A Strange Fairytale

-Teri almost died of starvation from the fight and spending about a day being blown around the sky. A few more hours and it would have taken hospitalization and immediate emergency care to keep her alive. (Yes her metabolism is SERIOUSLY screwed up)
Because of her size and powers her metabolism is already insanely high, making a shrew, which has to eat 3 times its body weight a day, look lazy. Rose Blossom has it easier because her powers aren't as energy intensive.

-I'll admit while writing this story I teared up a lot. This story affects how she reacts to many things in the future, and I knew it was going to be hard from the start.

-Mouser was eating left over steak, straight from the fridge. She likes rare meat, and wouldn't say no to raw if given the choice of raw or well done, but she does like it cooked.

-And the coffee was just regular coffee. Coffee is poisonous to cats, and her system is a mix up of human and cat. So she can drink it, but it has a much stronger affect on her. She'll never, ever, touch an espresso.

-Teri was joking about the beans, most of them are only as big as her head. A poppy seed bag, would be perfect for her.

-Mouser makes a fair bit of money doing escort missions. Usually they're for more high profile targets, but she's had experience with all kind and tries to come up with the best plan for the clients safety.

-The dreams shown in this story are pretty much par for the course for Teri. They're a little darker and scarier then the earlier ones, but there is a reason she loved having Rose sing her to sleep, and cuddled so closely to her friend.
After coming up with Teri's habits and problems, I did some research to make sure I was getting things right. On the checklist for children with PTSD, Teri ticked all but one or two of the symptoms.

-The MCO agents didn't plant the devise on her bike. They just needed several minutes to sync it up to her radio and it worked from a distance.

-Mouser can hit a little over 60mph, but that is her max, "Oh dear god, I'm going to die" speed, she was sprinting and full of adrenaline.

-The H1! gentlemen got to see Teri go rager. She isn't quite as out of control as most, focusing on removing the threat, rather than tearing things limb from limb, but she WILL remove the threat. The increased speed and strength, makes her very scary, especially if the person has no idea of what she's capable of doing.
And then she crashes hard.

-Teri was just turning 13 when she was kidnapped and changed, and her emotions were affected by the transmographier. Young teens are emotional already, the transformation made it worse, and the PTSD amplified it. Her emotions are a yoyo normally, in a stressful situation like this, they are completely out of control.

-With Mouser, I wanted her to be funny and annoying, but also professional and understanding. If she can complete a job without a dangerous fight or risk of collateral damage, she'll do it. It means she'll get more work in the future, and won't get punched in the nose.
With the Larsen job, she was happy to play around with some of the people like the store clerk and the state trooper, but it was all based around getting the job done in the easiest and safest way possible.
She's not a brick who can get into a big fight and walk out with only a few bruises. She's more about agility, reflexes and speed. She's also got a catlike mentality, stalking, ambushing and quick, dirty fighting is her style. Waiting around an hour to let someone think things over, hell yes, it's why she always has a pack of card.

-That final scene with Teri and Mouser just talking was written back in 2017. It made me tear up then, and it still does now.

Gering, Nebraska
June 13th, 2007
Late Evening

Oh crap, I hope the MCO in this area is nice and follow Mouser's request to handle Teri with kid gloves. Burgermeister had better hope he never meets Mouser, I don't think he would survive that encounter. Teri is clean and fed, she is clinging physically and emotionally to Mouser hard, after the hell Teri has been through no one can blame her. Crud, Teri's nightmares are that bad and she doesn't remember them clearly. Mouser, you did the right thing by a poor girl who is suffering.

Lincoln, Nebraska
June 14th, 2007
MCO Office, Mid-Morning

Larry Meyer got her a file that thick on Burgermeister and it is only what he can legally show her, how thick is the file for the stuff he can't show her? Worked with anyone and ran whenever trouble show as he hated fighting, what happened to make that change?

“I see you've found the photo's, I'm guessing it's the 1992 Lancashire Massacre,” he said, looking a little pale. “Virtually an entire MCO office slaughtered in a matter of minutes, the sole survivor was given a message by the Burgermeister. 'The MCO will put down their weapons and crawl on their knees to the police, begging forgiveness for all the children they have killed. If they do not, I will continue seeking justice.'”

