When Lightning Strikes! by Lynceus All around the world, metahumans appear, some with frightening powers. In the Shinjuku ward of Tokyo, Japan, two of these powers are about to clash!

A Tale of the Comics Retcon Universe, and a first look at other parts of it's world.

Zach loved the outdoors: the fresh air, the open spaces, the rugged mountains, the sheer diversity of nature. Maybe what he liked most was the fact that there wasn't any of those damn LGBT types out there. Heck, that was why he was out there now, them and their damn Pride parade! Still, storming through the woods and mountain trails helped work off some of the anger, though there was still a lot left. Maybe if he wasn't so angry, he would have paid more attention to where he was going that misty morning, would have been more sure of his footing. Unfortunately, such things are left as afterthoughts of such incidents and looked back on in hindsight.

Do clothes really make the man ... or woman? An invitation to a night on the town becomes an object lesson in what it means to be a friend.

A RELUCTANT SPIRIT — FILTERED SPIRITS

By Ingrid Halb

Dan's wife Chrystal, owns the magical vessel but Dan wants to wish for his wife and him to have nicer things. Unfortunately for Dan, she lets him. A cautionary tale set to remind us to appreciate our significant others and appreciate the efforts taken to keep a house clean and tidy.

At eleven-years-old, Zoe is fed up with being played a fool by her fraternal twin Zack. Not only did Zack force her to share a womb, but he's aways arranged for her to be blamed for his lifelong efforts to become a girl like her. An unusual story, told from a sister's perspective, with an unusual twist. After all, this is a DeWinter tale. Thanks to Princess Chelsea and Geoff for enthusiasm and editing.

Fool me Once
By
Dawn DeWinter

“My Life” by Zoá« Enderson —

Gunfire was almost constant as I stared down the hall I knew held a very powerful Telepath though I still wasn’t able to see him and chewed on ideas to make things more difficult for him.

Freedom: Another Dream by Lynceus All I had ever wanted was to become a woman; surgery and drugs had given me the form, but there was one thing I wanted so desperately, I'd do anything to get it. And then I met Dr. Deidre Wentworth...

A Tale of the Comics Retcon Universe!: http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book/20577/comics-retcon-universe

I gave the man sitting on the other side of the table a glare that plainly said my patience was close to being gone and my temper was frayed to the point of being dangerous.

Books of Magik-2

-by Lynceus

“...when the child has survived on this world for sixteen summers, the green star will fall from the heavens, heralding the beginning of the Fifth Age. Old powers will awaken, and new powers will rise to meet them. The Green will choose a new Elemental, and the King of the World will ascend to his throne.”

Alena Scott has finally achieved her dream, having been deputized as the new Green Lantern of Earth. But she still has a lot to learn about her powers, and herself...

A RELUCTANT SPIRIT: A SPIRITED BATH

By Ingrid Halb

In this story we join Astrid and Hanna as they contemplate the after effects of a wish. The two girls quickly come to grips with the situation and Mike gets to watch.

Chapter 8

It’s dark and distant with the smell of blood and gas in my nose and like a far off echo I can hear Taylor screaming at me. I can hear “Jenna!” and “No!”

There’s the feeling of movement.

I see a bright light and there’s voices.

Voices calling out my name. “Jenna?, Jenna?, Jenna can you hear me?”

Phoenix Rising

Astronaut John Grey, returning from a routine satellite repair mission, encountered something much more than a total systems malfunction.

John Grey swore, and punched a control panel. “Great” he said. “It’s dead, and so am I”

He was miles above the Earth, after having worked at repairing a satellite for a private company. He had always wanted to be an astronaut, and when NASA had turned him down, he went to the private sector.

My office was — well, almost embarrassing. There was a bronze plaque on the outer door that simply read BASE COMMANDER, but once past that it was something that had me in near shock.

Our Secondary Base, the Beta site it was called was in a huge frigging cave buried under a mountain. Looking around as I got out of the helicopter that had delivered me I recalled the conversation in the Colonel’s office the day before yesterday.

Under Heaven, Over Hell-2

-by Lynceus

Anson begins to adjust to his/her new life as Ann, and resolve the feelings she has for not only Elisa and Celene, but her wayward parent, the Angel Raziel. Raziel explains more about the nature of the universe, including magic...and reveals a secret about the past.

A RELUCTANT SPIRIT: Vengeful Spirit
By Ingrid Halb

My fifth story, in which we meet Larry, a small-minded cubicle dweller bent on payback for every imagined wrong with a particular grudge against his supervisor. Not an unusual character, and one that can be found in many office buildings across the land. But Larry has a certain vessel that can conjure a three-foot tall enabler of wishes. Now what was it that they call payback again?

Jesse sat in his apartment. He was daydreaming again. It was always the same dream. The girl stood on a hill, her long white dress and shoulder length brown hair blowing in the wind. She always had a look of absolute love in her eyes.

THE HIT

by l.satori aka Laurie S.

The Hit was one of the first short stories Laurie S. wrote for an internet site years ago.

A master of disguise, alias Carrie Creamcheese, is contracted to put the hit on a men's magazine publisher, who is the guest speaker at a women's convention. Carrie dresses as a Playboy Bunny to get closer to the target.

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