《Superluminal - The Dream》


 Foreword and What is Love?

    For Sureia, my deceased love, as ever.


    You will remain in my heart my whole life. May this story we¡¯ve written together,


    begun by you, live on in its reader¡¯s hearts.


    Let this be your greatest legacy.


    Born to a broken home, Leo Walker, a fan of his world''s superheroes, tragically


    loses his parents. If you mix in an S-ranked supervillain''s superpowers into this


    already volatile mix, is it inevitable that Leo becomes another villain?


    A villainess seeks her rebirth. Will she tempt Leo to embrace the void?


    Adding to this tangle, Leo suspects that he''s actually a girl on the inside.


    Thankfully, to balance things out, she has her loving Auntie Goonie and cousin


    Quinn to guide her, albeit her new sister isn''t exactly a role model.


    She grows with their help to become who she was meant to become,


    Leona Ramses, an active and courageous young woman.


    While finding herself, she discovers love with a girl named Sarah Namias,


    an irresistible catgirl. While she fills Leona''s heart with love, Sarah''s words


    and actions mercilessly tie Leona''s brain and guts into knots!


    Meanwhile, far away from Earth, the entire universe is under siege by shadowy


    other dimensional beings bent on changing it for the worse. There are many dots


    to connect before this tale is over.


    What form will they take?


    This story was conceived by my late fiancee, Sureia. She always wanted to be a published author, but more than anything else, a writer for comic companies like DC and Marvel. She loved superheroes more than anyone else.


    The characters in this series are a mix of what she made and what I created. I believe we created an amazing story here that people might cherish as much as I do, so I''ve put a great deal of effort into polishing this over many years into what I''m posting on Royal Road today.


    This is an edition of book one that was supposed to be published, but because of a series of rejections, I haven''t had the motivation to post this. When I first posted it, the Royal Road staff (one person maybe) rejected it, thinking it would be a ''stub'' when I intend to post the whole polished volume 1, the current best version of this first book in my series (I haven''t completed such intense editing on any other of the following books yet).


    When I submitted it last time earlier this year, they approved it while my attention was elsewhere and I lost a good opportunity to gain early traction and attention for this volume, having given up after a back-and-forth interaction that seemed to lead to nothing. My goal now is to get to trending on Royal Road if I''m able, but I know how difficult that can be. Even so, I want to try. Hence, I deleted that version and uploaded the new cover on this release that was completed since. Those who noticed and followed the previous version will have noticed this change.


    I will monitor this story''s status on Royal Road (to make sure of when it''s approved) and following the successful reposting of chapter one, I''ll release chapters two and three that day and resume posting the next few days and eventually settle into a weekly release schedule when it feels appropriate to do so.


    Please share what you think of this story, and if you''ve read the original Scribblehub version (https://www.scribblehub.com/series/119592/superluminal/</a>) I''d love to know if you feel this version shows improvement or not.


    Thanks for reading!


    What is Love?


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°¡ªLeo? ... Leo! Where are you?! ¡ª¡ªCome out! It¡¯s okay!¡±


    A feminine voice echoed through a trash-strewn and abandoned home. She sounded gentle, but there was enough huskiness and an edge to her voice that, upon hearing it, one could easily imagine how tough she could be. When no answer came, the woman searched through the cluttered scene before her with a concerned and sorrow-filled expression. She rooted through the trash-filled living room with purposeful intent. But, after not finding what she¡¯d hoped for, her lips curled downward and her anger flared. Avoiding the worst patches of filth, she lifted her dress¡¯ skirt to look behind the rundown-looking furniture.


    Still not finding anything, her shoes thumped against the hardwood floor as she moved on. One step resulted in a crunching sound as she tread on discards, the next brought forth a crinkling and the following, a wet squishing sound. The concerned aunt didn¡¯t want to think about what might have produced such wet noises.


    Desperation tightened its hold on her as she fled the living room, concluding that Leo wasn¡¯t hiding in the refuse downstairs. With her heart hammering as she dashed through the hallway to the house¡¯s stairway to call out again, ¡°Leo! Please! Please answer me! I¡¯m here for you!¡±


    From the front door entrance, a young eight-year-old girl hesitantly stepped into the filthy home, tears filling her eyes. Chewing her lip as determination replaced the water in her eyes, the girl quiveringly said, ¡°M-mom¡ªI¡¯ll help¡ª¡±


    The girl¡¯s mother turned and sighed. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t want to come inside, but please check the rest of the downstairs for me. I¡¯ll search above.¡± Her eyes fixed on her daughter.


    ¡°¡ªleave it to me.¡± The sandy-blonde-haired girl nodded, gathering herself. She tiptoed into the living room to look around, her nose wrinkling as the fetid odors filling the home assailed her eyes and nostrils.


    ¡°Not there¡ªI don¡¯t think your cousin is there. Look in the other rooms,¡± the woman said as she started up the stairs that were, by some miracle, clear. She climbed up to the next floor where more detritus resumed and had to catch her breath. The miasma of the environment and the stress of the situation had far more to do with her erratic breathing than the exertion of the simple ascent.


    Sighing again, she wiped her forehead. ¡°Leo! Please! Auntie Goonie is here!¡±


    This time, a small noise echoed from down the hallway, or at least so she thought.


    Anxiously swallowing saliva, she kicked paper and bottles aside to wade through ankle-deep discards towards where she thought she had heard the noise. Her destination turned out to be the house¡¯s master bedroom. More of that same unpleasant squishing sort of noise arose from her feet as she neared the door. With every step, her tension rose to new heights until she finally stood before it.


    When she attempted to turn its knob, the blasted door wouldn¡¯t budge. ¡°Damn it!¡± she whispered, before raising her voice to deliver yet another desperate call, ¡°LEO!¡±


    Grunting, she set herself against the door more firmly now to force it open, but still it wouldn¡¯t cooperate.


    ¡°Auntie¡ª" a weak voice came from the other side.


    Goonie gasped, now certain that she¡¯d heard the goal of her search calling back to her. She grit her teeth and slammed her shoulder against the one thing that now stood between her and Leo. The backlash was going to leave a horrible bruise, but Goonie would not admit defeat.


    Her shoulder slammed repeatedly against the door and as she struck it over and over, it creaked and screeched under her onslaught, but still held firm.


    ¡°Uw¡ªaaaaaaaa!¡± Leo cried, his voice weak.


    Goonie cursed loudly, ¡°DAMN YOU, ALBERT! Quinn! Come upstairs! Be careful. I might have knocked some things down onto the stairs.¡±


    ¡°Coming!!!¡± With a clatter, she could hear the girl running through the trash below toward where the stairs led upward.


    Goonie continued to ram her body against the door, but after only making some token progress, she knew it would be better to take a quick break.


    Frustrated and sore, Goonie muttered, ¡°We might have to call the police at this rate¡­ I thought this would be simpler.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we?¡± Quinn heaved a heavy breath as she hastily crested the stairs.


    ¡°We may have to, but not yet¡ª¡± her mother responded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help then!¡± Quinn nodded and took a turn at throwing herself against the obstinate door.


    Goonie smiled warmly at her daughter as a reward for her efforts. Despite the pain in her aged and aching shoulder, she wouldn¡¯t allow herself to quit. Rubbing the sore spot and circling her arm to shirk off the pain long enough for another crack, she stepped forward to aid her little girl, ¡°Let¡¯s hit the door together on three.¡±


    Quinn examined the door and tilted her head. ¡°Is he really on the other side?¡±


    Goonie replied, ¡°Definitely. Now, let¡¯s hurry!¡± Quinn squinted and nodded, steadying her breathing as she set herself.


    ¡°One, two¡ª¡ªTHREE!¡± The mother-daughter duo threw themselves at the door with renewed conviction. Goonie was a highly determined woman who led a healthy lifestyle and Quinn, while only eight years old, followed in her mother¡¯s footsteps on top of being more fit, enjoying athletics at school. And although their initial charge hadn¡¯t fully wrested the door open, the two were happy to hear their inanimate foe screech sharply in near-capitulation. ¡°Again!¡±


    During their next battering attempt, Quinn finally heard the frail voice of her cousin on the opposite side. Having received confirmation of his presence, Quinn doubled her efforts, filled with fresh determination.


    The moment they collided with the solid door on their fifth attempt, it finally relented, the frame splintering from the force of their last charge. With a slam, the door opened so hard and fast that the knob embedded into the nearby drywall. The mother and daughter also helplessly tumbled into the rubbish laying beyond.


    The two took a moment to gather themselves and witnessed countless cockroaches skittering away, their distinctive glistening black forms crawling through the mess towards new shelter.


    When they crashed through, Goonie stumbled and collapsed into the semi-rotten mess, mostly empty liquor bottles and eaten microwavable dinner trays, while Quinn landed in the zone cleared by the door¡¯s swing on her hands and knees. Tears poured from both of their eyes now that their goal was so near.


    But Leo still wasn¡¯t in sight. They¡¯d both definitely heard him call out to them. Quinn, being the first to recover, scanned around and spotted a large chest in the center of the room. There was a padlock through the clasp, but she noticed that thankfully her uncle hadn¡¯t the resolve to clasp it.


    ¡°H-help¡ªplease ¡ª"


    Leo¡¯s voice and sobbing reverberated from within the chest.


    Goonie snarled and pushed herself to her feet. Quinn tossed a quick glance to her mother to check if she was okay before rushing ahead to the chest, kicking aside bottles and cockroaches alike. They cried out as Quinn wrenched the lock from its clasp and threw the lid open.


    Shock filled Quinn¡¯s expression as she laid eyes on her cousin, her heart trembling with a mixture of joy, guilt, relief, anger and pity. Goonie fought through the unique foul odor wafting out to reach into the chest and, with seeming supernatural gentleness and strength, lifted out the child from within. Wrapping her arms around him tightly, she started sobbing all over again with Leo.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be okay now, Leo! Are you hurt?¡± Goonie embraced the boy tightly, but with great care.


    Quinn looked up, her tears running across the cluttered and filthy carpet. ¡°Cousin!¡± Reaching up to him, she patted his back while Leo sobbed and clung to his Auntie Goonie. The child¡¯s stomach was growling so loudly the two could hear almost nothing else.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get some food in you right away. After all, someone sounds very hungry.¡± Goonie held a still-crying Leo who was listlessly snuggling back.


    ¡°Can I stay with you tonight, Auntie?¡± Leo sniffled.


    ¡°No, Leo. If I have my way, you¡¯ll be staying with us forever now.¡± The woman glared into the distance. ¡°You¡¯ll never have to face that kind of darkness again, Leo.¡± Goonie stroked the boy¡¯s hair, swearing in her heart that he would never go hungry again.


    Goonie started downstairs with the boy in her arms while Quinn angrily kicked an empty whiskey bottle away before running after.

 Their Fates

    Their Fates


    Leo giggled as he raced through the living room with his hands held to either side like wings. In each hand was an action figure, clutched like they were his pride and joy.


    ¡°Whoooosh! I¡¯ll get you, you dirty Black Angel!¡± Leo whooped and slammed one against the other. ¡°Hahaha! Take my blizzard! Hiyaaaaaa!¡±


    ¡°Auuugh! It¡¯s so cold! My feathers are frozen! If you want a piece of me, take a huge cloud of darkness in¡ªyour¡ª¡ªface!!! Raaaaaawrrrr!¡± The figure of a dark angel with ebony plumage collided with her cloaked hero opponent.


    ¡°Your darkness won¡¯t work on me! If you want to blind me, I¡¯ll send a flurry to blind you and freeze your butt! Ehehehehe!¡±


    ¡°Nooooo! Not that, Mistral! I hate that attack! EVIL BLAST!!!¡±


    ¡°Auuughhhh!¡± Mistral fell to the ground and Leo stared down at her. Albert, who was meanwhile sitting on his recliner enjoying a beer, rolled his eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s so hard playing a fight all alone¡ª¡± Leo¡¯s eyes sparkled as he delightedly ran to his father. At five, he was precocious and a bundle of energy.


    ¡°Daddy! Play Mistral for me! I think I have Black Angel down now. I worked really hard to get it perfect!¡± He beamed at his father.


    ¡°Oh¡ªthose dolls again¡ª¡± Albert laughed and scratched his head. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a guy part to play?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Awww... But they¡¯re girls and they¡¯re REALLY STRONG!!! When I grow up, I wanna be strong and super cool, just like them!¡± Leo jumped up and down. ¡°You remember when Mistral froze her butt last time, right? She, like, captured a whole city! Monteel or something! Hehehe¡ª¡ªBecause it¡¯s so far up north like that, she¡¯s so strong Black Angel can¡¯t win no matter what she does!¡± Leo enthused.


    ¡°Uh huh¡ª¡± Albert shrugged indifferently. ¡°We got you a strong-looking guy figure, though, right? That Vanguard is a proper hero! He¡¯s who you should be¡ª¡±


    ¡°But Daddy! He never fought Black Angel¡­ I don¡¯t think so¡ª¡± Leo tilted his head and pursed his lips. ¡°Anyhow, Mistral is wayyyyy cooler! I love her!¡± He danced and grinned. ¡°I wanna be able to control the weather and call lightning and make everyone go whooooo!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡ª¡± Albert facepalmed. ¡°You¡¯ve told me all about it, Leo. It is pretty great to make storms, but you know¡ªshe¡¯s a girl. They¡¯re the weaker sex. Get me that figure I bought you.¡± He squinted at his son.


    Leo pouted and fidgeted. ¡°But she¡ªum¡ª¡± He winced when the look turned withering. ¡°Okay¡ªwe can pretend that they fought! And you can be the big strong superhero! I¡¯ll be Mistral and we¡¯ll fight Black Angel together! I think my acting will¡ª¡±


    Leo¡¯s ears suddenly rang as he collapsed on the floor. He blinked to clear his vision as he looked around with uncertainty.


    ¡°Oh, God¡ªI¡¯m sorry¡ª¡ªI couldn¡¯t help it¡ª¡ª¡ªI just don¡¯t know how to handle kids!¡± Albert knelt down and helped his son up. ¡°Does it hurt? I really didn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°O¡ªowwwwwww!¡± Leo started crying when he realized his father had struck him. ¡°I don¡¯t¡ªahhhhhh!¡± He sobbed.


    ¡°Oh, jeez¡ªI meant nothing by it¡ª¡± He looked around for some refuge but an idea occurred to him, ¡°We have some ice cream. Let¡¯s go have some, and¡ª¡±


    Goonie stood watch over Leo as he tossed and turned in his hospital bed. The poor boy¡¯s sleep was restless. She wanted to cuddle him, to help him relax, but she feared waking him before he¡¯d properly recuperated would do more harm than good.


    After their emotional rescue of Leo, she and Quinn had rushed him to the nearest hospital to get him checked out instead of the meal she promised. For the moment, they were keeping him overnight for observation; at least it would give time for the social worker to come by. Goonie had previously resolved herself to not let her nephew out of her sight, but now it was all catching up with her old bones.


    On top of being physically exhausted, Goonie was far more emotionally depleted. In fact, she was just plain tired, in a spiritual sense.


    Thankfully, Leo eventually settled down, his eye movements and breathing returning to normalcy and regularity. Letting out a breath of air that contained both weariness and relief, Goonie¡¯s thoughts turned to her daughter.


    Exiting the room, Goonie found Quinn where she¡¯d expected, seated on the ground, leaning against the wall just outside. The little girl had been humming to herself and blinked, startled, when the door¡¯s latch loudly clicked to swing inside.


    ¡°Oh, thank God. Thank God,¡± the emotional floodgates finally broke and Goonie wept the moment she saw her child¡¯s worried expression. She closed the door behind her while Quinn rose off the ground. She¡¯d waited in the room with her for a while, but the sight of Leo with all those gadgets and gizmos hooked up to him bothered her. Unable to handle it, she¡¯d fled just outside, in tears.


    Now she waited expectantly for her mother to explain how her baby cousin was doing, chewing her lips as she tried to push negative thoughts out of her mind.


    Having come here directly from the Walker family¡¯s household, Quinn had on the same cutoff shorts and sneakers as when they¡¯d rescued Leo earlier. Here and there were stains of goodness-knew-what, the odors still ripe and Goonie¡¯s own dress was similarly battle-scarred.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you had to wait, Quinn.¡± With a slight shake of her head, Goonie let out a small sigh of relief.


    ¡°Good news¡ªthen?¡± The girl hopefully asked, her green eyes even more awash with concern as though she doubted it. ¡°Is he really gonna be okay?¡± She sobbed softly as Goonie reached out to embrace her.


    Goonie¡¯s own green eyes gleamed in reminiscence as she ran her fingers through her daughter¡¯s blonde hair. Truly, nothing was thicker than blood. Her own little girl reminded her so much of her dutiful younger sister, Yvette, and their mother. It was sometimes eerie how these things worked out.


    Laguna Ramses was the much older of two daughters.


    While the sisters both took aspects from their parents, Goonie much more took after their father while Yvette did their mother.


    Their mom had been a diligent nurse who drove her personal motto into the head of her children nearly every day: ¡®Do no harm and always be of service.¡¯


    Those words were likely what inspired Yvette to pursue a career in medicine too, but Goonie had different ideas. She too wanted to do her part for those around her, but Goonie knew from day one that she could never handle going to college; nor would she ever be able to work a regular ol¡¯ nine-to-five.


    Their dad was an ¡®entrepreneur.¡¯ He¡¯d always had a gift for the gab that wonderfully meshed with his genuine passion, he found, operating his food truck. But coming as little surprise, food service didn¡¯t always make ends meet, so this regularly forced him to work this or that odd job to help provide for the family.


    His big break came when he and some buddies worked to scrape together enough funds to form a fleet of a half dozen ¡®Papa Ramses & Co¡¯ trucks. While it wasn¡¯t quite a smashing success, it provided more stability for the household. Perhaps it was through watching his hustle that led to Goonie catching the entrepreneurial bug just like him, as well as discovering her own passion for cooking.


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    Having begun her career working in one of her dad¡¯s trucks at eighteen, she could cajole him into teaching her how to order the supplies, keep the books, and how to handle all the other managerial duties over the next several years.


    Her own daughter, Quinn, came to be when Goonie ended up pregnant, the fruit of a fling with a charming hippie nine years before rescuing Leo. They¡¯d enjoyed each other¡¯s company, but Quinn¡¯s father was never one to be tied down.


    To his credit, he earnestly tried to pay child support, but it had always been intermittent, likely because he couldn¡¯t quite grow past his hippie lifestyle. The only actual contact between them was an annual Christmas card.


    Goonie frequently wondered what her younger self had ever seen in that long-haired vagrant. It may have been that they were both vegetarians. That mattered because while she¡¯d dated many people, meat eating was something she simply would not do because it was a hard deal-breaker for any suitors.


    Sadly, despite Goonie¡¯s best efforts to break Quinn¡¯s own addiction over the last several years, a battle waged for the sake of her health, her daughter still craved meat.


    She would wheedle with her puppy dog eyes whenever they ate out, and once in a great while, the effect of Quinn¡¯s adorable and impish expressions would overcome Goonie¡¯s resistance.


    Her planned meals and lunches included alternative protein sources that led to Quinn¡¯s growing to become a well built, energetic child for her age. Or, at least so Goonie thought.


    In reality, Quinn had been swapping lunches with other kids who were curious to try out the weird but tasty stuff she brought in every day, and soon enough she started buying burgers and chicken nuggets with her carefully saved allowance, allowing her to get her fix on the sly.


    Most tragically, Quinn never really got the chance to know her grandparents very well because they had passed away at nearly the same time. In fact, it had happened the same year, while she was too young to recall much from those years.


    Ever the selfless workaholic, Mama Ramses had been pushing herself far too hard, sadly to the point of her ignoring the troubling signs of cancer. By the time they diagnosed her, it was far too late, and she left the world half a year later. Papa Ramses¡¯s passing wasn¡¯t far behind, suddenly having a stroke several months after.


    In the fallout of this loss, the sisters amicably split their meager estate, with Goonie specifically asking to keep the ¡®Papa Ramses¡¯ business. Some time after, she cashed out of her stake in the food truck fleet to save the funds as seed money for a new venture she was planning.


    Now, Goonie¡¯s plans for the future would have to wait until she could sort out what was going on with Leo.


    ¡°Mom, why didn¡¯t a superhero come and save him?¡± Quinn¡¯s sudden question hauled Goonie away from her trip down memory lane. The young girl¡¯s tone was imbued with such hurt and anger that Goonie¡¯s heart almost broke all over again.


    ¡°Oh, honey, heroes can¡¯t be everywhere like that. They can¡¯t stop every bad thing from happening,¡± Goonie soothed. She wasn¡¯t the biggest fan of the world¡¯s superheroes, but their good work saved countless lives, so she at least felt the need to defend them a little.


    Goonie changed the subject, saying, ¡°As for your Uncle Albert, he had been spiraling out of control for a good while. But the only thing that I, or anyone else, could really do was watch him like a hawk and constantly check on Leo. I knew something was wrong when he stopped responding to my calls.¡±


    Goonie took a deep breath, letting air in and out through her nose. ¡°My sister always saw and brought out the best in people. Albert was no exception. But with Yvette gone¡­ I guess the worst in him was unrestrainable under stress and grief¡ª"


    After a long pause, Quinn asked a question, putting on a smile. It was one that Goonie had no clue how to answer. ¡°Is he going to be my brother now?¡± The young girl¡¯s face became a little eager as she added, ¡°I always wanted one.¡±


    Goonie felt her lip tug upwards a bit. Her spunky daughter was simply irrepressible. ¡°Well, I hope so¡­ but we still have a huge legal tangle to get through.¡±


    ¡°Is it really all that complicated?¡± Quinn puzzled over Goonie¡¯s statement, drawing her face ever closer to her mother¡¯s. ¡°Why can¡¯t we just take him home?¡±


    ¡°We can, since we¡¯re family, but he needs to be nursed back to health before that. In the meantime, I¡¯ll talk to my lawyer and see if he¡¯s able to set a court date soon. I honestly don¡¯t think that good for nothing father of Leo¡¯s will come back, but you never know. We need to settle this while he¡¯s still out of the picture. If he proves himself to be a decent human being, we can talk about it after the fact, but for right now, he doesn¡¯t even deserve the chance to defend his actions... Or to be anywhere near Leo.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯d uncle go?¡± Quinn asked, aghast. ¡°Uncle ran away?¡±


    Laguna nodded and sighed. ¡°Your Aunt Yvette¡¯s death broke him in more ways than I thought. He was always drunk when I called to check up on them. His excuses turned into irrational anger and I started worrying about what his behavior suggested that he¡¯d do to Leo. Albert was falling apart. What happened to Yvette hurt me too, but that¡¯s no excuse to harm your child! Leo won¡¯t smile!¡±


    ¡°Why? All you need to do is think about cheerful things and the smile will come naturally, right?¡± Quinn asked innocuously.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy¡­ you can pretend, but inside you¡¯re hurting and your heart is caving in. It¡¯s far easier said than done, just putting on a genuine smile, that¡¯s what I mean.¡± She gently patted the bright sandy blonde hair atop her daughter¡¯s head.


    Albert eventually turned up in a flophouse close to a bar he¡¯d tried to sleep in. Most nights, Albert would try to make one of the pool tables at the bar his bed for that night, but the bar manager wasn¡¯t having any of that, so Albert had to make do. While the manager considered permanently banning Albert, he took pity on the poor broken man for a time, but sooner than later, enough was enough and finally called the police and got Albert some real help.


    While in the drunk tank, Albert received a subpoena and had to appear before a criminal court. Not bothering to hire any counsel, he went alone and meekly accepted the jury¡¯s verdict without protest. His eyes were downcast and his face unshaven, his voice mute as the jury found him guilty of all charges.


    ¡°We, the jury, in the case of the State of California versus Albert William Walker, find the defendant guilty of abandonment and neglect of children, and attempted second degree murder.¡±


    The judge cleared his throat and spoke, ¡°Thank you, Jury, for your service today. Court is adjourned.¡±


    After spending several days in jail, Albert was once again summoned before the court where the judge handed down his sentence, ¡°Mr. Walker, I therefore sentence you to fourteen years of jail and a fine of six-thousand dollars.


    ¡°Furthermore, you have proven unfit to fulfill your parental duties and responsibilities. Thus, Leo Walker will be placed under the care of his aunt Laguna Ramses, his closest living relative.¡±


    Even though Laguna was Goonie¡¯s real name, everyone called her by her cute and strange nickname. Particularly Leo took to calling her that, mostly because it was easier to say.


    ¡°Furthermore,¡° the Judge resumed, ¡±a restraining order will henceforth be placed on Albert William Walker.¡± He looked seriously at Albert, sitting alone at the defendant¡¯s table. ¡°You may not approach your son, Leo Walker, within one hundred yards.¡±


    The gavel struck the striking block with the sound of unambiguous finality.


    Albert abruptly and apparently lost his mind as he started laughing uproariously in court.


    ¡°Do you think I care about that twink brat?! Hah! Are you really shipping him off to that hippie bitch?¡± He pointed accusingly at Laguna, taken aback by his outburst. Quinn glared at her uncle, pursing her lips.


    Albert obliviously completed his rant with, ¡°Really? She couldn¡¯t raise a crop!¡± His tirade devolved him to ape hood that earned him another year of jail on top of the previously mentioned sentence. The judge was initially attempting to be lenient with the man, considering his loss and considering his good behavior until that moment, he changed his mind some time after Albert opened his mouth.


    After Leo¡¯s treatment at the hospital, Leo went to Laguna and Quinn¡¯s house, a place he¡¯d visited in the past with his mother, so it was a little familiar and felt warm.


    After they crossed the threshold of the doorway, Quinn spoke with a broad smile, ¡°So I guess you¡¯re staying with us for good after all.¡± To that, Leo nodded numbly, still anxious about the changes, although he was happy to be in a warm and clean home.


    He looked around and licked his lips, wordless. ¡°Aww. C¡¯mere you!¡± Quinn exclaimed as she pounced and scooped her little cousin up in her arms to hug him warmly. ¡°Y¡¯know, we¡¯re cousins and all, but I always wanted a little brother and I¡¯m thrilled you¡¯re living with us now!¡±


    Leo smiled weakly and looked more around the home. Theirs was a two-story townhouse with a small rear yard and a bit of a lawn in front. At that moment, a smell started pervading the cozy home, recalling Leo¡¯s previous visits in more detail. Goonie was cooking, and he remembered that her food was tastier than anyone else¡¯s. The fragrance from his aunt¡¯s amazing cooking was mouthwatering, and now he could enjoy such delicious smells and flavors every day.


    Knowing that it was now his home, the place had a whole new magic to it. But then he recoiled, remembering the face of his mother, smiling warmly at him, snuggling him for no good reason. He¡¯d always squirmed away from the cuddling sessions, pouting, but now he wanted it all back. How he missed her.


    Tears of deep despair streamed down Leo¡¯s cheeks. Goonie walked into the room to announce that their dinner would be ready in a half hour, but seeing Leo¡¯s dewy cheeks, she swept over to scoop him up and snuggled him relentlessly.


    Leo continued to cry, struggling a bit at first, but eventually giggled as his aunt rubbed her face against those pink and damp cheeks.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry¡­ you¡¯re not alone.¡±


    Time passed and while Leo never forgot his mother, the walls he¡¯d built up slowly came down brick by brick. It was an admittedly long task, but nothing worth doing ever comes easily.

 After The Move

    After the Move


    Despite being an awkward boy who had lost much of his joyous and irrepressible energy, by spending time with his cousin and with much nurturing, Leo gradually showed signs of improvement.


    It wasn¡¯t easy dealing with the child¡¯s sweaty nightmares, regular bed wetting, emotionally charged mood swings or the occasional loss of appetite he experienced, but they found a way through thanks to plenty of patience and love.


    Goonie acknowledged she needed help and found a knowledgeable therapist to help Leo deal with his feelings. Despite the lady therapist¡¯s gentleness and how much it helped him, Leo still couldn¡¯t help dreading these weekly visits. No one else at his school needed to see a therapist like he did, and it made him think something was wrong with him.


    Even though he never quite returned to being the same innocent apple of his mother¡¯s eye, Leo gradually found some enthusiasm again.


    Quinn loved her new little brother, but the novelty wore off in time and she started seeking more personal space, which she usually found upstairs in her room with the door shut.


    One night, drawn by the strange sounds coming from within, Leo crept into Quinn¡¯s bedroom with a serious expression. When his eyes fell upon her, Leo became starry-eyed. The blonde girl sat on her bed with a strange contraption on her lap. Colors flashed on it as though she was playing one of those memory game machines he¡¯d seen shown off at school, but the lights flashed after she pressed them rather than before.


    It wasn¡¯t just that it was peculiar, either. Some weird music came out from the thing the whole time and it changed with each pressing of a button. Neither did Quinn look like the happy-go-lucky goof Leo normally saw. She was intently focused, totally lost in the music she was playing.


    Leo had heard her full name was Quinzel Rosemary Ramses, a lovely name, but never thought about ever calling her all that. Apparently, nobody else did either.


    It was a rare thing, but when sufficiently upset, Goonie would set Quinn down.


    In short, his cousin was just ¡®Quinn¡¯ to him and everyone else.


    Quinn was the type of person who had to do everything that looked interesting and frequently did all of those things simultaneously in the name of saving time. Indeed, she didn¡¯t like to waste any time in her exploration whether it was outdoor activities like basketball, soccer or rollerblading with friends, after-school things like art class, drama or the gaming club she attended. Quinn was always doing ten different things all at once.


    Auntie Goonie had once remarked about her daughter¡¯s behavior, saying that Quinn was taste testing everything life offered like a budding gourmet.


    Whatever the motivation, Leo thought Quinn was the most amazing person in the entire world aside from her superhero role models like Mistral, who he¡¯d never forgotten even in his deepest moments of depression. At the moment, Quinn seemed more amazing, perhaps more talented than those gifted with superpowers. Leo¡¯s cousin and adoptive sibling knew many people and did even more things, always doing whatever she wanted and all at her own pace.


    Pleased that he was closer to her than anyone else, Leo thought maybe it was because despite knowing so many people and having so many interests, Quinn didn¡¯t seem to have many super close friends or stuck with any one activity long enough to accumulate them in those days of experimentation.


    Leo didn¡¯t care which of these was the true cause, it just meant that he got his amazing cousin all to himself.


    That said, things had changed a little once Quinn started taking after-school music classes. Having quickly established the fact that she was naturally good at expressing herself through music, Quinn never really liked the forced rigor one had to follow to play with other people in a class. Her style was more free-style, more jazzy than that. She would have literally marched to her own beat if she¡¯d ever felt like joining Band.


    Neither the recorder, clarinet, guitar, trumpet nor any of the many other instruments she¡¯d tried picking up for a bit could keep her interest for long before she¡¯d move onto something more novel. She was gifted enough to fairly quickly pick up the basics about everything she tried, but that didn¡¯t mean she truly enjoyed those things. And so, Quinn was breezily trying things out like usual until she got to the drums and then the keyboard.


    Quinn really, really, reeeeally liked the drums and loved the keyboard, but what she loved even more was being able to make the school¡¯s electric keyboard change the sounds she would put out on the fly. She¡¯d start out playing on a piano, then electronically switch over to the somber and deeper notes that only an organ could make, then over to a harpsichord, jamming with these eldritch sounds and then back to whatever else she thought best fit next.


    One of her music class friends also enjoyed electronic instruments like her and, through this connection, Quinn learned more about where her mother had gotten these instruments for her and explored all available options on her own terms. She visited the music stores in the area that sold keyboards, synths, keytars and all kinds of other crazy stuff she hadn¡¯t known existed until she laid eyes on them.


    Ever since then, Quinn became obsessed like Leo had never seen. She¡¯d even started walking the neighbors¡¯ pets, watering their plants or running extra errands for Goonie so she could make money to save up and get something shiny called a ¡®mixing board¡¯ and roped Leo into going with her to the store whenever Goonie permitted it.


    Leo had to wonder if Goonie¡¯s great cooking might help Quinn chase her dream since it involved mixing, a subject Quinn would mutter about almost endlessly.


    Anyhow, early that day Quinn had gone to the store to pick up an order she¡¯d placed, but all she came back with was some weird blinky light-box thing, the thing that straddled her lap now. Leo was skeptical and interested when he saw the box it came in. His curiosity was impossible to contain when the curious notes started filling the upstairs hallway. He was using the bathroom next door and had to get even closer and so he crept into her room. Now that he was hearing it in action, up close, it deeply fascinated Leo.


    Having been so deeply focused, Quinn hadn¡¯t noticed her cousin¡¯s entry or his timid approach. Leo tilted his head, listening, not saying a word. Utterly engrossed.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Much to Leo¡¯s continued amazement, Quinn had recently taken to dyeing her hair. Leo couldn¡¯t help but wonder how his hair would look if it was pink like hers was now. His mouth spread in an enthusiastic grin at the thought and the groove his cousin was cutting. At that age, she had also started regularly wearing large goggles on her head wherever outside the home and sometimes inside. The goggles combined with her baggy windbreaker and comfy-looking miniskirt signaled the eccentric fashionista she was becoming. Because she didn¡¯t have her goggles on at the moment, her mid-length hair swung freely as her fingers continued to dance on the pad.


    ¡°WOW! WHAT¡¯S THAT THING CALLED!?¡± Leo couldn¡¯t contain his exuberance any longer and exclaimed. He looked into Quinn¡¯s face, who had just then noticed Leo¡¯s presence. She blinked and smiled tolerantly, not answering. Her beat faltered momentarily, but she doubled her efforts now that she had a captive audience. Leo¡¯s head moved from side to side and the smile on his face shone more genuine than it had for months.


    Once she got the melody out of her system, Quinn was so happy, content to have such a good little brother, she impulsively ran to her mother downstairs. It had become an impromptu concert that had left her with a high and even Leo was still smiling, bemused. As she exploded into the kitchen with Leo following her like a duckling, Quinn¡¯s tone was enthusiastic as he exclaimed, ¡°Mama! I love Leo!¡±


    It annoyed her in part that Leo had barged into her room, but she was full of nothing but goodwill and love for him just for sitting quietly and listening so raptly, so she let it slide.


    Her mother smiled warmly, nodding. She was more than surprised to hear Quinn say it after having cooled off over the last year or two once the novelty of having a sibling wore off.


    Quinn thumbed her lips and looked down at her little brother, who was clinging to her with an expression that nearly conveyed worship. She thought about Leo¡¯s place in the household, thinking it was still too tentative, too temporary as though it might mean that he wasn¡¯t there for good, not that her mother would ever do that to Leo, particularly after saving his life and adopting him.


    With a firm nod to herself, Quinn said, ¡°Leo¡¯s had to sleep on the sofa for too long¡­ isn¡¯t there something else we can do for him?¡±


    Goonie¡¯s warm smile faded slightly and her expression soon turned troubled. The house had only two bedrooms and while there was another room that could become another bedroom; it didn¡¯t have a closet because it was just an office, one that housed the family computer. There was the worry of where to put the computer if that was done, but something truly needed to be done. Sometimes Leo would sleep with her when he had a hard time sleeping, or he became restless, but as he grew, this wouldn¡¯t be the best thing for him long term. His sleeping was showing improvement, and she thought soon he wouldn¡¯t need to cling to her at night.


    Quinn eyed Leo with an indecipherable expression and a wetting of her lips. Leo stuck himself to her leg like a barnacle and hadn¡¯t yet responded to what they were saying, since he was still coming down from being moved by her music. She could tell. To have had this kind of profound effect on her little sibling, Quinn could not help smiling proudly. It really had been an amazing performance, a magical moment that she hoped she could reproduce in the future. Her pride wasn¡¯t purely because of being able to play bewitching music. It was also thanks to being a big sister, and she saw the real meaning of it now.


    When she thought it over, even though Leo had intruded on her privacy, when he was clinging to her, crying on her lap or the times when he felt agitated, which were more frequent than infrequent, all the good times and bad equally considered, she decided that ever since he¡¯d joined their family, she¡¯d been happier. Now her desire to be a very good elder sibling recharged, just as she felt when they¡¯d rescued him from that old dress chest that belonged to her Grandma before her aunt Yvette.


    What she was contemplating doing totally had nothing at all to do with him being her first fan. Could she help want to dote on him extra for that? Nope, not at all.


    ¡°Mama!¡± Quinn decided, and having done so, she looked up to her waiting mother to announce, ¡°I¡¯m giving Leo my bedroom.¡± At that moment, she scooped Leo up into her arms and gave him a firm hug. She looked into her cousin¡¯s eyes and he looked at her with amazement as the mist of confusion parted to light up his eyes. The reverie he was in had finally passed. Now he knew what was going on around him.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Goonie was blown away by her daughter¡¯s surprising generosity. ¡°Aren¡¯t you being impulsive here? Where would you go except for the office? You won¡¯t have a closet if you move there, and he¡¯s a boy. He doesn¡¯t need a closet.¡±


    Still psyched, Quinn said, ¡°I know all that¡ªI don¡¯t mind if we put my stuff on the shelf there or something. I¡¯ll figure it out, I promise. I know I¡¯m a little crazy and I¡¯m just doing whatever pops into my head, y¡¯know¡ªbut I think this is right! He won¡¯t be a part of the family while he¡¯s crashing on our couch, right? I don¡¯t want him to have a makeshift room.¡± Quinn looked into her mother¡¯s eyes, eliciting laughter and a nod.


    ¡°You¡¯re so right, Quinn. I-¡± Laguna¡¯s breath caught. ¡°I can¡¯t believe my child is such an amazing person. You¡¯re my little hero.¡±


    Quinn puffed her cheeks and straightened her posture in a show of pride. Her mouth eventually spread into a gleeful grin and she looked down at Leo, who still did not know what was going on, even though he was now aware. His expression expressed wondering and puzzlement.


    Goonie swept both of her children into her arms to clasp them to her middle. ¡°We¡¯ll get started as soon as the workday is over. We¡¯ll hire someone to move your bed, and we¡¯ll see about getting you one too, Leo.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Mama,¡± Quinn said. ¡°I always loved crashing on that oldish comfy couch in the office, anyway. That¡¯ll be good enough for me.¡± Quinn nodded.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re gonna sleep on a couch instead of me?¡± Leo asked. The newer living room sofa was where he slept ever since, but now that he thought about it, he¡¯d seen his cousin taking naps on it and the office sofa more frequently lately. Only the details had yet to be hashed out, but Leo knew one thing. This was a strange and magical moment.


    ¡°You¡¯re giving up a really nice bed¡ªare you sure, Quinn?¡± Goonie asked, thinking back on how she¡¯d spoiled her by splurging on it. The bed had a frame that was made from brass that shone like a mirror after a good polishing.


    Goonie set the two down and Quinn nodded, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sure, Mama. But he can¡¯t have my clothes! They wouldn¡¯t fit Leo!¡± She leaned down to pinch little Leo¡¯s cheek.


    Leo pouted and squirmed. ¡°N-no¡ª¡ªthatsh hurts!¡± He glared fiercely. ¡°B-but¡ªYour clothesh are sho cute, Cousin!¡±


    Goonie blinked.


    ¡°I know! I¡¯m a trendsetter!¡± Quinn said proudly. ¡°But you¡¯re still a little squirt. My clothes wouldn¡¯t fit you¡ªbesides, you¡¯re a boy. You know¡ªhey, wait, call me sister! I know I¡¯m really your cousin, but you¡¯re like my little brother, right?¡±


    Leo gulped and chewed his lip, thinking it over. He¡¯d always wanted a sibling too, but things he still didn¡¯t understand happened and he wondered why Mama wasn¡¯t back yet, but even more why Daddy had turned so mean. And where did he go to?


    After a moment of wrestling with the concept, Leo tried the word, ¡°S-sister¡ª" His eyes had been growing dewy, and he gulped after uttering the word. A warm feeling spread inside him as tears continued to well up in the corners of his eyes. He¡¯d always been alone, but just saying the word seemed to help fill the vacancy in his heart.


    Having pondered the meaning of the warring expressions of her little nephew as he worked himself up to it and called Quinn his sister, Goonie asked, ¡°Are you okay, Leo? Are you happy with us?¡±


    Leo¡¯s eyes cleared and focused as he quickly nodded his head, sending droplets of tears flying as he declared, ¡°I am! I¡¯m super happy! It¡¯s so warm and bright here with my Auntie Goonie and my¡ªmy sister¡ª¡ªare so amazing!¡± His high-pitched voice squealed.