Great, the idiots pushed him into a corner and found out what he would do.

Shit, he became a literal bogeyman for the MCO, don't tell me kids he was working with were killed by the MCO and he snapped. Setting up a trap like this, what about innocent bystanders? Good lord, they kept this secret from the public, if everyone knew there would be a public outcry.

They are thinking the wrong way to find out who Teri was, Burgermeister is a devisor, and other devisors have created devises to alter people.

“From her story, she was transformed into her current shape. So her powers might have been warped as well,” she said. “For all we know she went through powers testing, and her powers and body are so FUBAR'd we won't be able to connect the dots,” Mouser said, wanting to spit.

At least Mouser figured it out, and darn you, Burgermeister. A child psychologist, please let them be good. PK superman I figured, but speedster. 10 mph with it being 160 mph if at normal human scale, whoa.

Teri is vicious in a fight, that is the understatement of the year. *eyes bug out* Those are some insane reflexes to pull that off. And she heard it, just how strong is her hearing to pick up a Nerf dart?

“Small animals have trouble hearing low frequencies, it seems Teri has the same problem. She can hear high frequencies well above baseline human capabilities as expected, but her ear drums are no longer capable of catching deep bass sounds. Fortunately her hearing is still well within the human vocal range, at worst a very deep voice might sound a little distorted but will still be understandable,” he said.

Aww, poor Teri can't enjoy her favorite music anymore. PTSD and hypervigilance, with her powers it is a wonder she hasn't overreacted and hurt someone yet.

“You're saying she reacts instinctively to keep herself safe and buy some time, and then decides what to do after that,” Mouser said.

“That's what I think,” David said.

Oh boy, Mouser has her hands full now.

Oh no, they are trying to get her to eat chocolate, duck, and cover! And she ate the chocolate, poor Mouser is going to be hurting for a while after this.

Fifteen minutes after closing the door, Mouser crawled out of the testing room. Her clothes were rumpled and wrinkled with tears in several places, her fur was a mess and several small patches were missing.

And this is why Teri can't have sugar, she goes from cute, but dangerous little fairy to force of nature until it wears off.

They know about the H1! Group, and about Marni Petty aka Power-Up, good, I hope this leads them to Marni and Rose. No sign of the goblins or elves, I've been curious about what happened to them.

“PK three, and energizer three, with a note saying she's a special speedster mostly focused around reflexes. She also has dark vision, extremely dense muscles, very sharp claws, and can fly without her PK field. We also put in bright red letters that when she has stimulants, her PK and energizer abilities increase by at least one rating, while causing short term irrational behaviour, and is to be avoided.”

She is a little powerhouse even without sugar.

Dr. Shultz, a good name for a psychiatrist. Teri spends time with Patricia while the good doctor tells them what she learned about Teri. Teri is a bigger mess than even I expected, Burgermeister needs to be locked up for his and everyone else's good. Yikes! Never threaten innocents or those she cares about. And just like that Mouser is Teri's mother figure, let the hijinks commence.

A place to stay, kids close to her age to hang out with, and even gets to go to the beach, Mouser is already a great mother. Memories of a time in the school gym practicing using her power while her cousin Teri watched, ouch, not being able to see her face, know her name, or how they are related. Yikes, throwing up from being so high on her first attempt.

Movies and comics, autographed posters of various types of celebrities, Mouser sure hangs with a diverse crowd. Eep, those movies that Mouser did, don't let Teri see them. Good grief, how much hentai and porn does Mouser have? Teri is concerned about her missing friends, and if she will ever see her real family again, which got me tearing up here. Aww, Teri, just admitting you need to not be alone anymore makes you strong. A linen closet big enough to be an apartment sounds fun.

Mouser wakes up to Teri sleeping beside her, this is going to be a regular thing for a while at least.

Mouser's Home
June 15th, 2007

*eyes bug out* Just how big is the food bill going to be with these two living together? A dragon in Texas who does custom clothing and stuff for mutants, just how many individuals are out there who do custom clothing like this? Teri is so cute when she is excited about something, sidekick to Mouser, someday but not today. Teri at 18...nope, not going to think about it. CPS paperwork, Mouser is going to hate hearing the word paperwork after this.

