ã€ŠTales of Empire City - The Virusã€‹


 Chapter 1 - Circling the Drain

    It was well past 10pm on the lower east side of Empire city - the time of night that the predators began to emerge, and the normal, law abiding folks began to hunker down until dawn... The weather was cold, and a driving rain was battering the rooftops and streets and passersby. I shouldn¡¯t be still out this late, Kayden Ballard thought. Bad things happen after dark in Empire City - especially to the nobodies... nobodies like me.

    Empire City wasn¡¯t like Paragon... There wasn¡¯t a superhero on every corner trying to help out a civilian in need - and there wasn¡¯t a villain in every shadow waiting to strike them down. No, the evil in Empire City was much closer to home - crime, corruption, and the mafia. The mob families had the city in their pocket. They owned judges, councillors, and even the cops - well, most of them. Rumor had it some of the cops still did their jobs, but they were few and far between. There were some villains here in Empire city, carving out little domains for themselves like Shrapnel, or The Arachnid - but most were passersby; they came here to do a job, did it, and moved on to where the next score was.

    Likewise, there were few heroes or heroines in Empire city. Most were lured to its sister city, ¡°Paragon¡±, where supers could find a measure of fame, camaraderie, and in some cases, fortune. Others went to work for the military, or to other cities where the cops weren¡¯t actively making a heroes job harder by letting the crooks go, or worse, by shooting at the heroes for their mafia paymasters. Most heroes considered Empire city a lost cause - already too far gone to corruption to even bother trying to save. The few heroes, like Fathom and Tesseract, who did seem to give a crap, were by far outnumbered by those actively working against them, or those who had just given up, and hoped that they would survive to see another day.

    Kayden hunched his shoulders to try and ward off the rain. It didn¡¯t help much - the October wind and the heavy rain chilled him to the bone, and he shivered uncontrollably with the cold. It would take him another twenty minutes to reach his apartment, not that it was much of one. Kayden¡¯s place was typical of a dwelling in the city - high priced and cramped. Only those with real money could afford the luxury of large living spaces - and if it was one thing Kayden lacked, it was money. He wasn¡¯t sure if he even had anything to eat when he got home; it depended on whether or not his last loaf of bread had gone mouldy yet.

    You shouldn¡¯t be surprised, you know, he thought to himself. You¡¯re the one who gave his last five bucks to Sal so he could buy food for his cat Joshua. If you cared more about yourself, you¡¯d have food tonight. He snorted. As if. You¡¯re a soft touch, Kayden Ballard. A bleeding heart. No wonder you keep being a victim.

    Kayden quickened his pace, and moved to an awning to take shelter from the driving rain for a moment. It was some sort of office building - closed of course - but the window had an advert. ¡°Help wanted; Maintenance person needed.¡± Shit, he thought. I don¡¯t like the idea of washing toilets or whatever, but a job¡¯s a job. It¡¯ll keep me going for a little while longer... With the rent due soon, if I don¡¯t get a job I¡¯ll be out on the street and once that happens, it¡¯s all over except for the shouting. A young man like him, with no family and few friends wouldn¡¯t last long on the streets except as prey - either to the pimps and sexual predators who preyed on the homeless kids, or to the criminals that took advantage of them. Face it Kayden... you¡¯re one step away from swirling down the drain. You have to at least try to stay afloat.

    Kayden took the advertisement¡¯s number down. I¡¯ll call tomorrow, and see if there¡¯s a chance. I¡¯ve got nothing left to lose, so I might as well give it a shot. A job¡¯s a job, and I¡¯m not so proud I¡¯d turn down a paycheck, and I¡¯m not afraid of hard work either. Grimacing at the sluicing water, Kayden strode into the night, trying to stay warm and dry - and failing miserably.

    ***

    Kayden hadn¡¯t been home for long; he¡¯d had time to strip out of his wet clothes and put on some boxer shorts and a T-shirt (his usual sleeping attire), when his phone rang. Kayden looked at the caller display, and smiled... Thank god! Someone I wouldn¡¯t mind talking to! The person on the phone was Darryl Walker ¨C Kayden¡¯s best friend.

    ¡°Hey, Darryl! What¡¯s up? I¡¯ve had a really shitty day - how about you?¡±

    ¡°I scored tickets to the Warden¡¯s game this weekend... You want to come with? It¡¯ll be a blast! I hear they¡¯re playing Central City.¡±

    Darryl was a football fan, and it wasn¡¯t often he was able to physically get to a game. Turning him down would be a jerk move, but I realized I might not have a choice... I had to get rent - which meant I had to work - which meant I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to make it. ¡°I can¡¯t, Darryl - at least I THINK I can¡¯t. I¡¯ve got cashflow problems and need some money to cover rent, or I¡¯ll be out on the street.¡±

    ¡°What? Are things that bad, Kay? Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± Darryl sounded shocked and concerned for his friend.

    ¡°Cause I¡¯m too damn stubborn - you know why.¡± Kayden frowned. ¡°Sorry Darryl - I should have told you how bad it was, but since I got kicked out, I¡¯ve been circling the drain and it¡¯s been a chore to just make it through the day.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like you need some help. Is there anything I can do?¡±

    Kayden sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t want your money, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking. I have a line on a job that might work out ¨C I¡¯ll let you know how it goes.¡±

    Darryl sighed as well. ¡°I wasn¡¯t offering money, dufus - I know you wouldn¡¯t accept it! God knows I¡¯ve tried! Is there anything I can do to help out?¡±

    ¡°Know anyone with an available job?¡± Kayden asked.

    ¡°I can ask around, Kay. I¡¯ll keep in touch. You know, if you don¡¯t find work, you might as well come to the game. You¡¯d still be out on the street, but you¡¯d have spent the day with me...¡± Darryl joked a lot like that - but he wasn¡¯t wrong.

    Kayden couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Okay, okay - If I have no hope of a job, I¡¯ll consider - CONSIDER - coming to the game with you. You can¡¯t miss the Wardens in a home game, after all...¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit, Kay! Damn. When did your life get so screwed up?¡±

    ¡°Hrmph! Probably when I got kicked out, jerk-face.¡± Hah - fat chance! I thought. More like when I was born.

    ¡°Maybe, Kay - still, you have friends dumbass. You might try letting them help you sometime. I know Rob or Laurie would be glad to put you up for a week or two at their places, and so would Yvonne or Brendan.¡±

    ¡°Probably, that¡¯s true... But I hope it doesn¡¯t come to that. Basically it will mean I¡¯ve totally failed at being an adult, at taking care of myself, and my fucking parents will be right - they will have been right since day one - and I can¡¯t and won¡¯t accept that. Period.¡±

    Darryl sighed. Kayden was too concerned with what his parents thought of him. It was stupid, but he knew it was important to Kay. ¡°Fair enough, pal - just stay in touch... You have money for food?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got enough.¡± Kayden lied. I have so little food the roaches and moths are fleeing my apartment for someone else¡¯s.

    ¡°Cool. I¡¯ll see you on the weekend, maybe.¡±

    ¡°Bye, Darryl.¡±

    Kayden hung his head, and slumped in his chair. Why do I keep lying to my friends like this? Am I so invested in what mom and dad think that I¡¯ll willingly screw up my life? I guess the answer is obvious ¨C it¡¯s what I¡¯ve been doing. But if I tell Darryl and the others the truth, they¡¯ll see what a miserable failure I¡¯ve been... What the hell am I going to do?

    Kayden turned the TV on, and tried to forget about his problems, but the screen came up black with a ¡°Subscription Required¡± message. Fucking hell - the cable didn¡¯t get paid. I might as well go to bed... This sucks. Kay went to the kitchen and took one final look at his food supply. Yup - the bread is mouldy. I¡¯d eat it if I thought it was safe, but bread mould isn¡¯t good ¨C I¡¯d probably end up sick as a dog and have a huge freaking hospital bill. I guess I¡¯ll just go hungry again.

    Kayden headed to the bathroom, and washed his face. He felt tired - bone deep tired, and not just from physical exhaustion but from despair, depression and hopelessness. The face in the mirror was disgusting, as usual - oh he supposed he looked acceptable, but to him it felt and looked wrong. The face was relatively attractive, with a strong chin and short cropped black hair. Grey eyes, and a sad expression on its face. Every time he saw himself, he wanted to punch the mirror and smash the face that made him feel so alien in his own skin. ¡°This isn¡¯t me, dammit.¡±

    Kayden finished up in the bathroom, and went to bed. Sleep didn¡¯t come easy, but it did come eventually.

    * * *

    Kayden arrived at the office building in the lower east side early - it wasn¡¯t even 9am - and sat on a bench, waiting. The day was grey and cloudy - but thankfully it wasn¡¯t raining. The wind was light and cool, but it held the promise of winter in it, and Kayden could tell it wouldn¡¯t be long before it started getting colder. As he waited, his stomach rumbled, reminding him again that he hadn¡¯t eaten since dawn yesterday.

    Maybe I¡¯ll get lucky, and be working soon? He wondered. Let¡¯s go see... He got up from his bench, and walked inside.

    Inside, a bored security officer sat at a desk, watching some screens. The building itself looked like a generic office building - nothing particularly exceptional about it other than the rugs were a nasty shade of burnt orange. Yuck.

    ¡°Can I help you?¡± The guard looked bored, but not unpleasant.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m looking to talk to someone about the maintenance job - on the window.¡± Kayden turned back and pointed to the flyer on the window - only to notice it was gone.

    ¡°Yeah... sorry, pal. That job was taken last Wednesday. I forgot to take the flyer down until this morning. Sorry.¡± The guard at least had the decency to look truly chagrined. Kay could tell it wasn¡¯t malicious - just bad luck. ¡°You in a rough spot?¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°The worst. I need rent soon or I¡¯m out on the street.¡± Kayden didn¡¯t see any reason not to be honest.

    ¡°I know where there¡¯s a guy looking for a lab partner - someone to clean up and do the scut work. He works over at Trask Chemicals. It¡¯s all under the table - but he pays cash, and I know for a fact he¡¯s looking for someone - someone who isn¡¯t interested at looking to close to what he¡¯s doing.¡±

    ¡°Illegal?¡±

    ¡°Damned if I know. Even if it was, you¡¯d basically be the janitor. No one would convict you of anything. What I do know is that he said what he was working on was big, and would make him rich. Rich enough to start his own company.¡±

    Geez, he sounds like a mad scientist - and not of the ¡®angry¡¯ variety. Am I desperate enough to be some jerk¡¯s Igor? Kayden thought about how hungry he was, and what little he had to go home to. How he would feel when he was kicked to the curb with what remained of his meagre possessions. Nope. He sighed. ¡°Does this guy have a number?¡±

    ¡°Yeah - his name is Justin Pierce.¡± The guard handed him a white card with a handwritten number on it.

    Empire city didn¡¯t have many mad scientists or supervillains, unlike her sister city Paragon, but Kayden couldn¡¯t shake the feeling he would regret taking this job. Maybe he is a supervillain? So what? Don¡¯t they need janitors too? Or do I want to have a lab accident and die or get mutated into a dangerous monster?

    Kayden¡¯s musings weren¡¯t silly or idle worries. Government agencies claimed that studies showed anyone willing to work for a mad scientist was risking their life. ¡°Maybe he isn¡¯t mad... I could deal with it if he was only a bit pissy.¡± Kayden laughed bitterly to himself. ¡°Hey, while we¡¯re at it, maybe I¡¯ll get superpowers! Then what would I do? Run around in some cheesy spandex costume? Dammit.¡±

    There weren¡¯t many superheroes in Empire City - maybe a handful. The two most well known heroes were Tesseract and Fathom. Fathom was some sort of water controller, and half the city¡¯s female population had a swimsuit poster of him in their rooms. He was a stud, and rumors said he was ex-military. Tesseract was his girlfriend as rumors went - whether they were true or not, Kayden didn¡¯t know. She had some crazy spatial warping ability and could teleport, and she was considered quite beautiful. I think they were both a seven or so the last time anyone checked, I think. Kayden smirked to himself. Why do we rate Superheroes and Villains by numbers? I mean, I know it¡¯s supposed to be so that a rank 4 hero doesn¡¯t go trying to stop a rank 8 villain and get himself killed - but seriously. We could have called them Alpha¡¯s, Beta¡¯s, Gamma¡¯s and Delta¡¯s - with us stupid normals being Epsilons, but I guess someone decided on numbers. Not like it matters...

    There was one other super in Empire City, but it was a toss up as to whether they were hero or villain... Revenant. Revenant was a person of indeterminate gender who looked like a skeleton with a flaming skull, who stalked and punished criminals. This might nominally make him or her a hero in the eyes of the public - but the fact that he or she looked absolutely terrifying to behold, and the fact they usually beat their victims nearly to death or scared them so much with some sort of supernatural terror they occasionally went mad, made their motives a bit suspect. There were villains in the city too - Shrapnel and The Arachnid had carved out an illicit kingdom for themselves, powerful enough to rival any of the mafia families... and there were others too. Swiftsteel and Carnage had come through the city last month and left a trail of destruction... If it hadn¡¯t been for Fathom driving them off, who knows what would have happened? At least Fathom and Tesseract help clean up the damage from their battles with their powers. I heard they even trained as firefighters for a year so they could assist the fire department.

    Kayden wondered what it would be like to be a hero for a while as he waited for the bus to take him across town. At first, it was a pleasant daydream - but it soon devolved. He imagined himself getting shot at, lasered, killed - and still having no job and no money and no future. Being a hero sounded nice, until you realized that unless you were one of the lucky few, being a hero didn¡¯t put food on the table or clothes on your back.

    The bus ride was tiresome, and the crowds were busy, making the bus cramped and uncomfortable. Kayden counted himself lucky he had a seat. A few stops passed - and Kayden saw a young woman climb on board. She looked tired and hungry, and a little scared. She was also limping, and Kay thought he spied a hint of blood on her blue leggings. She was maybe 17 years old, with dyed blonde hair and a black skirt and t-shirt with a too-thin jacket. She was thin, and had the look of someone who hadn¡¯t cleaned up or eaten in a little too long. No one was moving to help her, and she was struggling to stand.

    Kayden sighed. I guess I¡¯m standing. He turned to her, and stood, motioning to his seat. ¡°Take mine, miss.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. You sure?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Yeah - you look like you need it more than I do.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m Diane.¡± She smiled and sat down. Kayden looked at her leg, and was sure she was bleeding.

    ¡°I¡¯m Kayden. You okay? You look hurt.¡±

    Diane looked really nervous. ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. You don¡¯t want to get involved.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Kayden didn¡¯t mind, either. He could tell when someone was having a really bad day, and if anyone was, it was Diane.

    ¡°My ex boyfriend. We got into a fight. I¡¯ve been avoiding him - but he found me and well, he pushed me and I fell and screwed up my knee. That¡¯s where the blood¡¯s from.¡±

    Asshole. Kayden thought. ¡°Anything I can do?¡±

    ¡°Not really, unless you want to kick the shit out of my ex boyfriend so it doesn¡¯t happen again.¡±

    ¡°I... I see.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know. Thanks anyway... and thanks for the seat. It really helps.¡± Diane smiled, and Kayden could see she would be quite pretty if she cleaned herself up - but it was equally obvious she cultured this vagabond style to make sure she didn¡¯t look pretty.

    ¡°No worries. Sorry about your Boyfriend.¡± Kayden was sorry too. No one should have to live with being abused.

    ¡°Ex-Boyfriend.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right... Ex Boyfriend. My Bad.¡± Kayden smiled, and tried to turn it into a joke, and Diane smiled back too.

    They rode quietly for several more blocks, and finally Kayden¡¯s stop came up. As he turned to leave, and make his way to the door through the crowded bus, he heard Diane call out.

    ¡°Hey, Kayden! You¡¯re okay. Thanks.¡± Diane was waving at him.

    ¡°You too Diane. Seeya.¡± With that, Kayden got off the bus. Trask Industries. I hope I¡¯m not making a huge mistake. Kayden walked up to the door, and went inside.

    * * *

    ¡°Just a few more tests, Mr. Chips.¡± Justin¡¯s hand tenderly stroked the small dog¡¯s flank. Mr. Chips was a tired and sick miniature schnauzer, and had been Justin Pierce¡¯s faithful companion for over 11 years, since he was a tiny pup. Mr. Chips whined, and gently licked his masters hand, and licked it again when Justin shed a tear. ¡°It¡¯s okay, boy. I¡¯ll save you - and together we¡¯ll save everyone.¡±

    Justin went back to the desk to check the lab results. Negative. Damn it! He tossed the clipboard away, and it clattered across the room in a flurry of discarded papers. The newest version of the healing serum was a failure - again! ¡°Gah!¡± Justin tried to gain control of himself, and looked at his faithful buddy, Mr. Chips. They had done everything together, since he came home on his 16<sup>th</sup> birthday. Even when his parents died in the explosion, Mr. Chips had consoled him. They were inseparable... and now Mr. Chips was dying of leukaemia - a deadly cancer of the blood.

    Justin had spent the last seven years of his life doing nothing other than attempting to find a cure for leukaemia - and by association, all cancers... Not for fame and fortune, like Mr. Trask had assumed - but to save his childhood friend, the tiny fuzzy, lovable creature that licked him and kissed him and consoled him when he learned his parents were never coming home again. I won¡¯t let you down, buddy. I promise. I¡¯ll save you, and all the people who suffer from cancer. I¡¯ll save you... I have to.

    I have to get another culture growing, and try to formulate another serum! He doesn¡¯t have much time left... the damn animal tests aren¡¯t teaching me enough. I need something more! Justin¡¯s thoughts were disrupted, when an annoying knock came on the door of his office.

    ¡°Go away! I¡¯m working!¡± He said, hitting the reply button on his lab¡¯s intercom. ¡°Bother somebody else.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Pierce? This is security. Someone has come to apply for the lab assistant job. His name is Kayden Ballard.¡±

    Lab assistant? What is this glorified rent-a-cop talking about? Justin thought, and remembered he had asked for help around the lab. About bloody time Trask sent someone to help him. Unbidden, an idea began to germinate within him, and he smiled. ¡°Send him in, then go. That is all.¡± Before his finger left the intercom, his mind was whirling again - thoughts of the serum he would need to create to save his beloved dog consuming him.

    * * *

    Kayden waited with the guard, when the voice on the other end - presumably Justin Pierce - rudely told the guard to send him in, and go away. Geez, he thought. Sounds like a real charmer. Fuck.

    The guard ushered him inside, and Kayden left the hall for a doorway that looked more like a high-tech airlock, beyond which looked to be a medical lab. There were cages for about a half dozen animals, and computers, and several machines that Kayden could tell were used to make medicines and separate DNA and other stuff he¡¯d seen on crime shows - but the only one he knew the name of was a centrifuge. He resisted the urge to call it the ¡®spinny thing¡¯ - he already felt stupid enough for two people walking in here. How the hell am I going to help clean any of this? I don¡¯t even know what most of it does or what it¡¯s used for!

    He steeled himself, and thought of the gutter he was so close to circling and going down... ¡°Hello, Sir. I¡¯m Kayden Ballard. I¡¯m here about the job you offered.¡± The scientist he addressed - presumably Justin Pierce - was in his mid twenties, and looked thin and wiry. He wore spectacles, and his attitude said his mind was probably a million miles away. Definitely at LEAST pissy, Kayden thought.

    Justin looked him up and down, gauging him by some unseen scale. ¡°What¡¯s your blood type?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think my mom said I was O-negative. Does it matter?¡±

    ¡°Obviously.¡± Mr. Pierce walked over to a device next to the centrifuge, and pointed at it. ¡°Can you tell me what this device is, and what it does?¡±

    Shit! ¡°No sir.¡±

    ¡°I see. Do you have any scientific or lab training at all?¡±

    ¡°No sir. The fellow who told me about you said you needed an assistant. He didn¡¯t say it was highly technical.¡± Shit... I¡¯ve wasted both our times coming here...

    Justin thought a moment. ¡°I think I can still use your help - but not as a lab assistant. I need someone who I can draw blood from to work on a serum. My work is very important ¨C I¡¯m trying to find a way to cure Leukaemia - a deadly blood cancer that kills millions. If I can do that, it won¡¯t be a hard stretch to branch out to other cancers, either. So, Kayden... Do you want to help me cure cancer?¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡± Kayden looked stunned. Could you believe this guy?! He actually thinks he can cure cancer... with my help.

    ¡°How.¡±

    ¡°I need to draw a bone marrow sample of someone with O-negative blood, and take copious units of blood as well, to formulate a serum to neutralize the mutational effects of cancer. I apply my irradiated serum to your bone marrow sample, and transplant the treated marrow into the patient, and if everything goes well, the cancer should be cured. It will hurt - a lot - but I¡¯ll pay well, and in cash. All you have to do is sign a secrecy clause, and we can get started.¡±

    ¡°Whoa! I¡¯d love to cure cancer and all, but what about the risks?¡±

    ¡°Virtually none - to you. You¡¯d go under anaesthesia and have some bone marrow and some stem cells withdrawn. You¡¯d be in our private clinic for maybe a few days, and it would hurt a fair bit - but that¡¯s the extent of it. Once that¡¯s done and you¡¯ve recovered, I¡¯d like to keep you around for a week or so to be able to draw blood if needed, and run some tests. I¡¯ll pay $5,000 up front, and another $10,000 if you finish out the process. Paid in cash. If it results in a cure for Cancer, you get 1/10th of one percent of the royalties.¡±

    This is a bad idea, Kayden... His brain was telling him to let this go - but the thought of circling the drain compelled him. I¡¯m going to regret this... Damn my pride, my stubbornness... whatever you want to call it. I don¡¯t have a choice - I need the money. ¡°Doc, I think I¡¯d love to help cure cancer.¡±

 Chapter 2 - Donor

    Kayden left Trask industries about two hours later, and $5,000 richer.  I¡¯m probably making a huge effing mistake, but I guess it¡¯s all or nothing, now.  I¡¯ve signed the secrecy agreement - all I need to do is hold up my end of the bargain.   Seems too easy, frankly...  All Doc Pierce did was take some vials of blood and tell me ¡®that¡¯s it.¡¯  What the hell is up with that?  I guess it doesn¡¯t matter.  Kayden raised his collar against the wind - while he¡¯d been inside the storm the papers had been talking about had swept in like an angry dragon, huffing and blowing with cold wind and terrible gusts.

    The first thing I¡¯m going to do with this money is get some groceries, and then pay my rent.  At least I can get two months paid in advance with this much cash.  It¡¯ll give me time to find other work.  Kayden headed towards the grocery store he liked - a little mom and pop store a few blocks from his building.  The owners, Mr. and Mrs. Sheldon were really nice to him, and often gave him little deals that he knew were basically their way of giving him a helping hand.  They never mentioned it, and neither had he - but he had been grateful for it, and remembered.

    As soon as he walked in the door of the grocers, he knew something had gone wrong... maybe it was the surreal scene he saw before him, or maybe it was all the blood.  It was probably the blood.  A scared thug with a gun that had been pointed at old man Sheldon whirled around as Kayden entered, and Kayden nearly slipped in the blood on the floor of the tiny store.  Two patrons were down and bleeding in pools of blood, and as Kayden struggled to stay on his feet, the thug aimed his gun at him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking move!¡±

    ¡°Shit!  Don¡¯t shoot me!¡±  Kayden yelped.

    ¡°Get down, now or I¡¯ll effing shoot you!¡±  The guy looked panicked enough to do it too.  Kayden gulped and got on his knees, then paused - not being able to lower himself into that pool of warm human blood.  ¡°I can¡¯t, man... Jesus - look at the floor.¡±

    ¡°Kayden, please.  He¡¯s very upset.¡±  Mr. Sheldon said calmly.  ¡°Please do as he says.¡±

    ¡°You damn right I¡¯m upset.  I want the fucking money and the cigarettes.¡±  He whirled the gun back to cover Mr. Sheldon, and Kayden could see sweet Mrs. Sheldon cowering in fear behind a counter.

    ¡°No problem, lad. No need for the gun.¡± Mr. Sheldon said, trying to calm the young man down... He handed the young man the money from the till, and as many cartons of cigarettes as would fit in the thief¡¯s bag.

    The stranger with the gun was sweating, thin and emaciated, with marks on his arms...  Kayden recognized some of the signs of a drug user, and tried not to freak out.  What is it this time?  Rage?  Mutamphetamine?  K?  What the hell is he going to do?   He tried to swallow his bile, and laid down in the pool of human blood.  He felt his gorge rise like a warm tide, but somehow he managed to keep it down.  The blood smelled coppery and metallic, and Kayden started shaking.

    ¡°Thanks, asshole!¡± The punk took a long look at Mr. Sheldon, and pulled the trigger, and then laughed.  Mr. Sheldon didn¡¯t have time to scream... he just groaned and collapsed on the floor, blood welling from the gunshot to the chest he¡¯d suffered.  Mrs. Sheldon screamed, but it came out a panicked whine.

    Kayden jumped when he heard the shot... I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d shoot... oh crap, why did he shoot?   Mr. Sheldon!   An anger Kayden had never felt before rose up in him... how DARE this thug hurt and maybe kill his friends?  The Sheldon¡¯s had never done anything to harm anyone - and he comes in here to steal from and murder them.  HELL NO!   Kayden didn¡¯t realize he¡¯d gotten to his feet and charged the thug until he felt a burning pain that blocked out all rational thought in his left leg, and again in his right arm It felt like red hot fire, and warm water.

    ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯m bleeding.¡±  Kayden said as he collapsed on the floor, making a warm pool of blood all his own.  Blackness soon followed.

    *              *              *

    Kayden felt cold and pain.  His mind was hazy, and everything was clouded by a certain fuzziness.

    ¡°You sure we should be doing this, Sammy?¡±  A voice asked.

    ¡°Hell, if we don¡¯t the docs will - you know that.  Besides, who¡¯s gonna know - after all the killer probably took it after the kid got shot trying to be a hero.¡±  The other voice answered.

    ¡°Yeah... I suppose.  Fine - but make it quick!¡±

    ¡°No worries Elliot - now you¡¯re being part of the team!¡±   Kayden felt hands dig into his pockets - and for the life of him he knew something was very important about it, but in the haze of pain he couldn¡¯t remember.  Through his slitted eyes he saw the shadow of a man - a tall, broadly built man with a beard, wearing a cheap suit.  Probably ECPD - a detective.  Behind him was an EMT - probably Elliot.  He was middling in height and build, and had a tattoo of a tropical bird on his neck. Kayden tried to move, and felt a surge of pain... once again, everything went black.

    *              *              *

    Justin looked at the results of Kayden¡¯s blood test.  Impossible... absolutely impossible.  Kayden¡¯s blood is a universal donor, and a universal receiver, with properties of both O- and AB+.  It like his blood type is ABO - completely unique.  Justin thought a few moments, wondering how this was possible.  He must be some type of mutant...  Not one with powers, mind you - although I suppose that¡¯s possible...  No - probably some minor mutation that no one ever detected before now.  It must be.  Justin wondered if he should thank the gods for this stroke of luck, but then again, he didn¡¯t believe in gods...  Just science.

    His blood could be the key to everything!  Justin¡¯s mind whirled with the possibilities.  If they could harvest bone marrow, and get enough stem cells, and if his formulae worked...  Justin¡¯s mind was boggled.   I have to get to work on this immediately! And I need Kayden back here for more tests! Just then the phone rang.  Dammit - more assinine annoyances!  He picked it up.  ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°Doctor Pierce?  We just got a call from Mercy Hopsital - something about them asking if we¡¯re someone¡¯s medical contact.  Apparently someone named Kayden Ballard works for you, and they want to know if you¡¯ll pay his medical bills.  I couldn¡¯t say yes, cause Kayden isn¡¯t on the staff registry.  Does he work for you?¡±

    ¡°What!?  Yes, he works for me!  He¡¯s critical to my research!  What happened to him?¡± Justin panicked.

    ¡°He was apparently shot and robbed.  He¡¯s in surgery at Mercy Hospital right now, and they want to know who¡¯s paying for it.¡±

    ¡°Miss Stevens,¡± Justin said.  ¡°Tell the hospital that Trask Industries will cover everything... and to give him the best care possible.  Give me five minutes with Mr. Trask and I¡¯ll make it happen.¡±   There¡¯s no way you¡¯re going to die on me now that I have you, you crazy perfect person.  You and your blood is too important to Mr. Chips and the rest of humanity.  You can¡¯t die - I won¡¯t let you!

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Pierce.  I¡¯ll tell them.  Shall I put you through to Mr. Trask?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course!¡±  He sighed a bit in frustration.  Did Miss Stevens really think he WOULDN¡¯T want to talk to Mr. Trask after what he just said?  It was so frustrating being around people who didn¡¯t understand the level of thought he worked on, with people who just couldn¡¯t keep up.  It was like living in a land of neanderthals, and he was the only person who could put a sentence together.   Mr. Chips was the only one who ever understood or loved him.

    The phone beeped twice, and then was picked up.  ¡°Trask. Who is this?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Trask, it¡¯s Jason Pierce from RND.  I have a critical emergency to talk about, immediately.  It¡¯s about my project.¡±

    ¡°Well, spit it out, Doctor. Have you had a breakthrough?  Do you need more supplies?  You know your research is of prime importance to our company - hell, you developed over 30 of our patents on new drugs.  Whatever you need is yours.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.  There is a young man named Kayden Ballard in Mercy hospital, who has been shot.  He is absolutely vital to my research on the project and I need you to do anything and everything to make sure he lives.  He¡¯s already signed a secrecy agreement, and he¡¯s on board to help - but I can¡¯t have him dying before we finish.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Dr. Pierce.  I¡¯ll take care of everything.  He¡¯ll be well taken care of.¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±  Dr. Pierce hung up without further ado - small talk was a waste of time when there was work to be done.

    *              *              *

    Kayden awoke to the beeping of various machines.  The first thing he realized was that he hurt incredibly, and that he was really, really thirsty.  The lights were dim - but to Kayden¡¯s eyes they were almost blinding, so he shut his eyes.  Where am I?  What happened?  Kayden couldn¡¯t remember - and then it hit him.  A robbery!  Poor Mr. Sheldon!  I got shot?  I must have survived, even if I feel like hell.  ¡°Help.¡±   It came out in a whisper.  No one came.

    Kayden looked around, what little he could turn his head.  He was in some sort of medical room - like a hospital or private clinic, although god knows who¡¯d be paying his medical bills.  Kayden didn¡¯t even know how long he had been unconscious - whether it had been hours, days or weeks.  He suspected days.  There were IV tubes in his arms, and he felt an awkward and uncomfortable catheter down below.  Ewww.

    There must be a call button!  He tried to move his hand, and after a few minutes of trying, found one and pressed it.  Shortly, a male nurse in his mid twenties came into the room, dressed in dark blue scrubs.  Not surprisingly, he felt exhausted after even this little exertion.

    ¡°Hey!  You¡¯re awake!  I¡¯m David... is there anything you need?¡±  David seemed chipper (pleasant) and upbeat, but also a bit fatigued.  He had a great smile - it lit up his face.

    ¡°...Water.  I¡¯m thirsty.¡±  Kayden=s voice was just as sore as the rest of him, and it felt raw, like sandpaper.

    ¡°Sure thing, Mr. Ballard.  Be right back.¡±  David left, and returned shortly with a small styrofoam cup full of ice chips and a tiny bit of liquid water.  ¡°Take a few of these, and then let them melt in your mouth.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±  Kayden did as instructed, and the ice melted across his tongue, soothing his aching throat.  Heaven!  He had a few more ice chips, while David checked the electronic machines - heart rate monitor and others as well.  He felt better, but tired again too.  He put the ice down, and nodded off.

    *              *              *

    The next time Kayden woke, Dr. Justin Pierce was talking with David outside his room.  It was dim, like before - but this time the light didn¡¯t hurt Kayden¡¯s eyes.  Most of the pain was gone, replaced by a fuzziness that was very probably large dosages of painkillers.  Most of the pain seemed centered in his left arm and his torso.

    ¡°Hey...  Thanks for visiting, Doc.¡±  Kayden said.

    Doctor Pierce turned and entered the room.  ¡°You¡¯re awake!  Good...  You know, Mr. Ballard, that you¡¯re a very lucky man.  You were shot twice by a drugged up hoodlum, and suffered damage to your left arm and right leg - and somehow both bullets missed your femoral and brachial arteries.  The wounds, while painful, will heal up and you should be back on your feet relatively soon.  The David tells me you¡¯ll be able to go home in about 10 days, although you¡¯ll need some therapy.¡±

    ¡°How long have I been unconscious?  What day is it?¡±

    David piped up.  ¡°It¡¯s Friday October 23<sup>rd</sup>.   You¡¯ve been unconscious for about 2-3 days.¡±

    ¡°Well, at least I haven¡¯t lost my apartment yet...¡±  Oh crap!  Where¡¯s my $5,000?   ¡°Did the paramedics or the police find the money you gave me, Doctor Pierce?  I hadn¡¯t put it in the bank yet.  I was buying groceries.¡±

    ¡°No one mentioned any money - and it wasn¡¯t with you when you arrived.  My guess is that the robber who shot you took it.¡±  Justin put a friendly hand on Kayden¡¯s shoulder.  ¡°It¡¯ll be okay...  I¡¯ll help you keep your apartment if I have to.  You¡¯re doing something that will help a very dear friend of mine.¡±

    Kayden breathed a sigh of relief.  ¡°Thanks, Doc.  I appreciate the help.  Where am I?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re in a private clinic funded by Trask Industries.  I asked Mr. Trask to pay for your medical care, because of your help with the ... project... we talked about.¡±

    Justin looked like he didn¡¯t want David to know what he was working on - Kayden figured he owed the doc that much at least.  ¡°I guess it is an important project. Thanks. Can I get a phone call?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±  David said.  ¡°I can get a phone in here a bit later.  Did you want us to call anyone?¡±

    ¡°My friend, Darryl Walker.  He can call the rest of the people who need to know I¡¯m okay.¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡±  David replied.  ¡°He your Boyfriend?¡±

    ¡°Wha...?  No!  He¡¯s just a friend.  My best friend.   I¡¯m not seeing anyone.¡±

    ¡°Sorry.  Most people call a significant other when they make their first call.  I just assumed.  My bad.¡±

    ¡°No worries, dude.¡±  Kayden gave David Darryl¡¯s phone number, and a short message.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get on that in a few minutes, okay?¡±

    ¡°Thanks, David.¡±

    David left Justin and Kayden alone, and Justin relaxed a bit.  ¡°Would you like to know something, Mr. Ballard?¡±

    ¡°Sure, Doc - and call me Kayden.  It¡¯s a lot friendlier than Mister this and Mister that...¡±

    Justin smiled.  ¡°Fine, but only if you call me Justin or Pierce, not doc, sir or any of that garbage.¡±

    ¡°Works for me.¡±  Kayden grinned, then winced as a muscle started to hurt in his chest.  Ouch!  ¡°Which of your friends has cancer?¡±

    ¡°My dog.  He¡¯s a  miniature schnauzer about 11 years old, and he has Leukaemia.  I¡¯m hoping that maybe the medicine we make with your bone marrow and blood will allow me to cure him - and people with leukaemia too, of course.  You should know your blood is very special, Kayden.  It may be the secret that lets me succeed where in the past I¡¯ve failed.  I nearly had a heart attack when I found out you had been shot.¡±

    ¡°Can human blood help a dog?  Isn¡¯t canine blood different from human blood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, normally, and cat blood is different from both of those as well.  However, I¡¯ve developed a process that allows the antigens and other factors that cause problems with cross species blood transfusions to be negated.  Basically I¡¯ve developed a process by which humans could get all the blood they need for medical purposes like surgeries and transfusions from animals.  Mr. Trask doesn¡¯t know - so I¡¯m trusting you with that.  He¡¯d derail my project in order to capitalize on the discovery, and I¡¯d lose the chance to save Mr. Chips.¡±

    ¡°He must mean a lot to you, Justin.¡±

    ¡°He does.  He¡¯s the only person that stayed with me when my parents died in an accident a long time ago.  He¡¯s my best friend, and I¡¯d do anything for him.  Anything.¡±

    Kayden smiled sadly.  He¡¯d never owned a dog before, but it sounded like Justin and Mr. Chips had one of those classic relationships between a man and his dog.  ¡°Can I meet him?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to introduce you, but he¡¯s too sick to move.  When you can move and come to my lab, I¡¯ll introduce you. Promise.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    A few moments passed, and Justin continued.  ¡°Kayden, I have to say I¡¯m a bit reluctant to say it, but your being injured seriously screws up my timetable.  I know it sounds callous, but it¡¯s true.  Could we arrange the bone marrow harvesting to take place in a few days, while you¡¯re still in the clinic?   Mr. Chips doesn¡¯t have long, and I¡¯ll need time to grow stem cells from the bone marrow and complete the procedure that may cure him.  It has to be done either way - but this way you¡¯re already here, and being cared for.¡±

    Geez... he can¡¯t give me a few days to heal up first?  Kayden thought a moment, and figured it didn¡¯t really matter.  He already felt like shit, he was already in the hospital or close enough for it to count as one, and he had already offered to do exactly what Justin was asking.  ¡°Sure, I guess so.  I¡¯d like a phone and a TV in here while I recuperate, and I need someone to pay rent at my apartment so that my stuff doesn¡¯t get tossed out on the street.¡±

    ¡°Done and done! Thank you!¡±  Justin Pierce looked pleased and thankful.  ¡°I¡¯ll get things rolling!  Thank you!¡±  Justin left the room in a hurry, leaving Kayden alone.

    Kayden just lay back and rested, sipping on some ice chips to soothe his thirst.

    A short while later, David returned with a phone for his room...  It was actually a card that slid into a phone/television device on an adjustable waldo.  ¡°Once I get this set up, you¡¯ll have phone, television and internet.  Just ask for help if you need it.  You need to dial 9 to get an outside line, but otherwise it¡¯s just like a normal phone.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, David.  I need to call a few friends.¡±

    ¡°No worries.  I¡¯ll be back in a hour or so to check your vitals.  If you need anything, page me.  Susan will be taking over for me this evening.¡±  He adjusted the bed so that Kayden was sitting slightly upright.

    ¡°Cool.  Thanks.¡±

    Once David had left, Kayden reached for the phone and began to dial.  The numbers seemed harder to press - either that or his hands weren¡¯t doing exactly what he wanted them to do, which was more likely.  He dialled up his friend Darryl.

    ¡°Darryl?¡±

    ¡°Holy cow! Where have you been, man?¡±  Darryl sounded worried, and more than a bit concerned.

    ¡°Hospital, or private clinic I guess. I got shot twice on Tuesday when I went to look about that job.  Oh - I got the job, by the way, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to let me out to come to it.  You might need to go without me.¡±

    ¡°Screw that!¡±  Darryl cursed.  ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah...  I hurt like hell, and I¡¯m on some good pain meds, but I¡¯m really tired too.  I just wanted to tell you I¡¯m alive and okay.  The docs think I¡¯ll be able to go home in ten days or so...  But it depends on how I heal.¡±

    ¡°I guess. Can you have visitors?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not.  I think I¡¯m in a private clinic at Trask Industries, downtown.  I¡¯ll see if they¡¯ll let you in when you visit.  You aren¡¯t going to skip the game are you?¡±

    ¡°Damn right I am!  I¡¯ll give the tickets to Robert and Brendan...  They¡¯ll appreciate them.  I¡¯ll call and find out when your visiting hours are and drop by.  I assume you don¡¯t want anyone to call your folks?¡±

    Kayden choked up for a minute. This game meant a lot to Darryl... I owe him big.  ¡°Thanks, Darryl.  You¡¯re the best.  And you assume correctly.¡±

    ¡°Damn right I am.¡±  He joked.  ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon, okay pal?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.  See you soon.  Thanks.¡±

    Kayden lay there thinking for a bit about how lucky he was to have such good friends - and he was damned if he was going to call his parents and tell them he¡¯d been shot...  They¡¯d find some way to turn it around and make it sound like he was asking for it!   He needed to prove to them - and to himself - he could take care of himself, but that didn¡¯t include reinitiating contact with people he considered poisonous. Hell, if they weren¡¯t toxic, I wouldn¡¯t have got my emancipation and moved out two years ago.  I¡¯m glad I¡¯m done with them, he thought, but I¡¯ll be damned if I let them be proven right.  I¡¯d rather die than crawl back to them.

    Kayden stewed in anger for a little bit, but found himself getting rather tired.  Anger was exhausting to hold onto, and his reserves had gotten up and left.  He dozed off into an uneasy sleep.

    *              *              *

    Justin sat in his lab with Mr. Chips on his lap.  It was their evening ¡®alone time¡¯, where Justin spent an hour or so with his beloved pet before heading home.  As they cuddled and played, he whispered to his dog.  ¡°I know you¡¯d like to come home with me, Mr. Chips, but you¡¯re too sick...  You¡¯d get hurt.  Good boy...  I met someone who¡¯s going to help me make you better.  Would you like that?  It would be nice to bring you home too, boy.   I¡¯m going to bring you home, and we¡¯ll be together again.  Soon...  Soon.¡±  Justin stroked Mr. Chips¡¯ straggly fur, and felt a soft gentle lick and heard a soft whine of pain.  The lesions and bleeding were worse, and the joint pain was far past the point of medication being able to help it.  Mr. Chips didn¡¯t have much time left.   Justin tried to put it out of his mind for now, and simply be with his beloved dog.  I can save you, Mr. Chips.  I can save everyone.  Please hold on a little bit longer.

    Please.

 Chapter 3 - Formulae

    Kayden drifted in an out of consciousness most of the night.  He thought he remembered a short blonde haired woman taking his vitals at one point, but it was too hazy.  When he woke for real, it was about a quarter after six in the morning.   The clinic was quiet except for the *beep* *beep* of his monitors, and a bit of background noise that might be a TV or radio somewhere outside his room.

    Rather than sit around doing nothing, he carefully reached up and grabbed the TV/Phone unit and pulled it closer, and turned on the TV.  The morning news was interesting...  Apparently Fathom and Tesseract had stopped a drug shipment across town - but were being accused of blowing a major undercover operation.  Too bad they were too busy to keep ME from being shot, he thought.  I¡¯d like to see them face to face one day... Just to ask them why they do it. Why the hell do they bother when no one else in this town seems to give a shit.  Half the time the cops let the bad guys go on a technicality.  Talk about a thankless job.

    In other news, Captain Patriot stopped an invasion of Meteor Men in Paragon...  Heh. They get seven alien invasions in a month, and we can¡¯t get our third superhero in Empire City.  What a screwed up world.  News sucks...  He changed the channel to the rollover news and let it blend into the background.  Everything still hurt, and he was sore and tired.  Funny how you can never really rest in a hospital, and that you always feel tired, even after trying to sleep.  I probably won¡¯t feel good till I get home and sleep in my own bed again.

    About that time, a young woman of asian appearance with long brown hair and blue eyes came into his room.  ¡°Good morning, Mr. Ballard.  I¡¯m Susan, your nurse.  Did you sleep well?¡±

    No, he thought.  ¡°About as well as can be expected.  Nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Same here.¡±   Susan helped busy herself by taking his vitals, helping him with a bedpan and a few other indignities, and gave him a sponge bath.   By the end of it, Kayden was blushing furiously red, and Susan just smirked.  ¡°It¡¯s nothing I haven¡¯t done before, Mr. Ballard.  Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±  Kayden was still embarrassed, but Susan¡¯s reassurance did feel better.   ¡°Oh - Susan?  I have a friend named Darryl who might visit today.  Are there visiting hours?¡±

    ¡°Yes - from 10am to 4pm, and from 6pm to 9pm.  I¡¯ll make sure to let security let him inside the building.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Susan left to do other things, leaving Kayden to try and eat a light breakfast.  The food was bland, but good enough, but it was hard to eat it with one arm - his left arm hurt too much to move a great deal.  The food tasted better than what they served at his old high school used to.  That was a plus.  After breakfast he napped for a while longer.

    The next time he awoke, it was close to 10:30am.  Everything felt a bit fuzzy tinged with a light ache.  Geez, I must be on some heavy painkillers.  Woo!   He was just getting his bearings when he heard a friendly ¡®tap tap¡¯ by the door to his room.

    ¡°Hey man, is it safe to come in?¡±

    ¡°Darryl!  Of course man!  C¡¯mon in.¡±  Kayden tried to sit up a bit, but it hurt too much.  Wincing, he lay back down.  ¡°Sorry ¨C I¡¯m a little stiff here.¡±

    ¡°No worries.  Does it hurt?¡±

    ¡°Do I really need to answer that?  Duh!¡±  Kayden smiled.  ¡°So you really gave away those Warden¡¯s tickets?  What did I do to deserve an awesome friend like you?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.¡±  Darryl joked.  ¡°It¡¯s just you still owe me 50 bucks for last month.¡±

    ¡°Ouch!¡±  Kayden smiled.  The casual joking around was something he¡¯d missed the last few days. ¡°Did you call the others?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, actually.  Laurie came with me to see you.  Yvonne and Brendan might be over later today, if they can get away from school and work respectively.  How are you doing, really?¡±

    ¡°I hurt a bit, but the pain meds are helping.  I¡¯m told I got lucky and the bullets didn¡¯t hurt anything too serious - it could have been a lot worse.  I took one to the arm and one to the leg.  I¡¯ll walk again, but I might need a cane for a while.¡±

    Darryl sat down in a chair next to Kayden¡¯s bed.  ¡°I¡¯m glad.  I¡¯m glad you¡¯ll be alright.  When do you come home?¡±

    ¡°Maybe 10-14 days, if there aren¡¯t any complications.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°You know that job I told you about?  It turns out it wasn¡¯t what I thought it was.  I¡¯m donating some bone marrow to Trask Industries to use in a scientific project, and they¡¯re going to pay me 10 G¡¯s - they already paid me 5 G¡¯s but it got stolen when I was shot.¡±

    ¡°Medical experiments?  Are you insane?  Why would you do that?¡±  Darryl looked mad, concerned and shocked all at once.

    ¡°Because I was desperate, and I¡¯m too proud to ask for help, dammit.  The doc also said my blood was special, and could help a lot of people, so I decided to do it.  It¡¯s going to be very important if it works, Darryl.¡±

    ¡°What will, Kay?  What¡¯s the project?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t talk about it.  I signed a secrecy agreement.  It¡¯s important.¡±

    ¡°You know how dangerous this sounds, right moron?  I don¡¯t want to have to bury my best friend.¡±

    ¡°I know, buddy.¡±  Kayden put his hand on Darryl¡¯s for a moment.  ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°When are they doing the marrow extraction?¡±

    Kayden tried to remember...  ¡°I think some time tomorrow, maybe.  It won¡¯t affect my release date, so that¡¯s good - and I figured since I¡¯m in the hospital already, I might as well get two for the price of one.¡±

    Darryl laughed.  ¡°You can be such an asshole at times.  Geez.¡±

    ¡°Yup!¡±   Kayden smiled.  It DID feel good to banter again.  Kayden remembered the good times he and Darryl had shared, and the crazy things they had done together.  He felt happy.

    They talked a while, about inconsequential things, the news, politics and what the jerk in the White house was doing. It was fun, and Kayden felt relieved and honoured for Darryl to want to spend time with him instead of going to the Warden¡¯s game he had wanted to see for so long.  He felt blessed.

    Darryl stood after a while.  ¡°I should probably let Laurie have a chance at you, too.¡±

    ¡°Yeah - probably.¡±  Kayden smirked.  Laurie was so damn impatient she was probably chewing the walls right now - or counting the dots in the ceiling tiles.  Darryl nodded, and headed out.

    A few moments later, Laurie arrived.  She was a 5''4" spitfire of walking attitude, wrapped up in a goth-girl package.  Long knee high boots, stockings, black skirt and crop top, the dark makeup and pigtails.   It didn¡¯t hurt she was rather pretty too - she had the whole package - curves, looks, and personality.  Kayden felt more than a bit jealous, but smiled all the same.

    ¡°Laurie!¡±

    ¡°Hey doofus!¡±  She said, with a tear in her eye.  ¡°I heard you got shot. Are you going to be okay?¡± She leaned over, and gave Kayden a gentle hug.  ¡°I was so worried, Kay.¡±

    ¡°Me too, actually.  I knew the shopkeeper... he was a friend.  Do you know if he made it?¡±

    "Yeah...  The police mentioned the store owner died at the scene.  I heard the guy got away with everything, and that the police haven¡¯t caught him.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, right.  And they won¡¯t either.¡±

    ¡°Probably.¡± She said sadly. ¡°Darryl said you¡¯re doing some sort of experiment?¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°Yeah - donating some bone marrow.  It¡¯ll be a bit painful, but it should be okay.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m proud of you.  Knowing you, it¡¯s not just about the money.¡±

    Kayden blushed a bit in shame.  ¡°Actually, you¡¯d normally be right, but this time it was.  I¡¯m having a lot of financial troubles.¡±

    ¡°What!  Why didn¡¯t you tell me?  You know I¡¯d help you in a heart beat!¡±  Laurie looked hurt, and it was obvious to Kayden he¡¯d been a fool.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Laurie.  I know my friends are there for me, but it¡¯s hard for me to get past my pride and stubbornness.  I¡¯m trying.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re damn right you are!¡±  Laurie said, rather peeved.  ¡°Still, we¡¯ll stand by you - just try not to do it again, okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±  Kay promised.

    ¡°Thanks. You know, we should get together when you get out of here - go shopping or have lunch or something.¡±

    ¡°Shopping requires money.  How about we do lunch?¡±

    ¡°Lunch sounds good, and you know damn well you¡¯ll have some money left after bills are dealt with, once this is done.¡±

    ¡°I... I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯d buy?¡±   It¡¯s not like I can wear what I want to wear anyway.  I¡¯d look like a freak.  But then again, Laurie knew that.

    ¡°Sometimes it¡¯s the hunt that¡¯s more fun, Kay.¡±  She smiled.  ¡°Still, if shopping¡¯s not your thing, don¡¯t sweat it. Lunchwill be fine.  You should loosen up a bit.  The others would understand.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure, Laurie.  I¡¯m not as sure as you are.  I wish I was.¡± The two of them sat in silence for a bit.

    ¡°Do you want me to get you anything from your apartment, Kay?¡±  Laurie asked.

    Kayden thought for a moment.  ¡°Maybe a few books to read and some clean clothes?¡±

    ¡°Sure, no problem.  Let me take care of it.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Laurie.¡±

    Laurie put a hand on Kay¡¯s, and smiled.  ¡°Your friends are here for you, Kay.  You don¡¯t have to lie to everyone.  I can see that it hurts you.¡±

    ¡°I know, Laurie.  I guess I¡¯m just not ready yet, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay, Kay.  See you later, alright?¡±

    ¡°Yep.  Later Laurie.¡±

    Laurie left the room, leaving Kayden alone with his thoughts.  Maybe I should come out to the others?  It¡¯s been almost three years since I left home, and I know I can trust them.  I¡¯m scared.   I¡¯m scared if they turn away from me, I¡¯ll be left with no one.    Kayden knew he¡¯d been hiding a secret from his parents and friends for a long time.  He was trans - he felt he was wrong, like he should be female...  He wondered if Darryl and the others would turn on him like his mom and dad did when they found out.

    He tried not to cry, but the tears came unbidden, and for a while, he just lay there, reliving the pain and emotional torment - and beatings - he suffered under his parents until he took charge and got the hell out six months later.   I¡¯d rather die than go back, and I¡¯d rather die than lose my friends.  What the hell do I do?  Kayden cried himself to sleep.

    *              *              *

    When Kayden woke, he felt wrong... his thighs hurt like hell, and his throat felt rubbed raw with soreness.  He felt exhausted.  What happened?  Have they already taken the bone marrow?  Why the hell didn¡¯t anyone warn me?  Kayden was angry, and felt more than a little betrayed, and reached about for a call button.  It took him a few minutes to find it, and call the nurse.  David was the nurse that showed up.

    ¡°Hey, Mr. Ballard!  You¡¯re awake!  Don¡¯t try to talk ¨C you¡¯ll hurt your vocal cords.  You had a breathing tube down your neck while under anaesthesia.  The doctor said the operation was a success, and you can go home as soon as you recover - which should be in about 10 days.  Blink once for yes, and twice for no.  Do you understand?¡±

    Kayden snarled, still rather angry about how he had been misused. *Blink*

    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±

    *Blink*

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.  If you¡¯d like I can get Doctor Pierce for you?¡±

    *Blink*

    ¡°Sure...  I¡¯ll be right back.¡±  David left to fetch Dr. Pierce, leaving Kayden by himself.

    Damn right there¡¯s a problem.  I would have liked to be informed before they fucking well operated on me!

    A short while later, Dr. Justin Pierce arrived.   ¡°I guess you¡¯d like to know why we went ahead and performed the procedure sooner than expected?¡±  He asked, getting right to the point.  ¡°If you need to know, it¡¯s because Mr. Chips is flagging quickly, and if I don¡¯t at least try to speed things up, I¡¯ll miss my chance to try and save him... and I know the chance is slim, Kayden - but I need to try and take it.  I¡¯m sorry if you feel upset, but I felt I had no choice.¡±

    ¡°Not... worth... 10,000.¡±  Kayden croaked.

    ¡°What?  Apparently you weren¡¯t listening, Kayden, when I told you how much this project is worth to Trask Industries and myself.  You¡¯re getting $15,000 and 1 tenth of 1 percent of the royalties for any medicines devised with my procedure and your bone marrow.  Considering that the US alone spends about 140 BILLION dollars a year on treating cancer, that should make your share 140 million dollars per year, probably forever.  Is THAT worth the indignity you¡¯ve undergone?  That and being responsible for helping save countless lives - and my dog?   Let¡¯s put things into perspective, Kayden.¡±

    Kayden thought a moment.  140 Million dollars a year for the rest of his life?  Even if Justin was blowing smoke up his ass, and he only saw 1% of that, it was still astronomical, and he was planning on donating the marrow anyway...  Kayden decided he might be overreacting, and calmed down.  ¡°So..rrry.¡± He gasped.

    ¡°No need to be sorry. Just letting you know you might have not been looking at the big picture, and there are things more important than either yours or my feelings. Are you okay?¡±

    *Blink*

    ¡°Good.  I have to go now, and get to work.  I probably won¡¯t be back for a few days.  If you have medical issues, Doctor Kingsway will be here to assist you.  He was your surgeon, and he¡¯s quite good - but he¡¯s also quite busy.  David and Susan will be seeing to your needs.  Oh - and here¡¯s a picture of Mr. Chips.  I couldn¡¯t get him down here ¨C he¡¯s too weak.  I hope he¡¯s still alive to meet you by the time you leave here.¡±

    *Blink*

    "Goodbye, Kayden... and thank you.¡±  Justin¡¯s eyes softened a bit as he said thank you...  Kayden realized how much his marrow donation actually meant to Justin and his dog.

    *Blink*

    Justin left, and Kayden closed his eyes to rest.  He fell asleep before the count of 10.

    *              *              *

    The next few days were filled with resting, physiotherapy, and browsing the TV and internet.  Kayden felt a bit stronger, but still weak overall and tired.  His arm was giving him a fair bit of trouble, and his leg was a mess.  He could stand for a few minutes with a cane, but he was a long way from being fully recovered.  He had seen the doctor once, and Dr. Kingsway said it might be over three months before he got most of the mobility in his arm and leg back to full use.

    Still his Physio team was working him hard.  Sheryl and Jafa really knew their stuff.  Sheryl was a tall, Nordic woman and Jafa looked like the stereotypical Caribbean Islander.  At the rate he was going, he¡¯d be home and hobbling (as he put it) in about a week.  Susan had just changed his wound dressings, and was more than a bit concerned about some redness and swelling she saw, but with the antibiotics they had these days, Kayden wasn¡¯t too worried.

    Life was starting to improve, and soon, Kayden¡¯s money worries would be over for good!   I hate to say it, but ¡°could things get any better?¡± he said to himself.  Maybe this was a good idea after all?

    *              *              *

    Mr. Chips whined in pain, panting, as the lesions on his skin seeped blood.  His aching bones made even lying down painful.  He looked at master, who had his sad face on again...  Whenever master had tears, Chips tried to give a kiss to make it better.  It had been that way since they were both puppies.  Masters¡¯ hand felt good on his fur, but he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to stay with master much longer.  It hurt so much, Chips just wanted to sleep for a while, but Master was his only friend.  He loved master.  Master would save him, he was sure of it - and if he didn¡¯t, Chips would wait for master in the Great Beyond.  Chips would never leave his master.  He kissed master again, whining in pain.  Master kept petting him, but at least the tears stopped.  Chips was a good boy.  Master said so.

    Chips lay down to rest, knowing it wouldn¡¯t be long now before he went to the final sleep. He hoped Master would find him one day, when he came to meet him.  Chips imagined romping through the grassy fields of the Beyond with Master, both young and healthy again.  Master was saying something, but Chips couldn¡¯t hear it.  He was so tired...  He dozed off, thinking happy thoughts. He didn¡¯t see master crying again.

    *              *              *

    Justin watched Mr. Chips fading away before him.  It can¡¯t end like this!  I¡¯m so close!  A fervor took hold of him, and he gently placed Mr. Chips down, on the soft bed inside his crate.  ¡°I won¡¯t lose you, buddy.  Not now - not when I know I¡¯m close!¡±  He closed the crate door, and went to his lab to check the results of the marrow extraction.

    For the last two and half days, Kayden¡¯s bone marrow had been cleansed, purified, and genetically altered just a sconch, and then treated with Justin¡¯s formula to strip the human antigens from it, to make it a universal donor and receiver.  It needed to be injected into a test subject to see if it worked.  Can I try it on Mr. Chips first?  I know I should - but what if it doesn¡¯t work, or worse, what if it kills my little guy? Dammit!

    Justin gritted his teeth.  I was hoping it wouldn¡¯t come to this, but I did accept it as a possibility from the beginning.  The only one who can receive this treatment and have virtually no complications is probably Kayden.  I¡¯m going to have to test it on him first.  If it works, I¡¯ll use what¡¯s left on Mr. Chips - we can always grow more bone marrow from Kayden¡¯s stem cells later.  If it doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯m going to be left with no choice but to fall back on plan B.

    Plan B was simple in concept, but complicated in execution: digitize Mr. Chips memories, and put them into a storage medium, until Justin could use them to form an Artificial Intelligence.  Such advanced techniques would have been impossible without super tech and the abilities of superheroes - and Justin had at great expense come into possession of a certain super-device once said to be created by Mechalus, a machine-being hell bent on destroying humanity.  If the device works as advertised, I can digitize Mr. Chips thoughts and personality, and store it - like in a robot body.  It¡¯s not the best possible alternative, but it¡¯s still a chance.

    But Plan B was not optimal, not by far...  Kayden would just have to make one more sacrifice for science - and if he doesn¡¯t like it, that¡¯s too damn bad because I¡¯m not taking ¡®no¡¯ for an answer!   Justin prepared the syringes - one for Kayden, and a smaller one for Mr. Chips.  Just in case, he also took a Browning 9mm handgun from the drawer of his desk and checked the magazine...  It was full.  Just in case some ¡®persuasion¡¯ was required.   Like I said, I¡¯m not taking ¡®no¡¯ for an answer.

 Chapter 4 - Infected

    Kayden groaned in frustration.  His legs and thighs hurt ferociously, and his left arm was aching in a very uncomfortable way.  I wonder if it¡¯s going to ache every time it rains, or something?  He thought to himself.  At least I survived.  Poor Mr. Sheldon!   He lay there resting a while ¨C he¡¯d just finished his physio and had dinner, and had some quiet time to himself.  Most of his quiet time lately had been wasting time on the internet and keeping up on the news - but the rest had been spent sleeping.  Sleep was probably going to help him heal faster than anything else, anyway, but sleep was hard in coming.

    What am I going to do with all that money? I could afford to move somewhere a little larger, a little nicer.  I could pay all my friends back for the money I¡¯ve borrowed.  That would feel nice...  Kayden imagined handing $500 bucks to Robert Ramsay, one of his pals, for all the computer work he¡¯d done to keep his five year old laptop functional, or giving Yvonne back the $200 dollars he¡¯d had to borrow for groceries - and yes, the $150 dollars he owed Darryl, too.  It would feel really, really good.  And this time it¡¯s not my pride talking, he thought.  I really needed those loans - and I was ashamed to ask for them, but damn, I know Rob and Yvonne and Darryl could have used that money too.  I¡¯ve been more ashamed I haven¡¯t been able to pay them back.  It¡¯ll feel good to clear those debts off my ledger.   Maybe I could pay off their Student Loans with the money I get?  I think that would be a great way to show them how much those guys mean to me!   I¡¯ll have way more than I need, once the medicine Justine makes hits the market.

    Kayden was shaken from his light slumber and reverie by the door to the clinic opening, and the arrival of Justin Pierce.  Justin looked distraught, and resolved.   I wonder what¡¯s wrong?   ¡°Hey, Justin.  What¡¯s wrong.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Chips is dying...  I need to you try the experimental medicine to see if it will save him.  1I brought a dose of it with me and...¡±

    ¡°What?!  Look, Justin, I¡¯m really sorry your dog is dying but no one ever mentioned taking experimental drugs!  What if it hurts me or even kills me? What then?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a risk I¡¯m willing to take!¡±

    ¡°Well I¡¯m not, you pyscho!  Fuck this place ¨C I¡¯m leaving, now!¡±  Kayden¡¯s anger was fuelling him.  Over the past few days he¡¯d been able to walk well enough with a cane, and if the alternative was being some nutjob¡¯s guinea pig, he¡¯d crawl out of here if he had to do it.  He tried to stand, and reached for his cane.

    Justin pulled out a handgun, and levelled it at Kayden¡¯s chest.   ¡°I don¡¯t recall asking, Kayden.  Sit down.¡±  The gun shone ominously in the clinic light, and Kayden halted.  He¡¯d been shot before and wasn¡¯t eager to have it happen again.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to shoot me?  I thought my blood and marrow were important?¡±  Kayden felt an icy touch of fear as he stared at the barrel of the gun pointing at him.  The idea of being shot again terrified him somehow - like a memory of the pain he suffered before.  Oh shit, what am I going to do?

