[Fiction] Snakes in the Grass

Vixen · May 29, 2003

A semi-sequel of sorts, to A Good Life. This has been brewing for a while, though - longer than even most of A Good Life was brewing.

This is an RP thread - however, anyone joining this thread should not do so unless explictily invited. This is merely the opening sequence, in which I lay most of it out on the line and then my partner in this will retaliate - or, if needed, permit me to continue. It may or may not spill over onto the regular OpNet board - if it does, we'll try and keep it within the board continuity and larger picture.

This could be treated as a story on its own as well - but if you wish to discuss it, you'll have to open yer own thread.

And now, it begins.

* * *

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Seattle Police Department

9:52 PM

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"I'm going to say this straight out and I want an honest answer," said Roxanne. "Am I being charged with a crime?"

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The officer looked at her for a moment, deep in thought.

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* * *,,

A House in the Outer Seattle Suburbs

60 Minutes Previous

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"Are you sure you can't stay?"

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Mitch was wearing his Banzai Institute T-shirt, which he would claim he worked for to anyone not in on the joke. Roxanne was already strapping on her 'on-suit' - white tank top, denim vest, cutoff jeans for shorts. She was tying her sneakers by the laces to her belt. She was dormed at the moment. "Naw, afraid not, uh, honey. Nicole's closing up in about ten minutes and then she and I are going out for a late dinner. But I'll swing by the university tomorrow and annoy you there..."

,,

"Yeah, I'm sure you will." He coughed. "Uh, Roxy, I haven't exactly told the rest of the gang at the faculty that I'm dating you. I mean, half of them know you're a nova and the other half'll put it together quick, and they haven't seen you in a while... so if you do swing by, they'll probably have a shitload of questions for you."

,,

"That's all right. I'll have a shitload of answers, I hope." She patted down her pockets to make sure her gear was in place. "Aw, dammit... Mitch, have you seen my fob?"

,,

"You, uh... your what?"

,,

"My fob."

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"Is this a women's hygiene thing?"

,,

"No, Professor Mitchell Lang, it is not a women's hygiene thing. It's a little thing I clip on my belt that lets approaching aircraft know I'm there, and that lets me know they're there. If I'm gonna fly I need to carry it."

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"Oh. Is it small, black, and has a little LCD screen and a stereo jack? Looks like a pager?"

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"Yeah..."

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Mitch held it up. "I wondered what it was. This is cool! Can you get OpNet on this thing?"

,,

"Only the airport terminal feeds. Come on, honey - give it here."

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Mitch grinned, and started tossing it from hand to hand as he strolled around the living room. Roxanne rolled her eyes. "Mitch, Mitch, Mitch, don't make me kill you."

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"So, Doctor Richardson, exactly what are you going to do for this oh-so-critical fob?"

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"I could withhold sex."

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"That's just about the hollowest threat ever - you enjoy it as much as I do."

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"I could turn you into a statue."

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"The sex would get interesting, then."

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"I could tell my sister that you delayed me, and she would have Words with you."

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Mitch nodded, knowing he was beat - no one could stand up to the threat of Nicole. "One last kiss, then?"

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"For good luck? Yeah." Roxanne leaned over, placing her hands on Mitch's shoulders, and gave him a lengthily kiss. She delicately pried the device from his hands, and then leaned back, a soft smile on her face. "You're perfect, you know that?"

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"I never get tired of hearing you say it..." Mitch smiled back. "Okay. You'd better go." He looked up at the skylight. "By the way, I'll have someone in next weekend to replace that with one that opens."

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"Oh, that would be perfect. Thank you so much." She gave him another kiss, and then, she exited via the back door.

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Mitch watched her go. He watched as she ran out into the middle of the yard, the quantum energies rippling through her, altering her form, granting her access to the mysteries of the universe. In mid-step, she took off, tails snaking behind her. She was off like a shot into the star-filled, endless sky.

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"And she says I'm perfect." He sighed to himself, and decided to turn in early.

,,

</CENTER>

* * *,,,,

The air had a slight chill to it, as she'd come to expect - but she never really noticed the cold anymore.

The fob was quiet - tonight, it seemed, she had the airspace to herself. She zoomed over the city, wisps of faint clouds brushing past her, tossing off a quick wave to someone stargazing on the roof. Far away, cars honked, and the Seattle nightlife kicked into high gear.

,,

Far out there somewhere was the Club Quantum, which she had fond memories of, despite having only gone there once. There were many unusual places to find a deeper understanding of the world and how you fit into it, and that was one of them. Fond memories. Good ones. Ampersand and the Hypercube hadn't been seen there in some time, of course, being busy with other things, but they'd probably go back sometime - one way or another.

,,

She paused, to get her bearings. Of course, the downside of flying was, you couldn't exactly swing by the gas station and ask for directions - at least, directions that would do you any good. You learnt to pick out landmarks, and she squinted, looking out for the gas station that was a stone's throw away from the bookstore.

,,

Nothing. She frowned, and soared up a bit higher, looking again. After another few moments, she picked it out... and frowned. Something was bothering her...

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She sped off towards the bookstore at her normal pace, then suddenly she gasped - and shot like a bullet over the buildings once she saw the flashing lights reflecting off the gas station's windows. Her heart pounded against her ribcage like a jackhammer as ice water pumped through her veins. Oh no, she thought. Oh no. Please, God. Not him again. Not Geryon.

,,

The wind swept by so quickly it burnt. She winced as she felt a brief stabbing pain in the center of her forehead.

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Pushing myself too hard. Step off, Roxanne.

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No.

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Quit it, Roxanne! Your node's going to explode-

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NO!

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Buildings swept by underneath her in a blur. Seconds later she crested over a building and saw the scene.

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Two police cars, lights on - no ambulance. No Geryon-sized hole in the book store. It didn't mean anything. Maybe he'd poisoned her in her sleep. Maybe he was so good he could kill people without powering up his node.

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She landed as quickly as she could, green ethereal vapor pouring out of her eyes in wisps. She looks around, frantically, seeing and hearing and smelling, and there wasn't the scent of death, and no ambulance, Nicole, oh thank God, Nicole, she was still alive, she was okay, she was...

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In the back of a police car.

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Roxanne blinked - and by now, the others on the scene including the bystanders that had gathered to watch, had noticed. Some of them shouted. Others gasped. The officers looked stunned for a moment - and then, terrified.

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She wasn't watching them. She ran to the car frantically, and pounded on the window. "Hey! Nicole! Hey!"

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Nicole turned. She stared up at Roxanne for a second, and placed her hand on the glass. Her face was expressionless.

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Roxanne felt a hand on her shoulder and she spun. The officer stepped back. "Now... now take it easy, Vixen..."

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"That's my... what happened? What's going on?"

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"There's just been a matter of -"

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"Tell me what happened!"

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"Now this isn't really your-"

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"Tell me what happened!"

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Her eyes flared with eldritch power as her voice shook with fury. The cop blinked. "She's been arrested in connection with a child slavery ring."

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Roxanne blinked, the light fading from her eyes. The cop shook his head. "Ow, what... ow! What the hell did you do?"

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"Arrested...?"

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"What the hell did you do to me, you aberrant freak!?" The officer pulled his gun. The crowd full of onlookers gasped. The other officers on the scene saw what was going on and immediately bolted to their fellow officer's side, hands poised on their weapons. Behind Vixen, the driver of the car sped off. Vixen didn't notice. She sank to her knees, staring into space.

,,

"Now put your hands on your head! Don't... don't attempt to speak! Don't you fucking move, you aberrant freak! I'll blow you away! I will!" Transparent on the cop's face was all the horror stories he'd heard, about novas being bulletproof, shockproof, impossible to stop, impossible to kill, how they could burn you down to the bone just by looking at you...

,,

Vixen looks up, and gingerly, placed her hands atop her head. One of the other officers - a detective, it looked like - glared at the officer, and the officer reluctantly put his gun away. Satisfied, the detective offered a hand out to Vixen. "I'm Detective Von Braun, Miss... 'Vixen.' And I take it you know this woman, Nicole Richardson?"

,,

As soon as the words escaped the detective's mouth, Vixen could see the light go off behind his eyes, the connected made between Roxanne Richardson and Nicole Richardson. She just nodded, not wishing to make a scene, and took his hand, standing herself up. "A... child slavery ring?"

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"Yes."

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"How? You have a warrant?"

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The detective produced a piece of paper. Vixen took it, looking it over. "My God... a child slavery ring?"

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"Yes. In fact, Miss Vixen..."

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"Yes, Detective?"

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"We'd like you to come down to the station with us."

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She blinked. "Am I being arrested too?"

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"No, but... given your relation to her... we were hoping you could shed some light on the situation."

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"Officer, I swear: I know her and this isn't like her! This isn't like her at all!"

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"Then answering our questions will help us determine what, exactly, is going on here. Yes?"

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Vixen frowned.

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* * *,,,,

Seattle Police Department

9:37 PM

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Vixen stared quietly at the mirror, knowing exactly what was behind it - for one thing, she'd seen cop shows, and for another, her sight was sharp enough to make out the impressions of shadowy people, video cameras, and microphones. She tapped her claws on the table, and through the solid concrete walls, she smelt the smells and heard the noise. Telephones ringing. Donuts. Sweat. Curses. The buzz of a fluorescent tube that was giving up the ghost. Gunpowder.

,,

After a waiting period that she wasn't sure of - they'd confiscated her pocket watch, her celphone, her PDA, and her fob by way of 'standard procedure' - Detective Von Braun and another officer she didn't recognize walked in. They sat down at the other end, both of them looking a little on edge around her.

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"Okay," she said softly. "I'm here. Now. What's happened to my sister?"

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"Firstly, will you state your name and occupation for the record?" Von Braun took out a small notepad, pencil poised.

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She sighed. "Doctor Roxanne Rachel Richardson, currently unemployed and working freelance contract work through Nova Services, International."

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"Ah, the Utopia people."

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"That's them."

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"Okay. You know me - this is Detective Calhoun. Him and I work the vice squad. Now we've got a few questions-"

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"First I'd like to ask you one. Where did you get the evidence that my sister was involved in a... a child slavery ring?"

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Calhoun leaned forwards. "I think we'll be asking the questions, 'Miss Vixen'..."

,,

Von Braun shook his head. "Greg - don't. Just don't. Doctor, of course we can't reveal all the evidence in question unless you're representing her in court... but, if you have to know, we have a witness. A teenager who heard about this thing from a friend, just before said friend up and vanished. That's not all of it, of course..."

,,

"Tell me more."

,,

Von Braun sighed. "Doctor, let me put it this way - the reason we took so long to get in here is because we had to get your file from the Seattle Rashoud facility in order to ensure that we knew what we were stepping into. Says on your file that you can hypnotize people with your voice, which certainly matches up with what you demonstrated at the crime scene. I'm willing to write it off as stress, but if you persist in ordering us to do stuff for you - how do you think it's gonna look on the tapes?"

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Roxanne hung her head. "I said I was sorry, okay? I panicked. I mean, you - you - you're telling me my sister was involved in a slave trade? For how long?"

,,

"We're not sure yet. We were hoping you could tell us that."

"Gentlemen..." She spread her hands helplessly. "I haven't got a clue about any of this. This is the first I've heard of it. You can hook me up to any lie detector machine you want-"

,,

"Says on your Rashoud file you can fool a lie detector 999 times out of a thousand."

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"I'll do it while dormed."

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"I notice you're not dormed now." Calhoun tapped a pencil on the counter top. "Dormed... what is that again? When you novas just... turn that thing in your heads off?"

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"It's a little bit more complicated than that."

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"But you can do it?"

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"If I want to."

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"Then why haven't you?"

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"Because I know the law, and nowhere in the law does it state that a nova has to dorm down in a situation like this, since not all novas are skilled enough to do it."

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Calhoun grunted. "Well, if you know the law, you know how serious a charge kidnaping can be."

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"Yes."

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"You know what your sister's facing."

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Roxanne exhales, gripping the end of the table. "Yes."

,,

"What you probably don't know," continued Von Braun, "Is that she's not contesting the charges. The other reason why we didn't get to you right away is because we were talking to her. She's not telling us a thing - but she says she's willing to sign a full confession."

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"I... see." Roxanne slumped in her seat.

,,

"Is this typical behavior in her?"

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"Not a chance," said Roxanne without hesitation. "She never gave up on a thing in her life. If you could put pure grit in a bank account she'd be a millionaire."

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"Hmmmm." Calhoun leaned back in his chair. "She never mentioned this, I take it?"

"I just answered that question."

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"Oh, yeah, you did. My mistake." He clucked his tongue. "So you don't know that we suspect it's a nova-run cult?"

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"No. I didn't know that. Which nova?"

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"We don't know yet. Not all of them are as, uh, open as you are."

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"Any suspects?"

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"None."

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Roxanne leaned back in her chair. "What do you know, then?"

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"Uh, how about we ask the questions here? That okay with you? Seeing as how this is a police station and we are police officers and we have the badges and you don't, how about we ask the questions? That fine by you?"

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Roxanne fumed, gritting her teeth. Calhoun reflexively recoiled. Even Von Braun looked shaken. "Now..." she said, her voice shaking. "Now, you just..." She balled her fists, her lips quivering over her teeth. "You... just... fine. Ask away. Fine."

,,

Von Braun whispered something in Calhoun's ear. Roxanne picked it up with ease: "Calhoun, you are this close to me putting my foot up your ass. This close. You're harassing her."

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Calhoun whispered back. "But she-"

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"She's what? Giving us a hard time? Her sister's in jail three blocks down. Would you be fine with that if it was you? No?"

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"I'm just saying-"

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"Do you see a lawyer in here? Do you? I don't. She doesn't have to say anything. So quit being a dicklick and do your fuckin' job." Von Braun leaned back. "I'm sorry, Dr. Richardson. This has to be a shock."

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"It is. It's not her. I know you don't believe me, but this isn't her. It can't be."

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"Okay. All right. That's fine." Von Braun sat down. "Okay. Here's how it is, Doctor. This is a sensitive matter. More than just your sister - if sensitive information got out the rest of this slavery ring could get away scot free. They probably are already but we have to do what we can."

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"I understand. Just... it's been a hard night."

"Okay. Yeah. Okay, I can understand. Take your time. You say this isn't like her. Have you noticed any aberrations in her behavior lately? Any changes?"

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"None."

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"Changes in routine?"

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"She's pretty embedded in her routine. She's practically married to that store."

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"Hmmm... how's your family reacting to your eruption?"

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"My... what? To my eruption?" Roxanne blinked.

,,

"Yes. I imagine that'd be a shock to everyone in the family. Forces everyone to come to terms with how they view novas. How does your family view novas?"

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"Er..." Roxanne paused - but after thinking a moment, she saw the connection in her mind. "My dad thinks that quantum is an Indian word for currency. My mom, well... she was a stay-at-home mom, looking after me because of my disabilities. This has changed our relationship a lot but we cope. Nicole seemed to take it just fine."

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"Your disabilities?"

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"Before my eruption, I couldn't speak or walk. I had maybe 35% normal human feeling in one arm."

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"No kidding? Huh." Von Braun made a few notes on his pad. "Lucky you."

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"One in a million, they say, are the odds."

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"After eruption, you went to a Rashoud?"

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"Not right away, but soon afterwards."

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"And you're affiliated with Project Utopia?"

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"Loosely. I'm not on full-time. I take contracts from Nova Services International."

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"Hmmmm..." Von Braun suddenly looked distracted. He checked his belt, and sighed. "Calhoun, will you excuse me? I have to take this." He stood up and exited the room.

,,

Calhoun set down his pad and his pencil. He leaned on the table, staring at Roxanne - and Roxanne leaned on the table, staring right back. "Tell me, Doctor - how do you feel about kids?"

"Having them? Never thought about it. With the paralyzation before my eruption and the fertility issues novas have, it's never come up."

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"No, generally. You like talking to kids?"

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"A little. I don't get the slang sometimes. Like 'slash.' What is that - an adjective?"

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"Heh." Calhoun leaned back. "I have two kids myself. Two boys. One of them always had his eyes glued to his computer and the other one listens to that Goddamn terr'r shit but I love 'em both and I'd hate to see anything happen to 'em."

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"I can understand that."

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"So you say." Calhoun's face became thin-lipped and cruel. "Tell me, how much does your sister love you?"

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"You'd have to ask her that, wouldn't you, officer?"

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"Eh. Take a guess."

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"I'd say, very much so. I'd say that my sister likes talking to me and likes being around me and that's nothing new because that's how she's always been."

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"Would she go to jail for you?"

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Roxanne's eyes flared open. "Pardon," she said, quietly.

,,

"Interesting connective set of facts we have here. A nova-led cult, preys on teenagers - according to what we heard it tells them that there's a group of people out there 'who will understand what it feels like to be different.' People wind up in this cult by way of your sister - allegedly, of course - and your sister has a nova in the family, a nova who, uh, according to this little slip of paper here signed by a Doctor Locke, can fool lie detector tests, hypnotize people with her voice, and can read minds and alter people's perceptions, who recently got in a little shit at the airport. You see where I'm going here, Doctor? Because I think you're a smart woman and you know exactly what I'm talking about."

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Roxanne stood. Her twin tails flicked in agitation. Calhoun gulped, suddenly aware that the other abilities listed on the sheet included 'a blast of organic bioelectricity and fire with damage capability in the class 5 sector.' Calhoun had no idea what class 5 was, but it sounded pretty bad.

,,

Roxanne just stared at him. Then she spoke. "Detective. There's a tape machine running behind that mirror. Say, straight out, what you are accusing me of."

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"Not accusing, just saying, is all..."

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"I'm going to say this straight out and I want an honest answer," said Roxanne. "Am I being charged with a crime?"

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The officer looked at her for a moment, deep in thought.

,,

A second later, the door opened. An oriental man with a navy blue suit and dark glasses walked in gently, followed by Detective Von Braun. "Hello, Detective Calhoun. I'm happy to see you again."

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Calhoun suppressed a groan that none but Roxanne could hear. "Hello, Daniel."

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Daniel nodded, and turned to Roxanne, only pausing for a moment before addressing her. "Doctor Roxanne Rachel Richardson, I presume."

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Von Braun spoke up. "Calhoun, that guy from the Project, Dr. Locke, he called him up..."

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Roxanne spoke. "Yes. And you are?"

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"Daniel Takehashi. Your friend Henry Locke sent me. I'm your lawyer. And we are leaving."

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Calhoun stood. "Hey, now - this is the middle of a police investigation-"

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"Are you charging my client with a crime?"

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Roxanne blinked. "Client...?"

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Calhoun coughed. "This is a-"

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"Are you. Charging. My Client. With a crime, Detective Calhoun?"

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Calhoun fumed, but stayed silent. Von Braun walked to Calhoun's side, and whispered once more. "Calhoun, that tape better be full of sunshine and roses of I'm gonna snap you in two," he hissed, again, too silent for anyone but Roxanne to hear.

,,

"Come on, Von Braun! Nova? Nova-led cult? Hello?"

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"Oh, yes, that will go over big. Dear Commissioner, I hate all novas and I think they're all guilty as shit-"

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"I don't hate all-"

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"Oh, don't even start with-"

Roxanne walked to Daniel's side, a flood of relief washing over her face. "Yes, Daniel, let's get out of this room. I have someone I need to talk to."

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"Hey - hey! Hey, you just-" Calhoun stammered, impotent. "You can't talk to her!"

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"We'll see about that," said Daniel. "Good day, Calhoun. See you the next time you get a harassment suit."

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The door shut behind Daniel and Roxanne.

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* * *,,,,

Roxanne felt the eyes on her. Gossip spread throughout the station like a forest fire in a dry heat.,,

"-that's her, you see her? That's-"

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"-ewwwwww, just-"

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"-they handing out eruptions at the kennel now? I don't-"

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"-heard she wants Tenor's job-"

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"-can have it, can't be worse than the scream queen-"

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"-Geryon is what I heard-"

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"-handed his ass to him-"

,,

"-let him get away-"

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"-she has a tail? No, there's two-"

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"-God damn aberrants, hate every one-"

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"-she being arrested?"

