck? Is that what it feels like?”

“Soft skin, slimy, warm, and the sides grip your finger like your crotch is kissing it?” He asked.

I thought for a moment and all the descriptions were accurate. “Yea, I guess.”

“Congratulations, Mike. You’re the proud owner of a new pussy. How do you feel?” Girl-Kai imitated a game show host, though sarcastically.

I slid my hand out from my pants, now that boy-Danika had let go. I slid across a surface that sent a powerful shiver through my whole system, knocking me off balance. “The fuck was that?”

Boy-Danika and Boy-Shelby laughed. Boy-Danika spoke up. “Careful with that little rosebud until you’re on private time. It’s a doozy.” He winked.

“That was the clit? Damn…” I stood astonished.

Boy-Shelby shook his head. “You have a lot to learn.”

— Chapter Three —

Coming down the mountain took a lot longer than any of us ever expected. First, we all exchanged clothes that we thought would fit each other. Danika, Shelby, Jessica, and Jakobi were the lucky ones. They had the pick of six wardrobes to choose from. The rest of us were stuck with things that were either too loose, too tight, or fit so well it was frightening. As one would imagine, many of the former guys were very apprehensive about the wardrobe choices. All the former girls were fairly girly. Since many of us had our own vehicles, we decided who would ride with who, who was sticking around in Ketchum to figure everything out, and who was just going to make a beeline for Pocatello and put the whole nightmare behind them.

Some of us were fairly hungry. Girl-Kai, Girl-Kaleb, Boy-Shelby, and Girl-Me (yes, I’d finally admitted it) had all piled into my car. Boy-Danika, Boy-Jessica, and Boy-Jakobi had all piled into Danika’s neat little Volkswagen GTI. Everyone else just simply decided they would head straight through to Pocatello. They hadn’t changed clothes and wanted to reveal the bad news to their parents. Meanwhile, the rest of us were prepared to go among the public… in a manner of speaking. Boy-Shelby had put some of my clothes on. Boy-Danika and Boy-Jessica had borrowed clothes from Kaleb. Boy-Jakobi and Girl-Kai had simply switched wardrobes. Girl-Kaleb had borrowed clothes from Boy-Jessica. As for me, I was wearing Danika’s clothes. It felt so weird. Though, the ‘girls’ had one rule: nobody wore their panties. It was explained that for one girl to share another girl’s underwear was not only an invasion of privacy, but also had hygienic concerns that they weren’t going to go into. It would take all day to explain, they said.

I had opted for something so strange that I wouldn’t have thought about it before that morning. Danika handed me a sports bra which, amazingly, kept my new “assets” in check and was quite comfortable. It also kept my nipples from rubbing against any fabrics and annoying the hell out of me. Next, I opted not to wear any underwear. My own was chaffing me so badly that I just threw them in my bag and didn’t think about it. Doing so had confirmed the existence of my new feminine crotch. Danika handed me a pair of leggings which were about three-quarter length (they fell just below my knees, which she explained was “Capri length”) that she didn’t mind whether I wore underwear or not with. On top of it all, she had this interesting tie-dyed short dress that she usually wore with her bathing suit. It pretty much looked like just and over-sized tank top, but it served its purpose. Top it all off with a pair of Jessica’s purple sandals and I was good to go. Except, Danika thought of pulling my hair back into a ponytail and holding it down with a scrunchie. I was thankful for that.

Girl-Kai, however, was pretty “plain Jane” about everything. She slipped on a pair of jeans, borrowed a pair of tennis shoes, wore a sports bra, tied her hair back into a braid, slipped on a T-shirt and was ready without complaint. Kaleb, on the other hand, had the worst time of it. He didn’t like the idea of a bra at all. Though, once he moved around in a T-shirt long enough, he was begging for one. He hated how tight the jeans were and I could almost swear I heard him say something like “jeez, they make my butt look big”. Neither of them could wrap their mind around the idea I was actually willing to wear leggings and a dress. It was a day full of strangeness.

As we drove into town, things began to take on a whole new light. There was evidence of some sort of chaos. There were car accidents that the workers were just cleaning up. Hundreds of businesses were closed. There was hardly anyone on the sidewalks. I had been to this town before and it was usually teeming with life. Now, it felt like some kind of glorified ghost town. It made us all a little uneasy. At least Denny’s was still open.

Finally back to civilization, everyone grabbed out their cell phones and immediately called home. It was really strange, but those seven conversations filled the dead air of the town. Some people passing (the ONLY pedestrians since we arrived) would look over, eavesdrop for a moment on the conversations, knowingly nod, and walk on stating “teenagers” or something similar. Dreading talking to my own parents, I found a quiet corner to sit down as I pressed “send”. Try as I might, I had no idea how to explain to my parents that they now had three daughters instead of just two, reducing the amount of sons to only two. My nerves were on edge by the third ring and I heard the line being picked up.

“Hello?” An unfamiliar man’s voice greeted.

I blinked. “Uh… yea, hello? Who is this?”

“This is the MacAllister residence. Whom am I speaking to?” That tone sounded familiar.

I let out a long sigh. “Well, I don’t know how to explain this, but it’s Michael. Who are you, anyway?”

“Oh, thank the Creator!” The man let out an exasperated and relieved sigh. “Michael, this is your mother speaking.”

I could have sworn I heard a record scratch. “Last I checked, you had to be a woman to be a mother.”

“And yet, when you left here you didn’t sound like a sixteen year old girl, either. I fear the situation is much more complicated than you’re aware of, sweetheart. Where are you?”

Had to admit, the guy had a point. “You’re my mom? Prove it.”

I could hear a growl. This wasn’t going to be pretty. “Michael Anthony MacAllister! I did not spend thirteen AND A HALF hours in labor with you for you to give me this much grief at a time like this! Now, where THE HELL are you?!”

Yep, this was definitely my mother. Only she ever emphasized “and a half” when talking about how long she dealt with the pain of my birth. I facepalmed. “Sorry, Mom. It’s been a really confusing morning. I’m at the Denny’s in Ketchum. We’re going to get something to eat and then we’re hitting the road for home.”

“Just in Ketchum? It’s nearly two o’ clock. What’s taken you so long to get there?”

“Uh… gee… I dunno. Until two hours ago, it was six guys and four girls on a camping trip. At about noon, the dudes turned into chicks and the chicks turned into dudes. It’s been a rough morning and really confusing.”

“I knew that camping trip wasn’t a good idea. Is Mekaisto with you?”

I glanced over at girl-Kai. “In a manner of speaking.”

“Good, his mother is worried sick. Why don’t the two of you come over here when you get back?”

“I thought that was the idea? I’ve got to drop off Kaleb, first, though.”

“Okay, that’s fine. You be safe out there, sweetheart. It’s been a very bad day on the roads and really confusing for everybody. We’ll fill you in when you get home. I love you, sweetheart.”

I felt weird saying it this way. “I love you, too… Mom.”

With that, I hung up and ventured inside. Girl-Kaleb and Girl-Kai were inside, joined by Boy-Jakobi. They all looked pretty shaken up. For a second, I thought I saw that Kaleb had been crying. I slipped into the booth with them, letting out another sigh.

“That was quite possibly the most confusing phone call I’ve ever made.” I stated softly.

“Yea, I think everybody’s got the same idea on that one.” Boy-Jakobi agreed.

Girl-Kai’s eyes were wide and she was shaking her head. “My grandmother was way too confusing. At least, I think it was my grandmother. Sounded like a guy to me.”

“Same here… with my Dad, though. Sounded like a woman.” Girl-Kaleb whimpered.

“Apparently, I got ahold of my mom, but sounded like a dude for me.” I announced.

“Oh, yea? How’d that go over?” Girl-Kai’s eyebrow raised.

“I didn’t think it was my mom. Then, she used that line and that tone she always uses when I piss her off. You know, the one about how long she was in labor with me?”

Girl-Kai nodded, knowing all too well. “Yep, that’s definitely your mom. She really likes to drive the point home…” She used a similar tone to my mom and accented the words. “…and a half!”

I giggled. “Yes! Exactly!” I’d never “giggled” before, really, so I added that to the list of weird things going on that day.

Boy-Jakobi leaned in to study our faces. “Did any of your parents tell you what the heck is going on or did they just say ‘we’ll tell you when you get home’?”

“Dad didn’t say anything.” Girl-Kaleb whimpered again. “…I hope it was my dad…”

“Grandma told it to me straight. She’s like that, though. She doesn’t pull the punches.” Girl-Kai announced, proudly.

“Yea? So, what the fuck is goin’ on?” I implored.

She leaned in. “It’s like this, dude: There have been news reports all over the airwaves for the last two hours. You know, while we were arguing up in the frickin’ mountains? Anyway, they’re saying this is a worldwide thing. It didn’t just happen to us, guys. It happened to everybody!”

Everybody perked up and looked at girl-Kai with astonishment. We were all stunned by the news and, naturally, unimpressed without proof.

“Pics or it didn’t happen, dude!” I interjected.

“Seriously? The whole world? That’s impossible!” Boy-Jakobi yelled.

“No, what’s impossible is you woke up a pretty hot chick this morning only to end up as a buff, tall dude at lunch time.” Girl-Kai pointed out.

He visibly recoiled. “Okay… so you have a point.”

Girl-Kaleb shook her head. “This can’t be happening… it’s just too fucked up.”

Suddenly, Boy-Danika and Boy-Jessica entered the room and sat down next to me. Boy-Danika shook his head, anticipating any questions. “Okay, pretty sure what you’re talking about. Let’s can it until we eat something. Suddenly, I feel like I have a hollow leg and could eat my family out of house and home.”

* * * * * * *

We tried to distract ourselves with other things while we ate, but the whole event was at the forefront of our minds. Oddly, Boy-Danika, Boy-Jessica, and Boy-Jakobi ate like they hadn’t had a meal all weekend. It was a little disturbing to see them shoveling food in their mouths and apparently not tasting it. Girl-Kai and I were astonished at how little we could actually eat. We’d both been pretty big eaters, Kai being the bigger of the two. Girl-Kaleb, however, barely touched her food. Having been the guy whose hair had reminded me of Christian Slater as “Will Scarlet” now appeared more like a mixture of Anne Hathaway and Rachel Leigh Cook. She looked so depressed and distraught. I guessed that Kaleb was really battling some demons.

Soon after eating, we were on the road again. It was really eerie how barren the roadways were. Naturally, we were still seeing scenes of accidents that had occurred earlier being cleaned up by the Department of Transportation and the State Police. It took us a little more than an hour to actually get back into Pocatello, which was shorter than a usual trip might have been. Even our hometown looked like a ghost town. Early in the evening, when the roads really should have been crowded with people heading home from work, there were almost no vehicles. Boy-Danika and I had decided to meet at a parking lot on Center Street, right across from the only gay bar in town, Charlie’s. There, we discussed who was taking whom home and how we were going to exchange the clothes we’d borrowed. It was decided that all the former girls would ride with Boy-Danika, as they had when they’d come on the camping trip in the first place. So, Boy-Shelby jumped from my car to the GTI, we said our “good-byes” and I was on the road again with Girl-Kai and Girl-Kaleb.

With very little deliberation, it was decided that we’d all go to my place. My parents were pretty used to Kai and Kaleb, anyway, and I feared that Kaleb needed the company. We lived in the middle class area known as “Indian Hills” in the southern part of town, which is why we attended Century High. Before long, we were pulling up out in front of my family’s modest five-bedroom house. None of us felt like bringing all the camping gear inside, just yet. Besides, the hiking bags we’d all packed now seemed to weigh a ton, anyway. Girl-Kai and I had equated it to the lack of muscle we’d both worked fairly hard to achieve for the sports we played. That was all gone, now, and it didn’t look like I’d be playing football in the fall like I wanted to.

The walk up to my house seemed, to me, like that scene from “Green Mile” where they were escorting the man on Death Row to the electric chair. There was this eerie sense that lingered since the phone call I’d made from Denny’s.

My family was pretty affluent in the area. My father, Liam MacAllister, was the head of the History Department at Idaho State University, as I mentioned before, and 41 years old. My mother, Margaret (called “Maggie”) MacAllister, was the administrative trauma nurse at Portneuf Medical Center in town, and only just turned 40 this year. As a Registered Nurse (RN), she was highly regarded among her peers and the community as a whole. My older brother, Liam Jr., was in Southern California attending USC with his sophomore year coming up–he just turned 19. My older sister, Catherine (call her “Katie” or she’ll tear you a new rectum), was nearly 18 and had only just graduated high school, still living at home. There was me, the 16-year-old high school sophomore, who was poised to become the first Valedictorian in our family. Then, there was my younger brother, Seamus (he hated his “old country” name), and my younger sister, Meghan, who were 15 and 14, respectively, but weren’t anything really special just yet. Though, Meghan was on the cheerleading squad at the middle school nearby.

Liam had actually gotten into USC Film School on a theater scholarship, which had been the talk of the town when he’d graduated. I knew my parents were incredibly proud of him, so was I. Though, he was hardly ever home. Most of the time, he just stayed with a friend off-campus until the school year started up again and he had, at least, come home for Christmas the previous year. Katie, though, was the “jock girl” of our family. She’d gotten into the University of Washington up in Seattle on a volleyball scholarship but would also be playing on their softball team. My parents were incredibly proud of me, too. I was actually looking at some Ivy League schools back east (Harvard, Princeton, and MIT to be precise). I had a shot, as long as I kept on the Valedictorian road and aced my SATs.

There was conversation at about a dull roar that I could hear as I approached the door. Not knowing whether the door was locked or not, I slowly turned the handle. It clicked and opened a crack. In that instant, the house fell silent. I slowly opened the door to reveal a family inside that I did not recognize. As I felt the eyes on me, there was the sensation of butterflies in my stomach. In the kitchen was a tall, Native American man wearing a cooking apron, sweatpants, and a long T-shirt. With him, was a young man with short red hair in similar attire frozen in place as he held plates, apparently setting the table for dinner. On the couch, there was a boy and a girl who looked younger than me, but had no resemblance my little brother and sister. The girl appeared to be half-Native with long black hair and fair skin. The boy looked like a standard member of our family with his red hair, but still looked very different than my little brother. I opened the door a little further and stepped across the threshold, my eyes darting from one of them to the next. Then, a short, slightly plump woman came out from the hallway. Her hair was about the same rust color as mine had been that morning, but she didn’t look anything like my mother. I was so nervous that my hands were shaking.

“Who the hell are you?” The half-Native girl inquired forcefully.

“Language, young man!” The woman in the hallway scolded.

I blinked. ‘Young man?’, I thought. “Um… hi?”

The big Native man dropped what he was doing instantly, shoved past the guy with the plates, and crossed over to me. “Oh, thank heavens! Michael? Mekaisto? Kaleb?”

I simply nodded, but girl-Kai spoke up. “Yea, it’s us… I guess. Mrs. Mack?”

The big man nodded. The closer he got, the shorter I felt. He had to be about 6’1”, or something about there. He bent over and pulled me into a squeezing hug. “Thank the Creator you’re safe!” He had come so fast that I didn’t have time to attempt reciprocation, so my arms were effectively pinned to my sides.

“Wait… THAT is Michael?” The younger boy on the couch asked. “Impossible! He’s supposed to be ugly!”

“Meghan, shut up!” The guy with the plates chided while he finished setting the table. “That’s just incredibly rude. They just got back, after all. I’m pretty sure they’re all confused.”

“Yea, I can see that.” The half-Native girl agreed. “He’s wearing a dress. He’s got to be confused.”

“Seamus Devon!” The woman from the hallway yelled. The half-Native girl recoiled. “It’s been a very trying day for everyone. The least you could do is give a little support.” The big guy released me and moved to embrace girl-Kai and girl-Kaleb, bringing me into full view of the woman. “Well, so you are wearing a dress… and tights, I see.”

I could feel my cheeks warm up. “Hey, we all figured we had to be incognito. We still have no idea what’s going on, so we pulled a little smoke and mirrors thing. This is really all Danika had that I was willing to borrow.”

She nodded. “Makes perfect sense to me. We were about to turn on BBC World News. Perhaps, we can all gain a little more perspective on what is really going on.” In that moment, I knew this little frumpy woman had to be my father. His parents had emigrated from Ireland when the civil unrest began to erupt in Northern Ireland, thanks to the Irish Republican Army. His parents were Protestants and prime targets for the violence. They had always watched the BBC and it was no different when they came to the United States. He’d grown up on it and we all came to believe that they were more thorough and worldly-minded than most American network news stations.

Having released my friends, my “mother” began moving back to the kitchen. “Mekaisto, Kaleb? Are the two of you staying for dinner? We’d love to have you.”

Girl-Kaleb shrugged. Girl-Kai delegated herself to speaking for them both. “I guess, Mrs. Mack. I think Kaleb’s still pretty shaken up.” I nodded in agreement; girl-Kaleb remained silent.

“Well, okay then.” The male voice boomed from the kitchen. “I’ll call your parents and let them know. I’m sure they’ll be happy to know you’re safe with us, at least.”

“Maggie, dear, do you think it would be better if I gave them a call? It might smooth things over a bit better if it comes from a woman’s voice.” My “dad” suggested.

“I don’t think it matters too much, Liam. As long as they hear their kids are safe, I don’t think it matters whose voice it is.” My “mother” quipped.

The woman looked back at us. “Well, all right, kids. Pile onto the sofa. I’ll call your parents and let them know everything’s okay. Whence dinner is served, we’ll catch the BBC.” And, with that, she moved toward the kitchen to grab the cordless phone and stepped out onto the porch to make the necessary phone calls.

We were all pretty silent and our eyes kept darting quizzically about the room. The air was so surreal. This was supposed to be my family, but I just didn’t recognize any of them. It made me feel like a real stranger. Girl-Kai, girl-Kaleb, and I moved to sit down on the sofa near my family’s 60” plasma TV. Absent-mindedly, my legs fell into a “V” shape that they usually fell into when I sat down. I would learn later that it was sort of a male cultural thing to take up as much space as possible. The guy who had been setting the table quickly crossed the room, slammed my knees together, and leaned to whisper in my ear.

“Keep these together! I can tell from across the room that you’re not wearing underwear and I don’t really care, but there are children in the house and you’re wearing a dress. Get the picture?” He growled through his whisper.

My eyes were wide from shock. “O… kaaay…?” He’d scared me more than a little.

My first lesson in female etiquette was a hard one; it hurt my knees, too. A few minutes later, I actually crossed my legs, which was an entirely new sensation with the leggings on. No one spoke too much, other than simple small talk, all through dinner. We were asked how the camping trip went and elaborated everything that had happened before noon that day. Boy-Katie whined that he probably wouldn’t be eligible for the scholarship, now, after the change. My heart sank. This whole situation had more consequences than many of us were willing to admit. We were lucky to make it through dinner without asking any awkward questions.

My “father” finished first and began to prepare the television for viewing the news broadcast as my “mother” and boy-Katie cleaned up the dinner setting. Again, girl-Kai, girl-Kaleb, and myself settled ourselves onto the couch, where I again crossed my legs not wanting to have bruises on my knees from boy-Katie’s wrath. My “brother” and “sister” situated themselves on the love seat while my parents took their usual seating on their recliners. Boy-Katie simply leaned against the love seat to monitor my younger siblings, should they fall out of line.

In moments, the title graphic played on the screen and a woman in her forties appeared wearing a man’s suit and tie. Any other day, this might appear odd. However, today was not what any of us would call “normal”. The graphic that appeared identified her as Matt Frei, though she looked nothing like him. Another square graphic appeared over her right shoulder that read “Lead Story”. Clearing her throat, she began the newscast.

“Welcome to BBC World News America. If it can be believed, I am your host, Matt Frei.” She seemed to pause for effect. “In our top story tonight, the world has been thrown into a mass of chaos and confusion. The whole of Britain and the United States has ground to a halt. Global markets are not trading and businesses have closed their doors, sending all of their employees home for the day.” As she spoke, video clips from major cities around the world (including London, New York, Washington DC, Berlin, Paris, Rome, Tokyo and many others). “At seven P-M, local time in London, something very peculiar began to happen. In the span of, perhaps, fifteen minutes, everyone began to transform from one sex to the opposite sex they were born as. Hysteria set in, en masse, and many fled to their homes. We here at the BBC soon learned that this was not an isolated incident. It occurred at the very same time, calculating for local times, around the world. In America, if you live in Washington or New York, for example, it occurred at two P-M local time. The same for Los Angeles, occurring at eleven A-M local time. If you live in Tokyo, it happened at three A-M, local time, and you will likely awaken quite bewildered, indeed.

“Scientists, scholars, politicians and religious leaders are totally baffled by this turn of events. None of them has sufficiently supplied an explanation for what precisely occurred at that hour all around the world. There has been no word at all from Prime Minister Tony Blair on this issue and 10 Downing Street remains very quiet, indeed. Her Majesty, the Queen, has not made a public appearance, either. At last report, the Royal Family were in at the castle in Windsor. However, if one were to visit Buckingham Palace at this hour, I suspect they would find a rather interesting situation. The Changing of the Guard Ceremony has continued on schedule throughout the day, though the guards appear a bit shorter and their uniforms appear loose and rather silly, as well. I dare say that the ride into BBC Headquarters was the fastest drive I’ve ever experienced. The streets of London are eerily quiet. On the motorways…” A segment of several live camera feeds flashed on the screen before returning to the anchor. “…there is no travel besides the occasional lorry keeping the freight moving about the country.

“Likewise, in America, there has been no official word from the White House, either. To shed light on this situation, we go to our BBC White House Correspondent, Katty Kay, in Washington DC, now.” The graphic moved to show a split screen between the woman and the man who now appeared in the second window. He appeared to also be in his forties and almost had something of a familial resemblance to Katty Kay, though looked more like a brother. Below their picture, the graphics identified them as being in London and Washington, respectively. “Folks, do not adjust your television screens. This is no trick of the camera. The man onscreen now, I assure you, is in fact Katty Kay. How was your day, Katty?”

The man sighed. “I regret to inform you, Matt, that it has been a very confusing day, indeed. At two P-M, local time, I was in conference with Senator John McCain speaking about his plans for the campaign. I left the office with many more questions than he and I were prepared to go into detail about.”

The woman smiled. “I would imagine so. What is the official reaction in the part of the United States on this matter?”

“The official response is that there is no official response, as of yet.” Now, the graphic changed, showing only the man with “Katty Kay” and “Washington DC” written in graphic below him. “The White House is locked up tighter than the fabled Fort Knox. The United States Congress is not in session at all. The halls of Capital Hill are very quiet. Even the Pentagon, headquarters of the United States military branches, is shut down.” Pictures flashed of the various locations being mentioned. “As you stated previously, Matt, there is no trading on Wall Street, right now, and there has not been since approximately 2:30pm, local time. Police reports across the country have reported auto accidents at their highest rate on any given day since the automobile was invented and mass-produced. No one is at work, save for a select few government offices for national security reasons. One would suspect panic, but the streets are eerily quiet. It seems that everyone has gone home to be with their families.” Scene changed to show a video of a limousine outside the White House with police escort and two young men, wearing women’s clothing, rushed from the car to the door. “One piece of news, however, is that President and Laura Bush’s two children have returned to the White House. Seen here in this video, two young men–one wearing a dress and stockings, the other in a skirt and pumps–were escorted by police motorcade to the White House earlier today. It can logically be determined that these two must be the President and First Lady’s fraternal twins, Jenna and Barbara.”

The graphic switched to the split screen once more. Woman-Matt spoke first. “That is quite interesting. Is there any official word from the White House whether or not there is to be a press conference later in the week?”

Man-Katty shook his head. “To my knowledge, there has not been any word on that at all. None of the White House aids or the White House Press Secretary have given any indication that there is a statement to be made on the matter. They have not answered our phone calls, either.”

“Thank you, Katty.” The graphic changed back to just woman-Matt, again. “Though commerce has all but frozen, we must still go to commercial. BBC World News America will be right back.”

The screen faded and my “father” hit the mute button. There was a stunned silence in the room. We were all likely considering and processing what we had just heard. Unlike the rest of my family, this was the first that Kai, Kaleb, and I had heard that what happened to us at the campsite was actually a worldwide phenomenon. We had seen many of the accidents first hand, but had no idea what was going on anywhere but our own little world. To imagine such a thing had happened everywhere was simply unfathomable. I, personally, don’t think it was very comforting for political leaders of the various countries to basically turn into shut-ins rather than reassuring the public that all would be well, in time. The majority of people were likely as freaked out as it was. They didn’t need their President or Prime Minister remaining so recluse. With not a word exchanged among the family and friends, the broadcast was back on after the four-minute commercial break.

“Welcome back to BBC World News America. Do not adjust your television sets. I am, in point of fact, Matt Frei. We continue our coverage of our lead story for this evening. If you’ve only just joined us, there has been a phenomenon that has effected the whole world. For those of you in the UK, you know that at 7pm local time men suddenly began turning into women and women into men. For those in America, it occurred at 2pm Eastern Time and 11am Pacific Time. We are getting reports from all over the world with local times that correspond with these times. However, there has yet to be any news from a particular region of the world that has some world leaders somewhat wary.

“The television network in the Middle East, the Arabic-speaking Al-Jazeera, has not been broadcasting anything and their signal has not been detected since a corresponding local time that coordinates with the 7pm London Time. We have reason to believe that the leaders of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Burma/Myanmar, and other Arabic nations with Muslim leaders have ordered a media blackout. The BBC’s own Middle East correspondent was reportedly phoning headquarters when her cellular phone was confiscated by armed guard and all other communications have been shut down. We are hearing similar reports from American network news anchors that also have correspondents in the Middle East. No one knows what to make of this. The UN has not responded and with the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of the UK apparently on holiday, there is no official word on the subject. I say again, the Middle East has allegedly instituted a media blackout and we are attempting to ascertain what that could mean for the Western world. Stay tuned for more information, hopefully at a later time.

“We are now joined by Katie Couric of the CBS Evening News and the program 60 Minutes.” The graphic changed back to the split screen with one identifier as London and the other underneath a rather chubby man in his fifties that read “New York”. “Miss Couric, thank you for joining us this evening.”

The man nodded. “Thank you, Matt. It’s a pleasure to be here.”

Woman-Matt rearranged a few papers on his desk before asking his question. “Now, I am to understand that you have done a great deal of correspondence for CBS and 60 Minutes in the Middle East. Could you, perhaps, educate the viewers as to how we should take the idea that countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Burma/Myanmar have instituted a media blackout?”

As the man spoke, several different pictures of what we all knew Katie Couric looked like flashed across the screen showing scenes of when she’d done reporting in the Middle East. “Well, Matt, I have been to the Middle East several times, as you know. The governments ruled by Imam’s, Mullah’s, and Ayatollah’s could institute a media blackout on a whim, if they so chose. It’s not like here in the United States where we have ‘Freedom of the Press’ in our Constitution. The governments run their press. Given the events of today, it didn’t surprise me that they called for the blackout. What happened today undermines just about everything that Islam and the Qur’an have taught them over the past couple thousand years. All of those countries that were once led by men are now, for all intents and purposes, led by women. That alone would cause chaos in the streets.”

Woman-Matt nodded. “I see. So, it is your professional opinion that there is really nothing to fear from this media blackout, correct?”

Man-Katie nodded again. “I am not an expert on Islam or its teachings, but having experienced the culture first hand, I don’t think we have anything to worry about here. Like us, they are likely attempting to make sense of a very confusing experience. Look at your own Prime Minister, Matt. He has essentially instituted his own media blackout by not addressing the public from a podium at 10 Downing Street. Even my own President Bush is remaining tight-lipped and reclusive.”

“Yes, it’s very troublesome from all accounts, isn’t it?”

“It very much is. We have a scared and confused public and our leaders aren’t showing their faces. It’s a testament to how human they truly are. If you hadn’t asked me to this interview, I would be at home with my children.”

Woman-Matt smiled. “Well, thank you very much for your sacrifice, Miss Couric. I wish you well this evening. Do be careful on your way home.”

Man-Katie smiled back. “Thank you, Matt.”

The graphic once again morphed to show only the woman claiming to be Matt Frei with a still photograph over her right shoulder of a woman I couldn’t recognize. “There is one politician brave enough to show their face for the sake of their people, tonight. That politician would be the Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Michael Rudd. Dressed accordingly in a women’s pant suit, the Prime Minister addressed the country of Australia this morning, at an early 7am local time, in the garden at The Lodge in Deakin, Canberra. In the address, the Prime Minister assured the Australian citizens that the government would make a full inquiry as to what has occurred. Though many were tempted to stay at home, all citizens were implored to return to work that day, as per normal. Joking that the changes would take some getting used to, the Prime Minister seemed in high spirits that the Australian people would persevere through this troubling time.” Woman-Matt smirked and chortled. “Is there nothing that troubles an Australian? You decide. We’ll be right back.”

All of us laughed as my father again hit the “mute” button, anticipating the commercial break.

“I have to say, she looked pretty good in that purple top and pant suit ensemble. I don’t think the pearls fit her character, though.” My “mother” commented. All the former girls chuckled with their deep voices. Most of the former guys didn’t know what they were talking about.

“If you’ll pardon the expression, she’s the only politician with enough balls to actually get in front of a camera, so I’d say she’s doing pretty well.” My “father” added.

“Yea, it does seem a little cowardly that President Bush and Prime Minister Blair are hiding away in their state-funded homes while we’re all a bit confused.” Boy-Katie added.

“Suddenly, I don’t feel so bad about being upset by being turned into a chick. I had the courage to go out in public and those guys are hiding behind closed curtains with their tails between their legs.” Girl-Kaleb finally spoke. “What a bunch of pussies.”

“And, now, quite literally.” My “father” quipped.

Another roaring laughter erupted in the room.

— Chapter Four —

The next few days were nothing more than a blur, really. The chaos was beginning to settle and people were slowly returning to work. The markets were trading again. Congress was in session. The Pentagon was fully operational. Though, it was anyone’s guess how the United States was going to deal with a fighting force that was now primarily female. After a few days, the President finally held a press conference. My family caught the highlights either through secondary sources online or from the BBC. None of us could stomach listening to “Dubya” for very long at all. Though, having a President named Gloria Bush was a little odd. The overall consensus was to adapt to the change and the government would pay for new names for all citizens, as a legal alias. That was something we would never have expected from a Republican president, free handouts to the “average Joe”. Thankfully, there was no “mad dash” to the County Recorder’s office. Everyone took their time adapting to the reality.

Kaleb and Kai stayed in my room for three more days, practically extending our camping trip by simply moving it to my room. After that, however, their parents came and escorted them home. I was now by myself with a family I didn’t visually recognize. After a few days, we became accustomed to each other’s new faces and everything was taking on a renewed sense of “normal”. Though, all of us were messing up pronouns left and right. For instance, Katie kept calling me “she” and I kept calling her “he”. Once, Meghan even made a little mistake in calling our father “Mom”. That was comical. Though, we’d have to get used to such designations.

Two days after “the event”–we had termed as the euphemism–Liam Jr. had come back home from Los Angeles after all the other roommates had gone home. She was now a fully Native American young woman, looking a lot like my mother did now, except completely female. It was just as confusing for my eldest sibling as it had been for me when I came home from camping.

After watching several news broadcasts, my parents decided that it was time to get to business. The government had suggested that everyone acquire a legal alias, fully federally funded. Their recommendation was to continue using one’s first initial as the letter for the new name. That way, everyone could abbreviate to just their first initial and not be mistaken as someone other than themselves on legal documentation. My parents had spent four days considering this and had brought it to all of us at the table after dinner on the sixth night after the change. We, the kids, were not allowed to give much input on our names, save for Liam Jr. and Katie because they were legally adults… almost. After a little arguing and discussion, we all had new names.

My “dad”, we now had to call “Mom”, was now Loraine (or “Lori”) MacAllister. My “mom”, we now had to call “Dad”, was now Maxwell (some people might get away with “Max”) MacAllister. My older brother would now be Leanne (or “Annie”) and my older sister would now be Chester (or “Chaz”, which made me laugh). My younger brother was now Sadie and my younger sister, the youngest of the family, was now to be called Mark. They actually didn’t change my name much. The original idea was “Michelle”, being the feminine equivalent of “Michael”, but I hated that. So, my name became something of a tongue twister. I would now be known as Mekayla MacAllister; though, technically, I could still be called “Mike” with that name (it worked for Dr. Quinn!). It would take us a long time to get used to all of this.

The one problem I had with the whole thing, though, was knowing when I had to pee. I’d gone through almost 17 years of my life with a penis. The sensation that occurred when I had the urge to urinate was uniform the whole time. However, now that I had a female vulva, it was a whole lot harder. In the first couple of weeks, I had to learn what the signal was that my body used to tell me I had to run to the bathroom. I also had to learn that standing to urinate just wasn’t going to work anymore. Embarrassingly, I had my unfair share of accidents, but mine wasn’t the only laundry being done on a daily basis. Mom, Sadie, and Leanne were having similar experiences. After a day or three, Dad actually described to us (individually) what the sensation was that a woman’s body used to tell her it was time to go pee. It had one hell of a learning curve. After about three and a half weeks, I think I got the hang of it. Though, I felt I was probably running to the bathroom more often now than I ever did when I had a penis. Not only that, but laughing, coughing, sneezing, and many other functions taken for granted would actually trigger the “I GOTTA PEE!” signal. On top of that, Dad decided to elaborate that once a woman starts having babies, it gets worse. That was not something I wanted to contemplate, ever. “Frustrating” is just not a strong enough word to use for such a thing.

The next order of business: clothes shopping. I hated the very suggestion. I had never in my entire life enjoyed the activity of shopping. If I were going to be a girl for the rest of my life, I’d be a terrible one. However, the whole family was going, so I could share my woes with Leanne. My older brother and I had always gotten along really well and I don’t think that changed once we suddenly grew breasts. Our parents piled us all into the family SUV and it was off to the mall in Idaho Falls. Though, none of us really looked all that presentable with the ill-fitting attire we had to wear until that trip. Most of the time, we just lounged around in T-shirts and sweatpants. Thankfully, we’d left really early in the morning and there was still very few people out and about town. A crowd would be our worst nightmare.

Once we parked the car, our first stop was JC Penny. Interestingly enough, my “Mom” took the “boys” off to the young men’s section and my “Dad” took us “girls” to the junior’s department. I felt as though I was in alien territory just glancing at all the outfits that were on the mannequins. One should get a degree of some kind for just being able to decipher and precisely coordinate women’s clothing. It baffled me. Before we could begin getting any clothes, though, we had to take a trip to the fitting rooms. “Dad” decided we all had to be measured so that we could possibly begin to find out what our sizes were. If outfit coordination was bad, deciphering women’s sizes was worse.

A few days prior, “Dad” had taken us down to the clinic of a doctor he was on good terms with. We were weighed, measured for height, and given a general check-up to ascertain our current health. We were all fine, but it’s all the measuring that had me baffled. Liam Jr. had been 6’2” tall and probably weighed somewhere between 160 to 175 pounds. On the scales, Leanne was only 5’8” tall and came in at 128 pounds. Seamus had been about 5’4” tall and weighed, I’d say, about 110 pounds (he was really skinny). Sadie, however, was the same height and weighed just two pounds more, at 112 (I think it was because of her new boobs.). I had been a little more than 5’10” tall and, last time I weighed in, was about 140 pounds (mostly muscle weight). Now, I was only about 5’5” tall and weighed a whopping 118 pounds. All three of us were a little frightened by these numbers.

Once at the fitting rooms, a young guy that was probably closer to Annie’s age than my own greeted us. “Dad” explained the situation and what the plan was. The guy agreed to take us, one-by-one, into the changing rooms and measure us for size. I didn’t fully understand what that was all about until it was my turn to be measured. Leanne went first, then me, then Sadie.

“I’m a seven,” Leanne announced when she emerged.

Dad nodded. “Okay, Mekayla, it’s your turn, now.”

Hearing that name still sent a twinge down my spine. I slowly stood and followed the guy into a back fitting room. Once there I turned around to face him. He smiled.

“Don’t worry, okay? Eight days ago, I was a girl. I’m not going to try anything funny.” He stated. “Now, if you could lift your arms and hold them straight out, we can start.” I did as requested and held my arms straight out as he wrapped a tape measure around my chest, just below my new breasts. Then, he made a note before moving a little higher and measuring right over top of them. I blushed, naturally. Next, he moved down to my new natural waist and made his note. “Okay, those pants aren’t really going to work for this. Are you wearing anything under them?”

I gave a bewildered expression. “What do you mean?”

He sighed. “Those sweatpants are pretty thick. I don’t think I’m going to get an accurate hip measurement with them on. Are you wearing underwear?”

Again, I blushed. “Um… boxers?”

He nodded. “Those should be fine. Like I said, I’m not going to try anything funny, but could you slide your sweatpants down your legs?” I didn’t quite understand the insinuation, but I did as requested and somehow felt weird doing it. “There’s a good girl. Thanks.”

“I’m not a girl!” I protested.

He scoffed. “You keep telling yourself that, honey.” He wrapped the tape measure around my butt and came uncomfortably close to my crotch. He took his note and then looked up at me. “Okay, pull your pants up and turn around for me?” I obliged, not really getting what he was going for. However, he measured from the base of my neck to the small of my back. “Okay, well, I’d say you’re a pretty healthy girl who’s a size 5. You should look for a 36 C bra, though.”

My eyes widened. I hadn’t anticipated bra shopping to be included in this excursion. Now, a little frightened, I exited the fitting room. Once outside, I whispered to my Dad what my size was and he nodded before sending Sadie in. I moved over and sat next to Leanne on a bench outside.

“That was a little embarrassing, eh?” She asked.

“Just a little.” I sighed. “So, what’s the damage?”

“Well, apparently I’m a size 7, but I don’t know what that means.”

“Me either. I’m a 5, though.”

“Yea? How’s the boobs?”

“A 36 C. You?”

“Same, actually. Though, from what I hear, that’s the average among American women.”

“Is that what we are, now? American women?”

She laughed. “Yep, I guess so.”

A few minutes later, Sadie emerged with a ripe blush on her face. All of our pairs of sweatpants were designed for men. Therefore, they ran a little bigger and had thicker fabric. I learned later that he really could not have gotten an accurate measurement with them on. Women’s and Girls’ sizes are fairly exact, down to half inches in some styles. Like I said, you almost have to be a scientist to really figure it all out. Once having relayed her size to Dad, Sadie came and sat with Leanne and I. Then, Dad came over to address us all.

“Okay, you three. I’m pretty sure you are not going to like what I’m about to tell you, but I do not want to hear any complaints at all. Am I understood?” Dad was laying down the law. The three of us exchanged glances before looking back up and answering something like “yea, sure” or “okay, whatever”. We really shouldn’t have agreed to anything we didn’t know we were agreeing to. “Okay, then. I’m taking you to the intimates department to get you all some fitting underwear. I’m pretty sure you’ve found out by now that men’s under things are uncomfortable and scratchy on those new bodies of yours. Not only that, I’m really tired of seeing all your boobs flopping around for all the world to see. So, you’re all getting bras.” Sadie almost interjected. “No buts! Now, let’s go.” The three of us stood and let out our selected whimper or whine. “What did I say about complaints, girls?! Move it!” That shut us up.

If I thought I was in alien territory when entering the junior’s department, I was in another galaxy when we came to the intimates department. Yet again, you’d need a degree to try and make sense of everything. They had bras and panties of every shape, size, color, and design. There was even one section for socks and hosiery while another area for “sleepwear”. It was insanity. While Dad moved through and began picking several different things off the racks, my new sisters and I were slowly trudging around with our eyes as big as dinner plates. We were pretty overwhelmed. We couldn’t really make heads or tails of anything.

“If I’d have told you a month ago that this is what we’d be doing during our summer vacation, what would you have told me?” Leanne asked while whispering in my ear.

“That you’re fucking crazy!” I whispered back.

“Yea, same here. What the hell are they thinking? Do they really believe we’re actually going to wear any of this frilly, sissy crap?”

“I don’t know. I — ”

“Wow, this is actually kinda cute.” Sadie loudly stated within earshot of Dad. Leanne and I exchanged a glance and then looked back at Sadie quizzically. She looked pretty self-conscious, now. “What?”

She was holding a pajama set that was still tethered to the rack by its hanger. It was a lavender-colored tank top with a moon wearing a sleeping cap and matching pants that had little blue “Z” shapes all over it. The bottoms looked like they were made of satin. Dad came over with the cart, gave the outfit a glance and then looked down at Sadie.

“You really think that, Sadie? Do you want me to get this for you?” He asked, patiently.

Sadie shrugged. “I dunno. It kinda looked nice.”

Dad glared at Leanne and I. “Don’t base your choice on what those two say. If you like it, we’ll get it for you. You have to try it on, first, okay?”

Sadie nodded. Annie and I would have like to hide somewhere. Even with a man’s visage, our mother had some certain looks that we would never dare challenge. We felt like idiots and wondered what we’d done wrong, all at the same time. Dad grabbed the outfit, put a few more things in the cart, and then moved straight to the fitting rooms. He handed Sadie the outfit, who gladly bounded off to try it on.

Dad spun around to face us, bearing another one of those looks. “What the HELL was that all about?”

“What? Just thought that was weird coming from Seamus, that’s all.” Leanne pleaded.

“It’s Sadie, now, and perfectly healthy for a 15-year-old girl to say. So, what is the problem?” This was the proverbial foot being put down.

“Look, it’s just all too weird and overwhelming, okay? Give us a break. It’s nothing against ‘Sadie’, per say. It’s just the whole situation.”

Dad took a deep breath. As Mom, that was not a good sign. It meant she was angry and trying not to kill her children. “Leanne, do you really think that I like the idea of using your father’s clothes because none of mine fit? Or, how about knowing, for sure and certain fact, that I gave birth to, nursed, changed diapers, and raised every single one of you kids the best way I knew how, but not being able to proclaim I’m your mother?” Under normal circumstances, this is when Mom might have started to cry. However, there were no tears. “We’re all dealing with this thing and we might as well try and support each other. Can you do that for me?”

“Yea, but what does frilly bras and panties have to do with that, huh?” I knew the moment I said it that I probably stepped over the line.

Dad advanced and got a little in my face. “I did NOT get you anything super ‘girly’, okay? We got things that are practical and would be more comfortable for you. Coming from someone who was born a woman and knows those bodies better than you two do, I think I know something about what you’re going to need, okay? Now, you are going to be proper young ladies for the rest of the day or I will buy you nothing but pink frilly panties, bras that show the most amount of cleavage, and the most ‘girly’ dresses I can find. Is that clear?”

Cooperation or forced-feminization were the options? Oh, we were nodding our heads as fast as our muscles would allow us to. We did not want to incur any of that wrath. We stayed pretty silent for the next hour, or so. Sadie came out of the fitting room, showing off her pajamas and how well they fit. Dad paid for them and all the other things bought in the intimates department at the closest customer service counter. Then, we marched right back to the fitting rooms. Dad handed Sadie, Leanne, and I each a bra and pair of panties. We were told to put them on, tear off the tags, and give back the boxer shorts we were wearing. Reluctantly, we obliged.

Once in the dressing room, I stared at the bra and panties I’d been handed. Both of them were a pale purple color that I grumbled at the sight of. They were both a cotton and Lycra fabric blend. The bra was pretty plain and almost looked to be built like a cross between a bikini top and a sports bra. However, there was a little bit of padding in the “cups”. I let out a sigh before stripping down to my “birthday suit”.

There was one big mirror that caught my attention at the back of the dressing room. This was the first time since the change that I’d seen myself completely naked. My eyes bulged out of their sockets. My deep red hair fell just below my shoulders. My eyes really were now a deep blue color. My skin was fair and flawless, from what I could tell. I twisted and turned, to check out every angle. My shoulders were narrow. My arms were long and lean. My ribs were far less broad than they had been. My hips flared out from the waist and followed a cascading, tapering line down my thighs to my knees. My butt was round, firm and smooth. My feet and hands were small and pretty dainty. I didn’t notice my crotch so much as I noticed my full, plump breasts and cute pink nipples at the crest. If I had met the girl in the mirror before the change, I’d have made her pregnant several times over. I had been embarrassed back at the camp when boy-Shelby had called me a knockout. Now, my eyes beheld what he may have seen and I was inclined to agree with him. However, then reality set in and the realization that I WAS the girl in the mirror hit home.

Avoiding the reflection, I grabbed the panties and slipped them on. Surprisingly, it wasn’t hard to tell where to stop pulling them up. The shape of my hips stopped any further advance. They set firm, yet comfortable, against my butt, my legs, and my crotch. It was still a strange feeling to have something right against the skin of my crotch and my lower abdomen at the same time. For a moment, I glanced in the mirror. They looked really nice, once they were on. The “boy shorts” design gripped against my thigh. The waistband stayed about two inches from my belly button. I spun around and they looked really good on my ass, too. I started to ask myself, “from what angle do these look bad?” before a knock came to the dressing room door and frightened me a little.

“Y-yes?” I inquired of the interloper.

“Mekayla, honey, are you okay in there? It’s been 20 minutes, now. We’ve got a lot of shopping to do.” Dad’s voice inquired.

“Y-yea, I-I’m fine.” To me, that last word had a double meaning.

“Do you mind if I come in?”

“Um… why?”

“Well, you may be staring at the bra wondering just how exactly to put it on. I’m here to help you. I’ve already gotten Sadie and Leanne taken care of. They’re waiting for us.”

I was blushing pretty badly and wasn’t entirely sure why. “Okay, I guess so.”

Instinctively, I wrapped my arms over my chest as the door began to swing open. Under different circumstances, this would be a very strange thing indeed and the cops would probably have been called. I mean, a father helping his daughter put on a bra? Tell me you wouldn’t call them! These were not considered “normal” circumstances, though. A little more than a week ago, that man had been my mother and had been a woman all her life.

Dad stepped in and immediately closed the door. Then, he glanced at me with a reassuring smile. “Okay, let’s get this over with so I don’t embarrass you too much.” He crossed the room and picked up the bra, snapping off the price tag. “The secret is really simple, actually. I’ll show you the best way women know how to do this.” He wrapped it around my natural waist with the clasps in front. “First, you wrap it around like this. But, you want the cups facing outward, kinda like they’re upside down. That way, when you pull the straps over your shoulder, they face your body. Can you feel them against your butt, right now?” Amazingly, I did, so I nodded. Then, he clasped them together. “Start at the clasps on the outside. Bras usually have two or three. For girls your age, there’s almost always just two.” He had me look down and examine them, so I committed all this to memory. Then, clasped the bra closed. “Now, it’s pretty simple. Just twist it around so that now the clasps are in back and just pull the whole thing up to your chest and over your shoulders.” I did as requested and had straps over my shoulders and the cups against my breasts with relative ease.

Oddly, it didn’t feel right. “Well, that was easy enough, but it still isn’t quite comfortable.”

Again, Dad smiled reassuringly. “Now, you get your hand in the cup and adjust them puppies until it is comfortable. You want me to show you?” I meekly nodded, not comprehending the explanation. He moved over behind me, pulled out the shoulder strap just a little, reached into the bra to the outside of each breast, and pulled them up and inward. I really couldn’t decipher the tactile sensations I was getting from having someone else touch my breasts. I just felt embarrassed that it was my own parent touching them. I watched attentively and tried to learn the lesson. When he was done, everything was comfortable enough that it was hard to tell whether I was wearing a bra or not. Were it not for the shoulder straps feeling taught, I probably wouldn’t have noticed. “There, how’s that feel?”

“Almost like I’m not even wearing one, actually.”

He smiled. “Good. That’s the point. See? It’s not so hard.”

I don’t know what came over me. Instinctively, I reached over and embraced him, lovingly and appreciatively. “Thanks, Mom. What would we do without you?”

I felt some big arms return the embrace. The sensation of comfort and security that I felt in that moment cannot be explained, really. Psychologists would call this a “bonding moment”, I guess.

“You really are gorgeous, Mekayla.” He stated, kissing the top of my head. “Yes, as Michael, you were a handsome, strapping young man and I think all my children are beautiful, but I thought you should know that.”

“Thanks… Dad.” I chortled.

“Now, hand me those boxer shorts and get that cute little rump of yours dressed so we can get this shopping trip over with, will you?” He requested, playfully swatting my rump. I actually screeched just like a girl and we had a good laugh at that.

The rest of the day’s shopping actually turned into a blur, after that. Our preferences were for the least “girly” ensembles in the whole department and Dad was willing to accommodate. The majority of the purchases were for jeans and T-shirts. I did find one tank top that caught my attention enough to make me want to buy it, but that was it. Dad did insist on at least one pair of “capris” for each of us. He stated that if we weren’t going anywhere near the shorts, skirts, or summer dresses, then we’d at least need something that would cool us off some when the weather started getting really hot. We grabbed three pairs of jeans, five T-shirts, a pair of capris each, and one tank top for me. We wouldn’t know until we got home that Dad had actually bought us all a set of pajamas and two pairs of sweatpants, each. After stopping at the fitting rooms to check the fit, we were back out and moved on to the shoe department. Dad insisted on at least three pairs that coordinated with different outfits, but finding the least “girly” shoes was pretty difficult. However, I did learn that I had gone from a Men’s size 11 to a Women’s size 7  ½. Sadie, Leanne, and I pretty much agreed that two pairs of tennis shoes and a pair of flip-flips was the least girlish option that Dad would agree with.

Long before we reached the shoe department, Mom and “the boys” met up with us, having finished all their shopping for the day. It was good not having ‘Chaz’ and Mark with us at the beginning and the elder of the two was actually giving us pointers on which shoes to go for. Once the purchases were made, we all had to carry our own bags so that nothing got mixed up. I think Mom and Dad were really worried about the money we’d spent and how that would affect future finances, but they had already decided that such was a necessary evil. Once we got home, everybody set their shopping bags in their rooms and we all met back down in the living room… plopping down on the couches, exhausted from the day. For a few minutes, we all sat in silence.

“I vote we order pizza,” Dad stated, breaking the silence.

“I second that,” Mom agreed.

“I’m too tired to care,” Chaz chuckled. We all joined in.

* * * * * * *

In that first month, nobody really felt like going outside. In my own household, Mom and Dad had no choice but to go back to work. My siblings and I, on the other hand, didn’t really have anywhere that we really needed to be. Most of the time, we merely lounged around the house. Friends didn’t come over and most of our family stayed in contact by phone. I spent most of my time in my room. I would wear a sports bra, a pair of panties, and the usual T-shirt/sweatpants configuration. Though, I did find the girls’ sweatpants Dad had purchased to be a bit more comfortable than my other ones.

Still, much of my time was spent online, playing games on my Xbox. It was pretty weird, though, to have the Xbox LIVE community turn 180 degrees and become a female-dominated arena. I guess we all had the same idea: escape from the reality that had befallen us all. Thankfully, trash talking became a thing of the past except in extreme circumstances. There was always a troll in the room, no matter what we did.

Often, the only chance I had to hang out with and talk to Kai and Kaleb was when we played on the Xbox LIVE together. However, their names had changed, too. Mekaisto (which meant “Red Hawk”) had changed to become Magaska (which meant “White Swan”). Calling her “Kai” no longer worked too well. So, we resolved to just calling her “Magz”, which sounded good if we were playing “Call of Duty”. Kaleb, however, had not been so fortunate. Her name became Kaylee and there wasn’t much of a nickname we could devise to, perhaps, masculinize it a little. Fortunately, the name had grown on her in about two weeks. We became Mekayla, Magaska, and Kaylee, the terrifying triumvirate on the battlefield. Many who were actually professional gamers told us that we should form a team and start to compete professionally, but not wanting to be seen in public really put a damper on that idea. We were content to just have the gaming world as our escape from reality for a little while.

For at least the first two weeks, the whole world seemed to be uprooted. In certain parts of the USA, there were gang wars and riots in response to what was now being called “Change Day”. Having all the men turned into women had actually usurped the power structure in many different ways. After a few days, the President of the United States had actually held a press conference and gave a speech. The next day, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom followed. All around the world, leaders were finally showing their faces to the public. After five days, the media blackout in the Middle East finally lifted and Al-Jazeera began broadcasting again. The Muslim leaders had decided that they were born to privilege as men and would retain that, regardless of the changes. Of course, that did apparently go against their own teachings, but they were not about to give up their power. Even the Pope became the “Holy Mother” and the cardinals and bishops underneath her were allowed to retain their positions, regardless of the change. I thought it was all incredibly self-serving and hypocritical. They would go against their own teachings that they’d preached about all that time simply to retain their power. I think that’s about the time that I swore off religious doctrine of any kind.

Nobody knew what we were all in for. After four weeks, everything would change… again.

— Chapter Five —

Monday June 30, 2008 — 11:55 am MDT

Lately, I had been feeling a little more than lazy. Here I was, 16 years old and on my summer vacation. What was I doing with it? Sitting around the house, either on the couch watching television or on my bed playing my Xbox, and wearing T-shirts with my sweatpants. I hadn't left the house since the family shopping trip and really couldn't remember where my car keys were. Adding to this complication, neither had any of my siblings. We had since separated from each other. I think "cabin fever" and close proximity was starting to drive us all crazy. Ever since my boobs grew in, I shrank five inches, and lost my penis, I didn't have any drive to go out in public. To a certain extent, I was fine with that. However, I had a bit of "wander lust" and was wondering what was going on in my own world. This still did not give me any incentive to venture around town, though. It helped that it was hot outside and the air conditioning made things bearable.

Today, though, there was a good reason why I was slumped on the couch trying my best to find something entertaining on daytime TV. For the past couple of days, my lower back ached. I had no idea why. I just knew everything felt more than a little off. I propped my legs up on the arm of the loveseat, set a pillow under my lumbar region, and padded my head with another couple of pillows. Not only that, but my whole abdominal region just didn't feel right. I passed it off as something I had eaten that didn't agree with me and, perhaps, that my body was still trying to adapt to the fact there was a pair of breasts on the front of it. Either that, or I'd spent too much time sitting "Indian style" on my bed. I let out a sigh and continued watching a Mythbusters rerun on Discovery Channel.

Moments later, Annie entered looking about as disheveled as I felt. She blinked at what was on TV. "Oh, this is still one of those episodes where Adam and Jamie were still guys, huh?"

"Yes, and Kari Byron was the only hottie on the show." I meekly nodded.

As she rounded the loveseat to sit on the couch, I noted that her wardrobe was similar to mine. She wore the boring T-shirt and sweatpants combination. Though, she, too, was wearing the ones that Dad had bought on our shopping trip. I had to admit, they were incredibly comfortable and gripped my lower curves in an unnoticeable yet flattering manner.

She glanced over at me, quizzically. "You know something funny? Your hair looks about the same color hers was when she first started on the show. It's kinda freaky, actually."

I rolled my eyes. "Duly noted."

"For the record: I still don't think he looks like a Kevin and it's really creepy how much he looks like I did before..." She glanced down at herself. "...well, you know."

"Yeah, that is kinda weird. Is it like looking in a mirror for you?" I glanced up to get a better vantage point.

She shrugged. "Not so much, anymore. Now, I look like a sure shot for a role as Pocahontas or Sacagawea. Unfortunately, that kinda kills my career as an actor. It's down to niche parts that don't get filled often in this country."

My heart sank. There was yet another reason to have a bout of depression in the family. "Had your heart set on some Golden Globes and Oscars, huh?"

She slowly nodded. "Yes, I did. Maybe even a couple SAG awards. I mean, I'm not tooting my own horn, but something came out right when Mom and Dad brought me into the world. I have a gift and it's pretty much going to go to waste, now."

I nodded. I'd seen my brother on stage. He was a genius, there was no other way to describe it. I let out a heavy sigh. "And here I was just kinda sulking because I might not be able to play football in the fall. Other than my grades, it's about the only thing I've got going for me. I don't really have any hopes or dreams like you and Catherine did. Now, Chaz is looking at not being able to fulfill his scholarship requirements. That's pretty messed up."

Annie cocked her head to the side. "Mike, don't sell yourself short. You're freaking brilliant, okay? I mean, you've got how many Ivy League schools salivating over you possibly applying to their school? You could go to law school and then, maybe, run for Congress one day. That would be pretty awesome, if you ask me."

"Yeah, I think I know what you're saying. However, I could do that as a girl or a boy. Catherine got approved to womens' teams for her scholarship. Also, last time I checked, isn't Hollywood pretty vicious on the ladies?"

She giggled. "Yes. The competition's pretty stiff and there are some real bitches out there."

Suddenly, both of us fell silent. I can't speak for Annie, but I began to feel all tingly all over my body. As soon as that sensation came on, my back and stomach problems faded quite quickly. Both she and I stood, glaring at each other.

"Oh, shit! Not again!" We squealed in unison. I still was not used to how high my voice was and, I gather, neither was she.

Suddenly nervous, we began to hyperventilate and gave our bodies a glance. Thus far, nothing was different, but I could almost feel my clothes sliding across certain parts of my body. I felt a sense of vertigo again, but this time in reverse. Instinctively, I knew I was steadily growing taller. Glancing at my arms, I could see little hairs growing on them. My head itched as did my legs. Once sitting comfortably on my upper body, the T-shirt started to feel tight all over, rather than just in the chest region. Again, Annie and I exchanged glances.

We seemed be growing at about the same rate. She looked about the same height, but the couch behind her seemed to be shrinking. Her skin seemed to be getting lighter and her hair was receding into her scalp. I could almost watch as the hem of her sweatpants climbed higher on her legs, crawling away from her ankles. Her top also seemed like it was getting tight all over and I could swear I could see muscles grow on her shoulders and arms. It was really surreal.

As if on cue, we both looked back down at ourselves. The breasts that seemed to sit happily on my chest moments ago looked like they were deflating. I could feel a sensation almost like there was an intruder in my panties, but once my breasts had deflated enough, I could watch as the bulge in my crotch was growing bigger. My eyes shot as big as dinner plates and I could feel a sense of excitement building in me.

"Holy shit, I'm back! I'm a man again!" My voice cracked as its register lowered into something that I knew very well. The unfamiliar feminine voice was fading back into my very familiar masculine one. I tore off my T-shirt before my upper body was too large to accomplish the task and watched as my cleavage slowly receded. In a minute or two, I wouldn't have to wear a bra anymore.

"Dude, me too! Fuck yea!" Came an increasingly familiar tenor voice of my older brother. He, too, followed suit and tore off his T-shirt.

Though, I looked at him quizzically because he seemed to be wearing a pink bra with lace. "Um, Annie... I mean, Liam? What the fuck?"

He looked a little embarrassed. "I thought it looked pretty good. What?" He looked down at his deflating breasts. They no longer filled the cups and were dwindling fast. "Well... it did."

Both of our hips were narrowing and, now, the sweatpants were growing tight in other parts of our legs. Also, our waists and rib cages were flaring out at an alarming rate and returning to what we'd always been used to. My washboard abs returned as did my biceps and thigh muscles. Though, admittedly, I felt a sense of loss as I continued to watch my breasts recede into my chest. As awkward as they were, they hadn't been too bad to deal with. Though, that faded quickly as my penis continued to swell in my crotch. It was nice to have my old friend back.

Soon, almost as suddenly as it had come on, the tingling feeling faded and both Liam and I could see that we were back to our old selves; albeit, wearing some very feminine attire that appeared very much out of place, now. In fifteen minutes, we had reverted back to things we knew how to handle. Glancing at each other, my brother and I had the same thought. We both ran off to our respective rooms to change our clothes. The bras, panties, and feminine sweat pants just weren't appropriate anymore.

Before I really had a chance to get changed, my cell phone started chirping at me. I had ignored it most of the time, but I was suddenly in a good mood. So, I picked it up and glanced at who was calling. Elated, I answered the call.

"Hey, what's up? Mike MacAllister is BACK!" I greeted cheerfully.

"No shit! Same here, man! God, it's good to have my dick back!" Kai mirrored my sentiment. "We should really celebrate this momentous occasion, bro. I'm getting really tired of staring at the walls in the house. How about we do that trip to the reservoir we talked about at the camping trip? It'll be nice to get out and don some trunks!"

"Dude, get out of my head! I was kinda thinking the same thing. I gotta get outta here or the family is going to tear itself apart." I chuckled. It was nice to chuckle, rather than giggle.

"I know what you're going through. It's been pretty crazy around here, too. So, you dropping by in a bit?"

"Yea, just give me a few minutes. Why don't you give Kaleb a call and see if he's up to it. I'll go ahead and ring Danika to see if she and the girls would be interested." I suggested, voicing my thoughts as they came to mind.

"You think that Kaleb has calmed down and can handle a social situation with her, yet?" I could hear the suggestion in his voice.

I shrugged, as if he could see me. "I don't know. This last month has had some effects on us, dude. Maybe his time on the other side of the fence has calmed him a little?"

"You do know this is Kaleb we're talking about, right?"

I laughed. "Yea, that's true. Still, after this month of seclusion, the more the merrier, right?"

"You've got a point, there. Okay. I'll call Kaleb and see you in a bit?"

"Consider it done." I hung up the phone and prepared to shred my month of femininity so I could get on with my life.

* * * * * * *

In about two and a half hours, the world felt as if the majority of the month of June hadn't happened. We were back to ourselves and were celebrating pretty heavily. I had just grabbed my swim trunks, a plain T-shirt, and my sandals. I had no idea where Kai had gotten his connections, but he had procured four jet skis for us to frolic on the American Falls Reservoir with. Near as I could tell, everyone was enjoying themselves. I had picked up Kaleb, then moved on to the reservation to grab Kai and the four jet skis. Rather than overburden my dinky little car with such a load, Kai's uncle allowed us to use his pickup truck. We arrived shortly after Danika who had brought Jessica, Jakobi, and Shelby with her. And, already, the girls were apparently very happy to have their femininity returned to them, which was made apparent by them stripping down to their bikinis and dashing for the water before we had a chance to unload the jet skis.

Once we had the jet skis in the water, I did take a few turns to zip across the water at almost 50 miles per hour and feel the air rush through my, now, much shorter hair. I cannot accurately explain how great it felt to finally have no secrets when it came to my body, or inhibitions. For the first time since the whole ordeal began, I knew how everything felt and it was comfortable again. I'm fairly sure that there are people out there who may know what I'm talking about, but most didn't really get it until that day. I was very happy to be a teenage boy, once more.

Soon, though, the sun began to drop towards the horizon and several people's stomachs began to complain to them. To solve the issue, Danika and Kai jumped in her car to run into town for supplies. When they came back, we would have another feast by campfire. Coming down from the excitement, I noticed Shelby sitting by herself with her eyes transfixed in her laptop computer. I had no idea how long she'd been there, but her top was damp where the dry fabric came in contact with her wet bikini top and hair. So, at least she'd been enjoying herself before being something of an anti-social geek chick. Something compelled me to approach her, though.

Breathing labouredly and carrying a towel wrapped around my neck, I plopped onto the bench of the picnic table across from her. "Hey, there, Shelby."

"Hey, Mike." She stated blankly, not looking away from the screen.

I arched an eyebrow. "Um... what's up? School's out, y'know, and we don't have to study so hard."

Now, she moved to face me, giving me a 'Whatever!' smirk. "No, we should actually be studying. Something caught my attention. I don't think we're out of the woods, Mike."

Again, a perplexed expression found its way onto my face. "What do you mean?"

She lightly tapped the table next to her. I understood the gesture and moved to sit next to her. I assumed she was about to show me what she was talking about. "Well, I've been looking for some answers to what happened for most of the month. I'm pretty sure you're wondering just as much as I was. I mean, you saw! I went from a five-foot-two, C-note-and-change little mouse to a whopping six-foot, hundred-and-sixty-pound Greek god... or gorilla, I don't know which analogy is more accurate." She stopped only momentarily to think, then shook her head. "I dunno about you, but that really messed me up for a long time. I had to go shopping with my dad, who'd become my mom, and that was really embarrassing."

I nodded very knowingly. "Yea, I hear ya. I went with my mom-turned-dad. Really messed with my head, too." I scoffed. "I mean, until this month, Victoria's Secret was 'forbidden territory' and here I was smack dab in the middle of it!" Yes, I actually used 'air quotes'.

She smirked. "Suddenly, I'm actually tempted to ask what color your panties are."

My eyes shot wide open. "I took those off and put on my trunks!"

Then, she was like Kryptonite. Her eyes became half-open, bedroom eyes and she let out a playful giggle while she grinned. "Methinks the gentleman doth protest too much."

My face fell into my palm. The infamous 'facepalm' reared its ugly head again. "I'm not going to get out of that line of questioning, am I?"

She giggled again. "Afraid not." She shook her head. "Seriously, though? You will want to hang onto those. You're going to need them again."

My eyes again widened to the size of dinner plates. "Wait... What?!"

She nodded rather solidly. "Yes, I'm afraid so. If my suspicions are correct, just before the next New Moon."

"You have GOT to be kidding me!" I was almost disgusted with the whine that came from my lips.

She turned to me, straddling the bench. Okay, I couldn't help it, I looked. I was, after all, a healthy teenage boy again. Quickly, though, my eyes darted back up to hers. Suddenly, I found myself swimming in her gorgeous hazel eyes.

"Don't you think it's convenient that suddenly -- and spontaneously -- everybody in the world suddenly began to transform in to the opposite sex representation of themselves at exactly the same time? Then, try and quantify that exactly twenty-eight days later, we all changed back into our original selves?" Her expression was serious and scientific. It was a little intimidating.

I stumbled over my own words for a moment, then managed to crank out something coherent. "Actually, no, I hadn't given it much thought. I was just happy to have my..." I looked down at my own lap. "...little friend back."

She smiled, closed her eyes, and slowly ran her hands from her stomach up to her breasts; then, ran her hands up, over, and on top of them before stopping at her shoulders. I had no way of knowing whether she was aware of just how sexy that appeared to me. So much so that I could feel my little friend in my crotch respond. She spoke with breathy happiness, which only made it worse. "Yes, I'm very aware of happy you must be to have some old friends back in your possession."

I cleared my through and pulled my towel down from around my neck and covered my little problem with it. "Uh... yea... something like that." I swear I could feel my cheeks flush.

As suddenly as it had come, the sensuous nature melted and the cold, scientific demeanor returned to her face. "Still, I've been doing a little research. Did you know that women who were even just slightly pregnant didn't change with everybody else?"

I blinked. Now, that, I hadn't heard. The only way to cope with my new problem was to be as analytical and scientific as she was being. "Wait... no pregnant women changed? Logically, that kinda makes sense. I mean, that is the future of the human race they're gestating, right?"

She nodded. "Right. Know how I know?" I merely shook my head. Then, she turned to her laptop. "Well, you know the whole presidential campaign that's going on right now between Senator McCain and Senator Obama?"

I shrugged. "I don't really follow politics. I know they're screwed up and they're going to screw up the country with their greed, but I'm still a couple years away from voting, myself."

"No reason not to start now." She shook her head as she brought up a webpage. "Still, not important. The shining star of this whole thing is actually who McCain picked to be his Vice President candidate."

"Who'd he go with?"

"An unknown, sadly. Obama didn't take Senator Hilary Clinton, like most thought he would. But the kicker is that McCain wanted to ride the wave of women voters and went with some chick who's the Governor of Alaska, of all places."

I scrunched my face. "You're serious?"

She nodded. "As a heart attack. This lady's a piece of work, too. Still, that's not the important part." She pointed at a photo of a middle-aged woman holding a baby and some other young people surrounding her. "You see that girl standing there?"

I leaned in to get a better look. The close proximity made my little friend respond again. The towel was sufficient for now as I glanced at the photo. "Yea? What's so important about her?"

"Well, that's Bristol Palin, Governor Sarah Palin's teenage daughter. She's about our age."

I shrugged as I sat back down. "What's so special about her?"

"Well, it's kinda funny, actually." Shelby smiled and giggled slightly. "In a state where her mom says that Sex Ed. should teach 'abstinence only' and doesn't do the condom thing, that little brunette girl right there is pregnant."

I tried to work out several things in my head before I responded. "So, instead of being just another campaign about 'issues', the social war is going to start again?"

She shook her head. "The only reason they know that she's pregnant is that when everyone around her changed sex, she didn't. Then, pregnant women all over the place were saying they never changed, either. Don't you see?"

"So, what happened to us didn't happen to any pregnant women? Well, at least someone was spared that experience. Still, how does this equate into your little conjecture?"

"Well, I'm not going to sit here and claim to be an expert. Even the experts don't have an explanation for this. Yet, when I learned about the pregnancies, something just clicked. So, I did some checking. Already, there's stories popping up all over the internet." She closed the window with the Palin family and brought up another window with a story from the Associated Press. "This story was posted today. Here it is about 6 o'clock, our time, and there are already revelations happening. Gotta love the twenty-four-hour news cycle."

I glanced aside to her. "Why don't you tell me what's in the article. I'm not up for reading, much."

She sighed. "Well, this one's about a woman in Tacoma, Washington, that just gave birth to her baby last week. There were a few complications, so they kept her on observation in the hospital. They were going to release her about 3pm, or so. Well, then, everyone changed again. There's a hitch: If this was all over, that woman would take her baby home and get on with her life, right?" I nodded. "Well, nope. It's not a happy story. At 11am, Pacific Time, she turned into a man."

My jaw dislodged and fell on the ground. "What? No way!"

She nodded. "Also, there's another story." She opened another window with a photo of what seemed to be two happy women in their living room. "You see these two?" Again, I nodded. "Okay, well, the one on the left was born male. She's a transsexual. Fortunately for her, she lives in the United Kingdom that's a little more understanding of such things -- much more than us here in the States. When you became a fully-functioning female, so did she."

I visibly shivered. "No offense, but I don't really want to relive that, thanks."

"What do you mean?" She looked quizzical.

"Okay, so there isn't really anything wrong with being a woman. I just want that out there." I was playing defense. It was safer. She nodded. "Okay, just so we're clear. However, to me, it's pretty gross, okay? I was not really enjoying myself."

"Hey, being a guy wasn't a picnic, either." Good, she understood my apprehensions. "I mean, all that hair really itches. And, I've been meaning to ask: how the fuck do you deal with your 'morning surprise'?" I laughed. She waved me off. "Anyway, that's not the point, is it? Getting back to the story: this transsexual was finally a fully-functioning woman, right?"

I nodded. "Okay, I get what you're saying. Moving on."

"Yes, well, her partner there in the picture? She became a man. Well, they did a little fooling around and now the transsexual-turned-functional woman is pregnant..."

"...and, lemme guess, didn't change back today?" I finished her sentence, given the previous context.

"Exactly. So, you have Bristol Palin who hasn't changed at all. Then, you have the mother in Tacoma that can't feed her baby, now, because she turned into a man. And, finally, you have the transsexual-turned-functional woman in the UK that is now pregnant and hasn't changed. Beyond that, you have everybody else -- including us -- that had no extenuating circumstances that spontaneously changed sex earlier this month only to return to our original sex today. You see why that would start my wheels turning a little?"

A sense of utter dread began to crawl over me. "Unfortunately, I kinda get what you're saying. All the signs are kinda pointing to us changing again. You figured that out pretty fast. Why haven't you gone to the press with this?"

She scoffed. "Already ahead of you. I've emailed CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, and even Fox News about this. We'll see what happens. The thing that gets me, though, is that I've already predicted that it's going to happen again. The thing that got me was when."

I furrowed my brow. "Yea... so, when's the dreaded day?"

She opened another browser window. "Well, the first time this happened was during our camping trip, just as we were going home. Well, that was the 2nd. Today is the 30th, the final day of June. For some odd, yet interesting, reason, the two dates are precisely twenty-eight days apart. You know what else happens every 28 days?" The puzzled look on my face gave her the answer. "Full moons and menstrual cycles. It's so simple, it's scary."

I recoiled. "Menstrual cycles? Really?"

She looked down her nose at me. "Well, you'll probably come face-to-face with that reality some day, so you'd better get used to the idea."

I shivered. "Sorry... that's just really gross. No offense."

She smirked. "Men have been saying that for thousands of years. Paybacks really are a bitch. If this transformation cycle continues and a transsexual-turned-functional woman can get pregnant, you'd better believe the bleeding is a reality, too." I think she could tell I wanted to throw up. "Beyond that, you didn't hear my other point, did you?" I meekly shook my head. "Full moons. The lunar cycle lasts for 28 days. This month, we had a New Moon on the 3rd. In two days, we'll have another one. So, both times, we've been between the Last Quarter and New Moon end of the cycle. So, counting out 28 days from today... on July 28th, you're going to have breasts again and I'm going to have a penis."

The dreaded facepalm made its return.

Out of nowhere, Kaleb came trudging up to the picnic table, panting. "Hey, guys? What are you two love birds chattin' about?"

I looked up at him with a serious expression. "Kaleb, don't get rid of your panties. Kaylee's going to be back soon." I stood and trudged away from them. The weight of the news coming down on me.

Shelby glanced over at Kaleb. "That's your girl name? Kaylee? Boy, your parents aren't very creative, are they?"

[- To Be Concluded -]

Dream Come True - Chapter One - by: Danielle Krieger (c) 2011 Ostracized by family and many friends, Melissa Sterling finds herself on the cold, lonely streets. Being transgendered, not many opportunities present themselves and too many people are overtly discriminatory. Like her family, the state safety net has abandoned her with no income and no health care. A modern American tragedy. In her own mind, she can't seem to catch a break and life doesn't seem worth living. That is, until fate seems to have another plan in place. In this installment, we meet Melissa and learn of her fate, for better or for worse.

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DISCLAIMER: Admittedly, overall, this story is inspired by a combination of Swishy's Kate Draffen story, Issy's Changing Cal, and all of the works by Bad Guru (FictionMania). I've seen several iterations of the tale elsewhere, too. However, having not dealt with the holidays in a favorable manner, I've had a dark cloud over my head. It's been impeding my work on ChangeDay: Advent. I needed something to uplift myself. If I've plagiarized anything without permission, I apologize. That was not my intention. I, personally, needed to tell a story like this. Maybe there are others who derive the same feelings that I hope to convey in this tale. Yes, it is in fact quite autobiographical, with names and situations changed not only to protect them but also add to the fantasy. I hope it makes the readers feel the same way I hope it makes me feel.

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— Chapter One —

“Full Name?” Came the cold, clinical bite of the woman’s voice. If social workers really hate what they do so much, why can’t they find a better job?

“Melissa Deanne Sterling.” Was my reply, somewhat proud and happy with the fact. Sadly, though I’d been working on it for almost a year, my voice didn’t sound as feminine as hers did. Which was a blow to my self-esteem because she sounded as though she’d chain-smoked in her younger years.

“Age?” Again, cold and monotone. Did I hear her sigh?

“Twenty-five. I just had a birthday…” I was trying to make small-talk. Obviously, an exorcise in futility.

She cut me off. “Sex?”

“Female.”

Again, she sighed. “Look, Mr. Sterling, it won’t do you any good to lie on legal paperwork. You know you could be held in jail for perjury?”

Suddenly, my cheeks flushed. I knew. I just didn’t want to admit it. Obviously, this woman had received no manner of sensitivity training when dealing with people like me. I cleared my throat. “It’s Miss Sterling, thank you. Are you aware of state statute…”

Now, she was getting grumpy. “I’m aware of the non-discrimination law that was passed eighteen months ago, Mr. Sterling…”

Now, I stood. “Look, this is difficult enough as it is. You don’t have to continue to patronize and disrespect me. I haven’t done that to you, so would it kill you to show a little common decency?”

She put her pen down. “I don’t care what you think. It’s my job to place you and you are making it more difficult with each question you lie about. If you’re going to act insubordinate, then our business here is done, Mr. Sterling.” She slammed the window shut.