“THANK YOU!” Teri shouted, flying across the table to give the cat a big hug.

“AIR! Need air!” Mouser gasped, trying to tug the fairy away from her throat.

Teri, no throat hugs. Mouser isn't a cartoon character who doesn't need to breathe.

Afternoon

Math and yeah, algebra can trip you up when going from the easier forms of math. Another memory, it hurts to see Teri unable to remember those she loves clearly.

Horray for getting through the system fast. Beginning high school freshman, she retained her knowledge, good. Too awesome for a normal classroom, nice save there, Mouser. Ah, the running gag of Teri hugging Mouser and Mouser not being able to breathe, good choice.

Late Evening

So much for easy finding an emergency contact. Witch Mabel and Mouser have history; she kissed her husband, slept with WM's son and caught in the act, and slept with WM's daughter who was curious, oh boy. When Teri facepalms you have done something really stupid or lacking common sense. All that and she ask for help with Teri, I hope WM meeting Teri ends her foul mood or at least redirects it to BM.

Downtown, Lincoln Nebraska,
June 15th, 2007

Little kids seeing a fairy, I would have loved to at their age.

eri thought it over for a minute. “So I really should become a hero, so that everyone will love me and I won't have any problems.”

Oh no, all of Teri's memories of comic-book superheroes were erased. Mouser has some great advice.

Oof, nice to Teri and treating Mouser like a viper that bit her.

“I'm a witch. I mix up soups and drinks, and cook tasty foods in my kitchen, and they can do wonderful things. If someone is hurt, they just need to eat a bowl of my chicken soup and they’ll heal right up. When they need to deal with a criminal, they can throw a cup of my herbal tea at them to put them right to sleep, or they can use my taffy and the bad guy will get all tangled up.”

A rarely seen form of magic and so interesting.

Hehe, long names for superheroes are rarely used, never thought of that reason why. A grandmotherly figure who is a grandmother. Mexican rice pudding, yum. And Teri's too-tight hugs continue.

Pine Lake Beach, Lincoln Nebraska,
June 16th, 2007

Ocean and palm trees, that memory of oceans hints at where she is from. Impressive dive by Teri, 10 out of 10. Awww, this is a cute way for Teri to meet Sara and David. Oh no, Teri knows about the power stone. How soon until we see cat fairy Teri? Aunt Cynthia, Teri has gained a new family, I just hope she reunites with her original family someday.

In another memory, Teri with an older woman and running towards her a man and woman, the woman is pregnant and Teri gets kicked by the baby. A little brother or sister who is now missing her or possibly her cousin, ouch. Great, the ice cream vendor is rude and an anti-mutant bigot. Threats to call the MCO on her, this woman is scum. A child wonders why the fairy is crying, and others are upset at the woman. Teri gets her ice cream but is still very upset, that woman was cruel.

June 20th, 2007

Mouser taking Teri to a photo shoot, Teri is going to be popular with the camera person, such a unique subject to capture on film. Bwahaha, Teri being a smart aleck is priceless.

Having her picture taken and another memory flashback hits Teri. Christmas pictures, eep, I would have gone stir crazy myself. And she doesn't think it was an important memory, ouch.

A notebook record of Teri's memory flashback to help narrow down where she lived and who she might have been.

“I think I have two older brothers. And the girl I thought might have been my sister is probably a cousin.”

Good to see she is making progress. Mouser was a jeweler before she was a superhero, huh.

“A strange client gave me an ugly cats eye gem, along with some very rare metal, and asked me to design a choker. It was not easy, but I got it done, while barely sleeping, practically in a trance most of the time, and having the weirdest dreams you can imagine. Then after I got it all done, he didn't show up again. After six months, I tried it on and ended up looking like this,” Mouser said, waving a hand over her body.

Curiouser and curiouser.

Bracelets and anklets to trick foes into grabbing where the power stone isn't, clever.

She grinned at Teri. “Remember, always keep them guessing, and never let them see you weak.”

Teri nodded. “Good advice.”

Don't apply keep them guessing to your therapist, Teri.

