Pop Goes the Weasel (Part 2) by Amethyst

mhalpern wrote:

excellent chapter, she has gotten in contact with other people, she has hope now, her mother is an idiot for waiting on the MID,

Dreamer wrote:

SPOILER ALERT
Below is a stream of conscious commentary I type up as I read the story. There will be details from the story included in it. If you have not read the story yet and don't wish to have details of it spoiled, read no further.

Pop Goes the Weasel Part 2 comments

Warning: Spoiler!

Melendez Residence
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Wednesday, April 27th, 2016 – 1:08 p.m.

Ugh, already forced to wear make-up so soon after starting to turn into a girl, I hate Carlos/Carmen's mother for what she has done to them. Not even close to completely female yet and changed his name already, probably didn't let Carlos choose the name himself either. Some girls don't need make-up, this kind of thing could wait until you know more about the physical changes Carlos is going through.

Make-up washed off and forced to do it themself, I can't stand Carlos's mom, forcing him to adapt to being a girl too quickly could do as much damage as not helping him when the changes actually come. 2 dozen attempts to satisfy her, oh brother. Oh, good, a break from Mother while she makes dinner. A month of this, Carlos has had to endure a month of this, ack. I will call her Carmen when she is ready to be called that herself, not before.

If only Carlos realized why his mother is doing all this now, a plan to brainwash you into a weapon to hurt your biological father even more, she doesn't really care about you.

We were spending a lot of time together and while a positive relationship with my mother was all I had ever wanted, something about it had me feeling nervous, like it was too good to be true.

Yes, hold onto that feeling and remember it when your mother turns on you for not going along with her plans.

Something just felt wrong about the way that Mom was jumping into this, and it wasn’t just mental whiplash from her sudden change in behavior.

Trust your feelings, you know them to be true. Make up for being an awful parent in the past, don't you believe it. There is a new vanity in their room, seesh, and Mom is laying it on thick. No time outside the house, the excuse of not being safe out there for mutants, she is insolating him, this is a common tactic used in brainwashing and cults.

Megan was concerned about that, she said it wasn’t healthy, something that I was inclined to agree with, despite my social anxiety. Megan was helping to keep me sane, we texted a lot over the past month in secret, and she was supportive, if not terribly surprised about the whole turning into a girl thing. Apparently, when we saw each other in Mesa, she didn’t just think I looked like a girl but smelled like one too.

Oh, good, at least Carlos has Megan to chat with and hopefully get him to see what his mother is doing to him. All those changes in just a month, she needs a belt and to wear shorts or slacks until she finishes changes.

Tangled Webs was a telenovela with a supernatural twist that started about eight years or so ago and aired Monday through Friday. It was filmed in Canada and was the first TV show to use mutants and other powered actors. At first, using openly mutant actors was a gimmick, but the show gained traction quickly and had a large mutant following from what I was able to find out online. One of the cast members was a shapeshifter too and played over a dozen roles so far over the show’s eight seasons.

Dang, if soap operas did that I would watch them. Leaving Hanna for Desiree, say it isn't so!

I gasped in shock and protested, “No, Ricardo! Don't leave Hanna for Desiree! Her corpse is being possessed by the Succubus, Kishandra! She’s evil! She'll devour your soul and leave you a barren husk! She drugged Hanna on your wedding night to take her place and she’s been working with your best friend, Chad, to help him get a controlling interest in your mother’s company!"

Dang, that ranks up there with some of the weirder stuff actual soap operas do. Oh boy, reacting that way to a soap opera, she is more Carmen than Carlos now, more girl than boy.

Melendez Residence
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Tuesday, July 5th, 2016 – 3:37 p.m.

Aww, didn't get to watch 4th of July fireworks, that sucks. Stuck until her next appointment with Dr. Deville in December, Carmen needs a hero to get her out of there already. Over 3 months now, this is bad.

The envelope had come by courier this morning from Mom’s lawyer and contained a new birth certificate, social security information, and a variety of other important documents, all under the name Carmen Isabella Melendez. It was official now.

Mom sure got that paperwork done fast.