    Quinn met Goonie¡¯s gaze and giggled as she made a further suggestion, ¡°You know, he should call you Mama too.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Goonie said firmly. ¡°I-I don¡¯t mean that I don¡¯t want to be his mother, but isn¡¯t that disrespectful to my sister, your aunt?¡±


    ¡°Oh, crap¡ªthat¡¯s right¡ª" Quinn eyed Leo, chewing her lip.


    As they looked into each other¡¯s eyes, Goonie and Quinn thought about Leo¡¯s past and each privately dreaded the moment they¡¯d have to explain to Leo that his mother was dead, gone forever and why his abusive father would never show his face before their family ever again.

 At the Forefront

    At the Forefront


    ¡°Auntie Goonie, Auntie Goonie!¡±


    Having just arrived home from school, the seven-year-old Leo scampered straight to the kitchen, where he knew he would find his loving aunt cooking up yet another of her trademark vegetarian recipes for their dinner that night.


    It was always a delight to try out whatever new meal Leo¡¯s Goonie had whipped up any day. She said it was to test out menu items for her future business, but he didn¡¯t care why, because the food was always yummy!


    ¡°Hey now, you know not to run around in the house.¡± Having found her where he¡¯d expected to find her, Goonie chided Leo when he found her where she¡¯d holed herself up for most of the last few weeks.


    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± Leo blushed, looking away embarrassed, but not being too put out, he rushed on with a big grin to tell Goonie what happened, ¡°So anyhow at school today, Sam, Dee and me were talking about which of us would make the best hero if we suddenly got powers! Sam was saying he¡¯d make the best hero of all of us because of things like his dad being a police officer cuz he understands more about that part of it. But then I was like, that¡¯s a terrible backstory for a hero, you know? But then, Sam was all like, well, ¡®your backstory sucks too¡¯. And then, Dee was like¡ª¡±


    Goonie had been paying half attention at the start of Leo¡¯s usual babbling about whatever was discussed during the latest flame war, what the kids apparently called their discussions, as he and his nerdy friends had been having lunch today.


    She was about to correct him, saying, ¡®Sam, Dee and I¡¯, but by then Leo had gotten to talking about Sam¡¯s father and she was dumbstruck by the very word, ¡®dad.¡¯


    A wave of realization and guilt washed over Goonie at the mention of that magic, taboo word.


    Leo had been her charge for several years by this point. Neither Goonie nor Quinn had ever shied away from answering any of Leo¡¯s questions, but there had never been many and they¡¯d never really openly talked about what had happened to him or why.


    While Goonie was recovering from her shock, Leo was still running at the mouth, ¡°¡ªand then, I was like, nuh-uh, that¡¯s because¡ª"


    ¡°Leo.¡± Goonie simply spoke his name, but the tone must have had something foreboding in it because Leo instantly stopped talking with saucer-like eyes. He didn¡¯t know what it was about, but he was sure he¡¯d heard that tone before. Not from his loving aunt Goonie, but somewhere else. Trying to remember scared him for a reason he didn¡¯t understand. He could only stare at her, drawing back slightly as he shook.


    Goonie looked down with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Leo. You did nothing wrong. Not at all. But we¡¯ll have dinner once Quinn gets home and then we¡¯ll need to talk as a family about something important that concerns you. I think it¡¯s about time we talked about your mom and dad, about who they were.¡±


    Leo Walker was born the son of Albert William Walker, a serious and hardworking man and Yvette Ramses-Walker, a compassionate woman with dreams of becoming a doctor. Both sides of the family had been born and raised in the large and proud historic city of San Isidro, located to the north of San Francisco.


    They married for love and were always a happy couple and seldom argued, thus from the outside, they seemed to have created a perfect household.


    ¡°Should we eat out again tonight?¡± Albert suggested, grinning at Yvette, who smiled warmly in return. He¡¯d been ruminating about the subject of what would fill their stomachs that night and his eyes fell on his wife¡¯s stomach, wonderingly. Even if it wasn¡¯t too big yet, it had to be kinda uncomfortable to stand in front of a stove. ¡°So let¡¯s go. After all, you¡¯re eating for two!¡± He hoisted his young wife into his arms, his grin broadening.


    Spinning, he twirled a gleeful Yvette.


    ¡°Fufufufufu¡ª¡± she giggled softly. ¡°Careful, Al! I think Leo¡¯s getting a little sick.¡±


    ¡°Leo?¡± Albert asked, as he set his glowing wife down on her feet.


    Yvette¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°The ultrasound showed that our baby¡¯s a boy!¡±


    Albert blinked and his brow furrowed at the mention of her choice of names for their child before his consternation faded into laughter. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner!? Oh my God! We¡¯re having a bouncing baby boy!¡± he exclaimed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Yvette fidgeted and winked. ¡°It was a surprise. I was going to fix my Chicken a la King for you, and I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it tonight! Oh, but¡ªthe temptation of your Chicken a la King¡ª" he mulled over it. ¡°But, hey, why Leo? Why not Albert Junior?¡±


    ¡°Eh¡ªI love your name, but I¡¯d already promised my grandfather that I¡¯d name my first baby after him¡ªour first child turned out to be a boy, so there you go. I-is it okay?¡± She looked up at her husband through lowered lashes.


    ¡°Awwwwwww.¡± Albert groaned and laughed. ¡°You know I spent all night last night thinking about what we¡¯d name our child. I was thinking about maybe Albert Junior like I said or Yvette, if it was a girl¡ª" He scratched his head.


    ¡°Neither of those are very creative, hon¡ª¡± Yvette chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s touching that you¡¯d name a daughter after me, but Albert, this is very important.¡±


    He grimaced as he thought it over, but his expression quickly turned happy again. ¡°Oh well, let¡¯s think about it while we eat. I¡¯m thinking about going to that steakhouse we love.¡± He pumped his fist and winked at his blushing wife, who tilted her head slightly.


    ¡°I think a salad would be best for us, but that does sound lovely. Let¡¯s go!¡± Yvette clutched her husband¡¯s arm as Albert escorted her outside.


    ¡°You¡¯d know better than me, my future doctor wife.¡±


    Time passed, and Leo was born into the world.


    Secretly, Albert hoped his son would be born with super powers. Miracle children were making the headlines every day, and Albert hoped that his kid would grace the front pages with them. He knew it was a little selfish, but he figured that since he himself was so normal, it¡¯d be a great reflection on him if only he could bring a super into the world.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    But, contrary to Albert¡¯s hopes, the only thing about his son that turned out to be noteworthy was saddening to him; how tiny his child was. It didn¡¯t look like he would grow to be big like his father.


    After recovering from the delivery, Yvette soon continued chasing her dream of becoming a doctor, but after more and more financial issues mounted, she found that there was a simple solution: to enter the workforce early. Depending on what she did, it might allow her to spend a bit more time with Leo than her lessons allowed. Because of that, she forwent earning her doctorate and put to use what she¡¯d learned.


    In the aftermath of her leaving college, Yvette transferred her medical knowledge to get herself work as a paramedic. Happily, she came to find that working on the street with a partner was more real and far more interesting than her previous dream once seemed. She had always wanted the glamor and mystique of being a doctor, and yet she could now see that there was something just as alluring and amazing about being a medic. Life was funny like that sometimes.


    Having decided that she made the most difference right there, on site, she took to her career like a duck to water.


    She discovered the best and worst of being a paramedic at the time in San Isidro. Some of the worst situations were when police, firefighters or paramedics abandoned injured people during or after supervillain attacks, all too common in those years, almost no matter what big city you lived in.


    During the early years of the new millennium, for whatever reason, villains had been their most active since the Big Boom, back in the fifties. After this year-long confluence of events, the severity of villain-caused incidents, disasters reduced and for a time, there was peace in their bay area.


    Yvette was a frontline field medic with a warrior¡¯s spirit. Seeing all the misery and sorrow firsthand, she also witnessed amazing rescues carried out by heroes of all stripes. There were a few types of these, boiling down to the ones who wore costumes and men and women in uniforms.


    The time she worked was what everyone worldwide would later term the tail-end of the Age of Miracles and the dawn of the New Normal.


    The city of San Isidro was old and dirty, having had its fill of evil people but yet remained a place full of promise and wonder for those willing to grab the future with their own two hands.


    Her ambulance¡¯s sirens shrieked as Yvette drove herself and her partner, Jack, that fateful day to the scene of a notorious supervillain¡¯s attack.


    ¡°Repeat! Warning! It¡¯s Gravitas!¡± The dispatcher¡¯s voice yelled through the comm system, ¡°All units are to stay back! There¡¯s nothing we can do until Vanguard takes him down!¡±


    Yvette slammed her foot down on the brakes and pulled over, the sirens still wailing. Clenching her fists on the wheel, she furiously asked herself, Is this really all we¡¯re worth? ¡®It¡¯s dangerous¡¯!? Isn¡¯t that what we¡¯re here for?


    She released her grip and slammed her fists on the steering wheel, causing the horn to go off.


    Civilians were milling along the nearby sidewalks as loud noises from up ahead shook the air like thunder. Among the crowd, Yvette saw a mother struggling to carry her child to safety while tears streamed down her face. Their eyes met briefly and Yvette snarled when the mother meekly looked away. Yvette wondered how many children might be trapped here, smack dab in the epicenter of where the murderer, Gravitas, was destroying everything in his reach.


    Yvette¡¯s cursing under her breath was interrupted by a ripple that tore through the air, sending pavement and metal scraps flying in all directions along the street.


    Having ducked just in time to avoid a chunk of cement the size of her head that came hurling through the windshield of her ambulance, Yvette was peppered by a shower of safety glass fragments.


    After feeling nothing pelt her hands, clasped above her head, Yvette looked up and took in the mostly empty frame of her windshield.


    Damn it! What happened?!


    The chunk of cement had embedded itself in the metal separating the cab from the back. If she hadn¡¯t moved in time, her brain matter would have come along for the ride. As Yvette¡¯s mind was registering what had just happened, a knocking suddenly came at her side window. She turned to lock eyes with an African-American man with a desperate look in his eyes. He screamed out, ¡°Maam, please¡­ my wife!¡± He was practically hyperventilating.


    Switching all her other thoughts off, Yvette nodded, taking a deep breath as she opened the door. ¡°Take me to her. What¡¯s the situation?¡±


    ¡°A chunk of metal flew into her just now! She¡¯s bleeding so much!¡± He took Yvette¡¯s hands and hauled her up the sidewalk behind her ambulance. ¡°Hurry, please!¡±


    Yvette nodded with a serious expression as she ran along as far as the rear of her ambulance. She pulled her hand free and said, ¡°Wait a minute, my partner''s in the back here. Together, we¡¯ll get her loaded up faster.¡± She looked around and saw that the crowd had all gone prone on the sooty and cold pavement.


    SHIT! Why¡¯s that murderer even in San Isidro?!


    She reached the rear doors of her ambulance, and when she threw them open, her jaw dropped. The chunk of pavement that had gone through the windshield was now protruding through the wall, opposite which a wet sheen of blood covered the side facing her.


    ¡°Jack! OH GOD!¡± She climbed into the back and checked his pulse.


    ¡°OH SHIT!¡± the husband screamed at the mess that clearly used to be a man as he peered inside. ¡°Maam, please! My wife is dying!¡± Yvette stared at him for a split second, nodding as she took a labored breath.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll stabilize her.¡± Jack was dead, and she couldn¡¯t control that. What she had control over was choosing to do her job. She leapt from the back after grabbing a kit. She¡¯d get the gurney just as soon as she¡¯d confirmed the woman¡¯s condition.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Filled with relief and desperation, the husband ran ahead. Yvette slung her kit over her shoulder. Following without taking time to look back, she sprinted to catch up. They didn¡¯t have far to go. A few people groaned as she passed, but they seemed mostly well enough to move.


    Backup needs to get here soon¡ªthis is a bit much¡ª


    When they reached the man¡¯s wife, Yvette crouched and began checking the woman¡¯s breathing and pulse. It was bad. The shrapnel had driven its way through her back. Putting her head to the wife¡¯s chest to listen to the noises inside her body as she drew pained breaths, Yvette winced. ¡°A lung collapsed¡ªand she¡¯s¡ª"


    Another explosion, with its accompanying shock wave, shook the air nearby. She turned to see something large next to her ambulance. One edge of the boxy vehicle¡¯s roof had caved in, but overall, it seemed functional, giving Yvette hope it could still run.


    Not long after, a man floated downwards from the sky, his cape swirling in the wind.


    ¡°Gravitas! Enough of this wanton destruction!¡± the flying man growled. It was Vanguard himself! Below the superhero, standing by her ambulance, stood an incredibly massive man wearing thick armor, looking like a pile of metal. He stomped towards Vanguard and somewhat away from Yvette¡¯s ambulance. Meanwhile, Vanguard slowly floated down to the pavement to meet the supervillain.


    Yvette cursed under her breath. One of these super battles right next to me, of all things¡ªHer eyes turned to the injured wife again, determined to do her part. I have to get her stabilized quickly.


    She couldn¡¯t keep her eyes from flicking back to her ambulance again, but there wasn¡¯t much chance she could reclaim and use it right under the nose of a psychotic supervillain. She looked instead at the husband. ¡°Help me lift her. We have to get her away from here, stat.¡±


    With the wife¡¯s collapsed lung taken into consideration, things looked bad enough.


    Staring at the super-powered people facing off practically beside them, the husband stood in shock, having forgotten his wife¡¯s condition.


    Moving quickly, Yvette grabbed the man¡¯s collar to shake him, snarling quietly in his face, ¡°Damn you! MOVE! Your wife¡¯s life is on the line! Her life¡¯s more important than their fight. Move it!¡± She lifted one of his wife¡¯s arms over her shoulder and looked meaningfully at him.


    Gravitas scoffed and his voice grew louder as he started to monolog, ¡°Hah! There¡¯s nothing a poser like you can do to stop me, Vanguard. You never had the power to deal with me. Where¡¯s the rest of your little league?¡± At the end, the villain was roaring, chewing off his words. Meanwhile, the husband paled and winced as he did his best to focus on his wife by lifting her free arm over his shoulders.


    They ran together, quickly as they could from the fight that was just about to begin between the two titans.


    ¡°How many more lives will you take, Gravitas?¡± That signaled the end of their standoff. Soon after they stopped speaking, there was yet another booming noise and more shock waves that ripped through the air, knocking the fleeing three to the cracked pavement.


    It sounded like a colossal punch had just landed, but whose punch was it?


    Don¡¯t get distracted, Yvette¡ªmove!


    Another loud, eardrum shattering explosion went off behind the three. Yvette¡¯s ears squealed as she fought to rise, deafened by the loud noises so close by, but catching some flashing lights in the corner of her eye, she turned her head just in time to see her ambulance rushing through the air towards her¡ª

 A History of Violence

    A History of Violence


    Albert stared at the family television set perched on the edge of the seat of his recliner.


    ¡°This is News Nine San Isidro. Covering the attack of the S-Plus Supervillain, Gravitas. Things are looking grim as the old courthouse has become the epicenter of a foul attack. Now to Vicki Valentino, our correspondent safely hovering above the city in our News Nine copter.¡±


    The scene cut to a view looking down on downtown San Isidro, where tall distinctive Victorian-style skyscrapers rose into the sky. Smoke and dust was rising from various parts that the camera zoomed in on to display the devastation.


    ¡°Thank you, Sam. We¡¯re live here. It¡¯s looking as bad as you said. Look at all this damage!¡± Zooming in on another site, the camera showed how much of a shambling the courthouse had become. ¡°Oh, my¡ªThis is a tragedy! The surrounding areas are being relentlessly pulverized by the surreal gravity powers of this villain.


    ¡°His killing has been indiscriminate. Everyone should stay far away from downtown, at least until the Society of Sentinels have driven out, but there¡¯s no sign of them yet. The death toll continues to mount, let¡¯s see the numbers¡ªWait¡ª¡ªYES! He¡¯s here!¡± The camera caught Vanguard zooming onto the scene.


    ¡°There he is! He¡¯s like a blur! A whir of freedom! Follow him, Charles!¡± Vicki yelled. The camera panned desperately to find him. Finally, it focused below on a street where he¡¯d landed.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any microphones nearby so we can¡¯t tell what he¡¯s saying, but it¡¯s certain that he¡¯s challen¡­ oh! He¡¯s down there, too!¡± The camera panned again to show Gravitas, himself.


    Albert gripped the arms of his chair, his fingers going white while his face reddened. Leo cheerfully flew through the living room. He ignored the television as he squealed and crashed his figures together.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you this time!¡± Instead of Leo¡¯s usual high-pitched voice, the boy¡¯s words came out oddly gruff for him, his voice going as low as he could make it. Even so, Leo could only produce something¡ªstill extremely shrill.


    With a double take, Albert paid a smidgen of attention to what his son was doing to notice that this time his son was holding the figures of Vanguard and Black Angel. ¡°You won¡¯t win this time, Black Angel! A-Ha-ha-ha-HA!¡±


    Albert smiled despite the seriousness of the situation playing out on the television. He was strongly considering throwing his son into their car¡¯s backseat and driving far away, except his wife was surely somewhere out there. Without Yvette knowing where they were, he wouldn¡¯t leave.


    ¡°SHIT! Look, Leo!¡± Albert yelled. A plume of dust spread on the screen as buildings came down one by one in clouds of dust as the two clashed.


    Looking blankly at his father, Leo turned his eyes first to his father and when he looked at the television set and finally noticed what was going on, he blinked.


    ¡°Huh?¡± His head tilted and his jaw dropped. ¡°Oh! SO COOL!¡± He squealed, dropping the three figures he held in his rush across the floor to press his face up against the screen. ¡°A supervillain here in our city! And¡ªOHHHHH!¡± He looked over his shoulder at his father¡¯s face, beaming. ¡°It¡¯s your favorite, too, Daddy! VANGUARD! YAY!!!!¡± Leo whooped.


    Albert stared despondently, swallowing hard. His eyes latched onto the figures on the screen, or at least what he could see. The camera had zoomed in on Vanguard. He muttered under his breath, pleading with the pillar of justice, ¡°Please protect her¡ªI beg you¡ª"


    Tears filled his eyes even as wonder continued to fill his son¡¯s. Leo hadn¡¯t noticed Albert¡¯s silent prayer. The focus moved again to show the desolation. Among these were shots that reporters had snapped, demonstrating how bad things were. Among these images was that of a totaled ambulance with a great deal of blood dripping down from the silver fender and more spattered across its white-painted hood.


    Days after the disaster, once the Society of Sentinels had taken down Gravitas, a weary paramedic stood on Albert¡¯s doorstep and rang the Walker household''s front doorbell.


    When Albert opened the door hesitantly, his eyes locked with the man¡¯s and Albert licked his chapped lips. ¡°God, please no¡ª¡ªDon¡¯t tell me¡ª¡±


    The man nodded somberly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. She¡¯s gone¡­ I¡¯m so sorry. She was a veritable paragon. One of the actual heroes of this city.¡±


    Leo ran up to the door and stared up at the newcomer man standing outside and greeted him with a cheerful smile, ¡°Hi!!!¡±


    He stuck his hand out like his father had taught him to do with new people to make a good impression.


    The man chuckled mirthlessly before his expression became troubled, tinged with something deeper. ¡°Oh¡ªit¡¯s very nice to meet you.¡±


    He forced a smile, taking Leo¡¯s hand while Albert stared into the distance with eyes that had been bloodshot with worry, but now tears streamed down his cheeks.


    It had been several weeks now since that man had shown up and made his daddy cry.


    Leo didn¡¯t understand why that man, someone who had seemed so nice, had done something so mean.


    It was unfathomable why his mom still hadn¡¯t come home from work. Daddy wouldn¡¯t explain why. Didn¡¯t she normally come right back after going to work? She¡¯d never failed to return to make dinner for them.


    It was far more shocking and incomprehensible for little Leo when his father suddenly hurled the action figure of Vanguard he¡¯d bought Leo directly into the family television¡¯s screen to break through the glass. ¡°DAMN IT!!!!¡± Albert screamed.


    And Leo watched, trying to figure out the meaning of his actions. For a while, his father would only scream and cry, paying no attention to his scared child.


    More weeks went by and Leo continued to watch his dad¡¯s deterioration. He didn¡¯t feel like playing anymore. Vanguard¡¯s action figure¡¯s face was kinda melted now.


    The most important thing he¡¯d learned in those days was to always leave his dad alone when he started drinking that smelly brown stuff.


    Leo wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but it sure smelled terrible and a sniff of it kinda made him feel dizzy. He also knew that it made his dad super mean.


    His dad would yell and scream at nothing apparent a lot now. And if Leo ever got close to him while he was like that, nothing good happened.


    ¡°Daddy, I¡¯m hungry¡­ Can we please eat¡­?¡± Leo tried asking diffidently one day when his daddy hadn¡¯t had any of that funny stuff for a while. Leo¡¯s stomach had turned inside out with how hungry he was getting, so he risked it.


    ¡°FUCKING SHUT THE HELL UP, LEO!¡± his father roared at him.


    Leo cringed and cried as he waited for his father to calm down.


    The next time Leo asked his father for food, Albert hurled Leo across the room in a fit of anger. He had learned to walk softly around his father all the time and even hid, but he couldn¡¯t just stay hungry.


    Meanwhile, Albert continued his drinking to forget for a short time. As a lawn-care contractor, he made a great deal less than she had. He couldn¡¯t balance the finances without Yvette¡¯s supplementary income. Albert was seriously thinking he couldn¡¯t handle taking care of a child. It wasn¡¯t long before he went from simply ¡®self-medicating¡¯, as he¡¯d put it, to drowning all his sorrows and worries in alcohol.


    Now and again, he would crawl out of the bottle long enough to remember Leo and his own biological needs when his boy had the nerve to peek at him. At those times, he would get tv dinners from a nearby convenience store and try going through the motions of being a father. There was nothing else he could do.


    Things were good at those times, but inevitably Daddy would start shrieking again, ¡°DAMN YOU VANGUARD! FUCK YOU! I WISH YOU¡¯D DIE!¡± Having vented his anger, Albert would commit himself to another intensive session of drowning himself in liquor the rest of that night.


    When Leo started bothering his dad again, thinking that it was okay when he wasn¡¯t drinking, particularly when Leo had eaten after weeks of nothing and it seemed like his father was feeling better, he received a rude awakening. Because he was wrong. The moment he approached his dad, acting like normal, Albert struck him again by reflex, drawing blood.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    After a few more incidents, it dawned on Albert what he was doing to Leo, but now he couldn¡¯t turn back.


    He started looking for his hiding son, but when he found him, Leo wouldn¡¯t look at him, having withdrawn deep inside himself. He knew he couldn¡¯t trust himself around Leo.


    Not only was Albert disappointed in himself, to justify what he¡¯d done to Leo, he also told himself that his only child was nothing but a disappointment, assigning some of the blame on Leo for what he was doing.


    His son was a baby. An utter wimp. And worst of all, he wanted to be a girl! That was pretty clear to him at this point.


    The world had dealt Albert the worst hand ever.


    Albert¡¯s addled mind came up with a solution that seemed fine to him. Knowing how dangerous he was getting to be, Albert decided that if Leo wasn¡¯t anywhere he could see him, if the kid couldn¡¯t come out of hiding to bother him, he¡¯d be safe. So Albert brought out Yvette¡¯s mother''s old chest that he¡¯d inherited, not that he gave a damn, even if it belonged to the love of his life. Doing this was fitting, downright poetic, he thought.


    Yvette used to keep her dresses in there¡ª


    This stray notion had crept in and he¡¯d rejected it at first, even slapping himself for thinking about it, but after a while it satisfied him. He couldn¡¯t shake off the idea. Unable to give up Leo, Albert committed to his plan.


    ¡®Was he really going to do this?¡¯


    Of course he was. What else was he supposed to do?


    Leo looked up into his Goonie¡¯s with tear-filled eyes as he mumbled, ¡°I don¡¯t get it, Auntie¡ª¡±


    ¡°Maybe not now, but you¡¯ll understand better when you¡¯ve grown up,¡± Goonie pulled Leo into her lap and hugged him.


    Quinn looked away angrily, the corner of her mouth crinkling.


    ¡°What¡ªwhat¡ª¡± Leo sobbed. ¡°What should I tell all my friends when they ask¡ª?¡± He trailed off, tears falling onto one of his legs.


    ¡°What did you tell them back when you explained why you weren¡¯t in school for so long?¡± Quinn¡¯s innocuous question earned her a withering look from Goonie.


    Leo shook his head, chewing his lip. He moistened them with his tongue before saying, ¡°That we went on a trip¡ª¡±


    Goonie sighed softly. ¡°Leo, you don¡¯t have to justify yourself to anyone.¡± Kids shouldn¡¯t have to deal with such heavy matters. ¡°It was right to not tell them something so personal.¡±


    Leo shook his head uncertainly. ¡°It''s not like I don¡¯t wanna tell, but¡ª¡ªit just won¡¯t come out.¡±


    ¡°Then from now on, just tell them about us when they ask!¡± Quinn declared, jumping up. ¡°We¡¯re your family.¡±


    ¡°But, Mom¡ª¡± Leo crumpled.


    Goonie shook her head subtly and stroked Leo soothingly.


    ¡°Leo¡ª¡± Quinn crawled up on the sofa with them and hugged Leo with her mother. ¡°Leo¡ª¡ªjust remember that we¡¯re here, too. We¡¯re here for you. We understand, and¡ªand we love you lots. And, I am your older sister and what I say goes. Don¡¯t forget that!¡±


    After a little while, Leo nodded and turned to hug Quinn and Goonie couldn¡¯t help laughing, patting Quinn¡¯s hair.


    (Author''s Note: This portion of the chapter I wrote just tonight over the last hour or less. More editing may be required here, but it was thought that this should be expanded and a new scene added.)


    The day Leo turned ten years old, strange things started happening to his body that he didn¡¯t understand, nor liked.


    At the tender age of ten, he hit puberty. Maybe it was due to early trauma or genetics. Little downy hairs sprouted from his chin and his voice started to crack.


    These symptoms experienced happening so early for him gave his Goonie pause and alarm.


    ¡°Goonie!¡± Leo cried, running into the arms of his loving aunt, tears flowing while his emotions swirled within.


    Quinn watched from across the room concerned, holding a guitar in her lap as she picked through the chords. The rock song she was playing slowly changed into a mysterious sounding song from the fifties era, ¡®Happiness is a Warm Gun.¡¯


    Annoyed with her daughter¡¯s sarcasm, Laguna glared at Quinn who continued to play the song with a small smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay Leo. What¡¯s happening to you isn¡¯t a huge deal. Trust me. We¡¯ll take you to a doctor and I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have things figured out and resolved.¡± She stroked Leo¡¯s head, running her fingers gently through his blonde locks. ¡°I love you.¡±


    Gazing up into Goonie¡¯s eyes with wet eyes, he wiped at his eyes, not understanding the lyrics of the song that Quinn played. He looked over his shoulder and smiled brightly at his adoptive sister and then back at Goonie.


    ¡°Thank you for cheering me up.¡±


    Quinn¡¯s playing still gave Leo shivers and the sound of her music gave him as much courage as his Goonie¡¯s words and gentle touches.


    The three promptly went together to a doctor¡¯s office and Goonie made Quinn leave her guitar behind with a firm eye.


    Leo sat on an examination table with his legs kicking idly in the air, but his face looked a bit queasy. The doctor frowned after having received the results from the on site blood test labs and his eyes met those of Goonie.


    ¡°His hormones are spiking for a strange reason. It''s advisable to medicate and stabilize them, but even though this may not directly harm him, his esteem and mental health could be at risk without intervention. This is most likely what we term a ¡®precocious puberty.¡¯ It can rarely occur from the age of eight.¡±


    ¡°Oh my. Is it truly so serious?¡± Goonie looked at Leo with a growing alarm and crossed the floor to Leo, who was biting his lip. While he didn¡¯t understand the meaning of the doctor¡¯s words, his tone filled Leo with anxiety and again his eyes became dewy.


    The doctor continued, ¡°I¡¯d like to have you go to a hospital so they can run some tests on his brain, an MRI, namely. He may have a tumor or an injured brain.¡±


    Goonie nodded, comforting Leo and Quinn¡¯s eyes widened as her heart skipped a beat and she started feeling guilty for her earlier teasing, thinking that her little brother might have cancer. She rushed to her feet and sprinted across the room, throwing her arms around Leo.


    Going on to a hospital, they had a series of tests run on Leo, but unlike at his doctor¡¯s office, the answers wouldn¡¯t be so swiftly forthcoming. They would be made to wait a week for the results. Laguna arranged installments of payment for the several thousand dollar¡¯s worth of healthcare that Leo had received, keenly feeling the financial stress.


    Leo wasn¡¯t happy when Goonie told him what puberty meant. He sat listlessly and one day, he snuck into Quinn¡¯s space in the old office while she was out with friends and looking through her things, Leo¡¯s eyes slid past the music instruments and posters that normally captured his attention to the standing closet that Goonie had purchased for her daughter¡¯s clothes. He slid open the doors, gazing for a long moment at Quinn''s brightly-colored trendy clothes.


    Spotting a rare dress in Quinn¡¯s collection of garments, with effort Leo lifted it in his hands, thinking about Quinn¡¯s words to him what felt like forever ago now, My clothes wouldn¡¯t fit you¡ªbesides, you¡¯re a boy.


    You¡¯re a boy.


    Clutching the dress to his chest, Leo started crying uncontrollably, unintentionally rubbing his wet face against its fabric.


    ¡°Uwaaaaaaa!¡± He sobbed for a long period, his grief unknown to anyone at this moment. His heart was heavy as though someone had wrapped chains around it and hooked a heavy weight off them.


    After a gale of his weeping passed, Leo¡¯s face firmed and knowing that Quinn would probably be upset with him, he pulled a pair of panties from the drawers he rummaged through and in short order, he had undressed and put them on and as though his heart was unlocked, the gales that battered him down, assailing him now lifted figurative wings beneath.


    With a broad grin, he ran, holding the skirt up so that he wouldn¡¯t trip.


    Despite his best efforts, he made such a racket with his silly running and when the skirts slipped from his grasp, he tripped and landed face first onto the carpet. At that moment, the room¡¯s door slammed open and Quinn froze, staring at Leo, wearing her least favorite dress. The dress had bunched up and upon seeing something that actually bothered her, Quinn yelled, ¡°LEO!¡±


    Leo looked up into Quinn¡¯s eyes, quailing at the anger in his cousin¡¯s voice. ¡°Take off my underwear, you little cree¡­ ugh¡­¡± Quinn firmly took herself in hand, shaking almost as much as Leo with anger.


    Rushing to his side, she said with an annoyed expression, her anger tempered by Leo¡¯s possible terminal condition. She never forgot that her little cousin might be fatally ill, something that could take him away from her life.


    With a grumble, she ran her fingers through Leo¡¯s hair and pulled little Leo to her. ¡°It¡¯s not right to wear someone else¡¯s underwear. That¡¯s kind of gross, isn¡¯t it? Think about how private and personal that is and how you¡­ you invaded my privacy, Leo. I won¡¯t tell Mom about this maybe, but I want you to take those panties off, okay?¡±


    Leo unfroze, looking into his sister¡¯s eyes with remorse. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± He sobbed softly.


    ¡°Damn it¡­ it¡¯s okay¡­¡± Quinn nuzzled at Leo¡¯s hair. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you. Really.¡±


    ¡°I.. I just¡­ I wanted¡­ I want to¡­ be like you¡­¡± Tugging at a hair on his own chin, Leo¡¯s crying became more frantic.


    ¡°Oh jeez..¡± Quinn¡¯s eyes were fastened on her little sibling and her lips twisted. ¡°You little punk.¡± She hugged him all the tighter. ¡°I knew it. You¡¯re a girl, that¡¯s why this hurts you so much. Okay fine. That pair of panties I¡¯ll never wear again. You can keep them or throw them away or whatever and I hate that dress so you can keep that too. Don¡¯t put any more of my clothes on, okay?¡± Quinn decided to be somewhat magnanimous.


    The family was relieved when word finally came from the hospital and the doctor. He spoke with Laguna over the phone, announcing that Leo showed no sign of having any tumors, nor brain damage despite his father¡¯s abuse.


    A regimen of drugs were prescribed to stabilize and halt Leo''s precocious puberty.


    Everyone felt better, knowing that Leo would be alright, although despite Quinn¡¯s promise, Laguna did find out about the incident when she caught Leo wearing Quinn¡¯s dress in his bedroom.


    (Author''s Note: This is the end of tonight''s extra content I added to this chapter. Finding the note I left in the manuscript, I decided I''d been putting off writing this part. I hope you like it. If you read the original on Scribblehub, you won''t find this in that edition, like many other newer scenes.)


    Leo sat in his room wearing the same dress, playing with the figures he treasured, the ones that they¡¯d salvaged from the trashed interior of his former home. Naturally, his most valuable possession of these was Mistral¡¯s action figure, a very beautiful woman with lovely silver-white tresses, a headband that lacked the detailing on the real thing, and a leather dress-like costume that screamed of her proud Native-American heritage.


    When he was younger, the villain that was represented by his other treasured figurine, Black Angel, seemed pretty cool to Leo, at first as much as her nemesis for the villain¡¯s striking appearance and beautiful black wings, but his interest in Mistral only deepened while his interest in Black Angel waned when he learned of the bad things she did. Because no hero was one without someone to fight.


    After some consideration, Leo kept Black Angel¡¯s figure, but as he grew and became wiser, a knowledge-hungry tyke who idolized the superpowered, he was gradually less and less able to appreciate this figure as much as his hero¡¯s.


    She was at least pretty like Mistral. Unlike most heroes and their villains, it felt like Mistral and Black Angel somehow complimented each other, and he wasn¡¯t sure why he felt that way. Thus, Leo still appreciated the black-winged figure, even if she was supposed to be really evil. The factory that made the figure did a good job of bringing her life with a permanently smug, better than you kind of expression. The look a bully had on his face whenever he looked at you.


    While playing and thinking, Leo was listening to the radio. The news channel had been talking about the current balance of power between the heroes and villains, but at the moment, they were discussing his most favorite hero in the entire world!


    ¡°Black Angel is planning a huge attack on Quebec! But this time, Garou, the Wolfman Guardian of the North, is at the scene by the side of the Canadian weather sorceress, Mistral!¡± the reporter announced. Hearing this breaking news, Leo began putting two and two together. The answer he came up with was closer to five, though...


    ¡°Kaback? KABACK!!!¡± Leo yelled and moved his figure of Black Angel to attack Mistral.

 Stained Snow

    Stained Snow


    ¡°Mistral, you must put an end to this,¡± the words of the wolf-faced hero, Garou, were no threat or plea. They were a simple statement of what had to be.


    Mistral shook her head with a sigh. ¡°I can¡¯t. My creed doesn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know. That softness is partially why I wouldn¡¯t join a cheese ball club like the Society of Sentinels. I swear it, I¡¯ll convince you to leave their ranks and walk the hunter¡¯s path.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± Mistral said seriously, ¡°Unlike yourself and the Great Manitou, I have qualms about taking the life of an enemy. The Sentinels share my belief.¡±


    ¡°Your foe doesn¡¯t have such scruples. She¡¯d murder you in your sleep¡ªjust as soon as she loses interest. Why hold back? Every time you meet in combat, you draw closer. My instincts tell me you¡¯re free falling in a tight spiral together. This can only end one way.¡±


    ¡°I respectfully disagree. I think I¡¯m wearing her down.¡± Mistral snapped, shrugging. ¡°There¡¯s something deep inside her that doesn¡¯t agree with her actions.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the mystic between the two of us, so you may think you can save her from a life of crime¡ªBut it won¡¯t go so well.¡± Garou clenched one of his clawed hands. ¡°But this feeling you ¡®get¡¯ from her may be yet another manipulation. I know the mind of a predator. Mark my words, you¡¯re foolish to think you can tame a carnivore that has the scent of your blood¡ªand she hungers.¡±


    ¡°Hmmmpfff¡ª¡± Mistral crossed her arms across her chest, scoffing. ¡°Everything¡¯s always so black and white for you. The Society of Sentinels don¡¯t believe that anyone is truly irredeemable.¡±


    If you asked most Canadians they would tell you Mistral¡¯s most striking visual feature was her silver-almost-white hair. It had an aura that felt very much alive. It also helped to naturally broadcast the Weather Witch¡¯s already high-profile powerset. This was especially true when compared to her more humble costume.


    Said costume hadn¡¯t seen much of an update since her debut so long ago and was, as such, less novel or exotic now that everyone had gotten used to it. The costume was clearly inspired by traditional tribeswoman garb and heavily featured leathers, feathers, beads and fetishes dedicated to the Great Manitou, Creator of All and Enforcer of Balance. The outfit¡¯s most noteworthy accessory was the football-sized medicine satchel that hung down to her hip. This healing symbol emblazoned satchel magically contained a pharmacy¡¯s worth of medical ingredients from grasses to totems to anything and everything else.


    The whole ensemble spoke of youthful adventure, innocence and purity, while still showing off enough skin to indicate she was still a warm-blooded woman underneath.


    Garou turned his back on Mistral. ¡°You¡¯re na?ve. Too tender and young.¡± He heaved a heavy sigh and looked over his shoulder. ¡°Still, you are my friend and ally. Know that I¡¯ll be there for you if it doesn¡¯t go as well as you hope.¡±


    Going down on all four legs, Garou charged away through drifts of snow. Flakes of pure snow fell onto the mantle of Mistral¡¯s cloak and hood.


    ¡°I¡¯d lay my life on the line to prove that we can bring even a supervillain like Black Angel to serve a greater good.¡±


    ¡°You have since improved your art, my nemesis,¡± Black Angel had her gaze intently fixed on her enemy. Mistral¡¯s face hung open.


    The villainess had her eyes glued onto her beautiful body, a foolish woman in possession of an exquisite, ripe, delicate soft body, but na?ve in nature.


    Magnificent ebony-feathered wings that sprouted from Black Angel¡¯s shoulder blades were lazily flapping as the two hovered, facing off. Mistral merely hovered, buoyed by her command over the spirits of air itself, or some such foolishness.


    With her arms crossed beneath her breasts over an elegant black dress that bared one leg to the elements that were snugly embraced by sexy stockings that further tinted her dark skin, Black Angel idly tapped a finger against her upper arm.


    The material of her dress shaped the void itself to cling to her gorgeous body like luxurious fabric. Functional, yet amply expressing her superiority, even in its simplicity. She exuded an assurance that she was light years beyond the mere residents of this world, except perhaps for her current dancing partner.


    Her dress rippled with eddies that suggested her great power, a construction alive, yet not.


    As typical, she was unadorned, since a woman of her stature did not require superficial baubles or decorations to amplify what the void had given her. Greed itself was below her station, except for the sake of power.


    Her face was stunning, her countenance breathtaking. Her sublime perfection enraptured man and animal alike, enthralled by her pristine presence at a simple glance.


    No star could compare to her. The world was at her service, in awe of her beauty.


    But beauty was not what Black Angel most valued. It was her strength that made the world wither under her gaze before supplicating.


    The common man feared and avoided her at all costs, except for a handful of these super-powered gnats. The world would be hers when none were left to stand between her and her goals. She was very patient and, more than that, her curiosity about this world hadn¡¯t yet been satiated. Until the day of Armageddon, certainly ushered in by herself, she would toy with Earth to her heart¡¯s contentment.


    If she had her way, this world would one day launch its whole consolidated nuclear arsenal in honor of her and not even the vaunted Vanguard would bar her way.


    Mistral rolled her eyes after a long pause. ¡°Thank you, I suppose. But I don¡¯t have any use for these patronizing comments.¡±


    Black Angel smiled faintly. ¡°Don¡¯t be so cold. I¡¯m becoming bored with your cautious nature.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious about your offer?¡± Mistral¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Very much so. I propose that this be our last battle. The victor takes the loser to do as they will with them. Should you win this time, I shall consider your words.¡± She thoughtfully rubbed her chin.


    ¡°How do I know that you¡¯ll keep your word?¡± Mistral asked with pursed lips.


    ¡°You don¡¯t. You well know that nothing in life is certain, much less the word of a ¡®villain¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to convince or dissuade me? Your offer isn¡¯t very sincere if you tell me in the next breath that you¡¯re untrustworthy.¡±


    ¡°You wound me, Mistral. I mean everything I say.¡± She gave a darker smile. ¡°Enough words. See whether I¡¯m sincere by judging my actions¡­ However¡­ Note that I have no intention of losing to you today.¡± She spread her arms and arched her fingertips, spreading her wings.


