Christmas Duet (Part 2)

By

Domoviye

Wednesday, December 7^th, 2016
Outlaw's Tavern
Early Evening

Forte sat at a table in the country bar, sipping a ginger beer enjoying the burn it left on her tongue. It reminded her of the one time she'd tried vodka at a party, but without the horrible taste or risk of a hangover. On the chair next to her was a duffel bag holding a sonic cannon for a client, she just hoped he'd show up on time, she had plans for dinner soon.

The door opened and looking over she saw Book come walking in trying to look unconcerned. She wondered if she'd looked like that the first time she came into the villains bar. Probably she had to admit to herself, but now since it was the only place she could go and not worry about being arrested, it felt natural. Waving to her current partner in crime, Forte pulled the chair and the duffel bag closer to her.

“Hi,” Book said as she took a seat. “What's in the bag?”

“Something for a client. Got it done a few days ago and today happened to be when we were both free,” she said, not going into anymore details.

Looking the girl over while the waiter took Book's drink order, Forte couldn't see a supervillain. The old black hoodie and grey wool trousers that had definitely seen better days, had likely come from a thrift store. The stained running shoes might have come from a garbage can. The only new thing the mage had was a book bag, which she was pretty sure looked like one handed out by a charity for the homeless. If it wasn't for her parchment coloured skin and inky hair and eyes, she'd be some random runaway begging for money on the street.

The door opened again and the well dressed, ornate opera Magnus strolled into the bar like he owned the place. His tuxedo somehow fit the room, it wasn't the colourful supervillain costume like most of the clientele, but it was eccentric and with his confidence it clearly marked him as a player in the game. The large rolling suitcase he had with him spoiled his image a little.

Waving to him, she looked at Book. “Can you give me a minute or two? This will be quick.”

“Sure,” Book headed towards the washroom with only a quick look at the Magnus.

“Good evening, Forte,” he said in his thick Italian accent. “I trust your sonic cannon works as advertised.”

She nodded pushing the duffel bag towards him. She'd recorded herself testing the cannon on a manhole cover in the testing area of her lab, first cracking it in half and then shattering it. “I used the minimum amount of sonic metal, so it should be good for about a year, or a few hundred shot. If it stops working before six months, or a hundred shots, I'll give it a free tuneup.”

Nodding, Magnus took out the gun and studied it. She'd had to look through her list of contacts to buy a shotgun, and used the gun as the base for her sonic cannon. The barrel had been cut by a sonic cutter and now held a thick pipe which was coated by sonic metal and the sound system was well padded at the base of the new barrel. It wasn't her prettiest work, and she would have preferred making it entirely out of sonic metal. However that would have made it break down much more quickly, as well as using up all of her supply. So it merely looked like a well-made and very odd elephant gun, instead of a sonic weapon.

“The instruction manual is in the bag. As long as you leave the barrel and speaker alone, you can adjust the rest of it to your liking,” she said.

He gave a small smile, although most of his face was hidden by the mask, so she wasn't sure if it was genuine or not. “Good, I like it.” He rolled the suitcase over to her. “As agreed, ten pounds of mercury, and another ten of the other chemicals you need.”

Opening up the suitcase, she saw the carefully sealed chemicals all neatly ordered with labels. She didn't know where or how Magnus had gotten them, and she wasn't about to ask. With this she'd be able to really start getting creative. Giving him a real grin, she shook his hand. “It was a pleasure doing business with you. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to call me, Magnus.”

“I will be sure to contact you the next time I'm in town.” Putting the weapon back in its bag, he left the tavern, stopping just long enough to leave some money on the bar.

Pushing her suitcase of chemicals under the table where she could keep track of it, Forte leaned back and drained her ginger beer. Things were definitely looking up.

Book came back to the table with a beer. “All done?”

“Yeah. The rest of the night is for relaxing, and driving lessons. So you have no idea about how to drive?” Forte asked.

The odd looking girl shrugged. “One pedal makes it go fast, the other one makes it stop, don't hit anything.”

“Looks like you know everything, we're ready for our epic car chase.”

That got the girl giggling, and looking a lot more relaxed.

The door opened and everyone glanced over to see who the newcomer was, but unlike last time when the patrons had kept talking, drinking, playing cards or eating, dead silence filled the room. A short haired woman with a leathery face from too much time in the sun stepped into the bar, a battered brown cowboy hat shaded her eyes, a dusty, brown leather duster was open revealing a button up shirt, and jeans that had seen better days, cowboy boots that might be brown under the dirt finished the picture of an old cowboy. The bouncer took one look at her and stepped back.

Forte almost spit out her drink, she knew the woman, almost everyone in the Southwest had at least heard of The Gunslinger.

The woman pushed her coat back revealing two pristine six-shooters in leather holsters. Walking over to the bar she seemingly ignored everyone, her movement smooth and relaxed, but her hands stayed close to the revolvers and she walked like a predator.

“Gunslinger, it's a pleasure to see you again. Is this going to be a duel to the death or first blood?” Delaney asked, pouring a glass of something the colour of amber.

“Depends on them,” the woman said in a surprisingly deep voice. “I've heard they're good, I decided it was time to see if the rumours were true.”

“Glad to hear it. I'll prepare the room,” the bartender said, waving at a server who hurried away.

The room filled with conversation again, while the woman sipped her drink. This time it was about who was going to be challenged, with bets being made on the unlucky bastard. To Forte's discomfort she heard her name mentioned a few times.

“What's going on?” Book asked. “Who is she?”

“That's The Gunslinger,” Forte said. “She travels all around the Southwest and Northern Mexico challenging heroes, villains and criminals to duels. If she is feeling nice it's just to first blood, if not, it's to the death. Sometimes she stops crime, if it's right in front of her, and she always shoots to kill when she does. She's been doing it for a few years, and killed at least two dozen people, probably more.”

“Is she here for you?”

“God, I hope not. I'm not exactly known as a fighter, so I should be safe.

Big Guy entered the tavern and started for the bar, seeing Gunslinger sitting there, still sipping her drink, he suddenly decided that it would be better to not be anywhere near the woman. Changing direction he headed for their table and took a seat, taking off his motorcycle helmet. “Looks like we'll have some entertainment tonight,” he said.

“You've seen her shoot?” Book asked.

He nodded. “Yeah, she usually comes around every year or two to challenge people. I've only seen one person faster than her, and he was a speedster who could shoot lightning from his hands. It was to first blood, and after she put out the fire on her shirt, she put her gun away, walked over to him, shook his hand and bought him a drink.”

Forte breathed a sigh of relief. “That's not too bad.”

“Well that was with someone she wasn't angry with. The first time I saw her she told Toxic Touch that they were going to duel to the death, or she'd shoot her down like a dog. I don't know what the hell the woman had done but Gunslinger wanted her to suffer. Toxic Touch didn't have a chance. The moment the duel started she was shot in both hands, then the knees, the shoulders, the stomach and finally the head. I never even saw Gunslinger move, the guns just appeared in her hands already smoking.”

“Oh god. I hope she doesn't want to fight me,” Forte said, not quite whimpering.

“Don't worry, she only goes after people who have done something really nasty, or have made a name for themselves as a shooter. And you don't fit either.”

“Hurray for sucking,” Book said weakly, trying to make a joke to cut the tension.

A man in a mostly black costume with white trim that covered his entire body stood up and started heading for the door.

“Don't go Sicario, you and I have an appointment,” Gunslinger said, not even looking at him as she drained the last of her drink.

“Fuck you punta,” the supervillain said in a thick Spanish accent. “I've got business. If you want me, I'll make time for you later tonight. You're a little old but I've never said no to pussy.” He grabbed his crotch and gave her the finger.

The woman stood up and turned to face the man. “If you leave, I'll shoot you on the street and it will be to kill. Come on, I'll be quick. And you still have the choice of death or first blood.”

Sicario snorted. “Fine you wanna do this, lets make it good. I'm gonna kill you and then everyone is gonna know who's the best.”

Nodding, The Gunslinger strode toward the back of the bar where the stairs leading up to private rooms waiting. She stopped and looked at Forte. “Come with us. We need a neutral starter, you'll do.”

Forte's eyes went wide at the command. Looking at Big Guy he gave her a small but very firm nod. With her heart racing, she handed her suitcase of valuable chemicals to a server along with a hundred dollar bill, asking her to put it behind the counter for her, and followed the two dangerous people. Behind her about half the patrons were grabbing their drinks and joining in. Instead of going upstairs they all headed to the basement. The large room was set up with a fighting ring surrounded by thick steel bars, and what looked like a shooting range.