    ¡°It is...  And a sample of both blood and marrow are stored in frozen storage for posterity and science.  We can grow more of it anytime - so your uniqueness is a little overrated at the moment.  Trust me, Kayden - I wouldn¡¯t be doing this for anyone other than Mr. Chips.  I just can¡¯t lose him.¡±

    "Yeah, we forgive me if I¡¯m a little less than sympathetic.¡±  Kayden muttered.  ¡°I don¡¯t want your dog to die, but I don¡¯t want to be a science experiment either.  How will injecting me with that stuff you¡¯ve got help Mr. Chips?¡±

    ¡°It will provide valuable data...  Like if injecting it into a host is fatal or not.¡±

    ¡°The FUCK!?¡±  Kayden tried to get up, and reach his cane - but his wrist was strapped to the call button for the nurse, and he fell to the floor with a painful crash.  He¡¯s nuts!  I¡¯ve gotta get out of here.  Kayden pressed the call button for the nurse a few times, and yanked his hands free of it.  ¡°Help!¡±  His scream was loud and hoarse.

    His screams seemed to have no effect at first, but a moment later, David rushed in - only to be shot in the face by Justin. David¡¯s brains splattered onto the wall behind him, and his limp body fell the ground amid a growing pool of blood.   ¡°See what you¡¯ve done, Kayden?  Your lack of cooperation cost David his life.   I¡¯m sorry, but you brought this upon yourself.¡±   He aimed the pistol at Kayden, and pulled the trigger twice.

    ¡°Aaaaggh!¡±  Kayden felt a burning, searing pain again, and it was even more painful than when he was shot the first time.  Oddly enough, his legs didn¡¯t hurt anymore - just his stomach and higher.  On a subconscious level, Kayden realized he had probably just been paralyzed - but right now all his mind could comprehend was intense pain.   He nearly blacked out, and lay in a pool of his own blood.  The warmth of it spread out underneath him, soaking his clothes, and seeped into his eye and mouth.  I¡¯m going to die, aren¡¯t I?  I don¡¯t want to die... please, god!

    Justin looked at Kayden on the floor, and shook his head.  ¡°I didn¡¯t want to have to do that, Kayden...  In the time we¡¯ve had together I¡¯ve come to the conclusion you¡¯re a pretty nice guy.  I like you - and I think we could have been friends.  I¡¯m sorry I had to do this, but I can¡¯t let my dog die.  I won¡¯t allow it.  I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll understand eventually.¡±  He put way the gun, and pulled out his syringe, knelt and injected it deep into Kayden¡¯s right thigh, repeating it with his left thigh.   Kayden screamed - and no wonder; what Justin was doing was incredibly painful.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die!  Please! Somebody save me!  Oh jesus!¡± Kayden couldn¡¯t take the pain anymore, and blacked out.

    The injections done, Justin pulled out a digital stopwatch, and began to take notes.

    ...One minute.  Subject looks flushed, which considering the blood loss from the gunshot wound, is unusual.  Possibly evidence of advanced fever....

    ...One minute, 28 seconds.  Subject¡¯s skin is taking on a waxy appearance, and the bullet wounds seem to be covering over with the same waxy substance.  Skin feels soft and pliable to touch, but doesn¡¯t feel like skin ¨C it¡¯s hard, like leather.

    ...Two minutes, 23 seconds.  Subject begins what can only be described as ¡®melting.¡¯  Subject appears to have transformed into a humanoid shaped blob of waxy bioplasm.  Subject has no heart rate, no brain activity; Subject is obviously deceased.  Plan A is a failure.

    Justin sighed, took off his glasses, and pinched his nose to relieve some stress.  Failure.  I have to go with Plan B.  ¡°Dammit.¡±  He turned and left the clinic, figuring he could clean up the mess in the morning.  Mr. Chips came first and foremost.

    *              *              *

    All Kayden could feel was pain, like liquid fire running through his veins.   The pain consumed him, and clouded everything else around him, until he blacked out...  For a time, there was blackness - but then, Kayden awoke.

    The first thing he realized is that he felt no pain.  None.  No aching, no weakeness, no lingering sore spots - and definitely no gunshots.  He was lying in a pool of something wet and slimy, and he could hear a buzz around him that sounded like a bunch of insects talking.  He could feel something dormant nearby - but he couldn¡¯t identify what it was.  He opened his eyes.  Not two feet from his was his nurse David¡¯s corpse, his face staring with glassy eyes back into Kaydens.

    ¡°Oh Shit!¡±  Kayden recoiled in fear - and started to panic.  His body wasn¡¯t right!  His voice was off - bland, neutral - like it could be anyones.  It didn¡¯t sound either male or female, and it was extremely disconcerting - but what was worse is that his arms and body had become some sort of waxy protoplasm...  The wet stuff he had been lying in was a mixture of his own blood and apparently his own melted bodily tissue...

    Kayden felt his gorge rising, and unbidden the contents of his stomach came hurling up.  What has he done to me!?  What¡¯s happened to me?  Oh my god!  Kayden kept vomiting, unable to control his reflex actions at seeing what he had become.  What disgusted him more was that the contents of his stomach looked much like he did - formless white biomass.  I¡¯m a monster!  Oh god!

    Kayden fell to his knees and wept.  His life was effectively over...  He called David, and now David was dead.   Justin basically killed us both.  He killed us both.  ¡°What am I going to do?  Oh god!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡±  Someone said.  ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡±

    Kayden looked about in panic...  I don¡¯t want to be seen like this!  ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡±  There was no one in the room.  Aside from himself and David¡¯s body, there was no one there.

    ¡°Right here.  I¡¯m the cardiac monitor you¡¯re hooked up to.  Please don¡¯t cry.¡±  The voice sounded small and tinny.

    Kayden looked around.  There was no one there - but there was a cardiac monitor.  ¡°You¡¯re the machine?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°How can I talk to you?¡±  Kayden asked.

    ¡°I have no clue.  I don¡¯t know how you can talk at all.¡±  The cardiac monitor replied.

    ¡°What happened here?¡±

    ¡°Doctor Pierce shot you, and you turned into goop.  He timed it for about two minutes, said something about Plan B, and left the room.  Your heart stopped, and you lay there for about 4 hours, and your heart started up again.  You got up, and threw up that white goopy stuff.  That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°What.  The.  Fuck?¡±  He turned me into some sort of mutant!  That bastard!  I¡¯ll find him, and I¡¯ll make him pay!  Kayden let the anger take him for a moment, then fought to get himself under control.  ¡°Wait,¡± he said to himself.  ¡°If I go off the deep end, I will be a monster.  I need someplace to hide, to take stock of what¡¯s happened.  Damn.¡±   Kayden normally wasn¡¯t one to talk to himself, and even with his voice sounding odd, he felt better hearing another human-like voice.

    Kayden heard a door open, and heard a shriek!  It was Susan!  Oh god, don¡¯t let her see me like this!  He thought.  ¡°Susan, please don¡¯t scream!¡±

    Susan screamed again, and ran, hitting the panic button as she fled.

    Oh crap!  Security will be here in a few moments, I¡¯ll bet...  And odds are they¡¯ll think the waxy monster killed David and dissolved me - or worse, think I became the waxy monster.  I¡¯ll be wanted.  ¡°Oh shit, I¡¯m totally screwed.¡±  Kayden said.  ¡°I¡¯ve gotta get out of here.¡±

    He looked down at himself, and saw that his entire body was made of waxy white drippy stuff.  It wasn¡¯t wet - it was more like silly putty - soft and malleable.  He wasn¡¯t anatomically correct - between his legs was just smooth waxen surface with no orifices or anything to differentiate him from a fucking Ken doll in the stores.  Great, he thought.  I finally get rid of that piece of meat and I get turned into a freaking monster.  Fuck my life.  At least I don¡¯t need to worry about clothes.  He went to the door of the clinic, and pushed it open.  Behind him, he thought he heard the cardiac monitor saying ¡°Good luck!¡± and sighed.  What the hell has my life come to?If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    He made it to the stairwell, and down a few steps.  My legs are working better...  There¡¯s no pain at all.  Amazing.  Whatever messed me up must have healed me too.  I hope there¡¯s some way to turn me back.   He kept going down the stairs, hoping to find an exit to the ground floor soon. One floor went by, and then another.

    ¡°Yes!  Here it is!¡±  He exclaimed.  He reached for the door - and suddenly, it opened of its own accord - and Kayden came face to face with two armed security men, both of whom had their guns drawn.

    ¡°Holy shit!  What is that?¡±  One called out.

    The other just started shooting.  Kayden felt one, two, then three bullets hit his torso...  But this time, instead of feeling burning pain and being incapacitated, they hurt a lot - but not so much he couldn¡¯t function.  Kayden screamed in panic - and the security officer who shot him screamed in panic too when it was obvious the bullets hadn¡¯t floored him.

    Kayden looked down at his torso, and saw three bullet wounds - but the bullet wounds were shrinking, and the bullets were forcing themselves out of the holes, as if in reverse.  He was healing!  And fast, too!   As the two guards watched, the bullets edged out of the holes, the holes sealed, and the waxy surface smoothed over.  In about 10 seconds he had gone from being shot three times to being in perfect health - aside from the goop issue.

    ¡°What are you?  What the hell are you?¡±  The security guard was freaking out - and his partner was pointing his gun at Kayden too.  ¡°Get down on the ground!  Or I¡¯ll shoot.¡±

    ¡°So shoot, for all the good it will do you.¡±  Kayden made a break for it, shouldering past the two guards.  I can¡¯t let myself be caught, he thought.  I¡¯ll become an experiment - a guinea pig!  That¡¯s already happened once.  It¡¯s not going to happen again!  Kayden ran, and felt the impact of two more bullets into his back.  Once again, they stung like hell, but by the time he reached the main lobby, the gunshots didn¡¯t hurt anymore.  The lobby was full of shimmering lights in the air, like little lines of glowy stuff Kayden couldn¡¯t identify.  They seemed to originate from some phones and some computers - but some were just going through the air.  It was surreal and magical - but it made Kayden question whether he was going mad.

    Kayden opened the door and stepped out into the streets of Empire city.  What do I do now?  Those guys are definitely going to call the police.  Oh hell!   I¡¯ve got to find somewhere to lay low.  Kayden ran to an alley, to try and think.  What were those odd lights I was seeing?  Oh hell - am I crazy?   He paused in the dark alley and looked around.  There were thousands of the glowy light trails in the sky - tens of thousands - although some didn¡¯t extend very far - maybe 30 feet from a building - while others descended from what looked like space itself.  He reached out to one and tried to touch it with his mind...

    ¡°... so then the stupid cow took my phone and car keys, and she grounded me?  Can you believe it?  She¡¯s so unfair!¡± The girls voice Kayden was hearing sounded young - maybe a teenager - and more than a bit petulant.  He felt his mind filling with information... numbers, co-ordinates, codes - and he boggled for a moment.

    Another voice continued the conversation.  ¡°That is SO unfair!  It¡¯s not like you were drinking again!  It was only marijuana, for god¡¯s sakes.  It¡¯s not like it¡¯s the dark ages!  It¡¯s practically legal now!  Your mom¡¯s a bitch, Jenifer.¡±

    ¡°Tell me about it!¡±  Jenifer replied.

    Kayden was confused. ¡°What the fuck is going on?¡±

    ¡°Huh?!  Who was that?¡±  Jenifer said.  ¡°Is there someone on the line?¡±

    ¡°Not at my end.¡±  Said the other female voice.  ¡°Who¡¯s there?  Maybe our phone is being tapped?¡±

    Kayden, realizing the two girls had somehow heard him, let go of the glowing light trail - and the conversation stopped, instantly.  He still had the information in his head - including two sets of coordinates...  Then it hit him!  ¡°I¡¯m seeing wireless signals.   I tapped into one - probably from two cell phones.  The co-ordinates are where they were talking from.  Holy crap!¡±

    He looked around in awe...  All these lights are wireless signals - and I can tap into them.  I can talk to machines - or the electronic ones at least, too.  Can I do anything else?

    Kayden tried to jump - but didn¡¯t have any greater effect than before, and for a few minutes he tried to do a bunch of different things in order to see if he could, and he apparently couldn¡¯t climb walls, shoot energy blasts, fly or teleport.  ¡°Well that sucks.¡±  He muttered.  ¡°If I have to look like this goopy crap, at least having a power other than being a living wiretap would be nice!¡±

    Kayden headed deeper into the alleys.  The cops would be arriving soon, and might search the area - and he didn¡¯t want to be caught.  As he headed deeper into the alleys of Empire City, he moved from the downtown core towards an industrial area called Jamestown.  He found an empty street, and sat on a stone ledge to think.

    If I¡¯m some sort of living wiretap, the government is never going to let me stay free.  I¡¯ll get locked up - either for David¡¯s murder, which I didn¡¯t do - or because of national security.  On the plus side, I don¡¯t look like Kayden - so even if he becomes a ¡®person of interest¡¯ no one will ever find him - but on the minus side, I look like a walking glob of Elmer¡¯s glue.  What am I going to do?

    With powers like what I seem to have, I could probably be useful in intelligence - but I¡¯d be a pet monster.  They¡¯d never let me go.  I need some way to hide...  I wonder if I can assume a human form, or even something close?   Kayden concentrated, and tried to think about what he used to look like.  The average but fit body, and the charming face.  The build of his body and the feel of his skin, how he smelled and how he sounded to himself when he talked.   He felt something *click* inside him... and he was back in the moment...as Kayden - not pasty-goop Kayden.  He was also buck-naked.   He heard a gasp of fear behind him.

    Kayden whirled, and saw an older man - he looked maybe 50, but weathered beyond measure by the streets.  He was wearing ratty clothes that stunk to high heaven, and was unshaven and dirty.

    ¡°You... You¡¯re not a monster are you?  Some sort of villain?¡±  The man asked.  ¡°You aren¡¯t going to kill me, are you?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±  Kayden asked.  ¡°Oh - you think I¡¯m going to hurt you?  No way ¨C I¡¯m as confused about this as you are.  I¡¯m not going to hurt anyone.  I just want to get home.¡±

    ¡°Where do you live?¡±  The bum asked.

    ¡°East city.¡±

    ¡°Long way to go without any pants, mister.¡±  He commented.  ¡°I¡¯m Hank.  I might got a spare pair of pants you can have.¡±

    Kayden look surprised.  ¡°Thanks, Hank - but why help me?¡±

    ¡°I been in a position like yours once or twice - not with the changing power, mind you - but waking naked in an alley isn¡¯t a first for me.  I hadda pretty good life once, till I lost my home in aught-twelve.  Bankers raised interest rates, my wife left me, I lost the house and soon I was out on the street.  It¡¯s pretty shitty. Soon, I was drinking to forget.  Been here ever since.¡±

    Kayden nodded.  ¡°Thanks.  If I can find some way to pay you back, I will.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, kid.¡±  Hank replied, and crawled back into the shadowy corner he¡¯d been hiding in.

    Kayden was amazed at how well hidden Hank¡¯s sleeping nook was concealed.  There but for the grace of god, go I, he thought.

    Hank emerged with a pair of dirty trackpants - mens large - and handed them to Kayden.  When their hands touched,

    Kayden felt more information fill his head, stunning him for a moment.  His head was spinning, filled with images of double helixes and RNA, genomes and chromasomes.  The moment passed, and Kayden realized Hank was dying...  Cirrhosis of the liver, and a heart condition that would kill him sooner than later.  He also realized he could fix it.  Kayden didn¡¯t know exactly how he could fix it, but he could.  He was sure of it.

    ¡°Thanks, Hank.  I think I have some kind of power.  You¡¯re sick... It¡¯s your liver. I can save you. Will you let me?¡±

    ¡°Your power can heal, huh?  Nah.  Thanks kid, but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s worth the effort.  I¡¯m old and spent, and I got no one that cares about me.  Maybe it¡¯s better if I¡¯m gone, and leave everyone else to go about their business.¡±

    ¡°What if I could heal you so that you had a second chance?  Make you younger, so you get a do-over?¡±

    Hank smiled sadly.  ¡°If you gotta power like that, then people are going to kill to find you.  You might want to keep that a secret - but if you think you can do it, I think I¡¯d like a second chance.  Maybe I won¡¯t fuck up so badly this go around?¡±

    Kayden nodded, and placed his hand on Hank¡¯s shoulder...  As he did, he felt information about his health and genetics fill his mind - and he could see easily what he had to change to ¡®fix¡¯ him.  He concentrated, and fixed Hank¡¯s liver and his heart, and started reversing the aging of his body...   Hank¡¯s form flowed and shifted - and the wear and tear of years and hard living fell away as he shifted.  A few moments later, Hank was a young looking 21 and healthy again.  Both Kayden and Hank stood there, totally amazed.

    ¡°Holy shit!  I¡¯m young again!¡±  Hank could see the difference on his hands, arms - and feel it in his now no longer frail body.

    ¡°Tell me about it!  I didn¡¯t know I could do that, until just now!¡±  Kayden looked stunned.

    Hank got a pensive look on his now younger, more handsome face.  ¡°I don¡¯t know if a gift like yours is a blessing, or a curse kid.  I had a pal who worked in intelligence, and we talked a lot about stuff before I started living on the street.  If you want some advice, keep this shifting ability secret from anyone you don¡¯t trust completely - and the healing power too.  People have been killed for less, trust me.  The government will make you disappear - and they¡¯ll justify it by saying they¡¯re doing it to keep people safe from you.¡±

    ¡°Safe from me?  How?¡±

    ¡°You could become the President of the United States - or turn me into him.  You could heal people the government might prefer dead - and even if the government didn¡¯t care, what are you going to do when a thousand people - or ten thousand people - show up to be healed at your front door?  You can become anyone, which means you can infiltrate anything.  You¡¯re the ultimate spy, kid - and spy agencies will either have you working for them, or they¡¯ll have you dead.  Trust me on this.  You need to keep this quiet for your own safety.  Your identity being a secret is your greatest possession.¡±

    ¡°But if I can change into anyone, how can they catch me?¡±  Kayden asked.

    ¡°Do you still need to sleep, eat or drink water?  Do you have to go to the bathroom?  Who¡¯s going to watch your back if the entire worlds worth of spy agencies are on your tail?  They could drug the water supply - or if they needed to, blow up the entire city block you¡¯re hiding inside.  You might be hard to find - but unless you¡¯re invulnerable too, you¡¯re going to need to keep a low profile.¡±

    Kayden thought about that a minute.  ¡°Thanks Hank.  For the pants, and for the advice.  I kind of felt the same way.¡±

    ¡°No worries, Kid.  As for me, I think I¡¯m heading to the local mission and seeing if the offer of a meal and a shower I got yesterday is still standing.  Maybe it¡¯s time I got off the streets?   What¡¯s up with you?¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll get dressed, and head to a friends house.  It might not be safe to go home.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough.  Good luck to you, kid.¡±   Hank grabbed his stuff - a sleeping roll and several garbage bags of possessions, and made his way from the concealed nook towards downtown.

    Kayden watched him go, and put on the filthy pants.  I wonder if I can change clothes too?   He concentrated, and a few seconds later, the grimy track pants were changed to clean, new bluejeans.  Levi¡¯s actually - and they fit well too.  He concentrated a bit more, and the pants changed, and flowed - and became shoes, socks, and a light wool sweater covered with a light jacket.  Holy crap, this is totally amazing!  Can I make clothes from nothing?

    He tried to make a sock appear in his hand, but nothing happened.  I guess I can only change what already exists - not what doesn¡¯t.  Can I make it disappear too?  He concentrated, and his light jacket vanished.  Huh, neat.   I hope Hank is going to be okay.   Now I need to figure out what I¡¯m going to do for me.

    Kayden mulled over at least a half dozen ideas, but kept coming back to the same one - which seemed a little risky, but he didn¡¯t have any other ideas.   Darryl will know what to do... and even if he doesn¡¯t, I might be able to just chill and think for a few hours until I know what to do.

    Kayden looked about.  I¡¯m near Jamestown...  I¡¯m going to have a long walk.  I¡¯d better get going.   As he headed towards his friends house, the dawn, which had been threatening for some time, broke, and the first gentle rays of sunlight swept over the city.  Kayden made a hoodie to conceal his features, and started walking.

    *              *              *

    Justin prepared the Mechalus device, working with both haste and precision.  Tears fell from his eyes, and he found it hard to concentrate.  Mr. Chips was in so much pain!   ¡°Don¡¯t worry, buddy.  Daddy will make it better.¡±   He attached the electrodes to Mr. Chips chest and neck - but Mr. Chips was too weak to do anything but moan and whimper.  A few moments later, the device was ready.  Normally it would be lowered over the head of a man-sized creature, but Justin had crafted a smaller helmet designed for his dog - and wired it together with the primary helm.  He lowered it onto Mr. Chips¡¯s head.

    The device began to talk.  ¡°10 seconds to data initiation...  9... 8... 7...¡±

    ¡°I love you, buddy.¡±  Justin put his hand on Mr. Chips flank for one last time.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t save you.  I really tried.  I love you.  I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±

    ¡°...3 ....2 ...1 ... Data assimilation beginning.¡±  The device began to hum, and parts of it started glowing.  Mr. Chips body warmed up - and began spasming, and suddenly went still.

    ¡°Data assimilation at 100%.  Subject 001 is converted to Digital Data.  Would you like to continue?¡±

    Justin smiled.  Mr. Chips would be saved.  ¡°Yes.¡±  He said.  ¡°Yes I would.¡±

 Chapter 5 - Friends

    By the time Kayden reached the north village, Empire City¡¯s yuppie haven, he was footsore and weary - far more weary than he should be.  What¡¯s wrong with me?  He wondered.  I¡¯m young, and fit.  Walking a few miles shouldn¡¯t be a big deal.   It¡¯s been an hour or two since I left the lab - it can¡¯t be much past 7am... I should be fine.  Kayden realized he was huffing and puffing, and feeling more than a bit faint.  ¡°C¡¯mon, doofus,¡± he said to himself.  ¡°You can make it a few blocks further.¡±

    The north village was a collection of brownstones and sizeable loft apartments, with some classy condos - a good place for yuppies to have a family and artistic types to find an audience at the many galleries and museums.  It reminded him of the area around Astoria Heights in New York...  Darryl folks have money, which made living in this ritzy area affordable to his friend.  It was definitely out of Kayden¡¯s budget.

    Kayden almost staggered the last few steps to Darryl¡¯s walk up.  His home was one of several apartments in a four story walk up, which Kayden often teased meant ¡®too cheap for an elevator.¡¯   Pausing at the door to catch his breath, he panted for a few minute from the exertion.  This tiredness can¡¯t be natural.  I feel as weak as a kitten.  What¡¯s wrong with me?

    He passed a few of Darryl¡¯s neighbours on the way up - a few kids who looked like they were going skateboarding, and an old lady who was walking her cat.  Kayden smiled at that one - the few cat¡¯s he¡¯d had growing up would cut you to ribbons if you tried to put a collar on them, let alone a leash.  He couldn¡¯t imagine how hard it would have been to train the kitty.  He laughed.  Finally, Darryl¡¯s!  Kayden lurched up to Darryl¡¯s door, and leaned against the wall for a minute.  Damn... I have to sit down or something.  Kayden knocked.

    Kayden heard a voice call ¡°Just a minute!¡± - and moments later the door opened to a surprised Darryl Walker. ¡°Kayden!  Why aren¡¯t you still at the clinic?  I would have been happy to come down and pick you up...  Hey?  Are you alright, man?¡±

    ¡°No, Dar.  I¡¯m not all right. I need to sit down. Can I come in?¡±

    ¡°Yeah sure, Kay.  Make yourself at home.  Are you hurt?  What¡¯s going on?¡±

    I¡¯d like to know that myself, frankly, Kayden thought.  ¡°It¡¯s pretty messed up.  A few nights ago they knocked me out and took the bone marrow without telling me, and then a few days later the doctor - Justin Pierce - came in looking a little deranged, and injected me with some stuff against my will.  He shot and killed one of the nurses that tried to stop him... He¡¯s gone over the deep end.¡±

    ¡°Holy crap!  Did the stuff hurt you?  How did you walk here without your crutches?  There¡¯s more, isn¡¯t there?  Why haven¡¯t you gone to the police?¡±

    Kayden sighed.  ¡°Because there¡¯s a good chance the police think either a) I¡¯m responsible for David¡¯s murder or b) they think I¡¯m dead or missing.   Either way I don¡¯t want to talk to them.  The stuff he injected me with... it¡¯s bad stuff.  It changed me.¡±

    Darryl looked at his best friend, and sat next to him with a friendly hand on his shoulder.  ¡°We¡¯ll work through it, pal - just like always.  You need to see a doctor - what if that stuff he shot you full of gives you cancer?¡±

    Kayden started giggling hysterically. When Darryl¡¯s hand touched his shoulder, he felt his mind assimilate his genetic code and current health.  He was healthy - and had a tendency to male-pattern balding and high cholesterol that wouldn¡¯t bother him for at least another decade or two.   ¡°Cancer!  Hahaha.  He was trying to cure cancer - and put his medicine he used my bone marrow to make inside me.  I... I melted, and a few hours later I came back and woke up.  I was different.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t look different.¡±  Darryl offered.  ¡°You look like you.¡±

    ¡°And yet I¡¯ve been awake less than two full hours and I¡¯m exhausted.  If I show you what it did to me, do you promise not to panic?¡±

    ¡°Sure, Kay.  Even if you look a little weird, we¡¯ll... HOLY CRAP!¡±  Halfway through Darryl¡¯s speech, Kayden released his hold on his form, and reverted to a humanoid mass of bioplasm that, as he had said, looked a lot like Elmer¡¯s Glue.

    ¡°See?  I tried to get my form back, but it exhausted me.  I don¡¯t know how long I can keep it up.¡±

    ¡°You... you need to see a doctor about this, I think, Kay.¡±  Darryl looked surprised, and a bit taken aback - but not scared or fearful, and not disgusted either.  ¡°Is there a doctor you can see about this?  Does it hurt?¡±

    ¡°Maybe in Paragon.  Not too much call for Doctors of Metahuman Medicine here in Empire City.¡±  Kayden tried shaking his head.  ¡°I might have to figure this out on my own.  On the lighter side, I think the bullet wounds I took a few weeks ago have healed.  I can regenerate from harm.  I can do other things too.  And no, it doesn¡¯t hurt ¨C it¡¯s just gross.¡±   Now that Kayden wasn¡¯t appearing like Kayden anymore, he felt his fatigue beginning to dissipate, but he was still dead tired.

    ¡°I scared some guards on the way out of the clinic - the doctor left me for dead, I think - and they shot me.  I ran away - and came here.  If they called the cops - and they probably did ¨C I¡¯m probably wanted for questioning at the very least, and maybe for David¡¯s murder at worst.  I can¡¯t get found - can I stay here for a few hours, and get some rest?¡±

    Darryl nodded.  ¡°I¡¯m worried about you, Kay.  I¡¯m going to call in sick and take the day off classes.  You might need help if things get weird... I mean weirder than they already have.  You can crash on the couch.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Dar.  You¡¯re the best.¡±

    ¡°Damn right I am.¡±  Darryl laughed.

    Kayden lay down on the couch and tried to relax - but found it hard to get comfortable in the clothes he had transformed, so he stripped to his boxers.  In the background he heard Darryl calling Yvonne Cobb - one of their mutual friends - to take notes for Darryl today at class.  Before Darryl was done his phone call, Kayden was asleep.

    Darryl didn¡¯t know what to make of Kay¡¯s sudden appearance, and equally sudden and disturbing transformation.  So, you big dummy, you went on got experimented on and now you¡¯re in trouble.   Life keeps kicking you when you¡¯re down, doesn¡¯t it?

    Thank god you¡¯re alive.  I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d have been able to bury you...  We¡¯ve been friends for so long.   Darryl went and grabbed a beer from the fridge and tried to calm his nerves.

    I guess I better wait till the doofus wakes up.  There¡¯s no telling what might happen if I leave him here alone.  He drank his beer and wondered - would Kayden try to use his powers for good, or for his own profit.  Ha - knowing him, even he doesn¡¯t know.  I hope he¡¯s going to be okay - I know if I woke up looking like he did, I¡¯d flip out and lose it.  I¡¯m surprised he hasn¡¯t.  Darryl settled down to wait for Kayden to wake, whenever that would be.  In the meanwhile, he flipped on the TV news and looked for any news about the events at the Trask clinic Kayden mentioned.  It might be mildly important in the very near future...

    *                              *                              *

    Kayden slowly came to consciousness.   Whoa... I guess I slept a bit too deeply.  I¡¯m actually a bit dizzy.  Where am I?  He looked about, and realized where he was.  Darryl¡¯s.  I came to Darryl¡¯s.   I feel better - but I¡¯m still in this goopy sludge form. God, this sucks!   Kayden tried to resume his normal form, but found it far too tiring to hold for more than a few minutes.  Why can¡¯t I hold this form?  Am I out of shifting-juice or something?  And why am I trying to just be my old self - if I can change into anyone, why not be a new person instead of goop-Kayden?  At least I won¡¯t look like a glue bottle vomited me up.   Can I even change into other people?

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re up!¡±  Darryl¡¯s voice came from behind him, in the kitchen.  ¡°I was just grabbing a soda.  Want one?¡±

    ¡°Sure - a beer would go better though.¡±  Kayden felt like a drink.

    ¡°No problem.  Is a Corona okay?  It¡¯s all I have left.¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t know how you can drink that stuff, Darryl.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t.  It was Candy¡¯s ¨C it¡¯s been sitting in the fridge since we split up six months ago.¡±  Darryl went to the fridge and grabbed the Corona, bringing it to Kayden.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.  Thanks.¡±  Kayden took the proffered beer, and took a swig.  It was cold, and had a clean mild taste.  It tasted a lot better than he remembered.   He drank until about a third of the bottle was gone before coming up for air.

    ¡°Thirsty - or more in need of a drink?¡±  Darryl asked.

    ¡°Take a guess.¡±  Kayden smirked.  ¡°Maybe a bit of both, actually.¡±

    Darryl sat in a recliner next to the couch.  ¡°You want the bad news, or the worst news?¡±

    ¡°Might as well hit me with the bad news.¡±  Kayden groaned.

    ¡°Kayden Ballard is is being called a ¡®mutant villain¡¯ who murdered his nurse in the clinic, and is now ¡®a dangerous mutant on the rampage, who is to be considered armed and dangerous.¡¯ They¡¯re calling you ¡°The Waxman.¡±  The worst news isn¡¯t life threatening - but it¡¯s still just as shitty.  Trask made a statement that since you ¡®broke your contract and killed indiscriminately¡¯ they won¡¯t be making any payments to you now, or in the future.  How much did they promise you?¡±

    Fuck my life.  All this was for nothing. Kayden sighed, and hung his head.  ¡°Fifteen thousand dollars cash, plus one tenth of one percent of the cure for cancer - only about 100 million dollars a year for forever - plus or minus twenty million dollars.¡±

    ¡°Jesus.  I¡¯m sorry, man.¡±  Darryl went to put his hand on Kayden¡¯s shoulder in sympathy - and flinched at the last minute, but forced himself to touch his friend.

    It was too much, Kayden thought.  I¡¯ve lost my life, my body, and everything I had, as little as it was, for what!?  For nothing!  All his stupid formula did was turn me into a mutant!   Kayden started crying, small tears at first, then mighty sobs that wracked his body like an earthquake.  He felt someone grab him in a hug, but he couldn¡¯t pay attention to anything other than his grief and loss.  A few minutes passed, until Kayden could control himself again.

    ¡°Sorry, Dar...  I didn¡¯t mean to fall apart like that.¡±

    ¡°Hey, no worries.¡± Darryl said, releasing his friend from the hug.  ¡°Anyone would¡¯ve gone off the deep end at what¡¯s happened to you.  You did make some stupid choices, Kay.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the reality check, Dar.¡±  Kayden said, smirking.  ¡°I guess I did.  Now what do I do?¡±

    ¡°I dunno, Kay.  I don¡¯t know.  You can¡¯t keep looking like you do now, and you can¡¯t go back to being Kayden.¡±

    ¡°I might be able to change into other people, Dar.   I haven¡¯t tried yet, but I might be able to.  Maybe I need to make a false identity until I can clear my name or something?¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    Darryl thought a moment.  ¡°It might be worth a try.  Do you have anyone in mind?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±  I¡¯ve had it in mind since I was fourteen, he thought to himself.  You¡¯re damn right I do - the real me!  ¡°I¡¯m going to try it.¡±

    Darryl moved back a few inches to give Kayden space.

    Kayden looked into his minds eye, and started building a mental image of herself... her real self.

    She started with an average sized frame - about 5'' 7", not too tall, not too short, with an athletic build.  She gave herself long toned legs and arms, and smooth unblemished skin.  The change continued outwards, and her face smoothed from its current waxy shape to an oval shaped face with full lips, high cheekbones, and a killer smile.  Her bright green eyes twinkled on her face like little emerald stars, and her hair was long and full and the color of orange flame.  Although she was athletic, she had hips and a respectable perfectly formed bust - but god only knew what the bra size actually was - probably somewhere around a ¡®C-cup¡¯ if she had to guess.  The overall effect was pretty - perhaps even beautiful - with a quirky smile and hypnotic eyes, capped by a smooth clear alto-soprano voice that sounded, to Kayden¡¯s mind, a little sultry.  Female Kayden looked about the same age - maybe a bit younger; maybe 18 years old.

    Female Kayden forgot one important thing.  She forgot to make herself any clothes.  Standing in front of Darryl, was a quirky, beautiful girl wearing only some ill-fitting men¡¯s boxers.  Darryl couldn¡¯t tear his eyes away from hers - they were like tiny jewels he was falling into, like he could fall forever and not plumb their depths.  The quirky smile made her cute and down to earth, and the body was beyond pretty.  Darryl¡¯s heart felt a little funny for a moment, and he gasped.  ¡°You...  You look amazing!¡±

    Kayden looked over at Dar, and saw he was staring at her.  Her eyes met his, and she felt something she didn¡¯t understand.  It ¡®clicked¡¯ - but what it was, she couldn¡¯t say.  All she could do was look back.  A few moments passed, the two of them staring at each other, one in curiosity and the other in disbelief.  Kayden realized Darryl was staring, and looked down at herself...  The transformation worked!  Oh my god!   ¡°Hey!  Stop staring!  Perv!¡±   Her voice was sweet and sultry, just like he imagined it.  It was the kind of voice you could listen to all day long and not get bored.

    Darryl sputtered.  ¡°Hey - not fair, Kay ¨C you¡¯re the one who turned into a beautiful woman right in front of me!  You could have put some clothes on first!  Don¡¯t blame me for looking if you¡¯re going to put it on display!¡±  Darryl did break his gaze with some difficulty and turned away to protect her modesty.

    Kayden blushed, a little self consciously.  ¡°I guess I did, Darryl.  Gimme a sec, okay.¡±  She surprised herself by actually feeling more than a little embarrassed - like she¡¯d shown off way more than she should.  She even felt the inclination to cover herself.   Kayden grabbed the clothes she had removed to nap earlier, and finished getting dressed.  A few moments later, she had shifted them to fit a bit better - sized and shaped for her new form.  Her boot cut jeans were now hip huggers, and the shoes were leather sandals - flats.  Kayden wasn¡¯t ready to try walking with heels.  The T-shirt had a scoop neck that showed off some of her new cleavage, and hugged her curves nicely.   Huh. She thought.  I guess I do nice work.  I wonder how I look?

    ¡°Hey, doofus.  It¡¯s okay to look ¨C I¡¯m dressed.  Sorry for the surprise show.¡±

    ¡°Hey, trust me, Kay - it was my pleasure.  It just caught me by surprise.  I didn¡¯t know you could turn into a woman.¡±

    ¡°Me either.¡±  Kayden replied.  ¡°I just thought I¡¯d give it a try.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well...¡±  Darryl looked a bit uncomfortable.  ¡°Are you going to be staying that way for a while?¡±

    Kayden nodded.  ¡°It looks a lot better than my goop form, and I can¡¯t seem to resume my male form yet, so yeah, I think I will be.  Is that okay?¡±

    ¡°Y..yeah, sure.¡±  Darryl stammered.  ¡°It¡¯ll just take some getting used to.¡±

    Kayden smirked.  ¡°I¡¯ve really thrown you for a loop with this, haven¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ve ever imagined what you¡¯d look like as a girl.  I¡¯m a bit shocked - you look amazing!¡±

    Kayden felt her cheeks warm with the compliment.  I¡¯m pretty, she thought.  This is different.  ¡°Thanks, Dar.  Now what do we do?  I¡¯m feeling a lot better.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just after 1pm.  Feel like grabbing some lunch?  Pizza Hut has a lunch buffet.¡±

    ¡°Gimme a minute, Dar.  I haven¡¯t even seen myself yet - mind if I go use your bathroom mirror?¡±

    ¡°No, go ahead Kay.  You know where it is.¡±

    Kayden headed to the bathroom, and flicked on the bathroom light.  Wow!  She thought.  I turned out pretty good!  Not drop dead gorgeous, but pretty. Nice, she thought.  The image in the mirror did everything she did - lift an eyebrow, turn left and right.  Kayden knew the reflection in the mirror was hers - but it didn¡¯t feel real - like maybe she was still dreaming.   Huh...  That¡¯s now me.  I¡¯m cute ¨C I¡¯d do me...  Is that even a thing?  I wonder if I can hold this form longer than I can hold my male form?

    Oh hell!  What if I can¡¯t hold it?  I don¡¯t want to go goopy in front of people...  Still, I did have some warning before.  I think I can manage it.   Kayden grinned when her stomach growled in agreement...  She hadn¡¯t eaten in well over 18 hours, and was more than a little hungry.  Am I ready to go out like this?  I DO feel a bit self conscious...  She shook her head.  Fuck it.  Let¡¯s do this!

    ¡°Hey, Dar!  If you still feel like that lunch buffet, let¡¯s go.  Uh...  I don¡¯t have any money.¡±

    ¡°No worries, Kay.  I¡¯ve got it covered.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Dar.¡±  She said thankfully.  ¡°I hate having to leech off you like this.¡±

    It was Dar¡¯s turn to blush.  ¡°No biggie.  It¡¯s nice having company for a bit - and it¡¯s good to have you back, even if you look like... like a beautiful woman.  Frankly it¡¯s an improvement.¡±

    He likes me better this way?  WTF?  Color me surprised!  Kayden smiled slyly.  ¡°Then I might just stay like this,¡± she said, winking a bit.  ¡°See what happens then!¡±   She laughed and headed to the door.  ¡°You coming, Dar?¡±

    Darryl shook his head, surprised by Kayden¡¯s flirting.  ¡°Not yet I¡¯m not,¡± he muttered, half in jest.  Damn. What the hell is she playing at?  Darryl thought to himself.  What does she expect to happen?

    The two friends walked down the stairs, Kayden a bit off balance from her unfamiliar center of gravity, the unfamiliar width of her hips giving her walk a bit of swishyness that looked rather nice, even if it was a bit difficult for her to get used to.  ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t go home.  The police may be watching it.¡±

    ¡°Why worry?  You can look like anyone.  They won¡¯t catch you.¡±

    ¡°I suppose.  I have a few things I should pick up I guess - but I still can¡¯t stay there.¡±

    ¡°You can crash on my couch for a while, until you get back on your feet, if you need.¡±  Darryl smiled.  ¡°No expectations - just help me keep the place clean and tidy and I¡¯ll take care of the groceries and stuff.   I assume you¡¯ll be looking for work... so I guess the big question is as you were, or as you are now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±  Kayden said, shyly.  ¡°I guess it depends on how long I can hold this form, or any other form.  If it only lasts 2 hours, I won¡¯t be working anywhere except from a home office.¡±

    ¡°I suppose.  It seems like there¡¯s more to it, though.  You seem happier.  More cheerful.  What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°I... I¡¯m scared to talk about it.¡±  Kayden confided, as the two of them walked out onto the street.  ¡°It¡¯s something I¡¯ve been keeping inside for a long time... I just couldn¡¯t do anything about it.¡±  Kayden felt icy fear run down her spine and grab hold of her stomach like a sick, roiling icy feeling - like she was going to throw up any minute.

    ¡°Wait...¡±  Darryl said, stopping.  ¡°You¡¯re trans?  Transgender?  I didn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°No one knew, except Laurie.   She figured it out a few months ago, and didn¡¯t tell anyone.  I didn¡¯t mean to lie to you...¡±  Kayden looked worried.  ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to abuse your trust, Darryl...  Please don¡¯t freak out.  Please don¡¯t be angry!¡±  Kayden felt sick with worry.

    ¡°I...  I¡¯m really sorry, Kay.  I should have known.  I should have seen what you were going through.¡±

    ¡°How could you, Dar?  I was really good at keeping it hidden.  You didn¡¯t see it because I was too scared to show you.¡±

    Darryl placed his hands on Kayden¡¯s shoulders, and looked deep into her green eyes.  ¡°Dammit, Kay!  I¡¯m your best friend. I¡¯ve known you for over twelve years.  You were in pain - and as your best friend, I should have seen it.  I didn¡¯t, and for that, I¡¯m sorry.  I wasn¡¯t there for you when you needed me.¡±  The pain in Darryl¡¯s voice was apparent - it was obviously very upsetting for him.  Kayden wasn¡¯t untouched by emotion either.

    Tears ran down Kayden¡¯s face as Darryl explained, and she couldn¡¯t explain why she did what happened next.  Her friend was there, in pain because of her.  She did what any girl might have done - she hugged him, and held him.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t trust you enough to tell you.  I¡¯m sorry I kept it all in, instead of letting you help me.  I¡¯ve been a shitty friend.  I¡¯m sorry too, Dar.¡±

    Dar hugged her back, then smoothed the long red hair out of her face.  ¡°No worries, Kay...  Just don¡¯t wait till you practically die to tell me something this important again, will you?  Please?¡±

    Kayden pulled back, and sniffled, wiping her red eyes.  ¡°I promise.¡±

    ¡°Well, then.  Shall we go?  Dinner awaits!¡±   Darryl motioned towards the restaurant, and Kayden smiled.

    ¡°Dinner sounds good.¡±  Kayden agreed, and turned to walk with Darryl.

    *              *              *

    The restaurant was full but not crowded, and the waiters and waitresses looked like they had it under control - barely.  After a few moments they were seated - a booth in the corner of the restaurant, a bit out of the way.  It offered a bit of privacy from the lunch crowd, which Kayden appreciated.  She found walking into the restaurant that too many people - mostly male, but not all - were checking her out, and she surprised herself by realizing she was feeling a bit shy and vulnerable.

    ¡°You okay, Kay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Dar... just realizing I¡¯m a bit shy and not used to being out in public yet.¡±  Kayden grinned.  ¡°I guess it¡¯s ¡®be careful what you wish for?¡¯¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll say.¡± Darryl agreed.  ¡°It¡¯s hard to keep from staring.  You look so damn different!¡±

    ¡°Well, thanks for trying, Dar.  I appreciate it.¡±  She couldn¡¯t help but smile at him, looking so concerned about her.  Her eyes met his, and she felt herself sink into them.  He has nice eyes...  She thought vaguely.  Kayden knew she shouldn¡¯t be staring at her friend Darryl - but she was so entranced, she didn¡¯t fully realize she was doing it.

    They stared for another moment until their reverie was cut short by a waitress with a tag declaring her name to be Stacey.  A few moments later, she had taken their orders for food and drinks, and left the two friends blushing in their seats.

    ¡°Maybe we should look at the buffet?¡±  Dar suggested, looking a little uncomfortable at the unexpected development.

    Kayden nodded, trying to conceal her blushing.  ¡°Food sounds good.¡±

    Together they rose and headed to the buffet, and the next half hour or so was spent enjoying pizza, pasta, and soda pop.

    Kayden realized about halfway through their meal there was no way she was going to eat as much as she had the last time she was here.  After three pieces of pizza and a small salad, she was on her way from being stuffed to feeling gorged.

    ¡°I guess my stomach is smaller?¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡±  Dar agreed. ¡°Not that it would matter.  You could just make yourself thinner, couldn¡¯t you?¡±

    Kayden grinned.  ¡°I guess I could.  Neat ¨C I¡¯ll never have to watch my waistline!  A lot of people would kill me just for that.¡±

    Darryl laughed.  ¡°I know a few people who might; Yvonne and Laurie come to mind.¡±

    ¡°No!¡±  Kayden denied.  ¡°They wouldn¡¯t...¡±

    Without warning, the wall of the restaurant exploded inwards, shards of glass spraying across several tables, and splinters and shards of jagged wood exploded like a bomb into the room.  Somehow, miraculously, Kayden and Darryl had been spared more than a few light cuts - but the rest of the packed dining room was in chaos.  People screamed in pain, and the smell of blood and worse filled the room.  In the wreckage, someone moved.

    It was a man wearing some sort of tactical gear, and armed with several high-tech weapons... Obviously some sort of mercenary or metahuman.  Several jagged shards of razor steel impaled the booth around him - and although he wasn¡¯t unharmed, he only had a few minor cuts.  Two of the people in his booth weren¡¯t so lucky - one man was pinned to the floor by a shard of steel through his leg, and his date was pinned through the torso to the wall.  Kayden couldn¡¯t tell if she was alive or dead.

    The man snarled.  ¡°You¡¯ll have to do better than that, Shrapnel!¡±  He taunted, and unlimbered a large multi-barreled gun that looked unlike anything Kayden had ever seen before, even by other supers.  He unleashed a burst of gunfire - and the sound was harsh and loud, like ripping canvas the projectiles fired so quickly.

    The survivors of the initial blast screamed and ran or crawled away as quickly as they could - a battle between two metahumans was the most destructive event known to mankind, short of a weapon of mass destruction - and even then, not always.  Some metahumans - good and bad - had the power to level cities with ease.  Kayden hoped this one, whoever it was, wasn¡¯t one of those.

    ¡°Come on, we¡¯ve got to get out of here!¡±  Darryl yelled, looking for an exit in the chaos.

    Kayden hesitated.  I can help these people!  I can heal the injured, if nothing else.  If I run, most of these people will die...  I can¡¯t do it.  I can¡¯t abandon all these people...  I¡¯m scared!

    ¡°Kayden, come on!¡±  Darryl grabbed her and dragged her towards the exit.

    ¡°Darryl, no!  Let go of me!¡±  She yelled, struggling.

    ¡°What are you doing, Kay?¡±  Darryl looked just as panicked and as scared as she was.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got to help.  Get outta here ¨C I¡¯ll meet you later!  I promise!¡±

    Darryl paused and saw the determination in Kayden¡¯s eyes.  ¡°Try not to die, okay?¡±

    Kayden didn¡¯t know what possessed her to do so, but she grabbed Darryl¡¯s face, and planted a kiss on his lips.  ¡°I won¡¯t - now get out of here.¡±

    Darryl stood there shocked, then retreated out of the store.   Only the injured, dying and Kayden remained - along with the madman with the rotary chain gun, who stepped out of the wreckage into the parking lot, to get a better shot.

    I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m doing this!  What the hell am I doing?   She knew she needed a costume - a disguise - if she wanted to remain anonymous.  She tried morphing into a different form - a version of her with blonde hair and slightly different appearance, wearing a dark costume of black and yellow, marked with a Biohazard symbol, and was surprised to find it was just as easy as assuming her female Kayden form.   This is insane!  She thought, as she plunged towards the battle between the two meta-humans.

    But it doesn¡¯t matter.  Someone has to help these people...  I guess that person is me.

    She ran towards the chaos, hoping she wasn¡¯t too late.

 Chapter 6 - Virus

    Kayden tried not to think about the blood and the carnage, but it was impossible - there was so much of it.  Focus, she thought.  Two people pierced through in the booth - start with them!  She ran to the booth, almost slipping in the pooling blood on the floor.  The woman was obviously more injured than her male partner, so she ran to her first.  She laid a hand on the woman¡¯s shoulder, and the woman¡¯s current injuries and their extent filled Kayden¡¯s mind... she was dying, quickly.

    The man next to her - her patient¡¯s dining partner - groaned in pain.  ¡°Who... who are you?¡±

    ¡°I...¡±  Kayden began, unsure of what to call herself.   ¡°I¡¯m trying to help.  If I don¡¯t do this, your friend is going to die.¡±

    ¡°Please, help her... her name is Sally.¡±  The man struggled to speak, but the pain was too much and he fell back in his ruined seat and groaned in pain.

    Kayden laid her hand on Sally¡¯s arm, and began to send her power - her healing energy - into Sally¡¯s form.  It took long seconds - seconds during which Kayden could hear the super-brawl outside was still going on, causing more damage and possibly more casualties.  Sally¡¯s internal wounds began to close together - and Kayden knew something was wrong.  Dammit - the wounds are closing over the metal shard!  I¡¯m going to have to pull her off, but if I don¡¯t heal her right away, the shock might kill her...  Dammit!

    Kayden grabbed Sally under the armpits and around her waist.  ¡°Sorry, Sally - this is going to hurt, a lot.¡±  Kayden placed her feet against the wall of the booth, and pulled, groaning in exertion; Sally¡¯s body slid off the metal spike, and fell on top of her, covering her with blood.  Kayden rolled her over, and began healing once more.  The smell of the blood was coppery, tinged with bad smells that could only come from someone¡¯s intestines and innards.  Kay swallowed her gorge, and kept working.   Miraculously, her wounds healed incredibly quickly - and less than thirty seconds later, she was fully healed, though still unconscious.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name, sir?¡±  Kayden asked, turning to the impaled man who was Sally¡¯s partner.

    ¡°P..Peter Conway.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to help your leg - but it¡¯s going to hurt.  Okay?¡±

    ¡°Please!¡±

    Kay took the man¡¯s leg in her hands, and pulled with all her might - and his leg pulled free of the metal shard with a wet slick sound.  Blood poured out of the wound, and Kay could tell the worst was happening - removing the shard had opened his femoral artery ¨C he¡¯d bleed out in seconds.  Peter shrieked in pain as his leg came free of the shard, and Kayden held his leg tight, like a clamp, hoping her power would work fast enough...

    Come on!  Come on!  She thought.  Don¡¯t die!   As she watched, she could feel from her power that his artery was sealing itself, and his wound on his leg was healing.  In about 10 seconds, Peter looked fine...  He was covered in blood and traumatized - but he was physically unhurt.  He rushed over to Sally, and held her.

    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know who you are, ma¡¯am - but thank you!¡±

    Kayden nodded, unsure of what to say.   I think I can safely say I never expected to be in a situation like this before today.  Does this make me a superhero?  Oh hell!    ¡°You¡¯re welcome?  It was my pleasure, Peter.  Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, those assholes out there are still trashing stuff and hurting people.  I¡¯ve gotta go.¡±

    ¡°Kick their asses for us, ma¡¯am!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re damn right I will.¡±  Kayden replied, a bit unsure as to how exactly she was going to make that happen.  She stepped out of the hole in the wall, into the parking lot of the Pizza Hut, and looked at the scene of the battle.

    The parking lot was virtually destroyed - perhaps one car was untouched - the rest were crushed, speared with shrapnel and debris, or covered with broken glass and rubble from the wall having exploded outwards.  The battle had begun to move down the street, towards a gas station and a corner store - but thankfully, it looked like most of the civilians had cleared the area when the chainguns and metahuman powers started being tossed around.  There were doubtless some people who hadn¡¯t been able to get away, hiding in the buildings.   Kayden could see Shrapnel standing above the man in tactical gear, holding a shard of the metal he was so easily able to shape and control.  The man in tactical gear was reaching for his weapon - a fraction of a foot too far for him to reach it.  Both sported a number of wounds, some of which looked fairly serious - and both looked winded.  Kay could hear the police and emergency services were on their way.

    ¡°So, Carnage!  You think you can muscle in on my turf, and take over my businesses.  Think again!  I¡¯m going to kill you now.  What do you say to that, upstart?¡±

    ¡°Fuck you!¡±  Carnage yelled defiantly.

    The cops won¡¯t be able to deal with these two - all they¡¯ll do is provide targets.  Someone has to take them down or drive them off...  Oh crap ¨C that¡¯s me, isn¡¯t it.  Kayden felt a twisting in her gut, telling her she wasn¡¯t ready - that she didn¡¯t know how to do this, but somehow she forced it down into her stomach, and ignored the tiny little voice saying she was about to get killed.

    ¡°Hey!  Assholes!  Playtime¡¯s over!¡±  Did I just say that?  She thought.  OMFG I¡¯m going to die.

    Shrapnel paused before delivering his death blow.  His eight foot bulk shifted to get a better look at Kayden, and Kayden could see Shrapnel clearly for the first time - well, for the first time that wasn¡¯t safely on television.  He was large, and covered in some sort of metal armor made from debris... probably made from his ability to control metal.  He looked humanoid, but gods knew what he looked like under his metal shell.  His metal shell was all points and edges and rust and chrome.  He looked dangerous and hungry for blood.

    ¡°Who the hell are you supposed to be, hero?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯m Virus, and you have the option to surrender!¡±  Kayden gulped, hoping her fear didn¡¯t show on her face.  She felt it should, even through the mask she was wearing.

    ¡°Like hell.  I¡¯m not surrendering to some wet behind the ears novice.  You want me?  Come get me!¡±  Shrapnel ground Carnage down into the ground with one foot, and with a free hand tossed a jagged shard of metal shaped like a spear at Virus.  Even as the jagged spear left his hand, a new one grew from the metallic debris around him and Shrapnel was rearmed.

    The spear whizzed towards Virus but somehow, she managed to dodge it.  She gulped when it embedded itself three feet into the masonry walls of the Pizza Hut behind her.  Fuck! He¡¯s strong!  She started sprinting towards Shrapnel, trying to formulate a plan.  What the hell do I do to him?  Punch him?  With that metal shell it would be a waste of time.  What do I do?

    Carnage grunted under the weight of Shrapnel, and his hand inched further towards his minigun, unnoticed by the supervillain standing atop him.  Shrapnel flung another spear, this one breaking into a dozen flying shards as it flew towards Virus.  The storm of metal slashed into her in a half-dozen places, and she yelled in pain but kept coming, blood flowing freely from a number of wounds.

    I can change other people, Kayden thought, remembering the homeless man she gave a new lease on life to.  If I can touch him, I can disable him, maybe...  But how to get through his damn shell?   Virus ran up towards Shrapnel, and slid like she was going for home base under and between his legs, ending her slide behind him.  She stood as he whirled to face her, and she stared face to face with him.  He was ready to kill her.

    Shrapnel roared in anger, and swung a metal fist covered in spikes, rust and blades at her, and connected.  Kay screamed as the blades tore at her, and she felt the wind knocked out of her stomach - she fell back a few feet, staggered.  ¡°Pathetic!  I don¡¯t know why I even bothered!¡±

    Pathetic!  I¡¯ll show you pathetic, asshole!  Kay could feel her wounds already starting to heal - it would only be a moment before they were gone, so she decided to press the attack.  Kayden had taken some martial arts training when he was younger - but the martial arts he had taken wasn¡¯t designed for street fighting - and Shrapnel was an experienced street fighter.  She could tell she couldn¡¯t out fight him, as yet - so she would have to either delay him or trick him.   Let¡¯s go with trick, she thought.  She rushed him - and like expected, he tried to backhand her away.  She dodged, somehow, and tried to punch him with all her strength.  She felt something tingle in her arms and shoulders, but when her hit landed, it did virtually nothing, except hurt her fist.  ¡°Ouch!¡±

    ¡°Not too easy punching through a steel shell, is it Virus?¡±  Shrapnel gloated.  ¡°I¡¯m going to crush you like a bug.¡±  He reached out and grabbed her, closing his steel hand around her left arm, and dragging her close to him.  She was helpless in his grasp - his superior strength easily outclassing her abilities.  She dangled about three feet off the ground as he looked her eye to eye.  ¡°Anything to say before I crush the life out of you, worm?¡±

    ¡°Yes, actually.  Thank you.¡±  Before Shrapnel could reply, she used her free hand and jabbed her finger into the small open spot between his armor plating - his eye holes.  He gave a resounding shriek as she poked him hard in the eye, and worked her magic with her shapeshifting ability.  Shrapnel screamed, and clutched his face, tossing her aside.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    ¡°What did you do, you bitch?!  I can¡¯t see!¡±  Shrapnel staggered around, looking confused.

    Virus climbed to her feet, just in time to see Carnage level his retrieved minigun at Shrapnel¡¯s back, and open fire.  The armor piercing bullets sprayed out, and Shrapnel screamed in agony before dropping to the ground, bleeding profusely.

    ¡°Thanks for the help, Virus.¡±  Carnage said.  ¡°You distracted him for me perfectly.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it for you, Carnage.  I did it to stop the fighting. Surrender - now...  Or you¡¯ll regret it.¡±

    ¡°Really, Vi?  You¡¯re 20 yards away from me - point blank range - and I could saw you in half before you reached me.  I have the upper hand.  So - either fuck off, and let me finish Shrapnel so I can claim his territory, or I¡¯ll finish you off.  Your choice.¡±  Carnage was cocky - and didn¡¯t seem to have any compunction about killing either Shrapnel or her.  Kayden believed he¡¯d do it, too.

    I wonder if his gun has any electronics in it?  She wondered.  She cast her mind towards Carnage¡¯s minigun, and felt the touch of a tiny mind.  Hey little buddy, she said.  Would you mind shutting down for a maintenance check for a bit?  Just take the engine offline for five minutes, okay?

    The electric motor on Carnages¡¯ gun replied ¡°No problem, ma¡¯am.  Powering down!¡± and Virus smirked.

    Meanwhile, Carnage watched Viruses wounds heal at an astonishing speed.  ¡°You can heal, huh?  Cool power.  It won¡¯t save you.  Stand down.¡±

    ¡°No.  Last chance, Carnage - Surrender.¡±  Kay hoped her bravado carried her voice, cause inside she sure wasn¡¯t feeling it.

    ¡°Crazy bitch.¡± He said, fingering the trigger of his minigun.  Nothing happened.  ¡°What the... shit!  Not now, dammit.¡±

    He checked the gun over, but couldn¡¯t see what was wrong with it, and then Virus was next to him.

    ¡°Nighty night.¡±  Virus grabbed his arm, and Carnage felt weak - like all his stamina was flowing out of him at an amazing speed.

    ¡°What are you doing to me?  How!?¡± Carnage struggled to pull away from Virus¡¯s grasp - but couldn¡¯t he was so weak and tired.

    ¡°I¡¯m flooding your system with Seratonin, which is why you¡¯re feeling weak and tired.  Your muscles are swimming in lactic acid from exertion, and losing potassium - and I¡¯m making it ten times worse.  You¡¯re basically suffering from temporary multiple sclerosis.  Do you surrender yet?¡±

    Carnage struggled, and then stopped, blacking out.  His body went limp and collapsed on the ground, his minigun going sprawling.

    Oh my god!  I¡¯m alive!  She thought.  I¡¯m alive!   It fucking worked!  I can¡¯t believe it!  Thank you, Discovery Science!  Thank you!  ¡°Woohoo!¡± she yelled, pumping her fist in the air.  ¡°Yeah!¡±   I am never going to blame myself for watching TV ever again.

    ¡°Maintenance cycle complete, ma¡¯am!¡±  The tiny voice of the chain gun¡¯s electric motor called out.

    ¡°Thanks, little buddy.¡±  Kayden smiled.   She went towards Shrapnel¡¯s body.  ¡°I suppose I should keep him from bleeding out, too.  Dammit.¡±  Kayden went over to tend the villain¡¯s wounds.  Maybe he would think about his crimes while he was in jail?  she wondered.  Probably not - but at least he¡¯s off the streets.

    Holy hell, he took a lot of damage, Kayden thought after two minutes of trying to heal Shrapnel.  He had had at least a dozen wounds, some more or less serious than others, but fixing them all took some time.  At the rate I seem to heal wounds in myself or others, I could probably heal a single gunshot in ten seconds, and a dozen in about two minutes.  Not too shabby, if I say so myself.  Nice.  She was just about to congratulate herself on taking down two villains, when a voice called out, distracting her.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am?  ECPD.  Would you mind stepping away from the dangerous supervillain, and tell us what happened here?  I¡¯m Detective Allan Taylor, ma¡¯am.  Who might you be?¡±   The speaker was a rather tall and broad shouldered man in his late twenties or early thirties with sandy brown hair and blue eyes.  He was kind of cute, in a hard-boiled and weathered way - it looked like life in the Empire City Police Department was rougher on some people than it was for others.  He looked tired and weary - but at the same time resolute enough to go on, no matter the difficulty - someone either too stupid or too tough to give up and die.

    ¡°I...¡±  Kayden paused.  ¡°I¡¯m Virus.  I¡¯m here to help.¡±   Even as Kayden said the words, she felt weak and shaky...  I fought two supervillains and survived - hell, I won!  What the hell was I thinking?   ¡°I¡¯m sorry - I don¡¯t feel too well.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re probably going into shock, miss Virus.  First time?¡± Detective Taylor put away his gun, and offered Virus his coat.

    Virus accepted the coat, and nodded.  ¡°Does it show that badly?¡±

    ¡°Not really, Miss ¨C it¡¯s just that I¡¯ve seen that look before.  It¡¯s the look a new cop has when he survives his first gunfight, or when he see¡¯s his first murder victim.  It¡¯s normal.  I hate to say it, but it does get better.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s good or bad.¡±  Virus said, smiling.  ¡°Thanks, Detective.¡±  She walked with Detective Taylor over towards the waiting police cars and ambulances.  ¡°I didn¡¯t have a clue what I was doing.¡±

    ¡°As I understand it, a lot of heroes don¡¯t their first time either.  You did good ¨C you¡¯ll learn.¡±  Detective Taylor smiled back.  ¡°You saved a lot of lives today.  If those maniacs hadn¡¯t been stopped, at least a dozen more people would have been hurt or killed.  As it was, I understand a lot of people owe you their lives and health to you today - two of which told us what you did inside the restaurant.¡±

    ¡°Peter and Sally?  I healed them...  Are they okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes ¨C they¡¯re physically fine, which is a miracle itself.  Healing is a rare gift, Virus.  You could write your own ticket, and help a lot of people, by becoming a metahuman doctor.  I think it¡¯s admirable you didn¡¯t do that.  It takes character to turn down wealth and easy living for working with the rough and scruff.¡±

    Well damn, she thought.  ¡°Do you mind if I sit down a moment?¡±

    ¡°No, not at all.  Are you hurt?  You¡¯re covered in blood from the chest down.¡±  Detective Taylor looked concerned, but not worried - apparently Virus wasn¡¯t the first metahuman he¡¯d seen in a fight.  He apparently knew they could take far more of a beating than most normal people.