    The two rocketed into the sky, Mistral via a powerful gust of wind generated by her powers, the other propelled by a zephyr created by her powerful wings.


    When they flew high enough, the two knew it was time to strike.


    Mistral raised a hand and flurries of snow arced down from the clouds above to swing in the direction she gestured. Black Angel similarly raised her hands and sent a wave of darkness and where the two attacks met, the flakes darkened, becoming colder than normal.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t suggest going head on against me, power against power,¡± Black Angel said as the corner of her lips arched up and her eyes narrowed. Even as she spoke, the strength of the wave of darkness cresting over Mistral¡¯s blizzard had increased.


    ¡°Don¡¯t dismiss me so quickly, Black Angel.¡± Mistral moved her arms, whispering softly. The snowflakes re-channeled and increased in volume to fuse into solid ice, midair. Below, a tall spire took form, supporting the ice construction she was building, block by block, rising quickly to meet where they fought.


    ¡°Interesting. You haven¡¯t shown me this cute ice sculpting technique of yours before. Did you devise it for the sake of showing me something pretty?¡±


    Mistral blushed and glared, protesting, ¡°The hell I would!¡±


    Black Angel laughed as a lattice of ice like a cage formed around her. With contemptuous ease, she lifted a hand, and a singularity formed beneath her position, swinging its arms around it, spiraling outwards as it expanded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s pit your pretty gilded birdcage against the force of a Black Hole. It¡¯s fair to say at this point that you didn¡¯t think out your strategy enough.¡± Even as she said that, the ice started pulling inward, rapidly devoured.


    ¡°Unlike you, I¡¯ve seen your ¡®little tricks¡¯ far too many times to be impressed.¡± Mistral laughed softly, raising an eyebrow.


    Having seen that arched eyebrow, Black Angel looked around her in alarm to discover that her catching on was almost too late.


    Mistral¡¯s beautiful lattice had broken apart as intended, at least whatever was near enough to it. Thus, Black Angel¡¯s singularity chewed it to pieces and a disk of glittering ice spiraled around it. Everything near enough was absolutely pulled inward, including a circle of large glaciers that Mistral had cleverly hidden behind the distractingly stunning lattice by exactingly creating gaps in their bulky forms that matched the lattice, rendering them invisible from Black Angel¡¯s point of view so that light would pass through.


    Black Angel marveled at how Mistral had grown hidden branches off the nearby spire to support these massive chunks of ice to line them up one by one, around her with too much incoming ice to evade, and all quietly enough that she hadn¡¯t expected this tactic.


    All that heavy ice slammed into the dead center, driven inwards. The gaps disappeared, creating a solid sphere just before crumpling inwards. Mistral had successfully orchestrated an elaborate trap that her enemy hadn¡¯t foreseen: many heavy chunks of ice that all together slammed inwards, leaving the angel little room to dodge and less than a second to react.


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    In a blink, the villain snapped her fingers, and her singularity disappeared as more of her void energy spread around her in waves in every direction to meet the ice just as rapidly and pulverized the first layers, but seeing that this wouldn¡¯t work, she changed the shape of her energy to form spikes like a virus, creating gaps, many too small to be of any use.


    However, Mistral witnessed her enemy move seemingly faster than light as she broke through before the ice collided, forming a perfect sphere harder than most substances.


    *CRACK*


    The cacophony of the forming of the sphere of ice filled the air amid their fighting before falling to the ground.


    Not waiting to retaliate, everything went black and deadly silent. Mistral waited as the whole local vicinity filled with the inky substance of her enemy¡¯s shadowy power.


    Already familiar with this ploy, Mistral knew how to deal with it and, as always, a sensation nibbled at her as it washed over her, suggesting that the void-sourced energy had begun to devour her.


    But Mistral knew her enemy wouldn¡¯t kill her, even though she¡¯d taken apart others stuck in this technique. She was sure that Black Angel wouldn¡¯t end things so abruptly. It would be far too simple or boring.


    In their fights, at a critical moment, she would withdraw when taking it a step further might mean sure victory and her opponent¡¯s death, and yet she wouldn¡¯t. Garou said that this pattern was ¡®too good to be true.¡¯ And that wasn¡¯t far from the truth, because Black Angel wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill anyone she deemed useless. This continued pattern strongly implied that she had some convoluted plan.


    What was the reason? Her goal? Whatever dark designs she invariably had, there was still that core of something alien lodged inside her enemy to consider. Mistral theorized she could somehow extract it or suppress it by willpower should Black Angel decide to cooperate and change, but of these things, she wasn¡¯t certain.


    This would be their last battle, she had said, but would her opponent unpredictably change her typical patterns? Had her words this time signaled a readiness that she was now ready to make the kill, or by some other means to put an end to their conflicts forever? Yet Mistral¡¯s gut feelings told her it wasn¡¯t yet time for their last conflict.


    The Weather Witch waited in the darkness with a serene smile for her enemy to come at her, feigning complete confidence. She had a backup plan that justified her confidence, but she could never be sure things would pan out as hoped. It was basically a double-pump fake.


    Mistral hoped her enemy would think her overwhelmed by the display of her sheer power and make her wait, blind with bated breath, to find out what she would next attempt. She marshaled her internal energies, whispering as she thought.


    When Black Angel came at her from the shadows, her ploy was more straightforward than expected, considering the screen she¡¯d put up. Instead of coming from the side or behind, she materialized upfront, face to face.


    Mistral completed her chanting and, pressing her hands together, she unleashed the lightning bolt she¡¯d been quietly storing up. The plasma struck straight through Black Angel¡¯s form. The villain smiled and vanished upon contact. Mistral gaped for a moment, astonished at how fast her opponent truly was, but feeling another flickering of movement coming at her from another angle inside the same breath, Mistral slightly turned and unleashed another mass of energy. She again caught the villain¡¯s expression for a split second and this time noticed that her smile was now mocking.


    Black Angel¡¯s seemingly straightforward tactic became clear, exposed as yet another of her cunning stratagems. Repeatedly, Mistral lashed out, bolt after bolt, feeling her mystical energies drain with each strike, and with every flailing attack, Black Angel laughed and the sound rose into a chorus echoing in the darkness around Mistral.


    Moving with her inhuman speed, she sent shadow mirages one after another, like she was conjuring a ghostly horde to bury Mistral.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡± Mistral screamed in frustration as her nemesis¡¯ taunting bore fruit. The normally cool-headed Sorceress called upon the clouds above, twisting their primal energies to summon lightning to canvas all the air around. It was a shotgun-type strategy in action. Deciding that if she couldn¡¯t hit a moving target with a single shot, Mistral decided she had a higher chance to hit if she fired a large spread of projectiles.


    Black Angel laughed musically from directly above Mistral as she teased again, ¡°So charming¡ªand yet so utterly blind. Yes¡ª¡ªdrain your reserves for me.¡±


    With a hiss, Mistral balled up some lightning energy deep inside her, and in a blink sent a powerful plasma stream directly above in a cone-type attack, centering it on where her voice had come from. For good measure, she twisted to cover the space in a circle around where she¡¯d been hiding.


    ¡°Ahahahahaha¡ª!¡± Laughter again came from far above Mistral, suggesting that her foe was invulnerable. That kind of intimidation wouldn¡¯t work on Mistral.


    Yet, her eyes widened as Black Angel still reached down and flooded her body with void energies, crossing the distance in a blink. ¡°That was quite amusing to watch, your little tantrum, I mean. I must be cruelly honest with you, my nemesis. Your fighting skills have atrophied, even as your power level rose along with the practice of your art. How to put it¡ªyou¡¯ve become indolent. But as much as I enjoy seeing you so off-balance, I think it¡¯s time to end our little chase, once and for all.¡±


    Feeling woozy after experiencing her body being flooded with void energy, Mistral nearly lost consciousness. Black Angel wrapped an arm around Mistral¡¯s neck to hold her aloft. They looked into each other¡¯s eyes and Mistral knew she had little in the way of motor skills left. It was now or never.


    Mistral doubted herself as Black Angel pulled Mistral close and planted a firm kiss on her lips to lick her lips afterwards, but interrupting Black Angel¡¯s victory a nearby loud rumbling startled them both and Mistral¡¯s formerly slack lips spread in a confident smile after she came out of her stupor.


    Unable to miss that smile, Black Angel hissed as she pulled Mistral¡¯s face close again to frown. ¡°You went out like a light¡ªwell, almost. Just like a winkling candle¡¯s flame in a strong wind, but I see that you¡¯ve gathered yourself and that the effect of my spell has broken, although you¡¯re still shaky. And all this is thanks to a little thunder? Never minding that, your eyes shifted away from me, your enemy¡ªin battle.¡± Black Angel waggled a finger and touched Mistral¡¯s nose. ¡°How clumsy of you¡­ Never take your eyes off an enemy.¡±


    Black Angel shrugged as Mistral said nothing while she forced her body to move normally. ¡°Hmm¡ªbut having said all that¡ª¡± Her expression focused inward for a moment as she considered. ¡°That look in your eyes when you snapped awake was quite suspicious. I don¡¯t like this at all.¡±


    ¡°That feeling is mutual.¡± Mistral finally spoke and slapped Black Angel¡¯s hand away. Her movement was jerky, but she managed. ¡°While we¡¯re discussing things we don¡¯t like¡ªI don¡¯t at all like how you look at me.¡±


    Black Angel¡¯s hand twitched after Mistral knocked it away, her face flush with her fury. To answer, she seized Mistral again, this time forcefully wrapping her fingers around Mistral¡¯s neck and squeezed it. ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m so very wounded by your rebuff, pretty. But, I don¡¯t truly think you mean those words¡ª¡± she said as she licked her lips.


    With a loud snarling, Garou suddenly materialized there with them, a thousand feet off the ground. It wasn¡¯t possible for him to fly. His teeth flashed as he seized Black Angel and sunk his teeth into the villain¡¯s shoulder and blood brightly streamed down her dress¡¯ bodice.


    With a scream, Black Angel thrashed as Garou¡¯s limbs locked around the villain like a vise. She gradually lost strength thanks to the blood loss. ¡°H-how?!¡±


    As she uttered that word, the inky shadows cloaking the area faded to reveal Mistral¡¯s spire of ice, forgotten just as soon as the shadows had cloaked the area.


    Clutching her chest, Mistral floated away as Black Angel¡¯s wings furiously flapped to stay aloft, supporting Garou¡¯s weight.


    ¡°A ploy, as you¡¯d say,¡± Mistral chuckled, coughed, and then added, ¡°A shining road spearing into the skies¡ªwith only one true purpose the whole time. Giving Garou a way to reach you.¡±


    ¡°D-Damn it!¡± Black Angel yelled with wild eyes, incredulous.


    Mistral threw a chunk of wood onto a nearby fire pit and then took up a stick to stir and bank the glowing coals.


    A groan filled the air when Black Angel woke up. Their eyes met again. Once more, the angel was her captive.


    ¡°Hahahahahaha¡ª! Off to the prison again, I suppose.¡± Black Angel chuckled. ¡°Time to reset the cycle, isn¡¯t it?¡± Her eyes narrowed and after a moment, she experimentally thrashed in her bonds. ¡°That ice tower was an unexpected strategy, I admit. I didn¡¯t think about that furball showing up a thousand feet in the air. Where¡¯s he hiding now?¡±


    Mistral tilted her head as she walked over to Black Angel. ¡°To answer your first question, I suppose it may come to that again. I don¡¯t expect that you would ever keep your word. As for Garou, he won¡¯t be around to interrupt us again today.¡±


    Garou had built a fire to help his partner recover faster, while Mistral gingerly sipped an herbal tincture. He cast dark sideways glances at the unconscious Black Angel¡¯s prone form, sometimes shaking his head.


    ¡°She¡¯d have had your head by now if it wasn¡¯t for our partnership.¡± Garou growled.


    ¡°I know. I still have some growing to do. It¡¯s fortunate then that I have you to watch my back, my friend.¡±


    Garou harrumphed, nodding. ¡°What are you going to do next?¡±


    Mistral paused before finally responding while staring into the flames dancing above burning wood that had turned partially black, with embers glowing in the cracks forming. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Once again, she held back. She taunted me until I felt I couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. I was very much off-balance, but not so much that I didn¡¯t have a mind to prepare that backup plan. She could have created the singularity right on top of me, but she didn¡¯t. I¡¯ve seen her crush people that way a few times, but she¡¯s chosen to never use that technique¡¯s full abilities on me.¡±


    ¡°Hmph¡ªthis supposed mote of goodness inside her again?¡± Garou sneered.


    Mistral clenched a fist. ¡°Yes. I believe in it. She¡¯s totally steeped in evil¡ªand yet¡ªthere is something deep down inside her. If only I could get my fingers on it.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to try to sweet talk her before shipping her off to face justice again?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡ªbut for the last time.¡± She took a heavy breath and walked over to Garou¡¯s proud frame. She turned to him and clasped his fuzzy arms with both hands.


    ¡°Please believe in me. After this attempt, assuming I fail, I¡¯ll simply accept that it¡¯s impossible. Please leave her for me to handle. As I¡¯ve told you, I¡¯ve learned a spell to probe other¡¯s minds from Dragonmage. If it works, perhaps I¡¯ll better understand what I¡¯ve sensed inside her.¡±


    Garou¡¯s tongue wetted his lips. ¡°I don¡¯t think that wise, sinking yourself into her rotten brains. I¡¯ll hunker down nearby.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Mistral said firmly. ¡°I forbid it. She¡¯ll sense your presence.¡±


    ¡°Like she sensed me climbing your spire of ice?¡± Garou rolled his eyes.


    ¡°She had her eyes on her goal. Her ego distracted her. But she¡¯ll be cautious now. Please do as I¡¯ve bid you.¡±


    Mistral laid her hands over each ear on Black Angel¡¯s head, tightly clasping both sides.


    The villain hissed the moment she felt Mistral¡¯s mind encroach on hers. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare! What you find inside won¡¯t please you.¡±


    Mistral went into a trance as she sunk her essence and mind into that of the villain.


    ¡°NOOOOOOOOO!!!!¡±


    When Mistral finally got her bearings, what lay before her was a large shard of void energy, as expected, that was erected on a sort of platform, exuding a pure sense of evil.


    This is what¡¯s inside her? Powering her? NOOOO!!!


    Suddenly, the shard exploded in a burst of pure light. But the flash could only live for but a moment before it vanished once again within the deep darkness.


    It took a second for Mistral to realize the true effect of the explosion was to vaporize the shard in a blink, leaving no remnants behind. Isn¡¯t this the core of darkness I theorized inside her? Or is this just a vision? A memory?


    All that remained of that false core of darkness that existed was an ominous sensation hovering all around Mistral. The surrounding darkness fumed with the same evil intent of that shard. It didn¡¯t vanish! It¡¯s everywhere inside her!


    Where once the void energy was a concentrated mass in one place, Mistral perceived that it now had dispersed to fill the entire space around her, growing only stronger.


    Overwhelmed by this crushing darkness that now enveloped Mistral, she folded in on herself to raise a desperate defense.


    She could swear that there was a very faint hint of something else floating in the darkness, out of sight. A signature that differed from the oppressive energies that were crushing her ego. And yet, both energies felt like they belonged to Black Angel. Was there truly no light to be found within her?


    While Mistral desperately fought to protect her mind, the scene repeated, the shard taking form again, and even after re-coalescing, the pressure on her mind hadn¡¯t lessened an iota. The darkness hammering at her consciousness over and over, breaking through her barrier to shred her mind into tatters.


    ¡°Where are you in all this?! WHERE?!¡±


    When Mistral woke, their positions had been reversed as she found herself tied hand and foot. Her eyes were bleary and her head pounded.


    Taking a halting, panting breath, Mistral looked around to take in her surroundings.


    The floor was hand laid stone along with the matching walls of the same material. Black Angel had placed a small lamp nearby to give Mistral just enough light so that she would clearly understand her position when she came to.


    Mistral swallowed, trying to wet her parched mouth. Her enemy must have somehow freed herself and whisked her away while she was unconscious.


    But what had happened? What was her current situation?


    As she tried to work out what had happened, Mistral¡¯s eyes widened when she slowly recalled the horrors she¡¯d seen inside Black Angel¡¯s mind.

 Oh... O Natural?

    Oh... O''Natural?


    ¡°Oh no! You have a new attack! But what kind of name is that for an ultimate attack?! It¡¯s like a comic book sound effect! KABACKKKKK!¡± Leo laughed, flushing a little when Quinn poked her nose through his doorway with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°What are you up to, kiddo?¡± the newly minted fourteen-year-old Quinn asked. She¡¯d begun blooming in a way that made Leo jealous. The fabulous boobs she was now sporting on her chest made Leo turn bright red whenever he peeked at them, but aside from that moment of awkwardness he experienced when he caught himself, he wasn¡¯t sure what in particular fascinated him about them so much.


    ¡°Um¡ª¡± Leo laughed, jerking his eyes away. ¡°A-actually my favorite hero¡¯s fighting right now somewhere in the world! Way up north, I think!¡± Leo¡¯s voice stabilized as he soon forgot Quinn¡¯s breasts in his enthusiasm.


    ¡°Oh! That Mistral chick! What¡¯s she up to?¡± Quinn asked, ignoring Leo¡¯s momentary staring at her as she stepped in and seated herself beside him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. Quinn opened her mouth to add something witty, but Leo raised a hand with a grin.


    ¡°Just listen! It¡¯s getting good!¡±


    ¡°The fight has begun!¡± The announcer yelled loudly through the waves. ¡°Garou is standing by while these two long-time rivals face off. Oh! This is the worst thing she¡¯s ever done. This S-plus threat, the Dark Angel, no Black Angel herself from space, is crushing the city with one of her trademark singularities! The waves of energy coming off the thing are tearing surrounding homes to pieces. Everything in its path is being obliterated. When will our Canadian heroine and Garou put an end to this threat!?¡±


    Leo swallowed, his eyes going wide. ¡°A singularity?! That¡¯s¡ª" He lifted his action figures, Black Angel¡¯s higher than Mistral¡¯s. ¡°SINGULARITY! SINGULARITY!¡±


    ¡°Oh! That attack is so powerful!¡± Leo''s voice acted out Mistral¡¯s part in his imaginary fight. ¡°You¡¯re destroying everything! I will stop you though! I¡¯ll freeze you so hard, you evil, horrible villain!¡± After Leo¡¯s head tilted, he scratched his head as questions about how Mistral might actually accomplish that task filled his head.


    The broadcaster shouted, ¡°After a fierce skirmish, Mistral and Garou have cornered Black Angel. Watch the footage! The Black Angel is fleeing from the concerted efforts of these two hard-hitting members of the Society of Sentinels. Wait, where is she going now? Does she intend to set another trap?¡±


    ¡°Um¡ª¡± After a brief pause, Leo looked to his sister: Quinn the Ever-Wise. ¡°By the way, what¡¯s a singularity?¡±


    Quinn blinked and laughed. ¡°Oh¡ªum¡­ She''s singing a loud song, and the city is shaking to pieces! Isn¡¯t that neat?¡±


    Leo looked at Quinn and began hopping up and down. ¡°That¡¯s so cool! I didn¡¯t know she could sing! If it destroys everything, isn¡¯t that, like, really scary though?¡± The boy thought it over.


    ¡°Yeah¡ªit would be really scary.¡± Quinn puffed her cheeks and grinned proudly. ¡°It¡¯s like a majorly wicked song, and it¡¯s like really deep in tone and sometimes it goes up like wheeeeeeeee!¡± She shrieked, which caused Leo to clap his hands to his ears with a long suffering expression, but then he started screaming too.


    Meanwhile, Laguna, who was downstairs watching television, narrowed her eyes at the sudden racket. Not giving it too much mind, she let it slide this time.


    When he grew older, Leo thought back to what Quinn told him and had to wonder if she meant Black Angel had released a single¡­ of villainy!


    As she¡¯d planned for a long time, Laguna took the funds from selling her stake in her father¡¯s business and used them to become the proud owner of her very own small caf¨¦ in San Isidro. This also meant that Laguna was incredibly busy twenty-five hours a day, eight days a week, but she made sure to always cook a healthy meal for her children, no matter what.


    Goonie had long ago sworn to herself that so long as it was within her power, no one near her would ever go hungry.


    Her Leo would never want for a nourishing meal, even if she didn¡¯t like to serve meat at her table. Those early years where Leo would lose his appetite were a supreme struggle for Goonie, but she understood it wasn¡¯t her or her cooking at fault. It was a side-effect of Leo¡¯s trauma; one that needed time and love to heal, both of which Goonie was happy to give.


    If anything, she faced the opposite problem nowadays.


    Once in a while, a wheedling Quinn would pair with Leo¡¯s angelic face and Goonie¡¯s health-minded resolve would falter. She¡¯d still serve something good for the heart, but only in a spiritual sense, loosening her restrictions far more for her adopted child than she had for Quinn.


    Thus, her children¡¯s combined persistence forced Goonie with great reluctance to learn all the ins and outs of making fried chicken. For a good while, that was pretty much where she drew the line aside from cooking fish, but no matter the meat that she¡¯d rarely serve, she¡¯d never partake.


    Quinn stepped up and took care of Leo after school when Goonie opened her caf¨¦. She prepared snacks for him, and they spent special time together. As with most people, Quinn still wanted a modicum of personal space, so she continued to maintain a slight distance to keep him from getting too clingy as time passed. Regardless, they remained tightly knit siblings.


    When Leo one day asked why his auntie was always so busy and occupied so often, Goonie reflected on why he felt so lonely. Was she letting her work get in the way of what was truly important to her? And while Leo had his fair share of troubles otherwise, this question started bothering her.


    Leo also started asking questions about clothes and what it meant to be a boy or a girl. When Goonie explained it, Leo¡¯s interest always leaned in a certain direction that was troubling. It meant potential health problems for Leo, so there were some things that would soon need to be explained. Because she was broad-minded and familiar with friends in the community who¡¯d shared Leo¡¯s experiences during their own younger years, Goonie recognized the signs with no need to research the matter beforehand.


    But first, Laguna tackled the easier question: what she was doing all the times she was absent from their home and why?


    ¡°Leo, you need to understand that what I do is what puts food on our tables. It makes more than the job I had when I adopted you. I know you¡¯re not happy with the situation and I can see that when I come home. When I¡¯m not home, you¡¯re lonely, and you wonder why I¡¯ve left you alone. I have not, even if it seems like that. It¡¯s something that you¡¯ll have to see instead of me just talking about it. I think it¡¯s time for you to see the business I¡¯ve worked hard on creating to support us.¡±


    She smiled warmly as Leo gazed up at her with a puzzled expression. He mumbled the word ¡®biz-nuss¡¯.


    ¡°O - O¡¯Natural!¡± Quinn posed dramatically when Leo turned his inquiring gaze on her. She always loved getting the spotlight.


    ¡°What?¡± Leo¡¯s face openly expressed his bewilderment.


    ¡°YES! It¡¯s an amazing caf¨¦ called O¡¯ Natural!¡± Quinn crowed. ¡°Mama made it and runs it now! She does the business stuff, handles the money, hires people and looks after everyone that goes there every day, plans the menus. I¡­ I¡¯ve waited on tables sometimes¡ªit¡¯s really fun!¡± Her smile broadened into a grin.


    ¡°What? A caf¨¦? With lots of Goonie¡¯s yummy food? Yay!¡± Leo grinned eagerly, wanting already to see this new magical place Quinn spoke glowingly of.


    ¡°It¡¯s ¡®Au¡ªNaturel¡¯,¡± Goonie corrected her daughter, gently emphasizing the spelling.


    Quinn replied with a big grin, ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know! It¡¯s some kinda French!¡± She turned her eyes on Leo to explain more, ¡°It¡¯s the Au! Like awwwww! Au jus! Bonjour! Merci, mama!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who should have some mercy on me, Quinn. Ahahaha¡ª!¡± Goonie laughed affectionately, petting her head. Her child was quite the oddball, but her mother more or less got the idea.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and you¡¯ll see.¡± She took her children¡¯s hands and led them with a merry wink.


    ¡°Can I be a waitress again?¡± Quinn asked with a grin.


    Leo thought it over for a beat before jumping up and down. ¡°I still wanna be a cool hero more, but I want to be a waitress too!¡±


    ¡°Dress and all, right? Oh, Mama, if I have to wear a uniform again, can I wear shorts underneath?¡± Quinn asked.


    ¡°I suppose so, but for my sake, don¡¯t start working there full time yet. You shouldn¡¯t try to grow up too fast,¡± Laguna said. ¡°Enjoy your childhood while you have your youth, but maybe I¡¯ll buy you a uniform in another year or so, if you¡¯re still set on the idea.¡±


    ¡°I need more than just my allowance nowadays, though,¡± Quinn pouted. ¡°There¡¯s still a million things I want to try!¡±


    Leo interjected, dancing, ¡°ME me me me me me! I want a dress too! I¡¯ve got enough shorts. They¡¯re boring and ugly.¡± Quinn looked at Leo with a knowing gaze, and Goonie smiled.


    ¡°Of course, sweetheart. Yes, you can have a dress.¡± Goonie squeezed his hand tightly.


    Quinn gaped and then laughed, grinning broadly. ¡°I KNEW IT! You¡¯re a girl, Leo!¡± She beamed at Leo, a child who wore a sparkling, rainbow-filled smile at having heard that. All the dots connected in the minds of the happy family.


    ¡°Welcome to Au Naturel!¡± Goonie dramatically threw her arms out when they entered the door of her caf¨¦. She decorated the establishment like a classic fifties¡¯s diner, but instead of being filled with pictures of cars and old advertisements, it was chock full of fineries like tie-dyed curtains and crystalline lamps. There were electronic candles ringing the seating area and on the tables, but the lighting was still kinda low. The chairs and seats were plush and comfy-looking, matching well with the colorful carpeting underneath the tables.


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    Several of the patrons wore clothes that matched well with the decor, but there were still plenty of ¡®normal¡¯ looking people, too.


    Leo danced and squealed, charging into the place, running around.


    Goonie laughed and put a hand to her cheek. ¡°Oh my. She¡¯s coming along nicely,¡° she commented to Quinn, getting a knowing nod in return. They both knew how energetic Leo could be when he cut loose.


    ¡°Take her to a table, please. It¡¯s your job to look after her. You can¡¯t wait yet, so¡ª"


    ¡°Where¡¯s my dress?!¡± Leo called after bounding back.


    ¡°Um¡ª" Goonie laughed. ¡°Please sit down and enjoy some food first. Take in the ambience and soon you¡¯ll understand what I do here. I want you to understand my dream. If you want, you can certainly help later, but for now, we¡¯ll give it some time. I¡¯ll let you work here a little when you turn fifteen, at least. Putting you kids to work is a no-go, so don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be doing it too frequently for a while! No one will accuse me of trafficking in child labor.¡±


    Leo tilted his head, looking disappointed. ¡°Trafficking?¡± He thought about the street lights and wondered what Goonie meant. She clearly didn¡¯t direct traffic for a living.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, squirt. This way¡ª¡±


    Quinn took Leo¡¯s hand while Goonie laughed, calling after them, ¡°Have fun, you two, but don¡¯t bother the customers.¡±


    ¡°Goonie!¡± a man in his fifties who was among those that matched the decor exclaimed as he came over with wide open arms to Goonie with a big grin. In reaction, she greeted this oldish man wearing a bandana on his forehead with a tight hug.


    Quinn rolled her eyes as she giggled. ¡°Seems Mama¡¯s still a bit of a hippie here. She loves giving hugs.¡± Leo looked at Goonie with a pleased grin and looked at Quinn with sparkling eyes.


    ¡°HUGS! THEY¡¯RE THE BEST!¡± Leo exclaimed. The two made their way to a table and sat together on the same side in a corner facing the rest of the restaurant to watch Goonie at work. She was friendly and wonderful, a queen holding court in her domain.


    ¡°Leo¡ª¡± After a while, Quinn resumed talking, ¡°We figured it out earlier¡ªbut maybe you¡¯d like to talk about it. So you really wanna be a girl¡ª¡± Leo looked at Quinn, and the smile that she got in response glowed like the sun itself. The more time passed, the more his cheeks stained pink. His reaction was a clear sign that she and her mother knew Leo better than anyone in the entire world.


    He would be her sister soon. Quinn always wanted a brother, but a little sis would be just as welcome.


    ¡°It felt really right when you both called me a girl.¡± Leo said.


    Some days later, they returned to spend time at Au Naturel so Goonie could save on the cost of babysitting more often, although Quinn usually took the brunt of the responsibility of looking after Leo, sometimes a customer would step up and help and all those long-haired babysitters made Leo wonder if it was a new fashion trend that Quinn didn¡¯t seem to be too keen about.


    Though the booth they¡¯d long since selected for themselves offered a good vantage point to check out the other patrons, Leo took surreptitious and frequent trips to the bathroom so she could peek into the neighboring booths and at the central tables of Au Naturel.


    Rarely bothering anyone, Leo just looked at people¡¯s faces, usually getting warm smiles for her trouble and sometimes her inquisitiveness would earn her an intense hugging session.


    Her face would turn so bright red and she¡¯d get so flustered that the patrons of the restaurant would tousle her short hair until the staff came to her rescue.


    Eventually, Goonie noticed her activities and looked sternly at Leo, waggling a finger.


    ¡°I told you to not bother our customers,¡± she berated Leo, who sagged.


    Quinn laughed from the chair she occupied and waved her hands, ¡°I told Leo to stop checking out the¡ª" Her voice trailed off as, not for the first time, she thoughtfully inspected the medallion around the neck of the elderly man that had been Leo¡¯s latest source of fascination.


    The man, known to them as Mr. Davis, had a face that would have been impossible to pick out of a line-up but also had a peculiar air about the way he carried himself.


    His sparkling eyes contrasted with his tanned leather skin to give the impression that he was both wise and old as dirt.


    ¡°The boy¡¯s no trouble,¡± the grey-bearded man said. ¡°Neither of them are.¡± He¡¯d been a regular for some time, but today now that the two had finally approached him, he¡¯d taken the time to distract them by teaching the kids a few things while he sipped his daily tea and enjoyed a cruller.


    He seemed to have hooked the young Leo with tidbits about some outdoorsy survival skills or how to pick out interesting plants with medicinal properties. The man was a fount of folk wisdom that people had been using a long time before big pharmaceutical companies appeared and more modern medicine came along.


    ¡°Your son¡¯s really attentive.¡± He nodded his head appreciatively.


    Leo¡¯s face fell slightly when the man mis-gendered her, but it wasn¡¯t really official yet, so she couldn¡¯t be too picky about it, so she still smiled warmly so as not to mess this up.


    ¡°Well¡ª¡± Goonie blinked and barked a laugh. ¡°If they aren¡¯t bothering you, I suppose that¡¯s fine.¡± She bustled away, adding, ¡°You two be good.¡±


    Leo nodded emphatically. She was happy listening to the old guy talking about stuff because he looked like he might have something even cooler still to teach.


    Peering up at Mr. Davis¡¯ friendly, but ruddy face, Leo¡¯s eyes again fell on his medallion. It had some kind of mandala pattern and a star emblazoned on it with other strange symbols surrounding them that she couldn¡¯t understand, but found that it was hard to take her eyes away from them.


    Having noticed that Leo was also taking an interest in Mr. Davis¡¯ pendant, Quinn made a quick choice and flashed a grin before lazily commenting, ¡°Cool, seal of approval acquired¡ªyou can cut the act now, Mr. Davis.¡±


    The man blinked, aghast. ¡°Pardon me?¡±


    Leo¡¯s eyes widened and covered her mouth as she looked at Quinn sideways. Ouchie!


    ¡°Ah, I see. A skeptical mind. The greatest tragedy of the modern age,¡± Davis austerely said. ¡°Kindness and educating the young ones is a duty for us old folks and is the sovereign creed of those who love peace.¡±


    ¡°Educating any kid that¡¯ll listen to mix a thousand and one herbs and spices to fix everything from joint pain to muddied spiritual energies? Nah, still not buying it,¡± Quinn countered.


    ¡°Why not? ''There are more things in heaven and earth, young one, than are dreamt of in your philosophy¡¯.¡± His lips now crinkled with amusement. ¡°What have I done to earn such cynicism?¡±


    ¡°Ooo, Shakespeare. And before you say it, yeah, yeah, I know. I just had to look into the guy who gets to be called ¡®The Bard,¡¯ okay. Still, I don¡¯t believe in things that are too out-there or too good to be true,¡± Quinn smirked, ¡°Hey¡ªthat thing around your neck¡ªthat part of any rituals to sacrifice lambs by moonlight with a stone knife?¡±


    ¡°H-hey now!¡± Davis exclaimed, wincing at the graphic nature of her joke. ¡°No! I wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone or any animal! But, I¡¯ve been known to moonbathe in the¡ªahem¡ª¡ªenough of that subject!¡± Leo looked blankly at the man who was now struggling to recover and his expressions made Leo grin when she thought she sensed a joke here that she couldn¡¯t understand.


    Quinn, however, smirked. ¡°A pervert, then.¡±


    Mr. Davis leapt to his feet, looking around with wild eyes, already regretting having said that Goonie¡¯s kids weren¡¯t any trouble for him. But not willing to go back on his word so soon, he forced himself to sit again and eyed Quinn with a very cautious look. ¡°So, I gather that all this is about some curiosity about my relic?¡± He lifted the medal from his chest, considering stuffing it into his shirt, but gave a shrug.


    ¡°Yes!!!¡± Leo exclaimed, hungry for more information. She didn¡¯t want to be rude by asking about his curious medal-thing, but she looked at Quinn with starry eyes and when the older sister noticed her little sister¡¯s expression of appreciation, she preened.


    ¡°We both noticed that thing right away. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re trying to hide it. What¡¯s it for?¡± Quinn asked.


    With a roll of his eyes, Davis sighed. ¡°If you must know, ahem¡ªit¡¯s a focus for internal energies. A tool for meditation. It¡¯s not anything that kids should play with.¡±


    ¡°Ooh? ¡®Internal energies¡¯? We talkin¡¯ bout Tai Chi Masters or Wizards, Harry?¡± Quinn pressed almost sardonically.


    Leo perked up at that question, holding her breath as she waited for the old and now mage-hippie¡¯s answer, leaning forward and even fidgeting, kicking her feet.


    ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªEnergy for spell-casting¡ª¡± Davis paused and heaved another annoyed sigh and admitted, ¡°But sadly, I lack the power to¡­ I¡ªcannot.¡±


    Leo fell off her chair to the floor and Quinn started laughing and between her gales of giggles she said, ¡°You¡¯re¡ªhehe¡ª¡ªhilarious! You¡¯re really just playing pretend!¡±


    The younger sibling pouted and stared up at Davis like he had brutally crushed her dreams. The ex-mage winced and now longingly looked at the caf¨¦¡¯s exit. ¡°Ahem. It¡¯s been fun, kids. REAL FUN.¡± He stood and adjusted his collar, and reached to gather his stuff.


    Even though the man wasn¡¯t what he seemed to be, Leo couldn¡¯t let him go, looking so distressed. She stood, peering seriously up into the old man¡¯s face, chewing her lip, twiddling her fingers, apologizing, ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m sorry that my sister¡¯s been bullying you.¡± She looked at Quinn with her patented puppy eyes and Quinn clutched her chest, staggering.


    After a moment Quinn looked away, muttering a grudging apology, ¡°S-sorry.¡±


    Everyone in the caf¨¦ had noticed their antics, and many were pointedly looking away or directly at them. A few looked disapprovingly at Quinn, making her face all the redder, but it was only the ones who were sitting close enough to hear whose gazes lingered.


    After a moment, Davis set his things down and with a sigh, he pulled the medallion around from his neck and took Leo¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m not giving this to you, kid¡ªbut to thank you for your kindness... Would you like to hold this for a moment?¡± He reached out to mess up Leo¡¯s hair with his other hand, ignoring a now quiet Quinn.


    With a tilting of her head, Leo looked seriously up into Davis¡¯ eyes. She reached out and put her hand on the medallion.


    The moment her skin met the metal of the medallion, Leo¡¯s eyes widened before soon glazing over.


    Davis¡¯ eyes widened a moment after. Looking down into Leo¡¯s empty expression, he could not understand what was happening here.


    The moment he yanked the medallion away from Leo¡¯s hand, she started smiling broadly again as though nothing had happened. The corner of Davis¡¯ lips crinkled in befuddlement and he poked the medallion a few times with a finger and grumbled, looking crosswise at Quinn.


    ¡°Uhh, what did you just do?¡± Quinn asked pointedly. ¡°My sister went all blank-like¡ªlike she was on some kinda awful trip?¡± She turned her eyes on Leo. ¡°Leo, are you okay?¡±


    Leo smiled onwards, her eyes shifting to the upper right as she considered the question. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m fine¡ªbut I don¡¯t even remember what it felt like. Can I try again?¡± she enthusiastically asked.


    Davis nodded and pressed the medallion into her hand again and right away, her eyes went blank. He yanked the metal away once more, deciding it wasn¡¯t just a strange coincidence.


    Leo grinned onwards, expectantly, still holding her hand out.


    ¡°Hmmm¡ª¡± Davis looked at Quinn again. ¡°How about you touch it too?¡±


    Davis earned a look like she thought he was nuts from Quinn before she shook her head. But then, looking at Leo, she shrugged and put her hand out as well. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it hurts people. Just don¡¯t let me turn into an ultra air-head too, okay?¡±


    Quinn laughed as she laid her hand on the pendant, looking at Leo. He tilted his head and shrugged, smiling impishly. Mr. Davis frowned when nothing happened, at least not that he could see. Maybe the kids were still playing with him.


    Afterward, Davis gathered his things again and left the caf¨¦, deciding to never return. The kids must have orchestrated a complex scheme to embarrass him. Goonie¡¯s two mischievous kids were too much for him to handle. What had made his mind up about it was Quinn¡¯s absolute lack of a reaction after Leo¡¯s exaggerated act. Leo clearly had been the straight man and Quinn the ¡®funny man¡¯ in their strange prank.


    He¡¯d tried his best to teach the next generation a few things he¡¯d learned along the way, but in his eyes, Leo in particular had played a very naughty trick on him.


    Anyway, whenever he had second thoughts about Leo¡¯s ¡®reaction,¡¯ he decided that kind of reaction was simply impossible for someone with no training. He¡¯d seen gurus touch it with nothing happening.


    He thought despite his lifestyle, this was a sign that he was growing old far too soon, so much so that he could no longer understand kids as much as he thought he once did.


    Though the kids¡¯ antics had another consequence.


    Their Goonie had plenty of harsh words for her children that night. They were to never again bother her customers, no matter how good-natured they were, or else they would have to stay at home and she¡¯d have to pay extra for babysitting, after all. She even reconsidered letting her customers help, since accepting could very well cost her another faithful friend and customer.


    ¡°Demanding that my customers prove their wizardry!? There¡¯s a limit to what you can say to people, Quinzel Rosemary Ramses!¡± Goonie yelled. ¡°Leo, I swear! I¡¯ve had it! What happened to common sense?!¡±

 Out and Outed

    Out and Outed


    A little over a year later, the siblings found themselves seated together in their favorite booth back in Au Naturel, the same as they usually took. The spot ensured they could see everyone who came and went without causing a fuss, making it perfect for their favorite activity while there: People-watching.


    Even though they didn¡¯t engage them, it was still fun to observe Au Naturel¡¯s patrons. There, it had become Leo¡¯s favorite way to pass the time.


    Ever since the ¡®Davis incident,¡¯ Leo continued to love pointing out with Quinn the more mysterious-looking customers, particularly the types that seemed like they may lead double lives as villains or heroes.


    As their server plopped two iced green tea lattes down onto their table, the two voyeurs grinned broadly up at the woman they knew well. Natalie beamed back at the Ramses¡¯ siblings, reaching to tousle Leo¡¯s unruly, thick mass of hair. The tangle had grown significantly longer over the last year. ¡°You two still up to that rude staring-at-the-patrons game again? It¡¯s fine as long as you don¡¯t pester them again.¡± She put a hand on her hip and waggled an admonishing finger at them.


    Quinn grinned even more at being mock-chastised, typical of her. ¡°Heck yes! Listen to this: there¡¯s this extra creepy-looking guy with a huge beard and sunken eyes! I think he was a rocker back in maybe the eighties or nineties!¡±


    ¡°No! He¡¯s gotta be a supervillain!¡± Leo¡¯s rebuttal was loud and eager. ¡°He has to be, like, a Necromancer or something super cool and sinister!¡±


    ¡°Oh crap, he¡¯s looking our way!¡± Quinn yelped. ¡°Hide, hide, hide!¡± she whispered.


