A Darklight Burning Brightly

A Whateley Academy Fan Fic

by

Solus Nova

Part 7

“... and that's the story.” I babbled looking at three women in front of me, the fourth person was still behind me holding a knife to my throat. However I was now inside the villa and not much had changed in the main room since I was last here, the entertainment centre was newer and larger, oh and someone had put down some canvas that I was standing on. Which explained why I had told my story so fast and in such a high pitched voice that likely all the dogs nearby had run for the hills.

I knew only two of the people in front of me. The person that I directed the majority of my attention to was HeadCase the leader of the Four Furies, she in turn was staring intently at me and I couldn't tell what she was thinking.

HeadCase, also known a few years back as Aunt Savannah, or as Savannah Roarke to the police, was a fit mid 30s looking woman with a few noticeable differences. HeadCase had gotten into the black mask biz when her ex-boyfriend talked her into joining up with some mad scientist type. His pitch to her was to work for the mad science guy and get some superpowers, then go on a rampage knocking over banks and retire to the good life. Yeah like that has ever worked.

HeadCase got a brain boost but it had side effects, nearly lethal side effects. Her brain started growing larger, but her skull didn't, the solution was to remove the top and back of her skull to give the brain room to grow. A larger dome of some kind of transparent metal replaced the old bone and scalp. As result she was damn smart while having some psychic abilities. She lost her left arm somehow, but had built herself an awesome replacement cyberarm that looked like it was made of some golden metal. Her spine had also been replaced when some hero type nearly killed her, but that was much more low key, just a few scars and a couple nerve ports if I remembered right. She had a few other improvements tucked away inside her body I think. HeadCase herself looked mostly average, fitter than most people her age, which I think she said is 29 and holding. Right now her green eyes were locked onto me and she was wearing a suit of light body armour with more than a few weapons hanging off of her combat harness, and some large high tech looking backpack. Usually she's a sweetheart, she has that whole southern charm thing going, unless you piss her off then nine kinds of hell will come your way. Oh her last name is pronounced like 'Row-Ar-k' any other way means you are a damn Yankee. Fair warning.

Standing next to her was Lady Dee, the other member I knew from before. What can I tell you about Lady Dee, well she's the group's spellslinger and a damn good one. Oh and back when I was male she was the number one reason I entered puberty at an accelerated rate, she looks like one of those sexy demon chicks, but turned up to eleven. Tall but very curvy, white hair with purple streaks this time, glowing blue eyes, cute twisted horns, fangs, bat wings, the devils tail, oh and wicked nails that can cut body armour. She was barely dressed in a chain mail bikini thing with magickal jewellery everywhere. Lady Dee has been around for a long time, since the 50's at least from some of the stuff she's said around me in the past but only started being noticed since the 80's. She should be the leader of the Four Furies but she can't be bothered with the headache since it would interfere with her number one priority which would be living the life of debauchery. Lady Dee knows she has a rep as a very bad girl and keeps trying to live down to it with all her might, when not on the job she prefers to be called DeeDee. Which is not her cup size, that would be more like 'EE' if she ever wore a bra.

Which brings me to someone new, this person was standing off to the side just staring at me. She was maybe seven feet tall and built like an Amazon, one that looked like a shiny metal statue that had been stuffed with explosives and frozen in time just as the blast happened. Her metallic body had hundreds of cracks with some kind of energy glowing from the cracks, as if she was about to finish blowing up any second. She had a mirror black visor/facemask thing going on that hid most of her face, the rest of her outfit was very normal, board shorts and t-shirt both with burn marks all over them. I had no idea who she was, no matter how hard I racked my brain I couldn't place her. Still if she was part of the Furies she had to be in the same class as HeadCase and Lady Dee, which meant do not piss her off unless you wanted to find out the answer about that whole 'life after death thing'.

The two members I expected to see here were Warbride, a kickass redhead, who claimed to be an avatar of a goddess of war, and having seen her shoot and practice with her swords I didn't call bullshit on that. The other was De@thAmp, a lightning blaster that had a serious heavy metal theme going on and that took militant feminism to heart. I was sorta glad De@thAmp wasn't here to be honest, she could be a problem when she started ranting and raging, because it was a short jump to a real Rager incident that wrecks the local environment.

I just kept my attention on HeadCase hoping to look scared, which was easy to do with a knife at my throat and the drop cloth I was standing on, and hopeful, if I could figure out how to do those puppy dog eyes thing I would've tried that as well.

“Ok...'Kory' let's say I believe you enough not to have you killed and rolled up and dropped in the ocean right now,” The implications about it happening later went unsaid, “Convince me not do it later.” Ok forget implications, we are still in the open threats stage of this meet and greet. Not good.

“Uh...well you and Mom were friends and you know me I was just hoping that I could...” The voice behind me holding the knife interrupted at that point.

