AWS PROJECT #3 - FAMILY REUNION

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[Lilly Pryor]

The Pryors

Lilly pulled some clothes from her closet and turned to her dresser to grab some more, and spotted the button-eyes bear sitting there. She tossed her clothing, still on hangars, onto the bed and picked up the bear.

"You got some explaining to do buddy." she said, looking into's button eyes, waiting for a response that didn't come.

"And if you've been perving on me while I change and sleep... Well that just gross." she finally chastised the bear and tossed it onto her bed.

Lilly picked up her clothing and went into the bathroom to change, stripping off the fatigues into a pile. She caught a glimpse of herself into the mirror, the first she had really seen herself since the party. Her body was the same, more or less, just incredibly fit and toned, even more so than her normally rather impressive physique for her age. Not only that, but she could see that, though still far from large, her breasts were straining against her bra, having grown just a bit to better fill out her proportions.

She felt her breasts as she looked in the mirror, as if she were not sure they were real, and nodded.

"Huh. So that's what was distracting Sandy." she muttered to herself.

Lilly brushed her hands over her chiseled abs and arms and then turned, rising onto her tiptoes to look at her bum in the mirror.

"And I thought  I had a nice ass before. Huh." she muttered.

 

A few minutes later Lilly was walking into the living room, now fully changed back into her owns clothes, a t-shirt, hoodie and jeans, with her sports bra and athletic shorts underneath, for good measure. Her parents, who where sitting down, rose to their feet when she walked in and stepped over to her, both hugging their daughter.

"I'm.. I'm okay, I think." Lilly said

"I don't have long, honey. What's going on is, well, it's big. But don't worry. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Dr. Mizuki and I am doing everything we can." her father reassured.

"So tell me, what exactly happened?"

Lilly sighed and plopped down on the sofa, grabbing a pillow and pulling it into her lap.

"Well.. we won the Homecoming game. We were shutout the first half, but then Coach put me in and we shut them out the second half and got the win. And then we went to Homecoming, and it was a fun and everything. And, Oh!" she said, with a bright smile on her face, "I was named Homecoming Queen and Sandy was King!" she said excitedly.

Lilly's mom smiled softly and her dad frowned slightly, knowing she was beating around the bush.

Lilly sighed.

"Well, then after there was this party by the lake, at the old scout camp. So we went. We were just hanging out, and I didn't drink or anything. I mean, just a root beer. But anyways, we were hanging out and then this big storm came up from across the lack and heading us fast. So we went into the cabins for shelter, figuring it was moving so fast that it should pass pretty quick. So we went inside and I guess me and the other all got REALLY bad headaches and fell unconscious."

"And then these.. like... dog-sized scorpion/bug things showed up. They started stinging people with some sedative or something, and then cocooning them up to take away. So we were out for a couple of minutes, and then woke up and say all of these thing, and these three big ones, like wolf sized or bigger and these little, cyclops dragonfly things. They were attacking us and gather other kids to drag off into these portals. "

So, like, I woke up and suddenly knew I could do all these things. I don't know how I knew I just did." Lilly explained

"Do things? Like what?" her mother asked.

"Well... I knew that I was really strong and really tough, and like a super athlete. I knew I could, like, lift tons and that, like, a bite or knife or gun wouldn't hurt too much, if at all. I mean, I know more now, but I'll get to that."

"So, like, thy are attacking and gathering up kids as food or whatever to drag them away, and I knew I had to do what I could to help. So I ran outside to stop them. Kia and Sara followed. Kia became this ten foot tall... beast thing, and Sara, she was flying and on fire. They started stomping and blasting the bugs while I took on the 3 big ones by myself. Well, not by myself. I mean, I knew they had my back if I needed their help, but I knew I could do it alone."

"Anyways, we start fighting them and stuff and I see them trying to drag people though the portals, so I rip off a cabin wall and stick in between them at the portals, to stop them from taking anybody and to keep the little flyer ones from escaping through the portal to get reinforcements or whatever."

"So, like, we fight them and kill the alien things, stop them from escape and rescue everybody. And then the guys from the base show up. Everybody stung seemed to not remember the last twenty minutes or so, so they do not know what happened at all. So they are taken to the hospital or whatever as we are taken to the base and we see you and Dr. Mizuki and Lang, and Blitz. Oh! Blitz! He's waaay cool."

"That was a very brave thing you and your friends did. A lot of kids your age would have just ran or hid, but you guys risked yourselves to save your classmates. So I am equal parts irritated that you would risk yourself like that, but also proud that you did." Lt. Col. Pryor said as he sat down and gave her daughter a side hug.

Lilly gave a shy smile and rested her head against her dad's for a moment.

"It wasn't just me. We all helped. We fought them or helped the captured kids or whatever."

"We know." Lilly's mom, Cassanda, said with a smile, resting her hand on Lilly's knee.

"You said you know you can more things now. Like what? You didn't mention the 'laying on of hands' earlier. Is that new?" she asked her daughter.

"Yeah. It's new. Well, I mean I didn't know I could do it when I woke up, but I know now." Lilly said, pausing to clutch the pillow to her chest.

"Just, like... don't freak out, okay?" she asked, honestly concerned and scared.

"I mean, I know what I can do, and I am sure it can sound scary. But I'm still me." she said, showing a bit of fear at possible reaction or rejection from her parents.

"Lilly, you will always be our little girl." her mother said, holding Lilly's face tenderly, a hand on either cheek before she leaned in and kissed her forehead.

"I'm just, you know, thinking about it all in my head and it's a lot of stuff. I don't want to frighten you or think I'm a freak or anything."

"That can never happen, sweetie."

