Storiesonline.net
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                             The Omega Touch
                          by Lazarus Valentine

Copyright© 2010 by Lazarus Valentine


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Description: Super powers traditionally come from one of four sources: Science, Magic, Cosmic, or Mutation. But five years after the death of a powerful superhero, a young reporter discovers that there are limitless powers that can come from the simple acts of love, compassion, and generosity. (Illustrated)

Codes: mF FF cons les het fant ScFi TimeTr humor superhero group HF OF 1st safe BBr slow
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Author's note: Two of the main characters in this story are bilingual, and often resort to using their second language in times of stress or need for personal expression. The story can be understood without knowing the actual translations, as the general meanings can be gleamed from the surrounding context. But due to public demand, I am providing a translation guide at the end of each chapter to explain the alternate language use.

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Chapter 1: Local Color and Cleavage





Friday, July 10, 2009, 3:00 PM

¡Dios mio! ¡Odio mi trabajo! Tricia Sanchez silently cursed to herself as she slid the door to the news van open. She clutched her clipboard to her chest and jumped out, landing with a painful, breast-jostling thud. OW! God damn this stupid job! And God damn this worthless bra! No fucking support.

She glanced at the clipboard and scowled at it. Hate these damn fluff pieces. If I wanted to be a fluffer, I would have stayed in California. She read the assignment again and growled at it. Two years at this job and I still can't get a decent story. She looked about, surveying the street and buildings around her. Endless construction projects littered the streets. Homeless sat invisible against buildings watching the fortunate pass and ignore them. People walking past stared at the news van and her with interest. The men were mostly staring at her. She was used to that. Grin and bear it, chica. One good thing about these fluff pieces; There's no story, so it's all about me. I can deal with that. She took a deep cleansing breath and blew out the anger, concentrating on the guilty pleasure of being the center of attention. So keep the temper in check, and set a good example for the boys. Just get this gig over with so I can go out to the clubs and get laid.

Tricia turned and whipped her long curly brown hair around and out of her eyes. "Okay boys!", she called out cheerfully to the others. "Anton, you know the drill. Set the uplink, and..." She pointed at the other man, snapping her fingers. "You. New guy! ¿Cuál es su nombre? ... Kevin!"

"Charlie," he corrected.

"Yeah. Whatever. Grab your camera and come with me."

She picked up a cordless microphone and started attaching it to her clothes. Anton started turning on equipment in the back of the van, while Charlie loaded his satchel with spare batteries and video tapes.

Through the corner of her eye, she saw Charlie lean in to Anton and speak softly. "So, Anton ... You work with her much?" he whispered.

Tricia grinned to herself, and gave Anton a sly wink as he glanced at her. Lay it on thick, Anton.

Anton nodded while pulling cables out, acting as casual as possible. "Yeah. 'Bout a year."

"Is it true about her?"

"About what?"

"About what they say about her?"

"Oh yeah. Absolutely! You can assuredly trust anything anyone ever says about anyone ... What the hell are you talking about?"

Tricia giggled to herself and pulled out a compact. She posed as she checked herself in the small mirror. Come one, Anton. You know what he wants to know. Give him what he wants.

Charlie glanced back at Tricia's direction and watched the caramel-colored beauty for a moment as she touched up her makeup. "That she's easy?"

"Oh, that!", replied Anton. He peered at her, admiring her full curves. "Yeah, but you really have to be into hot, meaningless sex with young, buxom, Brazilian nymphomaniacs."

Tricia bit her lip trying hard not to burst out laughing. She continued to touch up her makeup, pretending to not overhear, and she shifted her body slightly, posing and bouncing softly on one hip to a steady internal salsa beat as the cameraman ogled her.

Charlie raised his eyebrows and chuckled. "No shit? Brazilian? Hot damn!" He watched her as she stood and subtly danced to a hidden tune while examining herself in the mirror. His eyes darted up and down her curvy body, taking in her firm rounded ass, wide hips, and then up to her voluminous breasts which shook and jiggled with each hip-bounce. "Is she seeing anyone?"

Anton stopped and gave Charlie a serious look. "Charlie?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't try it."

"Try what?"

"What your dick is telling you to try. Look, Charlie. There's not a man alive who can keep her satisfied. And if she's interested, she'll tell you. If not, forget it."

Charlie shouldered the camera and headed towards Tricia, eying the gorgeous woman as he approached. She was tall, with long, brown and auburn streaked hair curled loosely into a wild mane. Light blue eyes shown brightly against her flawless, coffee-and-cream colored skin. Her cheeks were flushed and strong, and her lips lush, full, and inviting. His eyes darted down to her body. Her peerless and superb ass shifted, rocked, and shook as she bounced on one hip, dancing to her own internal rhythm. She was dressed in a smart dark-blue pants suit with a rich purple zipper-closed blouse that was open slightly at the top, and she turned slightly as he approached, showing off her upper torso. Charles found himself gaping in wonder at the sight of her full, bounteous bosom as it stretched out her blouse.

Or in simpler terms, Tricia Sanchez was gorgeous, stacked, and sexy, and she knew it.

"So ... where are we headed?", Charlie asked, as he managed to pry his eyes off her tits.

Tricia snapped her compact shut and turned, whipping her hair about wildly. "Bank of America first. Mr. Peterson and any employees who are still there. ¿Está listo?"

He squinted in confusion. "Huh?"

"You ready?" she translated.

"Oh, er ... Yeah." He grinned at her. "You got any special good side I should know about?"

She gave him a dazzling smile and a heart-stopping wink. "Honey, every side of me is good. Come along. Let's go make the locals nervous."

She spun and strutted confidently toward the bank, turning the head of every man and woman she passed. Charlie started after her, but Anton called out to him. "Charlie!"

"Yeah?"

"Don't let her make you pay for anything!"

Charlie shrugged and ran up behind Tricia, carrying his heavy equipment and trying to keep up with the Hispanic beauty. He watched her superb ass bouncing sexily with each stride, and briefly considered turning on the camera just for this performance.

She reached the bank, pulled the door open, and walked in, letting the door close behind her along the way. Charlie had to awkwardly shift and juggle the camera to get a free hand to open the door for himself. Once inside, Tricia surveyed the place. People stood in line for the tellers. Others sat with bank employees in small cubicles. One young couple caught her attention as she overheard a snippet of conversation. They were pleading for an extension on a mortgage.

Oh look. An actual story,  she thought to herself. Oh well. Back to the fluff. She struck an attitude pose. "Mr. Peterson!", Tricia called out, fairly loudly. Everyone in the bank jumped and stared at her.

An older and rotund man stepped out of his office, saw the woman, and nervously adjusted his tie. "M ... Miss Sanchez?", he asked nervously.

"Call me Tricia," she said with an inviting smile.

He flustered and blushed, occasionally glancing at her chest. "Ah, yes ... Tricia! I got your call. How do we... ?"

"Shall we retire to your office?" She blinked her eyes at him innocently.

Mr. Peterson nodded eagerly. "Yes! Yes, that will be just fine. Right ... right this way." He then noticed the cameraman coming up behind her, and briefly appeared crestfallen. He led the gorgeous woman and her cameraman into his office.

Tricia summed up the small office immediately. "Okay. Why don't we take these two chairs here, and Chuck can set up behind your desk?"

"Charlie," mumbled the cameraman. He set his satchel down on the desk.

Mr. Peterson eagerly took his chair as Tricia opened the satchel and pulled out a cordless microphone. "Now if we could just get this on you," she said to the man, and she leaned down over him. Her heavy breasts fell forward, strained against her blouse and inadequate bra, and nearly spilled out the open top. A small, silver crucifix hung around her neck, barely blocking the view of her spectacular cleavage. Mr. Peterson's eyes grew wide as he got a clear view down the front of Tricia's blouse. He swallowed nervously as the beauty fumbled with his clothes.

Tricia smirked to herself and casually swung her shoulders as she worked, causing her large breasts to sway hypnotically in front of the man. His mouth dropped open, and he stared openly into her full cleavage.

"Getting an eye-full, Mr. Peterson?" she teased with a grin. He blushed and muttered an apology. Satisfied with her work, she turned on the microphone. "Can you just give us a sound-check?"

"Uhh," was all he managed to say.

"Sound is good", reported Charlie, listening in on his headset.

"Okay! We're ready!" Tricia took her seat and sat down sexily, crossing her legs and bouncing her foot. She casually opened her jacket a bit, exposing a bit more chest, then pulled her compact open, checked herself one last time, and snapped it shut. She waved to Charlie.

"We're rolling", he reported.

"Good. Now Mr. Peterson. We don't really have to go through any formal introductions. I'll fully introduce you with a voice over. You were the bank manager five years ago, and here that day. That sort of thing. ¿Esta bien?"

"Oh, yes ... um ... Fine."

"Good. Now..." She paused, allowing a bit of lead time to record. She put on her concerned face. "Mr. Peterson, can you tell me ... What was the first thing that happened to alert you to what was going on?"

"Well... <ahem> ... I was here in my office, so I did not see them come in, so my first indication that anything was wrong was when I heard the gunfire."

Tricia nodded sagely, and gave a serious and supportive look. Meanwhile, she cringed internally at the thought of the next question she had to ask.

"And tell me ... how did that make you feel?"

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Half an hour later they had completed, having bagged interviews with two other employees who were also at the bank five years ago. Tricia flirted some, gave her goodbyes, signed an autograph for a nervous young teller, and turned down his offer for a date. It bothered her to turn him down, as he was young and quite attractive, but Tricia simply didn't want to set up a date this far in advance. Too much work. She preferred to take her time to get ready for a date before picking out a man.

She headed out onto the street. Charlie managed to follow her, carrying the heavy equipment.

"Now where?"

She nodded across the street. "Chinese restaurant. The police used it as a base during the hostage negotiations ... OH!" She pointed to another storefront. "Get a shot of that store over there."

"Which one?", he asked, lifting the camera.

"International Bazaar. See the signs? 'Going out of Business'?"

"Yeah. I see it." He started taping. "What about it?"

"They were here five years ago too."

"So?", he asked. "Weren't most of these stores here too?"

"So was the 'Going out of Business' sign." She smiled. "I saw that in the archive footage. I'll put it in the montage. See if anyone notices it. ¡Sígame!"

Tricia ignored the traffic and quickly stepped through the streams of cars on the busy city street, beckoning Charlie to follow her. Washington D.C. streets were always busy, and traffic was always slow in this area due to the eternal construction. Charlie followed, nearly getting hit by a driver who was watching the busty Brazilian bounce in front of him.

She stepped into the restaurant and approached the hostess. The Chinese woman smiled at her. "Taber foll one?" she said in her thick Chinese accent.

Charlie managed to get in the door. "No...", Tricia began.

"Taber foll two?"

"Actually, we would just like to talk to you about..."

"Olldell to go?

"No food," Tricia tried to explain. "I just wanted to talk to you about what happened five years ago. You know? Omega Man?"

The hostess furrowed her brow. "No! No olldell, no intellview!"

Tricia rolled her eyes at Charlie, groaned, and pulled out her cell phone. She pressed a button and listened. "Anton? Yeah, we're picking up some Chinese. ¿Qué quiere?" She listened, and turned to the hostess. "Egg fu yung with fried rice, egg roll, Coke. Gracias Anton." She closed the phone. "What do you want Charlie?"

"Umm ... General Tso, fried rice, spring roll, and Sprite." The hostess nodded, took the order, and turned to Tricia.

Tricia groaned inwardly. I love General Tso's ... Be good, Tricia. Be good! She smiled resignedly and sighed. "Chicken and vegetables, white rice, no egg roll. Diet Coke," she said through gritted teeth, trying to be proud.

The woman took their order to the back of the restaurant, where there was a heated discussion in Chinese. Then she returned to Tricia. "Okay. We do intellview now?"

Tricia set her up with a microphone and they sat together. Charlie turned the camera on. "Okay. Let's get started. Now, you were here five years ago?"

"Ten yealls!"

"Yes, but five years ago, the bank across the street was being robbed, and Omega Man..."

"MEGA MAN!", the Chinese woman yelled. "OH! Velly bad! Velly bad business. Poreece! They take whore lestaulant! No customells! No pay birrs!" She waved her hands frantically. "And Mega Man! Big exprosion! Blake all windows. Velly expensive!"

"Were you frightened?"

"Velly anglly! Bad man, Mega Man!"

Tricia nodded and continued the interview, silently deciding that she would not use any of this footage. She then thanked the woman for the interview, got her to sign a release statement, and started packing up.

As they were packing up, Charlie watched Tricia for a moment, and built up his nerve. He cleared his throat. "So, Tricia ... Anton tell me you're Brazilian," he opened.

She nodded. "Uh-huh."

"Is that Spanish you're speaking?"

She gave him a slight smile and coy wink. "¡Si!"

Charlie chewed his lip.

"Don't Brazilians speak Portuguese?"

Tricia's smile vanished, and she gave him a steady glare. "Don't get smart with me."

Her cell phone buzzed. Tricia checked the text message. It was from Anton, and it had one word. "Pilgrims."

"WE GOT PILGRIMS!", Tricia yelled, and she grabbed her clipboard and ran to the door. She stopped and saw Charlie struggling with the camera equipment, and the three bags of food arriving at the counter.

"Charlie, dear? Could you take care of that please? I gotta go!", and she ran off, leaving the cameraman behind with a heavy camera, satchel, and three bags of unpaid food.

She held her clipboard to her chest, supporting her painfully bouncing breasts as she ran back to the van. Anton was standing outside with a second camera, recording the pilgrims. She stopped and watched them. There were about eight of them, all wearing either Omega Man t-shirts or bright yellow home-made Omega Man costumes with the big blue Omega symbol on the chest, masks, and dark blue capes. Tricia's mouth dropped open in utter horror ... for they were singing.

"O-Meg-Ahhh ... the Man ... He is gone!
O-Meg-Ahhh ... the Man ... He is gone!
O-Meg-Ahhh ... the Man ... He is gone!
Ohhh-Mega ... you the man!"

Tricia cringed as she looked at Anton. She mouthed silently to him. "Is that Kumbaya they are singing?" He nodded. She opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue, feigning nausea. Then she turned back to the pilgrims, and gave them a warm, supportive smile.

The news van had obviously started to attract some attention, because there was now a growing group of people standing around watching them. Tricia noted that the pilgrims were not near the bank, where they really should be. Obviously they wanted to be on television, so they had set up next to the van instead.

"Any other visitors come?", she asked Anton.

"You missed Multiplex. He zipped in, saluted the bank, and zipped out before I could get a camera."

"Damn. You sure he's gone?", Tricia asked. "All of him?" Anton nodded.

Tricia turned around looking for signs of the hero and instead saw Charlie coming up, struggling with equipment, camera, and three bags of Chinese food. She ran over to him and graciously took one bag of food. "Gracias, Charlie!" she said, pecked him on the cheek, and then stuck her food in the van. Then she went into the crowd, looking for people to interview.

Anton saw Charlie with the bags of food, and shook his head in disappointment. Charlie rolled his eyes and dropped most of his load into the van. Then he followed Tricia into the crowd.

"Hi there!", Tricia said as she approached a young woman. She was in her late teens, with bright white skin, jet black dyed hair, black clothes, and thick black eyeliner. "Tricia Sanchez, WKMB News."

The goth girl nodded to the van. "What's goin' on?"

"We're doing a retrospective on Omega Man. It's the fifth anniversary of..."

"OH!", she exclaimed, understanding immediately.

"Would you like to say a few words about him?" Tricia pulled out her clipboard and a pen, showing the release statement.

"Sure!"

"I'll need you to sign a release."

As the girl signed the paper, Tricia looked around and noticed a young boy standing nearby, watching attentively. He was in his early teens, skinny, with long, stringy, dirty hair, some bad acne, rumpled clothes, and he was carrying a small dog. The dog looked at her and wagged its tail. Tricia noticed the young boy admiring her figure, and she gave him a mischievous wink. He blushed, and averted his eyes for a moment. A secret thrill bubbled up inside her. There was something about teenage boys that always got her going. She loved their nervousness and excitement, and she especially loved teasing them.

She turned her body towards him, displaying her curves. "Would you be interested?" she asked him.

He looked surprised. "Huh?"

"Omega Man. Would you care to say a few words about him?"

"Oh. Ummm..." He shifted nervously, and shook his head. "No."

Charlie handed Tricia a hand-mike, and turned the camera on. Tricia returned her attention to the goth girl. "So. Omega Man. Any thoughts?"

"Yeah", the girl said. "It's a shame he died and all, but you know? The whole superhero thing is pretty stupid. You know? I mean, the guy runs into a building with men with guns and shit, and you'd think he'd know it was dangerous!"

Tricia winced at the S-word.

"Oh fuck! I said 'shit!' Is that all right? Can you like bleep that out or something?"

Tricia nodded. "Don't worry. I'll handle it ... But don't you think superheroes are useful to society?"

The goth girl shrugged. "Yeahhhh ... I guess so, especially when there's a burning building or something. But I think the whole thing is pretty stupid. I mean with the..."

A very large, fat, mustached man in a business suit was standing nearby, and elbowed his way in. "Well I think they...", he interrupted.

"I'll be with you in a moment," she said to the rude man with a smile. She turned back to the girl. "You were saying?"

The goth girl glared at the large man for a moment. He was unmoved. She looked back at Tricia. "Yeah. I mean, the costumes, and the capes? The masks. They look stupid." She ran her black nailed fingers through her jet-black died hair. "I mean, I don't know why they think that look is good."

"Is there anything else you want to add?"

She shook her head. "Nah. That's it. Am I gonna be on television?"

Tricia nodded. "I think so. Thank you." She turned to the rude man. "Yes sir?" Charlie turned the camera on him.

He puffed himself up. "Well ... I say he got what he deserved! I think that all superheroes should be outlawed! They are a danger to society, and they need to be controlled and neutralized so the people can be protected."

Tricia nodded. Oh, this crap again! She countered with the obvious argument. "But if we somehow manage to neutralize all the heroes, which would require their voluntary cooperation, the only ones left with powers would be the villains and the untrained. Wouldn't we then be in MORE danger?"

He shook his head. "No. We would do them all. We need to make all superpowers illegal! It's not fair for someone to just be born with abilities that other people don't have. It means that we don't have a level playing field. Some people just get an unfair advantage, and..."

The man continued blathering, and Tricia nodded and feigned interest. She glanced down at his well-pressed suit and designer shoes. Get rid of all unfair advantages? Like being born rich? Or white? How about male upper-body strength? Should we get rid of those too? She decided to keep quiet, not wanting to get dragged into a fight. Stupid arguments, no brains. Typical. And the worst part is, I should use it. Marty will love this. Fair and balanced my ass! Always balance anything intelligent with something idiotic. Now if I could just find someone to say something intelligent. "Thank you, sir," she said politely as he inhaled for another long-winded speech. "Would you sign this please?" She handed the release form to the man, and he sputtered quiet, and signed it.

Tricia noticed the young boy looking edgy. "Um...", he said.

"Did you want to say something?"

He nodded, holding the dog close to him.

The kid is scared. Nervous as hell. Kind of cute too. She gave him a warm smile and held out the microphone to him. Charlie followed with the camera.

"Do you remember Omega Man?", she asked.

He nodded and looked around very timidly. "Um ... He..."

"What do you think about Omega Man?"

He cast his eyes down, avoiding her gaze. "He was a good man, and he shouldn't have died."

Tricia was speechless. She nearly teared up as he said that. It was so sincere, so simple, and so moving. That is definitely going into the broadcast. "Gracias", she said. She gave him a sweet smile.

He smiled back, and then looked away from her shyly.

"Can you sign this please?"

The boy looked horrified for a moment, then signed his name on the release. "Am I ... am I going to be on television too?"

Tricia nodded. "Yes. You will."

"Oh," he said dejectedly. "I thought so."

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Over the next hour, Tricia interviewed several pilgrims who had made the journey to Omega Man's place of death to celebrate his life. She also spoke to a policeman who was at the scene five years ago, and a few other random people. Then she and Charlie retired to the van to upload the video to the station.

She ate her chicken and vegetables while watching the upload, making notes as to which sections of video were appealing and which were crap. Then she emailed the notes to Judy, her production assistant back at the station. Judy would splice in the local color with the prepared montage they had produced earlier in the week. Now it was just a matter of waiting for the broadcast to start, where she would do the introduction and closing live on site, with the video to take up the bulk of the segment.

And of course, an hour after eating Chinese food, she was hungry again.

It was just a couple of minutes before broadcast when she heard her stomach growl loudly. "Damn it!", she cursed, and she dug into her purse for some food. Can't have my stomach doing that during the broadcast! She pulled out a power-bar, unwrapped it, and took a bite as she stepped out of the van to scan the crowd.

A sizable group had formed for the broadcast. The pilgrims were singing and chanting praises, and the crowd was lively. Tricia was watching the pilgrims when she heard an odd sound. It was the faint sound of something like a zither being strummed. She spun around instinctively, scanning wildly.

She knew that sound. It was iconic in the D.C. area. She finally looked up and saw her.

"Look!", she yelled and pointed up. "Quantum Knight!"

The whole crowd looked up and yelled, cheering and screaming praises. For there on the building, squatting on a ledge was an Amazonian woman. She was sexy, curvy, muscular, and wore a tight uniform of red, black, and white with a golden mane of blond hair tied back in a long ponytail. She wore mirrored goggles and a cowl, but her lower face was bare. She stared at the bank, and bowed her head.

Everyone in the crowd pulled out their cameras and immediately started taking pictures. Charlie grabbed his camera and pointed it up at her.

"Forget it, Charlie", Tricia said.

Charlie looked through the viewfinder. "God damn it! What the hell is wrong with this thing?" He switched to manual focus.

A few voices in the crowd sounded disappointed as they saw the pictures they took, so they took more pictures. But the more pictures they took, the more disappointed they became.

Quantum Knight stood up straight, saluted the bank, jumped off the building, and plummeted. As the crowd screamed in horror, she did a back-flip in mid-air and vanished with a loud "VRUMMMM".

Charlie pointed the camera at various people, and looked at it. "Sorry, Tricia. I don't know..."

"Welcome to D.C.", she said.

Charlie frowned.

Tricia shrugged. "Quantum Knight. Cameras don't focus on her. If anyone ever finds out how she does that, let me know, okay?"

He squinted. "Don't focus on her? How does that work?" Tricia shrugged again. "What about the others?"

"Well, everyone else comes in focus. It's just a matter of finding them. Now Bullwhip is fairly easy to spot," Tricia said. "Big, dark wings, slow, and loud. Snow Angel, on the other hand, is silent. Good luck finding her ... OH! And if you ever see Acoustyx, high-priority, get him on camera, okay?"

He nodded. "What does he look like?"

"Brown trench-coat and blue jumpsuit. Mask."

Charlie nodded. "What's so special about him?"

Tricia gave him a worried look. "No one has seen him in months."

Charlie went back to the van and prepared for the live broadcast. Tricia looked back at the crowd and scanned the people. There he was again. That cute young boy with the dog. He was staring at her hungrily, his eyes fixed on her chest.

Tricia caught his gaze and winked at him. "Hey there, big boy. See something you like?"

He looked really embarrassed. Tricia gave him a sexy smile, and then tossed her half-eaten power-bar to him. He caught it awkwardly, then surprised her by quickly devouring it and feeding a small bit to his dog.

Oh. He must have been hungry.

"Trish!", Anton called. "Show-time!"

Tricia returned to the news van and took her place in front of the lights, primping her face and hair and setting her ear piece. "Marty is on," said Anton.

"Hey Marty!", Tricia called.

Marty, her producer was on the line. He could see her on the video feed. "Hey, sweet thing. Looking good!", came his voice over the ear piece.

"Always do! ... Marty, after this, would you can it with these stupid assignments?"

"What's wrong with this story, Tricia?"

She stamped her foot. "Come on, Marty! Omega Man dies, that's news, but that was five years ago. Local residents have working memories of events from five years ago? Not news!"

"You know the people like these stories."

"Yeah, but that's because we're not giving them real news. Give me something good, Marty."

"Well, why don't you come in my office tomorrow and we can talk about it?"

Tricia groaned loudly. Charlie gave Anton a puzzled look. Anton nodded in Tricia's direction, and then pantomimed her giving a blowjob. Charlie chuckled.

"Hold that camera still, Charlie," said Marty.

"Yes sir."

"And Trish?"

She gritted her teeth. "Yes Marty?" She knew what was coming.

"Where are Huntley and Brinkley?"

"Oh, come on, Marty! Give me a break! Can't I do this straight for once?"

"You know what brings in the viewers. Do it, and I may find something better for you next time."

Anton called out "Sixty seconds, Tricia!"

Tricia groaned again. "Fine!"

Anton whispered. "Hold that camera still, Charlie."

"I am! I...", he began, but he stopped as he saw Tricia.

Tricia had unzipped the front of her blouse, and revealed a staggering amount of jiggling cleavage. She pulled her shirt open wide, reached in, and one by one adjusted each breast so it bulged out obscenely through the opening in her blouse. Every movement she made now caused a minor tremor to ripple in her ample bosom, and she stood with attitude.

A hush fell over the crowd as they noticed her massive breasts. A few pilgrims started cheering and applauding. The goth girl was standing next to the young boy with the dog. She saw his eyes bugging out as he stared at Tricia's near naked breasts, and she rolled her eyes.

"Oh, grow up!", the goth girl said to the boy.

"Satisfied Marty?", Tricia asked.

"There are my girls!", he answered. "Can you lose the crucifix?"

"Fuck you." She stood with her hand on her hip, and glared at the camera. "You know Marty, I'm really getting sick of this!"

"You love it. Admit it."

"No. I'm getting tired of this. I want to do real news. Something that takes brains, not body. I really don't give a crap that you get another five thousand viewers per quarter-inch of cleavage I show. You're wasting my talents!"

"Tricia, you know I appreciate your talents."

Anton called out. "Thirty seconds."

"Not THOSE talents! I'm a good reporter! Give me a good story!"

"Come to my office and give me a good reason to give you one."

"Crap, Marty! If I give you anything better, you'll never let me leave the station. I'll be stuck on the desk doing anchoring like Jeanine!"

Anton called out. "Ten seconds, Trish."

"Hey Charlie! Got a riddle for you. What does Marty say after an orgasm?"

Jeanine's voice cut into the line. "And now we bring you to field reporter Tricia Sanchez for a live report. Tricia?"

"Thank you, Jeanine!", Tricia said, simultaneously signing on and delivering the punchline to her joke.

Charlie nearly shook the camera as he held in his laughter.

"I'm here outside the Bank of America on K Street northwest where five years ago today, one of the world's most powerful and enigmatic superheroes perished in the line of duty. Omega Man, the amazing and mysterious hero who had caught and captivated the world's attention as some would say one of the world's most powerful superheroes, had a short but distinguished career. Local residents remember the tragic events of that day."

"And, roll tape!", said Marty.

A monitor nearby started playing the tape that Tricia and Judy had put together. Most of the crowd watching turned their attention to it. A montage of photographs and video showed as Tricia's recorded voice narrated.

"He was one of the world's most powerful superheroes. A paragon, possessing the classic abilities of flight, speed, super-strength, and invulnerability, Omega Man stunned the world with his dramatic appearance on June 4th, 2003, when he defeated the terrorist and super-villain Psi-Clone single-handedly. Apparently immune to the villain's mental attacks, Omega Man subdued and captured him in an astounding seven seconds. He then continued further with a career of amazing feats, from freeing hostages to fighting super-villains to rescuing people trapped from natural disasters. All through the summer of 2003, he mystified the world as his exploits showed a bizarre and unbelievable array of superpowers. A freeze ray when fighting the horrid monster FireClaw, magnetic telekinesis when rescuing victims trapped under a collapsed bridge, lightning fists when fighting the demonic sorceress Desdemona. With each new power, the world was captivated by this unique and unclassifiable superhero."

Tricia watched the playback for a moment, then pulled out her cell phone. She dialed and listened while watching the interviews play on the monitor.

"Oy! What are you doing?", asked the woman over the phone. She had an extreme, New York, Jewish accent.

"Please, Annie! For god's sake, tell me you are NOT Tivo'ing this dreck story I'm doing."

"Fine! You ask me to tell you I'm not. I'll tell you I'm not!"

"Good. Cause I'm in a foul mood. I hope you don't need anything, cause I just want to go hit the clubs tonight. You don't need anything, do you?"

"Well, now that you mention it..."

"Please, Annie!"

"Fine. Nothing. Now zip up before you catch your death of cold!"

"Annie! It's July, and it's eighty degrees out here ... You ARE watching this, aren't you? You're Tivo'ing this!"

"So what if I am? Now get back to work! Tipsheh!" And she hung up.

Tricia folded up her phone and checked out the monitor. The interview clips ended with the young boy and his touching remark, and the montage continued.

"But possibly the most unusual thing about this hero was the constant presence of a powerless sidekick, a young child known only as Omega Boy. Wherever Omega Man traveled, wherever Omega Man fought, Omega Boy was carried along, protected but not contributing. And as much as Omega Man was praised for his efforts, he also suffered ridicule for Omega Boy."

A clip from David Letterman appeared. "Did you hear about this new superhero? Omega Man? Apparently he can do anything! He can fly, he's bullet-proof, he's super strong ... About the only thing he can't do is find a sitter!"

Many in the crowd laughed loudly at the joke.

A clip from Jay Leno came on. "And apparently Omega Man was recently voted one of the top five most desirable men in the country by Cosmopolitan Magazine. And who can blame them? He's a super hero! He's famous! He's ... great with kids!"

Then there was a clip from Stephen Colbert from The Daily Show. "And that's why I have decided to adopt my own sidekick, Colbert Boy!" A young boy in a suit and tie walked onto the stage and sat between him and Jon Stewart, soliciting uproarious laughter. "Because there is nothing like dragging in a defenseless eight-year-old boy into a super-fight to let your enemies know that you are one tough, bad-ass, mother-fBEEEEEPer."

The montage continued, and Tricia's voice returned. "But the ridicule stopped when on July 10th, 2004, Omega Man was killed in action, here on the front sidewalk outside the Bank of America on K-Street, northwest D.C. As the bank was being robbed, Omega Man and Omega Boy arrived on the scene. He left Omega Boy with the police outside, entered the building, and within thirty seconds emerged from the bank engulfed in fire. As he succumbed to the flames, for some unknown reason his body detonated with a tremendous force, releasing a torrent of destructive energy, and leaving no trace behind. Omega Man's death left behind millions of dollars in property damage, an electromagnetic pulse that knocked out communications in the city for hours, and many unanswered questions.

"Who was this mysterious man? How did he become so powerful? Was he Science, Magic, Cosmic, or Mutation? How could he survive fighting two fire-based super-villains, only to burn to death later on? And what of Omega Boy? Why was he constantly brought along into battles, and what happened to him? The world may never know."

The video playback ended, and Tricia picked up the ending. "Witnesses reported that during those final moments there was mass panic and pandemonium as the bank robbers attempted to escape, and Omega Boy was lost in the crowd, never to be seen again. Authorities searched for the boy, but were unable to find him. One can only hope that he eventually found his way home. On K Street northwest, this is Tricia Sanchez. Jeanine?"

"That's a wrap!", announced Anton.

The lights turned off, and Tricia started pulling off her microphone and ear piece. Anton and Charlie packed up the van, while many of the crowd came up to talk to Tricia, get her autograph, and just get a better look at her. One man asked her out on a date, which she quite loudly refused, discouraging all the other men.

As the crowd dispersed, Tricia noticed the young boy with the dog watching her. She felt a little twinge of naughtiness bubble up, and decided to go and tease the boy one last time. She smiled and strutted up to him. His eyes went wide as she approached.

"So. What did you think?" she asked sexily.

"Huh?", he managed.

She struck a pose. "Enjoy the show?"

The boy furrowed his brow and glared at her.

"Fuck you, lady!" And he stormed off.

Tricia was stunned, and then looked down at her chest and saw the immense amount of cleavage she was still showing. She zipped up. Hmph. Maybe I'm just too much for him.

Her cell phone buzzed, distracting her. She opened it and saw the message. It was from Annie.

It was a grocery list. Tricia groaned.

-------

Translation guide

Tricia speaks Spanish. Annie speaks Yiddish.

¡Dios mio! ¡Odio mi trabajo! - My God! I hate my job!

"¿Cuál es su nombre? - What's your name?"

"¿Esta bien?" - "Is that okay?"

"¡Sígame!" - "Follow me!"

"¿Qué quiere?" - "What do you want?"

"Gracias, Charlie!" - "Thank you, Charlie."

"Tipsheh!" - A stupid or foolish woman.



-------

Chapter 2: Video Dating and Prophecies





Friday, July 10, 2009, 7:00PM

Thump ... bump... <grunt> ... crinkle ... jingle ... thump...

Grunting, cursing, straining, and juggling three bags of groceries, her briefcase, purse, and keys, Tricia finally managed to get her apartment door open. "I'm home!" she called out, stumbling inside.

An exquisitely beautiful face appeared, peering out from around the corner of the hallway. A Japanese girl, young, in her early twenties with long straight silky shiny raven black hair, bangs and delicate, flawless skin stared out through deep, emerald eyes and watched Tricia as she struggled in the doorway, carrying five heavy objects in one hand.

Tricia glared at her. "Oh no! Don't get up! I got it!" she said sarcastically.

The girl shrugged, disappeared behind the corner, and then her hand appeared outstretched.

"DING DONGS!" she bellowed.

Tricia dropped the bags unceremoniously and started digging through them, muttering to herself. I've got your fucking Ding-Dongs right here...  She pulled out the box of frosted, cream-filled, chocolate cakes and threw them down the hall. The girl caught the box, and her hand disappeared around the corner again. There was a horrid and violent ripping sound.

Tricia sighed, picked up all the bags, and carried them down the hall, past the girl, into the dining room. "So? How was your day?"

"Goorf!" she exclaimed with a mouthful of chocolate cake. She was still sitting at her desk in front of her laptop.

"If you have to eat that stuff, would you at least have the decency of getting a fat ass like the rest of us?" Tricia complained, taking her jacket off.

"Cahnn hellf ipf. Iff my mefaboifm." She swallowed hard, clearing her mouth. "And besides ... it all goes into my tsitskes anyways."

Tricia's brain did that mental back-flip it always did whenever she, or anyone else for that matter, saw and heard Annie Freidman speak, and the past seven months rooming with her had not made it any easier. "Cultural Whiplash" was the term she'd coined. It's that double-take a brain makes when encountering a Japanese girl speaking Yiddish.

"So, good day?" Tricia started unloading the groceries and putting some food in the shelves they kept in the dining room. They kept very little food in the kitchen. Annie had a hard time getting in there.

"Oy! Iz doos a mekheiyeh! I got three new jobs today!" she said proudly.

"Really! What did you get?"

"I got a documentation job for a new content management system ... icon design and testing for a graphic age progression utility, and test cases for a new, natural language, voice-activated search engine."

"Wow! Impressive. I did a live report on the fact that normal people can remember big events from five years ago! Have they paid anything yet?"

"Oy! Yes. And I blew it all on this! Look!"

Tricia turned and watched as Annie rolled her chair back, spun it, and rolled towards her. Annie was gorgeous, and very buxom for a Japanese girl. She blamed her figure on her mother's cooking. She had strong arms, a slim waist, and nice hips. But her legs were very thin and out of proportion to her well-formed top half. Tricia always thought it was a bit of a shame that she looked so mismatched.

But then, living in a wheelchair does that.

Annie rolled to a stop, and held up a video camera. "Taa-daa! Well? What do ya think? It came today!"

Tricia looked at the small hand-held camera. "Oh! How cute! A crappy camera!" she said lovingly.

"Oy! Be fair! It's digital! Solid-state recorder. Hi-def. We don't all work with professional equipment, khookhem-beleileh."

"Sorry. It's a very nice camera. So, you plan on using it here in the apartment, or are you planning to go outside someday?"

"Hey! I get out. But ... I got it for here."

Tricia frowned. "What did you get it for?"

Annie pointed one finger up in the air for no particular reason. "I found a singles website that I want to try. They let you put up video introductions of yourself, and you can look at other people's videos..."

"Video dating!" Tricia admonished. "Oh, come on, Annie. No no no no nooo ... You don't need to do that. You just need to get out more. Look! Come with me to the clubs tonight. Come on!"

"Hey! I do get out! I tried line dancing! Didn't work. I kept rolling on people's feet! Look!" She handed the camera to Tricia. "I want to try this out, and since the tripod is on back-order, you get to do the honors. Here. Just turn the camera on with that switch and..."

Tricia waved her hand at Annie, swatting her back. "Heyheyhey! I know how to use a camera! Okay. Fine. I'll film you." Tricia turned on a lamp and tilted the shade, sending more light onto Annie.

"Oy! Wait! Let me get my notes." Annie spun and pulled a sheet of paper from her desk.

"Notes?"

"Yeah. They made some suggestions of things to say."

Tricia pulled out a dining room chair into the middle of the living room and sat on it. "Okay, whatever." She pointed the camera at her and started recording. "You're on!"

"Wait! Wait! Let me..." She brushed her long hair back, and readjusted herself in her chair. "Okay... <ahem>..." She patted her chest. "Oy! I'm so nervous!" Annie took a moment to compose herself, checked her notes, and smiled at the camera.

"Hi! I'm Annie!" she said, very friendly like and waving to the camera. "Annie Freidman. I am twenty-three years old, and I am an independent, contracting, computer consultant." She nervously checked her notes. "Jewish, and Japanese." She held up her hands. "I know, kind of weird, but what can you say? I was adopted. Also..." She patted her chair. "Paraplegic, but still fun! Ninth grade, car accident. Oy! Don't get me started..." She checked her notes again. "I have an IQ of one hundred sixty-five and I am a Pisces and..."

"HOLD IT! Hold it! Hold it." Tricia lowered the camera and gave Annie a very disappointed look.

"What?"

"An IQ of a hundred sixty-five and a Pisces? Annie! People with IQ's of a hundred sixty-five don't go talking about their zodiac signs."

Annie sputtered. "Well ... I know that! But the..." She gestured futilely at the notes. "They suggested..."

"Gimme that! Let me see that." Tricia took the notes and looked at them. "Okay, this? This is complete shit!" She crumpled up the paper into a little ball and tossed it at Annie. It bounced off of her forehead.

"Hey!"

"Look. Annie. You want to get a man, right?"

Annie nodded. "Uh huh."

"Well, it's a business transaction, okay?"

Annie screwed up her face. "Nu?"

"You're selling something, and you're buying something! You gotta let him know WHAT it is you're looking for, and WHAT it is that you have to offer. Understand?"

She shook her head.

"Here. Take the camera. I'll show you how to do a REAL dating video."

Tricia handed the camera back to Annie, and Annie pointed it at Tricia as she adjusted herself in her chair. "Now first of all Annie, you have to give him a free sample" she said as she started unzipping her blouse.

"Oy! Wait! Don't give it all away like that."

"I'm not." Tricia stopped after revealing a couple inches of cleavage. She pulled her blouse open, exposing a fairly large amount of jiggling flesh. "I'm just giving a little taste. Showing him what I've got."

"Well, you got a lot to show."

"Don't worry. You've got enough to show too. Now..." Tricia fluffed her hair back and shook her head, throwing her curls about wildly. " ... You sell yourself!"

Tricia gave the camera a sultry look, honed from years of experience of making love to the camera. She inhaled deeply, expanding her breasts, and threatening her overworked blouse. "Hiiii..." she moaned with a heavy breath, and swung her shoulders slightly. "I'm Annie ... And I need a MAN!"

Annie burst into giggles, but continued filming her roommate.

Tricia pushed both hands down into her crotch and leaned forward, pushing her shoulders and large breasts forward. They strained the fabric, and bulged out slightly, threatening to spill out entirely.

"I need a man NOW!" she continued in a heavy breath. Annie was shaking with laughter. "Are you the one I'm looking for?" she asked running one hand over her head, rolling her hair back. "I'm SO lonely!" she wailed, tilting her body far to the right, and letting her long, curly hair spill out over her shoulder. Her massive breasts shifted and jostled dangerously in her blouse. "And I'm not just looking for a man to sweep me off my feet ... Ohh! ... If I can only find ... aaAAAIIIEEE!"

Tricia leaned a little too far over in her performance and comically fell off the chair and landed on the floor sprawled out. Annie burst out laughing. Tricia then pushed herself up on her hands, blew the hair out of her eyes, and continued. "Oh I need a man who's just going to PICK me up and CARRY me over his shoulder!" She started crawling across the floor, dragging her mock-useless legs behind her. Her heavy breasts swung and jiggled and fought against her blouse, and appeared to be winning. "I need a man who's going to THROW ME ON THE BED..." She rolled onto her back and hammered her fist into her crotch several times. " ... AND REAM ME OUT! As HARD as you FUCKIN' CAN! Cause I can't feel SHIT down here!"

Annie was in tears, screaming in laughter.

Tricia rolled back, her hair whipped around, and her breasts pushed mightily against her blouse which nearly surrendered the fight. She breathed heavily and glared at the camera. "But don't you think I'm just going to lay back and TAKE it! Oh no! We paraplegic girls, we try harder! You know that thing your other girlfriends don't like doing? We SPECIALIZE in it!" She crawled towards the camera with an insane lust in her eyes. Annie was in near hysterics. "Oh yes ... just because you have to carry me around, doesn't mean I'm useless. Oh no! I'm..."

Tricia stopped suddenly. A very strange look crossed her face. "Wait a minute..." she mumbled.

Just at that moment, a crackling, tingling sensation flowed over her body. She looked down at her bare arms. The fine hairs on her arms started standing up, and she could feel her own long hair lifting by itself. She looked up at Annie, and gasped, for Annie's long black hair was suddenly rising too, as if charged with static electricity.

"What the... ?"

FFFOOOMMM!!

Annie suddenly screamed in terror as the apartment was flooded with ultra-violet light.

Tricia bolted, saw Annie staring in horror at something behind her, and spun around to see what it was. She saw it and gasped. For there in the middle of the room ... was another Tricia.

And she was glowing ... and naked.

-------

It was a ghostly image; partially transparent, washed out and shining with an ultraviolet glare, but it was definitely Tricia. The ghost Tricia was squatting on the floor on her knees, her legs spread wide and her hips thrusting. She was leaning forward, bracing herself on some invisible support underneath her that was several inches thick over the ground. Her full breasts were bouncing, and she was gasping and rolling her head in ecstasy.

Then she opened her eyes, and the moment she saw Tricia and Annie the ghost screamed and covered her breasts and pubis. She stared at them in amazement. Tricia and Annie stared back in utter shock and confusion.

There was an awkward moment.

The ghost Tricia dropped her mouth open, inhaled, and let out a nervous "Ummm..." She blinked and looked around, as if trying to remember something. She then apparently remembered it, and looked at Annie.

"Annie? Keep filming!" Her voice echoed strangely, as if emanating from a long tube.

Annie nodded nervously, and kept the camera pointed at the ghost. The ghost Tricia then turned to the real Tricia.

"Tricia?" She paused, thought, and said, almost as if she were reciting something, "Memorize the date and time! ... And..." She looked down, relaxed, smiled, and looked back up. " ... And trust your instincts. It's him!"

FFOOOMM! The ghost vanished.

There were several seconds of pure silence.

-------

"Annie ... Please tell me you saw that too."

"I saw it!" she nodded, frightened. "What was that!?!"

"I don't know!"

"Tricia! That was YOU!"

"I ... I..."

"How did you do that?" she asked incredulously.

Tricia spun and looked at Annie. "I didn't do that!"

"Well don't look at ME!" Annie gave Tricia a scowl. "You know this violates our lease agreement!"

"¿Que?"

"No pets! No drugs! No fuckwits, and no superpowers! HOW DID YOU DO THAT?"

"I didn't ... Wait!" Tricia thought. "Are you still recording?" she asked frantically.

Annie checked the camera. "Um, yeah. Should I stop?"

"No! Keep ... Keep recording!" Tricia thought some more. "¿Qué ella dijo? ... Memorize the date and time..."

She jumped up. "Keep recording!!!" she yelled again, and ran to her purse. She grabbed her cell phone, came back to Annie, and knelt down in front of her. She dialed a number, put it on speaker phone, and spoke into the camera.

"Okay ... This is Tricia Sanchez, with Annie Freidman recording, and it's the year 2009, July tenth, and..." She held up the phone to the camera. The phone rang, and a voice answered.