“Bored, please let us kill her, it's been ages,” The girls voice sounded both cheerful and creepy at the same time. “We''ll help clean up the blood this time, and we won't even lick any of it up, please, please.” Ok now the MAJOR creepy voice continued with a bit of a pleading whine.

“No Loli, don't kill anyone until I tell you, that's the deal you made.” HeadCase's reply sounded slightly amused but mostly exasperated. She then focused back to me and motioned me to continue speaking.

I really didn't know what to say at this point, nothing had gone the way I'd imagined. “I need...help. I don't have anyone else to help me. Everyone else that...well they are all dead, you're the closest thing I've got to family that might help me.” Dammit I could feel the tears starting up again, I wanted to be strong a tough like my Mom, she'd never get into a situation like this, why is everything I do always going wrong.

“Ohhh she's in pain she is. Please, please let us put her out of her misery. We''ll be quick just like we were with Daddy.” The voice behind me ended with a giggle at that.

“No means no!” HeadCase snapped. “Gawddammit if you can't control yourself then get out of here Loli, and keep going because if you...”

“Meanie!!” Yelled the voice behind me, it took every ounce of control not to move and open my own throat on that knife. “Everybody's mean to us!” With that last whine the presence and the knife at my throat disappeared. I collapsed to my knees, superhuman strength or not, my legs were like rubber at that point from relief.

“Well... that went better than I expected.” That seductive purr came from Lady Dee. “What do you think Polly?” The last was directed to the slow motion exploding statue that was now the closest person to me. Polly just nodded and wiggled her fingers, it took me a few seconds to realize that she was using sign language. I just looked between the three people while trying not to break down, scream or do anything that might make the situation worse. So far making things worse seemed to be my most powerful ability.

“Ok 'Kory',” I could hear the doubt at my name from HeadCase, “Now that we are not in danger of using up our free housekeeping service and body disposal coupons,” Lady Dee snickered at that and Polly’s shoulders' shook slightly. “You must've thought a bit about this, so what is your plan.”
“Uh,” I really didn't want to do this but... “Have you scan my head to prove my story?” I hated how doubtful I sounded, “After that well, throw myself on your mercy was about as far as I got at this time.”

“Come on Savannah, the poor kid is about to pass out or pee herself from fear, stop making her twist in the wind.” That was from Lady Dee, which was nice of her to say. “If she is Amanda’s son,” She paused giving me a once over look that made me feel even more exposed. “Er, daughter now, we should help her, besides that outfit doesn't do a thing for her. I can't wait to take her shopping, I know this place with some sexy little bikinis that would look great on her.”

Ack, no bad demon chick. “Uh no! I don't want a bikini...”

Lady Dee cut me off with a wicked smile and spoke, “Great, someone else who's not afraid to go topless AND bottomless. You go girl! You and I are going to have soo much fun together!” The last was delivered with a very suggestive bounce and shimmy that did things various parts of her body that made me aware of my body's new parts dammit and lack of my old parts. The big metal woman lost it at this point laughing silently wrapping her arms around her stomach, from the cracks in her metal skin, more energy seemed to be leaking out, HeadCase just tried not to face palm, which didn't work.

“OK that's it! Who all is in charge of this gang of comics!!” HeadCase yelled, “Dee out! Go find Loli and make sure she's behaving herself!” Lady Dee pouted at that last command and swayed towards the door, “Dee! Put on some damn clothes on and don't freak the norms! We are on vacation! Best behaviour and try to think with something other than your uterus!!”

“No promises boss lady.” With that Lady Dee's form shimmered and became human looking, still drop dead sexy, but much less likely to cause a riot or an orgy. Her outfit changed as was well into a too small bikini then an almost transparent robe formed on top of that, with a wicked giggle she left.

“Polly just what the hell is with all the finger waving? Is your damn visor on the fritz AGAIN?!” Polly stopped silently laughing after few seconds then nodded. “Ok Polly,” HeadCase took a deep calming breath, “Give it here, I'll get it working right again.” The cracked metal statue reluctantly handed it over, and then carefully sat down on the floor. From the way she moved after the visor was removed I guessed she was blind without it. HeadCase just poked at the visor for few seconds muttering to herself.

For my part I just stayed very still, this was not what I was expecting. My last encounter with the Four Furies had left an impression of a bunch of highly trained and competent black masks. This was almost the complete opposite. What the hell?

HeadCase sighed and carefully handed the visor back to Polly who then carefully put it back on. “I need more time Polly and some extra bits to fix the visor proper, sorry. The next time it starts going bad tell me. Please tell me.”

“I'm...sorry...but you know wh-what it means to meee.” The metal statue spoke, well I guess the visor/facemask spoke for her. The voice wavered and stuttered badly then smoothed out but in a slower tempo. “I didn't-t-t want to be more trouble.”