That was my last nerve. “How fucking hard is it to say MISS Sterling?! Fuck off, you god damn prejudiced bitch!”

That was not the smartest thing I’d done all day. Angrily, I grabbed up my purse and began placing my identification back into the bill fold when I heard heavy footsteps behind me.

“Is there a problem here?” From the sound of the keys, it sounded as though one of the security guards had been alerted to the scene. When I turned to look, my conjecture was confirmed.

“Not with you, sir.” A sigh spilt from my lips as I continued my labor.

“Look, Mister…” He began, causing me to growl. “…if you’ve got a problem with the social workers, then you’ve got a problem with me. That’s just the way it is.”

Finished, I spun and stood to face him. He towered over me, but my resolve made me feel ten feet tall. “I am NOT a ‘mister’ and I am NOT a ‘sir’, thanks! Is there any way I can speak to a supervisor?!”

“I’m afraid not. They’ve all gone home for the day. If you behave yourself, maybe you can come back tomorrow and sort everything out?” He may have been trying to be polite, but I understood his innuendo: they wanted me out of the building and they wanted it five minutes ago. Social services really do have terrible “customer service”.

“You want me gone? Fine! I’m out of here!” I could feel the tears well up in my eyes as I made my way through the sea of the hopeless toward the door.

This was supposed to be my way out. I hate this town.

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

Water droplets cascaded downward from the heavens, splattering against all manner of surfaces. Clad in only my coat for protection, the hood was lifted over my head but provided little protection for the rest of my body. My jeans, socks, and shoes were soaked clean through. I could hazard a guess that the wheeled luggage performed a similar job of protecting all the clothing I had in the world from the same abuse the rest of me was receiving. Laundry day was only two days ago. Now, I’d have to find a dryer if I wanted to keep any of the clothes. With the smattering of droplets, my glasses did little to help my eyesight. The only good thing about the rain: it hid the tears flowing down my cheeks.

My life had never been this dismal before. Certainly, it wasn’t great, but I didn’t have much to complain about. I had a decent upbringing. My parents were both stably employed through my entire childhood. Albeit small, I had grown up in a decent community. The schools weren’t too bad -- about on par with the national average. We never went hungry. We always had clean clothes and a new pair of shoes every year. I was able to indulge in some hobbies, but not too many.

Despite it all, I was still miserable, even then. I was living a lie.

I was always relatively feminine, compared to my peers. I never really did fit in with the guys. There was always an inherent empathy for the girls. However, acting on these impulses usually got me hurt. At school, I’d been the target of school yard bullies ever since I can remember. It never stopped and it seemed I had a new nemesis in every school. As a survival mechanism, I went on autopilot and became emotionally numb. Their enjoyment and fulfillment taken from them, the bullies eventually sought more responsive targets. To do so, I had to exhibit a kind of hyper masculinity that would make me “one of the guys”. I hated every second.

To make matters worse, school wasn’t the only place where I experienced such abuse. If it wasn’t enough that the kids were putting me down and beating on me at every available opportunity, there were similar experiences waiting for me once I got home. My parents had divorced when I was still in diapers, so I don’t remember spending extended periods of time with my own father. Then, my mother had married my step-father. To say he was an “alpha male” is an understatement. He demanded respect and control at every opportunity. My brother and I were typically the objects on which he asserted his power. Through intimidation, physical abuse, and psychological torment, he asserted the legitimacy of his regime. Living in China was likely better than being under “his” roof.

Needless to say, I engaged in as many extracurricular activities as I could get my hands on to avoid going home at night. Again, to assert masculinity, I’d joined the football team in high school (my step-father had forbidden me from doing such in junior high). I wasn’t a half bad running back, but far from the star of the offense. I was a little more effective on defense, but not by much. My small build and lack of sufficient muscle tone did me a disservice. There were also the many years spent in one choir or another which honed my voice into something I was very proud of. I wasn’t the best, but I wasn’t far from the top. My detriment was that that teacher didn’t’ think as highly of me as others in the class. Where I shined, though, was on the stage. Our school had a very good drama department and a great auditorium with which to work in whatever could be imagined. My only joy and acceptance through school came when I was on stage and it made high school culture much easier to deal with. I also learned two foreign languages, which have come in handy in my post-secondary school life.

The culture in my hometown was stifling, however. The rural, small-town, conservative atmosphere is what had caused my problems in the first place. Thus, in order to move forward with my life, I had to do everything I could to get out. In one last effort to attempt to “prove” some semblance of masculinity, I joined the Armed Forces after high school by enlisting with the Navy. It was not to last. I was discharged under the ten-year-old “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy when my stash of panties was discovered during a surprise inspection and they didn’t believe my “conquest trophy” excuse. They were, of course, ignorant to the fact that I didn’t even know what my sexual orientation was, at that time. They didn’t care, either.

My parents didn’t want me back, so I was on my own. Apparently, I had brought the family some kind of ultimate shame that was simply unforgivable. That’s when things went downhill and I was plunged into my current situation. Invisibly, there was another homeless veteran on the streets. The one concession was that I was near Seattle, Washington, and had all the benefits of living in a liberally-minded area of the country. Not only did the city have a non-discrimination policy considering sexual orientation and gender identity, but the state had a similar, albeit more comprehensive, law in place, as well.

One beacon of light was when a friend of mine had brought down to Lambert House, thinking it was just fine for me, given the terms of my discharge. If I ever see her again, I’m going to have to thank her. The place was good to me and I was finally able to be myself in a social setting. Gone were all my pretences and defense mechanisms. Through the program, I’d been given a stable place to live and all the meals I’d need while I tried to put my life back together. They also referred me to councilors and medical professionals that finally brought light to my feelings. I am a transsexual. For a year, I had state aid for my hormone medications and any appointments my therapist set. I was even able to get my name legally changed and update all my documents.

Then, I aged out of the program and the state cut back social programs. Economic recessions are a real bitch. I had, officially, fallen through the cracks.

No employer has hired me in a year and a half. My previous employer fired me because I’d begun my transition, but I couldn’t prove it nor did I have the financial means to hire a lawyer who could. All my money had run out a long time ago. Now, I had to deal with the adult shelters who were most unkind to someone like me, both “clients” and staff alike. I was back to my autopilot and numb emotions as I trudged from one soup kitchen to another, barely nourishing my meager existence.

Speaking of which, it’s feeding time. Slowly, I stood, grabbed my luggage, and began to trudge down the alleyway. The only sounds besides my soft sobs were the plastic wheels coming in contact with the asphalt and the distant sirens blaring through the downtown towers.

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

You have to be really bored or a major insomniac to count the little dots on ceiling tiles. Yet, that was my current activity. All around me, there were snores and other evident sounds of people sleeping. I was hardly so lucky. Tonight, my jacket-turned-pillow offered little comfort. It was still fairly damp from the day. There would be no change of clothes, either. They were all in the same shape. The wool-ish rescue blanket draped over top of my body itched like mad. The prison mattress underneath me offered little comfort. I wanted to cry in self-pity again.

“Mel? You awake?” A soft, feminine voice beckoned to me.

For some odd reason, most places would discriminate and deny me access to transitional housing programs for women. However, emergency shelters didn’t care enough to question my ID card. At least I didn’t have to sleep around men who could rape me at any second to show me “how a real woman does things”.

“Unfortunately.” I whispered, trying not to sound distressed.

“Me too.” Thank you, Captain Obvious. “Pretty shitty day today, huh?”

She had no idea. “You could say that.” I finally rolled my head over to my right to face the voice. My eyes landed on a petite brunette who I’d come in contact with on several occasions. If anything, we were acquaintances. She was a year younger than I, but I couldn’t recall her name if you paid me.

“Did you have any luck?” She looked empathetic to my plight.

I gently shook my head. “No. Some bitch slammed the window in my face and kept talking to me like I was a man.”

She sat up. Her upper body was covered by a tank top and no bra. Didn’t the blanket itch her like it did to me? “What?! How can they be so heartless?”

I shrugged. “They’re in social services and there’s no shortage of homeless out here?”

“How do you know they were being discriminate, though?”

“She called me ‘Mr. Sterling’ and seemed to think I was lying about what my real name was. I told her everything that was on my I-D, but she seemed hell bent on denying me.”

“That’s, like, what? The third or fourth place?”

Tears welled up, again. “Yeah.”

She patted my shoulder. “I’m sorry, Mel. There’s gotta be something for you down the line. There just has to be.”

“My faith in the truth of that statement is diminished as the days go on.”

She lay back down. I rolled my head back up to the ceiling. That was typically the extent of our conversations. She’d ask me how I was, I would tell her how bad it was, then she’d tell me it’ll get better. I wish I could believe that.

To make matters worse, I thought I might be coming down with something. I felt that my joints were a little sore and the room seemed both warmer and colder than it probably was all at once. Great. Just what I need.

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

Funny. I don’t remember falling asleep. Yet, there I was becoming aware that my eyes were closed, yet the sounds of my surroundings were very strange indeed. I could hear a bit of talking and the sound of a heart monitor somewhere nearby. Just on reflex, I decided to shift a little and my body felt as though it weighed a ton.

‘Lovely,’ I thought. ‘I am sick. How much is it going to cost, this time?’

I tried to vocalize something, but all that emitted from me was grumbles and moans. Next was to try and open my eyes. The moment I tried, there was much regret. My vision was really blurry and the lights were really bright. Immediately, the effort was abandoned. What the heck is wrong with me?

Suddenly, I could hear shuffled footsteps come from my left, cross at the foot of the bed, and move over to my right side. “Well, hello, there.” I heard the sweet, maternal voice greet. “How are we feeling?”

I tried to answer, but nothing seemed to be obeying my commands. The most I could muster was incoherent moans and grunts. At least, they sounded vaguely feminine. I was always afraid I’d come off sounding like a man.

“Ah, having a few difficulties? That’s pretty natural after a seizure like you had.”

WHAT?! Seizure? How? When? Why? My body stiffening seemed to convey the message I was trying to get across. She gently patted my shoulder.

“It’s okay, honey. You don’t have to answer or move around too much. Dr. Michaels is on your case. You’re in good hands, sweetheart. Thirsty?”

Slowly, I managed a nod. My throat felt like a desert. Somehow, my bed began to tilt upward. Was I on a gurney? Then, she helped me open my mouth, bringing a plastic cup to it and slowly pouring in the liquid. I could scarcely believe how much effort it was taking just to swallow. The effort exhausted me.

“Okay, dear.” She lifted the cup away from me. “That should be good for now. Why don’t you rest some more and I’ll see you when you’re stronger. Remember: you’re safe, now. No need to worry.”

I managed to groan out some form of “Thank You” before I lost consciousness once more.

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

There is no way for me to know how much time had passed when opened my eyes again. Yet still, for some unknown reason, I awoke with a start, sat straight up in bed, and let out the most androgynous scream I’ve ever heard. Thankfully, the lights were turned out and the room was in a state of twilight. My eyes darted around and came upon linoleum flooring, cinderblock walls, and white everywhere. Apparently, I was situated in a corner with just a curtain separating myself and whoever happened to be my neighbor. Instantly, my mind recognized this to be a hospital. Whatever had scared me awake, I was a little more scared to know where I was.

The curtain was pulled to the side slightly and a plump older woman who, oddly, looked quite a bit like my mother entered the area. She had a nice maternal smile on her face, though. That helped.

“Well, well…” She began. “She does live. Everything all right?”

For whatever reason, I slowly shook my head and started to cry. Whatever the nurse happened to be carrying, she set on a table nearby and rushed to my side. Before I knew it, I was being embraced and soothed. On reflex, my body fell into her arms and soft sobs were the only thing coming out of me for the next few minutes. Soon, it seemed that just as quickly as they had come, my tears dried up and I was regaining some composure. The nurse let me go.

“There.” She stated sweetly. Who was this woman? “Feel better?” All I could do was nod and sniffle. “Good. Lovely to have you awake, finally.” She smiled as she pulled the table over. “My name is Janet and I’ve been your attending nurse.”

I liked her already. “Where am I?” My voice sounded like a bored frog.

“Welcome to Virginia Mason, my dear.” Another smile. Sensing some mild confusion, she continued. “You’ve been here about five days now. You’d be at Harborview were it not for your doctor’s insistence that you be placed here.”

Five days? Must have been some serious flu! “Yes, his office partners with you guys for patient records reasons.”

She nodded. “A good thing, too. We’ve got your whole chart here, so no need to fret about that.” She began to fiddle with my IV. Thankfully, they’d placed on the back of my hand, rather than in the bend of my elbow. I’d explained that preference to my doctor, so I was glad a note like that was communicated well.

“Why am I here, anyway?”

“Well, the majority of that will have to be answered by the doctor when she comes in. She should be along shortly. Though, the rest is easily answered. Do you have a history of febrile seizures in your family?” The quizzical look on my face delivered the answer. “Um, seizures when you have a fever?”

My mind wandered for a moment, searching for the intended information. “Yes, actually, but those only happen during early childhood, right? My mom and baby sister had them, but I don’t think I ever have.”

She nodded. “The doctor expected as much. After a CT scan and cranial MRI, we couldn’t find any evidence that you were epileptic and it isn’t in your chart, either. So, it was our thought that you experienced one of those febrile seizures. Though, yes, it is extremely rare for someone your age. Though, you did have a fairly high fever when you were brought in.”

My eyes closed as I tried to absorb the informational assault. Before I could continue, someone else announced their presence by clearing their throat. My eyes glided over to the form of the newcomer. She was quite pretty, I must say. Taller than average, for a woman, she stood almost silhouetted against the hallway light. Her blond hair was tied back in a somewhat messy bun. Silver wire framed glasses set on her nose and almost hid her blue eyes and well-manicured eyebrows behind them. She had a fair complexion with no visible blemishes. After that, she was clad in a lavender blouse, navy pencil skirt, nylons, and sensible flats adorned her feet. Over it all was the typical white lab coat with a stethoscope around her neck. Her smile was as warm as the nurse’s.

“Good morning, Melissa. Feeling well?” She glanced over at the nurse. “Hello, Janet. You may stay, if you’d like.” The nurse nodded.

There was only one question on my mind. “Is it really morning or are you just saying that because I’m awake?”

She giggled. Since when do doctors giggle? “Nope. It really is morning. It’s about 7:30, to be exact. I’m sure it’s a little weird for you, having been here so long and actually wake up in the morning.”

All my body would do is nod. “Yes, pretty weird.”

She moved over and set down some kind of computer pad she was carrying and moved over by the bed. “I’m Dr. Kaitlyn Michaels. You can call me Dr. Michaels or Katie, if you’d like.”

There was a lot of nodding going on this morning. What’s one more? “So, what’s the damage, Doc?”

Again, another smile. It helped that she was so pretty. “Well, we’ve got some lab results coming back in about an hour or so, but the overall prognosis is fine. You haven’t had a fever in two days and I’m glad to see your white blood cell count come down. Any headache, joint pain, or even a little nausea?” I slowly shook my head. “Then, I would say that you were the picture of health, but I want to see those lab results come back so that we can find what put you in this situation in the first place.”

“Yes, Janet was telling me that I had a fever, then a seizure?”

“Yes, very uncommon for someone who isn’t in Kindergarten. You can understand my reservations, then?”

“I guess so, yeah. So, no idea what’s causing all of this, yet?”

“Oh, I’ve got a couple hypotheses, but I’d like to have some conclusive results before I jump into telling you my master plan.” She smirked. “So, for right now, let’s see about getting the diodes off and taking out the IV just before getting you fed. Once I’ve had a chance to look over the labs, I’ll be back in here. Okay?”

“Sounds like a plan, Doc. Thanks.”

She smiled and gently squeezed my arm before she turned, grabbed her computer pad, and turned to leave the room. I was left alone with Janet, but I wasn’t complaining much.

The next several hours passed by quickly enough that they’re nothing but a blur. Most of it, I spent surfing the modest amount of channels on the TV. At times, Janet would come in to check on me and we’d engage in short conversation before she had to move along to her other patients. The culminating moment for me was during lunch. They brought me the first decent cheeseburger I’d had in a long time, such was not on the menu at shelters and soup kitchens. Though quite hungry, I savored as much of it as possible. Strangely, I didn’t really notice that I wasn’t actually wearing underwear. For obvious reasons, they had taped me into an adult diaper, but Janet defended her decision based on my financial situation and the cost of a catheter. Of course, she had also considered my comfort level, given my current biological status. Though utterly embarrassed, I thanked her for her foresight. After she helped me into the bathroom, I took the thing off and she handed me a clean pair of panties as mine were stashed away with other belongings. Thankfully, Janet had carefully removed all the IV tubes, so I didn't have those to fumble over. Still, she left the IV in if there was a chance they'd have to take more blood, I guessed.

Soon, there was nothing interesting on television. It’s a common lament, but how can there be even 50 channels and nothing of substance being broadcast? I let out a sigh. As if on cue, Dr. Michaels poked her head around the curtain and gave a smile. Politely, I shut off the TV and sat up.

“Are you decent?” She asked.

I raised an eyebrow. “As much as I can be while wearing a hospital gown. Why?”

She used her head to signal behind her. “I have a couple of men with me that are eager to meet you. Is it all right that I let them in on our conversation? They have some things to add.”

One thing came to mind: specialists. “Okay, Dr. Michaels, what’s going on? I thought this was just about blood test results.”

She didn’t answer. She moved into the room and two men followed her, as she’d stated. The first looked to be in his forties with a receding hairline, salt and pepper hair, dark eyes, and a few wrinkles. He wore a navy blue three-piece suit. He was some official, I conjectured. The second man seemed closer to fifty, but he’d shaven his head bald. He was an African-American in a lab coat, an unfortunate rarity. Though, with his wire frame glasses and well-manicured mustache/goatee combination, he reminded me of Denzel Washington. My apprehension rose into my throat.

The black doctor spoke first. His smile was as warm as Dr. Michaels’. “Good afternoon. I’m Dr. Abraham Carver.” I shook his hand anxiously. He pointed to the official. “And this is Agent Anthony Donovan…”

“C-D-C.” Agent Donovan interrupted.

“Wait, Centers for Disease Control? What the heck is going on, here?” Now, I was frightened.

Dr. Michaels quickly dismissed that it was as bad as I was thinking it was. “No, Melissa, it’s not like that. You’re not infested with the Black Plague, I promise.”

“Then, what do I have?”

Dr. Carver cleared his throat and stepped forward. “Before we answer that, I’m going to ask you a series of seemingly redundant questions. Are you okay with that?”

“Did a doctor just tell me he was going to ask me some dumb questions? I better mark this on the calendar!” The mood was lightened. Everyone but Agent Donovan had a good chuckle. “Go ahead, I guess.”

Dr. Carver opened up a manila folder of some kind. “First: Have you traveled outside the United States to Canada, Europe, Mexico, Central America, South America, Australia, Japan, or the African continent anytime during the past 12 months?”

“No. I can’t afford to pay attention, much less travel anywhere.” Dr. Michaels hid a giggle while Dr. Carver managed a smirk.

“Next: Have you eaten any questionable food in the past 3 months?”

“I’m homeless. To me, it’s all questionable.”

“That answers the next question about whether your living environment would contribute to expedient disease communication. We’ll move on to the next question: Have you participated in any clinical trials in recent months?”

“Yes. Three. One for depression. Another one for birth control. And, the last was for anxiety.”

“What type of birth control?”

“Some new oral contraceptive. ‘The pill’ is evolving, I guess.”

“Why did you engage in such a clinical trial.”

I blushed. “I’ve been cut off the state Medicaid program. It was an easy way to get some kind of hormones.”

“They let someone like you participate in a female-only clinical trial?” Agent Donovan interjected.

“What, exactly, is that supposed to mean?” I growled.

“Agent Donovan, you’re upsetting my patient. If you cannot control your outbursts, I will not hesitate to ask you to leave. Am I clear?” Dr. Michaels stepped in. He grumbled something incoherent and folded his arms. Then, she moved over to the bed and held my hand. “Melissa, we found something in your blood work. A virus, we think, or evidence thereof.”

“Well, I had assumed that. I mean, I somehow fell asleep in a temporary shelter then woke up in a hospital five days later. I know that I had a high fever and then a seizure resultant from that. What else is there to tell?” My thoughts spilt out of my mouth as I tried to grasp the situation.

“Well, what we have to report could either be good news or bad news. Though, given your situation, I’d hazard it was good news.” Dr. Carver smiled, again.

Dr. Michaels nodded. “Yes, probably good news. What we found is something we think to be some kind of retrovirus, but I’ve only seen something like this before in medical journals. You, however, are the first recorded case in the United States.”

“First case of what?”

“Well, it’s been called a number of names, but we’re sticking with Human Transmutation Virus, or H-T-V for short. We’re not sure of the causes or how it’s spread, but I’m sure you’ve heard of the common vernacular of ‘Girl Flu’ coming from the United Kingdom or Australia. Have you heard of it?”

My brain performed a self scan, but for all that was in me, I couldn’t pinpoint anything relevant. “I don’t think so. I haven’t been up on current events, I’m afraid. Surviving takes up a lot of a person’s day, it seems.”

Dr. Michaels smiled again. “Well, then this is your lucky day.”

Dr. Carver nodded. “Indeed it is. HTV seems to affect its host differently with each case, as one would suspect, but the end result is always the same. I’m sure you’ve heard the term ‘sex change’ before. To my knowledge, HTV is the only thing known to man that can actually accomplish that task. As the retrovirus takes its course through the body, it takes the host from one biological, genetic, and physiological sex directly to the opposite sex.”

“Wait… does this mean… ?” The blood left my face.

“Yes, Melissa. When this is all over, you will be female, totally and completely. Not even a gynecologist like myself will ever be able to tell that you had once had a male body. HTV even changes your DNA.” Dr. Michaels explained.

The world went black.

[ - To Be Concluded - ]
Photo Credit: Haley Ramm

Dream Come True - Chapter Two - by: Danielle Krieger (c) 2011 Ostracized by family and many friends, Melissa Sterling finds herself on the cold, lonely streets. Being transgendered, not many opportunities present themselves and too many people are overtly discriminatory. Like her family, the state safety net has abandoned her with no income and no health care. A modern American tragedy. In her own mind, she can't seem to catch a break and life doesn't seem worth living. That is, until fate seems to have another plan in place. In this installment, we learn what has happened to Melissa and a few details. Also, Melissa's transformation begins to show itself.

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(For the Disclaimer, see Chapter One)

A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR: I would first like to thank everyone for the kudos and comments in Chapter One. They made my day for several days running. Thank you for all the kind and encouraging words. I hope this and future installments of this tale continue to live up to the expectations. Lots of love all around! xD

HUGGZ!!

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— Chapter Two —

There was some hope deep within me that another five days hadn’t passed. Thankfully, it was only about twenty minutes until I regained consciousness. When I did, the lights were on in my room. This time, they didn’t hurt my eyes as much. In fact, I was glad for them. The room was beginning to feel like some sort of cave. Grunting, I pulled myself up into a sitting position and glanced around the room. The doctors and agent had left the room. Janet was nowhere to be seen. I heard someone clear their throat. Startled, my eyes darted in the direction my ears had said the sound had come from.

There, in a rather comfortable looking chair, was a short, round, balding man. The hair that was leaving his head had migrated to his chest and arms. His dress was appropriate to his station, like I’d always seen him. He wore a plain white button-down shirt, grey slacks, and brown Oxford shoes. He also wore a satisfied smile that made his comforting gray eyes sparkle.

“DAVE!” My voice cracked, but I didn’t care. I leapt off the bed and gathered him up in an embrace. He was, after all, about three or four inches shorter than me when we were both standing.

He chuckled. “Hello, Melissa. I see you’re feeling better.”

By obligation, a nurse poked her head past the curtain. I wish she hadn’t. Apparently, my gown was a little more revealing than I’d have liked in the back. I released the man, turning to face the nurse with a blush forming on my face. He merely stood.

“What in the world is going on back here?” She demanded.

“Everything’s okay,” He stated. “I’m Melissa’s P-C-P, David Halden.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t a primary care provider be a doctor?”

He shook his head. “Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner, actually.”

She nodded. “Oh. ARNP, huh? Carry on.” She turned and left. He probably had better credentials than she did.

I shuffled back over to the gurney, sat down, and covered myself as much as possible with the blankets, feeling very much exposed, now. “So… how long have you been here?”

“Only a few minutes, actually.” He stated, returning to his seat. “It seems I missed the announcement, though.”

“I guess so…” I trailed off.

He smirked. “You still think it’s a dream, don’t you?”

In point of fact, that’s exactly what I was thinking. For a moment, I hesitated. Then, got brave and actually brought my hand up to meet with my face. The sound of a loud slap echoed through the room. “OW!” Okay, not dreaming.

“Melissa, please don’t hurt yourself. You are certainly not dreaming, though I can empathize with your belief that you are.” He chuckled.

I rubbed the sore spot on my cheek for a moment. As I thought, it was a little rough from a couple days’ worth of growth. I suddenly felt embarrassed that two strange doctors and an agent from the CDC had seen me in this condition. That was a fleeting thought, though. There was a strange sensation on my arm and part of my neck. I pulled my hand away from my face to see several small, dark hairs on my palm, fingers, wrist, and upper arm. My eyes widened in disbelief.

“Okay, that’s not normal!” I announced.

He shot out of his seat and took my hand, giving it a look over. Then, he glanced at my cheek. “Well, I’ll be damned. It’s already happening.”

“What?!” A sense of horror washed over me.

He squeezed my hand reassuringly. “Oh, don’t worry. Melissa, your beard stubble is falling out.”

“It is?” Deep down, I’d always wished that it would without any help from expensive procedures like electrolysis or laser hair removal.

He continued his examination. “Well, not all of it, but I’d say give it time. Admittedly, it is very fascinating to watch you simply wipe it off your face. I’ve heard some whispers about HTV, but I thought it was nothing more than some elaborate hoax. I never thought I’d have a patient diagnosed with it.”

“Well, lucky you. I hadn’t even heard about it.” I was still staring at my hand.

“I had no intention of giving you some sense of false hope and I will continue to do that with the rest of my transgender patients. It would seem like you’ve won that lottery you keep fantasizing about.” Finished with the examination, our eyes met. “Why don’t you go to the bathroom and have a look? Besides, you can wipe away the strays while you’re at it.”

All I could do was nod while he moved to the side and allowed me to trudge over to the bathroom, dumbstruck. All hyperboles aside, I was never as hairy as one would believe someone with Central European or Scandinavian heritage to have. Granted, I shaved both my arms and my legs but even those produced less hair than my brother had. The embarrassing place where I had hair was on my butt. I hated that with a passion. Yet, even with all of that, the single worse place was on my face. It had been the subject of a great many crying fits. The rest was just annoying. For the majority of society, any evidence of hair on someone’s face meant “man”, even though I’d met several women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome who could grow better beards than me.

Slowly, I made my way up to the mirror. For the most part, it was my reflection staring back at me. My long, straight, brown hair rested on my shoulders. My eyebrows could use a little attention from a pair of tweezers. There wasn’t much special about my blue eyes, but I loved that I’d always had long, thick, feminine eyelashes. I never liked my face. My nose seemed too big. My brow bone was always too prominent. My cheekbones weren’t prominent enough. My jaw was somewhat angular and too masculine for my liking. Then, it all came down into my “Jay Leno” chin -- which was a hyperbolic statement but it looked huge to me. I watched my Adam’s Apple rise and fall as I let out a sigh. However, right there in front of me was the patch where I’d rubbed my face after slapping myself. More than half the hair was gone.

My eyes shot wide as dinner plates. I moved closer to the sink, leaned forward, and began to run my hand along my beard stubble. Sure enough, as I rubbed my face, little hairs were literally falling off my face! I was looking right at it and still couldn’t believe it!

“Holy shit!” I giggled with glee.

“Told you so.” Dave’s voice echoed from the room.

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

Remorse filled me even as I labored through a much needed shower. It had been five days and I could smell my own stench. A girl’s got to have standards, right? The fact that my doctor (not really a doctor, but that’s how I saw him) was waiting for me had not escaped me. I simply rationalized that it would be more polite to save his nostril hairs from burning away than having him wait the ten-or-so minutes it would take me to practice a little personal hygiene. Thankfully, they had small bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. None were the brands I typically used, but I was thankful to have them, regardless.

While I went about my routine, the marvel of the mirror had overtaken me and I began a little personal inventory. With my heritage, there was always a bit more hair on me than I assumed to be average. There was always thick, dark hair on my arms which extended onto the backs of my hands and a bit on my knuckles. In my teen years when shaving it off would mean ridicule, I could hold my arm under a shower head and the hair on my arm would actually part along the bone. Gross. Then, there was the hair on my legs. It was thicker and I would typically have two or three hairs that seemed to sprout from the same follicle. Disgusting. I also had a “happy” trail and a veritable forest in my crotch. Not to mention, the hair on my posterior I mentioned earlier. Unfortunately, there was also a few hairs on my chest and around my nipples that drove me crazy. As a child, my worst fear was becoming a huge, hairy gorilla with a Polish sausage in my loins. Sadly, I wasn’t too far off, which caused me constant distress.

However, there was a lot of hair in the tub when I finished and I hadn’t even touched a razor, yet. Just looking down at myself as I stepped out of the shower basin was enough to tell me that I was considerably less hairy. Gone was about eighty-five percent of the hair on my arms and it had vanished from the back of my hand and knuckles. Gone was the “happy trail” and about fifty percent of the hair in my crotch area. Only about seventy percent of the hair was gone from my legs and they were considerably smoother, though I’d probably still have to shave every few days, or so. There was still hair in my armpits, but it was also not as dense and much finer. Thankfully, the obnoxious hairs on my chest and buttocks were all gone. I was very happy to see both those areas smooth as a baby’s bottom.

Even with all this happiness, there was still my naked body to contend with. I had always hated being naked. Thankfully, I was always on the short end of male height standards, coming in at a meager five feet and seven inches. My arms were okay and my legs weren’t too bad, either. Though, both were still on the end of “too masculine” for my liking. My shoulders were more narrow than my mothers’, but that was overshadowed by the broadness of my ribs. Add to that my narrow hips and my torso is a breeding ground for unhappiness. My hands weren’t too large, but bigger than the average woman’s hands. Then, there were my feet. I cursed whatever twisted soul had made my physique rather petite but gave me freakish clown feet. Being slightly above average female height, wearing a size 5/6, and toting around an off-the-rack bra were nice, but it was an act of Congress to get a pair of shoes that fit. I was a size 10, which is in the “large” category of women’s shoes and greatly limited my choices in footwear. Thus, for every small positive, there was a huge negative.

Speaking of which, we finally come to the bane of my existence. There are no words to describe how uncomfortable it made me to have that phallus strapped to my pelvic region. The thing was disgusting and cumbersome. While a year’s worth of hormones had given me softer skin, a more radiant complexion, approximately “A cup” small breasts, softer eyes, and a clear sense of mind, it had done nothing to decrease the size of the monstrous thing below my waist. It pained me to know that the thing was larger than most men that I have ever met. It’s especially sad when you can put your own boyfriend to shame. I hated it and often cried myself to sleep because of it. I was very much a prime candidate for sex reassignment surgery… which I would likely never be able to afford.

Rather than depress myself further, the decision to get dressed again was easily made. I quickly patted myself dry, shuffled into the panties, and slipped the hospital gown back on. Using a second towel to wrap my hair in, I returned to the hospital room. Thankfully, my doctor was still there and wearing a smile on his face.

“Feel better?” He grinned.

“Yes, very much. Thanks for indulging my ‘girly habits’ on that one.” I smiled back.

“Well, I didn’t want to be rude and just outright say you smelt like you’d been in a hospital for a few days.” We both had a small chuckle. “Why don’t you have a seat? Curiosity is getting the better of me and I’d like to perform an examination, if you’d be okay with that.”

“Not a problem on my end.” As requested, I sat down on the gurney once more. “I’ll probably be a lab rat for a while. I’d rather it was you than anyone else.”

He set right into his examination, starting with my feet and legs. He merely glanced at them from a couple different angles. “I thought you liked Dr. Michaels. She seems sincere and caring.”

“Yes, she strikes me the same way. I guess she’s okay.” I shrugged.

He blinked and did a double take. “I guess whatever effects they’ve foreseen have already begun. That little patch of hair on your feet is gone and your legs would be about on par with any other young woman your age.” He moved to my arms. “It would seem that your arms are in the same boat. I’m guessing you’re happy about that?”

A lovely smile creased my lips. “Very happy.” Then, a little sigh came out. “So, what can I expect with this HTV thing, realistically?”

“I’m not really sure, Melissa. Like I said, I’ve heard about it but assumed it a hoax. Though, with what some of these doctors here are suggesting, there probably won’t be a need for me to write that letter to the surgeon we’ve discussed.” He glanced at my torso. “Would you be averse to taking off the gown for a more thorough examination?”

“Nope. Besides, I need you to bring me back into the real world if I’m imagining anything.” I smirked, slipping off the gown.

First, he gazed over my entire form, probably making a mental checklist. Then, he went about poking and prodding at my little breasts. “Well, the hair growth all over your body has greatly diminished. I hadn’t expected that. Also, it would seem that there has been no atrophy of your breasts as a result of you suddenly coming off your hormones for an extended period of time. That’s some good news.”

“Well, I hadn’t expected much change. I mean, I just caught the bug, right?”

“Exactly. According to our results, the pathogen has been incubating in your system for nearly a month, now.” A deep, unfamiliar voice stated. Both of us in the room turned to the voice, only to discover that Dr. Carver had returned with Dr. Michaels accompanying him.

“I thought that breast exams were supposed to my territory, Mr. Halden.” Dr. Michaels smirked.

While I went flush in embarrassment and quickly covered myself, he nodded to the other two. “Usually, it would be. However, I currently know Melissa better than either of you, from both a medical and personal standpoint. All either of you can do is speculate as to what her hormones have done up to this point and what can be attributed to HTV.”

“Touché.” I giggled.

“So, what did we miss?” Dr. Michaels asked.

Dave glanced at me, then back to them. “Well, I would hazard a guess that her body is mandating a more feminine hair growth pattern, but that’s just conjecture.”

“Oh? How so?” Dr. Carver spoke up, taking notes.

Dave waved them over and pointed to a few points. “Well, you can see her arms and legs have much finer hair than before. She’s always been self-conscious about a few stray chest hairs and the hairs surrounding her navel. Those are gone, now. We found this after she slapped herself to prove she wasn’t dreaming. When she rubbed her face, her facial hair started falling out. As you can see, I would say that sixty percent of it doesn’t exist anymore.”

Dr. Carver leaned in and examined my cheeks, chin, and upper neck. “Fascinating. I haven’t seen many of these early stages before. Melissa, I’d imagine this is a very happy day for you.”

Nodding, I stated clearly. “I’ve always said that if I never had to shave my face again, it would be too soon. Does this mean that I’ll likely never have to shave my face again in a few days?”

Dr. Carver nodded. “I could agree with that estimate. Usually, the HTV process takes an average of three months. For some, more. For others, less.”

Dave seemed surprised. “Three months? That’s quite fast!”

“Yes, Mr. Halden. It’s not just the virus that boggles the minds of modern scientists, but the transformation process itself. Like I told Melissa before, in three months’ time there isn’t a gynecologist on the planet that will be able to tell that she was ever male at all.”

Dave smiled at me. “Sounds like a dream come true, right Melissa?”

Tears formed in my eyes. “A dream I’ve had since I was very little.”

“So, this begs the question: what happens to Melissa while this transformation is taking place?” Dave began. “I saw in the logs that a representative from the CDC was here earlier to ascertain the situation.”

“Agent Donovan was only here to assess any threat to the general population. As it stands, Melissa is well beyond any fathomable contagious period for any known pathogens.” Dr. Carver explained. “However, with so little being known about this particular pathogen, he is reluctant to release her into the general population.”

“Wait… are you saying that I’m being quarantined?” My mind wondered.

Dr. Carver nodded. “In a way, yes. I know that’s not very good news, but being the first case of HTV in the United States has its limitations. They’ve had time to deal with this in the former British Empire. With the UK, Australia, and Canada having already documented several reported cases, they’re not as paranoid as the United States. They used to be. There’s always got to be a first.”

“I have to be honest, here.” Dr. Michaels added. “The thing I’m most afraid of is the press getting wind of this. If they do, Melissa won’t be getting much sleep. They’ll hound her for comment day and night. However, the hospital has already taken precautions regarding that. Security was already a part of the CDC quarantine, but that’s likely to stir suspicion. It’s only a matter of time before they learn about you.”

“Wait. How many people are involved in that or is it just me?” I wondered.

Dr. Carver shook his head. “No, Melissa, it isn’t just you. Everyone in that same shelter the night you were brought in has been relocated to a safe house nearby. Also, anyone who has had contact with them has been brought in. There’s a day center downtown that has been shut down, closed off, and quarantined.”

A chuckle escaped my lips. “Oh, you’re doing them a favor, Dr. Carver. Bringing the federal government in means federal money. They’re probably sleeping in better accommodations than they have in almost a year, a lot longer than that for some of them. Believe me, for them, it’s a step up from the prison mattress we usually sleep on.” Then, I paused for a moment of reflection. “Wait, they closed down and quarantined Angeline’s? I always thought the place needed it, but that’s a bit much.”

“They’re not taking any chances. Any potential spread has to be eliminated. Think about it: a retrovirus capable of changing people’s sex that we understand so little about?”

He had a point. One fact did plague my mind. “So, you’re telling me that HTV affects natal females as much as it does natal males?”

“Yes. In respect to age and original birth sex, HTV is indiscriminate. It changes females into males just as it changes males into females. However, none of the research shows that it is as dangerous as the CDC would like to think. In fact, compared with other retroviruses, it’s very benign and relatively harmless. Also, it’s not as communicable as influenza or even small pox. I have reason to believe that it only affects people with a certain genetic marker. I can’t prove it, but it is a theory.” Dr. Carver shrugged.

“For those in the room that don’t know, Dr. Carver is the foremost North American authority on HTV. He flew in from Montreal two days ago.” Dr. Michaels smiled.

“So, you’ll be performing some extra tests on Melissa’s blood to see if you can pinpoint some kind of commonality?” Dave spoke up.

“Yes, if I have permission.” Dr. Carver glanced at me.

All I could do was shrug. “I don’t really care, Dr. Carver. I’ve already resolved that I’ll probably be a lab rat until this all washes over, so test away. Far be it from me to stand in the way of scientific discovery.”

“Thank you, Melissa. I didn’t want to proceed without some form of permission.”

“Well, with concerns about the media, I happen to know a publicist or two. If you’re interested, Melissa, I could give them a call and have them come down to talk to you. I know the public will expect some kind of statement soon, but you shouldn’t rush it.” Dave stated.

“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea, Mr. Halden.” Dr. Michaels spoke up.

“Oh, I do.” Came my firm reply. “I’m well aware that I’ll have to speak to the press at some point. I’d rather it was on my terms, so a publicist isn’t a bad idea.” Glancing at my doctor, I continued. “I can’t really pay them, though. I don’t think publicists do ‘pro bono’ work.”

He merely grinned. “The ones that I know do. Like I said, only when you’re ready. My concerns are to my patient, first and foremost.”

Now, I giggled. “Thanks, Dave.”

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

The next week or so passed by like one long blur. Again, there wasn’t much on television, but I did find some programs that I liked. Watching reruns of Mythbusters is always entertaining. For lapses in entertainment, Janet brought me a few books. Unfortunately, most of them were romance novels I would have never read, even if you paid me to. Once I communicated my preferences, the science fiction and fantasy novels were much more common. When she brought me Twilight, I would have liked to have regurgitated. Still, she was doing her best and I was thankful for the effort.

As predicted, the changes I was experiencing were subtle, at first. After two weeks, it was confirmed that I had a body hair pattern synonymous with a young woman of my age and heritage. The hair on my arms was soft, light, and fine, yet only occupied my upper arm between my wrist and elbow. The hair on my legs continued to thin out until the furriest part was my lower legs. My thighs were almost completely devoid of dark hair. My armpits were about the same as my shins. Interestingly enough, the hair even fell off my scrotum, which seemed a little odd to me. Finally, my face was completely smooth. Like my father, my facial hair had grown halfway down my neck, but there was no evidence that it ever existed anymore. When the last hairs fell out, I yelped out an elated “Woo hoo!” and my voice cracked into a higher register, which only served to make the experience that much better. Other than that, the hair on my head seemed a little more oily but that was the extent of it.

On the other hand, I was eating… a lot. During my teen years, I never really experienced the whole “eat your family out of house and home” thing most guys go through. Granted, I could put away half a large pizza and not blink. It was even funny to see the reactions on people when a girl as thin as I would devour a cheeseburger. I liked to think that, when I was able, my appetite was fairly “healthy” and “normal”. In the past week, I was putting away about six meals that were all about the size of the average “value meal” from most fast food chains -- just the regular size, not “super sized”. The nurses were a little worried that I was eating too much because I’d been half-starved by homeless shelters. However, Dr. Carver quickly dismissed such ideas by stating it was not uncommon for someone being affected by HTV to have similar eating habits. Essentially, my body was saying that it needed the extra energy and, as far as Dr. Carver was concerned, that was a good sign.

Today, however, I was having a case of the tummy aches. It wasn’t excruciating by any means, just an annoying dull pain that made it hard to take naps. I really didn’t think much of it until my doctor and Dr. Michaels came in for a check up in the late afternoon.

“Hey, Dave.” I smiled when I saw his grinning face.

“Hello, Melissa.” He greeted back.

“Hey, Mel.” Dr. Michaels stated with a toothy grin. This was definitely her “hello” smile that most women greet each other with.

“Hey, Dr. Michaels.” I returned with my own "hello" smile.

“How’s our girl feeling today?” Dave took a seat near the gurney.

I let out a sigh. “Not that great. I’m almost completely bored out of my mind and I’ve had a dull tummy ache all day.”

Dr. Michaels set down her computer pad. “Really?” She rushed to the bed side. “I’ll do an abdominal exam. You just let me know where it hurts. Sound good?”

Lazily, I shrugged. “I guess so.”

She pulled back the blanket and formed her hands into some odd shape. She had one hand over the other and all her fingers were extended. Then, she carefully applied pressure with her fingertips around my abdominal region, starting in the area near my stomach, then over to my liver, then down over my intestines, then down into the lower abdominal region. I winced.

“Hmm…” She softly announced. “Well, no problems with your gastrointestinal tract, from what I can tell. Your liver seems fine. The problem seems to be in your pelvic region. Have you been having issues urinating? No burning sensations or anything?”

Shaking my head, I replied. “No, not really. I doubt it’s a bladder infection or anything like that, seeing how sanitary everything is around here.”

“One can never tell. It helps to rule things out. Given the circumstances, I may have to examine your groin. Would you be okay with that?”

“I don’t see why not. I hope it’s nothing serious.”

“Probably not, but let’s check to make sure.”

Again, she pulled the blankets back. Now, Dave stood and moved to the gurney. She moved over to a counter, picked up some disposable gloves and handed Dave a pair while she slipped a pair on herself. Then, she proceeded to lift the hospital gown and pull down my panties. Flushed with embarrassment, I turned my head to the side. I could feel gloved hands messing with my… junk… for a few minutes and then my panties were placed back on my hips.

“That is incredibly interesting.” She stated with a heightened tone to her voice.

“Indeed.” Dave agreed.

My head snapped back to face them as she pulled the hospital gown back on. “What? What’s going on?”

She pulled off the gloves and smiled at me. “Well, it would appear that you no longer have testicles, my dear. They’ve ascended into your pelvis. Usually, patients say that’s pretty painful.”

Another shrug from me. “Didn’t even notice. I learned a technique a long time ago to pop them up into that little pocket near my pelvic bone whenever I tuck myself.”

She nodded. “Probably why it didn’t hurt. Either that, or you were asleep when it occurred. There’s something else, too.”

Dave smiled. “The tissue of your scrotum is beginning to stretch down along your perineum, to prepare itself to be your labia minora, I’d assume.”

“I concur, Mr. Halden. That, and the sides of your perineum seem a little… what’s the word?…” She paused to think. “Oh, yes, I believe it applicable to say ‘puffy’. Yes, they look puffy.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And that has what kind of significance?”

“Well, if you were a twelve-year-old girl, I’d say that your mons pubis was beginning to define itself.” She smiled.

“And that is…?” Okay, so I wasn’t up to date on gynecological terms. Sue me.

Dave took this one. “You know that little mound just above the vulva?” I nodded. “Well, that and the labia majora make up the mons pubis, or ‘pubic mound’.”

“Wait… that’s starting, already?” You could hear the slight elation to my voice.

“Yes, I would say that it is. I don’t know how common that is until I confer with Dr. Carver, though.” She stated plainly.

“But, that’s not what’s causing the abdominal pain, is it?”

“No, I don’t believe so. What I would believe is happening is that your internal organs are beginning to form. I’ll have to call Dr. Carver down here to examine you, but I think I’m right on this.”

I lay my head back, let out a nice sigh, closed my eyes, and smiled. “Awesome.”

[ - To Be Concluded - ]
Photo Credit: Haley Ramm

Dream Come True - Chapter Three - by: Danielle Krieger (c) 2011 Ostracized by family and many friends, Melissa Sterling finds herself on the cold, lonely streets. Being transgendered, not many opportunities present themselves and too many people are overtly discriminatory. Like her family, the state safety net has abandoned her with no income and no health care. A modern American tragedy. In her own mind, she can't seem to catch a break and life doesn't seem worth living. That is, until fate seems to have another plan in place. In this installment, by way of a leak every news organization in the country learns that there is now a case of HTV in the United States. Melissa's transformation is in full swing and coming to a head. Plus, she gets a special visitor.

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(For the Disclaimer, see Chapter One)

A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR: Again, thank you everyone for your kind words of encouragement and all the kudos. It keeps me going. For those with questions, I hope that some of them are answered here. If not, don't fear, Chapter Four is in full swing and many more may be answered then. I can feel that this tale is going to be quite a long one. Exactly how long? I have no idea. Like BioWare says before they release a game: "When it's done, it'll be done." I hope that you've been enjoying the ride as much as I have. I'm on a roll! xD

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— Chapter Three —

The television screen revealed a familiar face. He was a man approximately in his late forties. All his hair was white, rather than gray, and he had a full head of it. Due to the framing of the camera, all that could be seen was his chocolate brown suit jacket, white button-down shirt, and blue “power tie”. He was none other than the KOMO 4 News anchorman of several years, Hal Denny. When the broadcast started, I really thought nothing of it. I was merely curious as to what was going on in the local news. Curiosity killed the cat, as they say.

A graphic filled the right side of the screen displaying “Top Story” and “Breaking News”. Right on cue, a moment after returning from the commercial break, he took a quick breath and began to speak. “In our top story tonight, we’ve been reporting on a strange occurrence. Last week, the day center for homeless women in downtown Seattle, Angeline’s, was closed down and surrounded in a police barricade. Not much was known as to why this was implemented at the center funded by the Y-W-C-A and private donations, but there was a suspected federal connection. Also, many women have been detained and cordoned off in some sections of Harborview Medical Center, Swedish Medical Center, and Virginia Mason Medical Center. This week, the Centers For Disease Control released a statement that explained some of the questions, quote: ‘We are currently investigating the transmission of a rare pathogen introduced into the homeless population of Seattle. Naturally, the environment would only encourage the spread of such a pathogen. Suspect persons have been quarantined for their own safety as well as the safety of the general public,’ unquote.” He took a quick breath. “This news station has attempted to contact the Mayor’s office and the local CDC office for comment, but were unsuccessful.

“Today, KOMO 4 News was able to shed some light on the subject. For that, we go to our correspondent, Monica Kasey.” The graphic morphed to fit both the announcer and the correspondent side-by-side in the same window. “Good evening, Monica.”

She was dressed modestly in a navy skirt suit, lavender blouse, black nylons, modest pumps, and a professional-looking overcoat. I’d always considered her very stunning. She was a junior correspondent, but I assumed that wouldn’t last very long given that she always seemed to break major stories. Being half-Asian, that was an accomplishment at American news stations. It was apparently drizzling outside, so she had both her microphone and umbrella handy. Behind her was an illuminated sign that read “Emergency” and an arrow pointing to an emergency room entrance. However, what I really noticed was the blue and white sign just above that with lettering indicating which hospital she was standing outside of. My eyes widened.

She offered a smile. “Good evening, Hal.”

“There seems to be quite a development in this story. What do you have for us?”

“As you can see, Hal, I’m standing outside of Virginia Mason Hospital and Medical Center here at Ninth Avenue and Spring Street. This is where we’ve learned that most of those women being quarantined are being kept. We’re not certain where, precisely, because the hospital staff is remaining tight-lipped about this entire development. What we do know is that this is all being orchestrated by the CDC and, as you explained, they have not been available for comment. We are being reassured that there is no clear and present danger for the citizens of Seattle, as a whole.” She read off her note card. “Today, however, we learned a piece of information that could shed some light on this topic. Through an anonymous source, we were directed to some of the hospital’s records and ran across a name that many outside a certain population may not know. The day after Angeline’s was quarantined, Dr. Abraham Carver came on duty in the trauma ward here at Virginia Mason.”

The graphic returned to the side-by-side of Hal and Monica. There was a surprised look on Hal’s face. “Would you care to explain who Dr. Carver is for the viewers who are unfamiliar with him?”

Monica nodded. “Certainly. From what we’ve uncovered, Dr. Carver is a physician from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is a renowned microbiologist, epidemiologist, and geneticist. What he is best known for has been his work in the past five years. He is considered North America’s foremost expert in the elusive Human Transmutation Virus, or HTV. As you know, the first recorded case of HTV came out of Hong Kong, China, about fifteen years ago. Since then, there have been cases popping up out of Japan, Indonesia, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, several ‘Eastern Block’ European countries, most of Africa, and some places in the Middle East. There have been a few cases from Central and South America, but some epidemiologists suggest that the majority of cases go unreported, so accurate numbers of cases are almost impossible. Sadly, the majority of HTV victims in the Middle East have been executed due, in part, to religious beliefs of the people involved.

“The Human Transmutation Virus is considered to be a retrovirus that causes a dramatic change in those who contract it. Baffling most scientists, the disease totally transforms the victim from a fully functioning member of either sex into a fully functional member of the opposite sex. Many English-speaking populations have given it the pseudonym of ‘Girl-Flu’ because of the flu-like symptoms at the onset of the transformation.”

Suddenly, I was made aware of some kind of shouting match going on outside, but I just turned up the volume on the television and chose to ignore it.

“Based on this information, are you being led to believe that we may be witnessing the first case of HTV in the United States?” Hal likely echoed the sentiment of most viewers, now.

Monica nodded. “It would appear to be just that, Hal. Digging a little further, we discovered that most of the women here at Virginia Mason are being held communally in a residential area of the hospital. There is one specific patient being treated here in the trauma ward by Dr. Carver, but we were unable to uncover that person’s identity or any information about their status. I am led to believe that it is a woman who was homeless when all of this began, based on what we’ve uncovered so far.”

“So, Seattle could very well have one more male citizen in the wake of all of this?” Hal questioned.

Again, Monica nodded. “It would appear that way, Hal. We can neither confirm nor deny the statement, but it seems plausible, based on the evidence we’ve uncovered so far. We’ll keep you updated as more information becomes available.”

“Thank you, Monica…” Hal stated before the graphic changed again to feature only his visage.

Right at that moment, Janet burst into my room looking rather winded. I hit the mute button.

“Melissa…” She breathed.

I turned to her nonchalantly. “The cat’s out of the bag, now.”

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

To say that there was a media firestorm after that would be no hyperbole. News organizations of every imaginable type descended on Seattle and surrounded the Virginia Mason campus. Representatives from all the major news networks -- ABC, CBS, NBC, and even Fox News -- had correspondents and cameras strategically placed that were spinning their own variety of conspiracy theory. Local stations from Seattle, Tacoma, and even Olympia were represented as well. The Seattle Times, The News Tribune, The Olympian, and The Stranger rounded out the local newspapers present. Nationally, the New York Times, L.A. Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, and one I’d never heard of, the Huffington Post, were also on hand. Suddenly, it didn’t feel so bad to be under quarantine. However, doctors and nurses from the hospital were getting hounded to make some kind of statement on the matter. I overheard a lot of nurses stating that they had enough stress to deal with at work and would rather not have to deal with it on the way into work. The time had come to make a phone call.

In my own little room, things were about the same. Periodically, a nurse would come in and insert a needle into the IV needle still imbedded in my hand to give me some relief from my abdominal pain. Still, they were keeping me numb enough to feel the annoying dull pain, but stave off everything else. Occasionally, something would spasm and cause me to cringe momentarily, but that was only temporary. Dr. Michaels wanted to keep tabs and know when the pain finally subsided. It had yet to be explained to me exactly what, precisely, was causing the pain. Up to this point, all I had to go on was Dr. Michaels’ conjecture. Now, my joints ached and my whole body felt like one big slab of Jell-O. I brought up the concern that I may be getting a fever to the nurses because I always experienced similar sensations just before I developed a fever. Thankfully, they diligently checked my temperature and there was no fever. I really didn’t want to pass out for another five days.

I was, however, taking a lot more naps. Taking into consideration what my body was going through still wasn’t much comfort. There were too many questions left unanswered and Dr. Carver hadn’t made an appearance in a few days. He had to be around somewhere, though, because the nurses were taking blood samples at regular intervals that I was almost certain he had ordered. Not much, though. Usually, it just a small vial every six hours, or so. Now, I was really feeling like a lab rat. Janet’s visits were really such a blessing. For the most part, she was the only visitor authorized by the CDC.

My eyes fluttered open after a particularly long nap. The reason I knew it was a long nap was because I had apparently fell asleep during the beginning of an episode of Dirty Jobs and now there was some kind of fishing show. I hate sport fishing. I winced a little as I rolled over from my side to my back. Typically, I slept on my stomach but the pain was too much to even try that.

“Sleeping quite a bit, recently?” A male voice softly inquired.

I rolled my head and my eyes landed on him. “Oh… hey, Dr. Carver. Long time no see.” I groaned.

“Yes. I apologize for that, Melissa. My efforts to analyze HTV at its different stages have kept me away. I’ll try to be less of a science geek in the future.” He smiled.

“See that you do.” I breathed tiredly.

He crossed over to the bed. “How are you feeling?”

Now, I grumbled. “Wish you guys would take away all the pain, but I’m glad for the dull roar, at least.”

“I’m sorry for that, Melissa. It is a necessary evil for the time being. Anything else?”

I pressed a button to bring the gurney to an upright position so I wasn’t being rude. “Yeah, my joints ache like I’ve got a fever coming on and my whole body feels like Jell-O. Care to elaborate why?”

“Certainly.” As if on cue, he took the chair next to the gurney. “Right now, your body is going through what I call the ‘pupa’ stage of development. Everything that is changing is going on internally. After several patients, I discovered that the joint aches are being caused by your body reforming growth plates in certain places. The ‘body jelly’ sensation is muscle reformation. Male and female muscle structures have several differences. I know that it’s uncomfortable and we’re going to do our best to make you as comfortable as we can. Are you satisfied with what has been done so far?”

“In a word: no. This abdominal pain makes it really hard to sleep in certain positions. I’ve taken to sleeping on my side because neither my belly or back is very comfortable.”

“There is a reason for that, I assure you.” He gave a reassuring smile. Then, he quickly glanced down at his clipboard then back up at me. “Would you like some good news?”

“Yes, I would love some good news.”

“Well, with the blood tests, I’ve not only been monitoring the changes with how the virus and your body are reacting. There are several other things going on. You may not know the typical hormone levels in humans, so I’ll elaborate:

“In males, testosterone will hover around four to five hundred nanograms per milliliter, while leaving the estrogen levels somewhere between fifty and one hundred fifty, but typically sixty. In females, there’s the menstrual cycle to take into account. Thus, hormone levels vary greatly and are as diverse as women, themselves. That being said, average testosterone levels are anywhere between six and eighty six picograms per milliliter. Progesterone levels are lowest at ovulation and highest at the time a woman has her period. After ovulation, it climbs above fourteen picograms per milliliter and we know that an egg has been released from the ovary. Estrogen levels can vary from fifty to five hundred nanograms per milliliter, depending on the phase of her cycle and whether she’s postmenopausal or not.”

I held my head to keep it from spinning. “Nanograms? Picograms? Never learned those in any science class I’ve ever taken. You’re throwing me through a loop, Doc.”

He chuckled. “I didn’t learn them until med school. They’re just ways to measure the small amounts that are present in human blood. There’s a lot of chemistry to consider. The short answer: after three consecutive days of testing, your estrogen is about five hundred, progesterone is above fourteen, and testosterone is only nine. I am very happy to pronounce that you are now chemically female.”

A smile crossed my lips a nurse pulled back the curtain and wheeled in a machine that I hadn’t ever seen before. I looked at her quizzically, then repeated the expression to Dr. Carver who only released another chuckle.

“That, Melissa, is a sonogram machine. We’re going to confirm my hypothesis about what is causing your abdominal pain. Are you with me?” He explained.

I slowly nodded. “Oh. Sure, let’s do this.” Then, the gurney began to lower to the lying down position.

Dr. Carver moved over to the machine, setting his clipboard on top of it as he began to power it up. Meanwhile, the nurse was getting me into position by pulling back the blankets and lifting my hospital gown. Dr. Carver took note of the diminished size of the bulge in my panties.

“We’ll take a look at that when we’re finished with the sonogram. I’ve been meaning to examine you, myself, for days, now.” He reassured me.

He didn’t get much more out of me than a nod. The nurse lowered the waistband of my panties, but made sure to protect my dignity for the time being. Looking down my body, I noted the size of the bulge and how different my belly was beginning to look. Dr. Carver had said there wouldn’t be too many external changes yet, but there was definitely something going on. In a moment, he was putting some gel on the business end of the machine and a little on my abdomen as well. It was so cold that goosebumps started to form. Yet again, he flashed a reassuring smile as he set to work.

I tensed up a little as the little wand-looking roller thing was placed on my tummy. In half a second, a picture was being sent back to the main unit. Dr. Carver rooted around for a few minutes and I could barely tell what anything was that I was seeing on the screen. Then, he stopped and I could see something I’d only ever seen on examination room walls. Right before my eyes in black and white was nothing more than ovaries, fallopian tubes, and an actual uterus. Tears quickly welled up in my eyes and began falling down my cheeks. That had to be the happiest day of my life, up to that point.

Ever since I can remember, there was nothing I wanted more than to have my own children. This dream had been shot down and ridiculed by other kids ever since I can remember and even my own family. To them, I was a boy and boys don’t have babies. With the onset of puberty, the cold, hard truth was made apparent. When other girls were blossoming into swans, I was being left behind and turning into some perversion. My doom was to be some huge, tall, broad, hairy gorilla with a Polish sausage between my legs. It had been the reason why so many tears stained my pillows when I was a teenager. I had not known any greater pain.

As I crumpled into a crying mass, Dr. Carver saved several frames of the sonogram and made ready to print them out for me to commemorate the occasion. He cleaned the machine and the nurse did her best to get me cleaned up as well, holding my hand the whole time. Her name was Heather, I found out later. Soon, I regained my composure and Dr. Carver stood at the end of my bed with yet another reassuring smile.

“Well, chalk this up as just another of a great many pieces of good news, today.” He stated softly. “Are you settled enough for a more thorough examination?”

Slowly nodding as I wiped away tears, there wasn’t much more movement I could coax out of my body. “I don’t know if I can handle much more good news, but let’s go for it.”

He chuckled. Thus, the panties came off the rest of the way and he set about his examination. Geezus, the little monster looked small, now! Dr. Carver had taken measurements when I’d first come in while I was unconscious. Flaccid, I was six inches long and only about an inch in circumference. When erect, he believed that I was about nine and a half inches long and about two inches around. Like I said, Polish sausage. Now, though, the little bastard was still about three inches long and there was no hope of him growing erect because my libido was pretty much gone. Looking down, I could see and Dr. Carver confirmed that my mons pubis and labia majora that my phallus was shrinking into were fully mature. I couldn’t see anything below that, though.

“Well, well…” Dr. Carver thought out loud.

“Care elaborating, Doctor?” I raised an eyebrow at him.

“Well, Melissa, given the development, I‘d say that your abdominal pain should subside either tonight or tomorrow. You are now the proud owner of a healthy, nearly developed uterus. Also, you no longer have a scrotum. I would now call this tissue nothing more than labia minora. It’s fully extended along your perineum and has begun to split. In the next couple of days we’re going to have to be careful. It will take about twelve to sixteen hours for your urethra to reroute itself into the labia. So, I’m cutting down your fluid intake until that happens.”

“So, in a day or two, I’ll actually have to sit to pee, instead of choosing to like I’ve done for the past few years.”

He nodded as he helped lift my panties back onto my hips. “Precisely. Also, over the next couple of days, that little phallus with fold over, connect itself to the labia, and continue to shrink until it becomes your clitoris.”

My head fell onto the pillow, then I smiled as tears once again welled up in my eyes. He was right. There was a lot of good news, today.

“Dr. Carver? Could you do me a favor?”

“Yes, Melissa. What do you need?”

“Could you call my doctor for me? On one hand, he should hear the good news and you should send him a copy of the ultrasound. On the other hand, I think it’s time to call that publicist.”

“Are you sure it’s best to involve the publicist, now?”

I sat up, which didn’t feel too good. “Yes, there isn’t a better time.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Look,” I began and let out a sigh, “I may be effectively trapped in this hospital room, but I’m not blind to what’s going on outside. I know that every news organization imaginable has descended on this hospital, even some I’ve never heard of. The nurses have been stating for the past couple of days that the reporters are harassing them as they come in to work. You can’t tell me that they haven’t been trying to get a comment out of you, either. They mentioned you, specifically, on KOMO the other night.” Again, I let out a sigh and the tears welling up were of concern rather than happiness. “You guys work hard enough as it is. You don’t need all the harassment.” I looked directly at Heather, who then smiled. “None of you do.” Then, my eyes returned to Dr. Carver. “What they want is me. If I give them what they want, they may focus their attention on me and leave you guys alone.”

A smile crossed his lips that was beyond my comprehension to decipher. “Melissa, did it hurt?”

I was taken aback. “Did what hurt?”

“When you fell from heaven. Did it hurt?”

It was corny, but everyone in the room shared a good laugh, even if it caused me to wince in pain.

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

Some kind of explosive pressure release had awakened me from a confusing, but not unpleasant dream. Honestly, my body wanted to just ignore it and go back to sleep. My mind had other ideas. It was working overtime to try and decipher what that sensation of warmth spreading around my pelvic region was. Grunting, I rolled over and tried to sit up, hearing some strange sound as I did so. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, pulled back the covers and let out a startled scream. I found that I was, again, wearing a diaper. But, that wasn’t the most startling revelation. My scream was a girl’s scream.

“Holy shit! Was that me?” My voice was beginning to sound very unfamiliar, but not in a bad way. I had trained it into a female speaking register years ago, but screaming had proved impossible. I hadn’t screamed properly since I was about eleven years old.

Janet burst in from behind the curtain, clutching her chest. “Heavens! Melissa, are you all right? Where did that scream come from?”

My eyes big as dinner plates, I tilted my head toward her. “In a manner of speaking.”

She blinked. “Melissa… your voice?”

I swallowed. Through the training, I could actually restrict the size of my larynx. Now, it felt a little strange, so I relaxed it. “Yes…” I stopped. Usually, when I relaxed, it landed in a male register. My hand shot to my throat. The Adam’s Apple I’d been cursed with at seventeen was nowhere to be found. “Oh. My. GOD!” I squeaked. “It’s gone!”

She rushed over to the bed, smiling. “Yes, it would appear something’s gone. To what are you referring?” I lifted my head and ran my hand slowly up and down my soft, smooth neck. “Your Adam’s Apple? Well, Dr. Carver did say that a lot of internal changes were happening, didn’t he?”

“Yes, he did.” I was still marveling over my voice. It sounded right. Sure, I’d trained it to sound correctly female before, but this was a little different. I sounded like a proper twenty-something young woman… and I didn’t have to try. “God damn… I don’t think I’m going to get over this one.”

“Watch your mouth, Missy. Now, why did you scream?” She gave me a stern look. “Congratulations on the ability to scream, by the way.”

Now, a grimace crossed my face. I firmly pointed at the mass of cotton, plastic, and polymer between my legs and fastened to my hips. “Um… what the hell is this doing here?”

She tilted her head to the side in a maternal, yet condescending, way. “Honey, that’s no big deal. You’ve been in and out of consciousness for the past twenty hours. If Dr. Carver hadn’t explained that it was normal and not to worry, you’d be hooked up to a lot of machines, right now. During that time, your urethra disappeared. We couldn’t take any chances. It was explained that you’d be incontinent for a few days while your body recovers from not having a way to dispose of fluid waste for… how long was it?… oh, about seventeen hours.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” My voice was naturally rising and falling in pitch, out of habit I’d developed over the years. Now, I was reveling in how pretty it sounded.

“No kidding, my dear. What woke you up, by the way? I’ve been trying for hours, now.”

I blushed in embarrassment. “Something happened. I don’t know, but I think I wet the bed. There was a bunch of pressure, then, suddenly, nothing but warmth.”

“You’re sure?” She glanced down and nodded. “Yep, it happened. Good, we can stop dehydrating you, now. What can I get you, besides a fresh diaper?”

“Well, hold the diaper and get me some coffee.”

She shook her head. “Don’t have a choice with the diaper, missy. I’m not taking any chances. You don’t want soaked sheets, trust me. I’ll get you a small cup of coffee and some vitamin waters. Sound good.”

I grumbled… femininely. “Fine, if you insist.” I let my body forcibly fall back onto the pillow while I pressed the button to raise it into the sitting position.

While Janet was away, I decided to distract myself from the feeling in my crotch by humming scales. After a few minutes, I began to lightly sing them. First, I tested to see the lowest note I could possibly hit. I was enamored to find out that I couldn’t sing any lower than Fiona Apple -- whereas before, I could give most bass singers a run for their money. Then, I tested my range by starting at that lowest note and going up and singing the “Do, Re, Mi” song from The Sound of Music. The higher I got, the happier I became. I could feel my voice jump into a female falsetto and climb ever higher. Without testing with a vocal instructor, I surmised that I was likely in the mezzo soprano range, which was very delightful. Not a full soprano, though. I couldn’t hit the high C note without screaming and alerting the nurses for no good reason.

Janet reentered the room with her hands quite full. She had two twenty-ounce bottles of Vitamin Water (the flavored stuff), a twelve-ounce coffee, and a white plastic crinkling thing. I dreaded the latter, but smiled at the other two. Once she reached me, she placed the drinks on the table to my left and then moved to my right side. She presented the offending plastic thing but gave me a sweet smile.

“I realize this can be a little embarrassing, but it’ll serve a double purpose. Try to think about it positively?” Janet requested.

“I can try, I guess.” My arms folded.

“I’m going to need you to lie down, though, hon. It’s easier that way.”

Rolling my eyes, the gurney began to lower into the lying position again. I was not going to like this in the slightest. I flinched as I heard the tapes being unfastened.

“Hey, honey, it’s this or a catheter. What’s it going to be?” She sternly scolded.

“It’s just embarrassing, okay?”

“Yes, dear, I get that. I’m not here to make fun of you and neither is anyone else on my staff. Think of it this way: it’s strange enough to have someone slowly transforming into a female under our care. In the big picture, the diaper thing is very small.”

“You may have a point, there.”

“See?” She immediately stopped and stared at my crotch, which mildly annoyed me. “Melissa, have you seen this?”

I lifted myself onto my elbows. “What?” Then, I caught sight of it. “Okay, the voice is no longer the flavor of the day.”

My crotch looked almost alien to me. There was a mild dip from my belly to my crotch, but then there was a mound. Beyond that, a void. Nothing. Nada. Nichts. There was no longer some deformed bulbous thing looking back up at me. How long had I been out? My eyes were beginning to dry out, they were so wide.

“Hang on a moment.” She pulled the soaked diaper out from under me, rolled it up, and taped it closed. Then, she opened my legs a little further. “Honey, we have got to get you a mirror! That’s one of the prettiest pussies I’ve ever seen!”

“That’s a little soon! Dr. Carver said it would take a couple of days before the little monster disappeared! How long have I been out?!”

She placed a hand on my shoulder. “Shh, honey… calm down. I told you that you’ve been in and out of consciousness for the last twenty hours, didn’t I?”

“Yes, you did.”

“Well, I thought you’d be happy to find out that the one thing causing you the most emotional pain for all of your young life was gone.” A smile creased her lips. “And she’s an adorable little rosebud, too. That’s not all, though, honey. You have a vaginal opening, now. You are officially a member of the female species.” She winked.

“No shit?!”

“I told you we have to get you a mirror. That’s one gorgeous vulva you’ve got there.” I let out another happy sigh as she moved back to the right side of the bed, unfolding the plastic thing. “Now, lay back down so we can get this over with. Don’t get too used to the coffee, dear. We’ve got to get your fluids back up.”

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

Daytime television is seriously boring. Ever notice that? If you’re not a shut-in housewife or drama queen, there is nothing to watch! Again, I was engaging in the sport of channel surfing. I should get a gold metal in this.

On top of that, I had a smooth, empty crotch and couldn’t even enjoy it. I had an offending sheet of plastic, cotton, and polymer so thick that I couldn’t close my legs all the way. I had gotten used to the idea, though, because I had no way to tell when I needed to empty my bladder. It just emptied on its own without much warning. Janet had said that it would be a couple of days until I could use a toilet properly, so I’d started a mental countdown. It was definitely better than a catheter, though.

At the very least, I didn’t have any more abdominal pain. It had moved to my chest, ribs, arms, hands, hips, legs, and feet. Yep, still had the joint pain.

The curtain parted. “Hello, there, Melissa. How’s my favorite patient doing?” It was a male voice.

My head rolled toward the door to come upon the silhouette of my doctor. “Merph.”

“Well, that’s not a very spirited response.” He lamented.

“Yea, well, I’m bored out of my mind, there’s nothing on TV, and I just had my diaper changed about half an hour ago. How, exactly, am I supposed to feel?” I was still amazed with how lovely my voice sounded as it resonated around the room. I’d get used to it, eventually, but I was celebrating inwardly.

He staggered backward. “Melissa… your voice… when?”

“Yesterday. Woke up after my urethra rerouted only to piss myself.” Next, I was less somber. “I did manage to scream, though.”

“A real scream?”

“Yes, a real scream. Like, horror movie good scream.”

“Well, you’re coming right along.” He moved over to his usual spot in the chair on my right side. “Have you experimented?”

Lazily, I nodded. “Yeah, a little. I think I’m a mezzo soprano. Can’t tell until I talk to a vocal specialist, though.”

“And, what were you before?”

“Baritone, I guess. I could sing both bass and tenor.”

He leaned in. “And your Adam’s Apple is gone, I see.”

My head rolled over to him with a huge smile plastered on my face. “That’s not the only offending protrusion that’s gone.”

His eyes widened. “You mean… ?”

“Yep! She’s a happy little rosebud, from what I hear. And, you can forget the surgery. I grew my own, thanks.”

His face brightened up and his eyes sparkled. “That’s wonderful! I’m very happy for you!” He leapt up and gathered me into a hug. I reciprocated. “I have to be honest, I thought it would take longer, even after I received your sonogram stills.” He released me.

“Me too. You should have seen me curse at Janet for messing with me. She told me she was going to bring me a mirror to prove it. Apparently, I have a pretty pussy.” I shrugged.

“I don’t know if I would use that particular terminology with the press. The FCC will assuredly frown on it.” Another, alien, male voice stated plainly.

Okay, now was the time to demonstrate to Dave. I let out quite the blood-curdling scream. It even surprised me. I jumped and clamored to grab hold of Dave, which made my diaper crinkle quite loudly.

“Now, I see what you mean.” Dave stated, covering the ear closest to me and wincing in pain.

“I’m very sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you. David, did you not tell her I was coming?” The man questioned.

“I was about to.” He grimaced. “Melissa, this is Nathaniel Dobbs. Nathan, meet Melissa Sterling.”

The man approached. First thought: jeez, he’s hot! He looked like a homogenization of Mark McGrath and Ryan Reynolds, with Elijah Woods’ hairstyle. His hair was brown and his eyes a subtle green. There wasn’t much to decipher his body with, other than he looked amazing in a double-breasted suit jacket. And, enter the alien sensations. My nipples tightened and rubbed against the fabric of the hospital gown while there was an interesting tingling sensation in my groin. All the sudden, my whole body became some degrees warmer, my heart beat a little faster, and I had butterflies in my tummy.

He held out a hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Melissa. Dave had told me a great deal. I have to say, though, that none of his descriptions do you any justice.”

Blushing heavily, I slowly took his hand and shook it. “Um… thanks.”

“Well, you’re going to have to find a few more words than that if we’re going to be impressing the press.” He winked. Now, my crotch felt warm and I sincerely hoped my bladder hadn‘t emptied itself just then. “You are the girl of the hour and they have no idea you’re a girl.”

I giggled. ’Geezus, get a grip, Melissa!’. “Y-yes… I saw the piece on KOMO 4... And ABC… And CBS…”

“And NBC, MSNBC, CNN, plus Fox News, for good measure. They’re all clamoring for anything they can get their hands on. I have to say, I’d be honored to handle this for you, if you’ll have me.” He winked.

I was light-headed, but it felt great. “Well… what’s your credentials?” Changing the subject was a good idea.

Dave moved to the foot of the bed, helping distract me from the hunk of man meat. “Actually, Nathan, here, has represented a few people in the past years. He handled the Chris Crocker case and was with Felicia Day, until recently.”

My eyes lit up. “Felicia Day? What’s she like? I love her.” I cooed.

Nathan laughed. “Star struck, eh? Well, Felicia’s a great girl. Maybe I’ll introduce you, once the CDC let’s you out of your cage.”

“That would be awesome.” I tried to sit back and relax. “Now, let’s talk strategy. How’s this all going to go down?”

He slipped one hand into his pocket and began to pace. He had a really nice ass, too. “Well, I’m not going to lie to you. Right now, you could take hundreds of different offers. I don’t know your preference, here, but I’m saying that you won’t have to be homeless after this. First, though, I think we should start light. Seeing that the CDC has you in lockdown until they’re satisfied, I would suggest we come up with some kind of press release that I could read outside for a press conference. That would give them something to salivate over and they’d think they were getting some deeper story. Then, we make them wait. The CDC lockdown is in your favor there. You don’t have to face them until you’re ready and they won’t be bothering you. Believe me, honey, the paparazzi are ruthless when they want to be. In here, you’re safe from that.”

I lowered my head to contemplate his proposal. It was a damn good one, too. My mind decided to linger on one particular, point, though. I glanced up at him with one eyebrow raised and my nose scrunched. It had to look really cute. “Wait. Are we talking monetary compensation, here? You said something about offers.”

“Yes, Melissa, that’s exactly what I’m talking about. I’m not going to sugarcoat anything, here. You could stand to make a great deal of money from this. I mean, you are the first recorded case of HTV in the entire United States. Before, you were homeless and wandering the streets for a place to lay your head. I want to see if we can get you enough to get a home of your own.”

Either that was the sweetest thing I’d ever heard or I was seeing this through the rose-colored glasses of unadulterated lust. At that moment, I could have cared less. At least my libido was back. “Well, in that case, you had me at ‘hello’. Let’s get this ball rolling, then.”

He smiled. “I hoped you’d say that. Think you can write up a press release in three days?”

“I might be able to manage that. I don’t have anything to write with, though.”