Lilly sighed and thought for a moment before she started to try and explain her newfound abilities.

"It's like I have all this energy inside me. It's changed me and made me stronger, and faster and tougher. Like, I could stack every car on the street... and lift them up at once. I'm pretty sure I can punch a hole in a tank. I can jump miles. Like... dozens of miles. I can run at hundreds of miles per hour too. And I could do these things for hours straight."

"I know that my senses are.. I dunno.. hardened? Like, a flashbang would just be a cap gun to me."

"And you know how when a car cannot get traction on on gravel, and so the wheel throws the little bits of gravel and they kinda string when they hit you, but'd not draw blood or anything?"

Her dad nodded.

"Well.. I am pretty sure that's what small arms are to me now. I'm pretty much bulletproof. I'm pretty sure even a shot from the main gun on a tank would hurt, but not stop or kill me, if  it could even hit me." 

"But Like I said, I have all this energy inside me and I can make it surge into my muscles and stuff, making me even stronger, faster and tougher for a while. Like those guys in that anime when their hair goes blond and spiky."

"And mom saw that I can channel that energy into another person and, like, repair their cells, bones, tissues or whatever. I can heal people, but only a little right now."

Lilly looked at her parents who were both looking at her somewhat stunned, just trying to take it all in. 

"See? I knew th-" Lilly paused as her father took her hand and looked her in the eyes.

"Some researchers are coming to test you guys. Nothing bad. Just like MRIs and stuff. Don't reveal anything that might really scare them. Keep it to yourself for now as we work this all out. It is not that I do not trust them, but I know people have a tendency to overreact and so I am doing all I can to make sure you all can go back about your lives for the time being while we figure this all out. We just need some time." her father said to Lilly, holding both of her hands in his own.

"I'm not gonna let anything happen to you or your friends. You got that?" he  asked.

Lilly nodded and hugged her father, a moment later her mother's arms wrapped around the both of them. 

[Abel Cross]

Abel didn't see his Father until the following day, his sisters, thankfully had remained in town, staying at a friend's house, and were none the wiser of anything actually going on.  

Cornelia Cross sat there virtually alone with her only son, and to her great surprise, his dog.   Blitz had been gone two years, and they'd not gotten another pet, which was something she had intended, it just seemed that the children didn't want another dog.   "So Abel.."

He looked at her, and it was an odd sensation, as if her son was staring into her soul.  "What would you like to know mom?"

"All of this, it's so...  "  

"unbelievable is probably the most common thing I've heard, but it's true.  We're all what they're calling "Enhanced."   For some it's very noticeable, and others not so much.   As for me, I'm smarter than I used to be, and I can generate a simple forcefield to protect myself from harm."

"How can you be so utterly calm about this?"  She just stared at him.

"I didn't change gender, or develop some crazy power that destroys my clothes, like some of the others did, so you know, it's not like I'm all that different."

"These abilities.."

"Are like any other skill, or talent, fundamentally.   Certainly some of the abilities defy previous beliefs of reality, but In time I'm sure we'll know the cause, and how it will affect us.  Honestly, I know you're worried, but you shouldn't be.  I feel fine, aside from being hungry."

For her part, It all seemed to pat to Cornelia, as a teacher.   She could always tell when her son lied, and while none of the tells she'd noted over the years of it were present, she knew he was not telling her everything.   

"Well, let's go to the caffeteria then."  She got up determined to try to get him to be more open.   The trip there was uneventful, and the food wasn't terrible.   Still even after eating, Abel's calm facade remained firmly in place.

"You're going to let them run all the tests on you right?"   She asked him concern bleeding into her voice.  

"Of course, though I fell them unneeded.  I will say no to anything I think of as too invasive though.   I'm not here to be poked and prodded to no end."  There was a hint of a smile on his lips as he spoke. 

"How was the dance?"

That actually got a smile from him.  "it went very well.   Lily and Sandy got crowned King and queen."  

"Well that's great to hear, but what about you and Kia?"   

While Abel didn't clam up, he shrugged.  "It went well, and was likely to keep getting better before the incident at the campsite.   We both had a great time, and it's certainly my thought to build on it."   

"Sounds like it went really well, if you're thinking of changing your relationship.."  

"We can't remain static and unchanged forever.  Life only moves forward."

Cornelia Cross smiled, and nodded.  What he said was certainly true enough, and hearing him still voice "normal" concerns and desires of having a girlfriend, even in his roundabout way was reassuring.
--------------------------------------------------
The next day saw Abel brought into the Infirmary where a great deal of equipment had been flown in, no doubt sparing no expense, to run tests on them.  The first thing that was done was Drawing blood samples, followed by a MRI, CAT scan, and even a somewhat exhaustive series of X-rays.   Purely mundane of course, and Abel endured them all with a Stoic grace, despite his dislike of needles.

What followed, was an Interview, conducted by Anahita Rashoud, a Doctor from NASA, who had studied previous Enhanced.   While it was fairly comprehensive, Abel answered her questions, giving out the same story and list of powers that he'd given his mother and the others who interviewed him.  His story didn't change, and while he did seem genial enough, in alot of ways, he seemed quite bored.  When she asked, he nodded.  "This is boring to me.  I know I'm fine.   I'm only doing all of this because i was told more would be divulged on the project.   Now that Interests me.   Perhaps that seems cold, or even abit callous, but I want to focus on something constructive, not just endless medical tests.  I'm positive my friends are all fine too, despite the changes some have gone through, and what i'd really like if there's nothing forthcoming on the project front, is to help them because I know there's going to be some adjustment involved."