,,

"-she's divine, she's gorgeous, don't you see-"

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"-put on a show at Club Quantum-"

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"-big flap at the airport-"

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Roxanne groaned. Daniel led her down a hallway that was semi-secluded. "I'm sorry, Doctor Richardson, that I was unable to get here sooner. If I had known they were harassing you I would have sped all the way here."

,,

"Really?"

,,

"No, I'm afraid not. Breaking the law to uphold it is an insult to the ideal of the law, yes? But I am sorry. I have had experience with Detective Calhoun before. He has... how do I put this... let his duty on the vice squad poison his heart."

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"I'm fine. Really. I can just hear everyone in the station talking about me."

,,

"Surely you must be used to this by now, though?"

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"No." She shook her head. "I... usually when I'm in public I dorm down. I try to keep a low profile, most of the time, or at least control when I'm keeping a high one."

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"Do you want to dorm down now?"

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"No, they'll see... I want to... I dunno, keep the divide there." Roxanne closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall. "Oh God. Nicole. Oh God."

,,

Daniel nodded. "If you wish, I will represent her as well. I am unfamiliar with the details of her case, however, and I will need to study them."

,,

"Sure... yeah. Thanks, Daniel. I just... I need to see her."

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Daniel nodded. "Of course you do, Doctor. Just wait here, while I go get the necessary paperwork in order."

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Roxanne nodded, and Daniel departed. She closed her eyes, and tries to shut out the noise.

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"-not natural, I tell you-"

,,

"-smacked Geryon around like the bitch he is-"

,,

"-could take Pax-"

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"-dream on, Pax to the max, man-"

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"-heard she thinks she's God-"

,,

"-not The God, A God-"

,,

"-should lock them all away-"

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"-can't stop thinking about her-"

"-sent from the spirit world to show us the way-"

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Roxanne gritted her teeth and cupped her hands over her ears. It didn't do any good.

,,,,

* * *,,,,

It took less time than imagined. Daniel returned with an officer to escort them, along with Roxanne's gear. Grateful, she began pocketing them on the way into the room.,,

The door opened, and Roxanne's heart froze. It was a sterile room that smelt of sweat and tears, anger and pain. Sitting behind the glass, in the cheery blazer she always wore to work, was Nicole. Staring at her. Just... staring.

,,

The officer nodded to Roxanne. "If you... don't want to talk past a certain point... just signal me."

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Roxanne nodded mutely. She sat down in the chair. Daniel bowed slightly, and absented himself.

,,

Roxanne picked up the phone, and put it to her ear, shuffling to accommodate her pointed ears and her muzzle. "Hi, sis."

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Nicole stared at the telephone - then, slowly, plucked it off the wall. "Foxy Roxy."

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Roxy hung her head, and sighed. "How's you day been?"

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"Fine, sis. Just fine. How's Mitch? How are you two getting along?"

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"Oh, you know... new relationship, settling in, full of pep and... aw, God, Nicole, is it true? Just... just tell me if it's true."

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Nicole nodded. "Every word. What did the pigs tell you?"

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"Nothing! Bits and pieces! Shit, Nicole, why? Why? They're just kids! I don't understand! Your store's doing so well! Everything was going so well! Why? Oh, God! God! Why?"

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"Were you happy as a kid, sis?"

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"What? What the hell's that got to do with it?"

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"I know I wasn't. I was stifled. Had to... learn so many rules... I knew they were all bullshit and I had to obey them anyway. How about you? Were you happy?"

"Of... course I... Nicole, that's got nothing to do with it! I'm no judge! I had a fractured spine and a shredded voicebox, for God's sake..."

,,

"But you got better. Some kids don't get to. Some kids, they get stuck in a bad situation, they can't get out, and they need a way out, and along I come..."

,,

"To do what? Sell them into slavery?"

,,

"Slavery. That's what the cops told you, isn't it. That's the way it is with you. You can't see the cage. You think you carry a burden but the burden's only wings. So limited. I thought being a nova expanded your horizons."

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"It... Nicole, what happened? When did it start?"

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"I can't tell you anything now. I know you'll just rat it to the pigs."

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"No! I won't! Honest."

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"And you could lie to me and I'd never know it because of that hypnotic voice you've got. Maybe I'm not even here in the police station. Maybe I'm in an illusion you put me in to try and get me to do things your way-"

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"No! Never! Not in a million fucking years! I would never do that to you, Nicole! Never! I've never done that to you! Not once!"

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"You told me to stand on my head that one time at dinner."

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"I was dormed! You did it just to be goofy!"

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"No, you were... I..." Nicole blinked, looking confused for a second, then she reasserted herself. "And you put Mitch inside illusions all the time-"

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"That's consensual! Hell, he asks for it most of the time!"

,,

"Well, la de da. Miss Moral, never done a bad thing in her lifetime, is that the shit you're spewing at me?"

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"So you're admitting what you were doing was wrong?"

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"And Little Miss Manipulative, too. I'm surprised you haven't just told the cops to let me go."

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"You know that I... that it would be..." Roxanne sighed, and dropped the phone, leaning back in her chair, exhaling. The truth was, of course - that she had considered it. It, and a million other idle fantasies. She would phase through the walls and give Nicole a nailfile. Or perhaps she's telepathically manipulate the people in the station to dropping the charges. Or maybe a high-drama escape, with kitsune blasts flying every which way. A million idle fantasies and the temptation to succumb to every one to get her sister out of doing a life sentence for kidnaping.

,,

The phone swung back and forth. The guard advanced, but Roxanne waved him off. She felt exhausted. Stress sent spasms through her nerves. She could hear the creaking of the metallic phone cord as it creaked back and forth. She could hear...

,,

Muttering...?

,,

Roxanne shot back up and grabbed the phone. "I couldn't make that out, sis. Repeat it."

,,

"You... I didn't say anything."

,,

"Yes, you did. You said something. I want you to say it again."

,,

"No, I..."

,,

"Nicole... if you were in an illusion, if I was using my telepathic abilities on you right now, I could make you answer. But I'm not. I'm not because I love you and I would never, ever, do anything like that to you..."

,,

"I can't... remember... what I said... I didn't say anything!"

,,

Roxanne studied Nicole's face with a steely gaze. She could count every hair on Nicole's head, smell her perfume, and everyone she'd met in the last two days. And she mentally catalogued the scents, the beginnings of a suspicion forming in her brain. And more than that, Roxanne took note of every tic, every facial expression, every shift of the eyes, every toss of the hair, the way her mouth opened and closed, the movement of her hands, the flaring of her nostrils.

,,

Something about it all...

,,

It was Nicole, but...

,,

It was like seeing crack eyes on the Mona Lisa. Something subtle that drove you nuts looking for it.

,,

Just shut your eyes so your anima doesn't show and look into her mind, Roxanne.

,,

No.

,,

It's the only way to be sure.

,,

No. I can't do it without people noticing.

,,

Who's she going to tell? Detective Calhoun has your lawyer and his partner fighting for the right to kick his ass.

,,

She's my sister.

,,

There's something wrong with her. Look inside her mind and see what it is.

,,

I'm not that good with psychic surgery yet.

,,

You don't have to be a surgeon to notice when someone's been shot. Remember the thing in New York?

,,

I couldn't help them.

,,

You did help them. They're going to get better. Look into her mind, Roxanne.

,,

The thing in New York...?

,,

Yes. The thing in New York. Psychically altered mindslaves.

,,

Is there a connection?

,,

Could be. Find out. Find out for sure.

,,

I can't.

,,

Why not, Roxanne? You have the quantum reserves needed. You can shut your eyes. Nicole won't snitch on you - she never has. Give up one good reason not to do it.

,,

Because it's wrong.

,,

A pause in her mind. Then: Well, can't argue with that logic.

,,

Roxanne leaned towards the glass, placing her palm on it. "I'm gonna go break the news to Mom & Dad, sis. And then I'm gonna talk to my lawyer. And then I'm going to talk to... a few people I know."

,,

"You going to break me out of jail, sis?"

,,

"No. If you did do this, then I can't help you."

,,

"But I did do it. I admit it, you hear me? Yes. I did it. I helped those kids escape their lives and I don't regret it one bit."

,,

"You're covering your mouth when you say that."

"So?"

,,

"Something inside of you is trying to keep the words you're saying from coming out of your mouth. It's call a tell, sis. Good night." Roxanne hung the phone up, and stood up. She nodded to the bailiff, and proceeded out the door.

,,,,

* * *,,,,

"This is an interesting way to converse.",,

"I talked to the guy at the desk. He was okay with me turning invisible as long as all I was doing was avoiding the crowds. He's watching me on the security camera and I'm not hiding myself from it."

,,

"Quite." Daniel and Roxanne walked through the station, towards the exit. "I still feel like I'm talking to myself."

,,

"Talking to yourself is good for you. It's good to have someone who'll listen to what you have to say."

,,

The doors opened. Daniel and Roxanne proceeded outside, to be met by the brisk nighttime Seattle air. Daniel turned up his collar. "So, do you wish me to take on your sister's case?"

,,

"That depends. How well versed are you with supercrime?"

,,

Daniel paused for a moment, then nodded curtly. "Quite well versed. Project Utopia has made me offers, but I prefer my independence."

,,

"I know the feeling. I want you to contact Doctor Locke again, okay? Contact him and tell him that I suspect that the nova involvement with this slave ring might go pretty deep, and then I want you to bone up on supercrime - specifically supercrime related to mental compulsion. The signs, the symptoms, the legal issues around it, what we need to build a case."

,,

"You suspect telepathic coercion?"

,,

"Yes."

,,

"Did you look inside her-"

,,

"No. I didn't need to. You don't need to be psychic to study a person's mind, Mister Takehashi. You can do a pretty good job just studying their face. And the way she acts, is like... I don't think anyone else would notice it. I barely noticed it myself. But it's like walking into a room and the position of everything has been shifted in a random direction by three inches. You know something's wrong. And that's what I feel. Something's wrong."

,,

"You will need more than just a feeling, Doctor Richardson. You will need independent telepathic proof, and the Project in turn will need to justify the expense. They cannot go on just a 'feeling' that you have, I imagine."

,,

"You're right. And there's something else as well, Mister Takehashi. There's the possibility that you might get telepathically controlled yourself."

,,

Daniel went slightly pale. "Yes. That is a possibility. How do we ward against it?"

,,

"I asked Doctor Locke a while back how he wards against something like that. He tells me he has ways. Way number one, is to have a telepath looking into your mind on occasion to make sure everything's in order."

,,

"And you are telepathic."

,,

"I am."

,,

Daniel studied her - or, in any effect, where the voice was coming from. "They tell tales in my homeland about women with foxy fur and many tails. They say that they are masterful liars and that they can make you think or do whatever they want, and that one must be careful about them. That they weave in and out of a man's soul like snakes in the grass."

,,

"And are you saying I'm one of them?"

,,

"No. I'm saying that quite often, we become what we pretend to be, Doctor. And that humility is the best way to guard against this. From what I have heard of you, Doctor, you are quite humble and worthy of the trust of any man. You may do as you wish."

,,

Daniel felt a light touch on his forehead, and a slight tingling sensation behind his eyes. Roxanne could be heard to exhale. "Thank you, Daniel. Now. I'm going to fly you straight to the Rashoud facility where Dr. Locke works and I'm going to check on him, too. Then I'm going to check on my parents, and my... my boyfriend. Then I'm going to do a little investigation of my own."

,,

"You are not intending to break the law, are you? I must advise against it."

,,

"As you said before: breaking the law to uphold it, serves no purpose. No. I'm just going to call on... a couple of friends." Daniel felt Roxanne's arms wrap around him. "Now, only my boyfriend usually gets to enjoy this with me, so you're getting a special treat."

,,

"I am ready when you are, Doctor. Is that the Paxian Grip?"

,,

"Perceptive! Yes. Hold on tight anyways." Daniel felt himself lifting off the ground, and before long, the starry endless sky embraced them both.

Bastian · May 30, 2003

The flow of events changes things. Happenstance, bad timing, good timing; whatever you want to call them, the “ifs” of life.

What if the police had come two hours earlier, or two hours later?

There would have been no news coverage of the event. Reporters come, get their snippet of the event, and go looking for the next great story.

What if Roxanne Richardson had not come right up on the scene of her sister’s arrest?

The news would not have been ‘newsworthy’ by the affiliate, or its parent station. It wouldn’t have gone national, or international.

For that matter, what would have been the impact if Vixen herself, had not been so visually stunning, hovering there, both tragically hurt and overwhelmingly powerful, compared to that poor, hapless officer of the law?

The flow of events changes things. The more powerful the impact, the greater the effect it has.

Gyzha opened her eyes and closed the doors to the Eye of Heaven, her inner eye.

She could feel some event impacting on her family, but it was distant and unclear. She played upon that thin fiber of intellect that drew Bastian’s attention.

*Yes, my sister,* he thought back to her.

*There is a problem out on the Pacific Rim; A twin-tailed fox-like nova. Not too many Asiatic faces in the area. *

* Aaaahhhh … I had worries about that one. Not enough time. *

(Yue Khan interrupts) * Just kill her and be done with it, Bastian. *

* I don’t think so, my Brother, * Bastian responded.

* Don’t play around with this. Narcosis will not be happy if our operations are hampered. Kill this one and close the link*

* Brother, she is special. She is the kin of another of our kind. Vixen.*

* I don’t care! Kill the ape and be done with it. No games.*

* She is special brother. In this matter, Bastian is right. Her death does not serve our interests or the interests of the One Race. *

*Tell it to Narcosis if this blows up in our faces. *

* If necessary, I will. Bastian, you need to go to her and help her. Help them both understand about The Way. I have faith in you. *

Bastian smiled at his sister’s compliment. Too many of the others treated him like the child he had been, and not the soul he had become.

He looked over, mentally, at Yue Khan. His big brother, protector, and guide these many years, but his lover no more. Yue Khan had grown physically in much the way Bastian had grown spiritually. Now, it just wasn’t possible to be with him, in a physical way. It hurt Bastian to think about it and it hurt him to feel Yue Khan’s anger over the situation.

Gently, Khan reached out and calmed Bastian mind. He was so insecure at times. Powerful, yes, but he needed direction and focus.

Khan was that focus and the focus of all the Wrath of Heaven. Let Narcosis think it was her own little army, a counter-balance to Leviathan and his army of monsters. Given time, he would show her, and show them all. He would take his place on the Pantheon. He would rule. That was the destiny that Mal had shown him.

For all that to come to pass, he needed Bastian. For all his frailties, he was a powerful psychic and could deflect the mental and social manipulations of the others.

Sigh.

*Bastian, go and deal with this. I have faith in you.*

‘Don’t fuck this up, or there will be hell to pay.’

Gyzha looked at the two former lovers. Yue Khan with his dreams of power and command, Bastian with his fractured understanding of the world.

If Khan got too far out of line, she would know and tell Narcosis. Gyzha had worked to hard on Narcosis to let her fall to the wayside now.

Bastian would be her trump to Khan’s ambitions. All he need was a few more pushes and a little more ‘understanding’.

‘I hope he doesn’t screw this up.’

It would delay all the work she had put into making her own mastery of the situation inevitable.

Bastian challenged the reality of the world and bent it. The space between his latest stop and Seattle narrowed and become one. He gave a small smile to his triumph over his own perceptions and stepped through.

He reached within him and found that tiny memory that he had stolen from her mind. That bit of her soul that allowed him to locate her and he did. She was alone, in a cell. No one was talking to her now. He felt the frayed strands of his work. He smiled, though. He was still in time and there was no need to panic, yet.

He quietly lifted himself off the ground and moved in her direction. Yue Khan’s lessons helped him wrap the night around him as he moved. No sense in being noticed by the curious. It took him extra time, but caution was necessary. With a sense of pride, he was happy to be on his own, this time. The others believed in him.

When he was close enough, he slowed down and located a place were he could work unobserved. He touched Nicole’s mind again. Yes, all the groundwork was still in place. All her desires were laid bare to him.

‘Time to help her’, he thought.

Vixen walked through the wall to her. Nicole had never been so happy to see her sister in her entire life.

*I am here for you, Nicole. You have done well, so far.*

* I didn’t tell them anything. I’m sorry I almost slipped up. I … I just wanted to feel your voice again.*

* I understand. You know why you can never tell them I am involved. Oh, sister, I need you more now, than I ever did before. *

* Are you here to get me out?*

* Not yet, Nicole. Not yet. Don’t betray me now.*

*Oh, no! I would never do that. *

With that, Nicole visibly twitched.

*Now, I need you to go to sleep for a while, Nicole. I will take care of everything, just like you used to take care of me. *

With that, Nicole rested her head on the interrogation table and Bastian went to work.

Observing all this from the other end of the monitor, the first thing the interrogator had noticed was Nicole look off to the corner for just a second. Only her previous listlessness made any of this notable. Then, for several seconds, she straightened up somewhat and occasionally her lips trembled. He called Detectives Calhoun and Von Braun to the Monitoring Room. Right before Nicole laid her head down, the two burst into the room.

“Hold on for a second”, the monitoring officer said. He switched over the monitor feed and played back over Nicole’s last minute of activity.

“Rewind that, again,” Calhoun said, pressing his face close to the monitor.

After a second, “THERE!!!” he shouted, triumphantly.

Von Braun shook his head, knowing to clearly what his partner wanted to hear.

A few moments for the monitoring officer to work his magic filtered the audio and raised the volume.

“I won’t ever tell them it is you, Roxy,” the exhausted Nicole muttered. “Never.”

“Let’s get that warrant, now!” trumpeted Calhoun. “This will give us enough to arrest that aberrant bitch.”

Then, he continued “I’m letting the Lieutenant know.”

Von Braun hesitated a moment. He locked eyes with the monitoring officer, but the man just shrugged. Something in Von Braun’s many years of experience was telling him that Dr. Richardson wasn’t the type of person that could do this. A gut hunch that he was missing something here. Something terrible.

Meanwhile, oblivious to the storm he was creating, Bastian continued to work on Nicole’s mind.

Playing off the love as well as the resentment Nicole had for her sister, Roxy, the cripple, the genius, and now, the nova. Nicole had been passed by, or so she thought at those dark times, when the store was dead and she would spot some article or advertisement about some nova.

Roxy had risen up over her handicaps to become a top-flight scientist, with research centers fighting to get her on board, while Nicole had fought and scraped for what … a second hand store, a block away from were she really wanted it.

It was those little, dark thoughts, not the true emotions that were Bastian’s key to Nicole. Nicole felt guilty about that. Roxanne had fought and scraped to get were she was. Even becoming a nova was part of her research. Nicole really felt like her sister deserved to become a nova. She had earned it.

Guilt is a powerful tool. Combining it with skillful psychic surgery, (to edit memories and fill in others), mental illusions (to give life to those fantasies), and subtle emotion manipulations (to reinforce here and tear down there), Nicole’s own guilt had presented a nearly unbreakable shield. The remarkable thing was that Nicole could still separate any part of reality from Bastian’s fantasies.

Within a few minutes, he was finished shoring up his work and ‘Vixen’ departed. Nicole was asleep, dreaming of Vixen’s trust and love of her.

Vixen · May 30, 2003

Seattle Rashoud Facility

10:30 PM

,,

"Would you tell Roxanne we're here, please?"

,,

Mr. & Mrs. Richardson looked pale and shocked, and numbly let Mitch do the talking. He was all too happy to do so, leaning on the secretary's desk, looking like hell and feeling the part too.

,,

The man at the front desk looked up. "Professor Lang, Mr. and Mrs. Richardson?"

,,

"Yes, that's us."

,,

He stood, and nodded. "She's in the back with Dr. Locke and Mr. Takehashi. Hold on, I'll take you to them."

,,

They walked solemnly, following the receptionist. He took them past framed magazine articles trumpeting the informal timeline of Project Utopia - the TIME magazine cover with the initial T2M lineup, and the bold question "Can They Change The World?" that even now seemed to be unanswerable. The WWF's newsletter trumpeting the terraformation of Ethiopia. The Zurich Accord, the Discovery rescue. The article in the local paper trumpeting the opening of the Seattle Rashoud facility.

,,

They all seemed like memories of happier times at the moment. Like memories of another time. A happier time.