    Natalie rolled her eyes and suppressed a giggle when Leo ducked quickly under their table, anxious about having incurred the wrath of a fearsome raiser of the dead. Quinn hummed in satisfaction as she sipped some latte through the included straw. ¡°Yet another crisis averted¡ªhe¡¯s gone now.¡±


    Leo poked her nose out from under the table to look into Quinn¡¯s sparkling eyes anxiously. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Oh! It was someone else, my mistake! He¡¯s¡ª¡± Leo squeaked as she repeated her disappearance act, returning to the comparative safety of the underside of their table.


    Quinn covered her mouth while Natalie did her best to distract herself from laughing by instead asking, ¡°You know, if they can hear you, this¡ª¡± she said.


    But interrupting her comments, Leo leapt from under the table with fork and knife in hand, ready for battle. Everyone in the restaurant stared at Leo, the valiant protector, until realizing there was no supervillain coming for them, blushed furiously. Having understood that Quinn had duped her, Leo pouted and glared over her shoulder at her sister, eliciting another soft chortle as she sketched an apology, ¡°Sorry, little goody two-shoes. I didn¡¯t expect you to take it this seriously.¡± She tilted her head. ¡°Are you so desperate to find some kind of villain of your own to battle? That¡¯d actually be pretty scary. You don¡¯t even have any powers. Or did you plan on getting some along the way?¡±


    Leo thought about that, simply tilting her head as though it were obvious. ¡°I read about powers falling into the heroes¡¯ laps all the time. I mean, yush! If that¡¯s my fate, I wouldn¡¯t complain! Even if I didn¡¯t get any, I¡¯d still protect Quinn and Goonie and everyone here!¡±


    Leo set the knife and fork back down on the table while everyone laughed and went about their usual business in Au Naturel. It wasn¡¯t uncommon to see Ol¡¯ Goonie¡¯s scampers playing around. For them, it was sometimes the highlight of their day, just as long as they didn¡¯t start raising Cain, which they hadn¡¯t done for at least half a year.


    ¡°Come on, kiddo. Sit your butt down here and have some of your latte.¡± Quinn scooched over and patted the sofa-like seat. Leo flashed a sunny grin as she eagerly sat to sip at her own.


    Natalie moved over to service another table¡¯s occupants while Quinn said, more seriously, ¡°So, sis¡­ I guess this means you¡¯re finally¡ª¡±


    ¡°MINT!¡± Leo exclaimed happily. There had been a splash of minty flavor added into the latte that made the whole thing a little different from the usual. She glowed.


    ¡°Sit still a second, you hyper little monster!¡± Quinn laughed. ¡°So this¡ª¡± She fixed her little sister with her eyes to make sure Leo¡¯s attention was on her. ¡°This means that you¡¯re finally coming to my school¡ªack!¡± Leo snuggled against Quinn, interrupting her questioning by the action. ¡°You¡¯re such a needy creature!¡± She laughed, trying in vain to stay on topic. ¡°Seriously though, why did you want to go to my school, of all places?¡±


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Leo grinned and flushed, fidgeting at being mildly criticized and finally answered after swishing some sweet latte in her mouth, ¡°Um¡ªit¡¯s more fun with you! I always have the most fun when I¡¯m hanging out with you, sis! But¡ª¡± Leo looked away.


    Quinn blinked, pursing her lips as she eyed Leo, conspiratorial. ¡°Leo, are you still sure you really wanna¡ªbe my little sister? Are you changing your mind?¡±


    ¡°YES! N-no! Don¡¯t ask two questions! I wanna be a girl!¡± Leo nodded without hesitation.


    Quinn nodded back as she whispered, privately wondering why Leo looked anxious. ¡°In that case, I probably shouldn¡¯t tell you this, but Mama¡¯s arranged a special appointment for you, if you were still serious. I knew little about it before either but, as a responsible older sister, I looked it up online.¡±


    Leo nodded wryly, eyes sparkling. ¡°I know. Goonie talked with me about it and told me everything.¡±


    ¡°Did she really? Everything? She pretended it was a big secret with me!¡± Quinn pouted and huffed as she sipped her latte.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I know all about what it means. I can be a real girl and I won¡¯t have to take that medication anymore, just a different kind! ... Kind of. All I have to do is have some needles sometimes, and swallow a coupla pills every day. It¡¯s probably icky to be poked, but I really want it, even if it hurts!¡± Leo motor-mouthed with an ultra-serious expression.


    Quinn¡¯s little sister was being so earnest and yet cute she nearly fell over as she said, ¡°It¡¯s destiny, really. You always were a cute tyke¡­ I mean, seriously¡­ I could totally imagine you being more girly than you already are¡ª¡ªway more than me. Not that I care.¡± Quinn laughed.


    Leo beamed at the compliment and shrugged as she sipped, tilting her head. ¡°You really don¡¯t care at all?¡±


    ¡°Heck, no!¡± Quinn rolled her eyes and changed the subject. ¡°Tell me, did you think about what name you¡¯d like to change to? If you¡¯re gonna be a girl, you probably shouldn¡¯t go by Leo anymore. Well anyway, I was thinking when I said it was destiny that Destiny would be a really awesome name¡ªhow about it?¡±


    Leo tilted her head and chewed her lip. ¡°That¡¯s kind of¡­ I don¡¯t know¡ª¡ªpreppy¡ªconceited?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a HUGE word for you!¡± Goonie chimed in as she came over to check on her children. ¡°I see you went and spoiled the big ¡®surprise¡¯.¡± She grinned at Quinn, a girl whose smile instantly imploded into a pout and a glare for her mama.


    Goonie chuckled and added, ¡°Sorry to steal your thunder, I guess.¡±


    ¡°You really did! I wanted to be the one to tell her! Awwwwww¡ª¡± Quinn complained.


    ¡°I already decided,¡± Leo spoke to break up the mock animosity between the two.


    Quinn looked up from her drink as her impish smile reignited. ¡°Well, don¡¯t keep us in suspense! What brilliant idea did you have for a name? You were about to say it. Was it maybe Mistral?¡±


    Leo faltered, and her eyes widened. Th-that was a possibility? It was a very, very good possibility¡­ Mistral¡­ She could¡­ She finally shook her head in the negative. ¡°No¡ªit can¡¯t be that¡­ Mama, my real Mama¡ªshe named me after someone special¡ª¡ªsomeone I never knew. My great grandpa. Yours too, sis¡­ It¡¯s gotta be Leo, but like¡ªit¡¯s too¡ª¡ªboyish¡ªso we talked about it and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Leona!¡± Goonie loudly announced, spreading her arms.


    Leo froze mid-syllable and fell over.


    ¡°You suck, Mama! First, you stole my thunder and now poor Leo¡¯s too.¡° Quinn tilted her head and reached over to hug the now mopey Leo. ¡°Are you okay? Is that the name you chose or was that another joke?¡± She didn¡¯t really think so.


    Leo shook her head, sighed, and then smiled. ¡°You can¡¯t complain too long. It¡¯s a great name and Goonie helped me with it! And¡ªisn¡¯t it nice? I can love my real mom and keep my name at the same time¡ªbut just¡ªI can¡­ I can be Leona!!!¡± Leona announced, as though none of the previous antics had happened at all. Maybe she forgot already, but it was a happy moment.


    Quinn laughed and hugged her. Goonie reached down and petted the two of them. ¡°The first appointment is tomorrow. The needles might be a little scary at first, but you¡¯re going to be happy. My lawyer handled the rest of it and prepared your name change papers. By the time you go to school again, you¡¯ll legally be my little Leona!¡±


    Leona chewed her lip. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m ready to go to school yet¡ªthough I wanna go to Quinn¡¯s school too.¡± She shrugged and hunched.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been going to school until now¡ªwhy not?¡± Quinn asked.


    ¡°Cuz I don¡¯t want¡ªI don¡¯t want people to see me changing¡ª¡± Leona whispered.


    ¡°Why not?¡± One of Quinn¡¯s eyebrows rose.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t. I don¡¯t have many friends¡ªnone really¡ªa few but, I just wish it was easy to be magically turned into a girl and have people forget I was ever Leo.¡± She chewed her lip.


    Goonie nodded and sighed. This was a somewhat unexpected response, but her feelings were understandable. If people saw her change, she¡¯d end up fixed in people¡¯s minds as ¡®that¡¯ girl who wasn¡¯t born one. Kids weren¡¯t always very understanding of these sorts of things, and maybe Leona instinctively knew that she¡¯d have to face things like that. It might happen regardless of what she wanted. Sometimes things didn¡¯t go the way people hoped they might.


    ¡°My little sis.¡± Quinn smiled warmly, petting her hair again. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just take it one step by step. We¡¯re here for you.¡±


    Goonie hugged them both and Leona sighed as she sank into the wonderful family embrace they shared, which was her favorite thing to do now aside from people watching. She would still sometimes think about the inside of that musty old chest her dad had stuffed her into, but these arms around her now didn¡¯t make her feel trapped. She felt free; as free as the wind itself.


    Or perhaps like one of the poofy clouds that was blowing through a calm blue sky high above the city.


    While old and dirty, San Isidro retained a raw sense of the elegance and wonder it had in its heyday. Tall Gothic and Victorian structures tirelessly grasped in vain to touch the heavens. It would entirely depend on who you asked whether this was a symbol of aspiration and endeavor, or something more Sisyphean.


    Across the bay, however, shone a glistening city of glass and steel skyscrapers. The well-to-do mostly kept to that shining city, but there were still some things you could only find in San Isidro.

 Snowflake in a Desert

    Snowflake in a Desert


    Mistral bit her lip almost hard enough to draw blood. The pain was a needed distraction to prevent the release of a distressed whimper.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t entertained me nearly as long as expected, Luv.¡± Black Angel gloated, beaming down at her toy. She smirked while running a finger across her own lips in a titillating manner.


    ¡°It¡¯s been fun, but we both know that playing the same game long enough can get stale. I could do with a change in scenery, don¡¯t you think? Get the juices flowing again! Now that I¡¯ve mastered the use of your little Beasties, perhaps¡ª¡± she mused aloud. ¡°Aha! To Vancouver! Excellent, Howeesha. I love how you think. We¡¯ll throw in Seattle for the fun of it! Those cities already love their rainy seasons¡­ I wonder how they¡¯ll feel about negative eighty degree temperatures.¡± Black Angel started laughing at her own sick joke so hard that a few small tears formed in the corners of her eyes.


    ¡°Oh, my¡­ I haven¡¯t been moved to tears in at least a decade or so¡ª¡±


    She looked at Mistral, still bound in a set of homemade spelled stocks. The sight drew a thoughtful purr from her throat, tempted to linger, but a more delicious idea occurred to her, causing her to lick her lips playfully.


    I¡¯ll take her with me. What would be more amusing than letting the world see the condition she¡¯s in? Ahahahaha! My precious little slave!


    There was a loud hissing like a howling tempest-like noise coming from deep inside Black Angel at that thought.


    Nooooooo!!! Mistress Angel¡ª


    If you take her along with us, she¡¯ll find a way to¡­ Howeesha said.


    Shhhhhhh! Rosshossho¡¯s ice-cold voice was like the depths of winter. Don¡¯t ruin the fun for the rest of us. I, for one, would like to see the ¡®favoured daughter¡¯ humbled even more. If she witnessed her ¡®own powers¡¯ being used to destroy a city¡ª


    Speak for yourself, fool! This voice was like a clap of rumbling thunder.


    You favor the ¡®daughter¡¯? Traitor! Howeesha screeched.


    Black Angel soundly struck her own head. ¡°SHUT THE HELL UP, YOU BUMBLING STOOGES!¡±


    As fun as it was to play with the Earth¡¯s elements as she pleased, having these three idiots prattling on and at each other¡¯s throats was a rather mind-numbing experience, to say the least. She only tolerated them because they were sometimes useful¡ª¡ªsometimes.


    Y-yes, Mistress... The three whimpered together, sounding like a cowed storm. Just as they always should, thought Black Angel.


    The black-winged supervillain stroked her temples with two fingers as she once again looked at Mistral. Yes. Why not? It was a fine idea¡­ To see her broken and with no hope of recovery. She smirked to herself; her gaze on Mistral became hungry. ¡°A¡ª¡±


    No¡­ Mistress¡­ Came another hissing noise deep within her.


    Her anger ignited anew, and she tore into the Beasts with a vengeance. Which of you idiots had the temerity to speak and interrupt my speech?! One more word and I¡¯ll plunge you all into the deepest of abysses!


    Seeing Black Angel clearly struggling with the three new voices in her head, Mistral started chuckling softly. The continuous in-fighting was the only thing she¡¯d found the slightest solace in lately. If she didn¡¯t have that small bit of humor, reality would catch up. The gritty reality where she was still weeping from the last lash that Black Angel had squarely placed between her shoulder blades.


    Had it been hours, days, weeks? Time had lost all meaning in this pitch-black void.


    The ¡®games¡¯ Black Angel had been playing with Mistral could more accurately be described as coming straight out of an S&M bondage video from one of the seedier websites. Black Angel had robbed her of as much as she could.


    Black Angel took her freedom to move. Took her sense of sight. Took her power. And had ultimately taken her right to say no from her.


    But all this wasn¡¯t purely a bid to break her body. No, that wasn¡¯t that at all.


    While there was still plenty of pain, Black Angel actually mixed in some things that fell on the other end of the spectrum as well. Her tormentor could easily finish her whenever it pleased her. But what would please her more, what she wanted more, was working towards breaking Mistral¡¯s will and spirit.


    And the truly sad thing was that the villain had gotten exactly what she wanted. Mistral saw what had happened within herself.


    She saw the reality of it. But reality just hadn¡¯t caught up yet.


    ¡°They¡¯re a handful, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Black Angel didn¡¯t respond, still focused inwardly, seemingly deeply engaged in some conversation.


    She¡¯s distracted¡­ Great Manitou, I beg of you. P-please¡ªnow¡ª¡ªdeliver me¡ª!


    Mistral saw this one last hope of deliverance, now that Black Angel was so distracted she wasn¡¯t even bothering to punish her for speaking disrespectfully, and prayed like she never had before.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Your desperation is unseemingly, Favoured Daughter. We have had this discussion before. I cannot help you if you won¡¯t help yourself, the Great Manitou spoke.


    Mistral took a heavy breath, and more tears fell from her eyes.


    ¡®I won¡¯t help myself¡¯!? Mother, I¡¯ve been humiliated in too many ways to count¡ªand she¡ªshe proposes to do more unspeakable things to me¡­! I¡ªcan¡¯t hold out any longer¡ª


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    She has violated your corporeal body, Daughter. She has trod upon your pride. Leave these things behind. You can¡¯t do what needs be done unless you rise beyond yourself. Pray to me no further. Your deliverance depends solely on yourself alone... But I will offer you this truth: there¡¯s yet a glimmer of hope.


    Though she managed to show no external signs of it, Mistral¡¯s mind cried out in protest. The window was closing, Black Angel looked as though she was regaining focus.


    Please¡­ Mother¡­ I beg of you!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    There is a glimmer of hope. A speck of it hidden in a world of darkness. Consider well my words, my Daughter.


    And with that, the Great Manitou¡¯s presence left Mistral alone.


    More tears leaked from the corners of Mistral¡¯s eyes as her shoulders shook under the weight of what had just happened. She wanted to hunch herself into as small a space as possible, but Black Angel had also taken her ability to even move an iota.


    When Black Angel¡¯s eyes cleared, she let out a wry sigh.


    ¡°Very well. It¡¯s true that once freed from the spelled bindings that hold her, she may prove less pliant, I suppose. Perhaps she has a bit of a backbone left in her.¡± Her lingering gaze on Mistral loudly expressed profound disappointment. ¡°I should at least pay respect to the formidable child she once was.¡±


    Without another word, Black Angel turned her back on her ex-rival, the ravaged wreckage of what was left of the great Weather Witch Mistral. Now nothing more than a simple toy with few uses left to discover.


    She left the room where she imprisoned Mistral, turned off all the lights, plunging her captive into the same pure and deep darkness they¡¯d shared.


    However, unbeknownst to the dark one, as she left the lonely shadow-cloaked cavern, a pair of yellow eyes watched. These eyes narrowed as the villain swooped northward and away from the parcel of New Mexico desert down near the border that Black Angel made her sanctum.


    Now was the time to move.


    With Black Angel now gone, all the tiredness caught up with Mistral and she sank into a deep unconsciousness.


    Mistral¡¯s sleep was fitful. She could not stop crying even during what little sleep she could get since her capture.


    This time, though, her sleeping mind found itself trapped in a whirlpool of utter darkness that was composed of her weather powers combined with the dark energies of her nemesis, or so she thought. The elements she was normally so familiar with turned to truly evil ends.


    Or perhaps this was Black Angel¡¯s latest threat spiraled around her, haunting.


    The Beasts acted like villains, but in truth they were nothing more than the caprice of nature itself. They didn¡¯t always destroy and kill, only when the mood struck them or circumstances perfectly aligned.


    But there was something truly unnatural about the darkness ingrained in Black Angel that had now seeped into her. It swallowed, absorbed, usurped¡ªdevoured. She was certain by now that these shadowy powers of the villain¡¯s weren¡¯t born of this universe.


    Perhaps they sprang from Hell itself, and yet¡­ Mistral had fought emissaries of that particular nightmare dimension in several of her past adventures. Demons existed¡ªas did much older creatures, and those that had no determinable age since time didn¡¯t work the same way on them.


    No, Black Angel wasn¡¯t drawing on something demonic. It was something else. Something equally primordial. Something like a paradox that held the villain herself captive.


    Mistral¡¯s mind might have known she was asleep, but a bolt of fear and anxiety still shot through her after she felt something touch her ¡®outside.¡¯


    Would her enemy return before she woke?


    When her tormentor did return, what new desire would her body be used to sate?


    Mistral somehow had to escape, but there wasn¡¯t any hope of that now. She¡¯d tried before. The spell on her restraints that Black Angel had laid on them was keyed in a way that she couldn¡¯t exactly discern. Most likely, the spell had been tied to her captor¡¯s life force in some fashion.


    Had she truly been brought so low? Was she losing her mind? She wasn¡¯t even able to escape her torment when alone. But that was understandable, wasn¡¯t it? Wouldn¡¯t anyone have lost their mind if they were in her place?


    She just somehow had to escape.


    It felt impossible to face who she¡¯d been made to become. Perhaps it would simply be best to stay here in her sleep if waking meant looking into the cruel eyes of her captor. Those demeaning eyes that stripped her bare with a glance.


    Perhaps if she prayed to Great Manitou to take her life, would her god have mercy on her? Even if letting go wasn¡¯t painless, it had to be less so than what she was already going through.


    With these thoughts washed over her, danced around her, swirled through her, Mistral sank into the darkness.


    Deeper.


    And deeper.


    Her mind sought the deepest meditation she could manage, not for the sake of finding balance, but to find the bottom. To find the end.


    In time, she plunged so deep inside herself that any sense she had of the outside world was faint. And still Mistral continued to sink deeper into the darkness within her mind, into the eye of the cyclone made of pure malevolence.


    Deeper, deeper¡ªdeeper.


    Mistral sank until she felt she couldn¡¯t fall any further. It wasn¡¯t the bottom she reached, but she was filled with a sense of something that paralyzed and stopped her from diving further.


    After what must have been an eternity suspended alone in the darkness, Mistral felt a hand slap her face.


    She cringed, suppressing a desire to scream from inside her self-impressed prison. If she let out a scream, Black Angel would just beat her again. Forcing herself to remain silent, she slumped in her slumber, giving up. She truly didn¡¯t want to live.


    The hand slapped Mistral again.


    There was a rumbling noise. Mistral closed her mind and ears to push away the last vestiges of her sense of the outside world. That had to be Black Angel showing off her command over Korakorkomaq, the power over lightning and thunder.


    The rumbling continued, and more firmly, she was slapped. Mistral refused to acknowledge her captor. Perhaps she¡¯d been wrong before. She had something that had yet to be taken: her renewed recalcitrance.


    After the Mistral¡¯s capture, Garou had sought the aid of the Society of Sentinels, the spirits of nature and every other ally he could think of to cast the net as widely as possible. Through sheer stubborn determination and tireless searching for his partner, the wolf-man eventually caught onto her scent.


    Strangely, the vile stench of darkness was detectable from what turned out to be practically a whole U.S. state away. Black Angel¡¯s usual tricks for staying hidden must have been disrupted by something unknown to Garou stealing her focus.


    He counted this as a small blessing, but only when he was feeling sardonic. Regardless, whatever it was had allowed him to track the villain to what seemed to be her home base.


    The dark one had apparently found herself a perfect hideout in the southernmost tip of New Mexico, jutting into Mexico, with barely anything or anyone living nearby occupying the nearby natural cavern system must have been a natural decision.


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    Garou thought the choice of location strange at first until he discovered how deeply the passages went and found how light itself was denied access in many of the auxiliary caverns that Garou investigated that surrounded hers.


    True to its nature, a snake will always go to ground in the deepest, darkest hole it can find, he thought.


    After seeing Black Angel depart from her base, Garou moved in, knowing it was time to explore the chambers while she was away.


    Despite the total lack of illumination except for his flashlight, with his powerful nose and innate night-vision, it didn¡¯t take too long to track down his compatriot within.


    Garou shined his flashlight on Mistral, wincing as he beheld the violated form of his partner and muttered, ¡°She sure did a number on you!¡± Garou snarled, desiring the taste of Black Angel¡¯s blood at that moment overflowing from his teeth more than ever.


    ¡°Mistral! Shake yourself out of this!¡± He barked as he drew back a paw-hand to strike Mistral gently across her face. ¡°Wake up!¡±


    His partner was oblivious to the world, sunken into some deep coma within herself. He was no expert in these matters, but Mistral couldn¡¯t be roused by anything Garou did to wake her and, despite repeated failure, he tried again and again.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± He roared as his stubby fingers tore at the crude mechanism holding Mistral in such a demeaning pose that disgusted him. ¡°What the hell is this thing made of?!¡± His thews strained as he used every bit of power his muscles could produce to rend the blasted thing apart.


    It wouldn¡¯t budge. He raked it with his claws furiously, howling, but no marks were left to further mar the mystical stocks that bound Mistral, despite their already crude and ruddy black surface.


    ¡°Damn it, Damn it, Damn it! MISTRAL!¡± He was seeing red with how furiously he struggled to break her free. When he finished exhausting all his energy, he panted and glared at Mistral.


    ¡°Your pride! Your DAMNED PRIDE! THAT STUPID MOTE OF GOODNESS THAT YOU THOUGHT EXISTED! YOU¡¯VE ENDURED ALL THIS FOR NOTHING! IF ONLY YOU¡¯D JUST FUCKING LISTENED TO ME! YOU, STUPID! ¡ª¡ªIdiot¡ª!!!¡± Garou¡¯s feral face was filled with anger and remorse. Tears soaked the fur on his cheeks.


    ¡°DAMN IT!¡± He howled loud enough that he thought it might chill the blood of the nearest town¡¯s occupants.


    Whatever had halted her descent must have stopped as Mistral felt herself slip into the void again.


    Regardless, she was beyond caring at this point. The only option she felt she had was to lose herself in herself. A meditation so deep that even Black Angel couldn¡¯t reach her. The villain could do as she wished with her body, but her mind would be safe.


    If Great Manitou would not answer her prayers, she would take her life in her own hands.


    But here in this meditative state, Mistral had also distanced herself from her ego. The thick swirling tar pit around her actually became a sort of mirror, a place for her to reflect on her thoughts more clearly.


    You can¡¯t do what needs be done unless you rise beyond yourself. Pray to me no further. Your deliverance depends solely on yourself alone... But I will offer you this truth: there¡¯s yet a glimmer of hope.


    Mistral replayed Great Manitou¡¯s last messages one by one, softly playing them in her mind.


    Your DAMNED PRIDE!


    Blinking, so to speak, Mistral was taken aback. Great Manitou hadn¡¯t said that¡ª


    She has violated your corporeal body, Daughter. She has trod upon your pride. Leave these things behind.


    No, her god had said that in the end.


    Leave these things behind.


    ¡°But who are we without pride?¡± Mistral asked herself philosophically. ¡°Who am I without my sense of self? Why is it a problem to have some damned self-confidence? WHY?!¡±


    THAT STUPID MOTE OF GOO¡ªTHAT YOU THOU¡ª¡ªSTED! YOU¡¯VE ENDU¡ªIS FOR NOTHIN¡ª¡ªYOU¡¯D JUST FUCKING LISTENE¡ª¡ªSTUPID!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    ¡°¡®Stupid¡¯... That¡¯s more something Garou would say than Mother.¡± Mistral softly laughed. ¡°Now I torture myself with the voice of my oldest friend. He can¡¯t find me wherever she¡¯s squirreled me away. It¡¯s impossible to hope for after it¡¯s been so long.¡±


    THAT STUPID MOTE OF GOODNESS THAT YOU THOUGHT EXISTED!


    Leave these things behind.


    There¡¯s yet a glimmer of hope.


    Mistral took a deep breath and sobbed. Where was this hope supposed to be found? Where was the hope for her deliverance?


    She desperately reached deeply within herself, fumbling for something¡ªANYTHING! ¡ªFor some nonexistent hope.


    Of course, she knew she was mistaken to start with. No one who had violated her so much, no one like her could have even a mote of goodness inside her!


    Floating in the whirlpool of darkness, right in the eye of this storm of inky darkness, she looked into the deepest abyss that she¡¯d cast herself into.


    ¡°Where is this? Is this darkness swirling around me¡ªIs it mine, or hers? I thought it was my own despair¡ªsome darkness that¡¯s roosted inside me; consuming, and yet¡ªsomehow¡­ Wait¡ª! She wouldn¡¯t show me this.¡±


    And there it lay.


    Just as she dismissed and rejected the possibility, she beheld a twinkling light, like a star seen from a distance, that was almost too far to see with the naked eye. As she gazed into it, it grew in brilliance, twinkling, perhaps calling out to her.


    Was this the ray of hope that Great Manitou had spoken of?


    Feeling as though she once again couldn¡¯t dive any deeper without tearing herself apart, Mistral forced herself closer. The moment she¡¯d been able to see the glimmering, she¡¯d come as far as she was able without actively trying to get wherever she was now. All she¡¯d done was floating, sinking deeply into this mire.


    Swimming through the morass of corruption, she considered what it meant and used all her being to reach the pin-prick of illumination. She struggled, fought and tried so hard because if she couldn¡¯t reach it now, nothing else would matter.


    As she plunged deeper and closer to it, the star grew. The twinkling white light gradually turned red and increased in size. As she drew close enough to be on top of it, that weak pinpoint of light exploded to the size of a red giant star. Now everywhere she saw appeared to be a straight wall up and down, left and right with no indication of any curvature amid the dim light it shed. And it was indeed a wall she was facing¡ªof some sort.


    Mistral thrust forward, desperately mustering her essence to fashion it like a spear to pry at the wall, scrabbling to find the merest hint of an opening.


    It took everything she had to push herself through the smallest cranny she could create and, after she¡¯d finished, she free-floated.


    She was truly wrung out, but now was near to her goal, one way or another. However, before she could finally get to whatever it was, she passed out.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    But then hands grabbed Mistral, flooding her with energy. The sudden jolt shocked the heroine out of her torpor and she found she floated in a deeper level of all this darkness.


    Mistral screamed. It was a trap! There was no relief here for her! She thrashed and almost sunk even further.


    ¡°Nooooooooooooooo!¡± She¡¯d been revived against her will, returned to her existence as a mere toy.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­ I¡¯ve hurt you so much, Mistral¡ªin unspeakable ways. I can¡¯t take any of it back¡ªno matter what I do¡ªthere¡¯s simply no way.¡±


    As if out of nowhere, a soft voice sobbed with Mistral.


    ¡°At least I could keep myself from finishing it.¡±


    Mistral gaped, not seeing anything, not feeling anything except the surrounding arms. She was otherwise totally numb.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡ªfor everything I¡¯ve done to everyone in your world¡­ But I must ask you a favor. Take some of my strength with you. Seize the Beasts again, take them back¡ªand then please strike me down. I can¡¯t hold out any longer.¡±


    Mistral gasped as realization dawned on her. ¡°You¡¯re the glimmer of hope!¡±


    "So to speak. But there truly is none. I¡¯ve been lost in all this void for too long. I too was violated in unspeakable ways, but my journey took a different form; one that I can¡¯t speak of now. The time we have to act is short. I will say this, my dark side needs to despoil¡ªsteal the innocence of others as ours was seized. It¡¯s a cycle of destruction that can¡¯t be ended, but she is not the source. These feelings of despair and hopelessness are not wholly your own. They are born of the darkness we now find ourselves steeped in.


    Therefore, I ask you to break your solemn vow and kill me. We¡¯re no common villain like any other you¡¯ve fought. When I am gone, there will be nothing left to keep this disease from spreading out into your world.¡±


    Garou blinked in surprise when Mistral stirred from her deep slumber. Since he¡¯d already used up all the energy left in his flashlight, her reaction was heard more than seen.


    He gaped as his howling turned from notes of despair to those of exultant joy, and he awkwardly embraced her.


    When it sounded like Mistral had fully come around, Garou softly explained what had happened through a sore throat, ¡°I see that you¡¯re still with me, partner. I¡¯d been on her trail since the moment she took you. But with the Beasts¡¯ power in her hands, she¡¯d grown too powerful for me to challenge alone. Only now that she¡¯s left could I find a window to rescue you.¡±


    Mistral¡¯s eyes twitched before her eyes opened up wide. Not that it meant much. She moaned again and grit her teeth. She felt his fuzzy hug, but there wasn¡¯t even enough light to see Garou¡¯s glowing eyes in here.


    Feeling her energy slowly returning to her, she could barely speak. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was such a fool. Not wrong, but still a fool.¡±


    This time, Garou gaped in astonishment. Not that she could see it, but quickly recovered. ¡°Save this kind of fluff for after you¡¯re safe. I¡¯m unable to free you at the moment. But, I vow that I¡¯ll take her life if I can. I will ambush her from the shadows of this hellhole¡¯s absolute darkness¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, not yet, my friend,¡± Mistral said. ¡°We must first wrest the Beasts from her grip. Leave it to me to finish this.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Garou snarled. ¡°If you force me to leave your side again, I¡¯ll turn away from you and never return. Your damned pride always blinds you in the end!¡± He clenched a fist, on the brink of striking Mistral himself, but hesitated.


    ¡°No, this isn¡¯t pride¡­ I have none left.¡± Mistral said, and her tone expressed clearly how she felt, more so than her words, ¡°But I have a plan. You¡¯re right as usual, Garou. Just be careful¡ª¡±


    The process of freezing over Vancouver hadn¡¯t been going on for very long yet. Black Angel reached the city only moments ago and most of that time was spent gloating and preparing to unleash her new powers.


    However, before she could fully let loose the hellish storm she¡¯d been brewing, Black Angel felt her very soul tear. Whatever it was, didn¡¯t last long as the tension quickly eased, but something was WRONG.


    With a venomous hiss, the villain¡¯s eyes widened when she realized she couldn¡¯t fully sense what was going on.


    Mistress! The Beasts hissed in unison. We have heard an unfamiliar voice! It says, ¡®Please kill me!¡¯ Hahaha! Their voices spoke in a chorus as they raucously laughed.


    Black Angel froze, and she gritted her teeth. ¡°What kind of drivel are you spouting now?!¡±


    ¡®PLEASE KILL ME!¡¯ ¡®PLEASE KILL ME!¡¯ Hahaha! They replied again in unison, unable to stop their laughter.


    ¡°That can be arranged, idiots. Even having the use of your powers isn¡¯t worth this annoyance¡ªand yet¡ª¡± Black Angel scowled, looking back towards her stronghold, far to the southeast.


    ¡°An unfamiliar voice, they say. Or perhaps an old one. One that¡¯s not been heard in a while¡­ You three will remain silent. Lest I bind you to some mind-broken puppet. Yes, let them deal with your nonsense. But first, I think I¡¯ll need to cut things short here. Something tells me my dearest Mistral hasn¡¯t fallen as much as I¡¯d hoped..¡±


    The ambient temperatures lowered to the freezing point on a boiling day during summer, but these two cities were just spared a slow and sure death.


    Cloaking herself in her darkness aura, Black Angel rocketed south along the coastline, going as fast as possible, using the thermals coming off the ocean to gain greater speed. In no time, she was passing another pair of large and yet truly insignificant cities. As she zoomed over the dirtier of the two, there was a peculiar sensation that reached out for the briefest instant; a disembodied presence.


    With a frown, she pressed on. Probably another stupid human playing with mystical toys, but there was something¡ªenticing about that presence.


    She cleared the other side of the bay when she felt that same fumbling again for a moment, but then again, nothing.


    A powerful aura¡ªperhaps this one could host us, Mistress¡­ Rosshossho suggested.


    ¡°Zip it, spiritling,¡± Black Angel hissed. ¡°¡ªthough I was not fully serious before, this presence intrigues me. A delectable flavor that calls to me¡­ Something to keep in mind for later perhaps, but I mustn¡¯t dawdle. It¡¯s time to take a shortcut.¡±


    With that, Black Angel opened a singularity in front of her and plunged into it with an explosion of darkness that dissipated it.


    As she¡¯d set it up, the singularity deposited Black Angel a few short minutes¡¯ flight time away from her secret base. This gave the dark villainess a few moments to reflect.


    If the point-to-point spell had a shorter cooldown or wasn¡¯t so staggeringly inefficient once the distances exceeded a few hundred miles, Black Angel would have preferred to use it as her primary form of travel. But, sadly, those restrictions existed and were only stricter under the wretched light of that accursed ball of hot gas sitting smugly in the sky.


    It was nothing short of soothing to sit in complete darkness as she made her plans to wreak casual havoc in the world. Light itself seemed to interfere with her thought-processes¡ªvery, very slightly¡ªbut in the darkness, or most any solar effect thanks to the ores in the surrounding deposits, there was pure and complete clarity.


    Even though this world was full of light half the time, there were still deep pools of darkness to spelunk in. In exploring these, perhaps a way to destroy all who stood in her path would present itself. Other members of the Sentinels could prove to be annoying, but nothing like Vanguard. He drove her mad with frustration. Just the very idea of his existence was offensive, so she carefully avoided him for now.


    Black Angel barked a laugh. Mistral was one of the most powerful ¡®metas¡¯ this pitiful planet offered; aside from her, these so-called awakened humans were barely worth mentioning. The Weather Witch was certainly the most suitable to be her nemesis. WAS!


    Vanguard, by comparison, was boring. Not an ounce of magic in him to whet her skills against, not to mention that he was so inconveniently damn fast and strong. Combined with his insufferable do-goodery attitude, and he was practically lab-grown to annoy her.


    Arriving at the base, Black Angel burst through the entrance of the cavern that was her lair. Her eyes narrowed as she walked down the corridors to the room that held Mistral.


    Nothing seemed amiss so far¡­ Which spoke to something being amiss, as she was never wrong.


    Except for the lamps she used when toying with Mistral, she left all light behind her as she finally unsealed the room that imprisoned her former foe.


    And there said foe hung just as she should. Again, just as though nothing was amiss.


    She looked carefully at Mistral, seeing that she had somehow managed to find some peaceful sleep. How can she even sleep after all we¡¯ve gone through? She mocks me, even now.


    Speaking of which, perhaps toying with Mistral some more was in order. Black Angel would have her insights regarding the invasion she¡¯d felt¡ªand perhaps have a bit of fun to relieve some tension.


    The black-winged tormentor¡¯s eyes narrowed and licked her lips again. Yes, she would ask about that invasion in a moment, but first, a bit of release would do wonders to start¡ªTogether, they could explore whatever delightful ideas struck as they went along.


    Stepping gracefully over to Mistral, she tilted Mistral¡¯s head up to wake her with a painful, soul-sucking kiss before beginning the session of grueling punishment she had in mind. She leaned down, her eyes open, and Mistral opened hers, flooded with some kind of light!


    When the weather witch opened her eyes, light flooded out, tearing at Black Angel¡¯s essence, holding her in place. She shrieked loudly. ¡°Impossible!¡± She screamed, holding her hands to her face to cover it. ¡°DAMN IT! What are you doing? HOW?!¡±


    ¡°You borrowed my power¡ªhave a taste of your own lost power, bitch!¡± Mistral hissed as she burst free from the spell-bound stocks that held her.


    Mistral had felt her the moment Black Angel returned. It was as though the feeble connection that her actions had forged between them had strengthened as the distance between them shrank. Energies within her surged through her body now that the villain was in range.


    The power she¡¯d somehow gained from Black Angel had broken the spell on her restraints. The chamber flooded with the light that emanated from her eyes, pinning the villain in place. She couldn¡¯t see Black Angel¡¯s expression through the emanation, barely anything else really, but as she walked towards her silhouette, Mistral suspected that her stunned former tormentor likely beheld her own doom.


    Black Angel turned to flee as Mistral shambled across the floor to her. Despite being wobbly from being bound and tortured for so long, and even looking so weak, the villain still fled.


    She shrieked and turned to escape, but at that moment, a pair of powerful arms wrapped around Black Angel in a crushing embrace. She cried out when she felt pain sharp as the teeth that sunk into her neck.


    With a gasp, she reached up and hammered on Garou¡¯s head as she thrashed. ¡°YOUR FUCKING DOG!? YOU DARE SNAP AT YOUR BETTERS! I WILL KILL YOU!¡±


    As suddenly as the bite came, a wave of fatigue and weakness washed over Black Angel. She crumpled to the floor in a heap, with Garou still locked onto her. Mistral, meanwhile, knelt down next to the two even as Black Angel continued to struggle.


    ¡°No¡ªnot today¡ªthere¡¯s something you have that I need and I cannot hold on to this light for too much longer. The exchange should pay you back in spades for what you¡¯ve done to me though, so prepare yourself!¡±


    In a spiritual sense, Mistral reached down deep into Black Angel, just the way she had and wrenched the Beasts from her. They kicked and screamed the same ways her enemy was. Mistral¡¯s eyes went cold and merciless as she wrung them free from their dark sanctuary and pulled them inexorably back to where they belonged.


    Once she had drawn the Three into their old bindings, she returned Black Angel¡¯s forgotten light to her, a light that seared her to her soul; an inescapable inferno of light.


    It did not take long for the transfer to complete, but the task left Mistral exhausted like she¡¯d never been before. Slumping over, the world shrank around her as she allowed her consciousness to drift away.


    She had no energy left to even stay awake, much less to do anything else. She would need to recover for a few moments before she could do what she now possessed the strength and self-assuredness to do.


    Once she was able, she would keep her solemn promise.


    While Mistral slept to recover, Garou stood wearily above Black Angel. Blinded by the darkness, the wolf-man didn¡¯t witness the moment the villain regained consciousness.


    Her body tremored as it tried to fight off the flood of the wolf-man¡¯s trademark paralyzing venom. Said paralyzing agent was a part of his saliva, which was why he always sunk his teeth into his prey, not because of any animalistic ferocity.


    Black Angel suppressed the writhing of her muscles, remaining still as possible since Garou would sense any movement regardless of his ability to see.


    Carefully, she peeked at Mistral¡¯s slumped form and then at Garou¡¯s shaggy outline. Something was wrong. Black Angel normally needed no light to see here. In fact, the dose of light that Mistral had unleashed on her had somehow damaged her shadow-sense.


    Despite being unable to see a thing in her lair, the dark one¡¯s foolish toy had remained to get a wink of sleep. Garou¡¯s thinking she was in hand was very much a mistaken assumption as well.


    These twos¡¯ continual naivety would again work in her favor, representing the villain¡¯s narrow chance of escape.


    To still not fully have her guard up against me... Could it be that she loves me? Does she feel such sentimentality towards our home?


    Black Angel mirthlessly and inwardly chuckled. That light had disrupted her soul and power such that she knew it would be necessary to take time to recover. Having had her system flooded with such brightness left her body seared from head to toes.


    Yet, she still had enough in her to pull a last trick they couldn¡¯t counter, thanks to Garou¡¯s overuse of his venom. Her spasms had nothing to do with his ability since she¡¯d already started building up a slight resistance to it.


    No, she would not go to prison this time. They would surely lock her in some room specially made to contain her, a cell filled with a highly annoying ambient light that disrupted her thinking and powers would be obvious even to these simpletons. She played her last card by crooning to the surrounding darkness.