"At the tone, the time will be ... seven ... oh-eight ... and fifty seconds ... BEEEP!"

Tricia closed the phone, and sat on the floor. "Okay, Annie, I think you can stop recording now, 'cause I don't think that thing is coming back ... We have a time-stamp ... You can put that in the computer and find the exact moment that happened, right?"

Annie nodded. "Yeah, I can do that." She turned off the camera. "Why? What are you thinking? What was that?"

Tricia slumped on the floor, stunned, but thinking. "I think ... that was a message!" She looked at Annie. "But I didn't do that, but obviously I did! So I'm thinking ... maybe I just haven't sent it YET."

Annie looked puzzled.

"I mean ... if I was going to send a message to myself, and the very first thing I needed to know was WHEN the message arrived ... that tells me that ... when I DO send the message, I will need to know WHEN to send the message TO."

Annie blinked. "Are you saying that ... that came from ... the FUTURE?"

"What else could it be? Do you have any other ideas?"

Annie balked. "A weird hoax maybe, but ... but that was YOU!"

"But how can I send a message back in time? I don't know how to do that! I ... is that even possible?"

"Well ... kind of. I mean, all you really need is to take a black hole, carve it into a torus, spin it at the speed of light, and then jump in. But that would be pretty difficult on our budget." Annie thought some more. "So you're telling me that you are somehow going to be able to send a message back in time?"

Tricia nodded. "Yeah ... I think so."

Annie glared at her. "AND YOU DIDN'T THINK TO SEND US THE PICK-FOUR NUMBERS? YOU MESHIGEH!" And she swatted Tricia's shoulder.

"HEY! ¡No sabía! Gimme a break, Annie! I didn't know I was supposed to do that!"

"Well you do NOW! Shoyteh ben pikholts! Why would you send a message back if not to help yourself?"

"Maybe I did! What was that other part? Umm... 'Trust your instincts. It's him.'"

"Who's him? The guy who's going to respond to the video?"

"No! That's not going out to anyone. ¡Dios prohíbe!"

"Well then who?"

Tricia frowned. "I don't know ... let's check the video. Maybe we missed something."

They huddled together, looked at the small screen on the camera, and Annie cued back and replayed the video. They watched first as Annie stumbled through her introduction, and then as Tricia started her performance.

"Annie, you're using the zoom way too much."

"Shush-shush-shush! Here it comes!"

The small voice came out of the camera. "Oh yes ... just because you have to carry me around, doesn't mean I'm useless. Oh no! I'm ... wait a minute..."

"Hold it!" Annie paused, and cued back a bit. "What's this?"

"What?"

"That look on your face, just before your future self shows up. What is that?"

"I don't remember. I..."

She played the video again. "Just because you have to carry me around, doesn't mean I'm useless."

Tricia made a connection. "Oh, I remember now. It was ... nothing."

"What was it?"

"Just ... a stupid idea."

"Tricia, if you had a stupid idea, and then later on you decide to send a message BACK IN TIME to that exact moment to tell yourself to trust your instincts, it's not a stupid idea! Out with it! What was it?"

"Well, I was reminded of ... Omega Boy."

"Omega Boy?"

"Yeah ... I'm thinking ... he was carried around, but maybe he wasn't useless."

Tricia sat on the floor and leaned against the entertainment center. "Help me out with this..." She held her hands out, as if holding an idea like it was a box. "Omega Man ... he fought two fire-powered super-villains, and then he burned to death ... so he was fire-proof, and then he wasn't ... his fire-proof power was temporary ... so maybe ... ALL of his powers were temporary!"

"Nu?"

She looked at Annie seriously. "What if Omega Man didn't have ANY powers ... but ... Omega BOY ... could create them ... and push them into Omega Man?"

"I've never heard of such a thing."

"Neither have I ... now..." Tricia thought some more. "Omega Boy obviously couldn't use the powers himself, or else he would have, and wouldn't have just hung back with the police where it was safe ... So that would mean that ... Wait!"

Tricia jumped up, grabbed her briefcase and opened it up. "I did a lot of research on Omega Man, and plotted all his sightings ... Look! Here!" She pulled out a calendar and showed it to Annie. "Omega Man first appeared in early June, 2003. He appeared all through June, July, and August, and then he stopped. He showed up again once around December, and another time around April ... and then he picked up again in June 2004 ... You see? Summer vacation, Christmas vacation, and Easter vacation! Omega Boy was in school the rest of the time! He was necessary!"

"So he could just create powers on the fly and give them to Omega Man?"

"Yeah! And, I even saw some video of them up close. They would show up, and size up the situation. Omega Man had some sort of X-ray vision, and then he would tell Omega Boy what he was going to do. 'I'm going to go in there with my super strength, and they're going to shoot at me but I'm bullet-proof... ' He wasn't just bragging. He was telling Omega Boy what powers he was going to need! Then they would do the...", she gestured, knocking her fists together. " ... Obama-Terrorist-Fist-Bump, and there was this little shower of sparks that came out ... That was the power transfer! I always thought the sparks came from Omega Man, but they could have come from Omega Boy!"

"So why didn't he ask to be fireproof when he went into the bank?"

Tricia thought. "Because he was untrained. He was an amateur, playing a superhero instead of actually being one. He wasn't part of EarthGuard or AmeriForce. They were both eager to get a hold of him, but he wouldn't talk to them. And considering that he really didn't have powers ... that he really was a fraud ... that makes sense." She looked at Annie. "Have you ever seen the footage from the bank security cameras of Omega Man?"

"No. What happened?"

"It was awful. It was just a simple bank robbery that turned into a hostage situation. No super-villains. Just ordinary men. One man, Marcelo Delgado, he was just the safe-cracker. He didn't even carry a gun. But he had an acetylene torch. Omega Man probably saw it, but didn't think that it might be used as a weapon. He was an amateur. And when he came in and threatened the robbers, Delgado turned on the torch and threw it at him. Omega Man caught on fire, instantly. Whatever it was that he made his costume out of, it was very flammable. He just lit up, and ran out screaming."

"And then he exploded." finished Annie. "Because ... the powers needed a living host, and he died, and the power had to go somewhere?"

"Maybe."

"So what happened to Omega Boy?"

"No sé. Nobody knows. The bank robbers came out shooting, and there was a huge panic. He disappeared in the crowd. He probably ran, terrified. Maybe he went home."

"And where is home?"

"Well, I figure he lived somewhere on the east coast, because they showed up everywhere from Maine to Florida, but rarely went past the Mississippi."

"And how is he supposed to get back?" asked Annie. "He lost his ride. And how much bus fare does an eight-year old boy normally carry?" Annie gave it some more thought. "Tricia ... If Omega Boy could create all those powers ... flight, strength, invulnerability, speed, x-ray vision ... and push them into someone else ... do you suppose he could also create time travel?"

Tricia's eyes went wide. "I'm going to find him! That's it! He's HERE! He's still in the city! He's ... I don't know ... maybe he's homeless! But ... no! His parents would have found him by now."

"Unless they are dead. Omega Man was probably his father."

"Yeah, most likely, but what about his mother?"

Annie shook her head confidently. "Nayn. She's out of the picture."

Tricia looked at Annie. "How do you know?"

"Simple. She would know about her son's powers, and do you think any decent mother would let her husband take her little boy out to go fight super-villains? No. She's been gone for a while."

"So he's here ... homeless, and orphaned."

"And you're going to find him, and he's going to push time travel powers into you so you can tell yourself that you're going to find him ... and apparently you're also going to shtupn him."

Tricia gave Annie a double-take. "Well ... I don't know about that. I don't even know what that was about."

"You were naked!"

"Yeah but ... I didn't see my crucifix! I never take it off! So if it was an internal biological ability, and not some technical device, clothing and jewelry wouldn't be affected, so maybe I was dressed ... and maybe I wasn't having sex ... maybe I was doing ... deep breathing or something, building the energies."

"Tricia! You were shtupn! Big time! I know what that looks like. I've got broadband."

"But Omega Boy? No! How old is he now, what, thirteen? That's ... too young."

"Not too young. Bar Mitsvah boy. Old enough to be interested and know how to do it. Just not legal. But we know you were shutpn somebody!"

"One thing at a time! ... Omega Boy ... I'm going to find him. So ... Where is he? How do I find him?"

"Well ... what all do we know about him?"

Tricia sat and thought. "I don't know. Let's see ... He's thirteen, homeless, so he's probably malnourished. Thin ... Gets his clothes from charities, so they probably don't fit or are very worn down..." She ran her hands through her hair, thinking, and then looked at her hair. "Hasn't had a decent haircut in five years ... hungry ... lonely ... I..."

She made a connection. No. It couldn't be, could it?

Trust your instincts. It's him.

Tricia turned to Annie with a horrified look on her face. "¡DIOS MIO! I INTERVIEWED HIM!"

"What?"

Tricia quickly spun and grabbed the remote to the TV and turned it on. "I talked to him! I even put him in the segment! ... Tivo! ... Tivo! ... You Tivo'ed it, right?"

"Yeah! I did!"

Tricia found the recording and started playing it. "Damn, that's a lot of cleavage!" She pushed through the recording. "Where is he? ... Where is he?... ¡Mire! ¡Aquí! THAT'S HIM! THAT'S OMEGA BOY!" she cried out as the face of the young boy appeared on the television.

They listened to the boy as he spoke. "He was a good man, and he shouldn't have died."

Annie leaned in and stared at the face. "Are you sure?"

"¡Si! ¡Absolutamente! That's him!"

"Oy, Nebakh..." Annie gasped and clutched her heart. "The poor boy. He blames himself."

"What?"

"Look at him! He feels guilty. He came back on the anniversary to atone."

Tricia stared at the screen. "Really?"

"Tricia! I'm Jewish! I know guilt when I see it!"

"Annie ... You're Japanese! You're bred for honor."

"Nayn. Nurture over nature! He feels guilty. He feels responsible for his father's death. Nebakh."

"Damn ... No wonder he was in such a bad mood."

"Nu? How so?"

"Well, he told me to go fuck off. And I thought it was because I was teasing him too much."

"Are you sure it wasn't this?" Annie gestured to the screen. Tricia watched.

"Did you hear about this new superhero? Omega Man?" David Letterman was saying on the screen.

"Oh ... FUCK!" Tricia held her head in her hands, covering her face. "No WONDER he was so pissed off at me. I showed those jokes about him ... Oh GOD! Now he's not going to want to talk to me!"

"Tricia! No! This is good!"

Tricia peeked through her fingers. "Huh?"

Annie leaned in. "This gives you an opening. You find him ... and you apologize to him. He will respect that, and talk to you."

Tricia smiled. "Yeah ... he will!" She laughed. "Annie! I found Omega Boy! Do you know what this means?" Tricia started getting really excited. "This is my story! This is the story I've been looking for! It will put me in the big leagues! I can do a Lois Lane! You know? Exclusive access to a superhero! And not just any superhero, but the one responsible for Omega Man! I mean, I do this, and no more of these idiotic fluff pieces!"

She jumped up and eagerly grabbed her purse. "I gotta FIND HIM! I gotta get him. I can start looking on K Street, where I last saw him. Maybe he's still there. I..."

She stopped before she could reach the door. "Wait." She paused, all excitement vanished. "I'm going off half-cocked here." She turned back to Annie. "I ... I have no evidence."

"What about the video of you coming from the future?"

"Well, that was a weird thing, but it was really unspecific. I need something else. Something substantial. I need..."

Tricia returned to the television and took the remote. She scanned back and froze the image of the young boy. "This kid ... I have no proof that he is Omega Boy. I mean..." She dug through her briefcase notes, and pulled out an archive photograph of Omega Boy. "I just FEEL like it's got to be him, but I don't know if THIS kid is the same person as THAT kid. I mean ... what do you think? Do they look the same to you?"

Annie studied the photograph. "I don't know. It's hard to tell with the mask."

Tricia looked back and forth between the picture and the screen a few times, comparing. "I don't know. Kind of looks the same. Chin is kind of ... but..." She looked to Annie for support, and then she looked behind Annie, to her laptop.

An idea flashed in her mind.

"Annie?"

"Yeah?"

Tricia had an odd expression on her face. "What were those programs you were working on?"

"Programs?"

"The jobs you got today."

"Oh, um ... content management, voice-activated search engine and..." Her eyes went wide. "and a graphical age progression utility."

Tricia grinned. "What is that used for?"

Annie smiled back. "It changes pictures of faces, simulating aging. Used to find missing children."

Tricia broke out into a huge smile. "Annie, can you use that program take THIS photo and add five years so we can compare it to that image on the screen?"

Annie's smile dropped. "No."

"What?"

"I can't do that. He's wearing a mask in the photo. Can't do age progression through the mask."

Tricia's face fell.

Annie smiled again. "But what I CAN do is to take THAT image, and REMOVE five years, paint a mask over it, and then we can see if it matches the photo!"

Tricia broke into a huge grin.

"I'll make dinner!"

"I'll get started!"

-------

It took her about an hour, but when she was finished, Annie had managed to create a picture from the screen capture that nearly perfectly matched the photograph from five years ago.

"Satisfied?" she asked.

"Yes!" answered Tricia, looking at the pictures. "We found him. We found Omega Boy!"

Annie stared at her.

"Well? Don't just stand there! Go and find the boy!"

Tricia grabbed her purse and a printout of the screen capture. "Wish me luck!" she called, and she ran out the door.

"Good luck!"

Tricia closed the door behind her, and then opened it a moment later. "Annie?"

"Nu?"

"You realize if I bring him back here, this is going to break our lease agreement."

"GO!"

Tricia left.

"Oy, vey!"

-------

Translation guide

On the front cover Annie says "Shma-yisrooel!" This literally translates to "Hear, O Israel!", which refers to the first two words in the confession of faith found in Deuteronomy 6:4. It is supposed to be an Orthodox Jew's last words, assuming he or she is conscious enough to utter them. In times of great danger, Jews will say this just to cover the bases, because they might not be around in the next few minutes to say anything else. So it basically translates to "Here is a quick prayer because I'm not sure I'm going to survive this," or more succinctly, "Holy Shit!"

"Tsitskes" - breasts.

"Oy! Iz doos a mekheiyeh!" - "I'm back from the dead!"

"khookhem-beleileh." - Khookhem-beleileh literally means "Sage at night", which interprets to "Gosh, you're really smart when nobody is looking."

"Yo!" - "Yes!"

"Well, it's a business transaction, Okay?" "Nu?" - The Nu cannot be translated. Sorry. It is just a sound. You really have to be Jewish to understand it. The meaning comes from tone of voice. In this case, Annie is asking Tricia "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"¿Que?" - "Say what???"

"¿Qué ella dijo?" - "What did she say?"

"YOU MESHIGEH!" - A meshigeh is crazy or insane.

"¡No sabía!" - "I didn't know!"

"Shoyteh ben pikholts!" - "Fool with a woodpecker for a father."

"¡Dios prohíbe!" - God forbid!

"No sé." - "I don't know."

"Nayn." - "No".

"Shtupn" - Sexual intercourse.

"Not too young. Bar Mitsvah boy." - Annie is referring to the traditional Jewish celebration of a young boy who has reached thirteen and can be considered an adult in the religion.

"¡Mire! ¡Aquí!" - "Look! Here!"

Oy, Nebakh..." - "Oy" is just a sound. "Nebakh" is pity.

"Nu? How so?" - Tone of voice again. "Say what?"



-------

Chapter 3: Bad Plans and Whiskey





Friday, July 10, 2009, 9:10PM

"Excuse me? Have you seen this boy?"

"No. Sorry."

"Thank you. Excuse me? Sir? Do you recognize this boy?"

"Sorry."

"Thanks."

Tricia had been searching the K Street area for over an hour, asking every passing person about him. She was relentless, and showed the picture to everyone she saw. It was now after nine o'clock, and the long summer sunset had finally finished, and it was just starting to get dark. Streetlights turned on, and the number of people on the streets were dwindling.

It was frustrating, but she continued searching for the boy. At every business that was open, she tried speaking to managers, employees, and even customers. But no one had seen him. No one knew who he was.

Every block had its own maze of alleys separating the buildings. There were small parks with the occasional homeless. There were a million places to hide, and K Street was only a small fraction of the city.

She stopped in one of the small parks and checked her map under a streetlight. K Street ran east and west through the heart of the city, and she had only really explored a small section of it. This task was proving itself to be impossible. She was hoping to find someone, anyone who may have seen him, but it was starting to look hopeless.

Debo intentar quizá otra vez mañana. She decided to call it a night and try again tomorrow. Dejected, she folded her map and headed back to her car. I should try the shelters tomorrow.

As she reached her car, she took one last frustrating look at the boy's picture, folded it up, and put it in her purse with the map. She pulled out her keys, and just stood there next to her car. Frustrated, she balled her fist, pounded the roof of her car, and leaned her head against it. She mentally prayed for strength.

Jesús, Déme la fuerza.

"Yo lookin' fo' sometin?" said a voice behind her.

Tricia looked around and saw an old man sitting on the ground in front of a store. He was black, about in his sixties, she guessed, wearing a rumpled shirt, dirty jacket, jeans, and dark glasses. He had a scruffy gray beard. The cup sitting next to him told her he was homeless. The white cane with the red tip told her he was blind.

"Yeah..." she answered. "Don't know if you can help me though."

"Ol' Gus here knows where lot's o' things are in this city. So you tell me. Whatchu lookin' fo'?"

She shrugged. "I'm looking for a boy."

He perked up. "Well, shit girl! I ain't busy!"

She smiled. "You're sweet, but you're not the one I'm looking for."

He rocked in frustration. "Ah, hell! Well, ain't no matter! Can't get it up anymo' anyhow. What can I do you fo'? Who's dis boy you lookin' fo'?"

"I ... don't know his name." she confessed. She thought about the release statement he signed. She didn't check his signature, and the statement was back in the station with the rest of the paperwork.

"Well, what do he look like?"

"He's ... Well, how's that going to help you?"

"Shit girl! Just cause I'm blind, don't mean I don't know what people look like! Look in this sto' behind me! Look in dat windo'. I know what every person looks like, so don't go tellin' me what I know o' don't know!"

Tricia glanced up to the dark window. The store was empty and closed. All she could see was her own reflection in the glass.

"Oookaaayyy ... And how many people are in there?"

"Ain't nobody in dere! HA!!" He laughed. "So I know what dey look like!"

She smirked. "Very funny."

"But I bet I ken tell you what YOU look like."

Tricia folded her arms in front of her. "Really?"

"Sho' nuff." He rocked back and forth, reminding her of Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles. "Fo' one thing, I know that you a 'Spanic chick."

Tricia raised her eyebrows.

"Yo have a slight accent. You talk good English, but you know Spanish too."

Tricia nodded. "I'm impressed." She knew that she did tend to trill her R's.

He smiled and rocked. "Yo' also tall. Naturally. Ain't wearing heels, cause I can hear yo' shoes. Yo' got long hair. I can hear it rub on yo' shoulders and back."

"Wow. Very good."

"Yo' a chunky girl too."

Tricia's jaw dropped, and she took an attitude pose. "Say what?"

"The way you walk, and I ken hear your clothes rubbin' against itself. But it ain't all over yo'. Yo' extra weight is all up top." He smiled again. "Yo' got dem big-ass titties, don't you?"

"None of your god-damn business how big my titties are!"

He grinned. "Shit girl. I like you. You got spunk. And 'sides, I know you got dem big-ass titties, 'cause if you do? Yo' gonna stick 'round! Dat means you know I know what'chu look like. And dat also means I know what'cho boy look like too! And you looking fo' dat boy."

Tricia nodded. "Big-ass titties!" she confessed.

"HA!!" he laughed. "I tol' you! Now! What he look like?"

Tricia shrugged. "Well, he's thirteen years old, white, homeless, kind of thin, with long brownish hair that's kind of greasy. He's got some acne, and um..." She held out her hand, approximating his height. " ... he's about..." And then she caught herself, realizing that the hand gesture and the phrase 'this tall' would be lost on the blind man.

She grinned, and snapped her fingers at his height. "This tall."

Gus nodded. "Lot's o' kids look like that."

She shrugged. "I don't know how else to describe him. Sorry."

"Well, you got a pitcher o' him?"

"Yeah." She pulled it out of her purse and unfolded it. "Not like it's going to help you that much." She held the picture out at him, illustrating her point. She turned the picture back and looked at it again.

"Well, you look at'cho pitcher and tell me what he look like."

Tricia shrugged. "I ... Well, sunken cheeks, thin nose, down-turned, blue eyes. No real scars ... I don't know how else to describe him." She put the picture back in her purse.

He nodded to her. "What'chu lookin' fo' him fo'?"

"Well, I just need to talk to him."

"Summtin special 'bout the boy, huh?"

"Yeah."

"What are you? Child Services?"

"No," she answered immediately. "I'm a reporter. A journalist. My name's Tricia Sanchez."

He raised his eyebrows, impressed. "Ain't got no plans for him?"

Tricia shook her head. "Uh ... No. Not really."

"No house set up? No family?"

"Uh ... no." She was feeling dejected.

He nodded. "You be takin' him off the streets to yo' house den? You be takin care o' him?"

"Well ... I guess so. I hadn't really planned out much."

Gus nodded again, picked up his cup, and held his hand out. Tricia took it and pulled, helping the old man up. He groaned as he stood. His knees and hips creaked and snapped. "Well, dat's about the best news I heard all day." And he started shuffling down the sidewalk. "Come on! You gonna buy me some whiskey!"

Tricia stood there, shocked. "Excuse me? Best news ... and whiskey?"

"Sho! You buy me some whiskey, an I tell you his name an' where to find him." He continued shuffling away from her. She watched as he walked, and saw him step over a fairly large crack in the sidewalk which should have tripped him.

"Yeah, but you don't know who he is."

"Sho' I do." He stopped. "Dawg's name is Scrappy. Yorkshire Terrier." He continued his shuffle.

Tricia's jaw dropped. "You! ... How did you? ... You know who I'm looking for!" She ran up, got in front of him and confronted him, grabbing his shoulders.

"Course I do!"

She stared at him. "How did you know who I'm looking for?"

Gus held his arm out, and Tricia took it. He started walking and she walked with him. "You think I don't know what's goin' on in my streets? Big-ass tittie 'Spanic chick reporter did a story t'day outside a bank where a boy gone missin'. Now a big-ass tittie 'Spanic chick reporter come lookin' for a boy. An' I know dat boy, so I know who you lookin' fo'." She led him over a curb, which he navigated perfectly. "Lot's o' kids out here on the streets. But some kids, dey special! All kids are special, but some kids, they be a special kind o' special. Know what I'm sayin'? Dis boy is dat kind o' special, and you know he is. Dat's why yo' lookin' fo' him. But lot's o' people, dey be lookin' for kids. Any kids. Child Services, dat be all right. Dey be lookin' for kids to put dem in homes. But some other people, dey be looking for kids for other reasons. Bad reasons. Know what I'm sayin'? Yo' ain't one o' dem."

They approached a liquor store, and Tricia started to guide Gus into it, but he stopped. "Who all in dere?"

She looked inside. She saw a single Hispanic man reading a newspaper at the counter. The manager most likely, Tricia thought.

"Just one guy. Why?"

"Dat be Carlos. Can't go in dere. I owe him money." He shuffled off down the street. Tricia shrugged and followed.

"How do you know that I don't have bad reasons to find him?"

"I know dat 'cause you ain't know what you doing, girl! You came out here wit no plans! You don' know what you doing, but you know WHY you doin' it! It's dem others who come out here with bad reasons you gotta watch out fo'. They got dem plans out and ready. They got dem stories straight! OH YEAH! WE GONNA TAKE DAT BOY AN' GIVE HIM TO A GOOD WHITE COUPLE IN BAL-MER! HE BE HAPPY THERE. GET HIM A MOTHER AND FATHER AN BROTHERS AN SISTERS AN A DAWG AN SHIT. But choo come out here an' you don' know what you doing, dat's cause you ain't coming up wit lies and shit! An' if you ain't lyin', you ain't here fo' bad reasons."

They walked down the deserted street a little further and it wasn't long before they reached another liquor store. Tricia looked inside, and saw an older middle-eastern man behind the counter and a young Korean man sweeping the floor. "There are two people in here."

"Dey be all right!" He headed for the door, and entered the store. "Farid!! My brother from another mother!" he called out, smiling.

"Hey! Gus! How are you doing tonight?" Farid, the man behind the counter asked.

"Can't complain! Cho? Dat you dere?"

"Hi, Gus!" said Cho, the Korean.

"Looky what I got here! I got me a big-titty woman! HA!!"

Farid and Cho checked her out and waved, and Tricia nodded to them, feigning embarrassment.

Gus looked pleased as punch, and just rocked in the store. "Farid! Can you get me somma dat Mountain Moonshine?"

Farid nodded. "Sure. You got money?"

Tricia spoke up. "It's on me."

Farid looked impressed. "Man, Gus. You gotta tell me how you find women who look like that AND buy your whiskey!" He pulled a bottle from the shelf and brought it to the counter.

"Shit, man! She just wants to know if it be true 'bout us black men! HA!!"

Tricia rolled her eyes, paid for the whiskey, and handed it to Gus. "It was very nice meeting you." she said to Farid and Cho. Then she opened the door and struck a sexy pose. "Come along Gus ... I don't have all night, and there are things I want from you..." she teased.

Cho let out a whoop. Farid burst out laughing, and Gus smiled, beamed and shuffled to the door. "Now, dat's what I'm talk'n 'bout. Later, brothers!"

"Later Gus!" said Farid.

They stepped outside, with Gus giggling to himself. "Shit, girl, you sassy! I like you!"

Tricia smiled. "Thanks. Now Gus ... His name?"

Gus stopped and opened his whiskey, took a swig, closed the bottle, and pocketed it. "Okay, but you gotta promise me somtin'. Okay girl?"

"What?"

He got serious and pointed at her. "You promise to take care o' dat boy. You get him off the streets! You take him home! You give him a bed and food and a bath and everything else he needs. Dat boy needs a home, an' he needs love. And dat ain't cause he's special. It's because he's a boy, an he been through some rough shit. But you an' me, we both know how special this boy is. So you gotta protect 'im. Dem people in the gov'ment, they be looking fo' kids, an' a lot are good people, but dere be enough bad people in dere to make it not safe for special kids, unnerstan'?"

Tricia nodded. "Yes..." She thought. "And, I'll take care of him. I'll get him off the streets."

Gus seemed satisfied. "His name is Joey. Joey Harper. You find him up north, two blocks north o' Dupont Circle Metro. They got some good restaurants dere, and he can sometimes get food dere."

Tricia smiled. "Thanks, Gus." And she leaned in to kiss his cheek.

Gus flinched back.

Tricia stopped, and looked at him curiously. "You didn't HEAR me coming, did you?"

"I don't know what'choo talkin' bout," he said a bit nervously.

Tricia grinned at him. "Gus ... You aren't REALLY that blind, are you?"

"Now don't you be goin' in that way."

Tricia gently reached up to his face, and touched him. "You knew what I looked like, you knew who I was looking for after I pulled out a picture. You step over cracks in the sidewalk which would trip anyone else. You knew who was in the store without a description..." She winked at him, and touched his dark glasses, lifting them. "Nice little scam, but I'm not fooled that eas..."

She saw his eyes. They were clouded over completely with cataracts.

"Oh ... I'm ... I'm so ... so sorry..."

Gus pushed his glasses back on his face. "Now girl, this ain't the first time sommun thought I could see. I got my ways. I hear things. I know my city, and I know my people. I step over cracks 'cause I used to trip over dem. I know where people are and who dey are 'cause I can hear dere shoes and clothes and smell dem. I been blind fo' sixty-seven years, and I ain't dead yet. So you don't fret over this." He shrugged. "In fact, dat's the best compliment I got all day." And he grinned.

Tricia smiled at him, and opened her purse. She pulled out a twenty dollar bill and put it in his hand. "This is a twenty. You're something special, Gus. Thank you, and you take care of yourself. Okay?"

Gus nodded. "And you take care o' Joey." And he started to shuffle away, stopped, and turned back to her. "And don't forget ... We ALL special."

He turned and started walking away, and she watched him for a while, stunned by this amazing man. He navigated the sidewalks perfectly, barely tapping his cane in front of him, swaying to that odd rhythm that blind men find. He walked, and then stopped, and then called out.

"DON'T YOU BE CHECKIN' OUT MY ASS, GIRL!"

Tricia burst out laughing, and turned to return to her car, stepping hard enough on the pavement to make damn sure that he could hear her leaving.

-------

The trail was getting warmer.

Once Tricia found a parking spot in Dupont Circle, it didn't take much time for her to find someone who at least recognized Joey. She couldn't get any information on where he currently was, but it was encouraging to know that she was at least getting close.

She worked her way up north, asking various people about him. A couple more people said they recognized him, but could offer no help in finding him. Eventually she made her way to the restaurant row which Gus had told her about.

The first place she encountered was a small pizza place. A man sat on the curb outside it, smoking a cigarette. She approached the man.

"Excuse me, sir. Have you seen this boy?" She showed him the photograph.

The man looked at her, sizing her up. Then he looked at the photo, and took a long drag from his cigarette. "Yeah, I seem him. Local kid."

"Do you know where I can find him?"

He nodded. "Yeah." Tricia's heart leaped. "He usually hangs out about a block west of here in the alley, behind the Tai place. Good place to find scraps."

"Really?" she asked excitedly.

"Yep. In fact, I saw him there about half an hour ago."

"Thank you! Thank you very much!" And she took off, running west into the next block, holding her heavy breasts in her arm as she ran."

¡Dios mio! I'm getting close! Please be there! Then she stopped in front of the alleyway.

"Oh shit..."

It was the worst possible kind of alleyway: dark, wet, and foreboding. A rat came running out, startling her. Tricia screwed up her courage, and stepped into the dark alley.

"Joey?" she called out cautiously. "Is there a Joey Harper here? I need to talk to you."

Her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Boxes, garbage cans, and assorted trash littered the alley. It was deserted as best she could tell. She walked in further, turning a corner. "Joey?" The shadows enveloped her. Water splashed gently as she stepped in puddles.

She didn't see him coming. All she knew was suddenly a rough hand slapped around her mouth from behind, pulling her off-balance. Another arm grabbed her strongly by the waist and held her back, pinning both of her arms. Tricia struggled, fought, twisted, kicked, and tried to scream, but couldn't break free. Her assailant was too strong, and he held her back and off-balance as she fought futilely. Her muffled cries barely echoed in the alley. His hot breath seared into her neck as he laughed.

Another man appeared in front of her. It was the man who sent her to this alley in the first place. Tricia glared at him as she struggled. "God DAMN!" he exclaimed, checking out her body. "Check out the tits on this one." He stepped and grabbed her breasts roughly. Tricia screamed as hard as she could into the hand clasped over her mouth, and tried to throw her body to break free, but the man behind her was too strong.

"Shh-shh-shhhhh ... Now, you and me and my friend here ... We're gonna have a little party. We're gonna have some fun. You like having fun, don't you?"

Tricia's eyes grew wide in horror. ¡No! ¡No otra vez! ¡No!

Tricia screamed into her assailant's hand, and she kicked violently. The man in front of her pushed her legs out of his way, got between them, and started fumbling with her pants.

"Leave her alone!" came a young voice from elsewhere in the alley.

The man in front of her turned and looked back. Tricia could see him. It was Joey, standing nervous and defiant, alone, but holding his dog.

"Go away, kid. This ain't none of your business."

"I said, leave her alone!" he repeated, scared and determined.

"Kid, if you don't get out of here now, I'm going to seriously fuck you over. Now get out."

"No. You let her go." He was terrified, but holding his ground.

"What are you going to do? Sic your dog on me?"

"If I have to."

The man groaned and turned, and pulled out a knife. "Kid, you don't know what you're messing with..." he said, approaching the boy.

Joey dropped to his knees, and put his dog on the ground. Tricia watched him, and her eyes grew wide as she saw what happened next.

His hands glowed, and white sparks burst out of them as he held his dog.

"Scrappy..." Joey said to his dog. The dog anxiously shifted and pawed the ground.

" ... GET THE SHOE!"

"RARARARARAAA!!!!" The five pound Yorkshire terrier frantically scurried towards the man, barking wildly. The man took one look at the dog, scoffed, and kicked the dog violently.

The next moment seemed to defy all known physics.

Scrappy bit the man's shoe as the kick connected, held his ground, and twisted his head. The two hundred pound man was suddenly hurled into the wall like a giant rag doll. Scrappy swung the other direction, throwing the man into the other wall. A horrid ripping sound came as the Yorkshire terrier violently shook his head, tearing the man's mangled shoe off him, rending the rubber sole into a shredded mess and chewing huge holes into the steel toe. The man lay in a heap, unconscious and bleeding.

Holy shit! What the hell was that?

The man holding onto Tricia relaxed slightly, dumbfounded by what he just saw. His grip on her loosened.

Tricia took advantage of his distraction, and stomped on his foot while thrusting her elbow into his solar plexus. The man let go of her, gasping in pain. She grabbed his hands, spun herself around forcing his arm to twist painfully, and flipped the man over her back with a healthy "Hii-YAAAH!!" The Tai Kwon Do flip executed perfectly, and the man hit the ground hard.

Tricia stood over the man, stunned at her achievement. "¡Dios mio! ¡Eso trabajó!"

Joey scooped up his dog, ran to Tricia, and grabbed her hand. "Come on!" he cried, and he pulled her down the alleyway. Tricia hesitated, but when she saw the man who she just flipped sit up and pull out a knife, she ran, following the boy down the dark alley.

"What the FUCK was that??" the man cried out. "I'll fucking KILL YOU for that!" And he started running after them.

Joey ran quickly, pulling Tricia through the maze of alleyways. She ran as fast as she could, her large breasts bouncing painfully with each step. They could hear the man following them. Joey pulled her around a corner, and they ran to the end.

It was blocked off by a large delivery van. Joey scrambled down to climb under it.

"Come ON! Down here!"

"I can't fit under there!" she cried.

The man chasing them emerged at the far end of the alley, and saw they were trapped. He walked slowly towards them, brandishing his knife. "I don't know what you just did to my friend back there, but you are going to pay for that!"

Joey crawled out from under the van and got in front of Tricia. He got down on his knees and put Scrappy on the ground again. "Lady, cover your ears," he warned.

"What??" she asked, confused.

"I SAID COVER YOUR EARS!!" he shouted. Tricia covered her ears.

White sparks flowed from Joey's hand as he held the dog. "Scrappy..." Then Joey covered his own ears.

"SPEAK!!!"

WOOF!

The dog barked like a cannon.

A sonic boom exploded from the dog. Even standing behind the dog with her ears covered, it was deafening, and she could feel the shock wave as it hit her body. But what she saw was amazing. The sound wave shook the air in front of the dog so strongly that she could actually see it as the air distorted in a wide arc in front of them. The pulse hit the man fully in the chest, and he flew backwards, hitting the far wall and falling to the ground. Every window in the side walls shattered, and glass rained down. Every trash can had flipped over and spewed their contents on the ground. Through the ringing of her ears, Tricia could hear burglar alarms and car alarms going off in every direction.

Joey picked up Scrappy and grabbed her hand. "Come on!" he yelled. He pulled her and they ran together out of the alley.

They finally reached the streets, managed to get past the few people who were attracted to the explosion, and he continued to pull her down the street. Tricia ran with him, stunned, and letting him lead the way. Eventually they reached a point where the streets were deserted, and he stopped.

Tricia suddenly realized how weak she felt. She was hyperventilating, her body was shaking, and she sat down on a step. She held his hand tightly in her trembling hand.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She nodded, panting. "Si. Yes ... I think."

"They're not going to hurt you anymore."

She started shaking uncontrollably, the full realization of what could have happened overtaking her senses. "Huhhh..." she moaned slightly.

He tried to comfort her. "You're safe now."

She was still trembling, but she nodded her head. "I ... I ... gracias ... I ... thank you..."

He tried to pull his hand away, but she held him tightly.

"J ... Joey?"

He paused. "You know my name?"

She nodded her head. "I know who you are, Joey."

He shook his head. "You don't know who I am."

"Yes I do. I know you used to be Omega..."

"Don't say that!" he interrupted. "I'm not..." He pulled his hand away. "I'm not what you think I am."

"I know you're special. I know what you can do."

"Nobody knows what I can do!" He stepped away from her. "Just leave me alone! Okay?" He backed away.

"Joey! ... I..." she pleaded, but he was starting to leave. "I ... I'M SORRY! ... I'm sorry ... about the broadcast."

He stopped and watched her.

She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry ... I shouldn't have shown those jokes about you. I didn't know ... I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

He held his dog closely, cradling it as he dropped his eyes. He swallowed, looking sad.

"It must have been rough for you, hearing those jokes."

He nodded. "My friends at school ... They used to say 'That's so Omega Boy!', like it was lame ... And I couldn't ... couldn't say anything..." He inhaled, and sighed. "That paper ... I didn't sign my real name. How did you ... How did you know my real name?"

"Gus told me."

He blinked. "Gus?" She nodded. "He trusted you?" She nodded again.

Joey took a single step towards her, and stopped. "What's your name?"

"Tricia. Tricia Sanchez."

"Oh, I remember..." He looked around anxiously. "What are you going to do?"

"I just want to talk to you right now. Is that okay, Joey?"

He nodded nervously. "Are you going to take me to Child Services?"

"Only if you want to."

He shook his head, but seemed satisfied with that. Tricia stood up. She still felt shaky, but better. She saw him glance at her body, and quickly look away. He fixed his eye on a restaurant. "Can we ... Can we..."

"Do you want to get something to eat?"

He nodded eagerly. "Not here though. They know me here."

"We'll go somewhere else." And she held out her hand.

He took it, and they started walking together.

-------

Translation guide

"Debo intentar quizá otra vez mañana." - "Maybe I should come back tomorrow."

"Jesús, Déme la fuerza."- "Jesus, give me strength."

"BAL-MER" - A local pronunciation for Baltimore (Maryland).

"¡Dios mio!" - "My god!"

"¡No! ¡No otra vez! ¡No!" - "No! Not again! No!"

"¡Dios mio! ¡Eso trabajó!" - "My god! It worked!"



-------

Chapter 4: Apple Pie and Dog Tricks





Friday, July 10, 2009, 10:00PM

Tricia got out of the car noticing that she was feeling much better. She was more relaxed, no longer riding the adrenaline rush, and no longer panicked by the attack. Instead, she was excited at her success. For she had found Joey Harper, Omega Boy, the sidekick and secret behind the legendary Omega Man, and she had exclusive access to him. She watched the boy with some pride as he eagerly scoped out the restaurant, absent-mindlessly licking his lips in hunger.

As they got to the front door, she reached for it. Then she saw the sign in the entranceway. It read "Shirts and shoes required. No pets."

"Oh, damn ... No dogs allowed," she said, and turned to Joey. "We may have to find another..." she started to say, but she stopped, looking at the boy. The dog was gone. "Where's Scrappy?"

He whispered, "I'm holding him."

She looked. His hands were empty. "What?" she started, but then she noticed his left hand was curled up oddly, as if it could be holding something. His skin compressed strangely in his hand, and his shirt sleeve was pressed up against his arm. "Is he..." She reached out towards his left hand.

Something furry licked her hand. She yanked her hand back in surprise.

"Did you ... did you turn him ... invisible?" she whispered back.

Joey nodded, smiling sheepishly.

She chuckled, amazed. "Wow. Handy trick." She held the door open for him, and they entered the restaurant. "Table for two, please," she said to the hostess. Joey found some crayon packs at the front station and pocketed a couple, along with a handful of candy mints.

The hostess took them to a booth. Joey lingered a bit, looking at the dessert case, staring at the apple pie, but then caught up with Tricia. They sat down, and the hostess handed them some menus. "What can I get you to drink?"

"I'll have an iced-tea and..." Tricia looked at Joey. He needs Vitamin C. " ... an orange juice for the boy. And keep the orange juice coming."

"We don't give free refills on orange juice," said the waitress a bit snidely.

Tricia lifted an eyebrow and gave her a look. "I know."

The waitress shrugged and left.

Joey deposited the invisible dog on the seat next to him, and looked around nervously. Then he looked at his place mat, turned it over, grinned as he saw the blank side, and pulled out the crayons. He admired the sharp points for a moment, and started drawing.

Tricia watched him with some pride, but then realized both of his hands were on the table. "Shouldn't you be holding your dog?"

"He's okay."

"But he might run away," she said concerned. "How do you find an invisible dog if he runs away?" she whispered.

"He's not going to run away. He likes being invisible, and he always stays put when he is."

"Hmm ... How do you do that? How do you make him invisible?"

He shrugged. "Don't know. I just make..." He gestured weirdly. " ... colors go through him." He continued drawing.

"Can you do that to anyone?"

He shook his head. "No. I can only do it to him."

She frowned. "Why? Is it because he's small?"

"No ... He's the only one I can do anything with." He looked around. "My powers don't work on people." He continued drawing.

"What about Omega Man?" He frowned as she asked this. "Your powers worked with him, right?"

He nodded.

"Was he your father?"

He looked sad, and nodded again. He didn't look up.

"I'm sorry about him," she said genuinely. "You must miss him."

Joey shrugged, and looked at a small advertisement on the table. It had a picture of a slice of apple pie. He took it and looked at it.

She noticed the waitress coming with their drinks. Tricia cocked her head and looked at Joey. "Did you want some of that?" He nodded.

She reached into her purse and pulled out a five dollar bill. The waitress came over and put their drinks on the table. "Are you ready to order?"

"No, but how would you like to make a quick five dollar tip?"

The waitress blinked, confused.

"A slice of apple pie, cold, nothing else, in thirty seconds. Twenty-nine. Twenty-eight. Twenty-seven..."

The waitress looked for a moment like she was trying to make a decision over whether she had enough time to cop an attitude, and decided against it. She scurried off to the dessert display, grabbed a piece of apple pie, and brought it back before Tricia reached fifteen. "Thank you!" said Tricia, and she handed the bill to the waitress. "We'll need some more time." The waitress gave Tricia an odd look, stuffed the bill into her pocket, and left.

Joey watched the entire encounter with amazement. "Is that for... ?"

"Go ahead," she said as she pushed the pie to him. Joey immediately took it in both hands and started eating it messily. He broke off a piece of the crust and gave it to Scrappy.

Tricia opened the menu and looked at it. She wasn't that hungry, but she felt she should eat something just to be sociable. "Do you see anything you like?" she asked, looking at the menu. She looked up, and caught him glancing at her breasts. She made no outer indication that she saw him as he looked away nervously.

"Um..." He paused, and looked at the menu. He pointed at a picture of a chicken dinner. It was the first picture in the menu. She nodded, and closed the menu.

Tricia folded her hands together. "Where are you from?"

Joey looked nervous. "Bethlehem ... Pennsylvania." He picked up his orange juice and started drinking it.

"Is your mother there?"

He shook his head. "She died when I was little." He paused. "I don't remember her."

"You have any other family? Brothers, or sisters?"

He shook his head again. "No."

"Grandparents? Aunts or uncles? Cousins?" He shook his head to all of them.

"Why don't you want to go to Child Services? Won't they help you find a new home?"

He shook his head. "I can't go to them."

"Why not?"

"'Cause I have powers."

Tricia frowned. "Why is that a problem?"

He sighed. "Well, it's okay for most kids, cause they don't have powers. And what happens is, one of us will be picked up, and they put him in a home, and then some time later they bring him back to us, but he's all in clean clothes and has got a haircut, and some money, and he tells us all about how good it is, and tries to get the rest of us to go to Child Services."

Tricia nodded. "Well, it sounds like they're doing a good job, and they care about you all."

Joey nodded. "Yeah, they do. But that's only for the regular kids. But if one of us who has powers goes, they don't come back." He looked sad. "We don't know what happens to them, but we think it's something bad."

"Oh." Tricia nodded. She thought for a moment. "You said your powers don't work on people anymore?"

"No. Just Scrappy now. I can't get ... I try sometimes, but they don't..." He gestured. " ... stick."

"Stick? What do you mean?"

"Umm ... I don't know ... I ... It's like..." He fumbled around, trying to think of how to express himself. "I can like, get a power into someone, but it doesn't want to be in there. So it doesn't stick."

"And if it doesn't stick, then it doesn't work?"

He nodded. "Yeah. For a long time, I couldn't get the powers to stick to anyone, but then I found Scrappy, and they work for him. They can stick to him."

"Why do you suppose they work for him, but not anyone else?"