,,

The receptionist led them through into the main testing arena - a sort-of internal firing range where novas could practise certain skills. Mitch stared up at the door, which read:

,,

TEST FIRE IN PROGRESS

CLASSIFICATION: FOCUSED DIRECTIONAL DISCHARGE

PLEASE DON PROTECTIVE EYEWEAR INSIDE CHAMBER

,,

"Do we get protective eyewear?" asked Mitch. ,,

Anticipating his request, the receptionist started handing out goggles. "Yes, sirs and madam - you do. I'm just going to buzz that we're coming in." He depressed a yellow button twice, waited a few seconds, and then entered.

,,

Mitch and Roxanne's parents blinked, having never seen the inside of the firing range before. Dr. Locke was here, as well as an Oriental gentleman in a navy blue suit. Down were wearing protective goggles. Surrounding them on all sides was thick reinforced ferroconcrete and a plexiglass screen, seperating them from the rest of the range.

,,

Mrs. Richardson waved to Dr. Locke. He noticed them enter, and crossed to her side, giving her a hug. "Mrs. Richardon, Mr. Richardson... Professor Lang. It's good to see you all again. I haven't seen you since that dinner..."

,,

Quietly, the receptionist slipped back towards his desk. Mr. Richardson coughed. "Yeah, it... it's been a while. Okay. We're here. Where's Roxanne?"

,,

"In the test chamber?"

,,

"Why?"

,,

"She... needed to blow off a little steam."

,,

As if punctuating Dr. Locke's remark, a flash of light arced out from the chamber. They all turned in unison.

,,

The range was full of targets, two-thirds of them scorched. Roxanne wasn't flying - no time for distraction by energizing her antigravity personal field. She flicked a bolt of blue flame into one of the targets, scorching it to ash in seconds. She then turned and pointed a finger at another, sundering it with a bolt of lightning.

,,

Henry coughed. "She wanted to use the range while waiting. She's upset."

,,

Mrs. Richardson shook her head, and sat down on the bench. "I just... I need her to say that it... that none of it's true."

,,

Mr. Richardson sat down next to his wife, and wordlessly took her into his arms. Mitch paced restlessly. Daniel coughed. "You are Professor Lang? I am Daniel Takehashi. I am acting as Nicole's legal representative in this matter, as well as Roxanne's."

,,

"Is Roxanne in trouble, Mister Takehashi?"

,,

"No. Not that I am aware of. But there-" Daniel was interrupted by a flash of light and the crackle of thunder. Mitch felt Roxy's parents shudder... even he himself felt a little scared. He'd seen Roxanne after the thing with Geryon, seen the anger and the pain within her, and he'd wanted so much for her to be happy again...

,,

But he was here now.

,,

~Roxy. I'm here.~ He closed his eyes, and mouthed the words. Dr. Locke looked at Mitch curiously. "Roxy." ~Roxy. I'm here. Come be with me. I'm here.~

,,

She stopped in her advance across the firing range, and turned. She then went into a jog, which became a run, which became an all-out top speed flight as she phased through the fiberglass shield, sending prismatic ripples through the glass. She resolidifed, and grabbed onto Mitch. "Oh God. Mitch. Oh God."

,,

"I'm here."

,,

"Mitch..." ~Mitch... I'm sorry. I need to... to look deeper.~

,,

~Deeper? Why?~ Mitch frowned, leaning back, looking her in the face.

,,

~Because Nicole isn't... right. Her mind is... I think someone's...~ Roxanne sighed, and let go, a cavaclade of images and feelings and memories flooding into Mitch's brain.

,,

Mitch blinked, and shook his head, as if to shake the thoughts free. "Oh my God... the thing in New York?"

,,

"Yes..."

,,

"Oh God, if Nicole... if she's... none of us would know...!"

,,

"I'd know." She nodded with certainty. "I would know if anyone was hurting you that way, Mitch, and that's why I need to look... I need to make sure."

,,

"Uh... honey, what's going on...?" Her father stood up, followed by her mother.

,,

"Daddy..." Roxanne hung her head. "Dad, Mom... I already... you know how I can read people's minds?"

,,

Her mother grimaced. "Yes..."

,,

"I need to read yours."

,,

"What? Why?"

,,

Mitch took Roxanne's hand into his. "Because, Mister and Mrs. Richardson - there might be someone out to get Roxanne who has similar powers to her. They might have done some... brainwashing... to Nicole."

,,

Mrs. Richardson gasped, and even Mr. Richardson went pale. "And you... you can stop them from doing this?"

,,

Roxanne flexed her fingers. "I can see if they've done anything yet, yes... but I can't actually shield you. If anyone does do anything, though - I'll notice, and I can set it right. I'm just about invulnerable to mental assault, myself... but I'll udnerstand if you say no. It can be a little invasive."

,,

Doctor Locke spoke up. "Mister and Mrs. Richardson, Professor Lang, I would strongly recommend that you do what she says. I and Mr. Takehashi have already gone through this and it's totally painless."

,,

Her mother and father looked at each other, and she slipped her hand into his. "Okay, Roxy. Do your... your Vulcan mind-meld thing."

,,

Roxanne's eyes flickered green, and a slight prodding sensation could be felt - first inside of her father's mind, then inside her mother's, and then inside of Mitch. Mitch looked askance at Roxy. ~You already practically know my mind inside and out from all that gestalt stuff...~

,,

~I had to be sure, Mitch. This is... it's hairy. It's going to be rough.~ "Okay. Okay. I'm all done." She sighed, and sat down on the bench. "I'm going to stay powered up for a while... I'm tired and my quantum reserves recharge faster when I'm... like this."

,,

"Of course, Doctor." Dr. Locke nodded. "Let's continue this in my office, shall we? The ventilation system in here is great, but the smoke from all those dead targets is getting to me."

,,

* * *,,

Seattle Police Department

10:48 PM

,,,, "Glad you could make it on such short notice, Miss Meeks." Von Braun offered out his hand in a handshake.,,

Sarah Meeks took it. "Thank you, Detective, and call me Tenor while I'm on duty. So what's going on?"

,,

"In about five minutes we're going to go into the briefing room next door and we're going to talk to the SWAT team about our target, Mi - er, 'Tenor.'" Calhoun was standing next to Von Braun's desk. He was holding on to a piece of paper with official seals on it. "'Course, this would have been a lot easier if that damn lawyer had let us hang onto her for a little while longer..."

,,

"We didn't have any evidence, Calhoun."

,,

"Well, we sure do now." Calhoun slapped the piece of paper appreciatively. "Now, Tenor. Are you familiar with our target?"

,,

"I met her a couple of times... I think I first met her when Geryon came to town."

,,

"Oh. I see... well, we have her classification papers here. The Rashoud facility grades she got... and our own private collection of data that's a bit more up to date."

,,

"Private collection?" Tenor blinked. "What's she being arrested for again?"

,,

"Conspiracy to kidnap and possible mental manipulation of a baseline human."

,,

"My God..." Tenor shook her head. "I didn't think for a moment she could do that." She sighed. "Private collection? Where did you get this data?"

,,

"From a private investigator."

,,

"I'm going to want to hear the real answer when I get back here, Detective Calhoun, but I'll let it go for now." Tenor crossed her arms. "Where is she?"

,,

"Guy we had watching her house says her parents got picked up by this Mitch Lang fellow... think they went to the Rashoud facility downtown."

,,

Tenor looked over the sheet of paper. Serial numbers were blacked out. Names were obscured. She read over the listing of paranormal powers. "Invisibility? Well... I can see via soundwaves so I'll be okay there. Level 5 fire and lightning focused discharge... ouch. Telepathic manipulation of perceptions? Intangibility? Detectives, are you sure this is a fight we should be getting into?"

,,

"Hey." Calhoun stared Tenor right in the face. "You don't want to do it, we'll get another nova to be civic watchdog. You can go back to blowing up bridges or shagging three guys at once or whatever it is you people do."

,,

Tenor scowled, but held her tounge. "Okay. If we're smart, nothing we can't handle. I'm more concerned with how the heck we're going to hold her if she doesn't want to be held. According to this she could walk through solid concrete without slowing her down."

,,

"You leave that to us. The SWAT team's got tranq darts and mox patches. We have nova-tailored drugs that'll knock her out until we can get one of the damn Project's containment cells, ship her off to frickin' Bahrain where she belongs-"

,,

"Thanks, Detective." Von Braun stared at Calhoun darkly. "Go in and do the preliminary briefing to the SWAT team. I'll be right along."

,,

Calhoun scowled back, but exited the office. Von Braun sighed. "I'm sorry, Tenor, he's an... a..."

,,

"He's a damn prick. I know he's your partner, but that's what he is."

,,

"No argument there, miss. But right now he's a prick with a warrant to arrest Roxanne Richardson."

,,

"Based on what? Last I heard, this Nicole wouldn't even talk."

,,

"She..." Von Braun sighed - might as well be honest. "She talks in her sleep."

,,

Tenor blinked, agape. "You're serious. That's what we're going on?"

,,

"Stamped and everything. Lieutenant's approval."

,,

"You're going to bust down the doors of a Rashoud facility and go gunning for this woman who's B-class at least and you're doing this on a confession that Nicole Richardson made to herself?"

,,

"I know. I think it's.. no. I shouldn't badmouth him behind his back." He stood, and slapped a fresh tranq clip into his pistol. "Let's brief the SWAT team. Get this over with."

,,

* * *,,

Seattle Rashoud Facility

10:56 PM

,,

"I promise, Mom, Dad. It'll be okay to visit her. But... I want you in the loop on this, okay? I want you to know what's going on."

,,

Her mother nodded mutely. Her father coughed. "Okay. Tell us."

,,

Roxanne steeled herself, tapping her claws on the oak table. Dr. Locke, Daniel Takehaski, Mitch Lang, and Roxanne's parents sat around the desk, all eyes on her. "Recently I took a contract with Nova Services, International, to help out people in a bad situation in New York. People who'd been found in that raid on the Blackburn. Mentally controlled slaves. Part of a ring that we're still not sure of the extent of."

,,

Daniel spoke next. "It is the belief of Roxanne, Dr. Henry Locke, and myself that this ring does more than target the victims - but the recruiters as well, telepathically dominating them. It makes the trail from little fish to bigger fish more difficult to trace. She also believes that these individuals have targetted Nicole as a form of retribution agaisnt Roxanne."

,,

"Now, before you get upset..." Dr. Locke fixed Roxy's parents with a calming, reassuring look he'd practised on many an erupting nova. "In many cases it's reversible, and in almost all cases it's detectable. I've been studying these powers and abilities for a long, long time - and I have the support of other people at the Project, as does Roxanne. If it turns out that Nicole is going through this then I'm confident we can get her out of it."

,,

"However, to do so requires independant telepathic verification." Takehashi spoke in calm, reassuring, even tones. "Which means that another nova - not Roxanne - must verify the extent of what's happened to Nicole's mind. To do so requires some time on the part of the Project to shift the requisite nova personel around. It is a process I am doing my best to speed up."

,,

Mitch spoke up. "What about the Gestalt?"

,,

"Ahhh, you are familiar with them?"

,,

"I've had, uh... a booming interest in telepathic nova powers lately." Roxanne caught just the hint of a blush on Mitch's part, and grinned for a moment.

,,

"Mitch, yeah. I knew someone affiliated with the Gestalt when I did the job in New York. I also met Psyche from Team Tomorrow. I'll see what I can do."

,,

"If she has been... controlled..." Roxy's mother looked on the verge of tears. "What then?"

,,

"Then, Miss Richardson, this becomes by definition a matter handled by the Directive. This slavery ring is international and nova-led and that falls within the Directive's international charter. However, if more concrete evidence is found then they might petition Team Tomorrow for assistance. If it is proven, which as yet it's not."

,,

"I know it, Daniel. You didn't see her face. I can feel it in my bones."

,,

"Unfortunately, Doctor, your bones are not admissable in court. However, I've taken the liberty of making a list of all publically known novas with even a hint of telepathic ability." He pulled out his PDA. "This is not a complete list - this is only a cross-reference between the Æon census and Rashoud files. However, it is a start."

,,

"Thanks, Daniel." Roxanne pulled her own PDA, and two clicks later the data was transferred. "Now. I want you guys to act like you didn't hear this, okay?"

,,

"Why?" Her father spoke up. "If whoever this is can read minds then-"

,,

"Then if the information gets out that way, we'll know exactly how and roughly when." Roxanne slipped her PDA back into her pocket. "You all have my number?"

,,

They all nodded.

,,

"Call me the second, and I mean the second, you suspect you're in trouble. I'm serious, everyone. Now..." Roxanne sighed. "Nicole's down at the police station. She... probably wants to see a friendly face."

,,

Her mother and father nodded, and stood up to leave. Her father stared her in the eye. "Honey... be safe. I can't loose you. Not either of you. I can't."

,,

Roxanne nodded, her eyes swollen with greenish tears. "You too, Daddy... you too."

,,

They left. Mitch crossed over to Roxanne and gave her a hug, while Takehashi and Locke looked at each other. "So, Doctor," said Takehashi. "Any suspicions yet?"

,,

"Child slavery... from what Roxanne said it sounds like it could be affiliated with the Teragen. They get off on that kind of promise to rebellious kids. Mind control, of course... recent and frequent trips to the Blackburn or whatever they got those slaves from... Daniel, can you get us everything that the Project has on that case?"

,,

"I will get right on it immediately."

,,

"And tell my assistant out front to brew up some coffee. It's gonna be a long night."

,,

Roxanne hugged Mitch back. ~Don't let me go, Mitch. Don't let me go.~

,,

~I'm here, Roxanne. Oh, God, I love you. You're beautiful. You're perfect.~

,,

Roxanne rested her head on Mitch's shoulder, holding him tight, her midn racing with a million different thoughts... and always, the same one bubbling up to the core.

,,

What she was going to do to the one who did this to Nicole...

,,

* * *,,

Seattle Police Department

SWAT Briefing Room

11:06 PM

,,,, "Okay, everyone. Listen up." Calhoun dimmed the lights, and projected the image of an anthropomorphic female fox onto the screen behind him. "Subject's name, Doctor Roxanne Rachel Richardson. Obviously - she's a nova. Known powers include illusion powers, hypersenses, intangibility, invisibility, and the ability to shoot fire and lightning from her hands. You are all to wear fire retardent, grounded suits for this operation. If you feel you are in any way under illusionary influence, stop right where you are and do not fire. If you loose contact with the nova in question alert Tenor to her whereabouts. Tenor is confident that even when the subject is invisible, she will be able to sense her location, and incapacitate her.,,

"This is a nonlethal takedown. There may be baseline targets within the facility. Do not engage them. You are going to be armed with high-speed tranq guns equipped with nova-strength tranquilizer. In the event you down her, you will each have two patches of moxinoquantamine - you are to apply these patches immediately, and I do mean immediately. Any questions? No?

,,

"Let's start the fox hunt, then."

Bastian · May 31, 2003

Seattle Police Department

Locker Room

11:03 PM

Officer Jankowski was in a hurry. He was going to be the last one dressed out and ready to roll, dammit. The Sergeant was going to eat his ass … again. The last of his armor adjusted, he shut the door and turned around. Facing the Officer was a boy, about his height, but with a much lighter build. This ‘boy’ was smiling at him and he lifted a finger to his lips and made a “hushing” noise. Jankowski blinked in surprise and the ‘boy’ was gone.

For a second, he thought about saying something, but the thought passed. He was late as it is. No reason to draw attention to himself. He hurried to the briefing room.

Seattle Police Department

SWAT Briefing Room

11:06 PM

Sergeant Williams watched Jankowski hurry into the room.

‘What the hell has kept him’, she thought. She made a note to dress him down later.

With Calhoun leading the briefing, she normally would have expected things to drone on. This wouldn’t be the case and she knew it. Tenor was in the room and she had already checked out the anti-nova gear from the armory.

‘Vixen! OH MY GOD!’ she thought, barely containing herself.

Sure, they had talked about this before. That’s what the police in tactical liked to do, but this one was a nightmare case. They couldn’t hit her, and even if they did, they couldn’t hurt her. Then, there was the offensive punch. Her people might as well be wearing toilet paper, for all the good their best body armor could do. Her only consolation seemed to be that this asshole Calhoun was the one who wanted to put the cuffs on Vixen himself.

She couldn’t help but notice the silence her people kept while they left the room. Even Jankowski seemed lost in thought. She didn’t have the time to deal with him now.

“Fox Hunt, my ass”, she muttered. “Let’s just hope we are the ones who are doing the hunting and not the other way around.”

There is a terrible momentum events take when left to their own devices.

If Vixen hadn’t gone to clean up, she would have not been at the facility.

If Mitch hadn’t gone out to bring the car around …

If there is any consolation, it is that fate can be kind as well as cruel.

Seattle Rashoud Facility

11:20 PM

As Mitch pulled the car around he noticed the plain-clothed officers moving his way and toward the front of the facility. Then, three SWAT team members sprinted across the street to near corner of the facility. Mitch gulped as he pulled up to the front. He put the car in park and got out, praying that the police didn’t know how nervous he was. As he looked up, he says Roxy coming through the doors.

As Roxy came through the soundproofed doors, she picked up on the subsonic tremors of Tenor. For just a second she was actually happy to see her. She and Tenor had gotten along during the Geryon fiasco. The terror on Mitch’s face changed all that. The walkway suddenly seemed a thousand feet too long. She took flight. She had to get him out of the way. For a nova, it seemed so perfectly natural

Calhoun saw Vixen making her break for freedom. There was no time to waste. That aberrant bitch was going to get away and it wasn’t like any of them could rely on Tenor, either.

“She’s running,” he yelled into the tactical mike. “Take her down!”

Detective Von Braun had just enough time to look at his partner in horror before he started to yell into his own mike.

For Sgt. Williams and her squad, their options suddenly came down to just one. That was massive firepower and she knew it was a terrible long shot. To make matters even more desperate, most of her people weren’t even in position and not one sniper was up, and the bullets would be coming in on a flat trajectory.

‘Oh God,’ she thought

“If you have a shot, take it!”

For two of the flanking tactical-team members, and three more directly across the street, that was enough. They brought their weapons to bear on Vixen and opened fire.

For Vixen, it was the worst nightmare she had seen since Geryon threatened her. With her heightened senses, she could see the bullets coming in toward her. Worse, she could see the bullets coming up on Mitch’s back.

As Jankowski brought his weapon up, his world darkened and he fell backwards into oblivion.

Inside him, Bastian was at war with himself.

Part of him cried out, ‘this isn’t our fight. Hide and let this be.’

Another part, the newer part spoke like thunder against the first one.

‘She is one of us and we can not let her fight alone.’

Bastian reached out with his mind and drew quantum into a protective barrier.

‘Too slow’, she thought. With quantum pounding through her already exhausted node, she couldn’t summon the speed, but she couldn’t stop. She reached out for him and he reached for her.

She saw the love and fear in his eyes and she could feel the bullets ready to rip through his flesh. Too slow, and then, the bullets crashed off of the quantum shield that suddenly enveloped him.

“… Cease Fire,” Von Braun screamed into his mike.

Behind her and through her, Vixen could sense the bullets pass by. She tackled Mitch and bore him to the ground. Only then did she hear the screams begin behind her.

Vixen · May 31, 2003

Mitch was stunned, more than anything. The bullets had bounced off, and then she'd tackled him to the ground without him getting so much as a scratch. The wind was knocked out of him for a moment or two, so he couldn't speak... but he could hear, perfectly well.

,,

Vixen checked him over with blinding speed, sharp eyes searching for a bullet wound. There was none... he was okay. She heard Von Braun screaming into his mike. She could smell the thick scent of expended gunpowder rich in the air. And then she heard another scream, behind her, back at the Rashoud facility's door.

,,

She whipped her head around, and she gasped. Her father was lying on the ground, her mother in hysterics.

,,

"DADDY!" she screamed, her perfect voice cracking as she released Mitch. She could feel guns pointed at her as she sped towards her father, and she paid them no mind.

,,

Von Braun screamed into his mike again. "Cease fire! Do not fire! We have two civilians down! Do not fire!" Roxanne heard, next, the whisper underneath Von Braun's breath: "Oh Christ. Calhoun, you fucking idiot, oh Christ. What have you done?"

