《Fatal Range & The School Mistress》 Prologue - Assault in Progress Quartz¡¯s hands shook as she grabbed Fatal Range by the arm and shoved her into the metal bulkhead. Fatal had never seen such fury in her Mentor''s eyes. It reminded her of her father. Quartz was a small but athletic woman and easily pinned the tall lanky teen. Fatal ignored the tears burning down her cheeks, and the freshly forming bruises, she had to concentrate. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you listen?¡± Quartz gripped her arm harder, no doubt trying to hold her until others could arrive. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you just do what you were told?¡± Quartz had often looked tired but her eyes looked more sunken than ever and her neat black hair frayed out of the pins holding it up. Fatal had to make a conscious effort not to squirm. Quartz¡¯s unnatural violet eyes glowed with magic. If she could only hold out a little longer she¡¯d have a chance, but trying to focus through the pain was difficult. As if she could read the girl¡¯s thoughts, Quartz dug her fingers into her arm again, trying to break her concentration and keep her pinned here. It was too much, Quartz was still yelling but Fatal could no longer waste time hearing it. She had to go, she had to get away and the only way out was¡­ Fatal¡¯s body flashed and shimmered out of existence. Quartz cursed as her clawed grip suddenly bit through open air. She snapped up the radio that had been clasped to her belt and held down the button to report the escape of her charge. Fortunately, she knew right where Fatal was going. Fatal collapsed as she reappeared in her secret lab. It was a basic space she¡¯d barely started filling out, as moving her things into it would have drawn too much attention. She needed time to think, to plan. She¡¯d expected pushback to her ideas, she hadn¡¯t expected to suddenly be on the run again. The Anchors weren¡¯t supposed to be this way. Fatal sunk into her chair, it couldn¡¯t be happening, not again. Suddenly, a loud crash came from above her and Fatal leapt to her feet. No, they couldn¡¯t be here, not yet. She was suddenly cornered, the only exit to the lab was the door she correctly assumed had just been kicked in by Cosmic Anchor. She couldn¡¯t blink away this time. She would have to fight. Fatal summoned what power she could to transform herself for what little good it would do. She was exhausted, likely outnumbered and heartbroken beyond belief. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. She ignited her golden katar¡¯s, the blades appearing from the grooves hidden in the wrists of her armor and faced the final door. She was going to die here, she was certain of it. But.. as Cosmic shattered the final barrier between them, hate sparked anew. Fresh loathing and contempt oozed into her heart and refreshed her as a sort of second wind. She felt sick to her stomach with rage and pain as she watched Cosmic casually approach. The girl who had tormented her for months finally moving in for the killing blow. Fatal was unable to stop herself cackling with mad fury as Cosmic raised her weapon arm to strike. Of all the ways for her to die, having her head caved in by a pretty girl¡¯s giant metal fist wasn¡¯t the worst¡­ but she hated this one more than words could describe. Fatal tumbled out of the way of the initial attack, which cracked the wall and floor around her. Cosmic had to quickly jump back as the broken bits fell down into the swirling void that marked the barrier at the edge of the lab¡¯s pocket dimension. Fatal laughed, imagining Cosmic falling to her death as she stared into the abyss she could not comprehend. Furious black stars scarred the space between the pocket dimension and the unknown, burning away the rubble that fell into it in seconds. Fatal surged forward hoping to push Cosmic in but she was caught by the magical girl''s weapon arm and flung backward into one of the sparsely filled metal shelves that lined the room. Weak acids from the shattered storage jars bit into her armor but Fatal was too furious to heed them. She lashed out again, Katar swinging furiously. Cosmic raised her metal arm and deflected one blow after another, with little room to maneuver she was unable to get around it, she couldn¡¯t land a decisive blow. She contemplated fleeing but the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching told her running wasn¡¯t an option. That distraction, however, was all Cosmic needed to grab Fatal¡¯s arm in a metal fist and to crush it. Fatal screamed as the bones in her arm were shattered. She nearly fainted from the shock of it. Suddenly something hit her in the stomach, twice, three times, Cosmic was using her free hand to pummel her. Fatal tried to struggle to squirm but everything was painful. Suddenly the weight on her arm disappeared and she felt herself¡­ falling. She blinked and saw the hole Cosmic had shattered in the lab¡­ from the outside. Fatal swallowed as she realized¡­ she was falling toward the barrier between dimensions, toward her inevitable and most certainly final death. 26 years later When the general manager texts you 5 minutes before your shift ends, you know you¡¯ve been royally screwed. It almost certainly means someone called out and the manager in her infinite bitchdom has decreed for it to be your problem. I was supposed to have been off an hour ago but as it happened Billy-Joe-Bob was totally hung over so I was stuck on register. At least it was nearly four in the afternoon. I¡¯d already suffered through the lunch rush and the dinner rush wouldn¡¯t be starting for another hour or two. I still dunno why I was bothering to stick around. Was a reference from a ratty old pizza joint something my next employer would care about at all? Would they even bother to investigate it? Probably not. Even if I did, they¡¯d probably forgotten me entirely by the time I made it through college. I just wanted to go home and crawl into bed with my phone for a few hours. It was my last day anyway with school starting back up in a few days. It was in a moment of weakness staring into space debating putting my head through the counter when the electronic bell thing on the weathered storefront door sounded and I suddenly snapped to full attention when I caught a glimpse of a familiar older woman walking through. I immediately fumbled with my phone using the selfie cam as a mirror to check my hair. Short curly red hair? Check. My heart skipped a beat as I tried to think of something else to check but I didn¡¯t wear makeup so I tried to panic pocket my phone but just ended up dropping it on the floor. I smiled widely as the woman of my dreams stepped up to the counter. Ms. Voight was the AP science teacher at my High School, she was also a good four or five inches taller than me, close to six feet tall in total. Thin, even a bit lanky, with medium long lightish brown hair and golden brown eyes. She was wearing a sensible white collared top and comfortable black slacks and looked every bit the soccer mom we get in here all the time, with the exception of that seductive smile of hers every time she saw me. When she looked right at me with those bold shimmering almond eyes I knew there was nothing my dumbass lesbian brain wouldn¡¯t do for her. Whatever weariness I¡¯d felt before was simply gone as my heart. Woke. Up. ¡°Nichole! It¡¯s so good to see you again!¡± She called as she walked directly up to the register. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Yeah!¡± I managed to somehow reply without completely losing it. I was always a little nervous about talking with her outside of school. Worried someone might catch on to what was really going on. ¡°So¡­ what time do you get off?¡± She lowered her voice again reaching into her purse to retrieve her wallet. ¡°About 15 minutes give or take.¡± I said as casually as possible with my heart threatening to beat out of my chest. I really should be used to being put this situation by now. We''d had this back and forth multiple times a week for pretty much all summer break. She gave me a broad but mischievous smile and handed me her card. ¡°I¡¯ll see you out back in 15 then.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± My heart nearly stopped as I took the card. ¡°Great!¡± She said her voice rising back up to something less conspiratorial. ¡°Great!¡± I repeated, then lowered my voice again ¡°Were you actually going to order something or¡­?¡± She slapped her forehead and we both had a good chuckle about it as I rang her order up. 15 minutes later I finally hung up my apron for the last time and headed out to find Lauren¡¯s van parked out behind the building. 45 minutes after that the pizza was stone cold and I was fighting off the urge to fall asleep in Lauren¡¯s arms. I could feel her hands softly kneading my hair as we cuddled together. The van¡¯s old AC unit, still struggling to cool us off after we¡¯d finished really working up a sweat in the back. The old sleeping bag we¡¯d been using wasn''t the most comfortable thing in the world but it worked well enough for our brief encounters after we both got off work. Lauren leaned down and kissed my forehead causing me to giggle. ¡°Are you looking forward to the Club this year?