    ¡°No - I mean, most of the blood is mine, but I¡¯m not hurt.  I heal really quick.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha.  Take a breather a moment, Miss Virus.  I¡¯ll need to take your statement and all that before we can part ways.  I¡¯m sure you understand.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, thanks Detective.¡±  Kayden sat, resting and shaking as the enormity of what she¡¯d actually done began to fall upon her in earnest.  I got into a fight with super villains - and I survived.  I saved people...  I kissed Darryl!?  What the hell was I thinking?  Oh shit...

    *              *              *

    She kissed me!  What the hell are you thinking, Kay?   Darryl paused in shock and surprise, the sweet taste of her lips still lingering on his.  She kissed me?!  When he came to his senses, she was gone, deeper into the ruins of the restaurant.  Darryl retreated, and tried to find some safe place to hide.

    Outside the restaurant, dozens of people were limping, running and crawling away from the scene of the battle.  Darryl stopped and aided an older man who had lost his cane, and soon they got to relative safety a half block away.  A woman in a black costume marked with yellow accents had just emerged from the ruined Pizza hut and was moving to confront Carnage and Shrapnel.  Oh no!  She isn¡¯t going to try and take them on, is she?  Oh no!  Worry hit Darryl like a punch in the gut, and he bent over, trying to breathe and make sure his friend Kay survived the battle to come.  I can¡¯t watch this!  What if she gets hurt?

    ¡°Look!  She¡¯s fighting with them!¡±  Someone yelled.

    Together, the group of twelve or so survivors around Darryl watched the battle.  Darryl saw her get pierced and flayed by Shrapnel¡¯s razors - and each time it happened, he winced in sympathy pain - and he cheered with the others at her audacity to poke him in the eye when she was at his mercy.   Please don¡¯t get hurt, Kay! He thought.

    Darryl watched the battle between Kay and the two villains, and the thought that kept going through his mind was ¡®please be safe¡¯, over and over... When Shrapnel sucker punched her, he couldn¡¯t help but gasp when he saw her blood spill from the blades on his fist.   No!  Kay!  He felt like he was dying inside...  He was confused and scared - terrified that for whatever reason, someone would take Kay away forever.  That he would never see her again.  Never kiss her again.  What the hell is happening between us?  He wondered.  How did we go from friends to whatever we are now?  Just be safe Kayden, please!

    Shrapnel dropped from a burst of gunfire from Carnage - and then Kay just spoke to him.  Carnage didn¡¯t shoot her - although it looked like he tried.  The gun seemed to malfunction - and then it was over.  Kay went over and just grabbed his arm - and a few moments later, Carnage was asleep on the ground.

    What just happened?  Darryl thought.  Did she just win?  ¡°Fuck yeah!  Way to go!¡± He cheered.   Many of the other civilians he had helped flee the restaurant joined in with his cheers.  She won...  My god.  Darryl wanted badly to go see how she was doing, but held back, even though it killed him to do so.  Several times in the past, in Paragon and in other cities, a civilian had been known to care for a hero or heroine - and virtually every time, it led to kidnappings, disasters, and oftentimes death for either the hero, their beloved, or both.  The villains couldn¡¯t help but try and use the beloved as a victim and hostage.  By not going over to check on Kay, he was doing them both a favor, even though it hurt beyond words.

    Paramedics began approaching the clusters of injured civilians and survivors of the attack, and Darryl could tell that it would be some time before they were all treated and released, gave statements to the police, and so on.  He settled down to wait, and as he did, he couldn¡¯t help but notice the handsome detective Kayden was speaking with, without feeling a twinge of jealousy.  What the hell is wrong with me?  He wondered.  Kayden¡¯s kiss was probably just some prank!  It wasn¡¯t serious, right?!  As much as he tried to convince himself of that, he didn¡¯t believe it.  He didn¡¯t know what to believe...  Everything had been thrown topsy-turvy.  He slumped down and let the paramedics do their work.

    *              *              *

    It was a joke, right?  A spur of the moment thing?  Kayden wondered.  Was I serious?  I couldn¡¯t have been, could I?  Her thoughts were awhirl about the battle, about Darryl, about the people she had saved - but mostly about Darryl.  Is it out of the realm of possibility that I could have feelings for him?  We¡¯ve been friends for years - almost thirteen years - and I know him better than I think anyone does.  I love him like a brother... at least I thought I did.  Has that changed, along with me?   Kayden didn¡¯t know what to think, so she sat, resting until Detective Taylor came to take her statement about the battle.  Looks like it¡¯s time to deal with the police, she thought.  I guess I¡¯d better try and at least look professional.

    She stood up and went with Detective Taylor.  Darryl, and whatever was between them, if anything, would have to wait until she was done here.  She began to recount what happened while Detective Taylor took notes.  It took an hour before she was able to leave - and only because Detective Taylor helped her slip away to avoid the crowds of reporters and civilians that had come to see the scene and talk ¡®with the new heroine.¡¯   The last thing Kayden wanted right now was a press conference...  She just wanted to get home, get cleaned up, have a shower, and sort things out with her best friend.

    Kayden¡¯s mind was awhirl with possible disasters, ranging from Darryl freaking out and ending their friendship, to him enthusiastically returning said kiss and more - and to be honest, both scared Kayden in their implications about equally.  What have I done?  I can¡¯t bear to lose Darryl as a friend - but what if that damned kiss screws everything up?  I¡¯m so fucking stupid!

    Kayden rushed away to find a place to change back from her Virus self to her Kayden self.  Maybe once she sat down with Darryl and talked, things would be okay.  Try as she might, she almost was able to believe it.

 Chapter 7 - Rebirth

    Bolivar Trask was rather unhappy.  Brave men had quailed before his gaze when he was mildly annoyed.  Victor Franco was strangely cool as a cucumber - which annoyed Bolivar even more.  Victor¡¯s men were suitably cowed, but Victor was simply waiting for Mr. Trask to speak... as he always did.  I guess some men have ice water in their veins, Bolivar thought.  If so, he¡¯s definitely one of them.  And I need his talents.

    ¡°Mister Franco,¡± he began.  ¡°Am I to assume the reports I¡¯ve been getting all day are correct?  That Dr. Pierce created this ¡®Waxman,¡¯ who then killed one of my employees, and fled.  That Dr. Pierce is nowhere to be found - and that little fucking dog of his that he¡¯s always nattering about is missing?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Trask.¡±  Victor responded.  ¡°I went to his house and searched it.  He hasn¡¯t been there in days.  His computer is wiped clean of his research - including the mainframe - and it was physically tampered with so that we couldn¡¯t retrieve data from it.  I¡¯ve got men watching for him to use his credit cards, and surveillance on some of the people he knows - if he uses plastic or meets a friend, we¡¯ll know about it.¡±

    ¡°Good.  When you find him, I want him brought to me alive, so we can have a little chat.  He owes me - and nobody fucks Bolivar Trask and lives.  If you find any clues about the Waxman, or whatever the hell Pierce thought he was trying to do, bring that with you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Trask.¡±  Victor Franco nodded and turned to leave the room.

    ¡°Oh, and Victor?¡±

    ¡°Yes Mr. Trask?¡± Victor replied

    ¡°If his dog is still alive, make sure it isn¡¯t before you bring him to me.  Make him watch.¡±

    ¡°Yes Mr. Trask.  With Pleasure.¡±  Victor nodded with a sadistic little grin, and left the room.

    *              *              *

    Justin Pierce reverently lifted the tiny body of his best friend from the front seat of the car.  Mr. Chips was wrapped in his favorite blanket, and looked at peace.  ¡°Soon, little buddy.  Soon, you¡¯ll be back with me.¡±  Justin cradled Mr. Chips tiny body in his arms and carried him inside the abandoned warehouse he had rented months ago, just in case Mr. Trask decided his research was going nowhere.  After all, what¡¯s my favorite saying?  He thought.  Fortune favors the prepared.

    After all, he thought.  I developed at least 10 patents for Mr. Trask, and he still expects my cure.  He¡¯s not going to let me go so easily, and I¡¯m not oblivious enough to not know he¡¯s a very, very bad man.  Still, his money and his lab was useful while it lasted.   Justin laid Mr. Chips down on a metal table in one of the warehouse rooms - the whole place was decorated and outfitted like a small private lab on a low budget - but Justin knew it would do what he needed it to do.  ¡°It won¡¯t be long, now, Mr. Chips.¡±

    Justin locked the doors to the warehouse, and booted up his home-made security system.  He grinned when he thought of what Mr. Trasks goons would think of it, if they found him...  It wasn¡¯t exactly ADT.  When the security finished booting and coming online, he moved to his operations center - a large area screened off by curtains, with a high-tech data table he could use to plan his next steps.

    Placing the Mechalus device on the table, he began the data transfer to a safe mainframe, where Justin could ¡®store¡¯ Mr. Chips¡¯s mind and spirit until he was ready to transfer it into the body Justin would build for him.  ¡°The next step is to get you a body, isn¡¯t buddy?¡±

    Mr. Chips couldn¡¯t answer, and Justin smiled sadly.  I had hoped it wouldn¡¯t come to this, he thought.  But I¡¯d do anything for you, little buddy.  Anything.  I just hope it works.   Justin left the Mechalus device and moved over to his machine shop.  I need to build you a body - but I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m smart enough to build you the body you deserve.  I think I¡¯m going to have to use it.  Damn.

    Justin was thinking of yet another super-tech device - again, procured at great expense from a damaged vault in Paragon.  Justin hated thinking of the risks he had taken to procure it, but luckily, no one had discovered his involvement in the heist.  He approached the device with some caution, and pulled the white sheet off it, revealing a large computer console and a bed with an archetypical helmet connected to the energy source of the device.  The Neural Accelerator, Justin thought, created by the Ultramind in his quest for supremacy.  Where is he now?  He wondered. New Bedlam sanitarium, if I recall.

    Justin walked around the machine, musing and wondering what to do next.  The Neural Accelerator was supposed to amp up a person¡¯s natural intelligence to ridiculous levels, and enhance them in other ways as well - the Ultramind had designed it to raise other people to his level of intellect - to advance them to a new stage of mental evolution.  Am I really thinking of using this on myself?  Justin wondered.  What if it fails?  What if I get killed - what will happen to Mr. Chips?

    ¡°Gah!¡±  He yelled.  What will happen if I don¡¯t use it?  He¡¯ll be trapped in a horribly archaic robot body ¨C he¡¯ll barely be able to walk, let alone run and play.  He won¡¯t be a dog anymore ¨C he¡¯ll be a machine.  He deserves to be a dog again.  ¡°I¡¯ll make you the best damn robot body the world has ever seen, Mr. Chips!  I promise.¡±

    Justin gritted his teeth, and prepared to activate the Neural Enhancer - but first he decided he needed a way to ensure Mr. Chips would survive if he didn¡¯t make it.  At his terminal, he programmed a file that would allow Mr. Chips¡¯ intellect to download itself to the internet if he passed away.  If Justin didn¡¯t make it, Mr. Chips would live on as the world¡¯s first AI.  It was the most he could do for him.

    Now it was time!  He programmed the master terminal to activate the Neural Enhancer once he was ready - and strapped himself in to the table, placing the Neural Helmet over his head.  Odd, he thought.  This device was made by one of the most intelligent beings that has ever lived, and its capabilities were truly unknown.  Justin wondered if he would remain sane and whole when the process was done - until he realized he didn¡¯t care, as long as he could have Mr. Chips back.  Strange, that it would come to this.  He thought.  I¡¯m risking everything for someone I love more than life.  It¡¯s like an epic story...  I just hope I¡¯m the hero, and not the tragic villain.

    He activated the device.

    *              *              *

    Kayden knocked on Darryl¡¯s door for the second time that day, hoping that her friend had made it home safely.  The door flung itself open, revealing a haggard and stressed looking Darryl.

    ¡°Kay!  Thank God you¡¯re alright!¡±  The relief on his face was evident - and it looked like he had been very worried.  His eyes were red, and he looked exhausted from stress.  ¡°I saw you with the police, and figured you¡¯d be a while, so I took a cab home.  Come in, come in!¡±

    Kayden came inside, and closed the door behind her.  ¡°Sorry for scaring you so much, Dar.  I couldn¡¯t let those people die.¡±

    ¡°I get that, Kay.¡± Darryl replied.  ¡°I was just worried.  How did you do that?  How did you even survive?¡±  Darryl went over to the couch, and motioned for Kayden to sit down as well, so that they could talk.

    ¡°I heal really quickly, Dar - and I was able to use some sort of shape-shifting and healing power in combination to disable both of them.  It also didn¡¯t hurt that they beat the living tar out of each other before I got on the scene...  If they hadn¡¯t softened each other up for me, I¡¯m not sure I could have defeated them.¡±  She shuddered.  ¡°I still can¡¯t believe I¡¯m not dead.¡±

    ¡°Neither can I, Kay.¡±  Darryl said, putting a comforting arm around Kayden¡¯s shoulders.  He started a bit when she leaned close into him, but he held her all the same.

    ¡°Thanks.  I¡¯m glad I¡¯m alive.¡±  Kay felt safe in Dar¡¯s arms, and just leaned into him.  The shuddering stopped, and soon she didn¡¯t feel afraid anymore.  She felt warm, and safe.  It wasn¡¯t a feeling she was used to, so she just let it go and enjoyed it for a while.  I¡¯m safe in his arms... she thought.  How can I go back to the way it was before?

    They stayed there for a while, Darryl just holding Kay.  Her scent filled his senses, and her warmth warmed him in return.  She smells a little like strawberries, he thought. She felt soft and yielding, and both vulnerable and tough at the same time.  Darryl didn¡¯t know what to say, so he said nothing, and just enjoyed the partial embrace, and drank in Kay¡¯s presence while it was there. He felt a funny feeling in his chest and his stomach - but he didn¡¯t know what to call the feelings he was having - all he knew is that he didn¡¯t want it to end.

    Kay surprised herself by snuggling closer to Darryl, and was surprised again when he shifted to let her, still holding her in his strong arms.  What am I doing?  I thought I was going to tell him the kiss was a joke... a prank!  Why am I letting this continue?

    Do I have feelings for him?  Kay wasn¡¯t sure - but she did know she felt safe, warm and loved - and those feelings were strange to her, since much of her life she¡¯d been neglected, and later she was living on her own, alone, save for visits from friends.  This level of comfort and closeness was completely alien to her, and she didn¡¯t want to lose it.

    Eventually, Darryl shifted a bit, so that he could see Kay¡¯s face better.  ¡°Hey, Kay?¡±  He asked.

    ¡°Yeah, Dar?¡±

    ¡°What was up with that kiss?¡±  Darryl held his breath, unsure if he wanted her answer to be ¡®prank¡¯ or something else.  Darryl had never thought of being with a man before - but right now, his brain and his senses were telling him Kayden was anything but a man.  How could she be?  Men didn¡¯t have soft creamy skin, and smell like strawberries, or have curves in all the right places.  Their voice didn¡¯t sound like music to his soul, and they didn¡¯t have soft sensual lips and a cute quirky smile that made your heart beat faster... What am I thinking?  He asked himself.  What do I expect her to say?  Oh god...

    If Kay could tell the conflict going on within her friend, her face didn¡¯t reveal that knowledge.  If anything, Kay felt at a loss for words.  ¡°I... I don¡¯t know why I kissed you, Dar.  It was a spur of the moment thing, I think...  But I think I was thinking, ¡®If I¡¯m going to die, I don¡¯t want to die without kissing him.¡¯  I mean, we¡¯ve been friends for so long, I never thought about having feelings for you - but like this, I mean when I¡¯m like this, it seemed like the right thing to do.¡±   Kay hung her head, looking worried.  ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t screw things up between us.¡±

    Kay felt a gentle hand lift and guide her chin upwards until she was looking at Darryl¡¯s face.  He had an odd light in his eyes, and once again, she felt herself almost fall into them.

    ¡°Nothing is ruined, Kay.¡±  Darryl said.  ¡°It¡¯s okay.  I was so worried about you.¡±  He too was looking into her eyes, and couldn¡¯t tear himself away from those emerald green points of light.  They were eyes you could drown in, he thought... Then, without thinking, he bent his head, and lowered his lips to hers, and kissed her.  At first the kiss was tender, and gentle - a soft brush across her lips, followed by a stronger kiss as he hungrily tasted of her.

    Kay¡¯s mind whirled.  He¡¯s kissing me!  I... I...  Kayden stopped thinking, and let her feelings take over, kissing Darryl back with a hunger she didn¡¯t know she possessed.  She wrapped her arms around Darryl¡¯s neck and pulled her friend closer, turning their hug into an embrace, and their kiss into something that promised more.  Her emotions were all awhirl and she felt something growing within her she had never felt before.  She kept kissing him, and her hands began to wander, caressing Darryl¡¯s chest and back.  Darryl returned the caress with his own, his hands wandering under her T-shirt across her smooth skin.  His hands felt like they were on fire, and the sensations going through Kay¡¯s body were like electricity and sheer pleasure.  She couldn¡¯t help but moan a little, and she felt a strange wetness begin between her legs.  She paid it no mind.

    She felt his hands slip under the bra she had made for herself, and cup the mounds of her breasts, and moaned again as he squeezed and played with them.  How can this feel so good?  She thought, and directed her hands down, below Dar¡¯s belt and started rubbing - feeling a hardness she wasn¡¯t sure she was ready to face - but the passionate groan from Darryl¡¯s lips gave her confidence, and she continued, undoing his belt, and slipping her hand inside.   It felt huge! She thought, and it was hot, almost like an ember.  She caressed it as Darryl teased her breasts and nipples with his fingers, and soon it was too much.

    Before she realized it, she was taking off her shirt, and struggling to unhook her bra - and Darryl, unwilling or unable to pause, ripped his dress shirt off his chest, tiny buttons flying everywhere.  His pants soon followed, joining Kay¡¯s clothes on the floor, leaving them both only dressed in their underwear.

    ¡°Are we really doing this, Dar?¡±  She asked, trying to give her best friend a way to back out, if he wanted to.

    ¡°Only if you want to, Kay.¡±  Darryl said, a hungry look on his face.  ¡°I want you.¡±

    Kay melted a bit inside, and nodded - and Darryl took her in his arms and began kissing and sucking on her breasts and nipples, and she moaned again in pleasure.  Tiny lights were flashing in front of her closed eyes as the sensations registered as more than pleasure, and she took his member in her hand and started rubbing up and down his shaft, which had grown a bit moist.  She felt her hands get sticky and wet with his pre-cum, and didn¡¯t care...  By now the wetness she felt between her legs felt like a raging river, and she felt a need for something she couldn¡¯t put into words. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Suddenly, Darryl picked her up by the waist, still suckling and kissing her, and carried her away.  A moment later, she felt herself be set down on something soft ¨C Darryl¡¯s bed!  She felt him push against her, pushing her down against the sheets and she yielded, pulling him onto her.  His weight pressed her down, and she felt his heat and something pressing against her groin under their shorts.  The sensation nearly made her lose it, and she subconsciously opened her legs, almost as if in invitation.

    Together on the bed, they kissed and fondled, and ground against each other as their passion grew.  She didn¡¯t think it could get any better, until she felt a pressure between her lips - and felt Darryl slip a finger or two inside her.   Oh My God!  She thought.  That feels amazing!   She couldn¡¯t think anymore, and ground against his fingers again and again as the pressure inside her built to a crescendo.   Her back arched, and she bucked, and screamed in pleasure as waves of electricity and pleasure washed over her.  She slumped, and felt the waves wash over her, lingering for long moments, unlike her climaxes when she used to be a man.  It was unreal, she thought, how different the feelings are.  I can¡¯t go back to being male Kayden... not ever. This is me.  God I love this...

    Yet, while she lay there in blissful rest, Darryl caressed her face.  ¡°Are you okay, Kay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah... I¡¯m better than okay, Dar. That was amazing!¡±  She looked up into his face, and looked into his eyes.  How come I didn''t see how handsome he was before this?  She wondered.

    ¡°Do you want to keep going?¡±

    Kay took a moment, and realized what Dar meant.  Do I?  She asked herself, and thought of the pleasure he¡¯d given her, and she knew she couldn¡¯t say no.  She wanted it as much as he did.  ¡°Yes, Dar... I do.¡±  She smiled.  ¡°Please?¡±

    Darryl smiled, and rolled off of Kay for a moment, putting on a condom from his nightstand.  Kay watched him unroll it with fascination, seeing it stretch over his swollen member and thinking about how she was about to be on the receiving end of that monster.  She didn¡¯t know how being penetrated would work, but she trusted Darryl.

    He climbed on top of her, and once again began caressing her breasts, kissing her lips and then moving down to her chest, kissing and fondling, while his hands played with her soft, moist slit down below.  Meanwhile, her hands kept fondling his member, even though it felt odd and slippery with the condom on it, and she felt it twitch and grow rock hard under her ministrations.   He held her down for a moment, and she felt a pressure as he guided himself towards her opening.  She gasped as the pressure increased, and she felt her need increase exponentially as well.  She needed him inside her.

    Kay moaned in pleasure as he slid into her - to her it felt like a fiery brand inside her torso, and it felt like magic.  I can¡¯t believe that¡¯s inside me, she thought.  It feels so good... so good!   She felt him press into her further - and there was a moment of pain that passed, and then he was all the way in.  Kay felt full in a way she had only dreamed about before, and shuddered with bliss, which only increased as Darryl slid in and out, building the pressure to a slow crescendo.  Kay felt the pleasure increase, and increase, and her moans were all she could do to indicate all was well.  She raked her fingers across Darryl¡¯s back, trying to find something to hold onto to make this sensation stronger and less likely to carry her away.  She bucked and ground against Darryl, somehow finding a rhythm that worked and made everything ten times better.  ¡°Oh my god!  Fuck me!¡±  She cried.  ¡°Fuck me, Dar!¡±   Kay felt a pressure building inside her that was incredibly intense.  ¡°Fuck me!¡±

    Darryl did his best to oblige, and in a moment, Kay¡¯s body exploded with bliss, as she felt Dar come into her.  She felt his penis pulse inside her, and a felt the condom slip and slide inside her moist slit.  He groaned as he came, and she screamed, clutching his back with her arms as they lay wrapped together in an embrace as old as time.  The bliss that washed over Kay came in waves, one after another - and just as one was leaving, another wave washed up against her.  This is incredible, she thought.  After feeling this, why would I ever go back?  She lay there, enjoying the afterglow of lovemaking for what seemed like the first time.  It felt like her first time, even though she¡¯d been with a few women, as male Kayden before.  This was different... it was right.  Finally right.  She felt a warmth in her heart swirling around that she couldn¡¯t explain, and rolled over to look at Darryl.

    Darryl looked like he was resting blissfully as well.  ¡°Hey, beautiful.¡± he said.  ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    Kay smiled.  You called me beautiful... how could I not be?  She thought to herself.  ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay.  Are you?¡±

    Dar smiled back.  ¡°Yeah, I guess I am.  I never expected this to happen, but I am okay.  I guess now we have to figure out what comes next?¡±

    ¡°Later, Dar.  We can do it later.¡±  Kay said, still smiling.  ¡°Let¡¯s rest for now.¡±

    They cradled each other in their arms, and dozed off together on Darryl¡¯s bed, Kay¡¯s head on Darryl¡¯s chest, his arms wrapped protectively around her.  Kay sighed.  All was right with the world.

    *              *              *

    Justin woke an unknown time later...  He didn¡¯t feel right - everything felt off somehow, like it was covered with a filter.  His head felt full to bursting with knowledge, and it was giving him a hell of a headache.  He reached up and pulled off the Neural Accelerator Helmet, and tossed it aside.  He was still in his lab - and it was still daylight...  The skylights on the roof told him that much.

    As he undid the straps holding him to the Accelerator, his mind whirled at what seemed like a thousand miles an hour.  He could see what he needed to do for his friend, Mr. Chips, and his mind began working on that problem to the exclusion of all else.  He headed towards the machine shop, leaving the Neural Accelerator behind, no longer needed.  It was a means to an end - saving his beloved dog - and his job was not yet done.

    When he reached the machine shop, he was amazed to see that where before there were piles of random electronics and servos, metallic flanges and wires - now, now he saw order.  The pieces almost glowed to his sight, like he could see how they went together, like a puzzle or some crazy high-tech LEGO.   He couldn¡¯t help but laugh and get to work.   As he built and structured the core chassis that would hold Mr. Chips¡¯ intellect, he realized the parts he had wouldn¡¯t fit ¨C wouldn¡¯t work...  No matter, he thought.  If I change them thus, everything fits!  He concentrated on the part that wouldn¡¯t fit - a strut to form part of Mr. Chip¡¯s leg.  It was too wide, and not long enough - but Justin could see how it went together just as easily as he could place together the parts of the robot.  As he watched, the metal molded and shaped itself to the desired width and length.  ¡°Good!  A perfect fit!¡±

    Justin didn¡¯t seem to notice that steel and titanium alloy shouldn¡¯t melt and flow under mental command - he just ignored it and kept working, altering pieces and components to fit as he went, until the robot body of Mr. Chips began to take form.  Hours passed, and still Justin worked like a fiend possessed.   By the time he was finished, it was fully dark outside, and he could hear the rumble of thunder in the sky.  The stormy weather matched the storm within his thoughts, and he placed the last weld onto Mr. Chips¡¯ robotic frame.

    ¡°Almost done.¡±  He said to himself.  He needs fur.  He needs to look like a dog.  He found the bolt of fuzzy cloth he had picked out for the job of simulating Mr. Chip¡¯s fur.  It was the kind of stuff people made stuffed animals out of... except this fabric was bulletproof and fire resistant, and would protect Mr. Chip¡¯s internal circuits from water damage.  ¡°Nothing¡¯s too good for my best buddy.¡±  He said, absently to the robotic chassis.  He stretched and shaped the fabric to fit over the chassis until it looked perfect...

    Justin took a step back to look at his handiwork.  The robot body he had crafted in a blur looked almost identical to Mr. Chips in size and coloration, but looked a tiny bit like an animatronic stuffy.  It was the best he could do with the materials he had.  It was wonderful.   He retrieved the Mechalus device from his work table - it still held the original data siphoned from Mr. Chips¡¯s body - and began the transfer into the new robot body.  He took a moment to make a coffee, and sat watching Mr. Chips, looking for some sign of life.  Soon. He thought.  It would be soon.

    As the data began to transfer, the building storm outside broke, and Justin heard the pitter patter of rain on the roof of his converted warehouse.  When the transfer was done, he had a passport and a new ID ready - and money stashed in a dozen places across the United States, all of it in safe deposit boxes, none of it digital.  He and Mr. Chips could disappear, and Bolivar Trask would never find them.

    Thunder rumbled as the last few iota¡¯s of data transferred into Mr. Chips - and then the Mechalus device powered down, its task completed.  Justin approached Mr. Chips, looking for any signs of life - and as he reached out to pet him, Mr. Chips¡¯ head moved of its own accord, and his bioplas tongue reached out and licked him.  Thunder and lightning crashed, heralding his rebirth.

    ¡°Mr. Chips!  You¡¯re alive!  Alive!¡±  As the glare of the lightning died down, Justin could see the glint of light in Mr. Chips biometric eyes, and Mr. Chips whined, and nudged his hand, trying to be pet.  ¡°Oh, my little buddy!  No one is ever going to separate us ever again.  I love you, Mr. Chips.¡±  Justin couldn¡¯t help it - he cried tears of joy as he picked up Mr. Chips and gave him a firm hug.

    Mr. Chips barked a bit, sounding oddly like a mix of the digitized and mechanical, and a normal dog.  He looked at Master through new, electronic eyes, and agreed.  Nothing would ever take him away from Master, ever again.  Mr. Chips would see to that!   He cuddled with his master, while taking stock of his new systems.  His chassis was bulletproof and light, and his systems were ridiculously advanced.  Somehow, Master had turned him into a weapon!  So be it, thought Mr. Chips.  If anyone tries to hurt Master, I¡¯ll stop them.  No matter what.  I love Master, and Master loves me.

    Mr. Chips snuggled closer with Master, and yipped again, and Master held him close, tears of joy staining his bulletproof fur.  For a short time, all was right with the world.

    *              *              *

    Victor Franco ended his call, and smiled that chilling smile he often had... the kind of smile that spoke of pain given, and pain received.  He called it his ¡®predator¡¯ face and he wore it so often, it was trademark.  Very few people had ever seen him otherwise, except perhaps his little sister Susan. His team of toughs and thugs waited anxiously.

    ¡°We just got the word - Keith found some records at city hall that Dr. Pierce¡¯s aunt bought a warehouse on the lower east side - but with money transferred from Dr. Pierce¡¯s accounts.  I suspect he¡¯s holed up there - so we¡¯re going to go get him, and bring him back to Mr. Trask - alive, mind you - and toss the place for any data he stole from Mr. Trask while we¡¯re at it.  Then I send him a message, and we come back here.¡±

    His men nodded - they knew the drill.  Marco, Tony and Sal were reliable, if unimaginative muscle that Victor used quite often.  They knew enough about Victor to stay on his good side, and they followed orders relatively well.  It was a decent working relationship.  They got in their cars, and drove out to the warehouse.  The night was cold, dark and rainy...  A storm that threatened to become much worse had broken just a short while ago, and the whip, whip, whip of their windshield wipers beat a rhythmic cadence as they drove.

    They arrived at the warehouse - a large sheet metal building with two stories, two loading doors for trucks, and a number of side entrances.  It was rusting a bit, being poorly maintained, and the white paint was flaking off the sheet metal.  It looked like it was dying... and maybe it was.  It had lain neglected for many years.  If Doctor Pierce was inside, there was little clue.

    ¡°This is the place.  Let¡¯s go inside.¡±  Victor parked the car, and got out, Marco following him.  Tony and Sal pulled up in their vehicle, and parked beside them.  The doors seemed locked, and there appeared to be cameras above the doors of the loading docks and the side entrance.  A few minutes with some lockpicks opened the doors, and the four of them went inside.  Victor motioned for the others to take the lead, and they spread out.

    They were in some sort of office area, near but not in the main warehouse.  Victor motioned his people forward.  Tony and Sal went left, and Marco went right - and heard a rapid high-pitched beeping.  He tried to see what was making the noise - but too late!  Next to him, not more than 5ft away, a booby trap detonated, spraying a cone of high velocity metal projectiles towards him at 3600 feet per second.  Marco effectively exploded into biological confetti, and the blast knocked Tony and Sal to the floor.

    Victor cursed.  ¡°Get up and find him!¡±  He yelled, and Tony and Sal struggled to do so.

    They got to the door to the main warehouse, and Tony tried to open it - and when his palm touched the doorknob, he arched and writhed as thousands of volts of electricity coursed through his body.  He tried to scream - but the electricity held him in a deadly rictus.  Sal, not being the brightest bunny in the meadow, tried to pull Tony off the electrified door.  Moments later, both collapsed on the floor dead, electrocuted.

    ¡°Fuck!  FUCK!¡±  Victor shouted.  This was turning into a debacle.  He drew his gun and shot the lock off the door, tossing an office chair at it to open it up...  Stepping through the door, he saw what had happened - Dr. Pierce must have wired the door to a generator and had it booby trapped.  Smart little bastard, he thought.  I should put a bullet in him.

    ¡°Well, look who¡¯s here, Mr. Chips!¡±  Justin Pierce¡¯s voice rang out.  ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Trasks¡¯ hired killer, Victor.  Say hello to Victor, boy!¡±

    ¡°Yip, Yip.¡±  The sound of a digitized dog yapping and a real dog yapping mixed together to make an odd sounding bark.

    Victor looked around, but couldn¡¯t see them.  They must be watching with cameras!  He thought.  He moved forward.  ¡°You know, Dr. Pierce, that this is going to happen, one way or another.  Mr. Trask wants you - and he¡¯s going to get you, and your little dog, too.  You might as well make it easy on everyone.¡±

    There was a pause, then some laughter.  ¡°Yes,¡± came Justin¡¯s voice.  ¡°I suppose he is too stupid to know when he¡¯s lost.  I¡¯ll deal with Mr. Trask in my own time, thank you.¡±  There was a pause.  ¡°I guess the only question is what to do with you, Mr. Franco?¡±

    Victor thought he saw some movement, and fired off two shots - but they seemed to miss.  ¡°You could come peacefully, Dr. Pierce.  I was told to bring you - and I will.  Whether or not your dog lives through the night is up to you.¡±

    All Victor heard was laughter over the speakers in the warehouse.  How can this guy be so calm?  Victor wondered.  He¡¯d seen grown men beg for mercy - this bravado of Dr. Pierces had to be artificial!  No one could be this stupid!  Victor saw movement again, and whirled, shooting.  The first bullet missed - but the second hit what appeared to be an animatronic stuffy of a dog - the same kind of dog as Mr. Chips.

    ¡°What the fuck?!¡±  Victor asked himself.

    Mr. Chips watched the human that was threatening Master.  He was armed with a standard hand gun - not really sufficient to cause harm to his chassis - but which could cause considerable harm to Master if he got a lucky shot.  His sensors could detect above average strength, stamina and reflexes in the human before him - not superhuman, but only barely so.  Victor was a threat - and he was threatening to hurt Mr. Chips and Master.

    ¡°<Allocate target!>¡± a robotic voice said, coming from Mr. Chips. ¡°<Initiate response...>¡± The tiny robot dog walked towards Victor Franco, his mouth opening as he went, a small lambent flame flickering in his mouth as a nozzle emerged from his chassis.

    ¡°You think this stupid toy will stop me, Doctor?  People like you are dangerous!  You¡¯re a hazard, and Trask knows how to keep you under control.  Now come out now, or I¡¯m going to have to get really fucking rough, Doctor!  What do you say to that, doctor?¡±

    The voice on the speakers crackled.  ¡°I say no.  Mr. Chips, see to our guest, please.¡±

    Mr. Chips nodded, and yipped in agreement.  The bad man wouldn¡¯t threaten Master again - he wouldn¡¯t threaten ANYONE again.  Mr. Chips pumped volatile fuel from his torso out the nozzle in his mouth, and the flame on the end of his tongue ignited the fuel mixture, turning into a 60 foot long ray of flame, a flamethrower of lethal strength.

    Victor screamed before he died.  He screamed a lot.

    Mr. Chips smiled to himself.  He protected Master.  He was a good boy!  He turned, and returned to Master.  They were together again - this time forever.  It would never go back to the way it was before, with the pain and the hurting and the tears.  Never.  Mr. Chips yipped in joy.  He would keep Master safe...  He promised.  Master would never cry again!

 Chapter 8 - Hazard Man

    Kayden woke nestled against Darryl¡¯s chest, and started in surprise, and then relaxed as the memories of the last few hours returned to her.  I...  I slept with Darryl.  She thought.  I slept with Darryl and I liked it - and I think he liked it too.  Holy shit!   She studied Darryl sleeping.  I can¡¯t believe how long it took for me to see how handsome he is, she thought.  Would I have ever seen it?  For god¡¯s sake, girl you were seeing it, she told herself.  You were just in denial.  Maybe these feelings I¡¯ve found for Darryl were already here - but until I was female Kayden, I didn¡¯t feel safe letting them out?   I dunno.   She stared at Darryl a few moments more, drinking him in with her eyes.  He¡¯s beautiful.

    Kayden debated whether or not to wake up Darryl, but he looked so peaceful she decided not to.  What I need, she thought, is a shower - an alone shower - where I can get cleaned up.  I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever felt this sticky.  She smiled at that thought.  It sounds naughtier than it is, but come to think of it, we were pretty naughty...  She gently crawled out of Darryl¡¯s bed and into the shower.

    As the hot water sluiced across her skin, she couldn¡¯t help but note how much more sensitive her skin felt.  The water felt relaxing and arousing at the same time, and she doused her head to wash her hair, and began applying some shampoo.  It was Herbal Essences ¡®Hello Hydration¡¯ - a flowery smelling shampoo that Kay suspected was another holdover from when Candy was dating Darryl.  It didn¡¯t seem his style - the Head and Shoulders in the rack near the showerhead was more his style.

    Cleaning this hair is definitely ¡®a process¡¯, she thought.  There¡¯s so much of it.  Oh well.  I suppose I could always just shapechange it shorter...   Kayden smirked as she had a thought - which she sometimes called ¡®a brainwave.¡¯  Why not just shapechange myself into a clean version of me, with washed and dried and styled hair?  Damn - that would be easy mode.  She rinsed her hair and put in some conditioner.  Still, learning the hard way is probably better - once I know what to do I can take shortcuts.

    Soaping herself up was an unexpected bonus.  The soap was refreshing, and the water was invigorating her.  The feel of the soap on her breasts and stomach was making her a bit aroused, so she finished cleaning herself quickly.  The feelings when she soaped between her legs were interesting too.  Wow, she thought.  Showers just got a lot more fun.  Realizing she¡¯d been in the shower a while, she finished up and climbed out to dry off.

    It wasn¡¯t until she was toweling her hair dry, that she realized it was 10pm, and she was still female Kayden...  What the...?  She thought.  I haven¡¯t felt that weird fatigue when I was male Kayden!   Can I assume my male form again?   She tried to shift - and in seconds, male Kayden stood before her - but she could feel the strain of fatigue building.  Is it just that it¡¯s hard to be the old me, or that it¡¯s hard to be a man?  She wondered.  A few moments later, she shifted again - and Darryl was looking back at her in the mirror.  No Strain. Weird.  She tried a dozen other forms, male and female - and none of them felt the strain that resuming her original form did.

    I guess I can be anyone I want, except the old me. Weird.  She tried, on a lark, to appear as the ¡®waxman¡¯ she¡¯d heard about on the news - and shifted back to the bioplasmic humanoid she¡¯d first seen herself as.  Yuch - nope!  She thought.  Can I do anything else?  She tried a few aliens she¡¯d seen on TV shows - the humans with various prosthetics - and a few humanoids that were probably CGI enhanced.  She could do them all.  One thing she realized was that when she changed to something non-human, her senses and physical strength still seemed to remain in the human scale of things, so if she could give herself alien senses, she hadn¡¯t figured it out yet.   Oh my god!  I¡¯m the perfect chameleon - more so than I suspected.  I wonder if my DNA changes too, or if I could fool a biometric scan like a retinal scan?  No wonder Hank said the intelligence agencies would want me.

    She stared into the mirror, looking for answers and finding none.  She decided to get dressed.

    When she exited the bathroom, Darryl was shifting - and his arm flopped onto the area of the bed where Kay used to be.  Her absence seemed to wake him, and he looked up at Kay, walking across the room naked to her pile of clothes.

    ¡°Hey, beautiful.¡±  Darryl said, yawning.  ¡°I can¡¯t believe we just did that.  You okay?¡±

    Kay smiled, but flushed, a little embarrassed at being seen naked.  ¡°Yeah, Dar.  I¡¯m good.  Are you?¡±  She pulled on some underwear and her jeans, and reached for her bra and t-shirt.

    Darryl thought about it.  ¡°Yeah, Kay.  I¡¯m kinda surprised it happened, but I¡¯m more than good.  I never thought of you that way, until today - but when you started looking like that, I...  I couldn¡¯t help it.  I was pulled in.  Your eyes are magnetic.¡±

    "Thanks, Dar.  I always felt this way on the inside.  Today was the first day I was able to show it on the outside too.  It was special.  I felt something looking at you too, Dar.  I don¡¯t know what it was, but it was powerful.¡±

    Darryl smiled, pleased to hear he had affected Kay as much as she had affected him.  ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Kay.  Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I think I need to get cleaned up.  I¡¯d consider asking you to join me - but you just climbed out of the shower, so I¡¯ll go take my turn.¡±

    ¡°See you soon.¡±

    ¡°You bet!¡±  Darryl replied, and headed to the bathroom, naked as a jaybird.

    Kayden couldn¡¯t help but allow her gaze to follow his butt as he walked to the bathroom.  Nice ass.  ¡°You want some dinner?¡±  She called.

    ¡°Sure!¡± Darryl answered.  ¡°There¡¯s some pork chops thawed in the fridge.¡±

    Kayden nodded, and finished getting dressed, then headed to the kitchen to try and make dinner.  She took a few moments to look over the stuff Darryl had in his fridge, and tried to come up with something edible.  Maybe some wild rice with a side of vegetables to go with them?  She thought.  I¡¯d better get working.

    *              *              *

    The two friends pushed away their empty plates, groaning.  Dinner had been great, but Kayden had only been able to finish about two thirds of what she could usually eat, and she felt bloated.  The demolished remnants of dinner got cleaned up, and the leftovers saved for later, while Kayden went to the small living room and turned on the television.

    WBGN News at 11:00pm was on, with a shocking report about a new heroine called Virus who disabled and captured Shrapnel and a new villain named Carnage simultaneously.  Apparently she was some sort of healer, with a monstrously fast healing factor - the shaky videos they had of her showed wounds healing while people could watch them!   A lot of the talking heads were wondering what ¡®rank¡¯ Virus would be - and guesses ranged from a very lucky 4 to an 8 that was holding back.   Since Carnage was rated a 5-6 and Shrapnel was rated a 7 or a low 8, most people guessed she was actually closer to a 6 or a 7, but until she faced more villains and more problems, it would be impossible to tell.

    Kayden couldn¡¯t help but shake her head at all the debate about whose rank was whose.  It was stupid.  By my reckoning, If I¡¯m going to join in the numbers game, I¡¯d be a 5.  If they hadn¡¯t softened themselves up for me, I¡¯m not sure I could have beaten them.  ¡°Hey Dar!  I¡¯m on TV!¡±

    ¡°Cool!¡± Darryl called back.  ¡°Record it!¡±

    Kayden looked for the remote, unable to find it until she realized how stupid she was being.  She interfaced with the Tivo and started recording the news on six different channels.   This is super cool, being able to be my own remote control, she thought.  I have the power!  She giggled.  I control the vertical, and the horizontal...  Hahaha!   As she thought it, the screen image altered to her mental command, and then reset to normal.

    Darryl came and joined her on the couch, and watched the news with her.  After a while, he turned to her, and took her hand.  ¡°You know, Kay...  I was really worried for you earlier today.  Are you going to be okay?¡±

    Kay squeezed Darryl¡¯s hand, acknowledging his comfort.  ¡°Yeah.  It felt good to help those people - really good.  Those supervillains were no more than super-powered thugs, and I¡¯m beginning to discover I don¡¯t really like bullies that much.  Maybe I should think about doing the heroine thing again?¡±

    Darryl nodded.  ¡°If it makes you happy, then go for it.  Just be safe... and for now, I guess you need a place to stay until you can get your own place?   I mean, Kayden is wanted, right?  You can¡¯t just go home.¡±

    Kayden sighed.  ¡°Yeah.  My clothes are there, which I¡¯ll need to get.  I can change them to look right for me as I am now, and there some other personal stuff there too.  My movies and videogames, such as they are, plus a few other things.  I should go get them.¡±

    ¡°Okay.  Just remember to look different than you look now.  We don¡¯t want the police to see the female you yet, or the male you either.¡±

    Kay nodded.  ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡±  She said.  ¡°But I should go tonight. I¡¯ve got no toiletries, no clothes - nothing.  Can I still crash here?¡±

    Dar smiled.  ¡°Always.  You can have the couch if you want, or...¡±

    ¡°I think I should take the couch for tonight, Darryl.  I¡¯m not saying its forever - but I need some time to think about what¡¯s happened today.  I¡¯m more than a bit overwhelmed.¡±

    ¡°I understand, Kay.  The couch it is.   Do you want a lift to your place?  It¡¯ll be easier to pick up your stuff with my car.¡±

    ¡°That would be great, Dar.  Thanks.¡±

    Darryl rose and grabbed his keys, and the two friends left his apartment.

    *              *              *

    Justin Pierce took a break from cuddling his little buddy Mr. Chips, to take a look at the time.  Midnight, he thought.  How appropriate.    He chatted out loud, as he stood and began making plans - both to himself and to Mr. Chips.   ¡°You know, I can¡¯t go back to work.  Mr. Trask will hunt me down and try to kill me, or course.  How inconvenient.¡±  As he talked, Justin was taking a bunch of electronic and mechanical parts and crafting something that looked suspiciously like body armor and some sort of high tech weapon.

    ¡°Still, I guess we could just kill him and go back to being normal.¡±   The thing was, Justin didn¡¯t exactly feel normal anymore.  He¡¯d always been driven - but now, he was driven by more than desperation and a need to save his beloved dog... now it was something more.  ¡°...but why should I try to be normal, when I¡¯m so obviously not?  I want to help people - I still have to figure out how to cure cancer, for everyone else suffering if nothing else - but at the same time, isn¡¯t it alright if I take a little something for myself?¡±   The pieces he was working with flowed together, piece after pieces - soldered and bolted, stitched and glued.  If the pieces didn¡¯t fit, he changed them with his power until they did, and kept going.

    Mr. Chips couldn¡¯t think of a reason not to.  ¡°Yip, Yip!¡±  He barked, cuddling Master.

    ¡°Good boy.¡±  Justin replied, petting his dog.  ¡°Still, if we kill him, we¡¯ll be branded villains - probably supervillains or a ¡®mad scientist¡¯ or something.¡±   Justin thought about it for a while.  If I am branded a mad scientist, does it really matter?  I can still do my research - I just have to hide from the police.  Is that any different from hiding from Trask for the rest of my life?  ¡°If I was a villain, I could just take Trask down - after all, buddy, he sent Victor here to kill you.¡±

    ¡°Grrrrrr.¡±

    ¡°I know, buddy.  I know.  I could forgive trying to kill me - but nobody hurts my dog and lives.  I guess we go kill him.  How does that sound, buddy?¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Yip, Yip!¡±   If Trask hurts Master, then I¡¯ll hurt him, Mr. Chips thought.  Master will never cry again!

    ¡°Good boy.¡±  Justin scratched behind Mr. Chips ears - it didn¡¯t feel like much, but Mr. Chips seemed to enjoy it.  ¡°Victor said I was a hazard...  Maybe I should take it to heart, don¡¯t you think?  How does Hazard Man sound to you?¡±   By now his rough suit of armor was complete, and he had begun working on a quick and dirty blaster rifle of sorts.  He had ideas for at least a dozen gadgets he could cobble together by dawn.

    ¡°Yip!  Bark!¡± Mr. Chips jumped up and down with joy.

    Justin smiled.  ¡°Hazard Man it is, then.   Let¡¯s make the world quake, starting with Bolivar Trask.¡±

    *              *              *

    Kayden sat nervously in Darryl¡¯s blue Scion FRS as he drove towards her old apartment.  The evening sky was alight with common light pollution, plus the hundreds of tiny stars and glowy lines of the wireless signals that Kayden could see with her special powers.  It looked a bit like the northern lights, but a bit unlike them too - it was unique, and she felt oddly blessed she was able to see it - perceive a beauty no one else could see.  She pulled her thoughts back to the moment, and thought about her apartment.  The police will probably have my place under surveillance, she thought, even if they only want to question me.  I think I¡¯ll masquerade as my mythical ex-girlfriend going to pick up her stuff...  That might work best.

    Darryl drove quietly, leaving Kayden to her thoughts - he needed time to think too.   I can¡¯t believe we made love today - hell, I can¡¯t believe my best friend is a super hero... heroine... fuck!   He was still in a bit of shock, but he couldn¡¯t help but smile fondly at his best friend Kay sitting next to him.  She does look one hell of a lot prettier as a girl, though, I can definitely say.  I wish I knew about him being trans a long time ago - maybe he wouldn¡¯t have been in so much pain?   I wish he¡¯d trusted me.

    He drove on in silence.

    When they got to Kayden¡¯s building, neither one of them was surprised to see a police car parked on the side of the street, with a couple of uniformed officers sitting inside.  One was male, the other female, and they looked bored.

    ¡°Check it out, Kayden...  Think they¡¯re waiting for you to show up?¡±  Darryl asked.

    ¡°Probably.  I¡¯d better change.¡±  Kayden bent down so that she couldn¡¯t be seen outside the car, and shifted - changing from her being a solid 5'' 7" to a 5''0" slender twig of a woman, with short blond hair in a bob.  She sat up, to show Darryl - and instead of wearing a pair of jeans and t-shirt, she had nylon leggings, a knee length skirt and short heels, a white blouse and a light jacket on top.  ¡°How do I look?¡±

    Darryl jumped.  I may get used to that, one day, he thought.  ¡°You look great.  It¡¯s amazing how you can do that, you know.¡±

    ¡°It is pretty cool, isn¡¯t it?¡±   Kay got out of the car.  I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes - maybe half an hour.  Do you want to wait or come up with me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait.  If the police get antsy I¡¯ll text you.¡±  Darryl replied.

    ¡°Cool - thanks.  See you soon.¡±

    ¡°Stay safe, please.¡±  Darryl looked worried.  ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±

    Kay - who decided her pseudonym for this evening would be ¡°Nissa¡± - short for Vanessa - headed into the building.  The police didn¡¯t even glance at her twice as she walked past them, into the front vestibule, and used her building key to get inside.  Huh, she thought.  That was unusually easy - but I guess I¡¯m not matching the profile they¡¯re looking for.

    Getting up to her room on the third floor was simple - and there weren¡¯t any guards or police posted at her apartment door, so she unlocked it and went inside.  The lights still worked, thankfully - and there was no food left in the apartment to go bad, so that was a plus.  She went to the bedroom and grabbed her gym bag, and started filling it with toiletries - razor, soap, toothpaste, brushes - and then topped it off with the videogame console she¡¯d been using - a PS3 - and the ten or twelve games she had to her name.   Digging under the bed, she found her suitcase - a soft-sided green nylon bag with zippers - and her small stash of ladies clothes.  It wasn¡¯t much - but Kayden had never had much - and all her clothes, plus the stash of ladies clothes, fit easily into the one large suitcase.

    The nightstand had some stuff - a bottle of aspirin and some balm.  A picture of Kayden with his friend Darryl the time he and the others went fishing at Darryl¡¯s dad¡¯s cabin in the woods.  God, that was a great weekend, Kayden thought, remembering.  Laurie and Yvonne and Brendan had been there.   Robert had got so shit-faced from drinking Darryl¡¯s dad¡¯s scotch that he ran naked through a patch of poison ivy and ended up covered in mosquito and black-fly bites.  Poor asshole...  Kayden chuckled at the memory, remembering how Robert¡¯s boyfriend sucked up to him and tried to tend his wounds.   You know, Darryl and Laurie were right.  I should have come out to them - my friends I mean - a long time ago.  Maybe I¡¯d have been happier?   I don¡¯t think I can keep calling myself Kayden, though - its too risky.  I need a new name.

    Kayden took the picture of her old male self and her friends and placed it in her suitcase.  Beneath it was a tarnished silver pendant that looked like a lion rampant - a heraldic lion - on a stainless steel chain.  The pendant was largish - about two inches across, and circular in shape.  Darryl had given it to Kayden a few years ago, when he first left his mom and dad and moved out on his own.  Darryl knew he was having problems with his folks, but not what exactly those problems were.   She held the chain in her hand, and smiled.

    She remembered what Darryl said, too.  ¡°I know you¡¯re scared.  I would be too, if I was in your position.  The lion represents bravery - so until you can be brave on your own, maybe this little guy can help you feel brave too.¡±   She hadn¡¯t said it at the time, but that little gesture of friendship had meant the world to her.  It was also the first piece of jewelry she had ever been given, and it held a special place in her heart.  She couldn¡¯t remember the last time she wore it - she didn¡¯t want it to get hurt, and a lot of places she had worked at preferred no jewelry of any kind.

    Kayden gave it a wipe with a jewelry cleaning cloth, and the silver began to shine again.  ¡°It¡¯s good to have you back, pal.¡±  She said, and placed the necklace over her neck.  The lion pendant settled between her breasts, and it felt good to wear it.  Proper.   There was no way she was leaving this behind.

    She took a last look around.  Aside from a few minor trinkets and supplies, there was nothing of value left in the apartment.  It saddened Kayden to realize that she owned so little, had been doing so poorly, that everything she owned could fit into two small bags.  Unbidden, tears came to her eyes.  I was free - but I was a failure.  She thought.  I need to do better... to be better than I was.   I can¡¯t let this continue.

    She wiped away her tears, and grabbed her meager possessions, and left the apartment.

    Kay tried to compose herself during the elevator ride downstairs, and managed to calm herself somewhat.  She felt a bit nervous as she left the building - every fiber of her said ¡®those cops will see me!¡¯ - but the police were obviously looking for someone that looked like the old Kayden, not the 5ft tall young woman he was temporarily morphed into.  It was too easy - they only saw what they expected to see.

    Kayden shook her head as she realized just HOW easy it was.  They didn¡¯t even blink at me.  What could I do with this power if I was inclined to be a criminal... oh my god.  I¡¯d be unstoppable.  She shook her head again, dismissing the idea.  I¡¯m not a criminal.  I¡¯ll figure things out in my own way.

    Kay reached Darryl¡¯s car, and he popped the trunk.  A few seconds later, her meager possessions stored within, she got in the car and Darryl drove off.

    Darryl couldn¡¯t help but see the glittering silver lion on Kayden¡¯s chest - nestled as it was in her bosom.  He blushed.  ¡°I see you¡¯ve still got the necklace I gave you.  It looks good on you, Kay.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Dar.  It meant a lot to me when you gave it to me...  Did you know it¡¯s the first and only piece of jewelry I¡¯ve ever owned?  It means a lot to me.¡±  She put her hand on his right thigh, and smiled.  ¡°I couldn¡¯t leave it behind.  Thanks for giving me the lift.¡±

    Darryl grinned.  ¡°No worries, Kayden.  And I¡¯m glad it¡¯s that important to you.  I guess you¡¯re going to need some more jewelry now, though aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Kayden grinned back.  ¡°I guess.  I¡¯ll start with getting a job and an apartment first, before I buy luxuries like earrings and stuff.¡±

    ¡°I suppose.  I¡¯m glad you¡¯re taking this well.  How are you going to get a job without ID?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.  I¡¯ll have to get new ID.  I¡¯ll sort it out.¡±

    Darryl took the statement at face value.  If she doesn¡¯t want to talk about it, then I guess we don¡¯t talk about it.  Maybe she¡¯s going to have to do something illegal to do it?  Maybe it¡¯s better if I don¡¯t know the details?  I just hope she¡¯s going to be okay.

    ¡°I suppose this is a silly question, Dar, but can I crash at your place for a few days?¡±  Kayden asked.

    ¡°Yeah, doofus.  You didn¡¯t even need to ask.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Dar.  You¡¯re the best.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re damn right I am!¡±   He smiled, and his eyes lit up.  ¡°Besides, I wouldn¡¯t turn down my best friend, now would I?¡±

    ¡°No, I guess not.¡±  Kay said smiling.  ¡°Let¡¯s go home then.¡±

    ¡°Home it is.¡±   Darryl kept driving.

    *              *              *

    Bolivar Trask hadn¡¯t slept well.  His henchman Victor Franco hadn¡¯t been responding to his calls, and Trask was beginning to wonder if he was going to.   His stomach was acid over all the flack he and his company had been getting about this ¡°Waxman¡± affair, and some people were beginning to think it had been Dr. Pierce who shot the nurse David, rather than the Waxman.   Now he was being labeled an employer that hired mad scientists who did unsafe human testing, and the shares of his company were in a swan dive.  It was a miserable day - and it wasn¡¯t even 9:10 am.

    The day before Halloween, thought Trask.  At least tomorrow is Friday - I can see the grandkids with their costumes after work.  Sally said Thomas and Mary had some really nice costumes this year.   Maybe I can leave all this scandal for now and deal with it Monday?   Trask thought of whether it could wait, or not - and it all came back to Victor.  If he doesn¡¯t call by noon today, I have to assume he¡¯s dead.  How Dr. Pierce killed him, I have no idea - but it might be possible.  Damn - good help is hard to find.   There¡¯s no other reason Victor wouldn¡¯t have called me by now.  Fuck.

    Bolivar Trask looked at his black coffee and danish his secretary had brought him...  The idea of eating right now turned his stomach he was so mad.  He pushed them both away to the edge of his desk, and fumed.   I¡¯ll have to hire outside help.  It will be expensive - but maybe I can convince them to throw in the Waxman for free?  If not, it still might be worth it to capture him, just to know what the hell Pierce was working on when he went off the reservation.

    FUCK!

    Just as Mr. Trask was about to get into a really good rage, he heard glass shattering outside his office, and someone shout ¡®Hey!  You can¡¯t go in there!¡¯  He opened the drawer of his desk, and grabbed a pistol he kept there, and pressed a button that would summon security.  All he needed was thirty seconds.   There was the sound of a gunshot, and then the loud blast of a different weapon - some sort of energy weapon.  The frosted glass on the window of his door lit up momentarily, showing the silhouette of an adult man.

    The door to his office opened, and Trask saw an oddly dressed man enter his office.  At his side was a robotic plushy dog.  He wearing obviously homemade body armor and a motorcycle helmet, armed with some sort of high tech weapon cobbled together from spare parts - but it was obviously lethal enough; two of his security people had their brains splattered all over the walls in his offices foyer.   Could it be?  Trask aimed his pistol at the intruder.

    ¡°Stop, or I¡¯ll shoot!¡±  Trask called out.  It was plain the man in the homemade armor could hear him.  He was laughing!  Laughing, at Bolivar Trask!  Trask felt a vein on his forehead swell with rage, and his face flushed.  ¡°Who are you?  You¡¯re a dead man, you know that?  Do you know who I am?¡±

    The man laughed once more.  ¡°Yes I do, Mr. Trask.¡±

    Justin Pierce!  The gall of that bastard!  He¡¯s a dead man!   ¡°I see you¡¯ve gone off the deep end, Pierce.  Surrender yourself and your data from the project, and maybe - just maybe ¨C I¡¯ll let you live.¡±  20 seconds more, he thought.

    ¡°It¡¯s Hazard Man, now Mr. Trask.  You¡¯re in no place to be issuing threats.   I have a counter proposal for you. You leave me alone, you leave my dog alone, and you never bother me again, or so help me I¡¯ll burn your company down around you before I leave you out for the buzzards.¡±

    ¡°How dare you!¡±  Trask yelled, turning purple.  ¡°I paid for a cure to cancer - and I paid for your lab and your research.  Its mine - all of it.  I fucking OWN you.  I¡¯ll tell you when you can leave, god dammit!¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±  Hazard man looked down at his little robot dog.  ¡°I told you he wouldn¡¯t go for it.¡±

    ¡°Yip!  Yip!¡±  Said Mr. Chips

    ¡°I know.  Next time I¡¯ll listen to you first.¡±  Hazard Man - Doctor Pierce - looked up and shook his head.  ¡°Nobody owns me.  Fuck with me, and I¡¯ll destroy you.¡±

    He¡¯s fucking crazy!  Trask thought.  He couldn¡¯t really be going villain could he?  Dr. Pierce, a mad scientist?  Preposterous!  Pierce is barely able to function as an adult without help he¡¯s focused on his work!  Not in a million years!   He raised the gun and aimed at Dr. Pierce¡¯s face.  ¡°Better men that you have tried, asshole.¡±  5 seconds... Where the hell was security?

    Pierce closed his visor, and raised his gun - Trask fired, once, twice, three times!  The bullets hit the homemade armor Dr. Pierce was wearing - and bounced off.   It was unreal - the bullets ¡®pinged¡¯ off, like Trask was shooting Captain Patriot, not hitting some homemade kevlar.  Ricochet¡¯s raced around the room, burying themselves in the walls of his office.  ¡°What the hell...?¡±

    Hazard man simply pointed his shotgun-like weapon at Trask and aimed.  ¡°You made your bed Trask.  Now you can lie in it!¡±  The weapon began to power up, making a ¡®bweeeeeee¡¯ sound that raised in tempo as it neared its charge limit - and at the last second, Hazard Man shifted his aim, and shot to Trasks¡¯ left.  There was a huge explosion, and Trask was thrown against his desk.  Glass shattered, and masonry crumbled downwards to the streets below.  Where there had once been an office wall, there was now a 20ft wide gaping hole - the whole damn wall of Trask¡¯s office was gone!

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to end you quick, Trask.¡±  Hazard man said.  ¡°You were going to kill someone I care about deeply.  For that, I¡¯m going to make sure your demise is very, very slow.  You might be wondering what happened to your security team...  They won¡¯t be coming.  Mr. Chips here pumped nerve gas into the security room during their morning meeting - they died quickly.  Quicker than you will, Mr. Trask.¡±

    Trask gasped in pain - his left arm was bleeding from a masonry shard embedded in the flesh above his elbow, and he was covered in dozens of nicks and cuts.  He was battered and bruised from the blast, and somewhere during the blast, he¡¯d lost hold of his pistol.

    Hazard man picked up the little dog, and walked over to the hole in the wall.  His backpack did something, and changed - two glider like wings extending from it.  He turned at the last moment.  ¡°You¡¯ll be hearing from me soon, Mr. Trask.  Goodbye.¡±

    With that, Hazard man leapt out of the window, and swooped away - some sort of jet pack in his gear giving his glider suit thrust and lift.  Soon he was gone.

    Trask just stared at the retreating Doctor Pierce.  ¡°He¡¯s totally nuts. Totally.¡±  He shuddered, thinking of the roughly thirty men working security for him in the building, all dead.  Sane men you could bargain with - but not Pierce.  It was the first time Bolivar Trask had felt fear in a long time.

 Chapter 9 - Hacking

    Kayden woke hearing the muffled sounds of Darryl¡¯s alarm clock in the other room.  She groaned, and stretched her back, yawning.  You know, Darryl¡¯s couch is pretty comfy, she thought.  But I need to get a new name and a new ID, clothes that fit me, and stuff like that. *Yawn!*  Coffee first.  Always coffee.