,,

Sergeant Williams, for her part, was still tracking Vixen with her pistol, trying to rehearse what she was going to say to her. Calhoun was muttering to himself. "Shrugged off everything we threw at her... two civilians down, I don't believe it, captain's gonna tear me apart..."

,,

Vixen heard all of it. She ignored all of it. She even ignored the subsonic tremors that told her Tenor was in the area somewhere, waiting to pound down on her with everything she had. None of it mattered. She crested up to her father, wide-eyed and in shock.

,,

The bullet wound hadn't killed him right away - and it might have missed all vital organs. But it was bad. Blood was leaking out onto the sidewalk. Her father's eyes stared straight ahead, wide, unbelieving.

,,

"Dad..." She crouched. "Dad, don't you... stay with me, don't you fall asleep..."

,,

"Roxy, is that you? Diana?"

,,

Mrs. Richardson clasped his right hand. Roxy had his left. "Dad, just hold on, we'll get you to a doctor..."

,,

"No, no, I'm fine, I don't even feel it..." He tried to move, and cried out in sharp pain. "OW! Ow, now I do, ow..."

,,

Roxanne cried. Green glowing tears dripped down her face. "No, oh God... doctor. Doctor Locke!" She released his hand, and shot towards the door.

,,

She never got there - Tenor swooped down out of the sky, and Roxy winced momentarily as her sonic convection cycled down several octaves. "Now just... hold on right there, Doctor Richardson..."

,,

The door behind the two novas was flung open. Daniel was the first one out the door, and subsequently the first one to get a dozen weapons pointed at him. He stopped, rattled. Doctor Locke can up behind him and paused as well, taking in the scene.

,,

"Oh God," he said. Ignoring the weapons pointed at him, he ran to Mr. Richardson's side.

,,

"Hey! Hey there! Stop!" Another officer blocked Locke's path. Sergeant Williams shook her head - this was devolving into an abject mess...

,,

Henry Locke looked him directly in the eye. "You can arrest me and let that man die or you can let me through."

,,

The officer paused. He stole a glance towards Williams, Calhoun, and Von Braun. Williams nodded. "Let him through, Stevens. Keep an eye on him and let him through." With that Williams proceeded directly towards Vixen, who was engaged in some kind of staredown with Tenor.

,,

Dr. Locke sped past and knelt by the fallen form of Mr. Richardson. Off in the distance, Mitch slowly stood up, rubbing his skin, a puzzled look on his face, guns pointed at him as well. Calhoun was balling his fists, seething. "What the hell? All the momentum's gone! We had the advantage and we-"

,,

"Greg - shut up." Von Braun turned towards his partner. "I mean it. Shut up. Two civilians got shot, Calhoun. Did that get through to you? Two civilians got shot."

,,

"That aberrant bitch is going to-"

,,

"Which aberrant bitch, Calhoun? The one that's trying to get her doctor to save her father's life, or the one that came with us tonight to execute this... fuck. Fuck. I don't - you are a piece of work, Calhoun, you really fuckin' are."

,,

Calhoun just stared at the scene, still seething with anger. Dr. Locke was checking the bullet wound in Mr. Richardson's side. Sgt. Williams approached the two novas around the same time Daniel Takehashi recovered his poise and walked towards them.

,,

"Sgt. Williams, Seattle PD SWAT Team Division, and I'm afraid you're under arrest, Dr. Richardson."

,,

"Daniel Takehashi, attorney at law. Pleased to meet you, Segeant. I am Doctor Richardson's legal representative. I would like to see the warrant, if it's not too much trouble."

,,

Williams looked askance at Takehashi, and nodded, pulling out the warrant. She showed it to Daniel, who inspected it. "Conspiracy to kidnap? This is about her sister, isn't it."

,,

"I would imagine she's the one to answer that." Williams turned back towards Roxanne. "Doctor, did you hear me? I'm going to have to arrest you."

,,

"I have a feeling, Sergeant, that my client is distracted by conversing with Tenor."

,,

"What? I can't hear a thing."

,,

"I imagine you cannot hear a dog whistle either, but that does not mean a dog whistle makes no sound."

,,

* * *,,

"Tenor, listen to me. Something bad is going down.",,

"I'm sorry, Vixen, I have to. They have a writ and everything."

,,

It wasn't telepathy - Vixen wasn't about to take the risk if that came back to haunt her. Too much of this had to do with that already... instead, she was speaking out of normal human listening range, carefully modulating her voice - and trying desperately not to slip up and give in to the temptation to use the more hypnotic aspects of the voice.,,

"A writ? Based on what? What evidence?"

,,

"I can't... Vixen, please. Those bullet might not be able to get through that mist of yours, but a focused sonic blast can. Don't run. Running only makes you look guilty."

,,

"Based on what evidence, Tenor?"

,,

"Fine... fine. They heard your sister mentioning to herself how she'd never tell them it was you."

,,

"You're joking. Their basis for this arrest is a confession Nicole made to herself?"

,,

"That's what I said."

,,

"That's pretty thin, Tenor."

,,

"I know. But it's not a statement that you're guilty. It's just a writ. Just a warrant. Running now, if you run, they'll see you run. They'll have hard evidence of resisting arrest, if they don't already."

,,

"If I don't run, God knows what else will happen. Tenor, listen to me. I think someone's targeting me in relation to a Project contract in New York, something to do with telepathically altered mind-slaves. If I go to jail now, they'll be able to run around free. They could kill my sister."

,,

"Do you have proof?"

,,

"I... no. All I have is my own observation of my sister and you know that won't hold up. I need a little time. I need independant confirmation on this."

,,

"I'm sorry, Vixen... I can't. I'm just doing my duty here."

,,

"Okay. Okay. You win. You win."

,,

* * *,,

Vixen's distracted look went away. She held out her hands. "You win. Take me in.",,

The sergeant blinked. "You're..." She looked to Tenor, and then back to Vixen. "Not resisting arrest?"

,,

"I thought about running. But breaking the law in pursuit of upholding it is pointless, as my lawyer likes to say."

,,

"It's good advice. These officers should follow it." Daniel handed the piece of paper back to the sergeant. "Believe you me, Sergeant, I will be devoting my full energies to this case. I... he's okay!"

,,

Daniel watched, amazed, as Mitch walked towards them. "Roxanne..."

,,

Roxanne turned. "I'm... sorry, Mitch. I'm going to the station with them."

,,

"Roxanne..." He then turned to Tenor. "Wait, was it you? Was it you who stopped the bullets?"

,,

"Bullets? I thought you were shot, sir! I thought-"

,,

"And it wasn't Roxanne because he powers don't do that... Sergeant, there's another nova in the area."

,,

A gunshot would have had less impact on the assembled crew. Everyone fell silent, except for Doctor Locke, who was putting together a crude stretcher with the help of some SWAT officers. "Take him inside, gently... lay him down on the examining table back there, I'll lead you to it. I can get the bullet out, it's a clean wound, but you must be careful..."

,,

The sergeant swallowed, her throat suddenly having gone dry. "Another nova."

,,

"Yes. I felt something blocking the bullets - it wasn't Tenor and it wasn't Roxy. And I'm not even scraped from her tackling me to the ground. I felt this weird sorta... coldness..."

,,

The reactions of the officers on sight was instantaneous. Williams shouted into her mike. "All units, all units, please be advised: Possible third nova entity in theatre of operation. Repeat, possible third nova entity." Roxanne sniffed the air. Tenor listened quietly.

,,

"I don't hear anything..." said Tenor tenuously. "Could be gone by now."

,,

Roxanne sniffed again. Tiny disturbances in the air tumbled past her mind's eye. She catalogued every scent and tucked it quietly away inside of her mind. She counted all the active scents of the officers on site, plus several less active scents of people they'd interacted with throughout the day. And she compared them, mentally, in her head with the scents off of Nicole, which were also numberous after a hard day of working in a bookstore. Nothing came up immediately - but, the ghost of something... some possible connection...

,,

Nothing to go on yet. Utopia didn't maintain a scent database. But something to keep in mind.

,,

"So, I suppose you're going to fill me up with a shitload of mox now? Go ahead." Vixen still held out her arms to be handcuffed. "I won't resist. But, I do want my lawyer there, Williams. I absolutely, positively want my lawyer in the same room with me this time."

,,

"You'll have it, Doctor." Behind her, she could hear Calhoun chomping at the bit, itching to put the cuffs on - but she'd indulged him enough for one day. The handcuffs slid on her wrists, and then she took out a pair of mox patches, and slapped them on the back of Roxanne's neck.

,,

The effect took a short while. The mist faded away. The greenish energy that her eyes exuded faded, until her eyes were back to a normal green. She stooped a bit. Daniel folded his arms, looking pissed. Mitch looked on, unbelieving. "You... you can't... you're arresting her? You're kidding. You have to be. This can't be - you're not serious."

,,

"She has a warrant and everything else she needs, Professor Lang." Daniel never took his eyes off Calhoun, who was grinning - and Von Braun, who was certainly not grinning.

,,

Tenor watched the situation, and while everyone's eyes were on Roxanne, she made a quick motion with her hand, and Daniel blinked momentarily. He didn't look right away, however - he kept his composure as the Sergeant counted off. "Okay... mox has taken hold. Doctor Roxanne Richardson, you are being placed under arrest for conspiracy to kidnap. You have the right to remain silent. If you give up that right, anything you say can and will be used agaisnt you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney the state will provide one for you. Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?"

,,

"Yes." The energy and vitality was gone from her voice. Her speech was slurred. Inside her mind, the bright and burning candle burnt just a little less brightly. Mitch's heart sank.

,,

"Come with me, then." They took her over to the wagon they had brought for just such an occasion, and Tenor followed. Mitch looked numbly at Daniel, who looked sadly back.

,,

The doors shut. The wagon sped off. A few minutes later, the ambulance arrived, taking Richard Richardson and his wife Diana to the hospital. Several officers stayed on site to collect statements from the remaining individuals, who clustered together in a group.

,,

"Okay, Daniel. What can we do?" Mitch spoke pleadingly, clearly upset.

,,

"We cannot break the law, Professor Lang... but, we can use the law to our advantage. We have resources at our disposal and we will use them."

,,

"Like what?"

,,

"Like this." Daniel slipped a piece of paper out of his pocket, and unfolded it. "This was given to me by Tenor. It appears to be a highly advanced version of standard Rashoud report procedures."

,,

Dr. Locke took it. He looked it over, and blinked. "The is part of a Directive killfile, Daniel."

,,

"A killfile?" Mitch looked confused.

,,

"The Directive maintains a database of all publically known novas and their abilities, as well as all projected theories on how their powers work, and how to incapacitate and contain them. This is part of their database on Roxanne."

,,

"You're... they maintain a list of ways to kill Roxy?"

,,

"Yes. We had a flap with them a while back when we caught a Directive hacker trying to sneak into the Project's database to get more of the information that's given to us. The numbers are all blacked out but I recognize the layout, the writing style..."

,,

Daniel nodded. "If this is a Directive investigation, the Seattle Police Department would not have gotten involved. They would have had one of the Directive's squads do the takedown themselves."

,,

"Which means that it's not a Directive investigation," continued Mitch.

,,

"Which means that they probably shouldn't have this file," continued Dr. Locke.

,,

"I'm quite certain that the Directive would be interested in this new bit of information, considering that an international nova-led slave ring is precisely within their purview." Daniel took a few quick notes from the piece of paper, and then proceeded inside. "We have Project resources as well. Roxanne's Utopian liason is a Mr. Jake Lawrence, and I imagine the Project will not be terribly happy with one of their novas being arrested for whatever reason. Let's discuss the rest of this inside, gentlemen." He motioned towards the doors of the Rashoud facility. "Doctor, without Roxanne's abilities to assist us, can you prevent any kind of telepathic tampering with our minds?"

,,

The doctor sighed. "Essentially, Daniel - the only way we can be sure is to call in another telepath. But there's various techniques. Certain mindsets you can adopt that makes it a little harder."

,,

"I can see why you guys keep this sorta stuff quiet," said Mitch.

,,

"Very well. Let us make the best we can of a bad situation." He motioned again towards the doors. "After you, gentlemen. And let's make this quick, because I have to be down at the police station shortly."

Vixen · June 3, 2003

11:43 PM

Seattle Police Department

,,

"What the hell do you mean, she has no fingerprints?"

,,

"Just that. Look, see? Claws, little pads and stuff, hands fulla fur - no fingerprints."

,,

The police station was even more of a zoo than normal - everyone was standing a comfortable distance back from the front of the desk, but everyone's attention was focused on it - except for the junkies, who thought that a twin-tailed white-haired foxlike nova was just another part of coming down from a bad high.

,,

"God..." Von Braun rubbed the ridge of his nose and glared at the desk sergeant. He was vice - novas and supercrime were quite out of his jurisdiction. Crime amongst novas was usually a little more white-collar than this... which was why he knew something wasn't right. There was a missing piece of the puzzle. Something he hadn't thought about.

,,

"Sergeant... get some tweezers. Doctor?"

,,

"Mmm-hmmm?" Roxanne was foggy from the moxinoquantamine coupled with the tranquilizers she'd been dosed with. She was able to stand up, but all the usual energy about her was gone. The eyes wandered. She got distracted easily.

,,

"Doctor, we're going to take a couple samples of your... your..."

,,

"Fur?"

,,

"Your fur. Yeah. 'Cause..." He held up the sheet that was supposed to be full of fingerprints and was, instead, full of black smears. "The pad don't pick up your prints."

,,

"S'okay. Yank 'em out, just don't go for a sensitive area... you know?" Her eyes wandered around the station. "Thanks for the mox, detective. I don't think I could have stood being in here and hearing them all talk about me again."

,,

"Oh, your... your hearing's been dampened by the mox?"

,,

"Sorta... mostly it's the mox that makes me not really care what they say." Listlessly, a tail flicked. "Am I gonna get prison fatigues? Can I keep my stuff?"

,,

"We are... we're going to have to have you in one of our uniforms. And, uh... will those...." He motioned to her derriere, and the appendages growing out of it. "With they, you know. Fit?"

,,

"No. Won't fit. S'okay. Tuck 'em down the pants."

,,

"Von Braun, you immense fucking pussy, will you hurry this shit up so we can get underway?"

,,

Von Braun balled his fists, and turned back to Calhoun. The desk sergeant had the tweezers and was delicately plucking a few hairs out of Roxy's hands. "Calhoun, do not... don't. Her lawyer's not here. We set up a cell, we do all the standard stuff and we wait for her lawyer and then we talk. Don't."

,,

Calhoun sneered at Roxanne, baring his teeth in a sharklike grin. "The uniforms here are orange... I hope that's your color."

,,

Roxanne didn't notice. Her mind was on other things. Scents distracted her. The noises of the roaches under the desk. The glint of the light casting a halo around the desk sergeant, making him look angelic.

,,

"That's nice cologne you have on."

,,

The sergeant blinked, and swallowed thickly. "Uh, I don't... I'm not wearing any."

,,

"Oh." She paused. "You were wearing some last nice, right?"

,,

"Yeah, uh... yeh, I was. Out on a date, you know?"

,,

"She someone special?"

,,

"Yeah, I... I like to think so."

,,

"What type of cologne is that? I have a boyfriend. I think he'd like it as a gift."

,,

"Uh, I'm not... I shouldn't be talking to you. You know."

,,

Roxanne nodded. "I know."

,,

The last of the hairs were plucked. They led her away, down a corridor, to a private cell at the end of a long row. Calhoun on one side, Von Braun on the other. Calhoun hissed at his partner. "Are you sure she's moxed?"

,,

"Yes, but she can still hear real good, dipshit."

,,

"Yep! Sure can." Roxy managed a wave into the security camera.

,,

Von Braun snagged an orange uniform out of the locker. "Now, uh, you'll have to wear this, Doctor. You'll have to give me your vest, shorts, and shirt. I'll catalogue them."

,,

"Sure. Turn 'round, please."

Calhoun turned around straight away - Von Braun followed suit. Calhoun stared straight ahead, staring intently at the wall, while Von Braun's eyes flowed to the convex mirror-

,,

"No peeking, you naughty man."

,,

"I'm sorry, Doctor, but the brass told me that if you escape it's our ass. We have to keep an eye on you."

,,

"Oh. Well, okay. You're lucky I'm drugged. Normally I hate it when others watch." In the mirror, the slightly distorted shape of Roxanne slid out of her clothing and started pulling on the jumpsuit.

,,

Calhoun sneered. "How can you... how can you stand to watch? She's... God. It's like watching a dog take a-"

,,

"Calhoun, I'm right at my don't-fuck-with-me limit for the night. You understand? Right at it."

,,

"Well, excuse me, Mister Sensitive-"

,,

"Done." Roxanne tapped on the bars. "Done. Turn 'round."

,,

The detectives did so. "Well, uh... you change fast," offered Von Braun weakly.

,,

"I learnt to do it fast. I have two sets of clothes - when I'm 'on' and when I'm 'off.' I usually change in a phone booth - tradition, you know?" Roxanne tucked her hands into the jumpsuit's pockets.

,,

"Thought you novas hated the comparison to the comic books."

,,

"Some do. Not me."

,,

"Okay, Doctor... just have a seat. We're waiting for confirmation from your lawyer and then we'll start talking."

,,

"Gotcha. Guys? Why is this row empty?"

,,

"Er..." Von Braun scratched the back of his neck. "No set policy for nova prisoners, but... basically, we figured it'd be best for you if they weren't staring at you all the time."

,,

"And likewise, if I decided to melt down the bars or spontaneously explode, they'd be far away. Gotcha." She gave them a thumbs-up. "Let me know when my lawyer comes here. I wanna settle this shit once and for all."

,,

* * *,,

Seattle Rashoud Facility

11:55 PM

,,

"Dan's gone to meet with Roxanne, Doctor." Mitch watched as Takehashi's car sped off. He rubbed his head. "So what's the plan, man?"

,,

"We've entered Security Level Two, Mitch."

,,

"You have security levels?"

,,

"Yes. You'd be surprised how many threats we get. We get threats from the Church of the Michael Archangel for harboring aberrant freaks, we get death threats from Terats who think we're trying to brainwash any nova that comes through that door... plus, there are people who would kill to gain use of some of the drugs and technology we use in these facilities. Security Level Two means that no one gets to enter or exit the building unless I personally enter the access code to that part of the building. The security personnel know what we might be expecting. All the cameras are on and their auxiliary backups are scanning deep into the infrared and ultraviolet ranges. It'll keep out some novas. Not all, but some."

,,

Mitch nodded. "Sounds like a high-risk occupation."

,,

"Oh, it is. It can be. But I tell you, the opportunities it affords us outweigh the shortfalls. Okay. Put the piece of paper in the scanner for me, Mitch. I'm going to send it, along with what else is happening here, to a few people I know."

,,

"Who?"

,,

"Jake Lawrence, Utopian liaison to the nova Doctor Roxanne Richardson... as well as an old friend of mine. And someone who doesn't like his name bandied about."

,,

Mitch nodded, feeding the scanner. 'How long will it take before we get some feedback?"

,,

"At this time of night, and accounting for the usual bureaucratic procedures, we should be getting something in a few hours."

,,

"A few hours?" Mitch looked envious. "Whenever I want something out of the faculty I have to wait days or weeks!"

,,

"It pays to be speedy when dealing with people who can run the four-second mile."

,,

* * *,,

Seattle Police Department

12:01 AM

,,

"Hello, Roxanne."

,,

The cell door slid open. Roxanne looked up and smiled. "Hey, Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling..."

,,

Daniel allowed himself a smile as he sat down. The bailiff slid the door shut and then took a respectable distance.

,,

"How are you, Roxanne?"

,,

"Fuzzy. Fuzzier than usual. I think it's the mox."

,,

"I have good news on that front. You will have to continue to take moxinoquantamine while staying here, but they're not going to shoot you completly full of it now that you're here. And if you get a headache later on, Dr. Locke has prescribed you some adrenocilin." Daniel took out a vial full of red and orange pills. "Of course, you must be careful not to overdose, or to take too many."

,,

Roxanne pocketed the vial, and smiled. "Thanks, Daniel. Now, have you spoken with the officers yet?"

,,

"No. I wished to speak to you first. I was hoping you could tell me anything I need to know in this case."