Taken aback slightly, Dr. Rashoud looked at the young man sitting there so calmly.   "I will see what we can do to provide you some sort of outlet then Abel, to thank you for your cooperation until the higherups decide to tell you what they plan to tell you."   

Abel simply nodded.  "Thank You Doctor."  

[Sara Hutchins]

BULWARK AFB

OFFICERS TEMPORARY QUARTERS

4:30AM

 

It wasn't a big set of rooms but it was surprisingly nice. There was a TV with satellite, a full kitchen (empty unfortunately). A full sized bathroom with tub, and two bedrooms. Some paintings (Air Force Themed) rounded things out.

Jacob Hutchins sat in a fairly comfortable easy chair looking at his daughter who was also sitting across from him, on a couch smoking a cigarette. He wished he had a beer but had been too self concious to ask for some when Sara had requested the smokes.

Sara took a long drag off the menthol and bit her lower lip, she had told her dad everything. She hadn't meant too but once she had started it just all came out.

Now they sat in silence, had been sitting in silence for the better part of an hour as she chain smoked cigarette after cigarette.

“Hmph.” Her dad made a noise and shifted in his chair. “I am not a smart man, not like these officers and scientist. But I just don't understand...”

“You don't believe me,” Sara cut him off.

“No honey, no, I believe you. I saw the pictures, hell saw the damn bodies. I just don't understand it.” He slowly shakes his head his phone buzzing again for the tenth or eleventh time. He checks the screen as Sara lights another smoke.

“Your smoking to many of those Sara they're bad for you.”

She blows several rings of smoke into the air, “Really daddy, I can burst into flame and shoot heat rays from my eyes. I don't think I need to worry about cigarettes anymore.”

He stares at his daughter not have

His phone rings again this time he answers it after he looks.

“Yeah...”

Sara watched her dad as he listened, could see the stress, she idly wondered why she wasn't feeling stressed or freaking out she should be. Instead she was just laid back, she wasn't even tired or hungry, though she thought she should be.

“Honey?”

She had gotten lost in her thoughts, hadn't realized that he had finish one call and made another.

“I have to go into town things are going crazy at the hospital with the other kids...”

Are they alright?”

“As far as I know they are but I have to go now. Look as soon as I can I'll get back here and we'll figure all this out.”

“It's ok dad go do what you need to do. They have tests and stuff they want to do.”

“Okay Honey, if you need anything Annabelle will be here”

Sudden anger flared inside the temperature rose around Sara, “Daddy, I don't need a babysitter!”

Jacob paused at the door. “She's not here to babysit you Sara,” he sighed and put his hat on, “she's here for her mother and her brother. I just wanted to let you know in case you needed me. Well talk later. Love you Honey.”

 

Sara finished the pack of menthol's. It was six thirty in the morning, she had tried to watch TV but it was all dull and gray she wished she could be with her friends. They were there she could feel them occasionally one of them would talk in “guild chat”, but she didn't respond. She wanted to talk to Sean be alone with her. She wondered what she must be going through .

The last cigarette was done stubbed out and joined the rest of the butts in the ashtray. She turned off the TV it had ended up on a news channel. She saw Shelly in the news talk about the kid being electrocuted and the miracle that none of the kids had been killed. The anger flared again. We were lying to the world.

We are part of a lie. She went and took a shower.

The water sprayed against her naked body.

She turned it up as hot as it could go until it hurt.

Her skin turned red.

The pain felt good.

She was sitting on the couch again when a knock at the door roused her. She hadn't been sleeping but she had been elsewhere.

She opened the door. It was Annabelle bearing food. Breakfast from the base cafeteria, eggs, bacon, toast, hash browns , biscuits and gravy. Enough to feed an army.

“Thought you might be hungry” She said as Sara stepped back letting her in. She went to the kitchenette and started laying the food out on the table. Talking the whole while.

“I am kinda freaking out about all of this I don't know how you kids could handle this but all of you are. It's just so fucking strange. Here sit down eat you must be starving. Alec ate like crazy, enough for 4 men twice his size. Well the size he was, I mean. Hey you didn't change any, I mean looks or anything...”

Sara just stood silent, watching Annabelle.

Annabelle was very attractive in a kinda butch way, and Sara knew that the other deputies all had the hots for the blond deputy. She thought her dad did too.

“Are you sleeping with my dad?”

The question shocked the hell out of Annabelle, she spun and faced Sara.

“What? No! I am not sleeping with your father! My god! Why would you ask that, why would you even think that?”

“I don't know? Your always with him.”

“He's my boss, Sara, what the hell”

“It's just that you and he seem to always be together. Used to be other deputies rode with him and rotated in and out of the station. But since you got here that's all changed. You never get assigned to the county patrols your always at the station and any time my dad goes out now your there too.”

Suddenly Annabelle felt scared. She saw a flicker in Sara's eyes she had never seen before. Like a flame was reflecting but there were no open flames in the apartment.

“Believe me Sara there is nothing going on between your dad and me. I'm just his lead deputy because I have a degree in criminology and none of the other Deputies do. That's why your dad keeps me close to the station.” She hadn't noticed that her hand had gone to her gun until after she finished speaking, she dropped it to her side. “really Sara there's nothing going on.”

 

“It's no big deal Annabelle I was just wondering.” Sara sits and starts scooping food onto a plate. “This looks good thanks for bringing it.” She smiles up at Alec's sister.

Annabelle nods and moves toward the door. “My pleasure. I better get back to Alec, my moms been at the base hospital all night. I'll see you later. Call if you need anything.”

Sara starts eating as Annabelle makes a hasty and nervous exit.

The food is good and as Sara eats she come to realize that she is hungry. In a short time she has devoured all of the food Annabelle had brought and for a while she wished there had been more.