More changes, more female, and her ears seem to have finished changing. Their nose and teeth changing, nails like claws, and her tail is longer now, oh boy. Ouch, down to 5' now, I hope she doesn't get much shorter. The doorbell on the TV snapped Carmen out of her haze. Ricardo has been drained, physically and financially, as he is divorced, and lost his company to his ex-best friend Chad, and Desiree has left him a shell of his former self. Hanna is with Chad's sister, Catherine, and Ricardo acts like she betrayed him, oh brother.

A sleek, well-muscled, cat woman with black fur, strode into view of the camera to ask, “Who was that, honey?” The low-cut neckline of her dress showed ample cleavage and silvery tattoos on her chest.

That's Catherine, yeah, Hanna is better off with her.

Melendez Residence
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Saturday, October 15th, 2016 – 8:24 p.m.

October now, 3 months 10 days since last time. Crud, from the sounds of it Carmen is a completely straight girl. Even though the downstairs has changed she doesn't think they are finished changing yet. Her tail is long and floofy now, her nose is a cute pink animal nose now, and she has whiskers and patches of fur with soft downy fuzz on the spots that haven't grown in yet. Strong muscles too, I wonder what level Exemplar she will be rated. 4'7" and 70 lbs., ouch, at least you aren't the smallest that a kid has become after manifesting.

Mom waxed off Carmen's fur! That idiot, that is a part of her nature now and you can't keep doing that for the rest of her life. The isolation is getting to her, I hope she breaks free soon and realizes what her mother has been doing to her. Good, Mom has shown her true colors by wanting to introduce Carmen to her feminist hater group now. Ack, the soap opera sure had some twist, I hope Hanna and Catherine are okay.

The episode ended with a huge cliffhanger when the doctors told Catherine and their parents that Chad was dead. He’d developed a sudden, inexplicable, and fatal allergy to oxygen.

Okay, even for a soap opera that is a bit over the top.

One call to Megan and Carmen can chat and vent a little. Oh boy, news of her mother waxing off her fur has Megan in an uproar.

“She did what?!” Megan sounded pissed as she interrupted me, something that was only solidified by the hissing growl that preceded her next words. “Carmen, she never lets you out of the fucking house! I’ve stayed quiet until now because I know your mother scares and intimidates you and you don’t want to make waves, but ripping out your fur when it’s part of your GSD and will only grow back, that’s fucking abuse! She’s been keeping you prisoner for months too, you said you haven’t even been outside since coming to Mesa! We need to get you the fuck out of there!”

Listen to Megan, the moment you go against your mother's wishes she will lash out and hurt you, get out now! Megan, please tell Kelly what is going on with Carmen, and get her out of there and to Mesa asap.

Oh god, Carmen has been brainwashed by her mom, she thinks she doesn't want to hurt her, just keep her safe.

The words felt hollow even as I spoke them. I didn’t think that Megan would believe them, I wasn’t even sure if I did anymore.

Okay, not brainwashed, but too scared to speak the truth.

“That’s the abuse talking, I know because I went through it too after I first manifested. You try to rationalize things, tell yourself that they really do care in their own way, or that you deserve it, but it isn’t true. Let me help you. Just give me your address and someone could be there to get you out of there tomorrow.”

Please, please let Megan and others get you out of this situation, Carmen. Oh god, her chest tightened, her mother has her so afraid of her that even the very thought of defying her almost triggers a full-blown panic attack.

Melendez Residence
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Friday, December 9th, 2016 – 3:50 p.m.

Catherine in a coma from a rapid moose attack, Hanna by her side, this soap opera sure tops all others. And the attack happened while she was proposing to Hanna, the writers went too far! Desiree died for a second time as the Succubus jumped ship. Great, says she will give anything to save Catherine, and Kishandra, the Succubus, shows up in a new Asian woman's body. Oh, this is her actual physical body and she is here to make a deal with Hanna, I hate these kinds of demons, won't cost her soul, but probably something worse.