    Unseen by either of the two heroes, the shadows thickened around Black Angel, whipping around her prone form, orbiting her. Moments later, a singularity opened that would swallow up Black Angel, taking her elsewhere in a wink while leaving a special little after-effect behind.


    In the spell¡¯s aftermath, the force of a void-fueled implosion viciously slammed Garou into the floor where Black Angel previously lay. Mistral was also pulled across the floor, but was already out cold.


    This battle of light versus darkness came to a close, with the two heroes unconscious in a heap.

 Transitioning

    Transitioning


    Leona bit her lip almost hard enough to draw blood. The pain was a needed distraction to prevent the release of a distressed whimper.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, I promise. Be brave my girl.¡± Goonie hugged the girl, who was currently forcing her lips to spread in order to show a smile.


    At that very moment, the nurse drove the needle directly into Leona¡¯s right elbow pit. She yelped aloud, and the nurse offered a smile of reassurance while Quinn smirked.


    ¡°Geez¡ªshe hadn¡¯t even poked you yet, and you started carrying on like she ran you through with a sword,¡± Leona¡¯s cousin chortled.


    With a roll of her eyes and an exasperated sigh, Goonie fixed her eyes on Quinn. ¡°Hush, you¡­ Though, come to think of it, we¡¯re a little behind with your vaccines.¡± She tapped her own lips thoughtfully.


    Quinn¡¯s eyes narrowed, and the nurse continued to smile as she applied a gauze ball to Leona¡¯s puncture and tapped it firmly. She looked up at Goonie and then turned her eyes on Quinn with a smirk, saying offhandedly, ¡°Actually, I heard there was a cancellation today. I think we could squeeze in a quick vaccination for your oldest daughter.¡±


    The clever-mouthed sibling¡¯s grin faltered as she dashed for the door on the double.


    ¡°Mistral, the Weather Witch of the Great White North, has returned after disappearing for nearly half a year,¡± a newscaster announced. ¡°She¡¯s graciously agreed to give us an interview now. Let¡¯s switch over to Joe Christensen and see if she¡¯s willing to shed light on her recent experiences in the clutches of her nemesis, the Black Angel.¡±


    Today, Leona sat alone, watching the news on their family television set, gaping in shock. They¡¯d announced that Mistral had finally returned, and that there was an upcoming interview. Leona was relieved to hear that her favorite superhero was still in action.


    A tear leaked from the corner of her eye even before a strangely distant-eyed Mistral opened, ¡°My nemesis held me against my will. I won¡¯t speak of what she did to me, but I will say that I will never again let her best me, let alone underestimating her. I wanted to speak out today to make it known that the search for this heinous villain is ongoing and I beseech anyone, anyone, who has information about her to come forward as quickly as possible. Too long has this evil roamed free and while it may take time, I will put an end to the threat she represents to this planet before it¡¯s too late.¡±


    ¡°Very resolute and powerful words,¡± the camera switched to the face of the reporter who was speaking, Joe, ¡°Are you certain that you can tell us nothing further after setting up this interview?¡±


    ¡°There is something else.¡± Mistral said with an uncharacteristic coldness. ¡°I cannot overstate her cruelty and manipulativeness. She¡¯s unpredictable in many aspects, but absolutely dependable in at least one regard. Namely, she always finds a way back, no matter what happens to her. I merely say that this endless cycle must end once and for all.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying what I think you just did? Are you saying that you intend to kill this S-ranked supervillain? That clearly goes against the policy of The Society of Sentinels.¡±


    ¡°That need not be the way it ends, per se. But I will no longer stay my hand if needs must¡ª¡± Mistral said firmly. ¡°And I¡¯ll do what I must in order to protect this world. The Great Manitou says to¡ªhmmm¡ª¡± Mistral shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s enough for now. I¡¯ve said all I wished to.¡±


    ¡°How did it feel to be at the mercy of your enemy?¡± Joe asked, pressing beyond the boundaries Mistral had set.


    ¡°You speak of ¡®mercy¡¯?!¡± Mistral snapped, her eyes narrowing. ¡°¡ªI don¡¯t wish to speak about how I feel. I¡¯ve obviously been affected and will speak with those that I think can best help me, but I have nothing to say publicly at this time. Perhaps in the future, but not now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for taking the time. We all grieve with you and for your losses, Mistral. I believe our viewers can agree when I say that we believe in you and if you feel like sharing, our ears are ope¡ª¡± Joe wasn¡¯t fully able to finish his platitude before Mistral turned her back on the camera and took off, her cape fluttering.


    ¡°Ahem¡ª¡ªthis has been News 9, Joe Christensen. Thanks again, Mistral for your time.¡± The feed turned off and the main anchor took over and Leona muted the television, frowning. What had happened to her? Her hero was so changed.


    Leona ran upstairs and got on her computer to browse the forums. She read all the speculations and theories that started floating around. The scenarios and explanations offered were mostly very bleak.


    Several months later, with all the boring paperwork dealt with and the mildly more exciting but still very scary doctor appointment taken care of, not that it would be the only time she¡¯d have to go, Leona stood in the yard of her happy family¡¯s small lawn wearing a skirt, girl¡¯s sneakers, a camisole and a sports bra.


    Today was a very special day for her, since she finally and publically dressed in a way that felt best for her. In order to help Leona maintain the appearance of a young lady, her Goonie bought her something called a gaff. It felt really strange to wear, but was really nice when a soft pair of panties nestled over it, forming a smooth mound.


    While Leona was adjusting her new clothes, she blushed about walking around like this. Quinn snuck up from behind, ruining her efforts by grabbing the unsuspecting Leona¡¯s chest, startling her.


    Leona admitted a startled yelp. ¡°Yaiiiiiii!¡±


    With a nervous look over her shoulder, Leona found it was Quinn who¡¯d grabbed her and discovered that she¡¯d yet again changed her hair color; this time a bright blue.


    Quinn had turned sixteen a month ago, but¡ª


    ¡°You¡¯re keeping us waiting, Leona! C¡¯mon! Mama¡¯s finished the cake! It¡¯s a lemon cake¡ªooops¡­ I shouldn''t have said that¡ªpretend I said nothing, okay? I¡¯ll tickle you to death if you blab!¡± Quinn was whispering by this time.


    Leona bobbed her head in acquiescence quickly and almost drooled at the thought. Lemon cake! It was going to be so delicious! She bounced, but the moment she hopped up and landed, she winced. The small buds forming on her chest were aching. ¡°Nngh. I promise¡ªlet¡¯s go eat!¡± She eyed Quinn, tilting her head. Even though her sister was sixteen, Quinn didn¡¯t look too different from how she had before the big day came and went.


    Do I look very different yet now that it¡¯s my turn? I¡¯m twelve today, but I don¡¯t feel different even though I¡¯m wearing cute clothes¡ªand just changing clothes won¡¯t make my thingie disappear¡­ Leona was feeling a little gloomy when she compared herself against her sis.


    ¡°What¡¯re you staring at?!¡± Quinn batted her eyes innocuously and covered herself.


    Blinking, Leona laughed. ¡°Sorry¡­ I just thought you don¡¯t really look sixteen¡ª¡±


    Quinn glared and gently booped Leona upside her head. ¡°Of course I¡¯ve changed, silly! It¡¯s a magical age! I¡¯m just two years away from full adulthood!¡± She preened.


    Leona thought about that. ¡°Um¡ªbut you still can¡¯t drink though.¡±


    Her sister scowled at her little sister. ¡°In the US, sure, but I¡¯m not all that impatient. What matters most is that same great nation of ours says I can drive! Mama¡¯s gonna take me to the DMV soon so I can get my learner¡¯s permit!¡±


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Leona gaped. ¡°No way¡ªyou behind the wheel? Eeeeep!¡± She backed away dramatically.


    ¡°HEY! I¡¯m your benevolent, wonderful, super-ultra-turbo-cool big sister! Have more faith in my boundless abilities or I won¡¯t play dubstep for you tonight, and no, it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s your birthday or not, you rotten spoiled brat!¡± Quinn jumped on Leona and dragged her down into the sweet smelling grass.


    Out of nowhere, a bumblebee came loose from the grass and buzzed past as the pair tussled and Quinn giggled the whole time.


    Leona wasn¡¯t having too much fun as she winced and squirmed, since every jolt was like torture.


    ¡°Ouch! You hurt my boobs!¡± Leona admitted when Quinn ¡®accidentally¡¯ rubbed up against her growing breasts. Leona blushed, protecting her sensitive chest from her sister.


    ¡°Awwww¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I forgot all about that. I know it can be a pain¡ªbut it¡¯s what you want, isn¡¯t it?¡± Quinn asked and smiled down at her sister from her perch on top of Leona.


    Without having to even consider the question, Leona nodded affirmatively. ¡°YES! I do! I love them! But are they ever going to get bigger than this?¡± Worry was clear in the younger sibling¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Hmmm... I read up about this so you can rely on your big sister.¡± Quinn poked her own chest. ¡°I¡¯m already a C cup¡­ I think if I keep working at it I could become¡ªno¡ªthat¡¯d be terrible¡ªmaybe I should keep them smaller¡ª¡±


    Leona waited expectantly. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question.¡± She pouted.


    ¡°Oh¡ª¡± Quinn flushed. ¡°Um¡ªyour birth mama, my aunt, had a fabulous set of boobs, and Mama¡¯s, Goonie¡¯s, aren¡¯t bad either¡ªso I mean¡ªyou can expect at least that much, don¡¯t you think? It¡¯s genetic! And I read that if you start before puberty does much, you develop like you should¡ªso you should be just fine.¡± She shrugged and smiled.


    ¡°Wow! You care so much about me, you''ve gone ahead and read about what I¡¯m going through?¡± Leona was both stunned and touched at how much effort her book-allergic sister had put in for her. They both flushed in embarrassment, Leona embarrassed about how little she knew in comparison and Quinn for having admitted taking the time.


    Leona decided she would investigate things herself more so that she wouldn¡¯t have to rely on her sister and Goonie for every detail for the rest of her life.


    Since turning twelve, Leona was already facing the fact that her sister would leave the house long before she did¡ªand then where would Leona be?


    Quinn smiled warmly at Leona and ran her fingers through the girl¡¯s now shoulder length hair. ¡°You look good like this and you¡¯re getting prettier already. I know you¡¯re worried about it, but you shouldn¡¯t be. You already look more like a girl than a boy. Heck, you look more like a girl than I do half the time.¡±


    Clapping her hands to her cheeks, Leona gasped and smiled happily, although the compliment embarrassed her.


    She could only fidget after her embarrassment faded, wondering if Quinn was just flattering her.


    Quinn broke Leona¡¯s twitching by grinning and saying, ¡°We should go to the beach or something, sometime soon. You should show all that off a little!¡± She gestured at her little sister¡¯s body, stopping short of physically poking her again.


    Leona¡¯s embarrassment quickly deepened into something approaching mortification and her eyes widened at the suggestion. The thought of going out into public in something like a swimsuit was overwhelming, particularly if it was a bikini. That idea was way, way, way too much and too soon, wasn¡¯t it?


    On queue, Goonie popped out from the house with her appearance heralded by the fragrance of a lemony cake that wafted from inside their home and she laughed before saying, ¡°Playing nicely together, I see. If you wrastle so much there, you¡¯ll stain your new outfit, Leona. Come inside! Though I can already see you¡¯re already thinking about getting out there and turning some heads, hmm?¡±


    Leona exaggeratedly thought about it and nervously smiled. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Her children''s breaths caught when they thought Goonie might veto the idea, but she was nothing but supportive, ¡°I think we¡¯re going to have a week of boot camp before you make your public debut. There¡¯s more you need to know about social matters. Like what to do if a boy hits on you, or if a creepy adult approaches you.¡±


    Goonie waggled a finger. ¡°You¡¯ll need to learn about makeup and¡ªwell¡ªeverything else, really. Basically, we¡¯ll have you graduate from Goonie''s Gorgeous Girls¡¯ Finishing School first.¡±


    ¡°I wanna take Leona to a rave too¡ª¡± Quinn said and giggled while Leona grinned excitedly.


    When Goonie¡¯s expression became troubled, Quinn amended what she said, ¡°Y¡¯know¡ª¡ªa safe one.¡± Leona¡¯s sister had gotten more and more into the musical scene in the past few years. She was diving deeper, and it had become her dream to enter a college that had a speciality in the musical arts.


    ¡°That¡¯s far too much!¡± Goonie exclaimed, ¡°I¡¯m not sure my heart could handle you taking Leona out on another of your crackpot adventures, Quinn. We¡¯ll go to the park, the movies, do some shopping¡­ and that¡¯s all you¡¯ll be doing.¡± Her eyes fastened sternly on a glaring and pouting Quinn.


    Wanting to get a concession from their mother, Quinn pressed on, ¡°At least we¡¯re gonna get some henna tattoos! They look so beautiful and interesting!¡±


    Hearing the word ¡®tattoo¡¯ nearly gave Goonie the aforementioned heart attack.


    Leona stared at the selection of purses available in the store Goonie had taken them to. She thought about how girls were supposed to keep a bag with them whenever they left their homes.


    Even though a girl was expected to have a stylish handbag, Leona wasn¡¯t sure how into them she was. She skimmed back and forth along the aisle, seeing pieces that ran the gamut from little handbags to large purses that seemed oversized to her. There were also some made for little girls like her that had popular dolls and Nisdey Princesses embroidered or decaled on them.


    Leona wasn¡¯t too sure about the branding, but the designs and colors of these were somewhat appealing to her.


    Tilting her head, Leona stared at the selection. There were some that were cute and she thought that maybe if she had one, she''d look more feminine.


    Quinn, in typical over-dramatic fashion, siddled over to Leona before literally facepalming. ¡°Are you really interested in having a purse? That¡¯s like¡ª¡ªsuper girly¡ª¡± Quinn¡¯s lips twisted. ¡°I can understand why you want to be as feminine as possible, but¡ªthey¡¯re really bulky. I tried carrying one around a few years ago and I got sick of it reeeeal quick. What I want to keep with me, I can just keep in my pockets, so what¡¯s the point?¡±


    Goonie chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s you, Quinn, my darling tomboy. Your sister is transgender. It¡¯s common for girls like Leona to experience a strong dysphoria.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s ¡®dysphoria¡¯ mean?¡± Quinn asked and Leona looked away from the Princess Oolong handbag she was most attracted to of all the ones she¡¯s seen. Why were there no Mistral-theme purses? If this store had one, she¡¯d have pounced on it in a heartbeat, whether she had much to put in it.


    With a wry smile, Goonie responded to Quinn¡¯s question and looked into Leona¡¯s own questioning eyes, ¡°It''s dissatisfaction with life and anxiety. Everyone faces dysphoria throughout their lives, so it¡¯s not like it¡¯s a thing that only transgender people can understand. In order to ease these feelings, people buy things or work towards goals to keep their minds off their situation.¡±


    Quinn¡¯s mouth crinkled. ¡°I''m pretty happy as is though.¡± She grinned.


    Leona nodded with a smile for her sister and barked a laugh. ¡°I am too. I mean, I felt like something was wrong¡ªthe thing¡ªum¡ª¡± she lowered her voice, ¡°between my legs. Isn¡¯t right¡ªbut¡ªum¡­ I¡¯m pretty happy, anyhow!¡± Leona exclaimed the last few words loudly. ¡°I am happier now that I¡¯m changing, but like¡ª¡± Her eyes turned back to the purses, and she giggled. ¡°I don¡¯t think these will make me feel any happier than I am now.¡±


    ¡°Well¡ªwhen you go to school, if you make friends with other girls, they¡¯ll talk about girl things. You don¡¯t have to be the most fashionable girl in the world to hold your own, but I recommend avoiding any conversations about menstruation.¡±


    Quinn blushed and giggled while Leona looked at Goonie with a wondering expression.


    ¡°Oh¡ªoh my... ¡° Goonie coughed and Quinn¡¯s laughter became wild.


    Sporting a new hairband Leona had selected with the light jacket Goonie bought her, Leona walked with Goonie and Quinn through the large wilderness park smack dab in the center of San Isidro.


    Many pathways, bike trails, a few paved roads, hiking trails laced throughout it, many of which leading to special and private nooks that weren¡¯t always safe given the high level of crime in the city. This would be Leona¡¯s first time really going out in public since transitioning and she couldn¡¯t be more nervous as they made their way to a veranda alongside a small lake or pond nearby through crowds of bikers and other pedestrians.


    ¡°If there isn¡¯t any space on the veranda, we could try the gazebo across the way,¡± Goonie said.


    When eyes seemed to fall on Leona, she blushed and fidgeted. Noticing her sibling¡¯s squirming, Quinn commented, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I am¡ªit¡¯s just a little¡ª¡ªembarrassing.¡± Leona looked down.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get over that awkwardness soon enough.¡± Goonie smiled and reached over to pat Leona¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°You think so?¡± Leona asked softly. ¡°They¡¯re¡ªthey¡¯re looking at me¡ª¡± There was a feeling deep inside Leona that cried for relief. To turn and run away from all the eyes on her.


    Quinn chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s just your imagination. No one¡¯s staring at you or anything. You¡¯re just another cute tomboy. Don¡¯t worry so much.¡±


    ¡°Very right, my girl. It¡¯s paranoia¡ª¡± Goonie stopped walking and leaned to Leona¡¯s ear. ¡°You think it should be obvious, but the truth is few care and even fewer look too closely.¡±


    ¡°There was a baby looking over its mother¡¯s shoulder right at me.¡± Leona chewed her lip.


    ¡°Really? Infants are very curious about the world. You may think a baby knows what¡¯s what, but it doesn¡¯t. It looked at you because he or she thought you were interesting. Don¡¯t be silly.¡± Goonie chided Leona.


    Leona thought about that and nodded, taking a deep breath. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m messing this up.¡± With a straightening of her spine, Leona put on a smile. ¡°I can do this.¡±


    ¡°You can!¡± Goonie took Leona¡¯s hands and squeezed them. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve shaken off your anxiety, how does it feel?¡± She winked.


    Leona¡¯s tentative smile bloomed and covered her face. ¡°Pretty good. It¡¯s a beautiful day, and it¡¯s so sunny out!¡±


    Squirming out from Goonie¡¯s gentle hold on her hands, Leona charged ahead up to the veranda and her eyes fell on a lovely spot that had just been vacated by a couple who were snuggling. She vaulted over the bench to plop onto it, gazing out at the sunlit, sparkling lake where swans and ducks paddled across its surface.

 Three Years Later

    Three Years Later


    Following a discussion with her Goonie and Quinn after starting her transition, Leona tried to stand by her choice to finish her middle school years at home while her development progressed enough to where no one would question her apparent gender, but they dissuaded her. The elder Ramses¡¯ women encouraged her to see how her current friends would actually react before assuming the worst.


    She preferred to not live out in the open, bearing a banner for all transgender children. What Leona craved most was some normalcy¡ªat least as much as was possible. She wanted to be seen as a normal girl, nothing more, nothing less, and yet she agreed to face the music.


    Having attended the same public school since before her father¡¯s downfall, Leona was more than ready to make a change beforehand. Her family had wanted to give Leona a place of continuity, a place removed from the rest of the upheaval and mostly, she was grateful.


    And while her academics took a pretty significant hit at first, thanks to the time-strapped Goonie¡¯s herculean efforts and Quinn¡¯s helping wherever she could, Leona proved herself to be a decent student. She wasn¡¯t anywhere near the top of her class, in fact closer to the top of the middle, but given the challenges Leona had overcome, Goonie said she couldn¡¯t have been more proud of her for her bravery.


    While Leona¡¯s worst fears about living out in the open weren¡¯t fully realized, things didn¡¯t go ideally either. Her school friends at school had been accepting of her transition on the surface, but they didn¡¯t fully seem to understand what it actually meant. They still treated her like the boy she had been before, occasionally asked insensitive questions, teased her about her body from time to time, and so on. So Leona¡¯s decision to make a change firmed.


    Leona knew they were just being ignorant rather than hateful, but it still hurt.


    With all that in mind, Goonie switched Leona over to a completely different school district to complete her middle school grades once she¡¯d made peace.


    Goonie was fairly sure a fresh start was what she needed and that by then Leona was well past most of the risk of her transition exposing her situation. Although everyone knew that the school had made special arrangements for Leona¡¯s sake, such as privacy while changing during gym class, aside from these, there wasn¡¯t really anything for others to be too suspicious about.


    On the social front, her affection and interest towards superheroes continued to shine through and earned Leona a few new friends among the fringe groups of her new school. She found that talking about superheroes and villains wasn¡¯t on the popular kids¡¯ agenda, so she had to go to other nerds and fans to vent about the latest news.


    None of this surprised or upset Leona though. When the news covered the meta-gifted almost 24/7, they became as commonplace as the weather reports. It took something different to interest many of these people, so Leona ended up talking with like-minded kids about Mistral, Vanguard or the Midnight Avenger for hours on end.


    Leona continued to read a lot of comics and posted on forums online discussing rumors about her most favorite heroes, but it was parkour instead that took up a good chunk of her energy these days.


    Much like Quinn, Leona was a fairly active person who loved to try new and interesting activities. She tried out all the sports like her cousin had and found that she enjoyed running a lot, but not enough to do it competitively. She was looking for a little more than just going running around the loop or simply hopping over hurdles.


    She¡¯d gotten into parkour because it seemed like a lot of fun and there happened to be plenty of others in the old city who were interested and Quinn knew some people who were into the sport.


    It involved plenty of running, which Leona already liked, but was way more ¡®3D.¡¯ With all the old city buildings San Isidro had on offer, there was always some new place to try out and endless other routes still to discover. She was even pretty good at it after a great deal of practicing.


    Some of her new friends poked fun at her, saying that maybe she¡¯d become a non-powered hero some day.


    Leona stared at the opening in an aqueduct''s side where water emptied into it, just wide enough to make for a challenging run and jump.


    Devin watched the anxious girl with a small smile. ¡°It¡¯s just a small leap. Don¡¯t think about what¡¯s below. When you think about it, after the running and hurdles we¡¯ve had you clear, is this really that big of a deal?¡± He chuckled at her briefly before bursting into action himself, his sneakers slapping the pavement. ¡°Cut loose and move smoothly. No hesitation!¡±


    Leona watched Devin half twist and flip over the gap to face Leona on the other side. Her jaw dropped.


    ¡°Hahaha¡ªdon¡¯t worry about flourishes until you¡¯re more confident,¡± her athletic mentor said.


    ¡°Yeah. Just don¡¯t look down. Anyway, even if you fall, we¡¯ve got you covered,¡± Diana added as she arched her back, stretching.


    Leona swallowed some saliva and shook her head, tempted to back out. This gap was just within her jumping range, but if she made a mistake, she¡¯d slam into the wall and end up soaked.


    ¡°You¡¯re chained down, girl. You can¡¯t grow wings, if you¡¯re always worried that you¡¯ll get a booboo,¡± Diana added as she cartwheeled towards the gap, putting Devin¡¯s performance to shame. She shifted her weight flawlessly from wrist to wrist and then to her ankles as she spun, seemingly out of control. Leona winced. She was going too fast.


    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s a bit¡ª¡± Devin exclaimed.


    ¡°Shut the hell up!¡± Diana yelled as she sprang right at the gap. Leona screamed and ran forward. She was sailing right to the edge.


    What¡¯s holding you down? Leona thought about one of Diana¡¯s comments to her, criticizing her timidness considering her interest in the sport of parkour.


    Leona thought it over and chewed her lip as she ran to intercept Diana in time, though she wasn¡¯t sure there was enough time for even Devin to do anything.


    Life¡¯s about gambling sometimes. That¡¯s how we see how glorious life really is. You could get a high with drugs and waste your life, but why not find a better way to get that buzz? Instead, take your body to its limitations and you¡¯ll feel it.


    It was impractical to think that Leona could become a hero. That kind of thing only happened if you were an extremely dedicated person or you hit the jackpot and life dealt you some superpowers through either accident or birth, but despite what her father hoped she could be, that was an impossibility.


    Diana landed right on the lip of the precipice to handspring into a spin that would humble many ice skaters. She landed hard, and a foot landed on the other side with a loud scraping noise. Moments later, she planted her other foot and spun low to break her momentum and looked up at Devin with a challenging grin.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Shit¡ª¡ªwait, Leona!¡± Devin turned his eyes from Diana to Leona, who¡¯d reached the point of no return, but she was instinctively slowing and that would get her hurt. Having seen Diana land made Leona feel foolish for thinking that her life was in danger, but because of that, she was in trouble.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop now! Pour on the speed! Show me that speed you¡¯ve shown us on the track. Use your instincts.¡± Devin eyed the intervening space between them and decided that if need be he¡¯d charge at Leona, grab her midair and take her straight down into the water so she wouldn¡¯t eat the pavement. It would still hurt, but less than otherwise.


    Leona¡¯s heartbeat sped up as she stared ahead. Remembering their words, she focused on the edge and the goal. She reached it within the next beat and planted her foot as carefully as she could and put all her power into that leg, pushing her body into the air. She sailed, albeit without the style, and panache her teachers already had down pat.


    Diana laughed aloud and nodded. ¡°She needed a nudge.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡ªI guess she couldn¡¯t do it on her own,¡± Devin said with an answering grin.


    Leona came down hard and stumbled as she worked to catch her balance. In a blink Devin reached out to snag Leona¡¯s shirt after kicking off to boost his speed in his effort to intercept the floundering Leona. He swung the girl around and broke her momentum, allowing her to skid to a stop.


    ¡°You did good, girl.¡± Diana nodded. ¡°Think you can handle practicing this baby jump now that you¡¯ve got a taste of it?¡± she asked as she joined the other two where they rested.


    Leona laughed softly under her breath. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡ª¡±


    ¡°You flew. You can do it, you know. Once you make that first jump, it all gets easier. Soon enough you¡¯ll be flipping along fences.¡±


    ¡°Oh, jeez!¡± Leona laughed softly. She imagined what it¡¯d be like if she could pull moves like that. Who knew? Maybe she¡¯d get good enough to chase an impossible dream.


    Leona attended East San Isidro Junior High until she graduated.


    ¡®Eastside,¡¯ as it was affectionately known, was sufficiently far enough away from her old elementary school, so there was basically nobody that would know her. For those three years, a few rumors circulated about her because of the special treatment she got, but none of it carried much weight, nor was anything ever proven.


    The special treatment she received for gym class was strange to many, but she found that her life as a girl was happier, particularly since her chest swelled and she¡¯d developed a somewhat delicate figure. She likely would never be cheerleader material in the looks department, but she could be peppy enough to make a good showing for a while.


    As she got older and she grew acclimated to her new self, Leona thought more and more about her father and how she remembered his attitude towards women. Eventually, she began asking some crucial questions to fill in some blanks.


    As the hormones really kicked in, Leona cried more because as she became more emotional, she thought about her actual parents, remembering all the details that Goonie had revealed to her when she was younger, wondering about things she hadn¡¯t been told. Goonie held the grittier details close to her heart for when Leona could handle the whole truth and Quinn, for once, seemed to agree, so she didn¡¯t tell Leona anything more than she already remembered and knew. Leona, in fact, cried more than she had in the first few years, but she was still far happier overall.


    Then, in one particular instance, Quinn barged into her room while Leona was curled up on her bed, crying.


    ¡°Whatcha crying all alone for, squirt?¡± She didn¡¯t mean to, but Quinn was rubbing it in again. Leona didn¡¯t respond and just sobbed.


    Quinn was eighteen now, but it was still amazing how much she had changed. At fifteen Leona had a bit of a growth spurt, but her sister remained a good half a head taller than her. Leona still felt like a fake when compared to Quinn, even though her classmates didn¡¯t openly question her apparent gender. Leona wished so badly to grow taller and become more beautiful.


    ¡°Ah, damn it¡ªcheer up. I have good news. Goonie agreed to let me take you to one of the better raves I regularly go to. She trusts me, finally.¡± Quinn winked.


    ¡°One of your raves?¡± Leona looked at her sister blankly.


    ¡°Yeah¡ªthey¡¯re crazy, loud and a big mess sometimes. What you¡¯re missing in your life right now is a little fun¡ªand you know... I¡¯ll be moving out soon, so we should have some sisterly bonding time while we still can. That¡¯s most of the reason Ma agreed to trust me, fiii-nally. I have some friends to meet, and I¡¯d love to show them my adorable little sister. Pick up the slack and trust me, okay. I promise not to divulge anything too¡ª awkward or embarrassing. You¡¯re my sister and that¡¯s the end of that.¡± Quinn threw her arms around Leona and started tickling her.


    Leona struggled at first, but finally succumbed to laughter. She hadn¡¯t laughed like that in a while. Hearing the truth about her parents had made her grow up quicker than she might have liked, it seemed.


    Totems of her childhood, her beloved hero figures, still stood on a shelf across the room though perpetually standing in the same action poses she¡¯d last used to playact epic powered battles as a small child. Nowadays, she limited herself to murals and displays.


    ¡°So? Let¡¯s do this! You¡¯re more than ready! You''ve got everything you need! And you can even protect yourself in a pinch. So get dressed, girl!¡± Commander Quinn barked.


    Leona hopped to as Quinn moved to stand near the bed on the other side of the room and then opening her closet, she rolled her eyes, snapping with a furious blush, ¡°Hey, get out while I change, idiot!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re sisters!¡± Quinn teased and grinned. ¡°Ain¡¯t nothing I haven¡¯t seen before. Do I have to come over there and help you?¡±


    In response, Leona rushed her efforts to select some clothes from her closet. Quinn laughed and followed with her tickling fingers extended. Leona leapt into the closet, attempting to hide, but paused mid-movement. After a brief reconsideration, she thought of stepping inside, only to be trapped inside by her overly playful older sister¡¯s antics.


    Quinn didn¡¯t stare as Leona stripped, though Leona refused to remove her gaff in front of her sister. Her sibling whistled as she dug through Leona¡¯s clothes and selected the most appropriate pieces for the dance. ¡°These oughta do. Just the right amount of titillation¡­ Have I mentioned you¡¯ve really filled out over the years?¡± Quinn asked rhetorically as she winked at the furiously blushing Leona.


    With a stamp and a pout, Leona turned her back, covering herself to hide from her older sister.


    Leona had since grown to become a high B cup. She thought it was probably the most she could hope for, despite having started very early with her hormone replacement regimen. Regular shots of estrogen had seen her through the awkward years; she didn¡¯t want to think about what would have happened had she not gotten them.


    She could have cut her hair and still passed, but it was probably her insecurity coupled with her liking the longer-haired look that had her keep it long and luxurious. She wasn¡¯t above tying her locks up in a simple ponytail when she was active, such as when she was practicing parkour she¡¯d learned from some of Quinn¡¯s friends.


    Quinn poked her shoulder and held up a tube top and a pair of shorts Leona really liked when running. Next came a pair of intentionally ripped red stockings and a set of fishnet gloves that she¡¯d been gifted but had yet to wear publicly since they seemed a bit much. With that, the makeover started in earnest.


    Once dressed, Quinn dragged Leona to the bathroom where she applied a liberal amount of hair coloring spray. By the end, her little sister¡¯s formerly sandy blonde hair matched her own electric blue. It was always difficult to say they weren¡¯t twins instead of cousins, since they looked so similar. But, while Leona¡¯s new hue would wash out with a shower, Quinn routinely scheduled hair appointments, getting hers properly dyed a color every other month. After Quinn¡¯s spraying had completed, she finished Leona¡¯s makeup with a light couple of layers of facial makeup that complemented Leona¡¯s beautiful blue eyes. She¡¯d even accessorized her little sister with a smattering of baubles like cogs on a leather string, glass and LED beads. The footwear chosen was a dirty pink pair of shoes covered in holes and little anime character patches.


    Quinn held her sister from behind, hugging her tightly. ¡°What do you think? Wild, but we match.¡± She winked at her sister with a satisfied smile. Leona smiled back, flushing prettily. Seeing her face like this made her remember another reason she was crying, but she fought it. Quinn would leave her behind someday; soon enough she¡¯d go south to that Media College of hers¡ªwhile she still had yet to graduate from High School. Even if Quinn messed around a lot, there was no doubt she¡¯d graduate.


    Despite being so devil-may-care most of the time, she was serious where it counted.


    ¡°You¡¯re a real heart-breaker, my dear,¡± Quinn murmured as she beheld her handiwork. ¡°I hope you''re ready for the upcoming onslaught of unwelcome advances. Remember Goonie¡¯s lessons. We might not always be in the same place because I have a set to play, but I¡¯ll definitely find a way to look out for you.¡±


    Leona gulped, her raw nerves plain to see.


    They left the bathroom and met Laguna downstairs, who was patiently waiting with a smile. ¡°You¡¯d best focus on more than your music, Quinn. Always keep an eye out in your sister¡¯s direction. Even if it¡¯s ¡®safe¡¯, you can never be too sure.¡±


    Quinn nodded and Goonie sighed exasperatedly before putting an affectionate hand on each of their shoulders. ¡°Get on with it then! Go have some fun!¡± Her broad grin faintly showed the wrinkles developing in the corners of her mouth. Time comes for us all, eventually.


    A couple hours later, the sisters arrived at their destination: an abandoned grocery store in the Dead End District, the part of San Isidro that Gravitas wrecked ten years ago, and it was still in disrepair to this day.

 Raving Mad

    Raving Mad


    Emotion-laden symphonic rave music was audible by anyone up to a full city block away from the abandoned grocery store that served as this rave¡¯s makeshift auditorium.


    There was a melody that sounded very familiar to Leona that floated in the air, but she wasn¡¯t entirely sure.


    It still differed from things she had heard at certain points, but despite this, she decided that this song was heavily inspired by a piece Leona knew well, at least rhyming with its catchy beat that she knew all too well.


    If she didn¡¯t know any better, Leona would have almost thought it was her sister playing, but when they entered, she instead found some random guy she¡¯d never seen before standing on the temporary main platform working his deck.


    Whatever counted for a production crew here had cordoned off a big square area immediately in front of the platform that formed the designated dance floor. There were about a dozen young men and women swaying to the music. The rhythm was slow and steady, but not at all gentle. The powerful tones were elongated and deep, prompting the dancers to perform more fluid Tai-Chi style sways and sweeps than aggressive jumps or high-tempo head bangs.


    Ambient strobing lasers and other light effects made the moving bodies seem to teleport from one statuesque position to the next in shutter time.


    Impressed by the unexpected ambiance, Leona gaped and turned to Quinn. ¡°Wow¡ªthat guy¡¯s almost as good as you.¡±


    Quinn scoffed, glancing up at the stage. ¡°Pfft, just another pretender to my throne. Ripped off some of my best stuff. Doesn¡¯t take much to hear me in there, right?¡± She chuckled mirthlessly. ¡°Oh well, I can¡¯t afford a real copyright and at least he¡¯s not actively trying to rip me off.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t they say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?¡± Leona asked as Quinn led her to a nearby wall where the two could watch the stage.


    ¡°True enough. Robbie up there¡¯s not a bad guy in the end. His music¡¯s definitely an outlet for something though, it just screams deep-seated emotional issues. They say that music expresses our hearts and souls, and his beats tell me he thinks there¡¯s something missing.¡±


    Leona nodded. ¡°Yeah¡ªI always feel your emotions when you play, sis.¡±


    With a shake of her head, Quinn looked at Leona. ¡°I still got plenty of room to grow too. I¡¯m not trying to knock him too hard. Anyway, you feeling thirsty yet? By the sound of things, we weren¡¯t nearly fashionably late enough. He¡¯s still gonna be up there for a good forty minutes.¡± Quinn started moving away, not waiting for a response. She muttered to herself, just barely audible, ¡°I just hope he figures¡ª¡±


    Leona nodded and smiled at Quinn¡¯s back, waiting right where she was. Her eyes tracked her sister¡¯s sure steps until they took her between the dancers and out of sight.


    Despite having just gotten there, she was already feeling a little lethargic, so Leona slid down the wall and smiled ruefully. Of course, she knew that when they went to a rave, they wouldn¡¯t get to spend the whole time together since her sis was there to play the gig, but that didn¡¯t give her much to do during this unexpected down-time.


    Leona looked forward to when Quinn would get up on the stage, but the elder Ramses¡¯ hobby was taking her sis places that didn¡¯t really have room for her. Leona just didn¡¯t fit in at this kind of scene like Quinn.


    As Leona listened to Robbie¡¯s music, tears filled her eyes. Geez, this was one of the few times besides Quinn¡¯s stuff that music got to her like this. Or maybe it wasn¡¯t just the music¡ª


    *THUMP*


    A loud rumble sent a tremor through the floor and walls.


    Geez, the sound system is really holding up to the music.


    A well-crafted song never failed to fill Leona with awe, but there was something deep and pain-filled about this tune. It went beyond the saddest stuff Quinn played.


    Perhaps how emotive his beats were was why she¡¯d automatically compared the two upon hearing it. Her big sister had mentioned that he had deep-seated problems. Maybe people who were musically sensitive could quickly pick up these vibes.


    Wiping her eyes, Leona looked up and fastened her gaze onto the stage in search of the man responsible for making these beautiful sounds and discovered that his expression was firmly fixed on his deck and his aura shrieked intense focus. There was not an iota of emotion to be found there, but his music was laden with it.


    *THUMP*


    That¡¯s strange¡ª


    This time, the tremor was much more pronounced and wasn¡¯t in time with the music. It was like a heavy impact had happened down the street.


    Though some of the audience had noticed it and started looking around, trying to figure out what that exactly was, Robbie remained utterly immersed in his playing.


    Whatever that had been mustn¡¯t have been anything special because nothing else unusual happened after a couple of minutes¡ª


    In her periphery, Leona saw a disturbance in the crowd of dancers and grinned broadly. That had to be Quinn pushing her way back through the press of undulating bodies with the drink she¡¯d mentioned.


    But this disturbance in the crowd wasn¡¯t heading in her direction. Instead, it was making its way toward the stage.


    It wasn¡¯t until people¡¯s bodies went flying in every direction for no apparent reason. At the same time a keening, despair-filled cry filled the air that drowned out the music; Leona knew that something was very, very wrong.


    ¡°ROBBIE!¡±


    With the bodies of just about every dancer flung out of the designated dance floor, Leona finally got a clear view of what was going on. A single teenage-looking young man, wreathed in crackling red, yellow and white energy, stood in the center of the floor¡ªand, boy, did he look pissed!


    ¡°You liar!¡± The young man, seemingly the same age as Robbie, roared.


    Some kind of force accompanied the roar, a sensation that Leona couldn¡¯t really describe, but she definitely sensed it. It was like every person in the room had been tilted on a 45¡ã incline and was ¡®pulled¡¯ away from the young man.


    If she hadn¡¯t already been so low and near the wall, she would have tumbled back like so many of the surrounding people.


    It was also at that moment the music loops played in the background, fully cut out.


    Quickly picking himself back up, Robbie stared at the newcomer with a wide-eyed expression. ¡°Oh God, Jeff¡ªwhat happened to you?¡±


    ¡°You fucking want to know what happened to me, Rob? YOU HAPPENED TO ME! THIS IS YOUR FAULT!¡±


    It took half a second, but Leona¡¯s brain finally registered what the two were talking about. The young man looked awful. Like, one-foot-in-the-grave,-sick with-every-illness-known-to-man awful. He was gaunt and pale. His eyes were sunken in but remained pronounced thanks to the deep dark circles that ringed his sclera. He only had half his hair, too. Not in the sense that it was a hairstyle, more like handfuls had been falling out.


    Clearly, this guy hadn¡¯t always looked like this. Something terrible must have happened to him. And he clearly blamed Robbie for it.


    The hypochondriac figure crouched and the surrounding energy shifted to mostly red as it rippled across his body, his teeth setting as he snarled.


    ¡°Jeff¡ªcalm down. Please,¡± Robbie pleaded, even as he looked in every direction, seeking escape.


    ¡°No! I¡¯m done listening!¡± Jeff hissed. ¡°I went through hell itself and you still FUCKING DUMPED ME! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THEY DID TO ME?¡± Springing forward, the gaunt young man vaulted himself onto the stage with inhuman velocity.