June 22nd, 2007

Making Teri stay with WM while she is on a job, Teri shows off how much of an obstinant teen she can be. 5 days away from Mouser, no wonder Teri is worried and wants to go with her. A promise to come back and Teri is going with WM to drop off supplies with the Lincoln Freedom Squad, please let Teri hold her tongue while there.

A base like that and no one wants to attack then, talk about a blow to the ego. The Analyzer, I wonder what his power is.

“That's a very good question. It's because I have a power gem that lets me quickly and accurately spot connections between things and figure out how they should interact, it's so fast and accurate, it's considered a psychic power.”

Interesting power. Gambling on sports to get the funds they need and he doesn't always win, oh brother.

Armstrong, baseline with 340 lb. deadlift and professional MMA fighter for 6 years, impressive. Armstrong, you should have listened to the Analyzer on this one. Crap! She broke his leg, he seriously underestimated her. Had so much of WM's soup it takes longer to work on him, Armstrong must get hurt a lot.

That Evening

The taste of Mexican Rice Pudding brings Teri to tears, it is just how she remembers it. WM is comforting Teri, I hope she will have memories that make her smile soon.

June 22nd, 2007

The only way to help find her family, and yet it causes her so much pain. Nooooo! She didn't recognize Miss Powerful or Miami. Crap, saying the name she uses might not be her own makes Teri question if she is even real. Her thoughts on what he might have done, what she might be, no, please someone stop this spiral of thinking quickly. Please let Mouser get back soon for Teri's sake.

June 28th, 2007

“What if I don't want things to change?” she said. “Things are pretty good right now. What happens if things change? Will they get worse? Will they get better? What if it turns out I was a really nasty person before? What if I was in a bad family? What if no wants me? What if someone who is the real me is already there and I'm just some devise?”

Lock Burgermeister up and make sure if he ever escapes he doesn't survive to do this to anyone else again. Mouser is the mother Teri needs right now.

Lincoln Children's Zoo
June 30th, 2007

“Teri,” Mouser said, her tail whipping back and forth, “you can pet the tortoise, not ride it.”

Looking up from her seat on the shell of the tortoise, Teri pouted. “But I'm a cowgirl, and this is my loyal steed.”

The group of children who were watching the tortoise and waiting for their turn to interact with it started to laugh, along with the bemused keeper who didn't seem to know what to do.

Bwahaha, I would ride a tortoise if I was small enough to.

Mouser smirked. “I have so. Two years ago a biodevisor created a pack of giant snails, they had acidic slime, big sharp teeth, shells that were as strong as five inch titanium plates, and once they got moving they could slide along about as fast as a galloping horse. I lost most of my fur trying to figure out how to deal with them.”

Ack! Don't give the TTRPG GMs any ideas of new creatures to unleash upon their players' characters.

Call to deal with a supervillain and their minions, and Teri wants to help out, good grief. That is a lot of firepower Mouser is packing, what kind of supervillain is this? Bank robbery, they have this much power and they rob a bank. *sigh* Heavy duty power armor, don't tell me the wearer needs to make a payment to whoever supplied it or needs cash for supplies to repair or fuel it. Laser rifle, hope it can pierce the armor or this is going to be a lot of property damage and potential casualties.

10' tall and crude, great, that means it is tougher than a tank. Demolisher is a nice and simple codename at least. Crap, it has a lot of firepower. Teri protecting a child whose mother is on the ground bleeding, this is bad. Teri gets the mother to an ambulance quickly after it shows up, Teri is doing the right thing.

Mouser banged up and Demolisher's armor banged up but not slowed down, darn it. If not for Teri the MCO agent who fired the laser at Demo's armor would have been killed most likely. Another memory, this time of when she met Lightning Strike at the age of 11. Lightning Strike, I see why Teri admired her so much.

Teri wants to be a hero and attacks Demolisher with all her might, but he eventually gets a lucky hit on her. Mouser is forced to shield Teri and goes down, bad move, Demolisher. Teri might cripple him for life for this.

Demolisher tells Teri to give it up as she is just denting the armor a little, he doesn't realize she has distracted him while Mouser recovers. Washing machine fastball special! And then divebomb attacks with it, Teri fights dirty and brutal. Stop sign first as an ax on the crack in the top of the armor, then as a spear until she wrecks the armor. Then goes over to Mouser and begins to cry. Demolisher, you have added to her traumas, you will pay.