¡± Lauren asked, pressing her forehead up to mine. ¡°Of course!¡± I replied as enthusiastically as I could manage. The ¡®Homework¡¯ Club as it had been dubbed was¡­ well¡­ without dancing around it¡­ It was an after school sapphic BDSM club. One I¡¯d been recruited into during the last school year and would be the sole returning member of when the school year started. It was all WELL and truly off the books for all the reasons you¡¯d expect. Honors students who got really good grades and were so inclined were all potential candidates and it would be my responsibility as the new club president to find new members when the school year started. It was honestly a nerve wracking responsibility but I was going to have to put on my big girl pants and get it done if I was going to get them taken off. If it weren¡¯t for knowing Lauren was counting on me I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d have had the strength but I was committed, heart, mind and soul to making this the best year ever, because I knew I wasn''t getting a second shot at this. Homework Club It was amazing, the changes I¡¯d gone through over the past year. I¡¯d gone from being a shy awkward virgin, so deep in the closet I couldn¡¯t tell which way was up, to something else entirely. When I was first cornered by a cool, confident senior in the girls locker room around the start of my junior year of high school, I was terrified I was about to be beaten or scolded. I¡¯d been making a genuine effort to keep my eyes to myself but hormones, lots of attractive fit girls in various states of undress all around me it was hard not to see things while still having eyes. It wasn¡¯t until much later I realized she was actually sizing me up for something. She told me if I could appear at a certain place, at a certain time, and if I could keep a secret, I could be a part of something very special. I don¡¯t know how I worked up the nerve to actually show up by the flagpole after classes. I was half expecting to get jumped and was on a hair trigger to rabbit when she and another senior I didn¡¯t know at the time came to pick me up. They led me through a side door into a small storage area poorly lit and, clearly not intended for student use. They prompted me to place my phone in a small basket which caused me some serious hesitation but I¡¯d come way too far to back off now. The basket was placed on what seemed like a random nearly empty shelf and I was assured I could take it and leave at any time. One of them approached what looked at first to be an empty wall but turned out to be the door. The inside of it didn¡¯t look like the school at all; it had a bit of an industrial look to it but was spacious and well lit. There was a very large bed against the back wall and it didn¡¯t take very long to guess what it was for as the other girls promptly and shamelessly started undressing near it. They tossed their bookbags and other belongings down on a nearby dresser and climbed onto the bed both watching me intently. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. I can''t express how close I was to making the mistake of retreating and forgetting this whole thing ever happened. Instead I dove into the unreality of the situation, nothing had seemed truly real since stepping through that doorway and I wouldn¡¯t completely understand why for a very long time. I ignored the girls watching me as I undressed. If I''d tried to process that in the moment I¡¯d likely have died from a heart attack right there and then. RIP Nichole, cause of death: gay. I placed my clothes and bag on the dresser next to the others making it a point not to look their way, until I felt a soft warm hand pull me toward the bed. As we sat together waiting the other two were having some kind of animated discussion and hung off me in ways that made my brain fuzzy. We might have waited an eternity or merely seconds - I couldn¡¯t tell you, but it ended as the closed door at the back of the room finally slid open. I¡¯d known Ms.Voight from AP science from last year but it was at that introductory meeting of the homework club where I¡¯d met Lauren, the seductress behind the glasses, the secret mistress of the school, and the woman who would make me the person I am today. To say it was a life changing experience almost feels dismissive, I became so enraptured by the experience the unreality flipped itself as club meetings came and went. It was also as if the rest of my life was on autopilot and my time in the club was the only thing that truly mattered. Everything else was routine, theater, a keeping up of appearances to allow me to continue to be in the only place I truly felt alive anymore, under Laurens sadistic gaze. She lit a fire in me, and her kind and gentle nature combined with her furious appetite were able to pull things out of me I could never have imagined I had. My heart became filled with a kind of passion and love I only wish I had the eloquence to describe. Lauren was truly an artist and we three were her muses. Until¡­ It ended. The school year came to a close, the seniors graduated. Ready to move on to the next stage of their lives. I was left adrift, working food service to squirrel away money in the hopes of maybe escaping my horrible family when all was said and done. It was very fortunate Lauren and I had a chance encounter while I was working at the pizza counter one dull evening. Fortunately by then I¡¯d learned what buttons to press to get her to take me back. So it was she came to find me after work a few times a week and we¡¯d catch up in the back of her van. Which is where I¡¯d made a solemn vow to do everything I could to make the club great this year. Angel’s Anchors Deep under Angel Bay, sitting upright upon its floor rested an overlarge anchor of forged iron. The Anchor, The True Anchor, had been gifted not only with a keen mind, but the ability to draw out the potential of young women. To create champions of justice and peace, and protect the world from the ever-present threat of demon incursion. However, it was not a demonic presence that had prompted it to summon her senior anchors today but a possible threat that was much more¡­ human? It was impossible to say. Before her stood an audience of her four senior guardians awaiting her guidance in a protective structure of air and steel. It was unfortunate that so few of them could breathe underwater, or take the crushing pressure at these depths. True Anchor couldn''t hear the humans'' conversation, but she could skim their thoughts. They seemed discordant but not hostile. Recently it¡¯d noticed them straying from each other''s confidence. Nomad, the anchor''s scout, stared at a map of the area surrounding the bay. She was fairly average in height with long dark hair, held back by a starfish pin. Nomad slapped the western part of the city map again. Silvered leaned up against a bulkhead silently observing, her long white hair flowing down her back and partially obscuring the ornate silver bow and, oddly enough, a quiver she never needed to use. It was odd for an anchor to attend such a meeting while being transformed but the others had long since gotten over questioning it. ¡°I¡¯m telling you there is something weird going on, it¡¯s not just the two girls with the potential!¡± Nomad insisted again. ¡°There is another intermittent signal out there! I don¡¯t wanna be anywhere near!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been out there.¡± Irontide, the group''s leader, crossed her arms. She was short and kind of stocky with hair cut short and the pointed ears indicative of being a mermaid. ¡°Whatever it is, it doesn¡¯t appear to be demonic.¡± ¡°Activity from the Hells in that area has been on the rise, but I¡¯ll go out there with you.¡± Cosmic insisted. ¡°I¡¯m more than capable of handling any threat and protecting you at the same time.¡± ¡°It. Keeps. MOVING¡± Nomad insisted again, louder. ¡°Emerging Incursion portals do¡­not¡­move. They also don¡¯t disappear in a flash like this! It''s just like poof! There! Poof! Gone! Over and over and I can¡¯t find a pattern to it!¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°It¡¯s NOTHING.¡± Cosmic groaned. ¡°You keep sending us out there and we never find ANYTHING. It has to be some kind of phantom signal!¡± Unlikely. The True Anchor spoke such as it could. ¡­It seems possibly reminiscent of the flashes of power from an untransformed magical girl. ¡°You think there might be another team operating in our area?¡± Irontide scratched behind one of her long ears. The True Anchor did not elaborate. ¡°The only reason I could see for operating in our area is to poach potentials.¡± Cosmic straightened. ¡°I think we need to make a grab on these two signals before it''s too late.¡± Irontide sat thoughtfully for a moment. ¡°Oh come on!¡± Cosmic fumed. ¡°Are we seriously going to let two more potential juniors go?? What the fuck is holding you up? We¡¯re on the clock here! These potentials are either going to get poached or age out if we don¡¯t take action now!¡± ¡°Maybe I¡¯d rather they age out than entrust them to you again!¡± Irontide snapped. ¡°We¡¯ve already lost two promising students to your temper!