Delaney came up beside her, holding out a red handkerchief. “Go stand in the small ring in the middle of the duelling range, it's got a forcefield around it. Hold the cloth up and when both of them are ready drop it,” he said quietly.

“Thanks,” she replied. As confidently as she could, Forte walked to the designated area. The Gunslinger was already in position, her duster swept back, revolvers in their holsters ready to be drawn. Sicario took his time, bouncing around, hyping himself up, his hands glowed red, revealing what his own weapons were.

Finally both of them were in position. Lifting the red cloth in her silvery right hand, Forte looked at the pair, making sure they were focused and ready. This felt like the moment before she had started fighting Jackalope. She wasn't about to fight for her life, but she was going to see someone die. She had killed some of the Cannibal's hired assassins before, but that had been a terrifying, barely remembered event where they'd been shooting at her first. Everything she'd done had been done in panic and she hadn't really looked at them, just ran away as quickly as she could as soon as the Cannibal had left.

Now, as soon as she let the cloth go, she was signalling for someone to die.

Breathing deep, she closed her eyes and opened her fingers.

Two gunshots rang out. They should have echoed in the basement but they were somehow muffled. Opening her eyes, Forte saw Sicario staring dumbly at his chest. Dark red blood was flowing down his torso, staining the black and white costume. He fell to his knees, then his face hit the floor.

Across the room The Gunslinger was reloading her revolvers, her expression unchanged, ignoring the man she had just killed. Behind Forte the onlookers were exchanging money, making jokes, and complaining about losing.

Numbly, she tried to keep her expression neutral as she walked back to Big Guy who was looking pretty calm and collected, and Book who looked strangely numb, maybe even bored. Realizing she had to be a supervillain, Forte forced herself to smile. “So who's hungry?” she asked, pretending she still had an appetite.

Resurrection Junkyard
Late Evening

“Fuck!” Forte shouted as the car jolted to a bone jarring halt.

“Well that was better,” Big Guy said, he didn't sound all that happy at her progress.

Leaning her head against the wheel of the very average looking, rusty, used car, which she had quickly learned was in pristine condition under the hood, with an engine made for a street racer, and extremely good brakes, she fought to keep her temper under control. Her legs were well made, able to give her feedback that beat practically anything a non-devisor or high level gadgeteer could build. But it wasn't good enough. Trying to judge how much pressure to put on the pedals, she was always off by a few millimetres, and that was enough to cause problems.

It was just like her music. She wasn't good enough.

She'd been told after losing her limbs that to drive she would need a special setup that let her use her hand to accelerate and brake. But even that had been very questionable since she only had one flesh and blood hand. With her devised arm, it would be easier, her hand had a lot more feedback than her legs and feet. So if she got her own car, that would be one way to drive.

She hated the thought of having to use a disability aid to just drive a fucking car.

“All right,” Big Guy said, “for the heist, I drive, Book is the backup driver, and if we're both out of commission for some reason, you drive. You know the driving rules better than her, and you can drive, you're just a bit too rough stopping and have a lead foot.”

“I can do it,” she said through gritted teeth. “I just need more practice.”

“Yeah well we don't have the time. And if we're going to do a lot of practice, it can be in a different car, this is my only way to get around and I don't wanna have to fix the brakes,” he replied.

Closing her eyes, Forte breathed slowly through her nose and out her mouth like one of her old headshrinkers had taught her to help deal with her anger. A few seconds later she took her hands off the wheel and nodded. “That's fair. I'll buy a piece of junk after Christmas and use that to practice.” Getting out she stretched enjoying the cool late evening air, trying to let the last of her frustration and anger go.

The others joined her, and there was silence as they relaxed. Finally Book spoke up. “So... would it be OK to show off our powers? I've heard what you two can do, but it might help us work together if we actually see them in action.”

“Sure, if you girls want. As long as we don't toss anything around too badly, the junkyard doesn't care,” Big Guy said.

“That'd be cool. I need to practice with my new armour outside my lab, this is as good as any place.” Getting her coat out of the car, Forte put it on and zipped it up. Then wanting to show off that she wasn't totally incompetent, she whistled. The special seams of her coat opened up and the sonic metal flowed out, running down her arms and legs, and crawling up over her head. In about ten seconds she was wrapped in silvery metal that had looping golden lines running along the surface, even her eyes were covered in thick yellow lenses.

Looking at herself, she made sure everything seemed to be in order. After her last fight and the big fall, she'd had to rebuild her suit from the scrap, and there had been a few hiccups with it. Her prosthetic right arm was thicker than before. Everyone knew it wasn't real, so there was no reason to pretend it was, it was bulkier with a slightly oversized hand and blunt fingers for tearing and crushing, the blue lines of the suit formed a swirling pattern on her palm. Her left arm was mostly human looking, but the back of the forearm had a thick ridge of metal that would help her take blows, and had a secret inside. Her legs were longer and while the thighs seemed normal looking, her lower legs and feet were longer and thinner, increasing her height by a good five inches.

“Whoa. That looks impressive,” Book said, looking her up and down.

“I see you lost the blades,” Big Guy said.

“Yeah, they weren't as good as I thought, so I got rid of them.” Tensing her left arm, the ridge on her forearm flowed outwards, forming a small shield. “I figured going a bit more defensive and working with some area effect weapons would work better. And my new legs will let me jump and run faster.”

Wanting to show off, she bent her knees and lunged forward with explosive speed that her flesh and blood body wouldn't possibly achieve. Landing almost forty feet away, she slid, digging her fingers into the ground to keep from falling as she twisted and ran around the car and her partners, reaching just a little over thirty miles an hours. Coming to a stop, she grinned behind her mask. “I'll be harder to catch now.”

“Nice,” Big Guy said. “What weapons do you have?”

Holding up her right hand, she activated the weapon, making the golden spiral on her palm light up and hum ominously for a moment. “My sonic cannon, smaller and easier to conceal. And I have an inbuilt boomer, that will make everyone close by sick to the stomach and disoriented. I also have a shrieker, that can destroy wires and electronics, burst eardrums and stun people. I want to make it more focused, but it's proving harder than I thought.”

Tensing her muscles in a well memorized pattern, her fingers grew claws. “And if I do have to get into a hand to hand fight, I kept my claws, and can crush thin metal.”

The pair nodded in approval at her armour and weapons. Book looked really impressed. “Cool. I wish I had power armour.”

Whistling her helmet opened up, revealing her face. “Thanks. But now I'd like to see your magic. I've never seen the real thing up close like this.”

Nodding, Book took off her hoodie revealing bare arms and a tank top, and pulled a switch blade from her pocket. Taking a deep breath and stepping away from them, the odd looking girl sliced the back of her arm which let out a thick black blood, while muttering some words that hurt Forte's ears.

A thick cloud of inky, black, smoke rose out of the ground covering Book and her immediate area. “Can you hear me?” she asked, her voice soft and impossible to pinpoint in the cloud.

“Yeah. But not great,” Big Guy said. “Can you see inside that thing?”

“I can. I think I'm the only one who could.” Suddenly the smoke faded out of existence. “I've mostly been studying spells that will help me get away. There's another one that should be good for the job.”

She spat out a few harsh words, that once more made Forte's ears hurt as if something sharp was being poked into them. Then Book spit out some blood onto the dirt. An old wreck a few yards away had ugly green tentacles erupt from the hard pack dirt, wrapping around the car, and squeezing it tight enough that the metal frame creaked and groaned. “I think that will hold most things, even some bricks.

Whistling, Forte said, “That will be really handy.”

Big Guy nodded. “For what we're expecting, those should be fine. Work on a few others, but make those two your go to spells. And if you have a good healing spell, I really hope you learn it. Getting hurt and having to crawl away sucks.”

“I can do that,” Book assured them.

“Do you need a bandage for your arm?” Forte asked.

“Nah. Little cuts heal up pretty quick.” She held up her arm wiping away the blood which seemed to just flake away into dust, revealing her odd parchment like skin.

“OK, I guess it's my turn,” he said. Suddenly Big Guy seemed to shimmer and he was fifteen feet tall, towering over them, his muscular body looking even more intimidating.

Picking up the car that had been wrapped in tentacles, he lifted it over his head one handed. Lowering it, the brick used both his hands to bend it. It didn't look easy, his arms and hands shook, and he grimaced as he mangled the vehicle, but it was bent fairly quickly. Putting it down, he shrank back down to his normal size brushing his hands on his jeans. “And that's how I got my codename.”

“It fits,” Forte said. “Would either of you like a few devises for the heist?”

Book looked surprised, which quickly turned to an eager nod.

Big Guy seemed curious. “What are you thinking of?”