,,

"I'm not too sure of what's going on myself..." She rubbed her temples. "Like I said before. Sounds like supercrime."

,,

"Yes. That's what the detectives believe as well. They're just not sure who the nova is in this case."

,,

"I got a whiff of the scents there at the facility. I thought back to the scents I got off of Nicole. There... might be a match. I'm not sure. I'd probably recognize it if I smelled it again."

,,

"That's not quite going to be good enough."

,,

"I know." She sighed. "Like you said, independent verification. What progress is Dr. Locke making on that?"

,,

"We should have an answer shortly. Roxanne... what, exactly, did you and Tenor talk about?"

,,

"Basically what I told you. Possibility of supercrime. Asked her what evidence they were relying on for this warrant?"

,,

"And what evidence is that?"

,,

"A confession that Nicole made while unconscious."

,,

Daniel blinked. "While she was... that's the basis for their warrant." He shook his head. "She talks in her sleep and they arrest you. I'm going to go have a little chat with them, Roxanne. It's probably best if you don't at the moment unless you're willing to dorm down for it. If they decide you used your abilities to get you out of jail-"

,,

"If I wanted to do that, Daniel, I could waltz out through the walls, even though I'm full of mox. No, I think I'll play by the rules on this one. How's Dad, by the way?"

,,

"They're setting him up at the emergency room now, if I'm not mistaken."

,,

"And my sister? They won't let me talk to her..."

,,

"I'm representing her as well. But the evidence in her case is more... damning. Unless we prove that supercrime took place, I'm not sure what we can do."

,,

"Don't worry, Daniel. Just go kick ass for us both." Roxanne sat back on the bench. "We'll beat the rap. You'll see."

,,

"You give me confidence, Doctor. I thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me..." He picked up his briefcase, and gave a brief bow. "I must go 'kick ass.'"

,,

Roxanne giggled. Daniel let himself out. The steel doors clanked open and shut, and she exhaled, running her fingers over the graffiti on the concrete wall. Gang slogans and tickmarks brushed past her fingertips.

,,

The vial in her pocket felt heavy. Of course, it probably wasn't common knowledge that adrenocilin and mox were counteragents to each other - Dr. Locke would know, Mitch might know, she certainly knew... Tenor, maybe. Calhoun and Von Braun, probabl not. Takehashi, maybe. He tended to surprise her.

,,

The temptation was certainly there. Pop one pill, wait two minutes, and just... talk to everyone. Talk to them in a way they couldn't ignore or disobey. The temptation tugged at her.

,,

But it was a slippery slope. Today, a little quantum-powered persuasion. Tomorrow, a little more, and then a little more...

,,

No. It wasn't her way.

,,

She fingered one of the pills in her pocket. She was developing a bit of a headache, though. The mox sometimes did that to her. She could just...

,,

No. The bailiff might see. And the evidence could resurface later, and it wouldn't be in her favor.

,,

She felt frustrated. The enemy was out there, she knew it - but she couldn't see the enemy, couldn't smell or hear or feel the enemy. It frustrated her to be chasing shadows, especially locked inside an empty cell...

,,

Wait.

,,

She blinked. She looked to the bailiff, and then to the graffiti. It was tough to see through the haze of the mox... like trying to make an image on a videotape out after it had been overwritten.

,,

Okay, she told herself. Okay. So... what do I do? Something's there. I can't make it out but dammit, something's there. This mox is dulling my senses... can't focus...

,,

It's just a drug. I have the keys to the universe in my head and it's just a drug. Focus, Roxy. Concentrate.

,,

Every muscle in her body tensed. Her eyes narrowed to a laser-like focus. The world ceased to exist beyond the police station, beyond the cell, even. The bailiff wasn't there. The security camera wasn't there. Blackness crept over everything, shying away from the borders of the cell. Ans still she centered herself, still she focused...

,,

Slowly the cell slipped away. Slowly, the scents of the cell drifted to nothingness. The temptation in her pocket disappeared, as did her pockets and the garment they were attached to. She floated naked in the inky blackness, still focused, her sharp teeth gritted and tiny bursts of light going off behind her retinas.

,,

~I know you're there. Come on out.~

,,

She almost hadn't expected an answer, but then it came: ~Very impressive, Little Sister Vixen. Very, very impressive.~

,,

~Oh,~ she thought. ~You.~

,,

Slowly he formed out of the nothingness, nude as well, a slightly offsetting smile on his face. Shadows crawled over him like ants on honey. His eyes met hers. ~We've never met, yet you recognize me?~

,,

~"Little Sister Vixen" was the giveaway, Bastian. I still remember, you know - "Little Sister Vixen, perhaps it would be better for you to see yourself as one of those fabled spirit folk than a mere mortal. Explore the spiritual and sensual sides of your nature. Revel in the being you have awakened to become." Is 'little brother' or 'little sister' a standard form of greeting in the Teragen?~

,,

He laughed. ~Your mind is as sharp, quick and wily as your namesake, Little Sister Vixen. And no. It isn't. It's only a standard mode of address for me - so in that way it fits the philosophy of Teras.~

,,

Vixen's attention was caught by one of the shadows that crawled across him. Her eyes followed it -

,,

- and Mitch was there but not there as well because he'd erupted too and he was like her and there was no more shame and nothing more to get used to and infinity bent around their writhing forms as everything roiled and boiled around them -

,,

- and then she shook her head and blinked. ~What the hell was that?~

,,

~Your Doctor Locke would term it Quantum Backlash Disorder. I call it the Mirror of the Mind's Desire. To stare into one of the shadows that encircles my form is to glimpse into your own heart, what the carnal and lustful part of you yearns for.~ He smirked. ~The first thing you see is the most obvious. After that... let's just say that we can surprise ourselves.~

,,

~But this isn't the real world. This is... some kind of mental bridge. Why does it show here?~

,,

~Why does your own blessedly distinct form bear the same shape here as well? This is how you see yourself, Little Sister Vixen. Not as one of them - but as one of us.~

,,

Vixen frowned. She had an inkling of where the conversation was going, and decided to head Bastian off. ~Oh, I get it. This is the recruitment speech.~

,,

~No recruitment, Little Sister Vixen. All of Mal's Chosen come to him in their own time.~

,,

~So the rumors of brain implants and brainwashing aren't true? Okay. I'm sure that'll be reassuring to the people running Team Tomorrow Europe. I'll tell them you said that.~

,,

~Wasn't one of mine, Little Sister Vixen. You would do well not to tar us all with the same brush.~

,,

~Very well, let's drop that for now. Let me tell you why you're here.~

,,

~Yes. Tell me.~

,,

~You have something to do with what happened to Nicole.~

,,

~After a fashion. There are some that wanted her dead. I simply made her... useful, instead of dead. You are as a sister to me and I wished to help.~

,,

~You brainwashed her.~

,,

~Yes. This thought rerouted to that thought, certain feelings put inside, others tamped down. You make it sound more horrible than it truly is.~

,,

Vixen quivered with quiet rage. ~You telepathically turned my sister into a slaver.~

,,

~Would you prefer that she be dead? I can arrange that, Little Sister Vixen, though I would very much not wish to.~

,,

~Don't you even try to threaten me, Bastian. Who is it? Who wants her dead? This has to do with New York, doesn't it?~

,,

~That would be telling. Rest assured, I hope I have your best interests at heart. It was I who saved your lover from the baselines with their guns, after all.~

,,

Vixen fumed - literally fumed, greenish ethereal smoke pouring from her eyes as they burnt through the remains of the mox. As a result, she let herself be distracted, and then the shadows -

,,

- swallowed her in soft satin as an unknown lover's kisses covered her body, as every ounce of fur stood on end and she felt the nude form against her but couldn't see, but he was strong, or maybe it was a she, as Roxy was held close and cuddled and loved -

,,

- she shook her head, green wisps floating every which way. ~For all I know, the reason that they came in guns blazing was because of something you did! They wouldn't have even come after me if you'd left my sister out of your damn slavery operation! And now... what's this, then? Why spy on me? Why project your consciousness into my cell?~

,,

~I was curious. Why didn't you fight back against Tenor, Williams, Calhoun and Von Braun, and the lackeys under their command? Why come to this cell? Even with the poison in your veins you can still focus enough to slip through the bars. Why stay?~

,,

~I was tempted, Bastian - but I knew it wouldn't solve anything. My sister would still be here. If I didn't come in, the police would be chasing after me and consequently not chasing after the people behind the ring you tied my sister to-~

,,

~They won't find us, Little Sister Vixen, be assured of that. This is not arrogance - it is fact. ~

,,

~My loyalty's to my sister. To my family and friends, to Mitch. All of whom have been hurt. My father's in the hospital, Bastian, and my sister's in jail, and the reason I'm here right now is because I know that if I had stayed out there, the only thing that would be visited upon them is more pain and blood.~

,,

~Do you believe your sacrifices will make them safe, Little Sister Vixen?~

,,

~What's my alternative? Doing what you want me to? No. What you like to think you're doing is offering me a choice - a choice between one thing and another, the red pill or the blue. But that's not what you're doing. What you're doing is limiting my choices to those two - you are trying to get me to take an infinite number of possibilities and condense them down to the two you've chosen. That's not choice. That is a denial of choice. A pox on free will, which was something you also took from my sister - and it is the one ideal that you Terats espouse more loudly than any other, that your will is your own and cannot be shaped or controlled by any agency.~

,,

Bastian smiled, inexplicably, as Vixen pressed forwards. ~You don't want to tell me who's after us all? Fine. I can't drag it out of you. But whatever your intentions, whatever you want... if you want to help me then let my sister be. Let all of us be.~

,,

~ Vixen, do you really believe I am here to limit your choices? If it is choices you want, a choice I will give you. Something I want you to think on. You think I and the Teragen are your enemy, no? If you desire it, I can make this immediate problem go away. I will confess to the police what I have done to your sister. I will not turn myself in, but I will make sure there is no doubt that your sister acted under my will. ~

,,

~The Teragen are not my - What? Just like that? What's the catch?~

,,

~The 'catch', little sister, is that this will cost me a great deal. I will no longer be able to help you and give you the time you need to figure out what you want and learn to protect your own. One other thing to consider? Why did this deception fail? Who is after you ... and why?~

,,

Without a further word, Bastian vanished. A second later, the blackness receded. Vixen felt the sudden weight of her clothing as she sensed it once more, as the world roared into being. She glanced around for a moment - she'd been standing, in the space between minds, but she was sitting again... had she moved around? Had she spoken out loud?

,,

The bailiff was standing there, watching her quietly. He didn't act like he'd seen anything, so perhaps it was all in her head.

,,

A thick, acidic thought stole through her mind. Maybe it was all in her head. Maybe the taint was doing more to her than just giving her fur and tails. Maybe she wasn't in control. Maybe-

,,

No. That way led to madness. She couldn't second-guess herself. But more than ever she needed independent verification.

,,

She mentally took a tally of her bank account, and sighed. Hardly enough to hire an Elite. Maybe if she took out a loan, or finally submitted to the offer to have her action figure made...

,,

Maybe she had friends who could help. From the OpNet board. Jager always seemed to be there for her when she needed him the most. Endeavor, floating in the ocean somewhere, would rush to her aid. Maybe Sandy Davis, assuming she ever came back home. Preston had an interest in law enforcement. Violette was on Team Tomorrow. Deeth could turn into anything, though he seems to have a thing for becoming women's clothing... perhaps even Prodigy, who'd given her a few cryptic clues about the Blackburn's slave trade...

But she couldn't reach them in here. No phone line. No PDA.

,,

For an instant she caught a glimpse of where Bastian, Geryon, and the others were coming from. Chafing against the rules. The temptation returned. The weight in her pocket grew. She flexed her fingers.

,,

No, Roxy. Don't. Be stronger than you have ever been. Doing it his way won't solve anything. Just stay strong. Stay patient as still water.

,,

She relaxed, and let the anger go. Around her, the world continued on.

</CENTER>

Jager · June 8, 2003

‘Okay, what have I gotten myself into,’ Bastian thought.

‘Now, if she decides to go through with it … and I have to let Nicole go …’

He reached out with his mind. One advantage of being so close to a police station is that it was painfully easy to find the name of some rat-hole motel. A few seconds later, and he had arrived and chosen his victim. Thirty seconds of mental editing, and he had a safe haven to eat and sleep.

Bob, the man whose life he had invaded obediently went back to sleep after ordering a third take out order. A pepperoni pizza, something called a Hoagie, and two pints of beef-fried rice went down his gullet, and he entered a meditative trance and let his body recharge.

~ Sister~

~ Yes, Bastian ~ Vocha replied. Bastian talked to her more of late. Of all of his companions, her thought were the most clear.

~ I think I may have done a bad thing. ~

~ Shouldn’t you be talking to Gyzha, then ~ she mentally chuckled at him.

~ I have told Vixen that I will expose myself her if she wishes it. ~

~ Why have you done this thing, my brother? ~

~ I am not sure. It felt like the thing to do. ~

~ Then live with your choice. There is nothing else you can do. ~

~ The others will be angry. ~

~ You mean Yue Khan and Gyzha will be angry. Chaz and I will not care. This will not be the first time your heart has made our lives more … interesting. ~

~ You are saying I am on my own, aren’t you? ~

~ You are the telepath, my brother. You tell me. ~

~ Very well then, and thank you. ~

~ You are welcome, my brother. ~

Time to think about this:

-How do I get Vixen to understand who and what she has become when she has such a complete hatred of the Teragen?

-The focus of the problem is Vixen perception of herself.

-I have got to help Vixen to stop limiting herself to baseline perceptions. She knows there is more, but doesn’t trust her own instincts.

-Vixen doesn’t trust me and isn’t going to willingly accept my help.

-She and her companions are going to need my help, which is for sure.

His mind cleared with a start. It was so clear. The key to Vixen was Mitch. If he could convince Mitch …

Four hours passed before he felt the quantum forces equalize within him.

Bastian reached out with his mind, again. It would not be easy, but he knew the feel of Mitch’s mind and he had an idea were to look, the Rashoud Facility.

Vixen · June 9, 2003

2:09 AM

Seattle Police Department Station

,,

Five hours to go, she thought. Five hours to go until the next dose.

,,

She had an accurate enough idea of how moxinoquantamine worked within her system - the box claimed six hours, but of course nova physiology would vary that. She knew that if she pushed it, if she got the heart going and the blood pumping and her muscles flexing that she could shave some time off of the drug's dosage.

,,

Of course, there was the adrenocilin pill sitting in her pocket. But that was a last resort, in the event that she had to get out of the jail cell if Geryon or Matador or someone else decided Bastian was being too subtle. Otherwise it would just create more problems than it solved.

,,

But she had no honest problem with telepathically re-establishing contact with the others during the short window she'd have when the mox's effects would be deadened. Which was in five hours.

,,

She thought of how much could change in five hours, and shivered. Her lawyer could resign, having suddenly gotten the urge to farm potatoes in Idaho. Mitch could dump her, suddenly infatuated with a woman he met yesterday. Dr. Locke could resign, having suddenly lost all knowledge of his paraphysiolocial training. Her parents could join the Church of the Michael Archangel.

,,

A lot could happen to someone like her, who relied on her friends in time of need, when she was facing someone with the power to alter minds and the lack of morals to use it.

,,

She thought back to Geryon, about her bluff. Of course, she couldn't just reach into his mind and block his memories of novahood, rewriting his identity. Even if she had the skill, that was a line she couldn't personally cross. She wondered if this was regarding that - to make her realize the extent of what she'd threatened Geryon with, some kind of Teras-inspired retribution.

,,

Or was it something else? Bastian gave the impression he wanted to help her, and Vixen had found herself believing him. Bastian obviously operated in a different world - normal morals and ethics didn't apply when it came to him. Bastian's idea of help could be irrevocably harmful to her. She'd have to play it safe with him...

,,

She tapped her fingers on the bench. She stole a glance at the bailiff, who nodded quietly in her direction. Down the hall, she could hear footsteps, and she rested her head against the wall...

,,

Around the corner, Von Braun came, flanked by two guards. "Doctor Roxanne Richardson?"

,,

"Mmm-hmm?"

,,

The cage slid open. Von Braun nodded. "You're free to go."

,,

She blinked. "What? Just like that?"

,,

"Well, to be honest we would really appreciate it if you'd answer a few questions for us, but otherwise - you're a free woman. Nova. Whatever. If you'll follow me, I'll check you out."

,,

"I already caught you doing that when I came in, Detective."

,,

"Ha, ha, ha."

,,

* * *

2:22 AM

Outside Seattle P.D. Station

,,

"You are not invisible this time."

,,

"No. I'm too tired." She rubbed her head, wincing. "Thanks for the adrenocilin, Daniel. I couldn't have stood having mox in me for much longer. I took an extra one, too... massive headache."

,,

"Does it usually happen when you overtax yourself?"

,,

"Usually I don't overtax myself."

,,

"Ah. Yes, of course. Doctor, perhaps we ought to step down an alleyway, or something that will allow us a little more privacy?"

,,

Roxanne nodded - already, even at 2 in the morning, they were drawing stares. Quickly, the two of them ducked between a pair of buildings. "So how did you get me out?"

,,

"Many, many ways. Once I knew what to look for, I asked for the information on the evidence behind the arrest. They provided it for me, and I in turn provided them with a federal ruling on the matter, that talking in your sleep is not legally admissible in court. Then they started to get phone calls from Project Utopia asking why one of their floating nova agents was sitting in a jail cell, and then from the Directive asking why the matter hadn't been turned over to them. It took a little persuasion, but: you are cleared of charges for the time being, and Calhoun is on report once again, for calling you an aberrant freak and me a Nip bastard. They respectfully request you do not leave town, and that you assist them with their inquiries, however."

,,

"I plan to. But they need independent verification of what I think's happened with Nicole. To get that I need either the Directive or one of my fellow Utopians."

,,

"I was not aware you were officially employed by the Project."

,,

"I'm not. Yet."

,,

* * *

2:34 AM

Seattle Rashoud Facility

,,

"Roxy!" Mitch enveloped his girlfriend in an enormous hug. "You got out! I was worried!"

,,

"I beat the rap. Hi, honey." Roxanne reciprocated, and after a few moments, Mitch relented. "So what have you & Dr. Locke got?"

,,

"Oh, a bit. A little. Come on, we'll tell you all about it."

,,

Roxanne nodded, and the three of them proceeded into the depths of the facility, past the posters, the recruitment slogans, and...

,,

She peeked - and yes, there it was. her old room. TV in the corner, windowsill, bed slightly modified to accommodate tails... all there. She smiled softly to herself at the memory, the first surges of quantum going through her mind, her first tenuous steps into something incredible. And here she was, running around in the dark, trying to protect everyone from the actions of a man she knew next to nothing about but could plunge all the important people in her family into a fate worse than death.

,,

Maybe that was what Bastian was trying to do. Get her to cut herself off from them by striking at them, and then when she was cut off, then she'd be more open to suggestion. It could be. It sounded like something that fit the Teras mind set.

,,

They emerged into Dr. Locke's office. Henry was at his desk, but he stood to greet them. "Roxanne, Daniel - good to see you both."

,,

"Doctor. What progress have we made?" Even as she spoke, she wandered over to the printer, which was spitting out a variety of documents.

,,

"Some, Roxanne. I called the Project and spoke to Jake. Jake, in turn, has called the Legal Department, Nova Coordination, and I think he even managed to get the ear of Director Laragione. Psyche's coming in when she can to determine if your sister's part of the thing from New York. However..."

,,

"What? Don't say 'however.' However is never, ever good."

,,

"However, I also called an old friend who works at the Directive. He was very interested to hear about the Directive killfiles being raided and they're making an official bid to take over the investigation and they're not sure they want the Project's help. If it is supercrime, however..."

,,

"They're the supercrime experts. Are they sending someone?"

,,

"Yes. Commander David Kubiak."

,,

"Never heard of him."

,,

"I imagine that he likes it better that way. And to be precise: the Directive WILL send him once the Directive and Project Utopia can agree to who shall handle this case, or whether or not they can work together."

,,

"And how long will that take?" Roxanne sighed, and sat down on the bench, tense and frustrated.

,,

"A day or two. I think."