HeadCase just let her breath out slowly and tried to slump into a nearby couch only to stop with a muttered curse as her high tech backpack dug into her back. “Again, Polly you are not trouble, your visor is not trouble, I like fixing things, it relaxes me. So for umpteenth time tell me. Now for you,” With that HeadCase fixed me with a glare, and tapped her brain case. “You sure you want me to scan you? It won't be pleasant.” I just nodded at that, I didn't want to speak, really, it had nothing to do with how dry my mouth had suddenly went at the idea of having someone else in my head.

All of a sudden something happened, my only other experience with mind stuff had been that bitch Tina onboard Biowar's sub, which was freaky for the utter lack of sensation. This was freaky because of the sensation. It was like my head was full of buzzing bees, thousands of them, and I could feel the bugs crawling around inside my head. It was as if parts of my mind attracted them, I could feel whatever this was settling on certain areas of my mind and leaving others alone. The pressure in my head spiked as if too many of these things were forcing themselves into spaces too small to fit.

It then got worse.

Much worse.

I started reliving my life at fast forward, the bad parts and the good parts, of course there were more bad parts than good parts or at least that was the way it felt. Every now and then the memories would slow down and linger on an image or a sensation. Other bad memories were replayed, how every time I just got to the point of liking where I was living and thinking of making friends, we'd have to move. I got to relive Mom telling me Val died because of that bitch Lady Astarte. Mom being forced to cut her own throat and what she felt again first and second hand with the memory of her memory. The look Norika's face as I ran away and left her. My more recent memories on Biowar's sub seemed to last the longest and had the most detail.

Gawd help me I didn't want to see this stuff, I didn't want to remember it but I couldn't stop thinking it, reliving it.

The memories stopped and I became aware of my self, my throat hurt I guess I had been screaming and I was curled up into a ball on my side. My face was wet from the tears that were streaming down my face and every muscle in my body ached. No matter how bad I felt physically, my mind hurt worse, all the stuff I thought I had put behind me was back at full intensity right then and there all I wanted was to just curl up until the universe went away and left me alone.

Dimly I heard someone calling my name from a distance.

*****

I came to violently with smell of something vile under my nose that burned. I started awake trying to cough and sneeze at the same time, which led to something I can only call hiccough fit. Someone was holding me up in a sitting position. Once things became clearer I realized that the person holding me was HeadCase and she was saying over and over that it was ok and that I was safe. In her embrace at that moment I could with little effort believe that things would be alright. It had been along time since I had a hug of any kind from anyone, since Val's funeral I think.

As I looked around I noticed that Polly was standing close looking like she wanted to give a hug as well, but with both arms missing that would be hard to do. I just froze looking at the jagged stumps that bled some kind of slow moving explosion, before my eyes the metal seemed to be regrowing. I don't know how long that took, maybe ten seconds or so but her arms reformed like nothing had happened.

As I looked away I realized that something big had happened, most of the room was trashed, heavy furniture had been flung towards the walls, and in some cases into the walls. Smaller stuff had been shattered into fine debris, the entertainment centre had become an off centre modern art display, a clear ring around me showed were the floor had warped and rippled. The ripple pattern was broken in a two places, places that I remembered HeadCase and Polly standing when the brain scan had begun. What the hell had I done?

“Are you ok?” I asked towards Polly. Had I blown her arms off? I was scared by the thought I could have killed these two without even knowing what I did.

“Y-y-yes I think so.” Her voice was a little more distorted that I remembered. “You scared me.”

I tried to smile back at her, I doubted I succeeded. “I think I scared me to. What happened?”

It was HeadCase that responded with a tone I remembered from my time down here when she was 'Aunt Savannah' and taking care of me years ago, “You happened.”

“What?”

“I told you Kory, that it wouldn't be pleasant. I might have,” She looked around at the damage and then down at me. “Um, underestimated things a bit.” HeadCase gave me a reassuring squeeze. “I kinda, sorta didn't expect this. I know you told me what happened but,” She paused still holding me, “Well I might hazard a guess that you needed to let off a bit of steam.”

“So I am me then, at least that's been proven right, because I don't wanna do this again.” I also didn't want to move I felt so tired and drained and it was so good just not have to worry about something or have to do ten different things right now.

“You think you can get up?” HeadCase asked.

I groaned at the unreasonable request but stood up, I felt a little lightheaded but other than that ok. “Uh sure, so uh, what now?” I asked the two. Polly just shrugged and motioned to HeadCase.

“Now, well how about a nice long soaking bath, some food and clean clothes any of that sounds good to you?” At the mention of food my stomach woke up with a vengeance, not only was it loud but painfully empty.

Something like a snicker came from Polly and HeadCase groaned and spoke in a joking tone, “Great we get rid of De@thAmp and her bottomless pit of an appetite so our food bill is now something with only three zeroes and then we go and adopt a stray that sounds like she's hungry enough to eat...” Whatever she was about to say was cut off as my stomach made a loud snarl at the word eat. Blinking at the sound HeadCase then in a more serious tone, “Ok, ok I can take a hint food, then freshen up, and then fashion.” She headed for what I remembered was the kitchen with me trailing after her. Things were finally going my way.