Restore Richardo's lost essence, and heal Catherine's injuries, she knows of beings who can do this, and she loves Richardo. A simple exchange, yeah, right. Summon an Angel, I should have known, that is peak soap opera slock.

What if Mom found me? What if something bad happened?

Carmen, you are so afraid of the 'what ifs' of running away you haven't thought of the 'what ifs' that might happen if your mom ever decides you aren't following her plans closely enough. Yes, Megan is right about those things, call her and ask for help escaping already.

If she really was as loving and supportive as she was pretending to be, why was constantly trying to make me into some stereotypical girly girl? Didn’t that go against her whole feminist thing?

Oh, this is to try and break your biological father and you are just another tool for her to use in doing that.

Feminists for Freedom, if she tries to get you to go to another meeting with them call up Megan and get the hell out of there already! Ouch, first period, that is one way to miss the meeting, but a horrible one. No discomfort or pain for about a month, the changes have finished, no wonder the period started now. Your suspicions are right, Carmen.

She needs to move. 9 months stuck inside, no way to test out her powers or do anything, her mother is a true monster. Wait, your mom is going to be gone until Sunday, 2 whole days, use that time to have some freedom again or even to escape. A fancy security system and Carmen doesn't have the codes to it, only the sole window down in the basement isn't wired, but can Carmen squeeze her way out through that?

Yes, you are a lot smaller and more flexible than you were as Carlos, try the window. She wants to run, her powers call out to her to run I bet.

I’d be gone half an hour, tops. What could possibly go wrong?[/qutote] Don't even think that phrase, now you have jinxed yourself.

Changed into an outfit suited for running, Carmen has a fanny pack with emergency items in case. I knew the window would be easy to escape through, weasel or ferret-based physiology changes, you are very bendy now. Stick to alleys and side roads, good, no need to take unneeded risks. Sheet joy of running and freedom, but the sound of an alarm and it is getting closer with each step she takes, uh oh.

A huge dude in a black leather outfit and he just robbed a jewelry store, let the police handle it, Carmen. 7' tall and a wall of muscle, please let the police handle this, Carmen. She was just going to run past, but got grabbed by the guy, he thought she was a superhero, Bolt, d'oh! Oh, good grief, this guy is an idiot, he thinks she is a wannabe superhero and didn't just happen to be running by at the time.

Slips out of her shirt, in only her sports bra for a top, to escape, but the fall is slower than expected, does this guy have some power that slows things down? Thank you for reflexive dodging or Carmen would have been in a world of hurt if not dead.

“Damn, I really am flexible, do I even have bones?”

Yup, definitely ferret-based physiology. Darn it! This guy does have some power to slow things down, Carmen is in trouble.

Grabbed by the tail, Carmen says he is Slowpoke.

I had seen him on the news once or twice. He was some kind of local supervillain, a speed negator who really hated speedsters and the local hero team, the Nuevo Rangers.

Oh, it is Slow-Moe. *facepalm* The Amazing Weasel-Girl, I know she is upside-down and being shaken, but Carmen could have come up with something better than that. Even Carmen knows it sucks, I wonder what her real codename will be.

Even with leg leverage she can't escape his grasp, Carmen needs to think fast to get out of this one. Great, the cops are on their way, she might become a hostage if they arrive before she escapes, and also end up on the news that her mother might see. Break her legs as an example for Bolt, this guy is an idiot and a thug to do that to a teen.

A release from close to the base of her tail, a horrible smell, don't tell me she has a weasel's ability to release a noxious gas when irritated. Oh no, superheroes have shown up to taunt Slow-Moe, calling him Slowpoke, and saying the stench comes from him. The taunt from Bolt, oh boy, reminds me of Spider-Man. At least he is distracted by Bolt, Toho, and Crag for now.

The Nuevo Rangers are an interesting group. White Stag is nowhere to be seen, and Slow-Moe charges Bolt in a fury, man, she has got the classic taunting down. Hhm, it seems that the range of Slow-Moe's field is just under 15 feet. Carmen is about to run for it, but White Stag stands in her way.

“No,” he said simply. “Stay here. The MCO and local police have set up a cordon around the area. It’ll be better if they think you’re with us.”