Evening

Back home and Mouser just wants to sleep as the painkillers take over. Dang it, Teri beating herself up about not being a hero, how her memories drove her to fight Burgermeister and what happened because of it.

She got to her feet. “I'm happy here. I have Mouser and Witch Mabel, and people like me. I'm making friends, having fun, and I'm going to be getting a tutor and joining classes to learn stuff. Good things are happening. And I promise Rose Blossom, as soon as I learn where you are, I'll come and get you so you can come live here with me.

“It's time I learn to live for today. The past is the past and I can't change it, the future will come when it comes, no point worrying about it. I don't know if the girl in my memories was real, so why should I try to build my life around her, or cry over the things she had. She isn't me. I'm Teri Mouser and that's all I need to be happy.”

A good attitude to have, but I still hope her family finds out what happened to Miss Powerful. Shreds her memory journal and forces memories of the past away, ouch.

July 1st, 2007

Teri calls Mouser Mom, awww. Teri decides to be happy from now on, avoidance due to PTSD. This won't end well.

Death Valley, Nevada

All these robots in one place, this is Burgermeister's home away from the airship. The robots make music to cure their boredom. And he survived, Burgermeister is back.

The mailbox sagged, letting out a robotic sigh as the creator stepped out.

“Hello my friends! I'm sorry I was gone for so long, but now I have returned and we have important business to attend to! Come along and get onto the ship, we have lots to do if we're going to make the world a better place, and I need your help to collect our wayward children.”

I take it the robots just tolerate their creator. And he is going after Teri, Rose Blossom, and the goblins and elves, this is beyond bad.

Larry Meyer got her a file that thick on Burgermeister and it is only what he can legally show her, how thick is the file for the stuff he can't show her? Worked with anyone and ran whenever trouble show as he hated fighting, what happened to make that change?

“I see you've found the photo's, I'm guessing it's the 1992 Lancashire Massacre,” he said, looking a little pale. “Virtually an entire MCO office slaughtered in a matter of minutes, the sole survivor was given a message by the Burgermeister. 'The MCO will put down their weapons and crawl on their knees to the police, begging forgiveness for all the children they have killed. If they do not, I will continue seeking justice.'”

Great, the idiots pushed him into a corner and found out what he would do.

You remember what Burgermeister found out in "A Good Man"? He took it a bit personally and went on the warpath. Which moved him from someone the MCO would pretty much ignore to enemy #1.

Shit, he became a literal bogeyman for the MCO, don't tell me kids he was working with were killed by the MCO and he snapped. Setting up a trap like this, what about innocent bystanders? Good lord, they kept this secret from the public, if everyone knew there would be a public outcry.

The MCO weren't that reckless. They had the ambush in an evacuated flood area. The small town took a lot of damage, but it was already underwater. So the only people directly affected were the MCO agents, National Guardsmen, SWAT members and the superhero group.
The MCO wanted Burgermeister and his crew dead, so they needed to be able to cut loose and hold nothing back.

They are thinking the wrong way to find out who Teri was, Burgermeister is a devisor, and other devisors have created devises to alter people.

“From her story, she was transformed into her current shape. So her powers might have been warped as well,” she said. “For all we know she went through powers testing, and her powers and body are so FUBAR'd we won't be able to connect the dots,” Mouser said, wanting to spit.

At least Mouser figured it out, and darn you, Burgermeister. A child psychologist, please let them be good. PK superman I figured, but speedster. 10 mph with it being 160 mph if at normal human scale, whoa.

They weren't really hopeful that finding out who Teri was would be that easy, but it's better to try and fail, then not try at all. Plus they did take a DNA sample to see if it has any matches.
In the past I did some research on how a very tiny human would work (they wouldn't due to freezing to death and a constant need to eat), and I found out that a mouse is actually REALLY quick when you take in their size. So I just used their speed for Teri's speed, it's not exact because her legs are longer than a mouse, but I suck at math.

Teri is vicious in a fight, that is the understatement of the year. *eyes bug out* Those are some insane reflexes to pull that off. And she heard it, just how strong is her hearing to pick up a Nerf dart?