    Oh, crap¡­ San Isidro had had little meta activity in the last ten years since Gravitas. That was part of why most considered El Aguilla a half-baked hero. There just wasn¡¯t much for him to do. That and he was an arrogant jerk who lorded his meta abilities over everyone he met. The era of peace that had persisted since Gravitas¡¯ attack and his own ego drove the twin cities¡¯ only hero to seek greener pastures. That he had ticked nearly everyone off before he left meant that no other cities or teams really wanted to take him in. It had been a pretty unpleasant situation, and now there weren''t any professional heroes left to deal with the attack of a new villainous meta like what was unfolding right in front of Leona tonight.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Leona¡¯s expression firmed. Well, if no help was on its way, someone had to defuse the situation. While everyone in sight was groaning in pain, cowering, or fleeing the scene, she took a step forward.


    Step by step, Leona pushed herself against that ¡®pull¡¯ towards the stage where the two men stared deeply into each other¡¯s eyes. Robbie¡¯s already sorrow-filled eyes gradually filled with terror while Jeff¡¯s own remained unchanged. His eyes were flinty orbs possessed by a deep anger and thick resentment.


    The red sparks of energy around Jeff became more excited and took on a red tint as he lifted himself off the ground¡ªIn the sense that he floated up into the air and moved forward. Jeff crossed the distance between himself and the target of his rage at a comparatively slow pace.


    Once Jeff was within reach, with obvious dramatic flair, the rage fueled meta lifted Robbie by his shirt, one-handed. ¡°You! You broke my heart, man!¡± His eyes practically bored a hole through Robbie¡¯s head.


    ¡°Please stop this. I didn¡¯t forget¡­ I¡ª¡± Robbie looked away. ¡°I did it for you!¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up! Don¡¯t rationalize what you did to me! You ratted me out! You abandoned me to that place, you piece of shit!¡±


    ¡°D¡ªDon¡¯t¡ªn¡ªno¡ª¡ªJe¡ªrghhh¡ª¡± Robbie¡¯s voice gurgled as Jeff applied more force around his throat. Jeff reached his other hand up and clearly began wringing the life out of his former beau.


    By now, Leona stood in front of the stage, ready to vault up despite how dangerous the gaunt man clearly was. Tingles were racing up and down Leona¡¯s spine ¡ªchills.


    *CRUNCH*


    As a sickening squish echoed through the room and Leona¡¯s eyes widened in shock, Quinn suddenly darted from the side and tackled Leona to the floor.


    Jeff looked down at the two girls, catching their movements across the floor in the corner of his eye and with a snarl, his eyes narrowed as he turned his head towards them. With a callous flick of the wrist, Robbie¡¯s limp body was discarded. His revenge taken, he slowly floated toward the two apparently helpless girls.


    As he stood at the edge of the stage, a blur of blue streaked across the grocery store¡¯s floor and a figure materialized right in front of the sickly young man.


    Another meta? Could it be a hero!? Here?


    She wore her classic blue and red costume, blue all over with red piping patterns chasing across the tight body stocking, reminiscent of vehicle parts.


    That''s¡ª! But what is she doing here?! San Isidro was a long way away from Redline Racer¡¯s home city.


    ¡ªShe must have been in the area for some other reason and then must have received a call related to those earlier tremors. Whatever the reason, Leona would not complain. She was about to see a main team Sentinel in action!


    Before the young man could say anything, Redline Racer was behind him. Kneeling down beside Robbie, she checked to see what had happened to him. ¡°You crushed his throat!¡± She exclaimed as she looked up at the unstable meta. Her eyes hardened as she broke into motion after her lips stopped moving. With a blurring motion, she stuck her face in Jeff¡¯s.


    Jeff¡¯s eyes narrowed as he stared down a full-blown heavy-hitting hero without a trace of fear on his face. ¡°What of it? What¡¯s a cape without a cape gonna do about it?¡±


    Redline shook her head, disbelieving. ¡°Youdont¡¯needacapetobeaherodon¡¯tyougetit? ¡ªYou really wanna be a villain? If he dies, there¡¯s no going back!¡±


    ¡°Who the fuck cares? Not you. Not him!¡± Jeff pointed at Robbie¡¯s prone form with a slightly shaking hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know you, so why should I give a flying fuck about what you say?¡±


    While the supers were having their pre-fight back and forth, Quinn pulled Leona quietly across the floor to the rear swinging doors. Everyone else had had that idea long since and had cleared out. Leona wasn¡¯t being too helpful, however, as she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the scene as they slipped through.


    I wish¡ªdamn it¡­ If only I could have done more¡ª


    Leona peeked inside to see the villain lunging at Redline Racer, the same way he¡¯d grasped Robbie¡¯s shirt. With movements Leona couldn¡¯t fully see from where she was, Redline intercepted his grasping hand and threw Jeff judo-style, causing him to spin midair.


    When she let him go, rather than spin and slam to the ground like he should have, Jeff¡¯s fall slowed and slowed until he landed lightly. Even though Redline Racer had catapulted him using her force born of super speed, he just dusted off his t-shirt, looking like nothing had happened.


    ¡°Heh¡ªthat all ya got, bitch? I think I¡¯ve got your number.¡± He turned his eyes on Robbie across the floor from him, whose throat was leaking blood onto the floor in a pool. ¡°Just one more piece of trash left to throw out tonight.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡ª¡ª?Just-cause-it-looks-like-you-got-some-kinda-speedster-power, too?¡± Redline Racer laughed softly. ¡°¡ªbut you¡¯re still a noob.¡±


    Closing the distance near-instantly, Redline Racer¡¯s fists were moving faster than the eye could follow as she rabbit-punched the villain¡¯s chest with a series of crippling strikes surgically placed all in the same spot with increasing velocity. Leona recognized it as a move that had humbled many a tougher villain in the past.


    Jeff groaned for a moment, but started laughing raucously as he started tensing his stomach¡¯s muscles.


    ¡°Weak!¡± Jeff bellowed derisively in Redline¡¯s face, ¡°I¡¯m Control, personified. Who are you supposed to be?¡±


    Leona gritted her teeth. Even though it was foolish, she was almost at the point of charging in again, but before she could do anything else, her wrist was firmly grabbed and Leona was hauled off.


    ¡°C¡¯mon!¡± Quinn whispered loudly, with an edge to her tone, ¡°Goonie¡¯ll kill me if you get hurt being a total idiot. Hanging around the site of a supervillain attack, are you nuts? Leave that shit to your superheroes. I know it¡¯s killing you inside, but we have to get away, NOW.¡±


    ¡°What the hell were you thinking!¡± Quinn was mad. Seriously mad.


    Leona said nothing. There was nothing to say. She hadn¡¯t been thinking before she acted. She simply felt she needed to do something.


    It had been a couple of hours since the incident. Quinn had managed to drag Leona almost a full block away before the girl finally accepted that there wasn¡¯t anything she could do and willingly followed her elder sister. They¡¯d ended up in a crowd of other ravers about a half-dozen blocks away from the grocery store before the cops pulled up the street with their lights flashing and sirens blasting to intercept the refugee ravers.


    It had taken Redline Racer about ten minutes to deal with this new meta, right before the local authorities streamed into the area. That both parties could control speed in opposing ways made saying whether the fight was quick or slow tricky to call.


    The cops that stopped them were canvassing the area for any witnesses and only really wanted the youngsters¡¯ statements before eventually letting them go. Thank goodness for small favors. If Goonie picked up the phone and learned what happened from a police officer, she would have flipped her lid. Nah, she¡¯d have flipped either way.


    After she¡¯d given her statement, Leona couldn¡¯t help asking about Robbie, to which the officer said he wasn¡¯t sure but that he¡¯d heard Robbie was alive and that the paramedics had taken him to a nearby hospital for triage. As far as the officer knew, his condition wasn¡¯t particularly good, but at least Robbie looked like he had a good chance of making it through.


    ¡°Leona, please. Look at me. Don¡¯t you ever, and I mean, ever, do anything like that again. You¡¯re not your Mom.¡±


    Again, Leona said nothing as her eyes misted. There was nothing to say to that.


    ¡°Sigh. If you breathe a word about what happened to Goonie, I¡¯ll literally kill you.¡± Quinn continued with a thumb sliding across her throat gesture. Tact much!? ¡°If you do, we¡¯re never going to see the outside of our rooms ever-ever-never-ever again. That was just a freak thing. A weird, only-happens-once-in-a-lifetime freak kinda thing.¡±


    It certainly was a freaky thing to witness. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t lie to Goonie,¡± Leona finally said stiffly.


    ¡°I get that it¡¯s close to lying by omission, but Leona¡­ I¡¯m just one gig away from having enough to buy my own car. If it makes you feel better, I won¡¯t drag you to any more raves until I¡¯m down in SoCal¡­ So please¡ªfor my sake, just please keep what happened to yourself.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to go to any more raves after that.¡± Leona felt sick after witnessing a villain attack. To have seen someone maybe die¡ª


    Her sense of complete powerlessness coupled with visions of Jeff¡¯s neck being crushed before her eyes were fueling the turmoil that was tying her stomach into knots.


    ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m not going to force you. You don¡¯t have to go if you really don¡¯t wanna,¡± Quinn sighed and ran fingers through Leona¡¯s hair. ¡°But I promise that what happened won¡¯t happen again. In the literal years I¡¯ve been going to them. Oh sure, people get into fights. But not with superpowers!¡± She raised a finger to punctuate and added, ¡°And, seriously, this is one of those classic ¡®get right back on the horse¡¯ situations. So Leona, come with me to the next one and forget the foul taste of what just happened.¡±


    With a sigh, Leona shook her head uncertainly.


    More than ever, she still wasn¡¯t sure raves were her thing, but this was her last opportunity to witness her sister jamming on her deck for a crowd before she went off to college. When thought about like that, through the prism of losing her sister at least for a while, Leona mustered her determination.


    She would not let her fear control her.


    Courage isn¡¯t the absence of fear. It¡¯s about doing things despite it.


    And so a week passed and there they were again. Well, different location, but out to check a new rave.


    Ahead of the sisters, a typically abandoned warehouse that was now full of people and music that pounded loud enough to make little puddles on the ground outside ripple to the rhythm. To the side, a small group gathered around some tricked-out cars and in front, a long line of ravers had formed up in front of the entry doors.


    The sisters walked towards the throngs of ravers inside that were eagerly awaiting their chance to witness a certain dubstep prodigy¡¯s performance.


    As promised, this rave had some real-deal security, unlike the last fiasco.


    However, unbeknownst to either young woman, thousands of miles northeast among shadow-cloaked majestic mountains and at this same time, a life or death conflict that would sow the seeds for profound change in Leona¡¯s life.


    A battle that had been brewing for a long time was now finally raging between a pair of airborne super-powered titans above a lonely mountainside graveyard.

 An Empyrean End

    An Empyrean End


    The Canadian Weather Witch, Defender of the North, a Junior Member of the Society of Sentinels, Favoured Daughter, All-Around-Hero, Friend. All were titles that Mistral felt honored to bear, perhaps none more so than that last.


    Mistral also felt that other, less appealing titles also applied. Jailer, Target, Victim, Gullible, Ms. Forgiving to a Fault, Stubborn, a Fool.


    Yes, these were far less appealing¡­ but painfully and regrettably were equally true.


    But now, after years of skirmishes, trading victory and defeat, countless long hunts and games of cat-and-mouse, the cause of a great deal of that very pain and regret now stood, or rather floated, before her once again.


    Many titles applied to Black Angel as well, some of them even good, but for Mistral they all boiled down to the only that ultimately mattered: Villain.


    When Black Angel had returned and launched a new attack after having suffered her last defeat, Mistral knew she was being led along. Knew that this was most likely a trap. Knew to be prepared for anything.


    The Ebony Winged Despair Personified had demanded that she leave her ¡®wingless guard dog¡¯ behind, lest she first take the life of Garou, Mistral¡¯s compatriot and stalwart wolfman ally.


    Such was Mistral¡¯s commitment to putting an end to this never-ending cycle that she actually agreed to leave her fellow hero behind and face her nemesis alone. It wasn¡¯t smart, downright foolish, as a matter of fact. But it needed to be finished.


    Black Angel had revealed herself by attacking cities across Canada, clearly trying to draw Mistral out. Flying at her best speed, Mistral simply couldn¡¯t match her opponent¡¯s, even with her teleportation skill. From the beginning, the villain had always chosen her targets with such apparent randomness that her next move was too unpredictable.


    However, to say that there was no method in this madness revealed only ignorance of Black Angel¡¯s character. There was just no way someone as devious and cunning as she would ¡®just pop up out of nowhere and randomly strike¡¯, and yet¡ª


    Still, none of that mattered against what Mistral knew needed to be done now.


    ¡®The Hero needs to put an end to the villain.¡¯ It really was just that simple at the end of the day. The problem lay in the fact that the villain in question knew that, too.


    Black Angel had shown herself and stayed long enough for Mistral to arrive, then flown off into the mountains where they could finally have their climatic battle. It seemed so straightforward, so easy. But nothing ever was when she was Mistral¡¯s opponent, unlike most of the rest of her gallery of villains.


    The fact remained, however, that they were face to face once again. Mistral swore in her heart that, no matter what tricks Black Angel had up her sleeve this time, she wouldn¡¯t let this chance slip through her fingers.


    The moment their eyes met, a field of pure darkness enveloped a vast swath of the Rocky Mountains, this field of darkness far more sweeping than she¡¯d ever witnessed her foe create, even though this was a classic ploy to gain the proverbial tactical high ground.


    Mistral conjured flurries of snow to counterattack. The resulting swirls of ice were invisible under the circumstances, only detectable in this darkness by feel. Her enemy knew that sight wasn¡¯t necessary to control the Weather Witch¡¯s specialty, but Black Angel almost always employed her blackout ability.


    Mistral had a new costume, symbolizing her commitment to take down Black Angel once and for all.


    Her new cloak was sky blue on the inside and white on the outside. It billowed against her tight white leotard. Her flared gloves were the same hue of sky blue. Upon her brow rested a stylized headdress that was adorned with native tribe fetishes that were faintly visible beneath her waving silver hair. On her feet was a set of matching blue mid-shin stocking-style boots with hard soles, all tied together by a leather belt fastened around her waist.


    A whooshing noise came from her right where she knew her eternal nemesis lurked; the umbral angel, ready to use her powerful dark blasts to turn a hero to ash in a heartbeat. Mistral narrowed her eyes and continued chanting softly under her breath. Before her next breath, she sensed a fluctuation in the air.


    As expected.


    She flattened her palm, and a gale emitted from it, pushing her to the side as a colossal blast of null energy sailed through the space she had just occupied. Mistral sensed it, but certainly didn¡¯t see it coming. Her concentration deepened as she allowed herself to sink further into stillness and quiet. Her nemesis might have somewhat of a home field advantage because she¡¯d gotten to choose the battlefield, but she still had a weakness.


    With no light, her enemy could only see outlines because of her imperfect night vision. By not making noise, Mistral was making herself difficult to pinpoint, causing the darkness blasts to fly off their mark.


    Unable to suppress her villainous nature, Black Angel squandered the initiative advantage she¡¯d created with a classic monolog, ¡°Hahahaha! As expected of you! A small puff of air from one of those ancient beasties within you? Careful, Mistral. They might break free if you use those powers carelessly,¡± Black Angel taunted. The sound of her flapping wings filled the entire battlefield to intimidate or simply to smother the hero¡¯s senses.


    While not having much control over it, anything related to frequency like light or the darkness her enemy specialized in was within the domain of her power. That included sound waves.


    Mistral smiled secretively. Not that her opponent could see it, anyway. As usual, Black Angel was being overconfident. Now if you¡¯d kindly perform an unnecessarily flashy move for me¡­


    A faint echo resounded behind Mistral, but she ignored it to continue chanting under her breath. Winds whipped about the darkness-cloaked figures and sped until they strengthened enough to make a frenzy, and in gaining speed and rotation, these winds formed a tornado funnel. The cloaked heroine hovered now silently in its eye. The cadence of her chanting changed, and the cyclone grew frigid. Ice crystals formed and snow flew in every direction from it.


    ¡°Your little bluff is as weak as you, Shaman,¡± Black Angel¡¯s voice cackled from above. Holding steady, Mistral smiled and waited.


    There was a ripple of energy building directly below. NOW!


    With a sudden release and implosion of the gathered winds, Mistral propelled herself high into the air. Because she knew Black Angel wouldn¡¯t have been waiting too far above her, the singularity that formed below her was no surprise at all. Allowing an explosion of mystical energy to flow through her body, Mistral saturated everything below her with a different spell, a divine energy: the aura of the Great Manitou¡¯s fire. It was a highly taxing spell. The tremendous energy would guarantee her own position would become known, but there were enough advantages to taking such a risk that wouldn¡¯t be immediately apparent.


    ¡°Great Manitou, please guide my steps,¡± Mistral murmured, feeling the god¡¯s attention on her.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Ah¡ªthat peculiar trick of yours again¡ª!¡± This time Black Angel¡¯s voice roared from every direction. ¡°I won¡¯t allow it this time. The power of that god of yours won¡¯t touch me.¡±


    Favoured daughter, you must loose the Beasts for a short time should you wish to prevail. Alone, you cannot win. It will be dangerous, but you must. The leashes upon one or all will again be loosened afterward. A ritual to reseal them will be necessary in the near future.


    Mistral nodded, her teeth gritting. Then so shall it be.


    ¡°Did you hear that, brothers? A chance to let fly!¡± A voice echoed in the deep corners of her heart. The voice hissed in spiteful glee, followed by a rising chorus of laughter.


    Suddenly another fluctuation passed through the air and the motes of snow Mistral had scattered about drifted to one side of her, tracing a path through the air to her opponent. This was the location of Black Angel, but as the dark-winged one stated, having an inkling of her location wouldn¡¯t be enough. Mistral¡¯s enemy still had every advantage. As another eruption of darkness sailed towards the heroine, the fetters of Great Manitou placed on the Beasts shattered and fell away within Mistral¡¯s soul.


    A burst of pure elemental energy exploded from Mistral¡¯s arms that would counter Black Angel¡¯s potshot as the Beasts took form from the loosened energy in the surrounding space.


    But this too would not be enough. It was only one maneuver in her stratagem. She¡¯d had to slip the shackles on the Three Great Beasts of the North to make use of their fury and strength in her conflicts with Black Angel before, so this ploy wouldn¡¯t surprise her.


    The next step.


    ¡°I command you, Korakorkomaq, Rosshossho, Howeesha. Fly to the beacon and capture my enemy. In the name of the Great Manitou, I bind you to my will.¡±


    The Beasts hissed and resisted her influence. They snarled and fought.


    ¡°Recalcitrant as ever, I hear.¡± Black Angel laughed softly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you three join forces with ME again? Your hated jailer stands before me¡­ together, we may return her to the elements. I shall prove a far kinder mistress once she is no more.¡± Black Angel¡¯s dark smile didn¡¯t need to be seen to know it was there. And yet Mistral still smiled confidently even as the brothers hissed and charged directly at their jailer. A new chant she¡¯d started echoed through the air.


    ¡°Go!¡± Mistral¡¯s voice echoed with the authority of the Great Manitou.


    The Beasts shrieked and writhed in frustration as Mistral slipped through their grasping claws. They could not strike true because, like Mistral, Black Angel¡¯s blackout field technique blinded them. On the face, the odds seemed stacked against her with the power of their raw bestial energies allied with the debilitating trickery of her hated enemy.


    The power of Great Manitou rippled through the air. Mistral allowed herself to fall while casting out chains of energy to where the brothers writhed. The Chains of Fate, bestowed by the Great Manitou to his favored daughter.


    She felt the moment his influence connected. The Three bucked wildly, but their eyes locked on the spot towards which the snow was flying. Because of their natures, once they had a target to attack, they ferociously launched towards it. Destruction and slaughter were so ingrained that it didn¡¯t even matter whether it was a prey of their choosing.


    Hissing with fury, they flew at where the snow was telling them Black Angel should be, each Beast ready to rend her to pieces with wind, ice and lightning once they befell her. But when the Three arrived, they found nothing. Their senses weren¡¯t especially sensitive, but surely there should be something there for them to rip into.


    The villain had hoodwinked them! Surely they¡¯d just done exactly as Black Angel had expected.


    Against those expectations, however, Mistral rocketed in the exact opposite direction and smiled when her hand found the throat of her enemy. Black Angel gasped. ¡°H-HOW?!¡±


    Mistral said to Black Angel while the Three seethed and scrambled around where she was, ¡°I know you better than anyone else in this world¡­ A schemer like you would only ever be as far as possible from that beacon I ¡®connected to you.¡¯ It ends tonight, one way or another! You¡¯re irredeemable!¡±


    ¡°When did I ever ask to be saved?¡± Black Angel scoffed.


    ¡°Your crimes will finally come to an end. Great Manitou will make sure of it.¡± Mistral snarled even as Black Angel gripped her wrist and began infusing it with her void energy.


    Black Angel laughed throatily as her power ate at Mistral¡¯s arm. ¡°You know, touching me was a mistake. I halfway hoped you¡¯d reach me just so I could see the look on your face up close as my power ate away at you.¡± She practically purred with overweening egotism.


    The Beasts had realized their prey was now merely an illusion and were hissing vainly into the darkness.


    ¡°Here, Korakorkomaq, Rosshossho, Howeesha. Your hated jailer is here!¡± Mistral yelled.


    ¡°Ahahahaha, you¡¯d call your executioners upon yourself? You fool! They¡¯ll be mine soon. It¡¯ll be child¡¯s play to capture them as I did before. The elements will be mine to toy with as I wish once again and I¡¯ll bind you to my will¡ªforever.¡± This ploy had put Black Angel off balance, but she waited for Mistral¡¯s servants to destroy their mistress.


    Mistral endured, sensing them bearing down with tooth and claw ready.


    ¡°They¡¯re mine now!¡± A stream of power burst forth from Black Angel that was cold and yet burned. Mistral winced, feeling the current of her nemesis¡¯ power, trying to wrench the Beasts away from the heroine¡¯s Chains of Fate. However, now was the moment. All was now aligned as her patron had ordained.


    ¡°Now! Great Manitou!¡± Mistral yelled. The chains connected to the Beasts suddenly shortened as they neared the grappling two. Flashes of lightning and the booming of thunder echoed through the darkness as their combined storm surged forward to claim Mistral¡¯s life.


    Though made somewhat immaterial by the chains to prime them for reabsorption by their jailer, there was still a colossal collision as the chains of fate jerked them forward directly into Black Angel.


    Mistral expected Black Angel to be knocked back where she could deliver the final blow, but the Beasts unintentionally interdicted her body by passing through while being sucked back towards their prisons within the shaman.


    Great Manitou had little mercy for an enemy of the Balance, and this callousness often left Mistral with regret. She recriminated herself for not having considered the strength of the pull, forcing the Three back into their cells. By his ancient standards, the Beasts¡¯ reimprisonment was more important than a single life.


    Mistral cried the moment the Beasts reconnected, but her gambit had worked. The darkness faded as Black Angel¡¯s power suffered from the backlash of the mystical forces that had just blown through her. The villainess¡¯ energies lashed out and crackled about her. Black Angel hovered for the briefest of moments, but then she fell, leaving a trail of black feathers and blood through the air. Mistral lost control due to a loss of equilibrium and fell together with her enemy. The shock of the force of the rejoining was causing her power to fail. The fated enemies spiraled downwards as the horizon lightened with the coming dawn.


    They smashed down onto the mountainside, leaving a crater where they hit, destroying a few nearby stone structures. It was all Mistral could do to wrest enough of Howeesha¡¯s power to soften their landing somewhat.


    Neither could move for a time, but Black Angel haltingly rose to her feet, coughing blood into the dirt and rock beneath her and collapsed. It was Mistral¡¯s turn to struggle up, tears flowing.


    Their eyes briefly met when Black Angel¡¯s head twitched around at the noise of Mistral¡¯s own struggle to rise.


    The villain¡¯s beautiful and yet utterly evil-filled eyes then turned forward to gaze at the sky and her head fell back to the ground. Her eyes fixed onto the sun that had just risen, staining the sky a lovely pink. She reached towards the star as though pleading.


    Mistral stumbled forward and placed herself between the star and Black Angel, unable to prevent a flash of intense regret as she looked into her eyes, though her animosity quickly rose like bile in reflex.


    How dare you make me pity you?!


    Black Angel looked away, seeming to understand as she hacked another gout of blood from her mouth. ¡°T-they were almost mine again¡­ I was just a millisecond off with my timing¡­ I knew you would¡ª¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t yours. They¡¯re mine. My wards,¡± Mistral hissed.


    ¡°Your slaves! Hahahaha, you think yourself so much better than me¡ª¡ªthe glorious hero¡ªin fact¡ª¡ªnothing but a¡ªslave¡ª¡ªowner.¡± Black Angel coughed again.


    Mistral looked away with a glare. ¡°Shut up!¡±


    They¡¯d landed in the rural graveyard below. It was a fitting, final resting place for her enemy.


    ¡°Next time¡­ I¡¯ll¡ªdon¡¯t think¡ªwe¡¯re finished yet¡ª¡ªLuv.¡±


    Black Angel gasped with the last of her strength and reached up to touch Mistral¡¯s face gently as she turned to ash. In moments, all that remained of Black Angel was an angel-shaped pile of tainted soot and equally ashen feathers that floated into the air and slowly drifted away, high above, swept tenderly in a south-westerly direction.


    It took Mistral¡¯s having seen the glory of the sun come into full view over the horizon for realization to sink in.


    It was over. At long last, it was finally over.


    Mistral knew there was still much good work that needed to be done, but first she would take some time off to consider her feelings and begin the healing process.

 Follow the Kitty

    Follow the Kitty


    Quinn dragged Leona past the waiting line directly to the warehouse entryway, where they encountered a bouncer dressed in nothing but leather and spikes. He grinned in a way Leona wasn¡¯t sure she quite trusted.


    ¡°What¡¯s this now? Mini-me?¡± He snarked as he took in their appearances. He wasn¡¯t exactly wrong. The pair were perfectly coordinated, right down to their electric blue hair.


    ¡°Something like that.¡± Quinn smirked. ¡°Our hair will completely match by the end of the summer. Anyway, you letting us in or not?¡± she asked with a wink, and jokingly punched his shoulder.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dream of trying to keep you out of the joint, Quinn. Heh¡­ I don¡¯t like your stuff personally, but what the hell, you¡¯ve got your fans.¡± He cast an analyzing glance at Leona with a scowl and shook his head. ¡°Eh, we could always use more chicks, even if she seems young. Your mini-me¡¯s pretty cute so try not to let the unsavories swarm too close.¡± With that, he stepped aside to grant entrance. Leona smiled, happy to get a compliment, even though his words were condescending.


    Leona had expected the need to force their way through the crowd, but the event was still in its early stages and the place hadn¡¯t quite filled yet. Music similar to the stuff her sister had been producing lately was blasting over the stadium-grade sound system, but generally, the feeling was that the show was still gearing up.


    With a purpose-filled stride, Quinn continued to lead Leona across the floor to the main stage speakers. Leona squeaked and clapped her hands over her ears when they got closer to it. Her sister laughed at her as another guy caught sight of Quinn from atop the erected stage.


    The pounding music drowned their words out while Leona patiently waited with fingers in her ears for Quinn to finish up. Reaching some kind of accord, they nodded, and he gave Quinn a hearty thumbs up who flashed a grin in response before issuing some more loud words that were equally inaudible to Leona, who was by now withering under the audible assault of the huge speaker.


    When she had finished, Quinn pulled Leona away to the bar.


    Quinn¡¯s lips moved, but Leona didn¡¯t hear what she was saying. With a tilting of her head, Quinn mimed laughter as she reached down and booped Leona¡¯s undefended nose. When it was clear the idea wasn¡¯t coming across, she firmly took Leona¡¯s hands away from her ears. ¡°It¡¯s quieter here, so cut that out¡­. Anyhow, hang out here for a while. The drinks are on me. They carry more than alcohol, so don¡¯t worry. Goonie would kill me if your blood alcohol went anything over zero, so don¡¯t take advantage.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯d tell her?¡± Leona chuckled mischievously.


    Quinn looked at her adopted sibling with wide eyes, as though she wasn¡¯t sure who she was looking at.


    ¡°I¡¯m kidding, you goof!¡± Leona laughed.


    ¡°You¡¯re the goof! Had me thinking I¡¯d finally gone too far and corrupted my goody two shoes little sis for a sec there. In the event you drank, you¡¯d best keep it to a tiny amount, got it?¡± Quinn lifted an arm and pressed her thumb and index finger together firmly. ¡°And don''t take drinks offered by anyone you don¡¯t know. Ruffies, y¡¯know.¡±


    Leona rolled her eyes. Another guy, presumably the bartender, spoke up from behind the bar. ¡°You''re telling me you want us to ignore¡ªher size and age? This little squirt? You¡¯re freaking kidding.¡±


    ¡°No, I trust her judgement. She¡¯s literally packed to the gills with nothing but fluffy goodness.¡± Quinn smirked at the bartender. ¡°If something happens though, I¡¯ll be hearing about it from you, won¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Tch¡ªfucking babysitting duty¡­ Damn it¡ªyou¡¯d better play ¡®Midgardener and the Serpent¡¯.¡± That song was one of Quinn¡¯s less recent creations. She had played it a few times for her back at home and Leona¡¯s eyes widened slightly when she realized this man must be a fan of Quinn¡¯s. Was she really that well-known?


    ¡°Hah! Sure thing. I really hate playing my early stuff, but for you it¡¯s fine.¡± Quinn shook her head and winked at Leona. ¡°Ya see what I put myself through for your sake?¡± She grinned. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m not going on for about another hour, so get out there and dance! This place should be really bumping soonish.¡± She casually leaned against the bar.


    ¡°You want me to go out there? And dance?¡± Leona scoffed at the notion. ¡°You¡¯re taking the lead then, sis! Let¡¯s dance!¡± She grabbed her older sister¡¯s hands and proceeded to the dance floor.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you here for a drink?¡± The bartender called out after them.


    ¡°Shit¡­ I knew you¡¯d drag me out. Alright, bum. Let¡¯s do this thing. I¡¯ll give you the full dance rave experience!¡± Quinn ran by her sister¡¯s side and when they reached the center of the floor, the two started dancing wildly. It was clear Quinn better knew what she was doing while Leona did not know at all what to do, just flailing and giggling. She did her best to emulate her sister, and they had fun until some of the staff shouted for Quinn.


    The rest of the ¡®rave experience¡¯ wasn¡¯t particularly fun for Leona after that point. Once her sister was up playing her music, Leona started enjoying the music more while nursing a soda at the bar under the watchful eye of the bartender. She didn¡¯t feel right mingling without her older sister there to guide her steps, so she didn¡¯t.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Once in a while, when Quinn played a song Leona particularly enjoyed, she bopped along right there by the bar, a broad grin plastered on her face. At those times, Leona watched Quinn jamming on her equipment with laser beams playing across her body. Smiling as she admired her sister, Leona was reminded about why she loved her and thought so much of her. She was a very talented musician who aspired to be renowned nation-wide one day. The only real drawback to this ambition was that Quinn would occasionally become somewhat distant back at home when she sequestered herself in her room to compose.


    ¡°You gonna wallflower here all night? You¡¯re gonna look like a lush,¡± the bartender commented behind the bar.


    Leona considered this unwanted criticism, but nodded. ¡°Yeah¡­ I don¡¯t really¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hey Leona, right?¡± Despite all the crazy ambient sounds and music, Leona was surprised to hear someone she didn¡¯t know loudly call out her name. By now the warehouse was really heating, filled to the brim with warm bodies that had all crowded together; the dance floor was totally packed with ravers now. Leona wiped her forehead, brushing a lock of her hair to the side.


    She turned to see who¡¯d called out to her and found an average-looking young man in what seemed to be the dress code of the staff like the bartender, not that the bouncer much seemed to care about conforming, considering his leather-bound-look. If that was the standard dress code, Leona would have been embarrassed any time she spotted the staff members. Instead, they wore black clothes with neon green glow-in-the-dark straps and bands across them so they could be identified at a glance, kind of like how construction workers wore reflective vests when working at night.


    He was waving insistently as he forced his way through the mass to keep Leona¡¯s attention on him. When he broke free from the crowd pressing around the bar, the young man held a strange object up. He held it out to her, talking in a quieter tone, but leaning over to Leona¡¯s ear made his words barely audible, ¡°The name¡¯s Frank. I hope Quinn mentioned me to you.¡± Leona looked down at what he was offering, a wallet with a cat motif.


    ¡°She told me a lot about you and the matching hair thing you two¡¯d be doing tonight so that I¡¯d know you and be able to keep an eye on you when I can, not that anyone looking couldn¡¯t tell that you¡¯re related to her. Ya look almost identical.¡± He laughed. ¡°Anyhow, I¡¯m staff, helping.¡± As though he had to say that. Even though he hadn¡¯t explained what he did here, Leona put two and two together.


    He went on, getting to the reason he was talking with Leona, ¡°A girl dropped this on the other side of the bar. I looked around for her, but no luck. She got lost in the crowd. Look, I¡¯m pretty busy with other stuff I¡¯m supposed to do and I can¡¯t monitor you the whole time with Clark. I wonder if you¡¯d mind helping and look for this wallet¡¯s owner. She stands out pretty well, so it shouldn¡¯t be too hard. It¡¯ll just take more time than I have.¡±


    Blinking, Leona gaped. She went over the long list of people Quinn brought up in conversation. Was there a Frank somewhere in that mix? Pursing her lips, she wondered why the guy was specifically asking her for help. Just because she was Quinn¡¯s sister? Had she been conscripted to help with the running of this rave, although she knew nothing about anything? Something about this was fishy.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, help a bro out. You¡¯d probably get on with this thing¡¯s owner, I think. You¡¯re looking pretty lonely over here all by yourself, anyway.¡± He shoved the wallet into Leona¡¯s hands. ¡°The girl¡¯s got a hairband with glowing pink cat ears on it. She¡¯ll stand out. Find her, pull her to the side and return her wallet to her and, boom, you''re done. ¡®Course, you could always talk to her after the fact too.¡± He smiled.


    ¡°Alright, fine. But tell Quinn to be more subtle next time.¡± Leona took the wallet and charged into the crowd, looking around as she forced her way through. Frank smiled slightly to himself for having completed Quinn¡¯s all-too-obvious ploy before heading back to whatever he was doing before.


    As she was finally making a bit of headway, the music shifted, causing the dancers'' movements to change and threw Leona off-balance. She accidentally crashed into several people on her way through. Some of them cursed at her while others laughed and bumped her back playfully.


    Working her way through the undulating mass of humanity, Leona searched, doing her darndest not to be knocked over. She really didn¡¯t want to find out how quick the partiers¡¯ feet would turn her into paste. Finally, her eyes caught the faintest glimpse of a pair of fluffy and glowing cat ears. She got a bead on where she spotted them poking through the crowd and chased after them as quickly as she could, but in moments she lost sight of them through the undulating hordes. Leona glared holes through the dancers that materialized out of thin air between herself and where she had last spotted the girl.


    This was a horrible mess. Leona looked back towards the bar, but given how short she was, she wasn¡¯t even sure which way was up or down. She was very much lost at sea in this sweaty throng with no landmarks to help.


    As though the universe felt like pouring gas on the fire anew, one of Quinn¡¯s catchier songs played and everyone threw their hands up into the air and everyone started shaking their bodies. Leona¡¯s eyes spun and her head cocked as she lost the horizon amongst the teeming shapes.


    Leona was on the brink of giving up, but before she fully threw in the towel, she tried pushing her way to a wall so she could work her way around the crowd. The right-hand rule of maze navigation was now her best chance at making an escape. She hadn''t gotten very far before someone crashed into her, knocking her to the floor.


    Shaking her head, Leona gasped, disoriented. She looked at the culprit, a cute girl firmly planted on the sticky floor beside Leona. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± the person who ran into her yelled before she unsteadily raised her head. Leona¡¯s eyes widened as she cleared her head and her eyes fastened onto a glowing headband with... NEON CAT EARS!


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Leona gaped and fumbled for the wallet she¡¯d dropped she¡¯d been holding when they collided. After searching the sticky and dirty cement floor for a moment, Leona spotted and reclaimed it. Thankfully, it was taking longer to be ground into some person-paste than she¡¯d expected.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s my first time at something like this¡ª¡± the girl with the cat ear hairband said apologetically. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not used to it yet. I¡¯m so sorry,¡± the girl cried. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to be so clumsy. When it got kinda overwhelming, I started running and desperately tried to get out of all this¡ª¡± She gestured with a fed up expression, her words barely audible over the pandemonium. The girl was blushing so cutely Leona¡¯s heart thudded. She was so nervous and vulnerable-looking Leona couldn¡¯t be angry with her for slamming into her.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault too. I was dizzy too, and I didn¡¯t know where I was. C¡¯mon.¡± Leona took the girl¡¯s hand and tugged her up. Refocusing her attention, she scanned around and finally spotted a piece of recognizable decoration, just barely visible above the heads of some shorter dancers. ¡°Hurry. Let¡¯s go!¡± She pulled the girl free from the sweaty mass of ravers.


    When they were clear, the girl tugged to free herself from Leona¡¯s grasp and heaved a relieved sigh as she asked, ¡°C-can you let go?¡± She looked very nervous. Leona gaped and released her hand with an accepting nod. ¡°I¡¯m sorry and¡ª¡° She looked at her sweaty hand and saw that wasn¡¯t the only reason it was wet; it had blood on it. The girl winced.


    ¡°Are you okay? Crap! What happened to your hand?¡± Leona took her hand again and examined it, seeing that some of her blood had dried on her own hand. She had a cut on it that looked pretty fresh the way her blood was seeping out. Leona looked around and saw that ravers had simply dropped their empty bottles onto the floor and many got broken. That could be seriously dangerous.


    ¡°Y-yeah¡ªit hurt when I hit you and... It was probably my fault. I¡¯m clumsy. I was holding a bottle of coke I got at the bar. I¡¯m more worried I might have spilled coke on you than about this.¡± She waved the bleeding hand and with her uninjured hand, she patted Leona¡¯s body to check for any wet spots. There wasn¡¯t anything worse than sweat damp. Leona blushed at being so manhandled by another girl in public.


    ¡°Wait, no¡ªdon¡¯t worry about it. Anyhow¡­ I mean¡­ I have¡ªa friend of my sis¡¯ found something of yours and asked me to look for you to return it¡ª¡± Leona held up the catgirl¡¯s wallet.


    The girl looked at her hand with wide eyes. ¡°Oh, no¡ªI¡¯m such an idiot!¡± She practically fumed as she pawed at her pockets and groaned. ¡°T-Thank you¡­ What¡¯s your name?¡± She fumbled for the wallet, her eyes expressing gratitude louder than her words.


    ¡°Oh¡ªum¡­ Leona W¡ª Ramses.¡± She hadn¡¯t quite gotten used to giving Goonie¡¯s last name, even though it had been a long time since they¡¯d gotten her legal full name changed. She wrote her name down on papers, but it took a while to adjust.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Leona! I¡¯m Sarah¡ªSarah Namias.¡± Leona¡¯s heart skipped a beat as a strange warm feeling blossomed inside her.

 Is It A Date? No! Really!

    Is It A Date? No! Really!


    In the days following the rave, both Quinn and Goonie had been continually nagging Leona to call Sarah and ask her if she wanted to hang out. Even though the two had exchanged contact details and although she really wanted to call the kitty, it took Leona a good while to pull the trigger because she was just too shy.


    ¡°Ooooh¡ªyour first date¡ªhow cute!¡± Quinn teased as she drove herself and Leona to the meetup location. The car they rode was Quinn¡¯s new ride, purchased with her hard-earned savings from playing at parties and raves. In fact, she had not lied when she explained that the last bit of money Quinn needed would be hers after completing that last gig. All those pennies had turned out to be enough to afford a used convertible in decent condition. The pink flamingo-pink paint job her new car sported didn¡¯t thrill Quinn, but she planned to earn more and eventually customize it to her liking.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call it that! I¡¯m a girl and she¡¯s one too! We can¡¯t assume that she likes girls. This is JUST hanging out, got it?!¡± Leona yelled.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I get that. This from the girl whose face turns beet red whenever the subject of Sarah comes up. Uh huh¡ª¡± Quinn laughed.


    ¡°Quiet, you!¡± Leona yelped and curled her knees up, wrapping her arms around them as her face reddened to the aforementioned beet color. ¡°I can¡¯t let her see me blush like this¡­ I don¡¯t know¡ªit was probably those cute ears of hers. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll pass.¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me you like guys? You want to find a husband?¡± Quinn looked askance at her little sister.


    ¡°Noooooo! I haven¡¯t thought about anything like that! Relationships are weird, scary and way too much for me right now.¡± Leona chewed her lip.