“For you,” Forte said to the muscle, “I could make some brass knuckles that will let out a sonic boom when you punch someone with them. I'll give it a safety so it only goes off when you want, it will give you a bit more oomph. And you can keep them afterwards, in exchange for a future favour.”

“Deal,” he replied after a moment of thought.

“And for you Book, I'm thinking something that'll give you something for if an enemy gets too close. How about a short, hard rubber whip that will put people to sleep if you hit them on the head, and really hurt if you hit them somewhere else?”

Book nodded. “That sounds good. Thanks.”

“My pleasure. I want to make sure we have everything we need to get this heist done properly. I'll have that ready by the time we meet again. And Big Guy yours will be ready by Christmas.”

“Good enough. Now it's getting too dark to see, let's get going, unless you both want to walk,” the guy said, heading for his car. “I can drop you off at Outlaw's or anywhere in the city.”

Whistling, Forte made her armour go back into the coat and started sealing up the seams, before jumping in. “If you could drop me off in Chandler I'd appreciate it.”

“I just need to be dropped off at a light rail station, and I'm good,” Book said, getting in the back seat.

“Can do,” Big Guy said. Hitting the gas, he left a cloud of dust behind them as he headed for the exit.

Book's Apartment
Late Night

“Happy! I'm happy!” Book said, staring at herself in the mirror while smiling. “I had a good time tonight. Thank you so much!”

She shook her head in disgust, it didn't feel or look right. It was too fake. Smiling a little less, but making sure to keep showing her teeth, she tried again with a more excited tone. “Happy! I am so happy! Thank you for teaching me how to drive, I had a lot of fun.”

Closing her eyes she sighed in frustration. She knew she had used to feel emotion properly, why couldn't she feel it now?

“Argh! I hate this!” she screamed, knowing that the runes would keep her outburst hidden from her neighbours. “Why did this happen to me?!”

Looking in the mirror again, all she saw was herself, her lips down-turned a little, breathing a tiny bit heavier than before, her eyebrows a touch lower, and a small wrinkle on the bridge of her nose. She looked mildly frustrated at worst. “Fuck.”

Grinning again, she giggled, raising her hand in a fake toast, “To shitty choices!”

Remembering meeting Forte and their bit of fun at Outlaw's, Book thought she was giggling right, and showing the right emotion, still she didn't feel right. It was a pleasant memory, but not the fun one she thought it should be. Just like everything else, it was dull, a shadow of what she was sure it should feel like. She couldn't remember her past, but she could kind of know when things weren't normal, and this wasn't normal.

“Maybe demons aren't meant to feel,” she said softly.

Looking back at the mirror, she went over how she had acted with Forte and Big Guy that night. As the moon moved through the sky she repeated everything she had done, trying to make it more normal, more human.

Maybe if she faked it enough, it would come true.

Thursday, December 8^th, 2016
Sun Hawk and Mogollon Monster's Home
Early Afternoon

“Take it easy June, one step at a time,” Dae-Jung said, ready to catch his girlfriend if she fell.

“Can... do it, diet,” June said, stepping inside while using her cane to help keep her balance. She didn't seem to realize that she'd completely missed his name.

Dae-Jung refused to show his concern, he'd learned that it would likely be quite a while before she would speak normally again. The fact she was on her feet, talking and able to mostly care for herself so soon after falling over a hundred feet and hitting the pavement was a miracle, even for a superhero. Letting her see his worries wouldn't help her. Instead he helped her take off her shoes, and made sure she got to the couch safely. Fixing the pillows to support her neck which was still weak after getting broken, even with the psychic healing, he smiled down at her, gently stroking the stubble that covered her scalp.

“Can I get you anything to drink, baby?” he asked.

She looked up at him with confusion for a long moment, then it seemed to click and she nodded, smiling up at him. “Yes... please. Crab.”

Pausing Dae-Jung thought about her answer. It could be gibberish, or crab could be related in some way to what she wanted. “June, we don't drink crab. Do you want something red?”

“I want... want...” She hit her head in frustration. “Ball. No! Lady... lady... ladybug. NO!” She started hitting herself harder and faster.

Reaching out to stop her, a translucent blue fairy appeared, smiling widely. Pulling his hand back, but ready to grab her if it looked like she was going to hurt herself, he let the helper VI do it's thing.

“June,” the blue fairy said, it's soft feminine voice sounding far too cheerful for the situation, “It's OK to be frustrated. But you can't hurt yourself. Do you remember your breathing exercises. Follow me, OK. Breathe in and hold. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Now breathe out. Breathe in again and hold it.”

Watching June focusing on the hologram, he breathed a sigh of relief. When the therapist had been setting up the VI carer for June, they had gone through a variety of shapes, colours, and voices, finding the one that calmed her the most. It had proven to be a godsend. Going to the kitchen he started looking through the fridge. His eyes fell on a box of apple juice, which had a big red apple on the front. Taking a chance he poured her a cup into a coffee mug which would be easier for her to hold. He made a mental note to get some plastic cups later for her.

Going back to the living room, he saw June seemed calmer. Even better she was looking around the room with a thoughtful, interested expression. “Hey, baby. I got you some apple juice.”

“APPLE! That's the word!” she shouted in excitement. Reaching out she took the mug, clutching it carefully in her hands and taking a sip. “Mmmm. Taste good.”

Sitting down beside her, he took the empty mug when she held it out, barely catching it in time before it fell from her shaking hand. June leaned against him, resting her head on his big hairy arm. “Thank, fuzzy bear,” she said. A moment later she was snoring contentedly, hugging his arm in a death grip.

Dae-Jung sat there, not wanting to disturb her, glad that she was finally home. Looking down at the broken superhero and the woman he loved, he wondered when, or if she would be back to normal. Wiping some tears from his eyes, he silently swore he would protect her next time.

Friday, December 9^th, 2016
Chandler, Greater Phoenix Area
Late Evening

“So that's why Lucia got her detention,” Mandy finished.

Fai sat on the air mattress eating a piece of pizza, giggling at the latest bit of gossip her best friend, Mandy, was sharing. Alexa was beside her, and everything was right with the world. Technically this sleepover was supposed to be for studying, but Mandy's parents weren't complaining at the laughter and music that was coming from the rec room.

“She's never going to live that down!” Alexa said, hiding her face behind her long black hair in second hand embarrassment.

Mandy's mother knocked on the door, opening it a few seconds later. “I'm off to bed, do you girls need anything?”

“No thanks, mom, we're good with the left over pizza and soda,” Mandy replied.

A quick goodnight later, and the three girls were once again alone. But this time Fai was the center of attention.

“OK, Fai,” Alexa said, leaning in close, “everyone is in bed or out, so you have to show us your beastly side.”

“OK,” she replied, grinning at the chance to finally show off. “But first turn around.”

“What you can't shift if someone is watching you?” Mandy asked.

“No I just want to take off my shorts and panties first. It hurts having a tail stuck in my clothes.” Making sure her friends weren't looking, Fai quickly stripped so she was just wearing an oversized shirt she usually slept in. Then she shifted to a her were-fox form. Her top now hung down to her knees keeping her dignity. “OK, you can look,” she said, her voice a higher pitched, and more slurred thanks to her muzzle.

“OH MY GOD!” Alexa hissed, trying not to be heard. “You look so cool!”

She reached over and began petting Fanak's furry head. Fanak's mouth opened and her tongue lolled out in her version of a smile, enjoying the feel of her friend's nails in her fur. Now she knew why pets liked getting scratched between the ears so much.

“I can't believe you kept this a secret from us for months. And you're a hero,” Mandy said.

Turning to Mandy, she stopped smiling, and looked down at her hands, but didn't make Alexa stop scratching. “Sorry. I wanted to keep it a secret from most people because I was acting as a hero and didn't have my MID or anything like that. And then I got used to keeping it a secret, and... I should have told you.”

“It's OK,” Mandy said with a shrug.

From the light angry smell coming off of her blonde friend, Fanak realized it wasn't all right. Unfortunately she didn't know how to make it better. Still it wasn't a strong smell, so Mandy would probably get over it soon.

“Can you lift me up?” Alexa asked, getting to her feet.

“Sure. Like this it's easy,” she replied, standing up.

“Oh, you're so tiny and cute!”

“And you have a tail,” Mandy said, sounding and smelling a lot more excited. “What's it like having a tail?”

“It's... interesting. It's not really useful, but I like it,” Fanak said, wagging it a little. She put an arm around Alexa and lifted her up surprisingly easy.

“How did you get so strong? You're so small, shouldn't you be a wimp?” Alexa asked, kicking her feet a little.