,,

"Doctor, I'm sorry... I need to look again. In your head, to see if there's been any..."

,,

"Invasion? By all means. Daniel? Mitch?"

,,

They both nodded. Roxanne's eyes flickered with green energy for a moment, as a brief presence flitted from mind to mind. Then she relaxed, the energy fading. "Okay. It all looks good. Sorry, Doctor, Daniel, it's just-"

,,

"Hey, no problem. No problem, hon." Mitch gave her a brief hug. "I tell ya - when I catch that, that..."

,,

"No. Mitch, listen to me. Whoever's doing this is dangerous. They don't live in the real world with the rest of us. Don't do anything to them. I can't... he'll..."

,,

"He?" Daniel regarded Roxanne curiously. "Do you know who it might be?"

,,

"I... no. No. If I tell you and if I'm right and he reads your mind-"

,,

"That's a risk I'm willing to take," said Dr. Locke. "If you have a name I can plug it into the database. I can give us a lead."

,,

"I can't... "

,,

"Roxy, what's wrong? You have to tell us... we want to help." Mitch put his hands on her shoulders. "Please..."

,,

She shuddered, and exhaled gently. "Once Psyche or this David Kubiak or someone with powers like mind shows up, then I'll tell you. Right now, I can't... I'm sorry. I just can't."

,,

Mitch sighed. Daniel shook his head. "If you have information on this individual, I have to know, Roxanne. But I trust your judgement. As soon as our friends from either the Directive or Utopia touch down you must tell me so that I can properly formulate your sister's defense."

,,

"Okay. Okay." Roxanne sighed. "I'm shot. I need some rest."

,,

"No one's been in your old room since you left, Doctor. You can sleep there if you wish."

,,

She smiled. "Yeah... yeah, it'd be nice. Thank you, Dr. Locke."

,,

"My pleasure." He nodded, then sat back down to work. "Unfortunately, I have some bruised Directive and Utopia egos to assuage. I'll be up for a while yet. The day staff comes in at nine."

,,

"I, also, will be up. I have a case to prepare, and being a lawyer, I require less sleep than most. You might call it my 'nova power' as it were."

,,

Roxanne chuckled. "G'night, guys." She stood up and began to walk out, but a soft cough from Mitch stopped her short. "Yes, Mitch?"

,,

"Uh, just a... uh... how big's the bed in your old room?"

,,

Roxanne smiled, and stole a brief glance from Doctor Locke who smiled back. "Just don't make too much noise, you two."

,,

* * *,,

Nowhere

Nowhen

,,,,Fate can be kind, as well as cruel.,,

Consider the factors that had led to this point. The size, down to the picometer, of the Mazarin-Rashoud node inside of Bastian's skull, flooding his mind with potent quantum energy. The time it would take for his third eye to replenish his body's built-in stores of raw quantum. If it had been earlier, or later, his effort would have had a different outcome.

,,

Consider too, the puzzling contradiction of Dr. Roxanne Richardson, easily considered one of the most 'tainted' novas in the world, yet still refusing to let it define her any more than previous disabilities did. Skilled in the use of a dazzling array of quantum expressions, or what she would call super powers, yet holding onto a fundamental core nugget of her personality that refuses to change. That as a result, was able to return Mitch Lang's love with a passion all her own, empowered by the abilities of a kitsune, and the power to look into his soul and feel what he felt as he felt it.

,,

Consider this, the first of the truths: that fate can be kind as well as cruel.

,,

Consider, too, the second: that fate can be kind or cruel to anyone, at any time.

* * *

4:10 AM

The Worst Motel in Seattle

,,

Existence flowed in silver blobs around him, each one striking a beautiful and perfect note as it drifted past. Blackness reined around him, contrasting against the perfect silver. Every so often, bits of the silver would drift towards the third eye in his forehead, and in this way, he would become enlightened.

,,

He opened his eyes. Around him was the room he had chosen, at the elevation he wished and the position he chose. The remains of his meal sat upon the table. Within him, he could feel chemical reactions transforming it into fuel for his body's more mundane aspects. He flexed his fingers, entering a meditative frame of mind quite different than his last one.

,,

His consciousness drifted, beyond human perception, beyond human limits. It sought him out, the one that shone like a star with his love for her, his worshipfulness, a formidable intellect for a baseline but no match for his own, a mind that was quick and wily...

,,

The Rashoud facility sped past. He suppressed a tiny twinge of fear, slightly ashamed at feeling fear upon entering the house of his enemy. There was nothing here which could harm him. Pain was something that happened to others.

,,

The lawyer, Daniel Takehashi, his thoughts ordered and focused, his manner as calm as a mountain. Dr. Locke, the paraphysician, full of knowledge of quantum energies, nodes, faracytes... limitations. Arbitrary words for something he could never hope to understand.

,,

And there he was, Mitch Lang, full of love for her, and she for him, a respect and an affection that warmed his heart, and did nothing to delay his descent into his mind -

,,

Mitch's thoughts were like a storm raining hailstones upon the world. He was certainly excited about something.

,,

Bastian send out tiny mental pulses, looking for Mitch's memories on the Teragen, what he thought, what he felt about them. The memories he had of the night the Null Manifesto was broadcast -

,,

" - sure, I'll sign it."

,,

"Thank you, ma'am. And you, sir?"

,,

Mitch nodded, and scribbled his name onto the piece of paper. The young woman moved along. Mitch was sitting across from Roxanne, eyebrow raised. "Well, that was a surprise."

,,

"That the university's got a Denny's?"

,,

"No, you signing a petition for that."

,,

Roxanne smiled. "Mitch... Professor Lang. In answer to the question I can see dancing on your lips, no. I don't support it. I think the whole philosophy of it's highly questionable, speaking as a biologist and not a philosophy prof. But that's our bookstore and I think the administration's being cowardly for trying to get that book on Teras taken off the shelves."

,,

"Eh, eh... I wonder about you, is all. You and your friends. I snuck a peek on that little OpNet board - I've never seen so many hardcore antihumanists. I just wonder why you're spending so much time there."

,,

"Mitch, Mitch. You of all people... okay. First of all, they aren't all antihumanist. They don't all feel themselves to be superior to human beings, any more than, say, we feel superior to students for having graduated ourselves. Second of all, even the ones that are, aren't radical hatemongers. They don't burn down schools and buildings. ... okay, one of them does do stuff like that, but her time'll come. Count on it. It's just a philosophy, Mitch. Just words on paper."

,,

"Right, right, I getcha. I getcha."

,,

"How do you feel about it? Teras, I mean."

,,

"From what I understand, Roxy... the basic fundamental tenet that all of them have to agree on, the part without which your hand is not getting stamped and you may not join the club, is that novas are not human beings and aren't obligated to the law. Right?"

,,

"That's how I understand it."

,,

"Right. Now disobeying the law's nothing special - it's called anarchy and it's been taken to its breaking points in tiny sand-filled countries all over the world, so let's toss that bit out and concentrate on the new thing. I.E. novas are not human beings. And there is a case for that."

,,

"That depends on your point of view."

,,

"All right. Roxy, don't be offended? But I've seen you when you're on. You... how do I put this. You swish your tails. Both of them. Your ears flick. Sometimes you growl. Sometimes you grin with all those teeth. You sit cross-legged in midair and you walk through walls without knowing they're there - how do you do that, by the way, I don't remember you always doing that-"

,,

"It's a new trick. Focusing the othermist inwards. And yeah - I do all that, Mitch. My body's different in that form."

,,

"Right. It's different. It burns off drugs at an extreme rate. You can smell everything I ate last week. You can hypnotize people, Roxy, with that voice you do. Your eyes glow and you cry green mist. I mean, you act different. And if we define ourselves by our actions then you are defined differently in that form."

,,

"Hmmm. And what happens if I don't define myself like that?"

,,

"I'd have to ask how you define yourself."

,,

"Not by the fur on my skin or the node in my head. Mitch, if change to one's physical form is grounds for being literally a new person, then we become new people every second. Every Planck that ticks by, the universe reinvents itself. But let's not take it to that extreme. Let's... how do I put this. Can a normal person walk on water?"

,,

"Hmmm? No. Not unless you're..." He caught the look in her eyes, smiled, and nodded. "But, you can if you freeze it."

,,

"Exactly. It's still water, despite the fact that certain properties are asserting themselves and other properties are recessive. It can be a solid or a liquid or a gas and it can change between these states an infinite number of times. And none of these states entirely are the totality of the essence of water. The water cannot be, molecularly speaking, solid and liquid at the same time. It cannot be everything it's capable of being at once. And that's me. Yes, I act different in nova form. Different body. Just like I act different now than I did when I was paralyzed. So... I define myself by everything about me. Dormed or undormed. Paralyzed or not. Not everything at once, but it's always there and it's always me."

,,

Mitch nodded. "Fair enough. Fair enough."

,,

"Besides, normal people are allowed to have life-changing experiences and still be the same person afterwards. That gets into the definition of identity, though, and that's a debate no one ever wins."

,,

"Fair enough. So you define yourself as... both baseline and nova?"

,,

"Why not? Quantum mechanics. Cats in boxes with radioactive isotopes. One thing and another at once. The universe supports me in this contradiction, so any failure to understand it is in the mind of the observer."

,,

Mitch laughed. "Okay, Roxy. All right, you win that round. Now, forget Teras the philosophy - what about the Teragen as a political machine?"

,,

"You take a bunch of people who think they're superior to baseline humanity and I bet you that most of them will tend towards feeling superior to others, period. Stick them all in a pot, watch some croon about the awesomeness of Divis Mal, some croon about the crimes committed by giving novas more money than God and some croon about their rights being taken away and I tell you, Mitch - I don't see rosy things on that horizon. As a political movement, there's too many chiefs and not enough Indians. Everyone vying for the top." She sighed, softly. "But I don't hate them if that's what your wondering. I just hate him."

,,

"Geryon?"

,,

"Yes."

,,

"The others?"

,,

"The ones that support Geryon, that say he did the right thing by attacking me... well, I don't have time for them. But some don't like him, Mitch. It's just like any other collection of people - they don't all get along. They don't all think he was justified in attacking me. From what I heard, that's not even his speciality - usually he goes after those who've wronged nova-kind somehow. He was probably doing it as a favor for someone else. When I find who, well... we'll have a few words."

,,

"Just words?"

,,

"I won't escalate things if they don't."

,,

"Good enough..."

,,

... the memory slid past Bastian's eyes in a second. It wasn't one of his - it didn't bear any of the marks that telepathic alteration usually did. It was natural. They'd had this conversation. And Mitch had already trod this ground - he's signed a petition and...

,,

And nothing.

,,

He just hadn't tried hard enough. That was all.

,,

Bastian opened himself to the totality of Mitch's mind, taking it all in before he set to work. Old memories flooded past, emotions they didn't have a name for, sights that only existed behind Mitch's eyes. He began to explore where to begin -

,,

"Ohhhhh. Oh, God. Oh, my God."

,,

It wasn't Mitch's voice. It wasn't a memory. Sensory input. It was happening now.

,,

A fur-covered hand slid across Mitch's (Bastian's) chest. Roxanne smiled that slinky, knowing smile, made so much more exotic by the angle of her hair, the muzzle, the green eyes. "Mitch, you... are so GOOD at that. God. God."

,,

Mitch (Bastian) exhaled. "You... gave me the, mmm, impression that you... needed a little loving."

,,

"I did. God, I did. Mitch, just hold me for a moment. God. I'm scared, Mitch. How do I deal with this?"

,,

"Just be cool. It'll all be over soon."

,,

"Yeah... okay. Yeah, just gotta be cool... mmmm... Mitch?"

,,

"Yeah?"

,,

The thought reverberated through Mitch's mind. Bastian's self-projection rocked back and forth from the imagined impacts. ~Want to try it this way?~

,,

A tidal wave of emotions and thoughts tumbled over Bastian. Love and passion welled up from the depths of Mitch's soul. Memories, happy and sweet, of the sensations of the telepathic link, the sensation that she was him and he was her, that when he slid inside of her and his hands cupped her breasts, that it was happening everywhere in the world, to everyone, and that everyone was him. The thought of knowing Roxanne, that much more intimately, to feel her soul as he rocked it in his arms softly, warmed his soul and quickened his heart. Bastian felt cheeks flush and didn't know if they were his or Mitch's.

,,

~Oh, hell yes, girl. Hell. Yes.~

,,

Roxanne dove into his mind and Mitch dove into hers, the colors mixing, and suddenly Bastian's blood grew cold, as a second after the link was established, icy cold fear stabbed through them both. ~Roxy? What is it?~

,,

~He's here.~

,,

~What? Who is?~

,,

~Here. He's here. Inside of you.. inside your head...~

,,

The environment of Mitch's head became less fluid in an instant. Gentle curves became solid iron bars. Rigidity and logic took over everything. Thoughts shifted around frantically. Bastian couldn't spare a moment to be impressed at the rigidity of Mitch's mind - he started to withdraw.

,,

He pulled out into the space between minds, and then she bore after him. Bastian spared a moment to smile, a smile that quickly turned into a grin as she changed in front of him.

,,

Initially it was just the way she normally looked, bearing in on him. Then the eyes spewed forth their eldritch power. Her fur thickened at her shoulders, forearms and legs. Her hair became more wild and feral. Her legs shifted form, becoming digigrade, her body somehow blossoming even more into the image of inhuman perfection. The first of her tails snaked behind her, followed by a second... and then a third. A fourth, a fifth, and a sixth, and so on, until nine of them propelled her forwards, all of them waving madly like the hair of a medusa. Bastian was so enamored he didn't even notice she was gaining until she grabbed him by the throat.

,,

~You. Leave. Him. The! Hell! ALONE!~

,,

Bastian never stopped smiling, for behind him was his body where she could not follow. He slipped back inside, past his shields, and blinked momentarily as, fueled partly by the adrenocilin and mostly by rage, her arms extended past the shields, refusing to let go. Claws began to draw blood. ~Nicole wasn't enough? You had to try it on him too? I am through with you, Bastian. Hawksmoor warehouse, one hour from now, alone.~ The eyes bore past the shields as they hissed and pushed at Roxanne's outstretched arms. She withdrew them silently, and then Bastian was back home again.

,,

The last fading image of her in his mind's eye, was her vanishing back into the mindspace. Then reality reasserted itself, and the glories of the mental environment were traded for the worst motel in Seattle.

Vixen · August 18, 2003

Last Snakes in the Grass post for a while. Followup might come later.

<BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF"> Seattle Rashoud Facility

4:16 AM

,,

"You're not serious! You can't be!"

,,

Mitch watched, horrified, as Roxanne pulled on her tank top and vest. "Roxanne, first of all - you don't even know that he's gonna show. Second of all, if he does show, you don't know that you can take him...."

,,

No answer. She floated in midair as she pulled her shorts on. "Roxy, just stay here. Seriously. Dr. Locke says two days. Two days at the most. Two days, and then Psyche will be here, the Directive's spooks will be here, all the best that Utopia's got will be here. Just two days."

,,

Roxanne shook her head. "No. He knows they're coming. He's read your minds and he knows they're coming. He'll be long gone when they show up unless I stop him. And I know the type, Mitch. He'll be there in some form or another."

,,

"Roxy, please... please." Mitch stood off the bed, slipping his hand into hers. "It's too big a risk-"

,,

"What's the risk? I'm all but invulnerable to psychic harm and that seems to be his big trick."

,,

"You don't know that! Look at all the stuff you can do... what if he's got your number? What if he knows how to take you down?"

,,

Roxanne squeezed. "What else can I do, Mitch? How else can I protect you?"

,,

"You don't have to protect me, Roxanne. You're not a superhero. He's not a supervillain. You're not going to knock him out on the third-to-last page and say something pithy. He's not going to make a big speech outside that warehouse before he tries to kill you. This isn't a comic book."

,,

"I know, Mitch. Okay? I know. Bu I have to do this. Even six hours of this... this assault, it's breaking me. How much worse after twenty-four? Or forty-eight? I have to isolate the problem, Mitch. Isolate and fix it. I swear, I will be careful. I swear, I will not die."

,,

Mitch wavered, then grabbed Roxanne in a hug. "I can't loose you," he gasped.

,,

"You're not going to loose me."

,,

* * *,,

The Worst Motel in Seattle

4:22 AM

,,

Hopes, dreams and fears lined the walls, like an odor that you could never quite scrub away. Behind the peeling paint, a boy loses his virginity. Beside the air conditioner, an accountant finishes his first audit. Along the floors, walked the ghosts of baselines past.

,,

They scattered at his presence. The black shadows snapped at them. He examined himself in the mirror, finding himself to be, as always, perfect.

,,

His thoughts drifted to the projection that had torn after him, nine tails and eyes full of eldritch fury. She would deny it, of course, but he knew better. He knew that it was there, bubbling just beneath the surface, the urge to transcend, and sadly crippled by her limited view of the gifts of the One Race.

,,

Bringing it to the fore would be a delightful enterprise. What a coup. Dr. Roxanne Richardson, noted biologist, zoologist, and forward thinker, and Teragen supporter. Each step of the way she would deny it, of course, saying to herself that she knew the truth, that this was only to solve and cure her problem, but even the strongest stone would wear away from water's touch, and he had time.

,,

A glimmer of doubt crossed his mind. He felt it getting complicated, unexpected factors creeping in. Her allowing herself to be arrested and doused with mox. The potential arrival of the Directive and Utopia's other agents. He'd expected her to issue this ultimatum, but beyond that he was uncertain.

,,

He disliked being uncertain. It was a rare experience for him.

,,

But what was life without new experiences? He withdrew into himself, the shadows crawling across his form, and time and space hiccuped for a moment. The shadows vanished and so did he, leaving old and faded ghosts behind.

,,

</CENTER>

* * *,,

Altitude of 750 feet

4:35 AM

,,

"I'll be fine, Mitch. I'm not even a bit tired."

,,

There were times she hated her ability to lie so well. Mitch had believed her, and let her go - and right now, as she flew slowly to conserve what little energy she had left, she realized she wanted him to call her on it. To demand that she wait to recover somewhat.

,,

A dull throbbing headache in the center of her forehead had been nullified by a second dosage of adrenocilin. She felt angry at herself for taking the stuff - it felt too much like a crutch. But she couldn't deny it any more. Bastian was out of her league, and she needed all the help she could get.

,,

Once she arrived there, what would she do? Talk to him? Fire at him? Making this plan up as she went along was probably not the best way to go about it, but she was so short on time, so unsure of what to do...

,,

She glanced down at the city. An all-night electronics store winked up at her, a favorite place to spend nerd money, next to the all-night supermarket that catered to insomniacs

,,

Something flickered. Some idea.

,,

Uncertainly, she banked downwards.

,,

</CENTER>

* * *,,

Hawksmoor Warehouse

5:11 AM.

,,

Without a minute to spare, she touched down. The first strains of sunlight were reaching over the horizon, illuminating the area with otherworldly oranges and yellows.

,,

She looked around, the memories returning. Yes. The newer patch of concrete was where Geryon had torn out a chunk of street and thrown it at her. And that alley there, she'd won a brief and fleeting victory. The waves crashing against the shoreline, that had swallowed him whole.

,,

Was this what this was about? Geryon? It would fit, wouldn't it.

,,

She balled her fists and flicked her tails. She inhaled deeply, a million scents entering her nose, and her brain methodically picked them apart, looking for that one scent, filed away in her mind, that had been almost attached to Nicole and almost attached to the scene where her father... her father...

,,

She relived the gunshot in her mind. She watched him fall. She growled without realizing it.

,,

The sea lapped against the docks like a puppy. The wind whistled through her fur-

,,

She frowned. Something - somewhere - difficult to pin down, but something...

,,

Air disturbance. Air displacement. A soft and subtle sound...

,,

"Hmmmm. Hello," she said, with certainty that it would be heard.

,,

At first, nothing. Then a low chuckle from nowhere. ~Greetings, Little Sister Vixen. You are... perceptive.~

,,

She fought to keep her cool. She knew he was in the area - a slight burst in the air pressure, the rustle of garbage as it was pushed out of the way... teleportation. Terrific. He was invisible, and he could teleport. And speaking directly into her mind, so she couldn't' pinpoint him by sound... she'd just have to wait for the air currents to settle. For his scent to give him away.