He shrugged. "I dunno."

"What all can you do?"

He shrugged again. "I ... I don't know ... I don't know how to describe it."

"Well, you made Scrappy pretty strong back in the alley."

"I didn't make him strong," he said.

She frowned.

"Well, a little, but just so he could rip the guy's shoe off. But if I just made him strong, that wouldn't have helped him much. That guy was still strong enough to hurt him. I had to make him take the..." He gestured, like he was holding something empty in his hands and waving them around. "What do you call it when something is moving?"

"What do you mean?"

"When something is moving, and it keeps moving the same way? Like when you throw something?"

She thought. "Momentum?"

"Yeah ... that's it. He needed to take the..." He gestured, smacking his fist into his hand. " ... mo ... momentum..." He smiled at being able to pronounce the word, and then gestured wildly, moving his hands in several directions. " ... and turn it, and push it around."

"Oh..." she said, impressed. "So when that man kicked him, all that momentum got transferred back into the man, but in other directions?"

Joey nodded. "Yeah. Like that. And created some more."

"Why did you ask Scrappy to get the shoe?"

Joey grinned. "He likes shoes." He reached down and scooped up the invisible dog. She could see pride in his face, like he had been wanting to talk to someone for a long time. "Also, I made him sticky."

"Sticky? Like making the powers stick to him?"

"No, um ... So he would stay on the ground." He grinned, and the dog reappeared in his hand. The dog let out a little yelp, kicked, and sneezed. "He doesn't like becoming visible again," he said, petting the dog. Then he turned the dog around, and placed his paws up against the back of the booth. "Now ... Stay!" he commanded, and he let go of the dog.

The dog clung to the padded back of the booth like a spider. He hung there on the vertical surface, whined, looked around a bit nervous and confused, and then squatted down against the back. Tricia giggled at the sight.

Joey grinned, enjoying the fact that he made Tricia laugh. "He doesn't like this. He doesn't know what to do. I put him on a ceiling once, and he got so scared he just peed." He picked the dog up off the booth back, and the dog vanished in his hands.

"Where did you get him from?"

"His mother died. She was a stray, and she had puppies. I found her home, and got to see the puppies." He smiled, remembering the dogs. "But then one day I found her on the street. She had been hit, and I went back to the puppies, but..." He looked very sad. "Scrappy was the only one who was still alive. So I took him." He scratched the dog's head.

"He was very lucky you found him," she said genuinely.

Joey looked proud. "Well, I had to help him. And he's my friend now."

The waitress came back. "Are you ready to order?"

"Yes." said Tricia. "Two number one's, a garden salad with no cheese and low-fat Italian dressing, and a hamburger, medium, no toppings. And some water."

The waitress took their order and left. Tricia looked back at Joey, and caught him staring at her breasts again. He looked away quickly. She smiled, and folded her hands together.

"Joey, I'm a reporter, and I'd like to do a story on you. I..."

"No," he said immediately.

"Joey, I don't think you have to worry about people thinking of you as a joke anymore. People thought Omega Boy was a joke, because they didn't know how important you really are. And once people know more about you, they'll be sympathetic. They'll even apologize to you for the jokes."

He shook his head. "I don't want anyone to know about me."

"I can protect you. I can keep your identity safe. I can find a good home for you, and we can write a book about your life. I know when people find out, they'll want to buy your book. You can make a lot of money."

He shook his head adamantly. "No. I don't want ... I don't want anyone to know about me, or what I can do. I ... I just want ... I just want a normal life."

Tricia nodded. This is going to be more difficult than I had hoped. Don't push him too hard now. Gain his trust. "Okay..." she said. "But, even if I am not writing a story about you, you are still my source." He frowned in confusion. "That means I can get information from you if you ever do want me to write a story about you, or if I write about something else you know about. And ... as a reporter, I have a duty to protect my sources. So I have to protect you."

Joey cocked his head a little bit. "What do you mean?"

"That means ... I have to do what I can for you. If you need a place to sleep, food, new clothes, I have to help you. And even if I weren't a reporter and you weren't my source..." She grinned. " ... I would still have to help you because ... you saved me back there." She turned on a slight sultry smile. "That was very brave of you." Joey blushed.

She continued, "And also, I made a promise to Gus. He made me promise to get you off the streets, and I intend to keep that promise. So ... If you want, would you like to spend the night at my place tonight? We would love to have you over."

Joey blinked. "We? Who else is there? Your..." He checked her hand. " ... boyfriend?"

She shook her head. "My roommate. Annie. She's ... pretty weird, but a lot of fun. You'd like her. And she'll like you."

He looked scared. "Does ... does she know ... about me?"

Tricia nodded. "She helped me find you, but she's the only one who knows. She hasn't told anyone. I trust her."

Joey nodded, satisfied. "Can Scrappy come?"

Tricia smiled. That's against our lease agreement. "Sure. Scrappy can come," she decided. I hope Annie is okay with that.

Joey smiled, and petted Scrappy. "Okay," he agreed. He drank some more orange juice. "And you are gonna try and find a place for me to live?"

"Yeah. And as long as we haven't found a home for you, you're welcome to stay with us."

Joey looked shy, and turned back to his drawing. Tricia watched him.

"Do you mind if I ask you about your father?"

He shrugged.

"Why did he become Omega Man? Whose idea was it?"

Joey sighed. "That was his idea. He always wanted to be a superhero. He said he wanted that ever since he was a kid. And when he found out what I could do, he said we had to go help people. Cause that's what heroes have to do. And he made our costumes, and he would watch TV for anything that needed a hero, and when he found something, we would put on the costumes and I would have to give him powers so we could get to the place. He had a ... that thing that shows you where you are?"

"A GPS receiver?"

"Is that the thing with a map?"

"Yes."

Joey nodded. "He had one of those, and we would follow it."

"I bet it's fun flying," Tricia offered with a smile.

Joey shook his head. "Sometimes, like when we were going slow, then it was fun. But when we were traveling across the country, he would go really fast, and..."

He hesitated, and Tricia thought she saw a moment of fear in his eyes. But he hid it immediately. "We would hit things. Birds, bugs ... and when we got up high, the wind was very strong, and very cold, and it hurt, and he had to wrap me up. I could make him so he wasn't bothered by the wind, but not me."

Tricia nodded. "Oh ... Sounds scary."

He shrugged.

"But once you got to the trouble spot, what happened then?"

He sighed. "Well, we had it worked out where I would give him this vision power."

"Like x-ray vision?"

He frowned. "No. I don't know how to do that. We called it 'Far Sight'. I would make a light hole between his eyes and somewhere else, and give him control over where the hole was."

"A light hole? What is that?"

"Um..." He gestured. "It felt like a short tunnel between two places that are far apart."

"Like a wormhole? Like in science fiction?"

He shrugged. "I guess. And I call it a light hole because it would only let light through. I could also let sound through, 'cause sound is like air, vibrating ... and it's an energy, but like a different color, so I could move that energy into his ears, so he could hear far away, too. And he would use this to see and hear what was going on inside wherever it was, and he would figure out what he needed. And then he would tell me."

Tricia nodded. "And then you would give him those powers, and he would go in and take care of the situation?"

Joey nodded.

"Is that why he always finished so fast? Because he always had the right powers for the situation? In my research, I found that he rarely spent longer than a minute fighting a villain or a group of criminals. He would go in and quickly get the job done."

"Well, he had to be fast. The powers run out quickly." He reached down and petted his dog. "I have to keep recharging him," he said, referring to the dog. " ... or else he turns visible again."

"How long do powers last?"

He shrugged. "It depends on how strong they are. What all they are doing. Some things, like invisibility, that doesn't do much, so it lasts a couple minutes. But complicated things like Far Sight, or strength ... they burn out fast. But I can keep a power going as long as I'm touching him."

Tricia thought. "So, if the powers stick, you can turn someone into a superhero with almost any powers, but only for a minute or so. Right?"

"Well, I can give powers..." he said with some resignation. "But whether he's a superhero or not, that all what he does with them, right?"

Tricia nodded. "I guess so."

The waitress came at that moment with their food, placed the plates on the table, brought another orange juice and some water, and left them. Joey started working on his chicken dinner immediately, and Tricia pushed the hamburger towards him.

"For Scrappy," she explained.

He smiled, and put the plate on his seat. He poured some water on the plate, too. Tricia could hear some lapping sounds coming from the area. She thought about looking under the table to see what an invisible dog looks like when eating, but decided against it.

She worked on her salad, and watched him as he ate. What an amazing kid. Instinctively heroic. Rescued his dog and rescued me, because he felt he needed to. Must have gotten that from his dad ... And what a tragic life. Lost his mother before he could remember her, having this amazing power and having to keep it a secret, being ridiculed, then losing his father, and living on the streets, and yet still surviving ... The public would eat this up! If he had any idea how the world would react to knowing his story, how much success he could have just telling his story... 

She ate her salad slowly, while Joey wolfed his dinner down quickly. He looked at the second dinner. "Aren't you going to eat your dinner?"

"That's yours," she said, nodding to the second dinner. "You looked hungry."

This amazed expression grew on his face, and he pulled the second plate over and started eating, grinning all the time. Tricia smiled back. She winked at him. "You're welcome."

"Oh ... sorry. Thanks!"

-------

It was nearly eleven o'clock when Tricia opened the door to her apartment. "Well, come on in," she said to the boy. "It's not much, but it's got everything we need."

Joey stepped into the apartment cautiously, carrying his dog. Tricia closed the door and put her purse on the table in the short hallway. "Annie! We have a guest!"

She led him into the living room. Annie pulled back from her desk and laptop and swung her chair around. "Did you find him?" she asked.

Tricia grinned. "Annie. I'd like you to meet Joey Harper. Joey, this is my roommate Annie Freidman."

Joey took one look at Annie and blinked. He looked at her chair. "Um ... Hi," he said.

"Shoolem alaykhem. Hello! So you are the famous Omega Boy?"

Joey did a double-take as the Cultural Whiplash hit him. Tricia spoke up. "Um, he doesn't go by that name," she explained. "He's just Joey now."

"Well, who could blame him? Who wants to be called Omega Boy all the time? It's not the most flatteringOHHHH! A PUPPY!"

Scrappy heard his name called, immediately started wagging his tail, and struggled to jump out of Joey's hands.

"OH! COME HERE!" Annie called to the dog, reaching for him. Joey let the dog down, and Scrappy ran to Annie, wagging, barking, and sniffing excitedly. He jumped up and she scooped the dog up, tickling and cradling him. "Oy! You're so cute! Who's a cute dog? YOU ARE! Yes you are! Oy! What's his name?"

"Scrappy," said Joey, grinning.

"Scrappy! Oh! A fighter! Are you a big strong fighter?" she said to the dog, tickling it. "Are you! Yes you are!" She sniffed the dog. "And a STINKY dog at that! Who's a stinky dog? You are! Yes. You are!" Annie cradled the dog to her bosom. "Oh Tricia, can we keep him? Please? Please? Please? You keep the boy. I get the dog."

Tricia sighed and chuckled. "Oh, and to think I was worried for a moment ... Joey's going to be staying with us for a while."

Annie gave Joey a serious look. "Oh, you hochem, you little genius. You know the best way to pick up girls. Carry a cute dog. Well, you have to stay with us now!"

Scrappy jumped down out of Annie's arms, sniffed around a little bit, explored the room until he was satisfied, and then proudly marked his territory on the leg of the couch.

"Oh ... No No NO!!!" Tricia exclaimed.

"Sorry," Joey said sheepishly.

Annie casually watched the puddle of urine spread on their hardwood floor. "So! He looks comfortable here. He's found a home."

Tricia sighed, watching the dog as he proudly tracked fresh pee across the floor. "Well, welcome to your new home," she said resignedly. This is not exactly what I was expecting. "Let me ... clean this up," she said as she went to the kitchen for some paper towels.

Annie gave Joey a friendly smile. "Don't worry about that. You're not the first man she's brought in who made a puddle she had to clean up. So! ... You are her new big story, nu?"

Joey stood nervously, crossed one arm over his chest, and held his other arm. "Umm ... no. She's just ... helping me."

"Ah ... Getting you off the streets? That's good. For you, AND for her. She needs a project to keep her off the streets, you know?"

"¡Puedo oírle! I CAN HEAR YOU!" Tricia called out from the kitchen.

"So? Good! And while you're in there, get some food for the boy! He looks famished."

"Um ... actually, Tricia got me some food already..."

"Listen yingl, we have a rule in this house. When a Jewish woman offers you food, you take it."

Joey grinned. "Um ... okay..." he agreed shyly. He looked around and looked at the couch. "So ... where do I sleep?"

Annie shrugged. "I suppose if you want you can take the couch. We only have the two bedrooms, and normally I would suggest that Tricia give up her bed and sleep in here, but that couch is too small for her. And I need my own bed." She patted her chair. "It's got all my supplies." She frowned. "We're really not set up for guests to sleep over."

Tricia came in with the paper towels and cleanser. "Hey, I bring guests over," she admonished.

Annie waved her off. "Yeah, but they don't get much sleep. And neither do I." She glanced at Joey, nodded towards Tricia, and rolled her eyes. "So, how long are you staying?"

Joey shrugged. "I don't know."

Tricia started cleaning up the floor. "Just until I find a good place for him," she said. "And I'm not exactly sure where to start looking. We can't go through Child Services."

"Nu? Why not?"

"Apparently they can't all be trusted with..." Tricia looked at Joey. " ... special kids."

"Ahh..." Annie nodded. "So this may be a long project."

"Si."

"Well!" Annie clapped her hands together, and looked at Joey. "Since Tricia is busy, why don't I take you on the grand tour?" Annie gestured around. "This is most of it. Living room here, dining room there next to the patio door. Around the corner of the dining room is a kitchen, so Tricia tells me. I've never been in it. It's too small for my chair, so most of our kitchen stuff is in the living room. Come along!"

Annie wheeled back to the hallway, and pointed left. "Washer and dryer behind these doors. This door is my room, and this is my bathroom. If I'm in there, feel free to use Tricia's because I'm not coming out for a while." She wheeled into her bedroom. Joey was impressed at how spacious it was. "My room. There was a walk-in closet here, which I asked management to take out. It wasn't working. I couldn't walk in. Oh. Pick up that box." She pointed to an empty cardboard box on the floor.

Joey picked it up. "What's this for?"

"We're going to make a bed for Scrappy." She rolled out back into the hallway. "Now that door over there? That's to Tricia's bedroom and bathroom. I would show you, but not many men come out of there alive."

"I CAN STILL HEAR YOU!"

"Oh, that reminds me. Sound travels very well in here. So if you should bring home some kokhankeh to tsitses with, you may want to spring for bus fare and movie tickets for your roommates ... NOT THAT I COMPLAIN!"

Tricia rolled her eyes.

Annie rolled through the living room to the dining room. "Here. Take a newspaper and pad his bed."

Joey found an old newspaper in the recycle bin and laid down several sheets in the box. He called Scrappy over, and put the dog in the box on the floor. Tricia had finished cleaning up by then, and washed her hands. Joey yawned.

"Ah, it's bedtime everyone," Annie declared. Joey nodded sleepily, sat on the couch, took off his shoes, and curled up, resting his head on a throw pillow. Annie pulled out an extra blanket from the closet and helped spread it over him. "Good night, Joey," she said.

"Good night, Annie, Tricia ... Tricia?"

Tricia came back into the living room, drying her hands. "Yes?"

He smiled at her. "Thank you."

She smiled back. "You're welcome Joey."

Annie wheeled over towards her bedroom. "Tricia? Can you help me get ready for bed?"

Tricia gave Annie an odd look, but agreed. "Sure. Good night, Joey."

She turned out the living room lights, followed Annie into her room, and closed the door behind her. "What is it?" she whispered. "You never needed help in getting ready for bed before."

Annie rolled to her drawers and pulled out her adult sleeper. "And I don't need help now," she whispered back. "But we need to talk."

"Look, if it's about the dog, he comes with Joey."

She put the sleeper on her bed. "It's not the dog. It's the whole responsibility. If you can't use Child Services, how are you going to find a home for him? Does he have any family?"

"No. None, but ... I don't know. Maybe I can find some extended family he isn't aware of. Or old neighbors or family friends."

"And if you can't find any, then what? Are we taking responsibility for him for the next five years?" She parked her chair next to the bed, locked the wheels, and pushed herself off, sliding onto the bed with a well-practiced maneuver.

Tricia raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean 'We' pale-face?" Tricia smirked. "Hey, I appreciate the help, but this isn't your responsibility. I can't ask you to take this on with me."

Annie shook her head as she slid up further on the bed. "No, this is a huge responsibility. You're going to need all the help you can get." She lay flat on the bed and started ripping open the Velcro strips on her clothes. "And so far I'm the only other one who knows who he really is. And besides ... You already asked. That message tonight? It was for both of us, not just you." She flipped her special wrap-around clothes open, exposing her near naked body. Tricia noted her body. With the exception of her fairly large breasts, Annie was quite thin. She was down to her bra, socks, and a rather thick pair of underwear.

I would kill to have her abs. "How do you figure that?"

"Simple." She rolled a bit, pulling the clothes out from under her. "When you do decide to send it, you sent it back to the time when I was in the room." She took the shirt and pants, sniffed them, balled them up, and with a well-placed shot, threw them across the room where they landed in the dirty clothes hamper. "And also, I was the first one your future self spoke to."

"But ... I HAVE to send it to that point in time when you are in the room. I didn't decide that. It's ... I don't know ... destiny?"

Annie shrugged. "Whether you or destiny decided, the decision is the same. I'm involved. And I'm here to help you, for the long run, if needed." She stuck her fingers in the underwear, testing, and seemed pleased with what she didn't find. She thought for a moment. "Did you tell him about the time travel?"

Tricia shook her head. "No ... I ... don't even know how to bring that up."

"Smart choice," Annie decided. She opened the sleeper and lay it on the bed. "He's got enough problems to worry about already. I think it's best to not let him know about that for now." And with another well-practiced maneuver, she rolled onto the sleeper, folded it around herself, and started fastening the edges. "So, no story, huh?"

Tricia shrugged and leaned up against the wall. "Well, I don't know about that. I mean, he said he didn't want anyone to know about him, even with his identity protected. But that's what he says today." She smirked and twisted a lock of hair. "He may feel differently later on."

Annie pushed herself up into a sitting position and looked at her roommate sternly. "Tricia ... I know that look."

"What look?"

"You get that look right before you go makhn khayn to get something you want from a man."

"It works, doesn't it?"

Annie shook her head and leaned on one hand. "Tricia, this is not some boss or college professor you can shlufin mitto get a good job or a good grade." With the other hand she expertly reached around inside the back of her sleeper and unfastened her bra. "This is a boy. You could hurt him."

Tricia smirked. "I won't bite ... that hard."

It took Annie five seconds to execute the bra trick, pulling it out of her sleeper. "Seriously Tricia ... He's had a rough life. You should take it easy on him."

She shrugged. "Fine. I'll take it easy on him. But you gotta admit this kid is a gold mine."

Annie balled up her bra and threw it at Tricia. It hit her in the face. "Now don't you go all Blagojevich on me."

Tricia pulled the bra off her face, rolled it up, and dropped it in the hamper. She rolled her eyes. "Good night, Annie."

"Good night, Tricia."

Tricia stepped out of Annie's room and walked across the width of the short hallway to the door to her room, but stopped for a moment to look in the living room. Joey lay there on the couch, asleep. This cute boy, lost, lonely, scared, and yet amazingly powerful and valuable lay there at peace. She could see a slight smile on his face as he slept. She smiled to herself, blew him a kiss, and went into her own room, unzipping her blouse and throwing a little extra swing into her hips as she walked.

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Translation guide

"Shoolem alaykhem."- A traditional Jewish greeting, "Peace upon you."

"Hochem" - "Genius"

"¡Puedo oírle! I CAN HEAR YOU!" - That is a direct translation.

"Yingl" - A young boy.

"So if you should bring home some kokhankeh to tsitses with..." - A kokhankeh is a young lover, and to tsitses is to kiss or neck with.

"Makhn khayn" - Flirting

"Shlufin mit" - Have sex with.



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Chapter 5: Lingerie and Chew Toys





Saturday, July 11, 2009, 8:00AM

Tricia awoke that morning with vague memories fading from what had to be a very sexual dream. All she remembered was she was on a very long train going though a tunnel. She blinked at the light coming in her bedroom window, sat up, stretched, and took a deep breath, inhaling the rich aroma coming from the coffee brewing in their automatic coffee maker. She got up, yawned, stumbled towards her bathroom, turned on the light, and shuddered as she saw herself in the mirror. It was the typical morning-Tricia face that always startled her. Blotchy skin and bed-head mocked her. She turned on the faucet and washed her face, brushed her teeth, and fluffed out her hair.

It took a few minutes, but she was starting to look like herself again.

She looked at herself in the mirror. "The Seduction of Omega Boy ... Day One!" she whispered to her reflection and grinned.

After taking care of a couple of other morning duties, she strolled over to her dresser drawers to select the appropriate nightwear to be "accidentally" caught in. The underwear and T-shirt ("I cause sticky keyboards") she was wearing at the moment was sexy enough, but she really wanted to start things off with a bang. She pulled out a lacy, frilly, semi-transparent wisp of a négligée and held it up to the light. She looked right through it, inspecting it. The cups were a bit on the opaque side, but the rest of it was so sheer it might as well not have been there. She held it in front of her body, checking herself out in the mirror.

"¡Perfecto!"

She stripped off the T-shirt and panties, pulled on a thong, and slipped the négligée over her body. It took her a moment more of serious work to fully adjust her large breasts into the flimsy cups and get everything balanced perfectly. "Gravity, you are a cruel mistress!" she said to herself as she jiggled and shifted her big tits into position.

She checked her body out in the mirror, turning from one profile to the other. Her breasts, easily the most dangerous part of her body, pushed out far on her chest, and were barely supported by, and clearly fighting, the thin straps and almost transparent cups. About an eighth of an inch of nipple peeked out the top. She cupped her breasts as best she could, squeezing the flesh between her fingers, kneading them, and pushing her cleavage clear up to her neck. "Careful Joey ... You could get lost in there..."

She pushed her hips back to accentuate her butt and checked out her curves. She smiled. "Well, at least this hasn't started falling yet." She gave herself a smart little smack on her well-shaped ass.

Then she looked at her stomach and sneered. It was the one part of her body she didn't like. She had a little bit of a tummy and some love-handles. And one part of her brain said "Stop overreacting. You can barely notice it!" but the rest of her saw it as these huge ugly slabs of fat around her middle. She pinched her stomach, grimaced, and sucked in her tummy. "THERE! ... I ... AM ... PERFECT ... AS ... LONG ... AS ... I ... DON'T ... BREATHE ... Huuhhhhh!"

She scowled again, and looked some more. Well ... most likely ... as long as I have enough up here...  she thought, cupping her huge breasts. And enough down here...  She caressed her ass. Then maybe he won't see this. And she touched her stomach. And besides, it's not like I have competition. Annie's not going to start flirting with him. It's not her style.

"Show-time!" she whispered. She blew herself a kiss in the mirror, turned, and opened her bedroom door.

As Tricia slinked out of her room and into the hallway, she could see Joey on the couch. He was already awake, but still lying there. He was watching her door as she came out, and his eyes bugged out as he saw what she was wearing.

"Buenos días," she purred, posing sexily in the door frame. "Sleep well?"

Joey opened his mouth, but that was about as far as he could manage for an answer.

Tricia prowled into the living room, leaving her bedroom door open and slightly rolling her shoulders and hips as she walked. Her heavy breasts shifted and jiggled with each step, fighting the négligée and struggling to break free. Joey watched her with a stunned expression on his face. She could see his eyes darting all over her body. Face, breasts, groin, breasts, legs, ass, breasts, arms, breasts, hair, breasts ... She gave him a little wink.

Scrappy stood up in his box as he saw Tricia come in, wagged his tail, and let out a little bark.

"Oh! SOMEBODY said 'good morning' to me," she teased.

"Uhh ... oh, umm ... Morning," Joey managed to sputter.

Scrappy jumped out of his box, ran to Tricia, and sniffed and licked her bare ankles. She giggled. "Good morning, Scrappy ... And thank you! You know, it's been a while since someone has licked my ankles first thing in the morning." And with a sultry smile on her face, Tricia sauntered into the dining room. Scrappy ran off, exploring.

She picked up a clean mug from the shelves, and poured herself a mug of coffee. There was a small refrigerator in the living room, and she bent over, pushing her nearly naked ass up high as she opened the refrigerator and pulled out a jug of milk. "Can I get you anything?" she asked, turning slightly towards him. He could see her huge breasts pushing, straining, and nearly spilling out of the stretched cups of her négligée. Her cleavage was wavering. "Coffee? Tea? Orange juice?..." She dropped her voice down a register. " ... Milk?"

Joey just swallowed nervously.

Tricia stood up, added a dollop of milk to her coffee, and sat in a dining room chair. She stretched luxuriously in the chair, lifting up one long, luscious leg before crossing it over the other. She held the coffee mug to her face, closed her eyes, and inhaled deeply. Her chest expanded threateningly, and Joey's eyes were locked on her inflating breasts as they started to bulge out of the top of her négligée.

"Mmmmmm..." she moaned. She looked over at him lazily. Her eyes sparkled, and she licked her lips. "You know Joey, I know you don't want me to write your story, and I don't want to put any pressure on you to change your mind ... But last night, I just couldn't stop thinking about you..." She squeezed her legs together and pointed her toes down. " ... and your book if I ever write it. I know it would be a huge success, and I kept thinking of titles... 'Out of the Shadow of the Omega', 'Secret of the Omega', or just 'The Omega Secrets'... 'The Return of Omega Boy'..."

Joey looked away from her. He seemed a little upset.

"Of course, I'm not trying to pressure you," she repeated, and sipped her coffee. "You made a decision, and I respect it. And a book is a LOT of work." He looked back at her. "You and I would have to spend HOURS and HOURS together ... alone ... and I would have to seriously probe you ... interview you ... to learn all of those most intimate details ... Why, the research alone could take months."

She shifted in her chair, uncrossing and recrossing her long bare legs. She smiled at him. "And I can be a ruthless investigator. Seriously, I don't stop digging until I am FULLY satisfied." She winked at him. "I do nothing less than a full, penetrating investiga..."

The door to Annie's room opened, and Tricia silently cursed to herself. Oh, shit! I was hoping she would take more time this morning.

Annie rolled out into the living room, still wrapped up in her sleeper. She took one look at Tricia and her jaw dropped. "OY! What do you think you're doing, drabkeh? Put some clothes on before you give the boy an aneurysm!"

Tricia feigned a look of shock and confusion. "What, this?" she said as she pulled on the thin strap of her négligée. Ripples shook through her breast as she snapped the strap. "I'm covered up! He can barely see anything," she said innocently.

Annie rolled her eyes. "Please! You're practically naked. You give one good sneeze and you turn the boy into a licensed gynecologist. Now go! Go put some clothes on! Shoym!"

Tricia rolled her eyes resignedly and put her coffee cup on the table. "Okay ... MOM!" she said sarcastically. She got up and sultrily strolled across the living room, swinging her hips just a slight bit too much in order to give Joey a final performance. "I'm going to take this off." She winked at Joey. "I'll be back."

As Tricia left for her room, Annie rolled her eyes and looked at Joey. "Achh ... Pay no attention to her. She's like that with every new man in her life. The trick is to stand your ground. You should have seen what she wore when the guy showed up to install our cable TV. That was six months ago, and we're STILL finding channels. Would you like some breakfast?"

Joey sat up. "Um ... Yeah."

"Well, come over here. I can't get in the kitchen, and that's where the stove is. You know how to make eggs?"

"Um..." Joey stood up and walked to the dining room. He shook his head.

"I'll teach you. First of all, go wash your hands."

Joey turned towards the kitchen, but didn't take a step, because at that very moment Tricia let out a scream of anguish. Joey and Annie looked out to the living room and saw Tricia as she stormed in, her boobs bouncing violently, and she was still in her négligée. She was carrying Scrappy in one hand, and a horribly mangled shoe in the other.

"¡MIRE ESTO! LOOK AT WHAT YOUR DOG DID TO MY SHOE!"

Joey's eyes went wide as he looked in horror. "Sorry..."

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH THESE SHOES COST?"

"Um..." He shook his head, terrified. "Five ... maybe ten dollars?" he guessed.

Tricia glared at him angrily. "No! These cost two hundred thirty dollars! And I haven't even worn them yet!"

Joey shuddered in terror, and turned to Annie. "I..."

Annie looked at him seriously. "Stand your ground," she mouthed silently, and she nodded towards Tricia.

Joey looked back at Tricia. She was fuming and glaring at him. He looked back at Annie for support, and then turned to Tricia.

"No they don't! Shoes don't cost two hundred and thirty dollars!" he said.

Tricia gave him an incredulous look. "Yes, they do! These are Mephisto Nastasia designer walking sandals. Two hundred and thirty dollars! And your dog just RUINED them."

Joey hesitated, and screwed up his courage. "Look, I'm sorry he chewed up your shoe. He likes shoes. But if you spent two hundred thirty dollars on shoes that you don't wear, you lost that money a long time ago. That's your fault."

Tricia's jaw dropped.

Joey continued. "Do ... do you have any idea how many pairs of shoes I can get for two hundred thirty dollars? I've never had that much money before in my life ... Do you have any idea how long I can live out on the streets on that much money?"

Tricia stood silent for a long moment. Her face fell, and she shook her head. "I..." she started, and sat down on the couch with a heavy plop. Her breasts jostled in the skimpy négligée. She stared off into space, looked at the mangled shoe, and then the small dog in her other hand. The dog looked at her with his little doggy grin, wagged his tail, and panted.

"I..." she started again. "Give me strength..." she muttered to herself. She looked at Joey. "I am so sorry ... I ... I lose my temper easily, and you didn't deserve that. I shouldn't have yelled at you." She looked at the chewed up shoe. "You know, I don't even know why I bought these in the first place. I was just pissed off one day..." She looked back up at Joey with a resigned expression on her face. "You're right. You are absolutely right. I blew that money months ago, and ... I'm really just angry at myself for doing that." She gave him a slight smile. "I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?"

Joey shifted nervously, nodded, and opened his mouth to speak.

"He can forgive you later when you're wearing clothes!" Annie interrupted. "Now go put something on!"

Tricia sneered at Annie, and leaned way down to put the dog on the floor. Joey's eyes widened as he saw her huge breasts nearly spill out the top of her négligée. "Here, this is for you." she said to Scrappy as she put the shoe on the floor. The dog eagerly grabbed the shoe in his mouth and joyfully shook it around. "A two hundred thirty dollar chew toy!" she sighed. "Well, at least SOMEONE is getting some use out of it." She looked back up and saw Joey and Annie staring at her breasts.

"Oops! ... Sorry!" she said with a feigned look of embarrassment. Tricia covered her huge breasts as best she could with one hand, got up, and bounced off to her room. She closed the door behind her and looked at herself in the mirror. Absolutely ... the WORST attempted seduction in the history of sex! She grimaced. What's the matter with you, girl? Yelling at him like that? What were you thinking? Get a grip! She sighed, opened her dresser drawer, and pulled out some clothes.

Back in the kitchen, Annie gave Joey a huge grin. "Good for you! Well! ... Now that this morning's awkwardness is out of the way, we should make some eggs." She gestured to the kitchen. "And by 'we' I mean 'you'. You're going to need to find the frying pan, a spatula, and a mixing bowl, and you're on your own, because I don't know where she keeps them." She spun her chair and opened the small refrigerator. "And wash your hands first."

"Is she ... umm..." Joey started.

"She's fine. If anything, she respects you more now. Just never ask her why a Brazilian speaks Spanish and not Portuguese. It makes her cranky. Now go wash your hands."

Joey smiled to himself and entered the kitchen. He washed his hands, dried them, and then looked through the cabinets until he found the frying pan and a bowl. Annie had pulled out the eggs, found the milk, and pulled out a fork, salt, and pepper. Joey brought the bowl over to her, put it on the table, and stood back watching her, holding his side with one arm.

"Okay, we're going to need six eggs, some milk, and a little salt and pepper. Start breaking eggs!" She looked at him, and frowned. "Why are you holding yourself like that?"

"Huh?"

"Your arm. What's wrong?"

He shook his head. "It's nothing ... It just hurts a little."

"From what? The couch?"

He shook his head. "It just ... gets like this sometimes."

"Let me see."

He shook his head. "It's okay."

"I said let me see! Come over here," she commanded.

Joey stepped up to her, and Annie pulled his shirt up. "Where does it hurt?"

"Up here," he said, pointing to his armpit.

She lifted his shirt up higher, inspecting, and gasped. "OY! TRICIA!"

"What is it?" Joey asked.

"You have a huge rash!"

"Really?"

She sniffed, and grimaced. "Ugh!" She pulled his shirt closer to her face and sniffed again. "Oy! When was the last time you washed this shirt?"

Joey hesitated.

"Let me rephrase. Have you EVER washed this shirt?"

He shook his head.

Tricia called out from her bedroom. "¿Que es el problema?"

"Go to my room! Look in the end table, and get the hydro-cortisone cream."

"What is it?" Tricia asked, running into the living room. She was wearing shorts and a loose black T-shirt with the words "Have you seen Mike Litoris?" emblazoned in large white letters over her chest.

"Skin rash," Annie answered. "Looks like the boy hasn't changed his clothes in weeks. Get the cream, and then find some clean clothes for him to wear."

Tricia took off to Annie's room. "YOUR clothes! Not mine!" Annie shouted, and looked at Joey. "No point in confusing you. My clothes are special. You have to be really good with Velcro to figure out how to put them on. Here! Take off your shirt."

"No ... It's okay," Joey said shyly.

"Look Joey. Second rule for living here. When a woman tells you to take off your clothes, you do it. Now, off with your shirt. I need to check you for more rashes."

Joey resignedly removed his shirt, and Annie turned him around, exploring his torso. Tricia came with the cream and saw the rash. "Oh, my! What is that?"

"Irritant contact dermatitis," Annie answered, taking the cream. "Sometimes known as diaper rash."

"Diaper rash?" Joey asked embarrassedly.

"In your case it comes from wearing the same clothes too long without washing them." Annie said. She started putting cream on his rash. "Sweat builds up and irritates the skin. Does it hurt anywhere else?"

He shook his head.

"Look, Joey. If you've got this somewhere else, someplace where you don't want me to touch, then fine, I won't touch you there. But you have to let us know about it. Now, does it hurt anywhere else?"

"No. Just here."

"Okay." Annie looked at Tricia. "Tricia? Clothes!"

"Oh ... right!" And she ran off.

"AND CHANGE YOUR SHIRT!"

Joey looked puzzled. "Who is Mike ... Li ... whatever that was?"

"World's greatest Hide-and-Go-Seek player. Went missing several years ago." Joey frowned. Annie waved at him dismissively. "Don't worry. You're not the only man who hasn't found him."

Tricia ran to her room and looked through her prized T-shirt collection. She had two categories: inappropriately risqué sayings, and superheroes. She grumbled to herself, complaining about Annie's sudden prudishness, pulled off her T-shirt and put on a white T-shirt with an artist's rendition of Quantum Knight on the front. Then she grabbed another shirt and a pair of shorts, and started to return to the kitchen.

She stopped herself before she left her room and looked at the shirt she got for Joey. It was Omega Man. She grimaced, threw the shirt back into her drawer, picked up a light blue Hyperion shirt, and returned to the kitchen.

Annie had finished inspecting Joey and applying the cream when Tricia returned. "Better?" she asked, pointing to her own shirt. Annie nodded. Tricia handed Joey the Hyperion shirt and he started putting it on.

"Well, you know what this means?" Annie said as Tricia took her seat and her coffee. "If Joey is going to be staying with us for a while, he's going to need all new clothes." She turned to Joey. "I take it you have a stash of clothes somewhere, but they are like these; horrible condition, filthy, and don't fit well. Right?"

Joey nodded. "I have some stuff in a spot, but it's probably been stolen already."

"Doesn't matter." Annie said, waving her hand. "We're getting you new clothes today. Shirts, pants, socks, underwear, shoes ... everything! We'll make a day of it!"

"Ooh! Shopping!" Tricia said, bouncing in her chair with excitement. "I need to get some new bras!"

"Hey! This is for Joey ... AND Scrappy too. Oy vey! We need to get all the dog stuff too! Collar, flea dip, dog bed, leash ... and dog food. We've got two new mouths to feed!"

"Hmm..." Tricia grunted at the thought of all the new responsibilities. "This could get expensive."

Joey looked guilty. "Umm..."

Annie waved him off. "Don't you worry about it. This is our problem, not yours. We can manage. But in the meantime, Tricia, we were making eggs. Let's get some breakfast, and then afterwards, Joey, you and your dog need to take a long shower."

Joey blinked, like the thought of a hot shower had never occurred to him. "Oh! ... Okay."

Tricia gave Joey a sultry little grin. "You can use my shower if you want."

Annie frowned at Tricia, and then gave her own little smile. "And you can use up all of her shampoo too!"

-------

"Third rule for living with us," Annie said as she parked the van and shut off the engine. "When we use the handicapped parking spaces, you must thank the paraplegic girl."

"Thank you Annie!" Tricia said as she opened the passenger side door and jumped out. She then opened the side sliding door, and lowered the ramp.

Joey sat in the back seat and watched as Annie swiveled her driver's seat around and slid into her wheelchair. Her full breasts bounced noticeably as she switched chairs. "Um ... thanks Annie ... Did you need some help?"

"Thank you for the offer, but I got it," she said, and she unlocked her chair and rolled to the ramp. As her front wheels went over the edge, Annie pushed her chair back, tilting it up on the back two wheels, and expertly rolled down the ramp. Joey climbed out of the van behind her carrying Scrappy. Tricia pushed the ramp back up and closed the door. Annie pressed the button on her keys, and the van locked itself.

The three then turned to the mall, and Tricia and Annie stopped and took a moment. Joey watched them with some confusion. They seemed to be psyching themselves up.

"Joey?" Tricia said very seriously. "You are about to enter a circle of hell from which few mortal men have survived, let alone escaped. You are going shopping with two women. It won't be pretty. We will lose all control of ourselves, and all sense of decorum. We will look at EVERY piece of jewelry, try on clothing we have no intention of buying, and ask you for your opinion of how things look regardless of the fact that we know you have no idea how to judge these things. We will ask you many times 'Do I look fat in this?' For the first three times the answer is 'No', but after that you may answer 'Do I look stupid?'"

Annie spoke up. "I am going to try on shoes, even though I can't feel them and don't need them."

"And I am going to force you to stand in the lingerie department while I try on bras, and you will have to do your very best to not look like a pervert," Tricia added.

"But on the bright side," said Annie " ... just as the parking spaces up front are for handicapped and pregnant women, all of the benches and seating inside are specifically reserved for men who are being dragged in shopping. So if you see a woman sitting on a bench and you want to sit down, chivalry be damned! You go tell her to get off her tukhes and go shopping so you can sit down."

Joey gave Annie a confused look. "Really?"

Annie shook her head. "No. A woman exhausted from shopping is like a wounded animal. She is at her most dangerous. If she looks tired, you back away slowly."

"Your job...", Tricia said, " ... is to endure and survive. Your only shining beacon of hope will be the fact that we will let you pick where we have lunch." She looked at him and gave him a grin. "Ready?"

"Um..."

"Let's do it!" said Annie, and she grabbed the wheels on her chair and pushed forward. Tricia took Joey by the hand, and dragged him forward. Together they marched into the mall.

-------

The first stop was a pet store. Scrappy needed a doggy cage, collar, leash, some cheaper chew toys, a big, bag of dog food, and a flea dip. The store also had an on-site veterinarian who gave Scrappy a quick examination and a clean bill of health, and they left with some information on vaccinations.

"You know, I can't help noticing that it's so much cheaper and easier to get medical care for a dog than it is for a person," Annie commented as they strolled through the mall. "How are we going to take care of Joey's medical expenses? It's not like we can get him on either of our insurances. We need to take him to a doctor for a check-up. AND a dentist."

"I know," Tricia agreed as the full scope of her new responsibilities started to dawn on her. "Maybe Congress will pass the health care reform soon. Make it easier for us."

Annie scowled. "Not going to happen. The Democrats aren't fighting hard enough. And the Republicans and their khooser dayeh Mad Tea Party Mafia are fighting it at every step." She looked at Tricia. "You should be doing stories about them."

"I want to." Tricia sighed. "Marty isn't interested. He'd much rather have me talk about John and Kate's divorce."

"Um ... You don't have to worry," Joey said. "There is this, like, free clinic that opens up every couple of months. I've gone to that a couple times."

"That's hardly enough," Tricia said. "What if you get sick, or injured? One trip to the hospital and that would wipe out our combined savings."

Joey looked sullen.

"Hey, Joey!" Annie spoke up. "Our problem, not yours. We'll manage."

Their next stop was for a haircut. Joey's hair was long and badly cut. He confessed to trying to cut his own hair on occasion, but he hadn't done that in over a year. Tricia asked the stylist to check him for lice as well, and luckily he was free of them.

As he was getting his hair cut, Joey mentioned that he did have lice at one point. But he got rid of them at the free clinic he went to a week ago.

"How did you get rid of them?" asked the stylist. "Piperonyl Butoxide? Permethrin?"

"No," Joey answered, not knowing what either of those things were. "This girl just touched me. I think she froze them off."

Tricia, Annie, and the stylist all looked at him strangely. "What girl?" asked Tricia.

He shrugged. "Some girl. At the clinic. About my age. She was green and floating, and very cold."

Tricia and Annie looked at each other in awe. "Did this girl have long light green hair, and was she wearing this green and blue outfit?" Tricia asked.

"Yeah," he answered. "But she was also wearing a white coat like all the doctors and nurses." He grinned. "And she was snowing."

"Snowing?" asked the stylist.

"Yeah. There was snow coming off her."

"Oy! You met Snow Angel!" said Annie. "I didn't know she did free clinics."

"Makes sense that she does," Tricia added. "She's a sorceress with healing and ice powers. And she's not your age."

"How old is she?" he asked.

Tricia shrugged. "I have no idea. But I know she's been in the D.C. area for the past ten years, and has looked like a fifteen-year-old girl the entire time."

"A well-shaped fifteen-year-old girl," Annie added.

"Yeah," Tricia agreed. "But there has been a Snow Angel around in various parts of the country since the nineteen thirties. All with ice and healing powers. Some people think it's been a succession of mothers and daughters, but I think it's the same woman."

"Well, she did a great job with the lice," the stylist said. "I wonder how she keeps so young looking?"

"I think it has something to do with her forty-seven degree body temperature," said Annie. "I'm sure it has absolutely nothing to do with magic," she added sarcastically.

The next stop was for clothing. They were on their way to a Gap Outlet when Tricia saw a Victoria's Secrets and they all had to stop there. As Tricia searched through the racks for something in her size, then loudly asked the sales girl if they had anything in an F-cup, Joey sunk back, and futilely looked around for a safe direction to look in that didn't have women's underwear. Tricia took a couple of their largest bras into the dressing room, and a couple minutes later came out wearing one, but without wearing a shirt.

"What do you think? Too small?" she asked. Her oversized breasts were stuffed into the bra, and mounds of flesh spilled out above and below the cups.

Joey stared, and then looked away for a spot to crawl into and die. Annie slapped her hand to her forehead and shook her head. "Do you really have to do that?"

"Come on! What do you think?" Tricia asked, lifting her arms and turning back and forth.

"Yeah, too small. But is that the look you're going for?"

"Well, it's really not the look I'm worried about. It's the support." And with that she dropped into a Tai Kwon Do combat stance, and threw a couple punches and a kick. Her breasts shook violently with each maneuver. "Ow! That hurts!" she said, holding her breasts. "This is just not working." And she bounced back into the dressing room.

Annie looked over at Joey. "So ... How are you holding out? You okay?"

He nodded shyly.

"She's quite the exhibitionist, isn't she?" Annie added. "I guess that's why she likes being on T.V."

Tricia came out a minute later, still pulling her T-shirt down over her midriff. "Okay. I'm done here. Let's go find some clothes for Joey." She dropped the bras on the counter and left the store. Annie shrugged to Joey, and they followed her.

In the Gap Outlet, a salesperson helped them by measuring Joey, and Tricia and Annie had a blast pulling out various shirts and pants for him, matching patterns and arguing over which color scheme worked best on him. Joey endured as best he could. They finally gave him a huge pile of clothes to try on, and sent him into the dressing room.