*****

Polly's, aka Fragment, fist which looked cute I suppose if you were into that whole shattered metal look was coming for my head, since I liked my head I did what I could to avoid having my face beat in. I made sure my shields were up as I created a disk of dark matter between us. Over the past two weeks alot of trial and error had shown me a few things about my powers. Whatever this dark matter stuff was, it was really tough, but when it was destroyed I felt it. I mean I really felt it, the bigger the construct that I made, the bigger the feedback I felt when something trashed the construct. I could keep reinforcing my creations but again that had a price to pay, usually in pain when the thing I made and had then reinforced blew up. More curiously if I tried to 'layer' my creation with my force field the feedback effect was less when it blew, but was harder to maintain, but much tougher. That little trick had made me overconfident until I realized that with my force field protecting my construction, my ass was much less protected. I learned that the phrase 'trade-offs' in the superpowers biz is also a curse word.

Fragment hit my disc of darkness, trademark pending, I braced myself pouring power into it to hold it up. It wasn't as bad as I feared and I gave myself a split second congratulate myself. That was a mistake, in that hesitation Fragment's forearm exploded in a blast of concentrated force and shrapnel. I tried to block the blast and barely did so, but was flung back about ten feet to land on my ass, the sandy beach cushioned the impact but I was certain of some interesting bruises later and sand up my ass right now. Lying there half stunned I saw Fragment charging towards me, her arm reforming as I watched.

That was Polly's thing, I had learned a bit about her, and I found myself really liking her but boy oh boy had she gotten screwed on the whole superpower thing. It seemed she had been in the US Army up until she was 'killed' by a roadside bomb. Badly hurt somebody had 'volunteered' her for some super secret super soldier program. She lived but her physical body was transformed into a living explosion, she could form a metal shell to contain her energy, but when the shell was up she could interact with the world without destroying things however she had no external senses except for touch. No sight, hearing, smell or taste, with no lungs or vocal cords she couldn't talk, Polly described it as life in prison in a sensory deprivation tank. She didn't say how she got away and ended up with the Four Furies, but HeadCase had helped with the senses thing and the ability to speak.

Polly was quite honest about the fact that she was only going to be Fragment and working as a supervillain until she could get even with the bastards that did this to her and find a cure. Until then she was the team's super strong, super tough, self propelled artillery.

Being on the defensive is one thing, having to defend or get trampled by a human artillery shell is an other. I needed to change things up, I carefully pulled some heat energy out of the area around me for a quick boost, I say carefully because the second time I tried that trick I created a circle of ice and frozen sand with me in the centre with my feet stuck to it. Not fun, going from low 90's to minus OH MY GAWD in a split second in a t-shirt, shorts, and bare feet.

I used some of that quick boost of power to set my force field up, then I spiked the local gravity, the sand around Fragment flattened as for a second as localized gravity around her went to five gees. Fragment could take that I knew, I saw her stagger then recover from the extra gravity. I grinned as I reversed the force to negative five gees, and because she was bracing the wrong way, Fragment shot up-up and away heading for the ocean.

That gave me a second of breathing space, which I used breathing. Stupid. I should have used the second to do something useful. Lady Dee grinning from ear to ear, and back to wearing her skimpy version of Red Sonja's chainmail bikini outfit, unloaded on me from about a third of a football field away. Streamers of multicoloured magic poured from her left hand that was outstretched towards me, with her right hand she was making all kinds of little motions that seemed to be causing the streams of magic power to twist and turn heading towards me from many different angles. It was an impressive magickal Macross Missile Massacre heading my way.

At the sight of what was heading for me, two weeks ago I would've panicked and cowered behind my defences, a week ago I would have tried to run away or fly away from the storm heading towards me while panicking and cowering behind my defences. Now weeks later I knew a few things that made this less scary, still impressive but less scary.

Magick is not what everyone thinks it is, and it is what everyone thinks it is. Confused? Yeah me too. Here is an example, you can use magick to make a fire attack by creating magical fire and attacking with it, or use magick to create fire and magically propel it towards your target. See the difference? Some fire effects are magickal stop the magick you stop the effect. Or the fire is real but shaped by magick, stop the effect the fire remains but no longer under control of the mage. Lady Dee spent sometime trying to explain the difference to me talking about evocation, conjuration, summoning and will and intent. I didn't get any of it until HeadCase explained it, real world stuff manipulated by magick vs. magick effects imitating real world energies. I still didn't get all of it but what it meant to an energy absorber like me is that if magick makes something real out of magickal energy I could effect the real energies. I think, maybe. I’m still confused.

I reached out feeling for the 'real world' energy in all those streamers of energy and once I could feel them I 'pulled' the power out of the magical framework that shaped them. Streamers of my own erupted from my hands and eyes, looking like black and purple tendrils of mist, and countered the attacks heading towards me. The power flooded into me giving me a tremendous rush like when I was back on Biowar's sub draining the nuclear reactor. It felt so wonderful, just like before, I took the power I stole from Lady Dee's attacks and fed that power back through me taking down even more of Dee's attacks which gave me even more power and a bigger rush.