    ¡°Okay¡ªtake Jason. Tends bar, babysits while elder sisters run amok and is a boy. What¡¯s not to like? Did you think he was interesting at all?¡± Quinn asked with a little smile.


    ¡°Not at all! He was friendly, if a bit of a jerk. No, I didn¡¯t¡ª¡± Leona groaned, remembering the bartender.


    ¡°How about Frank or Dave?¡± Quinn asked, setting Leona to blinking. Who was Dave again?


    ¡°No! Frank fixed me up with Sarah¡ªw-wait¡­ I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡±


    Quinn pressed Leona, smirking, ¡°O-ho. It¡¯s definite then. So you remember them all, but when you looked at Sarah, ka-pow, your face turned redder than a ketchup bottle. You cannot tell me you weren¡¯t having some strange thoughts.¡±


    Leona winced and squirmed. ¡°Oh, fine¡­ I did¡ªthose ears were just so fuzzy¡ª¡±


    ¡°Huh, is that all this is about? A fetish for nekomimi? Really? You¡¯re quite the oddball.¡± Quinn said as she took a sharp turn at a light.


    ¡°This coming from the oddbally-est person I know.¡± Leona pouted, staring at her sister with her now olive-green-hair. Wasn¡¯t it a bit too soon to change again? There was absolutely no way Leona was going to dye her hair that shade, no matter how Quinn begged! Olive green? REALLY? All she needed was a red tint up top to complete the fruit look!


    ¡°Tch¡­ C¡¯mon¡­ What about her butt¡ªor her skin¡ªdid she have nice boobs?¡± Quinn asked.


    Her sister was surely deeply in the lesbian camp. ¡°I did NOT STARE AT HER¡ª¡± Her butt or her boobs? She only needed the nekomimi, thanks!!!


    ¡°You did though¡­ Sarah had your eyes fastened on her the whole time you talked. I know a smitten girl when I see one, so don¡¯t squirm out of it. You¡¯re a million years too early if you think you can get one past me!¡± Quinn laughed.


    ¡°Damn it¡­ I¡ªa¡ªam¡ª¡ª¡± Leona flushed more.


    ¡°Yup! Now let¡¯s see where things go!¡± Quinn flashed a cheshire grin.


    A short time later, they pulled up to The Cobbles, an open-air mall near the ferry on the north-side of San Isidro. It was one of the more ¡®tourist-y¡¯ areas in the city and was therefore markedly more well-maintained and policed. The place included a fine view of the sister city, Seaside City¡¯s skyline, across the bay.


    Lately crime rates had been skyrocketing in San Isidro. Ever since the local hero had gone awol because of bad publicity, things had been going downhill, so to speak. Criminals had taken it as a license to do whatever they wanted in the absence of any superheroic activities.


    The aforementioned heroine¡¯s codename was Cheshire, like Quinn¡¯s smile, but with her lack of recent appearances, her name was quickly becoming ¡®what-was-it-again?¡¯. She was a skill-based heroine, at least peak-athlete levels of physicality, but nothing too crazy. The problem was that apparently there had been a couple of occasions where she didn¡¯t exactly return the goods stolen by the hoodlums she beat up. Word on the forums hadn¡¯t exactly instilled Leona with a lot of hope of seeing a sudden turnaround and a triumphant return from her.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Speaking of the forums, since Leona continued to be a fan of heroes and all the news related to them. It was big news to hear about the ultimate downfall of Black Angel and the near ending of her favorite heroine, Mistral, somewhere up in the Rockies that night. The coverage was nothing but flattering and sympathetic to Mistral when they reported the death of the S+ rank threat. Apparently, the exact opposite outcome wasn¡¯t too far off from happening.


    While Leona was turning her thoughts back to the present, Quinn found a parking spot, smoothly slid into it and after pulling her key from the ignition, she jumped out without even opening the convertible¡¯s door. Leona smiled at her wild older sister and emulated her by leaping out as well, demonstrating her hard-gained balance and athleticism. She landed with aplomb on the door and skipped down to the pavement of the lot. Quinn golf-clapped with a warm smile and rushed to the other side of the car. ¡°C¡¯mon¡ªlet¡¯s go see your totally-not-a-girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that in front of her or I¡¯ll ban you! I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll hate us!¡± Leona growled as her sister ruffled her carefully styled hair. ¡°And don¡¯t mess up how I look¡ªdamn it¡ª¡± She pouted and readjusted her hair using the car¡¯s passenger side mirror. Quinn watched her with a knowing look.


    ¡°I won¡¯t. Pinky promise.¡± Once Leona had gotten her hair back in order, they headed into the open-air mall area. After waiting a brief time at the food court, Quinn yanked Leona over while she was still anxiously looking around for the absent Sarah. ¡°Don¡¯t stress¡ªlet¡¯s get a nibble. My treat.¡±


    She pulled her to a hibachi stand where they got a hearty pile of teriyaki beef on rice apiece. They went to a nearby table, now also toting large cups of sweet tea. They enjoyed the meal and Leona wiped her forehead as she ate. Her body had heated thanks to her, thoughtlessly taking the side that wasn¡¯t shaded.


    ¡°Careful, bum, you¡¯ll get a heat stroke eating hot food under the scorching sun when it¡¯s this toasty. C¡¯mon over here and rest in the shade with me.¡± She patted the seat next to her. Leona nodded and moved around the table. She sighed in relief and noticed there was a better view of the beach and the skyscrapers across the way from this position. Sometimes she wished she could take a trip, but they¡¯d never gone over there for any reason because Goonie was busy with running Au Naturel.


    The pair enjoyed their meal together until familiar ears peaked through the crowd of the food court. Leona jerked to her feet and hollered, ¡°Sarah!!!¡±


    ¡°Ahahaha¡ªMission complete.¡± Quinn winked. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you lovebirds alone, then. Wouldn¡¯t want to spoil any potential juicy situations by accident with my big mouth. But I¡¯ll be around¡ªspying from the sidelines.¡± Quinn smirked and when she lifted her fingers to wiggle them like a villain, she actually pulled off the look. Her words had Leona blushing and she hid behind her hands. ¡°See ya later!¡± Quinn excused herself, taking her trash with her.


    Arriving at the table, Sarah watched Quinn retreat with a puzzled expression. ¡°Why¡¯d your sister go so suddenly? Is she busy?¡± Sarah asked with a small frown.


    ¡°Ah¡ªum¡ªyes, she¡¯s busy. Anyhow, um¡ªwhat kinds of things do you like?¡± Leona asked lamely.


    ¡°We already talked about that at the rave, but I¡¯ll tell you again if you forgot it already! I kind of understand, though. It was super loud.¡± Sarah barked a laugh. ¡°I like anime and catgirls¡ªthey¡¯re like the CUTEST THINGS IN EXISTENCE!¡± Sarah¡¯s squeal after saying that startled Leona.


    ¡°Wh-what? You didn¡¯t mention those at the rave¡ªyou like girls? Like¡ªlike?¡± Leona asked, stumbling.


    ¡°Like them? Of course! W-wait¡ªnot ¡®girl-girls¡¯¡ªjust catgirls are like the greatest things in the world, really! I want to be one! If I had to choose a power, I¡¯d want to be one! Nyaaaaaa!¡± She balled up her fingers into mock paws and tilted her head, licking her lips. ¡°Speaking of which, is there a stand that serves fish sticks around here?¡±


    Leona nearly fell over. ¡°Ahahahahahahaha! Of course! There¡¯s a seafood kiosk over there¡ªyou can get all the fishies you want.¡± Leona giggled.


    ¡°Yay! Saved! I see you¡¯ve already eaten! I¡¯ll go get some tasty fish and I¡¯ll make sure my tail sticks straight up so they¡¯ll know how happy I am!¡± Sarah hopped a little. Leona laughed again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come with you. Anyhow, what were you doing at that rave? Someone like you doesn¡¯t seem like the type¡ªI mean, neither one of us is Quinn.¡± Leona pointed out as they walked back to the stands.


    ¡°Hmmmm¡ªI was there because some of my friends I met in a MOBA invited me. They¡¯re the type, it seems¡ªand I was so nya-ny they said they had to meet me. I think I was too weird for them in the end, so they kinda ditched me.¡± Sarah pouted.


    ¡°More like too innocent and sweet.¡± Leona smiled.


    ¡°Yush! That¡¯s me.¡± Sarah nodded, laughing. ¡°I¡¯m a really boring person, I know. Too dull. There¡¯s nothing really interesting about me.¡± Sarah laughed. ¡°We¡¯re religious¡ªand people kinda think that¡¯s boring if they can¡¯t relate. I mean¡ªit¡¯s a really, really, normal family¡ªwith absolutely nothing special going for us except for our exceptional faith, though Dad has a great job. We go to church every Sunday and we were all baptized. I think Mama even does the ¡®tongues¡¯ thing I never got.¡±


    ¡°Your family really sounds devout when you put it that way.¡± Leona smiled, wondering what she meant by ¡®tongues,¡¯ but she didn¡¯t ask.


    ¡°Yeah¡ªit¡¯s a tradition¡ª¡ªever since way back, we¡¯ve been religious. I think my great grandfather was a preacher. But I¡¯m kind of the black sheep.¡± Sarah blushed.


    ¡°More like a ¡®black cat.¡¯¡± Leona giggled. ¡°Why? You seem totally normal.¡±


    The corner of Sarah¡¯s lips crinkled upwards as she said, ¡°Because I want a little more from life than just what the Bible teaches. That¡¯s why I went to a rave. Not that the Bible¡¯s against them specifically or anything. The Bible doesn¡¯t have much to say about raves, actually.¡± Sarah looked around as though she still wasn¡¯t sure why she was even here. ¡°My parents don¡¯t know where I went.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Leona nodded. ¡°You¡¯re brave to do what you want, even if you know your parents might get angry. Anyhow, you said there were some so-called friends that invited you, right? What game did you and those ditching jerks play? Maybe I know it?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡ª Banners of the Bold! ¡ªand I don¡¯t just like MOBAs¡ª I¡¯m also crazy about MMORPGs¡ª There''s this one called Realms of Valor that¡¯s just absolutely amazing. It makes me feel like a genuine hero! Hehe¡ª¡ªeven though half the time I¡¯m delivering cheese to some random NPC or some other weird character makes me pick up rat tails or FedEx questing all over¡ªbut if you don¡¯t count the menial labor bits, I feel like a real warrior!¡± she glowed as she delivered that statement. ¡°And I love rhythm games too, music, normal RPGs¡ªthe kind you play alone and¡ª¡±


    As they continued to exchange life experiences and all about what stirred their passions, a certain kitty got her fish and once she had it, she even purred convincingly.


    Sarah shared she had made no friends until today since she recently moved from the lonely northerly state of Montana. California had proven to be a change in contrast, but she was nothing but happy to be on the west coast.

 Hesitance

    Hesitance


    It wasn¡¯t too long into their talk when it became obvious that Sarah hadn¡¯t had a good opportunity to let loose about her passions in a long time. She exuberantly rattled off every single thing that came to her mind, zero-filter.


    First it was gaming, then nerd culture, animals, clothes and on and on. She was a nigh-unstoppable being of pure enthusiasm.


    Not that Leona wanted to stop her, not even a smidgen.


    Leona was having a blast keeping up with this hyperactive kitty. As far as she could recall, she¡¯d never had this much fun talking with anyone else aside from her family, and Sarah seemed to feel the same way.


    The conversation between them flowed naturally and without problems for who-knows how long Leona happily lost all track of time.


    Looping back around to the subject of gaming, Sarah spent a good few minutes fully articulating her particular views on the ¡®Reven Patch debacle¡¯ that had recently torn the Realms of Valor community asunder. She was firmly in the camp of those who believed that the updates had been too conservative and left the game feeling too much like it always had. She understood that older players liked the way things used to be, but the game was now faced with stiff competition in the MMO space and all its players agreed it needed a major overhaul if the devs wanted to keep up.


    Leona had tangentially heard about this controversy and agreed with Sarah. Leona had never really been too interested in the game because of how steep the barrier to entry seemed to be. The patch had actually gotten her to consider checking it now that the game had functionally hit the reset button and the whole thing had become much more friendly to newcomers.


    This prompted Sarah to talk about how she¡¯d been interested in the outreach that the devs had been enacting to organize something with players who were interested in cosplaying.


    It was just as Sarah was in the middle of a screed on how much more support the game¡¯s feline-focused cosplayers could get that Quinn finally returned with a broad smile. ¡°How¡¯re things going with you two?¡±


    Sarah returned the smile. ¡°It¡¯s so nice to be out here in the sun with my new best friend!¡± She looked at Leona with sparkling eyes.


    Quinn winced, but covered it with an even deeper smile. How had Leona got friend-zoned already?


    Anyway, as Sarah had touched on, although it had cooled off little yet, the end of summer was drawing near, which was why this was among the last bits of free time those present had before the school year started back up and with it Quinn¡¯s final year of high school.


    ¡°Is it true that you¡¯re gonna be going to our school too?¡± Quinn asked Sarah with wide-open, innocent eyes.


    Sarah nodded and grinned. ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m transferring in soon! It¡¯s not because of Leona or anything, though. It¡¯s just that we¡¯re in the same general area, just a coincidence. My parents wanted to put me in a private church school, but that didn¡¯t go through because of ideological differences and I pouted really hard until they let me go to a public school instead. Anyway, we settled in our new home before the summer break.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it tough to move from a rural place to a city like San Isidro?¡± Leona asked Sarah. ¡°How are you doing? You know, our school isn¡¯t really the best¡ªit¡¯s even got metal detectors so kids can¡¯t take in weapons.¡±


    Sarah thought about things and frowned slightly. ¡°Not really¡ª My grades are good. Anyway, you¡¯re right that my parents aren¡¯t keen on all the crime, but my dad didn¡¯t have a choice. They¡¯re so strict that I can barely breathe, but anything¡¯s better than Montana. It¡¯s way more exciting here.¡± Sarah said, laughing.


    Holding up a hand, Quinn gave Sarah an apologetic look, saying, ¡°Hey, sorry to bust up a good flow but can I grab my sister for a sec¡ªthere¡¯s something I need to say to Leona privately.¡± Not waiting for a response, Quinn took Leona to the side. ¡°Hey¡ªdoes she know you used to be a boy yet?¡± she whispered.


    Leona blushed and shook her head. ¡°Nah, she treats me like any girl-friend¡­ I would feel a little awkward telling her now, like saying I¡¯ve been lying to her just to spend time with her.¡± She chewed her lip while Sarah curiously watched them from a short distance away.


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    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. Don¡¯t worry about it. If you¡¯re just her friend, it doesn¡¯t matter much.¡± Quinn shrugged and tugged Leona back to Sarah, who waited patiently the whole time, though her aura made it seem like her fake cat ears were practically twitching with expectation.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Sarah meowed, concerned. ¡°Secret sister stuff? Oh gosh, will your mother be mad at you if we spend too much time out?¡±


    ¡°No¡ªnothing like that!¡± Quinn laughed. ¡°Actually, I was telling Leona that we should all go to the beach.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a bathing suit with me!¡± Sarah blinked and, after a moment, grinned. ¡°I mean, I really want to check out the beach since we¡¯re so close. The ocean was always too far away for my whole life. But even though I was nowhere near one, I always looked forward to seeing one, but like¡­ I have no friends yet to do it with and I didn¡¯t want to go alone. Dad¡¯s busy and Mom does her Bible studying with a new group.¡±


    Quinn nodded, saying, ¡°Not right now¡ªbut we have only a week of free time, and the weather could change any time. Too bad your folks are so busy. We¡¯ll definitely get that checked off your bucket list, though. Right, kiddo?¡± With a wink, she clapped a hand on Sarah¡¯s shoulder as another idea occurred to her and she suggested, ¡°Well, actually¡­ I know how pedestrian the idea my idea seems compared with swimming in the big blue, but there¡¯s also an amazing water park here in San Isidro. It¡¯s right on the ocean, but if you¡¯ve never been in the big blue, you might not know that you have to shower after going in, otherwise you¡¯re likely to get a horrible rash on top of the sunburn. At least with a water park you can just go, jump in, splash around and have a great time along with the obligatory sunburn.¡±


    Sarah tilted her head and smiled. ¡°That sounds fine too, since I¡¯ve never been to a water park either, but I¡¯m not sure my parents would give me an advance on my allowance to pay for it. I spent everything I had before on dressing up for the rave.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you!¡± Leona announced with a thumbs up. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve got enough.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty generous of you, sis.¡± Quinn winked. ¡°Alright... I hope you have a swimsuit, Sarah?¡±


    With a low purring noise, Sarah nodded, exclaiming, ¡°It¡¯s a nice one¡ªno spoils though!¡±


    Leona¡¯s head suddenly crooked over and she stared at Quinn. She hadn¡¯t gone swimming since her transition. All she had were some old kiddie trunks she couldn¡¯t fit into anymore. Going topless probably wasn¡¯t the best idea, so she¡¯d need to shop for her first bathing suit.


    Sarah and Quinn stared at Leona briefly before her older sister let out a laugh and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I have a special gift for you. Just not on me right now. It¡¯s for your birthday. That¡¯ll take care of that.¡±


    ¡°My birthday was months ago.¡± Leona stated flatly.


    ¡°Well, consider it a late present then,¡± Quinn joked.


    ¡°Umm, I really should head home now,¡± Sarah interjected softly. ¡°My parents dropped me off here and I told them all about you, Leona. They seemed okay with you. But they¡¯re super uptight anyway¡ª¡± Sarah pouted.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say they don¡¯t know where you are?¡± Leona asked.


    ¡°I meant the rave.¡± Sarah rolled her eyes. ¡°How d¡¯you think I got here? The bus? My parents wouldn¡¯t let me use public transportation.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame them.¡± Quinn nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve seen some real weirdos in the back.¡±


    ¡°Hmmmm¡ª¡ªhow weird are we talking about?¡± Sarah asked, curious.


    ¡°Erm¡­ Aha¡­ I¡¯d better not say too much. Just remember to go with friends when you have to.¡± Quinn looked at Leona.


    Sarah looked at Leona and said, ¡°Leona, I think my parents will want to meet you sometime soon. I have to warn you that if they don¡¯t approve of people, I hang out with¡ªthey get¡ªum¡ª¡ªupset.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Leona gaped and protested, ¡°That¡¯s going way overboard! Why are they so controlling? Besides, w¡ªwhat would they have against me?¡± Leona flushed self-consciously.


    ¡°We can get you home.¡± Quinn nodded, changing the subject. Leona was kinda digging herself into a hole. She looked at Sarah again. ¡°Sorry, give us just another sec¡ª¡± Once more she tugged Leona back and whispered, ¡°Can you tell me again why you haven¡¯t told her? I mean¡ªher not knowing about your birth gender should be okay for now, but¡ªyou never know¡ªthings could take you down the romance road and then there¡¯d be a little surprise in store for her¡ª.¡±


    ¡°Not yet¡ª¡± Leona suppressed a scowl. ¡°You can already see how that would go over with her and her parents, right?¡±


    Quinn nodded. ¡°Yeah, like, ¡®By the way, Sarah, the girl you¡¯ve been hanging out with for the last couple hours actually used to be a guy a few years back¡¯¡ªor ¡®Hey, I can¡¯t tell if you really like boys or not because you don¡¯t want your parents to think you might be a lesbian¡¯¡­ I mean she gives off that kinda vibe. She really does. Even so, her parents¡­ They don''t sound like they¡¯d approve of anything out of their norm.¡±


    Leona sighed and nodded in agreement. It just wouldn¡¯t go over well.


    ¡°On the bright side, even if you don¡¯t tell her, I¡¯ll screen for you when you change into your swimsuit. With that nice gaff you have, you probably won¡¯t need to worry. Now let¡¯s finish your date and we can talk more about what to do when we have more time and privacy.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Leona heaved another heavy breath while Quinn stroked her hair reassuringly. ¡°Hey, wait! I told you this was NOT a date!¡± Leona pouted.

 Small Hiatus

    I started experiencing rapid heartbeat, tachycardia. After finishing editing arc 2 for release (refers to releases of Euphonia on Scribblehub), I got up to get a drink and my heart was fluttering nonstop. I called 911 (emergency services) an ambulance arrived and now I''m in the hospital. They reset my heart using machines and medicine. (Feels like falling and your heart seizing.)


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    I don''t know how long I''ll be in the hospital, but maybe I''ve been working too hard and might need to adjust my eating habits going forward, but that''s my guess at the moment.


    Anyhow, sorry if this causes my reader some trouble.


    Please accept a bit of a hiatus until things equalize and I start feeling better. <3 I can''t wait to share the rest of this book with you all, but I do have to.


    Thanks for all your support!


    Rellawing

 Waterworks

    Waterworks


    ¡°You¡¯re here!¡± Sarah exclaimed with a grin as she charged at Leona when she hopped out of Quinn¡¯s convertible. Leona¡¯s not-a-girlfriend was wearing the bathing suit she¡¯d teased about, and it was ultra cute. Super-mega-ultra cute, in fact. A one-piece with pink cats all over it, true to her nature. She also carried a small waterproof bag she¡¯d slung over her shoulder. She threw her arms around Leona, almost bowling her over onto the hot cement of her parent¡¯s driveway where she¡¯d been waiting for the prime moment to pounce on Leona.


    ¡°Hahahahaha! That bathing suit you¡¯re wearing is ridiculously cute! Don¡¯t you feel a little embarrassed wearing it?¡± Leona blushed, grinning in a silly way while hugging Sarah.


    ¡°Nope!¡± Sarah pursed her lips into a small, cat-like grin. ¡°I¡¯d be really embarrassed if I wore a two-piece swimsuit, but my parents would never allow that, anyway!¡±


    ¡°Shhhh, here come the overlords now¡ª¡± Quinn laughed as she spotted Sarah¡¯s parents walking out from their home¡¯s front door off to the side some distance from the garage door, arm-in-arm. They wore serious expressions, causing Quinn to step forward with a warm smile. It was almost like first contact with an alien species.


    ¡°Hey there, Mister and Missus Namias.¡± Quinn greeted them. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Quinn, DJ and musician extraordinaire by trade. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take good care of them both. Thanks to my little sister, I¡¯m used to chaperoning. You can count on me.¡±


    ¡°Make sure you do.¡± Sarah¡¯s father offered a smile. ¡°She¡¯s a handful. See that she does nothing wild or meets any of that criminal element I hear San Isidro is famous for.¡±


    Though she wondered what Sarah¡¯s parents were doing here instead of over in Seaside City if the crime rate bothered them so much, Leona still spoke her mind, ¡°It¡¯s not that bad here¡ª I mean, crime¡¯s been on the rise recently but that doesn¡¯t mean the people of San Isidro are all bad.¡± Sarah¡¯s mother gazed pensively at the two as she noticed how Sarah¡¯s hug hadn¡¯t yet ended.


    ¡°So, what brought you folks to this oh-so-lovely town?¡± Quinn asked, overriding Leona¡¯s defensive statement. ¡°Not that we¡¯re not happy to have Sarah here. She¡¯s been nothing but great!¡±


    Leona¡¯s new friend¡¯s mother smiled warmly while the father frowned now. ¡°A forced relocation by my company. Apparently the corporate taxes are lowest here for the moment.¡± He was not at all happy to be here, it seemed. ¡°Profit matters above all to corporations. I could have commuted across the bay, but the quickest way would be to go via the gondola. It¡¯s a bit too slow and unreliable. The drive would have been an hour and a half hours up the coast, so I settled for the best neighborhood I could find here.¡±


    ¡°Oh! It¡¯s a lovely home, though, isn¡¯t it?¡± Quinn laughed, scratching her head. ¡°Nicer than ours, though ours isn¡¯t too bad either. Ma owns and operates a charming caf¨¦. The people who come in are nothing but friendly and wonderful people. They hug each other, particularly Ma, every day. You can¡¯t expect to see that kind of thing too often outside a church, am I right?¡± she asked lamely.


    ¡°That sounds wonderful. Do they worship when they come?¡± Sarah¡¯s mother¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    ¡°Uh¡ªnot as far as I know¡ª¡ª ahahaha! ¡ªWe¡¯re not exactly devout types or anything like that¡ªbut we feed the body and soul in all kinds of healthy ways. Everyone calls our mother Goonie. That¡¯s her beatnik creed.¡±


    Sarah¡¯s father scowled and tersely said, ¡°You should be on your way. At this rate, the sun will set before you¡¯ve left.¡± Sarah¡¯s mother looked at her husband with narrowed eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so harsh with them,¡± the kitty¡¯s mother chided her husband and laughed as she returned her attention to Sarah and the other two. ¡°Go on, kids. Have fun today! There¡¯s a lovely pie in the oven waiting for you when you get back. Make sure you come home before it gets cold, okay? You can all have some.¡±


    Leona gestured and tugged Sarah toward the backseat of the convertible. Seeing Leona hop over the door into her seat, Sarah less gracefully followed suit. She looked anxious as Quinn hurried to the driver¡¯s seat, leaping in herself. It had become almost expected to not use the doors... Like, ever.


    Before he returned inside, Sarah¡¯s father turned back for a moment to say, ¡°Drive carefully.¡±


    ¡°SHIT! No offense, Sarah, but your dad¡¯s pretty intense¡ª¡± Quinn complained as they drove down San Isidro¡¯s most major boulevard. An alarm rang off in the distance, indicating some sort of theft was in progress. It didn¡¯t happen every day, but it happened more often these days now that Cheshire was nowhere to be seen in her hometown, let alone El Aguilla.


    ¡°I¡¯m not offended.¡± Sarah fidgeted. ¡°Daddy¡¯s stern, but he''s a good Christian. Dad¡ªhe expects nothing but the best from me.¡±


    Leona wasn¡¯t sure if she should comment on that.


    Sarah eventually broke the uncomfortable silence again. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m so happy to be going with you to a water park.¡± She gazed at Leona pensively. ¡°But I¡¯m wondering why you chose that swimsuit, in particular. It¡¯s not as cute as mine even though you¡¯re way cuter than me. I¡¯m wondering if you wore that just to make me giggle.¡± Leona laughed and blushed beet red, already resenting Quinn for having convinced her to wear it.


    Leona was wearing a gaff beneath a stereotypical Japanese school one-piece swimsuit. It felt a little smaller than it actually was when she became more self-conscious of it. Quinn was rocking a lovely and daring bikini beneath the layer of clothes, a light and breezy green sundress with sandals, to make a better impression on Sarah¡¯s parents. Leona wasn¡¯t sure how that actually worked out though, considering her hair was still olive-green.


    Leona and Sarah screamed happily as they slid down a water slide. Leona held onto Sarah to control her position and scooch her away from certain key sensitive areas. If something unexpected happened, things might get really, really, really awkward. ¡®By accident¡¯ wasn¡¯t how Leona wanted Sarah to find out what she had down there.


    The two were otherwise uninhibited as they landed in the pools and paddled madly towards the edges, only to run to the next slide. Leona followed as Sarah sought the most exciting ones, grinning at how happy and enthusiastic she was being. While they were waiting in line for the biggest slide, Leona considered for a moment and asked, ¡°By the way, how did you manage to sneak out to a rave when your parents are so¡ª?¡± She didn¡¯t complete that line.


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    Sarah¡¯s shoulders jumped, but eventually she chuckled to herself mirthlessly. ¡°Um¡ªit¡¯s rare, but I rebel a bit sometimes, like I¡¯ve said¡­ You know I didn¡¯t tell them where I was really going that time¡ªbut I try not to overdo it, otherwise someday they¡¯ll start policing everything I do, I mean. But anyway, when I left my house that night, I said it was to go to a small anime convention. My father doesn¡¯t approve of anime in general, saying it¡¯s full of satanic messages¡ª¡ªbut Mom is a little less uptight about it and she convinced him to let me out since she wants me to make friends.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡ªwhat¡¯s satanic about this swimsuit? It¡¯s like the most proper and modest thing ever invented¡ª¡± Leona started, but someone behind them cut in and interrupted.


    ¡°Oh crap! A real middle-schooler Japanese swimsuit! That¡¯s awesome!¡± A guy standing behind them exclaimed. Leona blinked and blushed furiously as he continued, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen one in the wild before. Can I take pictures of you?¡±


    ¡°Dude, this isn¡¯t an anime convention.¡± His friend laughed. ¡°But that¡¯s still not a bad idea. Why don¡¯t we hook up after this ride and get a bite at the stands? I¡¯m kinda in the mood to head to the lazy river after, wanna come?¡±


    ¡°Ahhhh, wimp! We¡¯re going on this like four or five more times first. If you don¡¯t go on the big slides, it¡¯s a waste of money!¡± The first guy exclaimed. ¡°Nice idea, though. These girls are really¡ª¡± He was eyeing Sarah in particular with her white swimsuit covered in kitties.


    Leona fidgeted uncomfortably. This was the first time in a while this kind of thing had happened. Ever since her transition, whenever she was brave enough to go into the world, some creepy guy or other would catcall at her, even trying to hit on her. Even though she¡¯d coped a few times before, Leona¡¯s mind went blank when she went scanning her brain for Goonie and Quinn¡¯s advice.


    ¡°These girls are underaged, so keep it in your pants, buster. No, just stay away.¡± Quinn stepped forward from where she¡¯d been watching nearby, popping her knuckles. ¡°Bottom line, don¡¯t mess with my little sisters, would ya kindly?¡± She said darkly to the two guys who just grinned back at her; the two more interested in her bikini and her fit, tight body than feeling any kind of intimidation.


    ¡°The more, the merrier. There¡¯s no harm in having a snack. It¡¯s my treat. I¡¯m loaded.¡± The first guy with blonde hair said with a benevolent smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s nice and all, but I¡¯m good,¡± Sarah stated.


    Quinn nodded and spoke with a sarcastic tone, ¡°It¡¯s kind of you to offer, but I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll be on our way. Our schedule today doesn¡¯t involve you two.¡±


    ¡°HEY!¡± The second guy glared. ¡°That¡¯s rude. What about you? You¡¯re kinda quiet.¡± He eyed Leona with a smile.


    ¡°I said: Don¡¯t TOUCH MY LITTLE SISTER.¡± Quinn snarled. ¡°Fuck off.¡± The boys glared at Quinn but remained quiet, once in a while exchanging glances. Quinn took Leona and Sarah by the arm and pulled them closer to the back of the queue.


    ¡°Can we stand here? We were up there. It¡¯s not gonna change anything.¡± Quinn asked.


    The woman and the man she was addressing agreed with gentle smiles on their faces. Their children grinned gleefully, caught up in their anticipation of the fun they¡¯d have when they got to go down this super long and twisty slide.


    When it became their turn, the girls all started climbing the platform¡¯s stairs until they reached the top along rows upon rows of scaffolding-like walkways. After the long and hot trek upwards where the water slide¡¯s top came into sight, an unexpected sight greeted them. The blonde guy from earlier was standing there in place of an official employee, who usually stood under the canopy, keeping the lines moving. Quinn seared him with a glare as he watched someone sit and start their way down and she looked into the eyes of Sarah and Leona as she spoke softly, ¡°You two go first. We¡¯re definitely not coming back to this slide if they¡¯re still here.¡±


    The blonde guy smiled disarmingly while his friend waited by the slide.


    Leona glared at the guys, wondering what they were up to. ¡°Just go, quickly. Jump in,¡± Quinn murmured.


    The two hesitated, but Leona nodded and dove feet first, holding Sarah¡¯s hand. She followed Leona and with an excited eeep the two started their descent. Leona was glad she hadn¡¯t wrapped her legs around Sarah again because if she got an erection while bumping into her while sliding down water slides might out her right there and then. But that wasn¡¯t the biggest risk, in fact.


    It wasn¡¯t any better to do it the ¡®safer¡¯ way. When Leona felt Sarah¡¯s legs wrap around her hips, squeezing firmly while she whooped into her ears as they catapulted through the twists and loops along the length of the slide, Leona¡¯s reaction tested the mettle of her gaff to the max. It was a struggle to hide the inevitable reaction when Sarah pressed her modest B cups against her back and she felt her soft thighs clamp around her. Leona cursed herself for thinking going first would be easier to deal with than this.


    Meanwhile, Quinn stood with her arms crossed. ¡°What are you two up to?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. The guy on duty is a friend of mine. I¡¯m not in the mood for food anymore, so I gave him a bit of money to get himself a nice cold drink.¡±


    Quinn¡¯s eyes narrowed further. The blonde¡¯s friend remained silent while admiring the skyline across the bay. ¡°Fine¡­ I just don¡¯t want to see either of you stalking us today.¡± Quinn made for the slide so she wouldn¡¯t lose track of the girls she was looking after. As she neared the drop, the guy¡¯s quiet friend rushed up behind Quinn to seize her legs, causing her to fall face first down onto the slide.


    ¡°Have fun on your way down, bitch!¡± The blonde grinned gleefully, waving as his friend shoved Quinn down.


    Leona¡¯s hands flew down to her crotch to cover herself as they rushed down the slide, while Sarah whooped, screaming joyfully. All too soon, the ride ended, and they made a mighty splash at the bottom. Just as she feared, the sudden force and all her friend¡¯s rubbing against her made Leona¡¯s boy bits spring out from their restraints.


    Worried, Leona resurfaced even as the laughing Sarah came up beside her with a gasp and a delighted squeal. Leona looked at Sarah with bleary eyes and cleared them as Sarah waded over to her. Leona dodged and stumbled backwards. If Sarah discovered her secret right here and now¡ªif she hugged her¡ª


    Not only was Leona worried about her cover, but she was far more concerned about Quinn. She didn¡¯t like the smug look in that blonde¡¯s eyes the moment they dove onto the slide. She just knew he was up to something, but didn¡¯t know what.


    Sarah blinked and followed Leona as she waded away. While doing so, Leona was still trying to get herself under control. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Sarah asked. Leona blinked and chewed her lip, leaning against the pool¡¯s side to hide herself. Too much fidgeting with her crotch openly would be extremely suspicious.


    Twisting towards Leona, Sarah looked into Leona¡¯s eyes and asked, ¡°You¡¯re worried about Quinn, right? Anyways, I think she blew that whole situation out of proportion¡ªthey seemed kind of nice before, didn¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so na?ve.¡± Leona snapped. ¡°They probably wanted to take us somewhere else¡ªfor some ¡®private fun¡¯.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Sarah gaped. ¡°We¡¯re just fifteen. Why would anybody in college want to do that?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure they just wanted to make sure we were having a good time and you¡¯re both really paranoid. If his friend works here like he said, it¡¯s probably¡ª¡±


    A distraught gurgling cry came from the exit of the water slide. Then, this next person in line hit the water. Hard.


    Leona was facing the slide when she saw Quinn¡¯s olive-green hair flash through the air just before she hit the water headfirst. Going face-first down a water slide no matter the rules was kind of her sister¡¯s style¡ªit was risky and she¡¯d always been a thrill seeker, but in that split second she saw something else; she had a bloody nose.


    ¡°Quinn!¡± Leona yelped and dove after her adoptive sister, swimming as hard as her muscular legs could take her to her side. Something was seriously wrong. Quinn wasn¡¯t moving, just floating with her head face-down in the water. Leona wrapped her arms around Quinn and quickly pulled her to the side of the wading pool. Sarah had followed and when she noticed Quinn¡¯s pale face and bloodied nose, she gasped as she took Quinn¡¯s other arm.


    ¡°Is she okay!?¡± asked a lifeguard from the poolside who had rushed over, noticing Quinn¡¯s predicament. Leona shook her head. The man reached down, kneeling, and helped the two girls pull Quinn out from the pool. Once Quinn was out, he checked her vital signs and immediately started performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Quinn¡¯s face was frighteningly pale, so very white, like a sheet with a few trickles of red leaking from her nostrils.


    Leona started crying while the lifeguard was pumping away at Quinn¡¯s ribcage and intermittently blowing into her mouth to fill her lungs. Sarah¡¯s eyes filled with her own tears and she lost control, realizing she was wrong.


    After a long moment, Quinn spluttered and spat out water and blood.


    ¡°Quinn!¡± Leona yelled, sobbing.

 The Confession

    The Confession


    Thankfully, Quinn didn¡¯t need to go to a hospital. She was, however, furious and looked everywhere for the dickheads who¡¯d viciously shoved her down that water slide.


    Perhaps it was best for all involved that she couldn¡¯t find them. She might have murdered them.


    Sooner rather than later, the three decided it was time to leave. The circumstances had cut short their fun in the sun and there wasn¡¯t much to be gained by sticking around to seethe.


    After piling into her car, Quinn turned to look at the girls. Instead of suggesting they return home, she surprised them, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to a drive-in now? Sarah¡¯s parents won¡¯t be expecting us for another few hours and I don¡¯t want to have to try to explain to them why we headed back so early.¡±


    ¡°¡ªI¡¯d like that¡ª¡± Sarah mumbled. ¡°Are you sure, though? You went through something truly awful today. Remember that my mom baked an apple pie? I bet a slice of her pie would make you feel better.¡± Sarah chewed her lip, waiting for a response. Leona frowned.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Quinn laughed, relieving the tension. ¡°I¡¯m so pissed off right now I can¡¯t properly express it, but I won¡¯t let those piss ants ruin my day. It¡¯s not my style to let anyone screw with my head and make me into some kind of victim. If I ever see them again¡ªwell, they¡¯d just better hope I don¡¯t.¡±


    Sarah chuckled nervously while Leona blinked. Sarah said, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to share that delicious pie with you, the both of you, but more than that¡ª¡± she lowered her voice as she turned her eyes on Leona, ¡°I want to be out with you as long as possible too. Um¡ªplease let¡¯s not tell my dad about what happened today¡ªat all. He might not let me go out like this ever again if he found out about how Quinn got hurt.¡±


    Quinn quickly nodded in agreement. ¡°Yeah¡ªhe probably wouldn¡¯t trust me ever again, let alone this city, particularly if you repeated what I just said to him.¡± She said with a wry expression for Sarah as she went on, ¡°Sad fact is he¡¯s not exactly wrong¡­ We all know things are getting worse¡ª Unpleasant characters like those bums do hang around. Don¡¯t worry though, we keep those kinds of creeps out of our raves. You weren¡¯t in any danger there. You couldn¡¯t have chosen a better one to try out.¡±


    Leona winced, thinking about how Robbie got mauled by his old flame at her very first rave. She looked at Quinn with a slight frown as she said, ¡°I don¡¯t know about that¡ª¡± Her sister shook her head, interrupting Leona¡¯s train of thought, reading her mind. Learning the truth about what happened today would have Sarah¡¯s father up in arms. Putting on a weak smile, Leona glanced at Sarah, instead changing what she was about to say, ¡°But, Sis¡­ You say raves are safe, but your friends there seemed kinda rough.¡±


    ¡°Nah!¡± Quinn spread her arms expressively. ¡°Tough on the outside, sweethearts on the inside, all of them. You know better than that, Leona. You don¡¯t judge a book by its cover!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so true¡ªmost people are better than we think.¡± The ever-na?ve Sarah smiled brightly, and Quinn¡¯s words chastened Leona. She studied Sarah with a sigh.


    That¡¯s probably a bit too optimistic even from her, but she¡¯s so cute¡­ Leona, who knew how dark the world could be, smiled for her friend and reached over to take her friend¡¯s hand.


    Just the thought of anything happening to steal Sarah¡¯s innocence from her or even make her want to cry made Leona¡¯s heart lurch. But thankfully, this time at least, things had worked out, and she was unchanged.


    SeaView Cinema had been a mainstay in the San Isidro area for close to three decades now. It was the site where countless wonderful memories got made with friends, family and date nights; from young couples going on their first dates to Leave-The-Kids-With-The-Babysitter Night for the parents to those looking to celebrate their golden anniversaries with a trip down memory lane.


    Sadly, like so many other things in the area, the current reality of the drive-in theater didn¡¯t quite live up to those fond memories anymore. Management and ownership had changed hands several times over the years, so of course things would change, but what was once a bastion of indie and art-house films had slowly given way to the more lucrative blockbusters of the modern era.


    The distinctive character and personality of the place had slowly but surely been squeezed out for more mainstream fare over the years. Becoming more homogenized, more corporate.


    Now everywhere the customers turned were piles of ads for candies, soft drinks and posters for the Next Big Thing To See. And the assault wasn¡¯t only visual. They¡¯d even gotten to all those little speakers that the drive-in handed out so you could hear the sounds of the movie while you rolled up your windows. You couldn¡¯t ever completely turn them off and constant ads were played pre and post each screening.