Oh boy, a very good reason to stay there and also tell them what your mother has been doing to you, please!

No MID yet and White Stag will talk to her about that later, this just keeps getting more and more complicated for Carmen. Bundle of gray cloth that a shaman conjured, do what he says, Carmen. Man, Slow-Moe sure is an easy target for them to taunt if his temper gets set off by this, this isn't even middle school-level taunting. Ah, a gray hoodie with the team's logo on it so it looks like Carmen is part of their team, wise man. Though he didn't have time to size it for her, it seems.

Ooo, a spell that slowly put Slow-Moe to sleep over a few minutes, White Stag has some good spells. Out for six hours, that is some potent spell. Oh boy, what to do with Carmen. Yikes, that slowdown field of Slow-Moe's is brutal in close range, no wonder they kept their distance after what happened the first time they fought him.

“That’s why we came up with this tactic. Slowpoke there has a college degree in dance, but he didn’t get any big roles except as the giant from a Jack and the Beanstalk musical at some shitty little theatre. Then he got caught slowing other dancers down to make himself look better in auditions and had to turn to a life of crime because it pays better than Starbucks. It’s a sore spot for him.”

Good grief, he should have proven his talent in dance instead of sabotaging the others.

Bolt figured that out and Slow-Moe has tried to kill her for it, that guy needs to be locked up for a long time.

“I wasn’t!” I protested before realizing how that sounded. “I mean, I wasn’t trying to take that guy on, not that I wasn’t thinking. I was just going for a run and getting some fresh air. I wanted to run right past and not get involved when I saw him and then I felt myself slow down and he just grabbed me and tried to beat the crap out of me!”

Tell the truth and yet the police will want a statement. White Stag is right, her extreme GSD, no MID, the MCO would try to disappear her if they found out.

Take her to their HQ, please tell them what your mother has been doing to you since you were born and for the last 9 months. Ouch, picked up by Bolt who asks if Carmen eats. Bolt is much faster than Carmen, they broke the sound barrier at one point, now that is a powerful speedster.

Santa Fe Regional Airport
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Friday, December 9th, 2016 – 5:12 p.m.

Lucia glances at the MCO checkpoint as she heads towards her flight, a reminder she needs to get Carmen a MID and that she still thinks of her as a boy!

She wanted to make sure that he was fully dependent on her for emotional support first.

I hope the Nuevo Rangers help Carmen become emancipated from you and turn all your plans to dust. Dr. Deville said Carlos was turning into a biological female yet you didn't expect her to have periods, you are an arrogant fool. Taste of what being a real woman was like, you twisted monster, she is a real woman now!

All those plans to isolate Carmen, to keep her traps and dependant on you, have failed with one outing that you thought would never happen. Carla and Sandy ask about Lucia's daughter and she gives a partial lie as to why she didn't come, they want Carmen to be a face for their organization, and I want to strangle Lucia right now.

More waxing, you are an abusive, manipulative monster. Thinking Carmen is cute like a household pet, that is your own child! And more plans to twist him to your cause, tell him how he was conceived, something you would have never done if Carlos hadn't become Carmen, I'm having to hold in the bile. Have fun and not have to put on an act, I wish Carmen had gained the ability to read minds and could see how ugly her mother's is.

Nuevo Rangers Headquarters
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Friday, December 9th, 2016 – 5:34 p.m.

Carmen says she can just go home, not a kid because she is 15, oh brother. I was worried about the MCO trying to disappear Carmen too, those creeps will take any chance they can.

We can test you tonight, and one of us can escort you to the MCO office tomorrow to turn in the results and get your MID, they won’t try to pull anything funny with one of us escorting you.

Well, that is one huge issue that will be taken care of, but if Carmen doesn't get out of there before Sunday her mother will know she left the house.

“Call your parents and tell them you’ll be late; this is more important than being home in time for dinner. You can tell them you’re here, and you’ll be safe with us until we take you home. I don’t know how you’ve gotten away without having an MID before this with such obvious GSD, but you’re living dangerously,” she said as crossed her arms and stared me down.