 

Later she was back on the couch. She conversed with Sean a bit over their private channel and with the rest of the irregulars. She told Alec' she might have freaked Annabelle out a little and that she was sorry if she had.

Around mid morning a female soldier came to take her to the infirmary where they were going to test her.

Her dad hadn't checked back in to see how she was since he had left.

 

 

 

[Sean Cassidy]

The Cassidys

Sean hugged her parents and younger sister, surprisingly grateful to see them, while for the first time since her metamorphosis feeling awkward in her exquisite and curvaceous skin. It wasn't that she was standing with her family as a fully grown woman rather than an undeveloped, androgynous boy. They had been surprised, to be sure - Laurelei had openly gawked - but there had been no hesitation in their rush to embrace her, a worry she hadn't considered until she had first seen them.

No, what felt really odd was that she was taller than they were. She was well aware of just how tall she was, down to the millimeter, enjoyed her new height, even reveled in it, but it was different standing next to her family, in a way that having breasts and an emptiness between her legs wasn't. She had always had to look up at her mother and father, and even her younger sister the last three years. Now, she had half a foot on her mother and Laurelei, and a full inch on her father. Sean mused, this might take me longer to adjust to than anything else.

She wondered what her older sister Teagan would think of the new her.

"We're glad to see you're okay too, so - er, Sean," Jack Cassidy wheezed, "but that is quite the grip you have there. I don't think my ribs can take much more."

Sean gave them all one last heartfelt squeeze that lifted their feet off the ground, then stepped back, a rueful grin gracing her full lips and breaking through the overwhelming self-assurance and competence she'd been feeling since she had woken up. "Sorry, Dad. It's... I didn't realize how good it is to see you all, since..."

Sean gestured gracefully at herself with the panache of a game-show hostess, her grin turning wry. Carolyn Cassidy gave her son-come-daughter a once-over as only a mother could, that seemed to weight her to the ounce and measure her to the eighth of an inch and missed nothing in between.

"When they called, at first we thought they had made a mistake and meant Teagan, but they were insistent. It sounded completely unbelievable, impossible." Carolyn shook her head in remembered disbelief, then reached to pat this spectacular, young woman who was - or had been - her only son reassuringly on the shoulder. "But I see it's all true. You are okay, Sean?"

"I'm... fine," Sean sighed in her melodious, silken voice, then gave a casual shrug. "Just... y'know, still adjusting in some ways."

Her father eyed her quizzically - only in some ways? - and Laurelei looked equally doubtful, but Sean wasn't sure how to explain, exactly. Carolyn on the other hand rounded on Dr. Mizuki, a stubborn and determined set to her jaw. "I want to know what happened to my son, Doctor, and how we turn him back."

"What happened to him?!" Laurelei exclaimed. "He got hit by a quintuple dose of puberty is what! Just the wrong one. What kind of drugs were at this after-party?"

"I didn't do any," Sean said with a roll of her eyes, but seeing the looks on her parent's faces, reiterated quickly. Laurie couldn't help but be amused by what looked like an insanely gorgeous supermodel trying to convince her parents she was a 'good girl' - this whole situation was absurd! "Really, no drugs, except maybe some second-hand pot. I only had one drink!"

"I fully understand, Mrs. Cassidy, and I'll explain what I can," Kia's father said, stressed but not unkindly, giving Laurie a tight smile. "And you are not wholly wrong."

Sean took a step and led her mother to seat, adding, "I don't think they know how to turn me back, or even where to begin, Mom. Let's hear what Dr. Mizuki has to say."

Sean didn't want to mention that she didn't actually want to turn back to her old self. Considering the Pros and Cons, she preferred how she was now..

The Cassidys listened attentively to Dr. Mizuki as he explained the situation with the Alien Incursion, Project Stepping Stone, and what they knew of Quantum Enhanced Humans. Sean asked some incisive and technical questions on the subjects, some Dr. Mizuki could answer and some he could not, whether due to security considerations or not actually knowing the answer, but he noted her questions with sharp interest. Sean's head churned with a cascade of hypotheses and theories, ideas and considerations.

Sean and her family agreed to stay on base while the military tried to get control of the situation and had an airman assigned to them to show them the mess and the officer's quarters granted them, as well to make sure they got everything they needed for their stay. Senior Airman Aaron Dwyer had heard rumours about the QE kids, but he hadn't expected the tall young woman who was said to have been a small boy just a few hours ago. She looked like the distilled essence of the best features of all the women who had appeared in Sports Illustrated for the last decade, with a voice that would make any man stand at attention.

He was supposed to take the Cassidys to the mess before showing them to their quarters, but Sean persuaded him to have the Commissary and the Exchange opened tonight so they could get what they needed for their stay rather than waiting until tomorrow. Everyone on base was being very professional and accommodating to their unexpected guests, but the Cassidys could see they were being especially so in Sean's case.

Sean hadn't been the most sociable person outside his tight circle of friends. But now, people were treating her with something almost akin to the awe and deference offered to super popular celebrities. And to the Cassidys' surprise - and vague disquiet - Sean was handling it with aplomb and grace, putting people at ease with effortless charm and wit.

Trying to make sense of all of this, Laurelei fell back on old habits and tried to tease her brother-now-sister as they selected a weekend's worth of clothing for Sean at the Exchange. But all her old buttons seemed to be broken. No matter what Laurelei suggested, how feminine the clothing, Sean agreed with a small grin. Even more infuriating, she seemed to have unexpectedly good style and was able to move around in the ankle boots with the chunky, three-inch heels as though she had been born with them. Damn, Sean is tall, now!