¡± Cosmic grimaced, unable to fully deny the accusation. She¡¯d perhaps been slightly overprotective of her daughter and her condition, her zeal had¡­ certainly been a factor in the last two recruits resigning early. ¡°This is such a mess.¡± Irontide sighed, tapping her foot to try and bleed out the extra energy. ¡°You can make an attempt, but you need to swear to me you can keep your anger under control, also you¡¯re taking Silvered with you.¡± ¡°I do not need a babysitter.¡± Cosmic groaned. ¡°Just because yo-¡± ¡°The Anchor girls are MY responsibility!¡± Irontide stepped toward Cosmic aggressively. ¡°You might have been here longer but -I- was entrusted with leading us. Maybe you should take this opportunity to reflect on why that is.¡± Cosmic took a deep breath and backed down. ¡°I apologize.¡± ¡°Accepted.¡± Irontide let her shoulders down. ¡°I know you mean well. Really I do but please for the love of Freyja find a way to not just attack every problem.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Cosmic held her chest feeling genuinely kind of ashamed as she turned to leave. ¡°I won¡¯t let you down again.¡± Silvered followed after Cosmic closely and quietly, Nomad eventually did so with a bit more reluctance. leaving Irontide alone with her thoughts. She curled up by the large glass observation that looked out to the True Anchor resting in the depth of the bay and tried to commune all of her thoughts and fears with the artifact. Too many pizzas, not enough cooks. Mia was quite done with pizza at this point. Since her mother had started a new consulting gig she¡¯d been coming home late and more often than not dragging in a cold pie with her. She¡¯d tried telling her mom she could make dinner and they really didn¡¯t need a new pizza 3-4 times a week, but she¡¯d always pick one up anyway. The two of them had been alone for as long as she¡¯d been alive and her mother had often been working two jobs just to keep them above water. Tonight was the same as ever, her mother stumbled in, exhausted, tossed the new pizza on the kitchen table and dropped on the couch after pulling a beer from the fridge. ¡°Mom?¡± Mia stood by the couch as her mother fumbled with the remote. ¡°How was your day?¡± Lauren put on a weary smile as she tossed her bag aside. ¡°Same old. How have you been, baby girl?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been fine, I just¡­ Can we talk about the pizza thing?¡± Mia made a point of conveying exasperation in her tone as she was truely sick of rehashing this point of conversation. ¡°It¡¯s only for a bit longer, Next week we¡¯ll be back at school and we can get something else.¡± Her mother pulled the tab on the beer and took a long sip. ¡°I know but¡­ it''s so much. I am begging you. Please let me fix a proper meal.¡± Mia pleaded. ¡°Baby girl, I know you wanna contribute and I¡¯m proud of you but you should be focusing on your education. You remember what your grades were like last year? You are so smart-You just need to focus.¡± Lauren chided gently, kicking her shoes off. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°I¡¯m not as smart as you...¡± Mia lamented starting to sulk, she¡¯d always felt as if she fell short of her mother¡¯s expectations when it came to her school work. It had been pretty discouraging that she hovered in the mid B¡¯s for most of her report cards. ¡°Mia look at me.¡± Lauren shifted and looked her daughter in the eyes. ¡°You are every bit as smart as me. You merely lack the experience and knowledge to make use of it. I just want you to live a better life than¡­¡± she twirled a finger around the small cluttered apartment. ¡°...this. I want you to get into a good college - don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡­ I mean yeah sure,,, but I also wanna spend time with you Mom¡­. and I really wanna eat something that isn¡¯t pizza.¡± Mia grimaced. ¡°-Also you smell really REALLY bad.¡± ¡°I know, baby girl. I know.¡± Lauren pulled herself slowly to her feet. ¡°I¡¯ll go hit up the shower; can you toss a slice in the air fryer for me?¡± ¡°Yeah sure.¡± Mia replied dejectedly. ¡°Sunday. Sunday you and I will go shopping and we¡¯ll make dinner together; how does that sound?.¡± Lauren put a hand on her daughter¡¯s shoulder as she passed. ¡°Okay.¡± Mia nodded, not really sure she believed it. Lauren downed the last of her beer and set the empty can down in a cluster of half a dozen empties already on the counter. Mia sighed, disgustedly. That was another problem they desperately needed to have a talk about. Malls are still a thing? It had been years since I¡¯d been inside the local mall, and from the looks of it almost nobody else had either. One out of every three units was shuttered and abandoned including the large department store which had dominated the east side. My sister, however, used to love this place and since she was in town, I had been volun-told to go with her. Nobody gave a damn I¡¯d worked a 10-hour shift at the pizza shop the day before and my legs were killing me. Since I was saving for something special and not intent on buying anything, I was designated as bag-watcher which at least allowed me to find an empty bench to get off my feet. It wasn¡¯t the slightest bit comfortable but at least I wasn¡¯t standing. I was bored and my phone was borderline dead, so I¡¯d been reduced to people watching. I completely lost track of time and was about to get up to stretch a bit when I saw her. Lauren and¡­. The girl my age whose hand she was holding. I could have sworn I recognized her too. Then it hit me. Her name was Mia; I knew her from school but not that well. I¡¯d never heard of Lauren seeing girls outside the clubroom¡­. or the back of her van I guess. I admit there was a pang of jealousy seeing her like that. Obviously I¡¯d seen her with the other members before she gave us all individual attention but¡­. Not like this. I hopped up ignoring my aching damn feet as they wandered into one of the open clothing stores and tried to make it not look like I was some creepo stalker. I was just curious ya¡¯know? ¡­Shut up. Mia had long brown hair very similar in color to Laurens and was nearly the same height. The two of them could have been mistaken for sisters if Lauren was a few years younger or Mia was a few years older. I tried to ignore the tightness forming in the pit of my stomach. I saw the two of them flipping through various articles. I admit I wasn¡¯t really paying attention to what. Thing is they looked really happy and¡­ I didn¡¯t know how to feel about that. The two parted and I decided¡­ Maybe she was just recruiting for the club and it would be rude not to at least say hi. I took a deep breath and wandered over to where Mia was browsing and managed to catch her eyes. ¡°Hey, Mia right? It¡¯s been a while. It¡¯s Nichole.¡± I said trying to be as approachable as I could. I saw her eyes flash with acknowledgement ¡°Oh yeah it has. How are you?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t complain. I was just surprised to see you with uhh Lauren.¡± I said gesturing in the general direction I¡¯d seen her walk off. ¡°Did she ask you to join this year¡¯s homework club?¡± ¡°Homework club?¡± Mia looked confused. ¡°Actually, She¡¯s my mom.¡± Mia laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± It was about then I spotted Lauren white as a sheet staring right at me. Mia had gone back to browsing and pulled up a blouse I think. She excused herself to go to the changing rooms signaling her mom on the way. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Lauren loomed over me. She¡¯d always made the boundaries of the homework club very clear and I¡¯d just unknowingly put my stupid foot right through the biggest one. ¡°What are you doing here Nichole?¡± She sounded a bit agitated. ¡°I was here with my sister and I just thought I¡¯d say hi. I thought she was a member, I-I really didn¡¯t know.¡± Lauren took a deep breath. ¡°Okay¡­Okay what did you tell her?¡± ¡°Not a damn thing, I just¡­ asked her if she was in the homework club. I didn¡¯t go into detail.¡± Lauren closed her eyes and let the breath out. ¡°Okay. We can play this off. Just follow my lead and don¡¯t volunteer information.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± I uttered reflexively trying to sew my damn mouth shut with my mind the moment it came out. Lauren glared daggers at me but loosened up as Mia wandered back. ¡°Hey what¡¯s up?¡± Mia asked, trying to pick up her browsing where she left off. ¡°Just chatting about Nichole¡¯s part time job.¡± Lauren said. ¡°Oh yeah I¡¯ve been working the register over at Pi-.¡± I stopped when I noticed Lauren make a slashing motion across her throat. ¡°At Burger Shack down on Berbishire.¡± ¡°Oh. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve been.¡± Mia looked to Lauren who shook her head in the negative. ¡°You should check it out, the owner is a jerk but the rest of the staff is really nice.¡± Lauren made another slashing motion but I waved her off. ¡°Yesterday was my last day though, needed a break before school starts up again ya know?¡± ¡°NICHOLE!¡± My banshee-of-a-sister screeched, as found the bags I wasn¡¯t watching and finally tracked me down. ¡°What the FUCK are you doing??