Please let Carmen truly slip up and reveal her mother had kept her locked in the house for 9 months straight before she escaped. Mother left her home alone for the weekend, Carmen says she is 15.

Carmen is too scared to tell you more about her living situation with her mother, please let them figure it out somehow. Toho being so friendly and asking about her relationship with her mother, the way Carmen answers should have raised some alarms in at least one of these heroes. And how Carmen reacts to the suggestion of calling her mother, would have all the alarms going off for me.

“Hey, relax, Carmen. Unlike Bolt, I remember what it was like being a teenager, I won’t let her narc on you. I think she’s right about staying here tonight though, we’ll all rest better knowing that you’re safe here with us. We have a couple of guest rooms, and you’re welcome to use one of them. I tell you what, I can grab us a couple of pizzas, we can hang out, and you and I can make a girl’s night of it after we’re done with the testing.”

Toho, this isn't a teenager thing, this is a kid in danger from their abusive, manipulative parent thing.

Pizzas, then testing. Calling the Doc, I wonder if it is Dr. Deville she is talking about.

With Carmen’s GSD, there may be some quirks that aren’t powers, and we want an accurate testing.

Who do we know who is an expert in GSD cases? Bolt nods, trying to keep her expression neutral, they are planning something without Carmen knowing. Carmen likes a lot of meat and gets cravings for it all the time since manifesting, yup, definitely a weasel.

Toho tells Carmen about herself, an Avatar and a teleporter, a cool combination of powers. Interesting strengths and weaknesses for her teleportation. 7 pizzas, Crag ate two, and some leftovers for Carmen after her testing. 2 and a half pizzas left, pizza is one of the best leftovers the next day imo.

Yup, Toho teleported and brought back Dr. Deville. Oh boy, does she not recognize Carlos turned Carmen, rats, I thought this would be an easy solution to get her out of her bad home situation. Medical issues in people with major GSD weren't that uncommon, eep. Oh god, she said the line and looked at Carmen, I think she knows who Carmen is.

A full physical exam and scans with her devises yet Dr. Deville doesn't indicate if she recognizes Carmen or not. Ah ha, I knew her GSD was based on a ferret's physiology.

That was why I was so bendy; she said that I had a mustelid-like contortion ability that made me very flexible and able to contort my body in inhuman ways. I was a chaos noodle.

I like that term, chaos noodle. Ferret-like anal scent glands, oh boy, Slow-Moe sure did learn about those the hard way. Dissipates in 20 minutes, still a lot better than a skunk's spray. Oh good, if she has to go see Dr. Deville next week with her mom and her mom finds out that way I will be upset at Dr. Deville.

Yes, doctor-patient confidentiality tends to count for things said in an appointment unless they would involve danger to you or others. Crap, panic attack and starts crying at the thought of what her mother will do when she finds out, lies about it being due to her period. Huh, an interesting study on animal-based GSD even if it was inconclusive. Blood sample and urine sample ugh, those suck.

I could hear quiet voices as I approached, which soon faded into Dr. Deville’s voice. “… concerning, but I couldn’t find any signs of physical a…”

They suspect physical abuse, but have no proof. Toho talks to Dr. Deville before Carmen comes in, she suspects that, but not mental or emotional abuse, rats. Time for training, I wish Dr. Deville would have recognized Carmen.

Over 3 hours of testing, she is an Exemplar 2 and Energizer 2, not bad.

They said that I appeared to have the whole mental and physical package for an exemplar 2, whatever that means, but as an energizer, my secondary nervous system greatly enhances my exemplar speed, endurance, and reflexes.

Dang, she is going to be something else when she gets proper training.

On a straight run, my top speed was measured at 87 mph, and could keep going for fifty minutes before I needed to take a break and refuel, though they believed that those numbers would improve with time and the use of my powers.

She could outrun her mom's car!

I did have the contortionist stuff, and other ferret-related things like the claws, fangs, and enhanced senses.

Combine those with your speed and you could be a very dangerous fighter, Carmen.