Until that moment, Dave had been digging through his bag and had largely gone unnoticed. Then, he turned around and presented a relatively flat, black, electronic device. “My gift to you, Melissa.” He grinned widely.

‘Holy shit, he bought me a laptop!’ I stared at it blankly for a minute. “Dude… you got me a Dell?”

They both laughed.

“Actually, it’s a Sony Vaio. They’ve got a little more power.” Dave corrected me.

Taking the laptop, tears welled up in my eyes. “Yea, but there’s no good joke with that brand.”

More laughter.

[ - To Be Concluded - ]
Photo Credit: Haley Ramm

Dream Come True - Chapter Four - by: Danielle Krieger (c) 2011 Ostracized by family and many friends, Melissa Sterling finds herself on the cold, lonely streets. Being transgendered, not many opportunities present themselves and too many people are overtly discriminatory. Like her family, the state safety net has abandoned her with no income and no health care. A modern American tragedy. In her own mind, she can't seem to catch a break and life doesn't seem worth living. That is, until fate seems to have another plan in place. In this installment, the public learns Melissa's name as a press conference is held, but no one sees her face. She gets two special visitors and the transformation takes a turn toward scary. Also, a rite of passage that most women dread.

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A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Again, I'd like to thank everyone for the comments and the kudos. As I've said before, it's kept me going on this. Honestly, this chapter was finished almost immediately after Chapter Three. I just waited a couple of days to post it. That was one VERY productive day! xD

So, kick back, relax, and let's see what Melissa gets herself into, shall we? *incredibly deceptively cute evil grin*

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— Chapter Four —

Both Janet and Heather had found replacements for their shift. Today was the day. They had joined me in my room and we had snacks, drinks, and plenty of good conversation to go around. Admittedly, I was nervous as a bunny at that moment and very glad to be behind the CDC quarantine. We had all decided that tuning into CNN would be the best course of action because the local stations probably wouldn’t cover the story until later that night. Also, they had a lead in and were constantly showing a live feed from the press conference outside. Thankfully, Janet had brought in a 42-inch flat screen from her house for the occasion. The little 20-inch in my room just didn’t seem to be enough and there was no way we were all going to huddle around the 17-inch monitor on my laptop. Yes, they were streaming the press conference online, too. It was crazy!

Through the camera lens, I could see a couple hundred people. Some were the actual reporters, others were just the cameramen and sound crew. Thankfully, they were rather subdued, regardless of the revelation they were about to get. The reporters were all sitting in a semi-circle around a podium placed just outside the hospital. There was even a little carpet leading from the entrance to podium. Thankfully, the police had shut down the block of Ninth Avenue in front of Virginia Mason days ago, so there were no traffic issues. As if downtown Seattle needed any more traffic headaches, anyway.

As soon as Nathan and Dr. Carver stepped out of the hospital, the flashing of cameras started -- yet another reason I was glad that I wasn’t out there.

“Holy crap, Melissa! You weren’t kidding! That man is hot!” Heather stated enthusiastically.

“Yes, he is a luscious piece of man meat, isn’t he?” Janet agreed.

I giggled. “I do not lie about hunks like that.”

“Shh! It’s starting!” Heather was thoroughly engrossed.

Outside I could hear shuffles and the curtain opened. There was no fourth wall to my room. It was just a curtain between me and the nurses’ station. A crowd was gathering to watch the broadcast.

Nathan cleared his throat. “Ladies and gentlemen of the press: on behalf of my client, I’d like to thank you all for coming, this morning. I know that many of you have been here for at least a week, now, so thank you for your diligence.” He pulled a piece of paper out from his jacket pocket. Janet had printed my statement after using her jump drive to transfer and access the hospital’s printer. “First, I will go ahead and read my client’s statement and then we will have a brief question and answer segment. Dr. Abraham Carver has graciously agreed to help answer the questions that I may not be able to.”

He unfolded the piece of paper. So far, so good. He cleared his throat again as he began to read my prepared statement. “Ladies and gentlemen of the press: thank you for showing interest in a humble young woman with a humble past. My name is Melissa Deanne Sterling, spelling provided. You can now put a name to your stories, though the face will have to wait. I’m not done changing, yet.

“Just one month ago, I was a homeless transsexual woman with no home, no future, and no hope. This has plagued my existence for a few years, now. I grew up in Southern Idaho with a conservative family in a conservative environment. As a way out, I joined the United States Navy to, hopefully, see the world and maybe go to college. Sadly, such was not to be. The ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy ended my military career far too early. From there, things went from bad to worse. I fell into a deep depression and only wanted to put my life together.

“Without much thought and even less money, I moved into Seattle. With the status of my discharge, not even the Veterans Administration would help me, so I turned to the state. For a year, I began to see a small light in all the blackness. I was able to see a psychological therapist, procure a primary care provider, and a pharmacy who all showed me not only compassion, but kindness. I was finally able to start my transition, like I’d always dreamed I could. I could finally be a whole person.”

Tears flowed down my cheeks as I recalled my past while he read it. This was harder than I had originally thought.

He continued. “Good things never seem to last. The entire nation was plunged into the worst economic recession since the Great Depression and many states, including Washington, found themselves with massive budget shortfalls. Major Depressive Disorder and Gender Identity Dysphoria (my term) are not as important to some as Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, or drug and alcohol dependence. I could not meet the new standards to remain on the Medicaid program; thus, fell through the cracks. I would like the Governor and the Department of Social and Health Services to know that I do not fault them for doing what had to be done, it was likely a very difficult decision to make and I am not the only victim. I don’t know if I could ever make that decision.

“For a year and a half, I have been roaming the streets of Seattle, never knowing where I would be laying my head at the end of the day or where my next meal was coming from. I applied for and was denied access to so many transitional housing programs that I have lost count. Though it has been illegal in the State of Washington since 2006, I suspect the denials were because some believed me to be a man in a dress, but I cannot prove these allegations. I also did not win the Section 8 lottery held through the Seattle Housing Authority and Housing and Urban Development office. Frankly, I stopped caring some time ago. This kind of disappointment eats at the very soul of a person.

“The last thing that I remember was not being able to sleep in the temporary night shelter at St. Mark’s Cathedral, counting the divots on the ceiling tiles, while a compassionate soul attempted to cajole me after a particularly heart-wrenching denial. Then, awakened in strange surroundings. The kind nursing staff informed me that I had been unconscious for five days and I thank them for their diligence in my case.”

Janet and Heather turned to smile at me before snapping their heads back to the broadcast.

Nathan continued. “It wasn’t long after that when I met Dr. Carver and Dr. Michaels. They immediately informed me that I had suffered a febrile seizure, which runs in my family, and had contracted the Human Transmutation Virus, or HTV and commonly referred to as the ‘Girl Flu’ unceremoniously. To be honest, I didn’t know how to feel, initially. Though, now I am celebrating this turn of luck, as I see it. It’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of during the entirety of my young life. After twenty-five years of hardship, something was finally going my way and a birth defect would begin to right itself.

“Dr. Carver, Dr. Michaels, and the entire nursing staff here at Virginia Mason have worked tirelessly on my behalf to monitor my well being. Sometimes, they were a shoulder to cry on and offered a hug when I really needed it. At other times, a firm scolding was just the thing I needed. My body is helping itself, but they have been helping my mind mend itself. They are all very hard working individuals and I ask one simple request of every single member of the press: leave them alone. They have enough stress in their lives and do not need more piled on. If you have questions or comments, please field them through my representative, Mr. Dobbs. Thank you for your time.” He folded the piece of paper and placed it back in his pocket.

There was quite a long pause. Deep inside, I was really hoping for someone to raise their hand and ask a question. However, the silence alerted me to soft sobs and sniffles around the room. I glanced over at Janet and Heather. Both were crying. Then, I glanced over at the spectators. The men were stoically silent. Among the women, there wasn’t a dry eye between them. Suddenly, I felt a little guilty.

Thankfully, Nathan raised his head and pointed at one of the reporters. “You’re first.”

A woman in her forties stood. “Kelly O’Donnell, NBC. Is there a date when Miss Sterling will be released from the hospital?”

Nathan shrugged. “That, we can’t know. That decision falls to Agent Donovan from the CDC. We can’t get much information on that, sorry.” He pointed to the next person.

Another woman stood. “Abbie Boudreau, CNN…”

“Ah, well, be sure to thank your network for the live coverage, this morning.” Nathan winked.

“I will.” She took a breath. “Is Miss Sterling seeing any visitors?”

He nodded. “Yes, she is seeing some visitors, but very few. Any and all visitors need to be screened by the CDC representative at the hospital. Thus far, it has been Dr. Carver, Dr. Michaels, a few nurses, her primary care provider, and myself.”

“Who is her primary care provider?”

“David Halden, ARNP. Spelled H-A-L-D-E-N.”

“And two more visitors can be added to that list.” A male voice in the room stated.

I was so engrossed in the broadcast that I hadn’t expected it. Again, I jumped and screamed. It was just my doctor, Dave, so I quickly calmed back down. “You people have really got to stop giving me heart attacks. You come out of nowhere.”

Dave laughed. “I have found two visitors for you that I have been trying to reach since you were admitted in here. They’ve come a long way to see you. Are you willing to accept guests?” The spectating nurses began to disperse.

I shrugged. “I guess. Who is it?”

A man and a woman rounded the corner. The man was six feet tall, even, and was carrying a spare tire around his middle. His black hair was cut short and there were two “widow’s peaks” extending from his forehead on either side, but he wasn’t going bald as they were always there. He wore a full beard, under which a smile could be seen. His eyes seemed to light up as he saw me. He was dressed plainly in a T-shirt (his very hairy arms exposed), some kind of multi-pocketed vest, sweatpants, and tennis shoes. The woman was just shorter than him, standing five-feet-nine-inches. Her salt and pepper hair had curls to spare. Her gentle blue eyes also sparkled when they landed on me. Her smile was sweet and matronly. She was dressed in a blouse and skirt combination, probably because she’d just come from work.

This time I screeched, a happy screech. “Daddy! Mom!” They were my father and step-mother, the only truly supportive family I had.

My father bent over and winced. “Geezus, Melissa!” Twenty years in the Navy, many of them on an aircraft carrier flight deck, had taken a good deal of his hearing. He only had one good ear that was quite sensitive.

My hands shot to my mouth. “Sorry, Daddy!”

“See what I mean?” Dave chuckled.

My step-mother giggled. “Yes, I do. Our daughter has quite a set of pipes on her.”

Janet and Heather quietly excused themselves, shutting off the television. Janet closed the curtains as my parents entered the room and Dave excused himself, leaving us alone. My father was still recovering from my screech, so my step-mother approached and gripped me in a tight hug. I reciprocated, though a little harder. I was very glad to see them.

“When did you guys get here?” My mouth barely translated what my brain was telling it to say. I was way too excited to filter anything.

“Just before the press conference started, I think.” My step-mother answered as she took a seat on my bed. “That Agent Donovan is a real piece of work. He put us through the ringer down there.”

“Yes, and though I have a legal concealed carry permit, he relieved me of my weapon.” My father lamented as he, too, gripped me in a hug. Tears fell down my cheeks.

“Well, dear, it’s not like you’re really going to need it in a hospital.” She hated my father’s constant need to carry a gun, but he was a bullheaded Second Amendment believer.

He released me. “I gave it up without question didn’t I?”

She giggled and glanced at me again. “So, how are you feeling, darling dear?”

I let out a long sigh with tears still coming down my cheeks. “Better, now that you guys are here. It’s been pretty lonely around here.”

“I’ll bet. What, with nothing short of a government shutdown and media blackout?” He grunted.

“They can’t be too careful, Daddy. They still don’t know how HTV is transmitted.”

“Physically, sweetheart, how are you doing? They didn’t tell us much.” She really seemed to be quite worried.

“I’m fine, mostly. I’ve got joint aches all over the place. My chest hurts. I’m wearing a diaper because my body hasn’t recovered after seventeen hours without a urethra. It had to reroute itself. All of that, plus my body feels like Jell-O. I can’t move around too much.” I explained plainly.

“Wait, your urethra rerouted?” His puzzled expression was priceless.

A large smile found its way onto my face. “Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, it’s a girl!”

Both their eyes widened. “You mean… ?”

I nodded. “Yep, it finished forming a couple days ago. Dr. Michaels, my gynecologist, will perform a full examination when everything’s over, but according the nurses it’s all there.”

My father plopped into the chair to my right, dumbstruck. “I don’t believe it.”

“Sometimes, neither do I, Daddy.”

My step-mother moved closer and placed both her hands on my face, feeling it. She also glanced at my neck. “Well, it looks like you’ll never have to shave again. And, your Adam’s Apple is gone, which would explain the voice changing a bit.”

I nodded. “The voice is a new development. The hair fell out about two weeks ago. I really need to shave my legs and armpits, though. They’re starting to itch and annoy me.”

“Would you like us to pick you up a razor and some blades?” She asked.

I shrugged. “I would appreciate it, but don’t feel obligated.”

Her smile had something of a mystery behind it. “We’ll see. What sizes do you wear?”

I didn’t even process the question before answering. “Well, the outward changes will start soon, but I’m inclined to stick with current sizes. Panties are a 5. Pants are a 5 or 6, depending on brand. Tops are almost always a medium. Dr. Carver said that I might be surprised that my shoe size changes, but I kind of doubt that. I get most of my stuff in the Juniors’ department.”

She ran fingers through my hair. “A young woman like you? Would you get them anywhere else?”

“No, I don’t want to look like I’m forty.”

We all shared a laugh.

Again, tears welled up in my eyes. “I’m really glad you guys came.”

“Well, we haven’t heard from you in a month. We actually called search and rescue looking for you.” My dad gave me a look from over the brim of his glasses, which told me he was serious in a slightly joking manner.

“You did?”

“Yes, honey, you had us worried sick. I mean, sleeping where you have and living like that? Any number of things could have happened!” Now, there were tears in my step-mother’s eyes.

My own tears rolled down my cheeks. “I’m sorry I worried you so much. They haven’t allowed me any contact besides my doctors and Nathan.”

“We know. Your doctor called us two weeks ago. Thank you for listing me as your emergency contact. That Agent Donovan wouldn’t allow us access until he heard about the press conference this morning and Dr. Carver drilled into his feeble, bureaucratic mind that you weren’t contagious.” My father reported.

“Your father has been here several times roughing it out with that man. He told me that he was yelling he didn’t care if he started turning into a woman, he had a right to see his child. On top of that, he called Governor Gregoire, Representative Rick Larsen, Senator Patty Murray, and Senator Maria Cantwell to give them a piece of his mind.” A tear rolled down her cheek.

More tears rolled down my cheeks. “You did that for me?”

His nonchalant demeanor was comical and sweet. “You’re my kid, aren’t you? I’d take on the Devil, himself, if it meant I could keep you safe.”

“I love you, too, Daddy.” My gaze returned to my step-mother. “You, too, Mom.”

“We know, honey.” She smiled back. “Love you, too.”

My father stood. “Much as we’d like to stay, that Agent Donovan has us on a time limit. Besides, we’ll be in town. There are a few errands to run and I’m going to call your mother to let her know you’re okay.”

Again, we were sharing hugs. Both of them kissed my forehead after the hug.

“Get well soon, honey.” My step-mother requested.

“Hang in there, kiddo. You’ll be out of the woods soon enough.” Dad grinned.

Tears rolling down my cheeks, I waved as they slowly and reluctantly left the room.

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

The next three weeks really were the worst of the whole ordeal.

On the positive side, Mom and Dad stopped in two days later to shower me with a few gifts. They had bought several pairs of panties from Victoria Secret, a top-and-bottom pajama set in lavender with little hearts and stars on them, a sleek silk nightie in plum with pink lace along the neckline and hem, a pair of sweatpants in navy with two pink stripes down the outside of the leg, one purple and one powder blue tank top with a shelf bra built in, and a hoodie that matched the sweatpants with two pink stripes running down the outside of the sleeve. Not having many options for shoes, they simply got me a purple pair of slippers and called it good. On top of all that, they bought me a Schick Quattro for Women with enough blades for a month and a little shaving cream for good measure. After signing a Power of Attorney form, Nathan was able to procure me a new Android smart phone, so we could keep in touch.

On the negative side, there isn’t much of that time that I remember because I was kept so drugged up. There were a lot of pain medications flowing through my blood stream. Truly, the last thing I remember was slipping into the nightie, turning out the light, and waking up in some pretty nasty pain the next morning. After Janet administered the pain medication, the rest is a blur. It’s just a bunch of flashes of incoherence when I managed some consciousness, which usually meant I was in pain. They’d put some more medication into my IV and I’d pass out again. Lather, rinse, repeat.

When I woke up, I thought I was still dreaming. As I tried to breathe, though, I gagged something fierce. There was something inserted into my throat that was incredibly uncomfortable. Though, as much as I heaved, I couldn’t so much as cough. Suddenly, about a hundred alarms started going off. I heard somebody shout out ‘Code Blue’ and, like a trained army of ants, four nurses and Dr. Michaels burst through the curtains. Immediately, they set to checking the devices and manually checking my vitals. I think I punched somebody as my stomach continued to heave. My eyes still refused to fully open themselves.

“Geezus, she’s awake!” Dr. Michaels sounded panicked. “Melissa, are you in pain?”

The most I could muster was to shake my head and touch some sort of machinery in my mouth, repeatedly.

“Janet! Help me get this tube out! Heather! Shut off those damn alarms and call off the Code Blue! Courtney! Richard! Hold her down!” Dr. Michaels responded pretty well under pressure. When she turned back to me, she wasn’t barking orders anymore. She sounded kind and maternal. “Melissa, honey, this is going to feel really weird but you’ll feel a lot better once we get this feeding tube out of you.”

‘Feeding tube?! What the fuck is going on?!’ All I could do was ask myself that question. Two tubes stood in the way of my vocal cords operating as well as stifling any regurgitation.

In seconds, two nurses were holding me down while I felt some sort of pulling. Now, I knew what it was like to feel the entire length of my esophagus. It seemed to take forever for that tube to come out of my body. Every other second, my stomach was protesting and I’d heave again. All the alarms were suddenly silenced, thankfully. In the next moment, I felt the tube finally emerge from my mouth. There was no time to celebrate. Now, there was coughing and dry heaving. I was immediately lifted to a sitting position by I don’t know who. Thankfully, my eyes finally opened and were tearing up as I heaved. Someone was reassuringly rubbing my back. My breathing was labored, but I was fine for the most part.

“What… the hell…” I managed through breaths. My voice was horse, but still recognizable as a female voice.

“You were in a lot of pain, honey. We had to induce a coma so you wouldn’t feel any of it and inserted a ventilator with feeding tube. I’m sorry, but you’re out of the woods, now.” Dr. Michaels explained.

“How long?” My breath was coming under control, now.

“Three weeks, honey.”

“Jesus Christ! What the fuck?!”

“Language, young lady!” Janet chided me.

“Janet, I love you, but can it! You sleep for three weeks and we’ll see how you react!”

She brushed off my verbal assault. “So, you’re really not in pain, now?”

Quickly, I performed a mental checklist and relayed my findings. “My whole body’s heavy, but there’s something tugging on my chest. Besides that, my hips are a little sore, but no more than a mild headache.”

“That’s good to hear.” Dr. Michaels replied. “You’ll be pleasantly surprised about that extra weight on your chest, I think.”

There was one small problem. “I hate to say this, but I think I really have to pee.”

“Just let it loose, honey. We were almost ready to change you, anyway.” Janet requested.

“I’m going to pass. Could you guys please help me to the toilet? I’ve got to learn how to use the new equipment sometime.”

Janet scoffed. “Okay, I’m in. Kaitlyn?”

“I suppose we ought to. I mean, we kept her in a coma for three weeks. It’s the least we could do to make up for it.” Dr. Michaels agreed with me.

The helped me lay back down while Janet went about removing the diaper. In moments, I was being lifted again and helped off the gurney. I did the best I could to stand on my own and wasn’t doing too bad, really. Moments later, they helped lift my nightie and I sat on the toilet for the very first time. In half a second, the dam burst, startling me. My back straightened and my eyes widened as I heard a sound I’d only heard from the next stall in the ladies’ room. Now, it was me making that sound. The sensations bordered on sensory overload, but I wasn’t complaining. The flow steadily slowed until it was just drips.

“Front to back, honey.” Janet instructed, handing me some sheets of toilet paper.

“I get the concept. I’m fine.” Came my retort as I stuck my tongue out at her.

After wiping and satisfied I was dry, I simply dropped the wad into the toilet and flushed. Then, steadying myself on the handicap rails, I lifted myself to my feet. Janet and Dr. Michaels remained close, should I show the slightest sign of falling over. It felt strange but exhilarating to walk and feel my thighs rub together with an empty crotch between them. However, my center of gravity had definitely changed and would take some getting used to. Not to mention, there was some jiggling on my chest that was mildly annoying but more exciting.

I stopped at the sink to wash my hands and glanced up the mirror. I lost all concentration to wash my hands. My eyes would have liked to bulge out of my sockets. There was no doubt that the person in the mirror was a young woman. Her features were soft and smooth. Her eyes were stunningly blue. Her nightie prettily accentuated her supple figure and kept her modesty in check by concealing a pair of ample, perky breasts. Gone was the prominent brow bone. The nose was smaller and flowed harmoniously with her forehead, coming to a slight point at the end. The cheeks were full and youthful. Gone was the angular jaw, replaced by a sloping, curvaceous one. There was no more “Jay Leno” chin, either. It came to a soft, almost pointed finish.

I had seen pictures of my mother when she was younger, about the time she’d given birth to my brother and I. If this girl in the mirror didn’t look an awful lot like that woman, no amount of convincing would make me believe that the girl in the mirror was really me. She even mimed my movements as I brought my hands to my face and gave my cheeks a little stroke. Only, they weren’t really my hands, either. They were smaller, more dainty. Then, my eyes fell to my chest. Gawd, they looked huge! A pair of smaller hands gripped them simultaneously and gave a little squeeze. Why did that feel so good? Still, there was no denying that these were my breasts, alright.

“Talk about your dreams coming true!” I thought out loud, again my melodious mezzo soprano voice echoing through the room.

Dr. Michaels stood behind me. “To you, it’s a dream. For us, we’ve watched that pretty little body of yours change on an almost daily basis. I think Janet or Heather started recording a time lapse video for you to see when you’re ready.”

“That was Heather.” Janet admitted. “She knew Melissa would be dumbfounded when she woke up, so we caught the whole thing on video.”

I smiled at Janet, by way of the mirror. “Thanks, you guys.” I gave myself another look over. It was hard to really gauge all the changes when all I could see was my torso.

“There’s a full-length mirror in your room. Also Heather’s idea.” Janet smiled back.

I slowly made my way back into the room while Janet guided me over to the mirror. At first, there was some reluctance to look into it, but once I was there it was all over. There was that girl again. She turned to the side. Boob to ass ratio looked proportionate. The silhouette was stunning. Then, she turned facing the mirror. Her shoulders were the same width as mine, but her neck had thinned out. Her ribs had much less volume than mine ever did and her waist was well defined. Then, there were the hips. Slowly, the torso sloped into them, but they were an inch wider than her shoulders. Yep, those were my mother’s hips. Though hairy, she had really gorgeous legs. Then, she turned around, craning her head to see the whole thing from the rear. The nightie dipped a little past her shoulder blades, showing off the soft smoothness of her back. Everything formed a “V” into her waist, then flared out again to the hips. Her butt was full, round, and youthfully pert. I’d always thought my ass was my best feature, but now it seemed to be one of many very nice assets I now possessed.

On impulse, I ripped off the nightie and stood there, naked. She followed my lead. This prompted Janet to jump over and close the curtain. Everything was where it should be, though. Pretty face, lovely skin, perky bosom, little waist, flaring hips, shapely thighs, and an ass you could bounce a quarter off of. I’d always been a fan of my rear end, but I loved it even more, now! Most importantly, the cleft of my new vulva was clearly visible, even with the 1970’s porn bush surrounding it. I squealed and jumped with glee, “I’m fucking hot!” I instantly knew that I was going to look amazing in a bikini.

“A lot of energy for somebody who just emerged from a coma.” Janet almost grunted. “Now, Miss Pretty Little Thing, would you stop streaking the hospital and put some clothes on? You’re making me jealous.”

Stopping, I turned my blushing face to her. “Sorry about that.”

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

“There’s some good news to deliver this afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.” Nathan was doing his thing with the podium again. “After three long weeks in a drug-induced coma for her own safety and comfort, we were hoping and praying for the best. Early this morning, the breathing tube and ventilator were removed from Miss Sterling and I am pleased to inform you that she is doing perfectly fine. In fact, better than that. She’s positively bursting with happiness. All the doctors are giving her a clean bill of health. She will undergo a complete physical this afternoon.” Secretly, I was dreading that. “But, we’re confident that she will come through with flying colors and the CDC will be satisfied that she is not a threat to anyone. Thank you very much for your words of encouragement during this trying time.”

He waved at the crowd, turned, and reentered the hospital.

Sitting up on the gurney with one leg bent Indian-style and my arm resting on my other knee, I was clad in a simple outfit. Wearing one of the pairs of panties my parents had bought (No, I’m not telling which one.), I had covered myself in the sweatpants, hoodie, and the purple tank top. There was a grin on my face about how much cleavage I was showing off with that top. Heather had leant me a scrunchie for my hair, too. Having it hanging to the middle of my back was becoming cumbersome.

Shutting the TV off, I wanted to slam back down onto the gurney and take a nap. With Dr. Michaels in the room, there were other plans. Dave was there, too, but mostly for moral support and medical history reasons. What was about to happen was largely out of his hands.

“Are you ready to begin?” She asked, holding her computer pad against her chest.

“No.” I moaned. There was still the marvel of how pretty my voice had become. The time to get used to it hadn’t existed before I was induced into the coma. “But, it’s a necessary evil, right?”

She nodded. “Unfortunately, yes.”

I swung my legs off the gurney and slipped my now smaller feet into my purple slippers. Purple is my favorite color, if you hadn’t already guessed. Over the course of the day, the drugs had worn off and moving around was a lot easier, now. Grudgingly, I followed behind Dr. Michaels with Dave pulling up the rear. There was no preparing for what came next.

Dr. Michaels pulled back the curtain and stepped out. When I emerged into the corridor, the whole ward erupted into applause. All the nurses were standing. I hadn’t received a standing ovation since high school, so it was a little daunting. My cheeks became warm as I blushed and I smiled back at the applause.

“Thanks everybody. I owe you a lot.” I greeted through choking back tears.

The applause continued as Dr. Michaels led me away and slowly died out. As we walked through the hospital, all of the staff applauded me. Blushing more, I simply waved to them. Once we reached Dr. Michaels’ offices (which took forever), the novelty was over. It was now down to business. Dave opted to wait in the front area. First, she set me up in an examination room. Then, she set about checking my vitals, my ears, my eyes, and my throat. Typical doctor’s check up. Then, we went out into the hallway to check my height and weight.

“Well, well… you’ve shrunk, my dear.” She smiled.

“I have?” A frightened expression crossed my face.

“Oh, don’t worry. It’s only an inch. Though, amazingly, you’ve gone from one-forty-five all the way down to one-twenty-four. Some of that can be attributed to three weeks of coma, but also to the decrease in bone mass.”

“So, I’m five-six, now?”

She nodded and led me back into the exam room. Next, she was breaking out a tape measure. “Okay, off with the hoodie.” She measured my chest, over top of my breasts, my waist, my hips, and (for some odd reason) my wrist. Again, she was smiling. “Well, missy. It seems you’re now a thirty-four C, you have slightly under a medium frame, and you shouldn’t worry about your dress size changing. I’d say that was about the same. Now, sit up on the table.” I acquiesced as she picked up one foot, slid the slipper off, and measured my feet. “Well, I’ll be…”

“Is that a good indication?”

She nodded, putting my slipper back on. “We can share shoes, now. You’re an eight.” She winked.

“My feet really shrank?”

“Honey, with your ribs and your hips, are you really that surprised?”

“I guess not.”

“Okay, let’s get you initiated. Strip the lower half, including your panties.” She started setting up something I barely recognized. Stirrups.

I gulped and nervously began to slip off the sweatpants, then slid out of my panties. As wonderful as it would be to never have to tuck ever again, what was coming up didn’t delight me. She turned and slipped on a pair of gloves. Once my lower half was fully exposed, she motioned for me to put my feet up in the stirrups. Reluctantly, I complied. Next, she grabbed… a mirror.

“Janet was right. You want to see?”

“See what?”

She let out a sigh. “Your vagina, pussy, clam, flesh taco, twat…” She cringed. “…cunt.”

“Hey, I’ve never used that last one and never plan to.”

“Good. Still, want to have a look.”

“Before you violate me with all those contraptions? Sure, why not?”

She turned the mirror around and zoomed in on my crotch. My eyes shot open. There it was, the one thing I never thought I’d ever own. The mons pubis was nice and puffy, the labia majora seemed to be framing things nicely, the labia minora were small and taut. Then, she opened up the labia to reveal the pink bliss inside. Methodically, she pointed out the separate parts: my clitoris, my new urethral opening, and my vaginal cavity itself. For good measure, she stuck one finger barely inside, which caused me to try to leap back in retreat.

“Hey! You’ve got to do the warm-ups before the spelunking can begin! You know that!” I protested.

She giggled. “Sorry, no time and I’m straight. Besides, you‘ll get my equipment messy if I get you going.”

I glared at her. “Very funny. She is very pretty, though. I‘ll give you and Janet that much. I still think I need to trim the hedges a little.” She turned and grabbed some kind of device that looked like a lobster claw. “Hey! Where are you going to put that?!”

Another giggle. “Don’t worry, silly. This is a caliper to gauge the size of your clitoris, nothing more. Now, lie back.”

Again, reluctantly, I acquiesced. I winced and almost sensed as if I was about to loose my new little friend, but she was done before I knew it. Now was the tricky part. She put a healthy amount of gel on some metal device and I closed my eyes. I didn’t want to see. Then, I felt something cold insert into me and then spread me apart. It was all so surreal. After that, there was nothing from her for a few minutes. I began to wonder what she was doing, but she spoke before I could.

“This is amazing. Melissa, not only do you have a fully-functional vagina, but there’s also a hymen in there. Honey, you’re effectively a virgin, again.” She announced. “I wouldn’t recommend any sexual activity for a while, yet, but when you do be prepared for a little pain down here.”

“Great. Just what I need. More pain.” I groaned.

“Welcome to womanhood. Just wait until you have your period.”

A smile creased my lips. “I can’t wait. It’ll hurt, but it’ll be confirmation, y’know?”

“Before today, I never thought I’d meet anyone that was glad when they started their period. Though, given the circumstances, I can see your point of view.” I couldn’t see her smile. “Now, get ready, you’re going to feel a little scratch inside, but I’m going to do a Pap Smear, okay?”

“Mother of All Q-Tips, time?”

She giggled. “Yes, something like that.”

She was right. The sensation startled me, but it was gone as soon as it came. A moment later, the spreading feeling was taken away and I could feel her cleaning me up a little. Good, that part was over. How humiliating, though. And, to think that I’ll have to go through this once a year for the rest of my life. Oh, joy.

“Okay, Miss Pretty Pussy. Get dressed. It’s time to get acquainted with the twins.”

Slipping my panties back on, I shot her a puzzled look. “How so?”

She merely grinned. “Mammogram.”

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

After being poked, prodded, and thoroughly explored down below and then getting the twins squished into pancakes, I wasn’t in much of a mood for visitors. Regardless, there they were when I got back to my room. Dave was there with my parents. Both of them looked exhausted.

“How long have you guys been here? No offense, but you look terrible.” I pointed out.

“Started off from the house when we found out that you had woken up.” Dad stated rather grumpily. “You look great, by the way. Are you really my kid? You look a lot like Bridget Fonda, to be honest.”

I giggled.

“Yes, Melissa. You look absolutely lovely.” Mom smiled. “So, how was the exam?”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “A yearly, plus a mammogram.”

She winced. “Not quite the introduction to womanhood you were looking forward to?”

“Absolutely not. I’ve got a hymen, though. That little bug was really thorough!”

“Whoa! Whoa! Do women talk when I’m not here, would you?” Dad protested.

“How did everything turn out, then?” Dave finally inquired.

I plopped down onto the gurney, making my breasts pleasurably bounce. “Well, let’s see… I shrunk an inch. I’m now five-six. I’m down to one-twenty-four, though I don’t recommend the weight loss plan. My boobs are a C cup. Oh! And I’m a size eight shoe!”

“Wonderful! Should make shoe shopping a lot easier.” Mom knowingly nodded. We’d discussed how utterly difficult it was to find cute shoes to fit my Size 10 clown feet.

“Definitely! I’ll finally be able to fit the adorable shoes!” I squealed with glee.

“Melissa, what did I say about the women talk?”

I threw a pillow at my father. “Oh, hush, Daddy!”

A man nearby cleared his throat. “I… hope I’m not interrupting.”

My eyes darted to the sound of the familiar voice. Nathan was smiling and leaning against the far wall. Was it the lighting or did he look like an angel? That warm and tingly feeling was back.

My father stood and crossed over to him. “Well, this is the man of the hour? What was your name again?”

Nathan stood straight and presented a hand to my father. “Oh, we haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Nathaniel Dobbs. Call me Nathan. I’m your daughter’s publicist.”

A few muscles in my body tensed until my father took Nathan’s hand and shook it. “So I’ve been told.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Sterling.”

Dad chuckled. “Please. My father was Mr. Sterling. Call me Daniel.”

“Very well, Daniel.” He released my father’s hand, crossed the room, and took my step-mother’s hand. “You must be Melissa’s sister?”

It was corny, but she and I both giggled. “Heavens no. I wish I could claim that, just look at the gorgeous little thing. No, Nathan. I’m her step-mother, Ella -- short for Marcella.”

I was blushing again. “Mo-om!” I groaned.

Nathan chuckled. “Well, it seems as though you have succeeded in the motherly pastime of thoroughly embarrassing your daughter. Well done.” He kissed the back of her hand. “Enchente, Mrs. Sterling.”

“Pleasure to meet you, too, young man.”

“So, what’s the plan from here on out, Nathan?” My father interjected.

“Ah, directly to the point. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” He turned, winked at me, then turned back to my father. “Well, as you can tell, the press is clamoring for this story. They all want to be the first to break it. Because of the CDC blockade, no one’s been able to get a picture of our golden girl. You really wouldn’t believe the offers I’ve gotten for a piece of her.”

“What are we talking? Thousands?”

“Daniel, this is the 21st Century. That doesn’t cut it, anymore. Try millions.”

My breath had left me. “Mi… millions?”

“Yes, eleven of them. That’s the top bid, dear. And, you’d know that if you checked your messages once in a while.” He scolded me.

“Who’s paying?” Dad was grilling him, now.

“Well, CBS and Viacom have been battling since the written statement. Viacom won’t surpass ten, but CBS offered eleven for her to do 60 Minutes. On top of that, Ellie Girl is offering six million just to get you in a photo spread and do a tiny interview, without even seeing how lovely you are.” He smirked.

“That’s… seventeen… million combined!” Mom was effectively flabbergasted.

“Yes. The current record is nine million, held by an Australian HTV recipient. Not that I’m looking to set a record, mind you. However, when you’re the first, people are lining up at the door to get a piece of you. Daniel… Ella… I told your daughter that I wanted to make sure that she never had to worry about being homeless ever again. I meant every word. That’s why, I’ll have you know, I’m in her employ strictly pro bono.”

“You’re doing all this for free? What do you get out of it?” My father, forever the cynic.

“The satisfaction of helping someone less fortunate. Also, I had a very dear friend of mine who was transgender and homeless when my career was just taking off in San Francisco. I put her up for a while, but the streets kept calling to her. She was a regular on Polk Street and a frequent consumer of methamphetamines.” He breathed a deep sigh. “She took her own life before AIDS had a chance to. I swore I’d never let that happen again, if I could help it.”

Finally, Dad smiled. “Perfect. I approve.”

With a straight face, I looked up at Nathan. Hopefully, he couldn’t tell I was on the verge of tears. “I’ll do it. Both of them.”

“Wonderful.” He grinned. “Now, there’s Agent Donovan to deal with, but I may have a way around that. Today, you’ve been through enough. Tomorrow, though, we’re going up to the Medi Spa on the ninth floor. You’ll be getting the works: manicure, pedicure, facial, massage, and whatever else you’d like. The day after that, 60 Minutes is willing to send someone to the hospital for the interview. Before that, it’s back up to the Medi Spa for hair and makeup. Ella, would you do me the honor of helping shop for a suitable wardrobe for Melissa?”

A bright smile gleamed on her face. “Would I!”

“Excellent. Then, tomorrow, the fun begins. Don’t worry about a thing. I’ve got it all in hand. I will leave you to get back to your lovely evening. See you tomorrow, Melissa.” Again with the wink. Was he trying to get me in the sack?

Blushing, I simply waved to him.

[ - To Be Concluded - ]
Photo Credit: Haley Ramm

Marked Target ~ Chapter One ~ by: Danielle Krieger (c) 2011 Lawrence "Lex" McKinley lives about as average a life as one can with metahumans popping up everywhere. Well, as normal as someone who spends their free time as an MMA fighter really can. He's about to get the shock of his life--the punch he never saw coming. In this installment: We meet "Lex" and get a window into his world. Something sinister is afoot, though. Can "The Animal" handle it?

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DISCLAIMER :: This is a retroactive continuity. A “ret-con”, if you will. It follows other stories in Lilith Langtree’s “Comics RetCon Universe”. The story is mine, but some of the characters are not. This is a RetCon of X-23, from Marvel Comics’ X-men (with a special guest appearance from Dr. Hank McCoy). Laura Kinney, X-23, and Dr. Henry Philip “Hank” McCoy, Beast, are trademarks of Marvel Comics. All rights reserved. Pic credit goes to the amazingly talented Danni Shinya Luo.

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Chapter One:

CRACK! I could feel three vertebrae in my neck pop into place. I’d been meaning to get that adjusted. This guy had done me a favor. My body reeled back from the force of the blow and I could still feel the imprint of his fist on the left side of my jaw. This guy definitely had some skills. He was fighting in a style that I wasn’t familiar with. Usually in these arenas, you’d run into the same schmucks peddling some obscure form of Tae Kwon Do or Americanized Karate. This guy pulled something Mongolian on me, or something. It had to be from a region I wasn’t familiar with. Shifu had always taught me to “expect the unexpected”. Well, today was the epitome of that.

I shook the cloud from my brain, stepped into my stance, brought my guard up, and waited for the guy’s next move. The thing that was throwing me off was it seemed like the guy idolized Muhammad Ali, or something. He was bouncing around, hands to his sides, and bobbing all over the mat. His style was hard to pin down. Then, as he moved, time seemed to slow to a crawl. I was watching him very carefully. I might take another hit, but I was determined to decipher his technique. He bounced at me, coming within striking range. In the next split second, he dropped into a stance. It was obscure, no doubt about it. Just before he brought his right foot into the air for another power attack, I knew exactly what he was using. It wasn’t Mongolian. It was Cambodian--Pradal serey, a from of “free boxing”. I had him, now.

As he launched his leg into the air, I readied my body for an impact. Halfway through his kick, I leaned into it, grabbed his foot with my left, jabbed my right elbow into his thigh, followed through with another right elbow jab into his ribs, and just for effect I swung my left foot over my head to smack him in the face. Needless to say, he went down hard. I rolled with the momentum over his limp form, onto the mat, and was on my feet again just behind him in a matter of seconds. As a precaution, I fell into stance once more and waited for either the referee to intervene or the guy to get back up. Seconds ticked by that felt like minutes. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, the heaviness of my labored breathing, and the blood in my ears. In the background, there was a thunderous cheering that seemed so far away and an announcer’s voice amplified over the P.A. system that was barely audible to me. I was in my zone and time stood still.

The guy writhed on the ground for a few moments. He must have felt like he’d been hit by a train. My leg muscles were pretty strong and they had a tendency of making my arms feel a little weak by comparison. That’s what my opponents always tried to exploit, my upper body, but what I lacked in strength was made up with speed. Exploiting my weakness didn’t work for the guy on the mat, right now. As time began to catch up with me, the referee darted over to the guy and the crowd came to full volume. I just stood there breathing while my opponent was examined. It looked as though I’d connected with his nose, which knocked him out, and there was a little blood streaming out of his nostrils. A moment later, the referee looked up and shook his head. He pointed behind himself with his thumb out.

“It looks like we have a T-K-O, ladies and gentlemen!” The announcer yelled into his microphone. The referee strode over to me as they opened up the cage doors and the guy’s team rushed in to tend to him, followed closely by the league medic. Grabbing my wrist, the referee raised my arm as the announcer continued, “Your Round Three exhibition champion, Lawrence ‘The Animal’ McKinley!” He emphasized my nickname a bit too much, but it got the crowd to roar about as much as fifteen hundred people could. I hated how they used my full name, though. They were insistent. “He’ll now move on to Round Four of the tournament!”

The referee let my arm go and it swung limp to my side. I swear I could have collapsed right there. Sweat was dripping from nearly every pore in my body and there was a mild taste of blood in my mouth from when he’d hit me square in the face during the third round. I was going to feel that in the morning, among other things. Not to mention, I’d have to explain the fat lip to my boss. It was amazing that the both of us managed to stay on our feet for eight rounds. At the end, he was on the ground and I really felt like joining him. Instead, I lumbered out of the octagonal cage to meet with my trainer, who showered me with praise, while I continued lumbering toward the locker room. Having fought twice, I was done for the night.

If my parents could see me now, there would likely be several profanities between us. I was fully aware that they didn’t approve. Mixed Martial Arts, or MMA, was not something one got into on a whim. It takes dedication, resolve, and a willingness to get your ass handed to you on occasion. Some would look at me strangely if I told them this was something I did for fun. I was an Amateur fighter. The paycheck was slim, but it bought me some pretty nice toys to have around the house. My real job was a lot less exciting. When you program lines of code all day, it’s nice to have a hobby.

“You did real good out there, kid.” The gruff voice of my trainer gushed. “No one knew he was going to pull that Cambodian crap on you, not even me.”

A chuckle escaped my swollen lip. “Yea, it was a doozy. I got him, though. That’s what counts.”

“Sure did.” We had arrived at the locker room door. “Are you gonna make it to the showers or should I fetch a cane?”

Another chuckle. “I’m good, Mad Dog.”

They called me “The Animal” and all the fighters called him “Mad Dog”. His real name was Robert “Bob” Strazinsky, but he’d been in the business so long that nobody but his own family remembered that. Rumor had it that he trained boxers before the rise of MMA, but they were mostly unfounded. I didn’t care one way or the other. He was damn good at what he did.

“Well, all right, then. Hit the showers and we’ll go over some things after you get off work on Monday. Enjoy the weekend. You’ve earned it.”

“Thanks.” I gave him a wink as I put my weight into opening the door. He wandered off down the hall, headed God only knows where.

Entering the locker room, all I could really hear was the sounds of guys being guys. A couple were showering and mocking each other for the losses they took tonight. A couple more were horsing around, having some towel fight. Most of the rest were talking about what wounds were going to cause scars that their girlfriends would enjoy in various stages of undress, save for one. Mike “Brickhouse” Deutsch looked up with a surprised expression.

“Damn, Lex! If I didn’t know better, I’d be offering to buy you dinner–no shower needed.” Yep, Mike was gay, but nobody cared. He could probably kick their ass, anyway. He was a heavy weight and earned his name. He was built “like a brick shithouse”.

“Even with my lip all puffy and bloodied? Aww, you’re too kind.” We shared a good laugh as I stumbled over to my locker and started stripping off my gloves. The good thing about there being only twenty-three of us: Key Arena had plenty of lockers.

Mike shook his head. “No way. It’s kind of like lipstick. That shade suits you.” He winked.

I threw a towel at him. Having to get a look at the damage, I trudged over to full-length mirror on the far wall. As I stepped forward and my reflection came back to me, I started turning different parts of my body toward it, inspecting the damage. Beyond bumps, bruises, and a couple of scrapes, I was perfectly fine. I’d be sore in the morning, but I’d live. It was always a little strange to me that my short brown hair nearly always looked black when it was wet. Tonight was no exception. Sweat had spread through it and I looked like I was back in high school with my hardcore Goth habit of dying my hair and wearing makeup. My gray eyes beheld the rest of my form. Earlier in the night, I had been measured at five feet, ten inches. My weight was one hundred and seventy-eight pounds, landing me firmly and comfortably in the welterweight division. Somebody had once compared me to Brendan Fraser when he did that George of the Jungle movie and I wanted to pound their face into the concrete. However, taking a look at myself now, that’s kinda who I looked like. My girlfriend liked it, so I didn’t care.

Mike came up behind me. “Well, pretty boy, checking out the battle scars?”

“Yea, gotta make sure the little woman isn’t going to freak out, too much.” I smirked at him.

He instantly rolled his eyes. “Oi, you guys and the women-folk. I don’t know how you straight boys can handle them.”

“We handle them about as well as you handle a dick in your ass!” One guy shouted from across the room.

Both Mike and I straightened up, turned to him, and looked as imposing as possible. He was a featherweight. He wouldn’t stand a chance against the two of us. I didn’t notice then, but half the locker room also stood up, coming to Mike’s defense. The kid backed down pretty quickly. He was a rookie. He’d learn.

“You wanna insult the Brickhouse, you gotta deal with all of us, pip-squeak. Learn your place, rookie!” The closest guy bellowed and threw a towel at the kid.

Male bravado at its finest.

Over the course of the next hour, I managed to get a shower in and dressed back into my street clothes. I couldn’t head back to my place smelling like a men’s locker room. There was a woman there and she wouldn’t approve.

Unlocking the door and stepping into my apartment with my duffel bag slung over my shoulder, whatever sound there was immediately silenced. The lithe form of my girlfriend, Julia, slid itself off the couch. A smile crossed my face as I took in her auburn hair, milk chocolate eyes, her sleek frame, and her athletic form. She nearly purred until she got a good look at me. Then, she stopped dead in her tracks, a look of shock crossed her face, and her hands jumped to her mouth. Great, she was worried and I wasn’t going to hear the end of it.

Her face became stern and her hands moved to her hips. “Lawrence Alexander McKinley, what the hell have you done to yourself?!”

Great. All three names. I was screwed. ‘Better get this right, Lex.’ I told myself. “Hey, babe. I didn’t do it to myself. You should see the other guy.”

Was there a whimper that just escaped her lips? She rushed over and wrapped her arms around me. It was the best feeling all night. I winced when she hit a tender spot, though. “I don’t get why you have to do that fighting. What do you have to prove?”

The duffel bag dropped to the floor as I wrapped my arms around her, reciprocating the embrace. She stood high enough that all she had to do was turn her head to the side and it was on my chest. “It’s really not about proving anything, Jules. We’ve discussed this, remember?” Maybe there was something I had to prove, but I wasn’t going to tell her. I’d buried that part of myself several years ago.

She looked up and I could see the worry in her eyes. “Yes, but I’d like to have one Friday night where I’m not sitting around the house, waiting for my man to come home, only to find that he’s gone and gotten himself beaten to a pulp!”

A nod was the only movement my head would allow. “Okay, that’s fair. Good news, though: I made it to Round Four, the semi-finals. They’re about six weeks away.”

“So, we can actually get out to a club where you take me dancing?” Her eyes pleaded. I melted every time she looked at me like that.

A smirk creased my lips. “As long as you’re wearing that slinky dress you’ve got hidden in the back of the closet.”

She nearly purred and her eyes seemed to say ‘yes’. “Maybe.”

I kissed her forehead as we embraced once more. There wasn’t really anything that would make our relationship much better. We’d been dating for over a year, moved in together about six months ago, and are playing with the idea of getting married. Being a modern woman, she had some reservations about the idea. I’d like the better tax breaks, myself. I know, we’re so unromantic. After a few minutes, we released the embrace and moved over to the couch where she was watching a movie, apparently. I was happy to be able to relax, but she had other ideas. Running to the bathroom, gathering up some cotton balls and the bottle of hydrogen peroxide, she decided now was the time to play nursemaid. It stung like a bitch, but I was happy to know she cared.

The binoculars focused, bringing the flickering blue light in the apartment on the seventh floor into view. Zooming in brought a man and a woman into view. The man lounged on the couch while the woman straddled him and appeared to be tending a wound on his lip. The binoculars lowered and a man glanced over at his partner in the passenger seat. ‘Why do I always get stuck with the white guy,’ He thought to himself.

“What have we got?” His deep baritone voice asked the wiry white guy.

“Well, it’s confirmed to be ‘X’ 23, alright.” The tenor voice stated.

The black man in the leather trenchcoat sitting in the driver’s seat raised an eyebrow. “X-23?”

The white guy looked unsure of himself. “You know… ‘target’ number twenty-three? ‘X’ marks the spot?”

The black man rolled his eyes. “Don’t get cute. Just answer the question.”

The white guy sighed, seeming deflated. “Fine. He’s the one. We got the blip when he had his medical exam two days ago. Blood samples confirm it. He’s meta.”

Using the binoculars to glance up at the apartment once more, the black man pursed his lips. “He’s gonna be a hard one to take in.”

The white guy scoffed. “You think so? Did you see what he did to those guys, tonight? I’m just glad I’m not ‘the muscle’.”

“Yeah. Hang tight and keep an eye on him. I’m gonna call the boss.”

Two Weeks Later

Pivoting 90-degrees on my left foot and planting my right foot firmly right next to it, I bowed in deep respect to the man across from me with right fist encased in my left hand. He was in his mid to late 50’s, Asian, and pretty built for an older guy. Looking at him was like looking at Jackie Chan: you’d never know that the guy could physically own you in a matter of seconds, were you to actually fight him. To me, he was Shifu. To the world, he was Mr. Xiao Min, owner of a Shaolin-style Kung Fu academy in the International District–called “Hao Lai” academy, but I don’t know what that means. We had been practicing our taolu, or “form”, in a side-by-side matter for the past hour or so. He was always a stickler for getting the movements absolutely correct and had a habit of beating me with a gun, the Chinese version of a quarterstaff, if I moved incorrectly. I had been his student since I found the place during my sophomore year at the University of Washington, so he didn’t beat me with a stick as much anymore. He returned the bow and motioned for me to sit with him. Like an obedient student, I followed his request.

Once we were both sitting like our legs had become pretzels, he closed his eyes and began methodically breathing in and out. Following his example, I began to do the same thing. He was definitely a strange one, having grown up in Tibet, but I learned long ago that there was a method to his madness if you had the patience get him talking. We stayed like that for several minutes. In fact, I was still doing it when he stopped and looked at me.

“Why do you fight in those tournaments, Lewen?” He calmly asked me, using the name in Chinese he had given me. It always sounded like “luh-when?” to me. A little more than six years in his tutelage and I still didn’t speak much Chinese at all.

He had caught me by surprise. Immediately, all breath left me and my eyes fluttered open. He had never asked me this question before. “Many pardons, Shifu, but why do you ask?”

He smirked. “You always answer questions with another question or are you avoiding the question?”

A sigh escaped my lips. “No, Shifu, I am not dodging the question. It caught me by surprise, is all.”

He seemed to look down his nose at me. “Which is why you end up with so many scrapes, bruises, and contusions after battle. Do I not always stress that one must expect the unexpected, in battle as in life?”

“Yes, Shifu.” My head nodded on it’s own. “The truth is that I’m not really sure. For the glory? Not really. The fights don’t really mean that much to me. A test of skill? Maybe a little. In fact, my girlfriend asked me a couple of weeks ago about whether I’m trying to prove something. I told her ‘no’, but my heart is torn over that question.”

“Why do you think your heart is torn so?”

My shoulders shrugged. “I cannot tell you, Shifu, because I do not know, myself.”

He smiled. “Ah, and that is the heart of the matter. People are never at war with people. We do not wage battle with our opponents, Lewen. We battle with ourselves. To know battle is to know ourselves. If there is one thing you can take to your grave after I am long gone and your studies are finished, that is the one.” He stood once more. “That will be enough, for now, Lewen. Take the wisdom I have given you, meditate, and return to me when you have answered my question.”

I mirrored when he stood. Now, I was bowing again. “Yes, Shifu. I will do as you ask.”

“Yes, I’m outside the dojo,” The white guy stated into the phone with an annoyed tone. “Do they actually call them that in China?”

“No, 'dojo' is a Japanese word, you idiot!” The non-descript male voice on the other end chided him. “Has he come out, yet?”

“No, the guy’s been in there for a couple hours, I think. I’ve taken Karate and classes only last about 30 to 45 minutes. What the hell is he doing in two hours? Besides that, why does he have to do it so friggin’ early in the morning?”

“Don’t worry about it. Just follow him. You overheard him and his harlot talking about going out to some club, didn’t you?”

“Yea, the other night. You want us to get the team and take him then?”

“Why do you think I asked you about it?” There was a ‘bang’ on the other end and the man could be heard screaming, though barely audible and rather distant. “Why do you have me working with such ingrates?!”

A moment later, after shuffling came over the line, a female voice could be heard. “Yes, assemble the team and take him tonight. We’ve got a lot riding on this. Do not screw this up for me!”

There is nothing in this world, besides Julia, that I love more than my job. Back when I was a junior in college, they were trying to update the Havoc physics engine. If you’ve played any video game in the past seven years, you know what I’m talking about. Anyway, they were going to do a broad-base upgrade to it and they had this little contest going. They were looking for one solution to some of the clipping issues that many of the models had–“clipping” is when supposedly ‘solid’ objects in three-dimensional spaces (games) pass right through other supposedly solid objects. I found out about it through Kotaku, a gaming news/blog site. If you don’t know about it, you’re not a gamer. Anyway, I set my mind on solving the problem. It took me about three months to come up with it, but when I finally had it I couldn’t have been more happy. Exactly sixty-three lines of code won me $2,500 and a quaint nod from one of the coolest developers in the industry. That’s how I got my job at Orion Software. They were local and looking for talent. They were willing to wait for me to graduate, too. I’ve been here ever since.

Most developers in the industry really take care of their employees and Orion is no different. I have my own little office, but most of us had at least a nice, decked out cubicle. They’re not like typical cubicles that corporate robots have. The things were spacious enough to lie down to sleep in and you could communicate with other people in your department with eye contact, but you had your own area. My office was pretty cool, though. I had a door with windows and the wall next to it was all glass, but the door was usually open. The back wall was a nicely sized window with a view of Redmond and Microsoft somewhere off in the distance. There was a nice L-shaped desk in the middle. One quirk about game developers, though? We’re all geeks. My office was decked out in posters of my favorite games (even if they were from other developers) and a couple of my new favorite soccer team (Football Club to Europeans), the Seattle Sounders. I played in high school, so it was nice to have a local team to cheer for. My desk was littered with action figures and statuettes, my favorite being the female Bounty Hunter, Shae Vizla, from BioWare’s upcoming massively multiplayer online game, Star Wars: The Old Republic. She was hot and it made a nice centerpiece, right beside my framed photograph of Julia.

Being the Junior Lead World Designer had its perks, but also some setbacks. I was second-in-command, directly under the Senior Lead World Designer. It was nice to have a little team under me, but the job still came with quite a few challenges. Have you ever tried plugging in code to tell the graphics engine how grass moves in the wind? Didn’t think so. Sometimes, it was pretty rewarding. Other times, you wanted to pull your hair out. We’d taken four games to release, so far, but they were minor little dungeon crawlers that we published through Xbox LIVE Arcade and Playstation Network. We don’t do Wii games. Nintendo hates third-party developers, for some odd reason. Now, though, we were working on our “Triple-A” big release. I won’t spoil the surprise.

Here I was, plugging away in my coding software so that individual blades moved independently, when a knock came to my door. I finished one more line, then glanced up to take in the visage of Rachel Maddingly, one of our most talented artists in the concept art department. She reminded me a lot of Julia. She had mouse brown hair, cool brown eyes, and a great figure she rarely showed off. One cool thing is that she had black plastic-framed glasses that looked like Lisa Lobe used to wear, back in the 90’s. Then, she was a fashion pioneer. Now, they were the style. Apparently, she was coming in to show me the latest designs for one of our final levels, but she stopped dead in her tracks and looked at me with shock.

I gave her a puzzled expression. “What? Do I have something hanging out of my nose?”

For a moment, she didn’t respond. Then, she shook her head. “Have you been working out? I mean, more than usual?”

Pausing to think for a moment, I let the air hang a bit. I had been doing more early morning sessions with Shifu and some late-night stamina building exorcises with “Mad Dog”, but not more than usual. I had semi-finals to worry about, after all. “Maybe a little, but not any weight lifting. Just more chi exorcises and some stamina stuff with ‘Mad Dog’. Why? I look different to you? My last fight didn’t rearrange my face too much, did it?”

She laughed at my sudden self-consciousness. “I dunno. You just look a little different, that’s all.” She brought the folder she was carrying to my desk and opened it up so I could see the work she’d been doing. Didn’t I mention the girl was seriously talented? She really blew me away. “Okay, so these need to go up to Barry, ASAP. But, don’t you do the pre-approvals?”

Taking in a waft of her perfume, I couldn’t help but smile. “Usually. I’ll take a more in-depth look at these. You know my initial impressions of your genius, already.”

Yes, she blushed nearly every time I mentioned that. “Thanks. I still think it’s funny, though.” She let out a giggle. “Barry and Larry.”

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. “I’ve told you a million times: it’s Lex, not Larry. That name makes me sound like I’m forty, or something, but I’m only twenty-six.”

She continued her giggle. “I know, but I’ve gotta mess with you. It’s a prerequisite.”

Waving her off, I almost grumbled. “I’ll take a glance at these and get final approval from Barry. You go back to your desk and make more genius happen, okay?”

Another blush and she was walking out. “If you say so, boss.” I gotta say, I hated to see her go, but I loved watching her leave. Julia would kill me if she could read my lusty thoughts.

After letting a little sexual fantasy play out in my head, I glanced down over the designs. Rachel’s specialty was watercolors and it really showed. She’d painted several vistas that reminded me of the Norwegian Fjords and it was downright perfect for one of our final cinematics and much of the level that would be played. Saving my coding work, I carefully closed up Rachel’s portfolio and moved out of my office to go visit with Barry, the Senior Lead World Designer.

The night was starting to wane. Sure, the club was still packed, but that didn’t really mean anything. There were fewer on the dance floor than there had been earlier in the night. Of course, the DJ was trying his hardest to inspire someone, anyone. My arms were bent behind me, holding me up against the bar. Bringing the glass to my lips, I was nursing the last of a fantastic rendition of a Whiskey Sour. The bartender didn’t just have gorgeous breasts that she happy showed off in her corset, but she was amazingly talented with alcohol. It was almost frightening, frankly.

My eyes weren’t trained on her, though. They were trained on the dance floor. Julia was out there, working off the remainder of alcohol in her system. Her body had a movement to it that was absolutely entrancing. It helped that she was a dancer, by profession. Tonight, since we’d decided on one of my old haunting grounds at the nearby Goth club, she was dressed to the nines. She wore her amazing boots with a modest two-inch heel that reached up to her knees and had buckles all along her calves. Her legs were wrapped only in her fishnet stalkings. The modesty of her pelvic region was kept in check by a blood red skirt, with those wonderful cheerleader-style pleats in it. A black, studded belt held up the tempting garment. Her midriff was bare, displaying the tone and taught muscle structure of her abdomen while showing off her navel piercing with a ball on one end and a cute little pink flower on the other. Her top wasn’t much more than a black sports bra with metallic decorations on it. She had decided on fingerless gloves that reached toward her elbows, which was a nice touch. Her hair was free and loose. She’d done her makeup with dark eyeliner, lavender eyeshadow, and blood-red lips. My “little soldier” was already standing at attention before we left the apartment.

My outfit, however, was much less elaborate. I wore my black boots with buckles up the side, matching hers. My legs were covered in black leather pants and were likewise held up by a belt with a silver skull belt buckle. The one thing we both really liked was my black T-shirt with a Punisher logo screen-printed on it. It was my very favorite shirt. Over that, a long black trenchcoat finished it all off. I did do some touches with eyeliner and black lipstick. For all intents and purposes, I looked like Brandon Lee when he did The Crow, but without the white face. I thought I’d grown out of the look, but Julia seemed to approve.

Apparently finished dancing, Julia looked over at me and a sultry smile creased her lips. “Little Soldier” could not stand straighter if he tried; though, he was more than willing to try. Seductively, she sauntered over to me. Thankfully, I was standing with my legs apart because she slipped happily between them and leaned her body against mine. The smell of her perfume, her sweat, and something else I couldn’t really identify flooded my nostrils and I happy drank it in. An equally seductive smile creased my lips as she looked up at me.

“Having fun, dear?” I chuckled with my lips closed.

Her lips formed into a seductively cute pout. “Wasn’t having much fun without you there with me.”

I took another sip from my drink. “Well, can’t have this good booze going bad, you know that. Besides, I think I’m a little too far gone to be properly coordinated. You, on the other hand, do not seem to be having that problem.”

Smiling, she nibbled her lip. I loved it when she did that. Her head shook. “Nope, no problems at all. Are you saying you’re ready to go home, then?”

My head nodded, seemingly of its own volition. “I believe I am, Jules.” I glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s just after 1 a.m. and I do have to work tomorrow.”

She sighed. “Yea, so do I. Being an adult really sucks, sometimes.”

Taking one last gulp to finish off the drink, I set the glass down at the bar. The gorgeous breasts of the bartender nodded to me along with her head. I returned my gaze the beautiful girl leaning on me. “That it does, honey. Shall we be off, then?”

Another shrug. “Yea, I guess.”

Kissing her on the forehead as she lifted off of me, I turned and began digging in my coat for a little cash. I kept a small wad in there for occasions like this. Pulling out a five, I waved to the bartender. “For you, Amy. Thanks for getting us good and drunk while enjoying the taste of it.”

She smiled as she filled a glass of draft beer. “No problem, Lex. See you next time.” She waved to Julia. “Later, Jules.”

Julia waved as I slipped my arm over her shoulders. My jacket would probably be laying over them before we got home. Seattle was chilly pretty much year round, but especially so in the middle of winter, like right now. As we sauntered across the floor towards the door, my earlier assessment of not having the where-with-all to actually dance was confirmed. I wobbled a little bit. Good thing we would be taking a cab home, tonight. We always planned for that while out drinking.

Stepping out into the night was something of a shock. The temperature difference between the interior of the club and the exterior of Seattle was rather large. Inside, it was bordering on 90-degrees. Outside, it couldn’t be more than 40-degrees. We were drunk, what did we care? I could feel her shiver slightly, but it wasn’t going to be a concern unless she mentioned it. The club was situated in an alley, which means the front door was more like a side door. I could hear the sounds of her heels hitting the asphalt reverberate off the wall of the building across the alley. We turned towards the nearest street.

What we beheld was very strange. There were four large men standing there, looking imposing. Something about the expression on their faces was telling me they were not there to exchange cookie recipes. My first thought: avoidance. Turning around, there were four more closing the distance from the other direction. Again, not here to sell Girl Scout cookies. I could hear Julia’s breath become labored and a small shriek leave her lips.

“Lex, what the hell is going on? I’m really scared!” She forcefully whispered.

Suddenly, I felt a lot more sober. “I don’t know. Stay behind me.”

“That won’t be necessary, Mr. McKinley.” Bellowed a baritone voice from the front group. “Come quietly and the girl leaves without a scratch. Make this difficult and she leaves less ‘intact’, if you catch my meaning.”

My eyes narrowed at him. “Who are you? What do you want?”

“I made myself clear, Mr. McKinley. Do as I ask or this is going to get messy.”

Julia looked up at me with panic in her eyes. With my eyes, I gestured to the trash bin across the way. She did as asked, bolting over and hiding near it. I lowered myself into a ready stance. If that’s what they wanted, they were going to get a fight.

The earlier speaker, a black man, shook his head. “Very well, then. We’ll do this the easy way.”

Out of nowhere, I felt as though a bee had stung my neck. It caught me off-guard and I cried out. My hand reached up to grab at it and found a small metallic device. I pulled it out of my neck and brought it forward. It was a dart. I didn’t know its purpose right off, but I’d seen enough movies that it eventually dawned on me that it was a tranquilizer dart. Shifu’s words echoed between my ears, again. While I’d been checking out the dart, the thugs had begun to advance on me. Again, I lowered into a stance and kept my attention on the ones flanking me as well as the ones in front. They closed on me quicker than anticipated.

Two of them dropped into a stance in front of me. Karate? Amateurs. One threw a kick, the other threw a punch. With my left hand, I caught the kick. With my right hand, I caught the punch. I don’t think they anticipated this because they looked pretty surprised when I brought my arms together and they slammed into each other. The third threw a punch that I ducked under. To gain the upper hand, as I lowered I swung a leg out and spun around. He fell flat on his face when his legs came out from under him. Tiny Asian-wannabes and their sorry excuse for martial arts really annoyed me.

Spinning around again, I settled into a stance, but now my vision was a little blurry. Before, I’d have blamed it on the alcohol. Now, I wasn’t so sure. I could hear the guy behind me start to get up again. So, my head jerked to the rear and I raised a foot. It had to hurt when my boot came into contact with his face because I could hear a small crack. Could be his nose or it could be his neck cracking. I didn’t care which. When I went to settle back into my ready stance and face forward, I wobbled a little. Suddenly, my body felt really heavy and my vision was blurrier.

“More physical exertion will only amplify the effects, Mr. McKinley. I suggest you cease your futile attempt at breaking free.” The man bellowed again.

Without even thinking, I belted out some obscure war cry and ran right at him. I could sense that my equilibrium and motor functions were beginning to become very impaired at that point. I didn’t care. If they wanted to harm Julia, they weren’t going to do it around me. Sadly, it ended in some of the worse results since my first MMA fight. I had gotten my cocky little ass handed to me, that night. Now, someone raised a cane and it contacted with my abdomen, knocking the wind out of me. Then, all I could hear was a crack as something hit me in the back of my head. Now, the world was swimming and my body would not obey my commands. I writhed on the ground like the guy I’d beaten two weeks ago to qualify for the semi-finals.

Two guys grabbed my arms and one more grabbed my legs. They didn’t have much trouble keeping ahold of me. I was being carried off and someone slipped a hood over my face. Everything happened so fast as I wavered between consciousness and unconsciousness. My ears registered that they were putting me in some kind of van. In vain, I still tried to writhe myself loose. All I could think about was getting to Julia and keeping her safe. Then, a shriek rang out into the air. It was a woman’s scream. It was Julia’s scream.

Suddenly, some semblance of vitality left in me shot to the forefront. My hands balled into fists and I began to thrash around the cabin. The three guys holding me down had their work cut out for them, now. Suddenly, I started feeling like the bones in my wrists and hands felt like they were separating. Something poked through between my index and middle finger as well as between my ring and pinkie finger on both hands. My feet straightened into a point and the same was happening between my “big” toe and my index toe. It hurt like a bitch! I didn’t care, I had to get free… to get to Julia.

“Son of a bitch! The fucker’s manifesting!” One shouted.

“Looks like we’re going to have to de-claw someone.” Another quipped.

Someone punched me in just the the right spot on my head. Everything went black.

Marked Target ~ Chapter Two ~ by: Danielle Krieger (c) 2011 Lawrence "Lex" McKinley lives about as average a life as one can with metahumans popping up everywhere. Well, as normal as someone who spends their free time as an MMA fighter really can. He's about to get the shock of his life--the punch he never saw coming. In this installment: Lex begins to discover that he is imprisoned. How long? Who is keeping him? Why are they doing this? Who is that looking back at him in the mirror?

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DISCLAIMER :: This is a retroactive continuity. A “ret-con”, if you will. It follows other stories in Lilith Langtree’s “Comics RetCon Universe”. The story is mine, but some of the characters are not. This is a RetCon of X-23, from Marvel Comics’ X-men (with a special guest appearance from Dr. Hank McCoy). Laura Kinney, X-23, and Dr. Henry Philip “Hank” McCoy, Beast, are trademarks of Marvel Comics. All rights reserved. The pic, this time, has been brought to you by the incredibly talented Billy Tan.

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Chapter Two:

There’s this little thing about artificial, drug-induced sleep: you never dream. Through biochemical processes, your body is allowed to rest, but your brain still believes it is awake. Therefore, it will continue with its business until the body sends the signal that it’s time for repairs. It’s during those repairs that rapid eye movement (REM) sleep engages and you dream. People can live on for days, weeks, months, and even years but never be aware of the passage of time. In short: I have no idea how long I was out. It was like what I assumed being in a coma would be like or surgery. I’d never had surgery, so you can nix that frame of reference.

Slowly, I could feel my eyes begin to open. The great thing was there was no pain, but my head was still swimming. My vision was blurry, but there was a bright light pointed in my direction. It hurt. So, my eyes closed again. Yet, I could feel my head slowly roll back and forth. No other body part responded to any commands. The signal was going out, but didn’t come back and nobody responded. Great, my body was numb from the neck down. An exhalation revealed that my voice was very hoarse and sounded like I hadn’t had any water in days. It made a sick hissing sound.

Again, my eyes attempted to open. Thankfully, the light was much dimmer, now. Apparently, my head had sufficiently turned away from it. My vision was blurry and my eyelids were so heavy they felt as though they’d been closed for about a year. I tried to blink rapidly, but that wasn’t going to happen. I simply rolled my head to the right, away from the bright light, so that my eyes could slowly acclimate to my surroundings. This could take a while. Thankfully, I could hear soft, muffled footsteps that told me someone else was in the room with me. That gave me a little comfort, but not much.

The acclimation process seemed interminable. What should have taken minutes seemed to take hours. Though, when my visual clarity was enough to make out my surroundings, I felt like I had stepped out of my life and onto the set of Conspiracy Theory. You know, that great Mel Gibson movie where Patrick Stewart plays the bad guy? Yes, that one. The place looked like Alcatraz needed a new paint job and definitely needed the floors redone. It smelled like canned ass mixed with formaldehyde, too. Reminded me of the locker room. It may have been enough to induce vomiting, but there was nothing in my stomach to come back up.

My head rolled to the left, again. Though, this time I closed the left eye to further shield from the bright light. The sight my one eye beheld was something out of some episode of some obscure horror show on the Sci-Fi Channel. I was wearing something like a really long, white T-shirt that hung on me like some weird dress. There were leather straps everywhere, holding me to some strangely configured gurney. My arms and legs were separated from each other and my body. Honestly, the position my body was in gave the impression I had one of those glider suits on and had to spread wide to keep the air in the pieces between so I didn’t reach terminal velocity. It’s the only known way humans can “fly” without a machine propelling them. It also looked like that Leonardo Da Vinci painting with the guy all spread eagle, two arms, two legs, surrounded by a circle. What was it called again?

Still, odd position, but that wasn’t the worst part. There were electrodes hooked up to my forearms and calves that caused my feet to point outward and my hands to grip the ends of the “arm” tightly. There was some medical apparatus attached to the places between my index finger/middle finger and ring finger/pinkie finger areas. The same down between my big toe and index toe. It seemed to be some sort of medical clamp, but it was holding the skin open. Initially it looked like there was some kind of bony protrusion coming out from between my knuckles and there was something very red being clamped down around them.

So, I screamed. Or… at least I tried to. The only thing that came out was more like a frightened moan, if that makes any sense. Honestly, even now, I find myself wondering just what the fuck came out from my lips. I keep referencing the verbal exchange from The Princess Bride:

Westley: [inaudible]

Inigo Montoya: “’True Love’, you heard him? You could not ask for a more noble cause than that.”

Old man: “Yeah, True Love is the greatest thing in the world…. He distinctly said ‘To blave’ and as we all know, ‘to blave’ means ‘to bluff’, heh?”

Anyway, I was stuck in freak out central. What on the big, green, spherical Earth were they doing to me? I didn’t really have enough time to find out. The man with the shuffling feet quickly glared in my direction.

“Shit! He’s awake! Dose him again!”

There was another bee sting in my neck and about five seconds later, I was out like a light, again.

Cotton mouth. Hate that! It’s a well-known side effect of the medications anesthesiologists use to knock you out for surgery… or, so I’ve read. It’s also a rather common side effect of smoking Cannabis, but I’d never done that, either. Anyway, when I came back to the land of the living, I had one of the worst cases of “cotton mouth” that I’ve ever experienced. However, there was bright light waiting for me to open my eyes and I was not in the mood for any pain, just yet. My body still felt incredibly heavy, but at least I could feel everything from the neck down, now. That was mildly reassuring. Clumsily, I lifted my arms and brought them to my face. The good news: I wasn’t tied down to anything. The bad news: I didn’t like what I felt.

Again, not knowing how long I was out, I expected to find a little beard stubble on my cheeks, chin, and upper neck. Doesn’t every guy? Instead, what I found was smooth, soft skin–like, baby’s butt smooth. I jolted upright and my eyes shot wide open. That really hurt the eyes, which instinctively clamped shut again. However, I was awake, now… really awake.

Forcing my eyes to brave the light, I fluttered my eyelids a few hundred times. I was in a room, a really plain one at that. Strangely, this one had been repainted. As my tired eyes scanned it, they didn’t find much besides cinder block walls that were painted white, a gray cement floor, a cream-colored door, a stainless steel toilet in the corner with sink attached, and a big “mirror” on one wall. I had been laying on a hard surface with a small mat and sorry excuses for a pillow under my head and blanket draped over me. How did I end up in jail?

Gathering up whatever strength I had, I planted my feet firmly on the cold concrete and ignored it while I moved over to the big “mirror”. I’d seen enough of them. Just by looking at it, my eyes immediately recognized a two-way mirror. The first look at myself caught me a little off-guard. I could tell there were subtle changes in the reflection staring back at me. Again, I brought my hands to my face and felt the soft skin of it. To me, the reflection looked a little pale. That wasn’t what caught my eyes, though. I usually shaved my arm hair for tournaments, but that had been somewhere in the vicinity of two weeks ago. There should be hair on them, by now. However, there was none and the skin was the same pale color of my face. What the heck was going on?

The inspection continued. For the record, the shirt was technically a dress. It looked like a long, loose T-shirt, but it hung to about the middle of my thighs. Again, my legs were the same pale coloring of my face and arms. I was noticing a pattern. More puzzling was the fact that there was, actually, hair on my legs. However, they looked more like Julia’s did if she went about two months without shaving them, which only happened once. Yes, I pulled a “duh!” action in the next second. My hand shot straight towards my crotch. I am happy to report that, just like always, I had a good handful of penis and scrotum. I let out a relieved sigh. I don’t know why I thought that was a good idea, though.

“Well, well… our subject awakens.” A not-so-easy-to-decipher male voice sounded from what seemed like a nearby speaker.

Though I expected something like this, it still startled me. My eyes darted around, scanning for the little speaker box. It hung just above the center of the “mirror”. My eyes fixed on the reflective glass and narrowed. “Who are you? What do you want with me? How long have I been here? Where’s Julia, you sick bastard?” My voice was a little hoarse. Chalk up another score for the drugs.

He made some kind of sound like “tsk, tsk, tsk” in response. “Now, now, Mr. McKinley. You mustn’t over-stimulate yourself, lest you suffer a quicker transformation.”

My puzzled expression reflected right back at me. “Transformation? What are you talking about?”

“I would assume that you have heard tell about a certain rise in what we call ‘metahumans’?”