¡± I just sighed. Nothing I could say would stop her from screaming at me. She got her attitude from our wonderful mother and wouldn¡¯t get in trouble for anything she did to me. She punched me in the mouth during my 11th birthday party because I caught her stealing my gifts and somehow my mother decided I was the one who should apologize. I stopped having birthday parties after that. I do not care to recount all the nasty things my sister screamed at me while I resisted the urge to slap the shit out of her but it was loud enough to get a call placed to mall security. Naturally she was gone before they arrived. I found my way to the now empty bench and took a seat. I barely noticed Lauren put her arm around me. It helped. I was able to pull myself together after a minute, I was used to my sister¡¯s verbal abuse. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about that.¡± I managed to say trying to get my thoughts in order. ¡°Thanks for staying. I¡¯ll be alright.¡± ¡°Are you sure? I can give you a ride.¡± The two of them looked back at me sympathetically. ¡°Nah I can just give my aunt¡­¡± I touched the screen on my phone. Nothing. Tapped it a bit¡­. And remembered the battery. ¡°Could I borrow your phone?¡± I asked Lauren sheepishly. ¡°Certainly.¡± Lauren handed it to me and unlocked it. I stared at the number pad for a minute before I realized. ¡°I don¡¯t actually know her number. It''s saved on my phone.¡± Lauren pulled me into a hug. ¡°We¡¯ll take you back to our place. I''ve got a charger.¡± ¡°Actually-¡± Mia interrupted. ¡°-Why don¡¯t you stay for dinner over at our place? I¡¯m making it.¡± I looked at Lauren who gave me an approving gesture. ¡°I¡¯d love to, thank you both.¡± No thoughts, Head empty Mia felt particularly anxious as the van rolled up to the grocery store nearest the apartment she shared with her mother. She had the fortune of sitting next to the cutest red head she¡¯d ever met in person and it was making her into a bit of a gay disaster. Nichole was seemingly kind, polite and very very pretty to her eyes. She¡¯d tried playing it cool in front of her mom, she wasn¡¯t out yet and still uncertain how she would react. She schooled her expression and tried to eyeball her hair in the passenger side mirror but her unkempt brown curls were feeling extra unruly today. Suddenly she caught her mother giving her a sideways stare from the driver''s seat. Had she noticed something? Mia struggled to keep her panic under control. ¡°Are you going to go in or do you want me to park?¡± Her mom asked, waving her arm at the entrance of the supermarket. Mia realized the van had, in fact, been idling in front of the store for over a minute and she hadn¡¯t so much as taken off her seatbelt to get out because her head was too wrapped up. ¡°Right!¡± Mia nearly shouted startled out of her other thoughts and scrambled to get her head back in the game. She hopped out of the front as Nichole slid the side panel door shut. ¡°I¡¯mma go find a spot in the back.¡± Mom shouted, through the open passenger window, as begane swiftly pulling away leaving the two of them alone. Mia struggled to figure out what to do with her hands as Nichole pulled a shopping cart from the line of them just inside the door and waited for her to lead the way. ¡°So, what all do you need for this thing you¡¯re making?¡± Nichole asked sweetly. ¡°Uhhhh¡± Mia¡¯s brain was overloaded and distracted and nothing immediately came to mind. Fortunately she¡¯d made a list and fumbled with her phone to pull up her notes app. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± She read everything off, more to affirm them in her own mind than anything. ¡°Chicken, Strawberries, Black beans, pumice, and a clove of garlic.¡± Nichole looked at Mia grinning like a fiend. ¡°You didn¡¯t really strike me as the kind of girl who eats rocks. Is this all for the same dish?¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Oh, no.¡± Mia sputtered. ¡°The strawberries are a gift for someone. They¡¯re taking me camping this weekend and I thought it would be a nice gift. The pumice I have no idea why that¡¯s in there. I must have been composing the list while working on my geology homework¡± Mia tried chuckling but it died awkwardly in her throat. Nichole nodded. ¡°Sounds that way. Shall we?¡± She motioned toward the entrance and began pushing the cart through the automatic double doors. Mia jogged up to her then slowed to match pace as they wheeled themselves into the aisle of fresh vegetables. Mia tried to think of something to break the silence, she was usually pretty good at finding things to talk about but something about Nichole just turned her head to mush. ¡°Do you go camping with your friends very often?¡± Nichole asked, saving her. ¡°Ah. No, this will be my first time on a camping trip.¡± Mia admittedly. ¡°My mom isn¡¯t really an outdoorsy type of person ya know?¡± Nichole nodded. ¡°Me neither, I¡¯d rather stay in and play games myself.¡± Nichole turned the cart down around the end corner smoothly despite the one cart wheel that seemed to never quite roll the way it was supposed to. ¡°My dad and I used to camp a bunch when I was in girl scouts back in the day.¡± ¡°Oh that sounds fun.¡± Mia smiled trying to sound supportive. ¡°Oh it was awful.¡± Nichole complained. ¡°It was usually cold and wet and they never let me take my DS. It was bullshit.¡± ¡°Oh. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Mia wondered if she¡¯d touched a nerve. ¡°At least you got to spend time with your dad?¡± There was a bit of an awkward silence. ¡°I suppose. I was really there to get all the badges. I used to be obsessed with collecting every stupid patch, I have no idea why. I stayed way longer than my sister ever did. She started playing football instead.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never met my dad.¡± Mia admitted quietly. Her father¡¯s absence had always bothered Mia. She just knew he was out there somewhere and waiting for her. The last few needed items were scooped up and they backtracked toward the front. Nichole rolled the card up to the self checkout and Mia pulled out her mom¡¯s credit card. The two of them quickly scanned through the items and headed out into the parking lot. It was a warm night and despite the late hour the sky was still crimson from the long sunset. Mia¡¯s hand brushed against Nicholes a few times as she handed her items to load into her mother¡¯s van. She tried to keep the slight blush to herself every time it happened. Sunday Dinner I was a bit slow climbing the stairs to Lauren¡¯s apartment, both because of my aforementioned exhaustion and that they live on the fifth floor and the open staircase was absolutely setting off my fear of heights. I don''t know what I expected Lauren¡¯s place to look like but the cramped dingy apartment I was led into was not at all it. Mia ordered the both of us away from the small kitchen behind the living area and started putting things together. It felt weird sitting across from Lauren with so much space between us, having to act like strangers until Mia called us to the table. The meal appeared to be grilled cheese, store-bought frozen wave fries and some broccoli with a bit of butter. I have no idea how it took her an hour to prepare this but given the muffled cursing I¡¯d caught during the process I¡¯m guessing this was a fallback from something more ambitious that had been quietly disposed of. It was good. Simple but effective. ¡°Good food.¡± I complimented Mia pushing my empty plate back. ¡°So do you have any more plans before school starts back up?¡± Mia prodded. ¡°Me? Naw. I¡¯m just going to take it easy once my sister leaves. What about you?¡± I turned the question back at her. ¡°I¡¯m going on a camping trip early tomorrow with some friends and I¡¯ll be gone for a couple days. I told you that earlier.¡± Mia giggled. ¡°Ah right!¡± I mentally kicked myself while I struggled to change the subject. ¡±By the way, I¡¯m really sorry your day got derailed by my sister.¡± I apologize ¡°You¡¯re fine. It''s just nice getting to sit down with her at the table for once.¡± Mia smiled though for a moment I thought I caught her shooting a glare at the trash bin as if to say ¡®but then there¡¯s this asshole¡¯. I leaned back in my chair and tried to redirect the conversation. ¡°I remember this one time my mom took me apple picking, we just rolled up in my dad¡¯s pickup and she had me hold the bag while she filled it with apples.¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Mia seemed surprised. ¡°That sounds nice.¡± ¡°Eh it was fine. Until the owner of the orchard spotted us and started screaming and I assume the cops were called.¡± I grimaced. ¡°I dunno, my mom was too busy rushing me back to the truck. Here I am like 12 years old stumbling around with a big old bag of stolen apples I can barely carry.¡± Lauren snorted loudly and chuckled at that. Mia gave her a dirty look but I waved it off. ¡°It was a long time ago and far as I can tell we got away with it.¡± I rubbed my temple nervously at the memory. ¡±My dad was pissed though.