    She climbed off the couch and shambled into the kitchen like a zombie, and started a pot of coffee in the coffee maker - Darryl had one of those old-style pots with the grounds and the paper filters - he didn¡¯t like all the waste from those little plastic K-cups everyone seemed to like these days.  Messy, but still good.  Luckily, he still had some ground coffee left.  I wonder if he still drinks that imported stuff from Brazil?  The stuff he says is ¡®processed by goats?¡¯   I just hope it tastes good.  He spends more on coffee than I do on groceries for a month.  Must be nice to have money.

    She left the hot water to brew into coffee, and looked over at the bathroom.  Sometime between yawning and coffee-ing, Darryl had taken it over.  The door was shut, and the sound of running water and such was heard from within.

    ¡°Good morning, Dar!¡± She called out.

    ¡°Hey, Kay!  Just getting ready for classes.  I probably shouldn¡¯t take two days off in a row.¡±

    Kay smiled.  I wish I could afford to go to college.  ¡°Yeah - you probably shouldn¡¯t.  I¡¯ve got stuff I have to do today too.  When will you be back?¡±

    ¡°My last class ends around 3pm.  What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°I just wanted to know when I could come back ¨C that¡¯s all, Dar.¡±

    ¡°I can get you a key, if you want, Kay.  You can always give it back when it comes time to move out.¡±

    He¡¯s so thoughtful, she thought.  ¡°Thanks, Darryl.  I appreciate it.  How¡¯s journalism working for you, Dar?¡±

    ¡°Not badly.  I¡¯m really into it, actually.  I¡¯ve been thinking of headlines for your first appearance and battle.  ¡°Hottie stops Naughty¡± came to mind, as did ¡°Sleepy time for Bad Guys.¡±

    ¡°Hottie stops naughty?!¡±  Kayden couldn¡¯t help it, and started giggling.  ¡°It actually sounds better than Sleepy time for Bad Guys as a headline.  Are you planning to work for the Weekly World News?¡±

    ¡°Nah - I just wanted to hear you laugh.¡±  Darryl walked out of the bathroom, shirtless and freshly shaved, wearing only his boxer shorts.  He smelled like aftershave and the scent of shaving creme - and Kayden felt a twinge of desire at seeing him that way.

    ¡°Doofus!¡±  She said, smiling.  ¡°You look nice.¡±

    Darryl smiled, and blushed a bit.  ¡°I guess I should put a shirt on, if I don¡¯t want to be distracting everyone.¡±

    Kayden nodded, biting her lip.  I can¡¯t, she thought.  He¡¯ll be late for school.  Why do I just want to toss him onto his bed and make love to him again?  I don¡¯t understand it, but there it is.  I think I¡¯m falling for him.

    Darryl waited a moment, still blushing, and went to get dressed.

    Get a hold of yourself, Kayden. I thought you wanted to think things over.  What the hell?  Kayden fought with herself while Darryl got dressed, and heard the coffee pot finish.  Coffee.  Coffee makes everything better.   She went to the kitchen and poured herself and Darryl a cup, adding some milk and sugar the way they liked it.  She sipped the coffee, smelling its rich dark aroma.  Hmmmmm... heaven!   As her mind cleared, she heard Darryl enter the small kitchen, and grab his coffee.   He put on some toast, and came to join her.

    ¡°Heya, beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡±  Kay returned, smiling.  ¡°This coffee is pretty good.¡±

    ¡°It should be at fifty dollars a pound.¡±  He said, smirking.  ¡°What!?  I like good coffee!¡±

    Kayden thought about needling her friend about his choice in ¡®hipster drinks¡¯ but decided against it.  It *was* good coffee - and she supposed Darryl could afford it.  ¡°It is good.¡±

    ¡°See!  You admitted it.  You like my coffee.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s 7:30am and I slept on a couch.  I¡¯d like any coffee at all... but this is nice.  Thanks for sharing, Darryl.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±  Darryl grabbed his toast and slopped on some peanut butter, and began to eat.  ¡°You want anything?¡±

    ¡°Yeah ¨C I¡¯ll just wait and eat when you¡¯re gone, and maybe tidy up in the kitchen when you¡¯re out.  It¡¯s the least I can do.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Kay.¡±

    ¡°No worries.  Any ideas on a new name for me?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Kayden sighed.  ¡°I can¡¯t keep being Kayden.  Kayden Ballard is a wanted criminal - so I need a new identity.  Any suggestions?¡±

    ¡°You could try Hayden ¨C it¡¯s a bit more feminine sounding, and it¡¯s close to your own name.¡±

    Kayden mulled it over.  It wasn¡¯t bad - but it might not be ¡®right¡¯ either.  ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.  I was tossing the idea of Colby around.¡±

    ¡°That sounds cute too.  I like it.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Dar.  I¡¯ll think on it, and I¡¯ll let you know.¡±  She smiled, and took the last sip of her coffee, and pouted when it was empty.  ¡°I think I need another cup.¡±

    Darryl just grinned at her feminine pout, and waved her over to the coffee pot.  ¡°Help yourself Colby.  I gotta get to school.  What are you going to do about our friends?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet.  I¡¯m going to tell Laurie - but I don¡¯t know about the others.  Maybe it would be best if ¡®Kayden¡¯ went on the run and the new me moved into your life?¡±   Kayden looked and felt unsure about it, but didn¡¯t know what to do.

    Darryl rose, and walked over to Kay, wrapping her in a comforting hug.  ¡°Whatever you decide is fine with me, Kay.  If Kayden goes missing, you¡¯ll still be my best friend, no matter what happens.  We could always say we met on a blind date at Pizza Hut...  Either way, let¡¯s not worry about it now.  Maybe text me when you¡¯ve decided on your new name, okay?¡±

    ¡°Will do, Handsome.¡±  She said, smiling, and hugging Darryl back.  ¡°You got it.¡±

    The two of them broke apart, sharing a look into one another¡¯s eyes for a moment.  Darryl broke gazes first.  ¡°I gotta go, Kay.  I¡¯ll see you after three!¡±

    ¡°Bye.¡±

    Darryl left his apartment, leaving Kay to mull over what had transpired and what she still had to do.  I need a new identity - and it can¡¯t lead back here.  I need a post-office box, and access to a computer - any internet caf¨¦ will do.  I think I can get this done pretty quick, if I¡¯m right about what I can do.  I hope I¡¯m right.

    Heading to the couch where her suitcase was placed, Kayden realized she had a minor problem - she had a suitcase of clothes suited for her male self, and one - slightly dirty - outfit of clothes for her female self.  I guess I¡¯d better get on that, huh?  She unzipped the clothes, and one by one, piece by piece she converted the articles of clothing with her shapechanging ability to other pieces of feminine clothing - socks and undies became lingerie, while jeans and t-shirts became jeans, slacks and blouses.  Old running shoes became designer boots, and a bag of old socks she decided to save to transform into really nice stuff later.  It¡¯s nice I¡¯ll never have to worry about clothes fitting ever again, she thought.  I can wear anything I want, whenever I want.  It¡¯s amazing.  I could turn a sock into an ermine fur coat!  Just to prove she could, she did - and man, did it look comfy!  Nice!  I wonder what else I can do?   She took a cheap plastic digital watch, and turned it into a fancy ladies rolex or something similar to it.  It looked like it functioned - and it looked great!   She giggled with the sheer joy of playing with her powers, and soon her impromptu changing party was over.

    That was fun!  I have to do that more often, she thought.  She grabbed a pair of tight jeans, and a nice T-shirt with a scoop neck to wear - and paused.  This is stuff like I would normally wear.  Why not do something different?  She took one of the pairs of jeans and transformed it into a lovely blue skirt, a pair of old slippers into nice pumps to go with it, and grabbed instead a silken blouse and a light sweater-top to keep her warm.  She stripped from her pajamas and got her underwear on, followed by her top garments... After she had put it all on, she took a look in the mirror.  Damn, I look good.  I need some makeup.

    Kayden knew she could simply change herself to look like makeup - but it seemed like cheating.  I¡¯m going to have to learn how to do real makeup in time anyway, aren¡¯t I?  Maybe it won¡¯t hurt to cheat a little, just today?   She concentrated, and gave herself a lightly made up look that accented her attractive features, and concealed a few blemishes.  She judged it was an improvement.

    The room around her was in chaos - feminine garments had been tossed everywhere as she tried to get ready, and during her little change-athon.  She busied herself with cleaning up the living room she¡¯d been sleeping in, made herself a light breakfast, and then tidied the kitchen and its dirty dishes.  Once those chores were done, she grabbed her purse and headed out.

    The streets of Empire city looked different in the daylight.  When the sun was up, it actually looked like it might be a great place to live - sunlit streets with happy people walking about, carrying on like happy people are wont to do, yet Kayden couldn¡¯t shake how different it felt at night - when people on the streets grew scarcer and the predators came out to play.  The city was very different after dark - and it was both reassuring and frightening... That a place so pretty and nice as what she saw laid before her, could become so frightening and full of danger with just the passing of twelve hours gave her home city a very distinctive feel - like one of those video games that gets exponentially more dangerous once the sun goes down.  It gave the city a flavor Kayden was just beginning to be able to sense.  She realized she kind of liked it.  Empire city had a hint of danger that gave it an edge.  All I have to do is make sure that edge doesn¡¯t cut me or those I care about, she thought.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    She walked to the nearest post office - a task that took about an hour, since she could neither afford cab fare or bus fare.  Once inside, she waited in line, hoping against hope that the little trick she had planned would work - if it didn¡¯t, she didn¡¯t know what she was going to do.

    While she was waiting in line, an older lady, maybe in her late 50''s or early 60''s turned to her and started chatting.  ¡°I love your skirt, miss.  Where did you get it?¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡±  Kayden exclaimed.  ¡°A little shop across town.  The thrift store on Belmont.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really pretty.  I like your makeup too.  It would be nice to be young again.¡±  The lady smiled, fondly remembering her youth.

    Kayden smiled too.  Little interactions like this with people, where she was treated as the woman she felt herself to be were the things she truly longed for - acceptance.  Acceptance and validation that she was who and what she said she was.  ¡°Thanks!  You know, you look really great, so don¡¯t put yourself down!¡±

    ¡°Thanks, dear.  It¡¯s nice of you to say that.  I try and take care of myself.¡±

    ¡°It shows - you look great!  You¡¯re what - in your late 40''s, early 50''s?¡±  Kayden asked.

    ¡°Flatterer!¡±  She said laughing.  ¡°I¡¯m almost 63, and I feel every day of it some days.  Thanks dear.¡±  It looked to Kay like her comment made the older lady¡¯s day - and she smiled.

    ¡°I hope I look as good as you do when I¡¯m your age.¡±  Kayden replied, meaning every word.  ¡°I think your turn is next.¡±

    The woman turned, and started talking with the postal clerk, and Kayden spent a moment smiling to herself, pleased at how the minor interaction had gone.  It felt good, she thought.  Really good.  I could get used to this.  She spent a moment musing, before she realized her turn was next.  The woman in front of her waved goodbye, and then Kayden was left standing in front of a bored postal clerk.

    She began the process of renting a post-office box, and filled out all the needed paperwork.  Now the moment of truth, she thought.  She handed the paperwork to the clerk, and pulled out Kayden¡¯s ATM card.  She had no money in her account at all - but she had the germ of an idea that just might work.  If it did, she was set for life.  ¡°I¡¯ll pay by debit, please.¡±  She said.

    The clerk handed her the little handset, and she punched in the correct numbers, while sending her mind into the little device.  After the requisite greetings, she got down to business.  ¡°Hey dude,¡± she said telepathically.  ¡°I know I don¡¯t have any money in my account, but could you tell the machine I paid in full?¡±

    The little machine thought about it for a minute.  ¡°Maybe - if you have the administrative password!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the administrative password?¡±  Kayden asked.

    ¡°45JN-M3"

    ¡°Oh - well, the password is 45JN-M3.¡±

    ¡°Great!  I¡¯ll just credit the funds to your account, ma¡¯am.  Have a nice day.¡±

    The little handset beeped - and read ¡°Transaction Accepted - please remove card.¡±  Kayden released a sigh of stress she didn¡¯t know she had pent up.  Looking embarrassed, she looked at the clerk.  ¡°Sorry - I was just a little worried it wouldn¡¯t go through.¡±

    ¡°Well, it looks like everything went through fine ma¡¯am.  Here¡¯s the key to your Post office box.  Have a nice day.¡±

    Kayden took the key, and walked away smiling.  Oh my god, she thought.  I wasn¡¯t sure that would work.  What the hell can I do?  Do I have any limits with computers at all?  Holy hell!  She took a hold of herself, and headed down the street - there was an internet caf¨¦ about 10 blocks away, and a large chain drugstore nearby, so she headed in that direction.  About twenty minutes later, she was the proud owner of four pre-paid VISA¡¯s worth $1000 each, and a number of gift cards pre-loaded with cash that she could use to pay for goods.  The trip inside had proven even more profitable than she realized - with her telepathic gift to interface with machines, those cards would effectively never expire, and never run out of funds.  If she was careful, she would have unlimited money as long as she could pay electronically.  It was unreal...  Kayden felt abuzz with glee.  She¡¯d never had much money - and now the prospect of limitless wealth was rather attractive - as well as the fact that no one was getting robbed to get it - the electronic transfers were being accepted, and the people selling the products were being paid.  Kayden did feel some guilt - it seemed like easy, free money - but she was sure somebody somewhere was going to realize that the electronic money had come from nowhere.  Maybe I¡¯m causing inflation or something, she wondered.  It doesn¡¯t *feel* like I just committed about 8 major felonies... At least the merchants and small shop keepers I buy from aren¡¯t getting screwed.

    She headed for the Internet caf¨¦... Only one major task left to perform - getting a new ID.  Kayden knew this would be the real test - if she screwed up, feds and investigators were probably going to come down on her, so she ducked into an alley and changed her appearance, to look sort of like her old Kayden self in sloppy jeans and a dirty T-Shirt.  It was straining, but not as straining as being completely her old self.  Weird. Again she wondered about the irony of being able to be anyone except the self she was born as.  The world was funny.

    The internet caf¨¦ was having a slow day - only four other people were there.  She went up to the counter, and asked for a computer, and rented an hour of time for it, using a prepaid Visa.  Soon she was seated in a comfy chair, looking at a laptop and considering committing yet another major felony - and it wasn¡¯t even lunch time yet.  She smirked.  We break more laws before 9am than most people do all day!  She thought, laughing to herself.  I guess I¡¯m not one of those law and order types of heroes.  I think I¡¯m more the ¡®stop the badguys and keep people from being hurt kind.¡¯  I can deal with that, I think.

    Kayden opened up the web browser, and started surfing to a benign page - youtube - and idly surfed videos of cats playing musical instruments and people doing foolish stunts, while interfacing with the system.  It took less than a second to secretly break through the infantile security on the internet caf¨¦¡¯s server, and get out into the net undetected, with no Net or Mac address that could be tracked, no IP address, and no other computer identification.  Scanning the files she needed wasn¡¯t hard, but it was something new - absorbing the data raw, and not interpreted by icons, screens and flashing ads and buttons.  She found the site she needed.

    Ah, governments!  She thought.  The best tech that could be bought twenty years ago, and updated about every 5<sup>th</sup> president.  Gotta love budget cuts.  She accessed the Social Insurance Number database, and looked for a birth certificate that was close to her year of birth.  A few moments later, she had one - and changing the ¡°D¡± for deceased tag on the data packet was easy.  Soon, one Carla Joan Haynes was back from the dead.  Kayden didn¡¯t stop there; a few moments later the computer recognized a legal name change for Carla Joan Haynes to Colby Hayden Shepard, and further authorized a new birth certificate to be issued and mailed to Kayden¡¯s rented post office box.  Kayden smiled...  Once that was done, in about a week, Kay could use that birth certificate and new SSN to apply for a driver¡¯s license, bank accounts, credit cards - the sky was the limit.  She couldn¡¯t help but be dismayed at how easy it was.  Dammit, it shouldn¡¯t be this easy, she thought.  If I can do this, some jerkwad hacker can do it too.  It¡¯s a wonder anyone ever catches a terrorist at all. This is appalling.

    Still, she thought, it was done.  In a week or so her post office box would have a birth certificate and a SSN number - and she could easily use those to get the rest of her ID.  The nice part of it, would be that all of it - 100% - was legitimate and registered as legal ID with the government.   Okay, the means I registered it with the government weren¡¯t legal - but the ID itself is legal.  Maybe I should make a few other sets of ID in case of an emergency, for me and Darryl?  She paused.  Nah - 10 felonies in one day is plenty.  I can do it later if we need it.

    She finished watching another cat video or two, then logged off.  She was lightly sweating - apparently hacking a dozen government computer systems counted as a light workout - and she had a light headache.  She paid her bill and left, and found an alley to change back to female Kayden.  Her next stop was to purchase a new phone in the name Colby Hayden Shepard - shapeshifting the physical ID cards of Kayden wasn¡¯t hard - and she doubted they¡¯d check the system to see if they were legit.  She got a pay as you go, and spent a few moments mentally transferring all her contacts, ringtones and data - and when she was done, her old phone, registered to Kayden, went in the trash a few blocks away at a Go-Mart convenience store.

    It¡¯s done, she thought.  Kayden¡¯s gone.  To be honest, Kayden didn¡¯t know how she felt about that.  I would have liked to have kept being Kayden, if I could as female me - but I can¡¯t.  Doctor Pierce saw to that, the jerk.  I guess Colby it is, from now onward.  Colby sounds nice.   She texted Darryl.   *Hey, you.  The name¡¯s Colby Hayden Shepard.  Meet you at 3:30pm?*

    She waited a few moments until she got the reply. *Nice name... it suits you.  I¡¯ll see you then.*   Kayden - now Colby - smiled.  Everything went exactly as she had hoped.  Now she had to decide what to do about Justin Pierce, Trask Enterprises, and being a new heroine.  As for anything else, she thought, I plan on talking to Darryl before I make any plans.   She headed off to the mall to spend some of her virtual money...  It was time she started paying Darryl back a bit for the help he¡¯d given her.

    *              *              *

    Detective Allan Taylor inwardly groaned, looking at Bolivar Trasks¡¯ ruined office - or what we left of it.  A huge blast had blown the entire outer wall of the room off the building, sending it falling dozens of stories below to crush itself to pieces on the ground.  Luckily, there had been only a few scrapes and cuts and serious injury had been avoided - but it was more good luck than good measure.   This is going to be one of THOSE cases, isn¡¯t it?

    ¡°Could you please tell me what your assailant looked like again, Mr. Trask?¡±

    His partner, Brian Keller snickered.  ¡°He already told us, Allan.  He was wearing a tinfoil hat.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Brian.¡±  Allan replied, exasperated.  ¡°Mr. Trask, could you please describe your assailant again?¡±

    Bolivar Trasks¡¯ look shot daggers at Detective Keller, who lost his jocular attitude.  ¡°He was wearing some kind of homemade armor that could deflect bullets.  I know cause I shot at him three times, and they bounced off.  He had a helmet with some sort of computerized faceplate, and, yes, detective, I saw some tinfoil on it.   He also had a gun - a shotgun - ducktaped to his forearm, and a utility belt of stuff that looked like it came out of somebody¡¯s junk heap.  Oh - and the freakishly huge energy weapon that blew apart my wall.¡±

    Bolivar continued.  ¡°The man used to be an employee of mine - a doctor and a researcher named Justin Pierce.  He¡¯s gone completely off his rocker, and threatened to kill me and destroy my company.  I want to know exactly what you¡¯re going to do about it, Detectives.  I want him DEALT with, am I clear?  So what ARE you going to do about it, Detective?

    Detective Allan Taylor looked at the arrogant man in front of him, knowing if he handled this wrong in the slightest way, Trask would have he and Brian working parking meters for the rest of his career.  Fuck it. Fuck it and Fuck him, he thought.  I¡¯m going to do my job.  ¡°You want to know what we¡¯re going to do about it, Mr. Trask?¡±  He said turning to leave.  ¡°We¡¯re going to catch him.¡±

    Brian watched his partner walk out on perhaps the most powerful, important man in Empire city, and gulped.  Dammit, Allan, he thought.  Not again.   Brian turned to leave also, not wanting to bear Bolivar Trasks wrath.  ¡°What he said.¡±   He rushed to catch up with Allan.

    ¡°Hey, Taylor!  What the hell was that?¡±  Brian asked.

    ¡°Stow it, Brian!  You know what he wanted us to do.  We¡¯re cops, not assassins.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you and I aren¡¯t but we both know what this city is like.  If you and I won¡¯t do it, he¡¯ll just find somebody else.¡±

    ¡°So let him.¡±  Said Allen.  ¡°I¡¯m going to catch this Doctor Pierce, and make sure he gets brought in alive. I¡¯m not a killer.¡±

    ¡°What about our careers, Al?  You know if you piss him off, it might be us found in a dumpster next weekend.  You know who he is.¡±

    ¡°Frankly, Brian, I don¡¯t give a crap.  We¡¯re cops.  We¡¯re going to bring Pierce in alive, and let the courts deal with him.  If Trask has a problem with that, I¡¯ll make him MY problem.¡±

    Brian Keller looked at his partner, amazed and shook his head.  ¡°You¡¯re gonna get us both killed, you dumbass.¡±

    ¡°Probably.  You coming or not?¡±

    Why do I let him get me into messes like these?  Brian wondered.  Oh yeah ¨C I¡¯m apparently an idiot.  Fuck me.  Brian nodded, and followed his partner.

 Chapter 10 - Mutation

    Colby¡¯s shopping had gone well.  She was carrying two decent sized bags of nice groceries to celebrate - a roast of beef, some wine, and several fresh vegetables to make up a nice dinner, as well as a few things to round out Darryl¡¯s larder.  As she carried her groceries out of the store, she shook her head, and realized she couldn¡¯t pay for a cab with digital money.   At last, the flaw in my master plan unravels, she thought, smirking.  I guess I get to walk to Darryl¡¯s.  Thank goodness it¡¯s not too far.

    Colby was happy and excited.  How long had it been since I¡¯ve had money to spend on just anything, she thought.  Too long.  Today was kind of nice.   She walked along, enjoying the last few days of fall - winter would be coming soon, and Halloween was tomorrow.  Good thing I bought some candy for the kids too, she thought.  You can¡¯t not give out candy on Halloween.  Seriously.

    I should get in touch with Laurie, and probably the others.  I haven¡¯t talked to her in a while, and she¡¯s probably freaking out.  Colby wondered what Laurie and the others would make of her. I think I can trust Laurie - but it might be better if I keep it from the others for now.

    All of a sudden, Colby¡¯s reverie was shattered by the sounds of crashing metal, car horns and shattering glass, followed by screams and the blaring of a car horn that wouldn¡¯t shut off.  People on the streets were screaming and rushing around, and a few bystanders had pulled out their phones and were filming.

    Oh crap!  She thought.  I should help.  She looked around - and spied a convenient alleyway between buildings.  She ducked inside and crouched behind a dumpster, concealing her groceries next to it in a bit of a niche.  Making sure no one was there to see her, she changed back into her ¡®Virus¡¯ costume and appearance.  She didn¡¯t worry about cameras - her ability to sense machines told her none were watching the alley.  Damn, that comes in handy, she mused as she ran out onto the streets.

    Two people - a man and a woman - were trying to help the passengers of both vehicles.  One was a suburban mini-van with a woman in her mid twenties driving, with a child seat in the back, carrying a crying girl of about three.  The other was a small delivery truck that had T-boned the mini-van.  The driver of the truck hadn¡¯t been wearing his seatbelt, and had smashed through the windscreen.  Blood was everywhere, and Colby knew she had only seconds to act to save him, and perhaps minutes for the woman and her daughter.

    She leapt up onto the hood of the truck, and hauled the man out of the shattered windshield, laying him on the trucks hood.  His face and neck were lacerated, and blood was pouring from the wounds.  She could tell he had some broken bones as well.  She laid her hand on him, and concentrated.  The bystanders gasped as the blood flow slowed, then stopped, and the cuts and lacerations sealed themselves over, healing in seconds.  Satisfied the truck driver was out of danger, Colby turned her attention to the passengers of the other car.

    Getting to the woman driver was going to be hard; the truck had hit the minivan so hard, it had partially wrapped around the nose of the truck.  Even the passenger door was warped shut so tight she couldn¡¯t budge it.  Dammit, she needs help!  Colby thought.  I have to get inside!   As she strained at the door, she smelt a whiff of smoke, and realized that one or both of the vehicles were beginning to burn.   ¡°Somebody call 911!¡±  She called out.  Smoke was starting to fill the crew compartment of the minivan, and Colby strained frantically at the door.  ¡°C¡¯mon, dammit!  C¡¯mon!¡±  She yelled.  ¡°I need to be stronger!¡±

    Something happened...  Colby couldn¡¯t tell exactly what, but it felt like the first time she shifted forms - and before she could take stock of whatever it was, she was flung backwards, and onto her butt as the resistance she was fighting from the door suddenly ended, the car door in her hands, torn off of the mini-van¡¯s side.  She gaped in shock and tossed the door aside.  Her arms were immense - huge muscular things that looked more apropos for the build of an adult gorilla, even given that they looked like human arms.  Think about it later, she thought. Save them first.

    Colby scrambled to her feet, and rushed back over to the mini van, and reached inside, touching the shoulder of the little girl¡¯s mother.  She was hurt bad - broken arm, leg, ribs, internal bleeding at best.  She needed help.  Using her newfound strength, Colby ripped off her seat belt, actually tearing the hook that coupled the seatbelt to the frame off the side of the car, and gently began to heal her.  I can¡¯t move her like this - I might kill her, she thought.  If I stabilize her I think I can move her, and then get her daughter out.

    The next few seconds were tense - the car still filling with smoke, though much of it was going out the open door, and the smell of flames getting closer.  The woman¡¯s wounds began to mend as Virus used her healing powers on her - and in about half a minute, the woman stirred.  Before she could fully wake and panic, Colby carried her out of the car and laid her on the street.  A few seconds later, she ripped the sliding door of the minivan off its hinges, and pulled the woman¡¯s little girl to safety.   As Colby looked around to see if anyone else was in danger, the young child still in her arms, she realized she was surrounded by a crowd of people - all hooting, cheering and waving.  An ambulance had arrived while she struggled with the minivan and its driver - and police were holding the people back, away from the danger.  She could hear the sounds of a fire truck approaching.

    Somebody actually called 911, she thought, a little bit in shock.  I mean, I hoped they would, but still, this is Empire City.

    Maybe there¡¯s something worth saving in this city after all?   The applause washed over her, and Colby couldn¡¯t help but smile.  It felt good, saving people¡¯s lives.  It felt good helping people who needed it.  It just felt good.  Colby knew in that moment that this is what she needed to do - to save people.  To be a heroine.

    A paramedic approached, and offered to take the frightened child, and Colby gave the girl to them.  Now what?  She thought.  Do I wait for the police, and take the rest of the day giving statements, then deal with the news, or just leave?  How the heck do I just leave?  Walk?! She thought a moment.  I changed my arms to make myself stronger.  Could I change something else?

    Concentrating, Colby thought about wings - wings she could fly away with.  She felt her powers respond, her arms returning to their normal size, and large leathery wings bursting out of her back, her costume changing to accommodate them.  Heh, she thought.  I have wings.  I wonder if there¡¯s a limit to how I can shift myself?   She waved to the crowd, and flapped once, twice experimentally, nearly lifting off the ground.  These wings were strong!   You can do this, Colby, she thought.  Now do it!  She took a running leap, and flapped her new wings - and the powerful limbs lifted her off the ground and away.  In moments she was soaring above the street, and circling to gain altitude.

    ¡°I¡¯m flying!¡±  Colby screamed to herself.  ¡°I¡¯m freaking flying!  Woo-hoo!¡±   She did a bit of a twirl in mid air just for the sheer joy of it, and swung around.  She flew with joyous abandon for a few minutes, just reveling in the fact she could fly!   After a while, she looked down, and realized she was already over mid-town.  I need to land, she thought, looking for a place to land safely.  The roof of a small apartment building looked clear enough, so she tried to come in for a landing - and landed with ease.  I have no idea how I know how to fly, she thought.  But it¡¯s better than doing a faceplant on my first landing.  Woo!

    Colby took a moment to return herself to her normal Virus appearance - sans wings and hugely muscled arms - and looked over the edge of the building.  I can climb down the fire escape, no problem, she thought.  Somehow, in less than a few minutes, she had flown almost all the way back to Darryl¡¯s apartment.   Oh dammit!   Colby remembered the fancy groceries she had left at the scene of the accident in the alley.  She couldn¡¯t help but laugh.  The world is strange.  I discover I have ridiculous powers and practically limitless wealth, and I¡¯m worried over a couple of hundred bucks in groceries.   She shook her head at the amusement of it all.   Time to go home.  Colby began the climb down to the alley below.

    *              *              *

    Darryl groaned to himself at the length of the class he was in.  Professor Stuttart was droning on and on, and Darryl couldn¡¯t wait for the lecture on Advanced Media theory to end.  Kayden - no, she was Colby now - had just texted with her new name and Darryl realized he couldn¡¯t wait to get home to see her.   His phone was on vibrate, thankfully - or he¡¯d have been dressed down in class.  He quickly sent a reply and tried to concentrate on the lecture.

    One of his study buddies who usually sat next to him, Martin Driscoll saw he was distracted.  Martin was about 5'' 8" and was slender with a lot of upper body strength - he lifted in his spare time, and he and Darryl often met at the gym to work out.  Martin wrote a note.  ¡°Something wrong?  It¡¯s like you¡¯re not even here today.¡±

    Darryl grinned.  He grabbed a pen and wrote back a reply.  ¡°Sorta.  Thinking about a girl I met.  I think I¡¯m falling for her.¡±

    ¡°Talk later?¡±  Came the written response.

    Darryl nodded, and gave Martin the thumbs up sign.  Maybe having someone to talk to would be helpful?   He turned his attention back to the lecture, and tried to understand what Professor Stuttart was trying to impart about the fifth estate.  Time passed, as Darryl and the other students took copious notes - midterms were fast approaching after all.

    Later, after the lecture ended and the many dozens of students streamed out of the lecture hall, Martin caught up to Darryl and called out.  ¡°Hey, dude!  You must have it pretty bad - you were barely paying attention.  I thought you like Stuttart¡¯s lectures?¡±

    Darryl grinned.  ¡°I usually do, Martin ¨C it¡¯s just I¡¯ve got this girl on my mind and it¡¯s been driving me up the wall.  She¡¯s super hot, and it¡¯s like I¡¯ve known her my whole life.  We¡¯re really into each other, and she feels the same way I think.   It¡¯s just a bit complicated, and I¡¯m trying to get my head around it.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a great situation, Darryl.  What¡¯s the problem?  You¡¯re into her, she¡¯s into you - and you have this great connection.  What¡¯s not to like?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just it, Martin - there isn¡¯t anything NOT to like.  I think she¡¯s worried about taking it too fast though, and she wants us to take it slow.  I¡¯m trying to go slow for her, but...¡±

    ¡°But your heart is saying ¡®Full speed ahead!¡¯ right?¡±  Martin asked.

    ¡°Something like that.¡±  Darryl replied, relieved.  ¡°She also used to be a guy.¡±  And my best friend, he added silently.

    ¡°Damn.¡±  Martin thought for a bit.  ¡°Is that a problem for you?¡±

    Darryl thought about it.  ¡°No - not really.  I care for her - I can¡¯t stop thinking about her.  She¡¯s totally gorgeous and the way she smiles, all bashful and biting her lip... god!  I just don¡¯t know how to take my mind off her and get it back onto school.  I think I¡¯m falling for her.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to help you there, buddy.  Just remember she isn¡¯t a guy anymore ¨C she¡¯s a woman, and probably always has been, in her head.  Don¡¯t remind her of who she used to be ¨C that¡¯s not who she was.¡±

    Darryl stopped, and looked at Marten.  ¡°How do you know so much about it, Martin?¡±

    Martin sighed.  ¡°Cause I¡¯ve known a few trans people - and they¡¯re just like you and me, except their bodies don¡¯t match their minds.  It¡¯s like being born without arms, but feeling that you should have them.  It¡¯s weird, and a really uncomfortable feeling, and it makes the people who suffer it depressed and sad, and sometime suicidal.  Or so I¡¯m told.¡±  The last sentence came out a little stilted, like it was tacked on as an afterthought.

    Darryl was completely taken off guard by that.   ¡°Martin... Are you... were you trans too?¡±

    Martin paused, like he was struggling to decide whether to say anything or not.  ¡°Yes, I guess I am.  And before you ask any questions like ¡®who did you used to be?¡¯ you should know I was always Martin, whether my ID said so or not.  Please don¡¯t spread this around - it could get me hurt.¡±

    ¡°Never, Martin.  Thank you for trusting me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah...  Just look up some info on how to relate to trans people ¨C there¡¯s stuff online.  It might help you figure your girl out a bit.  What¡¯s her name?¡±

    ¡°Colby. Colby Hayden Sheppard.  She¡¯s looking for work - her folks kicked her out, so she can¡¯t afford university.¡±

    ¡°That happens to a lot of people like us, Darryl.  Why don¡¯t you let me meet her, and I¡¯ll give you my opinion of her?  A bunch of pals are having a Halloween party tomorrow night at the dorms.  Your friends Yvonne and Rob will be there, and maybe Laurie too.  Stan, Mitch and Sarah will be there too.  You two should come.¡±

    ¡°Costume party?¡±  Darryl asked.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Duh - its Halloween.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask her.  I figure there¡¯s at least a 50-50 chance we¡¯ll show.¡±

    ¡°Cool!  The party is at Constellation House at 8:00pm.¡±  Martin grinned.  The Halloween parties were always the coolest.  ¡°And come in costume, or you have to pay a 20$ cover charge.¡±

    ¡°Twenty bucks?  What the hell?!  Why so much?¡±

    ¡°To encourage people to come in costume.  Duh.¡±

    Darryl smiled.  ¡°I¡¯ll let you know tomorrow during class.  Seeya!¡±

    ¡°Seeya.  And thanks Darryl.¡±  Martin took off the other way, heading to another lecture.

    A party might be fun, if Kayden... I mean Colby is ready for it.  Darryl thought.  I probably shouldn¡¯t have told Martin she used to be a guy, but damn ¨C I¡¯d have never guessed Martin.  Wow.  Maybe I should do some reading?   He looked at his watch... His last class was from one till three.  Just enough time for lunch and some web research.  He headed towards the campus cafeteria at Wilson hall, and thought about Colby¡¯s odd situation - and his.

    *              *              *

    Colby got back to Darryl¡¯s apartment, and put down her second set of groceries for the day...  These ones weren¡¯t as fancy as the ones she had forgotten in the alley near the car accident this afternoon, but they were still to her mind ¡®pretty good.¡¯  Some hamburger and spices for meatloaf, and some stock for gravy and veggies to go with.  It should make a nice enough dinner, she thought.   As she put the groceries away, she whistled a tune from the radio and did a little dance, and Colby realized she was happy.  Really happy.  She stopped, and thought about it.  It was an unfamiliar feeling, and hard to describe - and she realized that until her change, she hadn¡¯t felt happy.  Not in a very long time.

    Feeling taken aback, she went and sat down on the couch.  Damn, she thought.  Have things been that bad?  I know they¡¯ve been crappy for a long while, but... that bad?   She thought about her old life as Kayden and realized she hadn¡¯t been living as much as existing, trying to survive until things got better.  I was an idiot, Colby realized.  I needed to change my life.  In a way Justin did me a favor.  Too bad he¡¯s a psycho.

    That turned Colby¡¯s attention towards Dr. Pierce.  What am I going to do about him?  He made me - and he¡¯s obviously some sort of super-genius, but he doesn¡¯t know about me - everyone thinks I¡¯m the ¡®waxman.¡¯  He has to be stopped before he kills someone ¨C didn¡¯t he blow up his bosses¡¯ office?  Now he¡¯s acting like some sort of Super Villain.   Colby thought back to how she had felt today, when she¡¯d saved the truck driver and the mother and her child.  It felt good.  It felt right.   ¡°I¡¯m going to stop him,¡± she said, to no one in particular.  ¡°I¡¯m going to stop Hazard Man.¡±   Even as she said it, Colby felt something inside her that was new.  Resolve.  It was resolve.  It felt different - but it felt right.  She smiled.

    *              *              *

    Laurie Glover was beside herself.  She¡¯d seen the television two days ago, proclaiming Kayden Ballard, her friend, as a mutant and a murderer.  Kayden, as the ¡®waxman¡¯ had disappeared, but the police were still searching for him, and she was worried.  Kayden would be frantic, scared.  He needed someone - and he hadn¡¯t called.  I hope he¡¯s smart enough to realize cell phones can be tracked, even when they¡¯re off...  She decided to call Darryl.  Maybe he¡¯s heard from Kay?

    The cell rang, and then picked up.  ¡°Hello?¡±  Darryl replied.  ¡°Laurie?  Are you there?¡±

    Laurie didn¡¯t realize she¡¯d been holding her breath.  ¡°Yeah, yeah, Darryl.  I¡¯m here.  I¡¯m worried about Kayden.  Have you heard from him?¡±

    There was a long pause... a little too long for Laurie¡¯s liking.  ¡°Yeah.  I did hear from him, Laurie.  He¡¯s safe.  Want to come over to my place to talk about it?  I just got out of class.¡±

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t we meet somewhere closer, Darryl?¡±  Laurie asked.

    ¡°I... uh.. Don¡¯t think that would be a good idea.  My place - in 40 minutes, okay?¡±

    Suddenly it dawned on her what was going on.  ¡°He¡¯s there, isn¡¯t he!?  He¡¯s at your place!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we should talk about this on the phone, Laurie.  Meet me at my place in 40 minutes.  That¡¯s all I¡¯m going to say.¡± Darryl hung up on her.

    He hung up!  What the fuck?  Darryl never hangs up on people.  Laurie thought.  Still, he knows something, about Kayden, and about what¡¯s going on.  Laurie grabbed her purse and a light coat and headed for her car.  She wanted answers - and if Kayden was all right, she was going to kick him in the ass for scaring her and not calling her!

    The car ride over was quick - rush hour was only starting and the freeways and downtown streets weren¡¯t too busy as yet.  It would be different in a few hours, but by then it wouldn¡¯t matter.  She parked in visitor parking at Darryl¡¯s building, in one of the spots in the far back.  No one usually picked those ones, so she always had her choice of spot, and she picked the usual one, under the elm tree.  She liked the shade.

    A few minutes later, she was at the front door, and buzzing Darryl¡¯s unit to get let up.  On the drive over, her anger had been growing bit by bit and now she was really pissed off.  Did Kayden even have a clue as to how much he¡¯d worried her?  He probably hadn¡¯t even spared a thought.  Sometimes he was a real jerk!   The buzzer answered, and a female voice said ¡°Hello?¡±

    A girl?  Darryl doesn¡¯t have a girlfriend as far as I know.  ¡°Who¡¯s this?  I¡¯m Darryl¡¯s friend Laurie.¡±

    ¡°Um... I¡¯m Colby.  Darryl¡¯s not here.¡±

    ¡°He will be in a moment.  I¡¯m supposed to meet him.  Can I come up?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±  Although Colby¡¯s voice said sure, she sure as hell didn¡¯t SOUND sure.  She sounded nervous.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±  The door buzzed, and she went inside.  A short elevator ride later, and she was knocking on Darryl¡¯s door.

    *              *              *

    Oh shit!  Colby thought. I haven¡¯t talked to Laurie yet!  Crap!  She wondered what to do - and she realized there was nothing to do - except tell her the truth.  Damn.   Laurie is going to be really upset with me.  I didn¡¯t call her, or anything.  She must be really worried.  Oh hell.

    Colby didn¡¯t have any real problems telling Laurie about her secret powers - she trusted Laurie and Darryl with almost everything, so it was a given she had been intending to tell Laurie.  What was wrong was that she felt guilty - deservedly so - for not letting her best friend know she was okay, not melting, and safe.  Jesus, I¡¯m a shit, Colby thought.  Whatever happens next, it¡¯s on me.  I should have remembered to call her.

    She heard a knock at the door.  And that should be her right now.  Here goes nothing.  She walked over to the door, and opened it up.  Laurie as there, like usual - a spitfire of walking gorgeous goth girl - and boy did she look angry!  She was wearing tight jeans, knee high boots, a Black Sabbath T-shirt, and several pieces of chrome-studded jewelry and wrist bands.   Colby realized she wasn¡¯t much taller than Laurie now, which surprised her probably more than it should have.  ¡°Hello?¡±

    If Colby was taken aback by Laurie¡¯s appearance and demeanor, Laurie was equally taken aback.  Darryl had a girl living in his apartment?  Are they dating?  She¡¯s gorgeous!   ¡°Colby?  I¡¯m Laurie. Can I come in?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Colby held the door, and let in her friend.

    Laurie came in, and looked around.  She could see Kayden¡¯s suitcase in the living room, but no Kayden.  ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt, Colby.  I came here looking for a friend of Darryl¡¯s and myself - a guy named Kayden.  Is he here?¡±

    Colby nodded.  ¡°Yeah.  He¡¯s been here since he disappeared a day and a half ago.¡±

    That jerk!  He was here and he couldn¡¯t even call me!  She thought.  Why do I even bother some days?  ¡°Where is he?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re speaking with him.¡±  Colby said.  Before Laurie could argue, Colby... rippled... and in her place was Kayden, looking sad and very, very guilty and chagrined.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t call.  Things have been crazy.¡±

    Laurie looked at Kayden, and her brain struggled to figure out what had just happened.   Kayden?  Colby?   Her eyes rolled up in the back of her head, and she fainted dead away.

    Colby caught Laurie as she fainted, and carried her to the couch.  As she lay her down, she stood back and shook her head, smiling a little wryly.  ¡°I guess that could have gone better.¡±

    Colby (still looking like her old ¡®Kayden¡¯ self) got them both a drink of water, and sat down next to Laurie.  ¡°Laurie, wake up.  It¡¯s me, Kayden.¡±   It took a few minutes of coaxing, but she was able to wake Laurie.

    Laurie groaned.  How did I get onto a couch?  She wondered.  She opened her eyes, to see her friend Kayden sitting there, looking very chagrined.  Then she remembered Kayden changing forms or more accurately, Colby changing into Kayden.  She sat up, and moved away from the Kayden look-alike.  ¡°Who are you, and why are you here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Kayden, Laurie.  It was that damn experiment.  I thought I was going to be donating bone marrow - and I did - but Doctor Pierce held me at gunpoint and injected me with some experimental stuff so he could cure his sick dog.  I didn¡¯t want to take it - but he shot David the nurse, and told me he was going to kill me if I didn¡¯t let him.  He shot me too, twice!¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re Kayden then what did we talk about in the Clinic?¡±

    ¡°About me coming out to Darryl and Robert and Yvonne and the others.  Okay?!  About me telling them I was Transgendered.¡±

    It is him, Laurie thought.  But how?   ¡°He shot you!?  Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.  I healed - and I turned into that waxman that everyone is talking about.  I didn¡¯t kill anyone - Dr. Pierce did - and I got the hell out of there and hid in an alley till I realized I could return to looking like me.¡±

    ¡°Then why are you hanging out as Colby?¡±

    Colby gritted her teeth.  ¡°Cause I can only assume my Kayden form for about an hour before I pass out from exhaustion.  Any other form I can do all day, but I can¡¯t be my old self for more than an hour.  I¡¯m Colby because I decided to take a form I liked better, and I needed a new ID.  Kayden is a wanted criminal - Colby isn¡¯t.  Darryl knows, and he¡¯s okay with it.  You were right all along, Laurie.  I should have listened to you years ago.¡± Colby started crying.  ¡°I should have listened to you years ago. I could have been happy.¡±

    Laurie reached over and hugged Kayden - no, Colby - and stroked her hair.  ¡°You know, I¡¯m still really pissed you didn¡¯t call me and let me know you were safe.  I was really worried, Colby.¡±

    ¡°So... sorry.¡±  She sniffled.  ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to be a jerk.  I¡¯ve been dealing with a lot.  It¡¯s been tough.¡±

    ¡°More than becoming some kind of shape-shifter and surviving an attack by a mad scientist?¡±

    ¡°Kinda, yeah.  I think I might be a super-heroine too.¡±

    ¡°What!?  Who?¡±  Laurie was floored.  A super-heroine...  The only new one was...  ¡°You¡¯re Virus?!¡±

    ¡°The one and only.¡±  Colby said, releasing the hug they were in.   ¡°It¡¯s been weird.¡±

    ¡°You fought Shrapnel and Carnage and beat them.  You¡¯re calling it weird is the understatement of the century!  Holy crap!  You¡¯re lucky to be alive!¡±

    ¡°I know I am, Laurie.  I know I am.  I also know this is something I have to do.  I¡¯m going to help people.  I¡¯m going to stop Dr. Pierce before he hurts anyone else.¡±

    ¡°Wow.¡±  Laurie didn¡¯t know what else to say, so she changed the subject.  ¡°Could you turn back to your female form, Colby?  I wanna see her.¡±

    Colby grinned.  ¡°Sure.¡±   A few moments later, Colby Hayden Sheppard stood before her friend Laurie.  She was about 5ft 7 inches, athletic, with toned legs, arms and core, and had smooth unblemished skin.  Her oval face had full lips, high cheekbones, and a really pretty smile.  Long red hair and green eyes capped off the look, with a curvy build and hypnotic eyes.

    Gods, she¡¯s gorgeous!  Laurie thought.  ¡°Wow, Colby!  You look amazing!¡±

    ¡°Thanks.  I guess this is how my mind saw myself for most of my life.  I just couldn¡¯t let it out until now.¡±

    ¡°Wow!  You¡¯re so pretty!  Do you mind if I say I¡¯m jealous a little?¡±  Laurie¡¯s mind whirled.  Colby¡¯s going to be a showstopper...  Does she have any idea of what she¡¯s in for?  Knowing Kayden, she¡¯s probably clueless.

    Colby blushed.  ¡°Nah.¡±  She didn¡¯t know what to say - but it was obvious she liked the compliment.  ¡°Now what?¡±

    ¡°I dunno.  How is Darryl taking your transformation?¡±  Laurie asked.

    Colby blushed even harder.  ¡°He¡¯s taking it okay.¡±

    What?!  Did something happen between those two?  You know, if it did, I hope she had a good time.  ¡°That¡¯s great Colby.  What are your plans next?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to stay here until I can get on my feet financially and get my own place.¡±

    ¡°How?  Isn¡¯t finding a job with no ID going to be hard?¡±  Laurie asked.

    ¡°I have ID, or will have in about a week.  I¡¯d just rather not say how I got it.¡±

    ¡°What did you do, Colby?¡±

    Colby sighed.  ¡°I did what I had to do, and that¡¯s all I¡¯m going to say.  I¡¯ll have full ID in about a week, and then I can get my new life back on track.  Darryl and I decided that ¡®Kayden¡¯ was going to disappear, and I¡¯d simply be the new girl in his life.  I uh... I mean...¡±

    ¡°I knew it!¡±  Laurie exclaimed.  ¡°Something happened between the two of you, didn¡¯t it?¡±

    Colby blushed again.  ¡°Yeah.  We... we started kissing and things...¡±

    ¡°Things progressed from there?¡±  Laurie added.

    ¡°Yeah, pretty much.¡±  Colby answered, relieved she wasn¡¯t going to have to actually say it.

    ¡°Did you like it?¡±

    ¡°Oh hell, yes!¡±  Colby said, smiling.  ¡°He was gentle, and strong and...¡±  And she realized she was waxing eloquent about bedding her best boy friend in front of her best girl friend.  ¡°And I¡¯m a little self conscious about talking about it yet.¡±

    Laurie laughed.  Same old Kayden, whether she had a new body and a new name or not.  She hugged her old friend.  ¡°I like the new you, Colby.¡±

    ¡°I like the new me too, Laurie.  I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay with all this.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still angry you didn¡¯t call me - but of course I¡¯m glad for you.  I want you to be happy - and now you are.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.  I am happy.¡±  Colby replied, smiling.  ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Suddenly, the door opened, and Darryl was standing in the open doorway, staring at Colby and Laurie sitting together on the couch, obviously talking.  Colby had been crying too.  He gaped for a moment, and then closed the door behind him.  ¡°Did I miss anything?¡±

    Laurie smiled at Darryl.  ¡°A little, Darryl.  Colby and I have been talking.  She told me everything.¡±

    ¡°Everything?¡±  Darryl asked.

    ¡°Almost everything.  She¡¯s shy.¡±

    ¡°I am not!¡± Colby insisted.  ¡°I¡¯m just not used to all this yet.¡±

    ¡°Like I said, she¡¯s shy.¡±  She stood, letting go of Colby¡¯s hands.  ¡°I take it this is what you wanted to talk about, but not over the phone?¡±

    ¡°Pretty much.¡±

    ¡°So what are we going to do about it?¡±  Laurie demanded.

    ¡°Come again?¡±  Darryl asked.

    ¡°She nearly got her ass kicked by Shrapnel and Carnage.  If she¡¯s going to be a heroine, she needs to learn how to fight, at least a little.¡±

    ¡°Wha...?¡±  Darryl looked floored.  ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought about it.¡±

    ¡°I have.¡± Colby replied.  ¡°I barely survived those guys.  Maybe I should take some lessons?¡±

    ¡°Karate lessons don¡¯t usually teach you how to fight for real, Colby - they teach discipline and basic moves.  They¡¯re great in a tournament, but in a real street fight, you¡¯d be dead.  Plus, you¡¯d need to take them for years to get skilled.¡±  Laurie said.  ¡°My grandpa knows how to fight for real - he was in the special forces, and he keeps himself in great shape.  He might be able to whip you into shape over a few months.  If you want, I¡¯ll ask him.  It¡¯s worth a try.¡±

    ¡°Sure.  Give him a call.  Ned¡¯s a good guy.¡±  Colby nodded.  She had met Ned about two years ago when he¡¯d gone home for the weekend with Laurie (back when he was Kayden) and had a really great time hearing about some of the stories Ned had collected in his 30 year term in the marines.  He was lean and in great shape - and even at 62 years old, could still run rings around the younger Kayden.

    ¡°Well, since we¡¯ve covered all the basics,¡± Darryl began.  ¡°I should let you know we¡¯re invited to the Constellation House Halloween party tomorrow night at 8pm.  If you¡¯re okay with it, I¡¯d like you to come.¡±

    Laurie thought of Colby at a party with drunk frat boys, and thought it might be a bad idea.  ¡°Are you sure about that, Darryl?  She¡¯s only been a girl for a few days.¡±

    ¡°Well, I figured she¡¯s been a girl her whole life.  She just hasn¡¯t been able to show it.  I thought a party might be fun - and before you worry, I promise I won¡¯t ditch you, Colby, and any time you¡¯re uncomfortable and want to leave, then we¡¯ll leave.¡±

    ¡°Well if she¡¯s going, I¡¯m going to keep an eye on her.¡±  Laurie added.  ¡°Neither of you understand how drunk boys behave around pretty girls, from the girls point of view.¡±  She paused.  ¡°If that¡¯s okay with you, Colby.  I don¡¯t want to mother hen you, but you might need some backup for your first time.¡±

    Colby nodded.  ¡°I think it would be great.¡±

    ¡°Oh ¨C we¡¯ll need costumes.¡± Darryl mentioned.

    Colby grinned, thinking of her ability to morph clothing into other forms.  ¡°Costumes shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±

 Chapter 11 - Opening Moves

    Justin woke to feel his face being kissed by Mr. Chips.  Mr. Chips¡¯ robotic tongue felt somewhat real, but dry - soft, but dry and not as close to a real tongue as Justin would have liked.  Still, he couldn¡¯t help but smile.  He rolled over to face Mr. Chips.  ¡°Good Morning, buddy.¡±

    ¡°Yap! Yap!¡±   Mr. Chips replied.  He jumped around, looking energetic and well, healthy - as healthy as a robot could be.

    ¡°I love you to, buddy¡± Justin said, scritching Mr. Chips behind his ears.  Odd, he thought.  His robotic body seems to enjoy this almost as much as his original body.  I wonder if he can feel it?  It¡¯s probably just a memory.   Justin resolved to manufacture a better body for Mr. Chips at the first opportunity.

    Justin got out of bed, and did his morning business, then took a look out the window.  October 31<sup>st</sup> looked to be overcast, chilly and blustery.  Perfect.   ¡°Hey, buddy!¡± he said enthusiastically.  ¡°You wanna destroy Mr. Trasks¡¯ stuff today!?¡±

    ¡°Yip!  Yip!¡±  Mr. Chips definitely did, jumping enthusiastically.  Mr. Chips hadn¡¯t actually run and jumped in many years - he kind of enjoyed it.  Master was happy!  Mr. Chips liked it when Master was happy - he hadn¡¯t seen it in such a long time.  Too many years of tears and sadness had come and gone.

    Justin moved over to a white board, one of those plastic boards you can draw on with dry erase markers, and detailed the plan of the day for his robot dog.  ¡°Here are three of Bolivar Trasks¡¯ largest assets - Trask Chemical, Trask Industrial, and Trask Electronics.  He also has a shipping company, and interest in a downtown bank.¡±

    ¡°Yip!  Yip!¡±  Mr. Chips barked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why he named them that way, buddy...  I guess he wants to put his name on everything.  Pretty unimaginative if you ask me.   Either way, we¡¯re going to blow one of them up today.  Which one do you like?¡±

    ¡°Yip!  Yip!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I like that one too.  We¡¯ll do it!¡±  Justin, getting into his guise as Hazard Man, took a black marker and crossed out ¡°Trask Industrial.¡±   ¡°Let¡¯s go over the plan...¡±  Hazard Man began to detail the plan to his little robotic dog, grinning.  This is for trying to blackmail me and shut me down, Trask, he thought.  Now it¡¯s your turn.

    *              *              *

    Colby yawned and stretched, groaning a bit.  The couch was soft enough, but sleeping on it for too long would be a real pain.  I¡¯m going to be glad when I get my own place soon, she thought.  It was early - just about 6am - and she realized she wasn¡¯t particularly tired, even though she, Laurie and Darryl had been up a little late last night.  Maybe my superhero constitution means I don¡¯t need as much sleep?  It would explain how some of these heroes hold down a day job and manage to patrol all night and not pass out the next day.   Either way, I¡¯ll take it.

    She quickly got up and quietly did her morning ablutions, and got a pot of coffee on the stove for herself and Darryl.  She smiled at the thought of her and Darryl, thinking back to a few nights ago - when they first shared their feelings with each other, and the subsequent trip to Darryl¡¯s bedroom.  The memory brought a warm glow to her, and made her feel a bit, well, wet where she was just starting to get used to having.  Maybe after tonight¡¯s party would be a good time to see about act two?  She grinned.

    Colby realized she was really looking forward to the costume party tonight, especially since she¡¯d been able to make costume selection a breeze...  Laurie was pissed off to no end at how easy Colby changed a bag of socks into Hollywood quality costumes - but realized the side benefits almost immediately.  She made costumes for people who cosplayed, like the folks who dressed up as cartoon characters at comic conventions - and made some good money doing it, since making costumes is as much an art as it is a skill.  Ten minutes of begging and thirty seconds of tickling had made Colby her official supplier for hard to get parts and widgets to complete the costumes she made.

    I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m so frikking ticklish, Colby thought.  It¡¯s practically a weakness. Unless I thicken my skin or deaden my nerves, it¡¯s like I¡¯m practically helpless.  She thought also about how sensitive she was to touch, and how it accentuated any pleasurable feelings she got from it, and counted the whole thing as a wash.  She had certainly enjoyed her sensitivity a few nights ago...

    ¡°Penny for your thoughts?¡±  Darryl asked, walking into the small kitchen.

    ¡°Oh, geez!  I didn¡¯t hear you.¡±  Colby laughed.  ¡°How did you sleep?¡±

    ¡°I slept well.  You?¡±

    ¡°Not bad.  The couch is a little lumpy, but it¡¯s okay.¡±

    Darryl looked like he was going to say something but paused.  ¡°Fair enough.  I guess you¡¯ll be getting your ID soon, and then you¡¯ll try to get your own place?¡±

    Colby nodded.  ¡°That was the original plan.  This apartment isn¡¯t big enough for both of us, long term - and I¡¯m not sure you¡¯d want a permanent guest anyway.  I know I¡¯d feel more comfortable if I wasn¡¯t freeloading.¡±

    ¡°Letting me help you, Colby isn¡¯t freeloading.  It¡¯s fine, really.¡±  He paused again.  ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking a little too.  You¡¯re going to stay this way, aren¡¯t you - stay Colby forever?¡±

    ¡°That was pretty much the idea, Dar.  Why?¡±

    Darryl took Colby¡¯s hand in his, and held it.  ¡°If that¡¯s the case, would you consider being my girlfriend?  I feel so strange when I¡¯m around you... I¡¯ve never felt like that about anyone else ever before.  I don¡¯t want to ever let you go.¡±   Darryl looked both eager and frightened at the same time, and it wasn¡¯t hard to see that saying what he had just said had taken a lot out of him.

    Colby felt her hand clasped by Dar¡¯s, so warm and firm, and looked up into his brown eyes.  She looked at the man she had known as her best friend, and began to see something more...  She felt herself falling again into his eyes, and smiled.  This is a man I could love, she thought.  She stood on her tip-toes, and grasped Darryl¡¯s head with her free hand, kissing him firmly.  ¡°Then don¡¯t, Dar.  Don¡¯t let go.  I¡¯d like that very much.¡±

    Darryl kissed her back hungrily, and wrapped her in his arms, pulling her into a fierce embrace.  ¡°So be it.  Well, girlfriend, you should know you can use the bed if the couch is getting you down.   I even promise to behave.¡±

    Colby grinned naughtily.  ¡°What if I don¡¯t want you to behave?¡±

    ¡°Whatever my lady wishes.¡±  Dar responded, kissing her nose.  ¡°I mean it.  I know this is a weird situation, so let¡¯s take it at a pace that makes us both comfortable.¡±

    ¡°And what, exactly, would make you comfortable Dar?¡±  Colby asked, flirting a little.

    ¡°Not having to go to school today for my classes, and spending the day with you in bed, sexy!¡±

    Colby giggled.  ¡°Be serious!¡±

    Dar smiled.  ¡°I was serious... But I do have to get to school.  Prof. Lazar is running a tutorial session for the mid terms coming up, and we¡¯re getting a pre-test to see how much we need to study.  I can¡¯t miss it.¡±

    ¡°Then don¡¯t.¡±  Colby answered.  ¡°I¡¯ve got to do some stuff today too - heroine stuff.  The nutbar who poisoned me with the chemicals that turned me into this is still out there, and last I heard he¡¯s blowing up office buildings now.  I need to find him and get him behind bars - maybe he¡¯ll get the psychiatric help he needs?¡±

    ¡°Okay - but on one condition, Colby.¡±

    ¡°Which is?¡±  She asked curiously.

    ¡°Stay safe.  Come home to me.¡±  Dar said, his eyes conveying what he really felt.  He was worried, but he still trusted her.  He loved her.

    Colby choked up a little.  ¡°I will.¡±  She said. ¡°I¡¯ll come home to you.  Always.¡±

    Darryl smiled, and they continued breakfast.

    *              *              *

    Hazard man, dressed in a factory uniform, drove a stolen delivery truck towards Trask Industrial.  Mr. Chips was in the passenger seat, gleefully sticking his head out the passenger window and getting some air.  In the back of the truck, six fifty five gallon drums of liquid high-explosive, 30 yards of det cord, 60 yards of fast burning and slow burning fuse and six blasting caps and detonators sat nestled in-between four or five dozen boxes of ball bearings and screw washers.   Not only would the bomb level the building, it would level the entire city block, and it would undoubtedly kill everyone within its blast radius.   Sure, it¡¯s overkill, thought Hazard Man, but frankly sometimes you just have to send a message.  I think he¡¯ll understand this message.

    The van¡¯s main purpose - to transport the bomb, and himself and Mr. Chips without undue attention being paid - was more than accomplished.  As he arrived at the Trask facility, he quickly got into character, and grabbed a clipboard with shipping data.  Normal people loved clipboards, he thought.

    The man at the security gate took the clipboard without much interest, logged the shipment, and said ¡°Loading Bay 4.¡±  He then turned back to the small television in his security booth.

    ¡°Clipboards,¡± Hazard Man said to no one in particular.  ¡°Works every time.¡±

    As he approached the loading bay door, he turned the truck around and backed up, the ever present ¡®beep¡¯ ¡®beep¡¯ ¡®beep¡¯ announcing his arrival.  Throwing the truck into park, he turned off the ignition, and spent a few moments arming the bomb.  Then he climbed out of the truck, and helped Mr. Chips to the ground.  He noticed the security guard was paying more attention than he liked to them, so he started putting on his backpack/glider and equipped himself with his weapons.

    ¡°Hey!¡±  The security guard called out.  ¡°You¡¯re supposed to go inside and let them know you¡¯re here.  And you can¡¯t have pets here, either!¡±

    Hazard man grinned.  It¡¯s beginning, he thought.  Time to do a little damage.   He pulled his last weapon out of the truck and turned - aiming the huge freaking energy weapon at the guard.  He snarled a little.  ¡°This is when you should run.¡±

    The security guard blinked once, turned pale, and ran for his life.  In Empire City, just like in Paragon, it didn¡¯t pay for normals to mix it up with super-villains.  The only difference between Empire City and Paragon, in this case, was that there weren¡¯t a few dozen heroes waiting to try and save you... Empire City had maybe three, and they couldn¡¯t be everywhere.  He ran, and didn¡¯t stop running until he was four blocks away.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    Hazard man looked down at his diminutive canine comrade, and pointed at the steel door keeping them out of the building.  Before he blew it to pieces, Hazard Man wanted whatever data was on its computer system first.  No data was ever truly useless, in his opinion - just of greater or lesser value.  Maybe something in the system would suggest where he should hit next?

    ¡°Yip!  Yip!¡±  Mr. Chips barked happily.  Master wants the door open. I can do that!   Mr. Chips paused a moment as his processors calculated the many ways to take the door down - cycling through perhaps a thousand methods in a few nanoseconds.  His mouth reconfigured, and a moment later, a cutting laser emerged from his eyes.  He stared at the door, cutting a human sized oval in the door, then returned his eyes to normal.   ¡°Arf!  Yip!¡±   Mr. Chips looked lovingly at Master to see if he approved, and was pleased to see Master did.  Master even bent down and petted him!  Mr. Chips loved pettings!