Tricia pulled up a chair next to Annie, and sat there. She sighed. "Okay, let me have it," Tricia said.

"Have what?" asked Annie.

"You're being this total prude today. Obviously you don't approve of my flirting."

"Well, I don't."

"Since when did you get so uptight? I thought you didn't mind it."

"Since we started taking care of a young boy."

"So you think I should stop?"

"No, I think you should continue. You need to seduce this boy, and fast."

Tricia gave Annie a confused look. "Well, I'd really appreciate it if you picked an opinion and stuck with it. Why?"

"Because of the message," Annie explained. "It looks like you're going to have sex with him, and very soon. And I know it's not legal for the next five years, but your future self didn't look five years older. You looked the same age as now."

"Maybe I age gracefully."

"Did you see five years of boob sag? I didn't. Besides, your hair was the same length. That can't be very far in the future."

"So why the prudishness?"

"Because I feel conflicted. He's young, and can get hurt. I know he's old enough to want it himself. I can see the way he looks at you. Hell, I can see the way he looks at me, but you have to be careful with him."

"He's looking at you?"

"What? You're surprised? You think I don't rate?"

"No! I think you're gorgeous. I just wasn't expecting that."

Annie rolled her eyes. "Shmendrik," she muttered.

Tricia sighed. "Well, I'm really just teasing him. I don't really want to go that far. Just enough to get him to change his mind about his story."

"But if you don't, you could destroy the universe," Annie said in a sing-song voice.

Tricia's face scrunched up. "Huh?"

"Time travel paradox. Send something back in time that changes things. The classic example is going back and killing your grandfather before your parents were born. You are never born, so you can't go back to kill your grandfather. Same thing here. You're supposed to have sex with him, so he pushes you back in time so you can find him. If you don't have sex with him, maybe you don't go back in time, and you never find him."

"And this destroys the universe?"

"I don't know what it does. Nobody is stupid enough to try it. All I know is, somewhere in the math something gets divided by zero, and I don't want to be anywhere nearby when that happens. Believe me. You do NOT want this on your curriculum vitae."

"So I should seduce him."

"Yeah ... but just, be careful. Don't hurt him, and don't overdo it. Lay off the lingerie and the really slutty T-shirts. He's thirteen. He's not going to need that much effort."

"Hey, I like those slutty T-shirts!"

"And so do I. But I think some of those go over his head. That Mike Litoris one? He had no idea what that meant."

"So now you're saying I should wear something more blatant, like the one that says 'Does this T-shirt make my tits look big?'"

"That, he'll understand. But like, that one with the birds on it?"

"What? 'Swallows?'"

"Yeah, that one. He'll have no clue. You should stick to your collection of Big Johnson T-shirts."

"Hey, I'm saving those! They're going to be valuable someday." Tricia paused in thought. "Seduce him, huh?"

"Yeah, but ... not too hard. Be easy on him. Go slower."

"I thought you said to be fast!"

"I did. For you, slower is still fast."

Tricia frowned. "We'll have to get him to not sleep on the couch anymore. Have him start sleeping with me."

Annie shook her head. "Too blatant. This kid needs to ease in gently. He's had a rough life ... Maybe if we set up something where we, I don't know ... shared him. Rotated sleeping arrangements?"

Tricia looked at Annie accusingly. "You want to sleep with him, don't you?"

"That's not the point."

"You want him! You like the way he looks at you, don't you?"

"So what if I do? You like the way he looks at you! Why shouldn't I like the way he looks at me? But I'm not the one who has to risk the statutory rape charges in order to save the universe. I don't have that much of a compelling reason to shtupn him. You do. And if you do it, you're a hero. But if I do it, I'm just a pervert."

"So ... you're willing to make this sacrifice of having him sleep with you occasionally just to help me in my EASING into seducing him, right?"

"Yes. Exactly."

"And if in the middle of the night he just HAPPENS to roll on top of you and accidentally slip out of his pajamas and into your hot wet little snatch..."

Annie glared at Tricia. "Like I would notice..."

Tricia stared at her. Annie started giggling. Tricia joined her.

"So..." Tricia said. " ... in order to save the universe, you're going to help me in this seduction?"

Annie shrugged. "I'll ... I'm not going to stop you, but I'll let you know when you're going too far. Deal?"

"Deal ... Destroys the universe? You sure?"

"I have no idea. I'll see if I can find Stephen Hawking's email address and ask him. And hey! If you ever bump into her..." she said, pointing to Tricia's chest. " ... you should ask her."

Tricia looked at her T-shirt. "Who? Quantum Knight?"

"I figure if anyone knows anything about the space-time continuum, it would be her. She's a Cosmic, I hear."

"Hmm. I saw her yesterday."

"Nu? Did you get a picture?"

"No. We tried. Camera wouldn't focus on her."

"That is the weirdest thing." Annie thought for a moment, and she smiled shyly to herself. "I saw Bullwhip the other day." she confessed.

"Really? Where?" asked Tricia.

"Came right past the building!" Annie said excitedly. "I heard the whip cracks coming and rolled straight to the window. He flew right over me." Annie held her hand to her heart and patted herself in quick succession. <patpatpatpatpatpatpat> "Oy! What a hunk! I could see right up to his shvantz. You could tell he is a gentile."

At that moment, Joey stepped out of the dressing room wearing a pique polo shirt and rigid rinse jeans. He looked nervous and shy. "Um ... How ... How does this look?"

Tricia and Annie looked him over. Tricia grinned. "Speaking of sexy men..." she said, licking her lips.

Joey turned around, looking behind him for whoever it was Tricia was talking about. Seeing no one, he turned back and blushed.

Annie smiled and held out her hands as if presenting him to the world. "Goygeous!"

Joey smiled shyly. He looked at himself in the mirror. New clothes, new hair. The color in his cheeks had even changed. "I ... look so different. It's like ... I'm a new person."

"You have a new life now, Joey," Tricia said. "Welcome back."

-------

Translation guide

"¡Perfecto!" - "Perfect!"

"Buenos días." - "Good morning."

"Drabkeh" - "You slut!"

"Shoym!" - "Already!"

"¡MIRE ESTO! - "LOOK AT THIS!"

"¿Que es el problema?" - "What is the problem?"

"Tukhes" - "butt"

"Khooser dayeh" - Crazy and out of their minds.

"Shmendrik!" - Clueless person.

"Shtupn" - To have sex with.

"Shvatz" - A penis.



-------

Chapter 6: Elephants and Thumb Wrestling





Saturday, July 11, 2009, 8:00PM

It was late in the evening when they returned home carrying several bags of clothes, shoes, and dog supplies. Tricia and Joey carried most of the bags while Annie unlocked the front door. Joey dragged himself in, wounded, exhausted, and happy that the day was finally over.

As they dumped the bags on the couch, Tricia stood back and looked at the new pile of clothes. She frowned. "Damn. We forgot something."

"Huh?" Joey looked up from pulling Scrappy from his new pet cage.

"Nu? What did we possibly forget? We got everything! Clothes, shoes, dog stuff, toothbrush ... What did we forget?"

Tricia gestured to the bags. "Ah, the classic question ... What do you get the man who has everything?"

Annie thought for a second. "Wait, I've heard this one before ... Antibiotics and a condom!" she said grinning.

Tricia gave Annie a double-take. "No!" She gestured to the bags. "Something to put it all in. Joey, you need a dresser."

Joey looked at the bags and his face fell. "Are we going to go shopping again now?" he asked fearfully.

Tricia shook her head. "No. We're done for tonight. We'll get that tomorrow."

"And where are we going to put a new dresser?" asked Annie.

"There's plenty of space in your room," Tricia said.

Annie pointed to Tricia. "My room? Hey! I need that extra room, Miss I-Don't-Have-A-Turning-Radius!"

"Fine. My room then," Tricia relented. She looked at Joey. "How does dinner sound now?"

Joey's eyes lit up. "Okay..." He picked up a bag of clothes and looked at it in some wonder. "And Tricia? ... Annie? ... Thank you."

Tricia and Annie beamed. "You're welcome," Tricia said.

"You're welcome," Annie said with some pride. "Now, if you two don't mind, I need to use the ladies room."

"Okay," Tricia said. "We'll get dinner ready."

Annie wheeled off to her bathroom, and Tricia looked at Joey. "Well, she's going to be in there for a while. So it's just the two of us now." She gave him a little grin. "You want to learn how to make spaghetti?"

"Okay..." Joey said a bit shyly.

Tricia gave him a sultry smile. "Have to warn you though. This kitchen gets hot quickly." And she winked at him.

-------

It was over an hour later, and Annie had returned from her trip to the bathroom looking very refreshed. They all sat at the table for spaghetti and salad, and talked about the day animatedly as they ate.

"Okay!" Annie said as she spooned some more salad onto her plate. "Change of subject! There are some elephants in the room we need to discuss."

Tricia grinned wickedly, looked down at her chest, and shook her tits. "They're called 'breasts', Annie."

Joey blushed and Annie threw a spaghetti noodle at her. "That's not what I'm talking about!" She turned to Joey. "See what I have to live with? And I have five more months on this lease ... So, Joey. You have superpowers! Tricia says she got to see them. So I'd like to see them too. Can you push any kind of power into anyone?"

Joey shut down a little bit and shook his head. "No. I ... I can only put some powers into Scrappy."

"But you can put powers into us?"

He shook his head. "No, I don't think so."

"Have you tried? Couldn't hurt!"

He shrugged. "I know, but ... I need to feel the person, and I can't feel you."

Tricia raised her eyebrows. "Feel the person?" She rocked in her chair slightly. "Where?" she said with a grin.

He blushed. "Um..." He gestured strangely. "Well, when I touch Scrappy, I can like ... feel his whole body, not just the part that I'm touching. Like I can ... close my eyes and tell which way he's looking, and if his mouth is open, and what position his legs are in, and how he's holding his ears, even if I'm only touching his back. And ... I can also feel his mind."

Annie frowned. "Feel his mind? What does that mean?"

He shrugged. "I can ... feel his mind. And I could feel my dad's mind too. But I can't feel other people." He turned to Tricia. "Like, I've touched you a couple times, and I don't feel you."

Tricia cocked her head at him. "Maybe you just need some practice." She smiled. "Maybe you just need to feel me up some more."

Annie rolled her eyes.

Joey bashfully looked at his plate. "I ... It didn't take practice. It either works or doesn't work. Usually it doesn't work."

Tricia held out her hand to him. "Well, try it again. See if it works."

Joey hesitated. "No, I..." He squirmed, sighed, and then reluctantly took her hand. Tricia noted his hands were shaking a bit. He closed his eyes and concentrated.

They waited.

He shifted in his seat. A grimacing look came over his face. He squirmed and grunted a bit in frustration. "Uhghh..." he groaned, sounding almost in disgust.

He finally shook and let go of her, as if dropping something revolting. He rubbed his face with his hands. "It's not working," he confessed.

Tricia stared at him, and then looked at her hand in shock. "You felt something. What did that feel like?" she asked. Am I ... disgusting inside?

"Weird."

"How weird? Like disgusting weird?"

He shook his head. "No. Like..." He gestured again strangely. "It's like ... I wasn't supposed to be in there."

"Oh." Tricia sat back. But is that really it? Or did he really find me that repulsive? Am I that ... stained? Is it the way I've been treating him?

Annie watched with curiosity. "Well, I don't want to put you through that again, but ... I don't think you've touched me yet."

He nodded. "You've touched me. This morning, when you put that stuff on me. I ... couldn't feel you." He looked at her, and hesitated.

"You don't have to... ," Annie began.

But Joey reached out to her carefully. Annie hesitated, and reached out and took him by the hand.

Joey closed his eyes and concentrated. He scrunched up his face. He grunted. Finally he yanked his hand back and stuffed his hands under his arms, hiding them both. "NO!" he barked, and then looked embarrassed. "No ... Sorry. It's not..."

"It's okay," Annie said soothingly. "It doesn't have to work. Maybe it's for the best that it doesn't work."

Joey nodded.

He didn't like touching Annie either,  Tricia noted to herself. But what's so disgusting about her? She's not like me. She doesn't have the same stains that I carry. She's not flirting with him. What is it? Is it just everyone? No. What is it that Omega Man and Scrappy have that we don't? They're both male. Maybe that's it. But, do dogs even have Y-chromosomes?

"But you can still put powers into Scrappy, right?" Annie asked. "Is that difficult?"

He shook his head. "No. He's easy." He looked at her. "Did you want to see?"

Annie nodded. "Sure!"

As Joey got up and called Scrappy, Annie looked at Tricia. "Well, what do you know Tricia?" she said. "Turns out you're not easy after all."

Tricia chuckled outwardly and took another bite of her dinner.

Joey came back with Scrappy and sat back in his seat. He looked proud, even excited. "Okay, I can like ... make him glow..."

There was a flash of sparks from his hands, and Scrappy glowed luminously like a small animated lamp. The girls screamed in laughter.

Joey beamed proudly. "And I can make him invisible..." The glowing vanished, and then so did the dog.

Annie giggled and reached out. "Is he still there? OY! I can feel him! That's so cool!"

Scrappy reappeared. "I can also make him weightless..." he said, and he let go of the dog. Scrappy just hovered in mid-air over the table. His fur fluffed up and he suddenly started kicking and twisting and whining.

Tricia laughed at the sight of the floating dog, but Annie said "Oh! Don't do that. He doesn't like that!"

"I know," Joey said, and he grabbed the dog again. "He gets confused and scared. I can also make him stand on the wall." And he put Scrappy against the wall like he did in the restaurant and let go. The dog clung to the wall, looked around, and whined.

"Spider-dog!" Tricia called out.

"How do you DO that?" Annie asked.

Joey picked up Scrappy and petted him. "It's all different kinds of energy. Like, glowing and invisibility? I'm just playing with light. But the weightlessness I'm like warping gravity, and the sticky feet is all that..." He screwed his face up. "What is it called when two things rub against each other, and it's sticky, and not like, slippery?"

"Friction?" Annie suggested.

"Yeah, I guess. I'm just making more of it. I could also put him on the wall by bending gravity, but that only works if he stays facing the same direction. He doesn't get scared then, cause I guess it feels the same to him, and he can even run a bit. But when he turns, he falls."

Annie frowned. "Why does he fall when he turns?"

He gestured with his hand bending forward in a right angle. "It's like ... I can bend the gravity like this, but the gravity has to match the bend. When he changes direction, the gravity doesn't fit the bend, and he falls."

Annie's eyes grew wide. "So you're bending gravity?"

Joey shrugged. "Well, it's not me. I just make the stuff that does that."

"What stuff?" asked Tricia.

He shrugged again. "I don't know. It's this..." He gestured. " ... Stuff. Like, it feels like a ghost or something. I just tell it what to do, and it goes inside him, and it does the powers. I don't know what it's called."

Annie frowned. "I've never heard of anything like that before." She thought some more. "That sounds completely new. If it's yours, you should give it a name."

Joey looked confused. "Me?"

"Sure! It's your power. Take control of it. What do you want to call it?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. What are ghosts made out of?"

Annie shook her head. "There's no such thing as..."

Tricia interrupted. "Ectoplasm!"

Annie frowned. "Really? They named the stuff that isn't used to make ghosts?"

Tricia nodded. "Yep. For the same reason they named the stuff that isn't used to make fairies fly."

Annie nodded and shrugged. "Ectoplasm. Hmph! Good word." She looked at Joey seriously. "Sounds like it needs to be used somewhere real. How does ectoplasm sound for the name of your power stuff?"

Joey grimaced. He didn't like it.

Tricia spoke up. "It's got to be tied to him. How does 'Omegaplasm' sound?"

"Or 'Joey-plasm'" offered Annie.

Joey smiled. "I like Omegaplasm. That sounds cool." He smiled to himself, and repeated the word. "Omegaplasm!" And he pointed one finger and white sparks flew out of it in a little shower.

Annie jumped. Tricia squinted. "How come you make those sparks sometimes?"

"That's the ... Omegaplasm" Joey said " ... when it's leaking. Like when it's ready to go into someone, but the ... I guess ... the connection isn't ready yet."

Annie cocked her head and looked at Joey. "So, you said something about feeling minds. Can you read minds?"

Joey hemmed. "Well, kinda ... not really."

"Can you tell what Scrappy is thinking?"

"No," he said patting his dog. " ... But I can tell where he's thinking."

Annie scrunched up her face in confusion. "Nu? What do you mean?"

"Well ... okay, so like ... when he gets scared, I can feel him thinking back here, but deep inside," he said, and he pointed to the base of Scrappy's head. "And when he sees a squirrel or a pigeon, he goes over here, a little higher but way in the back ... and when he gets confused he goes way up front..."

Annie's jaw dropped. "You can sense his brain stem, optic chaism, and frontal lobe when he uses them? Joey! You know what this means?"

Joey shook his head.

"You can single-handedly revolutionize neurology. You're a walking MRI."

"Huh?"

"You can tell us all about brains, and how we use them. You can figure out where individual thoughts are, and help study the brain. You can be probably the world's greatest brain surgeon, or psychologist." She looked at Tricia. "We have to start a college fund."

Joey slunk back in his chair. He obviously didn't like the idea.

"I'll add that to our next shopping list," Tricia said. "Joey, how do you use that?"

"Hmm?"

"How do you use that mind-feeling? Is that part of what you do with the Omegaplasm?"

He nodded. "Yeah, like ... some powers work best if he can control them. Like the gravity bending. I can make the Omegaplasm look at a certain spot and tell it to follow directions from there."

Annie's jaw dropped. "So you can add conscious control to a power?"

"Um ... yeah, like my dad could figure out how to bend the gravity into different directions, but Scrappy can't. He's not that smart." He looked at the dog. "But I can put powers in that he doesn't control, like the floating and glowing and invisibility. Some things he can control, but it really depends on what he can think about or figure out. Like the ... friction. He like, grabs the ground when he stands, so I make the Omegaplasm work from that. He COULD climb up and down the wall if he wanted to, but he gets too scared."

"Wow..." Tricia thought. "There's an awful lot to this power I never realized. What all can you do? Like what kind of powers can you make? When I was doing research, there was documentation of strength, flight, invulnerability, heat and cold powers, electricity and magnetism ... Is it all energy powers?"

Joey nodded.

"Can you do anything physical like ... shapeshifting, healing, growing or shrinking?"

He shook his head. "No. I don't know how to do that. I can't change him."

"But you can also manipulate space, like those light-holes you told me about yesterday, right?"

"Light holes?" Annie asked.

"Yeah! Wormholes you could see through," Tricia explained.

"Oh..." Annie thought. "So is the gravity bending done by warping space?"

Joey shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe. Kinda feels like that. Same with the invisibility."

Annie raised her eyebrows. "The invisibility is warping space?"

He nodded. "Kinda. I just push the light in a different direction."

Annie gestured, moving her finger in a circle. "So you push the light around him like this?"

He shook his head. "No ... it goes..." He tried to gesture, inside, around, outside, and he frowned. "I can't point in that direction," he confessed.

Annie's jaw dropped. "You're pushing light four-dimensionally?"

"What is that?"

Annie shook her head in disbelief. "Not something easily explained over dinner." She glanced at Tricia, and then looked at Joey seriously. "So tell me Joey ... Can you do things with time too?"

Tricia leaned in.

Joey shrugged. "Yeah. I ... I made my dad go real fast. He said it looked like the whole world slowed down, and all the sounds got really weird and..." He pointed to the lamp overhead. "Did you know that the lights are all blinking really fast?"

Annie nodded, smiling. "Yes, I knew that. Sixty times a second. Faster than the human eye can..."

Joey yawned.

Tricia grinned. "Looks like it's bedtime! We've had a busy day."

Annie held up her hands. "Ah, that reminds me. Elephant number two. Sleeping arrangements." She looked at Joey. "So, when you were trying on clothes, Tricia and I discussed this, and we feel that if you are going to be a permanent guest here, you shouldn't have to sleep on the couch."

"The couch is okay," he said. "I'm used to sleeping on the ground."

Annie shook her head. "And we're not going to take advantage of you like that. Beds are better. But the problem is, we have three people and two bedrooms and beds. And until we manage to change the number of bedrooms and beds, two of us are going to have to double-up."

Joey looked very nervous, and looked back and forth between the two women. " ... okay..." he said meekly. Then he brightened up. "You two can get bunk beds!"

Tricia's jaw dropped.

Annie broke out into a wide smile. She looked at Tricia. "I like that! Can I be on top?"

Tricia glared at her. What are you doing??? This is not helping! She shook her head. "And just how are you planning on getting up there?"

"Achh! Details!" she waved dismissively at Tricia, and looked at Joey. "We don't need bunk beds. Our beds are big enough for two already. But the problem is the number of rooms. You need your own room because you're the only boy, and I need my own room because of my special needs." And she patted her chair. "So. How do we decide who gets to sleep together, and who gets their own room?"

Tricia thought, and grinned. "You know ... Annie and I have this well established method for resolving our big conflicts."

Annie raised her eyebrows. Joey looked at Tricia. "What is it?"

Tricia thrust her fist forward into the middle of the table with her thumb outstretched. "THUMB-WRESTLING!"

Annie laughed, and thrust her fist into the middle of the table, and locked fingers with Tricia. She looked at Joey. "Come on! You too! You're part of this."

Joey grinned and stuck his fist into theirs. They all three interlocked their fingers. "Oooh! A three-way thumb-wrestle!" Tricia cooed.

"I've never done a three-way before," Annie said.

"There are lots of things you haven't done yet," Tricia chided. "Okay. Here's how we do this. We move our thumbs like this and count ... One - Two - Three - Four - I - Declare - a Thumb - War! And then you try and pin the other thumbs down. And whoever gets on top is the winner, and gets to sleep alone. Okay?"

Joey nodded. "Okay" He looked eager to start.

"Okay..."

They all chanted. "ONE - TWO - THREE - FOUR - I - DECLARE - A THUMB - WAR!!!" And they all started screaming, yelling, and laughing as they thumb-wrestled. The triple linked fists jerked around violently as they wrestled, nearly knocking some of the food off the table, until Tricia managed to pin Joey down, and Annie pinned the two of them down.

"I WIN!" Annie yelled. "AH HA! I GET THE BED TO MYSELF!"

Tricia smiled and looked at Joey. "Oh well. Fair's fair. We bunk together tonight."

"Hey! Wait!" Annie said.

"What?" Tricia asked.

Annie glared at Joey and then at Tricia. "This is not right! Joey! That was very sneaky!"

Joey looked confused. "What?"

Annie clucked her tongue at him. "Tsk-tsk! You had no incentive to win. You lose, and you get to sleep with a beautiful woman! Don't think I didn't notice."

Joey blushed. Tricia dropped her jaw. What are you doing Annie?

"We have to do a different game," Annie decided. "Odds and Evens. It's only fair."

Tricia rolled her eyes. "Okay."

"How do we do that?" Joey asked.

She clapped her fist into her hand repeatedly. "We go One - Two - Three, and on Three you hold up one finger or two. And if two people match, they sleep together. Ready?"

He nodded.

"Okay" Annie said.

"ONE - TWO - THREE!"

They looked. All three of them had put out two fingers. Annie squealed. "All right! ORGY!" she laughed.

Joey looked very confused. Tricia shook her head.

"Let's try again," Tricia said.

"ONE - TWO - THREE!"

-------

"So this is your way of helping me to seduce him," Tricia said, throwing one of her pillows on Annie's bed.

"I think this is for the best," Annie said, fastening up her sleeper. "The boy looks like he is still nervous being here. I could tell he really didn't want to do that power-feeling thing he does, but he felt he had to in order to stay here."

"So you think I should wait until he feels a little bit more comfortable here?" Tricia said as she pulled her shorts down.

"Yeah. Just until he doesn't feel threatened." She pulled her bra off through her sleeper. "This is a new environment, and he doesn't know where he fits in. Give him some time."

Annie rolled to the center of the bed, flipped open the covers on the side of the bed, rolled onto the open section, and flipped the covers back over her. She started straightening out the blanket over her legs.

"You need some help with that?" Tricia asked, changing into her oversized T-shirt. The shirt had a large yellow construction sign on it with the words "Dangerous Curves" on it.

"I got it."

Tricia removed her own bra under her shirt, pulled it out, and then climbed into bed and lay next to Annie. Annie turned out the light, and the room darkened. Soon their eyes adjusted to the low light coming in from the window.

"You know..." Tricia said. "I've never been in your bed before."

"Well, that's a relief to know."

Tricia squirmed. "What kind of sheets are these?"

"Waterproof."

"Really? Why are ... Oh, that's right ... Sorry."

Annie shrugged.

Tricia sighed. "I don't know how you do it. You are the toughest girl I know. I couldn't ... How long did it take to get used to it?"

"A couple months," Annie said. She turned to look at Tricia. "The first trick was to convince myself that a lack of bladder control has nothing to do with my worth as a person."

Tricia smiled.

"The second trick is figuring out how to convince everyone else of that," she continued.

"Well, you do a fantastic job."

"Thanks."

They lay in silence for a while staring at the ceiling.

"What are we doing, Annie?"

"Well, if this is foreplay, I'm not very good at it."

"No, I mean with Joey. I can't figure it out. Why did I send him to us? What are we supposed to do with him?" She looked at Annie. "I keep thinking I sent him to myself so I could write his biography, but it really looks like he doesn't want anything to do with that. What if I can't get the story from him? I keep flirting, and he keeps shutting down. I'm not used to that."

"Maybe you're not supposed to write his story. Maybe you just sent him to us because you sent him to us."

"But how? He can't push powers into me. He tried, and couldn't do it. How am I supposed to go back in time if he can't give me that power?"

"Maybe he can later on."

"But the powers only work on his dad and his dog. But nobody else. How can that be?"

"Maybe he needs to spend some more time with you."

Tricia shook her head. "No, I don't think that was it. He must have gotten close to other people in the past five years, and so far nobody else has been compatible with his powers. He said it either works or it doesn't work."

Annie thought. "Maybe he's holding back."

"Hmm?"

Annie looked at Tricia. "Could be he's lying. Maybe he can give us powers right now, but he just doesn't trust us yet."

"Why would he lie?"

"It's a huge responsibility, giving someone superhuman powers. Wouldn't you feel responsible for how they were used, even if you weren't the one using them?"

"Hmm ... That makes sense. I wouldn't want to let people know about those powers if I were him."

"Enough to not want anyone to write his biography?" Annie asked.

Tricia nodded. "Yeah."

They lay quiet for a moment.

"Hey," Tricia said. "I just had an idea."

"What?"

"Well, if Joey isn't here to tell me his own story, maybe there's another story I can get from him."

"Like what?"

"There are other kids on the streets, and there are people who prey on them. They look for them. Molesters, child pornographers, drug dealers, sex slave owners..."

"You sure you don't fit in one of those categories?"

Tricia glared at Annie. "Yes, I'm sure. I'm not going to do anything to him if he doesn't want to. I'm a big believer in mutual consent. I'm waiting for him to make a sign that he's interested."

Annie nodded. "Just checking. Go on."

Tricia thought. "Well, I was thinking maybe he could help me find those people. Set up some sting operation, where he's at a bus station or somewhere and I'm keeping an eye on him, and if someone approaches him..."

Annie held out her arm. "Hey Tricia, can you hold my arm for a second?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"I just want to roll over, change position."

"Okay. Here." Tricia grabbed her arm.

Annie pulled. "Hold still. Tighter."

"Okay."

Annie struggled. She started to roll towards Tricia.

"You got it?"

"Almost. Keep holding."

"Okay."

"Almost there. Keep still."

"I AM keeping still."

"Oof..."

"You got it?"

"I think ... Almost."

"Okay?"

"Okay! I got it."

"You got it?"

"Yeah." WHACK!

"OW! Annie!"

"Did that hurt?"

"YEAH!"

"GOOD! What the hell are you talking about, Tricia? A fartseekenish af deer! Using this boy as bait? No, forget it." She flopped back down on her back. "You're not going to endanger the boy for your career." She fumed. "It's not always about you. Did it ever occur to you that maybe the reason you sent him to us is just because he needed to be taken care of? That's what is supposed to happen to him in the first place."

Tricia rubbed her face where Annie slapped her. "Sorry. You're right. It was just an idea." She glared at Annie, and then grinned. "A really stupid idea. I guess I deserved that. Sorry."

"Me too." She held out her hand. "Still friends?"

"Friends," Tricia said as she reached out to Annie's hand. They did a quick and well practiced double-slap fist-bump.

They lay there for another moment.

"Hey, Tricia ... If he could give you any power, what would you want?"

Tricia smiled. "Strength. Super strength."

"Nu? Why?"

"So I can beat the crap out of those creeps and thugs who so desperately deserve it. I mean, you ever get this urge to pick up a guy and just throw him across the room? I ... I know I put on a brave face, but I get scared sometimes. I know I flirt and flaunt, and I see every man looking at me, wanting me, and I love it, but ... some men, I can just see it in their eyes. They're not looking for a good opening pick-up line. They're looking for the right moment to catch me when my guard is down." Tricia inhaled and shuddered. "Last night, when I was looking for Joey, I ... I was attacked."

"No! What happened? Are you all right? What did they do?"

"I'm fine. Um ... Joey. He rescued me. There were two of them, and he took them both out. Well, Scrappy did. That little puppy threw one man into the wall and knocked him out, and the other got knocked unconscious with some sonic explosion." She paused. "It was like 'Laser Cats' with a budget."

"But you're okay, right? You need to tell me these things! Did they hurt you?"

"No. I'm fine."

"Did you call the police?"

Tricia shook her head. "No. I ... would have lost Joey, and ... I..."

"Tricia, you need to call the police. Tell them what happened, and who they were. What they looked like."

She hesitated. "What's that going to solve?"

"One of the worst statistics I ever heard was that sixty percent of rapes go unreported. It's our job to change that number. Our DUTY!"

Tricia nodded. "I know..."

"Promise me you'll call the police."

"I..."

"You're scared, aren't you."

Tricia nodded.

"Well, if you see either of these guys again, you call the police. Okay? That way you can make sure they get caught. Carry a camera, get their picture. Empower yourself. Okay?"

"Yeah. Okay ... I promise."

They lay there for a moment. "What about you?" Tricia asked. "If you could have a power, what would it be?"

Annie smiled. "I want to fly."

"I guess that would make it easier for you to get in and out of the tub, right?"

"It's not just that ... I want to soar. I want to go up into the clouds. I want to look down on the city. I want to loop and spin. Feel the wind in my hair. I want to go fast! I want that freedom of movement."

Tricia chuckled. "So that's why it's so hard to get you out of the pool when we go swimming."

"Damn straight! ... Oy, I dream of it ... I, you know I think it's best for him if he isn't giving us powers, but ... if he could make me fly ... Oy ... a dream come true."

Tricia watched Annie as she relished the idea. "So I dream of being strong, and you dream of being free ... And Joey ... He can give these amazing powers but can't use them himself ... I wonder what he dreams of?"

-------

Across the hall in Tricia's room, Joey lay in Tricia's bed alone, curled up around her pillow.

He could smell her.

She was everywhere. In the pillow. In the sheets. In the blanket. This flavor, this fragrance of feminine essence permeated the room. He buried his face into her pillow and inhaled deeply, drinking in her sweet scent. His mind reeled. She was so beautiful. Her body, her face, even her name. Tricia. So wonderful. Magical even. He shuddered and trembled at the thought of her.

The swelling started again. He curled up and pressed her pillow into his crotch. It felt good, but it only made the swelling worse. His breathing became heavy and faster, and his hands shook.

He longed for her. He wanted more of her. He rolled on the bed, clutching her pillow. Shifting, thrusting. Why was he moving like that? It was strange, but felt natural.

He needed more of her. He looked around the room, and saw her dresser drawers. An insanely overwhelming curiosity overcame him. He got up, looked down, and saw the swelling was at it's worst. Yet it felt good.

The dresser called to him. He hesitated. He shouldn't. It would be invading her privacy. She was doing so much for him. He shouldn't betray her like this. But he had to see. What if she found out? Would she throw him out? Call the police? Child Services?

She won't see. It would be like stealing food from a store.

He walked quietly to her dresser and opened the drawer. Shirts, socks ... He touched her clothes, feeling the soft fabrics and gentle textures. He closed it and opened another.

He gasped and pulled out the large bra. His hands trembled as he turned it and explored it. Silky smooth fabric, large curved cups, strong straps. This garment, it holds her breasts, her beautiful, large breasts. His knees felt weak. He held it to his face. It didn't have her smell, but it smelled faintly of laundry detergent and fabric softener. But the smooth cloth rubbed against his face sensuously.

His penis felt good. Really good. He noticed that he was rubbing it through his pajama pants. He didn't know when he started, or how long he had been rubbing it. But the rubbing felt so good. But it craved more attention. He slipped his hand down into his pants and touched himself. He was hard, hot, sensitive. It was wet at the tip.

Was he bleeding?

He pulled his pants down and checked. No blood. What was that? It looked like snot.

Her bra called to him. Called to his penis. He sat on the bed and held the bra to his swelling. His mind reeled at the realization that this garment which so often holds her beautiful breasts was now rubbing his penis. Pleasure flowed through his body, through his mind, through his gasping lungs, and through his pounding heart.

He fell on his back, rubbing the bra over his penis. The movements were instinctive. She was in his mind, in his dreams wearing that skimpy négligée she wore this morning. "Come to me, Joey," she called to him. "Touch me. Touch me here," she pleaded. She opened the front of her négligée, revealing her soft skin and full curves.

His dream self reached out and touched her, caressing her breasts. He shuddered, and stroked himself with her bra.

She smiled. "Yes. Touch me."

She was on her knees in front of him, in front of his naked penis. She wrapped her arms around his body, hugging her body tightly against his, pressing her full breasts into his swollen penis. Her eyes never left his, and she thrust her chest up and down, rubbing herself against his crotch. He gasped and stroked faster. His breathing got faster, deeper. His heart hammered and thundered in his chest.

She pushed up higher, higher, dragging her heavenly body up against him until her face met his. Her smile was so warm, so beautiful, so loving. Her arms wrapped around his neck. "Kiss me" she whispered.

They kissed.

A sudden insane surge of pleasure and excitement erupted. It flooded his body. He gasped, bolted, bucked, and he could feel his penis squirting. He writhed and kicked as the ecstasy overwhelmed him. It was a pleasure he had never known before.

The spasms stopped. The dream evaporated, and he lay there breathing heavily, feeling dizzy.

That ... was good.

He blinked, and felt the warm wetness against his abdomen and hand. He looked down.

"Oh no..." He had pissed or ... something came out. It was all over her bra and his hand and it was hot and sticky. He got up. His legs were weak, and he felt dizzy. "Oh no, oh no, oh no..." He quickly wiped himself clean with her bra, pulled his pants up, and went to put it back in her dresser.

He stopped, changed his mind, and wisely decided to throw it in her hamper.

He jumped back into bed, curled up around her pillow and held it tight. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ... Don't ... don't be mad. I'll clean it. I ... Don't throw me out."

He teared up. He felt scared and lonely, yet this strange contentedness emanated from his groin. The swelling was gone. His eyes grew tired, and he closed them, thinking about her. And he soon fell asleep, embraced in her sweet smell.

-------

Translation guide

"A fartseekenish af deer!" - This is a traditional Jewish curse. "May you be eaten alive." Literally "A devouring upon you."



-------

Chapter 7: Paradox and Sports Bras





Sunday, July 12, 2009, 8:30 AM

What's taking him so long? Tricia pondered as she looked through her drawers for today's clothes. Joey was in her shower and had been in there for nearly half an hour. I hope he doesn't use up all the hot water.

She was sniffing her clothes from yesterday, deciding which ones could stand to go another day. So far everything pretty much reeked from sweat. Washington D.C. summers were brutal on her wardrobe. One good heat wave could seriously mess up a decent laundry cycle.

She decided the shorts could stand one more day, but everything else had to go. She pulled out a fresh T-shirt ("Huge Tracts of Land") and some socks, and opened the next drawer for underwear. She found some fresh panties.

Hmm ... No clean bras ... I thought I had one.

She gave yesterday's bra another sniff-test, winced, and decided to try her luck with the hamper lottery. She found a bra on top and grabbed it. It felt cleaner than yesterday's bra, so she took it and threw her other clothes in the hamper.

Perked up by life's smallest victory, Tricia picked up the rest of her clothes and...

"Eww..."

Something cold had touched her hand. She stopped and looked at the bra. It was wet. Really wet. "What the... ?" She looked at it and saw the large fresh stains in the fabric. "What the hell is this?" She opened the bra, and saw this creamy liquid spilled inside it. An unmistakable odor wafted up from the garment.

Her jaw dropped. She stared in amazement. "Oh ... My ... God..." She looked at herself in the mirror, seeing her stunned expression. She looked at the bra. And then she broke out into a HUGE grin.

Clutching the stained bra to her bosom, Tricia ran out of her room to the dining room. "Annie! Look! Look!" she called as loudly as she could manage to call quietly. "Guess what!"

Annie was mixing pancake batter. "What is it?"

Tricia held out her bra. "Look what I found!" She beamed in pride, squealed and bounced on her toes in excitement, shaking the bra back and forth.

Annie squinted. "What is that? A Rorchach test?"

Tricia grinned and nodded. "¡Si! And guess what is says? Eeeek!"

Annie shuddered and slapped her hand to her mouth as she realized what she was looking at. "Shma-yisrooel! Is that... ?"

Tricia grinned and bounced. Her bra-less breasts bounced a bit too painfully, but she didn't care. "Yes! He likes me! I got proof! I got a signed document and everything!"

"Did he... ?" Annie tried to ask, but couldn't quite manage to finish the question.

Tricia nodded enthusiastically and pumped one fist in front of her crotch. She jiggled her hips in celebration. "Hey! I wonder if he's doing it right now?"

"Go! ... Get rid of it! Shoym! Put it away!" Annie nervously swatted her hand towards her roommate. "Before he comes out!"

"Are you kidding?" Tricia asked, clutching the stained bra to her chest. "I'm wearing this one today!"

"Eww!"

"I'm joking!" Tricia waved Annie off, and then pointed at Annie. "But you gotta admit it. He wants me! He's ready! He feels comfortable here, and he knows..." She thrust her hips. "EXACTLY ... where he fits in!"

Annie was panicking. "Would you just put that away? And he may not be ready yet!"

"What do you mean? What do you think this means?" Tricia asked, shaking the bra at her. "What else could this possibly mean?"

"It could also mean we have a thirteen-year-old boy in the house. They tend to do this all by themselves."

Tricia shook her head. "I'm taking this as a sign. The first chance I get, the first night we sleep together, I'm popping that boy's cherry! I should do it tonight!"

Annie shook her head. "What are you going to do? Just declare that it's your turn and drag him into your room? No, it's got to be a bit more subtle. Let fate decide."

"What? You want to do Odds-and-Evens again tonight? And every night after that?"

"Not every night. Just one more, so we can establish a rotation. So it doesn't look like we're manipulating him."

Tricia put one hand on her hip. "And what happens if we both wind up together for the night again?"

Annie shook her head. "Not going to happen. I throw a 'one', and you throw a 'two'. It guarantees that he sleeps with one of us tonight. Now go put that away!"

But Tricia wasn't paying attention. She had started dancing in the living room, swinging her hips about to her own internal music, clapping her hands, snapping her fingers, and singing.

"Tell me doctor ... Where are we going this time?" Shimmy! Thrust! Twist! Spin! Clap! Thrust! Twist!

"Tricia, what are you doing?"

"Is it the 50's, or 1999?" Clap! Spin! Twist! Shimmy! Clap! Thrust! Twist!

"Tricia? Cut it out!"

"All I wanted to do..." She held the bra to her mouth like a microphone. " ... was play my guitar and sing!"

"Would you stop it?"

She pointed one hand to Annie. "So take me away!" She pointed the other. "I don't mind! But you better promise me, I'll be Back In Time!!"

"Seriously!"

"Mmm-Pah! Mmm-Pah! Mmm-Pah! Mmm-Pah! Mmm-Pah! Mmm-Pah! Mmm-Pah! Gotta get Back In Time!"

"Will you stop that? Go put that away!"

"We're gonna do a little of this..." She started thrusting in her little dance. " ... and a little of that ... Turn on the Way-Back Machine ... Do a little time travel ... Save the universe..."

"Oh, and you think you're ready for time travel now?"

"Hey! All I have to do is to provide the inspiration. Push past whatever mental blocks he's put up. He does all the hard work."

Annie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. And the time coordinates are... ?"

Tricia stopped, and thought. "Well, wait ... today's the, what ... eleventh?"

"Twelfth."

"Okay, and that was two days ago, so July tenth ... about seven ... what was it?"

Annie shook her head. "You're not well prepared for time travel. It was seven oh-eight exactly on July tenth."

"Did you put that in the computer?"

Annie shook her head. "No. I checked the internal time codes, compared it to the external time code you got from your phone, and applied this ancient Assyrian mathematical trick. It's called 'subtraction'. Maybe you read about it in college?"

Tricia blew a raspberry at Annie. "Pthbbbbt! Fine! July tenth, seven oh-eight PM. Got it!"

"And the message?"

Tricia shrugged. "'Trust your instincts. It's him.' See, I got it!"

Annie rolled her eyes again. "AND???"

"And what? That was it!"

Annie shook her head. "'Annie, keep filming. Tricia, memorize the date and time, and, and trust your instincts. It's him.'"

"Fine! Fine! Got it. 'Annie, keep filming. Tricia, memorize today's date, and trust your instincts. It's him.'"

"NO! 'Memorize the date and time!', not 'memorize today's date'. And there were two 'ands'. You have to get it right! You have to get it perfect, or else you could cause a paradox."

Tricia blinked. "Perfect? What do you mean?"

"I mean you have to do it perfectly! You can't change the message, in any way! And it's not just the words. It's all the actions as well! Every thrust, every groan, every pause, every facial expression, inflection, gesture, whatever ... Why do you think your future self insisted it be recorded? Everything has to be perfect! Any change at all, any minor difference could cause a paradox that wipes out the universe."

Tricia looked at Annie with this dumbfounded expression. "No pressure though, right?"

"Look, this is serious business. It's time travel. You're messing with the foundations of the universe. Nobody knows what will happen if you mess it up. Best thing to do is to assume the worst, get through it, and don't try it again."

"This really bothers you, doesn't it? I'm not worried. I know I'm going to be able to do it. Hell, I have video proof of it that I'm going to be able to do it." Tricia considered Annie. "This paradox phobia of yours: Is this the reason why you won't read the Post Sunday supplements when they come in on Saturday?"

"Would you put that away! Shoym!"

"Fine! Fine!" Tricia skipped back to her room.

When she got there she kissed her stained brassiere on a clean spot, and threw it in the hamper. At that moment she heard the shower turn off, and the shower curtain open in her bathroom. Tricia grinned, and lay out her clothes, prominently displaying yesterday's bra on top of the new shirt. So, you were dreaming about me last night, weren't you big boy? Then she took up her position, laying in wait for him. She leaned up against the door frame to her bathroom, her arms outstretched over her head supporting her, and her full bra-less breasts swinging freely in front of her, barely hidden by a single thin layer of cotton T-shirt. Tricia noted her nipples had hardened with the anticipation, and poked out prominently through the shirt.

A minute passed by. She could hear him toweling off. She waited for him, licking her lips. Strange. I dreamed about you, too. I was on the Metro, and I rode past that alleyway where I found you. Weird.

The door opened. Joey saw her and jumped. He was naked, but had a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Hi there," Tricia said, smiling.

"Oh, um ... Hi." He tried not to look at her prominently displayed breasts, and tried to figure out a way out of the bathroom. Tricia was blocking the way entirely.

"You know, I'm not used to this whole 'sharing a bathroom with someone else' bit. Even when I was a kid, I had my own bathroom." She looked up, remembering her childhood. "I was the only girl." She shook her chest slightly as she said this, accentuating the fact by sending her breasts swaying. "I have four brothers. They all had to share one bathroom. What a complete sty! But anyways..." She looked back at him, catching him staring at her breasts. " ... the reason I tell you this is I can't tell you how many times I almost walked in on you this morning while you were naked in the shower. Just warning you, that it's going to happen one of these days. Probably a day when we're out of coffee."

Tricia leaned forward, pushing her huge breasts up towards Joey under the pretense of stretching her arms against the door frame. She groaned as she stretched. "Anyways ... I need to get in there and get naked and scrape a few layers off. But I was wondering if you could do me a little favor?" She batted her eyes at him. "You see, I thought I had one last clean bra but I don't, so instead of doing a little hamper diving, cause who knows what I'll find in there..."