My eyes lowered as if contemplating the lower part of the mirror. There had been news reports of some Jade girl who dressed in a tight green and black outfit who had made a very public statement about the existence of “metahumans”. Then, there was some Terra girl in Texas. After that, some chick went crazy in Japan. Not long after, somebody who looked for all the world like the personification of a God from Norse Mythology (the Thunder God, Thor) with the outfit and big ass hammer, but they had boobs and lived in Kansas. Finally, there was some weird chick that idolized Robin Hood, apparently, who’d managed to rescue a whole cruise liner in the Caribbean and was now gallivanting around San Francisco. The press was having a field day with it. It was a break from covering the rampant corruption in Congress and the nasty truth behind two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Limply, I shrugged. “I might have heard of a couple. Didn’t hear that word, though.”

Did he really just cackle? “Oh, you are such a simpleton. My boy, you are one of them. We’re going to see just how far this meta-gene can go. You’re going down a rabbit hole, my friend, and it’s not a request.” A faint hissing sound reached my ears. “For the record, you’ve only been here approximately three days. It’s hardly enough time to find anything conclusive. You’ll be our ‘guest’ for some time. Sleep well, my boy.”

My body started to get heavy and my head started swimming again. My eyes rolled into the back of my head as I lost my balance and fell over. At least I landed on the bed, but it just wasn’t soft enough.

Waking up this time was a lot less groggy. Again, there was the mystery of just how long I was out. This time, my tired eyes scanned the room and landed on a tray of food in the middle of the floor. Good thing, too, because if felt like I hadn’t eaten in weeks. I swung my legs over the side and hopped down. Wait. Hopped down? All I had to do before was slide off. My eyes darted over to the “mirror” again. Something was definitely happening to me and it was very obvious.

My face was smaller, rounder, and softer-looking. My eyes looked twice as big. My eyebrows weren’t caterpillars over my eyes, anymore. They were very much thinner. My hair looked a little bit off. Had I sweat or did it actually get darker? Beyond that, the T-shirt/dress looked a little bigger on me. At eye level, I could tell that I had actually gotten shorter by about two or three inches. How was any of this possible?

Now was not the time to think about such things. Now, my stomach was growling fiercely.

The changes were getting more obvious, seemingly by the hour. My hair was completely black, now, and I had shrunk a little more. At least, that had stopped, yesterday. All the skin on my body was now much softer than it had been since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. In truth, touching my own skin was like touching Julia and it creeped me out more than a little. After all that, my chest itched something fierce and no amount of scratching eased it.

I learned how to tell time, though. They brought me three square meals a day. First one was morning, second was about noon, and the third was about dinner. They usually gassed me to sleep shortly after dinner. Then, all back to square one. Each day, the removed all three trays. They’d done that eleven times, now, so about fourteen days had passed since I got here. Where the heck was “here”, anyway? Weren’t people looking for me?

I felt so small, now, and my muscles seemed to be dissolving. I didn’t have bulky ones to begin with, but they were firm, tone, and readily in sight. They were disappearing rather quickly. Sitting on the “bed”, I bent my knees and wrapped my arms around them. The gas should be coming any minute, now.

Fuck, my dick was small! I’d been watching it get smaller and smaller over the course of a week until it was at a point, now, where it looked like I was six! It was bad enough they had to take my freedom, but “Little Soldier Boy”? Where’s that get fun?

Adding insult to injury, little nubs had formed on my chest. At first, there was the itching. Next, my nipples looked puffy, even as my pecks shrank out of sight. Now, there was no denying that there were little nubs that poked into my shirt and tented the fabric ever so slightly. My skin got a whole lot softer, too. Touch my arms and it was like holding a baby. Same with my legs. I didn’t dare venture under the T-shirt/dress that now hung to my knees. Looking into the “mirror”, my face was getting much more round, soft, and, dare I say, “delicate”? My hair and nails were growing out, but that was just time. Anybody who would recognize me as the Brendan Fraser look-alike wouldn’t recognize me, now. I didn’t even look like a guy, anymore. I was now what they call “androgynous”.

This will only end in tears.

My life officially sucks. Another week gone by and there was a funeral at Arlington for my “little soldier”. He was buried two days ago. I played “Taps”. It was beautiful. In his place, a puffy slit had formed. I had seen enough to know what that was. I had no idea if there was anything going on inside, but I was now the owner of external vulva. There was no pride in this. There wasn’t enough time to really mourn my little buddy. As soon as he was buried, the changes in my body really accelerated. Yes, I got a visit from the “boob fairy”. Damn things had gone from little nubs to puffy little cones. They were still a bit small, but they made it known that they weren’t about to stay that way. Not to mention, there was this annoying pain in my lower back, almost as if my tailbone was going to split in half. I don’t recommend it.

My face? Yea, that had changed. It wasn’t my face, anymore. I didn’t know who the fuck that girl was in the “mirror”, but she sure as fuck couldn’t be me!

The bastards have no heart. I woke up one morning and my shirt had been changed. It wasn’t the oversized, white T-shirt/dress anymore. They’d replaced it. It hung on me about like the first one had when I had first woken up. Worse: it was fucking pink! When I attempted to protest, they gassed me. At least, I was sleeping well.

Cotton mouth. Again? This was, what, the third time this month? What the fuck were they doing to me? There were so many questions and very few answers.

My body protested when I tried to move. Again, everything felt really heavy, especially my upper arms and lower legs. When I grumbled in protest, I got the shock of my life. My voice wasn’t my voice. It was almost like some whiny little girl grumbling to her parents about not being able to sleep another five minutes before having to get ready for school. I sat up in a huff. A foreign weight tugged on my chest and my hair hit me in the face. Now, my eyes were wide open.

Looking down, I was staring right between a pair of fleshy mounds that hung off my chest. They looked huge! My now raven black hair fell on either side of my face. Feeling a bit of urgency, I leapt out of bed and spun to face the “mirror”. Who the fuck was that? How did a teenage girl get in my cell and why was she looking at me like that? Since when do I have green eyes? Several times, my eyes darted from my chest to the “mirror” and back again. Below the neck, there were two engorged orbs pushing out the top of my T-shirt/dress, it synched in at the waist, and two rounded hips pushed out the sides near the bottom. The hair on my head was now long enough that it reached my shoulders. How long was I out?

I didn’t have time to dwell on this. There was an urgent need that suddenly swelled up in my abdomen. I ran for the toilet. My cushioned rear landed rather hard on the stainless steel metal surface. It was cold. “Where’d the panties come from?! This isn’t funny anymore!” The girl’s voice yelled at no one in particular.

The woman in the skirt suit, suntan nylons, black pumps, and white lab coat entered the room, sipping a cup of coffee. Sitting down at the table, she set her mug on a coaster and laid out the portfolio that had been nestled under her arm. She opened it and began to review the medical data before her.

“How’s our girl, today?” She glanced up to the female guard across the room who was situated by the semi-transparent glass.

“Pissed about your choice in underwear, as I understand it. I turned off the sound a while ago. She snores and it’s a little annoying.”

The suited woman smiled. “Well, she’ll just have to adjust, as will we. Anything new?”

The guard shook her head. “She was checking herself out a minute ago before she had to pee. I don’t think she realizes that she was unconscious for three weeks.”

The suited woman took a sip of coffee and raised her eyebrows at the guard. “Discovered the ‘boob fairy’, did she?” The guard nodded. “A shame we had to cut the procedure short. Something happened. We had to cut her loose.”

The guard woman stood. “Oh? Can I ask what happened or is it top-level classified kind of stuff?”

The suited woman shook her head. “Oh, no. You’ll need to know about it. She heals. Fast!”

“How fast?”

“We put a scalpel to her skin, make a deep incision, and she’s healed it all in seconds. It doesn’t matter where we cut. It all closes up too fast to get anything done.”

“Really? So, what’s that mean?”

“It means the boss man doesn’t get his super soldier, that’s what. She got her nails done, but the rest will have to wait until we can develop a procedure that’ll work on her.”

The guard woman glanced over at the glass. “You might want to get her a bra. She’s tugging at her shirt.”

The suited woman smirked, taking another sip of coffee. “Already ahead of you. Be a dear and get our little darling some breakfast, would you? Then, you should go home and get some rest.”

The strangest thing happened last night. Well, this morning, too, but I’ll get to that in a minute. After I lazed through dinner, I sat up on my bed and hugged my legs. I was doing that a lot, now. Just sitting there, I could hear the all-too-familiar hiss of the gas entering the room. For the first time, I noticed that it had a very distinct smell. I couldn’t place it because I’d never smelled anything like it before in my life. Very strange, but that wasn’t the half of it. There’s really no telling how long I sat there, but the sleep didn’t come. It was surreal. There was no head swimming or limp body or even heavy eyes. I didn’t actually fall asleep until I was so tired that my body just gave in. That was weird.

Of course, then I woke up in the morning. I didn’t feel as groggy as I always had. I actually felt refreshed and energized, like sleeping in my own bed with Julia right next to me. It was amazing. Then, I stretched. The strangest sensation gripped me. Well, rather, gripped my chest. Pulling out the neckline, I found a plain white sports bra over top of my new fleshy mounds. They had even changed my panties to a pair of white “boy short” style. At the very least, it was comfortable and my nipples weren’t being rubbed raw by my shirt, anymore.

Breakfast and lunch were already waiting for me. Had I really been out that long? Wow, I must have stayed up really late last night. My stomach growled, telling me it was definitely time to eat something. I feasted hungrily on the meager morsels they fed me.

Six more weeks. I could faithfully count the days, now. They stopped trying to gas me. For a couple of weeks, they tried different gasses. I know because I could smell them all. They tried sixteen in total before finally giving up. I smiled a lot. They couldn’t control me, anymore. I could sleep when I wanted, be awake when I wanted, and… well, that was about it. It’s boring as hell in an eight-by-twelve-foot cell, okay?

Cabin fever was really beginning to set in, now that I knew how long I had been there, for sure. I was constantly glancing around at the walls, trying to find weak points in their security. They thought of everything, though. Pity.

On the plus side, everything that was going to change already had. I was shorter than before, but I didn’t know by how much. My hair was raven black and had grown down past my shoulders, now. For some reason, someone saw fit to trim my nails every once in a while. They looked okay, I guess. The “boob fairy” had finally pissed off and my chest was no longer inflating. My hips quit widening and my waist quit shrinking. I could somewhat understand the look. I mean, there was Native American, Sioux, in my family history. So, the black hair could be explained. But, what was with the green eyes? That baffled me. I think my mom had mentioned something about a cousin with green eyes, but I’d never met them. There was hope if I ever got out, though. I could hit up the Goth clubs, again, but this time as some freakish baby-Goth girl. My skin was definitely pale enough, but that was probably because I hadn’t been in the sun in some indeterminable amount of time.

There was a lot of time to reflect on things. Obvious, I know. However, there was a part of me that thought I’d buried certain things about myself from all those years ago. It was buried mostly because it was beaten out of me. My parents didn’t approve, least of which was my father. He said he was going to “pound the fag” out of me. I didn’t know what he was talking about because I liked girls well enough… I also liked their clothes. Before puberty really betrayed the idea, I thought for the longest time that I was going to grow into a woman. Seriously, I did. I could still scream like a girl until well past fourteen. I even kind of looked androgynous until I was nearly sixteen. I didn’t mind. It kept me sane. Then, BAM! The dude witch came hard and fast. I told myself that it was probably meant to be.

Now, look at me. Seeing my face, now, reminds me of a young girl preparing to become a young woman. I certainly wasn’t ready for it. Still, deep down, some part of me actually relished in the changes. My skin was softer, my hair was sleek and shiny, even my nose looked almost like a cute little button, now. My lips were full and somewhat pouty, like Julia’s were. My boobs were huge, but they were kind of nice. My legs could use a shave, though. It wasn’t quite so bad. As a very young child, I’d fantasized about growing up someday, settling down, having a baby, and all that “white picket fence” kind of stuff. Even as an adult, I would privately fantasize about going back into my teen years and doing everything “right” from the word “go”. Now, I guess that was my reality. Well, besides the being in jail part.

As the weeks rolled by, though, dispair set in. I was crying a lot and meekly pounding the cinder block with my fists. It was an exorcise in futility, but it let me vent. After a while, dispair turned into anger and frustration. How long did they really expect to keep me locked up like this?

One faithful day, I was kneeling on my “bed” and pounding angrily on the “mirror” for them to let me out or have some semblance of human interaction. I was going crazy, I think. Still didn’t matter. The more I pounded, the angrier I became. No one answered me, after all. Then, it all changed.

Snickt! “Fucking OW!” The girl’s voice, my voice, screamed. I felt four pains, two on each hand.

I immediately stopped and could see the surprised look on my face. Slowly, my head raised up my arms. There was a little blood dripping down the backs of my hands. Then, my eyes caught sight of my balled fists. Two shiny metal knives, about a foot long, protruded from my hand. One was between my pointer and middle finger; the other was between my ring finger and pinkie. They looked like flat-bladed bread knives, actually, but filed to a point on the end–like long claws, but metal. There was an open wound at the site where they had come out of my hands. I have no idea how long I stared at them in astonishment, but my eyes started to sting from over exposure to the air. Blinking quickly, my hand opened up.

Snickt! “Son of a bitch!” The girl’s voice, my voice, screamed again. The four pains returned.

After flinching, my eyes opened up again and I got another surprise. The blade-claws were gone. The wound they left behind closed up in mere seconds, right before my eyes! Afterward, the only evidence that the wound had even been there was the blood on the backs of my hands. Immediately, I started rubbing my hands at the spot where the things had come out of from my knuckles. There wasn’t even so much as a little bruise. My hands were fine, all things considered. It was exciting and quite frightening at the same time. It gave me an idea.

Turning from the “mirror”, I sat with my legs in a pretzel on my bed, looking down at my hands, and began to flex then relax my hands. Nothing. Taking a deep breath, I tried again. Several times, I balled my dainty little hands into a fist and then relaxed again. Still nothing. Come hell or high water, I was going to figure this out. So, I tried again and again for what seemed like hours to reproduce the effect. It wasn’t until I heard the little doggy door open and my dinner be dropped off that I hit a revelation. I was startled by the sudden “creak” of the little door and my hands flexed really tight.

Snickt! “Fuck!” I screamed again with my girly voice. The four pains were back.

Looking down at my hands, the blade-claws were back. How were they metal, anyway? I cleared my head of side thoughts and focused on how tightly I had balled my fist. Again, there was a little blood and the wound was there, but the blade-claws were jutting out from it. Confident that I’d taken in how tight my fists were, I released my grip.

Snickt! “Fucking hell!” I screamed. It was probably going to hurt every time, I deduced. Again, the wound healed up in mere seconds. No harm, no foul, right?

As it turns out, with a little bit of practice, I was able to call forth the blade-claws on command. As anticipated, it hurt pretty badly every time they came out. My training with Shifu started to take over. If there was pain, use it. And, I did. The anticipation of the pain alone gave my muscles the wherewithal to clench my fists hard enough to bring the claws out. With a little giggle, I finally hopped off the bed, washed my bloody hands, and settled down to dinner.

One downside to the whole revelation: my dinner was cold.

The woman in the skirt suit trudged across the smooth, carpeted floor of an office straight out of the 1940’s. The walls had mahogany wood paneling, there was a marble mantle in the center with a painting above it, Persian rugs adorned the floor, various animal specimens lined the walls, and a large, oak desk was set near the picturesque bay window. A bald man in a pin-stripped navy suit hung up from a cell phone call as she dropped a portfolio on his desk.

“Good morning, Miss…” The man began.

“Stuff it! We have a problem: the kitty has found her claws.” The woman stated in a huff as she planted her hands firmly on her hips.

“Surely, it isn’t as bad as you assume. She was bound to discover them sooner or later. Besides, I’d be hurt if she didn’t appreciate my gift.” He smiled reassuringly.

“Yes, but we anticipated being able to drug her to the point where we could have interaction with her in a safe manner. It was intended to begin the indoctrination. Now, we can’t even gas her to sleep! We’ve tried seventeen different chemical agents to induce sleep in humans and none of them phase her. Worse: you won’t be getting your super soldier. She heals too fast for the procedures to proceed.”

The man nodded. “Well, that is a mouthful, my dear.” He considered the news. “Have you considered brute force?”

The woman stammered. “Brute… f-force? Are you joking? You remember who she was when we brought her in here, don’t you? You’re insane if you think I’m going to sacrifice my staff members’ lives for this.”

The man shook his head. “Please, my dear, it’s been a little more than six months–give or take a few days–since she came to our humble abode. She hasn’t trained and she’s gone through a remarkable transformation since then. I have my doubts that she has what it takes to seriously injure your staff.”

The woman blinked. “Are you nuts? Did you forget about the metal claws you insisted on giving her?!”

The man’s eyes narrowed on the woman harshly. “Just do it or I will find a reason to make you do it. How’s that darling husband of yours, these days? We wouldn’t want any sort of terrible tragedy to befall him, would we?”

The woman’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t!”

The man nodded, not straying his gaze. “Oh, believe me, my dear. I very much would.”

Marked Target ~ Chapter Three ~ by: Danielle Krieger (c) 2011 Lawrence "Lex" McKinley lives about as average a life as one can with metahumans popping up everywhere. Well, as normal as someone who spends their free time as an MMA fighter really can. He's about to get the shock of his life--the punch he never saw coming. In this installment: The imprisonment continues and some insight is given to Lex about her captors and why she's in captivity. Is she ever going to get out? Will she ever get her life back under her own control?

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DISCLAIMER :: This is a retroactive continuity. A “ret-con”, if you will. It follows other stories in Lilith Langtree’s “Comics RetCon Universe”. The story is mine, but some of the characters are not. This is a RetCon of X-23, from Marvel Comics’ X-men (with a special guest appearance from Dr. Hank McCoy). Laura Kinney, X-23, and Dr. Henry Philip “Hank” McCoy, Beast, are trademarks of Marvel Comics. All rights reserved. The pic, this time, has been brought to you, again, by the incredibly talented Mike Choi.

WARNING: There is a scene of violence between a man and a woman. Naturally, being a woman myself, I do not condone such actions. The scene is present to make a point. That is all. If you are squeamish of such things, the scene is clearly marked and you can skip it, if you'd prefer.

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Chapter Three:

Why couldn’t I ever have a book? Violent criminals in prisons get books. There really wasn’t that much to do in the cell. Most days, I would meditate for hours on end. Sometimes, I would actually resort to checking myself out in the mirror. I kind of really liked my ass. My boobs still looked enormous to me, so it was hard to get “attached” to them, as much. Just saying. It probably garnered a laugh or some freakish pervert fantasy from some of the staff on the other side. I mean, why have a two-way mirror if I wasn’t being watched?

For the last couple of weeks, though, I had actually started to run through my taolu. It felt like it had been forever since I did. Not only that, my balance was all wrong. I now had first-hand experience that men and women did, indeed, have different centers of gravity. Not to mention, my boobs kept getting in the way. Not only that, I could really use something to tie my hair back. If I was going to be stuck like this for a while, I’d have to get used to the idea. My eyes would close and my body would maneuver through the movements, one by one, and when I got to the end, I’d bow and start all over again. Thankfully, with my reduced size, I could actually freely move within the confines of the eight-by-twelve-foot cell. That was good news, at least.

Under it all, there was still the multitudes of questions that I needed answers to. Why had they chosen me? Why had they locked me up? What did they want? Most importantly: What had happened to Julia? All of them plagued my mind day in and day out. Meditating was the only thing that helped me retain my sanity.

While reaching the tail end of movements for the taolu, that lovely little squakbox chirped to life for the first time in I don’t know how long.

“Hello, Miss McKinley. Aren’t you just the picture of grace?” The male voice inquired.

“Fuck off,” I ordered him with my teen girl voice. I didn’t even stop the taolu to do it. One of the punches was a little more forceful, but that was about it.

“Is that any way to treat your benefactor? You really ought to learn some manners.”

I scoffed, cutely. “I would hardly call you a ‘benefactor’.” Now, the taolu stopped. My body turned and I glared into the “mirror” angrily. “You want some manners? Open that fucking door and I’ll show you some manners!”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Such language really is unbecoming a young lady such as yourself.”

“Who are you?! What do you want from me?!” Anger was boiling within me and my words came out as shrieks that reverberated off the walls. It kinda hurt my ears.

“Now, that is the question, isn’t it? I am Dr. Zander Rice, vice-chairman of this facility and, for all intents and purposes, your primary physician. You may call me Dr. Rice.” He explained. “What I want is to see the potential that metahumans have. There are so many of you lately. Uncle Sam is paying a pretty penny to figure out your secrets.”

I rolled my eyes. It actually looked somewhat cute in the “mirror”. “Oh, great. Now, you’re telling me I’m an ‘honored guest’ of Uncle Sam? Well, that fucking figures. It’s pretty obvious you guys knew something well before I did. Nice touch with the goon squad. Totally original.” The sarcasm dribbled down my chin.

“No, my dear. You are my honored guest. Uncle Sam will pay top dollar for your secrets, but how will we get them if we don’t perform studies and find them out?”

My eyes narrowed. I tried not to pay attention to how utterly cute it looked as I approached the mirror. “Let me out of here or I swear you will be the first one I cut a new smile for… ear to ear.”

“Threats of violence will get you nowhere, Miss McKinley. After all, you wouldn’t want us to harm your dear, sweet Julia, would you?”

“Where is she?!”

“She is safe… for now… as long as you cooperate. You have been warned.”

“What the hell am I supposed to cooperate with when you keep me locked up in this cell all the time?!”

There was no answer.

“Hello?!”

Again, no answer. Now, I was mad. I stomped my foot and raised my arm up to punch the glass. SNIKT! My hand hit the glass, all right. However, my newfound claws went through it. I glanced up at my hand and got an idea. I could see the maniacal grin grow on my face as I flexed my other fist. SNIKT! Out came the other set and I started pounding on the glass for everything I was worth. I was getting out of here and that fucker was going to pay for keeping me locked up.

At first, I was only making small holes. Then, I experimented a little with long swipes. That proved more fruitful. In a few short minutes, the glass was in shambles and I was through. I stood in the window frame and glared at the dark room beyond. It was empty. Damn. I hopped down off the framing and landed on some glass shards. That was dumb.

SNIKT! Away went the claws and I was now digging glass out of my foot. Thankfully, the wounds were healing as I plucked the glass out. How was my body doing this? My head shook. In the midst of my musings, an alarm suddenly began to sound. I didn’t have time to mess with my feet. If I was going to get out of here, now was my best and only chance. I rushed up and checked the door. Locked. SNIKT! One swipe of my hand and the claws went right through the wood. Another swipe and I had created a little triangle around the nob. SNIKT! I put the claws away and moved to pull the door away from the handle. By jove, it worked. The handle, with the lock still engaged, fell out of its cradle and the door was open.

Carefully, I poked my head out into the corridor beyond. To the left, my cell plus two more, with wooden doors for the adjoining observation rooms, and an open door into what looked like a bathroom/shower area. To the right, one more cell and a metal bar door like they have in all the nice jails. Left it was, then. As I slipped out the door and into the hallway, the alarm got a bit louder and there were some flashing red lights. Glancing up the wall, I spotted one of those rotary lights they used to have on all the cop cars before moving to strobe LED’s. Beyond the door made out of bars, there was what looked like a guard station, but it was empty. Good. I didn’t want to hurt anyone, besides Dr. Rice, as I made my way out.

As I approached the door made of bars, I thought I could hear booted footsteps, moving in cadence. That was weird. Instinctively, I slammed my back against the wall, hoping to not be seen. Though, the footfalls were really distant and my eyes confirmed that there was no one in the immediate corridors. Thus, I tried the door. Locked. Just great.

Impulsively, I glanced down at my dainty little hands and balled one into a fist. I’d managed to bypass glass and wood, thus far. How do these things fare with metal? Once I got out, there would need to be some investigation done as to where the damn things came from. For now, they were too handy to complain about. My face making a grimace, I tightened my fist and out came the blades once more. In case you’re wondering: Yes, they still hurt like a bitch, just like the first time. Anyway, blades out, I contemplated the door for a good minute. Then, I took a swipe. There was indeed a great deal of resistance from the metal, which I almost expected. I didn’t break through, though. I did, however, make some nice scratch marks about a quarter of the way through the metal bars. So, the deduction was that I could, in fact, cut through the bars, as long as I had enough leverage and force behind the strike.

Taking a breath and closing my eyes, I focused on the door. My arm swung back with the claws extended. For all the marbles, I took one, long, powerful strike at the door, centered on the locking mechanism. You know that sound of nails on a chalkboard? Yea, this was worse. By the grace of some deity somewhere, it didn’t last but half a second and when my eyes opened again the door creaked as it slowly swung open. Its locking mechanism was in tatters, thanks to my new little friends. My eyes wide, I took one look at the blades. They didn’t have a single scratch blemishing their reflective silver surface. I was going to have to get to the bottom of this little mystery. However, now was not the time. Grimacing once more, the claws went away.

Again, I poked my head into the corridor. There were only two ways to go: directly in front, passing the guard station, or to the right. My ears picked up the footfalls coming from the right. In half a second, I calculated my next move. Since I didn’t know the layout of the place, getting some bearings might prove useful. Stepping over to the guard station, I reeled back and slammed my foot into the door. It swung open with a crack as the lock dislodged from the frame and bang as it hit the wall. Somebody heard that. They had to. Still, I darted inside to get a better look at the place.

Whoever these guards were, they were slobs. There were Chinese takeout boxes littered everywhere and paperwork all over the workstation. There were three file cabinets, two by the door and one across the room in the far corner. Along the workstation, there were six monitors set up. Obviously, these were surveillance terminals. My eyes darted about the room, searching for something I could use. On the back wall was a framed map that read: “Level 2”. Grabbing the frame from the wall and tearing open the back, I grabbed the paper blueprints inside and gave them a quick look. I’d used blueprints for several games in the past, so I was familiar with the basic application of reading them.

The layout in the middle-left looked familiar. It had the four cells, labeled #22 through #26 including their own observation rooms, with the shower room at one end and the guard station I was standing in to the left of them. I followed along the “forward” corridor with my finger down a ways until it came to a large open room. If I were to take a right once reaching that room, there was a flight of stairs and then a straight run for an exit. I’d probably have to cut through one more jail door, but it was worth a shot. I had my plan.

Rolling up the blueprint map, the footfalls were getting louder. I wanted to avoid contact with any guards, if at all possible. There wasn’t much of a chance I could effectively defend myself without hurting any of them or myself, especially given my quite new “assets”. Darting out of the guard station, I bolted down the “forward” corridor in full run. Thankfully, I wasn’t wearing any shoes, so the “pitter-patter” of my little feet wasn’t too loud that it might give away my position. The trick was avoiding contact to happen between the bridge of my feet and the concrete flooring. I had learned long ago do run on the balls of my feet, anyway. It was quicker, quieter, and more efficient. Not to mention, it kept my boobs from bouncing too much, objecting to the confines of the sports bra.

Passing six more cells with adjoining observation rooms, the jail door was coming up fast. Way behind me, I could not only hear the booted footfalls but also a whole flock of male voices speaking through some sort of walkie-talkies. The problem was, I could hear more synthesized voices ahead of me, too. So much for avoiding the guards.

In transit, one more grimace and the claws extended with another snikt sound. There would probably never be any way around how much that hurt. It was likely something I would have to get used to. Sliding to a stop, I braced and let loose with one big swipe at the door. The claws sliced through as though the bars were made of butter and the door popped open. Another grimace and a snikt sound later, the claws were again put away. I stepped into the big open room and let my eyes scan the area.

Over an intercom somewhere, a voice suddenly began speaking. To my ears, it sounded droll and mechanical. In fact, the female voice reminded me of the computer’s voice on Star Trek. “Priority Alert: Subject 23 has escaped custody. Extreme caution advised. Subject to be considered well armed and extremely dangerous. Deadly force not authorized at this time.” The message began a repetitive loop. Well, at least they weren’t being given orders to kill me.

Quickly glancing to my right, I spotted two guards positioned down the catwalk that were not looking in my direction. Way at the far end of the room, through I don’t know how many guards, was the little green “Exit” sign, taunting me. This was going to take some finesse or it was going to get messy. For a moment, I contemplated going back the way I came and finding an alternative route.

“There!” A synthesized voice announced behind me. My eyes darted in that direction and about ten guards in full riot gear (including full helmets) were charging toward me. Well, nix the backtracking idea. “Stay where you are!”

Dropping the map, I tore into a full run straight for the stairs. I was never good at taking orders. There was never going to be a career in the military waiting for me.

This time, there was no concern to stay quiet at all. They’d already spotted me and were communicating my position to all their buddies. This was going to get bad, I could feel it. My body darted along the catwalk at full speed as the guards ahead of me turned around. They didn’t have enough time to train any weapons on me. I took the stairs two at a time until I reached a certain point. Then, I jumped. It was a good ten feet to the concrete floor below, but I knew how to fall correctly. Rolling with the impact, I was on my feet in less than a second and back to full run, again. All this was done while trying to ignore the breasts wildly bouncing all over my chest. Thankfully, the sports bra was keeping most of that in check, but it was somewhat distracting.

Now on “Level 1” and at full run, I realized just how big the place was. It was huge and seemed old with the paint peeling in several places. It was difficult to run across the flooring because there was paint debris and dust all over the place. While I contemplated that, more footfalls hit my eardrums. They were fast, though. As soon as I glanced to my right where they were coming from, I was greeted by the buttstock of their weapon of choice, in the face. As one would imagine, my momentum pretty much ceased and the inertia of their strike knocked me over to my left. I landed rather hard on the concrete surface. Serves me right for having a one-track mind at that point. My mind screamed, ‘Damn. The exit was right there!’

Shaking off the strike, I resolved to lift myself off the ground. Probably quicker than they anticipated, I was on my feet and lowering myself into a defensive stance, but seemed unfazed by the strike. They gathered around and resolved to surround me. I began a breathing exorcise to calm my mind, build my qi (life force energy, like Japanese “chi”), and focus on the task at hand.

“Put your weapons down and lie face-first on the ground!” The leader’s synthesized voice ordered.

In a calm, surreal voice, I answered him. “As you can plainly see, I don’t have any weapons. Also, I am disinclined to acquiesce to your request.” Never in my life did I ever see a practical application of that quote. I stand corrected.

“Excuse me?”

I narrowed my eyes on him. “That would be a ‘no’, gentlemen. Now, I do not want to harm any of you. My goal is that door under the exit sign. If you stand in my way, I will be forced to remove you from my path. If you insist on violence, I will be forced to defend myself. I would rather not, but the choice is yours.”

For a moment, they exchanged glances amongst themselves. Obviously, they had not been briefed on just whom it was they were dealing with. One of them even chuckled, remarking, “Yea? What’s a little girl like you gonna do?”

“Advance on me and you’ll find out.”

Idiot. What is it with the male bravado? He was fully warned but he raised his weapon and advanced anyway, clearly underestimating his opponent. Classic mistake. My perception was as if time had slowed dramatically. I could see my left hand grab what appeared to be the barrel of the weapon and pull it forward. His arms extended, as anticipated, and I reached between them with my right hand balled into a fist. The upper cut connected with the bottom of his chin and forced his head back. Letting go of the weapon, I shifted my weight onto the left leg and extended the right leg. My foot connected with his abdomen and he flew backwards a couple of feet before landing hard on the concrete, his weapon sliding across the floor. Time returned to normal, I brought my foot down, returned to my defensive stance, and focused on the others. One down, about eleven to go.

After quickly exchanging glances, they all advanced at once. That hadn’t been figured into my situation assessment. Suddenly, I was blocking and sending weapons flying off in all directions. Any time I felt a hand on my body, it was quickly knocked away. It was a little hard to keep up, though. Seven years under the instruction at Hao Lai Academy had taught me focus, balance, and muscle memory. Now, my brain had the memory but my muscles were acting like it was their first time out. I was essentially back to square one. The moves I knew. I just couldn’t perform them with the proficiency I had when this whole thing started. If I was catching a block, somebody hit me from behind. If I lowered for a sweep, someone kicked me and knocked me over. It was grueling work.

After several minutes of this, there were somehow four more unconscious bodies on the floor. Amazingly, though there was a lot of work going on, I wasn’t winded at all. Seven were still standing, half of them winded. For the life of me, I couldn’t really figure out how I was going to get out of this. They had much more experience than I did with their own bodies. They had the advantage, which was becoming obvious.

I narrowed my focus on the leader once more. “I’m not going to tell you again. Back off and let me pass. I don’t want to hurt any of you.”

He scoffed. He was winded, though. He reached across his body and pulled out a collapsible baton, flicked his wrist, and the baton extended. It seemed like a standard issue that police would have. There was one difference: electricity arced around the tip. “And I’m not going to tell you again: lay down your weapons and drop to the ground. We’re taking you one way or another, missy.”

He had just upped the ante. “Suit yourself.” Snikt-snikt. The blades came out of my fists and I grimaced once more.

Several of them jumped back. They were definitely not briefed about me. Off in the distance, I could hear the “click-clack” of a woman’s footsteps while wearing heels. That was new.

“Holy shit! I’m not getting paid enough for this!” One announced as he picked up his weapon and took off.

“Nobody told us she had that! You’re on your own, Steiner!” Another stated and followed his friend.

“Fine,” The leader nearly growled. “Leaves me the pleasure of taking down this freak bitch myself.”

He raised his baton to come at me.

“Captain! You are to stand down, immediately!” A woman shrieked.

Amazingly, he flinched and then stopped, turning to look at her. So did I. She seemed plain enough. She dressed plainly in two-inch black pumps, smoke-colored nylons, a navy blue skirt, a lavender blouse, and a white lab coat. Her dark brown hair was wrapped up in a messy bun. Her arms folded and she tapped one foot on the concrete floor.

“Dr. Kimura? What are you doing down here?” The leader asked, clearly confused.

“Plans change, Captain.” She glanced at the bodies on the ground. “Tend to your casualties and report back to your post.” Then, a stern glance met me. “You, come with me.” She turned on a heel and started walking.

For a moment, I just stood there, transfixed. What the hell is going on? First, they’re attacking me for trying to escape and now this woman was wanting to talk? Had to be a trick.

“You’d better go with the good doctor, missy. Otherwise, I have full authorization to take you out.” The leader advised.

Reluctantly, I lowered my guard and stepped over an unconscious man to follow the strange woman. Snikt-snikt. The claws were away again and I absent-mindedly rubbed my hands afterward. The woman led us down several corridors that all looked the same and into a door painted white with a little plaque displaying “Dr. Kimura” on the front. My mind played several questions on a repeat cycle, but I kept quiet the whole time. Thankfully, the alarm was no longer sounding and the warning computer voice wasn’t coming over the intercom any longer.

Once we were inside, she quickly closed the door. “You have to get out of here. I don’t know what they have planned, but it will probably kill you.”

I spun around with my eyes widened at her. “Beg your pardon?”

She didn’t immediately answer. My eyes followed her as she quickly crossed the room to one of the two leather chairs in front of an oak desk. She picked up a purple and black backpack. It looked full. “I packed some things for you. Some essentials, if you will. Inside this bag are two more bras, a package of underwear, several socks, and a fresh package of panty liners. You’ll need them in a day or two.”

I shook my head. “Come again?”

She looked angry, stomping her foot. “We don’t have time!” She turned and moved to a wooden closet behind her, tearing it open. Pulling out a brown paper bag and rifling through it for a moment, she tossed a bundle of dark blue denim at me. “I tried to approximate your size. It was a little difficult to do with any measure of discretion. If those don’t fit, I’m sorry.” I caught the bundle and looked at it quizzically. “They’re jeans! Put them on!”

Flinching, I opened the fly and started doing as instructed. Funny. They were shaped oddly for a pair of jeans. I had them pulled up to my thighs when another bundle of black fabric hit me and landed on the floor. “You can thank me later.”

Pulling up the jeans felt very strange indeed. Once the fly was done up, they hugged my butt and my hips while pressing against my crotch. They were women’s jeans. They didn’t fit my thighs well and they were a little too long in the legs, but they would protect my modesty. Groaning, I rolled my eyes and picked up the black fabric. A squeak of glee escaped my lips. It was my T-shirt with the Punisher logo. My very favorite shirt. Hurriedly tearing off the damnable pink thing, I opened up my shirt and slipped it on. Correction: it was now my very favorite dress. It fit me about the same way the pink thing did. There was a strange tug on my head. Unconsciously, I removed my hair from the back of the shirt.

She waved me closer. She’d been good to me, thus far, so I complied. She motioned for me to sit in the open leather chair and handed me a pair of socks. As she rifled through the bag again, I slipped them over my feet, noticing just how much smaller they were. “Thankfully, I could accurately measure your feet with a measure of discretion while you were on the examination table.” She plucked out what looked like purple and black “skater” shoes, then handed them over to me. “I hope you like them and they’re comfortable enough.”

Again, she was diving into the bag as I absentmindedly pulled the shoes on. They fit perfectly. Grabbing a dark brown leather bundle from the bag, she moved around the desk and tapped my shoulder. She was holding up a coat. I slipped my hands in as requested. It was a little big, but not by much. It hung to about the middle of my thighs, though. Girl’s coat. I rolled my eyes again as she moved to take up the backpack. “I also included a brown manila folder inside. It has exactly two thousand dollars in it. That should get you as far away from here as possible and put some food in your stomach.” She handed it to me and I slipped it over my shoulder. “There’s a trap door in the corner. Use it and follow the tunnel to the other side. Once you’re in the open air, don’t stop until you get to civilization due West. Even then, don’t stop until you feel safe.”

Turning to her desk, she picked up a business card, pulled open the coat, and slipped the card into the inside pocket. “You want answers? You get in touch with Dr. Henry McCoy.” Oddly enough, she kissed my forehead–which made me flinch. She looked right into my eyes. I could see tears forming in hers. “For my part in this, I’m sorry. What I have done should not be done to anyone. Get out of here, find Julia, get away, find Dr. McCoy, and you’ll get your answers. Now, go!”

She turned me facing the corner. I could see the hatch for the trap door. I moved over to it and pulled it open. Sliding down onto the ladder beneath, I took one last glance at my benefactor. She shook her head at me. “Go!”

I could hear footsteps coming down the hall. Men’s oxfords, I think. Time to go. “Thank you.” I dropped down and closed the lid behind me.

A sigh of relief left her lips the moment the trap door closed. Her prodigy, probably the best work of her life, was now gone. Safe.

Without too much time to think, Dr. Kimura spun around to her desk, grabbed the paper sack, and returned the thing from whence it came. Then, she closed the closet. Her heart was racing. It was only a matter of time before word would travel about her intervention. She glanced around her office, making sure nothing was out of place. In a moment of recollection, she touched the photograph of her husband, herself, and their two children. A single tear rolled down her cheek. What would happen to them, now?

With ferocity, her office door slammed open. A bald man in a navy pin-stripped suit burst in, followed by three guards. The slam startled her and she quickly wiped her eyes.

“Dr. S-sutter?! W-what a p-pleasant surprise…” She stammered.

The bald man glared and growled. “Stow it, bitch! Where is she?!”

“Why, whatever do you…”

“Don’t toy with me!” He crossed the room and delivered a backhand blow to her face that sent her flying across the floor. “Where is she?!”

Flushed and knocked off balance, she put her hand up to her warm cheek. Tears rolling down her face, she glared back at him. “Far away from you, by now!”

Again, he growled and quickly scanned the room. His eyes landed on the hatch, then returned to Dr. Kimura’s mostly limp form. “You let her use your escape tunnel, didn’t you! You little, insignificant, insubordinate bitch!”

He laid into the woman with several blows while she writhed and screamed. The guards didn’t move. When he was satisfied and she was whimpering through sobs, he stood up once more and glared at the guards. “Take Dr. Kimura to a nice, padded cell and throw away the key. In the meantime, I want that little bitch found!”

He stormed out of the office while the guards scrambled to pick up the limp form of the woman.

Running as far and as fast as my body could carry me, I was surprised to discover just how far I could run at full speed. Upon emerging from the tunnel, it was apparently sometime in the morning and late morning at that, based on the position of the sun. There was no other way to tell the time, so I had to resort to pure instinct. Thankfully, the forest surrounding me was at least recognizable. I was still in the Pacific Northwest, but whether I was anywhere near Seattle remained to be seen. Turning to the West, my legs pumped harder and I just kept running.

Not paying any attention to anything other than getting away to safety, the sun had traveled the sky. Had I really ran full speed all day and only just now needed to rest? The ramifications baffled me. It was the beginning of sunset before I finally reached a paved road. Vibrant oranges and reds were painted onto the clouds and nearby buildings. At least, it wasn’t raining. It seemed a little warm, though. Somewhere off in the distance, I could hear a siren sound off. Falling to my knees, tears streamed down my face. Civilization, at last.

Suddenly, I was awash with different senses. Mostly, smells. I can’t really describe most of them, but I could smell everything–especially the things you really don’t want to smell. I could hear people talking, but couldn’t see anybody around me. My eyes darted around the little suburban street I managed to find myself on, looking for any clues. Then, I caught it. The smell of potatoes dipped in searing hot oil and singed meat. My stomach grumbled in protest. Having no idea where the smell was coming from, it was time to do as Tucan Sam had always advised, just follow my nose.

Following the scent, I wandered for quite a few blocks. It was annoying when the wind changed directions for a moment and I’d loose the scent. Thankfully, it was back again shortly after. After several suburban blocks, I finally came to a main thoroughfare. So, my nose led me to a Burger King? Oh, happy day!

In my utter excitement, I nearly slammed the door into a 40-something woman, carrying out her child’s meal. I felt terrible because the little girl behind her was, frankly, adorable. She probably wouldn’t have been happy if I’d have put her mother in traction. They took their sweet time moving out of the way, though. As soon as they were past, I darted inside and took a big whiff of the place, taking it all in. Glancing at the menu board, I remember being tempted to order about half of what was up there. Instead, I sat in a booth and began to rifle through the backpack for the manila folder. With enough digging, all of Dr. Kimura’s claims were authenticated. There were bras, underwear (boy shorts), socks, the package of maxi pads, and finally the folder was buried near the bottom. Ignoring all else, I pulled out the folder. Inside, I found something that looked like a long, rectangular, plastic wallet with a purple and black argyle design on the outer shell. I learned later the term is “billfold”. Upon further inspection, it had a magnetic closure apparatus that was easy to decipher. Once opened, there were 18 $100 bills and 10 $20 bills. It was $2,000, exactly.

Beyond that, what was her whole deal with the color purple? The shoes, the backpack, now the billfold? I mean, I liked the color well enough, but she insisted on it being everywhere. It creeped me out more than a little. The need to eat quickly overcame the need to figure out the lady’s fascination with that particular spectrum of the rainbow. My stomach growled in protest, again. Taking a 20, I moved over to get in line. It didn’t matter what I ordered. I just needed food. Now.

The problem? It was “dinner rush” time and there was a line. Great, I break out of a top-secret unnamed facility, run all day, and then have to wait for the denizens to get their grub before I can actually order anything. Typical.

Finally up to the cashier, she immediately smiled at me. Not knowing what to make of that, I quickly made the order I’d devised down to the smallest detail while I was in line. The girl behind the counter had to be either a sophomore or junior at the local high school. Remembering my reflection, it could be said that she was in “my age group”, now. Not wanting to dwell, there was information I needed.

“I have a question, but it’s going to sound weird.” My words formulated as I handed her the $20 to pay for my meal. My voice still sounded very alien to me, but I did my best to emulate the lingo without “blowing my cover”.

“Sure, hon. What’s up?” She asked, almost in a mock cheerful tone.

“Where am I? I mean, what town am I in?”

Her eyes seemed to reflect the myriad of thoughts crossing through her mind. I deduced that she believed me to be a hitchhiking runaway. “Welcome to Chehalis, sweetie.”

Chehalis? How the heck did I get that far South? “Okay… is there, like, a Greyhound station nearby or anything like that?”

She nodded, knowingly. “Yea. It’s about 3 blocks down the road, next to the Safeway. You can’t miss it, really. Everything worth seeing in this town is right on this main road.”

“They make regular trips to Seattle and stuff like that, right?”

She shrugged. “I dunno. I don’t pay that much attention. I mean, I’ve seen some coming down the road headed to either Portland or Seattle, but I’ve never paid attention to what time that happens.”

I nodded back and offered a smile. “Thanks.” Then, I grabbed my meal and sat down to eat it. I was utterly famished!

After the awkward stares while eating, I slipped the billfold into the inner pocket of my jacket, slipped the backpack over my shoulders, cleaned up after myself, and followed the instructions given. Glancing around at my surroundings, it was very apparent that this was nothing more than a hole-in-the-wall small western town. They even had some storefronts that looked as though they’d come right out of the 19th Century. It didn’t take me very long to arrive at the little Greyhound station. The disappointment set in when I learned there wouldn’t be a bus until the next morning. Essentially, I was stuck in corn-fed hell for a while longer.

There was no identification included in the package Dr. Kimura had given me. That was quickly discovered when I tried to rent a room at the motel across the street. It was very strange to note that I could buy a Greyhound ticket, bound for anywhere I wanted, but couldn’t rent a motel room for the night without possessing identification. After that night, never in a million years would I ever advocate sleeping in a Greyhound station. Waking up the next morning was more than a little rough. Absently, I took a glance at my ticket. Was it really August 14th? Had I really been in that god-forsaken place for more than six months?

Having rested on the wooden surface of the bench, my body loudly protested. I had aches in places I’ve never had aches before. Shuffling onto the sardine can was easy enough. There, thankfully, weren’t too many people on board. I decided to catch a few more winks as the bus rumbled northward along Interstate 5. Awakening to the announcement that we would be arriving in Seattle shortly, I felt like I could really use a few more of those winks. Traveling sure is rough.

Knowing that we’d be arriving in the heart of Downtown Seattle was comforting. From there, I had formulated a plan pertaining to what my next move would be. As soon as we arrived and disembarked, I hit the ground running. Not literally, mind you. I had patience. Casually walking toward the Metro Bus Tunnel, I knew where I’d be headed. The problem was that my nostrils were clogged with all the nasty smells of the city; plus, non-stop sirens and traffic noise were hurting my ears. Had Seattle always been this loud and… smelly?

Hopping on a #11 bus, a grin crossed my face at getting away with paying the youth fare. Though, I noted that the standard fare had been hiked up, twice. A few things had changed. There was hope, deep within me, that other things hadn’t. Though I used to live on Capital Hill, my building required a magnetic keycard that was not in my possession. That wasn’t where I was headed, though. I needed to get my bearings and get a grip on things that had happened in my absence. There was only one place I knew to go. I just hoped somebody was home.

Having disembarked a second bus for the day, I wound my way through six blocks of residential buildings. Finally finding the one I was searching for, I happily approached the brick building that had apparently been built in the 1940’s. What luck! A man was exiting the building as I came up and was only too happy to hold the door open for me. I wouldn’t have to buzz in. That would have been awkward. Thanking him, I ascended the stairs until I reached the third floor. By now, the heart in my chest was beating furiously. Not from exertion, mind you, but from anticipation. Nervously, I glanced up at the fake brass numbers of 314, took a breath, and knocked on the door.

Inside, I could hear muffled conversation between two men. Then, there were some rather thunderous footsteps. My heart started beating faster, even as the locks were being disengaged. Interminably, the door slowly swung open. A young man in his mid-twenties was revealed. Gawd, he looked really tall and huge. He was wearing a simple pair of gray sweatpants and, apparently, nothing else. His muscles bulged out of his abdomen, chest, arms, and legs. Did he really shave his head?

“Um… can I help you, Miss? We really don’t buy Girl Scout cookies, here. Though, nice touch with your sister’s jeans and your brother’s T-shirt.” He stated plainly.

I could have melted the moment I saw him. Suddenly, my eyes felt hot and really wet. My voice seemed to squeak and my throat felt really small. “Brickhouse? Is that really you?”

His expression became very puzzled. He raised an eyebrow at me. “I’m sorry. I don’t think we’ve met, honey. There’s a select few people who know me by that name and you’re really not the type.”

I stomped my foot. “Dammit, Brickhouse! It’s me!”

“Who… who are you?”

I tugged at my shirt, full out bawling at this point. “This is my very favorite shirt. Now, it’s a fucking dress. They took Julia and did God-knows-what with her. A lot has changed. I need you to understand that I’m Lex.” His eyes widened. “Yes, you know it! I’m the only one of us that uses that line from Jayne in reference to my shirt!”

His eyes widened even more. “Holy shit… Lex? Is that really you in there?”

Nodding, tears were cascading off my cheeks. I fell forward into him and felt his arms wrap around me.

Marked Target ~ Chapter Four ~ by: Danielle Krieger (c) 2011 Lawrence "Lex" McKinley lives about as average a life as one can with metahumans popping up everywhere. Well, as normal as someone who spends their free time as an MMA fighter really can. He's about to get the shock of his life--the punch he never saw coming. In this installment: Finally free of imprisonment, real life sets in. Lex learns who her real friends are. The new body takes a little getting used to. One visit may mean the difference between life and death. Real life ain't all peaches and cream, bub.

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DISCLAIMER :: This is a retroactive continuity. A “ret-con”, if you will. It follows other stories in Lilith Langtree’s “Comics RetCon Universe”. The story is mine, but some of the characters are not. This is a RetCon of X-23, from Marvel Comics’ X-men (with a special guest appearance from Dr. Hank McCoy). Laura Kinney, X-23, and Dr. Henry Philip “Hank” McCoy, Beast, are trademarks of Marvel Comics. All rights reserved. The pic, this time, has been brought to you, again, by the incredibly talented Mike Choi.

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Chapter Four:

“So, let me get this straight: You’ve been in that place this whole time?” Mike asked for clarification.

Feeling a little embarrassed, they had let me into the apartment. I settled onto the couch. Mike was sitting across with his chair turned the wrong way, straddling the back. Steven (don’t call him “Steve”) was standing next to Mike, leaning on another chair. Their apartment was a sparse one-bedroom with a bathroom, tiny kitchen, small dining area, and small living room area. If Mike was totally not the gay stereotype, Steven totally was the gay stereotype. He spoke like a drag queen (because he was one… on the weekends), which had a tendency of weighing on my nerves.

“Yes, unfortunately.” They had been taking turns grilling me. Up to this point, I had explained my perspective of the kidnapping, what had happened to me in the cell, the details of my escape, and the sojourn that brought me to their front door.

“No wonder you look a hot mess, honey. I wouldn’t take that bus if you paid me in penises.” Steven quipped.

I simply rolled my eyes.

Mike shifted a little. “I have to be honest, here. I’m still not convinced that you are actually Lex. Don’t take any offense, though. I mean, he’s a built guy in the Welterweight Division and stands at five-ten. You, sweetie, qualify for cheerleader, but that’s about it. People don’t shrink, age regress, or change sexes. That’s some kind of obscure internet story type of crazy.”

Sighing, my hand shot to my forehead and impacted for a good, old-fashioned facepalm. A moment later, my eyes were back on him. “If I hadn’t watched it happen in a two-way mirror, I’d be saying the same thing.”

“Okay, so you understand, then. Good. I’m gonna ask you a few questions. That cool?”

Again, my eyes rolled. “Fine.”

“Okay, where were you born?”

I took a breath. This would take a minute. “Well, I was supposed to be born at the Falls City Hospital. There were some complications. My mom’s heart started going out, her kidneys started failing, and I was apparently trying to strangle myself with the umbilical cord. It’s the reason why I’m an only child. So, then we were life-flighted to Lincoln. That’s in Nebraska.” I smirked like he should know this, already. “I was also born the same year that Back To The Future came out. Happy?”

Mike was doing his best impression of The Thinker.

“Okay, smart tits,” Steven quipped. “Did you play a sport in high school?”

“Yes. Soccer.”

“Were you any good?”

“Steven, that’s an objective question. From my perspective, I was only as good as my teammates. We won the state championships, went on to take the regional title, but we didn’t place in Nationals. I got a scholarship out of it, though, so I’m not complaining too much.”

“What’s your girlfriend’s full name?” Mike finally spoke.

“Julia Eleanor Langley, but don’t tell her I told you that.” My eyes widened, thinking she might be in the other room ready to pound me for revealing her middle name. Her mother idolized Eleanor Roosevelt, hence the name. “Speaking of which, have you guys heard from her at all?”

Steven reacted first, shaking his head. “Sorry, sugar. Not a peep.”

Mike’s face had much more remorse in it. “No, we haven’t. After Lex… well, you… and Julia went to the club, that night, both of you seemed to drop off the face of the Earth.”

Tears started welling up in my eyes again. What was with all this crying? “I’ve got to find her, Mike. Hell or high water. If I have to go to the ends of the Earth, itself, just to get her back, I will. I just have to know she’s okay.”

He smiled warmly. “We’ll help any way we can. Only the Lex I know would be that devoted to Julia.” He tapped my hand. “It’s good to have you back.”

Steven then did something very odd. His head and neck craned back, then forward again. I’d only ever seen black women and drag queens do it. “What? You mean, you think this little tart is actually telling the truth?”

Mike glared up at his partner. “Yes, dear, I do. She knows too much about him to not be him. Besides, what did they say about that Terra girl? Didn’t she change sex?”

Steven scoffed… very femininely. “What, that little tramp? That’s just a little teeny-bopper with some bad parents that let her go out dressed like that.”

“How about American Dream?”

“A cheerleader from the Fourth of July parade gone mental.”

“Blue Beetle?”

“Bad Power Rangers rerun.”

“Giganta?”

“Nice camera work.”

Mike chuckled. “Oh, so all those news reports are special effects?” He looked back at me. “He’s still a skeptic. No matter what, you can’t prove to him that these ‘metahumans’ exist.”

My right eyebrow raised suggestively. “Really… is that so?” Standing up from the couch, I slipped off my jacket. “Steven, I’d like to show you something.”

That skeptical look crossed his face again. “Yea? What?”

First grimacing, then balling my hand into a fist, SNIKT! Out came the claws. He screamed like a woman and his hand shot to his chest like he was about to have a heart attack. Mike even jumped back and carried an expression of shock. I wasn’t done with them, yet. I held out my arm, took the claws, and raked the metal against my own skin. The two cuts were deep and started bleeding immediately. It seriously hurt, but I had to make the point. Grimacing again, the claws were gone with another snikt.

“Jesus, Lex! What the fuck was that?” Mike wondered, his eyes nearly bulging out of his face.

“Steven,” I stated sweetly, “be a dear and hand me a paper towel over there?” Reluctantly, he passed me one, but he was shaking furiously. I took the towel and wiped my arm off. Once cleared, they both watched as the wounds healed themselves right before their eyes. There was no scar and no other evidence that I had hurt myself, save for the excess blood. “How about now, Steven? Do we exist, yet?”

“H-how d-did you d-do that?” He stuttered.

“I told you guys, I’m a meta. I came out of anesthesia on the table, looked at my hands, and there were these bony claws coming out of them.” I sighed, exhausted from explaining so much.

“But… how’d they get all shiny and metal and sharp like that?” Mike wondered.

All I could do was shrug. “Your guess is as good as mine. They had me knocked out half the time, remember? I don’t even know what the things are made of.”

Mike raised an eyebrow. “Does it hurt?”

“Fuck, yes, it hurts! Every time!” My voice was getting higher in pitch. I plopped down on the couch. “I don’t even know what all of this means. I heal really fast. I can run all day and not get tired until sunset. I can hear people from really far away. I can smell things you really don’t want to smell and pick up the scent from far away. It’s more than a little overwhelming, you know? I mean, besides being turned into a teenage girl. That was almost too much of a shock.”

“Well, can’t you see a doctor about it?” The flushed queen asked, hand still on his chest.

“Oh, and what are they supposed to do, Steven? Make it all go away?”

“Wait… hang on… didn’t you say that lady gave you a business card and told you to find some doctor?” Mike was paying attention.

Turning ever so slightly, I grabbed the coat, fished in the inner pocket, and pulled out the card Dr. Kimura had given me. Before handing it over, I glanced at it. It read simply:

Mike glanced over it when I handed it to him and a contemplative expression crossed his face. “Well, what are your thoughts on that?”

“I can’t make a trip to California!”

“Why not?”

“Because we have to find Julia.”

Mike shook his head. “You leave that to us, buddy. I have a few friends with a few skills. Let me talk to them. In the meantime, you should probably get some rest. It’s been a long day, already.”

As if on cue, my mouth formed a yawn and I stretched through it. “You’re probably right.” My eyes met his. “Thanks, Mike. For everything.” Then, the moved over to his partner. “Sorry for scaring the shit out of you, Steven. I had to prove a point, though.”

He gave me the stink eye. “You better know how to get blood out of the rug or find a way to buy me a new one. Also, before you get your nastiness all over my brand new sofa, get that chubby little tush in the shower and get it cleaned, would you?”

“I smell pretty bad, huh?”

“I’m surprised you can’t smell it–with your new abilities and all that.”

The shower was heaven. When they say “cleanliness is next to godliness” and you don’t remember cleaning yourself for a few months, the feeling is indescribable. While I was locked up, there isn’t a single memory of taking a shower or bath or anything like that. My guess is that someone came in and gave me sponge baths every once in a while or actually set me in a tub while I was unconscious. Now, the feeling of falling warm water on my skin was breathtaking. Of course, with my new skin and sensitivities, it was an education. There was the strange sensation if the water hit my breasts or my empty crotch, but it wasn’t off-putting, for some strange reason. Then, there was the odd sensation of a mass of wet hair on my neck and shoulders. Oddly enough, I happened to prefer the floral scents of Steven’s shampoo, conditioner, and body wash versus using any of Mike’s Axe products. Also, I took it upon myself to shave my legs and armpits. It seemed appropriate.

When I got out, there was a warm towel waiting for me. Without much thought, I wrapped it around my waist like I usually would, but that no longer seemed appropriate. Thus, after some unwrapping, I lifted it up to chest level and stopped before wrapping it over my chest. Instead, I moved over to the mirror. It occurred to me that I hadn’t yet seen myself naked and there was some curiosity about that.

Upon moving in front of the reflective surface, an interesting sight bounced back at me. There she was again, that little black-haired and green-eyed teenage girl. My eyes slowly scanned over her form. The skin was pale as ever, but it didn’t look bad on her. Her skin was taught and had that extra glow of youth to it. Musculature was hidden beneath a layer of subcutaneous fat, but it was aesthetically pleasing. Her shoulders and ribs were rather narrow. Her hips flared out then flowed seamlessly into her thighs. She had a really cute little belly button. Her cute, perky breasts did seem a little large for her frame, but there was a hint that her body would catch up eventually. They weren’t really “huge”, like I had believed. Perspective can be the darnedest thing, sometimes. The more my eyes took in, the more they began to delight in what they saw.

The visual scan was interrupted by a knock on the door. Hurriedly, I wrapped the towel over my chest and bid the person to enter. Oddly enough, Steven came in with another towel in hand. At that moment, an odd scent hit my nose, but I didn’t think it was coming from him.

“Honey, there are a few things I’m going to teach you while you’re here. Namely, you gotta wrap up that mop before you get water all over my house. Bow down and flip your hair over your head.” He instructed.

I gave him a strange look for a moment, but complied. Bowing over, I forcefully moved my head in a manner that created some centrifugal force and flipped my hair over my head. He man-screeched for a second as he got pelted with water droplets, but let out a giggle as he gathered up loose strands that were determined to stick to the back of my neck and upper back. Then, he proceeded to wrap the towel around my head and tie it in a turban around my hair. I’d seen Julia use this technique but never thought my hair would ever be long enough to need it. He tucked some excess towel in the back of the turban and bade me to stand upright again.

“There you go, hon.” He actually smiled.

His smile was returned. “Thanks, Steven. I have a feeling that I’m going to get a crash course in a few subjects before this whole thing can be figured out.”

He sniffed the air. “Did you use my stuff?”

I meekly nodded. “Yea. You don’t really mind, do you? For some reason, I couldn’t justify using Mike’s stuff. I also borrowed a razor and cleaned up my legs.”

He shrugged. “Doesn’t really matter, hon. Mi casa es su casa, right?” His eyes traveled down to my legs, then his eyes got wide and a hand shot to his mouth. “Oh my god! Honey, you’re bleeding! I thought you healed?”

Startled, my eyes darted down to my legs to spot a little stream of blood on my damp inner thigh. Moving the towel, I traced the blood to its source. “Oh, fuck all!” I straightened up again and let out a whimper. “Steven, my backpack is in the living room. Could you grab it for me?”

He leaned in to whisper. “You got pads or tampons in there, sweetie?”

With a grimace, I nodded. He got a look on his face that said “Say no more!” and he shimmied out of the bathroom. I put my face in my hands in some measure of embarrassment. In moments, he had returned with the backpack in hand. I started digging through it.

“Let me guess: you don’t really have any idea what you’re doing, do you?” Again, he was whispering. I shook my head as I pulled out the package of maxi pads and the package of panties. “Leave it to me. Apparently, you can’t heal everything and Mother Nature, the fickle bitch, has to have her day.”

Well, at least I now knew what that smell was: blood and placenta. In all my life, if you had told me that I would eventually be having a period and then would immediately be taught how to use a maxi pad by a flaming gay guy, you would have been laughed out of my house because of your sick joke. Reality is so much stranger than fiction. Steven was really patient with me, though, and showed me exactly what he was doing, step-by-step. He had me clean up with a little toilet paper before slipping on the new pair of panties and pressing the maxi pad against my flat crotch. Interestingly enough, I was much more embarrassed than I was disgusted with the whole episode and kept apologizing for troubling him.

“Okay, I have to know: You don’t have the parts, so how did you know how to do this?” I wondered, shimmying into the panties.

He simply grinned and winked at me. “Fag hags, sweetie.”

The next three days weren’t much better than being in that cell. At least, this time there was television. It’s amazing how someone could miss having three hundred channels with nothing to watch. You never appreciate it until it’s not there, right? Most of the time, I was watching Discovery Channel or History Channel. No soap operas for me. Those things were for lonely housewives who needed some mental break from the monotony of their boring, routine lives. Occasionally, I’d flip over to the news stations, but it wasn’t much different from when I had been kidnapped. The only difference was the occasional story about some metahuman saving humanity somewhere, but that was about it.

Mike and Steven were really good to me, but I couldn’t help feeling that I was using them, somehow. Sure, they were good friends and I really needed that. However, I had worked my ass off for everything I had previously. Now, I had nothing and was sitting on the couch with a sports bra and panties with my Punisher T-shirt covering the whole thing while doing next to nothing. Steven even cooked for us all. I volunteered to clean up the kitchen, do the dishes, and clean up the bathroom, but was plotting what my next move was going to be the whole time. There was still ninety-five percent of the two grand left over. I thought about using it to hire a private investigator to help track down Julia because I didn’t have the slightest idea where to start. Mike quickly shot down that idea, telling me he had it handled.

At the very least, my period was over after those three days. I took another shower because I just felt disgusting, for some reason. It was still early morning. Steven had already left for work and Mike had the day off. I was hoping we could do something fun and maybe get me out of the house for a while. He shrugged me off, telling me he had something else planned. At the tail end of my shower, the doorbell rang. I heard footsteps and very muffled conversation, but couldn’t make out any of the words. When I got out, the conversation stopped. Patting myself dry and wrapping up my hair turban like Steven had shown me, I wondered about that. Then, once opening the door and stepping into the apartment, my eyes threatened to bulge out of my face.

“Oh, wow. You weren’t kidding, Mike. She’s adorable!” It was Rachel from work. Like an idiot, I just stood there staring. She spun around to Mike. “You didn’t tell her I was coming? You asshole!”

He chuckled as she smacked him. “Hey, she’s been talking about getting out of the house all day and I told her I had other plans. I thought it would be a surprise.”

My eyes rapidly blinked, bringing me out of my trance. “Uh, guys, still in the room, here. And, still a guy… current dilemma aside.”

Rachel blushed. “Sorry, Lex.” She stepped closer and started examining me. “Is it really still you in there?”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh, for the love of Pete!”

Mike nodded. “I’m pretty damn sure it’s still Lex. Go ahead, ask a question only Lex would know.”

Rachel straightened up to ponder, wrinkling her nose as she did so. “Okay, what’s the one thing on your desk at Orion that stands out?”

Letting out a sigh, I played the game. “Would you mean my picture frame of Julia in the upper right corner or my twelve-inch, limited edition statuette of Shae Vizla right next to it?” One eyebrow stretched towards the sky. “Furthermore, I never told you how attractive I found you because it would feel like a betrayal to Julia, still does. Even given that, I’ve always liked how cute you look when you’re thinking and your nose is wrinkled like that. Besides those things, you’re a genius with watercolors and always will be, in my eyes.”

She staggered back a step or two. “Holy shit, she is Lex!”

“Told you. Why do people doubt me?” Mike quipped.

My response was a simple facepalm as I turned back into the bathroom to get dressed. They had a lively conversation in my absence, but included me as soon as I returned fully clothed. The whole story of abduction, imprisonment, manifestation, and escape was relayed again. Mike guided the conversation, mostly. I would add in a detail or two that he missed. Rachel listened attentively enough, but she kept looking at me strangely–so much so that I had to clarify something.

“Okay, seriously, why are you looking at me like that?”

She shrugged. “Oh, nothing really. Just making an observation.”

“And, that would be…?”

“Your voice might be that of a woman’s–well, a teenage girl’s, really–but you certainly don’t talk like one.”

Mike furrowed his brow in contemplation. “What do you mean by that?”

Rachel let out a sigh. She glanced at me with remorse in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Lex, but I couldn’t really be totally sure it was you. I mean, the story is pretty fantastic and sounds like something out of a movie. Even with some of the other metas on TV and what not, it’s still a pretty fantastical notion for a guy, especially one as built as you were, to end up like you are, now.”

“Yea, and I can’t really explain how I know it’s him.” Mike admitted. “I just do.”

I was a little sullen. “Okay, so what changed your mind, Rachel?”

“Watching your movements and hearing you speak. You might have some pretty nice assets, but you don’t carry yourself like a woman would. Your speech is almost a dead give away. You don’t talk like a girl. Women have a habit of bouncing around different pitches when they talk. You stay pretty monotone, like a man. To express emotion, women raise their pitch. You just raise your volume, like a man would.” She approached and placed a hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry if this is making you feel like you’re being put on the spot, but it’s an observation.”

I had to scoff. “What? I should feel put off by the fact you’re pointing out that I really am a guy? Please, don’t feel sorry about that.”

She shook her head. “You know what? Forget about it. I was told there was something of an emergency in the clothing department that needed my expert insight?”

Mike nodded. “Yea, there is. All she has is that Punisher T-shirt that looks like she stole it from her brother. Other than that, she’s got one pair of jeans that are so ill fitting that they look like she stole them from her sister. She refuses mine or Steven’s help in that department, saying she’s got two grand on hand. I’d loan her some clothes, but they’d drape on her like a tent, worse than that shirt is now.”

Her glance darted between Mike and I. “So, we’re going shopping, then?”

My only response was a shrug. “I just want to go back to being me again and wearing my own clothes, thanks.”

“Well, like it or not, honey, you have a female body, now.” Rachel half-smirked. “Your old clothes aren’t going to fit you at all. People are going to have certain expectations when they see you, now, and it would be best if your clothes actually fit. Not to mention, what if those guys that took you come looking for you, again? From the story you told me, they seem like the type who wouldn’t want to loose their prize plaything. You’re going to be able to defend yourself with clothes tenting off of you? I’m no fighting expert, but I think that would put you at more of a disadvantage than you already have.”

Now, Mike stood. “You know, she’s got a real point, there. Remember those two guys who wanted to wear the flashy pants during their fights to show off for the cameras?”

Chuckling, I nodded. “Yea, they got their asses handed to them because the were impeded by all the extra fabric.”

Mike reciprocated the nod. “Exactly.” He glanced at Rachel. “You know, for a painter, you’ve got a fighter’s sense. You ever wanna get in the ring…”

She violently shook her head. “Oh, no! Not gonna happen! I like my job as a concept artist, thanks. I’m not quitting that day job to moonlight as a girl fighter.” Her glance landed on me. “Get dressed, hon. We’ve got a lot to do and we’re going to run out of daylight.”

Okay, so the mall towards the end of summer wasn’t bad. It was insane! There were people all around and hundreds of them. Teenagers ran around to different shops and had basically taken over the food court. The girls ran in packs, doing their prep work for the last part of summer. The guys seemed to follow them around like hungry wolves. The adult women seemed to be running around on a mission with several shopping bags in tow and their ears attached to their cell phones. If there were any adult men, they were in the arms of their wives/girlfriends and being led from store to store. I couldn’t help but think ‘Don’t any of these people have jobs or school?’

Thankfully, Rachel was pretty protective. When we first arrived, there was a flock of guys that looked right at me, then proceeded to immediately start wolf whistling and making catcalls. It was kind of humiliating. I made a mental note to apologize to every single woman that I ever could have done that to. It almost made me feel less than human–like more of a piece of meat. Like Mike had deduced, they called to me asking why I was wearing my brother’s shirt and my sister’s jeans.

Rachel leaned in and whispered in my ear. “See what I mean?”

In response, my eyes rolled and we decided it best to just keep moving. Okay, so she had a point. We kept moving through the crowd and she ducked into a store, dragging me along. As soon as I got a look at the place I froze. There was only one other time that I had ever stepped foot in Victoria’s Secret and that was only because I wanted to buy Julia a little negligée as a present. My mind began to formulate the real reason why Rachel had dragged me in here.

“Why are we in here?” I fiercely whispered.

“Don’t worry. It’s not what you think. Don’t you trust me?” She whispered back.

I started to respond, but she drug me further into the store. We headed into the back, near the dressing rooms. We were greeted by the smile of a rather pretty brunette sales girl.

“Hello, there, ladies. How can we help you, today?” She asked, her eyes darting from Rachel to me and back again.

Rachel returned the smile. “We have a little problem. You see, my niece, here, just went through a growth spurt. Her mom, single mother, dropped her off at my place this morning because she had to rush down to the hospital on an emergency–she’s a nurse. Worse part is, the poor dear doesn’t have anything to wear and I don’t have the slightest idea what her size is. Think you could help us out?”

The sales girl waved us toward the dressing rooms. “You guys go in there and I’ll be there in a minute.” Her gaze landed on me and she whispered. “Take everything off but your panties, hon, and we’ll work out all your measurements.” She actually winked at me?

To say I was a little nervous when Rachel started dragging me to the dressing room was an understatement. I hadn’t been mostly naked in front of anyone but myself since my escape. Though she was being a good friend, the thought of being almost completely nude in front of Rachel did fill me with a little trepidation. Once we were in the room, she saw the look on my face and smiled. She took my hand in hers.

“Don’t worry about it, Lex. They can’t take measurements with your clothes on and I’ve seen everything you’ve got a million times over. There’s no need to be nervous.” She smiled warmly.

“I have to take the bra off?” There was a whimper in my voice.

“What are you wearing?”

“A sports bra.”

She nodded. “Oh, yea. Those really squish everything in and she won’t be able to measure you accurately. I’m right here, though, okay?”

Smiling meekly, I began to disrobe. Probably longer than it should have taken, I was down to the requested garments and my cheeks were really warm. Rachel smiled supportively. The knock came to the door, the sales girl smiled, and then showed me her tape measure. She started to explain everything she was doing while she did it. I have to admit, a lot of it made perfect sense. She measured pretty quickly, too. She measured over the top of my breasts, just under them, my little natural waistline, my hips, and just at the tops of my thighs. Each time, she wrote the results on her little notepad. When she was finished, she turned to Rachel and handed her the little sheet she’d taken her notes on.

“Okay, so I’ve got everything. She’s about a 34 C in the bust, but her ribs will probably catch up and be an average 36 later. It all boiled down to 34-24-35. So, she could get away with medium tops and her dress size is about a 4 or a 5. Four is about the right fit, but five if she wants things a little loose.” She glanced at me with a sly grin. “If you wanted to get dangerous and show off a bit, you might be able to get away with a 2, but it’ll be pretty tight.”

My head shook violently. “Not gonna happen!”

She winked. “Good girl. You’re really too young, anyway.” Then, her gaze returned to Rachel. “I could go and grab a few bras so she can try them on, if you’d like?”

Rachel nodded, causing the sales girl to bounce out of the room. I just stood there and stared at her in abject horror. For the next hour or so, I can’t count how many bras I ended up putting on just to take off again. They were in all shapes and sizes, which only served to further my confusion. They lost me somewhere between “T-shirt” and “plunge”. There are a lot of names in women’s fashion and we hadn’t even gotten to the outer clothing, yet. Rachel even tutored me in the proper way to put a bra on and “adjust the girls” inside the cups. In the end, I bought the six bras that fit perfectly–Rachel advised me to buy four “T-shirt” and two “plunge”. I could barely contain my relief when we made to leave.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted something from my college. Stopping and turning my head, it was confirmed. They had clothing here with University of Washington colors and mascots, the Huskies, all over them. They were tucked away in the “Love Pink” section. I still had some old school pride, so I glanced at a few things while Rachel advised me on sizes that might work. When we finally left, I had two new pairs of sweatpants, a hoodie, and a tank top decked out in my school colors. That made me feel pretty good after the bra torture.

Once we stepped outside, Rachel’s eyes darted from one way to another. Her nose was wrinkled. She was deep in thought, but I didn’t have the slightest clue what the subject matter could have been. Following her lead, I glanced up and down the corridor. There were many stores with many names I didn’t recognize. Save for one.

“Jackpot!” Grabbing Rachel’s hand, I made a beeline for my target.

“What? Where are you…?” Then, she saw the sign. “Hot Topic? Are you kidding me?”

Once inside, I spun around to face her. “Rachel, the whole Goth thing is kind of a defense mechanism. Given the circumstances, I think I could use a little slack on this. Besides, I’ve already got the black hair and the pale skin. Humor me?”

She shrugged. “Okay, fine. Let’s do this.”

Okay, so Hot Topic isn’t where real Goths shop. It used to be, then they went mainstream. A pity, really, because they used to be the best. However, I wasn’t going to let Rachel talk me into H&M or Forever 21 at a time like this. So, the decision was simple.

My eyes started darting about the display racks. Thankfully, this location was a lot bigger than the hole-in-the-wall locations at other malls I’d seen. It was about the same size as the Victoria’s Secret. So, I got right down to it. At first, I was thumbing through the clothes looking disinterested. With a little nudge from Rachel here and there, I starting to find things I actually liked. As we really got into the shopping, I was surprised at my choices. Some of them were downright girly and, I dare say, one or two squeaks of glee escaped my lips. In response, Rachel held up a skirt and I glared at her.

“I am so not there, yet.” My tone was telling enough. She looked deflated.

After getting loaded down with T-shirts, tank tops, a few pairs of jeans, and some “bondage” pants, I was about ready to pay for things and leave the place. Rachel presented a couple more hoodies and a messenger bag I actually liked. They were added to the pile. We made our way to the dressing rooms. Rachel insisted. When I finally got inside, Rachel darted off with an idea in her head.

“What’s your shoe size?”

Picking up one of the shoes Dr. Kimura had given me that fit perfectly and glancing at it, I was actually able to answer that question confidently. “Seven and a half?”

She tore back the curtain. Thankfully, I was not in a state of undress. “Your feet are smaller than mine? Bitch!”

I fell over onto the floor from laughing so hard. She joined in. It was the first good laugh I’d had in quite a while. She closed the curtain again and I began to try everything on. She told me she was taking off for a minute and would be right back. Not knowing what that meant, I continued with my work. Amazingly, everything I tried on fit me like a glove and was incredibly comfortable. On the way up to the counter, my eyes spotted some elbow-length fingerless gloves, which gave me an idea. I bought those, too. Finally arriving at shoes, I opted for the two pairs of “Don’t fuck with me!” boots in lieu of the “Please fuck me.” styles. At that point, Rachel was back and everything got paid for. She helped me carry all the different bags and we headed straight for the exit. Shopping done. I found out later that Rachel had hit Lady Footlocker and gifted me three yoga tops, two pairs of yoga pants, some sport socks, two pairs of tennis shoes, and a giant duffel bag.