    The only reason Quinn even considered bringing them to the SeaView was because she knew some of the concession workers. They also worked the rave circuit, because, of course they did. They weren¡¯t exactly the best employees, but truly loved the movie-going experience and plenty of them wanted to make movies themselves.


    A few of their representatives had asked Quinn if she¡¯d be interested in letting them use a track or two of hers for their scores, particularly for action scenes, but she¡¯d declined since she didn¡¯t think her music quite fit with what they were trying to do.


    After paying for admittance and picking up their speaker box, the three pulled up to a parking spot in the drive-in well ahead of when the next screening would start.


    While they waited, Quinn seriously asked Leona, ¡°Hey, squirt. Why the long face?¡± Before Leona even had time to respond, Quinn¡¯s eyes promptly turned to the other girl present and smiled, saying, ¡°Sarah, chill out here while we grab some concessions at the stand. What would you like? A hot dog? Some chicken strips? Popcorn? Something to drink?¡±


    Sarah¡¯s head tilted as she considered the question. ¡°Um¡ªI think¡­ Do they have pizza? And maybe a soda?¡± Sarah asked with a wondering expression. ¡°But why can¡¯t I come with you? We¡¯re here together, right?¡±


    ¡°Pretty sure they got pizza!¡± Quinn laughed. ¡°It¡¯s just sister talk. I wanted to ask if Leona¡¯s okay after my tragic near-demise earlier.¡±


    Sarah nodded. ¡°I understand now! I wasn¡¯t thinking about how she¡¯d feel¡­ I mean, I know she¡¯s sad under those smiles right now¡ª¡± She threw her arms around Leona in a tight hug. ¡°She¡¯s absolutely right! Go have a talk! I¡¯ll keep myself occupied.¡± Sarah pointed at the central movie screen playing trailers and advertisements for businesses in Seaside City and San Isidro.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Leona blushed, looking at Sarah. Her heart thudded. She was absent-minded sometimes but so stinking cute. Way more than Leona could hope to be. She felt a spontaneous and intense urge to kiss Sarah.


    Quinn waited, smiling, but when nothing happened, she shook her head. ¡°Alright, enough with the googly eyes back there, you two!¡± She laughed. ¡°C¡¯mon!¡± Quinn vaulted out of her car and Leona hesitated before finally bounding out herself. Sarah blinked and chuckled as she watched them land and walk off together. She couldn¡¯t wipe a questioning look from her face.


    When they were far enough off towards the concession stands, weaving between vehicles, Quinn took Leona¡¯s hand. ¡°Alright, you wanted to know what I¡¯ve got on my mind, right? We should talk a bit privately about what happened earlier today. You¡¯re acting awfully, emo.¡± She tweaked Leona¡¯s nose and went on, ¡°Y¡¯ know¡­ I mean, I know you got scared when I came barreling out of that slide headfirst¡ªbut that¡¯s not what I really wanted to talk to you about right now and I know it¡¯s on your mind.¡±


    A commercial suddenly and noisily spiked in volume in the background at that moment, interrupting the moment in a way that had the two glaring at the screen. ¡°Extensive Enterprises. Always look for silver linings!¡± After the overly chipper commercial moved on to an ad for a local restaurant, Leona shook her head.


    She opened her mouth and admitted, ¡°I was hella scared. I felt so helpless. There was nothing I could do. Nothing at all¡ª¡± Tears started leaking out again.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Quickly wrapping her arms around her weepy little sister, she said, ¡°Awwwww¡ªit¡¯s okay¡ª¡ªthat¡¯s life sometimes.¡± After a long hug, she patted Leona¡¯s head gently. ¡°Things will happen¡ªand y¡¯know¡ªworrying about what might happen or thinking too much about what¡¯s past¡ªit¡¯s not good for you, got it?¡±


    Leona sniffled and her lips twisted as she replied, ¡°This from the woman-turned-berserker who ran around like that rampaging maniac looking to slaughter the guys who trashed her.¡± Leona laughed weakly.


    ¡°Hey now, can you blame me for that?¡± Quinn protested with a grin. ¡°Still, I can¡¯t believe they got away after what they did. But honestly, what I really wanted to talk about was you. I¡¯m more glad Sarah didn¡¯t find out your secret at the waterpark. I mean¡ªif my eating it hard saved you from being outed, I¡¯m happy enough.¡±


    ¡°Your life is worth way more than a stupid secret, idiot.¡± Leona couldn¡¯t help but chuckle again at how lightly Quinn still sometimes took everything, but her expression quickly turned serious again. ¡°When I look into Sarah¡¯s eyes, I just¡­ I want to kiss her¡ªand¡ª¡ª I regret keeping things from her. I¡¯m afraid of what she¡¯ll think of me when I tell her, but I think¡ª¡±


    After giving a low whistle, Quinn commented, ¡°So you¡¯re going to tell her then? If her parents catch wind of it, you know what¡¯ll happen. They don¡¯t seem like typical we¡¯re-all-God¡¯s-children types. I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s for the best.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡ªthey seem like decent enough people¡ª¡± Leona protested.


    ¡°Yeeeah, when you say it like that it sounds more like you¡¯re trying to convince yourself rather than me, but Sarah¡ª¡± Quinn paused and actually seemed to mull over what she wanted to say next, this alone caused Leona to stiffen and focus, ¡°I¡¯m one thousand percent sure about this¡ªshe¡¯ll call you a best friend to your face, but her feelings go deeper and I think she¡¯s hiding from it. I think she likes you and it confuses her. If you¡¯re not out of the closet even to yourself, it can scare you. With parents like hers¡­ I can understand. Well, not really, but you know what I mean. If you want it to bloom, you¡¯ll have to tell her at some point, but doing it now might also put an end to things early. As things stand, nothing will happen if you say nothing. But, a word of warning, if you try to date her without being upfront, things¡¯d probably end up even worse in the long run.¡±


    Leona stared down at the ground, nodding softly. Quinn was oddly wise whenever she wasn¡¯t wound up or being impulsive.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go get that food¡ªand when we get back, I think I¡¯ll feel the sudden need to go to the bathroom... Whatever you decide to do, you two should be alone for it.¡±


    When the sisters returned with their food, Quinn passed Sarah her promised big foldable New York-style slice of pizza and a giant plastic cup of some fizzy soda. Sarah grinned brightly in anticipation of the upcoming sugar rush. Leona held her chili cheese dog and an equally large cup of lemon-lime soda that she affixed within one of the pop-out cup holders that came out of the back of the central armrest box.


    ¡°Enjoy your food. It¡¯ll be a bit before the show starts, and gosh¡ª¡ªall that water I swallowed must be catching up to me. Be back when I get this settled.¡± She pointed at her waist. Sarah cracked up while struggling to not dump her food on the car¡¯s seat. Leona grinned broadly, but fidgeted. Her heart was actually thundering. Quinn¡¯s exit was quick and surprisingly graceful (compared to her usual anti-subtlety), though she still walked exaggeratedly so no one watching would question her excuse.


    Leona settled down in the seat next to Sarah and for a while, all they did was share warm smiles in silence. The announcement that the movie was starting interrupted their moment, blasting through the radios of the cars, breaking the spell of relative silence and prompting Sarah to ask, ¡°Did you settle things? You seem happier now. Your sister seems tough, but silly.¡± She giggled.


    ¡°Yeah¡ªwe did.¡± Leona nodded and swallowed a gulp of her soda through her straw. ¡°Um¡­ Sarah, y¡¯know¡ªthere¡¯s something I want to tell you¡ªand I hope you¡¯ll whisper with me¡ª¡± Her voice lowered into a whisper.


    ¡°What? Is Quinn hurt? Does she need to go to the hospital after all?¡± Sarah concernedly asked.


    ¡°No¡ªit¡¯s nothing like that. It¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m¡­ something about me that¡ªit¡¯s¡ª¡ªunexpected, maybe¡ª¡± Leona blushed at the thought of confessing her secret to Sarah right here and now.


    Sarah smiled. ¡°You¡¯re way too cute right now and you¡¯re emotionally strong and¡ª¡± Her voice trailed off as she puzzled it over. Leona blushed more deeply at Sarah¡¯s having called her cute. Sarah had discovered her weakness. ¡°Oh Lord, are you a Satanist?¡±


    Leona practically fell over, her head crooking. ¡°What!? No! Your parents might think that if you ever blabbed about this, but no¡ªI¡¯m a good person!¡± She vehemently protested.


    Sarah waved her hands wildly and rushed to say, ¡°I know you are, Leona. You¡¯re my best friend.¡± Sarah gulped, clearing her throat. ¡°No, I can¡¯t pretend¡ªI think I already know what you¡¯re going to say to me¡ª¡±


    ¡°You do?!¡± Leona gasped.


    How can I be cute if she¡¯s already guessed about my secret?!


    Sarah nodded confidently. ¡°I want you to know that I still want to be your friend despite this, but I¡ªI don¡¯t think I really like you the way you want me to.¡± Sarah looked down and away, fidgeting.


    Wow! She figured out that I like her? That¡¯s it?! Wait, but isn¡¯t that actually a huge deal?! I want her to be my girlfriend!


    Leona blushed furiously and backpedaled, asking, ¡°Y-you think I li-li-li-like you?¡± Her eyes looked anywhere else but Sarah¡¯s face, but she still somehow felt when Sarah¡¯s eyes widened and filled with tears.


    ¡°You¡ªyou don¡¯t?¡± Leona¡¯s head ratcheted back to face Sarah. She was blushing even more than Leona at this point. ¡°I¡ªI¡ªI thought¡­ You know¡ª¡ªI was a fool to think that you¡¯d¡ª¡±


    Leona giggled softly and shook her head in response.


    Could it be that maybe she¡¯s acting like some kind of tsundere? She¡¯s saying things she doesn¡¯t really mean?


    With a wry smile, Leona put a hand on Sarah¡¯s shoulder and shook her head as she said, ¡°No¡ªit¡¯s, it¡¯s not that¡ª¡± It was hard to say, but maybe there wasn¡¯t any hope that Sarah could ever return her love in the same way.


    Considering her options, Leona lay out her cards, anyways. What did she have to lose if Sarah couldn¡¯t bring herself to accept her love? ¡°I¡¯m¡ªI¡¯m just literally not who you think I am is what I really want to tell you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not¡ª?¡± Sarah blinked, relieved, but still not exactly satisfied. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to say, but I¡¯m relieved now that it isn¡¯t that you¡­ I mean, hahaha!¡ª You kind of were making me question some things that I¡ª¡ªthat my parents¡ªthe Bible¡ª¡±


    Leona blinked, realizing Quinn was right about her and these words confirmed her own suspicions. But how to move forward?


    She reached over and put her hands on Sarah¡¯s shoulders, the both of them, and looked into her eyes.


    Sarah blushed red as though Leona had pinned her against a wall. ¡°Hey¡ªhere¡¯s everything I wanted to tell you. I won¡¯t hide it anymore from you. Biologically, I¡¯m a boy. I wasn¡¯t born a girl. I mean¡ªthere¡¯s still that part of me that still is even if the rest of me is 100% girl¡ªat least what anyone could see on the street¡­ But well, I needed to tell you before I burst¡ªbefore things got out of hand I¡ªI couldn¡¯t live with myself anymore if our friendship ended because I didn¡¯t share it.¡±


    With a gulp, Sarah¡¯s eyes widened more and more as Leona spoke. At the end she panicked and jerked away. When she¡¯d backed up enough to press herself against the door, a hand on the door latch, she stopped completely before shaking her head. Contrary to everything Leona expected, Sarah started to laugh and slapped herself, bursting with gales of increasingly merry laughter.


    ¡°Oh, oh wow! That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s so weird! I¡¯d never have Leona¡­ But it¡¯s good! Weird, but sooo good! And if you¡¯re actually a boy, that means that there was no reason to worry so much!¡± Sarah beamed brightly and threw herself at Leona to snuggle against her chest with no reservation. Leona gaped cluelessly as Sarah softly laughed it out and her shirt started feeling awfully wet suddenly. Sarah was crying, her fingers tangled in Leona¡¯s shirt. ¡°Mmm¡­ Leona, I¡¯m so happy right now¡ª¡ªso much that I can¡¯t properly express it.¡±


    Leona couldn¡¯t stop gaping in astonishment. All she could do was blush, but after a moment, she warmly embraced Sarah. ¡°I-I¡¯m happy too.¡± She felt a weird sense of worry about this situation. ¡°But why were you worried?¡±


    Leona was about to continue to ask for an explanation but Sarah lifted a hand and pressed it against Leona¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°No, never mind that¡­ What most matters right now is that now that I know the truth, I can finally feel comfortable with these feelings.¡± Sarah continued to snuggle with a smile, and she let out another trumpeting of laughter. Her eyes narrowed, and she leaned back to poke one of Leona¡¯s breasts. ¡°These boobs of yours feel so real¡ªwait, they really ARE real! Just having pressed up against them didn¡¯t really sink in until now. I just know that they¡¯re absolutely not fake. What gives?¡±


    With a twist of her lips, Leona wondered whether Sarah really didn¡¯t know anything about the world outside her cocoon.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t know? Like I said, I¡¯m not a boy. Well, I guess I¡¯m kind of stuck in between. Like others like myself, I went through some serious changes when I decided that I¡¯m truly a girl on the inside. Simply put, it¡¯s called hormonal replacement therapy or HRT. I¡¯ve been on a medical treatment regimen for many years now and learned early about who I really am¡ªthree years in total so far¡ªand someday I¡¯ll be a complete girl¡ªwith surgery, but I won¡¯t be able to have kids. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you about myself before now¡ªit just never felt like the right time, even though we haven¡¯t known each other too long yet¡ªand I know that knowing this about me might cause some problems, but¡­ I didn¡¯t want to trick or lie to you. And until now I didn¡¯t know how to express it¡ª¡±


    Sarah waited for Leona to finish and nodded before launching herself forward, embracing Leona with more warmth. ¡°I think I kinda get it. It¡¯s so weird. But I hope we can still be really good friends.¡±


    Leona nearly shorted out as she gaped down at Sarah, uncertain about how to proceed. Was it really going to be this easy? Why did Leona get this funny feeling something was seriously off? With Sarah¡¯s affectionate hug and her words about friendship at odds in her mind, the wires were certainly getting crossed somewhere.


    Mumbling against Leona¡¯s chest, Sarah admitted, ¡°I get that you didn¡¯t feel you were really a boy, I guess¡ªbut holding you like this¡ªit just doesn¡¯t feel real. I don¡¯t at all understand how you can be a boy. There¡¯s nothing boyish about you. But I¡¯ll trust what you¡¯re telling me without proof. No, don¡¯t dare show me!¡± Sarah blushed crimson. ¡°Like I said earlier, I¡¯m glad you were born a boy. I um¡­ I¡ªkind of¡ª¡ªahem¡­ Ever since we met I¡¯ve been happier¡ªy-you know?¡± Sarah looked up through lowered lashes into Leona¡¯s eyes, seeking understanding.


    ¡°Me too¡­ I¡¯m happier that we¡¯ve met.¡± For Leona, tonight the universe had been turned entirely upside-down. Could things get weirder?!

 Lets Go to Justicon!

    Let''s Go to Justicon!


    Time passed and Quinn, Sarah, and Leona all went back to school.


    Goonie spoke with Leona and Quinn¡¯s Principal in advance about special provisions Leona might need now that she was a High School freshman. Thankfully, he cooperated and agreed that he and any of the other staff who knew would keep Leona¡¯s transgender status a secret. In other words, the Principal had granted Leona some privileges to help conceal it.


    Quinn took it upon herself to introduce Leona around the campus. As a result, she got some borrowed social credit from her sister¡¯s reputation which was nice to have in a new environment.


    Leona¡¯s most recent friends wouldn¡¯t be going to her new high school except for Sarah so if it weren¡¯t for her sister¡¯s help, she¡¯d have had to start from a completely blank slate, having no friends all over again.


    Speaking of, Leona and Sarah¡¯s relationship remained delicate and had felt odd since the confession.


    Sarah, being the good little girl she was, had informed her parents about Leona and they maintained she should keep a proper distance between herself and Leona from that point on. They were still best friends in name, but there was now a distance that belied how Sarah embraced Leona in the backseat of Quinn¡¯s car at the drive-in. She couldn¡¯t visit Sarah¡¯s home, nor the other way around. The whole situation left where the two stood with one another very murky.


    Leona knew things couldn¡¯t continue on as they were and so directly asked her one day, ¡°Hey, why have you been kind of avoiding me?¡±


    Sarah sighed and tugged Leona into the girl¡¯s bathroom with her. She checked around to see if it was empty before locking the door and looked Leona directly into her eyes as she apologized, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about this. My parents told me they don¡¯t want me to get a poor reputation¡­ They¡¯re just thinking about my future. I mean, you know how they forced all the details out of me when I was a little late getting back¡ªbut no matter what happens now, please remember that you¡¯re still my best friend and I still love you.¡±


    Leona sighed, satisfied with Sarah¡¯s answer¡ªbut a fraction of a second later Sarah seized Leona¡¯s shirt with a serious look, yanked her forward and thoroughly kissed her.


    With wide eyes and knocking knees, Leona turned into melted butter. She wouldn¡¯t have expected this from Sarah, particularly not after what she just said!


    This girl said and did some pretty contradictory things. Seriously, did ¡®best friends¡¯ make out with each other like they were?


    After breaking the kiss, Sarah smiled warmly at Leona. ¡°I¡¯d love to sneak some more kisses with you soon. But even a nice hug now and again would be nice.¡± Sarah flushed and smiled.


    Leona didn¡¯t know what to think except she had feelings for this girl, no matter the circumstances.


    To fill the gap in her heart, Leona decided to take a step forward on her own and make some new friends beyond Quinn¡¯s circle. This was going smoothly until Sarah noticed Leona was now spending so much time with others, at which point she affably inserted herself into the freshly formed group.


    The worst thing Leona had to face from these new friends was that, for a reason Leona couldn¡¯t understand, they were constantly trying to fix her up with interested boys, of which there seemed to be a never ending supply. She gently turned them all down and her friends eventually caught on and instead began acting as her protectors.


    Being in a group with them more often meant fewer incidents.


    ¡°Justicon!? Are you kidding? Really?¡± Leona practically exploded with enthusiasm she hadn¡¯t expressed since she was small. She bounced up and down.


    Back in the day, what would become Justicon hadn¡¯t started out called that. It started as a small in-person get-together of people who the first-generation superheroes had saved. The first organizers were those who wanted to express their thanks to the heroes who had saved either them or a family member and to help the heroes better connect with the people.


    But, as with so many other things, the little get-together didn¡¯t immediately take off and grow into the juggernaut it would become until a visionary came along.


    In this case, that person was Geoff Keensley.


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    Geoff had been a young go-getter in the world of advertising and marketing. He started out concerned more with working his way up to partner at his agency until one day disaster struck.


    An earthquake had struck his city and caused a landslide that trapped him and the rest of his agency under the dirt and debris. A first responder superhero named Granite, a gen-one hero with terra-kinesis, saved Geoff and his coworkers that day, but there were at least a half-dozen other heroes present who¡¯d chipped in and saved lord-knows how many other people.


    Geoff was, of course, incredibly grateful to the heroes, but it wasn¡¯t until he saw how the whole disaster was being covered by the media afterwards that Geoff discovered a golden opportunity. A chance to both give something back and to grow his own name.


    Back then, heroes were comparatively aloof. They usually, and sometimes literally, just swooped in to save the day before taking off again without saying a word. This left the public with countless questions, as these mysterious people with such great power weren¡¯t giving the public any opportunity to get to know them. It was only a matter of time before various groups and individuals stepped up to take advantage and filled the vacuum with fear-mongering for their own gain.


    It did not surprise Geoff that there were people out there who would try to drag down the good names of the heroes for their own gain, but he wasn¡¯t about to let them off the hook.


    Geoff reached out and made contacts within the hero-loving community and used his considerable marketing talents to fix up the heroes¡¯ public image.


    It¡¯s fair to say that the things Geoff did in those years had a major impact on the way modern heroes interact with the public. Geoff, in turn, got rewarded for his efforts by getting in on the ground floor of the hero-celebrity trend; needless to say, he did well for himself.


    The ¡°SoCal Hero¡¯s Tribute,¡± as it was once known by everyone, was a reaction to negative drivel that was being put out about heroes. A reminder that the heroes had done well and that their good deeds hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed. When Geoff came along, he transformed the gathering into Justicon, a chance to meet and get to know your favorite hero and interact with them in ways you never otherwise would be able to.


    Sure, there were always those secretive, mysterious types like the Midnight Avenger, but there were plenty of gregarious heroes who loved the spotlight and shone ever brighter than they otherwise would have. It became a virtuous cycle that saw heroes become celebrities that in turn led to more people wanting to get to know the heroes, which led to more celebrity appearances.


    Fast forward a couple of decades and although plenty of things had changed about the cultural landscape and the heroes¡¯ place in it, today¡¯s Justicon was still one of the bigger Superhero fan conventions and Sarah had serendipitously scored a couple of tickets for them.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Sarah smiled. ¡°Seaside isn¡¯t too far off, and I saved up¡­ I also didn¡¯t exactly tell my parents I was inviting you, so don''t tell them, okay?¡± Sarah laughed.


    ¡°Of course I won¡¯t! I normally have to watch things like this remotely! I just didn¡¯t have the money and even though Goonie makes a decent amount for us, my healthcare and hormones aren¡¯t exactly cheap. It wasn¡¯t certain that we¡¯d be able to afford a ticket for me. Does this mean you¡¯re going too?¡±


    Sarah nodded slowly. ¡°Yeah, I decided I wanted to go to something like this with you, knowing what you like. I like superheroes too, just not as much as you seem to.¡± She giggled but her tittering faltered as she asked, ¡°You know... How I¡¯ve been treating you lately¡ªdoes it hurt you? I¡¯d understand if you didn¡¯t want to go with me.¡±


    Leona shook her head and quickly snatched the ticket, but she took Sarah¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I wouldn''t go there if you weren¡¯t going too! I¡¯d have taken you, too!¡± They blushed together, but after a moment, Leona wrenched her hand away, remembering Sarah¡¯s prohibition.


    Flustered, Leona turned her eyes down to the ticket and her eyes widened as the blush faded as she realized what she was holding. ¡°Oh gosh, these are¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Sarah bounced and giggled, announcing what she¡¯d gone and done. ¡°GAMMA TICKETS! They¡¯re the ones that last all weekend and come with all the extras!¡± Leona blushed far more, touched by Sarah¡¯s gesture. With a fidget, she looked down, smiling serenely.


    Uncertain, Sarah leaned forward and whispered, ¡°I mean, it¡¯s exactly what you¡¯d want, right?¡±


    After a moment, Leona straightened and hopped, showing her joy more visibly by breaking into giddy giggles that Sarah joined on the spot. An emo and kinda dark-looking girl pushed her way into the bathroom and stared at the two bouncing, looking queasy. She ducked into a stall and slammed the door behind.


    Leona and Sarah stopped, blushing, and moments later, the two were quietly giggling and Leona added more quietly, ¡°Are you kidding? This¡¯ll be my first time going to a convention, let alone to Seaside City!¡± Leona couldn¡¯t help letting out another squee. ¡°I¡¯ve ALWAYS wanted to go in person!¡±


    ¡°Aughhh!¡± The retching noise coming from the stall sounded purely forced.


    When she was younger, despite her deep love for superheroes, Leona spent a fair chunk of time at the time intrigued by supervillains. She always wondered why they existed and how they could be so bad. Young Leona asked many questions of her parents, primarily about the villain''s motivations and even asked if they¡¯d take her to go to various conventions, but her mother was always busy with work and her father was never interested.


    What little Leona remembered before coming to live with Goonie was fading with every passing day, though she¡¯d never forget her mother¡¯s sparkling smile, but there was another stark image that stood out in her mind aside from the inside of her mother¡¯s old dress chest. Her father never seemed to like superheroes, but one moment with her father stood out most and stuck in her mind even as everything else began to blur: the moment he destroyed her Vanguard action figure.


    She still had that figure too, long since having been salvaged from the old house by Goonie along with her precious possessions and his mother¡¯s mementos, but it was a little melted from her father¡¯s having thrown it into the family¡¯s cheap CRT television set with enough force to break through the glass.


    Leona swallowed hard. ¡°I¡ªI just don¡¯t know what else to say¡ª¡±


    ¡°As long as you say ¡®yes¡¯, that¡¯s all I want to hear,¡± Sarah said, grinning. ¡°So, it¡¯s the first week in December and, this being a dry-ish year in California, I¡¯d guess we¡¯re not going to get any snow, so I think it¡¯ll be fun¡ªat least I hope so and by then I should have a little more allowance saved up for some goodies!¡±

 At the Convention

    At the Convention


    The Hermes International Conference and Convention Center in Seaside City was hosting the event again this year. The Center was an utterly massive hive of halls and sub-venues but even with so much capacity it was still barely able to contain all the fans, many of which were just as avid as Leona. At the very least, they were all people with a great interest in the ¡®Cape and Cowl¡¯ culture.


    There were tons of cosplayers attending who dressed like their favorite heroes or, once in a while, a villain. While the fans each had varying levels of interest in various aspects of the culture, each year they came together to enjoy each other¡¯s company for a small slice of their lives.


    Sarah and Leona proudly walked into the main atrium. Sarah wore a cute cat hoodie over the very same white kittie-covered swimsuit she¡¯d worn to the water park. To complete the look she was going for, she donned a domino mask that matched with the white-like-the-rest skirt she wore over the suit. She found some tiger-striped leg warmers to pull over the boots she had on.


    On the other hand, Leona had put together a decent Mistral costume and was rocking it. Quinn had colored her hair a brighter blonde with spray and sent her with plenty of backup spray bottles for touch-ups. Gaining such a bright-colored hair-color meant some potential damage to your hair, particularly if one wanted such pure white hair that Mistral sported, but Leona wasn¡¯t concerned.


    She just wanted to show her love and appreciation for her favorite heroine very visibly, putting all her love into a homemade approximation.


    Leona¡¯s mostly color-matched spandex suit did its job to emulate her favorite Weather Witch of the North¡¯s current look. She had gathered all the pieces to make it all by herself, except for accurate hair color, of course. All in all, she was proud of her costume. When Sarah saw Leona wearing it for the first time, she barely recognized her.


    Upon their entry when they neared the kiosks that checked tickets to assign lanyards and cards, a passerby shouted enthusiastically when he caught sight of Leona, ¡°Oh damn! You¡¯ve got a great Mistral look! I LOVE it!¡± He rushed forward to clasp Leona¡¯s hand in a shake.


    Sarah looked uncertainly at Leona, but a proud Leona shook the man¡¯s hand and stood back to pose and nodded affirmatively.


    Leona¡¯s tone was cool, like Mistral¡¯s, very collected. She put on airs just like she thought Mistral would, saying, ¡°Certainly, I will.¡±


    Sarah giggled and impishly hopped next to Leona and took a pose of her own with her ¡®paws¡¯ up, declaring, ¡°And I¡¯m this Misstroll¡¯s sidekick for the event, the Nyavenger!¡± Sarah cried.


    It was hard for Leona to not fall over with how cute Sarah was. People who were around to witness the moment laughed and applauded, and the cameraman literally got a bloody nose.


    After they had a series of shots taken of them together, changing posture a few times in between, they excused themselves and moved on. Whatever ice or anxiety the two felt standing between them and the event and the other fans had melted. Everyone was bubbly, and Leona decided that this convention experience was far more than she hoped for.


    Leona was among the happiest of all until she spotted a costume that was far better than her own. She nearly fell to pieces, gawking at how authentic her costume was. Leona froze, thinking almost that she was looking at the genuine article. To make the situation worse, that outstanding cosplayer looked Leona¡¯s way and walked right up to her. Her eyes were steely like the real Mistral¡¯s, and her cloak fluttered as she closed the distance between them. The few people she had to walk around moved respectfully aside, perhaps thinking the same.


    Dozens of self-deprecating thoughts flashed through Leona¡¯s mind just before the woman seized her hand and said, ¡°Your costume is great!¡±


    The better-than-Leona Mistral stunned Leona by saying that when she had to know that her costume was superior.


    After chatting a bit and parting ways amiably, Leona glowed and practically flew from panel to panel as they worked their way through the rest of the convention.


    Sarah and Leona stuck together, much of the time holding hands and once in a while, they stopped to take pictures with other ¡®superheroes,¡¯ forming faux Society of Sentinels groups.


    To the two¡¯s delight, they got enough cred that event organizers approached them and asked if they¡¯d like to be in the costume contest later that afternoon. Leona declined, knowing she¡¯d certainly lose and Sarah agreed with Leona¡¯s decision since she wasn¡¯t as serious about this hero stuff.


    From that point on, Leona occasionally ran ahead of Sarah to do a few things she wanted to do and Sarah did likewise, not resenting that their interests didn¡¯t always coincide. When seminars came up in the schedule, they reconvened and attended them together, ones such as ¡°Superhero morality in the modern world¡± and a crafting seminar discussing how to create realistic costume components out of everyday materials. That one was kind of like a sci-fi-like-materials-on-a-budget class, given how crazy advanced superhero costumes had become in recent years.


    Though she didn¡¯t play the game, Leona also visited a meet-and-greet for Banners of the Bold players for Sarah since there wasn¡¯t a more appealing event running in the same slot. Shortly after their arrival on the scene, the nerd boys congregated around them in a little too high a concentration for comfort, the two quickly agreed using meaningful glances, ones that said that there were more fun places to hang out.


    Following a brief detour through the shop stands, they split for a short time again before meeting up again at the Clocktower caf¨¦ set up on the lower level after browsing the dealer¡¯s room merchandise, buying a few must-haves.


    Carrying something around the size and shape of a softball wrapped in newspaper, Sarah grinned at Leona with a kitty smile. ¡°I got Misstroll a gift!¡± She purred, holding it out just far enough that she could snatch it back if Leona reached for it.


    Leona¡¯s lips twisted. ¡°It¡¯s Mistral, you foolish feline. Not ¡®Ms. Troll,¡¯ BAKA!¡± Leona laughed aloud. She hadn¡¯t really thought about how Sarah¡¯d pronounced the name until this moment.


    ¡°Awww, you wound me, Leona¡ª¡± Sarah smiled playfully. ¡°I¡¯ll give this gift to you after the convention¡ªmaybe¡ª¡± she teased and took another cat-like pose, one hand on her hip and the other out with her gift, clenched up like a paw. ¡°But for now, let¡¯s go into the caf¨¦ nyow!¡± She winked.


    Using the ¡°Gamma¡± clearance associated with their passes, they started seeing events and panels come up that were exclusive amazing perks for holders of those tickets.


    The first was another meet-and-greet, but this time it showcased some civilians who had worked directly with heroes in the past. The couple happily shook these panelist¡¯s hands and got their autographs and had pictures taken with them.


    The event that Leona was looking forward to wasn¡¯t coming until the second day of the event, so the pair couch surfed through the night at the convention center by attending some of the darker-edged fan films.


    Sarah used some of that downtime to sleep, laying across a set of chairs pushed together, but Leona watched on into the early morning. The convention¡¯s planners had programmed the makeshift theaters to play a few horror spin-offs and after those, Leona was exposed to things that she hadn¡¯t expected. Things that¡ª¡ª¡ªWHATTTT???


    What Leona saw affected her deeply. The first of the late night features was a fanmade yuri animation that involved the heroines Trinity and Redline Racer. The following yaoi special featuring Vanguard and Midnight Avenger made her pretty squeamish when they broke out a cup and¡ª¡ªLeona fled.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Leona hoped Sarah wouldn¡¯t wake up while it was airing. Leona certainly wasn¡¯t homophobic, but the film just wasn¡¯t her thing. But what would Sarah think if she saw such overt scenes? Why was every other woman in the room getting SOOOO heated below the collar?!


    The next day at the convention went very well.


    This time Leona and Sarah spent pretty much every second together. Their special passes allowed them to attend a variety of the fun activities that Leona most looked forward to after examining the schedule beforehand.


    One of these anticipated activities was a brief flight around Seaside City in an older model of the Sentinel Wing that its pilot had landed in the fenced rooftop garden. The ship was a private aerospace transport vehicle that was previously used by The Sentinels, but after they¡¯d upgraded to a newer model, they donated it to a museum and sometimes conventions or other events with the right connections could arrange for it to come and either show on display or give rides.


    Another big one was a brief lunch with active superheroes after the hand-shaking event with Bombshell and Dragonmage. A highly rated restaurant would provide plates for everyone at a large table to make these attendees with Gamma clearance feel like they were members of the Society for a day.


    As expected, Bombshell was boisterous and greeted everyone openly before staff asked the attendees to stand in lines for the handshake meeting part of the event, choosing whichever they wanted to meet.


    Dragonmage was polite but stayed mostly quiet, although he mumbled some deep things about fate to people who met him and shook his hand, just as any fan would expect of him.


    Every member of the Sentinels of Society had certain reputations that made them well-known celebrities.


    Speaking to said reputations: The famous mage and superhero, Dragonmage, was eccentric, and Bombshell was, well, bombastic. Vanguard was the Society of Sentinels¡¯ good-natured father-figure that worked hard to protect everyone inside and out, keeping peace, even saving villains when possible. The Midnight Avenger was a brusque, quiet, calculating man that all criminals feared.


    No one had yet managed to outrun time itself.


    Bulwark was a strong and bulky man in a fully metal body, a robot from birth who had fought a long battle for recognition as a human being with rights and Redline Racer was simply the fleetest woman on Earth whose tongue ran faster than her feet. The quasi-active Privateer had a hard time fitting in, usually cracking jokes that even the rest of the Sentinels thought were inappropriate.


    When it was Leona¡¯s turn to shake hands with the two who were in attendance, Leona looked soberly at Dragonmage, trying to tease him out of his customary reticence, but of course, he didn¡¯t notice. When their hands clasped, the hero¡¯s eyes slightly widened.


    ¡°An interesting aura dances around you, child. You should consider seeking proper mystic tutelage after completing your formal education.¡± He probably meant High School.


    Leona was awe-stricken by this kind of a lengthy commentary from the normally mute man. She¡¯d watched him meet other people since she hadn¡¯t much to do besides waiting in line, but his lips barely moved and when she got close enough, his eyes were far away, as though he was only halfway present.


    She glanced at Dragonmage again when he shook hands with Sarah, who was the next in line, but again he was halfway gone. Sarah, however, didn''t seem to notice, grinning foolishly, although she barely knew the man.


    Thinking about it as she moved over to the next line, Leona couldn¡¯t help listening as Sarah joined her as Dragonmage greeted another V.I.P. pass holder.


    The idea of running back to Dragonmage and trying to pry more comments from him was highly tempting, but her thoughts were interrupted by someone grabbing her hand to shake it firmly. She hadn¡¯t noticed how quickly the line was moving and had been moving forward by reflex. Bombshell firmly shook her hand, laughing. ¡°I can see your encounter with ¡®Mr. SeesItAll¡¯ was a little overwhelming.¡±


    With a dropped jaw, Leona nodded her head automatically. Bombshell wasn¡¯t known for her perceptiveness, but she¡¯d practically read Leona¡¯s mind!


    Bombshell cupped a hand over her mouth and glanced Dragonmage¡¯s way as she confidently whispered, ¡°You know, I only take what he says seriously when we¡¯re working together.¡± She shook her head with a wry grin and fixed Leona with her eyes. ¡°Not so much when he¡¯s muttering and laying things on thick for the fans. Just have some fun and forget whatever doom and gloom he mumbled at you.¡±


    This fan had at least read enough online about the mage that no one should take Dragonmage¡¯s pronouncements lightly. Leona was completely positive that he had said nothing like this to anyone else here. His expression never changed much.


    When the handshaking portion of the panel had finished, they proceeded to another room where caterers rolled in carts and distributed plates of food for them while everyone conversed lightly among themselves. The outgoing Bombshell took the brunt of all the questions asked of the two, but halfway through, Dragonmage became more animated again as he looked away with an intent expression.


    He mysteriously disappeared right at the table, treating everyone to a display of his magical abilities. As he vanished, he was muttering about ¡®a black malevolence¡ª¡¯.


    Such was his wont, so no one was too surprised, thinking it was just a planned part of the meet and greet event and many applauded his disappearance. Bombshell, for a reason only she knew, didn¡¯t leave it at that and said warmly to everyone, ¡°Sorry about that, everyone. He probably got psychically called to the ¡®Vampires from Dimension X Panel¡¯ or something.¡± She waggled her fingers, explaining it away, playing it off as a joke and it went over well with everyone. Her joke made Leona¡¯s mouth crinkle however. This smells of some kind of a threat¡­ but DM went off to take care of it so it should be fine.


    That having been the final panel for the day, the closing ceremony that followed featured a special video that the Society of Sentinels had made for this event to greet everyone and thank everyone for their support. The ceremony also featured a demonstration of their favorite heroes¡¯ abilities that got the fans hyped one last time before the Convention drew to an end.


    Of all the people who filed out of the main hall, half were biting back tears that it was over while the rest were giddy over the experience. Leona and Sarah milled through the thinning crowds as some went to parked vehicles but most rushed to buses or called for taxis.


    They waited for a bit, but Quinn soon pulled up in her flamingo-pink convertible with the top down as was obligatory. She practically stood in the driving seat and shouted, ¡°Hey you two! How¡¯d it go? Have fun?¡±


    ¡°HECK YES!¡± Leona grinned broadly as she hopped in and let herself think about the fact that they met some honest to goodness super-powered heroes. ¡°WE MET REAL HEROES! UWAAAAA!¡± Leona was practically foaming at the mouth in her excitement. Quinn and Sarah both laughed.


    When they were all in the car and safely buckled up, Sarah spoke, shaking her head affirmatively, ¡°It was amazing, really¡­ Way cooler than I thought it would be! Oh!¡± She blinked and looked at Leona with a mischievous look, rubbing her chin. ¡°Your gift, before I forget it¡ªit¡¯s here in my bag. I¡¯d have taken it home if I hadn¡¯t repeated it a million times in my head before we left the convention, ¡®Don¡¯t forget to give Leona her gift¡ªdon¡¯t... DON¡¯T!¡¯¡±


    She laughed as she fished out the newspaper wrapped object from her bag and handed it to Leona with a warm smile and a hug that Leona paid Sarah back with the tightest of hugs.


    Caught up in the moment, they cuddled as they enjoyed the ride home in comparative privacy, but all too soon Sarah was home and they had to break it up lest her parents catch them.


    Sarah didn¡¯t waste time and slid over the side of the convertible to head up to her home. She gave a quick little wave and a wink before disappearing inside.


    Quinn backed out of the driveway and pulled off quickly, heading back to the highway, knowing Sarah¡¯s parents might come looking for her if she didn¡¯t book it.


    With a grunt, Leona jumped to the top of the clutter bin between the front seats and dropped herself into the passenger seat.


    Quinn smiled wryly, eyeing Leona as she commented, ¡°You should have copped a feel, ya know. So much platonic hugging, it¡¯s cute. My backseat wasn¡¯t intended for such saints. I mean, I¡¯m sitting here watching you two acting like a couple out of a Nisdey flick.¡±


    Leona blushed and fidgeted as she opened up Sarah¡¯s gift for her, or rather unwrapped it. Inside was a thick glass sphere that contained something really strange-looking¡­


    It was gray and fuzzy, its form barely discernible.


    However, it looked, it had some kind of note of authenticity with it¡ª


    Leona blinked before sighing.


    Sarah seemed to have fallen victim to a scammer on the dealer¡¯s floor. Leona remembered there was some talk on the forums about scams involving angel down and some crook artists cashing in on good-natured people looking to have their fictional heroes drawn for them.


    No doubt it was shysters from San Isidro flooding in whenever the convention was hosted in Seaside City, but then you could find crooks just about anywhere in the world, so Leona decided she shouldn¡¯t assume the worst of her home city.


    Wherever they were from, con artists would still happily go around claiming they found ¡®authentic¡¯ feathers and try to sell them on black markets. This feather apparently worked its way onto a dealer floor at this convention, probably smuggled in.


    Something like this was pretty easy to fake since all you needed was some dirty pigeon feathers. Worse, it wasn¡¯t just people like Sarah who fell for these kinds of scams. Any angelic-type hero''s feathers would go for top dollar thanks to more ¡®mainstream¡¯ demand from religious types. The arrival of a new wave of these scams had the superhero forums buzzing. It had topped most subjects ever since Leona met Sarah.


    Leona wondered how much Sarah had wasted on this kind of garbage.