Joey looked a little worried for a second.

" ... I'll just have to wear the same bra as I was wearing yesterday. But it's a little funky! Oh, let's face it. It's rank! Probably stinks of me. But ... could you like, take it and really give it a good spraying down with that ... um ... oh, what's it called..."

Joey's eyes went wide.

"Febreeze!" she remembered. "That's it! We have some in the laundry closet." She batted her eyes at him again. "Would you do that for me, sweety?" She puckered up and air kissed him. "Thanks."

Tricia then swung her body aside to give him just enough of an opening for him to squeeze past her if he rubbed against her, and she stood there, waiting for him to squeeze past.

Joey stood for a moment looking worried and confused, and tried to figure out how to get past her without too much bodily contact. Resigned to his fate, he turned his body towards her to squeeze out. Her full breasts scraped up against his bare chest. As he squeezed up face-to-face with her, Tricia pushed forward, pinning him in the door frame with her body. "Joey, you do know where our laundry closet is, right? It straight down that way..." she indicated by pointing her fingers and pressing her body up against him harder in the indicated direction. " ... in the closet across the hall. Next to Annie's bathroom."

She could tell he was extremely nervous. He was trembling hard, and he shook his head. "Um ... uh-huh!"

Tricia smiled. "Good boy." She looked down and touched his towel. "Can I borrow that towel?"

His mouth gaped open in shock.

"Oh, never mind. You got it all wet." She pulled away from him and looked down at her breasts. Her shirt was now a bit wet from his chest. "Oooh ... You got ME wet too."

She spun off him, releasing him from the door frame and entered the bathroom. "¡Hasta la vista!" she whispered, and she closed the door.

-------

It was several hours later. Tricia, Annie, and Joey were out shopping again, this time at an outdoor strip mall. They had stopped at a local Container Store, bought a set of inexpensive plastic stacking drawers, and dropped them off in Annie's van. Then they went to lunch.

After lunch they did a little window shopping. They walked along the outer sidewalk, checking out the other stores, and talking about various things.

"I tell you, Annie. I keep having the weirdest dreams about trains now," Tricia said.

"If you're riding a train, it's not weird. Why does everyone say their dreams are weird? That's a normal dream! Now a weird dream would be if you found that your apartment building was actually a giant chicken, or if your dog had so many tongues that his mouth looked like a Rolodex. THAT would be a weird dream. But people always tell me they have weird dreams, and it's always something mundane like they were back home dealing with their family. That's not weird. Is it any generic train, or a specific one?"

"I don't know. It could be the Red line."

"Ah, so you have a secret crush on the Metro system? Your get turned on by public transportation? What are you? Some kind of closet metrosexual?"

BLAM! CRASH!!!! The plate glass window in the store next to them exploded outward, showering them in glass slivers. They all screamed and ducked as gunfire erupted inside the store. Joey hit the ground instinctively, and Tricia ducked down behind Annie. Annie ducked down as best she could, covering her head with her arms. Tricia looked around quickly, grabbed Annie's chair and pushed her hard, getting her out of the line of fire as quickly as possible."¡VAMOS!" she cried to Joey and they scrambled out away from the store as fast as possible.

"What was that?!?" Annie screamed.

"Jewelry store. It's being robbed!" Tricia said. They cleared out to the next store over and stopped. Tricia dug into Annie's chair-pack. "Where's your camera? Got it!" She pulled out Annie's new video camera and turned to Joey. "Joey. Get Annie out of here! Far into the parking lot! Now!"

Joey nodded. "Okay!"

"What are you doing?" Annie yelled.

"My job! Go!" She turned the camera on and ran back to the store. Joey grabbed Annie's chair and started running, pushing her down the sidewalk.

Tricia flipped the camera viewfinder around so she could see what the camera was recording and inched up to the edge of the store window. She quietly held the camera around the corner, pointing it into the store. In the small screen she could see four men with guns harassing the store employees. She could hear the voices inside, the men screaming and yelling, barking orders, and the employees and customers whimpering and crying. The men smashed glass display cases and grabbed jewelry as fast as they could, stuffing it into bags.

Tricia watched and could feel her heart beating hard in her chest. This is great footage. I can only hope I don't get caught.

She thought she heard a faint familiar sound. It sounded like a zither being strummed. Tricia looked around out into the sky, and saw a brief glimpse of a figure high in the air which vanished a moment after it appeared.

VRRUUMMM!! Tricia looked back at the camera. A large red and white blur appeared in the picture. She peeked around the corner and looked into the store.

It was Quantum Knight.

Quantum Knight was a huge woman, easily over six feet tall, solidly built, yet very curvy and sexy in all the right places. Her costume was a white skin-tight suit with black trim along her arms and left leg, black gloves and boots, and a red tunic wrapped over her right shoulder and down over her right leg, Flo-Jo style. A long blond ponytail came out of the back of her white cowl.

She posed, crouched on one remaining intact display case, ready to strike.

"Freeze!" she boomed in her deep voice. "You will drop your weapons and surrender! This is not a request or an order. It is a fact. Your only decision is if you want to be conscious or not when you surrender!"

The robbers had jumped in shock as she appeared, and now considered the woman. One of them pulled out his gun and pointed it at her.

"Fuck you, hero!" he yelled, and he fired his gun at her.

Tricia flinched at the gunshot, but Quantum Knight had already leaped off the display case, flipped in mid-air, and kicked the gun out of the robber's hand. She then grabbed his arm, spun and twisted, and flipped the man over into one of his partners.

The two other men jumped in to tackle the heroine, but missed as she elbowed one in the face and kicked the other in the stomach. Tricia watched in awe as she fought off four attackers. Quantum Knight was graceful, strong, confident, quick, and untouchable as she danced, ducked, jumped, kicked and punched, landing every one of her blows, and dodging every one of theirs. She swept their legs, punched their faces, flipped them every time they got up again, and easily side-stepped every clumsy grab they made.

It seemed almost comical to Tricia. These men could not touch this woman. And she wasn't that fast. Tricia could tell that she was certainly well practiced, but was hardly superhuman in speed. Tricia had actually seen faster fighting in her own Tai Kwon Do class. But these men couldn't touch her, and Tricia couldn't figure out why.

One man broke off, grabbed a chair, and threw it at the heroine. Quantum Knight held out one hand and there was a loud THRUMM sound. Out of nowhere, a two meter long, metal battle staff appeared in her hand. She hit the incoming chair with the staff, deflecting it, and then spun the staff around her. It connected with the robber's head with a loud CRACK and he went down. Another spinning attack a second later, and a second man was down.

One robber decided to run, and took off to the front of the store. With a signature VRUMMM, Quantum Knight teleported in front of the man and kicked him hard in the head, knocking him unconscious.

One last robber stood. He held his gun up.

"Last chance," she said. "Drop your weapon." She held the battle staff in front of her like a shield.

The man blinked, rubbed his eyes, and said "I don't know what you're doing to my eyes, but I can see enough of you." And he pointed the gun at Quantum Knight and started firing.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

Tricia cringed as the sounds of the gunshots shook her body, but what she saw happening next caused her to question all reality.

Quantum Knight, as near as Tricia could tell, split into at least twenty different ghosts, all overlapping each other. They generally all stood in the same place, in nearly the same position, all holding a battle staff in front as if to deflect the bullets, but as the bullets came in, some ghosts were hit and were thrown back, spinning and bleeding before they faded into nothingness. But other ghosts stood their ground, deflecting the bullets. More ghosts appeared in the same place, replacing the ghosts that vanished behind her. Bullets ricocheted, shattering glass and punching holes in the walls, and the man continued firing, emptying his gun on the heroine.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! Click. Click. Click. Click.

Quantum Knight merged into a single person again, and growled. "Now, you've pissed me off!"

VRAAMM! CRACK! WHAM! SMACK! Quantum Knight teleported next to the last remaining robber, did a quick succession of kicks and swipes, knocked the man to the ground as painfully as possible, and then finished him off with a heavy swing of her battle staff, directly into the man's testicles. She hit him so hard, Tricia jumped and winced.

The fight was over. The man lay on the ground, whimpering. Quantum Knight stood over him. Tricia actually felt sorry for the guy. Damn! She hit him hard enough to turn him from a baritone into a dog whistle!

Quantum Knight stood still, breathing hard. She looked around. "Is everyone all right?" she called to the few employees and customers. "Anyone hurt?"

One by one the employees and customers stood up and announced their conditions. "I'm okay." "I'm all right." "I'm cut, but okay."

The battle staff vanished with a THRUMM and a moment later was replaced by a cell phone that appeared in her hand. Quantum Knight hit a button and spoke immediately. "Quantum Knight, four perps under control, need paramedics. GPS attached." She hooked the phone to her belt and a pair of handcuffs appeared in her hands. She bent down to cuff one of the men.

Everyone stared at her as she worked. Tricia closed up her camera. I need to talk to her. I need to ask her about paradox. She swallowed, summoned her courage, and entered the store. "Excuse me, Quantum Knight, but can I talk to you when you're done here?"

"Are you hurt?" she asked sternly, not looking, and moving to the next robber. A second pair of handcuffs appeared out of nowhere in her hands.

"Ah, no. I'm Tricia Sanchez, WKMB News..."

"I don't give interviews."

"I ... I know. But this isn't an interview. I need to talk to you."

Quantum Knight cuffed the second man, and then stood up and faced Tricia. The heroine was intimidating, towering over the reporter. Tricia could see her own eyes reflected in the golden visor she wore. Her mouth held an expression of grim annoyance.

"Make a request with EarthGuard," she said. "Someone will get back to you."

"Look, this is really important. I need to talk to you." Tricia looked around at the others in the store. They were all watching her. She looked back at the heroine. "Privately. I don't know who else to turn to." She inhaled, and forced it out. "I think it's a matter of life or death."

Quantum Knight stood still for a moment, and then quickly raised one hand up. VRUMM! A very large and very nasty looking throwing star appeared in her hand. Tricia flinched.

Quantum Knight suddenly spun and threw the throwing star at one of the robbers. As it flew, the star split into hundreds of ghost stars which all took a slightly different path and all collectively traveled in an ever narrowing sine-wave pattern until it returned into a single star that had penetrated the sleeve of the robber just as he was reaching for a gun on the ground. The star pinned his arm to a display case. The man flinched as he saw the throwing star miss his wrist by millimeters.

The heroine stared the man down. "I have eyes in the back of my head, and I never miss. You have surrendered. Don't make me remind you again."

VRIIMMM! Quantum Knight held a pair of handcuffs to Tricia. "Make yourself useful. I'll give you two minutes."

Tricia nodded, went to the last remaining unconscious robber, and managed to put the handcuffs on him. Quantum Knight retrieved her throwing star, cuffed the final man, and then turned to the proprietor. "You may want to call your insurance company now."

The man nodded. "Th-thank you. How ... How can I repay you?"

"You don't need to," she answered. They could hear sirens approaching, and Quantum Knight nodded in their direction. "The police will be here very soon. They will take over. Be safe."

She strode out of the store onto the front sidewalk, and Tricia could hear the voices of spectators gasping and cheering. Tricia ran out following her. She could see others running towards her.

Quantum Knight looked in Tricia's direction. "Two minutes," she said, and she reached out towards her. Tricia approached, and Quantum Knight took her by the arm with a firm grip.

"Um, listen. I need to ask you about... ,"

"Are you afraid of heights?"

"What? Heights? Uh, yeah, I... ,"

VRUUMMMM!

"AAAAAIIIIEEEE!" Tricia screamed. They were suddenly hundreds of feet in the air, and falling.

VRUMMMMM! Tricia landed heavily on her feet on a rough tarmac. Quantum Knight let her go. Tricia jumped back away from the heroine, panicking. "AAHH!! AAIIE!!" WHAT DID YOU..." She spun around, trying to get her bearings. "WHERE ARE WE?"

"On the rooftop," she answered calmly. "For a private conversation. You have one minute, fifty five seconds left."

Tricia clutched her chest. Her heart was beating madly and she tried to catch her breath. "HUHHH ... HUHHH ... Huhhhh ... huhh..."

The heroine waited patiently.

Tricia pointed at her accusingly. "Don't do that to me! That scared the crap out of me!"

Quantum Knight stood and watched her. "When you are dealing with superheroes, you should always be ready for the unexpected. You had something to talk to me about," she said calmly.

Tricia gasped and tried to catch her breath. "Okay ... Umm ... I don't know how to..." She looked at the woman. Quantum Knight looked like she was starting to get annoyed. "Okay ... I'm just going to come right out and say it. I need to know about paradox. Do you know anything about it?"

"Paradox? What kind of paradox?"

Tricia inhaled. "Time travel paradox," she confessed.

Quantum Knight shook her head. "I don't have time for games," she said angrily. "I'm taking you back down."

"I'M NOT PLAYING GAMES!" Tricia shouted. Quantum Knight stepped forward, reaching for her, but Tricia jumped back. "I'm serious! I..." She looked at the camera she held in her hand. "I ... I have evidence!"

Quantum Knight stopped. "Evidence? Of what?"

"Time travel. Me, doing time travel. Um ... Let me show you."

Tricia turned the camera on and pulled up the recording they made. She played it, and showed it to the heroine. "We filmed this two days ago. That's me ... and that's me again."

Quantum Knight watched the recording. She cocked her head. They could hear the message. "Annie, keep filming. Tricia, memorize the date and time, and ... and trust your instincts. It's him."

"Him? Who is 'him'?" she asked.

"I ... I found someone who I think can push me through time. But I don't know for certain."

"Who? And how?"

Tricia shook her head. "Sorry ... but I can't tell anyone yet. I promised him. And I don't know how."

"I need to know who he is."

"And I'm sorry, but I can't. Look ... If I betray his trust, he's going to run off, and he won't push me through time, and I think that qualifies as a paradox. You understand, right?"

Quantum Knight nodded. "I understand." She paused. "You appeared to be fornicating."

Tricia groaned, embarrassed. "I know ... I don't understand that part."

"Could be a material component of a magical spell. But that is obviously not the important problem at this moment, correct?"

Tricia nodded, relieved that she wasn't going to press her for those details. "Right. But my roommate, she says that time travel is dangerous, and that if I don't do it right, I could cause a paradox and destroy the universe. Is that ... is that for real?"

"I'm hardly an expert in the field, but I do have a unique perspective on the world." Quantum Knight dipped her head down in thought. "You've bought yourself some more time. Let me think about this."

Tricia watched as the heroine collected her thoughts. Quantum Knight then looked back up. "Okay, the actual truth of the matter is this. Nobody knows. We don't know what happens if you go back in time and change the past. But my own opinion of it is this ... Don't worry about it too much."

Tricia's jaw dropped and her eyes widened. "Don't worry about it too much? That's it? What do you mean? This is 'destroy the universe' stuff, isn't it?"

"No, I don't think so."

"But..." She blinked. "I ... I don't understand. I mean, Annie says I'm playing with the foundations of the universe. Something gets divided by zero. I don't know what it is, but it sounds bad!"

Quantum Knight nodded. "Let me see if I can alleviate your fears. Do you know anything about M Theory?"

Tricia shook her head.

"String theory? Supergravity? Quantum mechanics? Relativity and Grand Unification theories?"

Tricia shook her head to them all. "I've heard of a couple of those, and I know that Relativity is that Einstein stuff, but I never really learned any of it."

Quantum Knight nodded. "Understandable. Few people know all of those." She paused for a moment. "In the quest to understand the universe, many theories have been proposed to explain the big picture. One of the many ideas postulated is the presence of nine spatial dimensions and two time dimensions. Are you familiar with time as a dimension?"

Tricia squinted. "I've heard something about that, like it's a different direction that everything moves in. Right?"

The hero nodded. "Pretty much. Perhaps it would help to imagine it like this. Imagine a room with a group of items in it all interacting with each other. They move about, bump into each other, and affect each other. Action, reaction, cause, and effect."

"Okay."

"That's what the universe looks like to us. Now imagine putting a camera in the room and taking pictures on a regular interval. Then you take all of those pictures and put them in another room, and lay them out in order."

"That's time, right?" Tricia guessed. "That's the time dimension!"

"Exactly. Each picture shows the state of the room-universe at different times. Objects are moving around in the first room, but things are static in the second room. Nothing changes there. Now, imagine some objects are time traveling. In the first room, objects appear and disappear without warning as they jump through time. But in the second room, we see what is happening. They jump out of one picture, move across to another picture, and jump back in. The room is no longer static. Action and reaction occurs. Cause and effect take place. A paradox occurs when an item goes backwards in time and causes a problem that prevents it from going back in time. So in the time room, we see an object on one end of the room move out of a picture and into an earlier picture. As it changes things in that picture, there is a cascade of changes in all the following pictures, until in the final picture where the item originally left from, it no longer leaves there, possibly because it no longer exists. That is the situation your friend is worried about."

Tricia nodded. "That makes sense. But you said something about ... TWO time dimensions?"

Quantum Knight nodded. "Yes, I did. Imagine a second camera in the second room, and it's taking pictures. Put all those pictures in a third room. That is Hyper-time."

Tricia frowned. "Hyper-time?"

"Yes. The second time dimension. It is the time dimension that governs time travel. Everything in the universe not only moves in time, but also in Hyper-time. When an object moves backward in time, it still moves forward in Hyper-time. Its actions are still recorded, even if it manages to erase its own history. If our time traveler goes back in time and kills his grandfather, preventing his birth, he still exists. His birth is still recorded in Hyper-time, and paradox is just another event that occurs in the universe, possibly fairly frequently. The universe continues on. It functions perfectly. So as I said, don't worry about it too much."

Tricia thought about it. "Oh."

"Does that help?"

"I'm ... I'm not sure."

Quantum Knight nodded. "Then think of it from this perspective. If time travel could destroy the universe, it would have been destroyed by the very first time traveler. The universe is over thirteen billion years old. It's still here. Do you really think you are the very first time traveler?"

Tricia paused. "Probably not."

The heroine nodded. "Also, consider the scale. The universe contains an estimated ten to the seventieth power number of particles. You personally are made up of about ten to the thirtieth power number of particles. That means that the universe is at least ten to the fortieth power times bigger than you. A single electron is ten billion times more significant to you than you are to the rest of the universe. If one single electron in your body managed to go backwards in time a nanosecond and change it's spin, would it kill you? Or would you even notice?"

"I see." Tricia nodded. "That makes sense. Yeah. That helps."

Quantum Knight nodded again. "The universe is very old, and it's very resilient. I think it can survive a little paradox. So if you are worried about destroying the universe, don't worry about it. I don't think it is in any danger from you."

Tricia sighed. "Thanks."

"You personally, on the other hand, are probably in danger."

All the good feelings Tricia was feeling a moment ago vanished. "What?"

"Your future self went through a great effort to send a message to yourself back in time. This suggests a serious situation. I suggest you trust yourself, and do what you can to fulfill this destiny."

Tricia thought and nodded. "Okay ... So, you're saying that I really should do this time travel for whatever personal reasons I have, but if I don't do it perfectly, or even fail to do it at all, the universe is still okay. Right?"

"That's my opinion. But as I said, I'm not an expert. No one has tried it yet." She cocked her head. "I would be very curious to find out what happens. You will contact me after you have done this, okay?"

Tricia nodded. "I ... I'm not sure, but I'll see if I can."

Quantum Knight nodded. "Fair enough. Is that all I can do for you?"

Tricia nodded. "Yeah! Thanks I..." She looked at the heroine, not just at her face, but down her entire body. She was gorgeous. Curvy, strong, lithe, and very busty. A thought popped into her head. "Actually ... um ... I have..." She blushed. "I have one more question."

"What is it?"

Tricia clenched her fists and grimaced. She's not going to like this, but I have to know! She inhaled, and blurted it out. "Where do you get your sports bras from?"

Quantum Knight did a double-take. "Excuse me?" she said, very annoyed.

"I'm SERIOUS!" Tricia pleaded. "I saw you in there. I saw the way you fight, the way you move! You have got to be wearing something incredible under that costume. I mean, Look! Like all the other super-hero women I've seen, you've got a hefty pair there! And I don't know how you are doing that!"

The heroine looked extremely stunned.

Tricia continued in her rant. "I mean ... I do a little Tai Kwon Do myself, and I'm awful at it! I mean, look at these things! I can't find anything with any support, and I am hitting myself in the face more often than I'm hitting anyone else! PLEASE! I am begging you! I cannot find a good bra! I have looked everywhere! What are you wearing! Is that like, Kevlar under there or something?"

"I was ... not expecting this," she confessed quietly.

"You said you are always ready for the unexpected."

Quantum Knight bit her lips and her face scrunched up a bit. It looked like she was trying to suppress a smile. "This is not entirely appropriate," she muttered.

"Please..." Tricia pleaded. "From one woman to another, I am begging you. What are you wearing? I am desperate!"

Quantum Knight looked around a bit, as if trying to determine if anyone were watching. She stepped forward and whispered. "This is just between us, all right?"

"Yes! Absolutely!"

The heroine nodded, and gestured down into the strip mall. "Have you tried Maxine's here?"

Tricia nodded. "Months ago. They said they didn't carry them."

Quantum Knight nodded. "They do now. BEST sports bras I have ever found."

Tricia's eyes went wide. "You're kidding! REALLY? HERE?" She bounced up and down in excitement.

She nodded, and held her hand up, quieting Tricia. "But don't go today. Go tomorrow. The manager is having an unadvertised special. Two for one."

Tricia gasped.

Quantum Knight continued. "Get there about noon. That's when they get their deliveries. What size do you wear?"

"I'm a thirty-eight F."

The heroine nodded. "They'll have that size."

Tricia clasped her hands together. "THANK YOU! Oh, thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me! Are you ... Are you going to be there tomorrow?"

"You know I can't answer that."

"Oh! Right! Um ... Sorry! Oh, but thank you! I have been looking everywhere! Oh! ... You ... You are a lifesaver!"

Quantum Knight smiled. "That's what I do."

-------

Tricia was a boundless source of excitement and energy all the way home. She talked nonstop about Quantum Knight, about the fight, and her chance to talk to the heroine privately.

With Joey being in the van, she wisely avoided any talk about time travel, but she did confess that a superhero had given her some good advice on where to find a bra with great support. "I have to get out there tomorrow!" she exclaimed. "If these bras are everything she says they are, I'm clearing out their entire rack!" She shook in her seat with giddiness. Annie glanced at Joey in her rear-view mirror, and rolled her eyes.

"Wow!" Tricia thrilled. "I can't believe it! You know, I think a lot of women out there would like to know where superheroes get their bras from. I mean, you can't beat a good support system. I wonder ... Maybe I can post something on a blog somewhere, just leak this out so women can find out. I mean, this will help a LOT of women!"

Joey looked concerned. "But I thought you said that was a private conversation."

Tricia nodded. "Well, yeah, but I can always post anonymously. It's not like she'll find out who posted it."

Joey looked disappointed. "But I thought..."

Annie spoke up. "I think what Joey is trying to say is, he has a vested interest in knowing that you can be trusted with a secret."

Tricia sat quietly for a moment, and slapped her hand on her face. "Sorry. You're right. I get carried away sometimes." She turned back and looked at Joey in the back seat. "I'm sorry. You're absolutely right. If I am keeping your secret, I have to keep hers as well. I ... wasn't thinking."

Joey looked a little uncomfortable, but then he smiled. "It's okay. Thanks."

The rest of the day was pretty mundane. They returned home, set up Joey's new drawers in Tricia's room, put all of his new clothes in them, and set about their own individual tasks. Tricia did laundry, Joey took Scrappy for a walk and spent some time sprawled on the floor drawing on the newspapers, and Annie spent a lot of time in the bathroom followed by doing some work on her projects.

They had leftover spaghetti for dinner, which they ate in the living room while watching a movie on DVD. Annie suggested "The Incredibles" which Joey loved immediately.

As the final credits rolled, Joey yawned. Tricia sneaked a look at Annie and winked at her. Annie nodded. "Looks like it's time for bed," Annie said. "And you know what that means?"

Joey nodded, yawning again. And then he looked a little nervous. "Okay," he said meekly.

Tricia and Annie raised their fists, ready to play Odds and Events. Joey hesitated, and raised his own fist.

"Ready?..." Annie said.

"ONE – TWO – THREE" They all slapped their hands down together. And as agreed earlier, Annie held out one finger, and Tricia held out two.

Joey held out two fingers. Tricia blinked in surprise, and she gave him a sultry look. "Well," she said softly. "Looks like it's the two of us tonight."

Joey blushed.



-------

Chapter 8: Innocence and Anatomy





Sunday, July 12, 2009, 10:00 PM

"I'm in the moooood ... for love...", Tricia sang quietly to herself as she primped in her bathroom getting ready for bed. "Simply because ... you're near me!" She had already brushed her teeth and rinsed out her mouth with mouth wash, and was now just fluffing out her hair.

She was wearing a loose red babydoll which was tight enough up top to give her some support and fabulous cleavage, and matching red panties. She normally didn't wear makeup to bed, but tonight was a special occasion. Just a touch of blush and lipstick. She stepped back and admired her reflection. "Damn, girl! Subtle much?" She twisted back and forth checking out her curves and watched the babydoll bloom out as she spun. Poor boy, he doesn't stand a chance tonight. He's going to go nuts for me ... Oh hell, he'd probably go nuts if I wore a burlap sack tonight.

She air-kissed her reflection and turned to the door. She could feel a rush of excitement flood her senses. It surprised her. She didn't really expect to get this excited over so young a lover, but Joey moved something in her. She wasn't sure what it was, but she was really looking forward to tonight. She reached down into her panties and gave herself an exploratory check. It shocked her. She was moist already.

Wow Joey. You've got me going already. How about that? The prospect, now that she thought about it, of taking this young boy and turning him into a man, secretly thrilled her. She imagined his nervousness and excitement to come. A young virgin, pulled headfirst into the enveloping pleasures of the flesh, eager, clumsy, and overjoyed ... it gave her goosebumps to be his first.

I wonder if I'm going to have an orgasm. Probably not. He'll probably come the moment I touch him. It'll be over pretty quickly. She expected that thought to be disappointing, yet it actually made her tingle more. We'll probably have to do this with him over several nights to work his way up into pleasuring me.

She shuddered for a moment. Get a grip girl! This isn't about getting me off. Keep your eyes on the prize! Book deal! Avoid paradox! Get him to push powers into me, and send the message. Yes. That's it ... That's it ... Oh yes ... Yessssss... 

Tricia suddenly realized she was fingering herself. She didn't even know she was doing it. She squirmed, extracted her hand, readjusted her panties, and put her hand on the doorknob.

Well, here we go. And in one grand gesture she opened the door and swung out, posing sexily in the door frame. She looked at Joey, and gave him a sultry, inviting smile.

"Hey there," she said softly. "Ready for bed?"

Joey was sitting cross-legged on the bed wearing his new pajamas, and sat a bit hunched over as if he had been worrying about something. He glanced at Tricia, shuddered at her sight, and immediately looked away from her.

Tricia prowled into the room. "You know, I don't know how I'm going to get to sleep tonight. I normally don't wear so much to bed." She lay down and stretched out luxuriously. "I usually sleep in the nude."

Joey didn't look at her. He kept his eyes averted. He's scared. It made her tingle. I should be a little gentler. "Hey." She reached out and tapped him. "I'm not used to sharing a bed with a man who's not paying attention to me. What's on your mind?"

He inhaled and shook. "How..." he started.

How? How what? How do we get this started? How sweet. She smiled as she pondered his innocence.

"How ... did you find me?" he finally asked.

Tricia frowned. "How did I find you?" Not the question I was expecting. What do you mean?"

"How did you know who I was?"

He still didn't look at her. Tricia tilted her head and wondered what he was worried about. He continued. "I mean ... What did I do wrong?" He finally looked at her. "In the movie..." he said, referring to 'The Incredibles' which they had just finished watching that night, " ... they were hiding, and they were still found. And ... they almost lost the baby."

"Oh. Well..." Tricia began. " ... when my boss gave me that assignment, I did a lot of research. I found nearly every photograph, every video, every eyewitness account of your father and you, and compiled it all." She saw he looked worried. He's scared. But it's not me. He's worried that someone else might have found him, or someone else may still find him. Anyone could have done that research. But what did I do differently? Well, for one thing, I got the time-travel message that pointed me in the right direction. But did anything else happen? ... Yes!

"But that wasn't enough. I think it was meeting you at the site that did it. Especially when you told me to fuck myself." She grinned.

"I shouldn't have been there..." he said. " ... and I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry."

"No, I think you needed to be there. It was an important day, and an important place. And you needed to say that to me. I deserved it." She smiled. "You know, that's now three times you've said something that put me in my place. That segment, the shoes, Quantum Knight's secret..." She gave him a grin. "I swear, sometimes I wonder why you put up with me. You must really like me, don't you?" She poked him playfully.

Joey grinned and blushed. She liked making him smile. But he got serious again. "You said you have pictures?"

"Uh-huh."

"Sometimes I would see pictures of my dad on the TV sets in the stores. He would also show up on the magazines in the newsstands. I always wanted one, but I knew I couldn't have one. I couldn't keep any pictures of my dad. Someone might have found them." He looked at her anxiously. "Can I ... can I see them sometime?"

Tricia nodded. "Sure." He really misses his dad. "I've got videos too. I can show them to you." She caught herself. "Well, not ALL of them. I think there are a few you really don't need to see."

Joey looked sad, and nodded. He looked away.

"How ... how did it happen?" he asked.

She frowned. "How did what happen?"

"The fire."

"Oh..." She thought. "You never found out, did you?"

He shook his head.

"Well..." She paused. Not exactly one of the subjects I was expecting to explore tonight, but, he seems to need this. "What happened was, one of the bank robbers was a safe-cracker and he had an acetylene torch, and when your father came in and started attacking the robbers, this one man lit the torch and threw it. His costume caught on fire, and ... you know the rest."

Joey nodded. He sat quietly for a moment. "I should have..."

"It's not your fault. You didn't know. It was an accident."

He swallowed. She could tell he was breaking down, shaking a little. "What was ... what was his name?"

Tricia cocked her head. Why does he want to know that? Closure I guess. "Delgado. Marcelo Delgado. He was just hired to open the safe. He didn't have a gun or anything."

"Did they ... did they catch him?"

Tricia nodded. "Yeah. They caught him. They caught them all. He's in prison now."

Joey seemed to relax a bit with that news. "Good. So he's in prison now for killing my dad?"

Tricia closed her eyes, and shook her head. "No. Just for the bank robbery."

He turned to her. "What? Why?" he demanded.

She sighed. "Joey, you have to understand. What happened was an accident. It was nobody's fault."

"But he killed my dad!"

"No he didn't, Joey. He was just part of the accident." She paused. "They tried to charge him with murder, but his lawyer made a very good argument. It was ruled as self-defense. He was found innocent."

Joey wasn't taking that. "But WHY?" he cried. He was tearing up, getting upset.

Tricia sat up. Oh god, give me strength ... How do I explain this to him? "You have to know something. Your father, when he had those powers ... he hurt people. Sometimes badly." She sighed to herself. That's an understatement. He killed. He punched some thugs hard enough to crush their skulls and what he did to Desdemona was awful. He ripped her to pieces, literally. They still haven't found all of her body.

Joey shuddered and looked away. "No..." he said. "He didn't..." It did not sound convincing.

He knows. And he probably feels responsible. I'm not going to press him on this. "Delgado got scared, and he lit the torch and threw it just to distract your father so he could escape. He wasn't trying to hurt your father. He actually believed your father was fire-proof. It was a well-known fact. Your father fought FireClaw and Desdemona, and neither of them could hurt him with fire. The jury believed that was all Delgado was trying to do, and ruled your father's death as an accident."

Joey rubbed his eyes. "He should die," he said, his voice cracking.

Tricia shook her head. "No, Joey. That won't help. That won't bring your father back."

Joey seemed to collapse on himself and started shaking as if he was trying hard to not cry. Tricia sighed and scooted closer to him. "Come here," she said, opening her arms to him. He hesitated, and leaned in to her, and she held the shaking boy to her bosom. He sniffed and shuddered and occasionally jerked and gasped as he fought his crying.

"It's okay ... It's okay..." she whispered as she embraced him and caressed his head and back. His warm body was stiff against her at first, but soon relaxed into her. This strange feeling of contentment warmed Tricia's heart. This is nice. This feels right. She pondered the feeling. Is this ... maternal? Hmm. I like it.

She rocked slightly as she held the boy and he quietly sobbed into her for another minute or so. His breathing soon became regular and controlled. The sniffing stopped, and he nuzzled into her chest. Tricia smiled. He's getting interested ... Any moment now, and he's going to make his move. She waited.

Joey moved his head, turning it upwards towards her. As he looked at her, she gave him a warm smile. She opened her mouth slightly, and leaned down a fraction of an inch towards his face.

He responded, and moved up slightly to meet her. He stared at her in wonder, and he licked his lips and opened his mouth as well.

They moved closer to each other just a bit more. He wants me. And the strange thing is, I want him too.

Joey's face suddenly turned fearful, and a look of anguish came over him. "Ahhh..." he moaned, and he pulled away immediately, rolling on his back until he faced away from her, and curled up into a fetal position.

Tricia was stunned. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"I..." he struggled. "I don't know. I think I'm sick."

"Sick? What? Are you in pain?"

He shook his head. "No. I don't know ... It keeps..." He thrust his hands down into his groin.

Tricia was confused. "What's the matter? What's happening?" She looked down, trying to see exactly where he was pushing his hands, but his legs were in the way. "Is something wrong with your..."

The realization struck her like a thunderbolt. Oh My GOD! she yelled at herself. She looked up in her bedroom mirror and saw herself, this sexy vixen in a red babydoll nightgown curled over this frightened boy. Tricia you FUCKING IDIOT! She smacked her forehead in frustration. All this time I've been thinking he's thirteen. He's not. He's EIGHT! He hasn't had a father for five years! No one has explained this stuff to him!

Tricia leaned over the boy and shook him. "Joey? Joey! You're all right! There's nothing wrong with you."

"No!" he whined.

"Your penis has gotten hard. It's called an erection. It's supposed to do that. It does not mean you're sick. It means you're healthy. It means you're growing up."

Joey uncurled a bit, and looked at her. He didn't say anything, but he questioned her with his eyes.

Tricia sighed. "I'll be right back. And we're going to have a long talk, okay? I'm going to explain everything to you. But you're all right. There's nothing wrong. Okay?"

He nodded and uncurled a bit more.

Tricia got up and pulled on her robe. She pulled it tightly around herself, covering up her body. "I'll be right back." And she left her room.

She walked across the hallway and knocked on Annie's door. "Annie?" she sighed. "Can I come in? I need something."

"Come in," Annie called.

Tricia went into Annie's room and closed the door behind her. Annie was in bed, pushing herself up into a sitting position. "So? How goes the seduction?" she asked quietly.

"Oh, just swimmingly! Where's your copy of Gray's Anatomy?" Tricia asked as she looked in Annie's bookshelf.

"With the rest of the DVDs. Which season do you want?"

"Hardback edition."

Annie screwed up her face. "Bottom shelf ... Wait! Are you ... Are you giving him the TALK?"

Tricia found the book and gave Annie an exasperated smile and nod. "Yep!"

"Okh in vay!"

"He hasn't learned anything about sex. He lost his dad when he was eight, and obviously hasn't gotten close enough to anyone else for them to explain this to him."

Annie nodded at the book. "So, I assume this means you're going to show him pictures instead of showing him the real thing?"

Tricia went back to the door. "Yeah. I ... I can't go through with it. Not tonight. I can't take advantage of him like this!"

"Really?" Annie asked skeptically.

Tricia glared at her. "Yeah! What do you expect?"

"I expected you to take any advantage of him that you could. But this is just a side of you I've never seen before. I'm glad I was wrong about you. Good for you."

Tricia sighed. "Thanks." She opened the door. "Good night Annie."

"Good luck."

Tricia returned to her room. Joey was sitting up on the bed rubbing his eyes. Tricia tightened her robe around her once more and sat on the bed with him. "Okay. Joey? Do you know where babies come from?"

He nodded his head slightly. "From mothers?"

"And do you know why?"

He shook his head.

"Okay. Let me explain this to you." And she opened the book.

-------

She talked to him for an hour, explaining the entire sexual reproduction cycle, from the differences in anatomy and function, to pregnancy, birth, child development, puberty, and eventually sexual intercourse. She showed him many sections in the book, and although the text didn't interest him much, the images captivated him. She caught him occasionally looking at her body curiously. She could tell he was imagining what he would find underneath her clothes.

When he finally understood the basic concept of a man's erect penis pushing inside a woman's vagina, he frowned and scrunched up his face. "Does that like, hurt?" he asked.

"Not usually," she answered. "For a woman, it always hurts the very first time when her hymen is broken, but that doesn't last long. And if they are doing everything right, if there's enough lubrication and they are working together, it's actually the most wonderful feeling."

He thought about it. "Have you done this?"

She nodded. "Yes. Many times."

"But you haven't had a baby, right?"

She closed her eyes for a moment, and drew some strength. "No, I haven't." She paused for a moment. "Sex doesn't always lead to pregnancy. It happens sometimes, but not always. In fact, if you use condoms and birth control, you're pretty much guaranteed that the woman won't get pregnant. I use condoms every time."

He frowned. "But if you're not going to get pregnant, why do you do it?"

She grinned. "Because it is SO FUN!" She giggled. "Sex is the most amazing experience. It makes your body feel all tingly, and your heart race, and when you have an orgasm, oh, it's the most intense pleasure." She gave him a sly look. "You're old enough. You've probably had an orgasm, even if you didn't know what it was at the time. It's that moment when your body feels really good, and you ejaculate. Your penis squirts out semen when you orgasm. And you can do it all by yourself. All you really need to do is to think about someone you really like."

He blushed and looked away for a moment, She smiled, and then realized she was flirting. "Damn, girl! Cut it out! Now is not the time for that. He needs time to digest all this.

Joey pondered her answer. "So you ... you just do that for fun? Do you have, like a boyfriend?"

She shook her head. "Nobody now. But every once in a while I find someone. But it's usually for fun." She looked off, thinking. "Sometimes it's not just for fun, but it's like a little deal, you know? I do something nice for him, and he does something nice for me. It's like at work, where my boss gets a little thrill, and I get a good story. But it's harmless."

She looked back at him. Joey had a strange look on his face. He was frowning.

"Oh," he said. He was very quiet after that.

Tricia glanced at the clock. It was after eleven. "Speaking of work, I need to get to sleep. I've got work in the morning. You feeling better now?"

Joey nodded, but he was still frowning.

"Let's go to sleep," she said, and still wearing her robe she got under the covers. Joey got under the covers as well, and she turned off the light. "Good night, Joey."

"Good night."

They lay there for a couple of minutes.

"Tricia?" Joey whispered.

"Yes?"

"When you said that you have sex for fun ... well ... Shouldn't you be in love?"

The question broadsided her. "Well ... you don't have to, but, I guess it helps."

"Oh. Okay." Joey turned on his side, facing away from her.

And Tricia lay there stunned, for she had suddenly realized that she had been talking about sex for the past hour, and not once mentioned love. And she didn't know what to think about that.

-------

She was standing in front of the map, following the broad twisting colored lines, tracing the routes. "Where am I?" she asked. The labels were strange. They weren't streets or sections of the city. She could see things like "Elementary" and "High School" and "College", and she traced the path over to the intersection of "WKMB" and "J Harper".

"I think I'm here..."

She followed the branching paths and lines on the map, and found a couple dead ends. But one path stretched out far, and she saw a street label. "Book Deal. That's it," she decided.

She checked the cost calculation chart, but the numbers were weird. They were all over the place. She couldn't find the cost for the "Book Deal" station, and panicked as she heard the train coming in.

"Come on! Come ON! Not now! I haven't gotten my pass yet!"

The train brakes squealed loudly in the underground station. Far louder than she had ever heard on a Metro train.

Tricia's eyes snapped open. The alarm clock was squealing. She blinked, and rolled over to the clock and turned it off. It was six in the morning. Early morning sunlight crept in from around the window curtains, lighting the room.

Joey rolled over in the bed next to her. She smiled as she saw his face. Such an angel. He looked at her.

"Good morning," she said.

"Morning," he mumbled, smiling at her.

Tricia got out of bed, and mindlessly dropped her robe off as she lumbered to the bathroom. She took one last look at Joey. He was watching her, looking at her body.

There was a fairly large bump in the blanket around his groin level. Joey saw her see it, and immediately rolled on his side, hiding his morning erection.

Tricia grinned. "Don't worry. It's supposed to do that every morning. Get used to it." And she walked into the bathroom.

-------

"Okay, so I should be back around six..." Tricia said as she was getting ready to leave. " ... unless I get a live broadcast assignment. I should be doing something tonight, since I got that footage yesterday. Probably will be just a taped segment I'll put together this afternoon."

Joey sat on the couch watching Tricia as she rushed around collecting her things. He nodded. "Okay."

"Annie? Did you transfer that video from..." Tricia began.

"It's on your flash drive," she answered from the dining room.

"Thanks!" She picked up the flash drive from Annie's laptop and put it in her purse. She turned to Joey. "Well, I'm off. I'll see you tonight." She smiled at him. "Don't give her too much trouble, okay?"

Joey grinned. "Okay."

"Bye Annie!" she called out.

"Bye!"

Tricia left. Annie wheeled into the living room, and she and Joey just looked at each other for a moment.

"So, it's just you and me for the rest of the day," she said with a grin.

He smiled at her shyly. "Do you have to go to work too?"

She nodded. "Yes, but don't worry. I work here. I do a lot of telecommuting, which I really should get started on. So, feel free to entertain yourself." She rolled over to her desk and opened her laptop.

Joey sat for a moment, thinking, and looking around. He seemed lost. He looked at his dog, and saw that Scrappy was busy ignoring all his new chew toys and was contently chewing on Tricia's left Mephisto Nastasia walking sandal. The right one still lay there untouched. Joey eventually got up and picked up some newspaper from the recycle bin and put it on the floor. He looked around. "Do you ... um..."

"Yes?"

"Do you have a pen?"

"A pen? Sure." Annie opened her desk drawer and pulled out a ball point pen. "Here you go." She tossed it to him. "What? Are you going to do the crossword puzzle?"

He shook his head as he studied the pen. "No." He opened up a section of newspaper and flipped through the pages until he saw what he was looking for; a large ad for an airline. He put the paper down and lay on the floor, and started drawing in a large clear area of the advertisement.

Annie watched him with some curiosity. "What are you doing?"

He looked up worried. "Is this okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's fine. I just wanted to know what you were doing."

He shrugged. "Drawing."

"What are you drawing?"

"I don't know. Just ... stuff."

She nodded, and watched him draw. Bare lines soon turned into boxes, which she eventually saw as his new dresser. He started some soft curves, and then looked up and saw her watching, and he immediately scribbled them out, blushing.

She cocked her head and looked at the page he was drawing on. It had some comics and the horoscopes section on it.

"Hey, when is your birthday?" she asked.

"August fifth."

"Ahh ... Your birthday is coming up next month, right?"

He shrugged.

"Haven't had a birthday party in a while, have you?"

Joey looked up at her. He had this strange expectant look on his face. "Um ... no."

"We're going to have to do something about that," Annie said smiling.

Joey smiled bashfully.

She nodded to the newspaper. "What sign are you?"

"Hmm?"

"Your zodiac sign. For your horoscopes. What's your sign?"

"Umm ... Leo, I think," he said, looking back at his drawing.

"Ah. Sign of the lion. A fighter."

He looked back up at her. "When is your birthday?"

"April 15th. Do you know what that makes me?"

He shook his head.

"A Pisces." She slapped her legs. "Sign of the two dead fish." She grinned. "A Leo and a Pisces. I wonder if we're compatible."

Joey blushed and looked away from her.

She watched him for a moment. "How old are you?"

"Thirteen."

She nodded and thought. "Hey Joey?"

He looked up at her. She was eyeing him coyly. He blinked as he gazed up into her beautiful face. Her deep emerald eyes seem to sparkle as she looked down at him. A faint grin appeared on her succulent lips. She casually toyed with the top button on her blouse, and his eyes dropped down to the fullness of her breasts.

"You know, I know exactly what thirteen-year-old boys are interested in."