When we got back to Mike and Steven’s apartment, I counted my money again. Everything totaled up, it astounded me to contemplate that $1,100 had been spent in one day. Never again.

Over the course of the next day or so, Mike and Steven wanted to see the whole haul. I was not about to do a fashion show, but they got the idea. They even gave me some plastic organizer containers to put away all the clothes so that they weren’t stuffed away in a bag or strewn all over the apartment. Rachel was now coming over after work just to hang out. For the life of me, the reason why I’d never really considered her one of my core friends escaped me. She was good people, after all–not to mention really helpful and incredibly supportive. Without meaning to, I was starting to get on Mike’s nerves, though. At every available opportunity, I would try to grill him on the status of the search for Julia. It was something of an obsession, now.

One morning when I woke up, he told me to get dressed in one of the yoga outfits that Rachel had given me. He had a surprise for me. Sensing ulterior motives, I was a little apprehensive, but compliant. Slipping the outfit on and donning the hoodie with Jack Skellington’s face on the back, I pulled my hair into a ponytail with a scrunchie Rachel had gifted to me then put my shoes on as he grabbed a jacket. We piled into his car and I tried to ask him where we were going for about half the trip. He was stoic and refused to answer. Then, I saw familiar surroundings of the International District and I began to wonder why I hadn’t thought of this first. Finding parking at nine in the morning was, thankfully, easy. Acting as escort, he walked me to the front doors of the Hao Lai Academy. He stopped and turned to me at the door.

“Okay, Lex. I’m coming inside with you to help out with your master, or whatever they’re called in Chinese. I think it’ll be good for you to get back into your martial studies. The guys who took you might be coming after you as we speak and you need to be prepared for that. Besides, it’ll give you something to occupy your mind while we find Julia.” He explained. “I’m your friend and I care. This isn’t a tactic to just get you out of my hair, okay?”

He made sense, so I nodded and gave him a smile. “Thanks, Mike.”

Reciprocating the nod, he opened the door and ushered me inside. From across the street, I could already hear that a class was being taught. Thus, when we entered, Mike and I sat in the spectator’s area and watched until the class was finished. They seemed to be a group of skilled young kids just at the apex between childhood and adolescence. It was good to see the young taking an interest in the humble arts of Kung Fu. Once the class was finished, they all bowed to their teacher, who was not my Shifu, and their parents cheered them on. Then, everyone began to shuffle about and move out the doors. Mike and I stayed seated. Our business would be discussed once the class was gone. However, a young Asian woman that looked to be in her early twenties approached us. Oddly enough, I didn’t recognize her and I’d been at the academy for seven years. She bore a cordial smile.

“Hello, there. You seem to be new. Is this your first time here?” She asked us.

“Yes.” Mike answered. “No.” I answered. It sounded a little jumbled since we responded simultaneously.

The confusion was apparent on the woman’s face for a moment, but she shook it off and moved on. “How nice to see a father bringing his daughter in for instruction.” Another smile.

Mike and I exchanged surprised expressions, then focused back on the woman.

“No,” Mike began first. “She’s not my daughter. She’s actually… a cousin.” He looked sheepish.

The woman nodded, anyway. “Oh, okay. Well, welcome to Hao Lai Academy. Is there anything we can help you with, today?”

I got straight to the point. A blank expression graced my face. “We need to see Shifu. Could you inform him that it’s very important?”

She blinked rapidly. “Oh, well, he is very busy…”

No change in my demeanor. “Please, just tell him. He will understand.”

She seemed very confused. Not many were awarded an audience with Shifu. Only his most advanced students had the honor of one-on-one instruction with him. I had been one of the lucky ones, once. Still, she stood and moved to honor the request. “I’ll be right back.”

When she had moved far enough away, I glanced accusingly at Mike. “Your cousin?”

He shrugged. We waited for what seemed like an hour or so. It was no secret that the man really had a tight schedule. From instructing his more advanced students to tending to the day-to-day business affairs, he didn’t have a lot of free time. Mike and I stood, walked out of the seating area, removed our shoes, and stepped onto the central mat. When Mr. Xiao Min appeared from somewhere in the back, Mike turned and nodded to him. I was much more respectful.

Bowing deeply with my feet together and my right fist encased in my left hand, I spoke to a man I’d not seen in more than six months. “Zhi yi [Greetings], Shifu.”

He stopped and raised an eyebrow at me. “Your Mandarin is sloppy and heavily laced with your American accent. If you wish to show proper respect, perhaps you should get a copy of Rosetta Stone.”

I straightened up again, but lowered my head after being shamed. “Apologies, Shifu.”

He shook his head and glanced over at Mike. “I am Mr. Xiao Min, the ‘Headmaster’ of this Academy, if you will. What can I do for you?”

Mike extended his hand to the man, who returned the gesture, and motioned to me with a jerk of his head. “Well, I’m Mike Deutsch, but I’m not the one that’s here to see you. She is.”

Shifu’s eyes glanced from me and back to Mike. “And, she would be whom?”

Mike looked sheepish. “Maybe you should let her explain it.”

I swallowed hard. This whole thing of explaining who I really was had to come to the point of getting really old. Taking a breath, I considered everything that had happened and the discussion he and I had before the kidnapping. There was only one way to proceed from here. “I have an answer to your question, Shifu.”

He appeared interested and folded his arms over his chest. “Oh? And what would that be?”

Another hard swallow. “Your wisdom has been considered. The reason I participated in those tournaments was to prove something. There was a need to prove that I truly was a man. From very young, I was not convinced. The tournaments were a way of convincing myself and toughening myself up. You always said to expect the unexpected. Well, the unexpected has happened, Shifu, and I’m not prepared for it. I have returned to you with my answer.”

His arms loosened. “So, a prodigal child had returned. What is your name, young one?”

My eyes met his. “You would call me ‘Lewen’, Shifu.”

A smirk creased his lips. “Well, given the sight before my eyes, I should think it more appropriate to call you Lei Wen, now.” It hit my ears as “lay-when”; it was a rather common Mandarin woman’s name. “May I ask how this happened?”

“I am a metahuman, Shifu. When my abilities manifested, this happened.” With my hands, I displayed my new body like some kind of Vanna White.

“Well, I should think this occasion would involve the telling of a tale.” He motioned to both Mike and I. “Please, sit.” Afterwards, he wasted no time in sitting on the mat.

Immediately following his request, I honored it by sitting. Mike took a minute longer, but obeyed. Oddly, Shifu objected to the way I was sitting. My position was with my legs folded in a pretzel, as always. However, he instructed me to kneel down and then sit on my feet. It stuck me as odd, but I followed his instructions. Later, I would come to find out that this is the manner in which women were expected to sit. It was proper female etiquette, apparently. Over the next hour or so, Mike and I took turns conveying the whole story from kidnap to escape. Through the whole thing, Shifu’s expression changed twice, but only briefly. When we were done, he had a contemplative look on his face that made me a little nervous.

After a few moments, he finally spoke. “So, I am led to believe that your mind knows what to do, but this new form does not have the muscle memory needed.” Pausing again, contemplation crossed his face again. “I could be persuaded to instruct you, one-on-one.”

My face lit up. “I would like that, Shifu, but I do not have the means to compensate you.”

“I do and it would be no trouble.” Mike offered.

Shifu shook his head. “No, I cannot allow someone to pay another’s debts.” His eyes met mine. “Lei Wen, you will work here at the academy when we are not training. This situation requires complete dedication and you would be expected to be here from sunrise to sunset, every day. If you cannot meet these requirements, then I cannot teach you.”

Mike and I exchanged glances before he chuckled, “Well, there goes your television habits.”

After glaring at him, my eyes returned to Shifu. “I would be willing to cooperate with those terms. These people are probably after me and it’s humiliating that all my time and dedication means nothing if I can’t defend myself. On top of that, I may need to rescue Julia and would make a fool of myself if I tried now.”

A grin crossed the man’s face. “Very astute observation. We will begin tomorrow. If you are not here when the sun rises, then you will forfeit this opportunity. Dong ma? [Understand?]”

Both Mike and I stood, then I bowed again. “Xie Xie, Shifu.” [“sheh-sheh” means “Thank you”]

He rolled his eyes. “Again, your Mandarin is terrible. Buy Rosetta Stone.” Then, he smiled. “But, you are welcome. See you tomorrow.”

Marked Target ~ Chapter Five ~ by: Danielle Krieger (c) 2011 Lawrence "Lex" McKinley lives about as average a life as one can with metahumans popping up everywhere. Well, as normal as someone who spends their free time as an MMA fighter really can. He's about to get the shock of his life--the punch he never saw coming. In this installment: Two months pass. Lex's training intensifies. There are two discoveries brought before her. She learns, the hard way, that not all surprises are good ones.

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DISCLAIMER :: This is a retroactive continuity. A “ret-con”, if you will. It follows other stories in Lilith Langtree’s “Comics RetCon Universe”. The story is mine, but some of the characters are not. This is a RetCon of X-23, from Marvel Comics’ X-men (with a special guest appearance from Dr. Hank McCoy). Laura Kinney, X-23, and Dr. Henry Philip “Hank” McCoy, Beast, are trademarks of Marvel Comics. All rights reserved. The pic, this time, has been brought to you, again, by the incredibly talented Mike Choi.

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Chapter Five:

When you’re not looking, two months can fly by like the blink of an eye. In a week, it would be Halloween. That kept getting updated to me whenever most people saw my wardrobe and disapproved of the whole Goth theme. I just rolled my eyes and kept moving on. At the very least, guys weren’t wolf whistling at me nor did they make catcalls like they did in the mall when I was with Rachel. The look was received as somewhat intimidating. That was a relief. Thankfully, they were nowhere to be seen when I made my morning journey to Hao Lai.

It gets cold really quickly in Seattle. One day, it was a comfortable seventy-eight degrees. The next day, it dropped to fifty-six and hadn’t gotten above that since. Not to mention, the wind that whips through the buildings in downtown can knock you over if you’re not careful and the rain will sometimes come in sideways, completely bypassing your umbrella. I had taken it upon myself to get a nice, warm coat made of polar fleece that “naturally” repels water (synthetic material). Since it was a trenchcoat, it reached to my knees and my boots covered the rest. Even with that, there was still the chill that might seep through. Rachel had made a suggestion that I immediately refuted the first time she mentioned it. However, circumstances as they were, there was finally some compromise. Yes, I was wearing tights under my jeans, along with a hoodie under my coat. You’d be surprised how warm they keep me. I don’t remember ever being this sensitive to the cold and often wondered why I was much more susceptible to it.

On the other hand, living in the progenitor and world headquarters of Starbucks had its advantages. Not only is the hot chocolate just heavenly when you’re chilled to the bone, but the wake up call from a triple shot of espresso is pretty nice. Having to wake up at what I have come to call as “Oh-God-thirty” in the morning to be at the academy by sunrise, I had started consuming mass quantities of coffee. Being too exhausted to think about a shower when I got back to Mike and Steven’s place after a full-day workout, the shower time had moved to the morning. In those days, I had to worry about allowing enough time to dry the mass of hair on my head before heading out the door.

In the beginning, the workouts were fairly simple. Shifu and I would run through the taolu over and over again. However, my lack of muscle memory had obviously made me sloppy. He broke out his gun again and I can’t count how many times he’d hit me with that stupid stick. After the first couple of days, he quickly learned that I did not tire as quickly as his other students would. Thus, he took things to the next level. For the next month, every time I missed a movement he would initiate a sparring match between the two of us after the obligatory smack with his gun. To say he pounded me into the ground would be an understatement. I used to be able to hold my own in a sparring match with the man. Now, he tossed me around like his favorite throw pillow. It encouraged me to get better much more quickly.

As if to add insult to injury, he formulated another plan within the first week. Finally, the unfamiliar young woman who had greeted Mike and I when we first came to the academy was introduced to me. She was Jing Wei, but she asked to be called Jenn, her English equivalent. She was a gymnast who had represented China in the 2008 Olympic Summer Games. She was there to teach me a few tricks, it seemed. At the beginning, she wanted me change out of my yoga gear and into what looked like a one-piece swimsuit, a standard leotard. She tried to explain that it was for better freedom of movement, but I wildly protested. It wasn’t until Shifu smacked me with his gun and berated my lack of dedication that I finally relented. At first, we did quite a lot of stretching exercises. Apparently, I wasn’t flexible enough for her to teach me what she had planned. Soon, I was able to do lateral splits with my feet out to either side of me, horizontal splits with one foot in front and the other behind, and could bend forward far enough to actually kiss my knees. Quickly though, it moved from that to cartwheels, hand springs, flips, balance beam practice, and finally all-out floor exercises. There was no way I was going to be winning any Olympic metals any time soon, but I had a few more options to incorporate into my fighting style. After the first month, I was allowed to put my yoga outfit on and run through a few floor routines with it. Then, Shifu tested me with another sparring match and, again, I became a throw pillow, but not as easily.

It must be said: I don’t think the academy had looked quite so clean before I came along as part-time janitor. When I wasn’t getting smacked with a stick, thrown around in a sparring match, or bouncing around in a leotard, the Hao Lai Academy got some tender loving care from yours truly. The floors were swept, mopped, and polished to shine. The walls, moldings, and lighting fixtures were all dusted. There were towels and multi-surface cleaners wiped on walls, counters, benches, and lockers. Everything was clean, sparkling, and smelling like a fresh spring rain. Then, another day would pass and it would have to be done all over again. Tiring though it was, the work carried its own reward and sense of pride.

It quickly became apparent that my new healing ability came in very handy. After a day with Shifu, there were no welts left over from his gun like there had been before. There were no bruises left over from tumbles I had taken when I failed to correctly execute the moves Jenn was trying to teach me. Upon waking up in the morning, there was no soreness from residual effects of hard workouts performed the day prior. Each new day was a clean slate to get pummeled again by either sparring matches or gymnastics exercises or both. There was also very clear evidence in my tone musculature that I was developing somewhere between a dancer and a gymnast’s physique. There was a little part of me that wished my boobs would shrink in size. One can only hope, but it didn’t happen.

As the second month progressed, Shifu and Jenn joined forces. He would watch as she instructed me, but would jump in at a moment’s notice if I messed up. If he and I were sparring, she’d be yelling out different movements to use for evasion. Distracting at first, it soon became its own blessing. They also developed their own independent instruction. Jenn had me don the curséd leotard, again, but started to teach me some things on the parallel bars, the pommel horse, the vault horse, and the hanging rings. Taking my enhanced senses into account, Shifu had started having me run through my taolu blindfolded. Occasionally, we would also spar that way, sometimes. He even taught me how to use my hair as a combat device for distraction and misdirection. Who knew it had such advantageous applications?! To say that Shifu was a genius in his own right was just not hyperbolic enough.

When my muscles were apparently cooperating, both Shifu and Jenn began to notice a latent natural agility. Somewhere hidden in the clumsiness of new body structure was a dexterity and grace that Shifu knew I didn’t possess before. His initial hypothesis was the lithe female form, but Jenn quickly disputed that sexist claim. My body was able to execute certain moves through intensive practice that most people shouldn’t be able to pull off after only two months. Even while sparring, my reaction times to many situations had decreased exponentially over a short period of time. There were theories bounced between the two of them, but there was no explanation to be found. Apparently, I’d found another ability my meta gene had gifted me with. If there were going to be any other ones, I really wished they’d write up a memo.

Over the past couple of weeks, Shifu decided it was finally time to address the issue of my claws. They were there, so I might as well use them to my advantage. However, he brought in a covering for the mat that I would have to roll out and roll back up after our practice, for sanitary reasons. Of course, I’d have to clean it, too.

On command, the two blade claws in my fists would emerge quite easily. It took some convincing and creative positioning to get the ones in my feet to cooperate at the same level. They were also a bit shorter, only about eight inches long. Though, it should be noted that the ones in my feet hurt just as much as the ones in my fists. Shifu taught me a standing meditation technique that helped me forget how much they hurt and another to keep them from emerging involuntarily. For obvious reasons, we would never spar when my claws were out. Instead, he had me roll up the sanitary mat and carry it to a different room with a bunch of sandbags hanging from the ceiling. Initially, he had me simply run through the taolu. For the past couple of days, he’d jab at me with his gun from a safe distance while I reacted with the claws. Needless to say, he had to replace a few of his precious sticks. He tried a couple of swords, but they met the same fate: sliced to pieces. Long wooden sticks were much cheaper than full metal blades.

As much as things were moving forward in that aspect, they were stagnant on the financial side of things. Not having any forms of identification, I was stuck in a rut. Even if I wanted to, there was no way to get a job without an ID card and a social security card. Neither of which was in my possession. Mike may have known a few people who were conducting some investigation, but neither of us had any connections that could create a whole new identity out of thin air. I believed that would require knowing somebody in the FBI, US Marshals Service, or equally higher up on the food chain of the government than we were. If we tried to hack our way into it, that would probably bring the attention of the NSA or Homeland Security down on us. That was a hornet’s nest we were, understandably, very reluctant to kick.

Also, I looked into a way to get my money out of the bank. There was a substantial amount that I could pay Mike and Steven several months’ worth of rent with. If I felt it necessary, I could probably even buy a little scooter to get to and from the academy with. However, no matter which way I looked at it, getting to my money would create a paper trail that any and all pursuers would be able to exploit to find me. The idea was quickly scrubbed, much to my chagrin. Mike and Steven have been giving me a weekly allowance to make up for it.

Life really sucks when you’re trying to hide from people who would likely enjoy killing you.

A bald man in a charcoal, pin-stripped suit gazed out into the rainy day through the bay window in his elaborate office. He puffed on a half-finished cigar and let the smoke billow out in front of him. He held a cellular phone up to his ear, but wore a dissatisfied expression.

“Two months have passed, now. Why haven’t you apprehended her?” His baritone voice seemed to dip further in pitch as he spoke.

“Sir, without causing a scene, the academy is a no-go. Every time the men are sent in there, they’re sent to the hospital and we have to abort the mission. They’ve got staff in there that’s got years more experience than my boys.” The man’s voice on the phone responded.

“I don’t want excuses! I want results!” The bald man growled. “What about where she lives?!”

“We don’t know that, sir. We’ve tried a tail, but the public transit authorities are a nuisance. Local authorities are on to our vehicles. We’ve had to abort. There’s no paper trail leading to anyone, sir. She’s like a ghost. She vanishes after leaving the academy and climbing aboard a local transit bus.”

The man spun around and slammed his fist on his desk. “I don’t have time for your incompetence!”

The door to his office opened and a built man entered. He wore at tight, black T-shirt that displayed his upper body musculature, black fatigues on his legs, and black combat boots on his feet. His brown hair was not a typical military “high and tight”, but styled more in a way that he could blend in with average people more easily. Over his shoulders, a fabric holster housed a gun in his left armpit. He raised an eyebrow at the emotional outburst of the man in the suit. The bald man simply grinned.

“I’m sending you some backup. You had better not fail me.” He hissed at the man on the phone, then hung up on him. His gaze met the man in the fatigues.

“Problems, sir?” The man in fatigues asked.

“Yes, I have sent boys to do a man’s job.” Taking a photograph from atop his desk, he gave said photograph to the man in fatigues. It was a still picture from the surveillance camera that had been in the adjoining room to the cell Lex had occupied. “That is your target. Desmond, bring our little girl home, would you?”

A smirk grew on Desmond’s face. “Certainly, Dr. Sutter. We wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to such a pretty girl all alone in the big city, would we?”

Dr. Sutter mirrored the smirk. “No, we certainly would not.”

The scent of tomato sauce, basil, parsley, oregano, and thyme reached my nose about half a block down the road from Mike and Steven’s. We were having spaghetti, tonight. Nobody else was making dinner at nearly nine o’clock in the evening, so it had to be our place. It annoyed Steven so much that no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t keep what we were having for dinner a secret from me. It made me giggle. I didn’t quicken my pace, though. It had been a long, rough day and I was not in the mood to rush. Instead, I kept my leisurely pace, routinely punched the code into the door downstairs, and let myself into the building.

Underneath the myriad of smells I’d become accustomed to in the building, there was a waft of an unusual scent: Old Spice cologne. That was new. Most of the men in the building either wore Aqua Velva, Tag, or Axe. They were men of a new age and steered clear of the more conservative fragrances of Stetson or Old Spice. Living with Steven was definitely giving me an education.

Cautiously making my way up the stairs to the third floor, the scent of the cologne was still in the air. My eyes darted around the familiar surroundings. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary or out of place. I could hear other tenants talking in their apartments, even Mike and Steven, but nothing else. It struck me as odd and out of place, but I couldn’t explain why. Then, I saw it. On Mike and Steven’s door was a small dagger and a note attached to it.

Rushing to the door, my eyes scanned over the note. It read simply: Hello, there, Princess. If you don’t want your friends to get hurt, you should come home. Daddy misses you.

‘What kind of sick joke is this?!’ I thought. Then, it hit me. ‘They’ve found me.’

Not pausing, I shoved my keys in the door and opened it. Mike was playing on the newest Call of Duty map pack and Steven was pulling the garlic bread out of the oven. There was no time to enjoy the scent. Steven glanced over first and saw the fright in my eyes.

“Hey, there… jeezus, girlfriend! You look like you’ve seen a ghost! Did something happen on the way home?” He started doting on me.

“Mike!” I screeched.

He dropped the controller without even saying anything to the clan members he was playing with and moved toward me. “What? What’s the matter?”

Frozen, I simply pointed at the note.

Mike grew closer, spotting the knife. Momentarily ignoring it, he read the note. A look of disappointment, then anger crossed his face. “Dammit. I had good news for you, too.” He grabbed the knife and yanked it out of the door.

“Wha… what are you doing? There could be fingerprints on that the cops could…” I protested.

“The cops could what, Lex? See who belongs to the criminal organization that wants to kidnap you again? How about when they come to the door and want to know who you are?” He scoffed. “I’m sorry, Lex, but they’d probably take you in as a runaway, then take Steven and I in for aiding and abetting. We’re on our own to figure this out.”

The look of concern lingered on Steven’s face. “He’s right, sweetie. They’re not gonna help us, too much. Besides, word on the street says that Seattle Police aren’t big fans of gays, anyway. What do you think they’d do to someone like you?”

Dropping my duffel bag, I started going into hysterics. “Well, this is just great!” Tears started to well up in my eyes. It had become common place whenever my emotions went awry. “What am I supposed to do, now?” Tears started streaming down my face as I moved into the living room.

“Dude, Brickhouse, who’s the chick?” A voice came over the speakers, obviously a clan mate on Xbox LIVE.

“Yea, man, I thought you were gay? She sounds hot, though.” Another observed.

Angrily, I picked up Mike’s headset. “Oh, fuck off!” The headset dropped to the table.

“Wow, somebody needs a Midol!” A third quipped.

Mike casually picked up the headset. “Not now, guys. Family emergency.” Setting down the headset, he pressed the power button on the Xbox and it immediately fell silent.

Lovely. Mike and Steven. My two gay dads. I shook my head.

Mike’s gaze fell on Steven. “Honey, call the guys. We’re gonna need some backup.”

Steven nodded. “On it, babe.” Then, he disappeared into the bedroom.

Mike’s gaze returned to me. “Lex, we can’t worry about this note, yet. It’ll get handled. Did you notice anything when you came in? This had to happen within the last half hour because Steven had just run down to the store to pick up some French bread.”

Sniffling, there were still tears rolling down my cheeks. “Old Spice.”

“You wanna spell that out for me?”

My glare was telling. “You know, the cologne?”

His brow furrowed in ignorance. Unlike Steven, he didn’t pay too much attention to such things. Speak of the Devil, Steven appeared from the bedroom.

“Okay, Jacob and Daniel are on their way over. What’d I miss?”

My eyes slowly moved over and met his. “Old Spice,” I repeated.

“Who’s that tacky? Nobody in this building, I’ll tell you that. Why?”

“Apparently, it was something she smelled.” Mike answered for me and shrugged.

Steven gave him a look that seemed to say, ‘Oh my god, you’re kidding me.’ “Honey, it’s a cologne that only old men, cowboy wannabes, and military boys from Hickville would be caught dead wearing anymore.” He chided his partner, then looked at me. “Where’d you smell it?”

“In the building, when I came up.” My voice meekly stated.

“In this building? Must have been when I was making the garlic bread because, honey, I would have smelt that from a mile away.”

“So, we’re looking for an old guy, a wannabe cowboy, or a military guy?” Mike attempted to clarify.

“Sounds like it, sweetheart.” Steven shrugged. He moved over to the couch where I had just plopped down and settled. Wrapping me in a hug, he was trying to cajole me. “It’ll be okay, hon. We can handle this, right?”

Sniffling again, I wiped the tears from my face. “Okay, so that’s the bad news. What was the good news you were talking about?”

Mike’s face suddenly lit up. “We found her, Lex!”

“Found who?”

He looked at me, dumbfounded. “Julia! We found Julia!”

Rachel can be pretty insistent when she wants to be. About a week ago, she had a discussion with Mike while I barely listened before eating and then crashing on the couch, my “bed”. She had been very assertive. She even went so far as to talk to Shifu, personally, when I was off somewhere doing my janitor thing. She needed me to have a day off for something and was relatively cryptic as to why. Conveniently, the events of last night seemed to coincide with her plans rather well. The stars aligned and she got me a day off.

So, here we were sitting in her car. There were a few things plaguing my mind, so I was staring out the window for the whole trip. She kept passing glances my way, but my attention didn’t deviate from the scene of downtown playing out on the other side of the glass. The multitude of occurrences and their possible implications danced about between my ears. Somebody from that place was after me. Mike’s contacts had actually managed to find Julia. My training was coming along, but I still had a ways to go. I was stuck in this body and there was probably no way I was ever going to get my life back. A heavy sigh escaped my lips and all hope seemed to go with it.

Before I knew it, the car slowed to a stop and Rachel began shutting it down. I glanced over to watch her unbuckle her seatbelt. Then, my eyes darted around. When they read the sign out in front of the building, they shot open as wide as dinner plates.

“Planned Parenthood? What the heck are we doing here?” There was no filter between my brain and my mouth. Subconsciously, I slowly unbuckled my own seatbelt.

She sighed and shook her head. “We have an appointment.”

“Are you pregnant?”

My brashness startled her. “No, I’m not!” She started rubbing her temple.

I merely blinked. “Then, what are we doing here?”

“How can I put this bluntly?” She shook an errant thought from her brain. “There are certain needs that body has that Mike, Steven, and even your Kung Fu master couldn’t begin to comprehend. I’m concerned about your health, so I scheduled an appointment for you. This is the only place that I could get you into without too many questions being asked or requests for records you don’t have being made.”

“Okay, your concern is noted. But, isn’t this a place for that ‘girl doctor’ stuff?”

She reached over, grabbed the sun visor, flipped it down, and then opened the vanity mirror. “Here on Earth, we call this thing a mirror. Have you looked in one, lately?”

She exited the car in a huff. At this point, it was probably best to comply and avoid confrontation. Reluctantly, I climbed out of the car followed behind her. I stuffed my hands inside the pockets of the hoodie I was wearing and kept my head low. The place made me heavily uncomfortable. Sure, it was decorated in a calming fashion with its recycled or reclaimed maple, birch, and pine wood finish all over the place. The walls were all some shade reminiscent of cream or soft beige. The carpets were all drab gray and the upholstery on the chairs was somewhere close to navy blue. Rachel briefly spoke to the receptionist then moved to the chairs in the waiting room. Automatically, my body followed her lead and slumped in the seat. Thankfully, the waiting room was mostly barren.

After what seemed an eternity, a female voice reverberated off the walls. “Alexis McKinley?”

Rachel started standing and I looked at her strangely. She waved me up and whispered. “C’mon. That’s us.”

Slowly, I rose and whispered back. “Alexis?”

“It’s the closest female equivalent I could think of and still call you ‘Lex’, okay?”

I rolled my eyes as we followed behind the nurse to the back clinic area. Weaving through the corridor, the nurse gestured to a numbered exam room.

“Ms. Maddingly, if you’ll just wait in there, I’ll take Alexis to do some measurements and be with you in a moment.” The nurse plainly stated.

Rachel nodded, moving into the exam room. Nervously, my lower lip found its way between my teeth and I nibbled on it for a moment. The nurse gently placed a hand on my back and led me over to a scale. She instructed me to take off my shoes and step onto it, so they could get an accurate weight. With a sigh, I complied. She fiddled with a few of the measuring devices and wrote some notes on her sheet. Now, I finally knew my ending height. I stood at a meager five feet, five inches. Beyond that, my weight was a non-scale-topping one hundred twenty-six pounds. From men’s Welterweight Division to women’s Bantamweight Division, not that I would be fighting any time soon.

“Seems you’re a healthy, growing young lady.” The nurse smirked. “Grab your shoes. Let’s get you back to your aunt and we can check your vitals.”

Numb from the brain down, my body simply followed instructions. I have never been very fond of doctor’s offices. All that poking, prodding and measuring is enough to make your head spin. As I had done with checkups at the fights, I just tuned it all out and let them do their thing. After the nurse left, it was an agonizing wait for the doctor. Rachel sat patiently, playing with her hair. I sat nervously fidgeting on their little exam table. Finally, a blonde woman who didn’t look anywhere near hitting thirty, yet, entered the room wearing her white lab coat. She offered a smile as she closed the door.

“Good morning, ladies. I’m Dr. Weylan.” She greeted. A sigh escaped my lips, but I would imagine she interpreted the meaning of the sigh to be much different than I actually meant it to be. She placed a computer pad she’d carried under her arm on its docking station, then turned to us. “How can we help you, today?”

Rachel spoke first and I was more than happy to let her take the lead. “Well, my niece is staying with me for a couple of weeks while her mother is away on business. She had an appointment back home, but her mother’s business trip came out of nowhere. She’s never had a ‘guy-no’ exam, so I figured sixteen was old enough for a girl to make sure she was healthy.”

The doctor nodded as she took in the information. In an instant, she glared at Rachel. “Cut the bullshit.” Her eyes darted between the two of us. “What’s really going on here?”

Rachel’s mouth opened as though she wanted to say something but the words just refused to cooperate.

My turn. “Rachel is just trying to help me out and the situation calls for a little secrecy. She was telling the truth about this being my first ‘guy-no’ visit, though.”

The doctor nodded. “So, is there a reason why a sixteen-year-old girl hasn’t seen a gynecologist since starting her menstrual cycle? Most first-timers I see are, at least, twelve.” She grabbed her tablet. “When was your last period?”

My face burned and went flush. I had to think about that question. “Um… I missed this month?”

The doctor sneered. “I see. So, are you in here for a pregnancy exam or contraception? Have you been sexually active?”

I shook my head violently. “Absolutely not! No, nothing like that!”

Her eyebrow raised at my outburst. “Rigorous physical activity?”

Expecting another probing question into my personal life, my face contorted into a strange angry expression but then relaxed as I realized the situation didn’t call for it. “Yea, actually. I’ve been training a lot in gymnastics and martial arts, lately.”

The doctor smirked. “That’s better. A little honesty.” She let out a sigh. “The absence of a menstrual flow during periods of excessive physical activity is more common than you think. So, I’ll ask again: What can we do for you, today?”

Rachel broke her silence. “Right now, she’s living with guys. I’m her friend. I was worried that she wasn’t getting the medical care she needs, so I brought her in.”

The doctor consulted her pad again. “Well, the vitals look fine. They’re exceptional, in fact. So, I’ll go ahead and take some blood. Then, I’m going to need you to strip down to nothing below the waist and I’ll check you out. Okay?”

My eyes popped wide open. “Naked below the waist?”

The doctor smiled. “It’s called a pelvic exam and a Pap Smear, honey. It’s all routine and I’ll do my best to make it as comfortable as possible.” She set the pad back into the docking station. “Take off your hoodie, hon.” She grabbed some gloves and started slipping those on as I complied with her request. Then, she grabbed a butterfly needle, a tourniquet, and some vials. This was going to get weird.

She sat down in front of me and eyeballed my arm. Then, she propped it up a little and slipped the tourniquet around my bicep. Taking my forearm, she made like she was turning my arm to get a better vantage point, but stopped suddenly. With her thumb, she applied pressure along the underside of my arm. I could feel her hit the bone, then she hit something else and my eyes bulged. Seeming to mirror my surprise, her head jolted up to look at me.

“There’s going to be an explanation, isn’t there?” She almost demanded. I nodded in response as she grabbed the needle. “For this, it’s just a little prick and it’s all over.” She chuckled. “Well, that came out wrong.”

She and Rachel giggled, but I didn’t get the joke. The needle stabbed into my arm, but I was too dumbfounded to notice. In moments, two vials were filled and she was working on the third. She released the tourniquet, let the blood flow a bit, then pulled out the needle. Placing a cotton ball on the wound, she applied pressure to it.

“Okay, sweetie, hold this in place for me.” She instructed.

“No need.” Came my response.

“You’ll have blood all down your arm if you don’t.”

“No, I won’t. Watch.” Taking the cotton ball, she watched the wound close very quickly.

Now, she stood up. “Is this the reason for the secrecy? You’re meta, aren’t you? Nobody heals that fast. What was that I felt in your forearms?”

Rachel hung her head. “Dr. Weylan, please calm down and we’ll explain.”

Over the course of half an hour, Rachel and I delivered the condensed version of the story. We didn’t give her all the details, but there were enough given that she didn’t freak out on us, again. It was becoming very tiresome to have to explain all of it to people. After we calmed her down, she saw the same need to perform her examination that Rachel apparently felt. There is no way I’m divulging all of the details about what happened next to anyone–or any details, for that matter. It was strange, felt funny, and was embarrassing. Use your imagination and try to keep the science fiction Hentai out of the equation.

I barely spoke a word on the ride back to Mike and Steven’s after that. Mike asked me how it all went and I just huffed at him. The rest of the day was fairly laid back and not much got accomplished.

Now, Mike had called in the reinforcements who had been watching the house and accompanied us to where we were. He didn’t give me many details, though. We were standing in the hall outside an apartment in Queen Anne and I was nibbling my lip like I had done back at the doctor’s office. I guess it’s my new nervous twitch. He glanced over at me, trying to be supportive. Taking a deep breath, he rang the doorbell. Being about ten feet away, I heard small footsteps and then the door being opened. I could see Mike’s smile, though.

“Mike? What are you doing here?” The woman’s velveteen voice carried into the hallway.

My eyes closed on their own and a small smile creased my lips. I knew that voice very well. My eyes felt hot and I could sense tears building up. It was a happy moment, though.

“Well, figured I’d stop by and see how you were doing. You had us worried, you know.” Mike stated plainly.

“I’m fine, Mike. How’d you find me, anyway?”

Why did her voice carry such malice? The moment she saw Mike, it seemed like she was on the defensive. It didn’t feel right, somehow.

“I have my methods. Say, can we come in for a few minutes? I brought somebody who’d really like to see you.” Mike almost pleaded.

She let out an exasperated sigh. “I guess. Just a few minutes, though. I’ve got somewhere I need to be, tonight.”

Small footsteps hit wood laminate flooring. She seemed to be annoyed. Mike followed her into the apartment and waved for me to follow him. Without encouragement, I obliged and found myself standing in the open doorway. I could smell her perfume. It was a little stronger than I remember her wearing it, though. It didn’t matter. After all this time, I was mere feet from her.

“So, who is this mystery person and what do they want with me?” She asked in a huff.

“Well, Julia, I found somebody else that’s been missing for a while.” He stepped to the side, bringing she and I into line of sight with one another.

A smile formed on my lips and tears welled up in my eyes. The dam was about to break, but I didn’t care. She was right in front of me, now. Her auburn hair was just as perfect as I always remembered it. Her arms were folded across her chest. Her chocolate eyes carried a great deal of questions within them. The first of which, she spoke aloud.

“Who’s the runt?” She pointed her question at Mike.

With one hand, he motioned toward me. “It may be a little different, but this is Lex.”

She gave him eye daggers. “That’s not even fucking funny, Brickhouse!”

“It’s confusing, but it’s very true… mon petite.” It’s something I used to call her after we… well, you get the idea.

Her eyes widened in what looked like rage. “Don’t you dare call me that, you little bitch!”

I jumped back, never expecting an outburst like that. “Julia, what the hell?”

“Look, you little tramp, I dunno who the hell you are, but I want you out of my house, right this second!” The daggers then got aimed at Mike. “This is a really sick joke, Brickhouse! I’m not laughing! Lex is dead! It took me a long time and a lot of therapy to come to terms with what happened that night!” Tears rolled down her cheeks.

I found they were rolling down mine, too. “Julia Eleanor Langley, what the hell is the matter with you? Give us a minute to explain!”

The way her head rolled toward me almost reminded me of The Exorcist. “I don’t know how you know that name, little girl…”

“Julia! Jesus Christ… I! Am! Lex!” My voice would probably piss off dogs down the street.

She screamed right back. “GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!!”

The waterworks were running at full capacity as I spun around and ran out of the apartment building. Not even stopping at Mike’s car, I just kept running whichever direction I was pointed and kept going.

Marked Target ~ Chapter Six ~ by: Danielle Krieger (c) 2011 Lawrence "Lex" McKinley lives about as average a life as one can with metahumans popping up everywhere. Well, as normal as someone who spends their free time as an MMA fighter really can. He's about to get the shock of his life--the punch he never saw coming. In this installment: The time is at hand. How will she handle the return of her captors? Lex falls into a bit of despair following the encounter with Julia. There is only one option on the table for making discoveries: moving to San Francisco. Lex falls in with some otherwise unlikely compatriots.

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DISCLAIMER :: This is a retroactive continuity. A “ret-con”, if you will. It follows other stories in Lilith Langtree’s “Comics RetCon Universe”. The story is mine, but some of the characters are not. This is a RetCon of X-23, from Marvel Comics’ X-men (with a special guest appearance from Dr. Hank McCoy). Laura Kinney, X-23, and Dr. Henry Philip “Hank” McCoy, Beast, are trademarks of Marvel Comics. All rights reserved. The pic, this time, has been brought to you, once again, by the amazingly talented Danni Shinya Luo (except she put the claws in the wrong place).

WARNING :: The following contains depictions of graphic violence. Reader discretion is advised.

Author's Note :: I'd like to thank all the readers up to this point, first and foremost. You guys are my bread and butter. Thanks are also well-deserved for EnemyOfFun for beta-reading and allowing me to have guest stars to make the world feel more living and dynamic. Last, but certainly not least, I'd like to thank Lilith for allowing me to play in this lovely little sandbox and for putting up with my occasional neuroticism. Hope you all have as much fun reading this as I did writing it.

OH! Bonus points and a chance to beta read Chapter Seven to whomever can cite my obscure reference! xD

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Chapter Six:

The door seemed to fly open. Steven shrieked so loud that it seemed he would suffer a heart attack. Through the fog of tears rolling down my face, I stormed into the living room. One look at me and Steven forgot that I’d interrupted the good kiss scene in Brokeback Mountain. Ignoring him, the drawers containing my things flew open one after another. Clothes found themselves roughly stuffed into the duffel bag Rachel had given me what seemed like eons ago. Every so often, a sob would escape my lips, but I wasn’t paying that much attention.

“It didn’t go well, did it?” Steven inquired softly.

I forced another pair of jeans into the bag and grabbed a handful of panties before forcefully shoving them in, too. “She wouldn’t listen! She blew me off like I was nothing to her!”

“I find it hard to believe she’d ever be that cold-hearted.”

Immediately halting, I turned and he saw the immense pain in my expression. “So did I!” Another sob and a river started falling from my eyes. “You should have seen it, Steven. She looked right through me… like I wasn’t even there, but I was this little invader with boobs she couldn’t stand. A stab through the heart with a spoon wouldn’t hurt this bad!”

My legs gave out and I fell into his arms. Without hesitation, he wrapped them around me and I sobbed loudly into his chest. The emotional wound bled freely. The last time I could ever remember crying like that was when my dog had been run over by a car, spent three days with the vet, and then succumbed to his injuries. At my father’s protest and my mother’s behest, we buried him in the back yard. The crying didn’t stop for days. I was six years old, then.

The sobs slowed, but showed no signs of stopping. I pulled away from Steven and the bag continued to get packed. I still don’t know how I got everything to fit in that moment of disorganization, but it did.

“Where are you going to go?” Steven finally questioned me.

“I don’t know that. I just know that I can’t stay here, anymore. There are madmen chasing me and it will put the two of you in danger. I don’t think I could live with myself if something bad happened to you or Mike.” Another sob. “The only thing keeping me here was the hope of finding Julia. Well, I found her and she doesn’t want me.” The flow came on harder again. “My whole life is in shambles, Steven. My body isn’t really my own, there are abilities I know nothing about, I’ve lost the job that I loved, and, worst of all, the love of my life wants nothing to do with me. I have to find answers and a way to fix all this to put it all right again.”

“San Francisco?”

My only response was a nod. My eyes met his. “I love you guys. Mike, you, Rachel… would you tell them for me?” He nodded. “I have to do this for myself, Steven. I don’t know when or if I’ll ever see you guys again.”

“I understand.” He really didn’t, but he was being kind.

With a quick breath and another river of tears, I stormed toward the door of the apartment once more, slipping on my coat as I made my way out. He didn’t move to stop me.

Rain. It always seems to happen when you feel at your worst. Granted, this part of the country is a temperate rainforest, so it rains nine months out of the year. Regardless, I wish it weren’t raining, right now. It only served to add insult to my injuries. It was cold. As the rain beat down on me, it was even colder. It’s a strange sensation to have a warm river of tears mix with cold rain.

My feet patted the pavement in rhythmic fashion as I moved swiftly through the urban jungle. Tonight, I didn’t feel like taking a bus downtown. The walk was much needed, but I could have done without the rain. Would you believe that even if you live in Seattle you sometimes don’t expect it to rain? This was my problem. I didn’t expect the rain, so I didn’t prepare for it. My umbrella was probably still sitting by the door at Mike and Steven’s apartment. There was no way I was going back now and potentially placing them in grave danger.

Many questions without answers percolated in my mind as my body moved aimlessly through the city. It wasn’t an incredibly long walk, just a mile or so, to the Greyhound station. Crossing the bridge on Pike Street, I took a moment to glance down at the travelers on Interstate 5 for a moment. They were like little bees that went about their daily routine without so much as a care in the world. None of them had to worry about people following them to either imprison or kill them. Very few of them would probably ever know what it feels like to have their lives snatched up from under their feet like a cheap throw rug. There was a very scarce possibility that one or two of them had to potential to experience a change like I had. More tears streamed down my face as I realized just how lonely my existence now was.

My pace resumed until I passed under the sky bridge at the Washington State Convention Center. They held big conventions every year, like Emerald City Comic Con, Sakura-Con, and Penny Arcade Expo (PAX). Now, the place was as dark and much more silent than the streets around it. Spotting a bench, I made a brash decision. My rear end impacted the cement, the tears flowed, and the sobs began. My face simply fell into my hands. The wound was bleeding again.

“Are you all right, miss?” The cool, calm, deep male voice startled me.

Immediately, the wound stopped bleeding. My eyes darted up to meet the speaker. He was taller than even I was, once. He was fairly broad, too. His clothing was all black from his boots to his overcoat. Deceptively, his hair was dark but styled in an average fashion. Only half a smile graced his face. He almost appeared to be an off-duty police officer. Driven by impulse, my body rose to its feet. Then, the wind direction changed.

Old Spice.

“Who… who are you?” I began to backpedal and would have gotten further were it not for the concrete bench behind me.

The half smile became a smirk. “Why, your transport back, of course. Daddy misses you.”

I violently shook my head. “Not gonna happen!”

Turning quickly, I broke into full run away from him. They were not going to take me again. Reaching the end of the street, I turned to the right and found myself beneath the convention floor. Save for the small rivers of water flowing toward the storm drains, the ground was as dry as it possibly could be. The heart in my chest was beating frantically and the sound of my boots hitting the concrete echoed all around me. At the other end of this little tunnel, four men fanned out from either side and closed in the center, evenly spaced across the street. They looked just like the guards that I had taken on during my escape, full helmets and everything. This time, they appeared to be carrying some kind of assault rifle.

Skidding against the concrete, I spun around and began to run the opposite direction back toward Pike Street. This was really getting ridiculous. At the other end of the tunnel, the man I had encountered stepped into the street, followed by two more guards. They had closed off all my exits. For a moment, I just stopped and stood there, glancing from one group to the other. It seemed a little odd that there was no traffic on the streets nearby. No one would be coming to the rescue. I was on my own.

“Now, Princess, you have two options.” The man’s voice echoed through the quasi tunnel. “You can come peacefully and quietly. Therefore, no one gets hurt. Either that or we can do this the hard way. The choice is entirely up to you.”

What was with these guys and their false pretense of choice? Either way, they were going to try to take me back to that place. There comes a time in everyone’s life where they make a decision that shapes the rest of their lives. Yes, I know that sounds like a movie quote and somewhat cliché. That doesn’t make it any less true.

“As far as you people are concerned, there is no choice!” I yelled back. “What do you want from me? You’ve taken everything! You’ve taken my job, my home, my life! You’ve even taken the woman I love! If it weren’t for you, none of this would have happened in the first place! I could have gone on with my life, totally oblivious to this meta gene and been perfectly fine! No nuisance to anyone! What could you possibly have to offer to make up for any of that?!”

“The chance to be a part of history, my dear.” Came his cold response. “Never in the history of the world have we had the knowledge, the technology, or so many manifestations to study this phenomenon. You think you’re the only one or the first in all of written history? For all we know, Heracles could have been a living, breathing man in ancient Greece, so could Achilles, Ulysses, Perseus, and even Joan of Arc could have been one of you freaks!”

“So, you want to make me some kind of twisted lab rat? I do not consent.”

He belted out a laugh. I guess Bad Horse was about to receive this guy’s application. “Do you really think we need your consent? Lawrence McKinley disappeared and was found dead in the Cascades six weeks later. You should have seen the funeral. It was rather pretty and elaborate. Julia cried right alongside your mother.”

The tears started flowing again. “You bastard!”

He ignored the insult and continued. “You, though, have no family, no identification, and no history. You, my dear, effectively don’t exist. We could do anything we want.”

Dispair suddenly disappeared and was quickly replaced by nothing but rage. Sliding the strap of the duffel bag off my shoulders and removing my coat, I set both down on the sidewalk then moved to the street. Watery eyes and tear-stained face, there was a determination that had bubbled up to the surface.

“You want me?” My glare met his figure. SNIKT! The blades emerged from my fists in unison. “Come and get me!”

He made one simple hand gesture and the six men sprang into action. In anticipation, I lowered myself into a ready stance that Shifu had shown me. It kept the blades at the ready at all times. The thunder of their boots echoing off the walls was in perfect time with my already rapid heartbeat. One of them fired two warning shots that whizzed by my ear, but I didn’t flinch. This was going to end here and now, whether they liked it or not.

The first was upon me and actually raised his foot to try and impact with my chest, trying to knock me over. Rookie move. I turned my left arm slightly and swiped at his leg. The blades impacted and sliced right through. There was a little resistance when they hit bone, but not much. His calf was now sliced in thirds as a piece fell away along with his foot. The follow through was a punch to the chest. The claws sank deep and passed through his flesh like nothing. When my fist impacted, it finally sent him backwards and the blade emerged from his form once more. He fell to the ground, coughing up blood and more pooling on his chest from the wound. They wanted deadly force? They got it.

Dropping back into my ready stance, I watched as the others stopped to quickly examine their fallen comrade. Behind me, four gunshots rang out and echoed in the tunnel. It would have really hurt my ears if I wasn’t already feeling pain elsewhere. Four projectiles bit into my flesh: two into the backs of my knees, one through my thigh, and a final one in my back. The last had an odd trajectory from my spine, through my liver, and out the front of my stomach. Screaming, I fell to my knees. I’d never been shot before, so there was quite a bit of shock. If it were anyone else, that would have been the end of it. I should have been dead. Instead, I was still breathing and the strangest sensation crossed over me. The wounds had started healing themselves.

Breathing came with a great deal of pain, though. As the wounds healed, the pain subsided. The whole time, none of the guards advanced on me. I assumed it was because they were watching in awe at the miraculous sight before them. Now, the element of surprise was on my side. There was one more guard in front of me. As I raised my eyes to him, he seemed to jerk back, stunned that I could accomplish such a feat. Taking my chance, I leapt to my feet. In one simple move of the taolu, the backs of the left claws impacted his weapon and I punched at his torso. There was resistance, but it wasn’t getting cut. So, the backs of the blades were dull? I could use that. On the other hand, the right claws sunk into the guard’s chest. Again, when my fist impacted, he fell backwards and I could hear him coughing and gagging. Blood began to pool at the site where my two claws had impacted. There wasn’t time to focus on that.

Spinning around brought the other four into view. Leaping into action once more, thinking quickly would be to my benefit. Running at the closest one, I quickly dropped into a frontal stance, deflected his assault rifle from me, and then struck three bladed blows to his chest in rapid succession. The other three responded by opening fire. I have no idea how many bullets hit me, but I felt the sting of each one. Letting out a scream, I was on the ground again, writhing in agony. I could hear their footfalls as they closed in around me. My eyes had closed, trying to focus. There were several holes in me. Again, miraculously, they began healing themselves even as the bullets had torn through my flesh. Seeing that it hurt too much to move, I took the time to calculate my next move.

There was no denying it: I was crazy and in way over my head. Here I was, some little teenage girl trying to take on six guards armed with assault rifles. In hindsight, it wasn’t the best idea ever to hatch from my brain. Even still, it was this or let them kill me. Immediately or eventually, I knew that basic fact to be true. If they recaptured me, they would likely dispose of me once I had outlived my usefulness. Today, it was them or me.

Opening my eyes again, two were positioned near my shoulders and one was near my feet. For a moment, I just lay there and let them examine me. In my head, a countdown went from five to one. Upon reaching zero, I pulled my legs to my chest and flipped them under me. I was standing again in a squat. Tensing the muscles in my legs, I sprang upwards. Using my left leg to begin the spin, I prepared my right leg. When I’d spun to the required revolution, I extended my right leg and pointed my feet. The single blade burst through my boot and sliced into the two guards’ throats. It didn’t go clean through, but it was enough that they wouldn’t be breathing in a minute. The blade retracted from whence it came as my feet impacted the ground again.

When I landed, I got a buttstock to the face. Rolling with the hit, my body went into a back handspring. First, my left leg lifted and impacted with the muzzle of the weapon. Then, my right foot hit the grip handle and knocked the weapon from the guard’s hand. Back on my feet, I hopped forward and sunk all four claws into his chest. The punch was powerful enough to knock him back several feet. I came up again, breathing heavily. The claws went away.

My eyes landed on the mystery man who had been arrogantly smoking a cigar the whole time. Now, he was clapping. “Very good. The kitty learned how to fight.”

“Do you always send others to do your dirty work?” My voice echoed through the tunnel. “I told you that if you wanted me, you had to come and get me. I’m still waiting.”

He merely smirked at me and began to slowly remove his coat. Next, he cracked his neck and appeared to be limbering himself up. A prime example of male bravado, if ever I’d seen it. A smirk grew on my lips. ‘Let him have his pride, for now…’ I thought.

Have I ever mentioned that I hate staring contests? No? Well, must have slipped my mind…

There he stood, fifty feet away and flexing about every muscle he could. He certainly was full of himself. I simply stood there and gave him a raised eyebrow. For all the world, he appeared to be nothing more than an arrogant silverback gorilla that had begun beating his chest and throwing grass around to assert his dominance. It was pitiful and primitive, but it gave me no indication of any fighting style that I could work with. At the same time he belted out a war cry, he was in motion and headed straight toward me. All I did was shrug and broke out into a run. After several steps, I dropped into an adapted floor routine by executing a round off and then several successive back handsprings. If I timed it correctly, this could get fun.

As it turned out, I hadn’t timed it the way I wanted to. When we finally met, my feet hit his shoulders. If he hadn’t been leaning forward into his run, that would never have happened. I tried wrapping my feet around his neck but it was not to be. It was like hitting a brick wall because it halted my forward momentum entirely. I bounced off and my body collided with the asphalt. It wasn’t very graceful. That hurt.

Without hesitation, he was on me. His big hand grabbed a tuft of my hair and he lifted me to my feet, screaming the whole way. I felt his other fist jab me in the ribs twice as I struggled to get free. SNIKT! The claws on my left hand extended and I raked them against the flesh of his forearm. He grunted in pain, but let me go. Quickly, I hopped into a ready stance and then leapt into the air again. My left leg provided the force for the spin as my right leg bent until the precise moment I intended to release the kick. Inches from his chest, I extended the leg and it impacted with enough force to not only knock the wind out of him, but also caused him to stumble backward a few feet.

Back in my ready stance, a look of absolute rage crossed his face. He let out another war cry and came at me once more. He telegraphed badly. His right arm reeled back for a powerful right hook. SNIKT! The right claws extended. When he threw the punch, it was easy to swipe my left arm and deflect it. My right thrust forward into his stomach. The follow through with my left jabbed him square in the ribs. Finally, the right dislodged from his stomach and I reached up to his face. Each claw sunk into an eye socket. The force of the blow knocked his head backward. He fell to the ground in a lump. I flicked his eyeballs off my claws with the flick of my wrist.

SNIKT! Both sets of claws retracted in unison. The only sounds remaining were my labored breathing, the soft breeze blowing through the quasi tunnel, and the rain impacting with the pavement.

I had won my freedom, but at what cost?

A generic man with gray hair appeared on the television screen. “Breaking news tonight from Downtown Seattle. Just in to our news desk, we have some staggering reports. Here is Diane Fujikawa with more. Diane?”

The screen shifted to a generic Asian woman in a navy blue pantsuit carrying a microphone in one hand and an umbrella in another. “Well, John, within the span of the last half hour, KOMO 4 News received reports of a chilling scene. At this hour, police are not surrendering many details. However, we do know that a total of seven men were brutally killed with some kind of sharp object just under the convention floor of the Washington State Convention Center, right in the heart of Downtown Seattle. At this time the police have barricaded the surrounding area–on Pike Street from Seventh to Ninth Avenue and on Eighth Avenue from Pine to Union Street. They are not allowing anyone access until the coroner has surveyed the scene.

“What we do know is that sometime between eight and nine P-M, there was quite the battle going on here. Police are searching for clues as to whether it was some sort of gang violence. However, the victims seemed to be heavily armed. Six of them carried some sort of assault rifle and one other carried a semi-automatic handgun. As I’m told, there are shell casings and the remains of bullets that have yet to be identified. There is no word, yet, on who or what walked out of here, tonight.”

The screen shifted to become a split-screen of the two. The man spoke first. “Seems like Seattle Police have their work cut out for them. Were there any witnesses?”

The woman shook her head. “No eyewitnesses, John. Local residents reported several gunshots, presumably from the assault rifles, and a young woman's scream.”

The man cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow. “Any thing out of the ordinary in this case?”

The woman nodded. “Yes, a few facts that don’t stack up, here. First, six of the men were wearing full body armor, including full helmets. Whatever blade the attacker used seemed to pass right through the armor. Other than that, the police cannot identify the assault rifles. They are all of unknown manufacture.”

“That is very puzzling, indeed. Perhaps, there is just one question hanging on our viewers’ minds: is there a new metahuman working in Seattle? It certainly fits with what we’ve all been hearing out of Chicago.”

“Well, John, as you well know, there are no known metahumans currently operating in the Seattle area. None of the currently known metahuman heroes are known to kill their opponents. Neither the FBI nor the Department of Metahuman Affairs have made an appearance on the scene. It can be assumed that until they do the possibility of any metahuman involvement is still up in the air. Police may gain some insight from blood evidence at the scene, but with the rains it could be difficult to get much more than trace evidence.”

“Thanks, Diane.” The screen shifted to just showing the man, again. “We will keep you fully informed on this latest development as news comes in. In other news, tonight…”

The rain did me a favor by washing all the blood off of me. However, it couldn’t possibly mend the holes torn in my shirt, jeans, and hoodie from where the bullets had passed through. Upon arriving at the Greyhound station, I sought out the restroom. Thankfully, the upstairs women’s restroom was barren, save for myself. Having grown accustomed to using the ladies’ room with Rachel around, I didn’t pay it much thought. Stripping out of the rags, I was pleased to find no such holes in my underwear. How they missed those spots, I’ll never know. The rain had soaked into my boots after my foot blades had cut a hole in them. I threw away the socks along with the rest of the clothes, but kept the boots–darn things were expensive enough. Pulling warm, dry, less “sanctified” clothes out of the duffel bag, I hurried dressing and ran down to catch my bus.

There is more than plenty of time for one to get lost in their own mind over the course of a two-day bus trip from Seattle, Washington, to San Francisco, California. For the most part, I sank into the seat and kept mostly to myself. Trying to focus on the scenery wasn’t helping too much. There wasn’t an intelligent conversation to be had amongst the other travelers. I had escaped custody and kept my friends safe. I had escaped Seattle, so they wouldn’t be looking for me there. I had escaped the torment of my heart by leaving surroundings that might remind me of what Julia and I had once. What I couldn’t escape was the fact that I had killed seven men. Before that confrontation, the only killing I had done was the occasional spider when Julia freaked out about it. Never had I killed a human being, then I had ended seven lives. The burden was almost too much to bear.

Upon arriving in “Star City”, as the locals call it, the surroundings were incredibly foreign. Immediately, the only real way to tell directions was to look down Market Street. If I saw the Ferry Building, I was looking “East”. If I didn’t, I was looking “West”. For the first couple of weeks, that was the only way for me to tell directions. At the same time as trying to make heads or tails of directions, there was food and shelter to consider. I quickly learned, though, that staying at a hotel wasn’t going to be an option. It was much too expensive and my funds were very limited. So, money went to food and I had to find an unused nook somewhere to hide from the elements, police, and other homeless vultures that would rob me blind.

Most nights, my eyes would open and my body would jolt upright with a scream echoing in the distance. All I could see was blood. I perpetually had this sense that I needed to wash it off of my hands or my clothes. I kept seeing the faces of those seven men.

Thankfully, in my meandering, I managed to run across some “street kids”. They were kids about the age that I looked, but they were runaways or had been disowned by their parents–for one reason or another. They warmed up to me rather quickly, no matter how hard I tried to discourage such. However, they began to show me places to get shelter, food, free clothes, and a whole smattering of services I had never known to exist before. They were useful, so I tolerated their presence. One odd thing was that I would occasionally catch one girl staring at me. She appeared only sporadically, but I could always sense her eyes on me when she did–even though she was always wearing some kind of sunglasses.

Finally, after a little more than a month, the situation had come to a head. My patience had worn thin with the constant staring, so I did the unexpected. We were at something called a “teen feed” at a city park in the Mission District. She was sitting across the park in her sorry excuse for a black and white “Gothic Lolita” dress. Standing swiftly, I trudged right over to her with agitation written all over my face. She glanced up at me with a little apprehension.

“Look, I don’t know who the hell you are, but the staring is getting really old.” I nearly growled. “Why are you staring at me? What do you want?”

She spoke softly as she poked at her mashed potatoes. “You’re not like the rest of them. You know it. I know it.”

Bewilderment crossed my face. “What are you talking about?”

She let out an exasperated sigh. Her face and body language seemed to telegraph that I should definitely know what she was saying. “There are others like you out here.” Her eyes met mine, again. “I should know. I’m one of them.”

I scoffed and groaned. “Will you quit with the cryptic shit, already?”

Her brow furrowed. “You know all too well that we can’t talk about this here.” Her head nudged toward a few buildings nearby. “Meet me in the alley over there in about half an hour. You’ll get your answers, okay? We can’t talk freely here.”

I walked away, shaking my head. “Whatever.”

Her eyes were still on me while I made my way back to my food. One of the guys told a joke that made a couple of people laugh, but my focus wasn’t on the conversation. My brain was still wrestling with what “Lolita Girl” was trying to say to me. Others like me? The leader of the group of guards in Seattle had called me a “meta”. There were reports of people popping up all over the place. So many, in fact, that “meta” had become a household name. I had yet to meet another one like me. Is that what she meant?

Determined to get to the bottom of this new development, I told the group I was with that I’d meet up with them later. I knew all their haunts, anyway. So, off they went to go smoke some weed in the Haight-Ashbury District. Cautiously, my feet carried me across the street from the park to the jumble of buildings and the alley sandwiched between them. With the sun high in the sky, visibility was very good. Passing some big fat guy inhaling a cheeseburger, I made my way through the alley, not knowing the precise location that weird Lolita Girl with the sunglasses wanted me to meet her. Suddenly, a scent hit my nose and I could hear another set of footsteps, besides my own. They were a ways down the alley, but they were coming closer.

“You should really take a shower before you try to sneak up on someone.” I yelled to the unidentified presence.

Immediately afterward, there were footsteps behind me. Big ones. And, I could smell the cheeseburger. A smirk graced my face. In one motion, the duffel bag was off my shoulders and thrown to the side. Whoever these people were, they were trying to box me in. That didn’t feel comfortable. So, I spun around and flexed my fists. Both sets of blades emerged in unison with yet another snikt sound. The big guy stopped advancing and looked a little scared.

“You wanna dance, Tiny?!” I yelled at him.

“Whoa, chica! Chill out!” A male voice rang out behind me. “We ain’t here to hurt you.”

Glancing behind me, a black man seemed to appear out of thin air. He was wearing some wife-beater tank top, baggy brown cargo pants, work boots, and a big brown overcoat. All his clothes looked like they had seen better days. The big fat guy had about the same, but he wore a big flannel shirt with the typical lumberjack red plaid pattern and jeans. My attention bounced between the black guy and the fat guy. The fat guy hadn’t moved an inch, but the other guy was walking straight toward me like it was nothing but a casual Sunday stroll. Hidden behind a trash dumpster down the way, the weird girl with the sunglasses and Lolita dress emerged and followed behind the black guy.

“Who are you and what do you want?” I yelled again, not lowering my defenses.

The black man motioned to the girl behind him. “Well, you’ve already met Probe.” Then, he pointed behind me. “That big guy behind you is Scour. They call me Damper.” His eyes traveled up and down my body in a way that almost made my skin crawl. He was checking me out and I think I could almost smell the lust. “Is there a name to go with that fine ass of yours?”

“Damper! What would Bonita say?” Probe protested.

He spun around to glare at her. “She ain’t here and I’m only checking out the desert menu! It’s not like I’m gonna order anything!” He turned back to me. “Anyway, what’s your name, chica?”

My eyes narrowed in a glare. “Nunya. Nunya Damn Business.”

He chuckled. “Cute. You’ve got spunk, I’ll give you that. You can cut the bullshit, though. Like I said, we ain’t here to hurt you.” He stopped about fifteen feet in front of me and folded his arms. “How long you been in Star City? Probe’s been tailin’ you for a month. You wander around like somebody shot your cat, you eat the shit they peddle as food, and you sleep where some asshole ain’t pissed, yet. You’re not like the rest of them, we both know that. We’re like you, chica, ‘cept we ain’t got them bitchin’ claws. You wanna place to crash where you ain’t gotta fight someone for it? We can give you that. You want real food? Scour just finished off some damn good burgers. You want a beer? Hell, we can do that, too. Us poor ass metas gotta look out for one another, you dig?”

“Yea, we’re not all Olivia Queen.” Probe quipped.

“Wait… she’s a meta?” My confused voice was almost shrill.

“Nope, don’t think so, but she sure is a rich bitch.” Scour chuckled behind me.

They made a good point. Olivia Queen was set to be the President and CEO of Queen Industries, following the tragic death of her grandfather and once she reached a certain age. She was now the world’s richest teenager. So, yes, she was really rolling in the dough. I didn’t really know all the details, though. If what they were saying was true, then all of us–including me–were the exact opposite of her: probably some of the poorest teenagers in the world.

“So, what do you say about joinin’ the crew? We’re Posse, by the way.” Damper propositioned.

“You want me in your group?” The question wasn’t really for them. Mostly, it was for me. I was still mulling over the proposition in my head.

“Isn’t that what I just said?” Relinquishing my fighting stance, the claws went away. He seemed to wince. “Doesn’t that shit hurt?”

“Yes. It hurts like a bitch. Ya get used to it, after a while.” I shrugged. “So, I get my own room, there’s good food, and there’s beer? Do I have to sign anything?”

Damper laughed. “Nah, it ain’t like that. C’mon, chica. We’ll show you our place.”

Walking over and grabbing my duffel bag, I started to follow Damper’s lead. Scour started to follow and Probe stuck around somewhere behind us. Damper seemed to prattle on about how much I was going to like the place and how the others were going to like me. Apparently, there were three others: Bonita, Damper’s “other half”; Thumper, the muscle of the group; and Esteban, the one without a nickname. It was almost like I was hanging out with the costumed weirdoes, but without the dumb costumes. Seriously, who thought fighting crime in a red, white, and blue Jane-Fonda-esque exercise outfit was a good idea?

“You know what?” Damper asked after about a mile’s worth of walking. “I think I just found you a name. What’s your take on ‘Talon’?” He shrugged. “Y’know, ‘cause you got them bitchin’ claws and all that.”

I shrugged, unimpressed. “It works, I guess.”

I could smell the dust before we even reached the place. Posse was using some old warehouse or factory for their hideout. There was a faint smell of bearing grease in the air, but it was really old. The place looked like it was built in the 1940s or something like that. It was an old, rusting out, metal structure with sheet metal walls and about three-quarters of the roof was glass panels. After looking up at it, I noticed that several of them had been busted out. Given Posse’s finances, I don’t think they had the money to replace the broken panels. There was dust everywhere. It was overwhelming, at first.

Over by what looked to be the old foreman’s office, they had something that looked like a living room. They’d laid out a section of carpet with two couches and a chair facing a really old television. It was so old, it still had the “rabbit ears” antenna. They had it on a little stand with a VHS player ducked into a cubbyhole beneath the TV. There was a mini-fridge in the corner and I could hear a generator rumbling somewhere in the background.

Damper turned to me and walked backwards into the building, throwing up his hands. “Welcome to the Posse Hacienda.” He even smiled. Turning around, he pointed at the blonde girl sitting in the chair, holding an infant. “Right there is mi novia, Bonita, and my baby girl, Alina.” He pointed at a muscled Hispanic guy who stood from the couch. “That’s our muscle, Thumper.” Another Hispanic guy on the couch turned his head. “And, that, there, is Esteban.”

Thumper’s face contorted into a sly grin. “Who’s the caliente seá±orita?” He heavily emphasized the rolled “R”. I rolled my eyes.

“Watch yourself, Thumper. She ain’t no mujer normal. Comprende?” Scour informed him.

Thumper looked at him quizzically. “ ¿De qué está¡s hablando?”

Damper smacked him in the back of his head. “Dude! English! We have a guest!”

I raised an eyebrow at Thumper. “Je parle français. Et vous?” I had to take a step back and blink. Having not really spoken French since high school and never with my new female voice, it came as something of a shock. I sounded really good. Almost sexy, even. It was a little scary.

He just blinked. “I got no idea what you just said, but I think I’m in love.”

Bonita kicked the back of his calf, he yelped. “Put a leash on the testosterone monster, would you?” Being slightly jolted, the baby cried in protest. “See, now? You woke the baby!”

He spun in protest. “I did not, you did…”

Damper smacked him again. “Don’t you talk to my woman like that!”

Their back and forth banter was more than mildly amusing. They seemed to act more like a family than some freakish meta gang. A sigh escaped my lips. Bonita stood and moved away from the “living room”. Some sort of compulsion had me and I moved to intercept. One look at the baby and something stirred inside me.

“Oh, my gawd, she’s so cute and tiny.” I gushed. Did I just act like Julia had when she saw her best friend's baby? The two had been friends since high school and the girl had just given birth to the baby about a month before Julia and I visited. One thing I couldn’t deny was the fact that, for the first time in a month, I was actually wearing a genuine smile.

Upon hearing my gushing voice, the baby stopped crying and glanced over at me with that questioning look all babies get. Bonita smiled. “Well, the new girl certainly has a way with kids. Guess I know who’s gonna be the babysitter when momma needs a break.”

My face bore a mixture of bewilderment, shock, and abject horror. Everybody joined in on the rolling laughter.

Marked Target ~ Chapter Seven ~ by: Danielle Krieger (c) 2011 Lawrence "Lex" McKinley lives about as average a life as one can with metahumans popping up everywhere. Well, as normal as someone who spends their free time as an MMA fighter really can. He's about to get the shock of his life--the punch he never saw coming. In this installment: The pace slows down a bit as Lex tries to find where she fits in the world. She gets a little advice from the fellow Posse members. Valentine's Day, however, takes its toll on her. Although, she catches the eye of a certain hero. Is it good news or bad news for our "juvenile" delinquent?

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DISCLAIMER :: This is a retroactive continuity. A “ret-con”, if you will. It follows other stories in Lilith Langtree’s “Comics RetCon Universe”. The story is mine, but some of the characters are not. This is a RetCon of X-23, from Marvel Comics’ X-men (with a special guest appearance from Dr. Hank McCoy). Laura Kinney, X-23, and Dr. Henry Philip “Hank” McCoy, Beast, are trademarks of Marvel Comics. Posse and all associated members are trademarks of Detective Comics. All rights reserved. The pic, this time, has been brought to you by the lovely talents of Alina Urusov.

Author's Note :: This one's a little slower paced, but I'm really happy with the character development in it. Thanks to my beta readers, Lilith, and EnemyofFun for our lovely guest star in this chapter.

Congratulations -- Donjo and Misty Meenor are the two that caught my obscure little reference to Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog in Chapter Six and won the chance to beta-read this chapter. Their input has been invaluable. This little Whedonista thanks you kindly. ;)

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Chapter Seven:

The next month seemed to fly by like the world was standing still. Damper, obviously the leader of the band, got the other guys in gear and sectioned off a room for me. They used some metal crates that were almost everywhere in the place. They used a piece of ruffled sheet metal as the roof, given that some of the glass roof had been broken out. It still rains during a San Francisco winter, but not nearly as much as one in Seattle. It’s mostly just cold and really foggy. So, I had my own little six-by-eight-foot “room” with an old army cot inside I used for a bed. My duffel bag got thrown into a corner and I pretty much lived out of it. Probe gave me some blankets without saying a word and Bonita saw fit to give me a teddy bear. I have to admit, snuggling that thing in my sleep actually kept me from having any nightmares. Weird, isn’t it?

Over time, the whole group warmed up to me and I began to feel like I belonged. I hadn’t felt that in a long time. Bonita was the most girly of the three candidates. She tried giving me advice on clothes, how to do my hair, and even tried to pressure me into the whole makeup thing. I wasn’t having it, but I had to admire her tenacity. Probe was the quiet one. She didn’t say much more than two sentences in any given day. Esteban was kind of the stoic older brother. Like Probe, he was very laconic, but he was one hell of a good cook. Scour was always passing jokes and trying to get somebody to join him in an old school SNL marathon on VHS. He and I had good laughs at the expense of young versions of Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, and Steve Martin. Thumper was always tenacious in his attempt to get into my pants. I even had to pull the claws out on him, once. He nearly wet himself, but he kept trying. Damper kept everyone in line and was always hatching some grand scheme or another to get us food, booze, money, or any combination thereof.

Given what happened to me, I couldn’t help trying to fathom what they all looked like before they got their powers. The thought was fleeting, though. Not even an overactive imagination could envision them as anything other than what they were, now. That was something of a revelation for me.

There was one hitch in the works that I found out pretty early: It’s almost impossible for me to get drunk, now. That became apparent when I had drunk all of them “under the table” and still didn’t even feel buzzed, yet. It had to be something like the gas when I had been held captive. I began to conjecture that it must somehow be tied to my healing ability, but I didn’t really know how that all worked. Suffice to say, it would take about as much alcohol as we could pull from a single liquor store heist to maybe get me at least buzzed. That was kind of a bummer.

As gangs go, Posse was pretty low-key and small potatoes. We didn’t rustle too many feathers, didn’t engage in gang wars, and didn’t do much more than petty theft. Sure, we knocked over a liquor store now and then or defended our territory once in a while, but we were content to stay in the shadows. It kept us pretty much away from the attention of the police, for the most part. None of us really used our powers all that much, either. I mean, Damper would use his invisibility to help us run off with a lot of liquor, Thumper would be the one that carried most of it, and I used my claws as leverage in turf disputes, but that was about it. We were all aware that each of us could do a little more than we used most often, but it was never a necessity.

You know what I missed the most? Regular showers and clean laundry. Living in an old warehouse had more than a few setbacks. It wasn’t like living in a bed of roses, either. Bonita, Probe, and I would go down to the free clothing boxes, occasionally, or Bonita would offer to do my laundry at any number of drop-in centers across town. However, I began to familiarize myself with the raw scent difference between males and females. My biology professor would have chalked it up to differentiating pH levels and pheromones, but I wasn’t really sure. I just knew there was a very real difference between a woman who needed a shower and a man who needed one. After a while, I didn’t even have to open my eyes and I could tell you who was who by scent alone. That was a little creepy, but an education, nonetheless.

They were all in awe when I would step out into the big open space of the Hacienda and begin running through my taolu. I made it a point to do that every morning. There was no way I was going to allow myself to get rusty, at all. Thumper, Esteban, and Damper asked me to teach it to them so they could really bust some heads. However, their motivations were not where they should be, so I flat out refused. Study of the martial arts is about discipline, dedication, and self-defense–not who can beat the other guy up in a cooler-looking way. Regardless, there were many mornings where I had an audience. Most of the time, it was just Thumper, but other times all of them would just sit by and watch me. My conjecture was that they had seen one too many Kung Fu movies and had never actually seen anyone perform the real thing before. That likely explained their fascination.

One morning, I woke up in my little hovel of a room and felt like a train wreck. Even without a clock or a calendar, I knew exactly what day it was: Valentine’s Day. I could hear Damper and Bonita whispering sweet nothings to each other up in their room, the former foreman’s office, while the baby made her cute little noises in her crib. I could feel the tears start to well up in my eyes, but fought them back. Slipping out from underneath the blankets, I knew I was never going to get used to the effect the cold February air was having on my nipples. The things were so erect that they could probably cut glass. Annoying as it was, I ripped off my Punisher T-shirt, standing in just my panties as I glanced at where my yoga gear had gotten off to. Searching through the pile of clothes next to my duffel bag with all that exposed skin sent a shiver through my entire body. Needless to say, I dressed quickly and added these slipper-sock things that Bonita had given me to wear in lieu of shoes.

Trudging out into the warehouse gave me another shiver, but I knew that once I got into the taolu the cold wouldn’t phase me any longer. Strangely, nobody else was around this morning. Setting my body into the beginning stance, I closed my eyes and focused my breathing. In moments, the world disappeared around me. Nothing else mattered besides putting my body in the exact movements of the taolu. After about an hour, those were all finished. So, I bowed to no one in particular and began running through the stretches that Jenn had taught me. Bending forward and kissing my knees, I could hear someone approaching from the “living room”. One sniff of the air and I knew exactly who it was.

“Buenos dá­as, Talon.” He quietly greeted.

“Good morning, Esteban.” Came my somewhat muffled reply.

“You’re up early. Already done with your moves?”

Lifting up, I nodded. “Yea.” My eyes met his. “You’re talkative, this morning. What’s up?”

He thumbed behind him toward the Damper and Bonita’s room. “They get loud, sometimes.”