“They said I get really de- my bones and muscles get denser. Everything is just pushed together and I'm almost all muscle and bone.”

Frowning, Alexa asked, “So if you try to swim, you'll sink?”

“I-I don't know. I haven't gone swimming like this.”

“You should probably try swimming in a shallow pool before risking it. Gorillas can't swim because they have like no fat on them and are all muscle and bone,” her friend said.

Fanak stopped wagging her tail, putting Alexa down, and became a little nervous. Alexa really liked learning about animals, so she was probably right about not being able to swime. “Suddenly I'm really glad we don't live near a lake.”

“You know what. If you gained some weight, you'd probably get a lot stronger as a were-fox.”

“What do you mean?”

Alexa grabbed her arm feeling the dense muscle. “All your fat turns into muscle, if you put on another ten pounds of fat, that would be ten pounds of muscle when you shift.”

“You don't want her to get fat!” Mandy said. “What you should do Fai, is start lifting weights. Get muscles as a human girl and you'll still look good, and be tougher in both forms.”

“That's- a really good idea,” Fanak said. She hadn't really thought about how she could make herself stronger just by exercising in her normal body.

“You know, you really look like a cute little dog girl,” Mandy said, reaching out to touch one of her big ears.

A growl came from Fanak without thinking, at the unintentional, but very nasty insult. Mandy realized what she'd done really quickly.

“Sorry! I forgot that you don't really like dogs. It's a good thing you became a fox, isn't it?”

Taking a moment to relax, Fanak nodded. “Yeah. I was embarrassed when I first changed. Then I realized I was a desert fox. It really helped calm me down.”

“How did you first change?”

“I woke up like this back in August. It was early in the morning, so I had my freak out, and then I was able to change back. I don't even want to think about what would have happened if my brother had seen me.”

Alexa jumped into the conversation again. “Mandy didn't you say that if you manifest you want to be a supervillain? You could be Fai's nemesis.”

The pungent scent that Fanak recognized as anger poured from Mandy.

“If I ever manifest,” the blonde said angrily. “It's been a month since my brother manifested, and I've stayed just boring old me.”

Shifting back to her baseline form, Fai gave her friend a hug. “Hey it can take time. You're probably taking longer than him because you're going to get a really cool power.”

Joining in on the hug, Alexa said, “Yeah. Getting hot hands is pretty boring. You're going to blow his power out of the water, when you finally manifest.”

“I hope so,” Mandy said.

Saturday, December 10th, 2016
Phoenix Warriors Headquarters
Late Afternoon

Stepping into the conference room, Lolomi forced himself to look stern rather than angry. He'd finally gotten done with the police and MCO, but soon enough he'd have to deal with the DPA and city officials to explain the cock-up they'd just had.

Everyone was there, even Road Runner who was holding an ice pack to her hip and had her arm in a devised healing cast. She'd been injured crashing into a wall. Old Scratch looked bored, he'd had the day off to do, whatever he did in his free time, so he didn't seem to care about anything that had happened. Out of all of them only Mogollon Monster looked happy, he'd managed to go toe to toe with a massive robot and taken it out while everyone else had been practically useless.

“Thanks for coming in everyone. I know some of you had plans but this is important,” he said. “I'll get right to the point, we need a flier. Our jet pack plan might work, but we need a lot more practice and we don't have the time. We were made to look like idiots today because every one of the Cloud Kickers could fly out of reach.”

Shadow sighed taking the form of a beautiful woman dressed like a lounge singer, showing off a lot of chest. “We need someone like The Laughing Man,” the shifter said sadly.

“Yeah that would be nice,” Lolomi replied, taking a moment to remember the flying brick who had always been the most optimistic member of the team. His friend had been killed in February, a victim of The Hungry Ghost. “But no one at his level is willing to join the team. Not without costing more than we can afford.”

Playing with a rock, making it form different shapes and patterns, Desert Rat spoke up. “What about Dust Devil? I know she was a problem early on, but she seems to have gotten her crap together.”

“She doesn't work well with a team,” Janet said, scrubbing at some grease on her arm. “And if she did join, she'd insist that Dusty Devil join too. They argue like cats and dogs, but Dr. Deville and I expect them to officially become a couple and partners by summer.”

“And getting two people on the team will break our budget completely,” Lolomi said. “Any of you ready to do another couple weeks worth of interviews, a bunch of photoshoots, and a few conventions?”

No one looked at him, wanting to avoid getting volunteered for the potential jobs.

“All right, do any of you know someone who can fly and is willing to work cheap, but have lots of chances at earning extra from interviews and appearances?”

“What about you, Janet?” Mogollon Monster asked. “You have that power armour suit you like to go flying in.”

Almost everyone broke out laughing, with some shouts about fainting and screaming. Janet joined in with the laughter.

“God, no! I'd make a horrible superhero. I can't stand the sight of blood,” the woman said. “Last time I got a bad cut from a sharp piece of metal I fainted head first onto an engine.”

“Janet stays on the sidelines, we need someone to keep the lights working around here,” Lolomi said, allowing himself a small smile. “OK, does anyone have a person I can call to see if they're at least interested in the job?”

There was a round of shaking heads and shrugs.

“Think about it, if you have an old friend, someone who owes you a favour, even a retired villain who wants to reform and improve their image, I will consider them.” Calling an end to the meeting, Lolomi headed for the gym to work off some stress from the unproductive waste of time, wishing that for once things would go easy.

“Lolomi,” Old Scratch said coming up behind him.

“What is it, Scratch?”

The old mage somehow looked even more unhappy than usual. “Do we really need a flyer that badly to be proper hero team?”

“Honestly, yes. A competent and strong flier will help with moving around the entire city, providing faster backup, and help us deal with criminals who can fly.”

The light seemed to fade a little around Old Scratch, never a good sign. “I'm going to be busy for at least a day, maybe two. Don't disturb me unless the city is going to be destroyed.” Without waiting for an answer, darkness enshrouded the unconventional hero and he disappeared from sight.

Tuesday, December 12th, 2016
Phoenix Warriors Headquarters
Morning

Lolomi was just sitting down with a coffee, wishing it was his day off as he started in on his multitude of reports and emails, when there was a knock on the door. “Come in,” he said, wondering who it was.

Old Scratch came in, smiling in a way that let everyone know the old man had found some way to ruin someones day. Behind him a very beautiful, young Indian woman stepped inside, wearing a sleek dress, veil and sashes that glimmered in the light, and enough gold jewellery that if sold, would let a family of four live comfortably for an entire year. He couldn't tell if the dark lines outlining her large, bright eyes were makeup or her skin colour, and her silent, graceful, movement made him think she was dancing just walking through the door. From the way she looked at the old man, it was a miracle Old Scratch wasn't a smoking pile of ash.

“I have our new member,” Old Scratch said. “Her name here is Lasya. Don't worry about paying her, she owes me a favour. She'll work for you for five years and a day.”

Looking at the pair, Lolomi realized it was too early in the morning and he needed more coffee. “Lasya, are you willing to work for the Phoenix Warriors? I am not going to force anyone to work for the team if they aren't willing.”

The woman's expression changed instantly, smiling in a way that would please even the angriest person and giving him a serene look. Placing her hands together, she bowed slightly, making her dress, stretch in interesting ways, and said in strangely accented English. “Greetings, Lolomi. As the demon said, I am Lasya. It is my honour to serve my time helping a hero of your renown.”

His eyes went to Old Scratch, wondering if this was some trick, or if the creature was just fulfilling his promise as best he could. Turning back to Laysa, he smiled and nodded, not sure what the correct response was. “I am happy to have you join the team. But first, what are you powers, and do you know how to fight?”

“I am skilled at fighting. My people are primarily entertainers, but the realms are dangerous places,” she turned to glare at Old Scratch before returning to the serene smile, “and even dancers need to defend themselves. Mostly I will rely on my magic and the winds to deal with the threats to your city and people, but when necessary I have other weapons.” She held out her hand and the air seemed to flow towards her, forming a wooden staff with iron bands at one end.

“OK, I'll want to see you spar with some of the team before I give you the go ahead to start patrolling, but you seem to be exactly what we need.”

Old Scratch decided to speak up. “Laysa knows how to fight. She's learned since I saved her life and earned a favour from her.”

Wind rose up and Laysa spun on the old man. She no longer spoke English or any language that Lolomi had ever heard of, and there were several sounds that couldn't have been made from a human throat. He was able to decipher that she was cursing out Old Scratch from her expression, the howling wind coming from her mouth, and when she spit at his feet. He summoned his power, shifting to his impenetrable rocky form in case he had to separate the two.