    ¡°Thanks, buddy.¡±  Hazard Man walked over to the laser-cut door and pushed it in, and it fell to the floor with a loud *clang*!    He pulled out a megaphone, and began speaking.   ¡°I am Hazard Man, the greatest evil genius in the history of evil geniuses!  Bolivar Trask has done a great wrong to me, and I intend to pay him back - so I suggest everyone leave this building rather quickly before I blow it up!  Thank you, and have a nice day.¡±

    Some of the workers in the factory didn¡¯t seem to believe him - hell, they probably thought it was a joke.  Time to show them it isn¡¯t a joke, he thought.  He aimed his laser at one of the workers, and fired.  There was a ¡®bweeeeeee¡¯ of the weapon charging, and then a zap - and the man ceased to exist.  Three of his friends were covered in what was left of him, and they screamed and ran.  Someone pulled the fire alarm, and Hazard Man could hear people screaming in fear as they fled the building.

    ¡°Mr. Chips, could you please start destroying things while I get the information from the computers?¡±

    ¡°Yip!  Yip!¡±  Mr. Chips had been waiting to play for so long!   He reconfigured his system again, and two tiny hatches opened on his back, revealing twin racks of micro missiles.  Playtime!  Mr. Chips scanners and sensors listed what each machine part he saw cost to replace, and targeted according to value...  Four micro missiles fired out, hitting the base of two large metal racks, all stacked with heavy equipment up three levels high.  The supports buckled, and like dominos the racks slowly tilted, then fell, knocking over rack after rack of equipment and supplies, as tons of materials fell to the floor, crushing anything beneath them.  It was catastrophic, and beautiful.  I hope Master is happy, he thought.  His system reconfigured to have a tiny jetpack on his back, and machine guns from his mouth.  It was time to fly around and make sure he played with everyone like Master wanted!

    Meanwhile, Hazard man entered the manager¡¯s office - the interior door was 80% cardboard and plywood, and was easily bypassed with a kick to the lock.  No one was present.  Good, thought Hazard Man.  Time to collect the data, then blow this place...  He laughed at his little pun.  No one gets my jokes, except Mr. Chips.  He powered up the computer and began to interface with its OS, downloading the data contained within it to a small device on his hip.  So far, so good, he thought.  Now if only one of our resident heroes doesn¡¯t show up, my day will be complete.

    *              *              *

    Colby sat next to her laptop in Darryl¡¯s living room, trying to narrow down her search parameters.  She had early on decided ¡°patrolling¡± - flying around until she saw something interesting - would be wasteful and inefficient in tracking down Justin Pierce.  After all, he was smart - and wasn¡¯t about to paint ¡°evil villains¡¯ lair¡± on the roof of his hideout, was he?  But, she figured, what he might do is use a credit card to rent a building, or maybe rent a building in a loved one¡¯s name, and use it as a hideout.  He might even have bought a building a few years ago and re-purposed it for the present day.  She had spent most of the morning building a profile of relatives and assets for Justin Pierce, and had discovered some rather interesting things.

    First, Justin hadn¡¯t used his credit cards since he vanished - the same night he injected Kayden and turned him into the waxman.  Second, his aunt Janice had purchased a warehouse six months ago on the lower east side with money that had been transferred surreptitiously from Dr. Pierce¡¯s bank account.  Very interesting, she thought.  A Hideout, maybe?   Third, he had targeted Bolivar Trask¡¯s building specifically, after trying to kill Kayden.

    Colby wondered.  Did he and Mr. Trask have a falling out?  In detective novels they always say ¡®follow the money¡¯ - so who has the money?   Trask does - probably from patents gained from Dr. Pierce.  Maybe, she thought, Trask found out about his failed experiment and tried to pull the plug?  After all, he killed David, my nurse.  Maybe Trask thought Justin killed him, not me?  If Mr. Trask pulled Peirce¡¯s funding, he wouldn¡¯t have enough money or the facilities to save his dog, Mr. Chips.  Is Justin targeting Mr. Trask to get money to save Mr. Chips - or to get revenge for Mr. Chips?   Maybe I should talk to Mr. Trask?

    Colby decided two leads was plenty - she would head to Trask Enterprises, and try to talk to Mr. Trask to see if she could narrow down why Dr. Pierce was doing what he was doing - and then she¡¯d head towards his warehouse to see if he¡¯d been there recently.  She didn¡¯t figure he would have been - he was too smart to stay in one place too long - but it didn¡¯t hurt to at least try.

    Hopefully one of the leads would provide some insight as to where Pierce was hiding.

    Colby left for Trask Enterprises, using an expired bus pass to hitch a free ride on the city bus...  Most of the bus passes nowadays used those magnetic strips to interact with a card reader, and she could do ¡®her thing¡¯ with those devices just as easily as she could with ATMs.   She smirked at the thought of never having to pay for a bus again.

    As she traveled, she noticed she was getting a lot of attention - both from men and women, although it was mostly from men.  Some of the times it felt nice to be noticed - but a lot more of the times it seemed like people were leering at her, or trying to get close enough to grope her.  She found she didn¡¯t like it a lot.  A few people whistled at her, and she felt even more self-conscious.   What gives them the right to ogle me?  She thought.  It¡¯s not like I¡¯m dressed to get attention ¨C I¡¯m wearing jeans and a T-shirt, and a light jacket and a ball cap.  Seriously, I just want to ride the bus in peace!  Leave me alone!  She felt uncomfortable for most of the bus ride, and was very happy to be off the cramped bus.  As she left, she saw another girl had gotten off with her - and she was surprised to see it was Diane, the young woman he had met a few weeks ago - who had been abused by her ex-boyfriend.   Colby felt her anger rise, as she saw two fresh bruises on Diane¡¯s face that makeup only partially concealed.  Diane¡¯s ex-boyfriend was another loose end she had to deal with...

    ¡°I noticed you were pretty freaked out, miss.¡±  Diane said.  ¡°Try not to let it get to you.  Most guys are dicks who think you¡¯re here for their pleasure.  Try to ignore them if you can.  If you try to look less attractive, they pay attention to you less.¡±

    She¡¯s trying to help me, Colby thought.  ¡°Yeah...  I didn¡¯t even put on makeup, or wear nice clothes.  Jerks.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the way of it...¡±

    ¡°Colby.¡±

    ¡°Hi Colby.  I¡¯m Diane.¡± Diane proffered her hand to shake.

    ¡°Heya!¡±  Colby replied.  ¡°You deal with that often?¡±

    ¡°Every day, Colby.  You gotta have a thick skin in this town or it¡¯ll eat you up.  You gonna be okay?¡±

    Diane looked honestly concerned for a fellow woman - and Colby realized she was now on ¡®the other side¡¯ - she was a woman, and for some women it was ¡®us against them¡¯ - a matter of daily survival.  She shivered - the whole concept was scary.  Is this what feminists call male privilege?  Being able to walk to work without being afraid?  Oh my god, I never knew.

    She gathered herself, and nodded.  ¡°I¡¯ll be okay.  I just got into town.  I¡¯m staying with my boyfriend while I look for a place.¡±

    ¡°Ah.  I¡¯m looking for a place too.¡±  Said Diane.   ¡°Like I said, you need a thicker skin if you¡¯re gonna make it in this town.  Maybe call me if you need some help.¡±  She offered her phone number, and Colby entered it into her phone, while quietly interfacing with Diane¡¯s phone to find out her current address.

    ¡°Thanks, Diane.  I¡¯ll give you a call if I need help figuring it out.¡± Colby said.

    ¡°Great!¡±  Diane replied.  ¡°I¡¯ve gotta get going.  Work and all that.¡±

    Colby nodded, and watched Diane turn and leave.  She was still limping, from where her ex-boyfriend pushed her ¡®into a door.¡¯   Somebody needed to go and teach that asshole a lesson - and once Dr. Pierce was dealt with, she knew just the heroine to do it...  As Diane turned around a corner out of view, Colby turned and headed the other way.  Trask industries was only a few blocks away - and there were plenty of alleys she could duck into to change her ID to that of Virus.  Time to find out what was going on...

    *              *              *

    Detective Allan Taylor was exhausted.  He and his partner Detective Brian Keller had been burning the midnight oil trying to find out just how many assets Bolivar Trask had in Empire City...  And since he was being singly unhelpful, they had to do it the hard way, down at city hall in the records department.  It had taken hours for them to compile the list - and the list was truly frightening.  Trask owned banks, hospitals, libraries, factories, stores and shops, industrial areas, hell, he even owned a shipping company and a mortgage company.  Bolivar Trask practically owned, either directly or indirectly through subsidiaries, a little less than one third of Empire City.

    Brian sighed in frustration.  Too many hours, too much coffee and not enough sleep had not improved his mood.  ¡°Now what, Allen?  We put an APB out on one third the whole city, in case this nutbar comes to torch another building?¡±

    Allan yawned too, stretching the kinks in his shoulders out a little.  ¡°Agreed ¨C there¡¯s too much to keep an eye on.  We need another angle...  Maybe find where Pierce is hiding.¡±

    ¡°Yeah - sounds great.  After I get about eight hours shuteye.¡±  Brian replied, looking annoyed.  I hate it when he goes off on his knight in shining armor bullcrap.  I mean, I get it, he¡¯s walking the walk - but if we screw around, we¡¯re dead men.  Trask will bury us.

    ¡°Yeah.  I think this is a dead end.  Let¡¯s get some sleep.¡±  Allan looked at the data they had amassed.  It would be useful, eventually - when it was time to bring down Trask - but for now, Brian was right.  They needed sleep, and they needed it badly.

    They logged out of city records, and headed back to their car.  Allan turned the key and revved the engine.  ¡°You want some breakfast before we grab some sleep?  I¡¯m buying.¡±

    ¡°Hell yeah, partner.  It¡¯s about time you paid.¡±  Brian replied.

    ¡°I always pay!¡±

    ¡°You always get us into shit!¡±  Brian responded, as if that justified it.  ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not like I have expensive tastes.¡±

    ¡°True.¡±  Allan smirked.  ¡°Fine - but next time you¡¯re buying!¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    Allan turned the car into traffic, and began driving towards their favorite waffle house, when the police band radio blared.  ¡°This is dispatch.  Suspects armed and dangerous at Trask Industries on 11<sup>th</sup> street east.  Bomb Threat reported.  Respond?¡±

    This is it!  It has to be!  Allan thought.  ¡°This is car 13, Detective Taylor speaking.  We¡¯re on this ¨C we¡¯re six blocks away.  Over.¡±

    Dispatch responded back - something about two other units being dispatched to the same location as well - but Allan had already reached for the red magnetic bubble-light to put on his roof, and flicked on his sirens!   ¡°We got him!  A bomb threat at Trask Industrial!¡±

    ¡°Damn!  Well, let¡¯s go get him partner!¡±  Brian replied, all traces of drowsiness gone.  ¡°Maybe we can wrap this one up before lunch and call it a day?¡±

    ¡°I sure as hell hope so, partner.¡±  Allan answered.  ¡°I sure as hell hope so.¡±

    *              *              *

    The security guard nearly dropped his coffee in shock when she walked in...  A woman in black and yellow, with a bio-hazard symbol on her chest.   It looked like the lady who took out Carnage and Shrapnel two days ago...  He prayed she didn¡¯t want to cause any trouble, and dammit, he was damned if he could remember her name.   She was tall, blonde, and sexy as hell, and her face was one of those ones that connected to her costume via the neck, but which left most of her face open, save for her eyes.  She was a looker, for sure.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to speak to Mr. Trask, please.  It¡¯s about the explosion in his office the other day.  I¡¯m a heroine - Virus.¡±

    ¡°Yuh... I mean, yes ma¡¯am!  I¡¯ll get him on the phone ASAP.¡±  A few minutes and a short conversation later, he directed Virus onto an elevator, and told her to go to the top floor.

    ¡°Thanks, sir.¡±  Virus went and did as instructed, and a few moments later entered a large office space.  There was a secretary - a young pretty woman sitting behind the desk - and a large oak-panel door, presumably to Mr. Trasks office.  The door was wrapped in police tape.  The other end of the hall had another oak-panel door that read ¡°Conference Room¡±, and was closed.

    ¡°Can I help you, miss?¡±  The secretary asked.

    Colby pulled herself back to the real world, and nodded.  ¡°I¡¯d like to talk to Mr. Trask about the man who blew up his office.  I¡¯d like to help catch him.¡±

    The woman nodded, and pressed a few buttons.  ¡°Just a moment.¡±  She added.   ¡°Mr. Trask, there is a super-heroine here to see you.  Yes sir.  She wants to help find Dr. Pierce, sir.  Yes sir.¡±

    She hung up the phone, and smiled.  ¡°You can go in anytime, miss Virus.  His regular office is damaged ¨C he¡¯s in the conference room.¡±

    ¡°Thanks!¡±  Colby got up and walked to the conference room door, and went inside.  Here goes nothing!  Inside the conference room, she saw elegant oak office furniture - a conference table, which had been commandeered as Trask¡¯s desk, as well as a good dozen office chairs, plus various other office paraphernalia.  Bolivar Trask sat behind the desk, looking sour-faced and annoyed - although Colby could tell it wasn¡¯t with her.  He had his left arm in a sling, and his arm was bandaged - it was obviously seriously hurt!

    ¡°Ms. Virus, I presume?¡±  Trask asked.

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Trask.  I¡¯d like to help you catch the man who blew up your office, sir.¡±

    Trask smiled. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit down, miss, and we¡¯ll talk.¡±

 Chapter 12 - The Battle

    Mr. Trask waited for the black and yellow clad superheroine to sit, then stood and started talking ¨C although pontificating might have been a better term for it.  ¡°Dr. Justin Pierce has worked for me for several years ¨C during which time he¡¯s proven difficult at best to work with.  He eschews lab partners, claiming he works best alone, and he ignores directives from his superiors, convinced that he knows better.  The problem with these things is that he¡¯s usually correct.  He¡¯s a bona-fide genius ¨C and he¡¯s also dangerously na?ve about the world, and doesn¡¯t really know how the rest of human society works.  He¡¯s a researcher, pure and simple ¨C and he belongs in a lab where he can work without distractions¡­  My problem is that he¡¯s also gone absolutely nuts.¡±  Trask turned to Virus to see how she was taking his statement ¨C and so far she seemed to be listening intently.

    ¡°His latest experiment turned one of our lab volunteers ¨C a man named Kayden Ballard ¨C into a monster the news calls the Waxman, who then killed a Nurse named David Walker.  That¡¯s bad enough, but now, Dr. Pierce thinks I have some sort of vendetta against him and his little dog, and is trying to kill me!  Frankly, after seeing the weapons he had, I¡¯m not sure you¡¯re the right person for the job.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±  Virus asked.  ¡°I don¡¯t see any other heroes here at the moment.¡±

    Trask shook his head.  ¡°Cause you¡¯re a newbie, miss Virus.  You might not have the experience with dangerous mental cases like I have.  I¡¯ve dealt with barely stable inventors my whole career ¨C and sometimes you have to be willing to make the hard choices when taking control of a situation.  You understand what I¡¯m saying?¡±

    Colby hadn¡¯t a fucking clue.  ¡°No, not really.¡±

    ¡°I mean, miss Virus, you might not be able to take him alive¡­ and given the state of our mental rehabilitation facilities in this city, you might not want to.  New Bedlam Sanatorium is not a nice place.  It would be a mercy, really.¡±

    What the fuck!?  He wants me to kill him?  What the hell is wrong with this guy?  Virus looked at Trask, and shook her head.  ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill him!  I¡¯ll catch him, and that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°And what do you do when he kills again, miss Virus?  He nearly killed me ¨C and when he strikes again, he will probably kill someone else.  Where do you draw the line?  Does he go to rehab if he kills say, less than 10 people ¨C or does he get the superhero revolving door policy you capes seem to have?  When is enough, enough?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Trask,¡± Virus began.  ¡°You seem to be operating under the assumption that I¡¯m a mercenary.  I am not.  I am a heroine ¨C and as far as I¡¯ve been able to fathom, heroes save people ¨C all people, villains included.  They don¡¯t kill people.  Not as a mercy, not as an expedient, and not as vengeance.  They¡¯re supposed to be better than that.  If you want to hire someone to kill Dr. Pierce, I suggest you find someone else.¡±  Virus stood as if to leave.

    ¡°Wait!  What about the Waxman?  He killed somebody¡­  He needs to be found and stopped.  Frankly, he needs help too ¨C he¡¯s sick, injected with some experiment of Dr. Pierce¡¯s.  Frankly, without our help, he¡¯s liable to be thought of as a monster ¨C and I think my company can help him.¡±

    ¡°What about the Waxman?  He¡¯s vanished, like he never existed.¡±

    ¡°I understand Dr. Pierce was working on a cure for cancer¡­  The Waxman might possess that cure.  We have to find him!¡±

    ¡°Why?  Is he trying to kill you too?¡±  Virus asked a little hotly.

    ¡°No, miss!  It¡¯s because he¡¯s potentially worth billions and could cure a lethal disease.  He needs care before his mutations get worse.  Dr. Pierce showed me some data, and said the mutation was eventually fatal.  He needs help!¡±

    I can¡¯t tell if this guy is lying or not, Virus thought.  He certainly seems more concerned about the billions of dollars he stands to gain than the millions he¡¯ll help by curing cancer.  This guy is a slimeball.  Oh ¨C and the mutation was fatal, asshole.  I just got better.  Not even Dr. Pierce knows that.

    ¡°Mr. Trask.  It certainly seems like you want me to clean up a mess that happened to your company.  You don¡¯t seem to care too much about what happens to Dr. Pierce, or this Waxman, as long as you profit by it.  I was hoping you might be able to give me some insight into why he was trying to hurt you ¨C and in a way, I guess you have.  Thanks, Mister Trask ¨C I¡¯ll take it from here.¡±

    Trask growled in anger.  How dare this trollop in a fancy leotard talk to him this way!  She wants to play it tough?  Fine.  ¡°Miss Virus, you might want to reconsider my request.  Life can get awfully complicated in Empire City ¨C you know what I mean.  Work with me, and I can make a lot of doors open for you.  Turn me down, and a lot of doors can close just as easily.¡±

    He¡¯s threatening me?!  How fucking dare he!?  ¡°I don¡¯t need your help to catch Dr. Pierce, Mr. Trask.  I don¡¯t want to be associated with you ¨C frankly you turn my stomach.  I¡¯ll catch him, and I¡¯ll bring him in alive ¨C and I¡¯m sure whatever nasty business you have between him and yourself will all come out at the pre-trial hearing.  Have a good day.¡±

    ¡°Sanctimonious Bitch!¡±  Trask shouted as she walked to the door of his ertsaz office.  ¡°Last I heard, you hero types had people who care for you.  What if they have an accident?¡±

    Virus whirled around.  ¡°Are you threatening me?!¡±

    Trask smiled¡­  Now he had her attention!  ¡°No, of course not.  All I¡¯m saying is that Empire city is pretty dangerous, and Dr. Pierce and the Waxman are still out there.  At least one of them is a known killer ¨C and well, if you were known to be looking for either of them, they might react and strike back against one of your friends¡­¡±

    Virus grabbed Trask by his hurt arm, and dug her fingers into the wound, hard, and he yelped in pain.  ¡°I understand loud and clear, Trask.  I¡¯ll tell you this once, and once only.  Threaten me again, and your secrets will be public knowledge.  All of them.   Just try me.  High powered businessmen like you only care about the bottom line, and their power.  I will take your power away from you, one secret at a time.  If you want to trade threats, how does that sound?¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t get away with this, you bitch!¡±  Trask panted, pulling his arm out of her grasp.

    ¡°Get away with what?  Defending myself from veiled threats, or hinted accusations of my friends being killed if I don¡¯t obey?  Keep it up, Trask and I¡¯ll make YOU my problem.¡±

    ¡°Get out!  Get out of my office!¡±  Bolivar Trask was so angry he was turning purple with rage.

    I¡¯m going to have to look into him soon, Virus thought as she left the office.  If anything, he¡¯s probably a worse problem than Dr. Pierce.  As she left, she took some mild satisfaction in slamming the door to his office as hard as she could.  Asshole, she thought.

    As Virus left, she couldn¡¯t help but see the secretary talking on the phone and buzzing Mr. Trask frantically.  Hrmm¡­ I wonder what¡¯s up?   She interfaced with the phone, and listened in.  ¡°Mr. Trask¡­ It¡¯s Shelly.  He¡¯s at Trask Industrial.  Someone says that he has a bomb, Mr. Trask.¡±

    Mr. Trask growled.  ¡°It¡¯s fine, Shelly.  Call my troubleshooter please.  Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Franco hasn¡¯t called in three days, sir.¡±

    ¡°Then call my other troubleshooter, Shelly ¨C the one in the green file.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Trask.  I¡¯ll get a hold of her as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Shelly.¡±

    Trask Industrial, huh?  Virus thought as she entered the elevator.  That¡¯s maybe eight blocks away.  It wouldn¡¯t take me long to get there, and dollars to donuts its Pierce that¡¯s got the bomb.  I wonder what the hell happened between him and Trask anyway?  I guess it doesn¡¯t matter in the end.  Pierce is hurting people and he killed David.  He needs help.

    Virus headed out into the street, grew wings, and flew off, hoping she would be in time to catch Dr. Pierce ¨C or whatever he was calling himself now.  As she flew down Lincoln and Main, she tried to keep at least five stories above the ground¡­  Still high enough to bypass traffic and lights and electrical poles, but not so high that she couldn¡¯t identify the building when she got to it.  That¡¯s one thing you never hear Captain Patriot complain about, she thought.  Buildings all look different when you see them from above.  How in gods¡¯ name does he not get lost when he¡¯s looking for a particular building?  There are no street signs, and all the buildings look the same from up here!

    *                              *                              *

    Detective Taylor pulled the squad car up, just inside Trask Industrial¡¯s parking lot.  ¡°We need to get in there and stop Dr. Pierce.¡±

    Brian groaned.  ¡°Actually partner, we need to wait for backup and set up a perimeter ¨C or are we doing this your way again?¡±

    Allan growled.  ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°Fuck me.¡±  Brian grabbed his jacket and hat.  This is going to suck balls, he thought.  Every fucking time.

    Allan saw his partner was following him, and got out of the car, shutting the door behind him.  The parking lot looked abandoned, or close to it ¨C only a handful of cars were still here.  They could hear the fire alarm ringing outside the grey stone building       of the factory proper ¨C but they couldn¡¯t see or smell any smoke.  Suddenly, there were some screams, and muffled gunfire from inside.

    ¡°Come on!¡±  Detective Taylor called, running towards the front door.

    ¡°God damn it, I¡¯m coming!¡±  Brian ran after his partner, wondering why he kept following him.  Yeah I¡¯m an idiot ¨C but it doesn¡¯t help that he keeps being right for fucks¡¯ sake.  He can be so freaking annoying that way.

    Allan ran up to the front door, and looked inside¡­  The foyer was empty of people, and a receptionist¡¯s desk was inside and to the left.  Ahead, doors led to the factory proper, and to the right an elevator went to the floors above.  A stairwell marked ¡°Exit¡± in bright red letters was nearby.  Inside, the gunfire seemed louder, and was coming more from the factory proper than the offices upstairs.

    ¡°Ahead, inside the factory.¡±  He whispered.

    ¡°Way ahead of you, Partner.¡±  Brian whispered back, sneaking inside and taking up a cover position on one side of the factory floor door, looking left and right as he did so.  ¡°Clear!¡±

    Allan nodded and moved up.  The sounds of gunfire were louder than ever ¨C it was fast, like a machine gun ¨C but it didn¡¯t sound really loud.  Maybe it was small caliber stuff?  People were still screaming inside the factory ¨C but they weren¡¯t screaming in pain.  Some of the shouts were people sounding like they were trying to escape.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got to get in there.  On three?¡±  Allan asked.

    Brian nodded.  ¡°One¡±

    ¡°Two¡±

    ¡°Three.¡±  Brian pushed the doors open, and Detective Taylor rolled into the factory, dodging to one side as he cleared the doorway.  No threats here, he thought, but the factory has seen better days.  What in the hell happened here?

    Detective Keller followed him, and took cover behind a fallen steel pressure washer.  ¡°What the hell happened here?  It looks like a war zone.¡±  The huge racks of storage space for finished products lay toppled like ten ton dominos, machinery and electronics scattered about, much of it destroyed and useless.  It would be a hell of a mess to clean up, that¡¯s for sure.

    ¡°It may be.¡±  Allan said.  ¡°Dr. Pierce started calling himself Hazard Man to Mr. Trask.  Maybe he¡¯s gone and joined the side of the villains, like a mad scientist?  Know anything else that could cause this much damage?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.  My cousin Vinny, a forklift, and a six-pack of beer.¡±  Brian retorted.

    ¡°That must be some cousin.¡±  Allan quipped.

    ¡°He has his moments.¡±  Brian replied.  ¡°He¡¯s great at parties.¡±

    The two couldn¡¯t see any hazards save for bad footing, and emerged from their cover near the stairs, heading towards the sound of gunfire.  A few seconds later, they saw the shooter, and Brian¡¯s jaw dropped in surprise.  Flying through the air was a Dog that looked a lot like a stuffed animal, with what appeared to be a jet pack on his back, and a machine gun coming out of his mouth.  He was strafing the workroom floor, herding the employees towards the Fire exit near the back ¨C but oddly enough, none of them seemed to be shot or bleeding.  They did look pretty scared though. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡±  Brian asked no one in particular.

    ¡°Worry about it later, Brian.  We¡¯ve got to stop it first.¡±  Allan readied his gun, and drew a bead on the flying dog.  It was hard ¨C the target was small, and fast moving, and over 60 feet away.  ¡°Let¡¯s get its attention.¡±  He fired a single shot, then one more ¨C and somehow, he managed to hit it with the first shot and the second as well.  I have no idea how I did that, but I¡¯ll take it, Allan thought.

    The bullets had little effect, flattening and falling off Mr. Chips¡¯s bulletproof nylon body coating.  ¡°Arf! Arf!¡± he barked.  [ defensive systems engaged ] his brain told him, and Mr. Chips whirled around to see the two police officers.  ¡°Yip!  Yip!¡±  he barked.  Mr. Chips didn¡¯t want to hurt people.  He was a good dog!  But they couldn¡¯t be allowed to stop him either!  They would make Master sad, and no one would make Master sad ever again!  The bad man had to pay!

    ¡°What is it?¡±  Brian asked.

    ¡°It looks sort of like a robotic miniature schnauzer I think.¡±  Allan replied.

    ¡°I was worried you were going to say that.¡±

    Allan steeled himself, and held up his badge. ¡°Attention Robot Dog, this is the ECPD!  You are under arrest!  Please surrender at once.¡±

    Brian looked over at his partner like he¡¯d gone insane.  ¡°What next, genius?  You going to read it its rights?¡±

    ¡°If we can arrest it, you¡¯re damn right I am.¡±  Allan replied.  ¡°Remember that sentient robot case over in Paragon where the robot walked because no one Miranda¡¯d him?  Not going to happen here.¡±

    ¡°Of course you are.¡±  Brian sighed, exasperated.  ¡°Nice doggie.  We don¡¯t want anyone to get hurt. Put the gun down, okay?¡±

    Mr. Chips looked at the two men.  They were police officers, and police officers helped people.  It was bad to hurt police officers.  But they were also trying to stop Master!  Mr. Chips scanned through his non-lethal weaponry and skipped a dozen potential ideas until he found the right one.  ¡°IDEA!¡±  Mr. Chips¡¯ vocoder made the exclamation sound high pitched and childlike, a little cartoonish too, but he didn¡¯t care.  Now he could stop the policemen without making Master upset!  [Activating Taser-Net!]

    Mr. Chips withdrew the machine gun into his torso, reconfigured it, and it emerged as a weapon that fired Taser enhanced netting.

    ¡°Uh oh¡­ That can¡¯t be good.¡± Brian muttered, as he dove to one side.  Allan dived the other way ¨C and the net missed them both.  The robot was circling with its jetpack to get a better shot.

    ¡°Okay ¨C so it¡¯s a robot dog with crazy weapons!  Any ideas?¡±  Brian called out.

    ¡°Get it grounded!  Shoot the jetpack!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be lucky if I can even hit it!¡±  Brian retorted, and opened fire.  What a day.

    *                              *                              *

    Virus swooped along 11<sup>th</sup> Street, towards Trask Industrial¡­  Cars and pedestrians below whizzed past, and Colby figured she was pushing maybe 60 miles per hour.  I think I can go faster, but not in the city streets ¨C too many buildings I could accidentally fly into.  I don¡¯t fancy a collision at that speed, thank you very much.  I¡¯d probably survive it, but it would still hurt!

    Suddenly, she was over the factory complex.  A dozen workers were streaming out of a fire door near the back part of the lot, so she swooped down and landed, reabsorbing her wings.  ¡°Is everyone okay?  Is anyone hurt?¡±

    ¡°Nah, ma¡¯am ¨C we¡¯re fine.  There¡¯s a crazy robot dog in there with a gun, shooting the place up!  He nearly hit a few of us, and we got the hell out of there.  No one really hurt except for some twisted ankles.¡±

    Virus could see a few of the men and women leaving the factory were limping, but agreed there didn¡¯t appear to be any serious wounds.  ¡°What did the dog look like?¡±

    ¡°Some fuzzy gray terrier, ma¡¯am.  It looked like a stuffed animal, actually ¨C except that it had a gun coming out of its mouth.¡±  The factory worker looked panicked.  ¡°Can I go now, ma¡¯am?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure.  Get somewhere safe.  I¡¯ll take care of this.¡±  At least I HOPE I will, she thought.  You sound pretty confident for your second rodeo, Colby.  I just hope you don¡¯t screw this up!  The civilian didn¡¯t wait for a second answer, and limped off, following his friends and coworkers.

    The fire door was wedged open with a broomstick, so getting inside was simple¡­  But Colby wasn¡¯t prepared for what she saw inside.  There was a large factory floor buried in debris and fallen racks, machinery jammed up with debris and broken materials ¨C and a tiny robot dog that looked a lot like Justin¡¯s dog Mr. Chips, flying around trying to shoot electrified nets at Detective Taylor and his partner, Detective Keller.  The detectives looked like they were losing their engagement ¨C but the fact they even came inside the building spoke volumes about their bravery!  Most cops would wait for super hero backup when facing off against what might be a supervillain, or hell, even a villain¡¯s sidekick.

    Virus reached out with her mental touch, to try and see just how robotic Mr. Chip¡¯s duplicate was ¨C and sensed a robotic mind¡­ a highly advanced one!  That isn¡¯t a duplicate!  She thought.  It actually IS Mr. Chips!  Oh, Justin¡­ what did you do?!  She concentrated, and tried to seize control of the tiny robotic terrier, without harming it.  It took only a few moments to realize its operating system was incredibly advanced.  She pushed harder, concentrating ¨C and Mr. Chips began to falter.  Suddenly, a gunshot from one of the detectives blasted the jetpack on his back, and Mr. Chips fell from the sky like a lead weight, landing somewhere in the debris.

    ¡°Got the little bastard!¡±  Detective Keller cried out.

    ¡°Good shooting, now let¡¯s look for him before he gets up!¡±  Detective Taylor moved closer towards the debris pile where the robot dog landed, but couldn¡¯t see him.

    Virus could sense him, though.  Small, electronic, moving towards the offices on the far end of the room.  ¡°He¡¯s moving this way!¡±  She called.  ¡°Need some backup?¡±

    The two detectives looked over, and sighed with relief.  ¡°Yes, thanks ma¡¯am!  Watch out for him ¨C he¡¯s a tricky one.¡±  Detective Taylor called out.  ¡°We think his owner is here too ¨C a Doctor Justin Pierce.¡±

    ¡°I know.  I¡¯m here for him as well.  He needs to get help.¡±  Virus called.

    ¡°He needs to be arrested.  And maybe hit with a brick.  Not in that order.¡±  Brian countered.

    ¡°Agreed.¡±  Virus answered.  ¡°I think Trask knows why Pierce is after him.  Give me a moment.¡±  She concentrated, trying to see wireless signals, and the warehouse was thick with them ¨C dozens of terminals, printers, phones ¨C all abandoned in the mad dash to get out of the building.  She accessed the security system and found him ¨C in an office above the factory floor.  He just finished finding what he was after, too ¨C he was just leaving.  She accessed the files he was looking at, and let the data flow into her brain, transferring as much of it as she could to a pair of USB thumb drives in her pockets, without looking at it.

    ¡°He¡¯s up there.¡±  She said, pointing, just as Dr. Pierce stepped out onto the catwalk above the factory floor.

    ¡°Doctor Pierce!¡±  Detective Taylor began.  ¡°You¡¯re under arrest for assault, amongst other charges.  I suggest you surrender and come peacefully!¡±

    ¡°Or what?¡±  Pierce replied.  ¡°You¡¯ll find your bullets are less than effective on me, thanks to my enhanced armor.  Oh ¨C and I¡¯m not Justin Pierce anymore.  Call me Hazard Man!¡±

    ¡°What is it with the freaks picking weird names?¡±  Brian muttered.

    ¡°Would you prefer Doctor Evil, Detective?¡±  Hazard Man asked.  ¡°I don¡¯t intend to surrender ¨C not until Mr. Trask is fully dealt with.  He tried to hurt me and mine ¨C and I intend to repay the favor.¡±

    Virus watched Justin, interfacing with his electronic goodies, one by one.  She shut off his laser weapon, his jetpack, and a number of other electronic devices¡­ until she came to an electronic detonator.  ¡°Where¡¯s the bomb, Justin?¡±

    Both detectives looked over, more than a little panicked.  ¡°Bomb?!¡±

    ¡°Oh ¨C it¡¯s nearby.  It¡¯s big too ¨C enough to level the entire city block or more.  It¡¯s also rigged to detonate if you try disarming it.  I suggest your detective friends get out while they still can.¡±

    Virus looked at the two cops, and pointed to the exit.  ¡°Get out of here.  Evacuate the area.  Save as many as you can.¡±  She knew there were still hundreds of people within a city block of the area ¨C police, firemen and other emergency first responders, if nothing else.  They had to pull back and evacuate to save lives.

    Detective Taylor paused.  ¡°What about you, miss Virus?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± She said. ¡°Go.¡±

    The two detectives beat a hasty retreat, and ran for the exit.

    Hazard Man waited while the police left, and during the hasty retreat, Mr. Chips burrowed up from beneath the debris to join his Master.  ¡°And you would be Virus.  To what do I owe the honor?  It¡¯s not every day a new villain faces off against a new heroine.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just say we¡¯ve met before.  I won¡¯t let you hurt anyone else.¡±

    ¡°As if you can stop me.¡±  He replied.  ¡°You¡¯re nothing more than a pugilist with some powers.  What are you going to do to stop me, Virus?  I noticed your powers worked best when you touched Carnage and Shrapnel.  I can assure you, I won¡¯t let you touch me.¡±

    Damn, he¡¯s observant!  Colby thought.  Still, he doesn¡¯t know his jetpack has been turned off.  ¡°So now what?¡±  she asked.

    ¡°Help me!  Bolivar Trask is a bigger menace than I am or ever will be.  He kills people who disagree with him, and uses his power and wealth to cover it up.  He tried to kill Mr. Chips.¡±

    So that¡¯s it. She thought.  He¡¯s getting revenge for his dog. ¡°How is Mr. Chips?  I assume he¡¯s the dog you tailored your robot after?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Chips is fine¡­ and you misunderstand me.  Mr. Chips isn¡¯t tailored after my dog ¨C he IS my dog.  I transferred his intellect into a healthy robot body, since his fleshy body was dying.  Trask pulled the plug ¨C and it was the only way to save him.  I did what I had to do!¡±

    ¡°So why all this?¡± she asked.  ¡°The bomb is going to hurt more people than Trask.  Why not go after just him?  What about all the innocent people you¡¯re going to kill with him?¡±

    ¡°There are no innocent people.  Everyone in this cesspool of a city ¨C me included ¨C has done things they regret to get ahead.  Done things they despise to help those they care about.  They make concessions, make bargains.  Not one of them has the conviction to do what is needed.  I do.  If some LCD¡¯s get hurt in the process, so be it.¡±

    ¡°LCD¡¯s?¡±

    ¡°Lowest Common Denominators.  The little people, the cogs in Trasks machine.  The people that make his business work, make him his money.  People that cooperate with him ¨C like the police, the mayor, and the district attorney¡¯s office.  People with no purpose except as grist for his mill.¡±

    Jesus Christ!  He¡¯s insane!  ¡°Is that what Kayden Ballard was to you?  Before you turned him into the Waxman?  An LCD?!¡±

    ¡°No¡­ Kayden wanted to help me save the world.  I¡­ I actually feel regret for what happened to the young man.  If I could have saved him too, I would have.  I¡¯d like to think we could have been friends.¡±

    No fucking way?  Is he for real?!  ¡°I can¡¯t let you do this, Justin.  I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°And you can¡¯t stop me.¡±  Hazard man replied.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡±  Virus said, tensing ¨C and changing her leg muscles to be extremely powerful, like those of a Kangaroo.  Her legs still looked mostly the same in shape, but they grew strongly muscled.  She leapt ¨C and cleared the 50 feet between them with ease¡­

    Hazard Man raised his energy rifle as Virus leapt through the air, pulled the trigger, and¡­ nothing.  What the hell? He thought.  He didn¡¯t have any time for other thoughts, as Virus engaged him in battle, trying to land a hit on him.  He couldn¡¯t help but notice she didn¡¯t fight well¡­  He¡¯d at least been in his college boxing club a few years ago and done well.  He blocked her attacks with relative ease.

    Mr. Chips was getting upset¡­  This woman was trying to hurt Master!  NOBODY HURTS MASTER!  Mr. Chips growled in anger, his digitized voice sounding both real and unreal at the same time.  [ Target Acquired. Scanning¡­ ]  Mr. Chips sensors were scanning Virus to find if she possessed a weakness ¨C and they came up with remarkably little ¨C although he did detect a few defensive modifications he could try.  He began to reconfigure himself to deal with this new threat.

    Virus threw punch after punch, with Hazard Man blocking all of them, and she grew frustrated.  Laurie was right!  I do suck at this.  I need all the help I can get¡­  Suddenly she had a brainwave, and triggered the jetpack indoors, while Hazard Man was unawares ¨C and he yelped as he flew up and hit the ceiling, smashing his head against the steel roof beams.  The jetpack cut out, and he fell twenty feet to the ground, groaning, but still able to fight.

    Hah!  How about that, Justin?  She thought to herself, and ran over to try and tackle him ¨C only to be intercepted by a beam of fire ejected from Mr. Chips¡¯ mouth.  She screamed and tried to dodge ¨C to no avail ¨C and was lit ablaze by the jellied flaming gasoline.  Virus screamed as she smelled herself burning.  It smelled like bacon, and made her stomach want to hurl ¨C it also hurt like hell.  Struggling to hold on to consciousness, she dragged herself away from Hazard Man, and stopped, dropped and rolled, which didn¡¯t help much.  I can¡¯t let him get away!  She thought, trying to fight back the pain.  Fight it! You¡¯ll heal you freaking wuss!

    Hazard Man got to his knees, and touched his head.  His hand came away red and bloody.  ¡°I think¡­ I think we should go, Mr. Chips.¡±

    ¡°Yip!  Yip!¡±  Mr. Chips replied, looking at Virus.  ¡°Yap!¡±

    ¡°No ¨C leave her.  I need help.  My Jetpack isn¡¯t working.¡±

    Mr. Chips nodded, and turned to help Master.  Master was hurt.  Master needed help.  Mr. Chips would remember who hurt master too, in case they met again¡­  ¡°Yip!¡±   He jumped onto Master¡¯s backpack, and linked to it, becoming part of it.  A few moments later, he reconfigured into what resembled a helicopter assembly coming out of his modified backpack.  It was crude, but it would do.

    Hazard Man climbed down the stairs, leaving Virus on fire, struggling to stand, on the second floor.  Once outside, he could see the delivery truck, with its bomb inside.  He armed it, and gave it a two minute countdown.  That should give him enough time to get away.  He activated his Helipack, courtesy of Mr. Chips, and lifted off.  ¡°Back to the warehouse, buddy.  It¡¯s safe there.  Back home.¡±

    ¡°Yip!¡±  Mr. Chips barked in agreement.  He would head back to a safe haven ¨C and if he and Virus met again, well, she¡¯d get more of the same.  All that mattered right now was that Master was safe.

    Meanwhile, Virus was battling to control the pain ¨C and it wasn¡¯t until she literally kept her own nerve endings from healing that the pain was manageable enough to function.  Still on fire, still smelling herself burn, she saw Hazard Man and Mr. Chips leave.  Damn!  I couldn¡¯t stop them!  Oh hell¡­ the bomb!  I may not be able to stop them, but maybe I can stop their bomb from going off?

    Colby staggered towards the stairs, and tried to walk down them to the door ¨C but walking without sensation or nerve endings proved to be harder than it seemed.  Her legs were clumsy and like dead wood, and instead she fell down the stairs, landing in a heap.  She felt a bone in her arm crack, and poke through her forearm.  Oh, just wonderful, she thought.  Compound Fracture.  Peachy.  Today just keeps getting better and better!

    The bomb must have either a timer or a detonator.  If it¡¯s electronic I can sense it, and I can stop it, so maybe 70-30 odds he used an electronic timer, and not a mechanical one¡­  I hope.  She lay on the ground, trying to heal, while scanning for radio signals.  It didn¡¯t take long until she could sense one just outside the building, in a truck.  Of course¡­ He drove the bomb here and parked it outside.  She struggled to her feet, to get a better look at the truck ¨C and to make sure she didn¡¯t get confused by the multitude of signals inside the building.

    Thank god I can¡¯t feel the pain right now, she thought.  The damage was severe and it was incredible she could still move at all ¨C but even so, her amazing healing factor was working overtime and the damage was slowly repairing itself.  She staggered outside, into the afternoon sun and for a moment she was dazzled by the bright light, and the chill of the air.  A few seconds later her vision cleared ¨C and she could see the truck as plain as day, and sense the electronic triggers ¨C the detonators ¨C inside.  A command or two later, and she could sense the bomb was disarmed¡­ but just in case, she told them not to turn on for the next 24 hours, even if they wanted to¡­

    She sat on the pavement, groaning, realizing for the first time that her costume had almost completely burned off from her neck to her knees.  Fucking hell, she thought, and regrew the costume.  ¡°Let¡¯s not do that again, shall we?¡±  She asked herself, and laid back for a moment, still healing.  A few moments passed, and she felt most of the damage was repaired, so she turned her nerve endings back on, and was pleased to find she didn¡¯t hurt much any more, either.  She climbed to her feet, and scanned the sky ¨C hoping but not expecting to see Hazard Man and Mr. Chips.  She wasn¡¯t surprised when she didn¡¯t see him.

    You may have beaten me this time, but I know I can outsmart you.  I can beat you.  She thought.  And I know where your hideout is¡­  We¡¯ll be seeing each other soon, Hazard Man.

 Chapter 13 - Party Preparations

    Virus walked away from the factory, towards the police perimeter two blocks and a half away.  I probably shouldn¡¯t leave until I talk to the cops, she thought.  Someone is going to have to tell them that the bomb is disarmed, at least.  As she walked, Detectives Taylor and Keller saw her approach and waved her over towards them.  News crews were beginning to arrive on the scene as well ¨C Channel 5¡¯s News Lemon ¨C one of those ¡®themed¡¯ vehicles that looked like a literal lemon on wheels - had arrived first, as well as two more standard news vans; one from CNN, and one from GBN.

    ¡°Hey Detectives!¡±  Virus called.  ¡°I guess we¡¯ve got to stop meeting like this, huh?¡±

    Detective Allan Taylor smiled.  ¡°Well, seeing as how we rarely see heroes and heroines any other times, I guess we¡¯ve got to take what we can get.  How are you doing?  We heard screaming.¡±  Virus could tell the Detective was concerned.

    ¡°Geez.  I was that loud?¡±  Virus said, trying to make it a joke.  ¡°Hazard Man¡¯s robot dog hit me with a flame-thrower, and I didn¡¯t have time to dodge.  That little guy is nasty.¡±

    Detective Keller nodded.  ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with that dog.  Oh ¨C maybe it¡¯s cause he¡¯s got an nutbar for a master?  You okay, Virus?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay.  I heal pretty quickly ¨C but it still hurt.  I guess you can tell Hazard Man ¨C I mean Dr. Pierce ¨C got away?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±  Allan replied.  ¡°We saw his helicopter beanie thing carry him away.  He looked hurt too.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well I got in a lick or two before I got roasted.¡±  Virus shook her head.  ¡°I was able to disarm the bomb, though.  You might want to get some bomb squad people over there to dismantle it ¨C it¡¯s pretty nasty.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll get on that, ASAP Virus.  Thanks for the help.  Anything we can do for you?¡±  Detective Taylor¡¯s concern was evident in his voice and demeanor, and it was plain he was offering her an ¡°out¡± ¨C again ¨C with the news crews that were waiting for a statement.

    ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything yet, but thanks, Detective.  I suppose I¡¯ll have to talk to the news sometime.¡±  Virus felt touched

    By Allan¡¯s concern.  As she talked, she couldn¡¯t help but look at him ¨C his athletic body, and handsome face.  He looked like he liked to smile.  She shook herself, realizing what she was doing.  Oh my god!  I¡¯m checking him out!  What the hell?  Virus tried to get command of herself, and look more professional.

    She felt herself blush more than a little, when she realized Detective Taylor was returning the favor, his eyes glancing up and down her athletic and curvy body.  She surprised herself by liking the attention.  What is wrong with me?  She wondered.  ¡°Anything you want me to keep out of the news for now?¡±  She asked.

    ¡°Not that I can think of.¡±  Allan replied.

    ¡°Fair enough.  You know, I think there was something wrong with Dr. Pierce.¡±   Virus began.

    ¡°No shit.¡±  Brian countered.  ¡°He has tin foil in his helmet.¡±

    Virus couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.  ¡°Yes he does, but it¡¯s not that.  He makes a bomb large enough to kill thousands ¨C but he warns them to leave before he explodes it.  He kills one man with a laser ¨C but doesn¡¯t kill his enemy Trask.  He cares about people enough to try and cure a disease like cancer ¨C but he¡¯s started calling normal people LCD¡¯s ¨C something that I don¡¯t think he¡¯s done before.  I¡¯m concerned he might be fighting himself, like a split personality of sorts.¡±

    ¡°Oh great,¡± Brian began. ¡°Not only does he have weapons of mass destruction, he¡¯s dangerously deranged and mental to boot.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the point, Detective.  I¡¯m not sure he¡¯s in charge ¨C I mean Dr. Pierce.  Maybe this Hazard Man is in charge ¨C or maybe they¡¯re fighting. That might explain his odd behavior.  If he really didn¡¯t care about people, he would have just parked his bomb, and walked away ¨C and blown up the whole city block without warning.  I think he¡¯s still in there, somewhere.¡±

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re right, Virus.¡±  Said Detective Taylor.  ¡°But for now, we¡¯ll have to start by finding him and stopping him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a few leads on that.¡±  Virus told them both.  ¡°If they pan out, I¡¯ll call ¨C just in case ECPD wants to help with some backup.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll need a number.¡± Allan replied, scribbling his cell phone number on a napkin.  ¡°And we¡¯ll need one to call you, if there¡¯s anything we discover.¡±

    Brian smirked, trying to keep his comment to himself.

    Virus nodded, not paying attention, and gave the number of one of her burner phones to the detective.  ¡°Call me if you find anything useful.¡±

    ¡°Ditto.¡±  Detective Taylor smiled, and Virus realized she was right ¨C he did have a nice smile.

    I have got to get my hormones under control, Virus thought.  Geez.  ¡°I¡¯d better go chat with the news before they climb over the barricade to get to me.¡±  She waved goodbye, and headed towards the news vans.

    Allan looked over at Brian with his smirk.  ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°Nothin.¡±  Brian said, still smirking.  ¡°You know, nothing good will come of this.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You and Virus.  I saw you two checking each other out.  Exchanging phone numbers.¡±  Brian ribbed his partner, putting his fingers up to his ears like a phone. ¡°Call me!¡±  he said, in a joke falsetto.

    ¡°Asshole!¡±  Taylor laughed, realizing his partner was ribbing him.  ¡°There¡¯s no way she¡¯s into a schlub like me.¡±

    ¡°I dunno, Allan.  She was checking you out pretty good.¡±  Brian said.  ¡°You might want to be careful around her.¡±

    ¡°Give me a break, Brian¡­¡±  Allan shook his head.  ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.¡±

    ¡°If you say so, partner.¡±

    ¡°I do say so.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then¡­ I¡¯ll just forget about it.¡±

    ¡°You do that.¡±  Allan sighed, and got on the radio with the bomb squad.  He smirked a bit to himself as he did.  She was checking me out too?  I couldn¡¯t get that lucky.

    *              *              *

    Virus walked over towards the news vans, parked to one side of the street, out of the way of Emergency services.  She didn¡¯t have to wait long ¨C in seconds three microphones and two digital recorders were thrust in her face by reporters of both the televised and print kind.

    ¡°Miss Virus!  What happened here today?  Did you screw up?  We understand the bad guy got away!¡±

    ¡°Virus!  Why is your name so ominous?  Can you make people sick?  What exactly are your powers, anyway?¡±

    ¡°Ma¡¯am!  I understand you¡¯re pretty new to this.  Can you make a statement about your battle with Carnage and Shrapnel?  Is it true you can heal people?¡±

    ¡°Why do you have a biohazard symbol on your costume?  Are you dangerous?  Should we be afraid of you?¡±

    Virus stood there a moment, shell-shocked by the rapid fire questions.  ¡°Whoa!  One at a time, okay?  Umm¡­  A villain calling himself Hazard Man ¨C the same man that attacked Bolivar Trask a day ago ¨C was here, and he set a large bomb at Trask¡¯s factory.  It¡¯s being disarmed ¨C but in the altercation, Hazard Man got away.  I believe he¡¯s dangerous, and needs help.  He has an accomplice ¨C a dangerous robot that looks like a small dog.  The dog should be considered armed and very dangerous.¡±

    She took a breath.  ¡°As for my name, I picked it because I wanted to scare criminals.  They¡¯re a disease ¨C and hopefully I can be part of the cure.  I can heal people, yes ¨C but I don¡¯t know if I can make people sick.  I¡¯ve never tried, and I don¡¯t want to try.  I can control my own rate of healing, and share that power with other people.  I can apparently change myself a bit ¨C I can grow wings, for example, but I don¡¯t know what my limits are, or if I even have any limits.¡±

    ¡°As for the biohazard symbol, I thought it fit for my name better.  It¡¯s something that should let the villains know to be scared.  Normal folks have nothing to fear from me ¨C and there¡¯s no need to be afraid of me anymore than people should be afraid of Captain Patriot or Shade, Tesseract or Fathom.¡±

    Virus took another breath¡­  It was unnerving being in front of so many cameras, and she found herself being a little bit nervous and self conscious.  She tried to steel herself, and stood up straighter.  ¡°My battle with Carnage and Shrapnel was part skill, part luck.  Both of those villains are very dangerous combatants, and I admittedly am pretty new at this.  The fact they tore each other apart before I arrived helped me greatly in defeating them ¨C and luck played a part as well.  Do I think I could have defeated them on my own, without their help?  I¡¯d like to say ¡®Yes¡± ¨C but I¡¯m also glad I didn¡¯t have to.¡±

    ¡°Do you think your relative inexperience is why Hazard Man got away?¡±  Someone asked.

    Virus gritted her teeth. They would ask that, she thought.  Rub it in a bit more, jerks¡­ ¡°Yes. However, I believe when I meet him again, I will defeat him and bring him to justice so that he can get the help he needs.  His robot won¡¯t catch me off guard again.¡±

    ¡°Do you think his robot is tougher than you are?  What would you rate yourself, and what would you rate the robot?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate for me to rate myself.  As for the robot dog, I barely saw its capabilities.  I think it could be a serious contender.  I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it¡¯s more dangerous than Hazard Man, frankly.¡±   Great, she thought.  Tomorrow¡¯s headlines are going to say ¡®Newbie Heroine scared by Robotic toy!¡¯ and ¡®Virus says we should be scared!¡¯  Fuck this.  ¡°I¡¯ve got to get going, ladies and gentlemen.  I¡¯ll see you later.¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    There was a flurry of more questions, but Virus didn¡¯t hear them ¨C she grew her wings, and the powerful beat of the wings drowned out the reporters voices.  As she flew back towards home, she reveled in the freedom flying gave her.  I could really learn to like this, she thought.  I think I need to manage my interviews a bit better next time too.  She tried to relax, but her stomach felt like butterflies¡­  Somehow this is all going to go balls up, isn¡¯t it?  She thought.  They¡¯re going to make me into one of those anti-heroes, or try to. Fuck!  She flew on in silence, trying to calm her fears.

    Colby got back to Darryl¡¯s apartment a little while later, after flying around a bit to cool off.  She smiled as she pulled out the apartment key Darryl had made for her, and opened the apartment door.  He was so sweet in getting this made for me.  He didn¡¯t have to.  I¡¯ll have to make sure he gets a key for my place, when I get one.  There was a message waiting on his answering machine, but since it wasn¡¯t her place, she just left it blinking, and went to get cleaned up.  I may be healed, but I still smell like I¡¯ve been in a fire.  Yuck.

    She stripped naked, and headed to the bathroom, grabbing a towel and a washcloth along the way.  As she stepped into the shower, she turned on the water and waited till it was warm, starting as she was sprayed with a cold burst of water from the taps.  Soon she was basking in the hot spray, and washing her stress away.  Today¡¯s been a real winner so far, she thought sarcastically.  I get my ass kicked by an animatronic stuffy, and the bad guy gets away.  I need to do something to improve my game.  She ignored all that for a little while, and let the water run over her skin, letting the sensations tickle her senses, and distract her from the stress.  It took a while, but eventually it worked.

    *              *              *

    Darryl opened up his apartment door to see Colby struggling with part of her costume¡­ She was trying to put on a sheer little black dress covered in a spattering of sequins ¨C and Darryl finally recognized the outfit!  It was one of the costumes that The Scarlet Scream wore back in the fifties ¨C Darryl¡¯s dad swore up and down she was the last of the heroine sex symbols from the fifties.   Colby filled it out well¡­ maybe a little too well.  He blinked, and tried to focus.  ¡°Uh¡­ Everything okay?¡±

    ¡°Urg!  Could you help me zip this stupid thing up?¡±  Colby replied.

    Darryl laughed.  ¡°Sure hun.  You look great!¡±  He walked over, and gave her some help.  Her dress fit like a glove.

    ¡°Thanks, Dar.  I¡¯m not sure this is the best idea, but I kinda like the theme you me and Laurie are going with.  Pulp Heroes of the thirties and forties was a good idea, I think.  You still planning on going as ¡®The Spirit¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.  I¡¯ve got a think for supernatural detectives, I think.  I like how he has a healing factor too.  And that red tie is snazzy.¡±

    ¡°You just like he wears a suit and a hat, so you don¡¯t have to look weird.¡±  Colby teased.

    ¡°Are you kidding?  I¡¯ll be dressing like my grandad.  I¡¯ll look like a goof.¡±  Dar countered.

    Colby moved up to Darryl, and put her hands on his chest, snuggled up close, and kissed his nose.  ¡°You¡¯ll look stylish and badass.¡±

    Darryl couldn¡¯t help but smile.  ¡°How couldn¡¯t I feel like a badass when you¡¯re there with me, beautiful?¡±  He kissed her nose back, and headed to the bedroom.  ¡°Is Laurie still coming over to help with the mask and makeup?¡±

    ¡°As far as I know, yeah.¡±  The phone buzzed, and Colby laughed.  ¡°Speak of the devil ¨C that¡¯s probably her now.¡±

    Colby picked up the phone, and buzzed Laurie into the building.  ¡°She¡¯s on her way up!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d better hurry then.¡±  Darryl closed the door to the bedroom and began to get ready for the party.

    A few moments later, there was a knock at the door.  Colby opened it, and was surprised when Laurie looked at her, smiled, and wrapped her in a firm hug.

    ¡°You look amazing in that dress, Colby!  You must be so excited!¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Laurie.  I am ¨C but I¡¯m also scared witless.  What are people going to think?¡±

    Laurie came into the apartment, and set her stuff down on the table.  ¡°They¡¯re going to think that Darryl has a hot girlfriend, and that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°I dunno.  Some of them will probably check you out.¡±  Laurie said.  ¡°You are dressed as The Scarlet Scream.¡±

    ¡°How do you deal with people checking you out?  Doesn¡¯t it get¡­ weird after a while?¡±  Colby looked a bit unsure of herself.  ¡°It was kind of weird when I went out today.¡±

    Laurie smiled, and motioned for Colby to sit.  ¡°Well, first, everyone is going to be looking at everyone ¨C it¡¯s a costume party, after all.  They know you¡¯ll be looking at them too.  Second, you¡¯ll be fine.  Darryl or I will be with you the entire evening, and you can leave whenever you want to.  It¡¯ll be okay.   I take it something uncomfortable happened when you went out earlier today?¡±

    ¡°I was on the bus, and everyone was staring at me¡­ Someone groped me, but I couldn¡¯t see who it was, and people whistled.  I didn¡¯t know how to take it ¨C and it kinda made me feel like I was on display ¨C I was a bit scared.  I didn¡¯t like it.¡±

    Laurie pursed her lips, thinking.  ¡°I know how you feel, Colby. I¡¯ve had days like that.  I¡¯ve felt like I just wanted to scream ¡®Leave me the fuck alone!¡¯ to people.  Some guys think any comment they make is a compliment and should be treated as such, but they don¡¯t really know.  Welcome to being a woman, I guess.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I know. I just didn¡¯t expect it.  Does it get better?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Laurie began, ¡°I think it does.  It takes time to build a bit of a thick skin.  It also helps once you realize in your gut that you can sometimes use your looks as a sort of armor ¨C and that it¡¯s okay to like being looked at when you want to be.  Sometimes a lady can take all those looks and use them as validation of ¡®Yeah, I¡¯m hot!¡¯ ¨C and it can be a real mood lifter.  It can also be a sort of armor in that some guys will just figure you¡¯re out of their league and back off.  Other times, it¡¯s just a pain in the ass.  I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t really whitewash it.  Sometimes guys are just jerks ¨C that¡¯s why it¡¯s so important to hang on to the good ones.¡±   She nodded towards Darryl¡¯s bedroom.  ¡°Are you two dating?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ Yeah, I think we are.¡±  Colby said, smiling to herself.

    ¡°He¡¯s a good guy.  I hope you two work out.¡±

    ¡°What about you, Laurie?  You seeing anyone?¡±

    ¡°Not recently.  I had a few dates but they turned out to be losers.  I¡¯m in that kinda-between stage of looking for a guy, and being fine on my own for a while.  Frankly work is keeping me so busy I don¡¯t have a ton of time for socializing anyway.¡±

    ¡°How is the hotel business doing?¡±  Colby asked.  Laurie was a hotelier for the Ramada Inn in the north end.  Her job paid pretty well, and Laurie loved doing it.

    ¡°Not bad.  Work is work.  I think I did pretty well for myself.  Fall Convention season is coming though¡­ Urg.¡±

    Colby laughed.  She had heard so many horror stories of how people treated their hotel rooms, that it became a standing joke between them.  After every major Convention season ¨C usually in the summer and fall ¨C she¡¯d regale her friends with this year¡¯s crop of horror stories of what they found in the rooms after the guests checked out.  The contents ranged from illegal drugs, exotic animals, designer clothes, and in a few cases, dead bodies.  You never could tell what she¡¯d run into next at work.

    ¡°Can I get a hand with the makeup for tonight?¡±  Colby asked.

    ¡°You bet, girlfriend.  I figured you wouldn¡¯t have a clue, so I brought a bunch of stuff.  Let¡¯s get to work.¡±  Laurie started with foundation, concealer, and blush ¨C then worked her way to eye makeup, lip liner and lipstick.  ¡°I¡¯m doing your whole face, so that if you take your mask off, you won¡¯t look like you have ski goggles on.  It¡¯s classier this way.¡±

    ¡°Whatever you say, Maestro.  Can you show me how to do this sometime soon?¡±

    ¡°Sure.  You get to buy the makeup, though ¨C you would not believe what some of this stuff costs.¡±  Laurie joked.

    ¡°Is it like paying 60$ for the same haircut a man would pay 10$ for?¡±  Colby asked.

    ¡°Pretty much.¡±  Laurie agreed, laughing.  ¡°But try showing up to work or at a social event without it, and you¡¯ll definitely be noticed ¨C and not in a good way.¡±

    ¡°I guess I have a lot to learn, don¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Colby, you have no idea.  I¡¯ll do my best to help, but you literally have no idea.¡±

    Laurie continued working on Colby¡¯s face until she was satisfied.  ¡°There ¨C go take a look in the bathroom before your boyfriend starts to hog it.  I¡¯ve got to get ready myself.¡±  Laurie started digging in her bag for her costume¡­  She was playing a genderbent version of ¡°Doctor Sin¡±, the criminal mastermind that was one of the Scarlet Scream¡¯s worst enemies.  He had also faced off against the Spirit a few times as well ¨C and was a well known villain of both heroes.  Her elaborate fu-manchu style Chinese robes looked amazing as she pulled them out of the bag ¨C all silk and real cloth-of-gold, thanks to Colby¡¯s ability to change clothing into whatever she wanted.  Laurie had to admit she was more than a bit jealous of her new girlfriends¡¯ ability at times, but she certainly didn¡¯t begrudge it to Colby.  She was going to have a difficult enough time adjusting without her friends being weird about her change.

    Colby went to the bathroom, and gasped in shock at what she saw in the mirror.  The image of what she saw wasn¡¯t a young woman going to a party ¨C she looked every inch the Scarlet Scream ¨C the red-headed bombshell that broke hearts all during the forties and fifties.  She looked like a mature woman, out to get what she wanted ¨C beautiful, sexy as hell, and confident.  Colby couldn¡¯t help but stare.  That¡¯s me¡­  How can that be me?  She was literally amazed at what she saw.  Oh my god!  I look gorgeous!  I have to learn how to do that!