I shrugged. “I didn’t even notice.”

“Really? You, the chica who hears everything? No way.”

Another shrug. “I was focused. Sometimes, if you’re focused enough on the task at hand, the world around you suddenly doesn’t exist, anymore. It’s like meditation, but you’re moving.”

He nodded. “I think I get it.” He seemed a little somber.

Heck, so was I. A sigh escaped my lips. “Too bad I can’t sleep through until tomorrow.”

He sighed, too, his eyebrows raised. “Me too. For some, it’s a good day. For others…”

“It’s torture.” I finished his sentence. Seemingly of their own volition, my legs bent and brought my knees to my chest. I wrapped my arms around them and lay my chin on my knees. A little water built up in my eyes.

Noticing this, he moved and sat down in front of me. “Something you wanna talk about?”

There was no barrier between my mind and my mouth. The words just poured from me. I spoke as though I were eighty years old and talking about “the good ol’ days”. “You know, before all this, I had a pretty good life. I made video games for a living. It brought in good money. I had a nice apartment.” I choked back a sob. “Best of all, I had the best woman in the world.”

He nodded. “We all get like that, I think.”

Tears and all, I looked him right in the eyes. “I haven’t told anybody this, but… you know who I was before? I was ‘The Animal’ McKinley.”

His eyes got really big. “Wait… you was that big, buff fighter guy? I think I saw you on the TV, when it still worked! You were amazing in ‘the Octagon’!”

More tears built up and one rolled down my cheek. Sniffling, I continued. “I had just about everything I could ever ask for. Then, one night, it all got snatched away.” A sob I couldn’t stop erupted. “My girl, Julia, wouldn’t have anything to do with me when I finally saw her, again.”

He slid over and wrapped an arm over my shoulders, trying to be comforting. “Okay. You told me yours. It’s only fair that I tell, right?” I’m sure he could feel me shrug. “I didn’t have everything I wanted. Actually, I had nothing I wanted. When I was a kid, my dad… mi Papá¡… with him, I could do no wrong.” With him not facing me, I didn’t see the smirk. “I was his ‘la niá±a del papá¡’.”

Understanding the similarities between Spanish and French, my head shot up with my eyes as big as dinner plates. “Wait… you mean…?”

He nodded. “Sá­, I was ‘Daddy’s Little Girl’. I was the only girl born to our family. Mamá¡ had two boys before me and two after. For my First Communion, they were so proud. I looked like a little bride.” He winked at me. “You should have seen my quincenera dress! I put Princess Diana to shame!” He actually laughed. “Abuelita, my grandmother, spent two months sewing it and getting it sized right.” For the first time ever, he looked down my top. “I was bigger than you, Talon.”

I blushed, covering any visible cleavage with one dainty hand. “I dunno. These puppies seem huge to me.”

He shook his head. “Not really. Average, I think. The women in mi familia were all bigger in the chest and the hips. Think about those gringas Betty Paige and Marilyn Monroe. That’s what all the girls in my family looked like. My booty would have made J-Lo jealous.” He let out a sigh. “So, I got into all that ‘girly’ stuff, y’know? I did the dresses, the cooking, the dances, the makeup, and all that. I was even a cheerleader and on the dance team in high school. Abuelita would always drag me into the kitchen, telling me ‘You can’t catch a man if you can’t cook, chica!’. She taught me everything I know.”

My heart sank for him. So, this whole change thing worked both ways? That was a pretty jagged pill to swallow. “Remind me to thank your Abuelita if I ever meet her. I’ve never had real Mexican food, before. You’re really good with it.”

“Gracias. You won’t meet her, though. One bad thing to being a woman: the men in your life take advantage of your love to do terrible things.” He let out a heavy sigh. “I was in college. Mamá¡ was so proud because I was the first in college and a woman. I fell for this cholo ‘bad boy’ and he got me mixed in with the wrong people. We went to parties, we drank a lot, we did drugs, and he had me dressing like a slut. When we ran out of money for things, I dropped out of college and became a puta, a hooker. He and two friends ganged up on me one night. I said ‘no’, but they wouldn’t stop. Then…”

“Then, you changed.” Finishing his sentence, I sighed.

He slowly nodded. “Sá­, I started growing and getting big. Something filled in my panties and I got hairy. They stood back and watched. I hated watching my breasts disappear. Those were my pride. I looked like a bad cross-dresser, y’know? Then, they beat me so bad that I had to go to the hospital. When I was there, my family came in and disowned me right there. Papá¡ told them he had four sons and shouted ‘ ¿Dá³nde está¡ mi hija? — Where is my daughter?’. Mamá¡ sat in the corner and repeated ‘Quiero que mi niá±a volviá³ a má­. — I want my little girl back’ a few times. It was the worst night of my life.” I could see a single tear fall down his cheek.

Several tears fell down my own face. It was difficult listening to such an account. “That’s why you’re so quiet?” He nodded. “Esteban, I’d trade places with you, if we could.”

He chuckled. “You can keep the periods, though. Those, I don’t miss so much.”

We shared a really good laugh–therapeutic, even.

Sniffling, I wiped tears from my eyes and off my face. “Thanks for sharing, Esteban.”

“De nada, Talon. All of us got bad breaks. That’s why we gotta stick together, y’know?”

“Yea, I get it.” A realization came to my mind. “You know, I haven’t even seen my family or called them since this all happened.” A shiver traveled the length of my spine. “I know my father wouldn’t like it. He’s an asshole. He used to call me ‘fag’ when I was a kid. I dunno about my mom, though. She’s a hard one to read.”

“You might be better off not knowing.”

“You’re probably right.” I started moving to stand.

He was on his feet before I realized it and held his hands out to me. At first, I looked at him quizzically, but his smile reassured me. I gave him my hands and he helped me to my feet. The inertia created by the action kept my body moving, even after I stood up. My body gently collided with his, sending a sensation through me that was incredibly foreign. A tingling sensation spread all over the surface of my skin and it seemed like my body rose in temperature a degree or two. I could feel my face flush. He was a little taller than I used to be, so I had to look up at him. My expression was one of confusion and something else I couldn’t describe. As my eyes met his, my nipples stiffened.

He leaned forward and gently kissed my forehead. “We’ll talk again, soon, chica.” Then, he simply walked away.

What the hell was wrong with me?

A couple hours later, I was fully dressed in a black-and-white “convict” stripe tank top, my trusty bondage pants, the hoodie with Jack Skellington’s face on the back, and my boots that didn’t have blade-claw holes in them. Esteban made some delicious breakfast burritos and we all ate like we hadn’t done so in weeks. Almost embarrassingly, I had finished mine first, so I was conscripted into feeding Alina a bottle of stored breast milk while Bonita ate her breakfast. In the past month, helping her take care of the baby didn’t bother me so much. It was weird that I was something of a natural, though. Maybe, it was my new body’s instincts? Honestly, it frightened me if I thought about it for more than half a second.

Maybe it was a bit of the “old me” bubbling up to the surface? I mean, there were certainly fantasies about motherhood and babies during my childhood. Unfortunately, a mountain of denial and reality had squashed them. Males lack the ability to incubate a fetus and deliver the baby in any imaginable way. The same fate lay waiting even for transsexual women. Hormones and surgery can do wonders to the body, but they can’t give you a uterus. The technology just wasn’t there. So, even if I had any inclination towards transition, I still wouldn’t be able to bear my own children. Now, I had all the equipment necessary for fetal incubation, vaginally delivered birth, and nurture of the child, once born–made evident by the fact I now required a steady supply of maxi pads and even tampons (which I have yet to use) while sporting a pair of mammary glands that the male of the species tended to stare at.

That train of thought left the station as soon as my eyes landed on Bonita and Damper on the couch. They’d finished breakfast and were checking each other’s tonsils for infection, with their tongues. As I watched them, the memory of that night after winning the chance at the semi-finals bounced around in my brain pan. Julia had straddled me to dab hydrogen peroxide on my cut lip. Soon, it evolved into a make out session right there on our living room couch. My lip stung like a needle was being driven through it every time our lips touched, but the taste of her lips alleviated the pain effectively. I remember caressing the soft flesh of her supple thighs with my big hands and the sensation of her gently rocking hips across the tops of my own thighs.

The strangest sensation came over me. That same tingling sensation danced over every inch of my skin, again, and my nipples stiffened against the fabric of my bra. My entire body seemed to rise a couple of degrees in temperature. Beyond that, I firmly held my legs together and flexed my quadriceps. Out of nowhere, there was this… hunger… in my groin for something I just couldn’t describe. It threw me through a loop because this was an experience I’d not had, yet. At that moment, I couldn’t begin to tell you what it was. I know now, but I was in the dark then.

Without realizing it, my eyes picked a spot in the distance and just stayed there while thoughts played out in my head. What brought me back to reality was an odd squeezing sensation on my left breast. A wave of pleasure shot through my body and ran down my spine. Letting out a yelp, I looked down. My right arm had gone limp, dislodging the bottle from Alina’s mouth. Being a resourceful baby, she had turned her head and went for the next best thing: straight to the source. First of all, she wasn’t going to get anything with my tank top and bra in the way. That didn’t stop her from nipping at my breast and making a really good pursuit of the milk she wanted. I arched my back in a way that pulled my chest away from her mouth.

“Hey, baby girl! Sorry, but you’re gonna be disappointed if you go there. I’ve got nothing for ya.” I cooed at the little darling.

Bonita and Damper stopped trying to suck each other’s faces off. Bonita’s eyes shot directly at her daughter. There was a second’s pause before the whole room burst into laughter and I blushed in embarrassment. The blonde girl stood, crossed over to me, and relieved me of baby duty.

“Sorry, Bonita. My brain just went somewhere and Alina decided she’d try her luck with me.” Still blushing.

Bonita giggled. “Babies are like that, I guess. I’ve got her, now, Talon. You’re free.”

Thumper scoffed. “Now, that ain’t right! I been tryin’ for a month and the baby gets to second base? That shit is whack!”

It didn’t take much to ignore him. I was getting pretty good at it. The others joined in laughing at his expense. As I stood up, my brain reminded me of what day it was.

Last year, I was locked up as some freak show experiment and was drugged into unconsciousness, so I don’t even remember the day. The year before that, Julia and I had dinner at the Space Needle. The reservation had been booked while I was dating another girl over the summer, but it seemed perfect when I met Julia. She was dressed to the nines in her gorgeous blue evening gown and these silver heels that made her legs look amazing. As if by miracle, she had gotten me to wear a three-piece suit. Dinner was a very romantic candle-lit affair and afterwards I surprised her with the fact that I knew how to waltz. My mother insisted on teaching me before I went into high school. Our lovemaking that night was the icing on the cake. The passion was so amazing that we actually fogged up the windows in my bedroom. Six months later, it became our bedroom.

The memory of that night and our relationship together brought tears to my eyes, now. Wonderful, I was crying again. Had it really been two years? There was a gentle tug on my right arm and I followed the request without much thought. Once rounding the corner and away from the others, my chin was lifted to look up at Damper. There was understanding in his eyes and a warm smile on his face.

“Looks like you could use a break.” He stated, softly.

Sniffling, I pulled away from him. “No, I’m fine.”

“I’d be a shitty ass leader if I believe that bullshit. I can tell when my people are hurting. Talon, you got a wound that ain’t healed and today ain’t gonna make it better. What’re you gonna do when Bonita and me are all up in each other’s shit all day?” He shook his head and sighed. “Take a break, Talon.” His head nudged toward the door. “Go out there and do what you gotta do, then come back when you’re ready.”

“What are you saying?”

He scoffed. “Look, I don’t give a fuck what you do. Go get high! Go get drunk! Dance a motha-fuckin’ jig on the Golden Gate! It don’t matter!” Another sigh. “We ain’t doin’ nothin’ today. Besides, I can’t use you when you’re like this.” He dug into his pocket and pulled out some money. “Here’s five bucks to get you started. Just a warning: you’re alone so don’t do nothin’ stupid, a-right? We cool with Blue Beetle. She’s our girl. We ain’t cool with Green Arrow, though. Even with your shit, that girl will chew you up and spit you out. Dig?”

As he placed the wadded up cash in my palm and closed my fingers around it, I gave him a nod. “Thanks, Damper.”

“Now, get the fuck outta here. You crampin’ my style.” He smirked.

“Fuck you, too.” I returned his sarcasm.

Okay, so I knocked over a liquor store by myself. Sue me? The place wasn’t going to be open, officially, for another two hours. Impatience got the better of me. Using my claws, the flimsy iron gate was no match for a good swipe. After that, I put my fist through the glass door. It only hurt for a moment and I wouldn’t have to worry about the glass cuts very long. The alarm started blaring in my ears the moment the glass shattered. I only had a few minutes. Grabbing a reusable grocery bag, I made my way further into the store. Into the bag went two quarts of vodka, a bottle of Buttershots, some Crown Royal, and some rum for good measure. Finished “shopping”, I dropped the five-dollar bill on the counter before heading back out the door again. At least, I tried to pay for all that liquor.

I zigged and zagged my way through the city and away from the store. The police would be on the scene very soon and I really didn’t want to spend the day in a jail cell. With my luck and the way I looked, they’d probably feel more inclined to stick me in Juvenile Hall rather than actual jail. The prospect was a little insulting. After another hour, I felt safe enough to duck into an alley and begin my libations. If anyone came along and decided to scold me that it was too early in the day to start drinking, they’d find themselves in the hospital.

For the most part, the sounds of the city didn’t even register. My resolve was to lose myself in my own little world and drown my troubles. I was going to get drunk. Beginning with what I determined to be the bottle with the lowest alcohol content, I would move through each bottle up to the highest perceived alcohol content. In the first half-hour, gone were the rum, the Buttershots, and the Crown Royal. For good or ill, I wasn’t feeling a thing. With a frown, I opened the first bottle of vodka. By now, I’d gotten used to the harsh burn in my throat as the liquid washed down my esophagus. About halfway through the bottle, I heard a sound of boots on the rooftop across from me. Normally, this would have struck me as odd, but I chose to ignore it and take another big swig of the vodka.

“It's awfully early in the day for a girl your age to be drinking so much. Bad day?” A female voice echoed through the alleyway.

My eyes darted up and down the alley. There was no one else around. Must be talking to me. “Downright shitty, actually. Why do you care?”

“You’re a girl my age and that's a lot of booze.”

“I’ll be twenty-eight in a few months. Look, can I just attempt to get drunk in peace?”

“Attempt? I’m surprised you’re not unconscious!”

“Long story. Now, if you don’t mind…” I lifted the bottle to my lips and took another large gulp. I had to wince through the burn, though. Something impacted the bottle and it burst, spilling its contents into my lap. “Hey, now that’s alcohol abuse!”

Glancing over at the offending object, the only thing my eyes caught sight of was a green shafted, metal-tipped arrow. Needless to say, that really didn’t bode well. As my wide eyes focused on the arrow, there was an impact of a pair of boots onto the cement of the alley. My head slowly turned toward the sound. First, my eyes came upon a pair of green, flat-heeled boots that reached up to her knees. Then, the full-body black suit that hugged her every curve and muscle form. On her chest, it seemed an upward-pointing green arrow had been screen-printed onto the bodysuit. Metallic green armguards adorned her wrists. Over her shoulders, there was a green cloak that reached to the level of her knees and had a hood she wore over her head. She wore a black, double triangle mask over her eyes and a single tuft of blond hair blew in the wind beyond the confines of her hood. With the bow and quiver of arrows strapped to her back, there’s really only one personage that could be standing before me.

“Oh crap…” My voice surrendered. Standing ten feet in front of me was Green Arrow, herself.

She smirked at me. “Guilty conscience?”

“Um… well…” I stammered.

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’. Well, under age drinking and the fact you’re not in school can have that effect on a girl. Care to explain?”

Being star-struck has major disadvantages. For me, my words and voice were failing me. Also, considering that I’d just knocked over a liquor store, my nerves were on edge. No matter how hard I tried, a response just wouldn’t come. Strangely, she tilted her head to the side.

“You sure, Speedy?” She seemed to be listening, then glanced back at me. “Got it.” Her eyes narrowed on me. “So, how long have you been here drinking?”

My brain had the answer immediately. It took a few moments for the rest of me to catch up. “Um… about an hour or so?”

“So, is it coincidence that someone matching your description broke into and robbed a liquor store in that timeframe?” She cocked her head to the side, slightly. “Did you leave five bucks on the counter?”

Admittedly, it probably wasn’t the best plan to get annoyed with the superhero right in front of me. “Well, we can’t all be Miss Olivia Queen, now can we? With uncontrollable inflation for the past twenty-odd years, that’s probably all the stuff is really worth.” I spun around. “Just cuff me and get it over with.”

“What’s your name?”

“Talon.”

“No, I mean your real name.”

“That is my real name. I don’t have another one.”

“And why not?”

I took a deep breath. “Because I, technically, don’t exist. Are you going to cuff me, now?”

“You don’t have parents?”

“That’s a long story I really don’t feel like going into, right now. Suffice to say, I’m dead to them, okay?”

“So, you’re a runaway? Homeless?”

With a sarcastic expression on my face, I finally turned to face her, again. “How can I be a runaway when I’m fully emancipated because I reached the legal age of adulthood almost a decade ago?” I shrugged. “That last part… you pegged me. Though, can’t complain too much. At least, I have my own room.”

She balked at that. “You do?”

“Yea… I’m with Posse.” It was dumb to reveal that. Her eyes narrowed on me and she nocked an arrow faster than I’d seen anyone accomplish the task. I threw my hands up in surrender. “Whoa! Whoa! It’s not like that! It’s the only safe place I could get!”

“There’s plenty of shelters in this city.”

“You remember that part where I technically don’t exist? No identification… of any kind.”

“So, you run with Posse? They only admit Metas into their ranks.”

It was my turn to smirk. “Yea, I know that.”

“You’re meta?”

My head lowered. “Yes, I am.”

She lowered her bow. “There are ways for Metas to get identification.”

I scoffed. “And deal with the government? No thanks. It’s better for me to stay under the radar. There are some powerful people that are after me. Not only that… there was… a situation… back home.” Not really trusting her, there was no way I was going to reveal what happened back in Seattle. I’d spent six months in a jail cell and really wasn’t looking forward to going back.

She didn’t say anything for a few minutes. It made me more than a little nervous. Then, a half smile graced her face. “I’ve got some friends in high places. We can double-check your story. If you’re lying to me, I’ll hand you over to SFPD. Deal?”

My mind reviewed her proposal. Did I need help? Probably. Did I trust her? Absolutely not. For all intents and purposes, I was a criminal and she was the caped crusader. This would not go well for me. However, half of my problem was because I didn’t exist. I needed help. I needed answers. Then, it clicked. Automatically, my hand reached into my back pocket and pulled out a small three-by-five-inch card and held it out for her to take.

“Someone who helped me, against all odds, gave me this. I trust her judgment.”

After returning her arrow to the quiver and switching which hand she held the bow in, she took the card, reading it over. An expression of surprise graced her face. “Professor McCoy? Why would she give you his card from the university?”

“She told me that if I wanted answers then I should go see him.”

She spun around and started walking down the alley, still focused on the card. “Come with me.”

For a few moments, I didn’t honor the request. Instead, I just stood there, dumfounded. I had no idea what she was asking me to do, really.

She spun back to me. “Are you coming, or what?” She went to take a step, then turned back to me. “Leave the booze.” Then, she continued on her way.

Slowly, I started following this superhero with the odd requests.

Marked Target ~ Chapter Eight ~ by: Danielle Krieger (c) 2011 Lawrence "Lex" McKinley lives about as average a life as one can with metahumans popping up everywhere. Well, as normal as someone who spends their free time as an MMA fighter really can. He's about to get the shock of his life--the punch he never saw coming. In this installment: Lex gets led around by the hand. Questions get answered. Will Dr. Hank McCoy have good news? Is getting the DMA involved going to be a good idea?

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DISCLAIMER :: This is a retroactive continuity. A “ret-con”, if you will. It follows other stories in Lilith Langtree’s “Comics RetCon Universe”. The story is mine, but some of the characters are not. This is a RetCon of X-23, from Marvel Comics’ X-men (with a special guest appearance from Dr. Hank McCoy). Laura Kinney, X-23, and Dr. Henry Philip “Hank” McCoy, Beast, are trademarks of Marvel Comics. Green Arrow and Agent Helen Helligan are trademarks of Detective Comics. All rights reserved. The pic, once again, has been brought to you by the amazingly talented Mike Choi.

Author's Note :: Honestly, I wrestled with this chapter over the last couple of days. There were a couple of issues that needed to be worked out. Thanks to Lilith, Donjo, and EnemyofFun for being my betas and putting up with me through this. Special thanks to EnemyofFun for Olivia and Hank. The reward goes to the readers: the longest Marked Target chapter to date. Hope you enjoy my little labor of love.

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Chapter Eight:

You’d think that a big, green, high-performance motorcycle with two riders would turn a few heads. Coincidentally, I think the denizens of San Francisco might be a little too accustomed to seeing the Green Arrow around town. Either that or they’re so self-absorbed that they don’t notice much else.

My captor was as stoic as ever. She kept her swift pace as we exited the alleyway. We wound through the streets for a few blocks. I didn’t stray more than five steps behind her. It would have been a nice view, if the cape of her cloak weren’t in the way. There was some commotion from the people on the sidewalks once they caught sight of their local superhero. Several of them snapped pictures, but most seemed to dart out of her way. Like the Red Sea, the crowd parted as she walked along. I couldn’t see the expression on her face. However, the denizens seemed to regard me with some kind of malice. There was chatter on either side from people wanting to know what I’d done wrong. Then, they smelt the vodka that had spilt on me and covered their noses. Perhaps, they put two and two together.

Why didn’t I try to run and save myself this massive embarrassment?

When we finally reached her mode of transportation, I had to take a step back. Never in my life would I ever believe that I would see a Suzuki Hayabusa up close and personal. Yet, it was sitting in front of me and Green Arrow just swung her leg over the motorcycle. Most of the body and fiberglass was covered in black or kelly green, the same colors of her outfit. Amazingly, this was the two-seat model. I wonder if she thought ahead? What wasn’t painted was shimmering with chrome. If I didn’t know any better, I could have sworn that someone laced one of my libations with Absynthe. This just had to be a dream given form.

Once she stuffed her quiver in a fiberglass compartment and grabbed her helmet, she glanced over my way. Raising an eyebrow, she finally spoke. “Are you going to get on or stand there staring all day?”

My wide eyes met hers. “Me? With you? On the GSX1300R?”

She shrugged. “Unless your power is incredible running speed, that’s the plan. Hop on.”

Still awestruck, I moved toward the bike rather slowly. She handed me a helmet with an annoyed look on her face. Mine was silver and hers followed the green/black color scheme. After slipping on the helmet, I slid onto and straddled the motorcycle, as well. If it wasn’t apparent by now, this experience only confirmed just how flat my crotch had become. Sitting on the bike, the slope of the body forced me forward into her so that I was, in a way, straddling her as well as the machine. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I could feel her moving and starting the bike. It roared to life as I confirmed that, yes, Green Arrow was an actual human being. She put off body heat and everything!

“You may want to hang on tight,” she yelled to me through her helmet over the purr of the engine, “I tend to get a little crazy on this thing.”

With that, the engine roared and we jolted into traffic.

During the whole ride, I could feel her breathing and talking due to the vibrations running through her torso that weren’t associated with the motorcycle. She was doing quite a lot of talking, too. My ears never picked up anything with the noise of the motorcycle’s engine, traffic noise, the sounds of the city, and the wind rushing all around us. Of course, her helmet could have been soundproofed and I’d never know it. Our course seemed to weave through side streets and main thoroughfares in random succession. I got lost, after a while.

Finally, we turned down a side street and she slowed to a stop. She shut the bike down and removed her helmet, turning to me.

“Okay, we’re here.” She yelled so I could hear through the helmet. Once I took off my helmet, she continued. “I called in a favor.” She pointed to the house before us. “This place belongs to a friend of mine, but she’s agreed to house you while I figure out what to do with you.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “I expect you to be on your best behavior or SFPD will learn of your location. Agreed?”

Not wanting to upset her, I meekly nodded. I wasn’t exactly in a position for negotiation of any kind. She slid off the bike and I handed the helmet back to her. Finally, I glanced over at the house.

From the sidewalk, there wasn’t much to it. Heck, there wasn’t much to most houses in San Francisco if you just look at the front visage. Still, this place looked almost like two houses. There was a small garage on either side of the front door that seemed to be able to fit a vehicle the size of a Toyota Prius, each. The siding was all stained wooden shingles in a dark chocolate brown color. There were several windows facing the street that promised at least three floors in the house. Contrary to most other houses, the front visage wasn’t two-dimensional, either. The lower floor was all uniplanar. The second floor had one window that jutted outward, one on a thirty-degree slant, and two that jutted outward again. The third floor became uniplanar again. It was an odd look, but it had me somewhat captivated. The front door appeared to be carved maple or something similar. It was sunken into an entrance cavity with a nice Victorian lantern hanging above it.

She turned me to face her again. “I have to go, now. There are more criminals out there than just you. There’s a woman inside who will help you.” Then, she caught the alcohol sent and scrunched her nose. “And, for the love… take a shower and clean those clothes.”

“Um… thanks?” I stated, breathlessly.

She nodded. “I’ll be by tomorrow and we’ll head over to Berkeley. In the meantime, I’ll be checking into your story. Be ready, bright and early.”

Giving her a nod, I watched as she slipped her helmet back on, started the bike, revved it for a moment, and then took off down the road. I watched her leave with the cape of her cloak flapping in the wind. Why did nobody ever notice that? It was a pretty cool effect.

Turning toward the house, I reluctantly stepped into the entryway. Taking a breath, my eyes caught sight of a doorbell and my right thumb pressed it. From my perspective, the thing sounded like the chiming of Big Ben in Parliament Square of London. It sounded like some really big bells suddenly sounded three times and seemed to echo through the whole house. It was pretty intimidating, actually. Yea, as if I weren’t intimidated enough already?

After a few moments, the door silently swung open. Behind it was a pretty blonde, probably in her mid-twenties–like I was, once. She wore sensible black pumps, tanned nylons, a charcoal A-line skirt, blouse tucked into the skirt with the top two buttons undone, a charcoal vest, black plastic-framed glasses, and her hair in a bun. Oh, yeah. This girl was all business. Her smile even looked like some fake corporate tool. Lovely.

“You must be my new ward.” She greeted with that fake smile. “What’s your name, sweetie?”

My eyes rolled. Here we go, again. “Talon.”

She shrugged it off. “Okay, well, I’m Rebecca. You can call me ‘Becky’, if you like. Do come in, won’t you?”

Slowly, I crossed the threshold. The whole house smelled like “renovation”. Everything inside was new. The carpets, furniture, electronics, appliances, and everything else. It all had that “new house” smell that assaulted my olfactory nerves. That, and the woman’s expensive Chanel perfume. She could have eased up on the spritz, though. I almost felt like gagging.

Leading me by the hand, she proceeded to give the grand tour. As she spoke, I wondered if she once moonlighted as some kind of overly cheerful museum tour guide. She had the squeaky voice, fake corporate smile, and even a fake giddy giggle. It was very annoying.

The house was huge, though. The front visage gave it no justice, at all. To the right and up a few half steps was a gaming/hang out room with a big pool table in the middle of it. Nothing could hide my huge smile at that. To the left, the door to garage #1. There was a hallway that led into the back area of the house. Following that, she showed me the huge parlor/dining room with a nicely sized kitchen tucked into a corner. The thing had vaulted ceilings, two skylights, a fireplace in the back, and French doors that opened out to the back patio. Everything looked amazing and probably incredibly expensive.

Back through the pool table room, there was a few more half steps to the door to garage #2. I’ve heard of two-car garages, but two actual garages? That was odd. Still heading toward the back of the house, there were the stairs to the second floor and situated in the exact middle of the house was the coolest TV room I’d ever seen. It had a sectional couch that looked extra comfortable and stretched two-thirds of the way around the perimeter of the room. In the center, a snack table. There was over-head lighting like in the theaters. The big kahuna? The television was the biggest one I’d ever seen. According to “call me Becky”, it was currently the largest production model at a whopping 108 inches. To think, I used to fantasize about having a 60-inch. I must have been aiming too low.

On the second floor was the “master suite” with its own bathroom and walk-in closet. It even had a fireplace! There was another bedroom with it’s own unconnected bathroom. The closet was huge, but it wasn’t a walk-in model. Though, interestingly, it had been converted into an office/study rather than used strictly as a bedroom. The master suite, with its bathroom, was easily twice the size of my old apartment. There were two other bedrooms on the third floor along with a little corridor that led to a verandah. From that verandah, one had a pretty nice view of the Golden Gate Bridge, most of the bay, and even Alcatraz.

The best part? It was all for me. Don’t ask me how one person really needs that much space, but that’s what I was told. Of course, as soon as she said that I claimed the master bedroom as mine.

As soon as the tour was over, she discussed some particulars. Namely, I was to immediately march into my bathroom and take a shower, bath, or whatever I preferred. Strangely, she asked what all my sizes were. I mean, it’s pretty invasive to ask someone their dress size, jean size, or shoe size. It gets worse when someone you just met starts asking what size panties you wear and what your bra size is. She informed me everything that I could possibly need was already in the bathroom and had been in case the real owner ever planned to occupy the home. She never told me who the owner was. I was inclined to thank my mysterious benefactor, but she refused to reveal their identity, stating something like “I just do what my boss tells me.”

The bath was amazing. Did I mention I’ve got a Jacuzzi tub? Well, I do now. All those months of sleeping on the ground or on an old army cot seemed to melt away as the water jets gently massaged my muscles. Time seemed to stand still and my perception of the passage of time was lost. Looking at my fingers, I noticed they were quite pruny. So, I hurried in shampooing and conditioning my hair. Both bottles had a really nice floral sent that my nose seemed to like. After that, I found this puffy ball thing that I found out was called a “lather ball”. All I knew at the time is that you put in a little body wash (which also smelled very nice) and it makes a whole lot of suds. There simply aren’t words to describe just how clean I felt after that.

After stepping out and draining the tub, I slipped a terry cloth towel around me, tying it at the chest. Also, the lessons in “hair turban” from Steven really came in handy. Coming out of the bathroom, I spotted several shopping bags on my new bed. Curious, I crossed over to them. On the bed, a silk chemise nightgown and matching panties was already laid out. It looked pink, to me, but I learned later the color is called “lavender” which is a bright purple. Inside the bags were some extra panties, a couple bras, some assorted shoes, a couple pairs of jeans, and some tops I probably wouldn’t wear in my grave. It was all super girlish. I wasn’t happy.

There was a note, though: Talon — Since your clothes are now in the wash, I took the liberty of running down to the local boutiques to get you some provisional clothing. I hope you like them. Wear them if you like, don’t if you’d rather not. Though, you can’t expect to run around the city naked, can you? --Becky

Yep, this woman was an odd one. Letting out a weighted sigh, I glanced over at the nightgown. It can’t be too bad, can it?

Big Ben interrupted my jaunt in slumber land. In that moment, I resolved that no matter what it took I was going to replace that doorbell tone.

The bed was one of those top-of-the-line memory foam things. The minute I put on the nightgown and panties then crawled into bed, I was sleeping like a baby. It had been a really long time since I remember sleeping that well. It was nice, warm, and comfortable where I was. I didn’t want to leave it.

Big Ben beckoned again.

Rolling my eyes and letting out a very effeminate grumble, I slid out of bed and began marching downstairs. Whoever was at the door was going to get an ear full. Marching through the house reminded me of just how big the thing was. Also, it was quite chilly in the morning. I resolved to either turn on one of the fireplaces at night or invest in a nice, thick, warm bathrobe. Getting to the door, I didn’t even check who it was. The door swung open and just before I began to berate them for waking me at this hour my voice froze. There she was, again. Green Arrow, herself.

“Good morning, sleepy head. Cute nightgown. Though, you should have asked for a robe.” She smirked and winked at me. Then, she strode into the house like she owned the place.

“Oh, do come in, won’t you?” My groggy voice uttered facetiously. With a quick motion of my wrist, the door swung closed.

She handed me an unassuming box that I didn’t even notice she had been carrying. “Here. Check these out. Wear what you like. I’ve got a surprise.”

I snubbed my nose at the box. “More clothes? These aren’t the same super girly crap that blonde woman bought for me yesterday, are they?”

She slowly shook her head. “No… they serve a purpose, which you’ll find out once you’re decently dressed. Now, hop to! We’ve got things to do.”

Letting out a scoff, my legs carried me back upstairs while my arms carried the box. Plopping it onto the bed, I opened it up and scanned the contents. Inside was simply a pair of dark blue bootcut jeans, a nice black T-shirt, some feminine biker boots, riding gloves, a Cortech Magnum ladies’ black leather jacket, a pair of sunglasses and a black-and-silver helmet. This girl, whoever she was, definitely knew her biker gear. In an excited rush, I slipped on the jeans. Next, I grabbed some dark purple socks Becky had gathered and slipped on the boots, keeping the cuffs of the jeans over the boots. After slipping out of the nightgown and strapping into a comfortable bra, I slipped on the T-shirt and jacket. Amazingly, everything fit like a glove. Though, I decided to put a brush through my hair before putting the sunglasses and gloves in the helmet. I was back downstairs in about ten minutes.

Green Arrow smiled. “You look comfy.”

“Yea, you know your biker gear. How’d you know my sizes?”

She shrugged. “Lucky guess. Now, do you know how to ride a motorcycle?”

I quickly nodded. “Yes. I’ve had my endorsement in Washington for the last six years. Never got around to getting my own bike, though. They only gave me one parking space, it rained too much to be safe, Washington drivers are blind imbeciles, and Julia was terrified of the things. So, I never bought my own.”

Her smile grew wider. “Good.” She opened the door to Garage #1 and beckoned me to look. Inside sat a brand new Triumph Thunderbird Storm. I could have died happy right then and there. “This baby’s for you. I don’t really like carrying riders. It’s a good thing I know people that can pull off an overnight delivery.”

With a happy squeal, I jumped on her and wrapped her in a hug. “Thank you!”

Grunting from the impact, she nodded. “You’re welcome. Now, do you know the way to U-C Berkeley?”

Releasing her, I shook my head. “I’d probably get lost in most parts of San Francisco. I haven’t been here long enough to really get familiar with the place.”

She rolled her eyes. “Okay. There’s a microphone near your mouth and speakers over your ears in the helmet. Follow me and I’ll give you directions as we go. Sound good enough?”

I nodded. “Yep. Sounds like it should work fine. I can follow directions.”

She smiled. “Good.” When she opened her hand, a set of keys dangled from it. “This has keys to the bike and a key for the house. The fob has the remote for the garage door. Try to keep up?”

Grinning, I accepted the bundle. “Got it.”

She strode out of the house and I locked up behind her. Heading straight for the garage, I closed the door behind me and pressed the button on the key fob to open the garage door. It seemed like a typical, chilly, foggy San Francisco morning. It’s a good thing I was dressed fairly warmly. My excitement was barely contained as I slipped the sunglasses into the waist pocket of the jacket, slipped on the gloves, and pulled the helmet over my head. As I was fastening the chinstrap, a voice rang out in the helmet.

“Don’t forget to tuck your hair into the jacket or it’ll be a tangled mess when we get there. From what you’ve told me, it’s been a while since you’ve ridden a bike and you probably didn’t have hair that long when you did.”

“Thanks for the tip,” I replied before following her advice.

Then, I slid the key into the ignition and started up the bike. With the walls all around me, the initial roar was that much more intense. Inside, I was grinning from ear to ear. Feeling the power as the engine rumbled and purred between my legs and hearing the sound from the exhaust, I almost felt like a man again. This bike was a bad ass and she wanted you to know it. Pulling the clutch, I pedaled the bike into first gear. It slowly rolled forward until I was on the sidewalk. I pulled the brakes just long enough to press the button that closed the garage and glance around for Green Arrow. She was straddling her crotch rocket in the middle of the street. She revved her engine once and then took off. I eased out of the drive and followed behind her.

She bobbed and weaved through the streets, again, but she at least let me know the street names through our helmet communications. In almost no time at all, we’d gotten to the 101, then the “Central Freeway”, and finally onto I-80 to cross the Bay Bridge into the eastern Bay Area. We didn’t have too much trouble. California drivers may be a little crazy, but most of them knew what they were doing. A few minutes later, we were in Berkeley and headed down College Ave. Hanging a left onto Bancroft Way, she guided me to the university’s central offices. Thankfully, there were two open motorcycle-specific parking spaces right in front. I shut down my bike, but she didn’t.

“Talon, I won’t be coming with you.” Her voice came over the helmet speakers. “There are some things I need to take care of and I believe this is something you need to do on your own. From here on, I’ll see you when I see you.”

I let out a sigh. I’d really never see her again? “Well, you gotta do what you gotta do, right?” I held out a gloved hand to her. “For what it’s worth, thanks for everything.”

She nodded and shook my hand, which is when she slipped Dr. McCoy’s card back to my possession. “If you need help getting back, call me.” She started walking her bike backward. Then, she revved the engine once and was off like a shot.

The trek across campus seemed interminable, even with a map. The drive required navigating a few side roads that were a little difficult to understand. Thankfully, I found the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory offices. Having a big sign out front and armed federal guards for security helped the process along. Getting through the metal detectors was a little difficult. That wasn’t easy to explain away. However, my excuse about a motorcycle accident requiring a few screws and rods in my arm seemed to work okay. I swear I could feel the eyes of the guards on my swishing posterior as I made my getaway. Perverts.

Arriving at his office, Dr. McCoy was nowhere to be found. An aid pointed me in the direction of the biochemical labs where he would most likely be. My palms were sweating when I knocked on the door. The answer came almost immediately.

“Please, do come in,” erupted a rough man’s voice from inside.

Taking a preparatory breath, I swung the door open. “Dr. McCoy?” I asked the man inside. Then, glanced down at the card. “Dr. Henry McCoy?”

The lab seemed like your average chemistry lab with a few devices for several experimentation implements littered about. There were some hi-tech gadgets around that I made a mental note to avoid entirely. The whole concept of “you break it, you bought it” had been instilled in me since early childhood.

The man, himself, had been studying something on his computer screen. Now, he turned to face me and removed the reading glasses from his face. A smile appeared on his weathered face. He must have been in his forties, at least. His soft dark brown hair had a couple of gray streaks starting near his temples. His chocolate eyes hinted at a certain youthful playfulness about him. His smile was genuine and almost paternal. The rest of him? Well, he would put Mike to shame. The man was huge. He was a veritable mountain of a man, once he stood at his full six-foot-two. His muscles had muscles. He was built like a professional linebacker in the prime of his career. The duality of the situation baffled me. Typically, jocks don’t do science or anything else that requires critical thinking, for that matter.

“Please, call me ‘Hank’. It is my preferred nom de guerre, even with my students here. However, you do not appear to be such. Have you gotten separated from your tour group? You should be able to rendezvous with them in the main lobby.” He spoke, but I couldn’t. Seeing how wide my eyes were, he gave himself a glance and chuckled. “Oh, my dear, you’ve nothing to fear from me. I am the epitome of the advice ‘never judge a book by its cover’. My bark cannot be worse than my bite because I don’t even possess a bark.”

That one got me. I let out a giggle. “I’m sorry, it’s just…”

Smiling, he nodded. “Yes, I understand perfectly. Now then, what can I help you with?”

Nervous, I stumbled in the search of what to say. “Well, Dr. McCoy…”

“Hank. We’ve covered this.” He winked.

I gave him a nervous smile. “Hank… well, I’m Talon…”

“Enchanté Madamoiselle.”

“Enchanté Monsieur.”

“Ah, vous parlez français?” His eyebrows raised, intrigued.

“Oui, monsieur. J'ai depuis de nombreuses années aprá¨s avoir appris au lycée.” I smiled, proud of my ability to recall French.

He bore a quizzical expression. “In high school? My dear, unless you are an advanced student, you appear to be not much more than a sophomore. Your aptitude, pronunciation, and diction of the French language are nearly perfect and above curriculum standards for someone in your age group. I realize that I previously stated to not judge a book by its cover, but I am human and susceptible to the same assumptions. You have me at something of a disadvantage.”

The proud smile remained. “That’s kinda what I’m here to talk with you about… Hank.” My brain had to stop before saying “Dr. McCoy” and replace it with “Hank”.

“Well, Talon…” he began. “That is a pseudonym, as well, yes?” I nodded. “Right, then. I do not know what required you to travel here and enlist my aid, but I will assist where I can.”

“Thank you.” I glanced down at the card again. “You see this card?” He nodded. “I’ve carried it with me for months. It was given to me by a Dr. Kimura…”

He straightened himself. “Dr. Michelle Kimura? The surname is familiar, I admit.”

“I don’t know her first name. She never gave that to me. But, I met her in a facility with some rather unsavory people. I was held captive there as some sort of experiment. All she told me was to find you and I would get the answers to my hundreds of questions.”

His eyes darted to and fro as though he were trying to remember something. “The last time that we corresponded was approximately the span of a human gestation period.” He smiled at my questioning look. “A pregnancy at nine months, give or take a week or so. That would place the correspondence during May of last year.”

I mouthed the word “Oh” rather animatedly.

“Right, then. At our previous correspondence, she was employed for Hex Industrial Laboratories. The name seemed like a facade. I’m not aware of who their parent company might be. You were held captive, you say?”

“Yes, for a little more than six months in some facility that reminded me of an older jail or penitentiary. The paint was peeling and the bars were made of iron.”

He reached over, grabbed a stool, set it a couple feet in front of him, and invited me over. “Please, have a seat. I gather you have quite the tale to unfold for me.”

He had an aura about him that made me quite comfortable. So, starting at the fight that won me a chance at the local semi-finals, I told him everything. I told him about the kidnapping, elaborated on my time in captivity, described the events of my escape, lamented about my time with Mike and Steven, relayed the tragic events where I killed seven men, explained my life with Posse, and finally told him about running into Green Arrow. He patiently listened through the whole thing. A time or two, he nodded but let me continue speaking. Not once did he try to interrupt the tale. Upon its completion, we both let out a weighted sigh.

“That is quite a weight for a young person, such as yourself, to be confronted with. It is quite the fantastical tale, but it is possibly not a unique tale in these times, unfortunately.” He smiled, reassuringly. “However, do not dispair. There are several contingencies in place that you may not be aware of. I am willing to conduct a few tests, provided that you are comfortable with the prospect. You see, there is a company out there called Science and Technology Advanced Research Laboratories, or simply referred to as STAR Labs. They have been working hand-in-hand with the federal government since the Metahuman Classification and Protection Act of 2011 established the Department of Metahuman Affairs, or simply DMA. STAR Labs keeps a database of known metahumans and what their abilities are. The more mundane tasks such as identity shifts, document alterations, and hardship compensation are all handled by the DMA.”

“All that happened in one year?” I inquired.

“Is it truly so unbelievable? The Department of Homeland Security and the Patriot Act were created in the span of eight months following the unfortunate events of September Eleventh.” He let out a sigh. “Thankfully, the MCPA was passed because of Democratic strategy. Thanks to some sympathetic advocates taking part in congressional hearings and Myka Carter preserving President Obama’s life, the legislation passed with overwhelming bi-partisan support. Without those influences, I have my doubts that it would have passed so favorably for the metahuman population.”

“I don’t really follow politics, that much. I see it as nothing more than an elaborate soap opera that you can watch on C-Span.” I grimaced.

He let out a chuckle. “The exact same metaphor has escaped my own lips, more than once.” He took a quick breath. “Well, then, shall we get started? I believe it appropriate to take a few swab samples near your salivary ducts, perhaps an MRI, and scrape a few shavings from these claws you speak so much of. You see, my equipment is more advanced than you would see at STAR Labs. I should know because I designed most of their equipment nearly a decade ago. So, my dear, you are in good hands.” He patted my knee in reassurance, much like a father or pediatrician would a young child.

He started with the cotton swabs, all sixteen of them. The samples were taken from under my tongue, on top of my tongue, the insides of my cheeks, and the roof of my mouth. Afterward, he was gracious enough to hand me a cup of water to soothe my dry mouth. I could taste cotton for about another hour. Immediately following, he led me to their imaging suite where a female technician helped me disrobe and don a hospital gown. For the next two hours, I laid on a slab and did my best not to move a single muscle. That was hard. Happily back in my biker gear, the technician led me back to Hank’s lab where he wearing his reading glasses again and reading from a bundle of paperwork. He smiled back at me.

“Ah! There you are. Not too fatigued, I hope? The experience in an MRI machine can be a little taxing, I know. It will assist our little investigation.” He explained. “I have been reviewing some preliminary results from your genome. Would you like to hear about them?”

Sitting back in the stool and helping myself to another large cup of water, I shrugged. “Sure.”

“It is painfully obvious that you’re not quite as enthusiastic as I am. However, I am the biochemist and geneticist whilst you are the laymen. You have also been lying still for the past handful of hours. No matter.” He smiled. “What was your age when this all began?”

“Well, I’ll be 28, soon. When all this…” I motioned to my body. “…happened I was only 26.”

“According to my preliminary findings, your genetic markers insist that you are merely two months older than sixteen years of age. I cannot comment on your aging process because I have not conducted the proper tests and that would require a longer-term commitment to study.” He let out a sigh. “I digress. According to your genetics, you are a sixteen-year-old female with an active meta gene. You’ll be pleased to know that I have not found any predisposition to any known genetic maladies, such as Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, Autism, Diabetes, or anything nasty like that. Beyond that, I have not conducted enough procedures to elaborate my full findings.”

“Well, that’s pretty much all good news.”

With a smile and a nod, he set the papers down on his desk. “Precisely. Now, about those claws.” He picked up a very shiny rock and presented it to me. “This, my dear, is an uncut diamond. Arguably, it is the single hardest substance on Earth. If your claims are to be believed, then this will enable me to scrape a few samples. For the sake of argument, that is not an implication that I believe you to be lying to me. May I proceed?”

Nodding my head, I lifted my foot up. After removing the boot and sock from my right foot, I extended it out toward him. Making sure it was not pointed at anything, I grimaced then flexed my calf muscles, causing the claw to emerge with a snikt sound. His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

“My stars and garters… That is extraordinary.” He breathed. “Is it painful?”

I nodded. “Yes. There’s one that comes out of each foot and two that come out of each hand when I make a fist tight enough. They all hurt pretty badly, but I’ve gotten used to it.”

“I will be as gentle as I possibly can. Also, I will scrape in such a manner as to not upset the smooth surface and cause you further discomfort from microscopic lacerations.” He took a breath. “Here we go.”

He positioned a big magnifying glass over my foot and the claw. Then, he grabbed a petri dish, maneuvered it near the claw, positioned the diamond, and I could feel some kind of scraping as it translated through the metal and into my foot. Though, it wasn’t much different than the sensation of smoothing out your fingernails with an emery board. I watched as several little shavings were collected in the dish, then, he did his best to smooth the surface again. There wasn’t any visible difference in the blade, itself. When he was finished, he threw up his arms and I relaxed. The blade swiftly returned from whence it came with another snikt. He kept his gaze on my foot as the wound healed before his very eyes.

“My word… that is a modern medical miracle, my dear.” I could feel him touching my foot. “Other than a few drops of blood, there is no visual evidence to suggest your flesh had been torn just now. No wound remains and there is absolutely no evidence of scar tissue. Fascinating.”

“Glad you’re so intrigued, Doc. Can I have my foot back? This position is kind of uncomfortable.”

He nodded, clearing his mind. “Yes, yes, of course. My apologies. You can understand my fascination as a scientist, correct?”

Rolling my eyes, I half-heartedly nodded. “Yea, I guess so.” I pulled my foot back and began to encase it in the sock and boot once more.

Dr. McCoy added some sort of solution to the petri dish, scraped it around, and then poured it into a small vial. He put it in some machine that spun it around at high speeds. Then, he finally deposited it into another machine. He explained that it was a mineral spectrometer and was about to explain its function when a sheet of paper started spitting out of it. His eyes widened again when he read over the results.

“By jove…” He breathed. “That is… how did they pull this off without a proper forge?”

“What? What is it?”

His smile grew as he looked at me. Then, he pointed at the diamond. “That, my dear, is about the only thing that can harm those blades. According to the spectroscopy I just performed, the mineral composition in the metal alloy is simply astounding. They may have taken you against your will, but, my dear, they have given you a rare gift. The alloy of those blades is seventy-percent platinum, twenty-percent iridium, and ten-percent osmium. They are some of the hardest, most dense, and most durable single metal elements on this planet. Presumably, some theories suggest that iridium and osmium don’t even naturally occur through the geological processes of our planet. They are incredibly rare and for you to be carrying a metal alloy with them in the composition is truly a thing to behold.”

With a quizzical expression, I attempted to explain his Greek into laymen’s terms. “So… basically you’re saying they’re really fucking hard, really fucking dense, there really isn’t much that can harm them, and they can cut through just about anything. Did I miss anything?”

He seemed to frown. “In more simplistic terminology: no. To be frank, Masamune couldn’t forge a tachi blade that would accomplish what your blades can.”

“The Masamune? Wow… I’m honored.”

“That is the point I am attempting to convey! You may be frightened of them. With their capabilities, you very well should be. They are quite lethal, as you are well aware. However, you are quite literally worth multiple millions of dollars with just how much of those three metals you are carrying with you at all times.”

Now, it was my turn to frown. “No wonder they were after me so intently. With me gone, they’ve lost an investment.”

“Precisely. Now, you are aware of the stakes, yes?”

“Painfully aware.”

“Good.” He let out a quick sigh. “Well, my dear, the hour is late and all this excitement has me quite fatigued. I am reasonably certain you are suffering similar symptoms. That will be quite enough for today. I will continue to analyze your genetic results. Say, perhaps, you return in approximately five or six days? I should have everything by then.”

“I think I can handle that.”

“Very well, then. It has been a rare honor and a pleasure to have made your acquaintance, Talon. For both our sakes, I hope we have some enlightening results in the coming days. You should return to your domicile and get some rest.”

I released a yawn. “You don’t have to ask me twice.” Giving him a smile and a hug, I made my way to the door. Just before taking my leave, I turned around and smiled at him again. “Thanks, Hank, for everything.”

He winked back. “You are quite welcome. Inform me when you have something other than a pseudonym. I shall enjoy future correspondence.”

Nodding, I turned again and left the lab.

Amazingly, I managed to find my way back to the house without too much trouble. There was a turn I had missed, but managing to get back on course didn’t take very long. The sun had already set and the colors of twilight painted the city in red and gold light. Dr. McCoy had been right about one thing: I was pretty exhausted when I returned. There was another handwritten note from “call me Becky” on top of another shopping bag by the front door. Rolling my eyes, I picked it up and read it. Basically, the contents of the bag were something nice to wear when the federal agents would be showing up at exactly ten o’clock the next morning. Grumbling, I took the bag upstairs to my room where I stripped out of my biker gear and collapsed on the bed in just my bra and panties.

Thankfully, the sun woke me up the next morning. Electing to take a shower, this time, my hygiene duties didn’t take very long at all. Coming out of the bathroom, my eyes caught sight of the aftermath of the previous night. The little shopping bag was fortified by a mountain of black and blue clothing. Snatching it up, I decided to take a look inside. First, I pulled out a puffed, three-quarter sleeve black jacket. Next, a package of black tights. After that, a pair of black, ballet-slipper shoes with a little purple ribbon bow near the toes. Finally, out came a purple dress. It didn’t have any sleeves, it had a closed nehru collar, and it looked like it would reach halfway down my thighs. If it were silk and embroidered, I would have mistaken it for a short qipao (traditional Chinese dress). What was with this woman and her insatiable need to put me in something incredibly girlish?

There again, I did have guests coming over with some measure of importance. Grabbing some underwear, I resolved to slip on the outfit. I was going to wear it, but I didn’t have to like it. If it made “call me Becky” stop buying me clothes, then that’s what it would take. The tights sat lower on my hips than I anticipated and stopped at my ankles. ‘Must be what’s in fashion, these days,’ I deduced. After putting a brush through my hair, I looked like any teenage girl who enjoyed going to the mall with all her “bestest besties”. The groan I emitted at that realization came from deep within my very soul.

There wasn’t time to dwell on it, though. Big Ben was beckoning, again. I slipped on the shoes that were, surprisingly, incredibly comfortable and ran down to greet my guests. Most of the outfit was comfortable, actually–even the tights.

The door swung open and the first thing I noticed was the badge being shoved in my face. Only having a short amount of time, I glanced at the badge and ID right next to it. Then, it was pulled back and I finally saw the people on the doorstep.

“Good morning, Miss. I am Special Agent Helen Helligan with the Department of Metahuman Affairs. I’m the Special Agent in Charge of the San Francisco Bay Area branch office, to be exact.” The short woman before me introduced herself.

She stood a little shorter than me, but only about two inches. She was fit, too, with a very nice little figure. The black, curly hair on her head was cut rather short, though. It looked like a feminine style out of the 1980’s. She appeared to be half African-American with olive complexion, black hair, and brown eyes. Did she have to wear the all-black suit of a federal agent, though?

Behind her was a blonde girl just an inch taller than me and an amazing physique. If I didn’t know better, I’d assume she was some kind of professional athlete. She wore a pair of skinny jeans, one-inch pumps, a plain gray T-shirt, and a thick denim jacket. Behind the blonde, two burly men stood like brick walls. They wore black suits and had little earbuds in their right ears. Yep, they were feds. At least, that’s what they appeared to be.

“Um… hi?” I greeted all of them.

“You are the one who calls herself ‘Talon’, I presume?” Agent Helligan asked.

Letting out a sigh, I crossed my arms across my chest. “I might be.” My eyes narrowed on her. “Who’s asking?”

She rolled her eyes. “I have already identified myself, young lady. Are you the one who calls herself ‘Talon’ or not?”

“You flashed a badge in my face. For all I know, it could be a fake.”

“I resent that accusation.”

“I bet you do.” My stance shifted to one of some aggression. I didn’t know this woman and, even if she was government, there was no trust between the two of us. Standing in the doorway, I attempted to cut off their entry to the house. My glare fell on the short woman and I clenched my fists. SNIKT! Out came the claws. Throwing my right fist forward, I placed the blades just below her chin–just enough to let her know I meant business.

The goons reacted by jolting for their sidearms. Glancing up at them, I almost laughed. I didn’t want to, but I’d taken out twice this many goons before. The short woman held up a hand and the goons remained tense with their hands lingering on their sidearms. Apparently, it was some non-verbal order to stand down, but they weren’t ready to completely do so.

“I can see there’s a measure of distrust…” She started.

“You’ve got that right. Who do you work for? Why are you here? What do you want with me?” The words seemed to hiss out from my clenched teeth.

She let out a sigh. “I already told you that I’m from the DMA. I work for the United States government. My chain of command is as follows: My immediate superior would be the Director of the DMA, Donald Harkin. Above him would be the Secretary of Justice, Attorney General Eric Holder, Jr. Then, the Vice President, Joseph R. Biden. Finally, the President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama.” She raised her eyebrows. “We don’t want anything from you, besides answering a few questions. Contrary to your belief, we are not the bad guys, here. We don’t intend any harm.”

“What sort of questions?”

“Merely routine questions aimed at eventually confirming your identity. I’m told you don’t have identification and haven’t for some time. We can establish your identity and even give you some kind of life back. Would you like that or would you rather I went back to my office and pretended this never happened?”

SNIKT. The blades went away. “I’m willing to provisionally cooperate.” A facetious smile jumped onto my face. “Do come in, won’t you? The parlor’s just down the hall.” I even held the door for them.

Without changing her expression, Agent Helligan entered the house. “Thank you.” She strode down the hallway scanning every nook and cranny with her eyes.

The blonde stopped in front of me and gave me a warm smile. She presented her hand for me to shake. “Hi, there. I’m Olivia Queen. I know it was a little rude of me to not approach you sooner, but I’ve been a little busy, lately. This is technically my house that you’re staying in.”

My jaw dropped to the floor. I was a guest of the Olivia Queen? Wow… when Green Arrow told me she had friends in high places, she really meant it. I stammered over myself for a moment, then shook her hand. “Um… well… uh… thanks a lot! The place is gorgeous, really.”

“Cute outfit, by the way. Becky hasn’t been too pushy, has she? She has a habit of really taking her work seriously.” Olivia lamented.

I shrugged. “She’s hardly been here, actually. I keep finding little gift bags either in the master suite or at the front door with little notes on them.” I looked down at myself, then back up to her. “I really don’t want to sound ungrateful, because I really am, but the stuff she gets is just not my style, at all.”

Now, she shrugged. “It’s no big deal, really. Between us, it’s not really mine, either. She should have the receipts on file and if there’s anything you don’t want we can return it, no problem. I just wanted you to be comfortable, is all.”

“Thanks, again. You’ve been so good to me and I don’t even know you.”

Another shrug. “Don’t worry about it. I do things like this more often than you’d think. You should hear how much my CPA keeps nagging me about it. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear he was my mother in a past life or something.” She glanced down the hall. “We shouldn’t really keep Agent Helligan waiting.”

I glanced at the two strong, silent types. Only one moved into the house and trudged down the hallway. “Goon squad not coming?”

“Unless there’s some monster assassin cutlery in the kitchen, I think we’re good without them.” Olivia snickered.

As she continued down the hall and I closed the door, my nose caught the slightest whiff of a familiar scent. I stopped for a moment to decipher it, but it was gone. Once the door was closed, I met with the federal agent and Olivia in the parlor room with the skylights. Agent Helligan was sitting straight in the chair with her legs crossed at the ankles and reviewed some kind of file folder. Olivia sat in the opposite chair and seemed to sink into it in a relaxed posture. This left me with the couch between them. Nervous as hell, I sat with my knees firmly together and my hands wrapped together on my lap. I’m not fond of government types, as one can tell. Setting the folder down, Agent Helligan fished a pen and small pad of paper out of the inner pocket of her jacket.

“Now, down to business.” Agent Helligan wasted no time at all. “Miss Queen, here, tells me that a certain acquaintance of hers contacted her two days ago for help with your situation. As it turns out, I am far from concerned about the report of your petty larceny in regards to a local liquor store, your public intoxication, or your illegal consumption of a controlled substance by a minor. I could frankly care less. What does concern me is the fact that you claim to be a metahuman, which places you firmly within my jurisdiction. Also, you do not possess identification of any kind, so we do not know your identity other than a professed pseudonym.” She let out a sigh. Man, this woman was long winded. “I’m going to ask you a series of questions that will help us determine your identity and metahuman status. Is that understandable?”

I merely nodded. “I told you I’m willing to provisionally cooperate. Get on with it. Ask your questions so we can get this over with.”

She smirked. “Good. Now, what was the name you were given at birth?”

“Lawrence Alexander McKinley.” I even spelt it for her.

“Thank you, Lawrence…”

“Lex, if you don’t mind. I really don’t like my full name.”

“Very well. Lex, what is your date of birth?”

“June 14th, 1985.” Olivia raised her eyebrow at that answer.

Agent Helligan didn’t flinch. “Place of birth?”

“Lincoln, Nebraska.”

“Mother’s name?”

“Sarah Jane McKinley.”

“Mother’s maiden name?”

“Kinney.”

“Father’s name?”

“Randall Elijah McKinley.”

“Parents’ city and state of residence?”

“Falls City, Nebraska.”

“Your former place of residence?”

“Seattle, Washington.”

“Former employer and job title?”

For a moment, I stopped and wondered why she needed to know that. There again, I really did miss my old job. “I was the Junior Lead World Designer at Orion Software in Redmond, Washington. I made video games for multiple platforms.” A reminiscent sigh escaped my lips. “I also did some moonlighting as an amateur mixed martial arts fighter, the nickname they gave me was ‘The Animal’.”

The goon raised his eyebrow. Now, he probably knew I could take him without breaking a sweat. Either that or he glanced at the package I was now encased in and underestimated me.

“Date of manifestation?” Agent Helligan continued.

I had to think about that one. “Um… the week before Valentine’s Day, last year, is when it started, I think?”

“Started?”

“Yes. It took a while. I don’t know why.”

Agent Helligan, switched to making notes in the file. “So, why did you leave Seattle and come to San Francisco, Miss McKinley? On top of that, why do you not have identification?”

Another sigh came from me. “I guess you have to know all of this. I hope you’re comfortable.”

Then, I elaborated the entire tale. I was getting pretty good at it, I guess. Goodness knows, it’s come out of my mouth enough times to have the whole spiel completely memorized. There wasn’t really much reaction from Agent Helligan, except maybe a nod or two. She even took notes of pertinent events. The goon stayed pretty stoic the whole time. Olivia, however, reacted as though she were watching a movie. She even cried in parts, especially once I told about my ill-fated reunion with Julia. I tried to make the point that I really didn’t want to kill those men and the memory still haunts my nightmares. I think Agent Helligan understood and wouldn’t hold it against me. That was a relief. When it was all finished, my own cheeks were tear-stained and I really had to blow my nose.

“Well, Miss McKinley, I think that’s about everything we’ll need.” She stood up, Olivia and I followed her lead. “I will cross-reference the date of the kidnapping and the assault with the Seattle Police Department and their local DMA office. Immediately after that phone call, I will get with my contacts and see if we can’t get some satellite surveillance on that facility you mentioned, if it’s still there. From here, we will proceed with genetics testing and a battery of tests to determine your abilities through STAR Labs. Are you familiar with them, at all?”

I quickly nodded. “Yes, I am. Though, you won’t need to go through with the genetics testing. Dr. Henry McCoy of UC Berkeley is already handling that and should have results soon.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Oh? How does Dr. McCoy have that information?”

“I went to see him yesterday, as suggested by Dr. Kimura. I told you that part.”

“Well, he does have the proper security clearances. We’ll have to tighten up that situation, though. Thank you for informing me.” She turned to Olivia. “Miss Queen, since this is legally your home, how do we proceed with contacting Miss McKinley in the future? Short of showing up at the door, I don’t see many options.”

Olivia pulled a small electronic device out of her jacket. “I was about to give her this phone. It’s already been activated. I can give you the number.” She handed the phone to me. Encased in a purple plastic shell was a brand new QPhone. She looked a little sheepish. “Surprise?”

Taking the phone, I smiled. The thing was pretty nice, being a direct competitor of the ever-famous iPhone. “Thanks.”

Agent Helligan smirked. “Well, then, we have much to do. It should only take a few days to confirm your identity. We will be contacting your parents and performing DNA batteries to determine that they are, indeed, your parents. Once everything is confirmed, we will be back with some papers for you to fill out. Good day, Miss McKinley.”

I furrowed my brow. “Now, hang on a minute. The only reason I told you all of that was to cooperate. Who’s to say that you punch all that into a computer and those people come after me again? This can’t go on record. For all I know, they’re still after me.”

She let out a sigh. “I’m doing my best to humor your paranoia, Miss McKinley, but even my patience wears thin. I’ll have a friend in the FBI look up this Dr. Zander Rice person, if it will suffice. Beyond that, do you want us to put this house and you under surveillance in an attempt to keep you safe?”

My head shook rather violently. “Nah, I’ll pass on the ‘Big Brother’ angle, thanks.”

“That’s what I suspected. Again, good day to you, Miss McKinley.”

She and the goon trudged out of the room, heading towards the exit. Olivia turned to me. I now noticed that familiar scent was back. Obviously, I hadn’t been paying enough attention before.

“Well, there are some things I need to go over with you. First, the code for the security system. It would be bad if the house were left unprotected, don’t you think?” Olivia began. “But, before that, I guess it gets pretty lonely and boring if you’re going to be around the house a lot.” She pulled a card out of the back pocket of her jeans and handed it to me. “Here. It’s a charge card to get you by for a while. I’ll have Becky dropping off food and such, but I think we’ll take her off clothing detail.” She winked.

Making sure the federal agents had left the house, I spoke to her in a low voice. “The Hayabusa really is a nice ride. Also, kelly green is really a nice color on you. And, seriously, thanks for the Triumph. I love that thing.”

Her eyes shot wide open. “How did you…?”

I put one finger up to my nose. “This got really good when I manifested. The nose never lies.”

Marked Target ~ Chapter Nine ~ by: Danielle Krieger (c) 2011 Lawrence "Lex" McKinley lives about as average a life as one can with metahumans popping up everywhere. Well, as normal as someone who spends their free time as an MMA fighter really can. He's about to get the shock of his life--the punch he never saw coming. In this installment: Lex and Olivia have an anti-climactic discussion. Agent Helligan begins her investigation. Talon saves a young girl from a situation that would scar her for the rest of her life, sparking a contemplation that could change Lex's outlook. Though, by how much?

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DISCLAIMER :: This is a retroactive continuity. A “ret-con”, if you will. It follows other stories in Lilith Langtree’s “Comics RetCon Universe”. The story is mine, but some of the characters are not. This is a RetCon of X-23, from Marvel Comics’ X-men (with a special guest appearance from Dr. Hank McCoy). Laura Kinney, X-23, and Dr. Henry Philip “Hank” McCoy, Beast, are trademarks of Marvel Comics. Green Arrow and Agent Helen Helligan are trademarks of Detective Comics. All rights reserved. The pic, once again, has been brought to you by the wonderful talents of Danni Shinya Luo (even if she gets the claws in the wrong place).

Author's Note :: This chapter really didn't take very long. I knew what I wanted to do with it, so it came from brain to fingers pretty quickly. The hope is that a few questions from the previous chapter are answered here. Thanks, always, to EOF for Olivia's appearance. Also, thanks to EOF, Drakira, and Lilith for being betas. Your input is invaluable. The rest of you, enjoy the read.

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Chapter Nine:

Olivia released a defeated sigh. “Boy, Speedy going to be pissed.”

About to say something, everything came to a halt like blaring music suddenly ended with a record scratching. “Wait, that’s it? You’re not upset that I discovered your secret?”

She shrugged and shook her head. “Not really. Should I be?”

My eyes glazed over, my jaw drooped, and my head bobbed up and down. “Um… yea? I thought that’s how it worked? Y’know, the ‘secret identity’ is supposed to be the all-important thing. If somebody finds out, it doesn’t seem to go all that well. Y’know, like in the comic books?”

A sigh escaped her lips. “Well, when you've seen the stuff I've seen... Let’s just say nothing surprises me, anymore.”

I smirked in surrender. “Touché.”

She raised an eyebrow at me. “So, how’d you do it, anyway?”

“Um… well, my nose is really good, now. I can smell a lot of things. Some of those things, you don’t ever want to smell, trust me. It’s one of my abilities, I guess. I learned some of the ins and outs of it living with Posse. Different people smell different. I learned that the hard way.”

“So, you can tell different people apart, just by their scent?”

“Yea, especially women. The particulars of that are a little too gross to go into. Trust me, every woman has a very distinct scent unique only to her. Men are a little harder to pin down, but they’ve got a distinct smell, too.”

“Okay, so, can you track people with your nose, like some kind of freaky bloodhound girl?”

I shrugged. “I guess. I dunno. I’ve never tried it.”

She seemed to be rolling a few thoughts around in her head. Then, a contemplative smirk stretched across her lips. “I may be able to use that. Barring that, if you so much as…”

I threw my hands up in surrender. “Hey, my lips are sealed. I will go to my grave swearing that Green Arrow and Olivia Queen are two mutually exclusive people.” Another sigh escaped. “I kind of owe you quite a lot, anyway.”

“Speaking of that, do you like the house?”

A pleasant smile played on my face. “Yea, I do, actually. It’s big, it’s pretty, and it feels comfortable. It’s just sad that I’m the only one here, most of the time.”

“Well, it’s yours. I bought it a while back and I’ve never used it. I’ll send a lawyer when the DMA is ready to do all your paperwork to transfer it to you. Same with the motorcycle. It’s yours.”

“Why are you doing this?” It begged to be asked, so I might as well have asked right then.

She winked. “I’ve got a good feeling about you. Besides, you’ve had a string of bad luck. Your whole life was torn out from under you. Believe me when I tell you that I know just how you feel. Some people really helped me out when I really needed it. Consider this my ‘Pay It Forward’ moment, okay?” Tears had formed in her eyes, but she was fighting them back. Must have been some tough memories coming to the surface.

“That must have been one hell of a helping hand.”

“It was. It really was.” Wiping her eyes, she glanced at her watch. “Look… do I call you ‘Lex’ or ‘Talon’ from now on?”

“Stick with ‘Lex’. All my friends call me that.”

Another smile played on her face. “Okay, Lex. I have to get back home or a certain tutor will have my head. Take care and I’ll see you soon. Okay?”

“Yea, thanks for everything, Olivia.” I held up the QPhone she’d given me. “You have my number.”

Laughing, she nodded and slipped toward the door. Recovering from a cerebral flatulent, she gave me the code for the security system and showed me how to use it before she left. My stomach took that moment to protest and I moved to the refrigerator to find something to fill it with, feeling utterly famished.

The trek out to the little hole-in-the-wall town had been a long one. Fatigue was written all over her face and made readily apparent by the dark circles under her eyes. Sitting in the center of the bench-style second-row seat of the government sport utility vehicle allowed her to keep her case files on her right and her laptop on her left. The leather upholstery kept them both from sliding around too much. This was typically how she arranged things when out in the field.

Reviewing the case file in her hands, Special Agent Helen Helligan went over her notes one more time. The day before, she had met with an intriguing young woman. Well, she was more aptly described as “some girl in her mid-teens”. The tale that teenage girl told was probably better suited for some novel and placed somewhere on the New York Times Bestseller list. However, one phone call to Dr. Henry McCoy, a highly respected scientist, had confirmed that she was, indeed, a metahuman. Thus, the newest Special Agent In Charge (SAIC) in San Francisco had to follow up on all the claims. After a plane ride from California to St. Joseph, Missouri, and then a long drive through the fields of “America’s Bread Basket”, she’d had about all she could take of this wild goose chase. She let out an exasperated sigh and closed the folder, rubbing her eyes.

The bald man in the passenger seat turned to her with a concerned look. “You okay, Helen?”

Glancing up, she shook her head. “No, Jim. I’d rather be back home than gallivanting around somewhere in the middle of the country. How much longer?”

He glanced up at the navigation unit in the dash. “Only another five miles. Not long.”

She wiped her face with her hands. “Has anyone gotten on the horn with the local authorities so they don’t assume we’re coming in and stepping on their toes?”

He thumbed toward the driver. “Sanchez took care of that yesterday, while you were on the line with Dr. McCoy.”

“Hank.”

“What?”

“Never mind.” She yawned. “We should check into our lodging, immediately, when we get into town. I think the team could use the rest, especially the drivers. We’ll set out tomorrow morning around oh-nine-hundred.”

The black-haired Latin-American man behind the wheel bore a smile. “Copy that.”

That was the easy part. The team of six, in two SUVs, descended into the small farming town of Falls City, just barely north of the Kansas border. There was no Holiday Inn or Motel 6 in this little shantytown. The only viable option was an older roadside motel, a relic from the 1960’s. Checking into three rooms, the team unpacked the vehicles and settled in for the night. Agent Helligan breathed a sigh of relief. Being the only female member of the team, she had a room all to herself. She may be underestimated by perpetrators and undervalued by her superiors based on her sex, but she liked not having to share the room. Once setting her things into reasonable locations, she stripped down and fell onto the bed. Sleep came quickly.

The following morning, she awoke early and ran through her routine: shower, dress, and awaken the team. Today, she didn’t want to seem too imposing, so she dressed casually in a simple white blouse, black slacks, black flats, and her black jacket. Clipping her badge on her belt and her sidearm into its appendix carry position, she gathered her things to be placed in the vehicles. The men were already packing the SUVs. It seemed they might have wanted to be here less than she did. Once everything was packed, they piled in and began their trek to the target location.

Navigating through the small town almost felt like taking a trip back in time. Thankfully, they had GPS navigation or they’d likely get lost. Most houses and people looked about the same. Street signs were small and difficult to read. Their trek took them across half of the little hovel to a house likely built during World War II. They slowed to a stop at the curb.

Agent Helligan keyed the microphone in her sleeve. “Okay, boys, listen up. Alpha squad will make contact. Beta, you’re on street watch. We don’t want to intimidate these people or they may not cooperate.”

“Copy that, Alpha Lead. We’ll stick down the street and remain on standby.” A man’s voice confirmed.

She glanced at the bald man and the Hispanic man. “Okay, boys. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we’re back home. Let’s do it.”

The two nodded, then all three piled out of the SUV while the secondary team drove further down the street. Agent Helligan took the lead as they walked up the dilapidated path to the front door. The house had definitely seen better days, like most on this block. Once getting onto the porch, Agent Helligan cleared her throat and knocked on the door. Getting prepared, she pulled her ID wallet out of the inside pocket in her jacket. In a moment, footsteps approached the door and it swung open.

A man in his later forties opened the door. His jeans had several tears and grease marks on them. He wore a plain white tank top and the red trucker hat covered the horrible mullet nicely. She was tempted to roll her eyes when his took in her form with lust behind them.

“Well, well… what can I do for you, darlin’?” The redneck asked. His accent seemed to match that of his birthplace: Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

She shoved her identification in his face. “Special Agent Helen Helligan, Department of Metahuman Affairs. Are you Mr. Randall McKinley?”

He stood straight, taken aback by her credentials. “Feds? The hell do you want? I ain’t done nothin’ wrong!”

She let out a sigh. “No, Mr. McKinley. You aren’t under suspicion for committing a crime. We’re DMA, not the FBI. We’d like to have a few words with you and your wife to ask you some questions regarding an investigation.”

“What sorta investigation?”

“Your son’s case has been reopened, Mr. McKinley. We have suspicion of foul play. May we come in and talk about it?”

“Lawrence? That boy is dead and in the ground. Has been for about a year, now. What the hell did you find?”

“I’m not at liberty to discuss the evidence in an open investigation, Mr. McKinley. It’s classified. May we come in?”

He scowled. “Fine, but you upset my wife with this and you’re out on your ass, Fed or not!” He spun around and stormed into the house.

The man was hostile already? This didn’t bode well. Agent Helligan and her two colleagues crossed the threshold into the house. The living room was quite small and only contained a recliner chair, a sofa, an old television stand with the device on top, a bookshelf filled with assorted VHS tapes, and a plant or two for good measure. Behind the sofa, Mr. McKinley crossed into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. He removed a brown glass bottle, released the metal lid, and took a quick swig.

“Mr. McKinley, I would advise you not to be under the influence of alcohol while we are conducting this investigation.” Agent Helligan warned.

He nearly growled at her. “Aw, hell, woman! I will do what I want when I wanna do it under my own roof! You come into my house! I’ll do as I please!”

A woman appeared from somewhere else in the house. “Randy, what the hell is going on? Who are you talking to?” Her accent was neutral, concurrent with her birthplace: Madison, Wisconsin.

He pointed at Agent Helligan. “The bitch with a badge that thinks she can tell me not to have a beer in my own damn house!”

With a shocked expression on her face, she turned to the three agents. Her hair was long and a dark brown color. Her eyes were an interesting shade of green. She wore a long gray T-shirt and sweatpants. Agent Helligan noted that she stood about five-feet-six as well as the rest of her physical description. She seemed much more cordial than her husband.

“What can we do for you three officers?” She asked almost sweetly.

“Agents, ma’am.” Agent Helligan showed her identification to the woman. “I’m Special Agent Helen Helligan, Department of Metahuman Affairs. We’re here because the investigation concerning your son has been reopened.”

Instantly, the woman sank onto the couch. “Lex? What did you find?”

“Some new evidence came forward and we’re not at liberty to discuss it. May we ask you a few questions?” Agent Helligan took her notepad out of the inner jacket pocket.