Then Old Scratch said something in the same language, and Laysa immediately shut up and stepped back, sending the staff back to wherever it came from, breathing hard, while glaring at the demon. A moment later she turned to look back at Lolomi smiling once more, but definitely not serene. “I'm sorry, Lolomi. I should not have done that. I will try to do better at keeping my emotions under control in the future.”

It didn't escape Lolomi's attention that Laysa didn't make a promise. Old Scratch never made a promise either, not after the first deal he had made when asking to join the team. “Laysa are you a demon, or simply not human?”

“A demon!” the woman almost shrieked. “I am not one of those disgusting creatures.”

“You certainly liked the sight of me when I saved your life from that ong,” Old Scratch said with a leer.

“I was young and had gotten lost. You only saved me so you would be owed a favour from my family.”

That earned a very self satisfied nod. “I like favours. You never know when one will come in handy.”

Bringing his stone hands together, the thunder clap got the attention he wanted. “Enough. What is the deal you made with Laysa for her to become a member of the team, Scratch?

“Laysa will work for the Phoenix Warriors for five years and a day. I will make sure she has accommodations and ensure her basic needs are cared for. She will do whatever is required as a member of the team, following your instructions. That includes sacrificing herself if you ask,” Old Scratch replied.

The look of fear that passed across the girl's eyes made Lolomi want to beat the old man into the ground. He restrained himself because that would break his own contract with the demon, and that was not something he wanted to even consider. Also Laysa wasn't human and literally worked on far different principals than anyone from Earth, he didn't want to risk hurting her or having to fight her by somehow breaking her promise to the demon.

Shifting back to his human form he nodded. “All right. I will have one of our assistants look into housing for Laysa, somewhere she'll be comfortable, they'll send you the bill. Laysa will train with you, since you are part of the team, but outside of work, training or patrols, other than paying for her food, clothes and rent, you will keep your interactions with her to a minimum. Is that understood?”

It looked like the old man was about to argue, then he shrugged. Reaching into his coat Old Scratch pulled out a thick stack of money, placing it on the desk. “Let me know when that runs out. Don't go overboard on things, she is fulfilling a favour, not on vacation.”

Lolomi pointedly didn't stare at the stack that had to be well over a hundred-thousand-dollars, just watched his oldest teammate leave the room, whistling happily. With Old Scratch gone, Laysa visibly relaxed.

“Laysa...” he paused wondering what to say. “I understand how important promises are to people like you. I will do my best to make sure your time here is comfortable. As a member of the team, things will be dangerous, but I will never order you to sacrifice yourself. I don't want to see anyone under my command die, and I work very hard to keep that from happening.”

The woman's eyes glistened like she was about to cry, but her smile returned and she nodded in understanding. “Thank you, Lolomi.”

“Now I'm going to call some people to help you get settled. For the time being you can live in one of the overnight rooms we have here, while we find you a place to stay, teach you a bit about the city and our customs and work everything out. Just let us know what you need and like, and we'll do our best to get it for you. Also,” he looked at the stack of bills, noticing that the top one seemed to be at least several decades old, “you will be getting a monthly allowance so you can buy things on your own without having to ask anyone first.”

Laysa sniffed and nodded once more, her smile becoming a bit bigger and the clearly practised serene expression returning. “Thank you again, Lolomi. I will strive to do my best as a guardian of this city.”

Thursday December 13^th, 2016
Outlaw's Tavern
Evening

“Here you go, Iron Rain, a dozen boomers and an equal number of shriekers, guaranteed to put down or deafen any unprotected person,” Forte said, handing over the backpack full of sonic grenades.

The tall, lean man who moved like a snake, grinned, taking the bag in his good right hand. “Thanks, these are going to be really helpful.”

“Glad to hear it, I like a satisfied customer. How's the hand?”

He made a fist, even to her eye it looked a little weak, nothing like the rest of the supervillain who was wearing a trench coat with the collar up, aviator sunglasses, and a hat. “It's getting better. Just need the last of the nerves to finish healing, and then it's time to go hunting. How are you feeling after your pavement swan dive?”

“Fine, even got my armour fixed and improved. Still don't have a jet pack yet, I need to get on top of that before I try my hand at flying again,” she joked.

Chuckling, he got up, putting the backpack over a shoulder. “Yeah, that's pretty important. I'll leave word here when I need a resupply. Take care, Forte.”

“Good hunting, Iron,” she replied, raising her drink in goodbye.

Now that she was alone at the table, she discretely slid the thick wad of bills from her bag into a money belt that was concealed inside her pants. That would keep her fed and clothed for the rest of the month and January, with some left over for materials. As long as the Christmas job went well, she'd be able to pay off a nice chunk of her debt to Doc Morris and build up a bit of breathing room there.

On the big screen TV's around the tavern Delaney was playing the latest fight involving the Phoenix Warriors, much to the delight of the supervillains. The entire place cheered when one of the Cloud Kickers managed to shoot Lolomi's jet pack, sending him flying into the side of a building. Road Runner nearly got one of them by teleporting onto the supervillain's back and started disabling his flying rig. Then she was knocked off by an energy blast and even with teleporting she hit the ground hard.

It hadn't been a complete victory for the bad guys. They'd lost an expensive looking robot to the Mogollon Monster, but they'd gotten away with the loot and all the flesh and blood people, so it was good enough for everyone watching.

“Mind if we sit here? My friends and I would like to get to know more about the newest member of the clique.” Without waiting for permission, two guys and a woman, all in costumes, took a seat. The costumes were all different, the biggest guy who looked to be three hundred pounds of muscle, had on a typical tight supersuit with a cowl, his was pitch black streaked with red. The talker had something like a military uniform with plenty of pouches and several weapons topped with high tech goggles that hid most of his face. And the woman was wearing a black business suit and a domino mask.

Annoyed that they hadn't even waited for a hello, Forte kept her annoyance from showing. “Suits me. Do you and your friends have names?”

“The lovely lady is Insanity, my silent partner is Gigante, and I am Soldado. We've heard about you Ms. Foster, and wanted to see the real you.” Soldado said.

Forte couldn't hide her scowl for a moment at having her old name used. She had mostly given it up when she became Forte, and once the media had gotten a hold of her identity she'd put it away for good. “I thought the real me was pretty obvious. Just an arms dealer, who occasionally gets her hands dirty.”

“Maybe, or maybe you're just an angry little girl crying over being broken,” Insanity said, her voice airy, completely at odds with her name and appearance.

Flexing, her right arm lit up and began humming. “Maybe, but there are some advantages to being broken. Like having a cannon for a right arm.” She forced herself to smile and not use her sonic cannon. It was smaller and weaker than when she was suited up, but it would still pack a nasty punch and Delaney probably wouldn't like her starting a fight in his restaurant. She really didn't want to get banned from the one place she could be herself.

Gigante began chuckling, it was deep and sounded something like an avalanche. Soldado raised his open hand in what could have been a pacifying gesture, except for his grin. “Looks like Natalie's got a temper.”

“I do. So why are you trying to piss me off?” Forte asked.

“Like I said, I want to get to know you. New tech villains usually focus on making weapons for themselves or end up working for someone else. Do you know why that is, Natalie?”

“I have some ideas. But you're obviously going to tell me your idea, so I'll save my breath and wait for you to wow me with your reasoning,” she replied, while quietly slipping off her shoes and flexing her stumps to create claws on her feet.

Soldado smirked. “It's because weapons are important in our line of work. Everyone wants them, and there is a lot of money to be made by making and selling them. So most of us noisy tech types need to arm ourselves and make sure no one is able to turn us into their slaves. On top of that, there is the whole stepping on each others toes when you come into a city and set up shop. That can create hard feelings.”

Now things were starting to make sense. “That's good to know,” Forte said, taking a sip of her drink, refusing to look intimidated.

“Now, for a new devisor making most of her money selling weapons, there are other options. Providing a cut of the profits to a stronger and wiser businessman who can offer protection, is the usual way of doing business.”

Nodding, Forte hid her nervousness and racing heart behind a pleasant smile, and kept the sonic cannon ready to fire, the hum letting everyone nearby she wasn't unarmed. “Well, when I meet a stronger and wiser businessman who can provide protection, I'll definitely consider it.”

Soldado's smile faltered for a moment, and Gigantes growled. Insanity stayed stone faced, her eyes looking off to the side where the massive four-armed female door bouncer had just so happened to wander near their table. The woman was talking to another granite-like bouncer who watched the back area, the warning was quiet but very obvious.

“You'll want to consider it very soon. Bad things can happen in Phoenix, and people like us don't get to call for help,” Soldado said. “It was good talking to you.”