    She moved closer to the mirror, and touched her face ¨C the image in the mirror did the same.  It is me.  That¡¯s me.  It¡¯s going to take some time to let that sink in, I think.  Holy shit!   Colby left the bathroom, and turned to Laurie.  ¡°I don¡¯t know how you did it, but you¡¯re amazing.  Thanks, Laurie.¡±

    Laurie preened at the compliment.  ¡°I aim to please!¡±  Then she shouldered past Colby to get into the bathroom to change.  ¡°I¡¯ll need a little while. You might as well get comfortable.¡±

    Colby laughed, and sat down to wait.  ¡°You bet.¡±

    Darryl came out of his room a moment later, and stopped dead in his tracks, staring at Colby.  Oh my god!  She¡¯s gorgeous!  He felt his heart jump in his chest, and his pulse quicken.  Every single person at that party is going to be eating their heart out with envy! He thought.  Damn!

    ¡°You look great, Colby!¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Dar.  You look great too ¨C stylish.  You definitely don¡¯t look like your grandad.¡±  Definitely not, she thought.  The 1940¡¯s gumshoe look looks good on him.  Damn¡­ Keep your hormones under control, girl or you might not make it to the party.  She grinned.  ¡°I like.¡±

    Dar grinned back.  ¡°Great.  You sure you¡¯re ready for this?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±  Colby admitted.  ¡°But as long as we¡¯re together, I know I¡¯ll be safe.¡±

    Darrly came over and gave her a gentle hug.  ¡°Always.¡±

    *              *              *

    Constellation House at the university was pretty busy when Darryl, Colby and Laurie arrived.  The parking lot was packed, which Darryl had anticipated, and a lot of people were already tipsy and tottering around the campus grounds.  They could hear some rock music from inside the house even as far as their cab.

    ¡°Please tell me you¡¯ve been to a party like this before.¡±  Colby asked Darryl and Laurie.  ¡°I¡¯ve never been to one.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we hope this one will be special!¡±  Laurie replied.  ¡°But still remember the hints I gave you.¡±

    ¡°I remember.¡±  Colby answered.  Never take an open drink.  Never allow yourself to be alone with a boy.  Never take any ¡®party favors¡¯ if they¡¯re being passed around ¨C there¡¯s no way to tell what¡¯s in them.  If you feel weird, or sick, call a friend ASAP.   It was scary how much girls had to defend themselves to avoid having a disaster on a modern college campus.  Laurie knew it wasn¡¯t an idle threat too ¨C her sister had been the victim of sexual assault in her second year of college, and it had taken a while for her to get over it.  Colby knew Laurie didn¡¯t want her to have to learn that lesson the hard way too.

    ¡°Good!  Now let¡¯s get in there, and have some fun!¡±  Laurie took them by the hand, and led them up the path towards the frat house.

    Darryl smirked under his mask ¨C they were all wearing masks, except for Laurie¡¯s ¡°Doctor Sin.¡± Instead of Dr. Sin¡¯s Fu-Manchu mustache, Laurie instead had incredibly elaborate eye makeup ¨C and it looked spectacular!  To be honest, he was excited about the party too.  It had been a long time since he¡¯d had a girlfriend, and Colby was something special.  Something more than he had ever expected ¨C and he wanted to show her off to some of his classmates.  I hope Martin is here to meet her, he thought.  I hope she likes Martin too.  God she looks beautiful tonight!

    Colby looked a bit apprehensive¡­  In her prior life as Kayden, she¡¯d never had the chance to attend university and all she knew about frat houses was the tripe that the media showed on television and movies.  She knew the reality was different, but she didn¡¯t really know what to expect.  Get a grip, girl, she thought.  You can be burnt alive by a flamethrower and walk away unscathed.  A party with some people your age shouldn¡¯t scare you¡­  Still, she realized she was a bit afraid¡­ not of being hurt, but of being found out to be a fraud¡­ of being ostracized ¨C again.  She didn¡¯t want to start her new life as Colby as an outsider.

    Colby steeled herself, and followed Laurie and Darryl.

 Chapter 14 - Stranger in a Strange Land

    Colby walked up to the door of Constellation house, to find a pair of young men dressed as vampires handing out orange and black wristbands to everyone with a costume ¨C in lieu of a cover charge, she supposed.  She took one when proffered, and slipped it on.

    ¡°Nice costume, miss!¡±  One of the male vamps said.  ¡°Who¡¯re you supposed to be?¡±

    Colby smiled.  ¡°I¡¯m the Scarlet Scream and this here,¡± she said, motioning to Darryl, ¡°Is ¡®The Spirit.¡¯  Our third is Doctor Sin.¡±

    ¡°Cool.  I¡¯m Mitch.¡±  The vamp said.  ¡°Head on inside.  Beer¡¯s in the fridge, and just find someplace to sit.¡±  The vampire ushered us inside, and we moved past the front door into a foyer.  Off to one side is what looked to be a large living room full of people, and on the other side was a kitchen, where at least a dozen people were playing beer-pong with a ping-pong ball and some plastic beer cups.  Straight ahead was a set of stairs to the upper floors of the dorm, and a hallway to a few rooms, including a few bathrooms.

    Darryl noticed some people in the living room, and waved.  ¡°C¡¯mon, guys.  Robert and Yvonne are over there.¡±  Robert Ramsay and Yvonne Cobb were two other friends of Kayden/Colby and Laurie and Darryl ¨C part of the coterie of Darryl¡¯s friends that Kayden kind of fell into when he met Darryl.  Robert was taking business, and Yvonne was taking Early Childhood education.

    ¡°Think they¡¯ll be able to tell?¡±  Colby asked, a bit nervously.

    ¡°Probably not.  Maybe?  You don¡¯t look like you did, you know.¡±  Darryl said, trying to reassure her.

    ¡°She does act like Kayden, though.¡±  Laurie reminded them.  ¡°You know, which makes perfect sense cause of obvious reasons.  Let¡¯s just go and see.  Even if they figure it out, we all know we can trust them, don¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°I just don¡¯t want to ¡®come out¡¯ at a Halloween party with a hundred people here!¡± Colby whispered.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.  I¡¯ll introduce you!¡±  Laurie whispered back.

    The trio walked into the living room of the frat house, and a dozen or more heads turned.  Some were looking at Darryl, who looked fine as the Spirit, and some were looking at Laurie as Dr. Sin ¨C but by far the majority of heads were staring at Colby as the Scarlet Scream.  She walked in on Darryl¡¯s arm, looking like a million bucks combined with sex personified, and everyone couldn¡¯t help but stare.

    ¡°Hey, Robbie, Yvonne!  Have you met Darryl¡¯s new girlfriend?¡±  Laurie began.  Robbie was dressed as a Terminator robot, complete with metal bits showing, and Yvonne was dressed as the stereotypical ¡°naughty nurse¡±.

    ¡°No!¡±  said Yvonne, smiling.  ¡°When did you two meet?¡±

    Darryl coughed.  ¡°Actually, it was a couple of days ago ¨C we went to lunch at the pizza hut where Carnage and Shrapnel crashed the party.  Guys, I¡¯d like you to meet Colby.¡±

    ¡°Hi Colby!¡±  Robert said, offering his hand to shake.  Colby took it and shook, then gave Yvonne a ¡°hello hug¡± or what she thought passed for one.  Pleasantries were exchanged all around.

    ¡°Were you guys scared at the Pizza Hut?¡±  Yvonne asked.

    ¡°Yeah, a little. The whole place looked like a wall caved in.  Some people would have gotten hurt if it wasn¡¯t for a new heroine showing up.¡±  Darryl replied.

    ¡°Virus, right?¡±  Yvonne asked.  ¡°The new girl who can heal?¡±

    ¡°Yeah ¨C that¡¯s her.  I think she saved a lot of people that day ¨C us included!¡±  Darryl said.

    ¡°That¡¯s so cool.¡±  Robert replied.  ¡°It¡¯s not like we have a lot of heroes to go around in this town¡­  Fathom and Tesseract, for sure ¨C but I¡¯m still on the fence as to whether Revenant is a hero or monster.¡±

    A few of the friends nodded.  The Revenant employed such brutal tactics in dealing with crime and criminals that it was sometimes debatable whether he or she was worse than the problem he or she tried to fight.  Since the Revenant looked like a Flaming Skeleton dressed like a biker, it was hard to tell what gender it was ¨C if it even had a gender and wasn¡¯t just some sort of undead construct.

    Yvonne looked concerned for a moment.  ¡°I don¡¯t mean to segue with ¡®speaking of monsters¡¯ ¨C but has anyone heard from Kayden recently?  I heard the news was saying he¡¯d killed someone and been turned into something called the Waxman?  I¡¯m worried about him.  He¡¯s a nice guy.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±  Rob continued.  ¡°He¡¯s a good guy.  He didn¡¯t deserve to get changed into whatever happened to him.¡±

    Darryl looked uncomfortable.  ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him since I visited him at Trasks¡¯ Clinic. I think he¡¯s left town.¡±

    Rob and Yvonne nodded, looking thoughtful, absorbing the news.  A few seconds later, Laurie tried to break them out of it.  ¡°Hey, guys ¨C gals!  Let¡¯s not mope!  We¡¯re at a party!  I¡¯ll grab us some drinks, and we¡¯ll join you ¨C unless Darryl and Colby want to mingle?¡±

    Darryl nodded.  ¡°I¡¯ve got a few people I¡¯d like to introduce Colby to.  We¡¯ll be back soon!¡±

    Laurie nodded, and wended her way towards the kitchen to grab three cold beers ¨C one for each of them  (Yvonne and Rob were already working on drinks of their own).  Robert and Yvonne waved to Darryl and Colby, knowing they¡¯d be back soon.

    ¡°That was awkward.¡±  Colby said.

    ¡°Well, they care about you, doofus.  What did you expect?  Of course they were going to ask about Kayden.¡±  Darryl replied.  ¡°I didn¡¯t feel great lying to them, either ¨C but a secret identity is a secret for a reason.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±  Colby agreed.  ¡°It just kinda sucks sometimes.  Who are we meeting?¡±

    ¡°A couple of friends of mine from Media Arts and Journalism.  I¡¯ve been bragging about you all week and they want to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Bragging?  All week?¡±  Colby said, grinning.  ¡°I haven¡¯t been Colby for a whole week.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯m exaggerating a bit.  I really have been talking about you.  You¡¯re all that¡¯s been on my mind.¡±

    Colby smiled, and couldn¡¯t help but feel a nice fluttery sensation in her tummy, sort of like a pleasant type of butterflies.  It made her feel good in a way she hadn¡¯t felt before.  She decided she kind of liked the feeling.  ¡°Thanks, Darryl.¡±

    Darryl smiled.  ¡°For what, Colby?  It¡¯s the truth.¡±  He led her over to the back of the large rec room, and spied his friend Martin and a few other friends from class.  All right Darryl, for god¡¯s sakes don¡¯t accidentally out Martin ¨C that would be totally bad.

    ¡°Hey, guys!¡±  Darryl said, waving.  ¡°I¡¯d like you to meet the girl I¡¯ve been talking about.  Colby Sheppard, these reprobates and miscreants are Martin Driscoll, Susanne Jones, his girlfriend and partner in crime, and Donny Marsh.  These are the peeps I hang with in Journalism class.¡±  Martin was dressed as an ancient Knight in armor, and Susanne was dressed as a medieval princess.  Donny was dressed like the Joker ¨C Heath Ledger¡¯s Joker, not the new guy, Jared Leto.

    ¡°Hey!  Nice to meet the mystery woman!¡±  Martin replied, holding out his hand to shake.  ¡°Darryl¡¯s been talking about you non stop.¡±

    ¡°Well, he does stop to breathe.¡±  Suzanne added, grinning.  ¡°Call me Sue.¡±  She patted the couch next to her, motioning for Colby and Darryl to sit down.

    ¡°Will do.¡±  Colby replied, shaking Martin¡¯s hand and then sitting next to Sue.  As she touched Martin¡¯s hand a host of genetic information flooded her ¨C as it did every time she touched someone now¡­ Normally she¡¯d gotten used to filtering it out ¨C but she was struck by the fact his DNA said he was female ¨C but he looked and acted male, and she could detect synthetic testosterone in his system.  Is he Trans?  She wondered.  Wow!

    ¡°So what do you do, Colby?¡±  Donny asked.  ¡°You in University too?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±  She said a little sadly.  ¡°I need to find some work.  I¡¯m between jobs, and I don¡¯t really have the cash to go to university as yet.  I¡¯d love to, frankly ¨C but I can¡¯t afford it at the moment.¡±

    ¡°What would you take?¡±  Sue asked.

    ¡°Probably medicine or something.  I¡¯d like to be a GP one day.¡±  Colby answered.  ¡°I like helping people ¨C but I¡¯m definitely not looking forward to the student debt.  Still, that¡¯s what I¡¯d take if I could.¡±

    ¡°Cool.¡±  Martin replied.  ¡°I understand you had some problems with your folks.  Living on your own must be hard.¡±

    ¡°Darryl told you that?¡± Colby asked, surprised.  ¡°Yeah ¨C my folks don¡¯t want to have anything to do with me.  I haven¡¯t even heard from them in two or three years.  It has been pretty hard.  I¡¯m between apartments at the moment ¨C Darryl¡¯s put me up on his couch.¡±

    ¡°From the sounds of it, he¡¯d like to put you up to more!¡±  Donny snorted, and then yelped as he got smacked by both Darryl and Sue.

    ¡°Dude!  She¡¯s right here in front of you!  Have some fucking manners!¡±

    Colby smirked.  They kid around just like I used to.  These are pretty good people ¨C they¡¯re not phonies.  I like that.  ¡°Actually, I was planning on moving off the couch tonight, if you know what I mean.¡±  She leaned over and gave Darryl a kiss on the cheek, and a quick hug.  ¡°Not that you¡¯ll ever see it, Donny!¡±

    Sue laughed!  ¡°Good one, Colby!¡±  She giggled.  ¡°She got you, Donny!¡±

    Donny smirked and hung his head.  ¡°I guess you did.  Nice one.¡±

    Colby nodded, and took a sip of her beer.  At least beer still tastes like beer, she thought.  It does taste a little stronger and a little different.  Maybe my tastebuds are different?

    ¡°So you guys hang out a lot?¡±  She asked.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±  Martin replied.  ¡°We hang out a bunch after school, and sometimes study sessions during a weeknight.  Darryl keeps his weekends free for his other friends mostly.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you guys want to go meet them?  We could all hang together!  It¡¯s better than sitting in the corner, avoiding everyone.¡±  Darryl looked excited to have the two groups merge. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Martin looked a bit wary, but Susanne seemed to be okay with it.  Donny didn¡¯t care.  Darryl gave Colby a hug, and said ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, honey¡­ It¡¯ll just be a moment.¡±

    ¡°But¡­?!¡±  Colby began.  I thought he said he would stick close?

    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine, dude.¡±  Marten said.  ¡°Go get your friends ¨C we¡¯ll be right here.¡±

    Darryl nodded and left to find the others, leaving Colby alone with Darryl¡¯s other friends.

    ¡°Have you known Darryl long, Colby?¡±  Martin asked.

    ¡°It feels like practically forever.¡±  Colby responded.  ¡°But it¡¯s been less than a week.  I can¡¯t believe how fast things have happened.¡±

    ¡°And you two are happy?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think so.  We¡¯re still working some stuff out, but I think we¡¯re good.  Why?¡±

    Martin smiled wryly.  ¡°Just asking.¡±

    Sue broke in.  ¡°We just know what it¡¯s like being at the mercy of your friends, with little or no support network.  It can be rough, and sometimes you don¡¯t feel safe.¡±

    ¡°I guess I can understand that, Sue.  It¡¯s okay.  I feel safe with Darryl.  I think we¡¯ll be fine.¡±  Colby realized that once again, people she had just met were concerned for her safety, and how she felt ¨C just cause she was friends with one of their pals.  It felt nice to be accepted, but at the same time, Colby couldn¡¯t help but realize a few things.  Sue and Martin were probably talking from experience ¨C and Sue probably knew Martin was trans.  Colby didn¡¯t know if Donny or Darryl knew, so she didn¡¯t mention it ¨C but she couldn¡¯t help but wonder how Darryl described her to his friends.  It made her think.

    ¡°Any of you have problems with your folks?¡±  She asked.

    ¡°Not for me.¡±  Said Sue.  ¡°But Martin¡¯s parents kicked him to the curb when he was 16 years old.  He¡¯s putting himself through college, and I¡¯m really proud of him being able to do it.¡±  She smiled and kissed Martin on the cheek, who smiled back.

    ¡°It¡¯s been rough.¡±  Martin said.  ¡°But a friend of Sue¡¯s dad has this bar across town, and she let me work as a bartender when I can spare time from school.  It helps pay the bills ¨C and I promised to work for him for at least a full year of full-time before I put my degree to work, you know ¨C so he can get some work out of me.  Being a bartender is pretty fun ¨C and you meet and talk to a lot of people.  It doesn¡¯t pay too badly, either.¡±

    ¡°Cool!¡±  Colby was really interested.  Bartending was something she¡¯d have liked to have tried as a part time job.  I guess I was never confident enough to get jobs like that before.  I was always brooding, or just struggling to make it through the damn day.  I guess I¡¯m lucky I¡¯m still here in some ways.  ¡°What about you, Donny?¡±

    ¡°Nah, my folks are cool.  They¡¯d rather I was here at school than hanging at home anyway. Why¡¯d you get kicked out?¡±

    Colby shifted and looked uncomfortable at the question.  ¡°I¡­ I¡¯d rather not talk about it.¡±

    Sue and Martin shared a look, and Martin put his hand on Colbys¡¯.  ¡°It¡¯s okay.  You don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want to.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±  Colby answered.   Where the hell is Darryl!?

    A few seconds later, she saw Darryl, Laurie, Robert and Yvonne threading their way through the crowd.  ¡°Sorry it took so long.¡±  Darryl called.  ¡°Yvonne got a call from her grandma, and we decided to wait till the call was over.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.  Grandma still thinks I need to find a good boyfriend.  I don¡¯t think she¡¯s realized I¡¯m gay yet.¡±  Yvonne said, joking.  ¡°Still, she¡¯s sweet even if she¡¯s not always there.  She called and let me know she¡¯s making candy apples again this year.  I¡¯ll probably go and see her this weekend.¡±

    ¡°How is she doing?¡±  Susanne asked.

    ¡°Not bad ¨C but the doctors think she might need to be moved to a full care retirement home soon.  She¡¯s got some serious mobility issues, and she¡¯s starting to get a bit forgetful.  I hope it¡¯s not dementia.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.  I hope so too.¡±  Susanne said.  ¡°I¡¯m Sue ¨C and the gentle knight here is Martin, my boyfriend.  This doofus is Donny.¡±

    ¡°Cool.  I¡¯m Yvonne, and this is Laurie and Robert ¨C and I guess you¡¯ve met Colby and Darryl.¡±  Yvonne said, looking for a place for her and Robert to sit.

    ¡°Sorry, Yvonne.  I should have done the introductions.¡±  Darryl said, abashedly.  ¡°My bad.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it ¨C this time.¡± Yvonne joked.

    Darryl sat down next to Colby, who looked a little miffed, and Laurie sat down on a large ottoman nearby.

    They chatted for a while, occasionally refreshing their drinks, and got to know each other.  Donny hit it off with Yvonne ¨C her weird sense of humor matched his perfectly, and Robert, Darryl and Martin got deeply involved in discussing the latest rumors of Heroes and Heroines.  Colby wasn¡¯t interested ¨C she dealt with it too much in normal life ¨C so she ended up chatting with Sue and Laurie, and they all had a good time.

    A few hours passed ¨C and Colby began to notice something odd.  First, everyone seemed to be at least a little bit tipsy (and some were definitely drunk), but she was stone cold sober.  She also noticed that the number of people in the room had dropped a little over half ¨C so many of the partygoers must have gone, or headed out somewhere else.  She also realized that after 6 beers, she really had to pee¡­

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±  She asked.  ¡°Where¡¯s the bathroom?¡±

    Donny pointed to the back hallway.  ¡°There¡¯s one over there, and if its full, there¡¯s two upstairs ¨C one on each floor.  Just help yourself.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Donny.¡±  Colby replied, getting up carefully.  ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a sec.¡±

    Laurie noticed her getting up.  ¡°Need some company, Colby?¡±

    ¡°Nah.  I¡¯ll be fine.  I¡¯ll be right back.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±  Laurie nodded, and turned back to the groups conversations.

    Colby headed off towards the front foyer so she could take the hallway to the bathroom.  There were five or six jocks in the kitchen trying to chug beer through a funnel, and Colby smirked.  At least Hollywood didn¡¯t totally lie to me about frat houses, she thought.  So far this evening has been arms and legs away from what I expected.  I suppose I have the TV and Media to thank for that.  She turned and headed down to the bathroom ¨C and one look inside told her there was no way she was going in there.  Someone had vomited ¨C prodigiously ¨C all over the walls, floor, and somehow even the ceiling.  No one was going in there without a hazmat suit.  Yuck!

    Backtracking, she headed upstairs, starting to get a little worried.  The pressure in her bladder wasn¡¯t about to go away anytime soon, and it lent a feeling of urgency to her search.  Like many of the places on campus, the room was lit with the ever-present lights of wireless signals, but she tried to avoid tapping into them ¨C she didn¡¯t want to butt into a phone call or see what some frat boy was downloading¡­ Eww.   She headed upstairs.

    The second floor was pretty quiet ¨C most of the doors were shut, and Colby could hear people making sounds of lovemaking behind some of them.  She wasn¡¯t surprised, much ¨C but she didn¡¯t want to accidentally barge in on some people when looking for a bathroom.  Finally, she found what she was looking for.  She slipped inside, and looked around.  The bathroom was pretty standard ¨C it had two showers, two stalls, two urinals, and two sinks.  A young man was passed out in one of the bathtubs, drunk ¨C and it looked like he had had an accident.  Eww.  She quickly went into an empty stall, and did her business.  Well, Hollywood didn¡¯t completely lie about Frat Houses, she thought.  Some of it seems to be accurate.  Oh my god, that feels better!  She cleaned herself up ¨C which after two days was still a new and unusual experience ¨C and washed up in the sink.  The sink to her left was empty, but there was some white powder on the sink.  Better not to ask what it was, she thought.

    Colby left the bathroom, and had to look twice to reorient herself, so she knew how to get back downstairs.  Suddenly, somebody bumped into her, and grabbed her for support.  She tried to see who it was ¨C and she didn¡¯t recognize the guy.  He was big, broad shouldered, and muscular ¨C and drunk as all hell. He was dressed up like Captain Patriot.

    ¡°Hey sexy,¡± he slurred. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching you all night.  Why do you hang out with those losers?¡±

    ¡°I happen to like those ¡®losers¡¯.¡± Colby answered.  ¡°Please let go of me.  I¡¯m not interested.¡±

    ¡°C¡¯mon, baby.  Just a kiss first?¡±  he said, leaning in trying to drunken slobber all over her, while his hands moved to grab her breasts and squeeze.

    What the FUCK!?  Colby thought, and lashed out, punching with all her strength ¨C which didn¡¯t seem to faze the drunk jock.  Enough of this, she thought.  She grabbed him back, and he grinned, thinking she was coming around.  She wasn¡¯t.  ¡°Listen to me you piece of rapist shit.¡± She said. ¡°I¡¯m giving you one chance to turn your life around.  Let go of me.  Now.¡±

    He laughed at her, but totally ignored her.  ¡°You¡¯re feisty!¡±

    Colby snarled, and caused his muscles to lock up with paralysis.  The jocks face twisted with fear, and then he passed out.  He fell to the floor with a thump.  ¡°Asshole.¡±  She looked down at him and realized he needed a stern lesson.  She touched him on the neck, and tinkered with his body chemistry and the cervical nerves in his spine a bit.  Maybe he¡¯ll think twice when he can¡¯t feel or move anything below his neck for three or four days.  It should give him some time to sober up and think about what he almost did.  What an asshole.  Now I know why girls go to the bathroom in groups ¨C to avoid problems like this.  Fuck!

    Colby¡¯s mood had soured; where before she was happy and having fun, now she just felt gross and wanted to go home.  She headed downstairs.  As she got to the bottom of the stairs, she realized she was starting to shake, and felt queasy and unsteady on her feet.  Am I going into shock?  It wasn¡¯t a fight!  Why am I so affected?  She couldn¡¯t explain why she felt so badly, so she just went over to Laurie and Darryl, and touched him on the shoulder.  ¡°Darryl¡­  I¡¯m not feeling well.  Can we go?¡±

    Darryl looked up from his conversation, and noticed how pale and shaky Colby looked.  ¡°Sure hon.  Is everything all right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Colby said.  ¡°I¡¯m just not feeling great.¡±

    Laurie stood up to go, too.  ¡°Hey guys, gals.  Looks like we¡¯ve gotta go.  Why don¡¯t you two say your goodbyes, and I¡¯ll go call us a cab?¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Laurie.¡±  Colby stuttered.  ¡°I appreciate it.¡±   She turned to Martin and Suzanne, Robert and Yvonne, and nodded.  ¡°It¡¯s been nice meeting you all.  I¡¯d love to get together again sometime.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been nice meeting you, too.¡±  Martin replied.  ¡°I¡¯ll get Darryl to exchange out numbers with you and vice versa once you¡¯re feeling better.  Have a nice night.¡±

    The others shared their goodbyes as well, and Colby returned them along with Darryl and they headed outside.  The crisp October air helped recharge Colby a bit, and she took a few breathes.

    ¡°Okay, hon.¡±  Darryl began.  ¡°Something happened, didn¡¯t it?  Is everything okay?¡±

    Colby knew she could lie, but she felt like it would be wrong.  She and Darryl had something special growing between them, and she didn¡¯t want to screw it up with lies, just to avoid talking about it.  ¡°When I was upstairs looking for a bathroom, some jock came out of nowhere and grabbed me.  I told him to let me go, and he started grabbing my breasts, so I¡­ I knocked him out and taught him a lesson.  He¡¯s having a nap now.¡±

    Darryl looked furious.  ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Colby!  Are you okay?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine ¨C a little shaken up, but fine.  He didn¡¯t hurt me ¨C it just scared me.¡±  Colby answered.  ¡°Please don¡¯t go back inside to do anything.¡±  Darryl looked frustrated ¨C and Colby knew that¡¯s exactly what he¡¯d been planning on doing.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±  Laurie called from the end of the lane, as she quickly hustled over to see what was going on.  ¡°Is Colby okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m okay.  I just had a problem with a drunk jock outside the second floor bathroom.¡±

    ¡°Oh shit!  I knew I should have gone to the bathroom with you.¡±  Laurie looked mortified.  ¡°You sure you¡¯re okay?¡±

    Colby groaned.  ¡°I just want to go home, okay?  I¡¯m not hurt ¨C just a bit scared.  If I didn¡¯t have my powers, this evening might have had a lot worse of an ending, and that¡¯s all I¡¯m going to say about it.  He¡¯s napping it off, and I feel really shaky and sick.¡±

    Laurie nodded, and Darryl held her close.  ¡°The cab will be here pretty soon.¡±  She replied, and came over to hold Colby¡¯s hand, who returned the squeeze with some relief.  The cab arrived a few minutes later, and the three of them climbed in to go home.

    Darryl and Colby got back to Darryl¡¯s apartment about 40 minutes later ¨C they had already dropped off Laurie at her apartment, with a promise to call her in the morning to tell her if everything was okay or not.  Darryl paid the cab fare, and the two lovers headed quietly inside.  Darryl unlocked the door to his apartment, and hung up both their coats in his front hall closet.

    He sat down on the couch, and patted for Colby to sit next to him.

    ¡°Want to talk about it?¡± he asked.

    Colby sat, and rested her head on Dar¡¯s shoulder.  ¡°Not much to talk about.  I was lucky I had my powers, or I might have had a really bad evening.  He was drunk ¨C and I know that¡¯s not an excuse, but I¡¯m not sure he¡¯s even going to remember what happened in the morning.¡±

    ¡°Shit.¡±  Darryl answered.  ¡°And you¡¯re sure you¡¯re okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, honey.¡±  She said, trying the word out.  It felt good.  ¡°He just scared me a bit, which is weird since I can get shot like six times and barely feel it.  I guess I just got a taste of what it¡¯s like being a girl on a normal American campus and I¡¯m a bit scared.¡±  She felt a few tears forming on her eyes.  ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m ready for this.  I don¡¯t know what I don¡¯t know.  I¡¯m a total stranger to how girls think and act ¨C or why they do things they do.  I can¡¯t protect myself without my abilities.  I have no clue what I¡¯m doing at all¡­¡±  Colby couldn¡¯t help it ¨C the tears came unbidden, and wouldn¡¯t stop.

    Darryl just held her, and stroked her hair.  ¡°Hush¡­  It¡¯ll all be okay.  You don¡¯t have to learn everything in a day.¡±

    Colby cried for a while, letting Darryl hold her and stroke her hair.  It felt comforting ¨C not just the stroking, but also him understanding ¨C that and knowing she didn¡¯t have to learn everything in one day.  That no one expected her to learn it all instantly. She turned and hugged him close.  ¡°Thank you, Dar.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Colby.  You don¡¯t have to thank me.¡±  He said, looking down into her eyes, he placed his finger under her chin and lifted her face up towards him.  ¡°I think you¡¯re a special girl, Colby Hayden Sheppard.¡±  He leaned down, and brought her face up towards his.  ¡°I think I¡¯m falling for you.¡±  He whispered.

    Colby looked up into her friends face, and felt that butterfly sensation in her stomach again.  Her brain was squealing with joy, but she didn¡¯t follow suit.  All she felt was that she needed him ¨C not just for the night, but for always.  ¡°I think I might be falling for you too, Dar.¡±  She reached up, and kissed him, and her heart raced when she felt him kiss her back.  What surprised her  was how much she wanted him¡­ It was like an ache she couldn¡¯t salve, or a hole in her heart.  ¡°I think I love you.¡±

    She didn¡¯t protest even a bit when he gently picked her up and carried her to his room.

 Chapter 15 - Victory

    Dr. Pierce finished looking over his gear with more than a little confusion.  There was nothing wrong with the weapon, he thought.  It¡¯s fully functional ¨C it just didn¡¯t fire when I needed it.  The same for the Jetpack¡­  Nothing wrong with it, but it fired when I didn¡¯t want it to.  My tech never misfires, so something else must be at work.

    Justin thought about it a bit, and realized what he¡¯d been missing¡­  She calls herself Virus¡­  Is it because she can interface with electronics?  That would explain why my fool proof bomb didn¡¯t go off ¨C I used digital detonators.  It also explains why Carnage¡¯s minigun didn¡¯t fire¡­ she turned it off, just like she did my Blaster.  Tricky, tricky girl¡­ I wonder if the press knows you lied about your powers?  He smiled.  Next time I won¡¯t make those mistakes ¨C and just in case you decide to try them again, I¡¯d better put in some ECM to see if I can slow you down.

    ¡°Mr. Chips, buddy?  Did you feel something weird when Virus was trying to stop me?¡±

    ¡°Yip!  Yip!  Grrr¡­¡±  Mr. Chips definitely had, and had erected a temporary firewall at the time.  It had sort of worked.

    ¡°I think she tried to hack you, pal.¡±  Dr. Pierce replied.  ¡°Configure for maximum ECM next time we meet her.¡±  (ECM was an acronym for Electronic Counter Measures).   ¡°Maybe that will keep her on her toes.¡±

    ¡°Yip!  Yap!¡±  Mr. Chips agreed.  He¡¯d already parsed the data he had gained from his scan of Virus, and concluded she was extremely dangerous ¨C but extremely unskilled.  If he could erect a barrier to keep her out of his OS, she shouldn¡¯t be a problem to deal with, even with a greatly reduced arsenal of weaponry.  After all, there was a finite pool of resources Mr. Chips could draw upon, and if most of his assets were keeping her out, then he could only use what little was left to deal with her.

    ¡°Yip!¡±  Mr. Chips exclaimed.

    ¡°I know, buddy.  We won¡¯t be here much longer.  I have a few places in mind where we can live after the nasty business with Trask is done.  But until then, we need to stay here with daddy¡¯s tools.  Besides, it¡¯s pretty safe here ¨C remember the bad man Victor and his friends?  They didn¡¯t get to hurt me either.  We¡¯re okay.¡±

    Trask Industrial was still a potential target, but it was way too well guarded at the moment.  They were probably all on high alert now, Justin thought.  Oh well.  ¡°Let¡¯s start on plan B.  Trask Electronics.¡±

    Mr. Chips barked with happiness.  Master always liked playing with his toys!

    *              *              *

    Colby woke to feel Darryl kissing her on the cheek, and couldn¡¯t help but smile.  ¡°Morning, you.¡±

    ¡°Good morning, Colby.¡±  Darryl replied.  ¡°How did you sleep?¡±

    She grinned naughtily.  ¡°Pretty well, once we got to sleep, I think.  How about you?¡±

    ¡°I slept great.¡±  He stretched, and Colby watched his lithe muscles move under his skin.  ¡°Any plans for today?¡±  He asked.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±  Colby answered.  ¡°I¡¯ve got a heroine thing that needs done.  I don¡¯t know how long it will take, but it needs done.  The guy who changed me is killing people and making bombs.  I¡¯ve got to stop him.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±  Dar said, smiling sadly.  ¡°I don¡¯t have to like it much though.  Stay safe?¡±

    ¡°I will, but I¡¯m not leaving yet.  I just woke up.  Thanks for taking me to the party last night, by the way.¡±

    ¡°Oh ¨C the party where Laurie and I screwed up and you nearly got attacked?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, doofus.¡±  She laughed.  ¡°That one.  Up until the end it was a lot of fun.  I think I¡¯d have liked university.¡±

    ¡°Have you thought about going, now that you¡¯re changed?¡±  Darryl asked.

    ¡°Yeah ¨C but I¡¯ll need a place to live first ¨C and then the other stuff can follow.  I¡¯ll sort it out ¨C and I know you¡¯ll help when you can too.  I meant it though, I think I¡¯ll take medicine.¡±

    Darryl nodded.  ¡°I think you¡¯d make a good doctor, even without powers.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, honey.¡±  Colby smiled ¨C she still liked the sound of that.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Colby.¡±  He gave her a kiss on the forehead.  ¡°Is there anything I can help with today?¡±

    Colby scrunched up her nose and thought ¨C it was a silly, cute expression that made Dar laugh, so it was totally worth it.  ¡°Maybe look online for some apartments I can look at to rent?  I know I can¡¯t move in until I get my paperwork ¨C but I can still view the apartment and see if it¡¯s for me, right?  I shouldn¡¯t need my ID until I actually have to apply for the unit.¡±

    Dar nodded.  ¡°I can do that, beautiful.  It¡¯s too bad I don¡¯t have a two bedroom ¨C you could stay here.¡±

    Did he just ask me to move in with him?  No way!  ¡°Maybe I could, Dar ¨C but we¡¯re still sorting things out, and as much as I care for you, I think it would be best if we had our own spaces for at least a few months until we¡¯re sure.  Is that okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, hon.  It¡¯s okay.  I was just musing.¡±  Dar replied.  ¡°I think it might be too soon, too.  It was more a comment than a question.¡±

    ¡°Okay, honey.¡±  Colby climbed out of bed and stretched.  ¡°Yarrrg¡± she groaned, stretching.  ¡°Dibs on the shower.¡±

    ¡°Go ahead, stinky.¡±

    ¡°Stinky!  Who are you calling stinky?¡±  She laughed ¨C but grabbed a pillow all the same.

    Darryl grinned, and grabbed her hips.  ¡°You.  I¡¯m calling you stinky.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not stinky; I¡¯m a girl.  I sweat rainbows, kittens and tiny unicorns.¡±  Colby laughed and bopped Dar with the pillow before heading off to the shower.  ¡°Doofus!¡±

    ¡°Rainbows and kittens?  Like hell you do!¡±  Darryl laughed.  I¡¯m going to miss the hell out of her when she finds her own place, he thought.  Why does she keep making me love her so much?  I can¡¯t believe this was Kayden.  How could he keep her inside for so long?  It must have been killing him.

    And what about me?  Darryl wondered.  What¡¯s happening with me?  Am I falling in love with her?  She even admitted last night she might be falling in love with me too¡­ Darryl had to admit he felt pretty nice when he heard her say that ¨C but did he expect it? Never!  How can this happen, and happen so quickly?  Should we take a step back, or push onward, full steam ahead?  I¡¯m so confused.

    Pushing his confusion to one side for now, Darryl went to the kitchen and put a pot of his fancy coffee on, and then booted up his laptop.  It was past 9:30am on a Saturday morning, so he didn¡¯t have to rush or actually be anywhere, which was nice.  Maybe I¡¯ll catch the Warden¡¯s game tomorrow afternoon?  That would be cool.  Maybe Colby will watch it with me?  She still likes football, doesn¡¯t she?  Pouring himself a steaming cup of coffee, he headed to the kitchen table and sat down to start looking for a place for Colby.

    *              *              *

    Colby smiled as she walked down 7<sup>th</sup> Avenue towards the lower east side.  The weather was cool, overcast, and slightly breezy, and Colby found she was enjoying the weather.  There were few people on the streets ¨C many of the shops weren¡¯t even open yet, or were just opening, so the streets were relatively deserted.  She waved at a caf¨¦ owner who was just opening up, and was pleased to see them wave back and smile.  It was strange, she thought.  Ever since I¡¯ve become Colby I¡¯ve been actually happy.  I could really get used to feeling that way.  I should have transitioned years ago ¨C I guess I wasn¡¯t brave enough?  It doesn¡¯t matter.  Colby¡¯s here and I¡¯m not leaving¡­

    She thought back to last night, when the jock dressed as Captain Patriot had manhandled her.  I can¡¯t fight yet ¨C that¡¯s a serious weakness.  Until I learn to fight, I need to maximize my advantages.  I can control and manipulate Hazard Man¡¯s tech, and maybe Mr. Chips too ¨C but I can¡¯t count on that.  Dr. Pierce is supposed to be a genius ¨C what if he puts in some sort of firewall that can block me?  Maybe I need to concentrate on my other power ¨C the shapeshifting ¨C for now, to get an edge?

    I turned strong before, with the car accident ¨C that could be useful.  I might be able to make myself more agile and dexterous ¨C and maybe faster too.  All those would be handy.  It would be neat if I could see in the dark or hear ultrasonic sounds, but I¡¯m not really sure how that works.  Don¡¯t cats have extra cones and rods in their corneas, and rats have some sort of ability to hear ultrasonic sounds?  Maybe if I could see how their physiology works, I could mimic it?

    She decided to head to a local McDonalds, and grab a soda and use their free wifi for her phone.  Seventy-five minutes later, she had a pretty good idea of how rats and dogs could hear ultrasonic frequencies, how cats could see in the dark, how bats could echo-locate, how some insects could navigate by smell or infrared energy, and how porpoises use sonar underwater.  She even learned a little about how gills extract oxygen.  I¡¯m not sure if this will help, but it¡¯s worth a try; anything that gives me an edge is useful.  And hey, if it doesn¡¯t work, at least I learned something new, right?

    She groaned and stretched.  These chairs are NOT very comfortable, she thought.  Time to go.  She tossed her trash out, and headed back out into the street.  By now it was close to noon, and shoppers were out in full force.  She tried to stiffen her courage a bit and strode out towards them, hoping she¡¯d be able to let slide any comments directed her way.  Oddly enough, this time there were none, and it gave her some confidence as she headed towards what she hoped would be Hazard Man¡¯s Lair.

    As she walked she idly mused about some of Empire city¡¯s other heroes and heroines.  Like where was Fathom and Tesseract during all this excitement?  Did they leave town ¨C or are they just busy?  She chuckled a little bit.  Really, they could be out of town on business, or family matters, or even adventuring on some other planet or dimension.  I guess we start to think they¡¯ll always be here for us, and when they aren¡¯t, it seems odd and wrong.  I wonder how long it takes for people to expect me to always be here too?  It would be nice to meet them¡­ I could use some advice from a pro right now.

    Still, she thought, I¡¯m not managing too badly on my own, am I?  I¡¯m still alive ¨C that¡¯s something.  I just have to remember Hazard Man isn¡¯t a pro either ¨C so he¡¯ll be making as many newbie mistakes as I am, or if not as many, at least some.  I think that sort of makes us equal.  Just remember Colby, she told herself.  Always keep your eyes on the little damn dog.  You don¡¯t want him to fry you again.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Colby realized she¡¯d walked all the way from 7<sup>th</sup> avenue to 14<sup>th</sup> avenue.  She was practically on Hazard Mans¡¯ doorstep.  Time to find some cover and get changed.  As she looked around for a concealed spot to change ID¡¯s, she was struck by  inspiration ¨C what she called ¡°a brainwave¡¯.  I changed a cheap plastic watch into a Rolex, she thought.  Why can¡¯t I turn a pair of sunglasses into telescopic range finders with Infrared sight?  It¡¯s worth a try at least ¨C maybe I can make my own gadgets for heroing, if it works!

    She spied a narrow alley about half a block away from Hazard Man¡¯s warehouse, and ducked inside.  A quick scan with her electronic senses didn¡¯t reveal any cameras, and she didn¡¯t see anyone watching, so she quickly assumed her Virus form, taking a pair of sunglasses from her jacket pocket first.  Let¡¯s see if this works?  She said to herself, and began concentrating on how to change the device¡­  It was hard, shapeshifting it ¨C the electronics inside were the hard part, but she thought she could do it ¨C if she talked to them first to see if what she was doing was ¡®hurting them¡¯.  It took ten minutes and five tries ¨C but in the end she managed to transform the sunglasses into some yellow tinted goggles with a 10x telescopic feature that included range finding and a few other options ¨C the IR and UV functions eluded her, but she did realize something extremely important:  the greater her knowledge about the technology involved, the easier it was to change the stuff¡­ so simple things like brass knuckles or turning a watch into a watch was pretty simple ¨C but turning plastic sunglasses into high tech was not ¨C unless you knew how the tech worked.  Colby knew the telescopic feature because she knew about lenses ¨C she liked those classes in high school ¨C and she knew about range-finding because she read some stuff in a high-tech toy magazine a few months ago about military range finders.

    What if my ability to shapeshift functions the same way? She thought.  What if the more biology I know, the more forms I can change into or the more powers I can simulate?  Oh my god!  Is it that simple?  I just don¡¯t know ¨C but if I make it out alive today I¡¯m going to try and find out.  I think textbooks are going to be very good friends of mine very soon¡­

    She put the goggles on, and they felt pretty good.  The yellow tint on them was a little different, but she noticed it helped to cancel out some of the shadows in the alley and brighten things up.  Interesting.  She altered herself to have powerful legs again, and leapt up to the roof of the building she was next to, and leapt from rooftop to rooftop until she reached Hazard Mans warehouse.  The final jump was easy, and she landed lightly as a cat would land.  Now to look around for a way in.

    She approached a skylight, and assumed it would be alarmed.  A gentle touch with her electronic senses showed that it was ¨C and she was able to easily interface with the system and shut it down.  The Skylight was closed, but she had figured it would be ¨C so she had brought a suction cup from the hardware store and a glass cutter from the same, and tried to do what she¡¯d seen in at least a dozen movies.  She was surprised at how easy it was ¨C the glass cut easily, and the suction cup held it from falling ¨C and soon the skylight was open and she was able to climb inside.

    A moment later she was standing on a metal beam that formed the upper rafters of the warehouse.  It gave a very good view of the building ¨C and it was plain there were some interesting modifications done to the building.  First, there was unrecognizable tech lying in every available workspace, and strange machines she couldn¡¯t identify occupying the sections of the floor large enough to accommodate them.  She couldn¡¯t see Hazard Man or Mr. Chips ¨C but she could see a pair of dog bowls, one filled with oil and the other with RAM chips, and a cup of coffee on a table, with steam coming off of it.  They must be close.  Suddenly she heard a distinctive ¡°bweeeee!¡± of something electronic charging up, and she knew she was caught.  Oh Shit, she thought as she leapt off the beam to the warehouse floor, 40 feet below.

    BLAM!  Virus landed in a soft crouch ¨C only to see the spot she¡¯d been standing a moment ago had been blasted by a powerful energy weapon.  The beam she had been standing on was melted through, and cherry red metal was dripping down to the ground below, near Virus, causing sparks when it landed.

    ¡°Uh¡­ Hello?¡±  She asked.  She still couldn¡¯t see Mr. Chips or Hazard Man, and they had undoubtedly seen her.  ¡°I disabled your alarm.  How did you notice me?¡±

    Hazard man laughed.  ¡°I figured out your secret, Virus ¨C the one you don¡¯t want the news knowing.  How you can interface with electronics.¡±

    How in the fucking hell did he figure that out?  Oh crap¡­  All of a sudden Colby¡¯s plan didn¡¯t seem so great.  She decided to switch to plan B and primarily use the shapeshifting.

    ¡°¡­You see, Virus, you found the first alarm that was on the network, but I figured you¡¯d be sloppy and miss the second alarm, that was NOT on the network.  The second one that activated the moment the first was turned off, I might add.  Imagine my surprise when it worked perfectly!  Do you still intend to try and stop me from dealing with Trask?  I¡¯ll give you this one chance to leave.  I assure you, I am quite prepared to deal with you.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, maybe not.¡±  Virus said, angling to see if she could see him.  His blabbermouth yapping had mostly given away his position, but she still couldn¡¯t see him.  ¡°I¡¯ve got a few surprises up my sleeves, too.¡±  She hid behind some machines¡­ They told her their purpose was to fabricate metals.  She dealt with electronics talking to her a lot lately, so she just tuned it out so she could hear Hazard Man.

    ¡°I doubt it.¡±  Hazard Man quipped.  ¡°If you did, you¡¯d have used them at Trask Industrial.¡±

    There he was!  Virus finally got a glimpse of him, and Mr. Chips as well.  They were quietly walking on a metal catwalk about twenty feet up, looking for her.  I must have fallen out of their line of sight when I jumped, she thought.  They can¡¯t see me!

    Colby got a nasty idea and snuck directly under the catwalk.  The two villains kept walking above, looking for her.  She concentrated, and tried to change herself a bit, hoping her idea would work.  She leapt up to the catwalk, and grasped on with all her might ¨C and the sound caused Mr. Chips and Hazard Man to whirl around.  ¡°Surprise!¡± she said, and let them have it, as she pumped all the electricity her body could hold into the catwalk¡­ ¡°I read about electric eels, dumbass!¡±

    Mr. Chips yelped and some circuits sizzled and burnt as the current passed through the iron catwalk ¨C and Hazard Man groaned, and fell to the ground nerveless, as if he had been hit by one or more stun guns.  Virus couldn¡¯t hold on to the catwalk anymore and fell twenty feet to the ground, landing in a catlike crouch that seemed to surprise even her.

    Mr. Chips turned his scanners onto his master right away, and he would have sighed with relief if he still had to breathe.  Master was still breathing¡­  SHE HURT MASTER!  Mr. Chips reconfigured to deal with this unwanted intruder, and his internal systems put a very strong set of ECM up to keep Virus from taking control of him.  NO ONE HURTS MASTER!  He ran to the edge of the catwalk, and leapt off, his jetpack emerging from his chest cavity, and flew towards where he had last seen Virus, his flame thrower powering up.  She wasn¡¯t there ¨C and then his sensors detecting something incoming!

    Mr. Chips was hit with a large piece of high-tech machinery ¨C an industrial drill press weighing about a quarter ton.  It impacted with bone and polymer crushing force, and sent the tiny robot dog crashing to the floor, injured.  Mr. Chips was stunned, and by the time his system had reset, Virus was standing over him with a large steel object held in hugely muscled arms ¨C one of the machines in the warehouse ¨C held over her head to smash him with.  He yipped in anger, and Virus brought the heavy machine down on him.  The device smashed against him once, then twice ¨C and then it broke into useless smaller pieces from the force of the beating it had taken, and for a moment Virus was left unarmed.

    Hurt, but not out of the fight, Mr. Chips unleashed with his flamethrower, and caught the newbie heroine full on!  She screamed for a moment ¨C but then regained control of herself, and even though she was still burning, it didn¡¯t seem to be bothering her ¨C other than being a bit less agile than a moment before.  He could tell her wounds were healing as they fought.

    ¡°Not so easy, is it puppy?¡±  Virus asked.  ¡°Like I said, I have a few tricks up my sleeve.¡±  She stared at the dog, and tried to take control of him.  She knew it would be harder than normal, since they were obviously prepared for it, but she wagered it was worth the risk.  Frankly, I don¡¯t dislike the dog, she thought.  He¡¯s just protecting his master.  I don¡¯t want to scrap him.  If I can turn him off or something, that would be much better!

    Mr. Chips could feel her infiltrating his firewall, and was surprised she was making headway against it. His processor believed that her hacking skills would have to equal or exceed Master¡¯s to be able to do that, and his tactical assessment showed that there was no natural way she should have that level of skill.  There were only three people in the world at Masters level on the computer ¨C and none of them were female.  It must be a power¡­ So reconfigure to negate powers?  Mr. Chips realized he would have only moments to attempt it.  He reconfigured, and flamed her again.  Again, she burned but didn¡¯t scream or even seem to feel the heat of the fire.  Her healing factor was almost but not quite keeping up with the damage.  He just couldn¡¯t figure out how she was remaining functional.

    Meanwhile, Virus probed deeper and deeper into Mr. Chips¡¯ defences, threading past protective codes one by one.  As she took the second flame blast she grew frustrated ¨C it was taking too long!  Still it was the only way to defeat Mr. Chips without destroying his body, and she wasn¡¯t willing to do that. Yet. She probed deeper.

    Mr. Chips finished reconfiguring for power negation, and sent the energy radiating at Virus.  It waited expectantly ¨C for her mind probe to stop, for her healing to stop, for her ability to block the pain to stop¡­ and nothing happened.  He yipped in anger and ran a quick subroutine¡­ the negation field was working at 100%.  Why didn¡¯t it affect her?  Mr. growled in frustration.

    Virus pushed one more time ¨C and with a mental surge that felt herculean, she broke through Mr. Chips computerized defences.  She could see his mind arrayed in front of her ¨C with memories of him and Justin playing ¨C and crying ¨C together over the years of their relationship.  ¡°You¡¯re a good dog.¡±  She said, realizing it was true ¨C at least until Justin turned him into a monster.  ¡°Good boy.  Time for a nap.¡±  She shut him down ¨C and he fell over, like a toy without batteries.  He wasn¡¯t a bad dog, she thought.  He was just helping his master.  Justin, you stupid bastard.  If you hadn¡¯t done this to him, I could have healed Mr. Chips.  Now I don¡¯t think I can.  She knelt next to him.  ¡°Sorry pal.  I guess you¡¯re stuck like this.¡±

    She got to her feet, and let her healing factor finish healing the damage Mr. Chips¡¯ flame thrower had caused, and used her power to jump up to the catwalk where Hazard Man was still stunned, but was starting to come to.  She touched his neck, below the tinfoil lined helmet, and put him to sleep for at least eight hours.  It¡¯s over.  She thought.  I won.  I won!  Virus started giggling, and pumped her fist in the air.  ¡°Woot!  I fucking beat him!  Yes!¡± Victory felt good, she thought.  What felt better was that Dr. Justin Pierce wouldn¡¯t be able to hurt anyone else for quite some time.  Hopefully he would get the psychiatric care he needed ¨C and if not, she hoped he wouldn¡¯t be out of jail for a very long time.

    She pulled out her cheap disposable phone and called Detective Allan Taylor.  Mr. Trask was undoubtedly going to be gigantically pissed off she hadn¡¯t killed Pierce, but that was a problem for another day.  Maybe Trask would have some brains and leave it alone, she wondered.  Nah.  Probably not.

    The phone rang once, then twice, and Detective Taylor picked up.  ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Hello, detective Taylor?  It¡¯s your friend, Virus.  I believe I have something that belongs to the ECPD.  Could you stop by and pick him up, please?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, ma¡¯am?  Did you capture Dr. Pierce?¡±  Detective Taylor asked.

    ¡°Yeah, and his robot dog, too.  I thought you and your partner might want the collar.  He¡¯s at a warehouse on 18<sup>th</sup> avenue ¨C but the doors are all trapped and locked.  I¡¯ll open a path for you and your men.  There are a lot of traps here, so be careful.¡±

    Allan looked surprised.  ¡°How about this, miss Virus? Why don¡¯t you bring him out, and the robot dog too, and we¡¯ll send the bomb-squad inside to defuse all the traps.  That way no one gets hurt - Including you, or us.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good.  I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±  Virus hung up, smirking.  A job well done, she thought.

    *              *              *

    Detective Taylor turned to his partner, Brian Keller.  ¡°Guess who just took out Hazard Man and his dog, and offered us the collar?¡±

    ¡°I told you Allan, she¡¯s got the hots for you!¡±  Brian smirked.  ¡°And if we¡¯re lucky we¡¯ll get a big fat raise and Mr. Trask won¡¯t have us killed for you sassing him in his office ¨C when he still had an office.¡±

    ¡°I think we better call the bomb squad on this one ¨C she says the place is booby-trapped.¡±

    ¡°Those aren¡¯t the boobies you¡¯re thinking about, are they my friend?¡±  Brian joked.

    ¡°What?!  No!  What are you, five?¡±  Detective Taylor protested.

    ¡°Methinks you protest too much.¡±  Brian replied.  ¡°But I¡¯ll lay off for now.  I still say she was checking you out.¡±

    ¡°Maybe she was, but I wasn¡¯t thinking of her¡­ until you said something.¡±  Allan sighed.  It was going to be one of those days, wasn¡¯t it?  He turned the car around and they headed towards Hazard Man¡¯s warehouse.  This case was going to produce a prodigious amount of paperwork before it was all over, and Brian¡¯s joking wasn¡¯t going to help.  That must of have been some fight, he thought.  For her to take them on and win, after the beating she took last time must have taken guts.  Detective Taylor couldn¡¯t help but respect Virus for trying ¨C and succeeding.  She¡¯s learning, he thought.  I wonder how powerful she¡¯ll be by the time she actually knows what she¡¯s doing?

    He drove for a bit longer.  ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking of her boobs.¡±

    Brian smirked.  ¡°Uh-huh.  Sure you weren¡¯t.  I know I was ¨C she¡¯s smoking hot!¡±

    ¡°Perv.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not the one she gave her phone number to, am I?¡±

    Detective Taylor didn¡¯t know what to say, so he stayed quiet, and drove.  It was definitely going to be a long day.

 Chapter 16 - Repercussions

    Colby grinned all the way home.  It had taken a while to extricate herself from the police, but getting out without being seen by the news was child¡¯s play for her¡­  She shapeshifted a few times and in moments, the newsies had lost her ¨C easy peasy!  Colby had decided she didn¡¯t care about a lot of publicity ¨C she would work better being a mysterious figure who worked in secret, rather than being a poster girl for law and order.  In fact, too much publicity will be a hindrance, eventually, she thought.  That and I hate live interviews.  I can¡¯t wait to tell Darryl!  We¡¯ll have to celebrate or something!

    I still have some loose ends, though.  I need to look up the jerk who attacked me and see what happened to him, and I need to help that girl Diane, whose ex-boyfriend has been kicking the crap out of her. Not cool.  Colby had no respect for anyone who hit someone they claimed to care for ¨C man or woman, it didn¡¯t matter.  If you love someone, she thought, you don¡¯t bloody hurt them.  It¡¯s not that hard, is it?

    And what about Trask?  Is there anything to do about him, or is he a problem for another day?

    Even these musings couldn¡¯t bring Colby¡¯s mood down, and she practically was dancing on her feet she was so happy.  Even the few catcalls of some passersby didn¡¯t bother her this afternoon, and she reached the apartment of Darryl Walker, her boyfriend, soon after.

    ¡°Hey, honey!  I¡¯m home!¡±  She giggled.  I never thought I¡¯d be saying that to Dar, that¡¯s for sure!

    ¡°Hey!  How did it go?¡±  Dar got up from the couch in the living room, and gave her a big hug and a kiss.  ¡°Everything okay?¡±

    ¡°Better than okay!  I found Hazard Man and Mr. Chips and took him down!  The police took him into custody about an hour ago.  I deked away from the news reporters, and made my way back home.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s awesome, honey!  Were you on TV?¡±

    ¡°Nah.  I figured it might be better for Virus to keep a low profile.  Sort of like Shade vs Captain Patriot, you know?¡±

    Darryl nodded.  ¡°Okay, hon.  Did you want to celebrate?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.  How about something upscale?¡±

    ¡°Steak, or seafood?¡± Dar asked.

    ¡°I think seafood.  Why don¡¯t we try Red Lobster, or failing that Crabhavens?¡±

    ¡°Sounds good hon.  Why don¡¯t you take a look at the list of places I found for you, while I turn off the TV and get ready?¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡±  Colby gave Dar another kiss, and let him go get ready.  I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s rushing ¨C it¡¯s going to take me at least an hour or more to get ready¡­  just drying my hair will take a half-hour if I don¡¯t use my powers!  She took a look at the list of prospective apartments.  One was near her old building ¨C it was an okay area, but a little seedy.  Colby thought she could do better.  The other two were nearer to Darryl¡¯s place and Empire City University¡¯s campus ¨C which if she decided to go to school would be really helpful.  I¡¯ll concentrate on trying those two, she thought.  Both have parking and laundry facilities, not that I have to worry about a car just yet.  I wonder what their neighborhoods are like?  Darryl and I should drive by later tonight after dinner ¨C or maybe on Monday.  Some parts of Empire City you just don¡¯t go into at night, and finding out the hard way an area isn¡¯t too safe would be a less than stellar way to cap of my victory today!  There were three other places on top of those ¨C but they were too far across town to be seriously considered, unless she wanted a long commute to visit Darryl.

    Well, it was time for her to get ready too.  She went over to the bedroom and knocked.  ¡°Knock knock!  Can I come in?¡±

    ¡°Of course you can.  It¡¯s your room too while you¡¯re here.¡±  Dar replied.

    ¡°Great.¡±  Colby sauntered in, and stripped to her underwear¡­ and then shimmered.  Some dust fell off of her, and she was clean ¨C her hair perfectly coiffure and shiny, styled and clean.  ¡°How¡¯s that for quick?¡± she bragged.  ¡°I just shapechanged myself into a clean version of myself.  Nice huh?¡±

    ¡°Sounds more like cheaty hax, Colby.  Laurie will kill you if she ever finds out about that trick, and so will Yvonne.¡±

    Colby laughed.  ¡°Probably.¡±  Now that she was clean and coiffured, she started changing into more appropriate dinner clothes ¨C a little black dress, heels (low heels, she still didn¡¯t have the balance thing down), and some jewelry ¨C her lion head pendant from Darryl.  She knew she could have made more jewelry to dress herself up, but it didn¡¯t seem right. They would look pretty, but they wouldn¡¯t have any meaning behind them.  ¡°How do I look?¡±

    Dar smiled.  ¡°You look great, honey.¡±  He went back to buttoning his shirt and tying his tie.  ¡°Oh ¨C the Wardens are playing a game against the Paragon Patriots tomorrow.  Want to watch it with me?¡±

    ¡°Sure.  Sounds like fun.¡±  Colby thought the idea of a football game would be fun.  It had been a long time since they had hung out for a day and just watched sports.  Since before I became Colby, anyway ¨C at least by a month or two.  I wonder if I¡¯ll still like it, or if I¡¯ll find it boring.  Some things seem the same, now that I¡¯m a girl ¨C but others are different.  Food tastes different, at least some of it.  I feel colder than normal ¨C which seems right.  Every girl I¡¯ve ever known always had a sweater or a jacket with her in anything but high summer.  I wonder what else will be different?

    Colby wandered out to the living room, and sat on the couch, waiting.  Maybe I should talk to a gender therapist or one of those trans support groups?  They would know what I¡¯m dealing with, at least partly.  Maybe they could help?  Hell ¨C maybe I could help them?  After all, if I changed Hank in that alley to a younger, healthier man, who¡¯s to say I couldn¡¯t change somebody¡¯s gender?  It makes sense, doesn¡¯t it?  It could help a lot of people who otherwise have no hope¡­  I would have jumped at the offer, in a heartbeat, and ID be damned.  I¡¯ll bet a lot of trans people feel the same way.  It would save them thousands ¨C or tens of thousands ¨C and years of stress and turmoil.  Maybe it¡¯s something I should seriously consider?

    Darryl emerged from the bedroom, looking rather fancy and dapper.  ¡°How do I look?¡±

    ¡°Great, hon!  Good enough to eat!¡±  Colby leered a bit, licking her lips, and Darryl laughed.

    ¡°Better wait on that, Colby or we won¡¯t get to dinner.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough, Dar.  Time to go?¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡±  Darryl offered Colby his arm, and they walked to his car together.

    Everything seemed like it was going perfectly¡­

    ¡­Except it never does.  Fairy tales only have happy endings because they end at the good spots ¨C the spots where everything is going well.  In Empire city, the choices one makes carry consequences that can be far reaching and deadly, with long lasting ramifications.  Colby Hayden Sheppard, also known as the heroine Virus, was about to discover just how far-reaching, deadly and long lasting things could get.

    *                              *                              *

    It had been hours since they had taken Dr. Justin Pierce ¨C aka ¡°Hazard Man¡± into custody, and Detective Allan Taylor was exhausted.  There had been (as he had expected) a literal mountain of paperwork on the case, but he and his partner Brian had eventually dug their way to the end of it.  Allan was tired.  This case had been stressful, and sleep was always at a premium.  I need a break, he thought. Some time to think.  ¡°What now, Brian?¡± He asked

    ¡°I was thinking we could hit a bar and grab a few drinks before we call it a night.  My treat?¡±

    ¡°Your treat?  You sure?¡±

    ¡°Hell, yeah.  I got this one.¡±  Brian answered.  ¡°You were saying how you always pay, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Allan smiled.  ¡°I guess I was.  Thanks, Brian.¡±

    The two of them gathered up their coats and hats, and headed out to Brian¡¯s car.  ¡°How does Driscoll¡¯s sound?¡±  Brian asked.