She looked somber. “Sure. Whatever you need.”

“When was the last time you saw your son, Mrs. McKinley?”

Tears began to well up in her eyes. “About… two, maybe three years ago? There was no open casket at the funeral. He was…”

“He was burnt to a fuckin’ crisp, that’s what!” Randall shouted from the kitchen. “They could only tell it was him ‘cause of his teeth, or somethin’ like that.”

That stunk of foul play. Agent Helligan continued the questioning. “What caused his estrangement?”

A tear rolled down her cheek. “Randy and Lex… had a fight.”

“The little fucker tried to tell me what to do in my own house.” Randall belched.

“Could you elaborate on that, Mr. McKinley?” Agent Helligan probed.

“Fucker tried to tell me how to handle my woman. He broke my rib. Took months to heal. I put him up on charges.” He took another swig of his beer.

“Randy dropped the charges…” Another tear, added by a sob. “…if Lex promised never to come back.”

“And, he didn’t…” He belched again. “…‘til he was dead.”

“Where did they say they had found your son?”

A tear rolling down her cheek, she sniffled. “Some big lake over some pass. I don’t really remember that much.”

Taking a long swig of the beer, Randall sighed. “Kittitas County Sheriffs was the ones that found him. Just up in the mountains by some lake with a funny name. Started with a ‘C’, I think.”

Agent Helligan’s eyes bounced between the two. “Kittitas County? You’re certain?”

“Only funny name that I remember. Too many injun names up there.” Another belch.

Taking notes, Agent Helligan could tell there was a lot more to this family than she anticipated. She also had evidence to follow up on and get to the bottom of.

Her eyes darted between the couple. “Did you know about the kidnapping?”

The woman meekly nodded. “Yes. His girlfriend, Julia, called us the next morning after it happened and she was hysterical. I told her to call the police. She wouldn’t talk to Randy.”

“Bitch doesn’t know her place, that’s why.” Randy belched again.

Agent Helligan stood. She’d had enough. “Mr. McKinley, if you do not cease with your offensive expletives and alcohol consumption during this investigation, I’m afraid we’re going to have to detain you.”

He scoffed. “Oh, you’re gonna make me, honey? I’d like to see you try. Maybe you’ll learn what it’s like to be handled by a real man.”

Agent Helligan glanced at the bald and Hispanic man. “Sanchez… Williams… Subdue this man.”

The bald man smiled. “With pleasure, ma’am.”

The two men bolted into action, crossing the living room quite quickly. Randall squealed and yelled as they tackled him to the ground. Mrs. McKinley screeched at the two men, begging them not to harm her husband. The scuffle lasted only a few moments. When all was said and done, Mr. McKinley was cuffed and forced onto one of the chairs in the kitchen.

Agent Helligan keyed the mic in her sleeve. “Beta team, move in. Bring the doctor.”

“Copy that, Lead.” The voice in her earbud responded.

“Who’s moving in? Who are you talking to? What’s going on?” Mrs. McKinley sobbed.

Agent Helligan moved and placed a reassuring hand on the woman’s shoulder. “There’s nothing to worry about, ma’am. Your husband decided to be hostile and we subdued him. If he remains calm, no further action need be taken. As per our investigation, a doctor is going to come in and swab the inner cheek of you and your husband. We need to establish parentage with your son so we can more positively identify him.”

“What? What are you talking about? Lex is gone!” She was bawling, now. “He’s dead!”

“Mrs. McKinley, we reopened the case because we suspect foul play. We cannot do our jobs properly without collecting a little evidence. Will you submit to the DNA testing?” She nodded. “Good. Do we have your permission to exhume your son’s body, should the need arise?”

“I…” The woman sobbed. “I…” another sob. “Fine…”

“Thank you, Mrs. McKinley. We will do our best to truly get to the bottom of your son’s loss.”

“I ain’t submittin’ to nothin’! You ain’t gettin’ shit from me!” Randall yelled.

Agent Helligan rose and glared at Randall. “You wish to further impede this investigation, Mr. McKinley? Do you really want Obstruction of Justice, Hindering a Federal Investigation, and Tampering with Evidence to be on your record? That is entirely up to you. I warn you that they are all felonies and carry a maximum sentence of thirty to forty-five years.”

He recoiled, finally. “No… I guess not.”

Agent Helligan smirked. “Good.” A knock came to the door. “In here, boys. Mrs. McKinley’s on the couch and Mr. McKinley is subdued in the kitchen. Do whatever you need to.”

The door swung open and three men entered. Two were federal agents, like her team. The third was a man in his late forties. He stood a full six feet tall, his hair was graying quickly, he wore glasses on his face, his mustache and goatee were finely groomed, and his lab coat made him stand out a bit.

Agent Helligan glanced at him. “This is Mrs. Sarah McKinley, Dr. Hamilton. Careful with Mr. McKinley in the kitchen. He’s a bit resistant.”

Dr. Hamilton nodded. “Dually noted, Agent Helligan.” He knelt down before the woman. “Mrs. McKinley?” She didn’t respond. “Sarah?” Now, she glanced up. He gave her a warm smile. “I am Dr. Emil Hamilton. I’m going to take a small cotton swab and scrape it against the inside of your cheek. It won’t hurt at all, I promise. Can you open your mouth for me, just a bit?”

She complied. He set to work immediately.

Nervous, my fingers danced over the number pad on the touch screen. Yes, my phone was that nice. Everything involved touching the screen. I pressed “Send” and put the speaker up to my ear. Sitting on the huge, comfortable couch in the TV room, I placed a fingernail between my teeth as I listened to the dial tone. It had been a while since we’d had contact. It really was about time this conversation took place.

The other end picked up. “Uh… hello?” A man’s voice came clearly through the speaker.

Tears welled up in my eyes almost immediately. “Hey, there. It’s so good to hear your voice.”

“Who is this?” He sounded very confused. “I don’t know anybody at this number.”

“No names, Brickhouse. They might have you bugged.” My voice was starting to sound hoarse, tears still building. Damn hormones.

He gasped audibly. “Holy shit… where the fuck have you been?!”

“Who is it?” Steven asked, barely audible with the electronic distortion.

“I can’t say who she is. They could be listening!” Mike told him. From the noises in the phone, he turned his attention back to me. “Anyway, where the fuck have you been?”

“I went to the place on the card. There was a bump or two, but it’s looking up, now.” I sniffled.

“Yea? How’d the meeting go?”

“Pretty damn good, actually. It looks like I’ll have something of a life, soon.”

“Well, that’s definitely good news. Anything else?”

I let out a sigh. “Kinda freaked out, actually. Had a visit from the Feds.”

“You’re shitting me. How’d that happen?”

“Someone arranged it. I guess it was all right. They’re going to get to the bottom of a few things.”

“Well, that sounds fine. How are you calling me, anyway?”

“A gift. I got a house, too, and a bike. I don’t know what to think about it all, yet.”

“Is it sounding to you like it is to me? Y’know, too good to be true?”

My eyes darted to the ceiling. “Yea. It’s all a little too convenient, y’know? Okay, so I have a nice, warm bed to sleep in. I live in a really fucking nice house. And, I have a motorcycle that makes me feel like my old self again. All of it was just handed to me without a second thought.”

“Yea, I’d be smelling a rat, too.”

I shrugged. “I dunno. We’ll see. She’s really sweet, though. One hell of a good benefactor, even with my paranoia.”

“Well, don’t do anything stupid.”

“When have you known me to do that?”

“Touché.” He let out a good breath. “I’m really glad you called. We were all worried about you.”

The dam broke and tears rolled down my cheeks. My voice trembled through sobs. “I miss you guys, too. So much that I can’t put it into words. I know I should let you go, now, but I really don’t want to.”

“Hey, sweetie, the feeling’s mutual, over here.”

“I’ve got shit to take care of. I’ll call you when I can.” I sniffled again. “For the sake of preventing a trace, I gotta go, now.”

“I understand.”

“Love you guys… all three of you.”

“Love you, too. I’ll pass the message along. See you soon.”

Pulling the phone away from my ear, I pressed the “End” button graphic. Dropping the phone, my face fell into my hands and I bawled like a little girl.

The streets of San Francisco can be unforgiving when you’re lost. Let me tell you, navigating over steep hills with that bike could be a bitch, especially at red lights and stop signs. In my own defense, Seattle was about 3 times the size, in square miles, of San Francisco, but I knew Seattle like the back of my hand. San Francisco was still pretty new to me, even if it occupied less square mileage. All I really had to do was get to Market Street and I’d be fine, but that was proving to be the Herculean Effort of the Day. Spotting a convenience store, I pulled onto the lot, shut down the bike, took off my helmet, and headed inside. Ignoring most anything else, I made a beeline for the maps. In a former life, I might have been satisfied in the adventure of being lost. Right now, I didn’t have the luxury. The map would have to do. Besides, it’d help me learn the city much faster.

After paying for the map and moving back toward my bike, I heard a very shrill noise. I stopped dead in my tracks, listening carefully and making sure it wasn’t some fluke. The noise hit my ears, again–though, louder, this time. It was a scream. It was a woman’s scream. No, scratch that. It was a young girl’s scream. My eyes darted around me and I moved my head, hoping to triangulate the location. All around me, people simply went about their business. The scream came again. It was somewhere off to my left. Turning, I spotted a man in his mid-thirties about to climb into his hybrid car. I strode up to him.

“Excuse me, but did you hear that?” I questioned him.

“Hear what?” Was his reply.

“That scream. It sounded like a young girl, I think.”

He scoffed. “Honey, that happens a lot more than you think.”

My eyebrow raised at him. “You’re not going to call the police?”

“What am I going to tell them?” He mocked a phone call in a sarcastic tone. “Uh, yea, officer. I just heard some little girl scream at thus and such intersection. Can you investigate?” He scoffed again. “Please, spare me. I have my own problems to worry about.”

A growl rose in my throat and my eyes narrowed. “Fuck you, too, Mr. Heartless Ass.”

He flipped me off as he fell into his car. “Have a nice day, bitch.”

The scream came again. Urgency welled up within me and I spun my head around. Something had to be done about it and I doubted the response time of the police for one suspicious scream. Without much thinking, I jumped on my bike, started the engine, revved it up, and peeled off in the direction of the scream. There wasn’t enough time to consider putting my helmet on. Besides, I wanted to be able to hear if the scream came again. I had set the helmet against my crotch and held it in place with my thigh muscles. It worked in a pinch.

Three blocks over, I traced the source of the scream to an alleyway between what seemed to be two apartment tenements. Three-quarters of the way down the alley, two young men seemed to be pushing a young girl in a school uniform between them. She appeared to be Latin American. One of the boys seemed to be African-American. The other seemed to be of European descent. Both of them wore attire that gave off a not-so-friendly vibe. At the end of the shoving, she screamed again while landing in the arms of the African boy. The expression on her face and the smell in the air told me she was terrified, while the boys seemed to be filled with lust.

Grabbing the clutch and twisting the throttle, the bike let out a quick growl. Kicking the transmission into first gear, I jolted into the alleyway. For good measure, I pulled the clutch and twisted the throttle another couple of times, allowing the bike let off another couple of roars. That got their attention. The didn’t release their captive, but they both watched me as I rolled into the alley and came to a stop. Not averting my glare, I kicked the stand out and rested the bike upon it. Cutting the engine, I rose from my seat.

The European boy wolf-whistled. “Damn, girl! You look fine! Wanna party?”

Leaving the helmet on the seat, I sauntered away from the bike toward them. “It would seem that you two already had one planned.” I leveled my glare at them. “Let the girl go.”

“Ain’t that a bitch!” The African seemed to chuckle. “Biker girl thinks she’s gonna walk up an play hero?” He scoffed. “Bitch, get on your ride and go home. You got no business here.”

“You’ve made it my business. I will give you fair warning: let the girl go and you can head home without a hospital bill.”

“Who the fuck you think you are, little girl?” The European boy snarled.

Continuing to advance on them, I also growled. “I have given you fair warning.” I balled both my hands into fists. “Let...” Snikt. Right claws extended. “The girl...” Snikt. Left claws extended. “Go.”

Fear, surprise, and anger danced over both of their faces. The African threw the girl to the side. Both of their crotches dampened as the telltale scent of urine filled the air.

“What kind of freak bitch are you?” The European screeched.

“Fuck this shit! You’re on your own!” The African turned and bolted the opposite direction from me.

“Hey, fuck you, man!” The European followed suit.

My glare stayed on them as they barreled out of the alley then disappeared around the corner. Once they were out of sight... snikt... the claws went away. My expression softened as I glanced down at the girl. She jolted backward as I slowly knelt down beside her. Her chronological age might have been twelve or thirteen, but at that moment she looked about six years old.

“It’s okay, sweetie.” I tried to cajole her in the most maternal tone I could muster. My experience with Alina had taught me a few things. “I’m not going to hurt you and those bad boys are gone.”

Fear still played on her face and filled the air around her. “Who… who are you?”

Keeping the maternal tone, a reassuring smile creased my lips. “I am called Talon. I’m a friend.”

“A-Are you a superhero?”

I had to chuckle. “Not exactly.”

“But… but you saved me.”

“Yes, I did. I heard you screaming and nothing could keep me away.”

Her face scrunched and the tears welled up in her eyes spilled out. She jolted forward and embraced me in a hug of desperation. She nearly knocked me over, actually. For a moment, I didn’t know what to do. Then, instinct took over. Wrapping my arms around her, I reciprocated the hug and softly petted the back of her head.

“Thank you, so much!” She bawled. I could feel it as the sobs wracked through her body.

“You’re welcome.”

For a few moments, I let her cry on my shoulder. I’d probably have to use a little conditioner on the leather, later, to prevent water damage. That didn’t really matter all that much, right now. The sobs subsided until they reduced to sniffles and she pulled away from me a little. I gave her another reassuring smile.

“What’s your name, sweetie?”

“Briseida Contreras,” She stated in Spanish pronunciation. “My friends call me ‘Bri’, though.”

“Mucho gusto, Bri.” With all the “Spanglish” bouncing around with Posse, I’d picked up a few things. My eyes darted around the alley. “Will you be able to get home okay or would you rather have a ride there?”

Her lip quivered. “I’m still scared.”

Another smile creased my lips. “Okay, then. You get to ride with me. No one will hurt you on my bike.” I winked at her.

She seemed to like that idea. Her fear seemed to melt away almost immediately, replaced by excitement. She spun around, grabbed her backpack, and then took my hand in hers as we walked back to my bike. Once we got there, I pulled out the map and asked her to point out her house. After she did so, I did my best to plot a course for that destination. It was a good twenty blocks away, so it took a little calculating. After folding the map back up, I helped her slip on the helmet and fastened it to her head. It was a little loose, but it would have to suffice. I could heal quickly if we crashed; she wasn’t so lucky. Setting her on the bike, she situated her skirt underneath of her so it wouldn’t flap up in the wind. I nodded at that tidbit of wisdom.

Soon, the bike roared to life and I carefully maneuvered it down the alley. Her arms were wrapped around me pretty tight, but hearing the sounds of her delighted screeches told me she was enjoying herself. Keeping a firm record of the course in my head, the bike bobbed and weaved through traffic along the route. My hair wasn’t cooperating too well without the helmet keeping it in place, so a few strands whipped me in the face. Soon, we were in what looked to be a low-income housing area with townhouses sandwiched so close together that their walls merged into one another. Apparently, this was the Ritz, compared to other housing options.

Slowing to a stop outside the house she kept excitedly indicating was hers, I carefully eased the bike into a parking space and shut it down. All around me, I could hear Mariachi music blaring out of stereos, Telemundo blasting from televisions, and the air was filled with all manner of authentic Mexican cuisine. We were in the southern end of the Mission District, after all.

Once the kickstand was down, Bri hopped off the back and I slid my leg over. As I finished getting the helmet off of her and setting it on the bike, she grabbed my hand and began leading me to her house. When the door swung open, my nose was assaulted with the smell of freshly made tortillas, refried beans, and salsa. Letting go of my hand, Bri left me in the front entranceway, began to rattle off greetings to her family, and went into a huge tale. It was all in excited and shrilled Spanish, so I didn’t catch any of it. A man who was taller than me, but still classified as short by typical male standards, rose from the couch and desperately tried to listen to the girl. She addressed him as “Papá¡”, her father. He had his dark hair cut short, he wore a thick mustache, and he had the good tan most Latinos had. A woman suddenly entered the room as he crossed over to me.

“ ¿Hola, mija, que onda?” She asked Bri. Then, the shrill tale began again, entirely in Spanish. Considering her apparent age, I conjectured she must be Bri’s mother.

“ ¿Quién eres táº?” Her father asked me.

My face went blank. “Oh, sorry. No hablo espaá±ol.” I butchered the language, but he got the point.

He looked defeated. “Pardon me. I forget.” He shrugged. “Who are you?”

A shy smile found its way onto my face. “Oh, I’m Talon, seá±or. I brought your daughter home safe. Something happened in an alley, she screamed, and I chased the boys off.”

Concern found its way onto his face. “What happened?” Thankfully, his accent wasn’t very thick at all.

“Well...” I lowered my voice. “They tried to take her innocence.”

His expression flashed to anger. “What?!” He spun around. “Mija! You explain, now!”

Bri jolted at his exclamation and spun to face him. Slower this time, she told her tale. Again, it was all in Spanish. I could catch a few context clues based on French, but most of it was lost to me. Her father seemed to relax as she continued. Tears welled up in her mother’s eyes. The woman glanced up at me and mouthed “thank you” without interrupting the story. I nodded to her. At the end, her father wrapped her in an embrace, seemingly very happy that she was safe and sound. Then, he turned around to me with remnants of tears in his eyes.

“Muchos gracias, seá±orita. I cannot tell you how much it means...”

I waved him off. “It was no trouble, Seá±or Contreras. I heard her scream and couldn’t stand by and watch. Those boys will think twice before messing with her.” I turned to the girl. “Bri, the next time they give you trouble, tell them you’ll call me to set them straight, okay?”

With a grin, she nodded. “Okay, Talon! I will! I’m gonna tell everybody at school how they peed their pants when you had those knives come out!”

Her mother looked confused. “Knives? What knives?”

“It’s an ability I have, Seá±ora Contreras. I’m a metahuman.”

“Like that Blue Beetle chica? She’s the only Latina that I know.” Her grandmother finally spoke from the kitchen.

I had to stop for a moment. Damper had mentioned her, but I’d never seen her in action. I had no frame of reference to work from. “I’m not sure that I know about her. I’m still very new in town.”

Her grandmother scoffed and started rambling off something in Spanish that I couldn’t understand.

Bri’s mother stepped forward. “Thank you for helping our daughter, Talon. We will not forget this.”

I smiled and nodded. “You’re very welcome. Make sure she has a friend to walk with, though. I’d rather not see her get hurt and me not be able to be there.”

Her mother nodded. “Neither would we.”

I waved to them all. “You all have a good night. I have to go.”

“Thank you, Talon!” Bri screamed.

Again, I smiled as I made my way out the door. “De nada, kiddo.” Again, I butchered it, but I was trying pretty hard.

I closed the door behind me and walked out to my bike. There was a sense of fulfillment that rushed through me as I mounted the bike and pulled on my helmet. That felt really good. I had single-handedly averted disaster in a young girl’s life. There just aren’t many words to describe it, really. The bike roared to life and I continued down the road. I no longer cared that I was lost. I’d find my way home, eventually. For now, I just wanted that feeling to linger for a little while.

Marked Target ~ Chapter Ten ~ by: Danielle Krieger (c) 2011 Lawrence "Lex" McKinley lives about as average a life as one can with metahumans popping up everywhere. Well, as normal as someone who spends their free time as an MMA fighter really can. He's about to get the shock of his life--the punch he never saw coming. In this installment: Talon reacquaints herself with the members of Posse. Agent Helligan's investigation continues and seems to come to a head. Lex receives a little surprise as she plays the game she was working on at Orion Software. Then, receives quite a shock.

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DISCLAIMER :: This is a retroactive continuity. A “ret-con”, if you will. It follows other stories in Lilith Langtree’s “Comics RetCon Universe”. The story is mine, but some of the characters are not. This is a RetCon of X-23, from Marvel Comics’ X-men (with a special guest appearance from Dr. Hank McCoy). Laura Kinney, X-23, and Dr. Henry Philip “Hank” McCoy, Beast, are trademarks of Marvel Comics. Green Arrow and Agent Helen Helligan are trademarks of Detective Comics. All rights reserved. The pic has been brought to you by the enigmatic Joshua Middleton.

WARNING:: There is a depiction of domestic violence in this chapter. I don't think I have to reiterate how much I abhor such things, but it keeps in line with the character who is the perpetrator. Thankfully, it is quite brief.

Author's Note :: This chapter took a little bit of tweaking. Some of my science had to be corrected. Thanks to EOF and Lilith for keeping my facts straight. It's a bit of a slow chapter, action-wise, but it's got some good info.

Contest :: Find my obscure reference and you get to beta Chapter 11. Good luck! xD

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Chapter Ten:

Getting a little lost wasn’t too bad, really. At the very least, I was in the correct part of town that I wanted to be in. In no time at all, the surroundings became familiar and I knew just where I was heading. The engine purred like a happy tigress as I piloted through the streets of the Mission District toward Bayview/Hunter’s Point.

A few minutes later, the area became incredibly familiar. On one side was housing complexes, either tenements or single-family homes. On the other side, it seemed there was nothing but older warehouses and run-down factories. Such was a reality in a West Coast shipping hub, I deduced. The same couldn’t be said for Seattle, but San Francisco had been around a little longer and there was that whole gold rush thing back in the middle of the 19th Century. As I pulled up to the familiar building, I grabbed the clutch and twisted the throttle a couple of times. This had become a fun way to announce my arrival. Pulling the clutch and brakes, I slowed to a stop just outside the door.

A moment later, the engine cut off and Damper stepped outside. “Horale! Look what the cat dragged in!”

Thumper tumbled out behind him. “Where the fuck you been, chica?”

I pulled off my helmet and threw my head from side-to-side for a second. This had been done in a few movies and I was performing it without even considering that it was the “this girl is hot” reveal technique. Giving them a smile, I set the helmet on the handlebars. “Well, been dealing with the feds, that’s what.”

Damper stumbled backward. “You ain’t bringin’ them here, are you?”

I scoffed at him and climbed off the bike. “Why would I do something stupid like that?”

“Good, ‘cuz I don’t wanna have to kick that ass of yours. It’s too fuckin’ sexy.” Thumper winked.

My eyes rolled. “Geezus, Thumper. Can we have one conversation where we don’t talk about my ass?”

He shrugged. “I can’t help it, chica.”

Damper smacked the back of his head. “Lay off, man.” Then, his eyes hit the chrome. “Where’d you get the sweet ass hog, though?”

“Damper, it’s gotta be a Harley to be classified with the ‘hog’ title. This baby’s a Triumph.” I lovingly patted the gas tank. “It was a gift, though. The last couple days have been pretty busy.”

Some air escaped his lips, almost like a reverse gasp. “Got that right. Come on inside. We’ll talk about it.”

Pulling the keys out of the ignition and stuffing them into the waist pocket of my coat, I followed the two of them inside. The smell of finely grilled hamburgers with all the garnish hit my nose and my stomach girgled. Esteban was working his magic, again. The three of us stepped inside. Bonita happily greeted me with a hug. Probe glanced over and waved at me. Scour looked up from his movie to give me a nod. Esteban was back in the kitchen, so I don’t think he noticed me. Typical day with “the family”. I plopped down onto the couch next to Scour who quickly explained what movie he was watching. However, Damper shut it off and tossed me a cold bottle of beer. I caught it without even looking at him or seeing the bottle. Yep, business as usual.

Damper planted one foot on the TV stand, leaning on his bent knee while he opened his beer. “So, seriously, where the hell you been? I know I told you ‘come back when you’re ready’, but I didn’t think you’d be gone for three days.”

Twisting open the metal top, I took a swig of beer before answering him. It’s not like I could get intoxicated with just one. “Well, robbed a liquor store and tried to get drunk, but it didn’t really work out. I had some good shit, too. Green Arrow came along, didn’t like my drinking, shot an arrow through my vodka and spilled it all over me. Then, she decided to put me on house arrest. I didn’t want to end up with the cops, so I went with it.”

Thumper furrowed his brow. “The self-righteous blondie got you? Fuck, that sucks.”

I knowingly nodded to him. “The next day, she took me out to Berkeley to see that Dr. McCoy I told you guys about. He’s cool shit, though. He ran a crap load of tests most of the day.”

“Did he find anything?” Bonita wondered.

I shook my head. “Nothing bad, really. He couldn’t really come up with anything after just three hours, though. It takes a lot longer for shit to work out.”

“Eggheads take forever with anything.” Scour snorted.

“Yea, but, they gotta know for certain about this kinda stuff, right, Talon?” Damper added.

“Yep. Genetic testing takes a little time.” Tilting the bottle upward, down went another swig. “The day after that, I met some chick from the DMA. I dunno what to think about that, though.”

“Chill out, Talon. DMA is on our side… unlike the rest of the Feds.” Esteban reassured me, appearing from nowhere in the kitchen.

I shrugged. “She said they were going to go through and confirm everything, but I can’t help being a little paranoid. After what I’ve been through in the past year, you would be, too.”

“Chica’s got a point, ese.” Damper agreed. “You got people you don’t know showin’ up and it makes ya think. Badge could’a been fake, too.”

“That’s what I said.” I acknowledged, taking another swig. Glancing around the room, my eyes took in each of their faces. The idea that came to my mind was a long shot, but worth asking. “Hey, you guys ever think of getting out of here? I mean, I got this big house, now, and I’m the only one in it. It’s huge and there’s plenty of room for you guys in it. You guys took me in when I needed it. I feel like I need to return the favor.”

“Thanks, Talon, but…” Bonita began, looking somewhat somber.

“No.” Damper shook his head. He threw up his hands, indicating the warehouse around us. “This is our home, Talon. Yea, we took you in. You needed to know you wasn’t alone. We ain’t goin’ nowhere. It’s cold, out in the open, and needs a lot of shit cleaned up, but it’s home.” He mentally took a step back. “Wait… you got a house?”

I shrugged. “A gift, like the bike, from Green Arrow. I also got a phone. The bitch has connections, I’ll give her that.” Then, a sigh escaped my lips. “So, not coming to live with me, huh? I guess I can respect that.”

Thumper chuckled. “Gonna have to, chica. We ain’t leavin’ here.”

“Well, then, all of you had better come and visit me!” Giggling, I barked the order. Then, my gaze fell on Bonita. “Especially you. Just because I won’t be living here doesn’t mean I don’t want to see that baby or that you can’t drop her off when you need ‘mommy time’.” I winked.

Bonita grinned. “Yea, I’m game for riding ‘bitch’ on your bike so we know where the place is.”

Damper shook his head. “No… no… there ain’t gonna be no lesbian fantasy in my head!”

Everybody shared a laugh. It was interrupted by a strange tone and vibrating sensation in the inner pocket of my jacket. Perplexed, I pulled out the phone.

“Shit. I’ve got a call, guys.” I excused myself before pressing “Send” to answer the call. “Hello?”

“Greetings, Talon. I do hope that I haven’t caught you at an inopportune moment.” The male voice on the other end was vaguely familiar.

“Hank?”

“The very same. Were you expecting someone else?”

I shook my head as if he could see it. “Er… no, but… how’d you get this number?”

“We have a mutual acquaintance at the Department of Metahuman Affairs, it seems. On that point, are you available to come in to my lab? It is imperative that we gather one more DNA sample from you.”

I glanced back at my friends. Every one of them had a confused expression. “Um… I guess so?”

“Excellent. I should expect you within the next hour or so?”

My head bobbed up and down. “Sure… I guess.”

“Salutations, Talon. Drive carefully.”

The line went dead.

The waiting was always the worst part. Three days ago, she and her team had visited the McKinley household in Falls City, Nebraska. Yesterday, she had made phone inquiries to all the reported acquaintances: Micheal Deutsch, Steven Kinsig, and Rachel Maddingly. Running their names didn’t take much out of her day. They didn’t even have misdemeanors. Micheal and Steven had been married in Canada, but such wasn’t legal in the United States, so she couldn’t legally acknowledge the union. A pity, really. All three were cooperative, but understandably protective of their young friend. She wasn’t certain if they were withholding any information. At the same time, the body of Lawrence McKinley had been exhumed and the forensic pathologist was performing the autopsy. Today, Agent Helligan wasn’t doing much besides sitting around the FBI field office in St. Joseph, Missouri, and awaiting word from any number of studies currently underway. She hated playing the waiting game.

She let out a sigh after hanging up from the call to the investigating officer at the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Department. They had discovered the scene after a fire was reported by a hiker in the area near Cle Elum Lake, just over the Snoqualmie Pass. Once they responded to the scene, they had found some camping gear and a body. After the initial autopsy, they confirmed the identity of the victim to be Lawrence McKinley and the cause of death to be smoke inhalation. So, a report of kidnapping goes to Seattle Police Department and Lawrence was actually out camping? It had holes big enough to drive a eighteen-wheel tractor-trailer through. She let out a groan as her head fell into her hands, wondering why she always got the tough cases.

The sound of a knocking on the door of her temporary office brought her back to reality. Glancing over, she caught sight of a man in his early thirties, wearing a lab coat and wire-frame glasses. Carrying a bundle of papers, he seemed cheerful.

“Oh, Dr. Farnsworth, please tell me you have good news.” Agent Helligan groaned.

“You don’t know the half of it.” He forcefully set the papers down on her desk. “You were right to think there were huge holes in the investigation. The dental history is an exact match, all the way down to removed wisdom teeth and a single filling in one of the top molars. It’s mind-blowing how exact, too.”

“Okay, that we knew. The good news?”

He smirked. “They aren’t even the same nationality. I don’t know who that body in my morgue is, but it’s not Lawrence McKinley. The bone structure is all wrong. Sure, it’s a male who would stand at five-feet-ten and falls somewhere between twenty-four and twenty-seven years old. On the flip side of the coin, the man on my table is Hispanic with some inherited Aztec bone structure. Didn’t you say that Lawrence McKinley was part Sioux?”

Agent Helligan nodded. “Yes, that’s the history his mother told us.”

“Right. The John Doe on my table had black hair. Given the photographs on the fliers from his mixed martial arts promotions, Lawrence had brown hair. Also, if you take into account the loss of water, skin, fat tissue, and even muscle tissue from burns that bad, the guy we have wasn’t even in the same weight class as ‘The Animal’. We’re lucky if he was about one-fifty-five.”

Grabbing the bundle of papers, her eyes scanned over the details. “Well, that confirms it. Did you run some tissue samples and DNA to identify our John Doe?”

He nodded. “Yea, but it’ll take a while to get back from the lab in St. Louis. Their database goes nationwide and our resources are much more limited, here.”

She shrugged. “DMA is officially backing out of that investigation. I’ve got other worries. You can pass it along to the SAIC for the FBI, here.” Smiling, she handed the bundle back to him. “Thanks for being so thorough, Doctor. Your reputation precedes you.”

He smiled. “Thank you, Agent Helligan. You’re too kind.”

The phone rang, ending their conversation prematurely. She pointed at the phone and he nodded, leaving the room. Letting out a sigh, she crossed back to the desk, sat down in the chair, and picked up the receiver of the phone.

“Agent Helligan, here.” She answered routinely.

“Helen, this is Director Harkin. How is your day going?” The man on the other end responded.

“Well, sir, we caught our first break. We have a John Doe in the morgue that I’m passing on to the FBI for identification. Other than that, there’s some character witnesses, but no solid evidence, yet. Why do you ask?”

Director Harkin sighed. “Well, I’m sorry, Helen, but we can’t authorize an operation into Washington State. This investigation is already costing too much and the FBI can’t spare the manpower for surveillance, right now. Besides, the only lead on this place is the word of some teenage girl in California. We can’t risk it.”

“I understand, sir. Did you manage to get anything from the Google satellite that passed over the area yesterday morning?” She nibbled her lip in anticipation.

“No, Helen. The area was overcast. We’ll have to wait another couple of weeks before there’s a photographic satellite in that area. The Pacific Northwest is notorious for cloud cover. No guarantees, even when the thing passes.”

Her heart sank. For the sake of the girl’s concerns, she wanted to confirm that site. “Would I have authorization for a field op? This girl is paranoid, sir. She’s convinced that whoever kidnapped her is still after her. After reviewing the police report from the day seven men were killed under the convention center, I’m inclined to believe her, sir.”

He sighed again. That wasn’t good. “No, Helen, I can’t authorize that. It’s enough that you’re encroaching on the jurisdiction of the SAIC in Lincoln and Kansas City. I’ll talk with the SAIC in Seattle and see what he’s willing to do. I cannot promise anything.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“You’re welcome, Helen. Now, wrap up what you’re doing there and head back to San Francisco. I have a sense we’re going to need you active in the area.”

“What would give you that impression?”

“We have several actives in the area, Helen. Take your pick: You have Green Arrow, whom we haven’t confirmed to be meta or not. You have Blue Beetle, who is not confirmed meta but does have some powers. There is also that Zatanna character to consider. You have Posse operating in the area and tied to three persons of interest. Now, you have this Talon character that is the only one that has admitted to killing people. I’m not condemning that action, but we haven’t confirmed it to be self-defense or not. I know you dislike the analogy, but we need our watchdog back in her yard. I suggest you get to it as soon as possible.”

“Understood, sir. I’ll wrap it up as soon as I can.”

“See that you do. Good-bye, Agent Helligan.”

One click and the line went dead. She let out a long sigh as she placed the receiver back into its cradle. Her head fell upon the desk and she closed her eyes, letting out a defeated sigh. That was disheartening. It wasn’t much of a surprise, however. Given all the budget cuts coming out of this Congress, she was amazed this little field operation had even been approved. She would count her blessings in being able to do her job, though. Before she could relax, the phone rang again. My, this was a busy day.

“This had better be good news.” She grumbled into the receiver.

“Well, hello to you, too, Helen.” The man on the other end greeted facetiously.

“Dr. Hamilton?” She shook her head. “Sorry. I just set down a call with bad news. Tell me yours is better?”

“You would be correct. After receiving Dr. McCoy’s overnight package, the past two days have been remarkably fruitful.”

“Lay it on me, Doctor.”

“Well, I now have indisputable evidence that our charge in San Francisco is a metahuman. I have the results to put into the file. You’ll be pleased when you receive the packet. Furthermore, I ran the DNA for the father, mother, and that body in the morgue.”

“Let me guess: there’s no relation?”

“Did Dr. Farnsworth already speak with you?”

“Yes, nearly ten minutes ago. However, you have the DNA proof and he has the autopsy as proof. Anything else?”

“Miraculously, I received a blood sample from the real Lawrence McKinley from his primary care physician in Seattle. It took some doing, but I’m very glad we were able to procure it. When compared to our girl Talon, it wasn’t an exact match. If anything, they are genetically siblings. Honestly, I anticipated that. After investigating Sarah McKinley’s medical history, she was deemed infertile because of complications during delivery. She has only given birth to one child.”

“That seems a bit vexing, Dr. Hamilton.”

“I am aware of that, Agent Helligan. Thus, I dove back into the DNA samples. I was able to connect Lawrence, Talon, and Sarah through their shared mitochondrial DNA. Lawrence and Talon both link back to Sarah as their mother. Given that she only had one child, I can say with certainty that Talon is Sarah’s daughter.”

A smile grew on Agent Helligan’s face. “Well, she’ll be pleased with that news, I’d wager.”

“There is one thing that still vexes me, however. I could not connect Randall McKinley to Lawrence or Talon.”

Her brow furrowed. “What does that mean, Doctor? What are you telling me?”

“When I compared the samples and conducted a paternity test through the nuclear DNA, there was only a one-percent probability that Randall McKinley is Lawrence or Talon’s father.”

“That’s… odd.”

“I agree, Helen. I don’t know who the father of Lawrence or Talon is, but I do know for absolute certainty that it is not Randall McKinley. Also, neither Randall nor Sarah have the meta gene to pass down to their children. Whomever the father of Lawrence is, and Talon by proxy, they are either an active or dormant metahuman. That’s the going theory, anyway. We still have not concretely determined what is causing these metahumans or how the nucleotides sync up to create the meta gene, but we’re moving forward with the idea that one parent must be meta–giving a fifty-percent chance of producing a metahuman child.”

Letting out a sigh, her head fell into her free hand. “So, we’re looking for another metahuman who could possibly be the father?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. However, given the number of metahumans manifesting these days, there are several records to sift through. It could, feasibly, take weeks or even months to compare all the DNA samples to determine who the father is. That is, of course, if we even have those records. The father could even be an unknown and undocumented metahuman.”

“Anything else, Doctor?”

“Beyond questioning Sarah about her sexual history so that we might narrow down the possibilities, there isn’t much more that I can do. Dr. McCoy has more physical evidence waiting for you to review once you return to San Francisco.”

“Thank you, Dr. Hamilton.”

“You’re welcome, Agent Helligan. I hope the rest of the day fares well for you.”

Needless to say, the trip back to Falls City was not an enjoyable one. For one thing, it was four hours through some of America’s most boring terrain. For another, Agent Helligan had too much time to contemplate the news she would have to deliver to the McKinleys. She would be fooling herself is she wasn’t dreading Randall’s reaction to Dr. Hamilton’s findings. Thus, she instructed Sanchez and Williams to carry their tasers, just in case.

They pulled up in front of the familiar house and she could feel the anxiety well up inside her. She was happy to have the backup, but it was just the one team, this time. Budget cuts can be a real pain, sometimes. Letting out a sigh and not saying a word, she nudged her head toward the doors and all three climbed out of the SUV, again. They strode up to the door and Agent Helligan knocked once more. There was a shuffling of a chair inside and footsteps came to the door.

When it swung open, Randall once again beheld the federal agents. “Back again? What the hell do you want, this time?”

“Sorry to bother you, again, Mr. McKinley, but there’s been a break in the case that we need to discuss with you.” She replied as cordially as she could muster.

He stepped away from the threshold. “Make it quick. I gotta work, this afternoon.”

Nodding, she and her backup followed him inside. The only difference was that Mrs. McKinley was in the kitchen and the smell of their lunch filled the air. The three agents stepped into the house and Williams closed the door behind them. Mrs. McKinley moved to where she could see and carried a bewildered expression.

“Back so soon, Agent Helligan?” The woman asked.

Letting out a sigh, she folded her arms in front of her at the wrists. “Mr. And Mrs. McKinley, we have some good news and some bad news. First and foremost, the person you buried last year was not your son. We have confirmed it by autopsy and DNA evidence. We don’t know who the man is. The FBI will take over that investigation.”

Tears welled up in Sarah’s eyes. “You mean…?”

“Yes, Mrs. McKinley, your child is very much alive.”

The dam broke and tears rolled down her cheeks. “Oh, thank God!”

“My boy is alive?!” Randall seemed to scoff. He sat back down in his chair and continued eating his breakfast.

Agent Helligan cleared her throat. “However, as per the duties of my office, I can announce that your child has an active metahuman gene.”

Randall dropped his fork, jumped up, and stood next to his wife. They were both very perplexed.

“What?!” They chorused.

“Now... you’re tellin’ me that my boy ain’t just some kinda fag, but he’s also one o’ them fuckin’ freaks, too? That ain’t good news!”

“Randall!” Sarah glared at her husband.

“That may be premature, Mrs. McKinley. There is the bad news. You see, when comparing your DNA to your child’s, neither of you carry the metahuman gene. In order for it to even be present, we believe that one of the parents must be a carrier of that gene. Incorrect or otherwise, that is our current running theory. Mr. McKinley, I’m sorry to say that, according to our lab results, you are not the father of Lawrence.”

“What?!” The rage exploded within him at that moment. Before anyone could react, he spun around to Sarah and shoved her into the refrigerator. “You filthy fuckin’ whore!” He coiled his fist and punched her across the face. “You cheatin’ fuckin’ bitch!”

In the next second, Sanchez and Williams jumped into action and grabbed Randall before he could further assault Sarah. Agent Helligan felt a pang of guilt run through her body. This is exactly what she didn’t want to happen. While the men subdued and cuffed Randall, she strode over to examine Sarah. It wasn’t immediately apparent what injuries she sustained, but there would likely be some bruising on her cheek.

“You get your shit and get the fuck outta my house, whore! I never wanna look at your ugly ass face as long as I live!” Randall screamed, writhing against his captors. “You’re dead to me, you hear! Dead!”

“Mr. McKinley, that’s enough! Unless you want a few hundred volts passing through you, I’d shut the fuck up!” Sanchez warned.

Randall glared at him. “Fuck you and that fuckin’ bitch!”

Agent Helligan spun around with malice on her face. “Get him out of my sight, gentlemen, and take him into custody for assault and battery!”

“Yes, ma’am.” Williams replied with something that sounded like a growl.

Mr. McKinley was dragged out of the house while Agent Helligan did her best to comfort Mrs. McKinley. This had dissolved into chaos and she knew she wouldn’t hear the end of it. It was going to be a long trip back to San Francisco.

Three weeks. Had it really been that long? Here it was, the middle of March and I had heard nothing from that agent from DMA. Didn’t they say something would happen within a week? I really hate it when government types get their timetables all screwed up.

For the first few days, it wasn’t too bad. I gathered up all my clothes and everything from the Posse Hacienda. The clothes and teddy bear got immediately thrown into the brand new washing machine. They stunk to high heaven, anyway. I hung out over there for a little while. It was nice to catch up. Bonita seemed to enjoy the ride on the rear seat of my motorcycle back to the house. She loved the house, too. Once she knew where it was, the others did, too. It was a little weird, though. They wouldn’t sleep over. They wouldn’t eat my food. They wouldn’t even let me wash their clothes. Bonita thought bringing over Alina’s laundry every week or so wouldn’t hurt anything, though. At least the baby would get fresh, clean clothes. Scour and Thumper loved the TV. They came over just to be able to watch it. We found out that I had cable.

After that first week, I was pretty much bound to the house. Expecting Agent Helligan to show at any moment, I didn’t want to stray too far from the place. So, I had to figure out something to do. There was really only one thing that I knew would keep me in the house, pass the time quickly, and keep me well entertained: gaming. I was still in diapers when I picked up my first NES controller and it’s been a love affair ever since. Thus, I endured the trip to the “mall” at the bottom of Nob Hill. Lost in the jumble of buildings housing stores like Tiffany & Co. or The Apple Store, I’m glad my new smartphone had an application that led me to GameStop.

The moment I learned that Microsoft had made a Star Wars Xbox Kinect bundle, I had to have it. I mean, the console was decked out like R2-D2, complete with authentic sounds, and the controller was designed to be his counterpart, C-3PO. The game, Kinect Star Wars, was likely crap and I wasn’t a big fan of the peripheral, but it was definitely a “must have”. Every nerd girl has to have her toys, right? It had been a limited edition, but they still had one in the store. With the card Olivia had given me, I purchased it and about twenty games I had wanted to play for a long time. Chief among those, the game that had been my labor of love while working at Orion Software, Shadows of the North. It was an action RPG that could be compared to Dragon Age II, but we had a bigger variety of dungeons than BioWare had put into their title. We didn’t like the “copy & paste” ideology that they seemed to implement in their game.

For the next two weeks, I spent nearly every waking moment playing the game I’d worked so hard to bring to release. With the main story quests, side quests, and one-off adventures, the game lasted a good sixty hours–like any decent RPG should. Seeing the full realization of all that conceptualizing, coding, animating, and decorating was like a dream come true. It was just gorgeous in all its high-definition splendor. Given Rachel’s concept art, a few elements of the terrain were very familiar. Also, my code to animate the grass when the wind blew worked like a charm. There were no glitches, either, so hats off to the QA department. After taking on the final boss, I delighted in watching the credits roll and seeing all the familiar names scroll past the screen. There was a surprise at the end of the credits, though. At the very end, the screen faded to black and an image of my old self centered on the screen. Above a candid photo of me in the lounge at work, the text read: In loving memory of Lawrence “Lex” McKinley. Below the picture, it read: June 14, 1985 — March 17, 2011 … May you be making the scenery as gorgeous in heaven as you did for us. The tears flowed freely. I didn’t know whether to hug them all or punch them all in the face.

After finishing that game, I moved on to refreshing my memory of what had happened in Dragon Age: Origins before diving into the story of Dragon Age II. I had the Ultimate Edition with all the downloadable content included. It was going to take me a while to get through the game. That’s one reason I enjoy RPGs so much, they’re an investment of time. I had all the time in the world until I heard back from Agent Helligan.

So, there I was on the couch with the C-3PO controller in my hand and wearing my Punisher T-shirt over a sports bra and panties. My hair was still a tad damp from my shower, but nearly dry. I had resolved a long time before then that going around without some form of bra was somewhat uncomfortable. So, with a sports bra, my boobs were comfortably contained and their jiggling protests at my movement were kept to a minimum. Gallivanting around Ferelden, I hacked and slashed my way to victory while falling in love with the adorable nitwit Alistair. There were guffaws at all the drunken jokes at the expense of Oghren, giggles at the annoyed detachment of Morrigan, a laugh when Sten wanted cookies, and snickers whenever Shayle saw a bird or talked about smashing people’s heads in as the “girly” thing to do.

Wait… did I just say ‘falling in love’ and ‘adorable’ in reference to a guy?

Big Ben beckoned, interrupting my thoughts on the matter. Pressing the “start” button and bringing up the pause menu, I quickly let out a breath that vibrated my lips. It had been at least a week and a half since the doorbell had beckoned me. The first thought that came to my mind was the possibility that Bonita was bringing the baby over. At the very least, that curved my reluctance to answer Big Ben’s call. My bare feet clapped against the hardwood floor as I meandered toward the entrance area. With a bored look on my face, I twisted the knob and opened the door to the outside world.

Again, the badge was thrust in my face. “Agent Helligan, DMA. May we come in, Talon?”

“Sure, but the goons should stay outside.” I answered in my monotone of disinterest.

The typically “always serious” special agent actually smiled. “I have a surprise for you, young lady.” She even winked. Then, she looked me up and down. “However, you could have dressed a bit less casually for the occasion.”

When she strode into the house, a brunette stepped forward from behind the two goons. As soon as our eyes met, I knew exactly who this new woman was. I hadn’t seen her in a couple of years, but I would never forget that face.

“Hello, sweetheart.” She greeted, tears forming in her eyes.

My own eyes shot open very wide. “Mom?!”

Marked Target ~ Chapter Eleven ~ by: Danielle Krieger (c) 2011 Lawrence "Lex" McKinley lives about as average a life as one can with metahumans popping up everywhere. Well, as normal as someone who spends their free time as an MMA fighter really can. He's about to get the shock of his life--the punch he never saw coming. In this installment: Lex enjoys a fateful reunion with someone from her past and must confront all the ramifications of it. Agent Helligan and a lawyer help iron out the details. A long awaited heart-to-heart finally occurs. Lex shows her mettle to those who would doubt her.

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DISCLAIMER :: This is a retroactive continuity. A “ret-con”, if you will. It follows other stories in Lilith Langtree’s “Comics RetCon Universe”. The story is mine, but some of the characters are not. This is a RetCon of X-23, from Marvel Comics’ X-men (with a special guest appearance from Dr. Hank McCoy). Laura Kinney, X-23, Dr. Henry Philip “Hank” McCoy, Beast, and Jennifer Walters, SheHulk, are trademarks of Marvel Comics. Agent Helligan is a trademark of Detective Comics. All rights reserved. The pic for this chapter was lovingly created by Phil Noto.

Author's Note :: Yes, it's been a long time since there's been an update. I'm really sorry for that. You can check my blog posts if you want the details (what little I provided). It's been a rough go.

This chapter and this posting would NOT be possible without EnemyofFun. Were it not for a file transfer on Skype, I still wouldn't have the part I'd actually written of this chapter. Thank you for your continued support and the occasional shoulder to cry on. Asari Adept is STILL the best class in ME3 multiplayer. :P

Of course, not one word of this story would exist without the idea from Lilith Langtree. Thanks for letting us play in your sandbox, hon. ;)

The beta readers for this chapter were Valentine and Joe_Q, who both found the reference in Chapter 10. It's been a while and they had to go back to read ALL TEN CHAPTERS, thus far, to accurately beta THIS chapter. You guys ROCK! xD

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Chapter Eleven:

Standing there like an idiot for a moment, I was nothing except dumbfounded. Even though I hadn’t seen her in about three years or so, it was as though my eyes were seeing this woman for the very first time. Ever since this whole thing started, it seemed as though my whole perspective toward everything had changed. My mother was now an inch taller than I was, rather than four inches shorter. She may have been approaching fifty, but not a single gray hair blemished her chocolate locks. Even filling with tears, her eyes were a stunning green. Now, I knew where I got my eyes from. There wasn’t time to reflect on how I’d managed to miss that detail. Her slender form approached me and thoroughly embraced me.

For a moment, I was overwhelmed with shock and hesitated. That was fleeting as I was filled with a sense of comfort, security, and familiarity. There was a great deal of love in my mother’s embrace. Also, there was a sense of regret, happiness, and relief in there somewhere. I have no idea how I knew that. I could just feel it in the way her muscles gripped around my form. Slowly, tears formed in my eyes and my arms slipped around her. My head turned and rested on her shoulder with relative ease. Interestingly enough, I could even tell this was my mother by her scent. I have no theory on that, either.

I didn’t want it to end, but my mother released with a sniffle. “Let me look at you.” Next, her hands were gently caressing my face and pushing my hair back. Her smile broadened. “There you are. You’ve got your grandmother’s hair, my eyes and chin, along with your grandfather’s little ears.” She nibbled her lower lip. “I don’t know where that forehead, that nose, or those lips came from. They’re not from me, though.” She glanced down at my chest. “And, those are definitely not mine.”

Blushing, I instinctively crossed my arms over my chest, blushed deeply, and whined at her. “Mo-ommm…” There was no doubt, now. Only my mother could embarrass me like that.

She seemed to giggle. “I’m sorry, Lex. It’s been a while and a few things have changed, okay? Humor me?”

Letting out a sigh of defeat, I grumbled. “Fine. Just… close the door, would you?”

As I spun and began heading to the parlor, she pushed the door closed and grabbed my arm. “I don’t think so, young lady. You’d best get upstairs and at least put some pants on.” She lightly and playfully swatted my rear end.

Surprised, a squeak escaped my lips. Spinning back to her, my brow furrowed. “Is that a request or an order? I’m not a child anymore, Mother.”

She put her hands on her hips and smirked at me with a raised eyebrow. Oh, it was an order. “Not from where I’m standing. Now, get up there and do as I’ve asked, please?”

Okay… maybe a suggestion? She had always been rather vexing. I let out a groan. “Fine.”

My feet slapped against the hardwood floor, again, as I trudged toward to the stairs. Behind me, her footsteps echoed slowly. She was obviously scanning the house with her eyes and taking her time getting to the parlor. Once arriving in my room, I started rifling through the clothes on the floor to grab a pair of jeans. Everything was pretty clean, so it wasn’t that big of a deal. Even with my hearing, I could barely make out the small talk going on between Agent Helligan and my mother. They spoke in rather hushed tones, so I could only hear mumbles. Grabbing a random pair of blue jeans and shimmying into them, I was back downstairs pretty quickly.

Upon arriving in the parlor, there was another surprise waiting for me. There was another brunette in a suit sitting and talking with Agent Helligan and my mom. Her hair was lighter than my mother’s, as was the shade of green in her eyes. Unlike the federal agent whom was clad in a pantsuit, this woman wore a navy skirt suit with suntan nylons but the sensible pumps were there. She had her hair tied up in a messy bun and black plastic-framed glasses adorned her face. Her perfume had a sweet smell and was, thankfully, very light.

Obviously, I entered the room with a puzzled expression on my face. The three of them stood. The new girl was a few inches taller than my mother, but that could have been attributed to her heels. Thus, I brushed off her height, for the time being. Agent Helligan nodded toward the new girl who smiled at me.

“Talon, this is…” She began.

The tall woman approached me, holding out her hand. She looked pretty young to me. At best guess, she was in her very early twenties. “Jennifer Walters. Pleasure to meet you.”

She got a guarded expression rather than my hand. “Who let you in my house and why are you here?”

“I let her in, Talon. She is here as legal counsel.” Agent Helligan informed me. “For you.”

“A lawyer? Do I need a lawyer?” My questioning eyes darted between my mother, Agent Helligan, and the woman whose hand was still held out for me to shake. “How are you a lawyer, anyway? You look a little young for that.”

She smiled. “I get that a lot, now.” A quick breath escaped her lips. “Well, has anyone laid out your particular rights and responsibilities according to the Metahuman Classification and Protection Act of 2011 or any subsequent laws passed by the California legislature?” The lawyer woman asked.

My expression went blank. “Well, no, but…”

“Precisely why I’m here. Let’s try this again, shall we? I’m Jennifer Walters and I’ll be your legal counsel, today.” She smiled again.

Finally, I shook her hand. “Generically, I’m known as Talon.”

“Well, Talon, that’s one of the things we’ll be discussing, today. If you’d like to take a seat next to your mother, we can begin the whole process. Sorry, but there’s quite a bit of paperwork to go through.” She looked genuinely remorseful.

Agent Helligan sighed. “Yes, there is a bit of paperwork. I’m sorry it cuts into your reunion with your mother, but it must be done.”

Letting out a sigh, my feet trudged their way into the parlor and I sat down on the couch with my mother. To my left sat Ms. Walters. To my right sat Agent Helligan. Giving me a meek smile, my mom slid her arm over my shoulders. I couldn’t really tell whether she was trying to comfort me or she was just touching me to show a little affection. Did it really matter?

Agent Helligan cleared her throat. “First of all, Talon, I would like to inform you that the claims that man made back in Seattle about your funeral were correct. Everyone you knew was informed that you had been killed in a fire while camping.”

My eyes quickly blinked a few times. “Wait… so, Julia was right when she was all in hysterics when I kept insisting I was me?”

Agent Helligan nodded. “Unfortunately, that is correct. Whoever took you faked your death.”

I could hear my mom sniffle. “It was terrible, Lex. We were so sure we’d lost you.”

Tears welled up in my eyes and my head turned to her. “I’m sorry, Mom. That must have been really hard for you.”

Her grip tightened around me, confirming my suspicions.

“Regardless of that tragic event, your mother gave us permission to exhume the body. We quickly learned that it wasn’t Lawrence McKinley, at all, but a clever fake aimed to detract any further investigation. Dr. McCoy and Dr. Hamilton collaborated and were able to prove that you are, in fact, this woman’s child.” She motioned towards my mother. “Her medical records told us that she only ever had one child, so the deduction from there was rather simple. With that in hand and empirical evidence from other metahumans, we have confirmed your identity.”

“Oh, thank the Maker…” The game had rubbed off a little, but that didn’t change my elation and relief. “I’m really me.”

Now, the lawyer spoke. “Yes, you are legally whom you claim to be. Now, since you are a metahuman, Agent Helligan is now authorized to process your legal paperwork. This includes a new birth certificate, identification cards, immunization records, school records, and even a passport, if you wish. All of that was outlined in the MCPA as her duties.” Agent Helligan handed her a small bundle of paperwork. “This packet, here, includes all the necessary documentation to start that process. You may choose a new name. I would advise discretion because this will be your legal name from this moment forward.” Her eyes met mine and she handed me the bundle. “Have you given the prospect any thought?”

I shook my head. “Honestly? Not really. I mean, I’m not really married to my old name. First, I hate ‘Lawrence’. Second, I’m not a fan of ‘Alexander’, either.” I glanced over at Mom, who was reviewing the papers. “Sorry, Mom.”

She shook her head. “It’s okay, sweetheart. ‘Lawrence’ was Randy’s idea, anyway. Even I didn’t like it.”

Agent Helligan smiled. “Well, neither of those is hardly appropriate, now.”

My mom’s gaze met my own. She, too, bore a smile. “You know I love you, Lex, but it was always a dream of mine to have a daughter. I think every woman secretly dreams of having a little girl to bring up in the world.” Tears welled up in her eyes again. “I never regretted having you, Lex. Not for one minute. It looks like I finally got my wish, though.” She sniffled. “I never would have willingly wished this upon you. Just know that, okay?” Her hand squeezed my shoulder.

Suddenly, there was a tempest of emotion inside of me. Thoughts of my childhood came flooding back to the surface. I had dreamed of being a mother, some day. Sure, the thought of sleeping with a man repulsed me, still, but it was a dream. When I was a child, I didn’t know the mechanics involved. It was really a pipe dream. Growing up was a little awkward, but I’d somehow found a way to cope with the maelstrom inside. Conflicting feelings had hit me from all sides that I’d never been able to pin down. That is, not until all of this had happened to me. In some ways, I still acted like a guy. That was probably going to be a given. For some reason, though, I never really fully hated the transformation from tall, muscular, mid-twenties guy to short, small-statured, teenage girl. At the very least, I made a cute girl.

The dam was insufficient. Tears rolled down my cheeks. With the hormones coursing through my veins and the tempest of emotions, it was inevitable that they would fall. “Mom… I’m not sure how else to put this…”

“You know what I was going to name you, had you been born the way you are now?” She smiled, interrupting me. I shook my head. “Laura.” She let out a sigh. “That doesn’t really seem appropriate, though. It’s dated. A girl your age would get lynched with a name like that.” She took her arm from over my shoulders and took my hand. “What do you think of ‘Lauren’? It’s more appropriate for a teenager, these days.”

A meek smile creased my lips. “I’d like that, Mom. It seems only fitting for you to name me.”

“I hadn’t thought of a middle name, though.” She lamented. “There wasn’t really the time…”

“Alexis.” My reply was swift and automatic. At her questioning look, I nodded. “Blame Rachel for that one. It was all her idea. She used it so she could still call me ‘Lex’, but in reference to a girl’s name. Call me crazy, but I kinda like it.”

“Lauren Alexis…” She mulled over the name, trying it on for size, I’d wager. “That really sounds nice together like that.”

“Very well.” Agent Helligan commented. “So, it’s to be ‘Lauren Alexis Kinney’, then? That’s very nice.”

Again, I blinked. “Kinney?” My eyes darted to my mother for confirmation.

She nodded. “That’s right, honey. We’ll be using my maiden name. As it turns out, Randall isn’t really your father, after all.”

“Oh, thank God!” I breathed. “Mom, not to jab a blunt spoon through your heart, but you’re better off without that asshole.”

“He was a good man… once. I loved the man I knew before we got married. I stayed with him because I didn’t know anything else.” She squeezed my hand gently. “I’m sorry I put you through those things merely because of my own insecurities.”

More tears. Fucking hormones. “You didn’t do it, Mom. Randall did. Don’t beat yourself up about it.”

Ms. Walters took a breath. “Right. I hate to break it up, ladies, but we’ve got quite the ordeal to undertake. Ms. Kinney, if you’ll go ahead, fill out the required spaces, and sign the appropriate pages, we can move on from here.”

My mom took a pen provided and began to fill out the forms.

“I know this must be hard on the both of you, but I want you to know that you have the full support of the DMA on this.” Agent Helligan explained. Her gaze fell on me. “Now, Lauren, I want you to know that this information is going into an individual file through the U.S. Marshal’s Witness Protection Program. It will all remain in paper format. It will not be converted into computer files until you give the authorization. That’s not going to be my call to make. When you feel safe and don’t feel that people are actively searching for you, any longer, then you just say the word and we’ll get it all sorted out. Does that sound like a plan to you?”

My brow furrowed. It was a little weird hearing the name my mother had just bestowed on me being used for the first time. “So, it’s my call to make about when to put it into the computer? Wow. Thanks.”

She smiled. “You’re welcome. I know there’s an atmosphere of distrust. Given what you’ve been through, I can’t say that I blame you. I just wanted you to know that I understand the reasoning for you paranoia.”

“What changed your mind on that?”

“The lengths these people went through to fake your death and attempt to cover up what was really going on struck a messy chord. We still don’t have a positive I-D on that facility you mentioned, but give it time.” She turned and dug into her briefcase once more. She pulled out a rather sizable file folder. “For the sake of your safety, I had some friends go through and create a whole new identity for you. Other than the name, they’ve established everything. Everything you would imagine could be in a sixteen-year-old girl’s file is in here.”

“May I examine those, Agent Helligan?” Ms. Walters asked.

The agent passed the bundle to the lawyer. “It’s a whole new life for you. It even comes with a stipend from Uncle Sam, to the tune of $15,000.”

The lawyer mumbled from the paper work. “Article 2, Section 4, Subsection C of the MCPA: A stipend to be awarded to newly confirmed metahumans shall be given under the discretion of the local Special Agent In Charge and determined by the SAIC and Director on a case-by-case basis. A one-time-only award shall be given to cover expenses associated with any and all anticipated metamorphoses.”

Agent Helligan nodded. “Exactly. Very astute recitation, Ms. Walters.”

The lawyer glanced over the frame of her glasses toward the federal agent. “I am very good at what I do, Agent Helligan.”

I blinked. “So, what does this all mean for me, exactly?”

“A new beginning.” Agent Helligan smiled. “This is the start of a new life for you.”

Ms. Walters thumbed through the pages. “Yes, well, everything is in here. It has a new birth certificate that states Sarah as the mother, but doesn’t list a father. There are immunization records, a passport form, and school records as well. Apparently, you’re on your way to a 4.0, young lady. I wouldn’t tarnish that. It also states that you’re to be transferred as a sophomore into Jack Kirby Central High School after Spring Break.”

“What?!” My mother and I chorused.

“For your protection, Lauren, we have made arrangements for you to attend school. There are U.S. Marshals watching the house and we have a detail that will be ready for surveillance at the school. For the sake of safety, we thought it best for you to procure the identity of an average teenage girl. It’s the best I could come up with.” Agent Helligan explained.

“But… I’ve graduated high school! I’m the Class of 2003 at Falls City High! I graduated from the University of Washington in 2007, magna cum laude I might add! Why do I have to go back to High School?” This was starting to piss me off.

“Do you not believe those men are still after you? If so, the best thing we can do is everything possible to keep you safe. Do you want to be cooped up in the house all day or would you rather develop some semblance of a social life? This is a second chance at life that most would kill for.”

Rising angrily, my glare zeroed in on Agent Helligan. Tears rolled down my face at record pace, but I didn’t care. Even if my voice went shrill, I had to get this out. “I don’t want a new life, Miss Federal Agent! I want my life back! I want to go back to my home! I want to hang out with my friends, again! I want my naive sense of security back! I want my dream job back!”

Sobs were beginning to overtake me. “Do you know that ever since I first laid eyes on Super Mario World that I knew what I wanted to do with my life? Ever since I picked up a Genesis controller and rolled around a level as Sonic, I knew that. When I first touched Golden Eye, I wanted to know the code they used to transfer the ricochet and explosion animations into paintball splatter! I wanted all of that!”

A huge sob forced me to take an audible breath. I could feel my knees start to buckle as sobs rippled through me. “I want to hold the only woman I’ve ever truly loved in my arms, again. Life doesn’t mean a goddamn thing without what we shared together.” A sobbing, defeated sigh emitted from deep within the bowels of my resolve. “I want the lives of those seven men back. Not just for myself and my own conscience, but for their families and their friends.” The river of tears continued, I sniffled. “I want all of that back. You can’t give it to me and neither can your measly fifteen-grand.”

Nearly limp, my body sank back down onto the couch. I could feel my mother’s arms wrap around me in a comforting embrace. For a few moments, nothing was said. The heaviness of the mood in the room engulfed us all. Finally, Agent Helligan cleared her throat.

“Lex, I cannot begin to comprehend what you’re going through. I’m sorry if I have seemed to not be compassionate about your plight. You expressed that you don’t feel safe. I wanted to give you that, but it appears that we’ve gone about it the wrong way.”

I felt a hand gently land on my knee. When I looked up, Ms. Walters was right beside me. “I can comprehend it, Lex. You see, I am a metahuman, as well. Looking at me, you’d probably never guess that just last year I was a forty-six-year-old man. I was five-feet-eleven, had a good build, and shared my bed with beautiful women who were just as attracted to my looks as my money. I was a successful attorney at an up-and-coming firm with a mountain of cases under my belt. In my short tenure, I had made partner and enjoyed the perks. Today, I’m three inches shorter, twenty-six years younger, very female, and in an entry level position at a different firm. Thankfully, I’m not paid at a twenty-percent reduction most female employees face in my line of work. Believe me; I get all of your anger and frustration.

“From a purely legal standpoint, Agent Helligan is doing everything she possibly can to ensure your safety without having to sacrifice too many comforts. I would whole-heartedly object to her or the U.S. Marshals placing you on some kind of house arrest. You’ve done nothing wrong, in the eyes of the law. The attack at the Washington State Convention Center has been ruled as self-defense, but we can’t announce that publicly–not with people trying to track you down, anyway. Until something can be done about the people tracking you down, there are limited options. The Witness Protection Program seems the most logical step.”

My mother’s arm tightened across my shoulders. “I’m right here with you, Lex.”

I glanced back at her. “So… why your maiden name, then? Why didn’t Randall come with you?”

“That man is currently awaiting trial for Assault and Battery, visited on your mother. He attacked her right in front of my team and me in the next instant after we told him that he wasn’t your actual father.” Agent Helligan explained. Was that venom in her voice?

My forehead fell into my palm. “Wow, he really was a fucking bastard, wasn't he?”

My mother spun and glared at me. “Lauren Alexis!” She blinked. “Wow, that really rolled off my tongue easier than I thought it would.”

My eyes darted between the three of them. “So… who really is my dad?”

Agent Helligan shrugged. “We don’t actually know.”

“It’s not in any of your paperwork.” Ms. Walters confirmed.

“I…” My mother began. “Well, if it isn’t Randall, then I’m not entirely sure, honey.” Then, something hit her. “Wait… just before he and I were engaged, I did my residency at a hospital in Toronto.” She blushed. “There were three men that I slept with while I was there. I was young and impulsive.”

“Why didn’t you mention any of this before, Ms. Kinney?” Agent Helligan raised an eyebrow.

“I didn’t really think it was all that relevant, actually. I was a stupid young girl, then. Besides, I only ever got their first names, anyway. They were one-night-stands.” Again, she blushed.

My stomach wretched, “I think I’m going to be sick…” My mother’s chiding glare met my eyes. “Oh, come on! I don’t want to be privy to my mother’s sexual exploits, thanks!”

“In that case, Ms. Kinney, why don’t we step into the other room? We can talk about those details while Ms. Walters explains some of the legal jargon to your daughter.” Agent Helligan suggested.

Three days passed. My mother moved into the room across the hall from me. A team of U.S. Marshalls and DMA agents moved into three apartments in the building across the street. My mind was still trying to grapple with all the details of what was happening. Ms. Walters had gotten a hotel room downtown rather than commute from Los Angeles to help my mom and me through all the paperwork and legal ramifications of my new reality. Like waves on a beach, the whole episode seemed like a torrent at first and then calmed down to a nearly unnerving placid.

As one would expect, my mother spent a day or two waiting on me hand and foot, doting on me every chance she got. Without a second thought, I dove into my video games again, making a desperate attempt to shut it all out and find some sense of normalcy where none existed. Naturally, my mother scolded me for wasting time and brain cells on the “pointless” activity, then asked me to take the trash out. Figures. I’m not going to lie: it was nice to have some of her home-cooked meals again. I had sorely missed them.

One morning, though, seemed different. My eyelids fluttered open to the gentle beams of sunlight dripping through the window. My body still didn’t feel like moving, so I lay there for a few moments to let my brain catch up and my body to get with the program. One of the many things about my mother moving in was the assault on my olfactory system. It definitely smelt like a woman lived in the house. Granted, I did use “womanly” shampoo, conditioner, and body wash when I showered and that was in the air. On the other hand, my mother had felt it necessary to pummel the place with some kind of floral scent, too, as if the air somehow needed feminizing. I don’t think it would have bothered me so much if my nose weren’t so bloody sensitive.

Grudgingly, I rose from the bed, scratched my scalp absently, and trudged toward the bathroom. After doing my “business”, I trudged downstairs like a zombie looking for their next meal. At that moment, the strong scent of roasted and percolated Arabica beans hit my nostrils. Wonderful! There was coffee. With a tired smile, I continued my impression of the walking undead toward the kitchen where I was greeted with a large cup of “Joe” and my favorite creamer sitting atop the breakfast bar. My mother was behind the counter in the actual kitchen and greeted me with a smile.

“Good morning, Lex.” She almost sang like a nightingale.

“Mornin’,” came my lower-pitched, exhausted reply. “You’ve never made me coffee in the morning. What’s the occasion?”

She poured herself a cup, sweetened it with a little creamer, and then leaned over the counter. “Julia told me quite a few things about you that I didn’t really know about after you left home. The fact that you like coffee in the morning was one of them.” She smiled, taking a sip. “I thought we’d have a little heart-to-heart, this morning.”

My eyes didn’t meet hers; they were too focused on pouring the creamer into my coffee and stirring. “Um… what about?”

Her tone became very serious. “Don’t get me wrong, Lex. I love you dearly and I’m very happy to know my child is alive, after all.” A sigh escaped her lips. “I have cleaned this whole house, done all the laundry, vacuumed all the carpet, even cleaned your room and tidied up a bit.”

Setting the creamer down and pulling the cup to my lips, my eyes finally met hers. “Yes, I’ve noticed that.” I took a sip.

Her eyes lowered. “I’m ashamed to admit it, honey, but I’ve been avoiding you.”

That engendered an instant confused expression. “What for?”

Another sigh. Great. “You really have changed a lot, honey… and I’m not just talking about your body. I’ve been noticing… little things that are different than the child I knew. I’m not going to lie to you. This whole thing is very strange to me. At first, I was just happy you were alive. Now that things have settled down, the gravity of the situation has taken hold.”

A scoff escaped me. “Tell me about it.”

She gave me a smirk that seemed to convey ‘Will you take this seriously?!’ “It’s not every day that a mother is told the son she raised is now her daughter and she has to live with that reality.”

“You’d be surprised, Mom. There’s more than a few people that I’ve met who have gone through exactly what you have.”

“That may be, but it’s new and a little… can I say ‘weird’?”

A sarcastic chuckle was the first thing out of my mouth. “Yea… you can say that. It’s weird for me, too, okay? I mean, you should have seen some of the promo photos that were taken of me when I was in the MMA circuit.”

“The what?” A lot of confusion was written on her face. Apparently, nobody told her about that aspect of my life. I considered it a pity that no one saw fit to tell my mother what I did when I wasn’t at work. I mean, I worked pretty hard for all the accomplishments I’d made and my own mother wouldn’t even have known about it? That got to me, more than a little.

“I was a fighter, Mom. MMA is ‘mixed martial arts’. You know those Chuck Norris and Jean Claude Van Dam movies?” My brain struggled for a frame of reference she would understand.

“I guess so? I think Randy used to watch some of them, but they were really violent and really not up my alley.”

I shook my head and let out a sigh, grasping for straws. “What about Karate Kid?”

She perked up. “Yes, I liked that movie.”

My smile couldn’t have expressed my elation at finally arriving at our shared frame of reference properly. “You know when Daniel goes to that tournament and finally takes on the Cobra Kai boys that had been bullying him through the whole movie?”

“Yes, and Mr. Miyagi does that thing with his hands to heal Daniel?”

“Right, we’re on the same page.” I set down the cup of coffee to offer visual aids with my hands. “Well, MMA is like that, but the ring is shaped like a stop sign, The Octagon, and the guys all have really good muscle tone. Two muscle-bound men wearing shorts, padded fingerless gloves, and special boots battle it out for points. There’s a whole tournament and everything.” In my voice, there was a tone of regretful reminiscence. I really, truly, missed having my fights. “I was really good at it, Mom. Some said I was well on my way to the national championship.”

“You really did all this… fighting? What did your boss say?”

I smirked. “He was more jealous of my battle scars than how it affected my work performance, which it didn’t. It was pretty rough. I had bumps, bruises, abrasions, and the occasional cut in odd places on my face. It sometimes drove Julia crazy with worry, but I really did enjoy it.” A reflexive sigh escaped. “To go from that to…” My eyes and hands indicated my new body. “…this? Yea, it was really rough… and weird. So, I get it.”

She shook her head, sipping more coffee as I wrapped my hands around my own cup again. “I told you, Lex, that it’s not just your body. It’s not about the fact that you’re a little shorter than me, or that you have breasts on your chest, or your much narrower waist, or your widened hips, or your meaty legs, or the vagina between your thighs. There are other things, too.”

My right eyebrow rose, signaling my curiosity. “Like what?”

“Well, your voice is much higher, but the way you speak is different. You speak melodically, now. You don’t just swagger into the room, anymore, you sachet. And, that thing you were doing with your hands? That’s new, too. There’s others, but we don’t have all day for me to list them out.”

I let out a giggle as I took a sip. “You’ve been watching me, then?”

She immediately pointed at me, as if accusing me of something. “See? You never used to ‘giggle’.” She shook her head. “I’m getting off topic. My point is there are a lot of things about you that are really… feminine. It wasn’t like that before, so it’s a little jarring. It’s almost like… I have to get to know the child I raised from a baby all over again. Does that make sense?”

My eyes lowered. There was some power in the universe that really wanted us to have this conversation. In a way, I was glad for it, but still pretty scared. My eyes lowered as if I were embarrassed by the whole thing. “Well, Mom, in all reality, I was… kind of always like this.”

She furrowed her brow, immediately recognizing how important a step I was taking. “What do you mean by that, sweetheart?”

Feeling her hand touch mine in a comforting and supportive gesture really helped. “I never felt like I could tell anyone. I always bottled it inside. Regardless of whether I enjoyed it or not, I originally got into MMA to beat the feelings out of myself and, in a way, punish myself for not living my life how it all should have been. In some small way, I kinda had a death wish because I blundered into the whole thing without any training expecting it to turn out like street fighting.”

Her voice became somber. “You could have talked to me, honey. Did you not know that?”

Damn hormones. Tears started building up. “I didn’t feel safe in that house, Mom. I didn’t feel safe in Falls City. There was a trans man, a girl becoming a guy, in our town that was brutally beaten, raped, and shot–execution style–all for being himself in that small town. Once I heard that, I freaked out. That’s why I got into the ‘You-dub’ and moved to Seattle, in the first place.”

From the tone of her voice, I could tell she was tearing up, too. I couldn’t look at her, though. “I’m sorry, sweetie… I didn’t know.”

“I wasn’t ready to tell you, yet.” I sniffled. “I did my best to keep it all inside and not let anyone know. Mom, I loved Julia. To a point, I still do, but the relationship started as a farce. I only really got with her to appear ‘normal’.”

“So… you had to make yourself appear as the toughest, most manly guy on the block so you wouldn’t be a victim. Is that it?”

My shoulders moved slightly in an attempt to shrug. “I guess so. That… and try in some way to convince myself that I was a ‘manly man’ in the first place.”

For the next couple of hours, we continued the back and forth question and answer session. It was the first time I’d really ever been open with my mom. I told her everything, including the dream of being a mother some day. She listened and tried to be as supportive as she could. After a bit, we moved from the kitchen area to the couches in the parlor and just kept the conversation going. It had moments of laughter and moments of tears. I told her about the kidnapping, the ‘imprisonment’, my escape, the time with Mike and Steven, and everything that had happened in San Francisco. She wasn’t thrilled about the drinking story, but laughed about Green Arrow breaking the bottle of vodka all over my clothes. All in all, it was the best conversation we’d ever had because of all the honesty flowing between us.

“So, when did you start wearing panties?” My mother asked as we were winding down and she pointed out my sleep shirt’s inability to cover everything up when I sat ‘Indian style’.