He and Insanity stood up, which made the violent muscle of their little triumvirate rise as well. Without a word they headed to an empty table by the door, seemingly done with her.

“Fuck my life,” Forte whispered. Keeping her shaking real hand on her lap, she shut off her sonic cannon and picked up her drink with her right hand, which wouldn't reveal her fear. She had vaguely heard of Insanity in her research of Phoenix supervillains. The supervillain wasn't one of the flashier ones, so not much was publicly known about her. Her powers seemed to be psychic, and she could make people relive their worst moments.

With her past pain, Forte did not want to risk getting into a fight with her. Fighting a brick like Gigantes was only slightly more appealing. And Soldado could be very dangerous depending on his tech. Any way she looked at it, this was very bad.

Still there was no way she was going to give into extortion. She didn't have the funds for that, and if she let it happen once, everyone would come looking for their own piece of flesh. Watching at the trio, without being too obvious about it, she realized she needed more weapons.

An hour later after another drink, thinking up some new devises, and a quick chat with a happy client that wanted some more weapons, Forte was wondering how she was going to leave. Soldado and his companions were still by the door playing cards, and didn't look like they'd be leaving anytime soon. She was not about to assume they were just at the tavern for the atmosphere, and she really didn't want to get into a fight.

Waving for the server, she put some money on the table for the bill and a good size tip. She also held a fifty in her hands just visible to the woman. “Any way out of here that isn't through the front door?” she asked quietly.

The server turned her back to the trio, and started clearing the table. “By the bathrooms, the blue door will get you outside. Don't use it too often, but it's for quietly leaving.”

Putting the fifty on top of the small pile of bills, Forte nodded. “Thanks.”

Putting on her coat and gloves, she went to the small hallway leading to the bathrooms. The blue door was just a few feet past them, with a big 'NO ENTRANCE' sign on it. Hoping that the server hadn't lied to her, she opened the door and saw an empty little room that could be an office waiting for her. Stepping through, expecting to see another door leading to the outside, Forte found herself in an unfamiliar alleyway.

Turning around there was just a not so clean wall. “Damn, that was new,” she muttered. Walking to the main street, she saw that she'd been teleported a block or two away from Outlaw's Tavern. Nodding in appreciation at the unique way of leaving, Forte hurried down the street, and sent a text to a cab company for a pickup close by. There was no way she could take the bus to the light rail with Soldado trying to extort her.

Keeping an eye out for enemies, heroes, and her taxi, Forte headed off into the night.

Friday, December, 14^th, 2016
Arizona State University, Tempe Campus
Mid-Afternoon

June Finch, formerly Sun Hawk, walked through the school campus for the first time in weeks. She knew it well, having spent the last year and a half going to classes part time while working as a hero full time. At least she had known it well.

Leaning on her cane, following Mr. Hart, an administrative assistant for the Phoenix Warriors, everything seemed off. The fog that filled her mind was particularly bad that day. Everything was distant, muffled, even her thoughts and memories. It was like she was drugged, without the comforting feeling of euphoria. She wished Dae-Jung was with her, she felt safe with him. But he had to work. She wanted to be at work to, flying over the city, feeling the wind on her face, powerful and a symbol for people to look up to.

Her left hand started to violently shake. She put it in her pocket, making a fist and concentrating on it so it would stop. Her right hand was fine, clutching the cane kept it from spasming. Her feet were cooperating mostly. The right knee kept going weak, which was why she had the cane.

“Keep walking,” Blue whispered in her ear.

It took her a moment to figure out what her VI carer was talking about. She really had stopped moving and Mr. Hart was turning around to see what had happened to her. Making her feet move again was a challenge. It felt like the messages were shorting out as she stumbled and shuffled before she got a proper rhythm going again.

People were watching her, making her cheeks heat up. Dae-Jung had told her, several times, that her secret identity had been discovered. She wondered what the crowd thought, seeing Sun Hawk shuffling along, barely able to walk, barely able to know what she was doing at any moment, using a VI to tell her what to do.

Tears welled up in her eyes. She wiped them away with her free hand. Which made her hand start to shake again. Scrubbing her face with her sleeve, she rode the emotional turmoil that had become her life. This wasn't her. She was just a shadow trying to live the life that had been taken away from her.

“June,” Mr. Hart said, “I can take you home if you want. You really don't need to be here to sign the papers. I can bring them to you.”

“No. No. No. I need sign. I need-” She struggled to find the right words. It was like digging through a cluttered toy box in the dark. “To be here. Doing things.”

“OK then, June. Take your time. There's no rush.”

Leaning on the assistant she started walking again. Some time later, she honestly couldn't tell how long with the fog settling more thickly in her mind, they came to an office. There were faces she should know. She knew she'd seen them before, but the memories were trapped in the fog and impossible to get too.

Mr. Hart talked for her. He knew what she needed to do, and he had all the right documents. Last month she could have done it all, it would have been easy. Now she was just a shadow.

She signed her name when and where they told her to. She thought it was her signature, but she couldn't be sure. Like so many things, she was fumbling in the fog and the darkness.

Mr. Hart and the office worker talked some more, asking her if she understood. She nodded. She didn't really understand them, she couldn't remember what they'd said, but Blue had recorded it. The VI could play it for Dae-Jung later, he'd make sure it was all right.

Then they were leaving again.

“Ms. Finch,” a familiar voice said.

It took her a moment to remember who it was. She smiled as the name came to her. “Hi, Mr. Sabri,” she said to her Spanish literature professor.

“I heard what happened to you. I'm very sorry,” the professor said.

“Thank you.”

He pushed his round glasses higher on his face. “I didn't expect to see you around campus so soon. I don't supposed you'll be able to come for the exam.”

It took her several moments to work out his sentence. Mr. Hart looked like he was about to say something, when Blue appeared as a holographic blue fairy. “Let June answer please,” the VI said, holding up it's tiny hand.

“Here sign papers. I getting medical leave. Be back next term, hope,” she eventually said.

June looked down at her feet when she saw the pity in her professors eyes. It cut through the fog, and she hated it.

“That's good. Take the time you need to rest, and I hope to see you in class again soon,” he said, reaching out to pat her arm.

Nodding, she walked away. It felt like she was forgetting something, but she couldn't remember. Her foggy brain couldn't think what it should do, and Blue wasn't telling her. So she went to the elevator and waited for Mr. Hart to catch up.

As she walked through campus, she thought about sending a message to her friends and meeting them. She shook her head, she was tired and just wanted to sleep.

An explosion roared behind her.

She was flying again. Thunder filled her ears. There was pain and she was falling. She couldn't move. She couldn't fly. The ground was coming up to meet her.

“NO!” Blue screamed, cutting through the fog and the memory.

June moved her fist, just missing the hologram and the laughing young man's head. She froze, shaking as the noise of the explosion and thunder echoed in her ears.

A group of students, were staring at her, their laughter dying down as they realized how close she'd come to punching their friend in the face. He was holding a phone in his hand, the fading sounds of an explosion were coming from it.

Mr. Hart turned, yelling at the students. She couldn't make out what he was saying. She would have broken the guy's face if her punch had connected, maybe even killed him if she'd hit just right. Her heart raced. People were staring at her. The memory of her fall played over and over in her mind. Explosions and thunder boomed in her ears.

Crying, she flew away. She had to get home. Home would have Dae-Jung. She'd be safe with him.

Monday, December 17th
Outside of Phoenix
Afternoon

Mogollon Monster struggled to see through the blinding sand storm that was doing it's best to flay his skin off. With his goggles on the sand didn't hurt him, he was a brick after all, but he still needed his vision, and he would need a serious shower later to get the sand out of his fur and other areas.

“Get ready to jump fifty feet up, towards the sun and tackle Wind Dancer. I'm going to try something,” Road Runner said through his ear bud.

He grunted, trying to figure out where the sun was, the sand had completely disoriented him. A few seconds later the wind suddenly stopped howling in his ears, and the sand began to fall. Looking up at the sun he saw the two newest Warriors struggling in the air. Road Runner had Wind Dancer in a choke hold, hanging on for dear life, while the Indian-looking woman who was supposed to be some kind of air spirit or something, struggled to get free.

Jumping, he soared through the air, arms spread to capture the trainee Warrior without crushing her. Road Runner waited until the last second to teleport away and he had the beautiful woman in his grasp. Wind Dancer grunted from the impact and began hitting him, trying to make him let go as they headed for the ground.

Wind buffeted them, but with his bulk it was like a toddler punching a bodybuilder. Hitting the sand, Road Runner was there a moment later placing a metal collar around Wind Dancer's neck. A buzzer sounded and he let the woman go with a grin.