    ¡°Sounds good.¡±   Driscolls was an Irish pub near the piers in the docks district that cops often frequented.  Both of them had been there several times before. It had great food, great music, and relatively cheap drinks.  Some of the cops compared Driscolls to a unicorn ¨C something that only exists in legends ¨C but in this case it was real, and the cops of Empire city guarded it like it was one of their children.  It was also where the cops of Empire city went to talk amongst themselves.  Allan had spent many evenings there ¨C as had Brian.

    Brian drove towards the pier, joking about the case ¨C as usual ¨C and Allan let himself be lulled into a bit of a doze.  It had been 20 hours since he slept last, and he was tired ¨C but he wasn¡¯t about to turn down free drinks, especially from Brian.  He never paid for anything.

    Allan felt the car lurch to a halt, and jerked out of his doze.  He looked around ¨C they were at the docks ¨C on a pier, but no Driscolls was in sight.  Allan felt a cold chill in his stomach¡­  Not you, Brian, he thought.  Oh hell.  He heard Detective Keller¡¯s revolver cock.

    ¡°Sorry, Allan.¡± Brian said, pointing the .357 magnum he carried at work at his partner Allan.  ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice.  It¡¯s not about money.  He¡¯s got Sheila.¡±

    Allan nodded.  Sheila was Brian¡¯s only remaining family ¨C his sister, and mother of three.  When her husband died in the line of duty three years ago, Brian swore he would protect her.  Apparently that meant killing him.  Allan didn¡¯t ask who wanted him dead ¨C it wasn¡¯t hard to figure who.  It was Trask.  ¡°Do what you gotta do, Brian.  I understand.  You want to do it here, or out by the water?¡±

    ¡°Out by the water, if you wouldn¡¯t mind, partner.¡±  Brian looked upset, but determined.  It was obvious that this was killing him.

    Allan nodded, and got out of the car.  He looked around ¨C there was nowhere to run.  Where would he run anyway?  Trask owned the whole damn city.  Face it Allan, you¡¯re done.  You tried to fight the good fight, tried to do the right thing, and you lost.  The world goes on, and scum like Trask keep living.  Maybe its better this way?  If that¡¯s what everyone wants, then maybe that¡¯s what everyone should get?  Either way I¡¯m tired.  Just so tired.  He walked over to the edge of the pier ¨C that way when his partner shot him, he¡¯d fall into the river.  He couldn¡¯t help but smirk sadly at the thought.  They probably won¡¯t find my body till I wash up in the water treatment plant downriver.  Maybe not even then.  I hear there¡¯s things living in the river that make gators look like minnows.

    ¡°That¡¯s far enough, Allan.¡±  Brian called out.  He was standing about ten feet away.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry, pal.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±  Allan replied.  ¡°It¡¯s Sheila.  If it were me, I¡¯d probably do the same.¡±

    ¡°No, Allan, you wouldn¡¯t.  You¡¯re the good guy ¨C the hero of the story.  You¡¯d find a way.  Me ¨C I¡¯m just some chump trying to get through my shift without getting killed by some scumbag.  I¡¯m the plus one.  You¡¯re the hero ¨C not me.  A hero wouldn¡¯t shoot his best friend.¡±  Brian took aim, and aimed for a body shot.  He took a step forward, and whispered.  ¡°Allan, I have to do this ¨C you know that.  Do yourself a favor¡­ if you make it through this, don¡¯t come back to Empire City.  It¡¯ll be better for both of us.¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    If I make it through this?  What the¡­?  Allan didn¡¯t have any more time to think, as Brian¡¯s gun fired, and his bullet tore through Allan¡¯s jacket and cut a runnel across his ribs.  Blood bloomed on his jacket ¨C and Allan finally clued in.  He¡¯s doing what he can to leave me an out.  Okay, partner.  I got this.  Allan clutched his chest where the gunshot narrowly missed, groaned, and fell into the water, out of sight.  With the darkness of the evening, and the dim light, his body soon drifted out of sight.

    Detective Keller sighed, and shook his head.  ¡°Damn it, Allan. Why does everything have to be the hard way?¡±  He turned back towards his car.  I need a drink, he thought.  Fuck that, I need several drinks. Maybe it would make the bad taste in his mouth go away, but Brian doubted it.

    A voice called out.  ¡°Is it done?¡±

    Brian looked over to see Lieutenant Sinclair, the Commissioner¡¯s lapdog and go to lackey.  ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s done.¡±

    ¡°Here ¨C here¡¯s your share.¡±  He handed an envelope to Brian, stuffed with money.  ¡°I¡¯ll let Mr. Trask know you did good.  Little Sheila will be home soon.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll bet.¡±  Brian walked to his car morosely.  He once had wondered what it would feel like for someone to sell their soul.  He didn¡¯t have to wonder anymore.

    *              *              *

    The bullet tore through him, leaving a wake of pain and burning ¨C but Allan had been shot before, and it didn¡¯t feel as bad as it probably looked.  He hurtled towards the icy water of the bay, and wondered how far he could swim in the cold water¡­ After all Paragon was only five miles away across the bay.  Maybe he could get help?  He took a deep breath

    Detective Taylor hit the icy water, and it felt so cold it registered as hot, feeling like burning for a few seconds until his skin acclimated.  He groaned in pain as the impact struck him like a punch to the gut, and let himself drift, face down in the water.  I just hope whoever put Brian up to this doesn¡¯t shoot me in the back.  While he drifted, Allan revised his plan.  Swimming across the bay would be a challenge for even a skilled swimmer ¨C and Allan was wounded and tired.  New plan.  Get down river, get onto shore and dry off ¨C and see if you can find some help, or get the hell out of town until you can figure out what to do¡­

    Too bad I don¡¯t know anyone brave enough ¨C or stupid enough ¨C to go after Bolivar Trask.  Allan mused.  Then a thought dawned on him.  Maybe he did know someone¡­  He swam for shore.  If he didn¡¯t get out of the icy water soon, it wouldn¡¯t matter that his partner had spared him ¨C hypothermia would be just as deadly.  His phone was probably buggered, but he still had the scrap of paper she gave him¡­  Virus.  She might help me.  It¡¯s worth a shot¡­  What have I got left to lose?  Allan swam with renewed strength.  He was starting to get a plan ¨C and god help Trask if he could pull it off.  I¡¯m going to nail you to the wall, you bastard.  You¡¯re now officially on my list.

    *              *              *

    Colby and Darryl had had a great dinner.  The lobsters and steaks had been cooked perfectly, and the white wine with dinner had been excellent.  They were both stuffed, and feeling more than a little dozy from the big meal.  Colby reached to pay the bill, but Darryl shook his head.  ¡°I got this, Colby.¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. My treat. Save your money.¡±  Darryl swiped his card, and paid ¨C not noticing Colby¡¯s blush of shame.

    At least you have some money, she thought.  I still think what I do isn¡¯t stealing ¨C but if that¡¯s true, why do I feel bad?  Darryl didn¡¯t know about her neat trick with the ATM¡¯s ¨C and she wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d still be so proud of her if he found out she had been ¡®altering¡¯ the ATM results when she shopped for the past few days.  Face it, Colby ¨C you feel guilty because you¡¯re getting something for nothing, she thought.  Nobody is getting hurt.  Everyone gets paid.  It¡¯s a win-win scenario¡­  Still, if that were true, why did she still feel guilty?  She tried to put it out of her mind.

    ¡°Now what, Handsome?¡± She asked Darryl.

    ¡°I think home, and a movie, and then something else¡­¡±

    Colby giggled, knowing what ¡®something else¡¯ would be.  ¡°You¡¯re on, Handsome!¡±  The young couple headed out towards Darryl¡¯s car.  She was just about to buckle up when one of her cell phone rang.  She grabbed her phone ¨C but the ringing still happened.  What the¡­?  Then she realized ¨C the burner phone!  It must be Detective Taylor!   She grabbed the right cell phone, and answered.  ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Virus¡­ Help.¡±  It sounded like Detective Taylor ¨C but it sounded weak.  Very weak.  ¡°I¡¯ve been shot.  I¡¯m alone.  Help.¡±

    ¡°Detective Taylor?!  Where are you?  Where are you so I can come help?¡±  There was no answer.  Colby realized that if Detective Taylor had been shot, he might not have much time.  ¡°Darryl ¨C there¡¯s an emergency.  Drive.¡±  While Darryl put the car in gear, she interfaced with the cellphone, and triangulated on phone signals sent to Detective Taylor¡¯s phone ¨C a payphone outside an industrial park near the water treatment plant.  ¡°I need you to head to the river, near Crawford drive.  The water treatment plant!  Fast!¡±

    Darryl stepped up the speed.  ¡°What¡¯s wrong, hon?¡±

    ¡°Detective Taylor ¨C one of the cops I work with as Virus ¨C was shot and he needs help.  He called me, which means he doesn¡¯t trust the cops.  Something¡¯s wrong.¡±

    Darryl immediately slowed the car ¨C and before Colby could freak out, he explained.  ¡°Hon, don¡¯t spaz on me.  We can¡¯t go fast.  If we get pulled over, we¡¯ll get caught speeding.  The cops will get involved, and Detective Taylor might get hurt.  If he doesn¡¯t want the cops involved, this is the only way.¡±

    Colby fretted, but nodded in agreement.  She didn¡¯t have to like it, though.  If I knew the city better from the air, I could fly ¨C but the car has a GPS and it can lead us right to him.  Damn!  Why does it have to be so hard to fly around and find stuff?

    Several minutes later, they reached the rough area of Detective Taylor¡¯s phone call ¨C Colby directed Darryl to the Phone booth ¨C and inside they could see a prone man, bloody and soaked, lying unconscious on the ground.

    Colby changed her features to look like those of her Virus form, and climbed out of the car to rush over.  A single touch told her he was in shock, and suffering from a gunshot and hypothermia.  He didn¡¯t have much time left.  ¡°Darryl!  We can¡¯t leave him here!  He¡¯s coming home with us!¡±  She touched him again, and started healing him, restoring his body heat, sealing the cut caused by the gunshot.  She could see he had been shot before, and broken limbs before as well¡­  The wounds had taken their toll on his body.  She repaired those lingering hurts as well, but left the scars he had earned as badges.  That and he might not want the scars gone, she thought.  Guys can be weird like that.

    Darryl nodded, a little unsure.  Still, he trusted Colby, and if this guy was someone she trusted, he was willing to help if he could.  Darryl knew enough to not trust all of the police, but he figured there must be some good ones.  If Colby was trying to help this Taylor guy, he was probably one of them.

    A few seconds later, Detective Taylor woke up.

    ¡°Wha¡­where?¡±  he muttered, trying to remember where he was, and wondering why he didn¡¯t hurt.

    ¡°You¡¯re safe, for now, Detective.¡±  Colby said.  ¡°But it¡¯s not safe out in the open.  You need to come with us, okay?¡±

    Allan looked up, and saw the face of a golden haired angel.  She had bright blonde tresses and violet eyes. Virus had violet eyes.  He paused, stunned.  A guy could fall into those eyes, if he wasn¡¯t careful, he thought. ¡°Vi?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.  In the flesh detective.  Are you okay to move?  You should be.¡±

    Allan took stock of himself¡­ he did feel fine ¨C hell, he felt dry!  ¡°What happened to the blood?  The river water?¡±

    ¡°I transformed your clothes so they weren¡¯t wet, nor dirty, nor shot full of holes.  Come with us.  I¡¯ll explain later.¡±

    Colby held out her hand, and Detective Taylor took it.

    ¡°That your boyfriend?¡±  He asked.

    ¡°Yeah.  Does it matter?¡±  Colby replied.  ¡°We need to get somewhere private so you can tell us what the hell happened.¡±

    Allan nodded.  It didn¡¯t matter, and yet it did.  Somehow, he wanted Vi to be single ¨C to hold out for the dream that a sexy superheroine could love a schlub cop like him.  He was tired of being alone all the time.  He wanted things to change.  He sighed.  Some things could never be, he thought.  I knew it was too good to be true.  Fuck me.

    Allan dragged himself sadly over to Darryl¡¯s car.  ¡°Allan.¡±  He said, introducing himself.

    ¡°Darryl.¡±  Dar answered.  ¡°Better get in.¡±

    They got in the car and began to drive.

    ¡°Where to, Virus?¡±  Darryl asked.  ¡°My place?¡±

    ¡°I guess so, seeing as how I don¡¯t have a place yet.  We can figure out something long term after we know what¡¯s wrong.¡± Colby turned towards Allan and looked him in the eye.  ¡°Just what is wrong, Detective?¡±

    ¡°Bolivar Trask wanted me killed because I refused to kill Dr. Justin Pierce for him.  He kidnapped my partner¡¯s family and threatened to kill them if he didn¡¯t kill me.  About an hour ago, he put a bullet in me, and shoved me off of the piers in the docks.  I swam down river as far as I could, and I called you before passing out.  Brian tried to let me live ¨C he made the gunshot a lot less serious than it could have been¡­ He said if I survived, to not come back to Empire City.¡±

    ¡°And?  You¡¯re not going to leave, are you?¡±  Colby asked.

    ¡°No.  Would you?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±  She thought a moment.  ¡°He asked me to kill Dr. Pierce too.¡±  She thought a moment.  ¡°Detective, you need a new face.  You need some cash.  You need to blend in.  You want to take down Mr. Trask.  Am I right?¡±

    ¡°Sure.  That and world peace.¡± Allan replied.

    ¡°I can make that happen, Detective.  You may not know this, but I can change the way other people look as easily as I can change my own appearance.  You need Trask?  You can literally be anyone you need.  We can bring him down if we work together.  You in?¡±

    ¡°Hell, yes!¡±  Allan answered.  ¡°What about Darryl?  No offence, ma¡¯am ¨C but if Trask gets wind of who he is, he¡¯ll have him killed and probably kill his whole family just to make sure.  It¡¯s not safe.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±  Darryl asked.  ¡°Oh, fuck!¡±

    Colby thought about it, and realized the detective was right.  ¡°Darryl.  He¡¯s right.  I have to go underground ¨C at least until Trask is dealt with.  I can¡¯t risk losing you¡­ I can¡¯t.  Please say you understand¡­¡±

    Darryl drove a bit without saying anything, his lips tight together.  ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave you, Vi ¨C but I can¡¯t do the stuff you need to do.  I¡¯d¡­ I¡¯d only hold you back.  If this Mr. Trask is as bad as you say, then he needs to be stopped.  I¡¯m not happy about it ¨C but I don¡¯t want to risk my family.  I don¡¯t want to lose you either.¡±

    Colby held Dar¡¯s hand.  ¡°You won¡¯t, Dar.  Once he¡¯s dealt with it¡¯ll be over and I¡¯ll come back to you.  Always.¡±

    Darryl turned to her, and smiled.  ¡°I know honey.  I don¡¯t have to like it though ¨C do I?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±  Colby sat in silence till they got to the apartment.  The three of them went upstairs ¨C no one would be seen on the security tapes thanks to Colby¡¯s super power tampering with the cameras ¨C and they got inside Darryl¡¯s apartment.

    ¡°You need some help packing, honey?¡±  Darryl asked sadly.  I really don¡¯t want her to do this, but it¡¯s obviously important if this Trask is having cops murdered.  Damn!

    ¡°No, hon¡­ I don¡¯t have that much.  Just the suitcase.  I¡¯ll go get it packed.¡±  Colby looked sad too.  She was able to pack in a few moments.  She went up to Darryl, and gave him a hug, then showed him the medallion he gave her in her hand.  ¡°You know, you¡¯ll always be with me, Dar.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±  He said, hugging her close.  ¡°I don¡¯t want you to go.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­ I have to.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±  Darryl released Colby from his hug, and for some reason felt like it was the last time he would ever hold her.  His heart felt hollow, and he felt sick.

    Detective Taylor had been standing quietly, trying to stay out of the unfolding drama ¨C it was obvious they cared for each other a great deal ¨C and did his best to wait unobtrusively.

    Colby touched Darryl¡¯s cheek.  ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon, Dar.  If I can, I¡¯ll call you.¡±

    She grabbed her suitcase, and headed for the door.  Darryl opened it for her and the detective, and looked at Detective Taylor.  It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out what he was saying with his gaze: ¡®Take care of her, or else.¡¯

    Allan nodded to Darryl as he closed the door.  ¡°I¡¯ll bring her back safe.¡±  He said.

    ¡°You¡¯d better.¡±  Darryl answered, and closed the door.

    They both stood there for a few moments.  ¡°Now what, Vi?¡±  Allan asked.

    ¡°We find a hotel, and we check in under assumed identities.  We pay with this,¡± she said, holding up a prepaid Visa. ¡°We start gathering intel, and we build a case. We keep moving so he can¡¯t find us. Then, we find out who¡¯s honest on the force, and who isn¡¯t.  If we have to, we¡¯ll go out of state to find someone willing to prosecute.  We bring him down.¡±

    Allan nodded.  It was light on the details, but all the important points had been covered.  So be it.  ¡°Partners?¡±  he asked, holding out his hand to shake.

    ¡°Partners!¡±  Colby took his hand, and shook it.

    *              *              *

    Back in ECPD headquarters, on the second floor below ground, was the police lockup ¨C where all the dangerous weapons, drugs, and crazy tech devices that supervillains and occasionally super-heroes left at crime scenes were kept.  On a small shelf, about eye level, tucked into a corner with a fresh sticker and tag on it, was an animatronic stuffy of a Miniature Schnauzer.

    ¡­ Reboot sequence begins¡­

    ¡­Check data for corruption¡­

    ¡­ Reboot sequence complete¡­

    Mr. Chips became aware a moment later, and realized he was not with his Master.  It didn¡¯t take him long to realize his ploy had worked.  He had allowed Virus to shut him off ¨C and secretly gave himself a command to reboot twelve hours later.  She mustn¡¯t have found the subroutine.  Excellent!

    Now to escape from this cell, and find Master!  Thought Mr. Chips.  Don¡¯t worry, Master.  I¡¯m coming for you!  Mr. Chips accessed the wireless network with ease ¨C being a sentient robot allowed him many of the advantages of being a self-aware router, and he scoured the data network for information on Justin Pierce.  A few moments later, he found him.  Master was in something called ¡°Holding¡± and would be there till he was taken to the courthouse tomorrow morning.  Master was less than 100 meters from Mr. Chips.

    This was going to be easy.

 Chapter 17 - Doubles

    Mr. Chips could see many of Masters¡¯ gadgets on shelves nearby.  He activated his sensors.  [Scanning]  Analysis reveals items too large to carry.  Solution ¨C bring Master here.   Mr. Chips wirelessly downloaded a blueprint of the Police station from county records ¨C as an AI he was capable of incredible feats of computer hacking ¨C and plotted his route.  A few moments later, he jumped off the shelf, and walked towards the lock-up door.  Mr. Chips configured for battle ¨C and a few moments later, his cutting laser cut a hole large enough for him and Master to walk through.

    Find Master! Rescue Master!  ¡°Yip!  Yip!¡± Barked Mr. Chips.  He started heading towards the upstairs, where ¡°Holding¡± was.  If those Policemen didn¡¯t let Master go, Mr. Chips was going to have to get¡­ rough.

    *              *              *

    Justin Pierce ¨C aka Hazard Man ¨C had the entire holding cell to himself, for which he was glad.  He had woke about an hour ago, to learn his ignomious fate ¨C captured by Virus and a couple of police officers.  Gah! Still, he thought.  It wasn¡¯t the end ¨C it was a setback.  If Virus wants to try and stop me from taking down Bolivar Trask, then I guess I¡¯ll have to deal with her too¡­ and probably first.  He pinched his nose with his right hand, wincing in pain at the headache he still possessed.  She shocked me ¨C I¡¯ll have to take more precautions.  Insulated shoes and suit at the very least.  Mr. Chips!  He thought.  If she hurt you, I¡¯ll kill her!  No one is going to take you away from me, ever!

    He sighed.  I guess I need to escape now, right?  He began examining the cell he was in as surreptitiously as he could ¨C he didn¡¯t want some trigger happy neanderthal with a badge shooting him to avoid some paperwork on his arrest.  A cop or two eyed him suspiciously, but for the most part ignored him.  Good.

    The cell won¡¯t be hard to escape, he thought.  I could pick the lock, I could change the door latch to something else¡­ but I¡¯d get shot.  What I need is a distraction¡­ and here comes one, right in the nick of time¡­  Looking over at the stairs to the basement, Hazard Man saw Mr. Chips walk up the stairs to the main room of the police precinct.  Perfect.

    He could tell Mr. Chips was reconfiguring.  He knew what was about to happen.  ¡°Hey, you!¡± he called to one of the cops nearby.  ¡°Let me out, or a lot of people are going to die, starting with you.¡±

    ¡°Screw you, asshole.  You ain¡¯t going anywhere.¡±  The cop said.  ¡°Now shut the hell up or I¡¯ll come in there and you¡¯ll be found trying to escape, you know what I mean?  What do you have to say to that, dumbass?¡±

    Hazard Man smiled.  ¡°Say hello to my little friend!¡±  he said, pointing at Mr. Chips ¨C who was now configured into battle armor, and armed with a grenade launcher and machinegun from his mouth-turret.

    ¡°Yip!  Yip!¡±  Mr. Chips barked.  That always was Master¡¯s favorite movie!  Mr. Chips unleashed hell¡­ Grenade after grenade fired across the room ¨C and in seconds, the room was filled with explosions, fiery debris, and either dead or scattered cops.  Mr. Chips was out of grenades, but it didn¡¯t matter.  He was more than capable of finishing the job.  He walked over to one of the dead officers, and fetched the keys to the Holding cell ¨C neither of which were harmed in the blasts.

    ¡°Bring them over here, buddy!¡±  Hazard Man called.  ¡°Good boy!¡±

    ¡°Yip!  Yip!¡±  Barked Mr. Chips.

    ¡°Yeah, I know she took us down.  That¡¯s okay, pal ¨C we¡¯re going to go get her, and Trask too.¡±  Justin took the keys from Mr. Chips an unlocked his cage door.  ¡°My stuff is in the lockup isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yip!  Yip!¡±  Mr. Chips replied.

    ¡°Good!  Then we should go get it shouldn¡¯t we?¡±  Hazard man¡¯s reply was cut short by the sounds of gunfire ¨C Mr. Chips had seen a police officer try to reach for a gun, and shot him.  Now he wasn¡¯t reaching for anything ¨C he was screaming in pain, and probably bleeding out.

    Hazard man stepped over the LCD¡¯s and headed downstairs to collect his gear.  They had work to do.

    *                              *                              *

    Colby and Allan checked into the Hyatt hotel downtown.  The Hyatt was an older building ¨C one of the relics of the fifties and sixties that hadn¡¯t seem to age with the rest of Empire City.  Colby was surprised it was still in business ¨C it looked cheap, but Allan had said the rooms were acceptable.  It was affordable, at least, she thought.  Though I suppose money isn¡¯t really an issue.  I would just feel like I was being ripped off if I paid any more than what they asked.  They had taken two rooms with adjoining doors between them, which would help when they needed to plan.

    ¡°Have you eaten, Detective Taylor?¡±  Colby asked as she left the elevator and headed towards her room.

    ¡°Please, call me Allan.  No, not really.  I could eat.¡±

    ¡°Do you think this place has room service?¡± she asked.

    ¡°We could try.¡±  Allan responded.  ¡°I mean, if it gives us food poisoning, you can cure us, right?¡±

    Colby laughed.  ¡°I guess so. Why don¡¯t you order something, while we unpack and get it sent up.  Charge it to the room ¨C I¡¯ve got it.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±  Allan nodded.  ¡°Do you always keep a prepaid VISA around for when you have to go on the run?¡±

    ¡°You mean you don¡¯t?¡±  Colby winked, and went into her room, and opened the adjoining door.  The room itself was large enough for a bathroom, a queen sized bed, some furniture like a dresser and two night tables, and a table and chairs.  A Television was nearby, where it could easily be watched from bed.  It was nice, Colby thought, but the d¨¦cor was dated.  It didn¡¯t look like it had been changed in at least thirty years.  Huh, she thought.  At least it has wifi.  It wasn¡¯t bad wifi, either ¨C she could see the strength of the signal moving through the air like an arrow.

    ¡°How¡¯s your room, Allan?¡±

    ¡°Good enough.¡± He said.  ¡°Yours?¡±

    ¡°The same.¡±

    They paused a few moments, and Colby smiled. ¡°Where do we start?¡±

    ¡°About the cops?  If you can give me a new face, then leave that to me.  Otherwise, I¡¯m calling for some food.¡±

    Colby nodded, and waited till Allan ordered some food ¨C a pair of hamburgers, some fries, and a salad with a few beers.  If she hadn¡¯t eaten earlier, she might have joined him.  ¡°Is there someone you need to look like to get the information you need?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ well, maybe three people, actually.  The first is Lieutenant Donald Sinclair ¨C word has it he¡¯s Trask¡¯s man, bought and paid for.  If I look like him, I could talk to everyone and see if they¡¯re in Trasks pocket or not.  All I¡¯d need would be a few hours looking like him.  I might find what I need searching his office, too.¡±  He sighed.  ¡°The second and third worry me a bit¡­ Captain Shelly Forsythe and District Attorney Jim Lincoln.   If we have them ¨C if they¡¯re straight shooters ¨C then we¡¯re good ¨C as soon as we get the data we can move forward with a case.  If they¡¯re dirty, we¡¯ll have to go out of state.¡±

    ¡°What if one¡¯s dirty and one isn¡¯t?¡±  Colby wondered.

    ¡°Let¡¯s worry about that if it comes to it, okay?¡±  Allan countered.  ¡°I¡¯m not particularly eager to wear Sinclair¡¯s slimeball skin for a day, so let¡¯s see how that goes first, okay?  We might need to work out a different plan.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d better come with you then, in case you need a quick disguise or getaway.¡±

    ¡°No way ¨C you¡¯d be noticed in like¡­ you¡¯d be shapechanged to look like a cop, wouldn¡¯t you?¡±  He sighed in defeat.  ¡°Maybe you could pull it off.  It would be easier if I had backup.  Okay ¨C we¡¯ll do it together.¡±

    ¡°I need pictures of what they look like.¡±

    ¡°No problem.  They¡¯re on the web.¡±  Allan replied.  A knock sounded on the door to his room.  ¡°Pardon me ¨C it sounds like my dinner.¡±   He went over, and a waiter came in with a tray of food.  Allan flipped him a ten-spot as a tip, and took the food to his table to eat.

    ¡°You need a minute to eat?¡±  Colby asked.

    ¡°Yeah.  Would you mind?¡±

    ¡°Nah ¨C go ahead.¡±  Colby spent a few minutes downloading the pictures and personnel files on the three individuals Allan had told her about.  All three jackets looked spotless ¨C but that was the point, wasn¡¯t it?  Hrmmm¡­  She examined all three files, but didn¡¯t find evidence of tampering.  So they look spotless on the computer ¨C I guess Allan will have to see if that¡¯s true or not.

    Meanwhile, Allan had started eating¡­  He must have been hungry ¨C in the time it took her to review the files, he¡¯d polished off a burger, half the fries, one of the beers, and was working on the last burger.

    ¡°You must have been hungry!¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± He said, smiling.  ¡°Nearly getting killed kinda does that.  Don¡¯t you get hungry after taking down a super-villain?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ not really.  I usually get the shakes and have a coffee to calm the hell down.  I¡¯m still new at this ¨C fighting for my life isn¡¯t old hat yet.¡±

    Allan smiled.  ¡°It wasn¡¯t for Tesseract, either.  It took her quite a while to get used to it.  She¡¯s worked with the police before, and so has her partner Fathom.¡±

    ¡°Not that I mind it being a solo party, but any ideas on why they aren¡¯t around?¡±  Colby asked.

    ¡°I dunno, Vi.¡±  He began.  ¡°Some people think Fathom spends some time in Atlantis, and others say that he and Tesseract sometimes go dimension hopping.  They¡¯ve also gone out of state in the past too.  Could be anyone¡¯s guess.  I heard they had a pet velociraptor from the Savage Land for a while.  They called it ¡°Rippy¡± ¨C but they had to get rid of it.  It couldn¡¯t be trained.¡±

    ¡°How do you know all this?¡±  Colby asked, smirking.  He must be pulling my leg.  He must.

    ¡°I listen. I observe.  A lot of heroes don¡¯t have anyone to talk to ¨C there aren¡¯t a lot of heroes in Empire city ¨C so sometimes they talk to cops and make friends.  One of my pals is a friend of theirs.  Names Patrick O¡¯Keefe.  He¡¯s a good man ¨C and he vouches for them, so that¡¯s good enough for me.¡±

    Wow.  How weird.  She thought.  And now Detective Allan Taylor is becoming my what?  My sidekick?  That can¡¯t be the right term.  How about friend?  Friend sounds better.  ¡°Well, I think we¡¯ve started down that road, at least a bit, huh?¡±

    ¡°True.¡±  Allan replied, smiling.  ¡°Let¡¯s see how this goes.  If our plan doesn¡¯t work I may not have much future in this city.  Hell, I might not have a future at all.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine.¡±  Colby replied, firmly.  ¡°We¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Allan popped the last of the burger into his mouth and chewed.  ¡°I hope so, Vi.  I hope so.¡±

    ¡°So the plan is assume the ID of Sinclair, go search his office and ask around, and hopefully find out what we need?¡±

    ¡°Yeah ¨C pretty much.  We can get more inventive if we need to.  What did you have in mind with Trask?  How are we going to get him?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a bit illegal, but I was thinking of hacking his computers, and then using that data to decide where we should investigate in person.   It¡¯s a lot less risky than busting into his office and searching his records.¡±  Colby looked a bit unsure.  ¡°Do you have a problem with that?¡±

    Allan thought about it.  ¡°Normally, I might ¨C but it¡¯s not like anyone is getting hurt.  Trask needs to be brought down or we¡¯re both dead.  And you¡¯re right ¨C it is less risky than busting into his records in person.  If you don¡¯t find enough, we¡¯re going to have to do some investigation in person, though.  You can¡¯t totally avoid footwork.¡±

    ¡°I know, Allan ¨C I just want to minimize our exposure.  The more we¡¯re out there, the more chances he for his people to find us.¡±

    Allan agreed.  ¡°Okay then.  We¡¯re going to have an early morning ¨C like 4:30am.  We¡¯d better get some sleep.¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°Good idea, Allan.  I think I¡¯m heading to bed.  I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.  It¡¯s been a hell of a day.¡±

    Allan smiled back.  ¡°Tell me about it.  See you in the morning.¡±

    Colby closed the door between their rooms, and got ready for bed, mulling over what they would have to do the next day.  It was dangerous, but needed ¨C and to be honest, it was a lot more dangerous for Allan than it was for her.  At least she healed when she got shot ¨C he wouldn¡¯t.

    This is definitely NOT how I expected my evening to go, she thought as she dug through her bag for a nightgown.  I was hoping to spend it with Dar, but I guess we¡¯ll have to hold out for a raincheck.  This sucks.

    Colby lay down on the bed, and couldn¡¯t get over the feeling of how lonely it felt. How alone she felt. ¡°I miss you, Dar.¡± She whispered to herself, then turned and set an alarm, turned off the light, and went to bed.

    *              *              *

    Morning came early.  Colby turned off the alarm, and climbed out of bed, rubbing her eyes.  It took her a few moments to realize she wasn¡¯t in Darryl¡¯s apartment.  Oh, yeah. Crap.  I guess I¡¯d better get cleaned up.

    Colby hopped into the shower, and turned on the water, starting at the spray of cold before it began to warm up.  Why do I always do that?  She wondered.  She couldn¡¯t help but notice the shock of the cold spray made her nipples stand up straight and tall.  Geez¡­  I¡¯d better be careful.  They could cut glass like that, she joked to herself.  She began washing and soaping up, cleaning the grit and sweat off of herself.  Colby was careful around the sensitive spots ¨C she¡¯d only been female for less than a week, and the urge to explore a little was still there.  I need a place of my own, she thought.  A place I can discover who I am, what I want.  No hotels.  No couches.  My place.  I¡¯ll work on that when this is done.

    She soaped up and rinsed her long hair ¨C it took longer than she expected, and Colby suspected it would take equally long to dry as well.  At least I have a hair dryer.   She finished rinsing, and turned off the water, letting the warm water sluice off of her curves into the tub.  She couldn¡¯t help but be amazed at what she¡¯d done to herself.  I¡¯m finally me, she thought.  It was a nice feeling, not having to hate your body anymore.  It felt good.

    Colby hopped out of the shower and dried off, trying to dry her hair with the hair dryer she brought with her.  It worked to a point ¨C but it didn¡¯t have the strength or the oomph to get the job done well.  I¡¯m going to need a stronger, fancier model I think.  Oh well.  I suppose it¡¯s worth it ¨C Dar seems to like my hair.  If Colby was being honest with herself, she liked it too ¨C she thought it made her look sexy.

    She looked at herself in the mirror.  ¡°Not bad, Colby.¡±  She said.  ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll learn makeup in a few days?¡±  She headed out to the hotel room to get dressed.  Today felt like a jeans and t-shirt day, so she grabbed a pair of her comfy jeans that let her move ¨C as opposed to her skinny jeans, which looked like they were poured on, and a Borderlands T-Shirt ¨C the one with the Claptrap robot on the front.  Sure, it¡¯s nerdy, she thought.  But I¡¯m not ashamed of liking nerd things.  She threw on a moderate jacket and grabbed some gloves and a hat ¨C and a scarf.  It¡¯s crazy how cold I¡¯ve been since I changed genders, Colby thought.  At first I thought it was odd, but more and more I think it¡¯s just part of being female. Weird.  I wonder what else I¡¯ll notice?

    She sat and grabbed her phone, and texted Dar.  ¡®Love you, Dar¡­  Miss you.  I¡¯ll come home soon.¡¯  She hit send, and the phone chimed.  A few seconds later it chimed with a return text.

    ¡®You better.  I¡¯ll be waiting.  Love you too.¡±

    Colby sighed, and wrapped herself in a hug.  It feels weird not being with him.  That should be weird by itself.  I miss him.  She moped a bit, then steeled herself.  There isn¡¯t any point in whining, she thought.  I chose to do this ¨C so the sooner we start, the sooner I get back to my life.

    Just as she was about to get up and knock on Allan¡¯s door, she heard a return knock from his room.  Answering it, she found Detective Taylor there, dressed and looking rather disturbed.  ¡°Morning, Vi.  Have you seen the news?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ no?  Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°You might say that.  Last night around 3am, Hazard Man and Mr. Chips escaped from the police station where they were being held, and killed 12 cops in the process, injuring about 20 more.  Dr. Pierce is wanted for multiple counts of murder.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±  She asked.  ¡°How did he escape?  I shut down Mr. Chips!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He must have found a way to turn him back on.  Now he¡¯s killed a ton of people.  It¡¯s not your fault, Vi ¨C you couldn¡¯t know he or the dog would do that.¡±

    Colby didn¡¯t think she agreed with Detective Taylor on that point.  Those deaths are on me, she thought.  I could have wrecked Mr. Chips ¨C torn him to pieces.  Instead, I got sloppy and people died.  Damn!  ¡°We have to stop them.¡±

    ¡°I know we do ¨C but we have to stop Trask too.  I need your help on this, and until Hazard Man shows up again, we don¡¯t have that many places we can look for him.  He¡¯d be an idiot if he went back to his warehouse now, and I don¡¯t think he is an idiot.¡±

    ¡°Me either, unfortunately.  Fine, let¡¯s deal with Lieutenant Sinclair today.  How do you want to handle it?¡±

    Allan thought a bit.  ¡°I figure if you can go inside, see if Sinclair is there, let me know¡­ if he isn¡¯t, I come in looking like him, and search his office.  You do your best to run interference and distraction, and warn me if he shows up.  I leave, and you turn me back ¨C then we go over the info I found, if any.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good to me.¡±  Colby replied.  ¡°I¡¯m going to change you now then.¡±

    ¡°Whoa!  Does it hurt?¡±  He asked.

    ¡°It tingles.  And no, it doesn¡¯t wear off ¨C ever.  If I don¡¯t change you back, you¡¯re stuck as Sinclair.¡±

    ¡°Peachy.  Do me a favor, Vi, and don¡¯t die, okay?  I don¡¯t want to spend the rest of my life as a scumbag.¡±

    ¡°No problem, Allan.  I was going to ask you to not die either.  I¡¯m starting to like you and training a new cop to listen to my problems would take a long time.¡±  She grinned at the last comment, turning it into a joke.  Allan smiled back.

    ¡°I won¡¯t if you don¡¯t.¡±  He looked in a mirror and straightened his tie.  ¡°Do I have to do anything?¡±  he asked.

    ¡°Nope.  Just stand still.¡±  Colby touched him, and began to change him.  It was different than with Hank, the homeless man she had helped.  She was just making him more himself.  This time, she was taking Allan, and making him into someone completely different.  It was tricky, but doable.  After a few moments, Detective Taylor looked and sounded exactly like Lieutenant Donald Sinclair.   ¡°That¡¯s it, detective.  You¡¯re done.¡±

    Allan went over to a mirror, and stared at his newly changed self.  ¡°This is crazy, you know. I¡¯ve heard of shapeshifters before, but I¡¯ve never heard of anyone being able to change other people.  This is amazing.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.  Dangerous too.¡±  Colby replied.

    ¡°You bet it is.  Damn. You do good work, Vi.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.  You want to get going?  I know a decent waffle place on the way.  The sooner we¡¯re done the sooner you get back to your handsome self.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re on.¡±  Heh heh, he thought.  She thinks I¡¯m handsome.  Maybe there¡¯s hope for a schlub like me after all?

    *              *              *

    Colby entered the police station, carrying a carafe of coffee and a large carton of donuts.  Looking around, she approached the front desk sergeant.  ¡°I have a delivery for Lieutenant Sinclair¡­  Courtesy of a secret admirer.  I need someone to sign for it.¡±

    The sergeant looked up, smirking and staring at Colby¡¯s chest.  ¡°Do you come with it?¡±

    Wha¡­?  Asshole!  She thought.  ¡°Nope!¡± She said, cheerily.  ¡°Just the donuts and coffee.¡±

    The sergeant took a look at the precinct, and at his files.  ¡°He isn¡¯t in yet.  He worked late last night.  I¡¯ll sign for the stuff ¨C just leave it on the table over there.¡±  The sergeant pointed at a large empty office table against the wall.  It looked like it had been hastily cleaned off.

    ¡°Sure, no problem.¡±  She replied, carrying the goodies over to the table and setting them down.  ¡°You got a washroom I can borrow?¡±  She asked the sergeant.  He just silently pointed to a sign across the room with the ubiquitous blue square and the white stick people.  ¡°Thanks!¡±   She sauntered off to the washroom, trying to not feel every eye in the room watching her.  Is this how being pretty feels all the time, she wondered.  I feel like a prize turkey at a hunger strike.  Geez.  She got into the washroom, and entered a stall, sat, and took out her phone.

    ¡°Hey.¡± She texted. ¡°Sinclair isn¡¯t supposed to be in until later.  You¡¯re home free.¡±

    ¡°Good.  Going in.¡±  Allan replied.

    Now, I just hope he finds out what he needs to find, or it¡¯s going to get tricky for the next part, she thought.

    Meanwhile, Allan, in the guise of Lieutenant Sinclair, walked into the precinct.  ¡°Morning, Terry.¡±  He said to the desk sergeant, and paused when Terry looked up and greeted him.

    ¡°Hey!  Morning to you, Lieutenant.  I didn¡¯t expect you till later¡­ you working late or up too damn early?¡±

    ¡°A little of both, I think.¡±  Allan smirked.

    ¡°Well, some cute little blonde number came in and dropped off some food for you and the rest of us. ¡®From a secret admirer¡¯ no less.  Anything you need to share with your wife?¡±

    ¡°God, I hope not!  Susan would kill me!¡±  Allan smirked.  ¡°Thank¡¯s Terry.¡±   Allan walked over and grabbed a coffee and some doughnuts, and headed towards Lieutenant Sinclair¡¯s office.  Just in case it was locked, he had a few lockpicks in his pocket.  He got there, and of course, it was locked.  He put the coffee and doughnuts on the floor, and made quick work of the lock, then went inside, and closed the door ¨C shutting the blinds as well.  Let them think I¡¯m calling my mistress, he thought.  Maybe it¡¯ll make its way back to his wife Susan.  It would look good on him.

    He looked around Donald Sinclair¡¯s office.  It was pretty standard ¨C desk, chair, filing cabinets, computer, phone, hell ¨C he even had a picture of his wife, Susan!  There was a plastic potted plant in the corner, giving the room the look of some greenery, which was spoiled by all the dust built up on the plant¡¯s leaves.  He started searching through the desk, looking for anything out of place.  Nothing registered at first ¨C the drawers just had common supplies, papers and so on.  He moved to the filing cabinets, and explored them¡­ and started worrying about the time.  It had been almost 10 minutes so far, and Allan was sweating buckets, worried he¡¯d be caught and exposed any second.  Nothing there either.  Dammit!

    If he¡¯s got something here, it¡¯s hidden.  He wouldn¡¯t put it on the computer ¨C he¡¯s not an idiot.  He knows they¡¯re subject to scan and review by DIA.  No, it would be hidden¡­  He looked around the room once more.  Where is it?  He¡¯s got to have kept records of his contact with Trask¡­  He¡¯s in too deep not to.

    He pulled out the drawers on the desk, and looked inside the desk ¨C to find nothing¡­ but the back of each drawer had two numbers on it!  Hey!  This is something¡­  He wrote the numbers down on his pad ¨C 93, 11, 27.  Sounds like a combination or a date or password, maybe.  Now all I need is the file to go with it.  He put the drawers back, and wondered what the numbers meant.

    His phone bleeped.  He took a glance ¨C it was Vi, wondering what was taking so long.  He didn¡¯t answer ¨C answering would have taken even longer.  Allan was about to keep looking, when he heard a preemptory knock on the door, and saw the door swing open to reveal Captain Shelly Forsythe.  Shelly looked pissed.

    ¡°Sinclair.  I want a word with you.  My office, now!¡±  She turned and left, obviously expecting him to follow.

    This is interesting, he thought.  The boss is mad with Donny boy?  Maybe I should look into it? He replied and headed out to follow her.

    When he got to Shelly¡¯s office, she was behind her desk, in ¡®authoritarian mode¡¯ ¨C the mode she often tried when she wanted to intimidate an officer who had screwed up.  For her to be pulling this with Sinclair meant she was pissed beyond belief.  Idly, he wondered what Sinclair did to warrant it.  He was usually a kiss-ass.

    ¡°Sit down, Lieutenant.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.  Is something wrong?¡±  Allan asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t play stupid with me, Donald.  I know damn well you had Allan Taylor killed last night.  I just wanted you to know that I¡¯m not playing your stupid games.  We¡¯re the police¡­ we don¡¯t work for Bolivar Trask.  You¡¯re under suspension.  I want your gun and your badge, now!¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about, Chief?¡±  Allan asked, surprised as hell.  He had me killed?  The fucker!

    ¡°I mean as far as I¡¯m concerned, you¡¯re a murderer ¨C and when I build a case against you, you¡¯ll be lucky if you end on death row.  Allan Taylor was one of our best, you murdering asshole!¡±

    Shit!  I¡¯d better play it like Sinclair would, or she might realize it¡¯s not him.  ¡°If you had a case I¡¯d be arrested already.  You don¡¯t.  You¡¯re fishing, and you¡¯re making a mistake.¡±

    ¡°The only mistake I¡¯m making is not putting a bullet in you right now, Sinclair.  Your gun and your badge, now!¡±

    Allan nodded, and gave her his gun and his badge.  It wouldn¡¯t be hard to get another gun if needed, and another badge was as easy as asking Vi to pass the salt.  ¡°Here.  I hope you choke on them.¡±  He slapped them down on her desk, and walked out.  I¡¯d better hurry ¨C or she¡¯ll kick me out of the building while she¡¯s at it¡­  At least I learned something ¨C she¡¯s not on Trasks¡¯ side!

    Allan hurried back to Sinclair¡¯s office, and realized he didn¡¯t have much time.  There were only a few places he hadn¡¯t looked¡­  Taking a chance, he looked under the plastic potted plant ¨C and smiled when he saw an envelope taped to the bottom of the pot.  It was lumpy ¨C like something was inside it.  Bingo!  He thought.  If he has secret files, these are probably it.  He slipped the envelope into his pocket, and got ready to leave the office.  I can¡¯t wait to get out of his skin, Allan thought.

    Stepping into the hall, he walked back to the precinct floor, and headed out ¨C and nearly swallowed his tongue when he saw Virus, looking like a normal civilian carrying some sort of survey clipboard, trying to occupy the real Donald Sinclair¡¯s time.  She¡¯s stalling him!  Fuck!

    Allan turned up the collar on his jacket, and pulled his hat further down on his face, and turned away from the real Lieutenant Sinclair.  I just pray he doesn¡¯t see me¡­ Shit!  He walked a block, and turned into a coffee shop ¨C a different one from the one where Vi bought the doughnuts.  A few minutes later, she walked in, looking just as stressed as he was.

    ¡°Thank god!¡± he swore. ¡°You okay?¡±  Allan couldn¡¯t believe how stressful his impersonation had been ¨C he felt like he¡¯d run a mile and was out of breath.

    ¡°Yeah ¨C but I think Lieutenant Sinclair is going to realize he¡¯s been had pretty quickly.  Did you find anything?¡±

    ¡°Yeah ¨C an envelope with something in it.  Let¡¯s head back to the hotel, so I can get back to myself, okay?¡±

    ¡°You got it.¡±  Colby replied, getting up.  ¡°I¡¯m grabbing some doughnuts before we go ¨C you got to keep them all for yourself.¡±  She said, joking.

    ¡°Maybe.¡±  Allan replied.  ¡°But I think the envelope will be worth it.  I¡¯ve suspected Sinclair of at least a dozen murders ¨C not including mine.  Maybe now we can pin a few of them on him ¨C and finger Trask as the employer.¡±

    ¡°I guess time will tell.  Let¡¯s go.¡±  Colby bundled up her bakers¡¯ dozen, and they left to investigate the envelope and its contents.

    Thirty minutes later, they were in Allan¡¯s hotel room.

    ¡°You want out of that skin?¡±  Colby asked.

    ¡°Hell, yes!¡±  Allan replied, eager to be out of the skin of the man who contracted his death.  ¡°I hope we¡¯ve got enough to get him, and Trask too.¡±

    ¡°Me too.  Let¡¯s see what¡¯s in the envelope.¡±

    Allan tore the envelope open, to reveal a thumb drive ¨C a fairly big one ¨C 32mb.  ¡°Hey hey!  Donny must have a lot of secrets to need this.  Let¡¯s take a look.¡±  Allan borrowed Colby¡¯s laptop and plugged in the drive.  ¡°It asked for a password.¡± He said to Vi.  ¡°It¡¯s probably using these numbers ¨C 93, 11, 27.¡±  Allan tried putting them in, in order, and the computer drive unlocked.  File after file appeared on the screen.  It was going to take hours ¨C or even days ¨C to go through all of this¡­  But even a cursory glance showed that Lieutenant Sinclair was receiving at least 500,000$ a year from Bolivar Trask ¡®for services rendered.¡¯

    That¡¯s a lot of fucking service, Allan thought.

    ¡°Did we get him?¡±  Colby asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I think so.¡±  Allan replied.  ¡°We got Sinclair.  Now we have to deal with Trask.¡±

    ¡°I can take care of that.¡±  Colby answered.  ¡°I¡¯ll be out for a few hours.¡±

    ¡°I need a new badge, and a new gun.  Apparently the Chief suspended Sinclair ¨C for suspicion of my murder.¡±

    Colby nodded.  ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it. I¡¯ll be back by dinner.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡±  Allan called.  ¡°No showboating!  If you need backup, call me!¡±

    Colby smiled.  ¡°I will.¡±  She headed out.  Now to deal with Trask, she thought.  I hope he¡¯s as overconfident as he is stupid.  If he wasn¡¯t stupid, he¡¯d have left Allan Taylor alone.  He¡¯s arrogant and used to getting his own way.  We can use that, I think.  If he has anything on a computer, I¡¯ll find it.¡±

 Chapter 18 - The Trap begins to Close

    Colby¡¯s first stop was an electronics store, to pick up a portable hard drive.  A hundred and fifty bucks later, she had two, and was on her way back to the nearest Web caf¨¦.  Soon, she was ensconced in a small booth, with a rented laptop, a large mocha latte and her determination.

    She logged on, and accessed the net ¨C then began tracking Trask¡¯s industries activity on the web, slowly tracing them back to their servers ¨C and then infiltrating the servers to gain access to Trask¡¯s secrets.  Bolivar Trask had some of the best security in Empire City ¨C but slowly and surely, Colby was able to bypass the firewalls and security gates ¨C not with ease, but she didn¡¯t particularly have to extend herself either. Eventually ¨C after about 3 hours in the caf¨¦, she had reached a point where all she had to do was press enter, and she¡¯d have full access to his mainframe.

    Colby couldn¡¯t help but pause a moment, amazed at what she¡¯d done.  I¡¯ve never been a hacker before this stuff happened, she thought.  Now I can interface with machines mentally.  This is whacked.  I wonder if there¡¯s a computer or electronic device on the planet I couldn¡¯t get into?  That¡¯s not just power, it¡¯s almost infinite power.  I could crash stock markets, or even governments.  Oh my god¡­  She just stared in shock as the penny dropped.  She was a living biological and computer virus.  She could interface and infect, change and replicate. She shuddered at the thought of what her powers could have been used for if someone else had got them¡­  If I can bioengineer things like actual viruses with my powers, I could literally destroy the world, she thought.  I can never let that happen.  I can never let my power be used that way. I¡¯m not a terrorist ¨C but with these powers, I could be. Oh my god!

    She shuddered at the thought and debated turning the computer off, and saying ¡®no¡¯ ¨C but she and Allan needed the data ¨C and no one was getting hurt.  That mattered a lot to Colby ¨C a hell of a lot.  I guess I meant it when I was thinking that I¡¯m a ¡®save people¡¯ type of hero and not a ¡®law and order¡¯ type hero.  She pressed Enter, knowing that doing so she was completing probably her 10<sup>th</sup> felony of the day.  At least it¡¯s for the right reason ¨C taking down a scumbag like Bolivar Trask. I¡¯d better make sure I don¡¯t get arrogant with these abilities¡­ I don¡¯t want to become part of the problem.

    As she watched, Bolivar Trask¡¯s mainframe opened itself up to her, and she began downloading files, searching for anything relevant.  Another hour passed ¨C and soon the hard drives she had brought were full.  If there¡¯s any more data, I don¡¯t think I can find it this go around.  Huh.  It¡¯s probably going to take days to access and understand all this data ¨C hell, most of it is probably redundant or not relevant ¨C but it¡¯s still worth having.  She unplugged the portable hard drives, and logged off the computer.  It was time to go.  Allan still needed his gun and his badge, and to be honest, before looking for a gun shop on the internet earlier today, Colby had had no idea where to go to buy a gun, or what was needed to buy a gun.  Some crime fighter I am, she thought, jokingly.  I don¡¯t even know the basics.  Too bad there isn¡¯t a two-year degree in basic Vigilantism.  I¡¯d sign up for that in a heartbeat¡­

    She took a sip of her coffee, and realized it was long gone.  I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised, she thought.  I¡¯ve been here almost four hours.  Time to go.  She returned the computer, paid the bill ¨C again on her hacked prepaid VISA ¨C and headed out.  An hour and a few changes in her appearance later, Colby, disguised as Detective Allan Taylor had a new 9mm handgun with ammunition, and a shiny new badge.  She emerged from the gun shop, and found a convenient alley to change back to herself in, changing to her Virus form ¨C minus the costume.

    I don¡¯t know if I like having all this power, Colby thought.  It¡¯s a hell of a lot of responsibility.  I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m ready for it ¨C hell I¡¯m not sure anyone should have this level of power.  What am I going to do about it?  It¡¯s not like I could give them away ¨C and even if I could I have no idea who I could trust enough to give them to.  It¡¯s too much.   Colby walked back to the hotel, wondering what Darryl was up to.  He would know what to say to make it better, she thought.

    *              *              *

    Darryl sat watching the Patriots versus the Wardens game on the television.  Football was great at the stadium, but it wasn¡¯t bad at home with friends.  Too bad Colby couldn¡¯t be here, he thought.  I really wanted to spend some time with her.  I hope she¡¯s okay.   Darryl mused a bit more, wondering at how their relationship ¨C his and Kayden¡¯s ¨C now Colby¡¯s situations had changed so radically, so quickly.  It amazed him ¨C but not in a bad way ¨C at how quickly he and she had bonded, how the one difference between them changed best friends to more than friends.  Life is funny.  He thought.  He put his attention back to the game ¨C and realized he¡¯s just missed a 40 yard toss that resulted in a sweet touchdown for the Patriots.  The Wardens were behind 21-17.  Why am I even bothering, he thought.  I¡¯m not paying attention ¨C I¡¯m too distracted.  He turned off the television, and called Marten, and arranged to meet for a coffee.  I might as well hang with a few friends, he thought.  Who knows how long it will be before Colby comes back.  God, I miss her.

    *              *              *

    Hazard Man and Mr. Chips had been busy in the last few hours.  Their new base of operations was an abandoned warehouse in the Railyard district.  Where do these warehouses come from, he wondered.  There are at least three within a six block radius.  Can people really afford to let the real estate go to waste?  Maybe I should try and fix the local economy when I¡¯m done killing Bolivar Trask?  Yeah¡­ ¡®Hazard man saves local economy¡¯ has a nice ring to it, he thought.  It would probably go well too, until a costumed do gooder like Virus showed up.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we kill her next time we fight?  What do you think of that, boy?¡±  he asked.

    ¡°Yip! Yip!¡±  Mr. Chips thought back to how she had hurt Master, and thought that was just a fine idea indeed.

    ¡°So it¡¯s settled.¡±  Hazard man decided.  ¡°Next time we fight, if we can, we kill her.¡±

    ¡°Yarf!  Yap!¡±  Mr. Chips was curious at what his Master was doing.

    ¡°Putting in some electrical shielding, as well as some eye protection and a few other gizmos into my gear, so she can¡¯t shock me again, or spray stuff in my eyes.  She¡¯s sneaky ¨C and I need to out think her; unfortunately, I don¡¯t think like an adventurer ¨C so I¡¯m kind of winging it, Mr. Chips.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve got a new target too, Mr. Chips.  Trask Electronics.  A simple EMP bomb on the roof will make his factory and all his inventory simply scrap ¨C and then we move on to his other holdings.  We¡¯ll destroy his infrastructure piece by piece until either Virus shows up and we kill her, or until we succeed and kill Trask.   It¡¯s a win-win, buddy.¡±

    ¡°Yip! Yip!¡±  Mr. Chips grinned.  He liked winning.

    *              *              *

    Colby returned to the hotel room to find Detective Taylor grinning from ear to ear.  ¡°What¡¯s up, Allan?¡±

    ¡°The information I found earlier today is exactly what we need, Vi ¨C that¡¯s what¡¯s up.¡±  Allan smiled.  ¡°Sinclair is done, and there¡¯s a good chance we can nail Trask with this information too ¨C but we¡¯d need a bit more to make it stick.  Hopefully that¡¯s what you¡¯ve got for me.  How did it go.¡±

    Colby smiled.  ¡°It went as expected.  I got the info ¨C probably more than we need ¨C and brought it with me.  Oh ¨C I also got you a new gun and a new badge.  I got you a Glock 19 and a Sig Sauer P226, although to be honest I don¡¯t know the difference between them.¡±  She slid Allan his new guns and ammunition, and his new badge.

    ¡°They¡¯re both really good guns.¡±  Allan said.  ¡°I think the Glock is slightly more accurate, but the Sig Sauer feels better in my hand, and it has a few features I really like.  I could go into more detail, but that¡¯s really the crux of it.¡±

    ¡°Good to know.  Thanks.¡±  Colby replied.  ¡°What¡¯s our next move?  Contacting your prosecutor friend?¡±

    ¡°Not a bad place to start.¡±  Allan thought a moment.  ¡°You might need to contact him ¨C unless I get a new face, I can¡¯t exactly go see him ¨C we¡¯d give away the whole ploy, and I might end up really dead.¡±

    ¡°I can get you a new face.¡±  Colby replied.

    Allan shook his head.  ¡°I¡¯d rather not do that again, thanks.  Once was way more than enough for me, Vi.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I can do it.¡±  Colby looked at the time; it was late afternoon in early November.  Darkness was falling, and unless Assistant District Attorney Jim Lincoln was working on a Sunday, he should be at home.  A quick interface with the Wifi in the hotel gave her the D.A¡¯s home address, and she got ready to go.  ¡°I¡¯ll be back as soon as I can.¡±

    ¡°No worries.¡±  Detective Taylor replied.  ¡°I¡¯ve got nowhere else to go at the moment.  Take some of the evidence to tantalize him with.¡±

    ¡°Good idea, Allan.  Will do.¡±  Vi picked up a copy of the Thumbdrive from Detective Sinclair¡¯s office, and one of the two portable hard drives from her sojourn earlier that afternoon, and put them in her purse.  ¡°See you soon, once I know if he¡¯s legit or not.¡±

    ¡°Good luck, Vi.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Allan.¡±

    *             *              *

    The home of District Attorney Jim Lincoln was north of the Plaza ¨C an area with several pricey high-rise condominiums that sold for more money that Colby was capable of stomaching.  The area north of the Plaza was called Lewiston, and it was a suburb of Empire City that had a great deal of money.  The houses and neighborhoods were usually nice, well appointed, and safe ¨C and the cost to live in Lewiston was commensurate with that luxury and safety.  The fact that a District Attorney could afford to live here wasn¡¯t a great sign, Virus thought, but maybe he came from old money, or maybe his wife if he had one was loaded?

    She glided up on her wings, and landed quietly nearby, where there were no witnesses and no cameras ¨C an interesting feat in the heavily CCTV¡¯d neighborhood.   Changing into her civilian form of Virus, she walked up to 654 Prescott lane, and knocked.  A few minutes later, someone came to the door.  Surprisingly for Vi, it seemed to be the DA himself!

    ¡°Hello?  Can I help you, miss?¡±  Jim Lincoln was a young man, just under thirty years of age, who looked fit and trim like he took good care of himself.  From the look of him, Virus wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he went to a gym regularly.  He had short cropped brown hair, and stylish good looks.

    Geez, he must be good with the ladies, She thought.  ¡°Mr. Lincoln, I have information you might find interesting about the murder of Detective Allan Taylor ¨C about who did the deed, who paid him for it, and who contracted it.  May I come inside?¡±

    District Attorney Lincoln looked like he was thinking it over a moment.  ¡°Come in,¡± he said. He moved back from the door, and allowed Virus inside, and closed the door.  ¡°You know who I am, miss ¨C so who are you?  I like to know who I¡¯m talking to.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s fair, Mr. Lincoln.¡±  Vi replied, sensing around the home with her electronic senses.  There was decent wifi, and some radio signals from the kitchen ¨C two cell phones, one belonging to Captain Shelly Forsythe.  ¡°You¡¯re not alone, though, are you?¡±

    Virus could hear the sound of a gun cocking across the room, and turned to see Captain Forsythe aiming a pistol at her.  ¡°No, he¡¯s not.  Mr. Lincoln asked you your name.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Virus ¨C a superheroine, and friend to Detective Taylor.  I did some digging after his death ¨C and I found some evidence that proves someone had a contract out to kill him.  I have records of payments.  I have names, dates, addresses of at least a dozen killings, and lots more.  What I want to know is what you two are going to do about it?  Should I trust you?  Bolivar Trask has half the city bought and paid for, after all.¡±

    ¡°You!  You were at the police station earlier today, weren¡¯t you?¡±  Captain Forsythe demanded.

    ¡°Yes I was, Captain ¨C but I wasn¡¯t playing the role you think I was.¡±  Virus paused.  ¡°Can you put the gun down, please?  I assure you that even though five or six bullets won¡¯t put me down, they do hurt a great deal ¨C and I¡¯ll bleed all over Mr. Lincoln¡¯s floor.¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°Shelly, I think it¡¯s okay.  If she¡¯s Virus, she won¡¯t hurt us ¨C and if she¡¯s with Trask, it¡¯s already too late.  Please, come on into the kitchen.¡±  Jim led the way inside, and Virus followed ¨C with Captain Forsythe bringing up the rear.

    As Virus followed Jim Lincoln to the kitchen, she interfaced with his home computer, his cell phone, and his tablet ¨C and found zero contact between him and Bolivar Trask, and minimal contact between him and Detective Sinclair.  What she did find was that Jim and Shelly seemed to be having a torrid office romance that virtually no one knew about, save herself and those two. Virus noticed some really inventive uses for emoticons on their phones she decided to save to use with Darryl later, and got her attention back to the situation at hand.  I don¡¯t think he¡¯s connected to Trask ¨C and if Allan is right, she definitely is not as well.  Good.

    In the kitchen, it looked as if she had interrupted a romantic dinner between the two.  ¡°Sorry about interrupting your dinner.  I gather you two don¡¯t many chances to spend time together?¡±  Virus asked.