-------

Tricia's workday began with the usual 9 AM bullpen session where stories were assigned. Marty mentioned a story about a new controversial bathing suit, and he looked in Tricia's direction. Tricia cut him off before he could make the suggestion of putting her in a bathing suit, and brought up the footage she took of Quantum Knight. She showed the video, and despite the fact that the camera always refused to focus on the superhero, it still conveyed an incredible amount of action. Marty was impressed, and gave Tricia the assignment of covering the jewelry store robbery. He assigned Charlie to work with her.

Charlie was of course genuinely excited at the chance to work with Tricia alone, and he offered to drive the two of them to the strip mall.

"Actually," she said. "I was thinking we should just take two cars. I plan to do a little shopping after the interviews, and I don't know how long I'll be."

"Oh," he said dejectedly. Charlie was really looking forward to hitting some potholes while she was in the passenger seat. "I was ... kind of hoping that since I bought your lunch on Friday that we could..."

"Oh! That's right! I owe you money!" Tricia dug in her purse and pulled out a ten dollar bill. "Here. This should cover it." She handed him the bill, closed up her purse and marched out of the office. "See you at the store!" she called out.

Charlie looked around and saw Anton who had watched the entire exchange. Anton mouthed the words "I told you. Don't try it!" Charlie glowered and left, carrying his heavy camera equipment.

At the jewelry store, Tricia interviewed the proprietor and the employees, and Charlie got some footage of the store and of Tricia on the scene explaining the details of the robbery and fight. The whole process only took a couple of hours, and when they finished, Tricia sent Charlie back to the station with the video and then headed for Maxine's.

As she entered the lingerie shop, Tricia felt a sense of giddiness overcome her. She was in a good mood, and was excited at the prospect of finding this super-bra Quantum Knight told her about. She wondered idly if the heroine were here, right now, in her secret identity. She scanned the shop, noting the women here and there. Too fat ... That one is too small ... She's the wrong color. Quantum Knight is white ... Way too old...  But then her eyes fell on a statuesque Nordic blond woman at the far end of the store, and her heart skipped a beat. She was the right size, and the right build. She was facing away from Tricia, but Tricia could see that she was tall and curvy and had long straight blond hair.

She smiled to herself, and casually strolled through the store in the woman's direction, touching various garments along the way, exploring the fabrics and textures. She finally stepped up to the rack next to the woman, and nonchalantly looked at the various items.

"So, come here often?" she said quietly.

The woman turned and gave Tricia a look. Tricia smiled and looked at her, and then stopped smiling. Wrong chin. Mouth was the wrong shape. And where did that mole come from?

"Oh ... um ... sorry. I thought you were someone else," Tricia apologized.

The blond woman humphed. "Obviously. And you thought I was someTHING else, too." And she walked away.

"Nyah-nyah-nyah-nyahhh!" Tricia muttered to herself, mocking the woman's attitude. She shrugged and headed for the counter. A woman stood behind it.

"May I help you?"

"Yes." Tricia said. "A friend of mine told me that you carry sports bras now. Can you show me them?"

The woman shook her head. "We don't carry sports bras."

Tricia blinked. "What?"

"We don't carry sports bras."

"But..." Tricia was stunned.

"HEY! WAITRESS!" A high-pitched voice called from the dressing rooms. Tricia was startled by it and saw a small pixie of a woman come skipping out of the dressing room carrying a bra. She was short, curvy, well-proportioned, and had short black hair. She slapped the bra on the counter. "Does this come in an E-cup?" she asked energetically.

"I'm helping this other woman right now," the clerk chided.

"Oh! Sorry!" The girl looked at Tricia. "Didn't mean to interrupt! Actually, I did, but I didn't mean to get in trouble for it," she babbled. "Sorry. They have what you're looking for?"

"Uh, no." Tricia managed.

"Oh! Well, then I guess you're done here!" She turned back to the clerk. "Do you have this in an E-cup?"

The clerk sighed. "Madam, we measured you. You are not an E-cup. You wear a D-cup."

"A girl can dream! Can't she?" she bellowed. She turned to Tricia. "Can you believe this? What ever happened to 'The Customer is Always Right!'? Sheesh!" She rolled her eyes.

The clerk sighed, went to a nearby rack, and pulled out another bra. "Here you go."

"Thank you!" the pixie girl cried, and she skipped over, grabbed the bra, and jumped into the dressing room.

The clerk shook her head. "I hate when she comes in here," she muttered to herself and returned to Tricia.

Tricia shook her head, reacquiring her bearings. "I'm confused. My friend said that you carry sports bras now, and that you were getting a shipment in around noon, and that there was an unadvertised manager's special."

The clerk looked confused. "Sorry. No. No sports bras, no deliveries, and no unadvertised manager's special. I'm afraid your friend must have confused us with some other place."

Tricia's heart sank. "Oh..." She felt confused and disappointed. Part of her was upset that she couldn't get the bra she wanted, but mostly she couldn't believe the fact that Quantum Knight, a superhero of all people, apparently lied to her. Well, what do you expect? That was pretty damn nervy asking a superhero where she buys her underwear. But at least she could have said 'None of your goddamnned business!'

"ALL RIGHHT!!! WHOO!" came a cry from the dressing room. "LOOK AT THEM GO!!" The pixie girl stuck her head out of the curtain. "I'M TAKING IT!!" And she popped back in again.

Tricia stood there with this dumb look on her face. "Are you okay?" asked the clerk.

"Yeah..." she said. "I'm just kind of ... processing this. I don't think this was a mistake. I think she lied to me."

The pixie girl skipped out of the dressing room carrying the E-cup bra, and slapped it on the counter. "I'm taking it!" She put her purse on the counter and started digging in it, and then looked over at Tricia.

"Aww ... Well YOU look like you're out of chocolate. What's the matter?" She pulled out some cash as the clerk rang up the sale.

Tricia shrugged. "A friend of mine ... she sent me on this wild goose chase. Said they had sports bras here, and she was very specific. Here."

The girl raised her eyebrows. "Some friend. Well, now that she knows that you're out of the house, you may want to give your boyfriend a call before she gets to him."

Tricia chuckled. "I don't think that's it." And she looked dejected again.

"But hey, if you're looking for sports bras, you gotta try the sports shop a couple doors down."

Tricia perked up. "Really?"

"Sure! Great ones! I'll show you!"

"Oh. Thanks!"

The girl paid for the bra, took her bag, and skipped towards the door. "Come on!"

Tricia looked at the clerk. "I'll take her off your hands," she said, and she headed for the door.

The pixie girl was a bundle of nerves and energy, and she skipped and bounced ahead of Tricia. "Oh, you are going to love these bras! You won't believe the support they give you! They're pretty ugly, but Hey! I don't know your name. My name is Sandy! Sandy Carter. What's yours?"

"Tricia. Tricia Sanchez."

"WAIT! Wait! I know you!" She stopped and pointed at Tricia. "I've seen you before! Where have I seen you before?" Sandy bounced in front of Tricia, studying her, checking out her face, hair, and body. Sandy gave Tricia's large breasts a careful consideration. "You do porn, don't you?"

Tricia smiled. "No. I'm on TV. WKMB news?"

"OH! THAT'S IT! I remember you now! Yeah!" She skipped forward some more. "I didn't recognize you without your cleavage. You know, you really shouldn't dress like that. It really makes you look trampy."

Tricia nodded as she followed. "Well, my boss insists, and it helps in the ratings."

"I'll bet it does. So, do you, like, get a lot of fan mail?"

Tricia nodded. "Yeah, you could say so."

"They ever talk about the stories you do?"

Tricia shook her head. "Nope. I get a lot of marriage proposals, though."

"THAT is awesome!" Sandy exclaimed.

They reached the sports shop and Sandy pushed inside. "Come on!" she called. Tricia followed her through the store until they reached a women's garments section. Sandy fluttered and flitted about like a hummingbird, searching and scanning until she found what she was looking for. "AHA! Here!" She dropped her purse on the floor, and pulled the bra from the rack.

"Tricia, may I present to you the Enell 100 Sports Bra, the grand pooh-ba of bras, stronger than duct tape, softer than..." She fingered the material and shrugged. " ... cement. Designed by NASA to catch meteors. Plus, it's got a moisture wick layer, so you can sweat the hell out of it. What size do you wear?"

Tricia looked at the bra. "I ... um, thirty-eight F."

Sandy's eyebrows shot up. "Damn, girl! Leave some for the rest of us!" She went back to the rack, pulled another bra, and handed it to Tricia. "Changing room is over there. Give it a try! Your boobs will love you for the rest of your life."

Tricia grinned and took the bra and her purse into the changing room while Sandy waited outside. She slipped out of her shirt and bra, and put the sports bra on. It closed up in the front with an insane number of hooks. She pulled and twisted and adjusted her breasts, and it felt tight and it pinched a bit. Frowning, she came out of the dressing room. "What do you think?"

Sandy took one look at her. "Here! Let me help you." And she grabbed Tricia and pulled her back into the dressing room. Once in there, Sandy grabbed the front of the bra roughly, undid a few hooks, pulled it, and shoved her hand inside, grabbing and moving one of Tricia's huge breasts.

"Excuse me!" Tricia said. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, just relax," Sandy said. "It's just us girls. Haven't you ever done this with your sisters?"

"I don't have sisters!" Tricia said. "So if you're going to feel me up, at least ... buy me a drink first!"

Sandy grinned as she extracted her hands from the bra, and started hooking it back up. "I'll have to do that! What do you think?" She stepped back.

Tricia looked down at her breasts. They were held snugly in the sports bra. It was comfortable, and very supportive. "Oh my god..." she said as she ran her hands over her breasts. "This is AMAZING!"

Tricia jumped out of the dressing room and into the general store area. She bounced and jumped, and her breasts stayed firm in the bra. "This is INCREDIBLE!" she shouted.

Sandy came out, following and beaming. "What did I tell you?"

Tricia dropped into a combat stance and threw a few punches and kicks. Sandy screeched and jumped back, avoiding her flying fists and feet. "What are you doing?"

"Tai Kwon Do!"

"Really? Wow! What are you, a black belt?"

"No. White belt."

"What does that mean?"

"It means my check cleared. Oh, this is AMAZING!" She stopped and jogged in place. "I LOVE THIS BRA!" she yelled excitedly and turned to Sandy. "Oh! You have no IDEA how many places I've looked for a good bra! THIS..." She pointed at her chest. " ... is the bra I've been looking for my entire life!"

Sandy held her hands outstretched and just beamed with pride. "Oh, I love a happy ending!"

Tricia was ecstatic, and she ran back into the dressing room, and admired herself in the mirror. "Wow! I..." Sandy followed her in. "I don't know how to thank you! This is just amazing! I ... I'm going to cry! I owe you lunch! Oh, thank you!" She turned and twisted, eyeing her figure from every angle. "You are a lifesaver!"

"That's what I do."

Tricia twisted once more and suddenly stopped. That last exchange echoed in her mind. "You are a lifesaver! That's what I do." It was the exact exchange that she had with Quantum Knight yesterday.

And it wasn't just the same words. It was the same rhythm. Same inflections. Same energy. And with the exception of a register change, same voice.

Tricia stared at Sandy.

Sandy smiled back.

Tricia's eyes went wide.

Sandy winked.

Tricia's jaw dropped.

Sandy wiggled her eyebrows.

"Y ... You..." she started to say.

Sandy took a hold of Tricia's bra straps and adjusted them. "Did you know" she said, "that when you ask a superhero a personal question, you're usually going to get a bullshit answer?"

"Uh..."

"I mean, I learned the hard way. Someone once asked me where I hang out after work, and I said I like going to the 9:30 Club. And the very next night you couldn't get in! I mean, you should have seen the crowd. Oh, they were letting in all the tall blonds, but I couldn't get in! I bet it was murder on all those girls, with all those guys hitting on them thinking they were going to bag a superhero."

Tricia blinked. "But..."

"But I found out that once a really good rumor gets out, it hits the blogs within an hour or two. So I keep an eye out for all the Quantum Knight gossip. Man, I LOVE RSS feeds! So when someone asks me something really personal like, say, oh, do you use sponges or are you on the pill, I say 'well, this is just between us, okay?' And they're all like 'Oh yeah, Absolutely! It's just us!" And then I give a bullshit answer and check the blogs the next day. And sure enough, there it is."

Tricia shook her head and blinked. "You..."

"But YOU! You asked me where I get my bras from, and this is right after you revealed something really embarrassing about you to me and trusted me with it, and as I'm giving you the bullshit test, I'm thinking, 'She wouldn't really blab now, would she?' And sure enough, I checked the blogs even until this morning, and not a peep. You can keep a secret. You can be trusted." She poked Tricia in the chest several times as she spoke.

Tricia was still stunned. "But you're ... you're so..." she pointed.

Sandy frowned, and then she got it. "Oh, the HEIGHT thing? Oh, let me show you." She kicked off her shoes, pulled up her blouse, and reached behind her. "Gotta loosen a few things first." she said, and she undid her bra.

Sandy then suddenly grew an entire foot, becoming much larger proportionally in every direction. Tricia jumped back in shock. Sandy's blouse squeezed tight on her chest and the fabric stretched over her much larger breasts, and she was definitely taller than Tricia now. She spoke in a much deeper voice. "Is this the person you were looking for?"

Tricia gasped.

Sandy dropped back to her normal size, and reached around behind her, adjusting her clothes.

"I ... I didn't know you could do that!" Tricia finally managed to say.

"And the fewer people who know that, the better. Don't like doing that. It gives me a wedgie like you wouldn't believe! Haven't quite managed the whole 'grow your clothes with you' aspect of that power." She fumbled with her bra, hooking it back up.

"How ... How did you do that?"

"Oh, for me, Planck's Constant is just a serving suggestion. Believe me, if I could get my clothes to do that too, that would REALLY help my wardrobe budget. But it's not like you're going to see me doing that in the field. No, there's only a small range of sizes where the oxygen will chemically react with me, but outside of that I can't really breathe. But you know the weird thing? When I'm smaller, I'm actually proportionally stronger. This is why I'm so jittery all the time, I got so much energy when I'm small. I'm five-two now, but I'm usually five-eight, and I'm six-two in the costume. I feel stronger and faster in this size, but I tell you, being a big woman, scares the crap out of guys! Worth every inch!"

Tricia shook her head again. "You're ... You're Quantum Kni..."

"Shh-shh-shh! Yeah. I'm Quantum Knight. Look, sorry for scaring you yesterday. Part of the whole superhero attitude. But I gotta tell you Tricia ... I am SO glad I found you! I have been looking everywhere for someone to VENT on! Someone I can trust! I mean, when you hang out with other superheroes, you tend to just talk about the same stuff over and over again, and I..."

Sandy suddenly looked surprised, and then annoyed. "Excuse me for a moment." She stepped out of the dressing room.

Tricia could hear her yelling. "HEY! YOU! LEAVE MY PURSE ALONE! YEAH, I'M TALKING TO YOU! I KNOW! I KNOW WHERE I LEFT IT! YEAH, I KNOW I'M DOING SOMETHING STUPID BUT YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING WRONG! LEAVE MY STUFF ALONE!"

Sandy came back into the dressing room. "I swear! Some people! All she had to do was ask who's purse it was. She didn't have to OH MY GOD!" She turned angrily and marched back out of the dressing room. "HEY! I SAID LEAVE MY PURSE ALONE! NO, I KNOW YOU WERE TOUCHING IT! DON'T LIE TO ME. HEY, I CAN SEE THAT CROSS YOU WEARING! DON'T MAKE ME GO OVER THERE AND EXPLAIN TO YOU WHAT YOUR RELIGION SAYS ABOUT LYING AND MESSING WITH OTHER PEOPLE'S STUFF! IT'LL BE EMBARRASING FOR BOTH OF US!"

She marched back in. "Good lord! What is wrong with her? I mean, doesn't she know women don't like it when someone messes with their OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!" She marched back out again. "FINE! GREAT! YOU MADE YOUR POINT! I NOW KNOW I CANNOT TRUST YOU!"

Sandy finally came back in with her purse and she threw it on the bench, sat down next to it, and fumed. She blew a strand of hair out of her face, which fell back down into her face again. She took a deep cleansing breath, and blew it out.

"I swear, sometimes I wonder why I am a humanitarian." She sighed, and looked at Tricia. "Do you want to get some lunch?"



-------

Chapter 9: Calzone and Garden Salad





Monday, July 13, 2009, 12:30 PM

"How can you eat that?" Tricia asked.

"What? This?" said Sandy.

"Yeah! A sausage calzone with extra cheese! How do you eat that and keep your figure?"

"Well, I get about four hours of vigorous exercise every night beating the crap out of muggers and rapists. I burn it off."

Tricia shuddered. "You and my roommate! How do I get that kind of metabolism? I am getting so sick of garden salads."

"Are you going to eat those croutons?"

"No. You can have them."

They were sitting in a booth in the food court of the mall. It was fairly loud with shoppers milling about, and Tricia and Sandy had picked up their food at an Italian fast food place.

"So ... what is it that we have here?" Tricia asked, gesturing to the two of them.

"Warll..." Sandy said, chewing with her mouth full. She held up her hand and chewed some more, chewed, chewed, and swallowed. "You should be a waitress. You're good at that. Well, what we have here are two people who know some seriously big secrets about each other, and agree to keep them. Now I know that you reporters have this term..."

"Lois Lanes?"

"Yeah, that's it. That's not what we have. Obviously this is not a romance thing. Although, granted, I did get to second base..."

Tricia giggled.

Sandy chuckled. " ... but I know that the 'Lois Lane' term really means that the reporter has exclusive access to a superhero for stories, and that's not what we have. I'm not here to give you official stories to print. Think of this more like a 'Jimmy Olsen'."

"Oh. So, just friends, but I get a signal watch?"

Sandy shrugged. "Turn in enough box-tops, and I'll see what I can do. But basically, I'd like to have a friend I can confide in, someone I can talk to. I mean, you have no idea how stressful and limiting it is to have to hide a huge secret constantly. Well, maybe NOW you do, because now you have your own huge secret. But, over time, it just gets incredibly lonely and it's this huge burden. And you want to just shout it out to the world, but you can't. So you need someone to talk to. And not just another superhero, but somebody normal."

Tricia nodded. I wonder if Joey feels like this too. I bet he does. He's been in hiding for five years. Even longer really. It must be ... painful. "So, por qué yo? Why me?"

"I like you. You're gutsy, and you're not afraid of sharing your vulnerabilities. And you trusted me with something big. I had to return the favor."

"This is a heck of a big return. Aren't you afraid you're taking a huge risk with me?"

"Hey, I'm Quantum Knight. I deal with insanely weird probabilities every day. And besides, I trust my instincts. My gut told me I could count on you."

"Thanks. Well, I'm here for you."

"Thanks," Sandy said. "And in return, I'm here for you too. I get the impression that you've never had to deal with superpowers before, right?"

Tricia nodded.

"Yeah, well it can be confusing and daunting, and you may need some advice or support. And if things get really bad, firepower and a hiding place."

"Eww. I hope it doesn't get to that point."

"Me too, but ... be prepared to deal with the unexpected. I know that it seems like just a little bit of time travel to you, but in my experience, it's never just one thing. Things could get dangerous. So if you need help, let me know. Okay?"

Tricia nodded. "Okay." She took another bite of salad. "So I have like ... a million and one questions."

"Such as?"

"Well, the usual. How did you get your powers? What all can you do? What's life like?..." She grinned. "Who are you dating?"

Sandy laughed. "Some of those answers are far more interesting than others." She took a bite. "Okay. Secret origin time! You are currently looking at the only superhero who got her powers ... from community college."

Tricia burst out laughing. "WHAT?"

Sandy actually blushed. "Seriously! Um ... You've heard of the four power sources, right?"

"Yeah, um ... Science, Magic, Cosmic, and Mutation, right?"

"Yeah, that's it."

"That never made any sense to me. Aren't Science and Mutation just like, different aspects of the same thing?"

"Yeah, well. It's physically the same, but different catalysts. Sciences are those people who get their powers from some industrial accident or strange external environmental influence, while Mutants are just born with the abilities embedded already. But they are both genetic enhancements that take advantage of the natural laws of physics. Some people say we should combine the two into one Natural source, but tradition continues. It's like the way some people continue to call Pluto a planet."

Tricia nodded. "That makes sense."

"And of course, they are still considered different because of how you find them. Sciences tend to have some lingering radioactivity from the catalyst, so you can usually find these people with a Geiger counter. Mutants on the other hand, their catalyst is a specific gene, so they can now be found with a simple blood test. I tell you, there are some really paranoid people in this country who are trying to make that blood test available over-the-counter, and when that happens, I swear, the shit is going to hit the fan!"

"Sounds like a huge, privacy issue," Tricia said. "I imagine neighbors testing each other, or mandatory employee testing in large companies.

"Or specific testing right there at the airport," Sandy added. "Then you've got your Magics, and these people just take one look at the natural laws of physics and say 'Fuck it, I'm using something else.' And they tap power from another dimension. And the cool thing about Magics is they all have to do the same thing in breaking a hole out of this universe into another, so they can all detect each other. You can use a mage to find any other mage."

"And then there are the Cosmics, like..."

Sandy nodded. "Like me. Right."

"And what is a Cosmic? I've never understood it."

"Well, it's kind of the opposite of natural, in that in natural powers you are working with the laws of physics to achieve your effect."

"But isn't Magic the opposite of that? Where you are working with unnatural laws, or against the laws of physics?"

"That's how Magic is opposite to natural powers. Cosmic is opposite to natural powers in that the laws of nature work with you to achieve their effect."

Tricia looked puzzled. "¿Qué?"

"Every Cosmic is the embodiment of a natural law. Like I embody Quantum Mechanics. Impetus, up in New York, he embodies momentum and Newtonian physics. Over in Los Angeles there's Gauge, who embodies Boyle's laws of pressure and temperature. And so on. There are only a very few of us, and never two for the same type at any given time. But the universe, it just picks certain people who... 'get it', you know? People who understand something so clearly, so instinctively, that the universe noticed this person understanding it."

"What, so like the universe is conscious? Like, are you talking about God?"

Sandy shrugged. "Well, I'm over-anthropomorphizing. Trying to express it in terms we mere mortals can understand. We really don't know. What we do know is this: Cosmics are people who learn something about the universe, and it's just the right combination of the right brain getting the right concept at the right time. Some people are just born with a lucky disposition to understanding something so well, that the thing they understand starts to understand them right back. Understand?"

Tricia shook her head. "That's going to take me a moment to parse all that. Um ... no."

"Okay, well let me give you my example. Back when I was younger, I had a crush on this cute guy. He was this brainy, geeky guy who was just as terrified of women as I was of him. But he was into physics, so I decided to take a course in modern physics just basically so I could have something to talk to him about. I know that sounds weird, but my brain has always been a little fizzy. I think in weird ways. So I enrolled in community college and I'm in this class, and the instructor starts talking about Quantum Mechanics, and one of the first things he said was if you think you understand it, you really don't. But I started studying it, and something weird happened. I understood it. Clearly understood it from the first day. Quantum Mechanics made so much sense to me, that I was predicting what the next chapters were saying before we got to them. It was as if I had found this ... missing part of my soul that I didn't even know was missing. I understood so strongly, this flash of understanding was so bright, that the universe noticed me. That's what it felt like."

Sandy paused while Tricia watched. She continued. "Soon afterwards I found that I could produce quantum weirdness at macroscopic scales. Quantum Mechanics found me, and gave me some freedom to control it, and to express it. And for a while I had no idea what had happened to me. All I knew was I had these strange new abilities. I did the testing. I wasn't radioactive. My doctor gave me the blood test but I wasn't a late blooming mutant. I found a mage to check me out. No magic. That left one thing. So I hopped a plane to New York to visit the EarthGuard embassy, and of course, you can't get in unless you made an appointment when you were pre-natal, and I wasn't stupid enough to try and teleport in. Wasn't that good at it then. But as I was standing outside the compound, I saw Impetus take off, and as he's flying over us, he looked at the crowd of people from hundreds of feet in the air and did this double-take! And then he came down and landed in front of me, and said 'Who are you?' And that's when I knew for certain. I was a Cosmic."

Tricia sat captivated by the story. "How did you know? What did it feel like?"

Sandy smiled. "Ever notice that babies all seem to know each other? Well, Cosmics are children of the universe. We recognize each other. I could see it in him, and he could see it in me."

"Wow," Tricia said. "That sounds so ... romantic."

Sandy had this dreamy look in her eyes. "Yeah, it was ... He fucked the hell out of me that night."

Tricia did a spit-take and burst out laughing. "WHAT?" she screamed. Sandy nodded. "YOU! YOU AND IMP..."

"Shush-shush-shush..." She waved her to be quieter. "Yeah!"

Tricia buried her face in her hands and shook, laughing. "I wasn't ... I wasn't expecting that."

Sandy grinned. "Tricia ... Remember now, no stories, Okay?"

Tricia nodded. "Yeah. Absolutely! Oh my god..."

"Good, because I have got to tell you ... you have NO idea how much of that goes on in the superhero circles."

"You're kidding! Really? I always thought you all were these, I don't know ... virtuous paragons of morality, role models, completely uptight..."

She shook her head. "You read too many comic books. Tricia, you have to think about this. First, all the best superheroes are in incredible physical shape, which just makes you look stunningly sexy and impressive, head to toe. I mean, being sexy and impressive looking is REALLY intimidating to someone when you're up against him in combat, because you look so healthy and strong. If you can make your opponent hesitate and second-guess himself, it's a huge deal. It's the main reason we wear these tight costumes. We look so good in them. Now, when you put a whole bunch of these sexy and impressive looking people in the same room but without combat, it just gets everyone's engines started."

Tricia shook as she giggled.

"But it gets worse! Tricia, you do Tai Kwon Do, so you probably have noticed that after a good workout session your body is feeling good. I mean, REALLY good. Your heart has been pumping hard, the blood is racing, all the muscles have been moving, and moving hard. You are loose and limber. Every part of your body is awake and alive, and I mean EVERY part. Right?"

Tricia nodded, grinning. "Yeah, I've noticed that."

"And on the way home, do you ever stop off at the store for fresh D-cell batteries?"

Tricia collapsed into her hands again, giggling. She looked up at Sandy who was also giggling. "Mine are rechargeable!" she bragged. "I'm an environmentalist."

"But you get horny, don't you?" Tricia laughed and nodded her head. "Well, take that feeling one step further. Imagine you are channeling ten to a hundred thousand watts of power through your body regularly. Imagine the physical conditioning you have to be in to handle that. Imagine a workout session that routinely moves hundreds of times more energy through your body, and you can take it. I swear, it's universal! Using superpowers makes you fucking horny as hell!"

Tricia pushed her hands into her face and screamed in laughter. A few people in neighboring tables looked over, attracted by the scream.

"Calm down!" Sandy laughed.

"Oh my god! I can't believe you said that. That's really true?"

Sandy nodded. "You ever notice that the superheroes after a big fight don't like to stick around for the cleanup? It's because we're horny! We need to find someone fast and fuck them!"

Tricia tried to contain herself, but just sat and laughed into her hands. "Oh my god. I had no idea ... So when you were like, partnering with Acou..."

"Shush ... Yeah, Acoustyx."

"So you two would..."

"Every fucking night, right there on the rooftops!" Tricia collapsed again. "And one of the best parts of doing it with an audio-kinetic is that you can scream at the top of your lungs and nobody can hear you!"

Tricia was in hysterics and it took her a long time to composed herself. "Whew ... Oh my god ... So, you and Acou..."

"Shush-shh!"

"Sorry. So, you and he were partners." She started to get serious. "Wait! Where is he? What happened to him? He's been gone for months. Is he all right?"

Sandy nodded. "He's fine. He just on this ... special assignment."

"What's he doing? Can you tell me, or is it classified?"

"Well, it's a little embarrassing, but ... Okay, remember after AmeriForce disintegrated, when all of us good heroes left for EarthGuard and all that was left were the racist psychotics that Dick Cheney brought in? Well, they relocated down to Mississippi. Bullwhip has family down there, and he went on a visit and disappeared. Apparently, the Khristian Kaped Krusaders down there didn't like the idea of an African-American superhero, and decided to show him his place. So Acoustyx, Snow Angel, Multiplex, and I went down for a rescue mission. And we found him and got him out of there, but we got into a big fight with them. One of the..." air-quotes " ... heroes was this girl who called herself 'Southern Belle', and she was another audio-kinetic. And she and Acoustyx just went after each other. And they really laid into each other. And I'm sure you've never heard two audio-kinetics fight each other before, because your ears are not still bleeding. The rest of us had to scatter, because you couldn't be within a mile of these two, it was that loud. And it was this awful cacophony of horrid sounds, and you could SEE the air vibrating, and it just went on and on until suddenly I heard what sounded like the most beautiful sound I have ever heard in my life. I cannot describe it. And then it went silent. The rest of us, we managed to subdue and capture the others, but when we got back, they were gone.

Sandy smiled. "We found them three hours later in a motel room fucking like rabbits." Tricia collapsed in laughter again. "Apparently, the local sheriff got reports of very loud noises."

"So what happened?" Tricia asked.

"I asked him that. He said they were hitting each other with so many different frequencies and suddenly they just ... resonated. That was the only description he could give me. Apparently you have to be an audio-kinetic to really understand. But it sounded like they just found that magic frequency that turned them both on, and they realized that they really didn't want to fight anymore." Sandy shrugged. "She surrendered to the authorities and cut a deal with the D.A., testifying against her old partners. And she got a light sentence. House arrest. Technically, Acoustyx is her jailer and she is confined to their house, but for all practical purposes they are being paid by the government and EarthGuard to stay in a house and have sex."

"Ohh ... That is so sweet!"

"It is. After her sentence is up they're getting married. She's reforming. I mean, she still has a way to go. Her politics are for shit and she's fighting a lifetime of teaching of racial hatred. She can't stand blacks or Jews or Mexicans, but she's making progress. The last time I saw her was the first time she didn't accuse me of being a race traitor. He's got a good effect on her."

Tricia grinned. "So ... you miss him?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you miss spending time with him?"

Sandy's eyes went wide. "Do I miss the guy who could vibrate any part of his body at any frequency and any amplitude? HELL YES I miss him!"

They both burst into laughter.

Tricia spoke up. "So, having sex with another super..."

"Shush-shush-shhh."

"Okay, wait. You keep shushing me! And you're talking just as loud as I am. What's up with that?"

"Oh, it's quantum mechanics. Waves collapse when they are observed. If I prevent the collapse for an observer, the waves don't focus. I can do that for light and sound, per observer. Basically, everyone can hear me speaking, but you are the only one who can understand me. I just sound muffled to everyone else. It's pretty handy."

Tricia frowned and squinted. "Huh?"

"You're a reporter. You know the worst thing about Quantum Knight when it comes to reporting about her."

Tricia's eyes went wide. "Cameras don't focus on her."

Sandy nodded. "And microphones don't pick up her voice. She comes in muffled and blurry, so all you can tell is something is there, but you can't see or hear her clearly. I can do that to any observer, eyes and ears, natural or artificial. Here. Listen. Your name is 'Tricia Sanchez' You have spent your entire life keying in on that particular sound. It's the most recognizable pattern of sounds in your life. You can pick it up in a crowded room. So from two feet away from you I'm going to say your name clearly, and let's see if you can hear me. Ready? Trmmrrm Mrmrmr."

Tricia did a double take. Sandy's lips clearly said 'Tricia Sanchez', but the sound was muffled.

"Wow. That's cool."

"I can do that to anything looking at me too." And Sandy suddenly appeared all fuzzy and out of focus. Tricia's eyes watered and strained as she tried to focus on her.

She rubbed her eyes. "Whoa ... Don't do that! That ... hurts."

Sandy refocused. "I can do that to anyone or anything, individually or collectively. Right now I'm letting people and cameras see me, but I'm not letting people hear me, other than you."

"You did that to those men in the store yesterday, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah. It's a big help in close combat."

"But how do you know if it's a camera looking at you, as opposed to a person? I could see you, but my camera couldn't."

"Couple reasons. Most people have two eyes, but cameras have one. Also, eyes have round retinas, while cameras have square CCDs. But the big clue is the bandwidth. Video cameras are sensitive in the infra-red."

Tricia frowned. "So you can just tell if someone is looking at you?"

Sandy nodded. "Uh-huh. I can tell because I can feel the waves collapsing. I immediately know if someone is looking at me. Eyes in the back of my head. Right now there is a table of five boys behind me who have been checking us out all this time. I can tell they are occasionally looking at me, but I'm pretty sure they're mostly looking at you."

Tricia glanced in their direction. They were there, five teen-aged boys all joking and watching them. "You have no idea how much I want to flirt with them right now," she said.

Sandy giggled. "I'm sure they would appreciate that."

Tricia smiled and thought. She lowered her voice. "So you can teleport."

"Quantum tunneling. Yeah."

"How far can you..."

"I have no idea. I think the power is practically unlimited, but I don't like going so far into areas I can't see. That's a blind teleport, and it's pretty risky. If I teleport inside a solid object, it can get pretty dangerous."

"Eww. Does it like, merge with you?"

"No, but it's like slamming into a brick wall and I bounce back. Hurts like hell. And the further the jump is, the more painful it is. I think at distances greater than a mile it would probably kill me. So, I don't jump that far blind, with the exception of my clean room."

"Your clean room?"

"Yeah. Back at the Singularity. I keep a room empty as a jump location. It's got ultrasonic and temperature sensors that keep a watch in case anything gets in, and it alerts me if..."

"Hold it ... The 'Singularity'? What's that?"

Sandy blushed. "Well ... you've heard of the Fortress of Solitude? The Batcave? It's my place. Basically it's my townhouse. It's where I keep all my equipment."

Tricia giggled. "Why do you call it that?"

"Cause it's fun."

She shrugged, smiling. "Okay. I'll buy that. So how does your clean room alert you if it's compromised? Does it Twitter you? Send you an email?"

"Nothing that elaborate. It just turns on a small motor which spins an object I'm entangled with."

Tricia frowned. "Entangled? What's..."

"Quantum entanglement. When two particles are entangled with one another, they affect each other at great distances. I can entangle myself with objects. Best if it's something non-biological, so it's not constantly exchanging particles with the biosphere. And when I'm entangled with it, I always know where it is, and how it's moving. I'm entangled with all of my equipment, so I can tunnel it to myself when I need it."

"Wow. That sounds handy."

"Yeah. But it's a shame. I really look good in a utility belt, but I don't need one."

They both chuckled over that. Tricia thought for a second. "And by 'equipment', you also mean your purse, right? That's how you could tell that woman was messing with your purse?"

Sandy nodded, smiling. "Yeah. Pretty handy. I haven't lost my keys or TV remote in eight years."

Tricia toyed with her salad. "Can't tell you how much I'd love to have that power. I'm losing things constantly." She clutched her crucifix. "I'd go nuts if I lost this."

Sandy looked at Tricia's necklace. "Do you always wear that?"

"What?"

"That necklace, with the cross?"

"Yeah."

"Can I see it?" She held out her hand.

Tricia paused, took off her necklace and handed it to her. "Sure."

Sandy took it, looked at it, and held it tight in her fist. Then she reached into her purse and pulled out a small digital camera. "Want to do me a favor?"

"What?"

"Go make a distraction. Over there. Here, you can refill my drink."

"Okay ... why?"

Sandy grinned. "There's always a huge photon release. Don't want people looking at me. I hope people will think it's just the camera flash."

Tricia looked at Sandy curiously. "You're going to ... oh! All right. Um..." She picked up Sandy's cup. "What kind of distraction do you need?"

Sandy raised an eyebrow. "Tricia, I'm sure you know how to be distracting," she said with a grin.

Tricia grinned back. "That, I do."

She got up, straightened her clothes a bit, and did a sultry strut across the food court, stepping hard to bounce her breasts and shake her butt a bit. She put some sway into her hips, and gave a sexy smile to the five boys as she passed them. She reached the drink dispenser and popped one foot up as she filled the cup with iced tea. She turned and saw a lot of people looking at her, including all five boys at that table. She dipped her finger into the drink and sucked on her fingertip suggestively.

There was a bright flash of light that came from their table. Sandy shook her head as if she had accidentally set the flash off on her camera.

Tricia strutted back, and 'accidentally' dropped the straw. She bent down provocatively, picked up the straw, and returned to her table, blowing a little air-kiss to the boys at their table.

As she sat back down, Sandy looked at her. "I didn't need THAT much of a distraction."

"Sorry. I got on a roll. Did you do it?"

"Yep." She handed the necklace back to Tricia. "I am now entangled with this. I will always know where it is, and as long as you are wearing it, where you are. You'll never lose it."

"Wow! ¡Gracias!" Tricia put the necklace back on. "So is this my signal watch?" she asked grinning.

Sandy chuckled. "I guess so. You're welcome." She took another bite and stared at Tricia. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

She pointed at her with her fork. "After we met yesterday, I checked you out on the WKMB website. Saw some videos, read your bio ... It said you're Brazilian?"

"Yes!" she answered proudly.

"Yet you speak Spanish?"

She nodded and lifted an eyebrow. Oh, I can see where this is going.

"Shouldn't you be speaking Portuguese?"

"Oh, that," Tricia said resignedly, and chuckled to herself. "Você fala o Português?"

Sandy squinted in confusion. "Huh?"

"¿Habla Español?"

Sandy shook her head. "No, I don't know any Spanish."

Tricia winked at Sandy. "Yes you do. You know enough to recognize it and know if someone is asking you if you know how to speak it. But you don't know any Portuguese. Which make sense. It's not used here that often, at least as often as Spanish is. I just don't have much use for the Portuguese as I do the Spanish."

"So you just learned Spanish in college or high school?"

"No." Tricia bit her lip. "My turn to confess something."

Sandy grinned and leaned in closer. "Ooh. My quantum-sense is tingling. You have a secret."

Tricia giggled, hesitated, and nodded. "That I do." She leaned in close to whisper. "I'm not really ENTIRELY Brazilian."

Sandy raised an eyebrow.

Tricia continued. "My dad is Brazilian. My mom was Mexican. They came to America to have me. I was born in Arizona. I am what Fox News calls an 'anchor baby', but what should be called an 'American citizen.' Never even been to Brazil." She looked down and toyed with her salad.

"You father is, your mother was ... Is your mother..."

"Yeah. Four years ago. Breast cancer."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Tricia nodded. "Thanks." She shrugged. "Anyway, I grew up in a Spanish-speaking community. All my friends when I was a kid were Mexican. We all spoke Spanish."

"So the mystery is not why you speak Spanish, but why you say you're Brazilian." Sandy cocked her head. "Why don't you tell people you're Brazilian-Mexican?"

Tricia chuckled to herself. "Well, it's a mouth-full, but that's not main the reason." She sighed. "Look. I've tried it. I've told people that I'm Brazilian-Mexican, but when I do they get this strange look on their faces, like they are trying to figure something out. It's like they get this mixed message, like they have to make some decision. So I tried dropping one or the other, just to see what people's reactions would be. And what I found out was when I tell people I'm Mexican, one out of three suddenly doesn't like me anymore. It's like I'm this intruder, or an invader. Like I don't belong in this country, even though I was born here."

Sandy nodded. "Ah. I see."

Tricia continued. "But when I tell people I'm Brazilian..." She paused and smiled. There was a twinkle in her eye. "Oooh ... Suddenly I'm not an alien or an intruder. Now I'm ... exotic! Their eyes perk up and they smile. They get interested." She grinned. "Especially men. Brazilians are sexy and rare. So I tell people I'm Brazilian." She toyed with her food a moment. "I suppose it's a bit like you wearing that tight costume. You take any advantage to make yourself sexier. So do I. It helps me when dealing with MY opponents."

"Your opponents? You mean..."

"Men."

Sandy chuckled and nodded.

Tricia smiled and sighed. "Sometimes I wonder what I really am. Am I Brazilian? Am I Mexican? Or am I just American? It's like I'm this amalgamation of overlapping identities, and I don't know who I am anymore." She squinted at Sandy. "Speaking of which ... Okay, um ... yesterday, that guy was shooting at you, and you did this thing where you ... split into all these ghosts or something?"

Sandy nodded and sighed. "Yeah. That's super-positioning. I don't like doing that. It's exhausting, but it allows me to pick out a very improbable event, like deflecting ten bullets with a metal staff, and make that the most likely outcome. Unfortunately, in all the other outcomes where I get hit by up to ten bullets, well, all that pain still comes through."

Tricia winced. "Ew ... You actually got shot?"

"Technically I 'probably' got shot, but just didn't. But I still felt it. All ten bullets."

"I'm sorry you went through that. Does it still hurt?"

"No, it's just phantom pain, and it goes away quickly, but obviously I don't like going through it."

"So why did you do it? Couldn't you have just jumped behind him?"

Sandy sighed. "I could have ... but..." She grimaced. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you were behind me. I had to stop the bullets."

Tricia's jaw dropped. "Oh ... um, sorry! ... I ... Thank you! But, I'm sorry. I guess I shouldn't have been there."

Sandy nodded. "It's okay. As I say, it's what I do. I know it's exciting to watch, but get out of the way next time. Okay?"

Tricia nodded. "Yeah, okay. Sorry."

Sandy smiled. "If there is one thing that the comic books get right, it's that the Lois Lanes and Jimmy Olsens tend to get into trouble. That's one of the reasons why they are so rare."

Tricia averted her eyes. "Now you got me feeling all guilty..."

"Really? Good! Now I can get more favors out of you!" She giggled. "So, what are you going to do with that video you shot yesterday?"

"I'm doing a story about the jewelry store robbery tonight. I'll be showing that as part of the segment." Tricia looked up at her. "You don't mind about that, do you?"

"No. I enjoy the publicity. And that's your job. That was all public stuff." Sandy took another bite and thought. "How do you do it?"

"What?"

"Go on TV like that. I could never ... It would scare the crap out of me."

Tricia gaped at the superhero. "You're kidding me, right? You? Scared?"

Sandy shook her head. "Not kidding. I don't have a problem fighting mutants, demons, sorcerers, and super-villains, but public speaking? Ugh! I don't know how you do it."

Tricia shrugged. "I never had a problem with getting in front of a lot of people and flaunting. Probably because I have four brothers. I learned pretty early how to manipulate lots of men."

Sandy chuckled. "You got any special man in your life you're currently manipulating?"

"Not really."

"What about... 'Him'?"

Tricia thought. "I'm not really sure what he is turning out to be. At first I was thinking he's just this amazing professional opportunity, but I think it's turning out to be something else."

"Oh?"

"I really can't go into any more detail right now."

Sandy nodded.

"What about you? With your old partner off making beautiful music with his new soul-mate, and your other boyfriend up in New York, you have anyone special?" She leaned in close. "You and Bullwhip ever get it on?"

Sandy grinned and wiggled her eyebrows.

"No! Really?"

She nodded. "It's casual. Nothing serious. And it's not like we're a specific item, or on a regular basis or anything. Remember, this guy pretty much has the pick of the entire city."

"So, what's he like?" Tricia grinned. "Is it true what they say? That he's actually carrying a third whip under his clothes?"

Sandy started shaking in silent laughter. "Oh my god! You know, I once thought that the sexiest thing I had ever seen was when I saw Bullwhip take off his shirt. I mean, the muscles on this guy! Oh! But I was wrong. Then he took his pants off." Sandy patted her chest and slipped into a Madeline Kahn voice. "It's twue! It's twue!"

Tricia laughed with her. "Oh my god! But, isn't it like, dangerous to do it with him? He's pretty strong, isn't he?"

"No stronger than any other well-built man. I mean, he is a bit of a body-builder, but he's still got regular human strength."

"But I've seen him! There's that iconic picture of him lifting a bus off that car."

"That's not his strength. He's a mutant with contact telekinesis. Anything he touches he can animate. That leather suit he wears amplifies his strength. He can also make the leather extremely tough. He's practically bulletproof in that. But when he's naked, he's got normal strength."

Tricia thought. "Oh. That explains why his whips look like tentacles. And that big cape he wears works like wings."

Sandy nodded. "This guy can get in and out of his clothes so fast you would not believe it. It's ... the weirdest thing to see. Clothes just flip on and off him all by themselves. And the sex? Oh! He makes the bed sheets grab you!" She chuckled. "I don't like that, but Iowa loves it!"

Tricia frowned. "Iowa? Who's..."

"Snow Angel. I call her Iowa. It's a private joke. She's just like the state; flat and fertile."

"Snow Angel? Flat? No, I've seen her. She's hardly flat."