“Good fight,” he said, shaking his head trying to get the sand out of his ears.

Wind Dancer nodded, breathing hard. “You are a very strong warrior. I'll need to fly higher next time. And you Road Runner are very tricky.”

“Here, drink up,” Road Runner said, tossing water bottles at them. Taking off her helmet the feathered albino brushed some sand off of her white suit. “I'm glad my suit covers everything. I have a date tonight, I can't spend the whole evening trying to get the sand out of my feathers.”

Guzzling down his large bottle of water, Mogollon studied his new teammate. She was sitting a foot in the air smiling as she looked around at the rocky desert, cacti and scrub that was dry and dormant for the winter.

“You like the scenery?” he asked.

“Yes, very much, Dae-Jung,” Wind Dancer replied.

“Remember when we're on the job, you use codenames, Wind Dancer,” Road Runner said.

The newcomer frowned in frustration as she adjusted her glittery face mask which looked more suitable for a Bollywood musical than a superhero. “It's confusing trying to remember which is which. Having to call myself Wind Dancer instead of Laysa, it all seems pointless.”

“It's important. Some of our enemies would come after us or our family if they knew who we were.”

Nodding in agreement, Mogollon put in his own two cents. “June, Sun Hawk, is having problems now that people know her identity. People keep bothering her when she goes outside. The other day some assholes surprised her with a recording of thunder. She nearly took the bastard's head off when she panicked.”

“Sun Hawk is your lover?” Wind Dancer asked.

He nodded, not saying anything, as he recalled having to spend hours consoling her like a child after that incident.

“I would like to meet her. Maybe my dancing can give her and you some comfort.”

“She'd probably like that,” he replied. He had seen Wind Dancer dancing, it seemed to be how she cast her magic, and every move she made looked like a dance move. Watching her dance normally would probably be a real sight.

“We're having a Christmas party, do you think Sun will be up for that?” Road Runner asked.

“Maybe. I know she wants to go to it.” His voice got lower and darker, “When she remembers it.”

Road Runner and Wind Dancer saw his darkening mood. Looking at her watch, Road Runner said, “We have time for one last match, let's get to it and then we can call it quits for the day.”

“All right. You two try to put me down,” he said. Getting up he stretched, then checked that the cameras were still working and sending the video back to base, while the women walked away to discuss strategy.

A minute later they were ready to start. Mogollon steadied himself, keeping loose to dodge the teleporting speedster and the air witch. In a physical fight he could take either of them with one hand tied behind his back. He was so tough very few people could hurt him for more than a few seconds. But Road Runner had a few more years of experience being a hero than him, and she had some nasty holdouts. Wind Dancer was new to this, but her magic and flight made her tricky.

Splitting his attention between Wind Dancer who was taking to the sky, and Road Runner who was standing well back, not moving but keeping her stance loose and ready to bolt, he wondered what they would try.

Unearthly music filled the air, the wind moved past his face whistling in perfect harmony, while bells and a deep drumming vibrated within his bones. In the sky Wind Dancer began moving in time to the music, grinning, her large eyes forming dark pools. He felt himself drawn to her, drowning in the colours and movement. Her arms and legs flowed, leaving afterimages that made him believe she had a hundred limbs moving in unison.

Something landed on his shoulder, and a capture collar slipped around his neck. Anger filled him at being distracted from the hypnotic dance.

Unthinkingly, he grabbed the annoyance and threw it as hard as he could at Wind Dancer.

He snapped out of the trance the moment Road Runner left his hand.

Horrified he watched the fragile speedster soar into the sky, Wind Dancer wasn't fast enough to react except to open her eyes wide and start to shout. They were going to hit each other and maybe die.

Then Road Runner teleported.

“FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!” she shouted through his ear bead. “Wind Dancer, I'm going way too fast! Make a wind to slow me down. Give it a lot of dust so I can see it. Mogollon, get ready to catch me!”

Looking up, he saw a white dot high in the sky. Wind Dancer was twirling in the air, dancing wildly creating a tornado around herself. He ran straight into it, spreading arms, ready to catch his teammate.

Through the dust whipping around him, he could just barely see Road Runner's pristine white costume as she teleported to the top of the wind spout. The air caught her, slowing her down, sending her straight into his arms. He bent his knees, cushioning her fall as the wind died.

“I'm so sorry,” he gasped. “I had no idea what the hell was happening and just reacted.”

Road Runner held up a finger for silence, as she sat on the sand catching her breath.

Wind Dancer flew down looking scared. “Are you hurt?” she asked.

Road Runner shook her head, then took off her helmet. “I'm alive, and I don't think I have any bruises. I do need new underwear however.”

“Some people react badly when the Dance of Mesmerism is interrupted. Usually it's used to give others a chance to flee, or to kill the target with one blow. I did not think it would be that bad in this case. I am sorry,” the woman said.

“It's OK, no one got hurt. I like the dance, but from now on we make sure we can lock the person down before we stop it,” she replied.

Mogollon nodded in agreement. The movement made him realize the capture collar was firmly around his neck. Taking it off he said, “Looks like you girls won the last round. So who gets the first round of beer next time we're at the bar?”

Road Runner's phone rang, keeping them from adding up the wins and loses. Unlocking it, she put it on speaker for all of them. “Hi, Lolomi.”

“Is everyone all right? I was watching you over the cameras,” their leader asked.

“We're good. I'm just glad this was our last sparring session for the day.”

“Good. That was a bit too close for comfort. I want all of you try to be more careful in the future.”

There was a round of agreements, from the young heroes.

Lolomi seemed satisfied with that. “OK, I have a project for you three. We've had quite a few changes to the team this year, and I want to show the city that you're all ready to be in the big leagues. A B-list supervillain is in town and has committed a few robberies already. His name is Slo-Mo from Santa Fe, New Mexico. He's a warper and a brick, who creates a field of slowness where he can move at normal speed, but even speedsters are slowed to a crawl. I want all of you to study his file and the videos of his fights, then come up with a plan to take him out with as little collateral damage as possible.”

“Santa Fe, that's the Neuvo Rangers territory, isn't it?” Mogollon asked.

“Yes it is. They usually deal with this guy, but their method isn't one I care for. Bullying a supervillain into submission would not be good for our image.”

Wind Dancer looked confused. “They insult an enemy and defeat him through his pride?”

“That's right,” their leader said, not sounding impressed.

“All right, Lolomi, send us the files, we'll look them over, and work out some strategies this week,” Road Runner said.

“I already sent them. Now get home and enjoy your evening,” Lolomi ordered, hanging up.

Mogollon scratched his head. “How do you bully a supervillain?”

“No idea. I really want to see those files now,” Road Runner replied.

“What's wrong with mocking our enemy?” Wind Dancer asked. “Insulting their pride is almost always a good thing.”

He looked at Road Runner, wondering how to explain things to the non-human woman.

“I'll let Mogollon explain. He's driving you back to headquarters after all, it will give you something to talk about,” she replied. “I've gotta go. My evening of fine dining and dancing awaits.”

“Thanks a lot,” he said, watching her get on the bike that had been specially made for her and her speedster ability.

Road Runner hopped onto the high tech bike, waved goodbye to them both, and practically vanished in a cloud of dust as she pedalled away at over a hundred miles an hour and gaining speed on the hard packed dirt road.

With a sigh, he went to collect the cameras, while Wind Dancer opened the van doors. “So why can't we insult and bully this Slow-Mo?” she asked.

“Have you been told about public relations among humans yet?” he asked, realizing that this was going to be a long ride back into the city.

Fanak's Home
Evening

“Mama, Baba,” Fai said in her native Arabic, looking at her feet, “I need to talk to you.”

Her baba put down his book and leaned forward in his chair. Her mama put aside her sewing and asked, “What is it, Fai?”

“I want to drop my dance class,” she said.

“Why would you do that? You love dancing,” her baba asked, looking concerned.

“I do. But since I'm not doing it professionally, I want to try some other things.” That wasn't strictly a lie, she loved dancing, but with still doing patrols, and learning more about being a were-fox, and her future plans, she didn't have enough time for everything.

Her mama shifted over a little and patted the seat beside her. “Sit down, Fai. We need to talk.”

Taking a seat, she played with her hands, nervous and trying to think about what to say. The Warriors had told her she needed to tell her parents about being a mutant and what she'd done, but that was easier said than done. What if they didn't let her go to Whateley when she graduated high school? What if they insisted she couldn't become a hero. Maybe they'd move back to Morocco and she'd never have the chance at being a hero.

“Your baba and I have noticed you are acting differently, being quieter, tired and distracted. Is anything wrong?”