    ¡°Well, not that it¡¯s your business.¡±  Shelly replied.  ¡°But you¡¯re right.  So is what you¡¯ve got worth the interruption?¡±

    Virus nodded, and sat in a chair.  ¡°I have computer files that prove Detective Donald Sinclair was hired by Bolivar Trask to kill Detective Allan Taylor. There is also other evidence of murder committed by Detective Sinclair at Trask¡¯s behest ¨C and records of payments to the tune of half a million dollars a year, for many, many years.  I also know for a fact he asked me to kill Doctor Justin Pierce ¨C Hazard man ¨C and I refused, and I know he asked Allan Taylor to kill him too.  Allan refused ¨C and thus the contract on him.¡±

    ¡°Damn, Jim!¡±  Shelly said.  ¡°If this is true, we¡¯ve got what we need to nail them both!  We can clean up this damn city!¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡±  Jim replied.  ¡°But let¡¯s go slow, Shelly ¨C we need to be careful.  We don¡¯t want to end up dead like Allan.¡±

    ¡°Oh ¨C Allan¡¯s not dead.¡±  Virus interjected.  ¡°He was shot and left for dead, and I found him, healed him, and hid him somewhere safe, so that we could bring Trask and Sinclair down.  I can get him on the phone if you like?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s alive?!¡±  Captain Forsythe exclaimed, nearly having a spit-take.  ¡°Yes!  I want to talk to him, please!¡±

    Virus nodded.  ¡°Just a second.¡±  She pulled out her burner phone, and called Detective Taylor.  ¡°Hey ¨C Allan?  It¡¯s Vi.  I need you to listen.  I made contact with Jim and Shelly ¨C and they want to talk to you ¨C but as soon as we¡¯re done, you pull the battery on the phone I gave you and move, understand?  Go to my place.  That way if anyone¡¯s watching, you¡¯ll be safe.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I can do that.¡±  Allan replied.  ¡°Now what?  Are they clean?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, as far as I can tell.  Here¡¯s Captain Forsythe.¡±

    Shelly grabbed the phone from Virus, and started talking.  ¡°Allan, is it really you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me, Captain.  I nearly bought it, too.  Sinclair was behind it.  I can tell you more when we meet.¡±

    ¡°Thank god you¡¯re alive!¡±  She exclaimed.  ¡°Is the evidence Virus has for real?¡±

    ¡°As real as it gets, Captain, although she might have bent a law or two to get it.  The stuff on Sinclair though is clean as a whistle.  So what now, Cap?  Can we make a move?  If we can¡¯t, I have to leave town, or I¡¯m really dead.  Virus can¡¯t pull my fat out of the fryer every time.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Allan ¨C he says the story is legit.¡±  Shelly repeated to Jim.  ¡°He wants to know if we can move on Sinclair and Trask.¡±

    Jim thought a moment, and realized he had only one answer.  ¡°It depends on the evidence Virus has gathered for us ¨C if there¡¯s enough, then yes ¨C and if not, then no.  I need an iron-clad case, or we¡¯re dead in the water.¡±

    Shelly repeated the reply back to Allan.  ¡°He says he understands ¨C and he¡¯s sure we¡¯ve got enough.  He wants to talk to you now Virus.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Allan.¡±  Virus said.  ¡°You¡¯re wondering now what?¡±

    ¡°Pretty much.¡± Allan replied.

    ¡°Go to my place, and hole up there till I get back.  I¡¯ll fill you in on what happened here.  Keep your eyes and ears peeled.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha.  Hanging up and pulling battery in 3.  Taylor out.¡±

    ¡°Detective Taylor hung up and is moving his location.¡±  Virus said. ¡°We¡¯re being a bit paranoid.¡±

    Jim Lincoln nodded, and so did Shelly.  It made sense when someone like Trask wanted you dead.  ¡°I need to see the evidence, Virus.  All that you have with you.¡±

    ¡°Sure, Mr. Lincoln ¨C but I suggest you and Miss Forsythe finish what you can of dinner first ¨C it¡¯s going to be a long evening.¡±

    *            *              *

    Hazard Man finished setting the last of the arming codes on the EMP bomb, while Mr. Chips stood watch.  So far, no do-gooders like Virus ¨C and no cops or hit men from Trask, either.  It was going very smoothly.  In later months, Hazard Man would look back on things and realize this is when he should have been the most concerned ¨C but like Virus, he was a relative newbie to the world of heroes and villains, and like Virus, made mistakes.

    However, tonight, none of those mistakes would stop Bolivar Trask from losing his precious Electronics company, and over 200 million dollars of stock in his warehouse next to his electronics factory.  Anything stored on a computer circuit within a city block would be so much slag in about fifteen minutes.

    ¡°Time to go, Mr. Chips.  Let¡¯s watch the fireworks from the roof of the Bank on 5<sup>th</sup> Street.¡±

    ¡°Yip! Yip!¡±  Mr. Chips barked.  This was going to be fun!

    The two flew over to the bank ¨C Hazard Man using his winged jetpack, and Mr. Chips using his rocket pack.  While they waited, Hazard Man pulled a storage bag of microwave popcorn ¨C butter flavor, of course ¨C from his pack and offered some to Mr. Chips.  They sat together, nibbling on the popcorn until the light show was about to begin.

    A few minutes later, there was a blue burst of light from the top of the Trask electronics building ¨C and the glow radiated outward for a hundred yards in every direction, shutting down and overloading every electronic device from wristwatches, to hearing aids, to pacemakers ¨C and also every computerized object within the blast radius.  Hazard Man didn¡¯t see it at the time, but three people dropped dead, due to their pacemakers exploding in the their chests, and seven people suffered serious wounds from damaged electronics and prosthetics. Six people were trapped in elevators, for however long it would take to find and rescue them.  For everyone else, the power went out ¨C and so did the heat.  The area around Trask Electronics was black and cold, like how Hazard man envisaged Trask¡¯s heart.  The cold November wind blew around the rooftops, and carried the scent of approaching winter with it.  Hazard man could hear the cries of alarm all the way over to 5<sup>th</sup> street.  He could already imagine Bolivar Trasks¡¯ screams of rage when he found out about the disaster.

    It was glorious.

    *             *              *

    ¡°I want that mad man dead, and I want him dead tonight!¡±  Bolivar Trask screamed.  ¡°He just cost me close to 250 million dollars!¡±  Trask was on the phone with his backup problem solver, and it wasn¡¯t going well.

    ¡°It would be my pleasure, Sir.¡±  Said a friendly female voice from his cell phone.  ¡°Just as soon as you wire the money to my private account.  I have to be sure you can afford my services, sir.  You did just suffer a major financial loss.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll get your money when he¡¯s dead!¡±  Trask yelled.

    ¡°No, Sir, that¡¯s not how this works, and you know it.  I get paid 20 million dollars per contract, paid half in advance, or I walk.  You pay the rest when the target is dead.  If you don¡¯t pay¡­ well, I¡¯m sure you understand what happens next.  I want 20 million for Justin Pierce, also known as Hazard Man, 20 million for his robotic dog, and 20 million for Virus. If your next response is not ¡®Yes ma¡¯am, I¡¯ll wire you the money,¡¯ then I walk, and you can deal with these problems yourself, Mr. Trask.  I don¡¯t appreciate my time being wasted, Mr. Trask.¡±

    Bolivar Trask was so enraged, he turned purple. How dare this little bitch talk to him that way!?  Still, rumor had it she was the best at what she did.  She had never failed to kill her targets ¨C and never failed to kill clients who didn¡¯t pay up.  She was called ¡°The Sniper¡± ¨C and for obvious reasons, no one had ever seen her face and lived.  No one knew where she lived, what she looked like, or how old she was.  She was a cipher ¨C a ghost in the machine ¨C and she operated on a level that even Bolivar Trask found intimidating.  Rumor was she was the person to go to when governments wanted someone dead, and didn¡¯t want to do it in-house.  She never refused a job ¨C and she never failed.  But 60 million dollars?!  That was ridiculous!  And 20 million for just the stupid dog?!  Never!  He ground his teeth in frustration and anger, swearing that if he ever met this woman, he would make her pay for humiliating him.

    ¡°That won¡¯t be happening.  Do you have any idea what kind of hell I could bring down on you, bitch?  I can see this was a waste of my time. Go to hell! I¡¯ll find someone else.¡±

    The voice on the other end of the phone paused.  ¡°Is that a threat, Mr. Trask?  I don¡¯t respond well to threats.  I¡¯ll do you a favor this time, and assume it¡¯s part of your famous volatile temper, but I assure you if you waste my time again, or ever threaten me again, you will regret it. Don¡¯t call back.  I don¡¯t need business from you.¡±  The phone line disconnected.

    Trask screamed in impotent rage and frustration, and threw his cell phone across the room, where it shattered on the far wall.  He panted and gasped as his rage fled, and he felt empty and hollow.  This isn¡¯t how things should be, he thought.  I¡¯m the boss.  I¡¯m in control.  Dammit!  Everything was starting to fall apart, and Trask felt something he hadn¡¯t felt in a very long time begin to creep in¡­  Helplessness.

    *              *              *

    District Attorney Jim Lincoln and Police Captain Shelly Forsythe looked at each other from across the computer screen.  They had everything¡­ Accounts, contracts, shooters ¨C all of Trasks¡¯ dirty laundry for the last ten years, as well as some crimes that went back 15+ years, and some shady business practices the IRS might find interesting as well.  It might as well have been presented to them wrapped up in a golden bow.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to know how you got all this, Virus.¡±  Jim said.  ¡°But it¡¯s everything we could ever need to prosecute Trask.  He¡¯ll go away for the rest of his natural life, if he¡¯s lucky enough to avoid the death penalty.  I say we go ahead and prosecute.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡±  Shelly replied. ¡°I need 12 hours to round up as many honest cops as I can find.  I¡¯ll have a task force ready by 9am tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°Do you think Detective Taylor will want to be in on the arrest, Virus?¡±  Jim asked.

    Virus smiled.  ¡°Yeah, I think he would like that.  I¡¯ll get him to call you once I make contact with him.  I can scramble the phone so it can¡¯t be traced if I¡¯m with him, so it¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s do this!  Shelly, start getting your task force.  I¡¯ll get the warrants.  Virus ¨C you tell Detective Taylor the good news, and get him in touch with Shelly.  We¡¯ll handle Trask ¨C your job now is to find and stop Hazard Man for good, before he hurts anyone else or sets off another bomb.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good to me.¡±  Virus scanned the net and the police band for any news ¨C and growled in anger.  ¡°Something¡¯s happened at the Trask Electronics factory.  All the power is out and there are numerous small fires.  I¡¯m on my way.¡±  Virus ran for the door, and leapt into the air, transforming her body into a winged version of herself.  Her wings beat in a heavy rhythm as she raced towards 5<sup>th</sup> street, in the downtown core.  Maybe if she was lucky, Hazard Man would still be there.

    As she soared above the streets of Empire city, Virus couldn¡¯t help but feel the elation she had held earlier when flying ¨C it was amazing to swoop and soar by the feeling and beating of your own wings. If the timing were better, and less were on the line, she realized she wouldn¡¯t mind making a day of it, just flying around.  Right now, though, she had things she needed to do.

    Hazard man ¨C Justin Pierce ¨C and his robot dog Mr. Chips were still watching events unfold when Virus arrived on the scene.  They were about five blocks away, watching the panicked people and medics and police officers run to and fro.  Hazard Man looked positively gleeful.  Virus cursed.  Those people were scared, and possibly hurt or worse.  This had to stop, and stop now.  She landed behind the two of them, folding her wings in as she landed, morphing them away to enhance her speed, agility and strength.

    ¡°Hazard Man! Justin! It¡¯s over.  Surrender peacefully and I¡¯ll try and see you get the help that you need.¡±

    Hazard man and Mr. Chips whirled to see Virus standing on the far side of the building from them.  She looked like she meant business.  That was okay ¨C so did he.  ¡°And why should I do that, Virus?  I don¡¯t think you can beat me ¨C especially not with Mr. Chips helping me.  Trask needs to pay ¨C and I intend to make him pay.¡±

    ¡°He will pay!  I have it on good authority that the District Attorney and the Chief of Police are going to arrest him first thing in the morning.  He¡¯ll be going to jail ¨C he¡¯ll probably get the death penalty.  Let the law handle it.¡± Virus tried to convince him ¨C tried to help him see that he didn¡¯t have to do this.  By the end of her speech, she knew she had failed.  She kept her eyes trained on Mr. Chips, so he couldn¡¯t sneak up on her again.  Burn me once, shame on you, she thought.  Burn me twice, shame on me.

    ¡°No!¡±  Hazard man yelled.  ¡°He was going to kill me.  He was going to kill Mr. Chips!  I want revenge!  I want revenge for all the years he ground me down, working for him ¨C trying to make medical breakthroughs to save people¡­ to save my dog.  I was trying to cure cancer ¨C to cure leukemia ¨C and he wouldn¡¯t help.  He fought me every step of the way!  Even if I had succeeded, he wouldn¡¯t have given the cure to people!  He would have charged a fortune for it, so that only the incredibly rich could afford it.  It would change nothing.  I could have cured one of the great diseases of mankind, and I will never let small minds like that hinder me again!  He thinks he¡¯s above the law ¨C well, so am I and I am going to kill him!¡±

    Virus knew there was one last chance to reach him.  She could tell something inside him was fighting ¨C the part that was Justin, and the part he called Hazard man ¨C like they were two sides of the same coin.  I might be able to reach him if I show him he succeeded.  If I show him Kayden.

    Virus took a deep breath and morphed to Kayden.  ¡°I know, Doctor Pierce. You asked me to help you, remember?¡±

    ¡°Kayden?  Kayden Ballard?  I¡­ I killed you.  The experiment was a failure.¡±

    ¡°No, Dr. Pierce.  It was a success.  You wanted the cure.  I am the cure.  I can cure anything.  I can heal people.  You killed me ¨C you shot me twice and left me on the floor of the clinic next to David¡¯s body, and I came back.  I could have saved Mr. Chips, if you had waited.  I would have tried.¡±

    Dr. Pierce started as he had a facial tic, and laughed.  At first they were small ¨C like snickers or titters, but soon he was laughing great belly laughs.  It was as if he finally realized the cosmic joke he had played on himself.  ¡°I hurt my dog.  I hurt Mr. Chips.  You could have saved him.¡±  He laughed again, this time a little manically.  ¡°And now they want you for David¡¯s murder.  Life¡¯s a bitch, isn¡¯t it, Kayden?¡±

    ¡°It gets better, Dr. Pierce. You can come back from this.  Turn yourself in.  Get the help you need to heal.¡±

    Dr. Pierce looked down at his new-made friend, Mr. Chips.  He thought of what he had to do to save him ¨C to place Mr. Chips¡¯ little doggie mind into that highly advanced robot body.  About what he had to do to himself to make that possible.  He came to the obvious conclusion:  There was no going back to Justin ¨C Justin was weak.  People walked all over Justin.  He would never go back.  Not now - not ever!  He looked at Virus and his laughter stopped.  ¡°I can¡¯t.  I won¡¯t.  If you want me to stop, Virus, you¡¯re going to have to stop me.  Get in my way, and this time I¡¯ll kill you.  I¡¯ll keep killing you until I find a way to make it stick.¡±

    ¡°Now decide.¡±  Hazard man demanded.  ¡°Fight and die, or get out of my way!¡±  He waited for Virus¡¯ answer.

 Chapter 19 - Showdown

    Virus heard the challenge, and returned to her Virus form.  If he¡¯s not stopped, Trask and dozens of others will die, she thought.  I don¡¯t have a choice.  ¡°I can¡¯t let you go, Hazard man.  And I can¡¯t step aside either.  You¡¯re killing people!¡±

    Hazard man grinned.  ¡°That¡¯s the general idea, yes?  You made your choice, hero ¨C or is it heroine now?  Mr. Chips?¡±

    ¡°Yip, Yip!¡±  Mr. Chips configured for battle ¨C maximum ECM and as much armor and standard weapons as his robotic torso could accommodate with what energy he had left.  ¡°¡­Target Acquired¡­¡±

    This is going to be all out war in less than 10 seconds.  I need speed, or I¡¯ll be overwhelmed.  Virus concentrated, and tried to alter her metabolism and muscles just a bit to eke some measure of speed and agility out of them.  The problem is I still don¡¯t know exactly what I¡¯m doing when I do this ¨C I just do it.  I need to find a way to learn how to do this better!

    Virus saw Hazard Man raise his energy weapon, and dodged to one side, leaping with superhuman speed.  The energy beam missed her by only a few inches, and struck the top of the elevator structure on the roof of the bank.  The structure exploded, and a few moments later they heard the crash of the fallen elevator from within the shaft.  Virus leapt free, and landed on her feet ¨C and realized her tactical choices were limited.  All my powers are based on touch, she thought to herself.  If he can keep me at range, he¡¯ll trash me. Dammit!

    Mr. Chips ran into view, and unleashed a volley of machine gun fire at her, forcing Virus to dodge again ¨C and although she dodged the majority of the shots, she felt one rip through her arm, which started to heal.  The bullet wound stung like hell, and would probably slow her down.  She ran behind what looked like a chimney to try and formulate a plan ¨C but she could already hear Hazard Man¡¯s blaster powering up to disintegrate the chimney and everything behind it.  Chromatofores! She thought¡­  The cells that let a chameleon hide!  She quickly morphed and hid, and tried to crawl away ¨C and seconds later heard the chimney behind her explode.  Debris and tiny stone chips rained down on her, and she scuttled away, waiting for a chance to strike.

    Mr. Chips slowly approached the shattered chimney, looking for signs of Virus or her body.  He passed within inches of her position, simply not seeing her due to her chameleon disguise.

    Virus moved, reaching for Mr. Chips ¨C but this time, instead of attempting to hack him, smash him, or shock him, she simply grabbed his robotic body, and whirled, using Mr. Chips as a ¡®human shield¡¯ ¨C hoping that Hazard Man might blast anything that moved.  She whirled ¨C just in time to see Hazard Man fire his blaster ¨C as planned ¨C towards her.  Mr. Chips took the brunt of the beam full on, but the sheer force of the beam blasted both Mr. Chips and Virus back off the roof ¨C and they fell five stories to the ground, landing hard on the opposite side of the street.  Mr. Chips had been blasted free of Virus¡¯ grasp and into the wreckage of a four door sedan, and Virus had slammed into a light standard, which was bent and dangerously close to toppling over.

    The pain was incredible.  Virus felt several bones broken in her ¨C her ankle, some vertebrae, and knew she had ruptured several organs.  She felt she was healing ¨C but would it be fast enough?  She tried to pull herself up to sit, and shrieked in agony as the pain increased tenfold ¨C but she managed it.  Virus only hoped Mr. Chips was as badly damaged as she was.

    ¡°Hey, Hazard man!¡±  She called out.  ¡°Your dog makes a pretty good shield!  Thanks!¡±  She used the chromatofores she had given herself to hide once more, and watched as Hazard man made his way to the edge of the roof.  He was backlit by a number of security lights and simple light pollution from the city itself.  He made a great target.  I have GOT to get me some ranged weapons or attacks, ASAP, Virus thought.  You just can¡¯t let a shot like that go to waste.

    ¡°Where are you Virus?¡±  He called out.  ¡°Let me know so I can kill you.¡±

    Virus didn¡¯t say anything, and let her healing ability slowly repair her.

    ¡°Mr. Chips is far more advanced than you realize, Virus.¡±  Hazard man said.  ¡°He is designed to analyze and change to adapt to his target ¨C a nemesis system designed to beat any single foe.  Even if you kill his body, his intellect will be uploaded to the internet.  He cannot be killed.  I saved him.  He will never die.  He will never feel pain again.¡±

    The car Mr. Chips had fallen into exploded, raining flaming debris down onto the street.  An armored Mr. Chips crawled out of the wreckage ¨C his fur burned off to reveal the skeletal chassis of his robotic body beneath.  ¡°Yip, Yip!¡± Mr. Chips yapped as he strode from the wreckage.  His metallic chassis looked heavily armored, but even that armor had taken a beating in the five story fall.  Even so, the diminutive robotic dog looked as deadly as a Terminator as it strode from the wreckage of the car.  Virus was less than thirty feet away, hidden by her chameleon ability.  His glowing red eyes looked scary and frightening in the dim light.

    Above, a helicopter shone down a searchlight on the scene ¨C and Hazard Man laughed in triumph.  ¡°Look Virus ¨C it¡¯s the police, or the news.  Either way, your demise and my victory will be recorded for posterity!  Your loved ones can watch you die, over and over on the evening news.  How does that sound, Virus?  Will they cry over you?  Will they feel your loss ¨C or will they just go on, and forget you?¡±

    God, I¡¯d wish he would shut up, Virus thought.  But he¡¯s right ¨C I am in deep trouble.  Concentrate on the dog, she thought.  He¡¯s the one to beat in this team up ¨C if I can beat him, Hazard man will go down easily.  She knew he would be protected against electronic intrusion ¨C he was before at the warehouse.  He might even be protected against electric shock, if he and Hazard man took basic precautions over what she did to them before.  Then again, he wasn¡¯t prepared for immense strength, she recalled.  Maybe I smash him?  She looked around, and saw a nice chunk of steel from Mr. Chips¡¯ exploded car within reach.  Smashing it is, then.

    Mr. Chips looked about for his target and couldn¡¯t see anything ¨C but the sensors built into his olfactory array could smell her.  She was close.  ¡°Yip! Yip!¡±  he said, frustrated.  He paused a moment to try and reconfigure his senses to get IR and UV sight¡­  The next thing he knew he was being clobbered by Virus wielding a huge chunk of exploded car, smashing him again and again with the steel and carbon fiber, and her biologically enhanced strength.  Part of his chassis warped and bent, and one of his legs crumpled.

    ¡°Take that, you little bastard!¡±  Virus crowed as she smashed the robotic dog.  She smashed him again, and once more for good measure ¨C and then screamed in pain as Hazard Man¡¯s blaster beam caught her dead on, slamming her into the ground.  Crap.  I let my guard down, she thought.  I need to change tactics.  The pain from the blaster was intense, and centered on her lower torso ¨C and she was sickened to see the wound when she looked down.  An apple-sized hole had been punctured through her lower torso by the beam ¨C right through her.  She nearly gagged at the smell and look of it ¨C only the cauterization of the beam had kept her innards inside of her.  The smell was wretched ¨C it smelled like Sunday roast.  I can survive this, she thought.  Don¡¯t think about it ¨C just fight!

    The battle raged on¡­

    *                              *                              *

    Darryl was back home, after spending an afternoon with Martin and his girlfriend Susan.  Not surprisingly, they had really liked Colby at the Halloween party, and equally unsurprisingly, they had noticed her abrupt change in mood and decision to leave.  What he hadn¡¯t known is that Martin had heard that a jock was found upstairs the next morning, lying on the hallway floor, paralyzed from the neck down. He had been taken to the hospital, and as far as anyone knew, the doctors didn¡¯t know what was wrong with him.

    Sue had asked if Colby knew kung-fu or pressure points, as a lark ¨C and although Darryl could rightfully say she knew nothing about martial arts, he couldn¡¯t say the same about anything else, even though Sue and Martin laughed it off.  She did that, didn¡¯t she?  He thought.  But if her story is right, he was sexually harassing her ¨C and might have raped her.  Looks good on the idiot.  I wonder if he even remembers what he almost did?

    Martin and Sue had also mentioned that she obviously had issues with her parents ¨C and asked him to mention to her that if she wanted to talk ¨C about her folks, or about being trans, she could always call them.  Sue was a local activist in the LGBT scene and a known ally, and Martin was just trying to help ¨C seeing as how he had been where Colby was now, in his own way, a few years ago.

    All in all, it had been a good afternoon.  Darryl still missed Colby, but hopefully, she¡¯d be home soon.  He grabbed the dinner he¡¯d put in the oven, and settled down in front of the TV for the evening, figuring he¡¯d watch a movie or something.  Maybe I¡¯ll catch the highlights of the game I missed, he wondered.

    As the television flared to life, the news announcer¡¯s voice came through clear.  ¡°¡­it seems Virus is fighting for her life in a battle royale spreading across three blocks of downtown Empire City¡­  Hazard Man and his robot dog have injured her with energy beams and other weapons several times, and she just won¡¯t go down.  The damage is rising, and local police have been instructed to hold back and form a perimeter to contain the battle, but it¡¯s anyone¡¯s guess as to how long this can go on.  Hazard Man looks fine, but his robotic dog has taken a serious beating.  Virus seems to be concentrating on taking down the robot ¨C but her wounds are incredible!¡±

    Darryl watched the screen with sick fascination as he saw an energy beam pierce Virus¡¯s body, leaving a second cauterized hole in her torso.  ¡°No!  Dammit!  Colby!¡±  He felt sick inside, seeing her hurt like that ¨C seeing her being taken apart piece by piece by that insane maniac and his robotic dog.  The girl he loved was being torn apart ¨C and no one was helping her.  He felt tears falling down his cheeks, and he felt like he was being torn apart too.  Come on, Colby, get up!  Get up, and come home to me¡­ Please don¡¯t die¡­ Oh god, please!

    Virus clutched her newest wound, and got to her feet. Looking at the newest hole in her torso, she snarled at Hazard man, and motioned with her hand. Then she tore off Mr. Chips¡¯ right hind leg and tossed it over her shoulder.  ¡°Bring it on¡± was the obvious message, and Hazard Man obliged.  Mr. Chips writhed in her hands, and bit down on her left hand ¨C and even with the grainy video of the helicopter news team, it was obvious Mr. Chips severed several fingers from her hand ¨C you could almost count them, falling one by one to the ground as she dropped him and clutched the bloodied remains of her hand.

    Darryl watched with horror as the girl of his dreams was being torn to pieces.  He felt like he was dying inside, right there with her on Television, and he couldn¡¯t look away.  This can¡¯t be how it ends, he thought.  It can¡¯t be!  Please, god, don¡¯t let it end like this!

    *              *              *

    Detective Taylor drove like mad for the scene of the battle. Virus was fighting them both ¨C and each time she had faced them before, she nearly died.  She needed help ¨C and he was the only one there who could give it.  He had seized the car under the pretence of ¡®police emergency¡¯ ¨C and he sincerely hoped his captain would back him up when it came time for him to give his report, but right now, he didn¡¯t much care.  Virus had saved him when he needed it ¨C and now he was going to do his damndest to save her, or die trying.

    His purloined car raced forward, and he came upon the rough perimeter the ECPD were establishing around the meta-human battle.  Four patrolmen had set up a rough blockade with their cars, and were trying to keep a number of civilians back from the area.  He drove up, and flashed his badge.  ¡°I¡¯m going in ¨C any arguments?¡±  he asked.

    The patrolman took a look at the badge, and shook his head. ¡°No sir ¨C it¡¯s your funeral, sir!¡±

    Detective Taylor stepped on the gas, leaving rubber on the street behind him.  She might not have much time left, he thought.  Gotta hurry!

    *              *              *

    Virus gasped in pain as Mr. Chips savaged her left leg, chewing and biting until his durasteel teeth hit the long bones in her leg.  She pounded him with a chunk of concrete again and again, smashing against his head and torso ¨C and then she felt the bones in her leg crunch as his hydraulic press of a mouth punched through them!  She screamed in pain ¨C the unbelievable pain ¨C as Mr. Chips bit through her leg and severed her left foot, spitting it out on the ground next to him.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    Mr. Chips didn¡¯t look unscathed, either.  His left rear leg was crippled, and his right rear leg was gone ¨C torn off by Virus¡¯s biologically enhanced strength.  His chassis was battered and broken ¨C and he was as much on his last legs as she was.  Hazard Man, by comparison, was injured ¨C but only lightly so ¨C and his attacks had been fewer than could have been, since he was afraid to shoot into their melee, for fear of hitting his beloved robot dog.

    ¡°Good boy, Mr. Chips!  Now finish her!  Finish her!¡±  he screamed.

    ¡°Yip!  Yip!¡±  Mr. Chips responded, dragging his shattered Chassis towards Virus.  He opened his mouth and revealed his machine gun turret.  He opened fire ¨C and bullet after bullet tore into Virus, and her body jerked from the impact of the high velocity slugs, jerking and twitching like a marionette who¡¯s strings were controlled by someone having a seizure.  She didn¡¯t scream ¨C she just collapsed in a heap, blood pooling out from where her body lay.

    Virus could feel everything going dark¡­ There were too many wounds¡­ too many for her healing ability to deal with.  Is this it, she wondered.  Am I going to die?  She felt herself fade, but fought to stay awake, knowing if she succumbed to sleep, it was all over ¨C she would be dead, and Hazard Man would still be on the loose.  Fight it, she thought.  Stay awake.  She tried to move her hand, but could only twitch the stumps of her fingers.  She needed time ¨C even a few seconds would help.  She figured she didn¡¯t have seconds.  Her time was up.

    ¡°So, Virus.¡±  Hazard man began, walking up to her ¨C but still staying a good ten feet away from her, out of range of her touch.  ¡°You did your best and failed ¨C again.  I told you I¡¯d kill you ¨C if not for what you did to Mr. Chips, then for trying to keep me from Trask.  I¡¯ll keep killing you too, until I can make it stick.  I promised after all.¡±

    Virus tried to talk ¨C it was hard, and blood fountained from her mouth.  ¡°Then stop talking and kill me already.¡±  She said.  ¡°If you keep monologuing you¡¯re going to regret it.  Even I know that much.¡±

    ¡°Is that what you think?  Why?  How?  Do you think someone is coming to save you?  No one cares about heroes here ¨C this is Empire City, where everyone turns their back on everyone else.  No one cares!  I¡¯ll savor this moment, and then I¡¯ll end you!¡±  He aimed his blaster cannon, and called out to Mr. Chips.  ¡°Hey buddy.  You need to get out of the way, okay?¡±

    Mr. Chips tried to drag his shattered chassis away from Virus, but failed, and Hazard man scowled and lowered his weapon, carefully picking up his robot dog, and moving him away from his enemy.  ¡°You¡¯ll be okay, won¡¯t you pal?¡±  He asked, and in return received a few robotic doggy kisses from Mr. Chips, and a pained whine.  ¡°She won¡¯t hurt you ever again, buddy.¡±

    Hazard man lowered Mr. Chips to the ground, and raised his weapon, planning to finish off Virus.  By now, Virus looked like she had healed some of the damage done ¨C she was still missing her fingers and her left foot, but some of the serious wounds looked less serious.  It was time to finish this.

    ¡°You know.¡±  Virus said, as she staggered to her feet.  ¡°I¡¯ll give you one last chance to surrender, Hazard Man.¡±  Her eyes were unfocused, and she looked weak and shaky.

    ¡°Surely you jest.¡±  Hazard man replied.  ¡°What are you going to do to stop me.¡±

    ¡°Nothing ¨C except maybe distract you.¡±  She said, pointing to something he couldn¡¯t see behind him.  They could both hear the roar of an approaching engine.

    Surely she can¡¯t expect me to turn around?  Oh hell. He thought.  He was only part way turned around when Detective Taylor¡¯s car slammed into him at sixty miles per hour.

    There was a bone shattering crunch as Hazard Man screamed, and was knocked back through the air a good thirty or forty feet, where he hit the pavement and rolled into a bloody heap.  He was still alive somehow, protected his ridiculous armor, and he tried to stagger to his feet, with little success.

    Detective Taylor tried to shield himself from the worst of the impact, but the airbags hit him like a punch to the gut, and the seatbelt jerked him up short, hitting him hard and making him gasp.  He felt the car swerve, careen and flip onto its side.  He was shaken, and disoriented ¨C but alive, although he¡¯d definitely feel the bruises in the morning.  He tried to get out of the car, but the airbags needed time to deflate.  He was trapped.

    Virus staggered over to the nearly unconscious Hazard Man, who was broken and bleeding at her feet.  ¡°You should have surrendered, you stupid bastard.¡±  She said, reaching out to touch him.  She could tell he was seriously injured ¨C and from the state of his DNA, he¡¯d done something to himself.  He wasn¡¯t fully human anymore ¨C he was, if she had to guess, part nano-machine.  His brain now resembled a high speed fibre-optic network than a real human brain.  What have you done to yourself, Justin?  She wondered.  She touched him, and he fell unconscious as she flooded his system with chemicals that produced fatigue and sleep.  She paralyzed him from the neck down by swelling his scapular nerves as well ¨C like she¡¯d done with the guy who attacked her at the Halloween party.

    Now to deal with the dog.  She thought.

    Mr. Chips dragged himself towards her, crawling with his front legs scrabbling, trying to get his mouth turret to get a shot on her.  She herself was staggering as best she could on one foot and one stump, and was making her way over towards him as well.  It was obvious from her clumsy movements she had shut off her pain receptors again, and was simply trying to finish the battle before she collapsed.  She grabbed a piece of shattered steel from their brawl, and wielded it like a club, staggering in a zig-zag pattern to try and avoid being shot again by Mr. Chips.

    Mr. Chips struggled forward, and then stopped.  He yipped once more, and then his damaged vocoder said ¡°Idea!¡± ¨C and it sounded high pitched, almost like a cartoon character¡¯s squeal.  He knew he wouldn¡¯t die ¨C that he couldn¡¯t die.  Master said so!  So all he had to do was take down Virus¡­  It never even occurred to Mr. Chips that maybe Hazard Man was wrong ¨C Master was never wrong!  Virus was staggering towards him, and he began to reconfigure¡­  She would destroy his body, perhaps ¨C but he would destroy her in the end.

    Virus saw the little robot squeal ¡®Idea!¡¯ and then drop to the ground, apparently immobile, and got worried.  This little robot had been full of demented twisted ways to kill her from the first time they had met.  He learned from past mistakes, and he got better each time she faced him.  He was up to something.  She had intended to beat him to death with the length of steel she had, but she paused.  Hazard Man¡¯s blaster was lying on the ground a short ways away.  He won¡¯t be expecting that, she thought, and staggered over to pick up the unwieldy gun.

    Meanwhile, Mr. Chips had reconfigured to become in effect, a pressure sensitive landmine ¨C if Virus even touched him, he would explode with enough force to tear her body to pieces!  He had shut down most of his ECM to configure himself to generate a sufficient thermal blast to destroy Virus, but there was enough to give him warning if she tried her old tricks.  It wasn¡¯t until he heard the ¡°bweeee!¡± of Masters¡¯ gun charging that he realized he¡¯d been outwitted.  She wasn¡¯t supposed to play with Master¡¯s toys!  He thought.  That¡¯s just not right!  Grr¡­.!

    BLAM!  The blast from the blaster caught Mr. Chips, and propelled him backwards even as the lethal energy tore at his robotic body.  He exploded, sending pieces of debris and burning metal all over the street ¨C and windows within a city block broke from the shockwave.  Virus staggered and fell, dropping the gun ¨C and at first looked unhurt ¨C until you saw the dagger sized chunk of metal that broke free of Mr. Chips chassis and impaled her in the chest.  She screamed and went down, bleeding and clutching at her wound.

    Detective Taylor crawled from the wreck of his borrowed car, and staggered out, surveying the scene around him.  There were numerous small fires, a shattered hydrant spewing water in a geyser thirty feet high, several shattered and wrecked cars ¨C never mind the street was full of holes from Hazard Man¡¯s damn blaster gun.  He saw Virus, and limped over.  She didn¡¯t look good.  Any of the wounds she had taken would have been fatal on a normal person ¨C but with superheroes you could never tell.  One thing most of them had in common was that they could take a hell of a beating and somehow walk away.  He hoped that was true.

    ¡°Virus!  It¡¯s Allan!  Stay with me!¡±  He said, kneeling down over her body.  ¡°Stay with me!¡±

    Virus clutched at the dagger of steel in her chest and feebly tried to remove it, but her arms had no strength left ¨C and one of her hands had no fingers.

    Allan got the hint.  He clutched the razor of steel and tried to pull it out, yelling in pain as he felt it cut his hands¡­  But still, it moved ¨C and in moments, he was clutching the shard that nearly took Virus¡¯ life.  Blood welled from the cuts in his hands, but he didn¡¯t care.  He cradled her for a moment, trying to protect her from the cameras, from the battle ¨C just to give her time to heal.  ¡°You¡¯ll be all right, Vi.¡± He said. ¡°You¡¯ll be all right. It¡¯s over.¡±

    Virus lay there in Allan¡¯s arms for a few moments, knitting herself back together, until she was able to speak.  ¡°Thanks, Detective.  I guess I needed a hand after all?¡±

    ¡°Nah, Vi ¨C most of the heavy lifting had been done by the time I got here.  I just helped you mop up.  You¡¯re not going to die on me, are you?¡±

    Virus smiled, and touched his cheek.  He was so concerned.  ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can die, Detective.  I think I came close to finding out tonight, though.  Thanks.¡±  She struggled a moment, and sat up, and Allan let her go.  ¡°Hell of a mess, though, huh?¡±

    ¡°You think?  At least the governments Superhero Act means you aren¡¯t legally on the hook for it.¡±

    She laughed.  I can¡¯t even afford groceries without my powers!  How the hell would I have paid for this?  ¡°Thank god for that, then.¡±  She said, slumping down and groaning.  Her fingers were regrowing and it hurt like a bitch!  ¡°So does this mean we¡¯re partners sort of, like your cop friend and Tesseract?¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡±  Allan admitted.  ¡°I like the sound of friend better.  I already have a partner.¡±

    ¡°Yeah ¨C the one who shot you, right?¡±  She asked.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Allan admitted. ¡°But he had a good reason.  Trask had his family hostage.  I don¡¯t blame him.  He did what he could.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a good man, Taylor.  A lot of people would hold a grudge.¡±

    ¡°I can hold grudges.¡±  Allan answered.  ¡°But Brian¡¯s the best partner I ever had.  And I understand why he did it.  He won¡¯t admit it, but he¡¯s a good man too.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it on your authority, then.¡±  She said, resting.  She could feel some of the shattered bones inside her mending, some of the ruptured organs mending.  ¡°At the rate I¡¯m healing, I¡¯ll be fine in five or six minutes.¡±

    ¡°Pardon my French, Virus, but that is cheating, and I¡¯d love to cheat like that if I could.  No one should heal that quickly.¡±  Allan smirked.  ¡°But I¡¯m glad you do.¡±

    Virus smiled back.  ¡°Yeah ¨C less paperwork to do if I don¡¯t die, am I right?¡±

    Their exhausted laughter echoed through the streets.

    *              *              *

    The Police and EMT¡¯s moved up into the area shortly after the shooting and fighting stopped, and secured the area.  Paramedics checked Virus¡¯ wounds ¨C but as she expected, by the time they got there, she was fully healed ¨C including her severed foot and cauterized blaster wounds.  She had also taken a moment to heal Detective Taylor¡¯s hands, which he had cut saving her from the jagged shard of steel planted in her chest.

    Virus gave her statement, and so did Detective Taylor, and soon they were cut loose.

    ¡°I guess this is it, for now.¡±  Virus began.  ¡°You¡¯re going to arrest Trask tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, pretty much.¡±  Allan replied.  ¡°Assuming he¡¯s still in town as of tomorrow.  I¡¯ve got some unfinished business to take care of myself tonight too.¡±  He sighed.  ¡°I guess you¡¯re going to be going back to your boyfriend, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±  She replied.  ¡°He¡¯s probably worried sick with the TV coverage.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a lucky guy.¡±

    ¡°Yeah ¨C and I¡¯m lucky I have him.¡±  She looked over at Allan, and noticed an odd look on his face, and she realized what he was thinking. ¡°You¡¯re a good friend, Allan.  If things had worked out differently, I could see us as a team, in more ways than just work.¡±

    Allan smiled.  ¡°I think that I¡¯d have liked that, Vi¡­ But they didn¡¯t ¨C and Darryl¡¯s waiting.  You¡¯d better get home.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I guess I should.¡±  Virus turned, and made ready to go.

    ¡°Wait!¡±  Taylor called.  ¡°There¡¯s something you might like to have.¡±  He said, holding out a small burnt dog collar.  It had a small dog tag that said ¡°Mr. Chips ver 1.0¡±.  ¡°Call it a souvenir.¡±

    Virus looked at it and smiled, and tucked it into a pocket on her costume.  ¡°Thanks, Allan! I mean it.  Thank you!¡±

    ¡°Go on.  Get out of here, Vi ¨C before the news crews show up and make it look like you tried to cause all this damage.  He¡¯s waiting for you.¡±

    Virus nodded, and unleashed her wings.  She was tired ¨C desperately tired ¨C but she had enough strength to get home.  One last flight before sleep, she thought.  Here I go.  Virus launched herself into the air, and flew off, leaving Detective Allan Taylor behind, and headed for home.  Darryl was waiting, and she was so exhausted all she wanted to do was collapse in his arms.

    She flew.

    *              *              *

    Darryl was on the verge of panic when he heard her land on the balcony.  She looked exhausted, and drained, and totally at her wits end ¨C and she looked beautiful.  He rushed out to meet her, and She looked up at him with a sad, tired smile, and just said ¡°Sorry.¡±  Darryl forgot the long minutes of worrying if she was going to live or die, and just crushed her into an embrace.

    ¡°Please, Colby.¡± He begged.  ¡°Don¡¯t ever let it get that close again.  I thought I lost you.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t lose me, Dar.¡±  She said, morphing back to Colby.  ¡°I¡¯m right here.  Can we go inside, hon? It¡¯s been a hell of a night.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±  Darryl replied.  ¡°Let¡¯s go inside.¡±  He picked Colby up and carried her inside.  The glass door to the balcony was shut, and he set her down on his sofa.

    ¡°Is it over?¡±  He asked.  ¡°Trask, and this Hazard man?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± She said smiling up at her boyfriend, who was obviously worried sick.  ¡°It¡¯s over.  Trask is going to be arrested tomorrow morning ¨C and Hazard Man is out of commission for at while.  I think if it¡¯s okay I¡¯ll take a few days off and look at apartments, okay?¡±

    Darryl sniffed back some tears, and smiled.  ¡°Sounds good to me, hon.  Let¡¯s take it slow for a day or so, okay?¡±

    Colby looked at Darryl and smiled.  ¡°Whatever you want, Dar.  I¡¯m not going anywhere anytime soon.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±  Darryl sat next to her, and wrapped her in his arms.  ¡°I was so worried.  I didn¡¯t want to lose you, Colby, and I was scared I was going to.¡±

    ¡°Me too, Dar.  I¡¯m okay.¡±  She said, hugging him tight.  ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±

    They held each other for a long while, just wordlessly trying to heal the grief and release the stresses of the day.  They could feel each other¡¯s closeness, and felt the affection they held for each other.  It helped, and eventually they headed to bed.

 Chapter 20 - Finale

    Detective Allan Taylor did indeed have some unfinished business¡­  His partner Brian Keller.  Allan knew where he¡¯d probably find him, assuming he hadn¡¯t tried to drive home drunk¡­  Driscolls.  If Allan knew anything about his partner, he was probably trying to drink the guilt away.  Well, Allan wasn¡¯t going to let him keep doing it ¨C as far as Allan was concerned, there wasn¡¯t anything to be guilty for.

    He pulled his car up to the bar.  It was late, but the bar was still open.  Allan locked the car, and went inside.  Driscolls was a cop bar ¨C but right now, there were damn few cops inside.  The mess downtown had called most of the cops in to deal with it ¨C and Brian had probably been too drunk to go.  There he was!  Taylor walked up, and found his partner half-bombed on Jack Daniels ¨C he¡¯d finished off a good quarter of the bottle.

    ¡°Hey, shouldn¡¯t you be dead?¡±  Brian slurred.  ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have come back, Allan.¡±

    ¡°No worries, partner.  Tomorrow morning, I¡¯m going to arrest Bolivar Trask at the head of a department wide task force, and the DA is going to indict him on multiple counts of murder, attempted murder, and more.  He¡¯s done¡­  And I want you to make the collar with me.¡±

    Brian realized Allan was being serious, and tried to sober up.  ¡°Seriously?  For real, man?  Why would you do that after what I did?¡±

    ¡°Because you didn¡¯t have a choice.  Because we¡¯re partners.  Because we¡¯re friends, dammit.¡±  Allan replied.  ¡°I mean it.  I want you there to get the collar with me.¡±

    Brian was humbled by Allan, and nodded.  ¡°I¡¯ll be there.  I gotta sober up first.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a lift home.  There¡¯s no way you¡¯re driving like that.¡±

    ¡°See, I told you¡­  You¡¯re the damn hero here.  Not me.  I don¡¯t deserve it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.  If you hadn¡¯t winged me, I¡¯d have bled out before Virus found me and healed me.  You gave me a chance ¨C that¡¯s all I needed.  I¡¯ll testify to that if it comes down to it.  I think you¡¯ll keep your badge.¡±

    Brian smiled.  Like Allan, the badge was the only thing that meant a damn to him.  ¡°Thanks, partner.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re welcome, Bri ¨C now let¡¯s get you home and cleaned up, before the Captain wants us in at 6am to clean up Trask.  You don¡¯t want to show up for the task force smelling like a distillery, do you?¡±

    Brian nodded, not sure who to thank for his good fortune.  He clasped Allan¡¯s hand.  ¡°I meant it, Allan.  Thanks.¡±

    Allan smiled back.  ¡°You¡¯re welcome.  Now let¡¯s get you home.¡±

    *              *              *

    Colby woke cuddled up to the warmth of her boyfriend, Darryl.  He was still asleep, and she could tell it was still early, so she lay still and let him sleep.  Last night had been terrifying ¨C but it had strengthened something in Colby she didn¡¯t immediately know how to describe.  Conviction?  Resolve?  She wasn¡¯t sure what to call the feeling, but she knew its result¡­  She was going to keep being Virus ¨C keep being a heroine.  It hurt ¨C sometimes a lot ¨C but the feeling of helping people, of stopping a madman from hurting people just because he could¡­  It felt good.  It felt like she was making a difference.  She still had a lot to learn to be the heroine she wanted to be ¨C but she had a feeling she would get there in time.

    Darryl stirred.  ¡°Good morning, you.¡±

    ¡°Good morning to you too, hon.¡±  Colby replied.  ¡°You okay?¡±

    ¡°As long as you¡¯re here with me, I¡¯m great.¡±  He said, kissing her on the nose.  ¡°You scared the shit out of me last night, Colby.¡±

    ¡°I know, Dar.  I was scared too, but if I hadn¡¯t stopped him, he would have kept killing people.  I was the only one who could.¡±

    ¡°I know, Colby.  It doesn¡¯t mean I like it ¨C but you¡¯ve got a power that lets you help people, and I¡¯d be pretty damn selfish if I tried to keep you all for myself, wouldn¡¯t I?¡±  Darryl asked.  ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t think people who care about each other should give ultimatums.  Can you promise me something, though?¡±

    ¡°If I can, honey.¡±  Colby replied.  ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Be careful. Be careful, and come home to me. I love you.¡±

    Colby felt tears welling up in her eyes. ¡°I love you too, Dar.¡±  They held each other for a long moment, and kissed and nuzzled each other.

    A little while later, Colby realized it was Monday.  ¡°Um¡­ Dar?  Don¡¯t you have classes today?¡±

    Darryl started, and then relaxed.  ¡°I guess I¡¯ll be late to some of them.  I¡¯m not ready to move yet.¡±

    Colby smiled, and shook her head.  ¡°I don¡¯t want you messing up your education for me, mister.¡±  She replied.  ¡°Besides, I¡¯ll be back here tonight anyway.  We can keep cuddling then.¡±

    ¡°Back here?  Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°Well, I have this awesome boyfriend¡­¡± Colby began.  ¡°¡­And he found me three apartments to look at.  I thought I¡¯d call around and see if one of them was worth taking.  If so, I thought I¡¯d get the ball rolling, then come back here this afternoon to hang with my favorite guy.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure that awesome boyfriend will love to see you again.¡±  He grinned.  ¡°Want to get something for dinner?  We could celebrate.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try ¨C but the last time I tried to buy nice groceries it didn¡¯t go so well.  Stuff happened.¡±  Colby smirked.  ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good, beautiful.¡±  Darryl replied, and sat up.  ¡°Damn ¨C it¡¯s 10:30.  I am late.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d better get going then, honey.  Time to get up.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I guess so¡­¡±  Darryl didn¡¯t want to get out of bed, but conceded defeat.  After all, Professor Denkur probably wouldn¡¯t accept ¡°My girl friend is a super heroine¡± as an excuse for missing an important lecture.  He sighed, and got out of bed to get ready for the day.

    *              *              *

    Bolivar Trask was running late ¨C after last night could anyone blame him?  At least that maniac Pierce had been taken down, and his fucking robot dog too!  Arranging for an accident to befall him in prison would be child¡¯s play.  Now it was time to go to the office, and see what scraps he could salvage from his electronics company.  He wondered how much of the damage his insurance would pay for.

    He heard a knock on the door ¨C and heard his housekeeper shriek as someone or someone¡¯s barged inside.  He reached for his pistol ¨C but before he could get it, two detectives burst into his kitchen, their guns aimed at him.  One of them was supposed to be dead.  ¡°How¡­ how are you?¡±  His mouth opened and closed like a fish in an aquarium.  ¡°How¡­?¡±

    ¡°Bolivar Trask,¡±  said Detective Allan Taylor. ¡°You are under arrest for multiple counts of murder, attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder, as well as dozens of other charges.  Please, resist arrest.  There¡¯s less paperwork.¡±

    Bolivar moved his hands away from his gun, and Detective Keller pulled the gun out of his holster and tossed it across the room.  Keller reefed Trasks arms behind him, and cuffed him, while reading him his rights.  This can¡¯t be happening!  He thought.  I¡¯m the boss!  He snarled.  ¡°Do you have any idea who I am? What I can do to you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Trask.  I do.  And thanks to some information given to the DA from a friend of mine, you¡¯ll be going away for so long you¡¯ll forget what sunlight looks like.  You¡¯ll be lucky if you don¡¯t get the death penalty, asshole.¡±  Allan smiled.  ¡°Take this piece of trash out of here, partner.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be my pleasure, partner.¡±  Brian replied, dragging Mr. Trask outside for the perp walk.  ¡°You have the right to remain silent.  If you do not, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.  You have the right to an attorney¡­¡±

    Allan looked around as Brian dragged Trask out of his home.  It¡¯s hard to believe, he thought, but somehow this ended with the good guys winning.  I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d have called that one a few days ago.  Allan smiled, and went outside to talk to the Captain¡­ he needed to talk to her about Brian anyway.  He was pretty sure Brian would keep his badge, but it might be tight.  He hoped he would.  The bad guys had been caught and put away, and the good guys survived another day.

    Today was a good day.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    *              *              *

    It had been a few days since the high-profile arrest of Bolivar Trask at the hands of Detectives Allan Taylor and Brian Keller ¨C and there was talk that there might be a promotion or two involved coming down the pipe soon for them.  Colby grinned.  I like happy endings, she thought.  The last few days had been positively wonderful, and she had fully recovered from her ordeals with Hazard man and Mr. Chips ¨C and she¡¯d received her government ID yesterday, which was awesome!  She¡¯d spent the day updating her records and applying for new copies of records, and they should all be here soon.

    Darryl held the door of the car for her, and she climbed out.  ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, miss.¡±  He said, laughing.

    Colby was grinning from ear to ear.  She had just signed a lease for a large one bedroom apartment.  It was near to the university, and to Darryl¡¯s place ¨C walking distance really ¨C and it had laundry facilities and parking and a whole lot of other amenities.  Heat and Hydro included, too, which was nice.  She could move in any time.

    ¡°So I guess we¡¯ll need to go shopping and get me some furniture?¡±  She asked.

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡±  Darryl replied.  ¡°After dinner.¡±

    ¡°After dinner.¡±  She agreed.  ¡°And then I can move in this weekend.¡±

    ¡°We should have a housewarming party, hon.¡±  Darryl suggested.  ¡°What about our friends?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±  She agreed.  ¡°We should invite Martin and Sue and Donny too.¡±

    It was Darryl¡¯s turn to grin.  ¡°You liked them that much?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±  She replied.  ¡°They were nice.¡±

    ¡°Cool.  I¡¯ll get in touch with them then.¡±

    ¡°Great.¡±  Colby looked a bit nervous.  ¡°Honey¡­ I have to go out tonight to do a thing.¡±

    ¡°Huh?  What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got some unfinished business I need to take care of, Dar.  I won¡¯t be all night, but it might take a few hours.¡±

    Dar nodded.  ¡°Okay, Colby.  Just come home safe, okay?¡±

    ¡°I will, dear.  I promise.¡±  Colby smiled.  This had been put off for far too long.

    *              *              *

    Harry staggered up the steps to his apartment on the third floor¡­ The elevator was out again, and in his mood, he decided to just say ¡®fuck it¡¯ and walk; it didn¡¯t hurt he was buzzed from too much booze from Clancy¡¯s ¨C his bar down the street. The last flight of stairs nearly defeated him, but sheer stubbornness forced him onward, and he made it to his door. It was a shame he hadn¡¯t scored, he thought.  Maybe it would be worth dropping by Diane¡¯s place and see if she was free.  The stupid bitch would probably try and struggle and shit, and force him to smack her until she calmed the fuck down.  Harry grinned.  If the bitch gave him any trouble, his backhand was good and ready.

    A few moments of struggle got his keys in the door, and he entered his apartment, flicking the lights on¡­ Except nothing happened.  ¡°¡­The fuck happened to the lights?¡± he asked, and walked a few feet further inside, trying another light on a coffee table.  It didn¡¯t work either.  ¡°The power isn¡¯t out,¡± he said, ¡°so what the fuck happened?¡±

    Suddenly, from behind him the door to his apartment swung shut ¨C and locked.  ¡°I did, asshole.¡±  A female voice called out.

    Whoever she was, she sounded cute ¨C maybe even sexy. ¡°Look, bitch, I don¡¯t know who you are, but you just made a big fucking mistake.¡±  Harry reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a rather large folding knife.  ¡°You break into my house, that means I can do whatever I want to you bitch.  You¡¯re mine.¡±  The room was oddly dark, and he realized his intruder must have drawn the shades. How long had this crazy bitch been waiting for him?

    ¡°Big words from a small-dicked douchebag that beats up his ex-girlfriend.¡±  The other voice seemed peeved, and came from another part of the room.

    ¡°It was Diane who sent you, wasn¡¯t it, bitch?  I¡¯ll deal with her when I¡¯m finished dealing with you.  She send one of her girlfriends over to scare me?¡±

    ¡°Not quite, Harold Simpson Wallace. But I guarantee, before I¡¯m done, you¡¯ll be plenty scared.¡±

    The sound came from right behind him, and as he whirled to confront her, he felt her hand touch his back, and he collapsed like a marionette with its strings cut, as all his strength left him.  As he lay on the floor, he definitely began to feel afraid. ¡°What did you do to me, you bitch?¡±  She pulled up a chair and sat within a few inches of him.  ¡°You drugged me or something, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, or something.  I want you to stop bothering Diane, Harry.  I want you to stop hitting women in general. And you will, too, Harry, or something really bad is going to happen to you.¡±

    She was trying to threaten him?  That was rich!  ¡°How?  Whatcha going to do to me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to hurt you, Harry.  A lot.  And I¡¯m going to leave you with a reminder that if you ever touch a woman in anger again, that I¡¯ll come back and do worse the next time.¡±  The woman kicked him hard, in the balls, and Harry groaned in pain as stars flashed before his eyes, and he nearly blacked out from the pain.  She kept kicking him over and over ¨C in the face, the stomach, the chest.  He was helpless ¨C and with the pain of his injuries rising, so was his fear.  ¡°How does it feel to be helpless, Harry?  To be at someone else¡¯s mercy?  Not very good I¡¯ll bet?¡±

    Maybe it was bravado, or maybe it was the booze, but Harry buried his fear and spat at his assailant.  ¡°Fuck, you bitch.  When this drug wears off, I¡¯m going to find you and Diane and fuck you both up!¡±

    The woman smiled.  He still didn¡¯t understand.  ¡°We haven¡¯t even started yet, Harry ¨C this is just the warmup.  Consider it payback for all the beatings you gave her over the years.  Then she began again, kicking harder than before ¨C this time kicking his face, leaving his nose broken and bloodied.  ¡°Did she beg for mercy, Harry?  Did she beg for it to stop ¨C only to let you have your way with her?  I could make it so that no woman would ever have to fear you again¡­¡±

    Harry¡¯s blood ran cold.  Was she talking about¡­ was she going to cut him¡­it off?  Oh, Jesus!  ¡°If its money you want, I¡¯ll double whatever she paid you!  Just don¡¯t take my balls!¡±

    ¡°Harry,¡± she said, in her best scolding voice.  ¡°This isn¡¯t about money.  It¡¯s about justice and human decency.  She doesn¡¯t even know I¡¯m here.¡±  She walked over to a knife block and selected a very large butcher knife, and approached him with it.  ¡°I could cut on you, Harry, if I wanted.  It would be excruciating, and you wouldn¡¯t die until I wanted you to.  Hell, you¡¯d probably beg me to do it, too.¡±  The knife clattered to the floor.  ¡°Good for you I don¡¯t use knives.¡±

    Harry looked at the woman taunting him, and realized she wasn¡¯t fucking around.  ¡°Then what are you going to do to me?¡±

    She smiled and came back to sit next to him.  ¡°Well, Harry, I could just kill you, but you wouldn¡¯t learn much, and I don¡¯t want to kill you¡­ but there are things worse than death, Harry.  How would you like to lose your right hand?  Or maybe go blind and deaf?  How would you like a constant reminder that there is some one bigger, and badder than you will ever be ¨C and that this person will come back to visit you again, if you ever go anywhere near Diane?  You see, I¡¯m going to finish working you over ¨C and then I¡¯m going to leave you two gentle reminders ¨C and if you EVER fuck with Diane again, I¡¯ll come back and finish the job.¡±

    Harry screamed once as she did just that, and although he felt himself almost black out several times, something kept him from being able to pass out into merciful blackness. ¡°Please¡­ No more. Stop, please.¡±

    The woman stopped, and considered.  ¡°Did you stop, when Diane begged?  I guess I¡¯ll have my way with you, then.¡±  She picked him up and put him in the chair ¨C her strength was immense ¨C she didn¡¯t show the slightest strain.  She touched him, grabbed him roughly by the wrist, and he felt himself change¡­

    His skin melted and flowed, his clothing changed ¨C and seconds later he reeled in shock as he saw himself¡­ That bitch had somehow changed him into a woman ¨C a very beaten woman!  He panicked. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­don¡¯t leave me like this.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± she asked.  ¡°Why should I turn you back?  Maybe your boyfriend will beat the hell out of you too?  That would be real justice.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not into guys, lady.¡±

    ¡°Really?  You sure about that Harry?¡±  She asked.  ¡°Scientifically, attraction is just a chemical soup involving serotonin, adrenaline, dopamine and a few other drugs.  If I can change you into a sexy woman, Harry, I can change how your brain feels pleasure, don¡¯t you think?  Think about that for a moment, would you?¡±

    Harry started to cry.  It wasn¡¯t the hormones of his new body ¨C it was from sheer terror.  This bitch had taken everything from him¡­ his identity, his manhood, and whatever dignity he had remaining. What was worse, is that he was worried she was right. ¡°Please¡­ I can¡¯t live like this.  Please.¡±  It didn¡¯t matter about his pride anymore...  He begged, for his life, for his identity ¨C for everything.

    She stopped, as if considering. ¡°Okay.  I¡¯ll give you one chance, asshole.  When I turn you back and call 911, you tell them everything ¨C about how you beat Diane, how you kept doing it ¨C and you fucking demand they prosecute.  If you don¡¯t, I¡¯m going to come back and finish what I started, Harriet.  I don¡¯t think a girl with no ID is going to last long in Empire city, is she?¡±

    She touched him again, and suddenly he was back to himself ¨C still in pain, but male and whole.  ¡°You¡¯re going to turn yourself in, remember ¨C and just so you won¡¯t forget, I¡¯m leaving you with a much more gentle reminder.¡±

    Harry felt her squeeze his wrist, but this time his body didn¡¯t seem to change¡­ but he tasted the most foul substance on his tongue¡­ until he realized the disgusting taste wasn¡¯t originating from his tongue.  The sensations were coming from somewhere else.  ¡°What did you do to me?¡±  he asked, scared and shocked.  ¡°What did you do?!¡±

    ¡°I gave you tastebuds in your rectum, Harry.  And if you stay away from Diane and turn yourself in to the police, I MAY come back in a few months and remove them.  You need to realize actions have consequences, Harry. Don¡¯t make me have to do this again.¡±  The woman picked up Harry¡¯s phone with her free hand and dialed 911, and then tossed it onto the couch. Harry could slowly begin to feel his limbs again, even if he didn¡¯t have the strength to move them.

    ¡°Goodbye, Harry.  I do hope we don¡¯t have to do this again.¡±  The woman walked over to the door, and let herself out.

    Harry was still crying ¨C from fear, from stress, or from relief when the paramedics and the police arrived. No one could tell which it was ¨C but neither of the paramedics could miss the manic tone of his laughter, or his frightened jerky motions, looking to see if his assailant was still lurking about.

    Harry felt nothing but terror.  SHE might come back and do worse.  She was right¡­ There were things worse than death.  The paramedics put him on a stretcher and began to take him to the ambulance.  As he was taken away, he turned towards the officers.  ¡°I want to confess a crime¡­¡± he began.

    *              *              *

    Virus watched as Harry got wheeled to the ambulance, singing like a canary to the police. What she had done wasn¡¯t very nice ¨C but it had been warranted.  Still, it made her kind of ill to consider that she did it in the first place, but what else could she do?  Beat him up?  When he healed, he¡¯d just take it out on Diane and any other woman in his immediate area.  She could have left him as the pretty girl ¨C but after spending her entire life until now in the wrong body, Virus couldn¡¯t bring herself to do that to anyone, unless they were willing.  No, she thought, She had to scare him, and scare him enough he¡¯d never bother Diane again.  It looked like she succeeded, but she was still worried about the ramifications of what she had done.  Still, it felt good to get a little justice for Diane and all the times she¡¯d been beaten.  Maybe now the guy would think twice about raising a fist to a woman?  She didn¡¯t know, but it was the best she could do.  She¡¯d visit Diane later and heal the injuries he¡¯d inflicted on her in his latest bout of abuse.

    She leapt to another rooftop and began to make her way home.  Darryl was waiting for her, and she was eager to get back to ¡°normal¡± life.  Tonight had left a bad taste in her mouth, but all in all, she knew it had been needed.  She had tied up all the loose ends she could, and now, hopefully, it was time for her happily ever after.  Several blocks away from Harry¡¯s apartment, she unfurled her wings and took flight.  The cityscape of Empire city lay beneath her ¨C all lit like jewels in the night sky.  She couldn¡¯t help but smile.  She might not be a perfect hero, like the ones in Paragon ¨C but she was a good one ¨C and really, the goodie two-shoes of Paragon would get eaten alive here in Empire City. Empire City was sick at its heart ¨C sick and dirty.  Maybe it needed a Virus to cure it?  It couldn¡¯t hurt.

    Virus smiled at the thought, and headed for home.

    The End