Sandy shook her head, and gestured with her hands running them in a straight line down indicating parallel lines for a figure. "She's built like a twelve year old boy. She stuffs her costume. With snow of all things."

"What? Why?"

"It's a tactical advantage. Men think twice about fighting someone who looks really sexy. She discovered that years ago."

"Hmm. I guess that makes sense. Fertile?"

Sandy nodded. "This girl gets pregnant like you wouldn't believe. It's the magic. It wants to create life. A guy can be wearing two condoms and have sex with her, and she'll still get pregnant. She may be pregnant right now."

"I've never seen her carrying. How many kids does she have?"

"None."

Tricia paused. "Well how many times has she been pregnant?"

"Scores of times."

"Has she ever carried full-term?"

"No."

Tricia sat silently for a moment. "If that means what you are implying, I don't think I like her anymore."

"Tricia, you can't judge her like that. I don't know what the situation is, because I can't get a straight answer out of her, which is weird because she cannot physically lie. The magic won't let her. But she operates under a completely different set of physics. What we consider to be our morality is so entrenched in our own physics, our own situations, that some of our morals don't really apply to others." She thought. "Take Multiplex for an example. He's another case. He clones himself, up to hundreds of times a day. When he runs through the streets, he creates clones ahead of him and erases them behind him. Is he giving birth and killing himself hundreds of times a day? If so, he's the greatest mass-murderer in history. Yet we can't look at him like that. The physics are different, and you really can't apply your morality to him."

Tricia fingered her crucifix. "So what's happening to the babies?"

"I don't know. All I can tell you is that I've heard her say she's been pregnant scores of times, and I've never seen her at a clinic, and I've never seen her carry full-term. Something else is happening. But the magic is life-giving, life creating. I don't think she can abort them herself. She may be getting help. But, one thing I've learned in all these years as a superhero is, if you don't know the facts, don't jump to conclusions. I know what her situation looks like, but until you actually know the full story, you can't make a judgment. The only thing I know is that different rules apply to her."

"Have you ... asked her?"

Sandy nodded. "Yeah. She won't tell me."

"Well, it doesn't sound good if she's being evasive."

"She's not evasive. She's more ... flaky. She just doesn't talk about things that don't interest her. Or I don't know what it is. Maybe it's me. You should ask her. She may tell you." Sandy thought for a second. "Of course, you may want to be careful talking to her."

"What? Is she dangerous?"

"No. Just really, really forward. She would like you. You're her type."

Tricia blinked. "Her type? She's ... gay?"

"Oh no, no. Completely bisexual. She doesn't care what you've got, as long as you're willing. I swear, Iowa is perpetually horny. I think it's because she never stops using her powers. She is always flying. She hovers constantly. Her feet haven't touched the ground in years."

"Oh, fuck. Speaking of perpetually horny, that reminds me..." Tricia pulled out her cell phone and checked the time. "Damn. I have to get back to work."

"Ohh ... schedules and work and responsibilities and the daily grind..." Sandy moaned. "I miss it."

"Hey, you can have it! I'm tired of it. I'd love to try your life for a while."

"Grass is always greener. It's not as glamorous as you would think."

They started cleaning up. "Well, I suppose I wouldn't want to be facing the same threats you do. Demons, mutants, thugs ... lions, tigers, bears ... That's probably the hardest part, isn't it?"

Sandy shook her head. "No, not really. If anything, the hardest part is the restraint. Facing the bad guys, that's easy. You know what you need to do, and you try to do it as quickly and strongly as you can. But keeping quiet, and not killing someone who deserves it, that's the hard part. Like when I stop a rapist. I can't tell you how hard it is to keep from breaking the guy's skull in."

Tricia grimaced. "What's stopping you?"

"I'm a superhero. I have an ideal to live up to."

Tricia thought some more. "I don't know if I could do that," she admitted.

They cleaned up their trash, and Sandy indicated that she wanted to visit the ladies room. As they went in together, Sandy immediately checked the stalls and confirmed they were empty.

She turned to Tricia. "Tricia, I really want to thank you for today. You don't know how much this meant to me, just to hang out and chat over lunch. I don't get that opportunity very much anymore."

Tricia smiled. "Oh, it was my pleasure! I had fun and this was ... fascinating."

Sandy reached into her purse. "Here, let me give you my cell phone number."

"Oh, me too." Tricia looked in her purse for a business card. As they exchanged cards, Tricia asked "Who do I file this under?"

"File it under Sandy. And please, give me a call anytime. Of course, I'm usually not up at this hour. I'm a night worker." She grinned.

Tricia nodded. "Okay."

Sandy looked at Tricia with an expression of pure gratitude, and then stepped forward and embraced her. Tricia was a little shocked at first, but then held the woman and hugged her back. I wonder how often superheroes get to just hug someone?

They stood there for a moment, just hugging. "Mmmmm ... You feel good." Sandy murmured. She was warm and firm against her body, but softened as she relaxed her muscles. The superhero sighed, and let go of her. She stepped back and picked up her purse and shopping bag. "Thanks again. And I'll see you around sometime."

"Okay. um ... Do you need a ride somewhere?"

Sandy lifted an eyebrow, grinned, and vanished with a soft VRUMMMM.

Tricia stood there for a moment, her jaw dropped. "Oh ... Um ... I guess not!" She smiled to herself, picked up her things, and returned to work.

-------

Translation Guide

"Por qué yo?" - "Why me?"

"¿Qué?" - "What?"

"Você fala o Português?" - "Do you speak Portuguese?" (Portuguese)

"¿Habla Español?" - "Do you speak Spanish?" (Spanish)



-------

Chapter 10: Portraits and Strip Teases





Monday, July 13, 2009, 6:30 PM

"I'm home!" Tricia called out as she opened the front door. "I lucked out! Didn't have to do a live broadcast tonight." She put her purse and keys on the hall table. "And you won't believe the bra I found! It's this amazing bra! I bought three! I ... AAAHHH! ANNIE!"

She screamed because at that moment she saw that Annie was lying on the floor of the living room. Tricia ran in. "ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?"

She stopped when she saw the full picture. Annie and Joey were lying on the floor together, propped up on pillows, and reading a book. The TV was on, and the screen was frozen on an aerial shot of a train. Joey looked up and smiled at Tricia. "Hi Tricia!"

Annie turned to Tricia. "Oh hi! Shush-shush! We're at a good part here." She turned back to Joey. "Okay, keep going."

Joey read carefully. "I've ... learned ... all our ... course ... books by ... heart of ... course I ... just ... hope ... it will be ... enough ... I'm..." He screwed up his face. "What's this word?"

"Sound it out."

"Her ... Mee ... One? ... Own! Her-Mee-Own ... Gran ... Grr? ... Jer! ... Her-Mee-Own Granger."

Tricia frowned, and then realized what they were reading. "That's actually pronounced Her-My-Oh..."

"ATT! ATT! ATT! ATT!" Annie waved and shushed Tricia. She turned back to Joey. "Very good! That was absolutely right! Her-Mee-Own Granger!" Joey smiled with pride. "Except for one slight problem," Annie continued. "Her name is actually pronounced 'Her-My-Oh-Nee.'"

"Her-My-Oh-Nee."

"Yes. But! You did it right! You came up with the exact same wrong pronunciation that everyone else in this country came up with when this book first came out. It's a hard name. Good job!" Annie turned back to Tricia. "Hi! Did you know that our boy is not only seven books behind the rest of us, but he hasn't read a book in five years?"

Tricia blinked. "Um, no."

"I figure he's reading at a first or second grade level. So I thought I would start him on the classics."

"We're reading Harry Potter!" Joey exclaimed. "And, we're watching the movie, too."

Tricia was shocked, and thought back to the couple instances when she had seen him actually deal with reading. That makes so much sense. The text in the Gray's Anatomy book didn't interest him, and in the restaurant he just pointed at pictures of food. "Well, I see you two have been busy," she said, as she sat on the couch. "Did you get any work done today?"

"Ach! No! I've got a new project here," Annie answered. "We've got this boy to educate. We should divide up the subjects. I figure I can handle the three R's, and you can handle the four F's. But he's been busy. Look what else we have here!" She gestured to some pages sitting on the couch.

Tricia picked them up and looked at them. They were hand-drawn portraits of herself and Annie. "What the ... WOW! Is that ... Is that ME?"



"We have an artist in the family," said Annie proudly. "He did yours from memory. I got to pose for mine."



"Oh my goodness! These are incredible!" Tricia looked at the other picture. It was of Annie in a reclining position. "How did you learn how to draw like this?"

Joey shrugged. "I um ... I saw this guy once in a park and he was doing drawings of people, and I watched him and I asked him how he did that, and he said just draw what you see, and not what you know. So that's what I do."

Annie picked up his story. "So for the past several years he's been scrounging for supplies, finding whatever pens and blank paper he could find, and he's taught himself how to draw. And not only that, but he's discovered Art Therapy."

Joey frowned. "What's that?"

"You said drawing helps you think."

"Oh." He looked back at the book.

"So I noticed that he was drawing all the new things in his life, and he was drawing us as well. So obviously he's been thinking about us." Joey blushed as Annie said this. "He started drawing on the newspaper, but Oy, you should have seen his face when I showed him I had a ream of blank printer paper."

Tricia picked up the newspaper and looked at the drawings on it. There was his new dresser, Annie's chair, and a bed. She smiled. "So what brought up the book? Did he want to read?"

Annie shook her head. "No. I just noticed he had a hard time reading."

Joey sneered. "She played a trick on me."

Tricia raised her eyebrows. "What did you do, Annie?"

Annie grinned. "He was leaning on that paper, and it was open to the horoscopes."

Tricia looked at the paper. "So?"

"So I told him I was born on April 15th, and I was a Pisces."

"Well, I knew that," Tricia said as she looked at the paper. "What is that supposed to..." She paused and frowned. "Annie, it says here you're an Aries."

Annie nodded. "Something he would have noticed if he could read well. He didn't even notice that he had the horoscopes section in front of him." She turned to Joey. "And that is perfectly fine. Now that we know you need help with reading, we can help you with that."

"Annie, you told me you were a Pisces a couple days ago."

"What, a girl can't convert?" Tricia rolled her eyes. "And besides, I AM a Pisces. I checked it out." Annie rolled on her back and pointed up to the ceiling. "April 15th, 1986, the sun was in equatorial grid longitude 1 hour, 35 minutes, and latitude plus ten degrees. In the left side of Pisces, according to the official International Astronomical Union constellation boundaries. See, at least THEY take into account the precession of the equinoxes."

Joey looked at Tricia. "Do you know what she's talking about?"

Tricia shook her head. "No. I stopped listening to her a long time ago. Has she been like this all day?"

Annie waved her off and looked at Joey "Ach! Tricia doesn't get into the geek stuff like I do. She's more down-to-earth. Speaking of down-to-earth, Trish, when was the last time you vacuumed under the couch? It's filthy down there! I don't like looking at that."

"Well, let's get you up then. Joey, can you help me?"

Joey stood up and they each grabbed one of Annie's hands and lifted. "All right! This is so much easier!" Annie exclaimed as she easily pulled herself up with her strong arms. They spun her around and lifted her onto the couch. "Oh! A girl can get used to this kind of treatment!"

Tricia wheeled Annie's chair over to her. "So, it sounds like you both had fun today. You like that book, Joey?"

He nodded. "Yeah! He's ... like me. He lost his parents ... and he has these weird powers and he's been hiding ... and someone is after him."

Tricia frowned. "Who's after you?"

He shrugged. "I don't really know. Gus says that when he first found me, there were a lot of people looking for me. But he could tell they weren't good, and he helped me keep away from them. Eventually they stopped looking for me. But he also says that there are always people looking for any kids with powers. He helps us because he can find those people."

Tricia thought about that for a moment. "Hmm ... I wonder how he knows that." She pondered for another moment. Hey, If I can't get the book deal out of Joey, maybe I'm supposed to get some other story from him? She smiled at him. "Joey, you're my source. You think you can help me find Gus? I have a few questions for him."

Joey nodded. "Yeah, I think I can find him."

"Who's Gus?" asked Annie, as she finished shifting into her chair.

"A blind, homeless man. Hell of a judge of character. He helped me find Joey."

"Gus watches the kids on the streets," Joey said.

Annie raised her eyebrows. "A blind man watches the kids? And this works?"

Tricia nodded. "I'm thinking there's a story this man can give us. What do you say we pay him a visit?"

-------

They took the van down into the heart of the city, and Annie followed Joey's directions as they checked out the various places that he knew Gus might be.

Eventually they saw him sitting on the side of the street, but had to go a couple blocks away to get a parking space. They quickly found a good spot in a parking garage, got out of the van, closed and locked it, thanked the paraplegic girl, and headed down the street.

When Joey saw him, he called out "Gus!" and he and Scrappy started running towards him. The old man smiled as he heard the voice.

"Zat you, Joey?"

"Yeah! Hi Gus!" He ran up to the old man. Scrappy ran up to Gus, yapped, and sniffed around him.

"Been a couple days! Hey there, Scrappy!" He reached down and petted the dog. "Get out of my junk! You don't know where dat's been. Where you been at, Joey? That lady find you?"

"Yeah. She's here." Joey looked over at Tricia and Annie as they came up. "These are my friends, Tricia and Annie."

"Hola, Gus. Good to see you again."

"Hey! Tricia the disha! So you been taken care of my boy here, right? I can tell. For da first time in his life, he smell like SOAP!" He cocked his head. "I hear some wheels comin'. Somebody in a wheelchair?"

Annie smiled, impressed. "Shoolem-alekhem. Zayer oongenaim! Good to meet you, Gus. I'm impressed. I keep my wheels well oiled."

Gus seemed to hesitate for a second. "Girl, you talk funny. Where you from?"

"Manhattan."

Gus rocked a bit "Sometin' weird about your voice. You sound Chinee."

Annie raised an eyebrow. "I'm Japanese. Born in Tokyo." She frowned. "Didn't know I sounded like that."

Gus nodded. "Dat must be it. So Joey, deese two girls been takin' good care of you?"

"Yeah!" Joey answered enthusiastically. "They got me all these new clothes, and they got Scrappy a leash and a cage, and I got a haircut, and I got to eat three times yesterday! And Annie, she washed my face today..."

Tricia turned to Annie. "You what?"

"I gave him a facial. I'm working on that acne."

"Oh."

Joey continued " ... and she's been teaching me how to read, and Tricia, she taught me um ... umm..." He blushed.

Tricia interjected, "The facts of life."

Gus broke out in a huge smile. "Attaway to go, boy! My boy, he be turning into a MAN! Of course, you need to know dis stuff if you be livin' with deese two fly girls! Dey be runnin' round in dere underwear, and you be poppin' boners and knockin' the furniture over and shit. You need to know what's goin' on!" He chuckled and rocked back and forth in amusement as Joey turned several shades of purple. "I gotta thank you two girls for takin' my boy here and takin' good care o' him. He needed it. I knew I could trust you, girl! Now Joey, I can hear your breathin' in my direction. Why you lookin' at me, wastin' your eyes on my ugly ol' ass? You just go ahead and just look at dem big titty girls! I know you ain't tired o' lookin' at dem."

Tricia barked out a laugh, while Annie screwed up her face in confusion. "So, Gus," Tricia said. "I was hoping I could talk to you, ask you a few questions."

"Now what would you want to know 'bout me? I ain't nobody."

"I think you have a good story."

"I ain't got a good story. I'm just a bum."

"No, I don't think so. Joey says you watch the kids on the streets. What's up with that?"

"Now Joey, whatchu be doin' talkin' shit about me like that for? You know I can't see nutten."

Joey dropped his jaw. "You said that yourself! You told me that when you first found me!"

"Now don't chu go lying about me, boy! I ain't say that to you. What chu think you doin', standing there in yo new dress shirt and being all clean and everything, that don't make you all that!"

Annie's jaw dropped.

"Come on, Gus!" Joey said. "You took care of me, and you help all the kids out here."

"Howz an old blind man gonna do that, you tell me? Nah, I'm just glad you got cho-self a home now. You all don' need to be talkin' to me."

"OW!" Annie screamed.

Everyone jumped. Tricia and Joey looked at Anne. She was rubbing under her breast, and was grimacing in pain.

"What happened?" asked Tricia.

"My shlak under-wire just snapped!"

Tricia frowned. "How did that happen?"

"How should I know?" Annie said, unbuttoning her blouse right there on the street.

"Annie, what are you doing?" Tricia asked a bit nervously as she looked around at the other people on the street.

"I gotta fix this! It's pinching my pazookheh like you wouldn't believe!" Annie had pulled her blouse out forward and was looking down into her cleavage.

"You have to do that right here? Out in the open?"

"What? You would! Joey! Don't look at me! Turn around! And you too! Both of you! Just stand close and give me some privacy."

Joey bashfully turned around, and Tricia did so too. They stood close to Annie, blocking her from as much of the street as possible, while Annie dug her hand into her bra. "I can't believe you're doing this out here!" muttered Tricia as she looked away from Annie.

Annie had her head down, and she grabbed her bra and bounced it, sending shockwaves through her impressive cleavage. She shook her breasts, trying to adjust the underwire, and they jiggled and sloshed in her bra. Gus sat and smiled, as he heard the rustling and sloshing sounds coming from her chest.

Suddenly, Annie stuck both thumbs up, and jammed them straight towards her own eyes.

Gus flinched.

"AHA!" Annie yelled and pointed at Gus. "Caught you!"

Joey and Tricia spun around in shock.

"What?" said Gus.

"Not so blind, are you?" Annie accused the man as she buttoned up her blouse. "I knew you couldn't resist that little show."

"Annie, what are you doing?" asked Tricia. "What are you talking about?"

"Gus here. He can see. Can't you, Gus?"

Gus hesitated. "Girl, you ain't know what you talkin' 'bout."

"Annnniiieeee!" Tricia wailed. "You're not being very nice! He's blind!"

"Then how does he know I was Asian?"

"He said you had a strange accent."

"I know that! It's Yiddish. But I don't know any Japanese or Chinese. I know more German and Spanish than Japanese. I can't fake a Japanese accent. Also, he knew I was buxom. With you I would understand if her heard your boozem bouncing around as you walk, but I wasn't bouncing." She slapped her chair. "I have a suspension system. Also, he knew what kind of shirt Joey was wearing. Don't tell me dress shirts are that loud."

"Annie ... He's got cataracts. I've seen it."

Annie nodded. "Oh, I'm sure of that! I'm sure that your eyes don't work at all." She grinned. "But our eyes work just fine, don't they Gus?"

Gus was taken aback.

"You. You're an optical telepath," she said.

Everyone was silent and stared at Gus.

Gus took an attitude. "I ain't know what you talkin' 'bout, girl. I ain't no optimus telegraph."

"Optical telepath. Probably a mutant. You can synchronize signals between your and anyone else's visual cortex." She looked at Joey's very confused face. "He can see out of OUR eyes. That's why he wants you to look at US instead of him."

Joey got this astounded look on his face. "That explains SO much! You CAN see, can't you? I always wondered! You always said you could just hear things and smell things real good."

"Oh, I'm sure he can do that too," said Annie. "Blind people get amazing sensitivity in their other senses, but Gus here still gets to see, as long as there is someone else around."

Tricia stared at Gus. "That's how you did that! That's how you stepped over cracks and curbs, because I was looking at them! And ... how you knew who was in that liquor store before you walked in. I could see them. But how did you know what I looked like? There was no-one around..." Tricia smiled as she remembered. "You tricked me into looking at my own reflection. Pretty clever, Gus."

Gus looked annoyed. "Shit!" he cursed. "I..."

Tricia knelt down to Gus. "Hey there. You're secret is safe with us. And all I want to do right now is to talk to you, ask you a few questions. Look ... you took good care of Joey, didn't you? You're a good man. And what you're doing out here on the streets for the kids with this talent of yours, it's very generous. How could I possibly out you?"

Gus rocked back and forth a bit in frustration, and then said "You buy me a sammich?"

Tricia smiled. "Sure. Anything for you."

-------

They stopped off at a local sub shop, picked up sandwiches for dinner, and were seated together at a table. They were several tables away from everyone else, and they spoke quietly to each other.

"So, you were the one who found Joey five years ago, right?" Tricia asked.

"Yep. Dat was me. He was in a bad way. Hungry, scared, lost, sad..."

"What happened that day?"

Gus thought about it. "It was just a normal day, and den suddenly everybody who was on they cell phones started lookin' at they phones, like they don't work no more. Then I hear the explosion. I was a couple blocks away from the bank, and I saw lots of people headin' in that direction, cause they be stupid! They hear sumtin dangerous happenin', and they want to be closer to it. But I could see what dey were seein', and I see all sorts of folk come running away from the bank. And they all be running afraid and yellin', sayin' dat 'Mega Man was dead. But one was dis boy, and he was afraid, and he be crying too. And he was tearing his shirt off like it was poison or sumtin. And Joey, he ran into an alley and hid, and soon I see a po-leece man come runnin' up, and he be looking all over the place. And Joey, he could see this po-leece and he be hiding from him. And the po-leece, he be askin' people if dey saw 'Mega Boy. Now I heard o' Mega Man, and I know he be powerful and shit, but his boy don't have no powers. But dat mean nuttin' to the boy. He was alone, and he needed help. So I kept an eye on him."

Tricia noticed that Joey looked a bit sad as Gus told his story, but he also looked interested. "So what did you do?"

"I helped him. I know dat when kids be lost and scared, dey don't trust nobody, and dey need to steal to eat. So I would get some food and hang out where he would see me, and I would put the food down and set up my cup or sumtin, and he would come running up and steal it. And we did dat a couple days. And den one day as he was sneaking up on me, I just told him dat if he really wanted to get more food, I could help him." He smiled. "So I showed him where to get clothes and food and where to go to the bathroom, and places to sleep. I showed him how to stay warm in da winter, and to always go to da free clinic, even if he didn't feel bad. And I showed him how to hide, cause I knew, they be people lookin' for him."

"Who was looking for him?"

"All sorts o' folks. Some were from Child Services, and others they be reporters, or 'Mega Man fans. And den there was those people who you could just tell they were nothin' but bad news."

"How could you tell?"

Gus shrugged. "First of all, dey be packin' heat. And second, dey be talkin' to each other, saying dat they might have seen "the target". That ain't never good when people look for someone and won't use his name."

Tricia frowned. "Oh ... Not that I disbelieve you, but how did you know they were looking for Joey? Did they have a picture of him?"

"Some groups did. And dere were several groups lookin' for him. Gov'ments, men in black suits, bounty hunters, all sorts. But even doze dat didn't have a picture, I could tell. Dey be looking at kids who look a bit like Joey, and really lookin' at dem close." He paused. "When you look out other people's eyes, you can tell more than what they see, but what dey LOOKIN' fo'"

Annie gasped. "I never thought of that. Optical telepathy only links visual sensory information, and it doesn't allow you to directly read minds. Telepathy doesn't work like that. But it does make sense that you could understand what they're thinking by HOW they are looking at things, right?"

Gus nodded. "Yep. I been doin' dis for sixty-seven years, and I know when people lie to me, cause they look in one direction when dey lie, and another when dey tell the truth. And I can also tell what people are interested in by how dey look at you. Like right now, in dat table over dere, there be those two men, and dey both be lookin' at you two girls big titties and asses and legs, and dat's cause they want to have sex wit you."

Annie blinked and looked around cautiously. Tricia just shrugged. Gus continued. "And dat be normal. Most people look at others like dey want to have sex wit dem. But as long as dey just look and ain't touchin', dey ain't doin' nutten wrong. Now dat man behind dat counter, he be lookin' at Joey's ass way too much."

Joey's eyes went wide.

"An' I can tell Joey be scared now 'cause his eyes got all bright. He lettin' in more light so he can see. Joey, you okay wit us. He ain't gonna touch you."

Joey still looked nervous.

"If he does," Annie said. "I'll kick his ass for you."

Tricia nodded. "She'll do it, too. So Gus, are these people still looking for Joey?"

"Nah. They give up years ago. You the first person to come lookin' for him in about three years. Everyone else think he dead or caught by someone else. Course, that don't mean he not in danger anymore. They still be the normal perverts on the streets lookin' for kids. They be them child pornographers and drug dealers and human traffickers. They always be lookin for kids. Any kids."

"How do you find them?" Tricia asked. "They don't carry pictures of their specific targets, right?"

"Right, but I can tell by how they look at the kids. They check out the kids bodies, and then compare their faces to any adults in the area. If I see a guy look at a kid and then he sees his mother, he does a lot of comparing of the two faces to see if they be related. If they related, he move on, but by then, I know who he is."

Joey had taken a huge bite of his sandwich and said with his mouth full "Then there's that devil woman."

Tricia frowned. "Devil woman? Who's that?"

Joey shrugged.

"I seen the Devil Woman couple times," said Gus "She be looking for special kids. Kids like Joey. And she be nasty scary. She come out every couple of months checking out the homeless shelters and bus stations. And she ain't right. I can tell she only interested in those kids with powers. She skip over normal kids and go straight for the special ones."

"Who is she? What does she look like?"

Gus shrugged. "Don't know who she is, and don't know what she look like."

Annie scrunched up her face. "You've seen her, but you don't know what she looks like?"

Gus nodded. "Yeah. She uses some voodoo magic or some shit, cause everybody who see her, they see somebody different. Dat's how I know when she around. They see a pretty woman, but she look different to everybody. Black folk see her as a sister, white folk see her as a white woman, Chinee see her as Chinee, and 'Spanic see her as a 'Spanic chick. Everybody see her in their own color, like she know people trust they own kind."

"Have you seen through her eyes?" Tricia asked.

Gus nodded. "Yeah, but I ain't seen her look at herself yet."

"How does she find the special kids? Does she carry a Geiger counter or blood tests, or is she casting spells?"

Gus shook his head. "Nothin' like that. She just smell them."

Tricia frowned. "She smells them?"

"Yep. She get up close and breathes in. Like she can just smell powers. Nasty." Gus paused for a second. "That night I met you, I wondered if you were the Devil Woman. Figured you weren't, but had to test you anyway."

"Test me? How?"

"That second liquor store. Farid and Cho both see you as 'Spanic."

Tricia thought back to Friday night. "It makes sense. You first saw me look at myself in a reflection and see a Hispanic woman. Then we skipped the first liquor store because the only person in it was a Hispanic man. Clever."

"I got's my ways."

Tricia smiled. "Gus, I have to ask you. Why do you do this? Why do you live on the streets? Someone with your talents, your abilities, you could be working anywhere, doing security work or investigations. At the very least, you could go to Atlantic City and clean up at the poker table. Why are you living like this?"

"Girl, you think I ain't tried that yet? They be telepaths and mutant sniffers all over that place. Nah, that ain't work."

"Yeah, but at least you could get a good job there."

"What, and make it easier for them rich white bastards to rob poor folk? Fuck that shit! I ain't helpin' them."

"So why do you live on the streets?" asked Annie.

"Cause after sixty-seven years, I learned that money ain't shit. It's all about who in your life and who you love and who you take care of." Gus got quiet for a second. "Had a boy once. He was my life. Lost him to the street predators."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Tricia.

Gus nodded. "So I do what I can for the kids on the streets. Cause they ain't enough that the gov'ment doing for them."

Tricia smiled. "Maybe there's something I can do about that, Gus."

"What chu mean?"

"I'd like to do a story about the homeless children in D.C. Talk about their lives, their challenges, the limitations of the homeless shelters, and about the people who hunt these kids. See if I can build up some community awareness on the subject. Maybe we can pass some new laws, or get some more funding for the shelters. I could use your help in this. How about it?"

Joey's eyes went wide as she said this. He stared at her in amazement.

Gus swayed in his seat. "I don't know. I don't like doin' things in the public eye."

"I promise I won't use your name or even talk about you. But you can help me find the right people to talk to. Plus, I'll pay for lunches. Can't turn that down, now can you?"

He hesitated. "I don't know. Lemme think 'bout it."

Tricia smiled. "Okay. Can't ask for anything more than that." He's going to need a bit more convincing. She grinned slyly. And I know just what he wants. "Well, if you'll all excuse me, I need to visit the ladies' room."

She got up and walked towards the bathrooms. She stepped hard, and swung her ass a bit sexily, getting into the mood. The two men in their booth who had been watching her and Annie were now fixated on her. Tricia gave them a little smile as she passed them and walked into the ladies' room. It was a small, single occupant bathroom, so she was alone in it. She closed and locked the door behind her, and then turned to the mirror.

She gazed into her reflected eyes, and grinned. "I know that you're watching," she mouthed silently.

She shook out her hair, giving herself a wild mane, and then leaned forward into the mirror. She propped herself up against the front wall and stared at herself, licking her lips. "If you work with me, you will get so much more than lunch," she silently over-enunciated.

Tricia then took a deep breath and undulated her torso, thrusting her big breasts forward towards the mirror. She stared directly into her chest and then looked back at her face. Her long brown and auburn streaked hair spilled out over her shoulders in loose curls. "I know what you like," she mouthed. She stretched, lifting her arms up high over her head, and arched her back as far back as she could, pushing her full bosom up and out, stretching the thin fabric of her blouse, and straining the buttons. She twisted her torso left and right, gazing fully on her abundant curves, and ran her hands down, around and over her ample mounds.

She turned back full towards the mirror, dipped one finger into her mouth, and sucked on her fingertip. Then she dragged her wet fingertip down to her chest, and then into the folds of her blouse at the top of her cleavage. "I like to show off," she said quietly, and she unbuttoned one, then two, and then three buttons on her blouse. The fabric snapped open with each freed button, as her blouse was stretched tight over her magnificent bosom. She pulled the cloth open wide, revealing a vast expanse of coffee-and-cream colored flesh, a deep and tight cleavage, and large, plump breasts encased in a lacy, black bra.

Her finger slid down in between her soft mounds, and nestled deep in her dark and inviting cleavage. She pouted and tilted her head as she slowly stirred her finger between her breasts, and then pulled it out and dragged her finger across the succulent flesh, tracing the perimeter formed by the lacy fabric of her tight bra.

She looked herself in the eye and gave herself a knowing smile. "Give me what I want, and I'll give you what you want," she whispered. Then, focusing on her finger, she hooked it inside the full cup and pulled it out, out, out, until she saw just the barest hint of her nipple.

Tricia let go of her bra cup and it snapped back in place, sending a rippling shockwave through her generous mounds. Then she buttoned up her blouse, pulled her hair back, and gave a quick little air-kiss to the mirror, before she unlocked the door and opened it.

She strode back to the table just as Annie and Joey were cleaning up their trash. She picked up her purse, opened it up, and pulled out a business card. "So Gus..." she said to the blind man. "Have you had a chance to think about my offer?" she asked as she handed him her card.

Gus had an amazing grin on his face, and he took the card. "Girl, you nasty!" he chuckled. "Now how am I supposed to read this card?"

"Oh, I'm sure you'll find a way." Tricia looked to the clerk behind the counter and winked at Gus through him. "Give me a call tomorrow. We'll do lunch."

They said their goodbyes, returned to their van, and headed home. It was now past eight in the evening, and it was just starting to get dark.

-------

As they got back into the apartment, Annie excused herself to go to the bathroom, leaving Joey and Tricia alone for the next hour. Tricia was feeling proud of herself for landing the story, but also felt a little tingly and juicy from her seduction of Gus. She was in the mood, and she eyed Joey slyly as he put his dog in the cage.

Well, Annie is going to be in the bathroom for a while ... It's as good a time as any.

She sank on the couch and picked up the two portraits Joey had drawn earlier. "You know, Joey," she said "I really can't get over how good these drawings are. You have a natural talent."

Joey smiled. "Thanks." He seemed a bit embarrassed, but proud.

"I'm also insanely jealous right now," she added.

"Huh?"

"Well, you did this wonderful picture of me from memory, and I love it, but Annie got to pose for hers." She looked at him seriously. "I've never posed for an artist before."

Joey looked shocked. "Did ... did you want to ... pose ... for me?" A faint smile showed on his face.

Tricia nodded. "Yes. May I?" she said softly.

Joey got excited. "Yeah! Let me get some stuff!" And he eagerly ran to Annie's desk to pull out some paper and a pencil.

Tricia watched him, stretched out on the couch a bit, kicked off her shoes, and shook out her hair. As she eyed him, a glint came in her eye. This ... is the perfect seduction scenario. She purred to herself and grinned. He has to look at my body ... study every shape ... reproduce every curve. Her hand automatically went to the top button of her blouse, and she fingered it. Maybe I should suggest that he sketch me in the nude?

"You know..." Joey said as he pulled together his materials. " ... I think this story you're going to do on the kids on the street is going to be really good. I mean we ... they ... need a lot of help." He looked at Tricia and smiled. And then he frowned. "Gus is getting tired. I don't know how long he can keep going. It would be nice if he knew that the kids were getting some more help."

Tricia felt very strange for a moment.

Joey sat on the floor in front of her, with a magazine in his lap as a drawing surface, a couple pieces of paper, and a pencil. He smiled at her proudly. "I want to thank you for doing this. This ... this means a lot."

She blinked. Her sexy smile vanished completely, and she stared at the boy. He was looking at her in admiration, pride, and respect. It was a look he had never given her before, and as she thought about it, she realized it was a look that no-one had ever given her before. It warmed something in her heart.

What was I thinking just now? The seduction just seemed wrong, for she realized that as she was thinking of how she could seduce him, he was actually feeling proud of her. And it felt strange to her. Good, but very different.

"Th ... thank you," she managed, and she actually felt herself blush. She looked at herself, reclined on the couch and ready to unbutton her blouse. She dropped her hand. "How ... how do you want me?" she asked, strangely nervous.

Joey smiled as he stared at her and admired her. "I want you just like this. That's fine." And he started drawing.

-------



The portrait came out beautifully, at least in Tricia's eyes. It caught her heart every time she looked at it. It was much better than the one he did earlier from memory. But in her eyes, it seemed to capture something else; something that she had never seen in herself, and she couldn't tell what it was. But whatever it was, she loved it.

Annie finally came out of her bathroom, and Tricia showed her the newest portrait. "Take a look at our latest masterpiece!" Tricia announced.

"It's beautiful," said Annie. "You look very respectable in this."

Tricia blinked, and looked at the picture again.

"So, it's bedtime!" Annie announced.

Joey nodded, a bit sleepily. "Okay ... Um ... Are we going to..." He held up his fist, ready to play Odds and Evens again.

Annie shook her head. "No reason to do that now. We'll just rotate from now on. So it's Tricia's turn to get the bed to herself."

Tricia felt this strange pain in her heart as Annie said that. "Um ... Okay." She smiled nervously. But I don't want to sleep alone. I want Joey.

Joey got up. "Good night Tricia," he said. There was still that look of pride in his eyes, and he headed for Tricia's room to get his pajamas.

"G ... Good night," she returned. "Good night, Annie."

Annie squinted at her. "You all right?" Joey came out of Tricia's room with his pajamas and headed for Annie's room.

Tricia nodded. "Yeah. It's just been a weird day."

Annie shrugged. "All right. Well, good night." And she wheeled off to her bedroom.

Tricia stood alone in the living room holding her new portrait. She looked at it some more, and then went into her room. She pulled out some sticky putty, hung it up on her wall, and then sat on her bed and looked at it.

"Respectable..." she said to herself. And she smiled.

-------

"You can come in now!" Annie called.

Joey entered her room and closed the door behind him. He had changed into his pajamas in Annie's bathroom, and Annie was laying in the middle of the bed wearing her sleeper. She flipped the covers open, and rolled onto the open section.

"Can ... Can I help you with that?" he asked.

"N ... Well, if you would like," she answered.

Joey walked up, took the blanket, pulled it over her thin, bare legs, and grinned at her as she pulled the rest of the blanket over her body. She patted the other side of the bed. "Your spot."

He got in the bed on the other side and pulled the covers over him. Annie meanwhile reached into her end table, pulled out a small box and offered it to Joey.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Disposable earplugs. I lay on my back a lot, so sometimes I snore. Would that bother you?"

Joey took the box, looked at it, and thought for a moment. "I don't think so. I've slept in a fire station and that didn't bother me."

Annie chuckled. "Well, I don't think I can compete with that. Good night," she said, and she turned out the light.

"Good night."

Joey lay for a moment. His eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness in the room. He turned and looked at Annie.

"Annie?" he whispered.

She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Hmm?"

"What happened to your legs?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. My legs are fine. It's my back. My back was broken."

"What happened?"

She inhaled and sighed. "I was in ninth grade, and I was in a car with a couple friends. And we were stopped at a traffic light, and this truck hit us. It broke my back."

"Did it hurt? And were you scared?"

"I don't know. I don't remember that day. I can only tell you what I was told."

"Why not?"

"I don't know. That sometimes happens with big injuries. I can only suppose that it hurt so much that I don't want to remember it."

"Oh ... So why don't your legs work? Where they broke?"

"No. My spinal cord was damaged." She paused. "Do you know what that is?"

He shook his head.

"Do you want me to show you?"

Joey nodded.

Annie flipped the blanket off of her and held up her hand. "Here. Hold on. I need to roll over."

Joey held her hand, and she pulled herself on her side, and then on to her stomach. She then put her pillow under her chest to lean on, and pulled her long hair aside.

"I can trust you, right?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay. I need you to take off my clothes."

Joey did a double-take. "W ... What?"

"I trust you. Here. See the velcro strips on the side?" She gestured to the side of her sleeper. "Just open them up."

"Um..." Joey got very nervous, and looked her in the eyes, trying to determine if she was serious. She looked at him steadily. "Um ... Okay."

He sat up, carefully reached out, and touched her sleeper. The fabric was soft and smooth. He reached up to her neck and nervously started pulling the velcro strips apart. The strips opened all the way to her arm, exposing her bare neck and soft shoulder.

"Okay. Down the side now," she said.

He reached under her arm and opened the strips down her side. As he got partway down her torso, he could see the bulging, fleshy side of her large naked breast, which was compressed underneath her.

"Um..." he nervously said. He shifted in his sitting position.

"You're doing fine ... You never undressed a girl before, have you?" she said smiling.

He blushed. "Um, no."

"Well, under the right circumstances it can be an exciting experience. Keep going," she encouraged.

His heart was pounding harder, and he could feel his erection growing. He continued opening the velcro strips all the way down, exposing more and more of her naked side until the opening passed her wide hips and reached her thighs. The garment was now completely opened along her side, and a strip of her skin was exposed from her arm down to her hip. She wore a pair of white underpants under her sleeper.

"Okay. Now, just pull it back and you can look at my back."

His hands trembled a bit, but he took the sleeper and opened it up wide revealing her full naked back and her white underwear. He pushed the fabric all the way open until it fell onto her far side. He gazed at her. She had a beautiful, smooth, unblemished, golden skin, and he could see the outlines of her backbone, ribs, and shoulder-blades protruding through her skin.

"Now..." she said. "Touch me."

"Huh?" Shivers ran down his spine.

"Here." She pointed to the base of her skull. "Touch me here, at the top of my neck."

Joey reached out cautiously and lightly touched the back of her neck. Her skin was soft and warm, and her hair tickled his fingers.

"Now ... move your hand down the center of my back. Press harder. Feel the ridges?"

"Yeah."

"This is the spinal column. It's a set of 33 bones called vertebrae, and they link together in one long row. Do you know what nerves are?"

"No."

"Nerves are these very thin strands that carry electrical signals between the brain and muscles. They are the body's wiring. Most of the nerves run through the spinal column. So, if I want to do something like wiggle my fingers..." She held a hand up and wiggled her fingers. " ... my brain sends signals down through the nerves through my spinal column..." Annie traced her finger from the base of her skull down as far as she could reach. " ... and then that nerve stretches out of the spinal column at some point and travels down my arm to my fingers. The signal follows the nerve, and my fingers move. Okay?"

Joey nodded. "Uh-huh."

"Same thing with information coming in. If I touch something..." She touched the bed and ran her finger across the sheet. " ... the signal travels up the nerve into my spinal column, and back to my brain. When my brain gets the signal, I know that my finger has touched something."

"Oh. Okay."

"Pretty much every nerve in your body runs through the spinal column, and you need nerves to feel things, and to control things. Now what happened to me was my back was broken, and my nerves got cut. So anything that connected to my spinal column below the injury, I can't feel or control anymore."

"Oh." Joey sounded sad.

She reached to the base of her skull. "Bring your hand up here again." He did, and he touched the top of her neck.

"If the break was here, I wouldn't be able to control anything in my body. I wouldn't be able to move my arms, legs, or my diaphragm."

"What's that?"

"It's the muscle you use to control your breathing. When you inhale or exhale..." She inhaled and exhaled loudly. So did he. " ... you are using your diaphragm. People who lose control of this have to use a breathing machine to survive."

"Oh."

"Move your hand lower. Just one notch. There. If the break was there, I would be able to control my breathing. But that would be it. Keep going lower."

Joey moved his hand down bump by bump, feeling her vertebrae. She continued to recite functions. "There I would have some control over my upper arms ... I could bend my elbows ... move my wrists ... full control of my arms ... move my fingers..."

He had finally reached the bottom of her neck, and touched the top of her back. "That was the cervical portion of my back. Now you've reached the thoracic. From here I start to get a bit of control over my shoulders and chest ... Keep going lower ... lower ... lower ... Now I'm starting to get control of my abdominal muscles. I use those to roll around and sit up."

His fingers reached the point where her spine curved inward. He traced his fingers over the lumps, then found a spot that felt different.

"Feel something weird there?"

"Yeah."

"That's where I was injured."

"Oh."

"Move your hand down lower."

He did.

"Did you move your hand down lower?"

"Yeah. I did."

"I can't feel that. It's completely numb. I can't move anything there either. Everything below that point, I can't feel."

Joey continued exploring, moving his fingers down lower, feeling the vertebrae until he reached the top of her white panties.

"Are you still touching me down there?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I think you're well past exploring and well into fondling." She grinned.

"Oh, sorry!" He chuckled, and he moved his hand back up her back.

"It's okay. You're curious, and I'm your teacher."

"So ... The nerves are broken here, and they let you control your legs. So you can't control your legs, and you can't walk."

"Right." She sighed. "I can't dance either. I loved dancing." She looked sad.

Joey touched the injured section again. "Can somebody fix you here?"

"Nope. We don't know how to do that yet."

"But what about someone like Snow Angel? Can she fix this?"

She shook her head. "No, she can't. And believe me, if she could I would have learned about it." She grinned. "She was interviewed a couple years ago and was asked about that. Apparently healing is nothing like what the video games show it to be. It's a lot of delicate work, and she can only really handle large wounds like rebuilding skin and muscles and bones." Annie chuckled. "I love that interview. The reporter asked her what she thought of the president, and she said he was a total idiot." She grinned happily.

"Why did she say that?"

"Oh, I'm sure for lots of reasons. But the funniest thing was ... it was then officially true!" She turned and looked at Joey. "Snow Angel can't lie. She has to tell the truth, always. Her magic makes her do that. But it probably was just her opinion."

"Do you think he was an idiot?"

"Well, I wouldn't call him that, but he was egotistical, un-compassionate, and dangerously incurious." She sighed. "I was still in the hospital when he made an executive order preventing federal funding for embryonic stem cell research." She saw a confused look on his face. "With enough research in that, the doctors could fix me, and I would be able to walk again." She sighed. "But that would involve using aborted embryos to do something useful like saving lives, and the president didn't like that. He wanted to..." She used air-quotes. "... 'preserve the dignity of life' and not allow embryos to be used for something useful, just on the off-chance that a woman having an abortion would go through the entire painful and humiliating procedure and then afterward change her mind and ask the doctor to stick it back in." She sighed again. "And in doing that, he 'preserved my dignity' to wake up in a pile of my own shit three times a week."

Joey sat silently for a moment, and held his hand on her back, palm down and fingers spread. He caressed her smooth back, and she shuddered slightly. She sniffed, and he could see her tearing up. He reached across her, and pulled the fabric of her sleeper back over her, covering her up.

"One thing I do remember was laying in the hospital, hearing this executive order, and crying. Because I knew that however long it was going to take to find a cure ... this man had just added at least four years to it, for no fucking good reason." Her voice sounded strained. She was crying. "And then the mother-fucker was re-elected, and it would be ANOTHER four years."

Joey watched her for a second as she struggled, and then he started closing up the velcro strips on her sleeper.

"Thanks," she said. "I'm sorry, but I can't always be strong..." She sniffed. "And I try to find the good in everyone, but ... there are some people in this world I truly ... hate ... And all I wanted to do was dance."