Sean found something to be mildly irritated about. She would never be mistaken for anything less than large breasted and finding a properly fitting bra might be a bit of a problem. She'd found a pair with big enough the cups, she would just to take in the band a few inches, but finding fitting tops wasn't hard, even if they tended to be snug to tight across the bust. But she hadn't expected it being so difficult to find pants long enough in the leg.

No wonder it takes women so long to shop for clothes. What they need is a full body scanner and a loom equivalent to a 3D-printer. Hmm, shouldn't be hard to do, just need a...

Before being taken to their quarters, they stopped off at the Commissary and Sean picked up groceries enough to tonight and tomorrow. Doing something as domestic and innocuous as cooking dinner helped put her family at ease - as she had meant it to. As Sean prepared a chicken recipe with all the skill of a professional TV chef, a cup of blessed coffee near at hand, she told her family everything that had happened since the Homecoming Dance.

"I... I must say, Sean, you are taking all... this, very well," her mother commented cautiously after they had sat down to eat. "I just want to reassure you, you don't have to put up a front for us. We raised two daughters already, and while we'll miss having a son as well, your father and I won't love you any less if you choose to identify that way as well. You seem very... natural at it."

"I never thought you would, but thank you," Sean replied. "It's not really a case of how I choose to identify, it's just, with everything else that is happening, suddenly turning into a girl doesn't seem like such a big deal, and my transformation seems to come with the instincts to live as one. You all seem to be dealing with this pretty well yourselves."

"For me, I'm still thinking I've fallen into a superhero movie," Jack Cassidy admitted with dry wryness. "And not even a particularly good one. I can hardly believe it all, if I couldn't see the evidence in front of me. It could almost believe it's an elaborate hoax. Almost. Except a well planned hoax would be more believable."

"Speaking of superhero movies," Laurie piped in, "you mentioned the flying and telekinesis and shooting fire the eyes and hulking out and all that, but superpowers do you have, Sean? Other than having looks and a voice that should be illegal or at least come with warning labels. Maybe real life censor bars."

Sean smiled wryly in a way that mirrored her father. "You've all seen the Avengers and the other Marvel movies. Going by those, I'd say I'm sort of a mix Captain America and Black Widow-"

"Scarlett Johansson isn't nearly as hot or sexy as you," Laurie interrupted.

Sean nodded while continuing, "- with some Iron Man too. Not the suit, but given enough time and the materials, I might be able to make one. I'm stronger, faster, tougher, higher than olympic levels with senses sharper than human and all the skills of a super-spy." She smirked mischievously at her sister. "And I've got Spidey-Sense."

Sean paused, pursing her lips, considering how to frame her other... powers, or changes, deciding on how wanted to look at it. "While I can't fly or turn invisible or what not, I did get something else, which I think is partly why I'm dealing so well with being like this. I have... experience."

"Experience? You mean, you have memories of being a woman?" Jack Cassidy asked, growing slightly uneasy.

Sean shook her head. "Not memories, but the raw experience," Sean explained. "I don't have any memories of learning to fire a gun, but I have the experience of decades of marksmanship training, it's almost instinct. The same with martial arts, athletics, wilderness training, engineering, science, a real Renaissance Man, er Woman, a true polymath." She nodded at her sister. "It's why I didn't have any trouble with the heels. It's going to be really hard if I still have to go to school. Teachers don't like it when you correct them."

"You know, Sean, that is the scariest thing I've heard all night," Laurelei admitted staring her new sister in an entirely different way. "Are you even you, still?"

"Objectively, I can understand that," Sean said. "I just can't feel it. The 'experience' and assurance it gives me won't let me. It's all strange, but I feel I can deal with it. And don't think I've haven't asked if I'm still me. I believe I am, just... more. And y'know... taller." She gave her sister a teasing grin. "Consider it this way, Laurie. Will you still be the same person ten years from now, when you are in college or backpacking across Europe, or whatever? It's like that, at the core, I'm still the same person - at least, I believe I am - just with more experience and knowledge at my fingertips. It's just taking a bit to adjust to, so it doesn't all go to my head."

"Well, I think it will take us all some time to adjust to, but adjust to it we will," Carolyn Cassidy assured her children and husband. "Now, Sean cooked dinner, so we get clean up duties."

The Cassidys spoke of things, new and old, often turning towards the practical in consideration for Sean's metamorphosis, but it was getting late and it had been a stressful night to say the least. The other Cassidys went to bed while Sean leaned back in the lounge-chair, long legs crossed and ran through all the possibilities tomorrow could bring wondering what she actually felt about it.

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Laurelei woke up to the smell of bacon and a mellifluous humming. Looking over at the other bed in the room, she found it empty and neatly made. She climbed out of bed and padded down the hall, the enthralling humming leading her to the kitchen, where she found her new sister, back towards her, cooking breakfast as she hummed and shook her hips along to the radio turned down low.

Sean was dressed simply in a tank top and a pair of gym shorts that she had slept in, making them look like a fashion statement and she still looked like she had just stepped out from a salon. The sunset hues of her hair gleamed under the morning sun streaming through the window and fell in a smooth swathe down the right side of her face. Her perfect ass and endless long, sleek and toned legs than any dancer would envy flexed with shift of her hips and Laurie could barely take her eyes off them, unable to help feeling a stab of envy before recalling this impossible glamazon was her pipsqueak older brother.

"Would you like pancakes or an omelette, sis?"

"Huh?" Laurelei grunted, suddenly realizing Sean had turned around and stopped humming to ask her a question. "How'd you know it was me?"

"I could hear you and I know what you sound like when you're walking. Now, for breakfast, do you want an omelette or pancakes?" Sean repeated. Laurie opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, Sean added, "and yes, we have chocolate chips. But no real maple syrup, just Aunt Jemima."