I've fought a supervillain, been shot at, almost died, seen men die from being shot, nearly killed people trying to stay alive and rescue a girl, tasted their blood, and then many of them died in a fire, she thought. “No,” she said out loud. “I just... I just want to try new things.”

“What would you like to try?” her baba asked.

“I was thinking that I could join a gym and start lifting weights and things. Get some muscle, keep fit, maybe learn some karate or something.”

Her parents exchanged a worried look. “What brought this on?”

“I'm getting older. And I think it would be smart to learn some self-defense. And getting some muscle can't hurt.”

Squeezing her hand, her mama looked into her eyes. “Is someone bullying you or making you do something you don't want?”

“No one is bullying me,” she said, completely truthfully. “And no one is making me do anything I don't want.”

“We worry about you, Fai. You can tell us anything, and we will support you, no matter what it is.”

Looking at her parents, Fai realized how worried they were. She couldn't add to their fear. She wasn't going to go after any supervillains again, and her patrols weren't dangerous, so waiting to tell them everything would be OK. Hugging her mama she smiled. “I'm fine, mama. I just want to try different things and not settle down getting boring without living to my fullest.”

“You're sure you want to stop dancing?” her baba asked.

“I can dance at home and with friends. Paying for it seems like a waste. And the money for dancing can go to paying for a gym membership.”

Her parents exchanged another look. “Very well,” her baba said. “I'll find you a good women's gym close by you can work out at, and see about some classes for martial arts.”

“Thank you!” she exclaimed.

Heading for her room to get ready for bed, she didn't see the worried looks of her parents.

Forte's Hideout
Midnight

“Hey Sleepy, time for you to get to work,” Forte said softly, taking the protesting guinea pig out of his cage and away from his three fellow animals.

The black and white guinea pig squeaked unhappily as she carried him to her lab where she was playing some big band music. He became much more happy when she put him down beside a small apple slice inside a box where he wouldn't wander away. Yawning, she took a moment to pet her little test subject, she'd been working nearly constantly for the last few days to get devises ready for herself, her clients, and the heist.

“You like that don't you, little guy?” she said softly, using her left hand to stroke his soft fur. She'd found the animals liked her to use her flesh and blood left hand rather than her prosthetic one, that wasn't a problem. She could actually feel their fur with her left hand.

With Sleepy calm and relaxed, Forte picked up her newest weapon and left the lab for the small range that made up half of her hideout. A thick piece of dowelling stuck out of a bucket of rocks, waiting to be beaten. Raising the short rubber whip, she brought it down on the wood, hitting it hard enough to cause a loud crack. For the next minute she hit the wood as hard and as quickly as she could, actually knocking the target over twice despite the large, heavy base.

“Ow,” she muttered, rolling her stiff shoulder. Studying the rubber weapon, she saw it was badly scuffed, but everything seemed to be OK. Most importantly the tiny dot of sonic metal that could just be seen at the tip of the club-like whip was glowing faintly. Smiling, she headed back for the guinea pig.

Poking the napping little thing, she said, “Wake up Sleepy.”

It made a cute little clucking sound, that she'd learned meant it was happy. Forte had only had the guinea pig and his siblings for three days, but when she wasn't sleeping or working, she'd spent a fair bit of time reading about them and watching them.

Seeing he was completely awake, she lifted her whip, pressing a button making it hum quietly, and held it right above Sleepy. “Time to say nighty-night.”

Very gently she brought the devise down on the guinea pigs head. Instantly the animal fell asleep. Taking note of the time, she went to make herself a cup of tea. Returning five minutes later, Sleepy was still asleep.

“Good, it can take a beating and still work,” she said to herself. Sipping her tea, she waited another five minutes to see if the guinea pig would wake up by himself, but he kept snoring away.

Getting a little worried, she reached into the box. “OK, lets see if he'll wake up at all.” Poking the guinea pig several times finally got the animal to yawn, looking up at her with very tired eyes, before falling asleep again.

“OK, the sleep whip can take a beating and still work. Perfect.” She looked at the four other whips she'd made at the same time as the test devise and grinned. She could hand over the one for the school girl tomorrow with the rest of the devises, and another one would go to Book when they met up in a few days to go over the last details of the Christmas heist. The other two could be put in storage for selling later.

Scooping up her pet and test animal, she carried the sleeping cutie back to his cage, placing him beside his sleeping sisters. She'd check on him in the morning and give him an extra big piece of apple for his hard work.

“OK, now time to see if Big Guy's stuff is ready,” she said, whispering so the guinea pigs wouldn't be disturbed.

Going back to the lab she checked the program running on her laptop making sure the harmonic series was completed. “It looks good, lets see if it works.”

Opening up the sound proof box where she could 'program' her sonic metal, Forte pulled out an oversized knuckle duster. It was mostly steel, with threads of sonic metal running through the metal, giving it a fantasy weapon appearance.

“Jesus this is heavy,” she grunted. She could hold it in her left hand, but if she tried to punch someone with it, she'd probably fall on her face. Taking it to the range, she stopped at an old cinder block she'd scavenged a few weeks ago, it would be a good test for the sonic knuckles.

Putting on a pair of safety glasses, ear plugs, and a thick leather apron she was ready for the test. Wrapping her metal hand around the devise, holding it more like a barbell because her hand was too small for it, she squeezed the two buttons activating the sonic metal. It began thrumming quietly, and a faint vibration ran along her arm up to her stump.

Lifting it up over the cinder block, Forte brought it down. The cement exploded as thunder filled the room, making her bones vibrate. The directed blast kept the chunks of cement from hitting her face and shoulders, but she grunted from a particularly large piece slamming into her stomach. More pieces hit her legs, harmlessly clanging off the metal prosthetics.

“Ow,” she muttered, rubbing her stomach which was probably already bruised despite the thick leather. “Well it works at least.”

Examining the devise, she saw it wasn't even scratched. “OK, I need to put some sound dampening on this thing. I don't want to even think how loud this will be if Big Guy uses it while he's fifteen feet tall. But it works. I wonder how much I should sell this for?”

Happy at a good days work, Forte powered down the devise, and went to get a broom. She'd do a bit more work tomorrow and then take a well earned break in the evening. Things were definitely looking up, even if she did have to worry about Soldado and his minions.

December 18^th, 2016
Chandler, Greater Phoenix Area
After School

“We have to try that new candy cane mocha that they just came out with,” Mandy said.

“It sounds nice, but I like my mint tea,” Fai replied, shivering a little from the cold.

Alexa who was walking beside them shrugged. “I just want a chocolate chip muffin. I'm starving.”

“You've been eating so much are you sure you aren't a mutant?” Mandy teased.

“I'm a growing girl!” Alexa protested. Then she grinned, pushing out her small chest. “And it's about time I start growing out a little.”

Laughing they kept walking towards their usual coffee shop, dodging other students on the way home, and the regular pedestrians who weren't paying attention to where they were going.

Iron Rain watched Fai and her friends from a block away. Flexing his hand he still felt a little weakness in his fingers, but that was from lack of exercise, the nerves were finally healed. And what he would consider a little weakness wouldn't even be noticed by most people. For a man in his trade, who had trained his body to be a weapon for two decades, it was a reminder of his embarrassment.

Looking around, he made sure no one was watching him. Sitting in the middle of the roof of the tallest building in the area, he was safe from anyone but drones or fliers, still it always paid to make sure. He was a professional after all, letting himself be spotted committing a crime would be sloppy.

Satisfied that he was in the clear, he focused once more on his targets. With his power warping the space between them, he could reach out and touch them despite being so far away. The Latina girl, Alexa was walking closest to the road, smiling and laughing, not a care in the world.

She'd do nicely.

Reaching out with his hand he altered the 'tunnel' between him and the girl, latching it onto her. He waited, watching the traffic as it sped past. Then he slammed his hand forward into the tunnel.

Fai didn't know what happened. One second Alexa was walking beside her, laughing at a bad joke, and the next, she was yelling and falling onto the street right in front of a bus.

Two months ago all she could have done was watch as her friend died. But as Fanak, she had learned to react without thinking, dodging guns, knives and fists. Now, even in her merely human form, she still had the instincts of Fanak.

Spinning, she grabbed Alexa's outstretched hand and yanked her back towards safety as hard as she could, before her conscious mind even knew what was happening.

The squealing of brakes filled the air, and then a crunch.

She screamed as Alexa's hand was wrenched out of her grip.

There were screams, and the crashing of cars rear ending each other, the drivers not ready for the sudden stops.

Fai looked down in horror at her friend. Alexa was on the sidewalk shrieking in pain, bone poking through her bloody pants.