Glancing down, I pulled the shirt down between my legs and blushed. “Well… about the start of my period, I guess? I think we both know that they’re kind of a necessity, at that point.”

“So, the transformation really was that thorough, huh?”

“Yes… much to my chagrin, most of the time.”

She let out a remorseful sigh. “I really have missed a lot, haven’t I?” Her serious eyes met mine. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I’ll have to make it up to you, somehow.”

“Why are you apologizing? It’s not like you knew anything. I told you, Mike and Steven had to put me through some pretty rigorous testing before they were certain I was me. The people who kidnapped me made everyone, including you, believe I was dead. You’ve got nothing to apologize for.”

She chuckled. “Oh, really? A gay man taught you how to use a maxi pad and you call that sufficient?”

My blush darkened. “Not really, at first, but I got the hang of it.”

“Well, honey…” She set down her empty coffee cup and leaned a little closer to me. “When we had your… funeral, I met with that lovely young woman you were so in love with. She was very much in love with you, too. We shared a lot of things together. Mostly, it was all the memories. From what she and I talked about, I would say that I succeeded in teaching you to be a gentleman. I’m glad for that.” She smiled and rubbed my cheek with her thumb. “It seems that now I have to teach you how to be a lady.”

My eyes rolled, my body fell back against the sofa, my hand smacked my forehead, and I let out a groan. “Oh, just great… as if my life couldn’t be any more complicated…”

Her only response was to giggle… hysterically.

A week passed and it seemed my life was beginning to smooth out into some semblance of a ‘normal’ routine. My mom and I continued to have our morning coffee and chat session. All the paperwork was signed, notarized, copied into Ms. Walters’ file, and sent off to some vault at the U.S. Marshal’s office. Once Agent Helligan dropped off my check from the government, my mother insisted on some “mother-daughter shopping time”. It wasn’t entirely unpleasant, but doing this sort of thing with my mother was really weird. Thankfully, I got to keep a few “boyish habits”–as my mother called them–because a tomboy girl was relatively acceptable. Getting fitted for some bras and shopping for underwear was awkward for both of us, thankfully. When my mother had me sitting in a makeup artist’s chair, I wanted to just hide somewhere. The lessons were going well, I guess.

Finally getting some time to myself, a thought crossed my mind. Mom had gotten me some workout clothes after she learned how important Kung Fu really was to me. Of course, she suggested I take some yoga classes, but that seemed like taking a step too far to me. My assumption that yoga was too “girly” was obviously unfounded. Still, slipping on a sports bra, some workout leggings, and an oversized, three-quarter length shirt that hung off my shoulders was comfortable enough. At the very least, I could stuff some shoes in my saddlebags while all my leathers fit on over top of the whole outfit. As I scurried through the house toward the garage, my mother spotted my outfit and insisted on tying my hair back into a ponytail. She’s gotten into a bad habit of messing with my hair every chance she got. When she was finished, I was excused.

I needed to do a workout. I needed something I knew as routine. Everything was just coming at me from all angles all at once and I was unprepared for it. Not having a computer and the internet accessible was a hindrance. Shifu never advertised online, in the newspaper, or anything. If someone trained with him, it was because they’d heard about him from another student or they lived in the neighborhood around the academy. Having been plucked from the grapevine about where to go gave me no other option than to scout the neighborhood. After slipping on my leathers and jumping on the bike, I started my search. Regrettably, I hadn’t really learned too much about the area. There was nothing but Gold’s Gym, Bally, and 24-hour Fitness in the area I lived. Fucking yuppies.

I searched the Marina District. I searched the Richmond District. I searched the Market District. I stayed away from the Castro District knowing that any gyms there would be populated by a majority of gay men and that’s not an environment I wanted to get in the way of. Stopped at a light four hours later, I spotted a run-down looking place on the eastern side of the peninsula. The building was wedged between an old dollar store and an antique mall. It looked like it had once been painted proudly in some combination of white and black tiger stripes, but all the colors had faded with age and the paint seemed to be peeling. The whole front visage had windows, but the dust had engulfed those years ago. I could barely make out the sign stenciled on the front door, but the place looked promising to my eye. I can’t explain why.

Thankfully, the place had a small parking lot across the street, so I left the bike there as I walked with my workout bag to the front entrance. From the look of the place, it was probably a good idea I left my leathers on so I looked a little tougher. Amazingly, the helmet didn’t mess up my hair too much. My mom was a genius. Stopping at the door, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. It’s always jarring to enter a new gym. The current stock of regulars will always size you up like a slab of meat. I would be prepared for that. Inside, the sound of men grunting, punching various sand bags, landing on a boxing ring, and weights being lifted filled the air. Unfortunately, the smell of sweating men filled my nostrils. I tried my best to block it out. With another breath, I swung the door open and walked inside.

Off to the far left of the entrance sat a rock climbing wall. Further back from that was a free weight area. To the far right, it seemed like someone had constructed a dojo in Japan and just dropped it into the place. The center, of course, was the regulation boxing ring. The place went from the sounds of activity to a deafening silence. The men all seemed to turn around and look at me in some kind of slow motion. I could hear someone’s footsteps approaching and my eyes turned to the sound. It sounded like a rather burly man, at least.

“Welcome to the Wild Cat Gym. How can I help y…” The large man with slicked back black hair with some graying around his temples looked down at me and immediately got angry. “Oh, fuck me! Not another one!”

In all honesty, even for someone like me, the guy was intimidating. The only sign of his aging was the aforementioned gray hair. He was built like an ox. His face, though, looked like Sylvester Stallone’s if Rocky’s bouts in the ring actually showed on it. His nose was beat to hell and there was a scar that crossed over his left eye. He wore a black muscle shirt and woodland fatigues that looked like he originally bought them in the 1970’s, or something. Both his hands were wrapped in boxing tape. From the condition, it didn’t look like he ever took the tape off.

My right eyebrow rose on its own. “Excuse me? Is that how you greet all potential customers?”

He violently shook his head. “No. Not gonna happen. There are no girls allowed in my gym! You better turn around and walk that sweet little ass back out the door!”

I dropped my bag and immediately pointed an accusing finger at him. “First of all, fuck you! Second of all, I just walked through the door and suddenly I’m being harassed? Not gonna cut it, Mister! You ever heard of discrimination?!”

He seemed to puff up like a silverback gorilla preparing to charge. “Little lady, this is a fighter’s gym. I have trained some of the best boxers, wrestlers, and MMA fighters in the last three decades. I don’t train anymore. I certainly don’t train girls.”

Even though I was beyond pissed off, my eyes did lighten up a little. “Serious? A fighter’s gym? That’s just what I’m lookin’ for!”

He started laughing and half the room joined him. “Missy, I said I train fighters! You look like a god damn cheerleader. There’s no cheerleading coach here.”

A second later, my memory clicked. He was clearly hazing me. The guys at my first gym did this to me when I came looking to train. It’s all a grotesque display of masculine territorial defense and a test of mettle, to see if the “new guy” is up to the challenge. In a way, it was almost like reverse psychology except I was getting the impression this guy really didn’t like me. A cocky smirk started growing on my face.

“Fine! We’ll settle this!” My eyes darted into the main room then back up at the man. “I’ll take on any one of these pussies and make them my bitch!”

Every last one of them laughed but it was the man in front of me who continued to speak. “Are you fucking serious? These boys will murder you, girly.”

“Well, let’s see it, then! Prove it!” I was on to his little game and I think it frustrated him more. Good.

He pointed into the main room with his thumb. “You’re gonna get into that ring with one of these fighters and expect to live?”

“Fuck your bravado and put your money where your fucking mouth is, big man!”

He laughed again. “Well, it’s your funeral. There’s no ladies’ locker room. You’ll have to change in the…”

“No need.” I slipped off my jacket. “I came prepared.”

Another laugh. “Yea… prepared to hit the dance studio…” He continued laughing as he trudged down the hall. “Come on, Flash Dance.”

Reluctantly, he led me down the arrival corridor lined with trophy cases that were stuffed full of various rewards and the pictures of past legendary fighters who had won the awards. I recognized many of them, but a lot of the older ones were a mystery to me. He took himself seriously, though. That much was obvious. When we arrived in the main area, the ring dominated the space. Everyone remained silent and the ring was cleared rather quickly. He spun at me with a smirk.

“You need me to hold the ropes for you, girly?” His condescendence drizzled out the sides of his mouth.

“This isn’t my first rodeo. I’ve got it.” My glare reached him but it didn’t faze him.

Setting my jacket on top of my bag and slipping off my boots, I shimmied out of my leather pants and received a few wolf whistles from various people in the room. Ignoring them for the time being, I proceeded to wrap up my hands and wrists to avoid needlessly risking any damage to them. All truth told, I was scared out of my wits and pretty embarrassed to be in the room with these men ogling me. There was no reason to bother with my shoes, for now. Instead, I popped in my mouth protection. With effortless ease, I climbed into the ring over all three ropes. The owner huffed at me and leaned against one of the support poles in the corner.

As I stood in the ring, my eyes met… well, my eyes. Across the room and hanging on the back wall was a promotional poster of me back before all this happened to me. My muscles seemed to want to tear out of my flesh and the look on my face was the face of danger and intimidation. Now, my muscles had never been all that big–not like Mike’s, anyway–but they looked huge, compared to the me of right now. They had rubbed me down with Vaseline and then sprayed water to make it look like I was super sweaty. I looked like a total badass in that poster. With a smile growing on my lips, my nerve returned. I knew where I’d been and what I’d become. I needed this for my own sake and some dumbass man wasn’t going to take that from me.

A Hispanic man stepped into the ring. He wasn’t more than two or three inches taller than me, but he was certainly bigger. Even without the Vaseline and water, the man had beads of sweat on his skin and his muscles were clearly defined. He’d been training for a big fight, from the looks of him. All he had on were his boxing shorts and his hand wraps. My loins responded in an uncomfortable manner, but I shook my head to focus on the fight not what my crotch had in mind.

“This here is Lenny, little lady. He’s one of the biggest stars, right now.” The gym owner announced. “You beat him and I’ll let you play with the boys like some weird ass lesbian.”

Lenny smirked. “You ain’t nothin’ to me, bitch. You’re just a stepping stone.”

My eyebrows rose in unison. “Who was he training to fight, Mighty Mouse?”

“Right, smart ass. He was trainin’ to fight The Animal, before that man’s untimely death.” The owner pointed at the aforementioned poster. “That right there was the scourge of the West Coast MMA circuit and probably would have been the national champ. You ain’t in his league, but Lenny was. Good luck. If I have to call an ambulance instead of a hearse, I’ll call it a good day.”

I scoffed and glared at Lenny. “Let’s see if you really were in The Animal’s league, pipsqueak.”

“You’re dead, bitch!”

The bell sounded and we both lunged at each other.

Marked Target ~ Chapter Twelve ~ by: Danielle Krieger (c) 2011 Lawrence "Lex" McKinley lives about as average a life as one can with metahumans popping up everywhere. Well, as normal as someone who spends their free time as an MMA fighter really can. He's about to get the shock of his life--the punch he never saw coming. In this installment: Lex's mettle proven, she gets a job offer. A family emergency erupts out of nowhere and Lex shows just what kind of person she is.

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DISCLAIMER :: This is a retroactive continuity. A “ret-con”, if you will. It follows other stories in Lilith Langtree’s “Comics RetCon Universe”. The story is mine, but some of the characters are not. This is a RetCon of X-23, from Marvel Comics’ X-men (with a special guest appearance from Dr. Hank McCoy). Laura Kinney, X-23, Dr. Henry Philip “Hank” McCoy, Beast, and Jennifer Walters, SheHulk, are trademarks of Marvel Comics. Agent Helligan is a trademark of Detective Comics. All rights reserved. The pic for this chapter was done by an artist only known online as Lone Wolf.

Author's Note :: Yes, it's been a long time since there's been an update. I'm really sorry for that. Sometimes, life just really gets in the way. I will say that Ch. 13 is already in the works, so won't be too much longer before there's another update.

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Chapter Twelve:

The moment the bell tolled, the two of us combatants wanted each other’s hide. Certainly, I questioned Lenny’s motives in attacking a woman so fiercely but I had something to prove. My brain was completely in the zone.

Without any thought, I leapt into the air and thrust my feet forward, coming in contact with his chest. It was typically something I did when battling an opponent bigger than me. It let them know immediately that I was dangerous. He let out a grunt as he flew backward a foot or two and landed on his ass. I flew back almost uncontrollably, but I’d executed this move so much that my body knew exactly what to do. I fell back on my hands and bent my arms to absorb the impact, then sprang forward, swung my legs, and landed upright on my feet. The spectacle was usually well received by martial arts movie watchers in the crowd. On my feet once more, I immediately took a stance and squared off at my opponent. He seemed a little dazed and rather confused as to how I was on my feet and he wasn’t.

“Holy fuck! You see that?” One man shouted on the ring’s perimeter.

“I saw it… still don’t believe it. That’s one o’ Animal’s moves, right there. Where’d this chick learn that shit?” Another replied.

“I dunno, but you see the stance?”

“Yea, I know… Animal’s stance. This shit is crazy, yo. You think she knows him?”

“It’s not just Animal’s stance, dude. That’s fucking Crane Style! Somehow, this chick knows some Xiao Lin!”

A thought crossed my mind, which only fueled my anger at that commentary. He was giving away my moves and my fighting style right in front of my opponent. This was going to be a tricky fight. I tore off the shirt that I had worn over my sports bra and threw it at him.

“Can it, meat! Let the man figure it out for himself! Don’t give away the Golden Goose, asswipe!” I screamed at him in my shrill voice.

All the other men whistled like hungry wolves. Meanwhile, Lenny took it upon himself to make the most of my distraction, perform a leg sweep, and knock me on my back. My head hit the mat of the ring pretty hard, dazing me for a second. My response was to push off the ground, land on my feet, hop up, and swing my leg around. My foot came in contact with his jaw hard enough to disperse most of the saliva in his mouth. The nearby crowd protested being spat upon. I bore a smirk as I entered my stance, switching the tone a little. I was angry, so Tiger Form was fitting, I’d say. Lenny wasn’t so smug, any more.

Out of anger, he turned and launched a punch at me. Bad move. With clawed hand, the punch was easy to deflect, but I had to add insult to injury. In one swift moment, I blocked the punch, launched a palm strike that connected with his collar bone, swept my foot under his legs, toppled him to the ground, and came down on his chest with a knife hand strike. I let out a grunt that sounded like I said “dooj” and jumped back up to my stance. I think I heard his collar bone and a two or three ribs crack. He was not in good shape, no matter how you sliced it. He lay there writhing on the ground for a good few moments. I wanted him to stay down and end this madness, but I’d insulted his masculinity. He lumbered back up and got into fighting stance once more. Do they never learn?

One… two… three frontal kicks he launched at me that I blocked with some trepidation but not much. Then, the finale was a strong roundhouse kick aimed at my stomach. It was a classic Tae Kwon Do move. He expected to beat me in my prime with Tae Kwon Do? The roundhouse was difficult, but not impossible to deflect. One hand grasped his ankle and I bent my other arm so that the flat of my forearm impacted with his thigh. He flew away from me with a yelp. That’s a bruised hamstring, ladies and gentlemen.

As a fighter, you learn that taking blows may hurt and some bleed but you learn something from the encounter. Frankly, I was a little disappointed. So far, the only thing I’d take away from this fight was going to be defensive wounds, if that. I wasn’t going to learn anything and that was rather disappointing.

“You fucking little whore!” Lenny screamed as he limped into his stance.

My eyes narrowed on him. “That’s it! No more Miss Sugar and Spice!”

I jumped out of my stance and launched myself at him. It’s not a move in any martial arts repertoire. It was improvisation on my part. He didn’t know what to do, so I just impacted with him and we fell to the mat of the ring together. He lay flat underneath me and I straddled his midsection with one arm pinning him with his injured collar bone and the other poised to punch him. As an equally unexpected move on his part, I felt his hands firmly grab both cheeks.

“Yea, that’s exactly where I like my women.” He grinned like a school boy.

I growled. “You have less than three seconds to remove your hands from my ass. One!”

“Or what, sweetheart?”

“Two!” SNIKT! The blades erupted from my knuckles.

His hands released and his eyes nearly bulged out of his skull. “Holy fuck!”

“That’s enough!” The gym owner called out.

The crowd, who had been cheering wildly at my final move, fell silent the instant sunlight bounced off my blades. None of them had any idea what was going on. The owner strode up to Lenny and I, grabbed me by the shoulders, and threw me off the man. Snikt. The blades returned to my forearms and the wounds they caused healed almost immediately. Lenny scrambled to his feet and limped out of the ring. The owner stood over me with an expression that I couldn’t decipher, though he looked pretty pissed off.

“You’re meta, aren’t you?” He asked in a very plain tone.

Feigning behavior of a “proper lady”, I stood and wiped some of the dust off my ass. “Yea, I am.”

His eyes narrowed at me. “I haven’t seen anyone fight like that in a long time. Who were you?”

Letting out a sigh then shaking and lowering my head, I pointed at the poster on the far wall. They both glanced at the ‘George of the Jungle’ look-alike. “That was me.”

He turned the poster, then back to me. “Bullshit. The Animal, Lex McKinley, is dead.”

My eyes returned to his. “Can you think of a better cover?”

His expression didn’t change. “Why’d you come here?”

Another sigh escaped. “I used to be somebody… somebody I can’t be, anymore. With all the shit that’s happened in the past year or so, I wanted a small snippet of my old life back. This was the best place I found.”

One of the commentators from ringside climbed onto the ropes but remained outside them. “Wildcat, either she studied Animal through and through for months before coming here or you’re lookin’ at him. She pulled shit I’ve only seen him pull off, shit that made him the formidable fighter he was. If she’s meta, that could be Animal.”

The owner’s head nudged toward the man. “That’s Jamal, my top trainer. He was training Lenny when Lex died.”

“Lex isn’t dead. I’m Lex. I just can’t be very open about it, okay? It’s fucking dangerous for me.”

“You in some shit?” Jamal asked.

“Yea… somebody kidnapped me about the time I changed. They still want to find me and bring me in. I don’t know why, but they managed to fake my death rather convincingly, so they’re pretty dangerous.”

Jamal shook his head. “Damn, girl. You better hide.”

“What do you think I’m doing?” My voice showed my aggravation by rising in pitch, slightly.

“So… if you are who you say you are and whatever you say happened actually happened… why risk exposing yourself by showing up at my gym?” The owner–‘Wildcat’, Jamal had called him–asked again.

I let out another sigh. “I told you: to get something of my old life back. I can’t just sit around the house playing video games all the time until school starts. Besides, all this smothering my mom’s been doing is driving me fucking nuts.”

“What’s your name?” Wildcat wondered.

“Lauren Kinney, a-k-a Talon, sir.”

“Tell you what, Talon: You come back tomorrow and we’ll have a sit down with Jamal. Work for you?”

“What’s this talk about, anyway?”

“He’s givin’ you a job. Take it.” Jamal nodded fiercely.

I smirked at Wildcat. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

The anxious elation inside me built to a point where I wouldn’t be able to take it once I got home. I’d probably blurt out the good news the moment I saw my mother. A gym was going to give me a job. I could keep my skills fresh and, even though there was no way the national MMA association would let me fight anymore, I could at least bring up the next crop of fighters. There was a lot to process and a lot of planning to go through, but I didn’t care about any of it, yet. At the moment, I was just thankful none of the cops had stopped me for speeding.

After hastily yet carefully parking the bike in the garage, I actually skipped into the house. I rounded the pool table with my boots clopping against the hardwood floor. Mom wasn’t in the parlor or the kitchen. Pausing to reflect on my perplexity, my ears caught the sounds of some movie or program running in the TV room. That was pretty odd, considering that I’d been the only one to utilize the space as of late. Still bearing the confused expression, I slowly walked down the corridor to the room. Oddly enough, my mother was lounging on the sofa when I came in. In one swift motion, she grabbed the remote, muted the television, and sprang up with a smile on her face the moment she saw me.

“Oh, sweetie, you’re back!” She swiftly wrapped her arms around me. Clearly, she was excited about something. She let me go just as quickly and stood back a step. “How did it go?”

I snapped back into reality. “Oh! Pretty good, actually.” My eyebrow rose. “Since when do you watch TV?”

She shrugged. “Since I’ve already done the chores three times this week and I’m not catering to Randy’s every whim.”

Good point. “Okay, well, good for you.” My smile returned. “I got a job, today.”

“Really? I thought you were going to go find somewhere to work out some?”

My turn to shrug. “Well, yes… and I did. They also offered me a job. I told you, I’m pretty good at the whole fighting thing. They saw that and I’ve got an interview tomorrow, but I’m pretty sure the owner’s gonna hire me.”

Her hands quickly fell onto her hips. Oh, here we go. “Are you sure that’s a proper occupation for a girl your age? You couldn’t get a job as a barista or something like that?”

My eyes automatically rolled in their sockets. “Geez, Mom! I thought we talked about the ‘typical girl’ thing and agreed that I’m not that kind of pedigree?”

Her whole posture slumped. “Well, you can’t blame me for trying.”

“Well, not really, no. I’ll give you an ‘A’ for the effort, but the ‘uber-girly daughter’ thing isn’t going to go the way you want it.” I smirked. “Welcome to parenting.”

She frowned. “This isn’t my first pony show, young lady.” I giggled as she playfully slapped my shoulder. “Now, there’s something I want to tell you. First…” she spun around to the coffee table, picked up a rectangular electronic device, and handed it to me. “…you forgot your phone and some girl named Olivia called?”

My eyes widened. “Oh, yea? What’d she have to say?”

“Call her when you get a minute, which you don’t have, yet. Second, I hope you don’t mind, but I used your phone.”

I shrugged, taking the phone. “That’s no big deal, Mom. Who’d you call?”

“Your grandmother. Honey, I have a decision to make, but I’d rather you had input into it.” She seemed a bit depressed and weighed down.

“O… kay… what?”

“Well, technically, this is your house and I know we’re supposed to be pretending you’re a regular sixteen-year-old girl, but I know you have been an adult for a while.” She let out a sigh. “Honey, your aunt Debbie isn’t doing so well. I tried to call her, but her phone is disconnected. I guess Randy kept me isolated far too long. After talking to your grandma, I heard that they foreclosed on your aunt’s house. She and your cousin Megan are living out of the van, right now…”

There was only one response to that. My face instantly shifted to a more serious expression. “Done. Where are they?”

A tear sparkled in her eye as she smiled. “That’s how I thought you’d react. Megan, your cousin, has been using the computers at school to talk with your grandma. That’s the only way they’ve had to communicate, so far. She goes to Western High School. You’ll have to get there before school ends so you stand a chance of catching up with her. I’d go with you, but I’m really scared of that motorcycle.”

Taking a step toward her, I kissed my mom on the cheek. “Don’t worry about a thing. I’m on it.”

She meekly grinned. “That’s my girl. Thank you, sweetheart.”

Without a response, I rushed back out the door.

It was a really dumb idea to rush out the door without knowing where the school was located. However, having a smartphone does have its advantages. The traffic was terrible, given the fact that some of the schools let out earlier than others. Secretly, I hoped that traffic wouldn’t be this bad after my final dismissal bell rang. Still, the heavy traffic gave me a chance to stop at lights and check my route to the school on my phone. Trying to do so while driving a motorcycle was just asking for a nasty accident that I really didn’t need.

Unfortunately, I was on a time crunch. At the time my mother told me about the whole thing, I had about twenty minutes to get down to the school before it was dismissed for the day. California law allows for motorcycles to ride along the painted traffic lines between the cars, which gave me a speed advantage, but I still had to adhere to traffic lights. Those things are the bane of my existence when I’m in a hurry. I would believe I’m not the only one that carries the sentiment.

If getting to the school was a nightmare, talking to the staff about Megan’s whereabouts might be impossible. The weight of trying to remain anonymous was starting to sting a bit. Also, I wasn’t technically an adult, anymore. I could ride my motorcycle with my license, but couldn’t actually excuse my cousin out of class on my own. This would require some thinking and a little cunning on my part. Parking in front of the school was a no-go because there were already parents waiting to pick up their kids and they were strategically positioned on the curb. So, I improvised by driving up the sidewalk and parking near the bicycles. In a rush, I shut off the engine, slid off, and bolted inside. My helmet was coming off as I hit the doors.

Thankfully, the layout of the school was predictable. The office had a little window I could poke my head through to talk to one of the staff members and it was right by the front doors. As luck would have it, none of the adults were in the immediate vicinity, just a skinny blond girl who was being groomed to become someone’s secretary in the near future. I strode up and rang the little service bell on the counter. She glanced up at me and suddenly appeared disgusted.

“Yea, can I help you?” She sneered.

“Um… hi… I’m looking for Megan Kinney? There’s an important family matter and my mom sent me to find her.” My reply came in my best ‘sweet young girl’ impression. Somehow, I don’t think it worked, considering my biker leathers.

She was unimpressed. “How old are you, anyway? Aren’t you, like, no more than a sophomore? You know you can’t get her out of school, right?”

I nodded. “I know, but isn’t there, like, five minutes left until the bell?”

She gave me a sigh of annoyance and rolled her eyes. “I guess so.” She turned to her computer and typed in a few things. Nothing would give me greater joy than to punch her smug little face, but I was trying to play nice. After a few moments, her gaze returned to mine. “Well, she’s got Drama, right now, but she’s probably helping build one of the sets on the stage. A girl like her isn’t actress material. If you run, you might catch her before school ends.”

My eyes darted from one hallway to another. “Right… which one?”

She pointed at the hall directly behind me. “All the way to the end on the left.”

“Thanks.” I gave her a smile, she returned a facetious one. I loathe high school.

Turning one hundred eighty degrees, I started jogging down the hallway. It was quickly becoming apparent that the length of the hall was just asinine. The thing seemed to be about half a mile long! My breathing was a little quicker when I reached the double doors that read: “Stage”. I think they were supposed to be utility doors for loading and unloading of large set pieces?

Opening the door might have been a suicide move, on my part. Four guys carrying a slab of plywood yelled at me for getting in their way. Rolling away from them, I was now in a seriously busy and rather crowded backstage area. It seemed to me that the school would be putting on a rather large production relatively soon. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be one of the typical productions like Peter Pan or something like it. I shook my head, wiping away the thought. Then, another thought occurred to me: I hadn’t seen my own cousin in about five years, now. There are a lot of things that happen to a blossoming young woman in that kind of a time frame. I may not be able to recognize her. Next best thing: find the teacher.

Through the sea of students, my eyes finally rested on a middle-aged man with a bit of a belly and some gray hair starting to show on his scalp and in his full beard. He seemed to be barking orders at one of the students carrying a clipboard. I didn’t have enough knowledge of theater to be able to discern what job she might have had, but she seemed in charge of something. It didn’t matter. I’d found the teacher. Cautiously, I walked up to them and waited for their conversation to end.

Not skipping so much as a beat after barking at the girl with the clipboard, he turned and looked directly at me. “Who are you and what are you doing on my stage?”

Yep, I jumped a little in surprise. “Well… I…”

“Out with it, young lady! I don’t have all day! I’m very busy, right now!” Now, he was barking at me. He had a cadence and inflection that were strong, but he wasn’t yelling. So, why did I feel like I was being heavily scolded?

Glancing at the activity, I nodded. “I can see that.” My eyes returned to an annoyed expression on his face. “I’m looking for Megan Kinney? Is she around?”

He let out a sigh and rubbed his temples. “What’s this about?”

“An urgent family matter? I can’t really go into it, sorry.”

He pointed at a girl with crimson red hair dressed in all black. “She’s right there. If you need to take her, go ahead. There’s only a few more minutes left in the day, anyway.” His eyes met mine again. “Do you even have a hall pass, young lady?”

I quickly shook my head. “No, I don’t. I don’t even go to this school.” I started moving toward the girl. “Thanks, though.”

He grumbled and stormed off. My, if it were possible for men to get PMS, I’d say that teacher was experiencing some of the symptoms. Carefully, I made my way over to the girl who seemed to have relatively the same build as me. She wore a black hoodie with a skull and crossbones on the back, dark black jeans with some gray-ish stress marks manufactured into them, some hefty boots, and it looked like she had a wallet on a chain. Her hair was up in a ponytail to keep it out of her face as she worked, I deduced. She was sitting on her knees and, from the looks of things, working with a drill on something that looked like a wood frame. I carefully approached her.

“Megan?” I asked with inflection enough to convey that I wasn’t sure it was her.

“Yea, what do you want? You’re, like, the third person to come up to me in the past few minutes. This frame will be done when it’s done!” She responded in an obviously annoyed tone. She didn’t even turn to look up at me. She just kept working.

“Well… I have a message… from your aunt.”

Now, she stopped and looked at me. “And… who are you?” I couldn’t help but notice her green eyes were only a shade or two lighter than my own. From her makeup job, she really carried the Goth look pretty well–almost better than Julia, in some respects.

I tried to smile. “Someone who knows what’s up.” A part of me wasn’t sure it was safe to bring her up to speed. “I need to talk to you, but not here. The less people gossip, the better, right?”

“I have got to get this done soon or Mr. Burleigh will have my head by the end of the week.”

“The guy with the gray hair and the PMS?”

She smirked. “So, you’ve met him.”

I nodded. “Yea, he told me where to find you and that you’re cool to head out early. There’s a family emergency.”

Her eyes widened. “It’s not my mom, is it?”

I quickly shook my head. “No, it isn’t. As far as I know, she’s okay.” She breathed a sigh of relief while I glanced around us. “Let’s not talk about this here, though?”

She frowned. “Right, just lemme put this drill away and get my backpack?”

“I’m good with that.”

She stood up and I followed her for a few minutes. While backstage, it was like running a gauntlet. Now, I’m pretty sure I know why I never got into drama class. If you weren’t one of the pretty and popular kids, you were stuck with “technical theater”. A stage hand, basically. Once we made it into the shop area and she put the drill away, she grabbed her backpack and we exited from the wide open loading door. After walking about fifty feet down the sidewalk, there was no one around but the two of us.

“You wanted to be alone, now we’re alone. Talk.” She requested.

A sigh escaped. “I know about you and your mom, Megan. That’s why I’m here.”

She stopped dead in her tracks. She looked like she was frightened and pissed off at the same time. “Who told you about that?! Was it ‘little miss perfect’ Kristen?! I’ll kill that girl, I swear!”

“Good god, Megan! Take a chill pill!” I barked right back. “No, it wasn’t anything like that… I told you, it’s a family thing. Run with that.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you until you tell me how you know about me and my mom!” She defiantly crossed her arms.

A grumble escaped. “You’ve been talking to grandma and she told my mom.”

Now, she looked utterly confused. “Wait… your mom? Grandma? Who the fuck are you? I’ve never seen you at any of the family gatherings. I know those people, which is why I avoid them like the plague.”

“It’s a really long story and I’d like to get to your mom so we can have a chat.”

She stepped up and got right in my face. She was the same height as my mom. Man, I really hate being this short. “Look, I asked you who the fuck you are, bitch. Now, are you gonna tell me or do I scream for the cops?”

I simply placed my hand on her stomach and pushed her back a step. My face was in a scowl when it met hers again. “I’m Sarah Kinney’s kid, okay?”

She scoffed. “Yea, right! Aunt Sarah had a boy, which you clearly aren’t. She only had one kid and he’s dead, now. Besides, her name isn’t Kinney, it’s McKinley. Nice try.”

“Not anymore, it’s not. I told you, long story. Suffice to say, Aunt Sarah and Uncle Randy will be getting a divorce… by way of his incarceration.”

She laughed. “Uncle Randy’s in jail? Serves the fucker right! What’d he do, this time?”

“He attacked my mom right in front of a federal agent.”

“Whoa, slow down… federal agent?”

The bell rang and kids were starting to pour out of the school’s exits. “I told you that it is a long story, okay? Now, can we walk or are we gonna air all the dirty laundry in front of everybody?”

She scowled, but gave me a reluctant nod. I growled, but was relieved that we were moving again. Neither one of us uttered a single word until we approached my bike in front of the school. That was an interminable dead silence. Her eyes lit up and her mood shifted quite a bit once she saw the thing. It was like she was seeing all the presents under the tree on Christmas morning.

“Wait, why didn’t you tell me you had a motorcycle?” She seemed rather indignant.

I reached to hand her the helmet. “You didn’t really give me time. You’re wearing the helmet. Trust me when I say that I have a better chance of surviving a crash without it than you do.”

She looked confused again. “Okay…” Then, a thought seemed to cross her mind. “Wait, won’t we look like a couple of lesbians with you driving and me riding ‘bitch’?”

I shrugged. “I don’t care if you don’t. After all, this is San Francisco. How weird a sight would it be?”

“Touché.” She took the helmet from me. “What’s your name, anyway?”

“Tal…” My head shook the pseudonym from my brain. “I mean… Lauren. Lauren Kinney.” I swung my leg over and set the bike upright. “Where’s your mom?”

“She’s at about 49th and California, parked next to Golden Gate Park.” She slipped the helmet on. “Just don’t kill me, okay? I’m only sixteen.”

“I know.” I smirked. “Just lean with me and not the bike. You’ll be fine. Does she still drive that old van from the 90’s?”

“Yea… how did you… nevermind. Just drive careful.” She slipped onto the seat behind me.

The moment the bike growled to life, she wrapped her arms around my ribs in a death grip. Having her breasts pressed firmly against my back was the strangest feeling. I had given Julia rides on a motorcycle before, but now it seemed very different, somehow. I mean besides the fact that the pair of breasts now belonged to my cousin. Shrugging off the thoughts, I engaged the clutch and slowly applied acceleration. Thankfully, I knew San Francisco well enough to get to the park from where we were. Driving carefully wasn’t that big of an issue, either. Technically, it was rush hour, now.

After a grueling half hour, we were through some of the worst traffic and headed up one of the long avenues that form the border of the park that so desperately tried to be a West Coast version of Central Park in Manhattan. The thing was huge and had lots of trees, okay? Thankfully, Megan’s grip had loosened up as she became more comfortable with my driving and being on a motorcycle in general. As we drove past 45th Street, I slowed down a bit and kept my eyes open for my aunt’s van. It was one of those Astrovans that Ford put out in the 1990’s that ushered in a whole new era for the suburban soccer mom–taking them out of station wagons and into minivans. It was an all right construction and had plenty of space; it just wasn’t very pretty to look at.

Finally, at almost 50th street, the gray and blue van began to stand out amongst the other vehicles. Thankfully, I found a handicap ramp that I used to get up onto the sidewalk and head toward the van. I could see the expression on my aunt’s face as she sat in the driver’s seat: confusion. Naturally, she was a woman approaching forty with long black-ish brown hair and her eyes were blue rather than green. I couldn’t really tell what she was wearing from my vantage point, but it didn’t matter that much. A moment after I shut down the bike, I heard a door slam and footsteps round the van.

“Megan Kinney, what have I told you about riding with strangers and who is this girl?” The woman shouted at her daughter.

Megan quickly slipped off the bike and removed the helmet. “Mom?! What the hell?! Chill, okay?”

‘Bad idea’, I thought.

“I most certainly will not, young lady!”

By this time, I had swung my leg off the bike and turned to the woman. “Aunt Debbie, please calm down. I know this is going to be confusing…”

She turned her enraged gaze at me. “I think I would have remembered if I had a niece that looked like you! Who are you?!”

“My name is Lauren. I’m Sarah’s kid.” I breathed slowly. This was going to take a while to sink in.

My aunt laughed. “Fat chance! My sister gave birth to a boy who is now dead and buried.” Tears formed in her eyes. “Gawd, I miss Lex…”

Megan seemed just as somber as she lowered her head and fidgeted with the helmet. “I do too, Mom.”

Tears flowed freely and she spoke hysterically. “For you to invoke the name of my dead nephew at a time like this… it’s just sick!”

I stepped up to her and made her meet my eyes. “Aunt Debbie, look at me!”

We stared into each other’s eyes for a few minutes. Besides the birds and traffic, there was silence for the duration. Then, she seemed to step back a little bit. I could see certain realizations starting to tick into place within her psyche. There were still certain things that her intellect just wouldn’t let her believe, however. That would be a hurdle.

“Those… those are Sarah’s eyes…” She seemed to be piecing things together. “But… you can’t be hers. She could only ever have Lex. Her body just wouldn’t let her.” Then she lost it.

“I said that, too, but she won’t listen to me.” Megan added with a shrug.

A sigh released from me. “I can’t really explain it to you without proof. Right now, that’s not really what’s important. I know what’s going on here and I came to bring you and Megan home. I will not have family living on the streets when I have the means to prevent it.”

My aunt scoffed. “How do I know this isn’t some kind of scheme to try and tell me I’ve won millions of dollars and all it’s going to cost me is everything I own? How am I supposed to know that you won’t lead me and my daughter to some man that will sell us as sex slaves, huh?”

“Mo-oom! Geezus!” Megan protested. “I thought I was a little skeptical and paranoid about this, but you took it to a whole new level, there!”

It was my turn to huff. “You’ve heard about the metahumans, right?”

They both turned to me and chorused. “What?!”

“Metahumans? Oh, come on! You haven’t watched the news in more than a year?”

“I watched that Jade girl on television at school.” Megan shrugged.

“So, you’ve heard about Tera, Booster Gold, and all the rest, right?” My eyes darted from one to the other. “And, you’ve heard what happens when a new metahuman manifests, right?”

“All I’ve ever seen was guys turning into girls.” Megan caught on pretty quickly.

“Yep, that’s about how it goes.” I sighed. “Well…” I bent my arm across my chest and flexed my fist. SNIKT! “I’m one of them, but I’m one of the good guys.”

They both seemed to jump back when the claws extended. I can’t really blame them, though. It is pretty freaky how quickly they extend. My aunt seemed fairly scared and confused. Megan was that way to for a moment, then her eyes lit up as she gazed at my claws.

“That’s actually kinda cool…” She commented.

“That’s not the cool part. Remember when I said you needed the helmet more than me?”

“Yea?”

I released my fist. SNIKT! I held out my fist in her direction as the sores healed. Her eyes lit up again.

“That’s actually pretty rad, right there. Does it hurt?”

My head quickly nodded. “Oh, yes it does!” I shrugged. “I’m pretty used to it, though. I’ve had them for about a year, now.”

“Wait… a year? That’s about the time…” My aunt’s eyes started to widen in surprise.

“About the time Lex went missing? Keep following that thought train, Aunt Debbie.”

“So… you’re a girl… you’ve got powers, I guess… you actually kinda look like Aunt Sarah, too.” Megan thought aloud.

My eyes returned to the stunned woman. “Aunt Debbie, I’m gonna need you to follow me back to the house. Mom’s waiting for you and probably worried sick about me. She hates my motorcycle.”

Megan giggled. “If she’s anything like my mom, I bet she does!”

My hand reached out toward Megan. “Can I have my helmet back, now?”

She blinked a couple of times. “Aren’t I riding with you?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but my aunt Debbie beat me to the punch. “You most certainly are not, young lady!”

My finger pointed at Aunt Debbie, but my eyes were fixed on Megan. “You should listen to your mom. She didn’t like you riding on the bike in the first place. I guessed she’d rather have you in the van with her. Besides, I’m gonna need to call and your mom shouldn’t use the phone and drive.”

“Wait a minute…” Aunt Debbie began. “You’re driving a motorcycle and you don’t want me to talk on the phone and drive?”

I merely pointed at the helmet. “That’s got Bluetooth. I’d never dream of holding a phone up to my ear and trying to drive a motorcycle. I’m a little attached to living. However, I can talk through the helmet and give you guys directions to where we’re going.”

My aunt folded her arms and shifted her weight onto one side of her hips. That’s body language for: 'don’t you dare leave me in the dark. “And just where are we going?”

“My house. Didn’t I just say that a minute ago?” My eyes darted between them as they remembered my words. “Right. Helmet, please. Aunt Debbie, grab everything you have, get it in the van, give me the phone number, and we’ll head out…” I stopped just then. “Sorry… um, please?”

Reluctantly, they began following my requests. Within minutes, both of them were in the van and I started the bike.

The drive back to the house was only arduous because of the annoyingly high amount of traffic. I had to take it a bit slower than I would have liked with a van carrying two bewildered souls behind me. Like the tortoise, we took it steady and slow until the locale of residential streets allowed for opening up the throttle a little more. Given moments like this, my brain began working out coding that might turn into a more comprehensive application for driving directions that didn’t involve many major thoroughfares in the middle of rush hour. Instead, base it on driving strategies only the locals might know about. I may call it “Average Joe Driving Directions” and sell it on iTunes for five bucks a pop, or something. You can take the girl out of programming, but never take programming out of the girl.

Finally back to the house, I cordially instructed my aunt to occupy the garage on the opposite side of the house from where my bike was typically parked. Everyone agreed that now was the time to do any unpacking at all. Instead, I guided them into the living room where my mom was waiting with happy wails, hugs, and tears. It’s been years since my mom has seen any of her family members face-to-face, so I can imagine the whole experience was quite surreal for her. Megan and I exchanged glances, nodded, and non-verbally decided that leaving the two sisters to their reunion was the best course of action at the moment. Besides, all the high-pitched screeching was really starting to hurt my ears.

With eyes surveying every inch of her surroundings, Megan followed me upstairs to my room. Even with the spirited reunion going on downstairs, it was fairly quiet upstairs. The only thing that usually defied the distance alone was the smell of whatever my mom happened to be cooking at the time. Slipping off my jacket and letting my torso really breathe, I flopped onto the bed quite unceremoniously. Megan seemed quite uncomfortable as if she were intruding when she leaned on the doorframe glancing at me with half a smile on her face. Her eyes gave my room a more thorough scan than the rest of the scenery up to this point.

“It’s good to see Aunt Sarah in a good mood.” She finally spoke after a rather uneasy silence. “I still don’t know who the fuck you are, but I’m glad I got to see my aunt. Thanks, I guess.”

A way too feminine and rather unimposing grumbling sound came out of me, signaling my mild annoyance. “Do you know how many fucking times I’ve had to prove myself to people in the last… I dunno… six months?” Swiftly, I lifted my upper body off the surface of the bed.

Her eyes wandered around the room. “Well, I can tell ya one thing: this doesn’t look like a girl’s room. And, before you lash out and go all ninja bitch on my ass, I don’t mean that there is an apparent lack of pink and frillies. I gave up on that shit when I was six.” She let out a sigh. “There’s just… I dunno… that certain ‘air’ that somebody might expect that says pretty clearly: ‘Danger: a teenage girl lives here! Enter at your own risk!’. Is this making sense or am I talking out my ass?”

I simply shrugged. “Seems legit, I guess. It’s my little cave, but I don’t really pay a whole lot of attention to it. I guess I’m just waiting for another shoe to drop on my head that implodes the planet… or something.”

“It’s been like that, huh?”

I shot her a deadpanned glare. “Yea, you could say that.”

She nibbled her lower lip. “You… wanna talk about it?”

“Not really.” A sigh escaped my lips. Suddenly, something donned on me. “Megan, remember when you were eleven and stole my black nail polish to give your Barbie doll a Goth makeover?” A smile stretched on my lips. “You had her hair caked in the junk, her eyes looking like Ken was a dick, and even tried to do her nails?”

She started to giggle. “Gawd, I sucked at makeup back then. Mom had to throw the thing away, laughing at the sight of it and almost wanted to cry as the last vestige of me being a little girl was going out with the trash.”

“Yea, good times…”

She stopped. At that moment, a light bulb flickered to life in her brain and she looked at me with that look people get when they’ve stumbled on something profound. Her eyes slowly traveled over my body, cataloging every little nuance. Slowly, she stepped into the room and moved over to the bed. Tears started welling up in her eyes. The bed bounced ever so slightly as her butt landed on it right next to me. Her eyes darted over every little feature of my face.

“Lex?”

All I could do was nod in response.

In the next half second, her arms wrapped over my shoulders and half her body was dropped on top of mine. She laid her head on one shoulder as her body began to quake with each sob. Gently, I wrapped my arms around her and stroked her hair. Now, she knew. She had her cousin back; albeit, in a very different capacity. Try as I might, nothing could hold back my own tears, so I cried right along with her.

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Author's Note :: As far as I know, this tale is totally original. I had been sitting in front of the computer, waiting for more of Marked Target to come to me with no success. Then, I had a dream. A pretty crazy dream, at that. So, this is the product of that dream. There is more to come from this, too. Not a whole lot is explained here, but it should pick up soon. My readers know I have a tendency to drag little morsels of information on a string and lead you on a ride. Thanks to EnemyofFun and Drakira for beta reading for me. The insight was great, guys. Pic credit? I'm not really sure. I'll just say "Wabash College" for now.

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Chapter One:

Do I really have to elaborate how screwed up my life is? Is it not enough for whatever force controls the universe that my parents had already forced me into making life decisions? Now, I have to endure this life-altering change? I had a good life, you know. I liked my life just as it was, thank you very much.

Instead of whining, maybe I should start from the beginning.

My name is Brandon Lange. Well, at least it was. I’ll get into that, later. Growing up in a suburban neighborhood just outside of Eugene, Oregon, had its advantages and disadvantages. The second largest city in Oregon–I don’t care what the people of Salem think!–had a really good vibe to it. Nike started there, so it can’t be all bad. As with most college towns, it had some pretty liberal and artistic people around. There wasn’t really that much pull to be involved in sports. I messed around with a few when I was a kid, but it never really went anywhere. So, my six-foot-even stature was rarely used for the typical activities of basketball or football. In fact, I couldn’t stand either of them, really. My parents were okay with it. Their main focus was that my sisters and I get a decent education. Yea, I’m the only guy in my family besides my dad. That used to be the cool part about our relationship.

Some women may think that I grew up in an ideal situation. I’m the second-born child in the family among five kids. The other four? All girls. I was surrounded by femininity in all its forms with my sisters and my mom around. My big sister, Jessica, was the eldest of the bunch. She’s almost a full two years older than me and going to college in Berkeley, California. She’s a pre-law student. She was the super geek in high school, getting heavily involved in her drama and computer classes. My kid sister, Sara, was the jock of our family and about a year younger than me. You name a sport and she was probably on the team somewhere between kindergarten and graduation. In high school, it was mostly softball and soccer. She wanted to join the wrestling team, but the misogynists wouldn’t let her. The girl can sing, though. Her mezzo-soprano voice would give Christina Aguilera a run for her money. She started at Syracuse University, this year. My other kid sister, Britney, is the girliest of them all. Her name definitely fits her whole worship of shopping, the color pink, and her passion for fashion design. She’s still in high school, but is looking at NYU for college. Finally, there’s my baby sister, Ashley, who just started her sophomore year. She’s the musician of the bunch. Starting off with the flute, she’s learned to play every saxophone invented, the guitar, bass guitar, and the drums. Her only traditionally girlish pursuit is her love of dance. She’s not big on musical theatre, but she’s a huge drama geek and sings in the audition-only advanced choir at Willamette High School. When she plays riffs on her Stratocaster and belts out a few melodies with her lovely soprano voice, I’m reminded of that lead singer from Flyleaf, Lacey Sturm.

My parents are a pretty eccentric couple. My father is none other than Oregon State Senator Robert “Bob” Lange, Jr. I get my height, he’s six-one, and hair color, chocolate brown, from him. Of course, like most men in their mid-forties, he’s got those two streaks of gray hair on his temples that make him look distinguished. He looks great in a double-breasted suit and loves people. He’s got a laid back attitude, but he’s not afraid of a fight. Being a Democrat, he has to deal with a lot of it in the state congress. He co-sponsored the medical marijuana bill the moment it hit his desk back in the day, if that says anything about his ideology. My mom, Rebecca Lange, is very similar. Though, her auburn hair signals most people about her fiery attitude. She’s pretty sassy and has a passion for life that I really admire. I get my deep blue eyes from her and probably my cunning wit, too. She’s not short, but average height at five-foot-six. My sisters all fall within one to three inches of her height. Two are taller, one is the same height, and Ashley is three inches shorter but still growing. My mom really thought ahead when she was in school. She’s an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner, ARNP, and second-in-command down at the local Planned Parenthood clinic. She really gets into her work and has participated in several protests across the country whenever there’s a new legislation going in at the state level to limit women’s reproductive rights. She can get crazy about it, sometimes, but that’s what I really love about her.

Personally, I don’t really think I’m all that special. I can talk up my family until the cows come home, but talking about myself isn’t my strong point. In the depths of my soul, there is a deep-seated hatred of the job interview question: “So, tell us about yourself.” I suck at it.

What’s there to tell, really? My life was kind of average while growing up. Like I said before, I played a few sports, but I never really caught on to the need for masculine bravado and that sense of competition. Being raised around a bunch of girls, some would say that’s probably par for the course. I dabbled in everything during high school. I took some computer classes, got on stage a few times for acting or singing, dove into academic courses, and learned two foreign languages. Sara used to tell me that I had a voice like Josh Groban when I actually sang, but I could never see it. If you can believe it, you’re looking at someone who can speak the colorful “Language of Love”, French, one minute and then switch to the guttural musings of German the next. It really is hilarious to watch people’s reactions to that. The sad fact of being so eclectic through high school is that I don’t really know what I want to do with my life. Sure, I’m now a sophomore at Wabash College in Indiana, majoring in Political Science and minoring in Performance Arts. The college was my dad’s idea, so was my major. The good thing I found when I got here was that the campus has a radio station and the Performing Arts students pretty much run the place.

Now, there’s the bad part. Wabash is one of less than a handful of remaining all-male colleges in the United States. While I was in high school, I had a 4.0 GPA until I hit my junior year. My grades dropped a little. I still graduated with a 3.85 and became our class Salutatorian, but that wasn’t enough for my parents. My dad was under the impression that it was caused by the girlfriend I had back then. Sure, she took a lot of my attention, but my parents refused to accept my explanation of why the grades suffered. I was actually afraid to graduate because, unlike my sisters, I had no plan for college. I still don’t know what I want to do. The radio station helps and it’s a lot of fun, but I’m still on the fence about that. Chalking up to my lax in academic performance, my dad laid down the law: I go to an all-male college or my parents don’t pay for college at all. Given college tuition rates in this day and age, not even joining the military and getting access to the G.I. Bill pays for post-secondary education, anymore. So, here I am attending college without the distraction of a single female my own age on campus. Sure, there are women on the faculty, but they’re all older than my mother. That’s just gross.

Okay, so it isn’t really as terrible as I make it out to be, but there’s a reason I resent the decision to send me here. I’ll get into that, later.

Freshman year was no big thing. My parents had to set me up in an apartment off campus because they were doing some heavy renovations to the freshman dorms all year. The building hadn’t really been touched since the 1940’s, so they may have been getting pressure from the local authorities to bring the archaic structure up to code. Plus, I think all the insulation was asbestos, so it was an environmental hazard on top of everything else. I never knew how precious peace and quiet could actually be until I moved into that apartment. With all my sisters, there really wasn’t much sense of personal space. There was a rather strong matriarchal system in place. I’m not saying it was bad, but my sisters often felt entitled to just barge into my room whenever they pleased. They did it among themselves, so why should I be any different just because I was the only boy child? Now, I had a one-bedroom apartment all to myself. It was pretty nice.

The downside was that I didn’t really participate in that much of campus life. For that first year, my focus was on my studies. It was a preferable situation because I was getting all my required courses out of the way in that first year. The math, English, history, and basic science courses are always the most boring. I’ll spare you the details on that. As for extracurricular activities, I wasn’t involved in any of note. Aside from being a paid janitor at the radio station and the required intramural sports activities, there wasn’t much that occupied my time away from my apartment. Though, the job did bring some spending money with it. So, I bought myself a really good TV and an Xbox. Spending most of my time at home, anyway, it seemed like the best way to go. Besides, sending a barrage of fake bullets downfield in a fake three-dimensional space to collide with three-dimensional representations of human beings with animated blood spatter was somehow satisfying and relaxing. As a stress reliever, Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Halo have their uses.

As probably anticipated, that first year flew by like I was standing still and the whole world was on “fast forward”. The course work was challenging, but nothing I couldn’t handle. A week after the Spring Term let out and the commencement ceremony took place for the graduates, my parents arrived to pack up the apartment. In the fall, I’d have to check into the sophomore dorms, anyway. Still, I had a present for them: my transcripts from my first year with a 4.0 GPA. That made them forget their objections to me owning a gaming console and “obscenely violent video games”.

We arrived back in Eugene just in time to see Sara graduate high school. She wasn’t exactly thrilled with having to wear a dress. She had the egalitarian feminist views similar to my mother. Jessica had made it back for the ceremony, too. It was good to reconnect with my family. We even took a month-long cruise that my parents had set up for us to do as a family. The summer passed far too quickly for my liking. Before I knew it, August had arrived and it was time to register for courses before settling into the dorms. This year, my parents had bought me one of those Honda Civic hybrids as reward for the previous year’s achievement and the fact I would need one to transport my things. They would be focusing on Sara’s move to Syracuse, so we were a caravan as far as Crawfordsville, Indiana, but they continued on toward New York.

So, I was really on my own, now. Thankfully, not a whole lot of people started showing up this early, so there were plenty of parking spaces near the dorms. Grabbing some paperwork and my bag with bedding, I climbed out of the car and headed into my new home: Martindale Hall. The thing looked colonial with its brick and white-painted windows. Well, about as colonial as a building from Georgia would look. After getting inside and talking to the Resident Advisor, it was off to my room assignment. The college had one-man, two-man, and three-man rooms. Mine was just a two-man, so I’d only have the one roommate. I remember thinking to myself, ‘He’d better be cool or I’ll turn around and just drive home.’ Well, I wouldn’t find out today. I was the first one in the dorm. Picking the bed next to the window, I set about making the bed before I fell onto it and drifted into dreamland. The trip from Oregon had been an exhausting one.

For the next week, I set about decorating the room. Well, at least my side of it. There really wasn’t much in the way of decoration, though. There were really just a few photographs of my family, my TV, and my Xbox to set up. After that, I mostly mulled around campus, stopped to see if anyone had gotten to the radio station (WNDY) or not, and gallivanted around Albion in Fable III. Role-playing games fill so much more time than first-person shooters, so it was worth the investment and I forgot I was alone for a while. Man, I was bored.

It’s always annoying when you get interrupted in the middle of an action sequence in a video game. At the moment, I was hacking on a small band of Balverines, the werewolves of Albion, when the door swung open. It caused me to jump and my reflexes hit the pause button pretty quickly. Through the door strode a strapping young man about my age, maybe a little older. He was built like a football player. There was sweat in his black hair from carrying his big, green seabag and giant, black, wooden footlocker. Glancing over, his light blue eyes met mine and we both carried confusion. The guy reminded me of Guardsman Donnic from Dragon Age II, but with black hair.

“Uh… hey… sorry about that. I didn’t think anyone would be here, yet. I’m usually the first one in.” He explained between breaths. The seabag landed and bounced on the bed while the footlocker was released, falling to the floor with a light “thud”. He strode over and held out his hand. “I’m Kyle. Kyle McHenry.”

Keeping the controller in one hand, I reached out and shook his hand. “Brandon Lange. Don’t worry about the noise or barging in. Ma maison est votre maison, as they say.”

He blinked. “What the heck did you just say?”

I shrugged. “Mi casa es su casa, except I said it in French.”

“So, why not just say it like that?”

“I don’t speak Spanish. I speak French.”

He nodded slowly, not completely committed to his words. “Okay, that’s cool.” He glanced over at the screen. “Fable, huh? Not my favorite, but it’s pretty cool.”

“It’s all right. I was just looking for something to pass the time, really. I’ve been here for about a week.” I shrugged. “There’s Modern Warfare, Modern Warfare 2, Black Ops, Halo 3, and Halo: Reach in my pack, though. I’ve been meaning to add Gears of War to the collection, but can’t do anything without having a paycheck from the radio station. No one, other than me, has shown up, yet.”

His turn to shrug. “Well, the FPS games are all right, I guess. I’m a Madden fan, myself.” He paused and his eyebrow raised. “Wait, you work at WNDY? How come I haven’t heard you?”

“I’m not a DJ. I’m just the janitor. Being a freshman, I was the low guy on the totem pole.”

“Bum deal, but that makes sense. So, you’re a sophomore?”

“Yea, I finally get to take some fun courses.”

“That’s a blessing and a half. I’m a junior, but I’ve got a long way to go. I’m pre-med.”

My head nodded in acknowledgment. He’d be in school for another few years if he was going to be a doctor. “I hear you on that. I’m Poli-Sci, though.”

He chuckled. “Am I looking at the future President of the United States?”

I shook my head. “Nah. My dad kinda strong-armed me into it. He’s a state senator, back home.”

“Oh, the old ‘family legacy’ schtick? Sucks to be you.”

My eyes rolled. “Tell me about it. I’m the only male child in my family.”

“Really? That had to be weird, huh?” After my shrug, he moved back toward his bed. “Hey, I’m gonna go ahead and start putting this stuff away. You cool with that?”

“Yea, it’s fine. This is my third or fourth playthrough in the game, so I won’t miss any dialogue if you make some noise. It’s no big.”

“Great. I’ll get this shit squared away, take my nasty self into the shower, and then I’ll probably crash. It’s been a long day.”

A chuckle escaped my lips. “Not much different from my first day.”

We had a good laugh and I was back to slaying Balverines in the next minute. That’s pretty much how our relationship went. He was an all right guy, even if he was a little heavy into the sports. He played football in high school, but couldn’t “lower” himself to playing for a team called the “Little Giants”. Yes, that was really our team–the Wabash Little Giants. It was pretty lame. Thus, he just engaged in the intramural sports like most students at our school, including me. It was a requirement, after all.

Over the next few days, the school started coming to life. Finally, the radio station opened when the new Dean arrived to supervise the thing. The Program Manager still hadn’t shown up, so I just took it upon myself to take the place out of the moth balls. Some dust had collected over the summer and there had been a few garbage bins left unemptied, but there wasn’t really all that much to do. Two days before the start of classes, the new Program Manager finally showed up. He was an actor and his heart just wasn’t in the job, but the Dean had recruited him because he’d had a successful show for the past couple years. Apparently, there was a spot open for a new DJ. The Dean and PM asked if I wanted it and I told them I’d think about it. I hadn’t considered being one. Though, as long as there was at least a meager paycheck, I wouldn’t complain too much.

Academically, I can’t really say anything bad about Wabash. The classes were a tiny, more intimate setting where the professors talk to you, rather than at you. The classes are more about discussion, rather than lecture and it was amazing how much you can learn that way. The problem is that the professors know how to make things a bit more challenging when they know what you’re capable of. It made things so you started really getting to know your professors, as well as the other students. I wouldn’t call them “friends”, per say, but they might be cool to hang out with, once in a while. The one gripe I had was the same one all sophomores seem to have: the Cultures & Traditions course. There’s something really jarring about studying every major philosopher from the beginning of time to the present day.

What can I say? For the first while that year, I did a lot of studying, taking tests, going to class, eating the crappy food at the Sparks Student Center, and playing games in my dorm. You don’t really want to hear about all that, do you?

My life on campus started to pick up a little. This year, I was mildly determined to get involved in the campus social scene. Of course, that was fueled by accepting the Dean and Program Manager’s offer to become the new DJ at WNDY. To encourage the idea that the faculty wanted us to be learning as much outside the classroom as we were inside it, the Dean proposed the idea that my show would be a political talk program. Most of the other programs were just playing music and talking for a few minutes. Given that I was a political science major, it seemed a perfect fit in the Dean’s eyes. In no time at all, many more students than normal were noticing me on campus. For the sake of fair debate, I’d often invite members of the political student groups on campus–the College Democrats, the College Republicans, the Progressive Students Movement, and the Wabash Conservative Union. It made for an interesting show and I got to know many of them more personally. Being a small school, we’re pretty tight-knit anyway, but I was making friends that I never would have imagined in high school and got invited to a few parties.

Things really started declining sometime in November. I remember, specifically, that it was shortly after Monon Bell. That’s the time when our football team engages in a week-long celebration of the game against our long-time rivals, DePauw University. It’s the local state school that was founded about the time our school was. The difference: it’s a co-ed school. Every year, people make this big deal out of the rivalry and it’s about the only time you would ever see half the guys at school drunk on campus. Most of the time, we’re a pretty chill group of guys. Throw a century-old rivalry football game aimed at keeping or reclaiming “ownership” of a 300-pound locomotive bell into the mix and people lose their minds. Apparently, it’s one of the most talked about rivalries in all of college football. Add to that an invitation to have women on campus and some of the guys get downright crazy; although, they are definitely in the minority.

Yes, there is a dance that usually comes with the Monon Bell game. As always, the DePauw students were cordially invited to the event. We found out that the majority of the students at DePauw were girls, which was an interesting factoid to learn. So, many of them might be single. Think what you like about an all-male college, but we were gentlemen to the end. You might believe that we’re a bunch of beer-guzzling, knuckle-dragging Neanderthals, but you’d be wrong. Also, the guys at school really clean up well. I went to the dance in a suit my father had gotten for me, accompanied by Kyle since neither of us had dates at the time. I met this really pretty girl from DePauw, Amanda, and got her number. Of course, a lot of the guys hazed me about finally meeting a girl. All in all, it was a pretty nice night. Several of us got pretty drunk, though, including me.

The next morning, I was introduced to the wonderful world of hangovers. Thankfully, it was the weekend because I don’t think I’d be going to class. I had the splitting headache, the light sensitivity, and the general lack of muscle coordination. Never again.

The problem really started a day or two later. I still had the overall muscle fatigue, but you can add a bit of a fever to that. Generally, I felt like death warmed over. There was no joy when I called to cancel two shows at the radio station because I could barely get out of bed to use the bathroom. Kyle was worried enough that he grabbed one of the nurses from the campus medical center and brought him to the dorm to check me over. Strangely, there wasn’t really anything wrong, besides maybe I caught a cold. After two days, I was back in classes, but I still felt sluggish for about two weeks. Strangely enough, that feverish feeling never went away.

Around the middle of December is when the weird things started happening. As the days progressed, I noticed that I wasn’t having to shave as much. My family comes from Germany and we’re usually some fairly stout, hairy folk. Thankfully, I got my mother’s genes in that department. I wasn’t really stout or all that hairy. I had the typical furry legs, arms, armpits, and nether regions. My face hadn’t reached the “Five o’clock Shadow” stage, but I still had to shave every other day to remain presentable. By mid-December, I was only shaving once a week. It hadn’t been that way since I was fifteen. Top that off with the fact that the hair seemed to disappear off my arms and really thinned out on my legs. Despite feeling under the weather, I was eating like I’d never eaten before. Usually, two or three meals a day does it for me. However, I was snacking all the time and eating five or six meals a day. It was dipping pretty heavily into my cash reserves, too. To some, that would probably be some pretty obvious red flags. Honestly, they struck me as weird but they weren’t concerning enough to go talk to a doctor about. Besides, I had finals to worry about.

On the Thursday just before Christmas Recess, things changed. Having just finished the semester final for Culture & Traditions, my brain wanted to do something that didn’t require too much work. So, I picked up the Xbox controller and assumed the role of Ezio Auditore da Firenze to liberate Rome from the Borgia and their Templar cronies. I was deep into my own little world when Kyle came into the room.

“Assassin’s Creed, again?” He grumbled.

Not averting my attention from the television screen, I nodded. “Yep. I had the C-and-T final, this morning.”

“I figured that. You always play this game when you have that class.” Something stopped him and made the air in the room a little heavy. “Hey, Brandon… are you okay?”

That was a weird question. Pausing the game, I turned to give him a puzzled look. “Besides the obvious things we’ve talked about before, I’m fine. Why?”

He furrowed his brow and kinda wrinkled his nose. “I dunno. Something seems a little off. There’s snow on the ground outside, but even I don’t get that pale in winter. Not only that, but you’re stuffing your face like one of the linebackers, yet you almost look like you’re loosing weight. Have you noticed that you’re kinda sweating?”

On impulse, I brought my hand to my forehead and wiped some salty wetness off of it. That was new. “Whoa, that’s weird. I haven’t done anything to make me sweat, dude. I’ve been here ever since I got back from finishing that final.”

“It’s not just that, though. When we first met, you kinda reminded me of Adam Levine. Y’know, that singer guy from The Voice? Now, you kinda remind me of my little brother, which is a little freakish because he’s only fourteen.”

“That’s a little harsh, man.”

He shrugged. “What do you want? I’m being honest.” His eyes scanned every inch of me. “Maybe we should take you down to the clinic, or something.”

“I’m not sick, dude. I feel fine. The sweating is a little weird and I’m creeped out that you compared me to your little brother, but there’s nothing telling me that I’m sick.”

“Well, how about the fact that you have pretty much had some kind of fever thing going on since Monon Bell? Not only that, but when’s the last time you shaved, bud? I’d classify that under ‘weird shit you should talk to your doctor about’.”

I let out a grumble. “I can’t really afford to pay to see the doctor every time I get the sniffles, man. Sure, my dad’s a state senator, but the insurance doesn’t cover out of state care.”

“Hey, didn’t you tell me that shit was fixed under that ‘Obamacare’ thing?”

I rolled my eyes. “Please don’t call it ‘Obamacare’. The name of the legislation is the ‘Affordable Care Act of 2009’. Only the idiots in the Tea Party call it that.”

“Whatever! I’m not gonna sit here and argue political rhetoric with you. We need to get you in to see the doc, end of story.”

“You’re not gonna chill-lax on this, are you?”

He intimidatingly crossed his arms over his chest. “Not on your life. I’d be in denial if I didn’t say I was worried about you. I’m not a doctor, yet, but something just doesn’t seem right, here. Put your shoes on. Let’s go.”

End of discussion. That’s usually how it went when Kyle got his way. That guy knew how to put his foot down and not budge. I had taken my shoes off in the hopes of not moving from the dorm, but he’d convinced me to put them back on. Winter weather in Crawfordsville was about the same as it was in Eugene. So, I had my thermal underwear underneath sweats. Grabbing my coat, we headed out of the dorm room, then headed out of the building. It was only about a quarter of a mile from Martindale Hall across campus to the Allen Athletics & Recreation Center where the Student Health Center was located, but it felt like ten miles. By the time we arrived, my whole body felt like jelly. I’d had similar episodes like this in the past. This time was probably the worst of them, though.

Once we got into the Student Health Center, Kyle got me to sit down in the waiting room and he brought all the forms to me. Thanking him, I set to work filling out the forms. Being a small campus with a small student body does have certain perks. For instance, the wait to see somebody wasn’t very long at all. I didn’t even finish filling out the forms before I was called back into the exam room. Kyle was earning his “good friend” stripes by helping me to my feet. We moved toward the door with the waiting nurse.

The first red flags went up before I even got into the examination room. As per typical procedure, the nurse stood me on the scales, weighing me and measuring my height at the same time. When I saw the height measurement stop at seventy inches and the scale stop at one hundred forty-eight pounds, my eyes bulged out of my face.

“That can’t be right.” I breathed.

“The scales are regularly calibrated, so they are correct. However, you have a point, there.” The nurse nodded. “Let’s get you in the exam room and I’ll grab my tablet to pull up your records.”

“You’re not slouching because you’re a little weak, are you?” Kyle wondered.

“Nope, standing as straight as possible.”

The nurse took my arm. “Settle down, boys. We’ll get this sorted out. For now, you’re in Exam Room 3. Dr. Lensherr will be with you in a minute.”

She led me into the exam room and had me sit on the table. I was pretty much numb all over. How could I have shrunk two inches and lost twenty pounds in a single month? The implications were starting to really freak me out. It was only adding to the anxiety with each moment that passed and the doctor hadn’t entered the room, yet. A breath of relief escaped when he finally opened the door. Thankfully, this was the same doctor who had examined me back in November. He offered a paternal smile.

“Hello, there, Brandon. Feeling a bit under the weather, are we?” He glanced over at Kyle and gave him a nod.

“That’s a bit of an oversimplification, Dr. Lensherr.” I grumbled.

He glanced at the screen of the computer pad in his hands. “Well, I’ll admit that it is somewhat strange for a healthy young man to go from six-feet tall and one hundred sixty eight pounds, then become five-feet-ten and approaching one-fifty. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though. First, I’ll record your vitals and then you can tell me about what symptoms you’re suffering from.”

I relented to his insistence. While he went about checking my blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, and temperature, my nerves were still on edge. My mind was pleading with him to stop dragging things out and just tell me if I was going to die or not.

“Well, that’s odd.” He stated, glancing at the thermometer after removing it from my mouth. “Everything seems fine, overall. Your blood pressure and heart rate suggest a certain level of stress, which is to be expected. Though, you seem to be running a rather high temperature. How long has this been going on?”

I shrugged. “Ever since a nurse from here checked me out last time.”

“You’ve been running a high temperature for a month? Why haven’t you come in before now?”

“I can answer that.” Kyle scoffed. “He’s afraid his insurance won’t cover it. I almost had to drag him in here, kicking and screaming.”

The doctor shook his head. “Lack of payment should never be a deterrent to seeking medical attention when you need it.” He turned back to me. “Well, we’re going to have to start a few tests to find out why you are experiencing hyperthermia. We won’t have any results before the start of Christmas Recess, however. They should be in by the time you return from the break. I would suggest seeing your PCP back home while you’re away. They can call our offices to see if the results are in. There will be a few students staying through the holiday and we’ll be open.”

My eyes rolled in a hyperbolic fashion. My primary care provider back in Oregon was none other than my very own mother. I don’t know how she got that to work out without some kind of ethics violation.

“Right, just keep in touch with my mom.” I groaned.

“Why would I defer medical correspondence to your mother?”

“Two words, Doc: Nurse Practitioner.”

He nodded rather quickly. “Oh, yes. I’m sorry that I forgot that detail.” He took a quick breath. “Right. Shall we get started?”

Over the next hour or so, I had gone through the wringer. I was poked, prodded, scrutinized, and violated. The only detail I’ll really divulge was that they took a few vials of blood and scraped a cotton swap inside my mouth. I couldn’t tell you what they were looking for, though. When that was all over with, Dr. Lensherr recommended that I not drive back to Oregon like I had planned to. Instead, he recommended flying. It was his professional opinion that I might be a little too distracted with my medical issues to pay attention to the road and what I was doing on it. He probably had a point.

When all the poking and prodding was over, Kyle led me back to our dorm. There was an appreciation bouncing between the two of us. I may not have been very thrilled to become a pincushion for a phlebotomist’s needle, but I was glad to know that he cared. That day, he had earned the title of “friend”, which I’ve never thrown around lightly.

As soon as we were back, I glanced over at my phone with trepidation. Kyle probably got the hint if he saw me standing there and staring at it for half a second. There was some hesitation to call my parents and let them know the bad news. After all, plane tickets are expensive. It’s not wise to get them at the last possible second. I let out a heavy sigh.

I felt a strong hand pat my shoulder. “It’ll be okay, dude. Just pick it up, give them a call, and let them know you’re going through some things. It’s not that big of a deal, really.”

The guy was pretty convincing when he was trying to be reassuring. Deep down, there was a hope that he never lost that ability. Too many doctors don’t have it, these days.

“Thanks, Kyle. Um…” I began.

He cut me off. “Say no more, Brandon. I’ll go take a shower and run down to get a bite to eat while you call your parents.”

I gave him a nod. “Thanks, again.”

He winked. “No prob. It’s embarrassing enough talking to your parents, sometimes. It’s worse if there’s an audience. I’ll get out of your hair.”

With that, he grabbed his gym duffel bag and exited stage left. My attention returned to the cell phone sitting on my bed. It was one of those really cool smartphones that everybody and their brother has, these days. Still, it had never looked so foreboding as it did that moment. Reluctantly, I picked it up and plopped down onto the bed. In moments, the touch screen menus were navigated, my mom’s cell phone number was selected, and I was listening to it ringing. Anxiety built up with each ring. She picked up after just two.

“Well, hello there, sweetheart. What’s the occasion?” My mother’s voice mused on the other end.

“Hey, mom.” My reply wasn’t as spirited as I’d like. I loved my mom, but I wasn’t feeling my best.

“Are you all right, sweetie? You don’t sound so good.”

“I’m fine, I guess.”

“You guess? Is everything going okay? Your finals working out like you planned?”

“No, no… that stuff’s fine. There’s just two more and then I’m done for the semester. That’s not what I called you about. I’ve got some bad news.” I let out a sigh. It would be best to just let it all out. “I went to see Dr. Lensherr this morning and he doesn’t think I should drive back for Christmas vacation.”

“What do you mean Dr. Lensherr doesn’t think you should drive? Brandon, what’s going on?” It seemed like she was shuffling on the other end. Likely, she had stood up and was now pacing. She does that when she’s really worried about something. This time, I had caused that. I felt worse.

Another weighted sigh escaped. “It’s really not that big a deal, Mom. He said there’s some kind of hyperthermia going on and my body has felt like jelly, recently. He sent some stuff off to the lab for testing that should be back by the time the spring semester starts up, but he can’t really say anything at this point. I don’t really feel too sick, though. Kyle nudged me into going into the office. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have gone.”

“I’m glad he did, honey. You’ve always maintained an average temperature. Having it elevated would be cause for concern. It could be a hundred different things, but we’ll have to see what the lab results say.” That’s my mom. She’ll be worried, but her medical training has really taught her to avert her panic until more can be learned. She let out a quick breath. “Okay, sweetheart. I’ll see what I can do to get you a plane ticket out of Indianapolis on Saturday afternoon. You get some rest and take it easy. We’ll see you soon.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“I love you, sweetheart.”

“Love you, too, Mom.” Both ends of the line went dead simultaneously.

The next couple of days took an eternity to get over with. Perception is the damnedest thing. When you really want something to happen, it takes an eternity to happen. The last three finals that I needed to take for the semester were over and done with by the weekend. Friday night, my luggage was packed to take back to Oregon. By Saturday morning, my body felt as though I might need a forklift just to get off the bed. So, maybe Dr. Lensherr’s insistence that I not drive had been right on the money? Kyle wasn’t leaving for home in Wisconsin until Monday, so he offered his services for the hour-long drive to the airport.

After dressing in simple sweatpants, hooded sweatshirt, plain T-shirt, and basic shoes, Kyle and I piled into his car. Once my luggage was tossed into the back seat, we left Wabash and Crawfordsville behind. We switched on NPR and talked about a wide range of subjects. You know, the usual stuff. When we got into Indianapolis, we stopped off at an IHOP for breakfast. We were both practically starving. As per my usual lately, I took advantage of the “all you can eat” pancakes and had five plates of them. This appetite thing was actually starting to worry me a little.

In no time at all, we said our “good-bye” at the terminal entrance. I thanked him for the ride and he took off. Since the whole 9/11 thing, security at the airport has really gotten asinine. Maybe I was only ten when it happened, but my family has taken a lot of plane trips. It never used to be this crazy. Having to show up for a flight two hours ahead of time, there was a lot of dead air between checking in with security and actually boarding the friggin’ plane. I used some of the time to call my parents and let them know that I was waiting for the plane and when they should expect me. The rest of the time I killed by playing Angry Birds. It really helped vent some frustration.

Finally, my flight started boarding and all the passengers shuffled through the line. Thankfully, I did the smart thing and only packed a carry-on. Others were not so fortunate. Everybody piled into the sardine can called “an airplane” and shuffled to find their seat. Thankfully, my mom landed me a window seat. Regrettably, some fat and smelly guy got the aisle seat. He wanted to chat me up about college and I just wanted a barf bag. Yea, this vacation was starting off swell. In just under two and a half hours, I’d be back in Eugene. It couldn’t come fast enough.