"That's okay, I'll have pancakes." Laurie sat down at the kitchen table and Sean set a class of orange juice before her. Laurie noticed scattered papers all over the table, full of complicated scribbles, numbers, and drawings. "What's all this?"

"Ideas I have," Sean said, flipping a pancake with a deft motion. "Some big, some small, not all feasible.... Yet?"

"Is this the Arc Reactor from Iron Man?" Laurie asked, holding up sheet with a distinctive device drawn on it.

"That's just a movie," Sean said, amused. "That won't actually generate power. But it is intended to be a super-efficient high capacity battery. For vehicles and other heavy or power-intensive machinery."

"And this? A bra?" Laurie looked at her sister and stuck out her tongue. "You do really need one now, Booby McBoobface, with those jugs." Actually, giving her another look, it seemed her sister barely needed one, despite her size. "To be decent anyway and so Mom doesn't have a cow."

"Meant to work with something like memory foam, so it would truly be one size fit all." Sean frowned as she turned to place a stack of pancakes with a side of bacon  and hashbrowns in front of Laurie. "Don't really care for that one. I like the full body scanner and 3D-Printer Loom better."

Sean took her own seat with dug into a big omelette, a big mug of coffee at hand and described her ideas as Laurie held up sheet of paper in turn. Sean really wished she had her own computer - after some time tinkering with it - but the notes helped her visualize things, even if she didn't need them to remember it all.

Soon, Laurie wound down and they Cassidy girls eat in silence. Any second now...

"Sean, can I ask you something?" Laurie asked softly, keeping her eyes down.

"Sure, Laurie. Anything."

"Aren't you sad, or mad, or.. or something that you aren't a guy anymore, that you suddenly turned into a woman?"

Sean took a sip of coffee, contemplating the question. "I'm a little regretful I never got a chance to make love to a woman while I was a guy, but other than that, not really. It wasn't much of a guy anyway. I can do pretty much anything now that I could before, except pee standing up, and do a great deal more. If I had to trade my cock to be able to bench press a car and everything else, I consider that a fair trade. Besides, half the world gets by being women, I figure I can manage it with the superpowers to back it up."

"You were a great brother!" Laurie protested loyally.

"I was an okay brother at best," Sean countered. She reached across the table and patted Laurie's hand. "But I hope to be a better sister." She gave Laurie a half-grin. "At the least, we can go shopping together some time and I'm not so opposed to dressing as Harley Quinn for Halloween anymore."

"The guys won't know what hit them," Laurie said, grinning back, but it faded quickly, as she fidgeted and moved the last forkful of pancake around her place. "Do you like guys now, then? You seemed awfully friendly with senior airman Dwyer."

Sean's grin widened slowly and playfully. "Laurie!" she exclaimed, her rich, silken tones hinting at affront. "Are you asking me if I'm straight?!"

Laurie blushed bright red, but when Sean chuckled, she couldn't hold in her own giggle-snorts. "Yeah, I guess I am."

"I'll admit I'm kind of curious to know what it feels like to be with a guy, but no, I'm not attracted to them. Just to girls." She pursed her lips. "I suppose Chet was right after all, I am gay."

"Girls like Sara?"

Sean gave Laurelei a direct, level. "Yes."

"Is that why... you, y'know, boobs and vaj?"

Sean sighed, got up, refilled her mug of coffee and sat down. Her movements were so casual and unconsciously feminine, even knowing she had been her brother, Laurie could hardly believe Sean used to be a guy. "No and yes. Think of it this way - I take it you've been so pissed at someone before, you said you'd kill them or wish they'd die in a fire?"

Laurie cocked her head to side, curious about Sean's question. "Of course, plenty of times."

"Right. So while you may have believed it, just for the tiniest instant, you didn't really mean it, right?"

"Well..." she hemmed and hawed, but gave it up when Sean arched a brow. "Well, no, not really, really."

"Okay. It was like that. I didn't really want this, except at that barest of instants, I suppose I did. And lucky me, it became real."

"Do you know what you are going to do about school and like, y'know, you being like... you are and with the military wanting things all hush-hush..."

Before Laurelei could finish her question, their parents walked into the kitchen. "How are my... my girls doing this morning?" Jack Cassidy said, with barely a hesitation. He walked over to kiss Laurelei on top of the head, and after a minute pause, did the same to Sean, before heading over to pour himself a cup of coffee. Sean was surprised at the glow of warmth she felt. "Dinner, now breakfast. Looks like there is a silver lining to almost anything."

"Well, you know, now that I'm a woman, being in the kitchen comes naturally," Sean joked.

"Sean!" Carolyn exclaimed crossly. "That is very sexist!"

"I'm kidding," Sean protested. "You know I don't believe that. Dad and I did more cooking and baking than you two."

"Fair enough," her mother replied, mollified.

"We did catch the last of Laurie's rambling question," Jack said as Sean served her parents breakfast. "While we agreed to stay on Base for now, we can't do it for long. Have you had any thoughts about what are you going to do about that? After all, there are bound to be some questions, if we suddenly show up with a third daughter."

"I do have some ideas about that," Sean claimed. "I think it's about time Sean left town for more specialized training and to get away from the abusive bullying. Coincidentally, and conveniently, a cousin, a tall and very female cousin has come to Shelly for a time. Perhaps to get away from a broken home to stay with a loving family...."

"That does sound a tad too coincidental and convenient," Jack Cassidy commented.

"I do have a sister I haven't seen or spoken to in years. I think she's on her third divorce now," Carolyn mused. "I can't remember if she's moved back or moved out overseas from the East Coast."