,,

"I am. Yes. Now, Bastian - I'm assuming you're the same guy I spoke to earlier-"

,,

~Correct.~

,,

"Right. I am going to ask a few questions, Bastian, and I would like them answered with some speed."

,,

~I endeavor to please. Ask your questions.~

,,

"What is this about? Geryon? The Blackburn?"

,,

~Not quite. The incident with Geryon brought you to my attention. I did not think -~

,,

"Bastian, my head hurts. Can we discuss this out loud?"

,,

~You're not tired, are you?~

,,

Vixen hesitated a moment, then nodded. "You... wore me right out, Bastian."

,,

"Very well. Now as I was saying - I did not think you won against Geryon because you were tougher than he. Rather, to coin a phrase, you lucked out. But you did indeed pique my interest, or should I say - our interest. Some of us wanted you dead - others of us wanted you on our side."

,,

"And the Blackburn?"

,,

"Ah, yes. The slave trade."

,,

"Did you have a hand in that?"

,,

"After a fashion. The actual manipulations were sometimes mine, but mostly done as favors to my Brothers and Sisters, who have their eyes on more mundane pursuits of wealth."

,,

"You mean you did it for art's sake."

,,

"Mmm. Yes, I suppose that's an accurate term."

,,

"And you got angry that I was trying to undo your work."

"Anger is for lesser minds. I prefer to be more... productive. I'm curious, Little Sister - did you try to help Nicole, the same way you 'helped' those found in the Blackburn?"

,,

"No."

,,

"Why not?"

,,

"Because I'm not that good yet." Vixen strained, the air currents dancing around her, searching, ever searching. The scent was here, unmistakable, the same as on the police officer, the same ghost of a scent clinging to Nicole. But where was it?

,,

"Not that good yet? So good enough for the Blackburn's supposed victims but not good enough for your own flesh and blood?"

,,

"Not even good enough for them. Investigation handed off to the better trained psychics in Utopia. Only did preliminary work."

,,

"Yes.... I'd suspected as much." The wind shifted. Scents drifted, and she couldn't find him... the frustration boiled in her stomach. "You are potent, Little Sister, but untrained - unfocused, even with the drugs in your veins. Utopia can't teach you as we can. With us, your beloved will never suffer risk again-"

,,

"They wouldn't BE at risk if it wasn't for you!" she snapped. "Or whoever you're defending! Out with it, Bastian! If not you, who?"

,,

"I can't say."

,,

"This is insane. You want me to join Teras so I can learn to use my powers to defend against people like you?"

,,

"I'm only one of many, Vixen. They're out there. There are forces within Utopia that will not stand for a nova with such a high level of quantum buildup. There is the Directive, jealous and guarded, watching us all. Elites, if hired to kill you, will do it without a second thought. And your ability to hide was sundered by random fate upon your eruption. You cannot win by being merely human, Little Sister Vixen. You must embrace what you have become."

,,

Vixen shut out Bastian's voice, and focused inwards, at the little mote of light within her mind. At her command, the mote flashed, and the light washed out around her, and out there, somewhere, the ghost of a signature... and the ghost of a scent, and the ghost of sound....

,,

And a low chuckle. ~Resourceful, Little Sister. I see you stopped to shop en route.~

,,

Vixen turned slowly towards the noise. "So what if I did?"

,,

~Bringing a tape recorder to our meeting? Insisting I speak out loud? You made your choice before you even showed up, Little Sister.~

,,

Every inch of her fur stood on end as she sighted him up. "You got through my mental shields."

,,

~They are woefully inadequate. You think too loudly.~

,,

"So do you." Without a further word, she pointed, summoning up the lightning from within. It was something she'd been experimenting with lately - enhancing the lightning's conductivity, its ability to arc straight towards a target, its accuracy - and potency. Even invisible, she could smell and hear and sense him with her node, and she could hit him, she was sure of it-

,,

The lightning fizzled.

,,

Vixen blinked. "What...?"

,,

~Does this surprise you, Little Sister? Did you think I wouldn't know what you were doing and protect myself from it? Right now, your access to your "kitsune blast" is inhibited. Of course, you could overcome it with training-~

,,

Vixen growled, and tried again. Nothing. She snarled, attempting to fire blind with the blue fire, and again, nothing.

,,

~Temper, Doctor.~

,,

She bolted towards the noise, but Bastian had moved - she landed flat on her face. She whipped around, probing with her mind and her node, searching...

,,

~You're depleted, Doctor. You came here exhausted, knowing you couldn't win, hoping that your tape recorder would save you when you presented it to your masters. It won't. You're going to destroy it.~

,,

"The hell I..."

,,

She paused, and in dull horror, she watched as her arm lifted of its own accord, sliding into her breast pocket. "What in... no! Get out!"

,,

~The downside of adrenocilin, is of course - it dulls the will.~

,,

"Stop it, Bastian!" Horror lined her face as she watched her hand remove the tape recorder. "Get out of my head!"

,,

~Relax, Little Sister. I won't kill you. I won't even hurt you. I am simply showing you what it means to not be good enough. It's a feeling you're going to have to get used to on the road you've chosen.~

,,

She grabbed her arm with her other hand, and gritted her teeth. Her eyes blazed with eldritch fury as she dug deep, searching for him. Energy surged within her, the last few drops she could channel safely - and beyond that, into the danger zone. Her node screamed with pain, blowing off the adrenocilin like dust off a supernova. She felt something give way within her head and paid it no attention. All that mattered was the energy, all surging towards one purpose - solidifying her mental shields. Blocking out Bastian. Then she'd fly, if she had to. She'd get the recording to safety-

,,

She stopped. The light flared.

,,

Without a further word, she collapsed. The tape recorder fell, shattering on the pavement.

,,

All was quiet for a moment. Then the darkness of mid-morning breathed, and Bastian stepped out of the shadows. He walked towards the fallen nova, and plucked the tape off the sidewalk. Magnetic ribbon spiraled out as he held it up.

,,

"Rudimentary cunning." He tossed it over his shoulder, and heard the satisfying sound of the wave swallowing it. "Cunning like a fox. Just like your namesake, little kitsune. Just like your namesake, you wouldn't accept help, and you'd die to defend those under your care, yes? You would make a perfect Marvel - but the only Marvel you care about publishes those ridiculous little pamphlets. So limited. Such a waste."

,,

He squatted, grinning at her. "You've been beaten, Vixen. It happens. Now run back to your baseline friends and family, and ask yourself - are they a weakness, or a strength? Who will you stand with when the inevitable conflict comes?"

,,

There was no answer. Bastian frowned, and reached out gingerly with his mind-

,,

He recoiled in shock. The defenses were still up - bolstered, even - but he could still see behind the veil. And he saw nothing. No thoughts. It was like staring into a void.

,,

"Vixen?" he asked, shaking her gently. Her head lolled. He pried one furry eyelid open and his blood ran cold at the fixed, dilating pupil that stared outwards. "Little Sister? Vixen!" He shook her more rigorously. "Awaken!"

,,

There was no answer. He dropped her. He staggered backwards. "No... this isn't... you can't be..." He tried stimulating her emotions again, sending out a wave of empathic energy. No response. Another mental probe met the same resistance, but it was like a solid wall instead of an active guardian.

,,

He forced himself calm. He'd take her back to his people. If there was anything there to save, they could bring it out. And then he could....

,,

He would have to stand by and watch as others suddenly made the decisions. Whether or not to revive her. Telepathic techniques and drugs to try. He remembered the things he'd heard about Saxon, and he knew they would try the same thing on her. If only one of them wanted her, which wouldn't be the case. Many more would chime in. Geryon would want to tear her limb from limb for the humiliation he'd suffered. Others would want to make a spectacle of her, the Utopia freelancer embracing Teras, and others still would make her a soldier, the wrath of a vengeful kami spirit.

,,

Later he'd ask himself why he chose what he chose. The only answer he could give was that he knew, and had known all along, what she would choose if given the choice - and as her fellow nova, he felt he had to honor that.

,,

</CENTER>

* * *,,

Seattle Rashoud Facility

5:46 AM

,,

Mitch paced nervously. Dr. Locke and Daniel Takehashi poke into their phones fanatically. The doctor was greasing wheels at Utopia, trying to get resident psychics out to Seattle faster - and Daniel was raising some hell legally, railing against Calhoun and the Seattle Police Department. Things were going smoothly on their end, but nerves were frayed - because she wasn't here.

,,

Mitch stopped, realizing he was pacing. He forced himself to sit. Bags say under his eyes as he sipped at his coffee, and nervous sweat lined his skin. He started to crack his knuckles -

,,

"Mitch, please don't."

,,

"Sorry, Doctor."

,,

"Yeah..." Doctor Locke shut his phone off. "They'll get here as soon as they can, Mitch. Once they're here, everything will be okay."

,,

"I can't help thinking... if whoever this is just pops in here and starts rewriting our minds, how would we know? How could we ever know?"

,,

"I know."

,,

"How can I trust any of this? I never was worried by Roxy's powers, but this... how can I trust my own thoughts? What I see and hear?"

,,

"I'm not going to sugarcoat it, Mitch - you couldn't. But how would that be different from any other day?" Locke sat down beside Mitch. "This could all be a giant illusion spun from otherspace. Our thoughts might be as mutable as raw clay. But if we're going to get through the day, then sooner or later we have to trust what we perceive and what we think."

,,

"That's no kind of answer."

,,

"I know. It's the best I've got."

,,

Mitch nodded. Daniel shut his phone off as well. "The Seattle Police Department is going to give us a lot of leeway on this, because of Roxanne's father's injury. We could have Nicole out in a day or two."

,,

Mitch nodded. "Mister Takehashi... I..."

,,

"But only if the interference in her mind is verified by either Project Utopia or the Directive. They aren't picky at this stage."

,,

Locke spoke up. "Utopia, I can vouch that they'll have someone here fast. The Directive, well... they seem more interested in whether or not Roxanne's guilty, and who exactly manipulated Nicole if Roxanne isn't guilty."

,,

Mitch leaned back, resting his head on the wall. "Come home, Roxy," he whispered. "Come back to me."

,,

The other two nodded in silence. Then Dr. Locke spoke. "The first time I saw Roxanne, I... I panicked. I didn't know what to do. Novas that look that inhuman tend to act inhuman as well, and we were all a little nervous around here."

,,

"Eh? But she said you were all super-kind to her-"

,,

"We were. Took us about two minutes after she woke up to realize that wasn't the case with her. Not one bit." Locke leaned back as well. "After talking with her for just a couple of minutes, you'd totally forget how she looked. I mean, she looked... so strange... and yet she had so much life. So much energy for things."

,,

"Because she wasn't in the wheelchair any more."

,,

Dr. Locke nodded. Mitch just stared into space. He frowned, as a slight tingle filled the air. "Doctor, did you just turn the AC on?"

,,

"It's climate controlled - it shouldn't be-"

,,

Mitch didn't hear the rest of it. A shadow in the corner of the room caught his eye-

,,

- and there she was again, perfect and pure and wonderful, her nude form pressed against his, his fingers running through her fur, and then suddenly he was her, feeling his own fingers, his own lips, gasping with pleasure, because she was back, and his again, and-

,,

~I do this for you, Mitch. Your love, and her love for you. Keep her safe, for both of us. I will be watching and I will be back one day.~

,,

And she was back.

,,

Mitch, Daniel and Locke shot to their feet. "Roxy!" shouted Mitch as he stared at the crumpled form on the floor.

,,

Locke reacted swiftly, while Daniel knew to stand out of the way. Locke grabbed Roxanne by the head, opening an eye, and he cursed softly. "Mitch, Daniel, get the stretcher. Help me get her into a room."

,,

"What wrong? Roxy?" Mitch closed his eyes, feeling for her presence - and recoiled in horror when he found nothing there. "Oh God! She's-"

,,

"She's not dead." Locke felt her pulse and listened to her breathing. "She's physically okay, but... forget it. Daniel! Mitch! Stretcher!"

,,

Mutely, numbly, they complied. Mitch's mind raced. No. No. No, God, no. I can't lose her now. She's the world to me. I can't lose her. Roxy, speak to me. Please.

,,

There was no response. Not when he called to her on the floor, not when he called to her in the room - it was like staring into the sky in the middle of the desert. Nothing, and so much nothing it could swallow you.

,,

And still he called.

,,

And still, there was no answer.

,,

* * *

,,

One Day Later

,,

And still he called.

,,

The facility was state of the art. Roxy was comfortable, but still hooked in - a large drip controller, modified for nova metabolism, fed into her arm while tubes were shoved up her nose. There was still nothing. And still he called.

,,

The day was a blur. Someone in a blue, white and gold outfit that glistened and shimmered had first taken a look at Roxanne - and concluding that there was nothing to be done, had taken a second look at Nicole, and determined that yes, there was indeed something to be done. The brainwashing was subtle, but there was hope.

,,

Nicole was out of jail now, and whoever it was - the Tomorrowite, or maybe someone who just dressed that way - was talking with Nicole now, not too far from here, although as far as Mitch was concerned it was a world away. There was talk of good preliminary progress. But it was a trauma, no questions. It would take time to heal.

,,

Mrs. Richardson was with her husband now. He condition was stabilizing, but still dangerous. He faded in and out a lot.

,,

There was sniping in the background between Utopia and the Directive, as the Directive conducted its own investigation into the events in question. They seemed to have a suspect. Mitch wasn't paying attention when they agents were naming names. Utopia was putting up token resistance, but it was clear, unofficially, where the lines were: Utopia would handle the victims, and the Directive would chase the perp. No one was happy with it but everyone could live with it.

,,

Mitch wasn't listening and he wasn't watching. They were all ghosts. Even the nova who'd done all this, slithering through their lives like a snake in the grass, even that was just a ghost. An ethereal concern. All he cared about was lying in front of him, possibly brain-dead for life.

,,

The thoughts repeated in his head like a mantra, sliding out of his mind and hopefully into Roxy's, stirring something deep inside.

,,

~Come home, Roxy.~

,,

~Come back to me.~

,,

</CENTER>

The End

(For Now)

of

,,

Snakes in the Grass

Vixen · October 22, 2003

<BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF"> ~Come home, Roxy.~

,,

~Come back to me.~

,,

It ran the risk of becoming a mantra, repeated so often it would loose all meaning. But it never lost potency. It never became meaningless. Each repetition was as strong as a piston, as firm as steel. Over and over he would repeat it, and over and over he would wait for a reply. Some sign that she was there.

,,

But all he felt was the wall. As always. Reddish brick stretching on forever.

,,

* * *,,

There were times he broke his vigil, through a sense of obligation to those left behind. Today would be one of those days.

,,

The room she was staying in at the hospital was large, paid for out of a substantial sum of money Roxanne had squirreled away. No one, not even Mitch, had known about it until that terrible night, weeks ago - and apparently, the money had been gained from a simple contract with Novation Toys, which had produced a limited run of stuffed toys based on Roxy's image. It was marked "the Endeavor account" for some reason, and Diana Richardson, Roxy's mother, had been given access to it in the wake of Roxy's illness.

,,

It was a large room. Maybe too large. Nicole just sat in it, staring out the window, looking lost and alone.

,,

Mitch knocked gently before entering. She turned to him and nodded, sadly. "How's Dad?"

,,

"They say he'll be okay, but he had a close call - and it'll take some physiotherapy before he's back to normal."

,,

"How's Roxy?"

,,

Mitch looked downwards, and shook his head. Nicole nodded, looking back out the window. "I spoke to that lady-"

,,

"Yes, Amira..."

,,

"Yeah. She said no change."

,,

Nicole continued to stare out the window. Mitch felt awkward, and sat down. A few moments passed, and then he dug up the courage to ask. "How's your... therapy going?"

,,

Nicole said nothing, and continued to stare.

"If you'd rather not talk about it-"

,,

"No... I don't want to." Nicole sighed, and a choked sob escaped her lips. "I don't want to but I know I have to and I should but there's this sick, deep urge in me telling me not to say anything...!"

,,

A pained expression cross Mitch's face. Gently, he rose, crossing close to her. Nicole continued to stare out the window, her teeth gritted with pain. "I see kids out there, and, and I keep thinking of what I'll say to them to get them to come with me and I don't want to! I don't want these thoughts! They won't go away!"

,,

"Nicole..."

,,

"What am I supposed to think, Mitch?" She turned towards him, her face pale as a bed sheet, tears streaming down her face. "I didn't even think twice about any of it! How can I trust myself ever again? God, even now, I... Mom comes by with a photo album and I remember it so differently! This Amira person, she says she's still not quite sure what the bastard did to me! I..."

,,

She slumped. Mitch grabbed her, holding her tight, his own teeth gritted in pain. "She has to come back," gasped Nicole. "She has to."

,,

"She will."

,,

"How can you know? How do you know?"

,,

"I just believe it, Nicole. I just know." He stared out the window, taking in the green grass and the streams of people walking by outside. "She's Roxy. She overcame the car crash. She overcame being mute and paraplegic. She'll overcome this, Nicole. She's in there. I know she's still there."

,,

Nicole just exhaled softly, and Mitch said nothing more - hoping he sounded more confident than he felt.

,,

</CENTER>

* * *,,

A trip back to Seattle's general hospital yielded no fruit - Diana Richardson was home sleeping and her husband was out like a light.

,,

So Mitch drove his car solemnly back to the Seattle Rashoud facility, taking a winding, lengthy route - trying to ease his mind over the strain he was under. It didn't work - he was too distracted to drive properly, and after one near miss he decided to bite the bullet and get it over with.

,,

He wondered if anyone would be there. That pink-haired Japanese nova had been there - so had that guy who'd been part of Roxy's lunar expedition. An XWF tough was there as well as many others. Some to try and help her... some, just to see her.

,,

He tried to squelch the resentment that burned within him when he saw them, but always lurking in his mind was the deep, dark little thought: She's not yours anymore, Mitch. She's a nova and she's one of theirs. Your actions, your opinions, they don't matter in this case.

,,

It was the stress talking. He knew that.

,,

He hoped, anyways.

,,

The car slid into its parking stall, faded and cracked yellow lines delineating the spot, gouged into the asphalt like scars from a faraway battle. Mitch turned the engine off and quietly gripped the steering wheel, gathering his thoughts.

,,

He stole a look out the window. You could tell the Utopia buildings - constructed of nova-age materials, flawlessly designed and laid out, with well-paid groundskeeper staff keeping it new and shiny. And it stuck out in a town like Seattle, with water damage on every building and garbage on nearly every street. He wondered if that was intentional, if they were consciously saying that this was the future and it looked better than the present - or if it was just an example of Utopia's work ethic as a fair and proud organization.

,,

He slid the door open. A brief crackle of static emanated from within the car somewhere - he'd retooled the alert system to play no sounds whatsoever except in car-critical cases. He just wasn't in the mood for levity. No such mood at all.

,,

He exited his car and walked across the parking lot, dreading what he'd find around the corner, at the main entrance. Groupies. People waiting to catch a glimpse of a nova, or maybe keeping a vigil for Roxy. There would be more than normal because they knew a nova was inside - usually it was only the diehards who'd stand outside in Seattle's legendary weather on the off chance a nova would erupt that day in the city.

,,

He kept his head down as he rounded the corner, and pushed ahead. Some of them recognized him by now, and he heard them call out softly, offering condolences - as if they knew what he was going through.

,,

But they didn't. All they'd lost was a celebrity. He'd lost something more.

,,

He brushed through the doors, nodding softly to the receptionist, who knew his face by now. He walked silently down towards the room he knew she was in, past Doctor Locke, who looked up at him as he went past. Locke started to say something, but realized it would be ill-timed, and stayed quiet.

,,

Mitch opened the door, and there she was, the faint beeping of her heart monitor, the soft hiss of the respirator. Unmoving. Quiet as a grave.

,,

He sighed, and sat down, the mantra already forming in his mind. "Hi, Rox," he said simply, not expecting a reply. "Just, uh, just got back from seeing Nicole. She's.... doing okay, I guess. Doing all right..."

,,

He closed his eyes, sending out his thoughts once more. ~Come home, Roxy. Come back to me.~

,,

Still it was there, the red brick wall, raised as high as could be seen, as far and wide as could be imagined.