¡± Mia gave me a real sympathetic look. I¡¯d intended to try and cheer her up by making a joke of it but it really had scared me at the time and it felt like she understood that. It felt like my off the cuff joke had only made me seem more pathetic. I didn¡¯t wanna seem like I was milking my past trauma for sympathy, and I really hoped she didn¡¯t see me as some charity case. I put the unpleasant thoughts aside and settled into smalltalk. All told it was a lovely dinner and after a bit more conversation, I figured it was time to let them get back to their mother-daughter thing. ¡°Can I give you a ride home?¡± Lauren asked as I pulled open the door. ¡°Nah I¡¯m not going home. If I tried sneaking in now, it¡¯d only lead to another shouting match. I think I¡¯ll see how many free soda refills Waffle House will give me ¡®til they run me out. I don¡¯t have to worry about being up for work anymore so it''s fine.¡± Lauren stepped out behind me and closed the door. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I put my hands in the pocket of my hoodie cradling my freshly charged phone. ¡°It¡¯s mildly safer than the streets if you keep your head down and they have wifi at least. It¡¯s not so bad.¡± Lauren sighed and looked at her phone. ¡°If you want you can stay the night.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± I asked, backing away from the still intimidating top of the stairs. ¡°On the couch.¡± She warned. ¡°No shenanigans okay? Can you be a good girl tonight?¡± ¡°Yes Ma¡¯am.¡± I agreed, turning back from the stairs, I really didn¡¯t wanna have to try and go down them right now. Lauren pulled me into her arms and I felt her warm lips press up against mine sending shivers down my spine. I could feel her hands roaming, teasing really. She pulled back and looked me in the eyes. ¡°I¡¯m still mad, but if you can be a good girl tonight, we can spend the day together alright?¡± ¡°Yes, Mistress.¡± I blushed as she gave me a reassuring squeeze and shushed me. Sunken Nomad Nomad Anchor sat at the bottom of a lake. The magic gills formed around her neck allowed her to breathe, the cool waters and soft moonlight allowed her powers to focus. Her long dirty blonde hair curled out from her head in all directions like roving tentacles. Her mind rippled out, consciousness filling the small lake then seeping into the air to be carried by the wind. As the minutes ticked by she saw and felt more than she could ever remember but, as the trance ended only two of those things remained. The vague faces of two young women remained, both with the power to fight for this world. With that knowledge she emerged from the depths and wandered back onto land as the first rays of morning broke over the trees all her. Cosmic Anchor rested atop their vehicle running magic power up and down her weapon arm. It was only slightly bulkier than her left but in battle she could wrap it in a magic metal, causing it to grow several times larger than the rest of her body. Silvered Anchor pulled back on her bow and loosed a training arrow on a small target she¡¯d pinned to a tree. ¡°How does it look out there?¡± Cosmic Anchor looked down at Nomad who draped herself in the towel that awaited her. ¡°Just the same two contacts. One is in town, the other appears to be moving away from us at high speed. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to track her much longer.¡± Nomad called back drying herself off. Her whole body felt wet and gross. Why did she have to be an anchor? If she were an Anvil she could probably just use her powers by staring into a warm camp rather than a cold ass lake at nope o''clock in the morning. Actually, knowing her luck her powers would require her to set herself on fire. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Chase two rabbits and surely lose both.¡± Silvered whispered more to herself than the girls around her. ¡°Silvies got a point. Let the runner go for now, maybe we can catch her some other day.¡± Cosmic hopped down and walked over to the small camping burner they¡¯d packed. ¡°Whatever. Let''s just get this over with.¡± Nomad complained bitterly shivering . ¡°How far are we from town?¡± ¡°Three as the crow flies, Five as the wheels turn.¡± Silvered muttered to no one in particular. ¡°Any sign of another magical girl?¡± Cosmic queried un-optimistically. ¡°None, however if she¡¯s an adult I doubt I could track her unless she was actively using her powers.¡± Nomad picked a few wet leaves and a twig from her hair. ¡°Swift as an arrow.¡± Silvered muttered, picking up the scattered practice arrows and loading them back into their quiver. ¡°All right, pack up and we¡¯ll hit the road.¡± Cosmic ordered turning off the portable burner and pouring hot water into her thermos. ¡°We have a long day ahead of us.¡± Monday Morning The apartment was dark when I finally woke up. I pulled myself up off the couch and looked around. Lauren sat up at the kitchen table with stacks of paper scattered around. She had her hair back in her usual ponytail but a few strands of brown hair were loose and she nearly tucked a few of them behind her ear as she wrote. ¡°Morning¡± I mumbled groggily to her as I tried to adjust all my clothes back to where they should be after sleeping in them. ¡°I put some clean clothes in the bathroom for you.¡± Lauren told me, not looking up from her work. I picked up my phone off of the kitchen counter and scrolled messages on my phone. ¡°Is Mia still here?¡± I asked, gently thumbing one of my eyes that had gotten a bit dried out. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s just getting packed up. If you¡¯re staying the day I could use your help getting some heavy items from the store.¡± Lauren took a sip from her beer. ¡°You''re gonna be good to drive right?¡± I prodded skeptically. She eyed the can. ¡°I grew up in Florida. I took my driver''s test drunker than this.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± I shrugged and siddled over toward the bathroom. ¡°Ummm¡­ the clothes in there; they¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°...Mia¡¯s so don¡¯t do anything weird please.¡± Lauren warned quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll be good.¡± I nodded, stepping into the small bathroom. The cramped dingy bathroom was very different from the slightly more clean and spacious one I used to share with my sister in my family''s suburban home. It at least felt more¡­ lived in than abandoned. The edges of the mirror had darkened with age but the center was perfectly clear. My short curly red hair appeared to be the most colorful thing in the room but the dim lighting made it hard to tell. I got the water going in the shower after messing with the knob a bit and got to it. A few minutes later I was freshly attired in the odd fitting clothing Mia had unknowingly lent me, a dark sleeveless blouse and a pair of snug jeans. I kept on my plaid top over top of the blouse but left it unbuttoned. It still felt¡­ different but I was clean and ready to head out. ¡°Hey you!¡± Mia greeted me as I stepped out of the bathroom. ¡°Hey¡± I raised my arm stupidly. I was still groggy despite the shower. She pointed at me. ¡°Those are my jeans.¡± ¡°You -are- cute jeans.¡± I said not really thinking about it. ¡°Wait no.¡± Mia laughed, heaving a heavy backpack onto her shoulder. ¡°Woah!¡± she said, waffling a bit under the weight. I scurried over to help hold her upright. ¡°You good?¡± I asked, trying to support her. ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± she squeaked nervously. She certainly didn¡¯t sound good. ¡°Are you sure, Mia? You¡¯re sounding a bit unsteady there.¡± I let her go and she cleared her throat. ¡°Nah. I¡¯m good.¡± Mia giggled while opening the front door of the apartment. She closed the door behind her as she made her way down the stairs. I looked at Lauren, who nodded at the door. ¡°Could you do me a solid and make sure she makes it down without breaking her neck?¡± I went a bit pale. ¡°Ummmm¡­¡± I remembered the staircase from the night before. ¡°Can I say no?¡± ¡°Not if you want alone time with me tonight.¡± She teased. ¡°Plus you¡¯ll have to go down to go with me to the store in a bit anyway¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Shit.¡± I cursed, steeling myself and hurrying out the door after her. ¡°Hoooo¡­¡± I took a deep breath as I looked out over the guard rails of the fifth floor staircase. ¡°You okay?¡± Mia called after me from the flight below. ¡°Yeah I just¡­ gotta keep moving and¡­. Not look down.¡± I grabbed the hand rail, kept my eyes on my feet and made my way down slowly¡­ and carefully. ¡°I¡­. didn¡¯t realize heights were such a problem for you.¡± Mia gave me a concerned look as I tried to catch my breath. ¡°Are you sure you went down those stairs and not up?¡± ¡°Pretty sure.¡± I huffed. ¡°Really liking the whole¡­¡± I weakly gestured at the pavement. ¡± ¡­solid ground deal we have here.¡± Mia giggled adorably. It was a real shame she was probably straight. She would make an adorable girlfriend. Of course I probably thought that because I saw many of the things I liked about Lauren in her daughter. ¡°My ride will be here in a few.¡± Mia said, stretching her arms. ¡°Nice¡± I said, not really sure what to add to that. ¡°Are you looking forward to it?