I could see the 'oh shit' look on Lady Dee's face when she realized that I had stopped her cold. This time nothing would stop me, no fancy tricks, no sneaky spells this time I was going...

What sounded like a whole choir of hundred ton bullfrogs went off near my right ear.

The sound was bad, the effect was much worse, the ground started swaying and spinning, my insides tried to go in several different directions, worse my concentration was totally wrecked as I staggered around finally falling down on the beach, which my sense of balance insisted was bobbing up and down as if in a huge storm. All I could do was huddle there trying to keep my defences up as Lady Dee unleashed a second massive wave of magickal attacks. Just before I turned into ground zero the attacks exploded tens of feet away from me.

As I lay there with my ears ringing, guts churning and brains scrambled, I looked up at the sky that might have spinning and loudly said, “Sonics are cheating!” I carefully sat up, swallowing a few times to keep my lunch down.

HeadCase over on my right was about six feet away by now, her golden cyberarm was in the process of transforming back into a 'normal' hand, the sonic disruptor folding up into her forearm. She looked down at me in mock disgust as she finished walking up, “What part about 'villain' don't you understand?”

My head was recovering quickly, “But you said this time you'd be playing the role of the good guys! Cops don't use sonics!” I snapped back.

Lady Dee responded as HeadCase started to fiddle with her cyberarm with a look of annoyance as one of the fingers refused to straighten out. “The good guys cheat, just as much as the bad guys. Sure sonics aren't supposed to be used except in dire situations.” As she spoke she sat down next to me, her tail and wings absorbed into her body. “The cops, both State and Feds, have used all kinds of weapons they aren't supposed to use in the past. The MCO hah, well half the time they just seem to toss the rulebook out the window and go in guns blazing. Don't get me started on the Knights of Purity, what kind of idiot uses a plasma cannon in an urban area, much less missile launchers or auto-cannons that can shoot through multiple buildings!”

She shivered at some image only she could see. “We can't control what other people do, but we can try to keep it civil. Only use the force you have to use to get the job done. Leave the body counts for sickos and nutjobs, it's far better to count cash than bodies.” She rolled her eyes at that last bit and glared in the direction of the fourth member of the team that wasn't involved in beating me up, uh, training me to use my powers.

I'd finally gotten to meet the mysterious Loli who scared the crap out of me when we first met. Loli, aka The Murder Moppet, in her working clothes minus her six inch boots stood maybe 5 foot nothing, pale white skin, straight black hair that hung down to her butt which usually had a few ribbons in it, her eyes were black and red with a slight fold that hinted at what might be some oriental blood. Her working clothes were a black and red gothic Lolita outfit, with a ruffled miniskirt, lace stockings and gloves added to the effect. She had a pair of what looked like antique straight razors that she preferred to use, she also talked to the razors carrying on creepy conversations with the blades. Even more disturbing was Murder Moppet's habit of calling herself and her razors by the collective 'we', I had no idea what her powers were, she could move so fast it was like she was there and gone, I'd seen her slice body armour, my force field and just about anything else with those razors. She was even more scary then when I'd first met her, she was a nutter into blood, pain and bodies. But she had good taste in music.

The subject of Lady Dee's glare was halfway up the beach putting more sunscreen on while sitting under the shadow of a huge black umbrella. Yeah creepy at rest, scary in motion and terrifying when the razors came out. In her case, yeah I could see why the so-called 'good guys' would break the rules. Hell if I was a cop in charge of dealing with Loli...well nuking from orbit was a good place to start.

HeadCase looked up from flexing the fingers on her metal arm. “And what did we learn this afternoon Kory?”

“That cheaters win.”

“Besides that.” She gave a glare at Lady Dee who was giggling at my answer.

“Don't get distracted or fixated on one target...” I stopped mid sentence, “Sonova! You played me! Right from the start you planed this!”

“You played yourself Kory. You know you get...ah, giddy, when you absorb and hold too much energy. You might as well been doing jello shots while doing calculus and tap dancing when you started draining all those attacks.” HeadCase reached over and gently smacked me on the back of the head. “Know how your powers work, but more important how others can work you and your powers. Now I'm heading in, there is too much sun out here for my easily sunburned frontal lobes.”

As I walked towards the villa with the other two, Fragment trudged out of the water and gave me a 'look' before joining us I guess she didn't like the swim I sent her on. HeadCase, well all of them minus Loli, had been a huge help over the past two weeks. It wasn't just training me how to use my new powers, or the basics in being a teenage girl. No it was more basic, all of them in one way or an other had had some bad shit happen to them in the past and dealt with it and had slowly helped me deal with what had happened to me and what I did afterwards on the sub. I was better. I kept telling myself that, over and over, usually when I woke up in the middle of the night having some sort of nightmare. Sometimes instead of me telling myself, it was one of the others that was holding me trying to keep me from freaking out and wrecking a room again. That at least hadn't happened in the past few days.