"Like their blatant excuse about the train derailment, the bluff doesn't have to last forever, just for a while," Sean added. "I'm sure the Project will help out with the paperwork and I can mock up some Facebook and Instagram stuff to add verisimilitude." Sean smiled and her gorgeous, turquoise eyes gleamed. "I could even have some fun with this. Now, I just need a good name..."

[Alexander Cordeaux]

The silence in the room was almost awkward, almost suffocating as the two of them sat there. They had been shown to the room and left mostly to their own devices. Annabelle had elected to go and acquire some food and since she had left not a word had passed between them. He supposed that it wasn't every day that your son got you pulled away from work by the military of all things. Her light sigh dragged him out of his musings, and he noticed that her gaze had been fixed on him for the last little while. He had to fight the urge to curl in on himself at the weight of the look. He always felt so tiny under her gaze.

"What happened?"

He felt the briefest stirrings of anger at that, a quiet, bitter thing that had him severing the link to the others before they could examine it too closely. This conversation was going to be painful as it was, and he would prefer if they didn't witness it even peripherally. He knew academically, at least, that she was concerned, but the fact she didn't think to ask how he was feeling, or if he was ok, or anything like that? That hurt. Probably a lot more than it should, but it did. 

It was pretty much standard with her though. No matter what he did, it never seemed to be enough to actually please her. Even before he could bend light, he had been intelligent. For years he had been getting straight A's on whatever was put in front of him, and no matter how well he did, she always seemed to have this look, as if to say "What? Is that the best you can do?" it was infuriating. It was the same with his performance in whatever sports he turned his hand to. Never "Good job". Never a celebration. Just the silent expectation of more.

"When Anna get's back I'll explain."

Her nod had them returning to silence till the door handle rattled and Anna let herself in, balancing her bounty as best she could. He could feel something unwinding at the sight of her, the tension in the room dissipated somewhat. Standing, he makes his way over and grabs some of the stuff from her, moving it over to the smallish table. At least there were only the three of them.

His stomach growled at the sight of the food, the sound more akin to the dying throes of some great beast than any sound a human would make. He blushed as Annabelle snorted in amusement, grinning teasingly as he tried to defend himself. Really. It had been a long day. Seating themselves around the table, Alec takes a moment to compose himself as he figures out how exactly to start the story. As they start eating, he figures it might as well be best to get the most important bit out of the way to begin with.

"I have superpowers."

Annabelle almost inhaled her drink at the blunt statement, sending her into a coughing fit. Wheezing slightly to catch her breath, she shoots him an incredulous look. To which he shakes his head. The only sign of surprise on his mothers face a slightly raised eyebrow.

"Believe it or not, yeah. Something happened while we were out tonight. I'd been having headaches for the last couple of weeks. We all went to the party on the lake after Homecoming and when the storm hit it got worse. We all passed out and dreamed or something. I dunno. Dreaming isn't the right word, but I was there and something talked to me, and when I woke up, I had powers and some giant bugs were attacking us."

Seeing the still slightly disbelieving look he was receiving, he grumbles, holding one hand, palm up. Like a spark jumping to life, there is a ball of incandescent light suddenly in his palm, though much dimmer than the eye searing beams he had been using previously, the light barely spreading beyond the table. That at least seemed to wipe the look of disbelief away.

"And it's not all I can do. Movement, flight. Teleportation and healing. And there's more, I know. It's just behind a wall and I can't get too it, but it's there."

The light in his hand dimmed further, cycling through colours as he continued.

"I'm also just better. Looking back on what it was like, it used to be like thinking through molasses. Slow, clunky. Now, it's the opposite. And I have ideas now, things that I wouldn't have ever even thought of. I need to do some reading to figure out if some of them are even possible, but I have the feeling it will be."

There was legitimate excitement building in his tone now, getting carried along by his own enthusiasm.

"There's just so much I can do to help, if I get the chance. You saw me in the infirmary, Mum. And that's just what I'm directly able to do. With some time to actually work, I can do so much more, the others too."

His mum had the strangest expression on her face, watching him get excited by the prospects. Annabelle was just watching with a somewhat bemused expression. It was rare to see him so animate about anything. And the quantity of food he was putting away without even seeming to realise it. There was a slight clink as their mother put down, standing from the table with another movement and making her way to the door. Annabelle hid a wince as the smile, the first honest smile she'd seen in a long time slid off Alec's face like it had never been, the quick flash of hurt he wasn't able to hide quick enough.

"Mum?"

She paused, door open in front of her.

"They'll need me in the infirmary. And I need to think. We will talk more tomorrow."

The door closed firmly behind her. Annabelle reached out, placing a hand on her brothers shoulder and squeezing gently.

"She's trying, you know. She's just awful at this. Has never had any idea how to deal with either of us. That was more Dad's thing. He was always much better at it, for all that he was away a lot."

Alec didn't respond, and she sighed herself. Honestly. Each was as bad as the other, for all Alec didn't recognise it. She'd have to talk to both of them seperately to defuse another of their spats before it began properly. For now though....

"Just give her the time. Relax. You've had a long day and deserve the rest. Text your girlfriend or something." She grinned at the furious blush and indignant squawk that elicited, laughing at his discomfort. "Come on, little brother. None of that now. You aren't nearly as sneaky as you think you are. I think it will do you some good."

Hesitantly, he nodded in agreement and she heaved a mental sigh of relief. Crisis averted, for now. Standing, she made her own way to the door. Time to work on her mum. Maybe visit some of Alec's friends after that? Sarah at least. Knowing the Sheriff, it would probably be... well. Needed. Somewhat. The man was almost as awkward with his daughter as her mother was with Alec.