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± Mia affirmed, she certainly sounded excited and I was happy for her. ¡°I haven''t seen these guys all summer and it''s gonna be great to catch up I hope!¡± ¡°I hope you have a great time then.¡± I added, watching a large SUV pull into the lot and roll towards us. Mia waved her arms over her head and hopped up on her toes. Wasn¡¯t remotely necessary, the girl was nearly as tall as her mom and could be seen from low orbit without the need of a telescope. I waited as some hipster looking chick climbed out of the passenger seat and helped Mia load her bag into the car. I stood back patiently as they talked for a minute. I was kinda spacing out when I noticed Mia getting awful close to me. I was kinda surprised when she pulled me into a big ol¡¯ goodbye hug, I was not at all expecting. The girl who had helped Mia with her bag let out a bit of a teasing ¡®oooo¡¯ sound as she did it too. ¡°Hey, is this your new girlfriend?¡± she asked Mia teasingly. I was very surprised when Mia seemed to sputter her denials as they loaded up into the car. Huh. That was weird. ¡°Nichole!¡± Lauren was standing next to the van waving me over. I dutifully fell in. ¡°Are you getting fresh with my daughter?¡± Lauren asked accusingly. ¡°Uh. no!¡± I refuted quickly. ¡±She was just giving me a goodbye hug. I think. I mean she¡¯s probably straight right?¡± Lauren¡¯s face twitched oddly. ¡°What? Of course not. I¡¯m not straight, why would she be straight?¡± ¡°Wait.¡± I was confused. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it doesn¡¯t work that way?¡± Lauren mumbled something to herself. ¡°Right¡­ well. No she¡¯s definitely gay I¡¯m certain of that.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± I decided to let that one go and ask something else. ¡°Hey, about that third door¡­ in the club room. What¡¯s back there?¡± It had been on my mind a while but I¡¯d always been too cautious to ask her outright. ¡°It¡¯s mostly storage, a bunch of my old things and a few dangerous items I wouldn¡¯t want you girls getting into. I¡¯m counting on you to keep the new girls out when I¡¯m not around okay?¡± ¡°No problem.¡± I said standing upright and following her to the van. It didn''t take long to get the shopping done and load everything into the van. It was just stupidly heavy and my weak nerd arms were next to useless. We couldn¡¯t even team lift everything because she was significantly taller than me so all the weight ended up on my side. It was a disaster and Lauren ended up doing most of the work herself. It wounded my pride a bit to be honest but¡­ like she said¡­. Gym doesn¡¯t count. We were just about to head back when Lauren began staring off at something. I tried to follow her gaze but there was just¡­ an old camper parked by the side of the road. ¡°You have your license right?¡± Lauren''s voice trembled. ¡°Yeah?¡± I looked up suddenly, very unnerved. She handed me the keys. ¡°Be a good girl. Take the van and drive back to my place. I will meet you there. Do not stop for anything, do you understand me?¡± Her tone was bone chillingly grave. Her tone didn¡¯t allow for any argument and I took the keys from her. No sooner had I palmed them¡­ then¡­ she vanished? No, she ran off. I saw her do it, I was certain of it. I couldn¡¯t remember which direction but¡­ I¡­ I trusted Lauren knew what was best, if she needed me to go, I should probably¡­ I hesitated, suddenly worried out of my mind. I had no idea what was going on or where she¡¯d run off to. I debated staying, nothing seemed out of place, everything around me seemed normal and that was all the more terrifying. I pulled myself together and hopped in the driver''s side door. I had to trust that she knew best, and I had to go like she told me too. I was really hoping I could find my way back with what vague memories I had of the trip there¡­ Fatal Range Cosmic yawned. They¡¯d been on this recruiting run since the early morning and she was already sick of it. Nomad had to keep stopping to get out and sit by the van to try and get a sense of which direction the potentials were in. They couldn¡¯t easily submerge Nomad in a parking lot so the best they could manage was putting her arm in a bucket of water which only sort of helped. Still Nomad¡¯s loose directions were better than spending the whole day driving around randomly and hoping they got lucky. Knowing where the potentials were was less than half the battle though, they needed a method to approach them and an angle to convince them to join. It wasn¡¯t as easy as it should be. Nomad was doing everything she could, she¡¯d transformed into her magical girl form, which looked like an old spanish sea captain. Cosmic was glad normal people couldn¡¯t see her. She would be drawing way too much attention in that outfit. Nomad stirred suddenly. ¡°Whaaaa?¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Cosmic yawned again stretching her jaw and wandering over toward Nomad. ¡°GET DOWN!¡± Nomad shouted a last second warning as a blade cut through near the space Cosmic Anchor had been standing. Cosmic¡¯s body exploded into light as she transformed on pure instinct. She barely managed to duck out of the way before a murderous figure emerged from nothing. The shadow swiped again at Cosmic Anchor but the liquid metal swirling around her large weapon arm deflected the blow as it solidified. Still the power behind the strike sent Cosmic recoiling slightly. An arrow shot past Cosmic¡¯s head and headed right for the shadow¡¯s neck. It weaved around to dodge but it nicked the creature''s arm all the same. Silvered knocked another arrow but Cosmic raised her weapon arm to stop her as the figure snatched up Nomad and pulled her away from the others. ¡°Stop!¡± Cosmic order. The shadows blade was held an inch from Nomad¡¯s throat. ¡°Why¡­¡± The figure spat. ¡°Why now?¡± Cosmic wiggled her fingers and the metal around her arm swirled back into channels that flowed up and down it. The familiar black armor sent a chill down her spine as a blazing blue katar blade poked at Nomad¡¯s quavering neck. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Fatal Range¡­.¡± Cosmic stared dumbfounded. ¡°WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU HERE??¡± Fatal snarled, black blood gushing from the cut on her arm. ¡°We were following a candidate in the area¡­¡± Cosmic replied, trying to remain calm. ¡±Up until now we were all convinced you were dead.¡± Cosmic dismissed her transformation as well; her body became shorter and her sailor suit returned to the casual streetwear she¡¯d put on that morning. Cosmic put her arms in a calming gesture.¡°This doesn¡¯t have to end badly. If you just let Nomad go, I¡¯ll speak on your behalf when we bring you to True Anchor.¡± ¡°Your word?¡± Fatal hissed. ¡°¡®You should just go kill yourself dyke¡¯. Those were YOUR words, Cosmic. Of all of you bitches, you are the one who hated me the most. Why the FUCK would I ever take you at your word?¡± Fatal¡¯s visor might have hid the fury in her eyes but the malice was plain on her clenched fangs. ¡°I know. And I am truly ashamed of how I treated you in the past. But, that has no bearing on the here and now.¡± Cosmic stood still and confident, not backing down but not presenting a threat either. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it?¡± Fatal snapped. ¡°You want to drag me to a cell at the bottom of the ocean for a crime you all made up! I¡¯m not going to play along with your stupid superhero game anymore!¡± Fatal waved an arm around her. ¡±This part of the city is my territory, all the potentials here are under my protection! If I catch any of your kind around here again I will not let them leave.¡± Fatal¡¯s blade retracted and in one swift motion and Nomad tumbled forward as Fatal blinked out of existence as quickly as she appeared. Nomad cried out in pain, began coughing and holding her eyes. ¡°Her speech was a distraction! GAAAAAAACK! She sprayed me with something!¡± Silvered put a hand on Cosmic¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We should go.¡± ¡°Nomad, where is she?¡± Cosmic started to smell something strong as she approached Nomad. ¡°I don¡¯t fucking know! Too much pain, I can''t focus!¡± Nomad clutched at her eyes and backed away as her transformation broke with the accompanying flash of light. Cosmic helped splash water from the bucket on Nomads face as she knelt down beside it looking ill.. ¡°Pepper spray. That was clever. Well.. at least we know what we¡¯re dealing with now.¡± Inflicting pain was one of the easiest ways to disable a magical girl. ¡°No fucking shit?!?¡± Nomad screeched. ¡°I told you I didn¡¯t wanna come!¡± The Third Door Something just felt wrong as I parked Lauren¡¯s van in her spot. The GPS on my phone at least hadn¡¯t let me down but I was terrified by what she¡¯d said and I didn¡¯t know what to do. She¡¯d always kept her phone number a secret from the club members so I couldn¡¯t call her or anything. I stepped out of the car and looked around, not sure what to do. I couldn¡¯t go up to the apartment¡­ okay it was more I didn¡¯t want to, I had Laurens keys and I guessed one of these would open the door.. but¡­ ya know¡­ stairs. ¡°Nichole¡­!