It bugged me that I was so emotional now, I must've cried, screamed, broke down more times in the past two weeks than I had in my entire life. On the plus side I had also had more emotional highs then I remembered in a long time. Then I'd remember how screwed up my life was and how I was now a girl, a mutant, and my only family was dead, and then I'd be off on the next emotional roller coaster. Still I was making progress, I no longer freaked out when my own reflection sneaked up on me without warning me first. I could put on as well as take off a bra. See progress.

After a workout like that I headed for the kitchen once I was inside, HeadCase seeing where I was going started moaning about the food bill again. I cheerfully flipped her off while assaulting the helpless fridge, two frozen pizzas in the oven later and I was slapping together a few sandwiches while eating the leftover salad from lunch. Polly was watching me like a hawk, she had no sense of taste, or any way to eat food but she tried to eat vicariously through her teammates. Lady Dee was staring in mock horror at the sight of my quick raid on the kitchen.

“Kory are you sure you didn't make a deal with a demon of gluttony?” She asked for the umpteenth time.

“Not that I know of. 'Sides the whole ooga-booga thing is your area...damn it!” I broke off as I noticed something serious. Raising my voice so HeadCase would hear my distress, “HEY! We are out of milk...”

“Drink water Kory, I'm not going to raid a dairy farm and steal a herd of cows to keep you in milk. 'Sides you'd end up eating the cows” Was her reply from out front. “And no you cannot drink the beer, you drunk on power while being drunk for real is just scary.”

“I didn't finish! We are also out of ice cream!!” This was serious. In this household deserts, just or otherwise, were a deadly serious matter. As I had found out.

HeadCase let out a screech and came running, “My butterscotch pecan!! Someone is going to die!!”

The mirth on Lady Dee's face at her teammate’s antics faded as the horror sank in, “My Death by Chocolate!!” At that she started cursing in some strange language that made my ears twitch.

Fragment had gotten out of the way as the two senior members of the team charged the fridge, while looking at the other two she motioned me over to the sink. Looking over the sink and dishes piled there I also noticed what had caught Polly's eye.

“Uh...”, was as far as I got as the senior member's heads turned and glared at me. “I didn't do it! Honest!”

“Who else then? Name one other person here who eats like a starving mongol horde at a Chinese buffet.” Lady Dee snarled in my direction.

I pointed at the sink, “Uh, maybe you should ask who ate all the ice cream using a Nightmare Before Christmas bowl?”

I let out an 'Eep' of fear as an all to familiar voice spoke from the patio entrance, “We wanted something nice and cold, no one wanted to go to the store with us, isn't that right.” Loli, The Murder Moppet had appeared with no warning as usual. She did that alot, I think she was trying to kill me by scaring me to death. What was even more freaky is the way she never seemed to use doors at all, she would just be there then not. She had one of her razor's in her hand and was talking to it, rather than the team.

My usual approach to dealing with Loli was to try not to piss myself when she appeared behind me out of nowhere, nod and leave the room, but with two pizzas cooking and my stomach about to start gnawing on my lungs I was kinda trapped.

Polly spoke first trying to bring this latest boundary violation to a diplomatic end. “Loli...you c-c-could've asked, you just can't take anything you want from your teammates.”

“All to busy for us, you just want to play with the new pet.” The last was said looking at me. Great stuck in the middle again. “All you do now is play with the pet.” I started to bristle at the last bit, scared or not of her there was no way I was going let her talk about me like I wasn't there, or even human. “Clean up after the pet.” Loli as she was saying that flipped open on of her straight razors and was running the blade over her body like some kind of steel caress. “Not supposed to have pets, not allowed to have pets Daddy said.” Loli did a kinda spin while talking, “Daddy made kitty go away, go away for good. Loli made Daddy go away. Loli and her friends make pet go away.” She stopped spinning in place staring right at me while drawing her thumb across the razor. “Go away pet.”

I just stared back at her, I didn't know what to do. Was this a threat, a joke, or was she just trying to scare me off? If it was the last, it was working.

“Loli get out.” That was from Lady Dee, spoken in a totally serious tone. I'd never heard Lady Dee speak in such an even and flat tone, ever since I'd known her she'd was been this fun loving never take anything serious type. Now it was like a stranger had taken over her body and was issuing threats.

“Kory is our guest, she is under my protection while she is with us. You will treat her as a guest or you will be not welcome here, ever again...” Lady Dee’s voice trailed off as she realized she was speaking to empty air, right in front of us Loli was gone, no flicker, no 'bamf', no special effects at all.

I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding, then spun in place expecting Loli to be behind me with those damn razors and her creepy grin. I sat down at the kitchen counter still half expecting violence and jumpy with fear and adrenaline. Polly carefully sat down on the chair next to me and gave me a hug. Lady Dee came over and gave my hands a reassuring squeeze.