,,

~Come home, Roxy. Come back to me.~

,,

The wall stayed. The blood red color of the brick stained his mind's eye. He could see mold and mildew and moss embedded in the cracks.

,,

~I know you're behind this somewhere. Come back to us, Roxy. We miss you.~

,,

Still nothing. Brick red. Mold. Moss.

,,

~There's nothing here for me without you. You have to be okay.~

,,

Stains of long-gone rainwater. Moss. Mold.

,,

~Say something. Show me a sign.~

,,

Moss.

,,

Moss....

,,

The moss was everywhere - a tiny green patch in the red brick wall that suddenly bloomed, filling his field of vision with pale green.

,,

The moss resolved, growing bits of black and brown and pale, clear blue. Still it rushed him, flooding him. His eyes darted upward a second to behold a clear blue sky, instead of the pale grey that had been the case before.

,,

The moss was no longer moss at all, but a forest. The air smelt softly of ash and there was a subtle heat that reminded him of childhood summers in the woods. The colors were washed slightly, dreamlike.

,,

Inexorably, he found himself walking through the forest, stepping past undergrowth and between thin shafts of light from the overhead canopy. The scent grew stronger. Around him, in the underbrush, scuttled small animals that he couldn't identify.

,,

He emerged from the forest into a clearing, and across the clearing was a swath of dead wood - burnt to cinders and ash, jagged trunks bent skywards like the ribs of an immolated corpse. It stretched on forever. A shiver rushed across his skin. He squinted at the small orange form in front of the burnt forest, and walked steadily towards it.

,,

Several minutes and an instant later, he stood in front of a small fox, twitching its twin tails as it stared out across the burnt swath of forest. He sat down beside it, sharing the view. After a moment, it spoke.

,,

"There will always be fires. Lightning will strike during a storm, the heat of summer will dry the wood, and sometimes it's the carelessness of those within that is to blame. There will always be fires, and the wood will burn, but the forest itself - that is not so easily stricken down. In time, the trees grow back. In time, and in that time, the forest grows stronger having weathered the fire."

,,

Within the husk of burnt trees, Mitch thought he saw a building marked BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES BUILDING, fashioned the same way the buildings at the university were. He stood up and walked through the ash and the blackened earth, towards the door he knew would be there.

,,

It took many steps, many more than he thought, but he reached the door. He opened it, and walked within, watching the flames frozen in place as the building was caught in one tiny slice of time. A heavy weight settled on his shoulders, the weight of expectation. It suffused the building from floor to ceiling.

,,

Mitch gradually realized, as he walked towards the stairs, which moment of time it was frozen within. The last moment. The microsecond of reality before the eruption, before everything changed.

,,

He reached the stairs, and climbed upwards. Positive-attitude-affirming slogans hung on the walls next to framed comic covers. The steps stretched on forever in front of his eyes, as they must have stretched on forever in front of hers, unable to climb them.

,,

His footsteps were muted as he climbed, and continued to climb, as the steps continued to go on forever. Posters and covers streamed past him on both sides.

,,

I HAVE ONLY FAILED WHEN I HAVE FAILED TO TRY.

,,

"This epic doesn't need any hard sell! It's one of our greatest!"

,,

I'M ONLY MOVING CLOUDS TODAY. TOMORROW I'LL TRY MOUNTAINS.

,,

"Have we got a tale for you! Don't take our word for it - read it yourself!"

,,

THERE IS NO 'I' IN TEAM.

,,

"Can the combined might of the world's mightiest heroes defeat this issue's surprise villain!? Find out inside!"

,,

SOME LOOK AT THINGS AS THEY ARE AND ASK 'WHY?' I DREAM OF THINGS THAT NEVER WERE AND ASK 'WHY NOT?'

,,

"This issue: Everybody Dies!"

,,

The steps ended. He found himself at the door.

,,

He blinked for a moment, the memory of the steps a blur. Then slowly, he pushed the doors open.

,,

The hallway was aglow with the soft orange light of a fire. The scent of faint ash persisted. He found himself proceeding towards the door, with DR. RICHARDSON stenciled on... and behind it, he knew he'd find her, and...

,,

What else would he find?

,,

He opened the door, and entered a small and frugal dining room, instead of the lab he'd expected. It was carved of wood, with kanji symbols hanging on banners and a small table at ground level.

,,

Sitting at one end of the table, gently sipping her tea, was a woman with white hair and startling green eyes that he instantly recognized. She was wearing an elegant dress, her hair tied back in a bun. The illusion of stepping back in time was subtly ruined by the tiny triangular S symbol stamped on her black armband, worn in mourning.

,,

Sitting at the other end, watching her, was the fox from the field, gently swishing its twin tails, a curious expression on her face.

,,

"Should he be here?" it asked.

,,

"He is welcome here."

,,

"Then sit, Mitchell Lang."

,,

Mitch did so, feeling out of place. Now he could hear other sounds, from outside the room... the roar of cannons, steel upon steel, shouting and screaming and the thunder of a hundred footfalls.

,,

The woman with white hair looked towards the noises, a sad expression on her face.

,,

"You can smell it," said the fox.

,,

The woman nodded. "I can."

,,

"What does it smell like?" asked Mitch softly.

,,

"There's no word for it." She pushed her tea aside, suddenly no longer thirsty. "It's a vile smell. Like rotting meat, only worse... there's an absence there. The scent of death. The sense that life is no longer here."

,,

"You do not find it pleasant."

,,

"No."

,,

"You get used to it after a few hundred years. You have to, otherwise your heart would collapse under its own weight."

,,

"So you say," she said curtly. She spared a glance at Mitch, who said nothing.

,,

"The heart beats true within your chest - your love for him is singular, shining like a star. But one day, little kitsune, the scent you so hate will rise from him. One day he will be gone - and then, what of you? What of your 'humanity?'"

,,

"I would not be the first lover to outlive their beloved. And it seems, in this case... he very nearly outlived me."

,,

The fox rode on its hind legs, settings its forepaws on the table. Slowly it climbed up, padding towards her. "Because of the risk that you took. Yours is a life that could last forever, but you would shorten it for the life of one who will, by our reckoning, be dead soon regardless."

,,

"No. I reacted only to a threat - if the threat had not been there, the risk to his life would be no risk at all. The choice was mine to make - but it was presented to me by the one who walks in shadows."

,,

"Once, in the days before we left, little kitsune - a scorpion stung my back as I crossed a river. I asked him why, and he told me it was his nature."

,,

"Your point is lost." The woman sipped her tea lightly. Outside, a horn blared and a cannon shook the ground.

,,

"The one who ensorcelled your loved ones... that was his nature. Just as it was your nature to defend them, and not to seek out help."

,,

"I had my reasons."

,,

"You did. Who gave you them?"

"Unimportant. I chose them. Whether they were chosen after I found them or after they were given, doesn't matter. I chose them."

,,

"It all comes to choice with you, doesn't it." Now the fox was inches from the woman's face. They stared each other down. "They don't believe you, you know. They think it was random fate that caused you to take your Second Breath. But, little kitsune... you know the truth. It is at the core of your power - the core of all their power. The ability to turn a lie into truth and the truth into a lie, and to tell those truths and lies so convincingly that the universe believes them. You know the truth. You know this was not an accident of chance."

,,

She returned the fox's gaze. "I know nothing."

,,

"You know-"

,,

"No. I don't. And no one does." She put down her cup. "No one knows if every choice we have is our choice alone. No one knows about predetermination, acts of God, chaos theory... there it is, right there in the name. 'Chaos theory.' It's just a theory. It's what people believe."

,,

"And what do you believe?"

,,

She spared a glance at Mitch, and then towards the wall - beyond which, the battle could still be heard. "I believe that I'm not the sort of person who lies in bed when I could be doing something about everything I sense out there. I believe that we can rise above. I believe that things don't have to stay the same, or get worse - that things can get better when we believe they can. I believe that we are who we choose to be - as human or inhuman as we ourselves dictate. I believe a man can fly, and I believe that with great power comes great responsibility. I believe in men and women with great power, the greatest of which is compassion and dedication."

,,

"Then you believe in heroes."

,,

"I do."

,,

"Many believe that heroes are dead, or worse - never lived to begin with."

,,

The woman regarded her armband for a moment, then silently untied it. She smiled for a moment, looking at the symbol. "Not even doomsday itself could kill them forever. They rise again."

,,

"Yes. Heroes often do."

,,

"It's an endearing trait. Now - are we gonna sit in this room sheltered from all of that? Or are we going to do something about it?"

,,

The fox nodded. "Although your path is one that will sometimes be harder than you can imagine, little kitsune... it is one I shall accompany you on."

,,

Without a further word, there was a blurring. One second there were two, and the next, only one.

,,

Roxanne turned a fur-laden head towards Mitch. Her eyes shone like jewels in the sunlight. Her hair billowed behind her as if she were underwater. Her fur was bushier in spots, the details of her form sharper. Behind her, tails swished lightly "Ahhh," she said with a smile. "We have now reached the lucid portion of this dream."

,,

Mitch felt a peculiar sensation in the back of his mind, as if a thought was waking up. "Roxy?"

,,

"Me. Hi, Mitch."

,,

"This was a dream? Am I dreaming?"

,,

"No. But I am."

,,

Realization dawned on him. He looked around him as the house faded away, along with the sounds of battle. "It felt like it... I knew it on some level, but..." A fragment of memory cross his mind and he grabbed Roxy in a hug. "Oh God... you're okay...!"

,,

"Yeah... I guess I am. Sorry, Mitch... I just couldn't wake up." She returned the embrace delicately.

,,

"What happened?"

,,

"I pushed too hard. I strained something in my head. There was... an attack, Mitch. One I tried my hardest to stop but couldn't, not totally, and I think I hurt myself from the strain of trying. I just couldn't wake up. Couldn't. I'm so sorry, Mitch."

,,

"So that's why all I could see was that wall..."

,,

"Yep. Well, not a wall - the appearance of a wall."

,,

"When all it was, was something you'd built around that forest... which from so far away, looked like moss..." He blew bubbles as he spoke, to his sudden surprise. "Are we underwater?"

,,

"Under the ocean, I think. I think that means I was searching for spiritual significance."

,,

"Did you find any?"

,,

"I don't know yet."

,,

"Can you wake up, Roxy? I... it's nice sharing your dream, but..."

,,

"You have to make sure it's my dream and not yours, right? Okay."

,,

Mitch felt a slight tug at the back of his mind, a moment of unrelenting speed as he sped upward, the ocean turning into a raindrop that fell from a cloud over the burnt forest, that faded from a sea of black to a mere dot in the midst of green, which became the moss in a tiny crack on a rapidly crumbling wall...

,,

</CENTER>

* * *,,

Mitch snapped awake. He grabbed the edge of his chair. He blinked away sleep from his eyes, and then his gaze wandered to Roxanne's form...

,,

Which was moving.

,,

Unable to dare to believe what he saw, she sat up, groaning a bit with the exertion. "Ow, ow, ow, stiff, stiff, stiff..."

,,

"Don't - don't - don't sit up. Oh my God. I'll get Doctor Locke."

,,

Wordlessly, she relented. She heard him go.

,,

She heard his hurried footsteps as he ran down the hallway, and heard other footsteps, within the building, and then out on the street and out in the world, as it all came rushing back. She smelt the old familiar scents, of life and death and happiness and love and horror and hatred.

,,

She looked around the room, and listened as well, and there it was - in the corner, in her pocket, in her clothes that were in storage. Humming silently to all but her. The battery had run low and gone to standby mode, but in standby it could last ages... for which she was glad.

,,

Still, stopping the bad guy could wait 'til tomorrow. Her family were the ones who needed her now.

</CENTER>

* * *

,,

The day blurred past. Dr. Locke paid a visit first, happy to see her okay but still insisting on a few tests and procedures before he sent her home. Her mother came by upon hearing the news, and mother and daughter wept openly upon their reunion. It felt to Diana Richardson as if she'd let go of a breath she'd been holding for ages.,,

Roxanne drifted in and out, still tired from her ordeal, and so when she awoke again everyone was gone - presumably, to inform those who couldn't make it of the good news. She didn't mind - some peace of mind was welcome, even though shutting out the noises and smells of her surroundings meant dorming for the moment.

,,

It was dark in the room, and hushed - it had to be the middle of the night, the time where other people slept and she found out how little there was on TV after 2 AM.

,,

She thought about the dream, about the surreal state of being the forest, about how some part of her screamed to awaken, pounding at the barriers that gave way little by little. She thought about the time before, when the painful flash of light went off in her mind and she'd collapsed, like a puppet whose strings had been cut. She thought of the man who did this to her... who did this to all of them...

,,

Without realizing it, she gripped the rail of the bed tightly. Anger and vehemence flooded through her. If I see him again... if he touches any of them...

,,

She forced herself calm. Struggling, she escaped from the bed, her muscles stiff from disuse. With shuffling footsteps and tiny needles stabbing through every motion, she made her way to the closet, and reached inside to pull out her jacket.

,,

She patted a hidden pocket, and pulled out her phone. She then pressed a small stub on the side, and prongs extended from the rear of the phone. She hobbled over to an outlet and plugged it in.

,,

After a moment, waiting for the CHARGING symbol to appear, she paged through the onscreen menus.

,,

She thought about magic. She thought about the fantastical type of magic, blazing bolts of blue flame, flying through the air, reading minds, conjuring illusions, turning people to toads, and summoning up demons from the inferno. In the Nova Age, such things were not the stuff of legend, but abilities novas displayed with regularity. And so, in one way, the modern age had rediscovered magic.

,,

But there was another type of magic too. Escapes from underwater cabinets. Pulling rabbits out of hats. Producing the right card at the right time. Sleight of hand. Misdirection. And in embracing one type of magic, sometimes one would forget another.

,,

But no less potent was this magic, when you learnt how to use it.

,,

She remembered the tape recorder shattering on the pavement, and she remembered pulling it out of her pocket - or rather, she remembered Bastian forcing her to pull it out of her pocket, after a brief crack in her mental shields alerted him to its presence. She remembered the worry, that he'd tumble to her trick - that he'd realize that a tape recorder was too outdated a piece of technology for a woman like her.

,,

After all, why buy a tape recorder when your phone did the exact same thing?

,,

She found the file and played it. The voice quality was tinny, but substantial.

,,

"And the Blackburn?"

,,

"Ah, yes. The slave trade."

,,

"Did you have a hand in that?"

,,

"After a fashion. The actual manipulations were sometimes mine, but mostly done as favors to my Brothers and Sisters, who have their eyes on more mundane pursuits of wealth."

,,

Satisfied, she turned the phone off and put it back in her jacket pocket. The least I can do for you, Big Brother Bastian. Pompous prick.

,,

Of course, there was the question of what she'd do with the evidence now that she had it. Turning it in might just cause him to come after her with a greater vengeance. And there was no guarantee they could do anything with it.

,,

Maybe it was the sort of thing she should take care of on her own. She remembered the sensations of that night, the exhaustion and the fatigue and the pain behind her forehead, but still she'd almost had him. He'd blocked her powers, sure, but that was just something she needed to work on. Once she could tune him out mentally she could zero in on him physically, and...

,,

... and then what? Kill him?

,,

She frowned. It wasn't a solution that appealed. In fact, it wasn't a solution at all. Ignoring the fact she'd be breaking the law, and ignoring the fact that she'd be sinking to his level, and you still had Bastian's backing group - a long line of equally dedicated individuals who would probably not appreciate what she did.

,,

Then again, maybe he wasn't popular amongst the Teragen.

,,

Then again, maybe he was.

,,

She shook her head silently to herself. It was no kind of solution. She'd studied Political Science - she knew that road and exactly where it led and she knew it wasn't where she wanted to be.

,,

Still, she had to do something. An attack like this was a wound that would take time to heal, if it ever did. Her father in the hospital - her sister in therapy. The thought of it happening again made her ball her fists.

,,

Clandestine copies, it seemed, were the way to go. She would keep this to herself, until the information was out of her hands and safely into someone else's. She only hoped it would be a substantial strand in the cord, enough to bind him to justice... but if not, well, there was nothing stopping her from doing her own research and investigation into black-shadow-wearing novas. She had friends of her own.

,,

Friends who would be glad to hear she was okay.

,,

But novakind would have to wait a little while longer for the good news. She had to see Nicole. She had to see her sister, and let her know how much she loved her. It was too late for a phone call, and telepathic contact was probably the last thing Nicole wanted... but there were other ways.

,,

She closed her eyes, and felt the bare flicker of energy inside her mind. She fanned it into being-

,,

She frowned. Nothing happened.

,,

She tried it again. The flame fluttered and spurted for a moment, but remained dim.

,,

"What the hell?" she muttered. "... can't undorm..." She tried once more, unsuccessfully. Her powers were still there, still locked away in her mind... but it was as if someone had thrown a leaden blanket over them.

,,

With a start, the fear hit her. Bastian. Bastian had done something to her. Made her forget how to undorm, leaving her human...

,,

She realized her mental shields were down. She was unprotected. A brief spike of panic seized her heart.

,,

"Come on...!" She gritted her teeth and pushed mentally, and she felt it burst briefly - a tingle across her skin, a slight distending in her face. She pushed again, and still nothing occurred.

,,

Her breath came hard and her skin broke out in cold sweat. A tiny detached part of her asked if it was fear of Bastian that drove her, or fear of losing her powers... the notion that maybe she liked them a little more than she let on.

,,

She pushed such thoughts out of her mind, forcing herself calm. She looked inside herself, feeling it bubbling just below the surface. It felt as if a small skin had grown around it, holding it back. A shell, of sorts, or maybe a cocoon.

,,

Gently, she probed around its edge, calling back to physics, because there was always a weak spot. One spot where just a little bit of force would do all the work you needed.

,,

That anxious to get back to flying, hmm? Walking not a high enough goal anymore?

,,

Her breathing became steady and calm. She narrowed her search, looking at the details.

Where's the joy in walking when you can fly? Where's the joy in using your voice when you can speak right into people's heads? Your standards have changed. And you didn't even notice.

,,

She felt a soft spot. Mentally crossing her fingers, she pushed again, feeling it pulse outwards, and just a lick of it made it through, and she grabbed, and felt the rush...

,,

She felt the shell give way and the power wash over her, rippling through her mind, sharpening her senses... over her body, which shifted and changed as the power flowed through her veins. She staggered momentarily as it happened, her balance upset for a second. But the sensation faded, and she felt it once more, the tingle of power as it spread throughout her.

,,

She opened her eyes, every detail of the room in razor-sharp focus, and smiled, feeling the muzzle's lips parting. "Whew!" she said aloud, in a voice that seemed to belong in the land of dreams. "That was... weird."

,,

She pulled loose of her hospital gown, tossing it on the bed, and dug through the closet, assembling her 'flight suit.' Outfit in hand, she made her way to the mirror-

,,

She stopped dead. Her clothes slipped free from her grasp and hit the floor. She goggled at her reflection.

,,

The first thing she noticed were the details. Her hair was still frizzy and long, but it seemed more buoyant - almost gravity-defying. Her fur had grown in bunches, thicker and bushier. Her ears were just a little bit longer and her teeth a little bit sharper. The colors seemed a little bolder, more clearly set... and her eyes, not quite glowing, but still a bold color of green, unlike anything else on Earth...

,,

Then the unified effect dawned upon her. It was as if every detail had been carefully adjusted and a subtle shift had occurred. This wasn't the way she saw her reflection - it was the picture she had of herself in her mind's eye, an image that was more dynamic and bolder. Seeing it in the mirror was disorienting. It felt like a stranger's face, or worse - like the face of someone you only dreamed about.

,,

After a few moments, she noticed the biggest change of all, and turned around, twisting her head to face the mirror and examine them. They were bushier and longer than before, white tips rimmed with black linings, and full bodies of orange fur.

,,

She swished them, disbelieving her eyes, but unable to disbelieve the sensation, the way she could feel her tails and move them....

,,

All three of them.

,,

She counted, and counted again. She felt a dizziness swallow her, and the floor rushed towards her. Her last thought wafted through her mind like a summer's breeze before she fainted away:

,,

Taint.

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[Fiction] Snakes in the Grass

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