¡± I was just trying to figure out what else I could do when Laurens voice called out from behind me. I spun around and she was holding her arm¡­. An arm that was bleeding very badly. ¡°Holy shit. We¡­ Hospital¡­ ¡° My mind started racing as I saw the blood gushing between her fingers. ¡±We need to take you to the hospital.¡± I started to look for my phone with trembling hands. ¡°Nichole!¡± She ordered in her most authoritative tone. ¡°Help me upstairs please!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± I shook with my phone in my hands quivering like a leaf. ¡°Nichole¡­ please!¡± Lauren urged me. Going up those apartment stairs was terrifying at the best of times. Doing it while Lauren¡¯s life hung in the balance was the most terrifying thing I had ever had the misfortune to experience. I don¡¯t know how we made it to the top or how I didn¡¯t have a heart attack but somehow I managed to get her in. Blood was still dripping from her arm as she glared at a blank part of the wall and then slammed against the shoulder of her uninjured arm loud enough to frighten the shit out of me. ¡°Nichole!¡± Lauren was nearly shouting. ¡°Get the door!¡± ¡°Door? Which door?¡± I was confused and freaking the hell out and not holding it together at all. ¡°Nichole! Do not freak out! The door in front of me. I need you to open it.¡± Lauren squeezed me and pointed toward the blank wall in front of us. I felt something in the air change but it was so sudden and I was too panic-y to make sense of it at first. ¡°Which Door??¡± I asked but felt rather stupid as I could see it. The door on the wall. The wall she¡¯d just rammed had a door there now.. ¡°Open the door Nichole!¡± She ordered me. I flung the door open and stumbled inside as fast as I could.. The room inside was a well lit sparsely decorated bedroom with a queen sized bed and¡­. It was the clubroom¡­. In Lauren''s home. It was just¡­ here in the apartment behind a door that appeared from nowhere. I double and triple taked. What the fuck? The Clubroom at the school was here now? HOW?? Lauren stepped past me and urged me forward toward the third door we weren¡¯t ever supposed to open. ¡°Nichole. Use the purple key and unlock this door.¡± I did as she asked and opened up the door to¡­ a shockingly long and wide hallway. A few feet down the empty hall were a set of large swinging double doors Lauren pushed right through. I followed on her heels and entered¡­ what appeared to be some kind of lab. Electronic components on one side, chemicals on the other, lots of odds and ends scattered about. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Lauren gestured to what looked like a first aid kid on the wall and told me to grab it which I did and presented her the contents. She pointed to what looked like a large puffy bandaid and told me how to apply it to her arm. I carefully followed her instructions, trying very hard not to pay attention to the blood dripping down her arm and forming a puddle on the floor. She breathed a sigh of relief as the bandage appeared to seal itself around the wound and change its shade from a cool blue to a minty green. I just watched silently as Lauren took a deep calming breath as she held pressure on her arm. I just stood there watching her and worrying in silence as she sat breathing slowly. At least she wasn¡¯t bleeding all over the floor anymore. I tried not to pay attention to the blood splatter on the floor. ¡°Is there anything else you need me to do? Can I get you anything?¡±I asked after a few minutes trying my best to calm myself down. ¡°Could you get me the bottle of orange juice from the fridge? also good girl and unload the car for me? I won¡¯t be lifting much of anything for the next few hours.¡± I nodded and walked out through the strange corridor into the club room. I looked around for a moment looking at the bed and the box of toys lauren kept for us. This wasn¡¯t a similar room, it couldn¡¯t be - it was too exact. I¡¯d spent too much time in here not to recognize our club room. I put it out of my mind and exited out into the apartment. There was something deeply uncanny stepping from the club room directly into Lauren¡¯s apartment. I wanted to examine the door frame as it seemed like the obvious line between the two but I hurried to bring Lauren orange juice first. She smiled at me and kissed the top of my head as I handed her the bottle and an empty glass I¡¯d found. She poured a tall glass and drank it down quickly. ¡°Are you gonna be okay?¡± I asked nervously. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Lauren reassured me rubbing my head. ¡°This is a nanomachine patch it¡¯ll have me all stitched up in a few hours. Won¡¯t do anything for the lost blood though¡­¡° Lauren complained. ¡°Nanomachines?¡± My eyes went up. ¡°Nanomachine girl!¡± Lauren declared. ¡°It¡¯s still in the prototype phase but it also contains artificial platelets to slow bleeding, white blood cells to prevent infection, and stem cells to replace damaged or destroyed tissues. I look at the patch with wide eyes. ¡°You serious?¡± My hand hovered over the technological marvel not wanting to touch it. ¡°Oh yeah.¡± Lauren smiled proudly. ¡°It¡¯s a minor surgery in a can more or less.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing¡­¡± I gawked. ¡°Also impossible! Nanomachines¡­¡± ¡°Not science fiction anymore.¡± Lauren grinned a little, trying to hide a worry I lacked context for. ¡°A colleague of mine is a genius engineer, She¡¯s going to revolutionize the world.¡± ¡°If this is real I believe you¡­¡± I look at the miracle patch again. Suddenly I blinked, remembering a more pertinent question. ¡°But, What happened to you in the first place??¡± Lauren scratched her cheek, avoiding my eyes. ¡°Why don¡¯t you finish unloading the car?¡± ¡°...Yes Ma¡¯am.¡± I replied when it was obvious she wasn¡¯t going to tell me right there. I thought going up and down those stairs a couple times might make the trip easier¡­ or at least less terrifying. It absolutely did not and after all that climbing I fell back on Lauren¡¯s couch totally spent. Lauren had returned to the apartment and was seated at the kitchen table. Sorting through paperwork like¡­ like nothing happened. After a minute she got up and took a seat on the floor next to the couch. She grabbed my hand and kissed it gently. ¡°Thanks for everything. I¡¯m sorry I can''t give you your reward today.¡± She said, nodding toward her arm. ¡°I understand.¡± I was still breathing heavily from all the stairs. ¡°But seriously¡­ what¡­ the fuck¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not really allowed to talk about all of it.¡± Lauren took my hand and squeezed it. ¡°I will make it up to you tomorrow okay?¡± ¡°You best.¡± I let her lean down and kiss me. The Anchors Lauren had just started her first year of high school when she first met Shura. Lauren was an awkward kid and she was picked on a lot, but Shura was the most cruel about it. She decided to start a rumor Lauren was a lesbian. To be truthful she didn¡¯t even know what that actually meant until someone explained it to Her. She only knew that those around her considered it the cruelest of insults. Lauren felt alone, powerless. She don¡¯t know how that stupid rumor found its way to her parents but they believed it. Her father had never laid a hand on me before but that night¡­ she was left with bruises that didn¡¯t fully heal for weeks. When the Anchors approached her. They told her she was special - that she had power and she could make the world better¡­ she thought it was finally her way out. She ran away from home, she stopped going to school. she put everything I had into training and mastering her new abilities. That lasted a few weeks before they introduced me to the other newest recruit. They called her ¡®Cosmic Anchor¡¯ but Lauren knew who she really was. The person she hated most in the world. The Anchors wouldn¡¯t tolerate her abusing Lauren out in the open, but she¡¯d always find a way. Little things, petty bullshit and insults on the sly and Lauren¡¯s hate only grew with each passing day. She tried to be better than Shura, to ignore the smug looks and the pain but it was all the time with her. Lauren practiced even in secret, focusing on how to take herself out of the world. To understanding what the pocket of space her powers took her to was. That was until she figured out she could hold out, instead of allowing herself to be pulled into the space, she held herself outside of it as the opening tried to pull her in. It took a whole minute the first time but she was able to create a doorway. The space was small, no floor, no ceiling, just an empty sphere about 8 ft in diameter. Objects placed within stopped moving, stopped functioning, a watch placed inside froze in place until it was removed.and trying to reach her hand hurt badly. She figured out quickly time didn¡¯t flow the same in there. She tried again and again, with few results, eventually she didn¡¯t just close the doorway, she used my powers to remove it. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. When she finally made a new doorway things had changed, it took less time to form and the space was larger, the few objects she¡¯d left inside were gone, and it seemed to me the space had collapsed without a door to hold it. she repeated the cycle, documenting and experimenting, making the space bigger, allowing time to flow within it, giving it gravity and ground and air to breathe. She forged it into a sanctuary and lab, a place all her own where no one could disturb her. She could tell the Anchors were growing suspicious as she kept disappearing for hours at a time but she knew, she thought she knew¡­ that she wasn¡¯t doing anything wrong and that the greater good was being served. Still she continued her other training, she began to fight the denizens of the hells leaking through the incursion rifts.. Many of them were human once, souls banished by Freyja or Loki to work off their sins in the endless wars waged between the overlords. She became the Anchors premiere ambusher, able to strike before the denizens and their demon masters were even aware of her presence. She would become a whirlwind of light, her golden celestial blades shining like diamonds as she fought heroically to defend the world.. Yet, Cosmic always hung over her. She tried to tell the seniors what had been happening all this time, what Shura been doing to her behind their back. None of them believed her, they didn¡¯t trust Lauren or anything she had to say. She became more and more of a recluse as the days went on, when the calls to fight the demons came, she began to arrive late or not at all. What was the point? She heard them speaking about how they all expected she was going to stab them in the back. There was no fighting it, and she continued to try and make the world a better place on her own. If their vision had a place for Cosmic in it, She wasn¡¯t sure she wanted a part of it anyway. She didn¡¯t truly understand the nature of the doorway to her pocket dimension at first. Didn¡¯t realize it was only invisible to those who didn¡¯t know it was there. And one day¡­ she was spotted going inside. Exposing her secrets to the Anchors, they saw her careful experiments dismantled and destroyed. Months of careful research tossed aside because they decided augmenting their powers with technology was¡­ inherently villainous without a single scrap of evidence to support that claim. She did manage to escape. Her ability to shift in and out made it impossible for them to pin her down for very long and the more they forced her to jump the further and faster she thought she was able to. They hunted her for weeks and their pursuit pushed her to what she thought were her limits and beyond¡­ Eventually she tossed aside the name they¡¯d given her and after faking her death she took up the mantle she made for herself. Fatal Range. What comes next ¡°Eventually they managed to corner me in my own pocket dimension and Cosmic pushed me into the void that surrounds it. I managed to blink up before I hit the barrier but it was a close call. I knew they¡¯d be waiting on the outside so I had to re-emerge somewhere else¡­. It worked but doing that caused the whole thing to collapse and I had to start over from scratch.¡± Lauren finished her explanation and folded her arms. ¡±That won¡¯t work again. I can blink into and out of my pocket dimension directly if I¡¯m close enough to the door.¡± ¡°So then¡­¡± I pointed in the general direction of the club room door. ¡°Is that gonna be a problem?¡± Lauren rubbed her nose. ¡°No. That¡¯s the same exit, I just moved it. I can only move the exit once a week though, otherwise it gets really unstable.¡± ¡°But¡­ is it safe right now?¡± I raised an eyebrow. ¡°Of course it''s safe, I wouldn¡¯t take you into something unsafe.¡± She dismissed flatly. ¡°Your devotion to your students is appreciated Sensei.¡± I gave her a mock bow. ¡°Well¡­ speaking of. I have something I need to get for you.¡± Lauren got up and wandered toward the club room door. I peeled myself off the couch and got up to follow her. She stopped in the doorway and gave me a look. ¡°You can wait here.¡± She said, seemingly blocking my way. ¡°I was just gonna go rest on the bed over there.¡± I pointed to the clubroom bed. ¡°It¡¯s better than the couch.¡± Lauren nodded and headed off through the third door into the lab or whatever else she kept back there. I tossed myself onto the old bed and lay back. It had only been a few months since I¡¯d been in here but the place felt¡­ nostalgic. I remembered the old members and I hadn¡¯t realized how much I missed them. Still¡­ this place was magic? It was so horribly mundane and modern at first glance I never would have guessed. All depictions of real magic I¡¯d ever seen were rooted in the age of the Odinwar¡­. So the early 1800s. I¡¯d always expected Asgard packed up and took all it''s magic with it after Odin died. That¡¯s what history said. There were a few artefacts floating around that still retained an amount of magic supposedly but they were all locked up in museums supposedly. It was surprising to hear that not only was magic not gone but humans had a way to use it themselves. I was pulled from my thoughts by a small object pelting me in the chest. I picked up the small keychain, or¡­ some kind of device? ¡°That should keep you from being tracked by The Anchors.¡± Lauren started sitting herself down on the edge of the bed. ¡°Why would they be after me?¡± I asked, flipping the keychain over. ¡°Recruitment, most likely. They can follow anyone with the potential to manifest powers like themselves.¡± Lauren explained. ¡°It¡¯s most likely how they found us in the first place¡­ In hindsight I should have realized sooner¡­¡± She bit her lip. ¡°You should keep away from them.¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. I nodded. ¡°I can do that but¡­. ahhh¡­¡± Lauren gave me a scrutinizing look. ¡°If they want me to join them does that mean I can use magic too?¡± I asked nervously. ¡°No.¡± Lauren shook her head. ¡°...well not as you are now. You¡¯d need to have your potential unlocked.¡± ¡°So how would I do that?¡± I asked, getting kind of excited. Lauren sighed. ¡°You¡¯d need to have it unlocked by an Iconic Remnant which we don¡¯t have.¡± ¡°Ah I see¡­¡± I felt disappointment wash over me. ¡°So I¡¯d need to meet the True Anchor? Is that where you got your power?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lauren crossed her arms. ¡°There is another way but I¡¯ve only seen it performed once and I¡¯ve never attempted it. ¡± My ear perked up. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Lauren raised her hands. ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes up, but there is a chance I could do it¡­¡± She stopped me before I could speak. ¡°But not right now, I need to make sure the Anchors are gone before we attempt anything.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I pumped a fist. ¡°So do I still need this thing?¡± I held up the keychain. ¡°Yes. It''s better if they can''t track you down. the late stages of puberty light you up like a beacon to anyone with the lightest magic sense.¡± Lauren put her hands in her pockets.¡±Also, Before you ask, yes they can detect you even in the pocket dimension. I learned that lesson the hard way. If it¡¯s what you want, I¡¯ll help you once things have quieted down.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be good.¡± I agreed. The two of us were silent for a long moment. I stretched a bit and flopped down into the familiar soft mattress of the club room. Wondering about my new magic powers, but also reminiscing about the previous school year and all that had happened. ¡°Hey, do you miss them?¡± I sat slowly up and looked at her. ¡°The old members.¡± ¡°...Of course.¡± Lauren smiled a bit sadly. ¡°That¡¯s Homework club, you see these beautiful young women slowly blossom into the people they choose to be and then they go out to live their lives. I have a year with you all, maybe two and then¡­ you move on.¡± She got very quiet and wiped a tear from her eye. ¡°I still wouldn¡¯t trade this for anything.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­I mean.. Being able to see you this summer has been wonderful and I love our time together. It''s just¡­ it''s just not the same when it''s just the two of us. When we were all together it felt¡­¡± Lauren stretched her legs and lay back on the bed. ¡°I know, I miss it too.¡± ¡°As soon as I¡¯m able¡­ I swear I¡¯m going to rock your godsdamn world.¡± Lauren gave me a downright evil smile and pulled me into a passionate kiss that took my breath away. I melted into her arms being careful of the wound. I was just happy to have her hold me. It had been such a long time since the two of us had just been able to relax in each other''s arms this way. It was nice and I could have stayed like that til morning. Of course she had to ruin it after a few short minutes. ¡°Now get your ass up. If you¡¯re gonna sleep here at least let me wash these sheets.¡± ¡°Oh, do you have a washing machine back in the lab?¡± I asked rolling off onto the floor. ¡°As a matter of fact I do.¡± Lauren began rolling up the sheets. ¡°Go get your clothes, we''ll do those too.¡± ¡°Yes Ma¡¯am.¡± I sighed and pulled myself back up on my feet.