I was hoping you'd recognize another character from "A Good Man" here. Oh well. Having David still in the MCO as a researcher who cares about mutants made me smile.

Movies and comics, autographed posters of various types of celebrities, Mouser sure hangs with a diverse crowd. Eep, those movies that Mouser did, don't let Teri see them. Good grief, how much hentai and porn does Mouser have? Teri is concerned about her missing friends, and if she will ever see her real family again, which got me tearing up here. Aww, Teri, just admitting you need to not be alone anymore makes you strong. A linen closet big enough to be an apartment sounds fun.

Mouser does a lot of work as a bodyguard. With the risk of superpowered stalkers and kidnappers, sometimes you need a superpowered bodyguard. Signing a poster or picture after she's done is usually not a big ask.

*eyes bug out* Just how big is the food bill going to be with these two living together? A dragon in Texas who does custom clothing and stuff for mutants, just how many individuals are out there who do custom clothing like this?

Mouser has a fair bit of cash. She does modelling, paid interviews, a VERY expensive bodyguard, paid superhero work, and things like bounty hunting, serving papers, and things like that when things are slow or the person could be violent and superpowered.
Eating a lot of bacon and good food is one of the reasons she works so hard. And Teri doesn't actually eat that much compared to most people. At her hungriest, she'd eat what would be considered a large snack, or small meal, for an older child.

So much for easy finding an emergency contact. Witch Mabel and Mouser have history; she kissed her husband, slept with WM's son and caught in the act, and slept with WM's daughter who was curious, oh boy. When Teri facepalms you have done something really stupid or lacking common sense. All that and she ask for help with Teri, I hope WM meeting Teri ends her foul mood or at least redirects it to BM.

I wrote this as a microscene and posted it years ago. It was a joy to finally be able to use it properly.

Oof, nice to Teri and treating Mouser like a viper that bit her.

“I'm a witch. I mix up soups and drinks, and cook tasty foods in my kitchen, and they can do wonderful things. If someone is hurt, they just need to eat a bowl of my chicken soup and they’ll heal right up. When they need to deal with a criminal, they can throw a cup of my herbal tea at them to put them right to sleep, or they can use my taffy and the bad guy will get all tangled up.”

A rarely seen form of magic and so interesting.

I got the idea of Witch Mabel, when I was thinking of a grandmotherly type figure for Teri to meet. What's a stereotypical (and common) thing for grandma's to do? Cook with love.
Well thanks to Witch Mabel's heirloom cookbook, she not only cooks with love, but essence.

In another memory, Teri with an older woman and running towards her a man and woman, the woman is pregnant and Teri gets kicked by the baby. A little brother or sister who is now missing her or possibly her cousin, ouch.

The hints to her relationship with the baby and the other two can be found in Part 2 and 3.

Great, the ice cream vendor is rude and an anti-mutant bigot. Threats to call the MCO on her, this woman is scum. A child wonders why the fairy is crying, and others are upset at the woman. Teri gets her ice cream but is still very upset, that woman was cruel.

Teri was over being upset pretty quick. She got free ice cream, and she knew exactly what she was doing. That's why she said told Mouser that she had been negotiating.

June 20th, 2007

Mouser taking Teri to a photo shoot, Teri is going to be popular with the camera person, such a unique subject to capture on film. Bwahaha, Teri being a smart aleck is priceless. [/QUOTE]
That scene made me smile. It helped make up for all the times this story made me tear up.

Mouser was a jeweler before she was a superhero, huh.

“A strange client gave me an ugly cats eye gem, along with some very rare metal, and asked me to design a choker. It was not easy, but I got it done, while barely sleeping, practically in a trance most of the time, and having the weirdest dreams you can imagine. Then after I got it all done, he didn't show up again. After six months, I tried it on and ended up looking like this,” Mouser said, waving a hand over her body.

Curiouser and curiouser.

Bracelets and anklets to trick foes into grabbing where the power stone isn't, clever.

I have an idea for a one shot story dealing with this. I MAY write it sometime in the future.

A base like that and no one wants to attack then, talk about a blow to the ego. The Analyzer, I wonder what his power is.