Stopping by the door, she turned briefly, facing him again.

"And Alec? Good job today. Both with the game and protecting everyone. Proud of you, kid. I'll be back later."

And with that she turned and left, closing the door quietly behind her. In the room behind her, Alec reached for his phone.

[Hey Taleena....]

[Kia Mizuki]

Mizuki Residence

Today was a hard day, so Iolani was making shortbread for Kia and for herself. The briefing she'd received on her husband's project had awakened her to some ugly realities. She and Hitoshi had one of their rare fights shortly afterwards, when they were alone. It hadn't been what her mother called a 'bad fight,' in that it weakened their bond...it had actually burned away some tensions that had been stacking up between them. The vital common ground that had held throughout was her anger, and his guilt, that their daughter had been caught in the middle of all this.

So she'd let the office know she was taking the day off today. Hitoshi didn't have that option.

The air of their house was full of the scent of coconut and sugary bread by the time she was done, but Kia hadn't showed up in the kitchen to see for herself, or even called out from her bedroom. Iolani thought she understood. Kia had a lot to think about right now.

She knocked on Kia's door...it still had the cardboard cutout of a cartoon character Iolani couldn't remember the name for, with thumbs up and a big huge smile on it. That cutout had been there since they moved here, and on her old bedroom door for a year or two as well. Iolani was pretty sure Kia hadn't even watched that cartoon for a long time. It was just a reminder now.

There was no response, so Kia's mother opened the door slowly and called in, "Kia? I need your help with something."

"Moooooom," came a complaining voice, muffled by something. Then, more clearly, "What is it?"

Relieved, Iolani came in, the little plastic bowl of treats coming into view as she did. Kia was lying on her back in her bed, holding a pillow away from her...most likely it had been on her face at first. "I made waaaaaay too many of these, and if I eat any I'll get fat and your father will kick me out."

Her tone was light and joking. She was still quite petite, if not as slim these days as her daughter.

Kia sat up and chewed her lip a little as she gazed at the shortbread. On the one hand, she was perfectly aware that this was an attempt to mellow her out and coerce her to open up about her troubles. On the other...shortbread.

She reached out and took a piece as Iolani sat down beside her on the bed.

"So," her mother said, "how was your day?"

Maybe it was the shortbread...or maybe just that Kia had never been good at keeping things from her family...but the first thing that came out of her mouth was, "I don't know who I am anymore." And there wasn't really anything else to say.

Iolani laughed gently at that. "You're not even eighteen yet. Of course you don't know who you are."

"No, I don't mean like...philosophically." Kia scooted around to sit alongside her mother and nibbled her cookie a bit more. "I mean literally. Am I even the same person I was?"

"Do you feel different?"

Kia paused at that, trying to think of how to articulate the chaos of her feelings. "No. But...that's the problem. Because I am different, so I should feel different. Right?" She lifted a hand, now besmirched with powdered sugar, and looked at it with trepidation. "I feel normal though. Is that normal?"

Her mother reached out to take hold of Kia's hand and held it. "Who knows? There's just you, and your friends. We can't exactly make a statistical analysis from that, you know." She chuckled.

"Mooooom," complained Kia, pulling her hand away.

Iolani turned to sit sideways, and pulled Kia to face her. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to sound like I'm not taking this seriously. But of all the things I am worried about from all this, one thing I'm not worried about is you not being who you are. Because who you are is only partly how you look, or how you think or feel. It's also where you're from, and who you live with, and who you trust."

She reached out to cup Kia's cheeks in her hands, and pressed her forehead to her daughter's.

"You are Hikialani Mizuki, daughter of Iolani..." and she went on to list off the line of ancestry that she could remember. After the first couple, Kia joined in.

At the end, Iolani finished with, "...and no alien space ray, or gateway, or whatever happened will ever change that. All these things that happen, they become part of who you are, but they do not change who you are."

Kia nodded, her eyes still closed, and backed away a little. She reached for another shortbread...but the bowl was already empty.

"...and who you are is hungry by the looks of things," joked her mom.

"Sorry," said Kia sheepishly. "I...it's been like that. Since...you know."

Oh yes, she knew. Iolani had at first been rather incensed at the idea that their household would be getting food subsidy. It wasn't as if she and Hitoshi couldn't pay! But then she'd seen how much Kia ate now. It hurt her heart to wonder what must be going on inside her to make her that hungry, but even with her background in biology, this was far outside her sphere of knowledge.

"I know." Iolani gave Kia a squeeze around the shoulder, then stood up. "I should get started on dinner then." She held up a hand to cut Kia off as she started to protest. "It won't be every night, I promise...but tonight I want to give you something special."

Defeated before she'd had a chance to begin, Kia sighed and hung her head. She hated feeling like she was burden on her parents.

"Kia."

She looked up at her mother.

Iolani was giving her a little smile. "Maybe instead of worrying about if you've changed...concentrate instead on finding out who you are now. Have you done anything since that night at the lake?"

Kia shook her head. "No...the doctors said not to. They think it might be dangerous?"

That brought Iolani up short, and her smile faded as she thought that over. Then she said, "Pay attention to your body...to your intuition. I trust you not to go too far."

"But...won't I get in trouble?"

Kia's mother grinned an impish grin. "Not because of me. Just be careful." Then she was back out the door and singing softly to herself as it closed behind her.

Kia looked at her hand again, and licked the sugar off her fingers. The idea of...experimenting with this strange new ability was both disquieting and kind of exhilarating. Maybe wait and see what the scientists let her do first...and if that wasn't enough...

A moment later and she was emerging from her room to help her mother with dinner, already feeling better.