Once I was certain that my voice wouldn't be shaking and my heartbeat was down to normal I spoke up. “I think I'd better get going soon. I'm causing problems by overstaying my welcome.”

The others all rushed to talk at once. “No stay.”, “You don't have to leave.”, “You're a guest and a friend.” Was the meat of the comments directed my way.

“I better, Loli keeps acting worse the longer I'm here, and having to take care of a mutant teenager is cramping your style.” I really didn't want to leave, I felt safe, really safe here. “I'm grateful for the help but I'm not one of you.”

“That's only because we haven't asked. We'd love to have you Kory, you've got potential but...” That was from HeadCase who had come over to stand next to me.

“But no kids, and I'm sorry Kory you still have some growing up to do.” Lady Dee broke in and finished for HeadCase. “You still have a future, choices, we don't have that. One way or another it's the life of a black mask for us.” She smiled, “Grow up but not to fast, live a little, finish school look at your options, if then you decide you want to live this life we'll welcome you with open arms. That offer we made your Mom to join us, it's open to you as well.”

Dee gave herself a shake and her eyes widened in shock at what she just said registered, “Unholy Crap! Kory you have to leave right now, you are making me a responsible adult! I'm going to be wearing panties and a bra next! I'll be doomed to a life of,” She hissed this word with venom, “Respectability! I'll be doing the missionary position once a week only and liking it! Keeping my legs crossed!” She made the sign of an inverted cross at me and cringed, “Away with you, you, unspeakable foul temptress of all things wholesome!”

We all looked in shock at her then we all collapsed laughing.

****

It was well into the evening and I had just begun packing for the fifth time when someone knocked on the door frame. I looked up as Lady Dee sashayed in looking completely human for a change, she had changed into a really short miniskirt, like really, really short and some kind of barely there halter top. She sat down on the bed and leaned back, arching her back thrusting her chest out, and giving me a spectacular view, as she saw me looking she licked her lips slowly. “Like what you see Kory?” At my silence she gave a wicked grin and with a slow languid motion she pulled her top off completely exposing her breasts. “Is it better now Kory? I think so, how about you? Do you want me to take it all off for you?”

“N-n-no!”

“Aw come on I'm feeling so over dressed right now with all these clothes on.” As she was saying that she slipped her shoes off. “I really want to do this Kory. Don't you want to do this? I think you want to do this.” She said as she leaned back on her elbows, with a look that was somehow nine parts pure sex and one part innocent.

I was so confused, shocked, you name it. Mostly I was scared of what I was feeling, and what I wasn't feeling. If I was still the old me I wouldn't have hesitated for second, I'd be doing my best to get her clothes and mine off as fast as possible. But now, I was just so, I dunno.

The wicked look vanished off her face in a split second, “Relax Kory, I'm not going to bite, not even a nibble. I'd like to think I still have some self control, no matter how scrumptious a tart you would be.”

I groped around for someplace to sit and ended up leaning against the dresser. Which was about as far as I could get from the bed and it's occupant without diving out the window.

“Sorry about that Kory but I really wanted to rub your face into something.” At my panicked look at that sentence she continued, “Maybe that wasn't the best word choice.” She giggled as she said that.

“Ya think.” My witty banter was so lacking.

“I'm serious Kory, you need to know something, something that you've been avoiding. You are a girl now.” She sat up and patted the bed next her. “Come on sit down, your wicked step-sister slash aunt has to tell you something.” At my reluctance to sit next to her she spoke in a serious manner, “I swear on my Power that I will not do anything you do not want to do, and my intentions are honest for the purpose of this upcoming conversation.”

With that I slowly went over and sat next to Dee. I looked over at her and spoke, “Uh could you like get dressed? Like...” She cut me off.

“Nope! It's just us girls here, no reason to be all modest and that. 'Sides you've seen plenty of boobies right? They are hard to avoid.” With that she poked me in the chest. “But you still have some growing to do, so they get harder to avoid. And that's my point.”

“Uh?” I think I preferred her when she was trying to seduce me, or kill me by embarrassment.

“It's story time with me, I'm going to tell you a very important story. Like any good story this will have a meaning, and a moral. There will be however a lack of morals since it's my story.” She giggled at that.

“A long time ago...” She noticed me rolling my eyes at that. “No one loves tradition anymore. You kids. Ok the quick and dirty version. Hmm. Ok I was a man, now I'm not obviously.” She snickered as my jaw dropped, “Oh so now you want details.”

I kept staring at her in disbelief, no way no how could Lady Dee have been a guy. I mean she was...