A shirt from Toho to sleep in, a possible replacement shirt for the one she lost, as long as Lucia doesn't learn about any of this Carmen should be okay. Ooo, told about Whateley by Toho, I hope Carmen goes there. Toho's phone number, personal phone number, to call her to talk about anything if needed, she is going to need rescuing sooner rather than later.

Dallas MCO Office
Dallas, Texas
Saturday, December 10th, 2016 – 10:15 a.m.

It sounds like Toho teleported them straight to Dallas to go to the MCO office and Carmen wasn't told beforehand.

“We’re in Dallas, Texas,” the catgirl explained with a smile before glancing down at her phone. “It’s pretty friendly to mutants here, and the MCO isn’t too bad either, so I thought this would be a better place to register for your MID than at home. Come on, it looks like the MCO office is a few blocks down this way. I was a bit worried we might need to call a cab.”

Oh, good, a better MCO office, I wish every mutant had the option to go to better ones.

A line of people even more eye-catching than Toho or Carmen. Interesting first person, I was curious what their GSD was based on but Frogman kind of clears that up.

“I… uhh… need to get my codename and my... gender marker changed. Y'see... after I manifested and started changing, we... thought that I was just... androgynous. Last night I… started laying eggs."

Yikes, what a way to find out you've changed gender.

Scamper, Toho helped pick a good codename, appropriate with Carmen's GSD, cute and non-threatening. Just have to take a picture for her MID, Linda is a lot more polite than any other MCO receptionist we have met in the past. Just over 10 minutes in and out, if only all appointments could be that quick. Take Carmen to lunch before taking her home, no, not home!

Sixteen-ounce T-bone and baked potato with all the fixings, dang, I wish I had her metabolism. Dropped off where they first met her, Carmen thanks her and says to tell the others thank you.

“You needed help. What kind of heroes would we be if we didn’t help you when you needed it? Take care, Carmen, and if you ever need anything, even if it’s just to talk, call me. I don’t care what time it is, or what you’re dealing with, I’ll be there for you. Never forget that you have friends who have your back, who you can come to if you need help.”

I almost told her everything, then and there. How my mom treated me growing up, her weird change in behavior since I manifested, how I hadn’t been let out of the house since, and even how I was terrified of what she’d do if she found out what happened while she was gone on her trip. I couldn’t though, the words caught in my throat with a terror like an icy hand clutching at my heart before I could speak them.

Darn it! I want to see Lucia taken down by the authorities for what she has done to Carlos/Carmen all these years.

Elsewhere…

Great, Garret Wilcox aka Slow-Moe stewing in his cell wearing power-suppressing cuffs. Sharing his cell with Raging Inferno, crap. Tries to play psychiatrist to Slow-Moe only to tick him off in the process. Joe says he needs to get his temper in check and see where it has brought him.

“Ah yes,” Joe agreed, “my temper has caused me to do some regrettable things in the past. So, if anyone knows what they’re talking about, it’s me. It’s why I’m willingly going to prison this time; I need to pay for the things I did when I let my rage control me. Plus, the solitude is nice. You should try meditation, I have a wonderful ocean waves track you could listen to while you do it, it’s very soothing.”

Why does this feel like something sinister is behind his change in personality to me?

Pop-up, don't tell me they pay an insurance premium to a teleporter to free them from prison, that does sound like a service a teleporter would offer. A nice lair in Phoenix, Joe offers Garret it's use to set up a dance studio, but Garret wishes to know what's in it for him. Why do I not like the answer Joe gave Garret? Garret is told all the details of where the lair is before prisoner transport shows up.

Pop-up was obviously an Exemplar, going by her figure, and the parts of her face not covered by her mask and hood, and before the guards watching over them could even react, she lashed out with a pair of batons that crackled with electricity, sending them both to the floor in convulsing heaps.

Man, I see why criminals and supervillains would pay her an insurance premium to her for an escape like that. Garret says to take him to Phoenix, but I don't think it will be for a journey of enlightenment that Joe expects him to have. Unless there is something about the lair he didn't tell him about, something that can change a person's personality like Raging Inferno aka Joe's has changed.