“That's a very good question. It's because I have a power gem that lets me quickly and accurately spot connections between things and figure out how they should interact, it's so fast and accurate, it's considered a psychic power.”

Interesting power. Gambling on sports to get the funds they need and he doesn't always win, oh brother.

There's a reason they're considered a laughing stock.

Armstrong, baseline with 340 lb. deadlift and professional MMA fighter for 6 years, impressive. Armstrong, you should have listened to the Analyzer on this one. Crap! She broke his leg, he seriously underestimated her. Had so much of WM's soup it takes longer to work on him, Armstrong must get hurt a lot.

YOu have no idea.

That Evening The taste of Mexican Rice Pudding brings Teri to tears, it is just how she remembers it. WM is comforting Teri, I hope she will have memories that make her smile soon.

Those are actually tears of joy. It's something that really makes her memories come to life, making them seem more real.

The only way to help find her family, and yet it causes her so much pain. Nooooo! She didn't recognize Miss Powerful or Miami. Crap, saying the name she uses might not be her own makes Teri question if she is even real. Her thoughts on what he might have done, what she might be, no, please someone stop this spiral of thinking quickly. Please let Mouser get back soon for Teri's sake.

This part wasn't actually planned initially. I threw it in there to fill up a bit more space, and to help show she is getting therapy as well as the search for who she is. Then as I was writing it my muse got seriously involved and it went something like this.

Muse: Hey! I have a great idea! Do you want to cry?!
Me: Not really.
Muse: Screw you! Here's an existential crisis tear jerker, that sets everything up PERFECTLY for your plans. Enjoy!
Me: (Reaches for tissues) I hate you.

“Teri,” Mouser said, her tail whipping back and forth, “you can pet the tortoise, not ride it.”

Looking up from her seat on the shell of the tortoise, Teri pouted. “But I'm a cowgirl, and this is my loyal steed.”

The group of children who were watching the tortoise and waiting for their turn to interact with it started to laugh, along with the bemused keeper who didn't seem to know what to do.

Bwahaha, I would ride a tortoise if I was small enough to.[/QUOTE]
This whole scene was really fun to write. I needed to make sure there was at least one very happy scene before the climax.

Demolisher is a nice and simple codename at least. Crap, it has a lot of firepower. Teri protecting a child whose mother is on the ground bleeding, this is bad. Teri gets the mother to an ambulance quickly after it shows up, Teri is doing the right thing.

Mouser banged up and Demolisher's armor banged up but not slowed down, darn it. If not for Teri the MCO agent who fired the laser at Demo's armor would have been killed most likely.

Had to give Teri her moment to shine, when she's thinking rationally and doing the exact right thing.

Teri wants to be a hero and attacks Demolisher with all her might,

She's protecting Mouser. She saw Mouser struggling and getting banged up, and she acted on her emotions without thinking things through.

Demolisher tells Teri to give it up as she is just denting the armor a little, he doesn't realize she has distracted him while Mouser recovers. Washing machine fastball special! And then divebomb attacks with it, Teri fights dirty and brutal. Stop sign first as an ax on the crack in the top of the armor, then as a spear until she wrecks the armor. Then goes over to Mouser and begins to cry. Demolisher, you have added to her traumas, you will pay.

Teri was acting on instinct and rage. There was almost zero thought in this except "How can I destroy this?"

Teri calls Mouser Mom, awww. Teri decides to be happy from now on, avoidance due to PTSD. This won't end well.

It's going to be interesting.

All these robots in one place, this is Burgermeister's home away from the airship. The robots make music to cure their boredom. And he survived, Burgermeister is back.

This is where the airship crashed. That's why no one has found it, it's so far off the beaten track that it will probably be years or even decades before its found.
And I really had to think about how to bring in Burgermeister. Doing a callback to the bored mailbox that just wanted some music, gave it the perfect whimsical tone before things get sinister.

Edit: Forgot this part.
The dragon who makes custom clothing and items for mutants, is from JG's story "Small Mercies", which introduced Anomaly. I figured Mouser would know about him and probably buy some custom pants from him on occasion, as well as a drivers seat for her truck that would accommodate her tail.