“I was a very powerful sorcerer, but old and like most old evil sorcerers very much afraid of dying. To avoid that fate I researched many a way to cheat death, however all the easy ways, and I use 'easy' with a bit of sarcasm, had problems. Mostly the ways to cheat death could be undone, or came with some hefty drawbacks. Vampirism for example. Also I wanted more power, much more power. I came up with a plan, I knew I was going to hell when I died, so I sped things up and brought hell to me. I summoned a nasty demoness, a powerful one. With alot of work bound her to my will and then raped her.” She looked over at me, “Shocked? I am a villain after all. I wasn't done yet, I made sure the demon had a child, and when that little bundle of joy was born and tore her way out of her mother's womb that most of mommy's power went to the baby. I didn't expect the baby to be female.” Lady Dee stared at the ceiling and sighed, “You think as smart as I was that possibility would have occurred to me, but no I was a genius. A total idiot but still a genius. I had planned to move my mind, or spirit whichever you prefer into the child. With the demon's power I'd live for a very long time, and have more power at my fingertips.”

“Uh what happened? I mean I know what happened you're here and you are you but...” I foundered at this point.

“Well my health was very poor by the time the child was born, so I carried on with my plan. I waited until the time and stars where right, did various horrible things and moved my mind into this body while sacrificing the child's spirit. That was 1927. What does this have to do with you? While I spent the 18 years in denial that I was female, I refused to accept that this,” She motioned to herself, “Was me. As a result I had a very miserable second...hmm...adolescence. I was thinking I guess if I refused to be female I'd somehow be male. That didn't work, all that I was during those years was a miserable bitch to everyone, including myself.”

“Finally Kory, I had real eyeopener about myself. I had to accept that I was the new me the female me. I had to accept everything that came with it. I wasn't going back.” She turned to look at me, “Your not going back either Kory.” She plowed on overriding my silent objections. “You are a girl now, not a guy, not a girl temporarily until this gets fixed. You need to accept it or it'll make you miserable for a long time until you can't ignore it anymore.” She lifted a hand to me to keep me from interrupting her. “It doesn't matter what side of the street you walk on Kory, hell work on both sides if you want. I'm here to tell you that guys and girls, well you can have fun with both if you want to, but the person you chose will be jumping in the sack with you, as you are now. Make sure you can live with them wanting Kory, the smoking hot redhead with the great rack.” She watched me think about what she said.

“So what happened to you? What was your eye opener?” That wasn't what I wanted to ask but it seemed like something to say.

Lady Dee looked away for a long time, a distant look on her face. “It was May 8th 1945, VE day.” At my blank look she just stared, “VE day? Victory in Europe? The official end of Hitler's Germany? You do know who Hitler is right?”

I couldn't resist if I had tried, “Oh yeah that guy! Was the emperor or something during WWI right?” At the look of shock on her face I tried to keep the joke going, “No wait that's wrong, uh, it was Stalin that ran Germany in WWI right, no wait Stalin was WWII Germany I think, I dunno it's all ancient history.”

Dee just stared at me her face frozen in disbelief. I couldn't hold back any longer and I started snickering, then giggling finally laughing out loud. “Revenge is mine!” I gasped out after a moment of mirth had passed.

Lady Dee just stared at me pouting. “Ok you got me Kory. Dammit because of that damn oath I can't even get even with you for that by tickling you until you have a near death experience. Poo!”

We both just sat giggling every few seconds until I went, “VE Day?”

“Right, well I was in New York when it happened, everyone was just, happy. It had been a bad war, even worse than most people know. I've done horrible things, but compared to what some of THEM did I'm a fucking angel.” She shivered, “Anyways everyone just stopped and celebrated. I got caught up in the moment and had fun, drank WAY too much, danced with some guys. Woke up the next day in a strange hotel room with two complete strangers. Once I stopped freaking out and could think clearly again, in sober hindsight I had to admit I enjoyed myself. The sex was great, I didn't realize how tightly wound up I was until later.” She was silent. “It wasn't a 'snap' moment but it made me aware of how much my denial of my situation had become self-loathing. I don't want you to make the same mistakes I made. I still regret what I did then,” At my look she quickly added, “Not the sex, or the drinking. No I regret that I was so in denial that I was a woman that rather than just accept and move on I tore those two men apart with my bare hands and tortured their souls. They didn't deserve what I did to them.” She looked me in the eyes totally serious, “This is important Kory, you need to be you, not the old you of a month ago. That 'Corey' is gone, do not let him haunt you and make you miserable, don't live your new life by what he was or wasn't.”

She just sat there looking so unlike her usual party girl self that I was worried for her. I don't know why but I felt she needed it and maybe so did I, so I pulled her into a fierce hug. “I'll try if you will Dee.”

She smiled at my response, “So I think the serious part of this conversation is over don't you?” She grinned at my nod. “So Kory...” She trailed off in a thoughtful tone as a wicked look came over her face, “Just say the word and I'll go get my collection of double headed dildos and we'll have some fun.” She raised her voice as I bolted for the door, “I've even got one with a six speed vibrate function! I'll let you be on top for as long as you want! Come back Kory don't make me chase you!”

As I dove over the stair case flying for the downstairs patio doors I could hear her laughing from my room yelling, “NO REVENGE IS MINE!!”