Joey finished fastening up the velcro strips on her sleeper, closing it up completely. Then he sat and looked at this beautiful weeping girl for a moment, pondering, and empathizing. Then he reached out and lightly touched her bare arm.

The room flooded with a bright flickering light, as the sparks flowed from his hand.

"What are you doing?" she gasped.

He was grimacing, straining. "Trying..." he managed.

"Trying what?"

" ... Anything..."

The sparks stopped, and the room returned to darkness. "Sorry. I ... I couldn't..."

"It's okay," she said with a slight shudder in her voice.

"If I could, I would..."

"I know. Thanks. Here." She reached for him. "Come here."

Annie pushed herself up and pulled him closer to her. She leaned to his face and kissed his cheek. Her tears wet his face. Then she fell back on the bed.

"What ... what was that for?"

"For not being egotistical. And for being compassionate, and curious. For trying." She smiled sweetly at him. "Thanks."

-------

Translation Guide

"Hola." - Hello

"Shoolem-alekhem. Zayer oongenaim!" - Traditional "Peace upon you", then "Nice to meet you." (lit. "Very pleasant.")

"Shlak" - Evil, or a nuisance.

"Pazookheh" - A breast.



-------

Chapter 11: Pizza and Perverts





Tuesday, July 14, 2009, 3:15 AM

"Doors closing!" said the familiar female voice. BING-BONG!

Tricia looked up from her Blackberry and saw the doors on the Metro train sliding shut. "Shit!" she cried out, and she jumped off the concrete bench and ran to the train. The doors closed before she could reach it, and the train started moving, leaving without her.

She stamped her foot in frustration. "Fuck!" She turned about and looked at the underground station. It was large but empty. She was alone in the station. The oval shaped tunnels and indented tile ceiling felt familiar, but she couldn't remember which station she was at. Where the hell am I? She looked for an information pillar and found one next to the escalators.

This has got to be Metro Center. That or L'Enfant Plaza, she reasoned as she walked to the pillar. This station is too big for a simple drop-off point. But if it's a transfer station, where the hell is everyone else? She looked at the pillar and frowned.

Gold line? Since when is there a gold line? The pillar looked official, like any other Metro pillar, but the stations didn't look familiar. Gus station? S. Carter station? What is that, South Carter? Q. Knight station...  She looked at the second list of stations. A. Weaver station, T. Booth Dr. station ... T. Booth Drive? What the hell is that? A toll booth?

"HELLO???" came a voice from another section of the station. It was a woman's voice. "IS ANYONE HERE??"

Tricia looked in the direction of the voice. There in the center of the station was the intersecting train line coming in at a right angle to the Gold line. She ran in that direction, heading for the connecting tunnel.

"YES! HELLO!" Tricia yelled out as she ran. "WHERE AM I?"

"IS SOMEONE THERE?" answered the voice. "I NEED HELP!" Tricia could hear running footsteps in her direction. Tricia reached the corner and turned, and very nearly collided with the other woman.

It was another Tricia. They both saw each other and screamed.

Tricia thrashed under her blankets and woke up. Her room was dark and quiet, but her heart was pounding madly. She clutched her chest and looked at her clock. It was 3:15 AM. She calmed herself down, flipped her pillow over, rolled over, and went back to sleep.

-------

The Plum Satin looked best on her, Tricia decided as she applied the lipstick. She blotted the excess on a tissue, sprayed on a little Calvin Klein's Secret Obsession, fluffed out her hair, winked to herself in the mirror, and headed out to the hallway.

"Okay, I'm going now!" she announced. "Wish me luck!"

Joey looked up from the couch. He was reading his book. "You're going to do the homeless kids story today?"

"I'll see if I can start working on it. It all depends on Marty." She checked herself in the hall mirror once more. Damn! I look good!

"Who's Marty?" he asked.

"My boss. I think he wants me to do something stupid in a bathing suit, but I'm gonna pitch this story to him today. See if I can..." she shook her hips slightly, "... 'convince' him!" She looked at Joey and gave him a wink.

Joey looked confused.

"So!" she continued. "Be good! Keep reading! And please, don't let me catch you and Annie in a compromising position again, okay?" She winked at him again. "Bye Annie!" she called out loudly.

"Bye!" Annie responded from her room.

Tricia left for work, leaving Joey alone in the living room with a concerned look on his face. Annie soon rolled in from her room, dressed and ready for work. She looked at Joey, clapped her hands together once, and said "So! You got stuff to keep you busy?"

Joey nodded, holding his book.

"Good. And as much as I'd like to spend the rest of the day playing with you again, I really need to get some work done." She grinned. Joey smiled back at her.

Annie rolled to her desk, opened her laptop, and booted it up. She then attached a headset to it, put it on, and pulled out her notebook. She tapped a few commands, and a new window appeared.

"Configure, set search engine to Google, go," she said. The window changed and she marked in the notebook. "Configure, set search engine to Yahoo, go ... Configure, set search engine to AltaVista, go..."

Joey watched her.

"Search, news on Barack Obama, go." New windows opened. "Next ... Next ... Close."

"What are you doing?" Joey asked.

"Hmm?" Annie looked over at Joey.

"Are you talking to your computer?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm doing product testing. This is a voice activated search engine. I also have to do some icon design for a graphic age progression utility, and documentation on a content management system."

Joey looked blankly at her.

"And..." she continued. " ... you have every right to look confused. But you know, I think you would like the search engine. It's voice-activated, so you really don't have to be a strong reader to use it. Want to give it a try?"

Joey shrugged. "What does it do?"

"It listens to your voice, tries to figure out what you want to know, and searches the Internet for things. Watch ... Search. Images of yorkshire terriers. Go."

A window opened, showing many small pictures of dogs that all looked like Scrappy. Joey's eyes lit up. "Wow!" He got up and stood next to Annie, looking at the small screen. "Can I try?"

"Sure." She unplugged the headset and took it off. "Just speak loudly. My laptop has a built-in microphone. SYSTEM PAUSE."

A small window opened, displaying the word "PAUSE".

"Now. You get its attention by saying SEARCH. Then you tell it what you are looking for. It can be news, images, websites, videos, definition, maps, directions, or..." She checked her notes. " ... or a few other things you probably aren't interested in. RSS feeds or content management systems. Then you tell it the things you are interested in. Then you say GO. Okay?"

Joey nodded.

Annie pressed a key, releasing the program. "Okay. Try it."

He thought for a second. "Search. Images of Harry Potter. Go." A window appeared with a set of images of Daniel Radcliff. Joey grinned. "This is cool! Um ... Search. Images of Hermione. Go ... Wow! She got old!"

Annie laughed.

"Search," Joey continued. "Images of Omega Man. Go." The window opened. Joey got quiet as he saw the pictures. "Oh ... wow..." he muttered.

Annie watched his quiet reaction. "Focus," she said, and looked at the screen. "Down. Down. Right. Right. Right. Open..." The image became large on the screen. "Print."

Her printer started.

Joey smiled slightly and turned to Annie. "Thanks," he said quietly.

-------

It was the 9:00 AM bullpen meeting and Tricia sat anxiously, waiting for Marty to get to her.

"Okay..." Marty was looking down the list. "Bob, you're still on Michael Jackson. Anything going on there? Is he still dead?"

Bob Patel grinned and checked his notes. "We're expecting a toxicology report today. And it was announced that the concert merchandise is on sale, and his estate is open for business. Also, a nurse who worked with MJ says she was interviewed by LA detectives, and they said they found needle and track marks on his body."

"Good! Go with it. Mike, got anything?"

Mike Grimes looked at his notebook. "AP reports that cats have different purrs for different situations, Justin Timberlake has opened a golf course, and a Massachusetts transgender equality bill has fueled a bathroom fight."

"A bathroom fight? What do you mean? People fighting in a bathroom?"

"No, it's an argument over if they are allowed to use the different bathroom once hormone treatments start taking effect."

"Where's the golf course?"

"Tennessee."

"Go with the cats. Tricia. Good work with the Quantum Knight fight. Now, I'd like you to do something on this LZR Racer suit that was banned by FINA. See if you can work in a tie to Flavia Zoccari's wardrobe malfunction. Also, I'd like to see you in a..."

"Actually..." Tricia interrupted, "I found something interesting. I got a lead on someone who can identify sexual predators on the streets here in D.C."

"Sexual predators? I like those."

I thought you would. "I'd like to work this into an introspective on the plight of homeless children in the district. Show their challenges, lack of funding for homeless shelters, and a need for public awareness and assistance."

Marty frowned. "Any specific kids you know of? Any good photos?"

"None, and not yet."

"Not interested. I want you in a bodysuit."

Tricia grimaced. "Why, so you can catch it ripping and showing off my ass like it did to Flavia?"

Marty perked up. "You think you can manage that?"

"Not interested. Marty, this is important."

"Well, you're going to have to do more than that to convince me. Until then, you're on the racer suit."

"Do more? Like what?"

Marty looked at her and raised his bushy eyebrows. There were a couple snickers around the table, and Tricia sighed, and made a note in her notebook. "Fine," she muttered.

When the bullpen session ended, Tricia returned to her desk and sat, looking at her computer. She fumed. God damn you, Marty! I'm tired of this! She glanced around her and saw several people watching her, waiting to see her next move. She didn't care about them. Who gives a fuck what they think?

She did a few searches on the bathing suit, found a compromising picture of Flavia's naked ass, and then sat back and groaned.

Do it for the kids. Do it for Joey.

She opened her desk drawer, pulled out a few breath mints, popped one in her mouth, and then got up and marched over to Marty's office. She could hear a few people giggling as she entered his office, but she told herself she didn't care. He was alone in his office, sitting at his desk on the phone. She closed the door behind her. Marty looked at her and smirked.

"I'll call you back," he said into the phone, and hung up. He leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. She could smell his armpits already.

"What do you want Tricia?" he asked with a grin.

"What's it going to take, Marty?"

"You know I can't just come right out and tell you what I want. That would technically be sexual harassment."

She groaned and stepped towards him. He spun his chair around away from his desk to face her, and Tricia dropped to her knees in front of him. She grabbed his belt buckle and undid it, and started opening his pants. "I'm getting tired of this!" she complained.

"Yeah, yeah ... Let's see Huntley and Brinkley again."

-------

Fifteen minutes later Tricia emerged from Marty's office, adjusting her clothes and grimacing at the awful taste in her mouth that a third breath mint was incapable of handling. Everyone was staring at her. Her assistant Judy was standing outside, ready with a Poland Spring. Judy took one look at Tricia, rolled her eyes, and handed Tricia the water bottle.

"Thanks," Tricia said as she took a swig. "Don't look at me like that. Grab a camera. We're heading out to the homeless shelters."

-------

It was early evening when Tricia returned from work. "I'm home!" she called out.

Joey was on the couch surrounded by various papers. Some had drawings, and others were math worksheets and handwriting exercises. He looked up anxiously. "Hi Tricia! Did you get to do the story?" he asked eagerly.

"Yep! Started with some photos of the homeless shelters and some kids, and met up with Gus."

Joey broke out into a huge smile. "So, Marty let you do the story!"

She nodded. "Yeah! Well, it took a little convincing..." She grimaced slightly and licked her lips. " ... but he eventually came and saw things my way. Hey Annie! Have you started dinner yet?"

Joey frowned. Annie looked up from her laptop. "Nope. Joey was talking about going out to eat, though."

Tricia dropped her purse on the end table, cleared a section of the couch, and plopped down on it. Joey was momentarily distracted by her shaking breasts as she landed. "I don't know about that," she said as she casually picked up a few of the drawings and checked them out. "I was going over the finances, and with all the new purchases ... new clothes, dresser, Scrappy's stuff..."

"Three sixty-five dollar bras..." Annie added nonchalantly.

"Hey! I got ten percent off!" she said defensively. "In any case, I'm running low. I get paid on Friday, so maybe we can go out then."

"Oh," Joey said dejectedly. "I was just hoping ... that we could, you know ... go to Tony's."

"Tony's? What's that?" asked Annie.

"Tony's Pizza. Over in Dupont Circle."

"Are they any good?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I guess. It's not very good when you pull it out of his dumpster, though, but..."

Annie and Tricia looked up at Joey with some concern. He continued. " ... but he would sometimes give me food. And he hasn't seen me in a while ... so I just ... I wanted him to know I was okay."

The two women looked at each other seriously. Annie smiled. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to Tony's Pizza tonight! Let me get ready." She wheeled off to her bedroom.

Joey looked surprised, and as he watched Annie roll away, this look of excitement and relief spread over his face. Then he turned to Tricia and looked at her expectantly.

Tricia shrugged. "Tony's Pizza!" she said, conceding.

-------

Tony's Pizza was a small family-owned restaurant with a jovial atmosphere. As Tricia opened the door and Annie pushed herself in with Joey behind her, Tony, a fairly large Italian man with a big, black, bushy mustache and a balding head, took a look at the three coming in the front door and did a double take.

"JOEY?" he yelled. "Is that you, my boy Joey?" He came running up from behind the counter, his huge stomach bouncing as he ran excitedly.

Joey broke out into a huge smile. "Hi Tony!"

"What happened to you? You're so clean! You're in the nice clothes! You got the nice haircut, and you have these two beautiful angels with you! They ARE with you, are they? What happened? Did you go buy the winning lottery ticket?"

Joey laughed. "These are my friends, Tricia and Annie. They're taking care of me. This is Tony."

Tricia extended her hand and shook his. "Pleased to meet you."

"Shoolem alaykhem!" Annie shook his hand.

"Oh! You two! You are such angels to do this, to take care of my boy Joey here! I would do this too, would take him into my home, too, but my wife? She tells me I am too generous, and she is right. I would take in all the kids that come here, and we have enough kids of our own! Because when I look at my beautiful wife, I cannot stop myself. But you two, such angels! You do a wonderful thing here! And so, to show you my gratitude, dinner tonight is on the house! My treat!"

Tricia perked up. "Oh! Umm ... Thank you! That is very kind of you!"

"A groysn dank! Thank you very much!" said Annie. "Ach, my uncle Morty would be so proud. And I didn't even have to negotiate for that."

"Thanks Tony!" said Joey.

"Please! Please! Do not thank me! I thank you! Come in! Come in! Have a seat over here!" Tony proudly gestured towards a table, and led them into the dining area. Tricia and Joey each took a seat, while Tony pulled away a chair to allow Annie to pull up to the table. Tony handed them all menus. "Please, order anything! And I will go back to tell my wife the good news!"

As Tony headed back behind the counter, Tricia looked at Annie and Joey with an amazed and entertained expression on her face. "Wow! I could get used to this. You have any other old friends we need to visit?" Joey laughed.

A heated argument in Italian rose from behind the counter. All three turned and looked over at the commotion. So did everyone else in the restaurant. Tony and his wife were yelling at each other, their hands flying about madly.

"Have you ever noticed that Italian is actually a form of sign language?" Annie asked.

Tony came back with a dejected look on his face. "So my wife, she is very pleased that you are taking care of Joey, but she does not want to give a free meal. I told her, I have already promised that. So we make a compromise. We have some old pizzas from lunch that are to go to waste. They are not the best, but they are still Tony's pizzas! So you may have one of them."

"That's okay!" Joey exclaimed. Tricia and Annie shrugged at each other, and agreed.

"Good. So we have three pizzas, and you can have one of them. We have a meat-lovers, a vegetarian, and a Californian."

Joey gasped. "Meat Lovers!"

Tricia winced. "Ehhh ... Vegetarian."

Annie looked shocked. "Are you kidding? Oy! Californian! Is that with avocados?" Tony nodded. "Definitely Californian."

Tony held up his hands. "I leave it to you to decide. I will be back." And he waddled off.

Joey looked back and forth between the two girls. "What's wrong with the meat lover's?"

"Ugh!" Tricia grimaced. "All that grease! Oil! Yuch!" She looked at Annie. "Avocados? You serious?"

"Hey! Don't knock it until you try it! And besides, that meat lover's is hardly kosher."

"Well you don't keep kosher!" said Tricia. "Why not, by the way?"

"Hey, if I keep kosher, then I have to do all that other stuff, like not using anything on the sabbath. Technically, I can't use my chair on Friday nights!"

"Oh, so is that the main reason?"

"Well, that and I can't use broadband."

The three sat and stared at each other for a moment. Nobody was backing down. Tricia raised an eyebrow, grinned, and slapped her fist into the middle of the table, thumb up. So did Annie and Joey.

"ONE – TWO – THREE – FOUR – I – DECLARE – A THUMB – WAR!"

The Great Pizza Thumb War of 2009 commenced, and all three friends screamed and laughed as they struggled for thumb supremacy. Joey managed to pin Annie for a second, only to have her wiggle free as Tricia tried to pin them both. Soon Joey was pinned, but managed to reverse and pin Tricia down. Annie pinned them both down and yelled in victory. "I WIN! Californian!"

Annie then noticed that Tricia and Joey were both distracted. Tricia had a vacant stare as she looked up to the front of the restaurant, and Joey had noticed it. He turned around and saw what she was looking at. He gasped.

She was staring at a man who had just entered. It was a man both she and Joey recognized, last seen in a dark alleyway.

Joey turned back to Tricia. Tricia's eyes narrowed, and her face scrunched up in fury. "Oh, give me strength!" she cursed, and she suddenly pulled her hand out and jumped out of her seat.

"Tricia! No!" Joey said. He glanced at his hand and looked horrified. "Oh no..."

"Tricia. What are you doing?" asked Annie.

Tricia stormed towards the front of the restaurant, rolling up her sleeves. There was a fury building in her. Her heart thundered in her chest, her body tensed up, and her muscles screamed for action. She marched up to the man who had just entered. He was standing at the front counter, facing away from her. She balled up a fist, grabbed him by the shoulder, and spun him around.

POW!

Her punch sent the man flying, and he crashed into the middle of the dining area, knocking over a table. Everyone in the restaurant screamed in shock. Several people jumped out of their chairs.

"THAT WAS FOR ATTACKING ME THE OTHER NIGHT!" she screamed at the man. The man rolled onto his knees and coughed. Blood dripped out of his nose. He shook his head, trying to get his bearings.

Tricia stormed over to him, grabbed him with one arm, and easily pulled him up off the floor. She punched him hard in the stomach, and he doubled over in pain. Then she pulled him back up into a standing position, spun, and back-fisted him in the face. He spun, was thrown by the impact, and fell into another table, this one occupied by a family who all shrieked as he landed.

"That was for sending your friend to attack me!" she accused him.

The man coughed, threw up, coughed some more, and looked at her. His eyes were furious. "God damn you, bitch!" he muttered, and he got up and ran to tackle Tricia.

Tricia caught his arm, easily blocking his attack. She twisted his arm, forcing the man to spin around. He screamed in pain as she dug her fingers into his arm, and then she kicked him, sending him flying away from her. The recoil sent her in the other direction, and she dexterously rolled and got back on her feet again.

The man hit a booth and collapsed on the floor. He rolled in pain, coughing and spitting blood.

"That was for lying to me!" she yelled. She looked around on the floor and saw a sharp, serrated steak knife. She picked it up and held it in her fist, blade down.

"And this is for trying to rape me!" she said, and brandishing the blade, she stormed towards the man.

"Tricia! Stop!" Annie called out.

"HOLD, HOLD, HOLD! STOP!" Tony ran out and intercepted her. "You can't..."

"Get out of my way!" she barked, and she planted her hand in the middle of the large man's chest, braced herself, and pushed him with one hand. Tony flew back and landed in another booth.

"All right! That's enough!" cried one of the customers, and he and a couple others ran up to stop Tricia. One man grabbed her by the arm and tried to wrest the knife from her, while a second one grabbed her by her other arm.

"LET GO OF ME!" Tricia screamed, and she struggled, shaking the two men violently. She didn't want to hurt these men, but she knew the knife might accidentally cut one of them, so she dropped the knife, planted her feet firmly on the ground, and threw the first man off of her, and then grabbed the second man and tossed him. He landed on top of the first man, about six feet away from her.

A third man grabbed her from behind, wrapping his arms around her waist, and he lifted her off the ground. Tricia howled, kicked, grabbed both of the man's arms, and pulled. The man screamed in pain as her fingers dug into his arms, drawing blood. She dropped to the ground, spun around, planted both palms into the man's chest, and shoved. He flew back into a booth on the far wall, landing on the table. The children at the table screamed in terror.

Tony had recovered at this point, and he tackled Tricia from behind. He threw his fat, three hundred pound body into her, knocked her to the ground, and he lay on top of her, pinning her down. "THAT'S ENOUGH!" he yelled.

Tricia was having none of that. The fury had reached a level of madness. She planted both hands on the ground and pushed, lifting herself and the large man on top of her. She roared and spun, elbowing the man off of her. She looked back and saw the rapist at the far end of the restaurant. He was trying to get up. The fire raged within her, and she took off towards the man.

She was tackled by another patron and sent sprawling onto the floor. Another man jumped on top of her. Tricia shrieked and screamed. "GET OFF ME!" She pushed herself up, lifting the two men. A third man came and tried to tackle her, but she braced herself and held her ground. Screaming, she pushed herself back up into a standing position with three men trying to pull her down.

Joey watched all this in horror, and ran into the fracas. "Joey! NO!" Annie cried.

"Tricia!" he yelled. Tricia was starting to shake the men off of her. Her face was a mask of madness and outrage, and she screamed at the men who were holding her.

Joey reached into the tangle of bodies and touched her arm.

Suddenly, all three men became overwhelmingly heavy, and she collapsed under their weight. "GET OFF OF ME!" she bellowed as she hit the ground. "HE TRIED TO RAPE ME!"

-------

Forty-five minutes later, Tricia was sitting in the police station handcuffed to a chair. An officer was showing her mug shots. She was sullen, brooding, and distant, as she looked at the mug shots, trying to identify the other assailant. "No ... no ... no..." Joey and Annie sat in the hallway outside. Joey watched her through the glass window, while Annie sat reading a magazine.

The captain came up to Tricia. He was holding a Geiger counter and a small kit. "I'm going to roll up your sleeve and take a blood sample," he said.

"Excuse me?" Tricia asked. "I'm not a mutant."

"This is just standard procedure," he claimed. "Won't take a moment."

"EXCUSE ME!" A woman's voice called out from across the room. A tall, elegant black woman in a sharp suit strode over to Tricia and the captain. "Are you about to deny this woman her Constitutional right to privacy?" she demanded.

"This is not your client, Amanda," the captain answered. "So back off."

"She will be in a moment. And since you handcuffed her to the chair and she can't reach her purse, she doesn't have to pay me anything right now. All she has to do is say that I'm her lawyer." She pulled out a business card and handed it to Tricia. "Amanda Weaver, licensed attorney. ASHA. Do you need a lawyer?"

Tricia took the card and read it. ASHA? The Association for Super Human Advocacy? She shook her head. "I'm not superhuman. I don't have powers."

"Doesn't matter. Do you need a lawyer right now?"

"Um ... yeah." She turned to the captain. "She's my lawyer."

Amanda Weaver turned back to the captain. "Now she's my client," she said defiantly. She pointed to the officer sitting at the desk and snapped her fingers at him. "Paperwork!" she demanded.

The officer sighed and handed her a clipboard. Amanda looked at it for three seconds, flipped up the top page and looked at that for three seconds, and then handed it back to the officer. Turning back at the captain, she gave him a disgusted look. "This is her first offense, so legally you have no right to test her for superpowers. Need I remind you of the decision of Stargold vs. United States?"

"No, you don't have to..."

"Unless there is a clear-cut case of superhuman abilities or repeated suspected cases, you cannot test her for natural or artificial catalysts, magical abilities, or cosmic influences. This is her first offense, so it hardly counts as repeated cases."

"Amanda, it was a clear-cut case. She lifted a three-hundred pound man, and it took three men to subdue her."

"All of which can be explained by a combination of her martial arts training, adrenaline, PMS, and a bad hair day! Now take those tests away."

The captain sighed. "Fine."

"Where is her assailant?"

He groaned. "Her VICTIM ... is in interrogation room one."

"Good. I'm going to talk to him, and I want you with me to hear him confess and drop the charges." She turned to Tricia. "Don't let them test you. Keep that cup of water they gave you with you, and if you see so much as a wand pointed at you, scream. Okay?"

Tricia nodded.

"I'll be right back." She headed for the interrogation room. The captain handed the test equipment to another officer, and followed her.

Joey watched this all from the outer hallway, his eyes locked on the officer with the Geiger counter. As the officer came into the hallway and walked past him, Joey sank down against the wall getting as far from the Geiger counter as possible. He glanced over at Annie, and saw that there was an old man sitting next to her. His hand was on her leg, and he was fondling her. She was reading a Scientific American magazine, and hadn't even noticed the man touching her.

"Annie? Um..."

She looked up at him. She saw him pointing, and then noticed the old man. She looked at his hand on her leg, and then back up to him.

He smiled at her with most of his teeth.

She studied him for a moment, and smiled back. "Hi," she said. He continued to feel her leg.

"Um..." she began. "I can't feel that you know ... You know what they say about us paraplegic girls. Once you've done one, wake her up and tell her all about it."

The old man continued to smile and stroke her leg.

Annie sighed. "Well, okay. If you really want to get into my pants, at the very least I need to tell you what you're going to find when you get there. First of all, the pants don't open in the front. You'll have to lay me down, preferably face down, and open the Velcro strips on the sides. The pants come off really easily then."

The old man smiled and stroked her leg.

"Then you'll have to remove the diaper."

His smile disappeared.

"And that's easy to get off too, but basically you'll be responsible for cleaning up whatever it is that I've done in the past few hours, and I have no idea what's been going on down there. But don't worry too much. I always carry a pack of wet wipes just for such an emergency. But I also have to warn you that I had Mexican for lunch today."

He started to pull his hand away.

"Once you've cleaned me up, you'll want to flip me over and remove the catheter." She smiled at him coyly, reached down, and pulled up one pants leg as sexily as she could. It revealed a clear plastic bag strapped to her leg. The bag had some clear yellow liquid in it. "So tell me..." she said as seductively as possible. "Is this bag full of urine yet?"

The old man pulled his hand off her, got up, and walked away, disgusted.

"OH! SO IS THAT IT? JUST TEASE ME AND LEAVE ME? YOU MEN ARE ALL ALIKE!" she yelled. "CAN'T HANDLE A LITTLE UNCONTROLLABLE URINATION AND DEFICATION? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WHEN WE HAVE KIDS? ... CALL ME!" She watched the man walk away, and calmly turned back to her magazine.

Joey was shaking with laughter.

A young man was sitting in the hallway with them, and had watched the entire exchange. He looked at Annie and chuckled at her. "You really wear DIAPERS? That's lame!"

Annie looked at him, checked out his stained T-shirt, shaved head, torn jeans, tattoos, and excessive piercings. "Yeah. I wear diapers." She turned back to her magazine again. "I also made over forty-thousand dollars last year. How much did you make?"

The young man didn't answer.

Joey smirked and looked back through the window at Tricia. The tough black lady had returned with the captain.

The captain pulled out his keys and unlocked Tricia's handcuffs. "You are ... free to go," he said.

Tricia rubbed her wrists and looked at the captain and Amanda in amazement. "Really?"

"Yep. He has dropped the assault charges, confessed to the attempted rape, and has identified his accomplice. We will still need you to come in and confirm the identity of his accomplice, but we can call you about that tomorrow."

Tricia was stunned. "How did you..." she started to ask Amanda.

"I explained to him that if he didn't give us everything we wanted, we would have insisted on a jury trial, which we would exploit for public opinion. Given the circumstances, your local celebrity status, the reason for your assault, and your lack of prior misdemeanors, you would have gotten a slap on the wrist and community service, followed by extensive career offers due to your enhanced publicity. Meanwhile, he would become a national laughingstock for having his ass kicked by a woman half his size and gorgeous enough to pose for Playboy. He tried to bargain, but I wouldn't let him."

Tricia blinked. "Um ... thanks."

"Call my office tomorrow. Make an appointment. We'll talk."

"Um ... Okay." Tricia stood up and picked up her purse. "Thank you."

-------

Tricia was quiet for most of the car ride home. She was embarrassed, yet relieved that she didn't have to go to jail. Annie drove in silence, and Joey sat quietly in the back of the van.

"I'm sorry," she finally said. "I don't know ... I don't know what happened back there."

"It's obvious to me what happened," said Annie. "This man tried to rape you. You saw him again, and you went berserk. It's understandable." She paused. "I don't think attacking him was right, but it was understandable."

"What should have I done?"

"Called the police the moment you saw him. They are trained to take men into custody without destroying a restaurant." Tricia grimaced. Annie continued. "We're just lucky Tony didn't press charges."

Tricia held her face, half hiding herself. "I don't know what happened. I just ... When I saw him, I got scared, and then angry, cause I was so tired of getting scared of men like him, and then I ... I just felt like I had to kill him."

"Has this ever happened to you before?"

Tricia held her crucifix. "Yes."

"You've attacked someone before?"

"No ... I don't know why I suddenly changed like that ... My Tai Kwon Do teacher trains us to only use it for defense, and that's why I take it but ... we're never to attack someone."

Annie thought. "So what did happen before?"

"Hmm?"

"I asked you if this ever happened before, and you said yes. I was asking about the fight, but you were thinking about something else. What happened?"

Tricia sat silently.

"Tricia, if you don't talk about it, it controls you. What happened?"

She swallowed. "I was raped in college."

Joey gasped.

"How did it happen?" Annie asked. "Was it someone you knew?"

"Not really." Her voice cracked. "I was at a party, and everyone was drinking, and I drank too much, and I guess I was flirting a lot. But this guy ... I must have been flirting with him, because he offered to drive me home. And I was feeling really sick. And he stopped on some side road, and he wanted to have sex. But I was just too drunk, too sick, and I couldn't ... and I told him no ... And he got angry, and called me a cunt ... bitch ... cock-tease ... and then he hit me ... and then..."

Tricia faded out, unable to continue.

"Did he hurt you?" asked Joey.

Tricia nodded.

"Did anything else happen because of that?" Annie asked.

Tricia fingered her crucifix and shook her head. "No."

"Did you report him?"

"No ... I was ... too scared ... and I thought I ... deserved it."

"You know that you didn't deserve that," said Annie.

Tricia nodded. "I know that now."

"Anything else happen?" Annie repeated.

She held her crucifix tightly. "No ... Nothing else."

Annie nodded. "At least this time you eventually did the right thing. You pressed charges. I'm proud of you for that, even if you had to get arrested in the process."

Tricia smiled for the first time. "Thanks."

"But you know you shouldn't have attacked him."

"I know ... I don't know what got into me."

Joey sunk back into his seat with a terrified look on his face.

-------

They got home, and as soon as they got inside, Joey went over to Scrappy's cage and pulled out the dog. He held the dog, trying to pull comfort from him.

"I think it would be best if we all just went to bed right now," Annie said. "Joey, you get Tricia's room tonight. Tricia, you'll sleep with me."

Tricia nodded.

Joey turned to them. He had tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said.

The girls looked at him confused. "What?" asked Annie.

"I'm sorry ... I think that was my fault."

"Joey, you didn't do anything," said Tricia. "I was the one who went berserk. I was the one who..."

"You said 'Give me strength', and I think I did."

Tricia and Annie looked stunned.

"I ... don't know what happened. I wasn't trying. It just ... happened ... I think I made you ... three ... maybe four times stronger than normal."

Tricia was dumbfounded, and she looked at her hands.

Joey was kneeling on the floor, holding his dog and shaking, and he started to cry. "I didn't mean to do it ... and I almost got you in trouble. I can't stay here. I don't want you to get in trouble."

"Joey, you didn't do anything wrong," said Tricia.

"I made you angry!" he said.

"No you didn't. That man made me angry."

"Super-strength makes you feel angry! My dad told me that ... He said that ... the first time he got really strong, he felt like he was angry at the whole world. And it was because he didn't know what was happening. And it took him a while to get used to how the strength made him feel ... I can't control my powers, and I put you in danger ... I have to go."

Tricia came forward. "Joey, no. You are not going anywhere. You may have made me strong, but you didn't make me angry."

"I made you angry!" he cried.

Tricia dropped on her knees in front of him. She held him by the arms. "Joey, you didn't make me angry. I was angry the moment I saw that guy come in. And I was scared. And I said 'Give me strength', but guess what? I didn't get angrier ... I got brave. I felt confident. You..." She held his face in her soft hands. "You did this to me. If you made me strong, it was not just in my muscles, but in my heart as well. You gave me the strength to face that man." She smiled at him in admiration, wonder, and gratitude. "And because of you, I eventually did the right thing."

Tricia was trembling as she held his face. His tears wet her hands. She pulled him close and kissed his forehead. "Thank you," she whispered. "I always wanted to be strong." She smiled at him sweetly and caressed his cheek, and she found herself admiring his young, handsome face and lips. She licked her lips.

"Tricia," said Annie. "It's time for bed."

Feeling frustrated, Tricia closed her eyes, nodded, and pulled away from the boy, letting go of his face. She stood up and followed Annie to her room. "Good night Joey," she said to him. "Thank you." And she blew him a kiss.

Joey sat on the floor holding his dog. He was smiling. "Good night Tricia."

-------

Translation Guide

"A groysn dank! Thank you very much!" This is a direct translation.



-------

Chapter 12: Power and Responsibility





Tuesday, July 14, 2009 10:30 PM

Tricia closed the door behind her as she entered Annie's room. Annie was still sitting in her chair, watching her roommate. "He did it," said Tricia. "He pushed a power into me."

"Something we both knew was going to happen eventually," said Annie.

"I didn't even feel it happening. I just felt like I could take on the world." Tricia sat down on the bed and stared at the door. "I don't know what to think right now ... I wonder what else he can do?"

"That is something we can explore tomorrow. Right now, I'm more concerned about you."

"I'm fine, or at least, I will be by tomorrow."

"You're not fine, and you won't be tomorrow. You have an unresolved issue, and you're not talking about it."

"What are you talking about?" she asked nervously.

"Don't kid me Tricia. There's more to your story, but I didn't ask you in the car. Not in front of Joey. It's just us girls now. Tell me about your abortion."

Tricia spun and stared at Annie with a horrified look on her face.

"That man got you pregnant. You had an abortion, and I believe you've never told anyone."

Tricia trembled. Tears formed in her eyes.

"Tricia, if you don't talk about it, it controls you."

"How ... how did you..."

"You're not the first Catholic girl I've seen struggling with this. You keep holding your crucifix, trying to get some strength from it, But we both know that is part of the problem. The Catholic church has made its position on the subject very clear. They won't support your decision."

Tricia looked down at the floor in shame. She hugged her arms and shook. "I shouldn't have..."

"What? You wanted to have his child?"

"No! But I..."

"Did you want to give this man a baby? Did you want to reward him by passing his rapist genes on to the next generation?"

"No. But I ... killed this ... I murdered this..."

"What are you talking about?" Annie scolded her. She rolled her chair in front of Tricia and grabbed her by the shoulders. "You did no such thing! You did not kill anyone. You had an INFECTION removed!"

Tricia looked up at her roommate. She was crying, and she shook her head. "It was a baby, and I had to..."

"How far were you?" Annie demanded.

Tricia shook her head. "About ... two months."

Annie held up her hand, holding her finger and thumb apart by about a centimeter. "So they took something out of you about this big. Hardly a baby. Did you want this thing inside of you?"

"No. But it was a baby!"

"Oh! Really! Tell me Tricia! The other night, when you were telling Joey where babies come from. Did you tell him the full story? Did you tell him that when a man lusts after a woman very very much, and she doesn't care for him but that doesn't matter to him, and he grabs her and he beats her senseless into submission? And when she can't fight anymore because she's bloodied or unconscious, he invades her, shoving his filthy prick into her un-lubricated, ripping and tearing her flesh inside until he comes inside her bleeding vagina, and his unwanted sperm travels up her fallopian tubes and finds an egg, and at that MAGIC MOMENT ... the baby Jesus sends down an angel from heaven with a soul in one hand and a long rubber glove on the other. And the angel shoves her hand inside and puts that soul into that single cell, making a new baby. Is that the story you told him? Is that what you believe? Because if you believe that, then I would understand you feeling guilty."

Tricia looked at Annie with a fuming hatred. "You can be a real bitch sometimes, Annie."

"Yes! Yes, I am a bitch! Because I refuse to be a doormat! And I refuse to let you feel guilty for taking care of yourself, for taking control of your life! This man, this monster, he tried to steal your entire life from you, making you the mother of his child, and you made a decision to overpower him! You decided you didn't want to reward this man with a child. You decided you didn't want to be a mother for him. Your body, your decision."

"But I killed..."

"Killed? So? You think this is what it's all about? Life and death? You think it's that clear cut? All life is good and all death is bad? You want to see me create life and kill it right now? Watch!" Annie stuck her finger in her mouth and scraped the inside of her cheek. She pulled her finger out of her mouth and held it up to Tricia. "There! I've created life. Here on my finger, live cells from the inside of my cheek. They are separate from my body, 100% human DNA, living cells. Just as human as that thing that was growing inside you. You want to see it die? Watch!"

She smeared her finger on her palm and slapped her palms together loudly in front of Tricia. Tricia jolted in shock. "There! Now it's dead! Life! Death! It's that easy! But did I just commit murder? No! Tricia, we create life and kill life every day, every moment of our lives. Our bodies make new cells, old cells die. There is very little of you that is the exact same material that was there a couple of years ago."

"It's not the same, Annie. You know that."

"So what makes it different? The fact that it was growing inside a uterus instead of a mouth? The fact that it was made up of stem cells and has more potential to become a full human? These are minor technical details, and believe me this is the last century when those details will continue to have any meaning. But these cells were just as alive! What is the difference?"

"Annie! There's a huge difference! A baby isn't just scraped off somewhere. There's a moment! There IS a magic moment, when sperm meets egg, and a new person is created, and endowed with a soul."

"No there isn't. There is no such magic moment. Sure, we know that there is a moment when sperm meets egg, but does that lead to a baby? Most of the time, no! It doesn't. Ninety percent of the time it doesn't. If the blastocyst doesn't attach to the uterine wall, there is no baby. Does God put in a soul in for those cases? No? How do you know? And for that matter, how do you know if He puts them in for any case? What is a soul? I'll tell you what a soul is. It's an excuse! It's something we 'know' exists despite the fact that it shares every possible conceivable characteristic with something that doesn't exist. It's invisible, weightless, silent, odorless, texture-less, tasteless, colorless, and produces no physical effects other than the fact that it tends to win arguments because some authority says it's there and you aren't allowed to argue with him.

"And what if the blastocyst attaches to the uterine wall, is THAT the magic moment you're looking for? No, it can't be, and we know that because sometimes they break into twins, sometimes before implantation and sometimes after. What happens with the soul then? Does it split? Or is another just put in? And what happens when the split blastocysts or embryos merge back together again? It happens. Are the souls merged, or is one kicked out? And what happens if there is enough genetic damage that the embryo is horribly deformed and breaks off in a spontaneous abortion, a miscarriage? Or what if it is an ectopic pregnancy and has to be removed or else it kills the mother? Was a soul ever put in the embryo in the first place?

"What if there are twins and one manages to kill the other? It happens more often than you realize. What if two eggs are fertilized and they merge into a chimera? It's rare, but it happens. How many souls are put in and removed in the process?

"Pregnancy is a messy process, and the closer you look at it, the clearer it is to see that there is no clear-cut moment in the entire development where you can say yes, at this point, a new human is here. Instead, it is a series of ever developing chances of life and death. But here is the big secret. Anyone who tries to get you to find that magic moment inside the womb is trying to cover up the REAL magic moment when a human is created. For the real magic moment doesn't occur inside the womb. It occurs inside the mother's heart."

Tricia stared at Annie. "What are you talking about?"

"'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.' This is what Thomas Jefferson wrote, and it is constantly quoted by the Pro-Life movement to argue that the moment a sperm hits an egg it immediately has the right to life. But what the Pro-Lifers completely ignore is the part about the creator of men. Who is the creator of men? You ask them, and they are arrogant enough to claim that the creator of all men is THEIR god, as described in THEIR bible, by THEIR preachers, from THEIR church, and there is to be NO argument about that. But here is the thing. They are wrong, and they know they are wrong. Their god doesn't create people. WE WOMEN create people! I know this because we have evidence for it, and no evidence to the contrary. We are the ones who do all the work. We go through the nine months of pregnancy, twelve hours of labor, and eighteen years of parenting, so we, by every right, get to call all the shots, and I don't fucking care what their bible says or how old it is!

"This is not about life and death. This is about human rights. What is the difference between cells from my cheek and a baby? What is the difference between an aborted embryo and a child? It's the bestowal of human rights. And who bestows rights? 'They are endowed by their creators with certain unalienable rights.' We women are the creators, so we, the mothers, bestow rights. It is as much of a superpower as any other, and I would argue it is the greatest. Greater than super-strength, or flying, or shooting lasers out of your eyes. And like all super-powers, it must be used responsibly, so there are times to use it, and there are times you do NOT use it.

"This man got you pregnant, and you made a decision to NOT bestow human rights. This is your right, your power, you decision, and your authority. And anyone who tries to make you feel guilty or ashamed is trying to take that power from you."

Tricia buried her face in her hands and shook, crying. Annie maneuvered her chair to the bed and shifted to sit next to her.

"Did you have to walk past them into the clinic?"

Tricia nodded.

"They screamed at you. Called you a murderer."

Annie caressed Tricia's back, comforting her. "These people, the Pro-Lifers, the ones that stand outside clinics and pretend to be brave by frightening women who are already frightened ... they are not interested in life. None of them are. They are taught hatred and ignorance, and they are being used by preachers who hate woman to cause torment. They have no respect for life. You show me a Pro-Lifer, and I will show you someone who is not a vegetarian. Or someone who owns a handgun for the odd chance that if someone breaks into their house to steal their stereo they can shoot him between the eyes. Or someone who believes in capital punishment so strongly, they don't care if hundreds of innocents are killed. Or someone who thinks the proper response to the deaths of three thousand Americans at the hands of fifteen Saudi Arabians, two Arab Emirates, one Egyptian, and one Lebanese is to kill anywhere between a hundred thousand and a million Iraqis and over four thousand American soldiers. Or someone who cheers at the murder of a doctor. Or someone who would rather have forty-five thousand Americans die from lack of health insurance every year rather than set up a national health care system because they are terrified of waiting in lines. They are not Pro-Life. They are anti-woman."

Tricia leaned over and laid her head in Annie's lap. She shook in silent crying. Annie caressed her head.

"Do you know what these people are most angry about? They are angry because they know they are wrong. And they will never admit it to themselves. Deep down, each one knows it is the woman's decision. Take any Pro-Lifer and point them at a woman and say 'See that woman over there. She may be pregnant, and she doesn't want a child. What are you going to do?' And do you know what their answer always is? It's always 'I'm going to go talk to her and get her to change her mind.' See? That is the first response of someone who knows it is the woman's decision. Their first thought is to change her decision, to work with it. If they truly believed the woman had no decision in the matter, their first thought would have nothing to do with her decision, and it would be 'I'm going to go knock her unconscious, drag her into my basement, force her to piss on a pregnancy test at gunpoint, and if she's pregnant, I'll chain her up until she gives birth.'

"You and I, Tricia ... We're sisters, part of the last generation of women who are the sole domain of the uterus. Do you know what's going to happen in the next hundred years in biotechnology? We're going to figure out how to make an artificial uterus, and do human cloning. And that's going to change everything. The day is going to come when anyone can walk into a Wal-mart and buy an EZ Bake oven and put a DNA sample in, and it will convert it to stem cells and grow them into a baby. And do you know what is going to happen then? Some woman, some soon to be very famous woman, will get a hold of the DNA of some man whom she hates, and she will clone ten babies of him, and leave them on his doorstep with a note saying 'Your DNA. Your babies. Your responsibility.' And do you know how men across the world will react to that? They will be outraged, they will demand to be protected. They'll say 'How dare you use me to create life that I didn't want!' And on that day, men will finally understand what it is we women have been talking about for thousands of years, that when you make the decision to create life, you have the responsibility to take care of it, and raise it properly. So, conversely, if you have the responsibility to take care of a new life and raise it, you also get the power to decide to do this or not."

Annie continued to caress Tricia's head. "So if you want to feel sad about remembering how you were hurt, that's fine. If you want to cry because of what they yelled at you, or the difficult decision you were forced to make, I'm here for you. But don't you feel guilty for taking control of your life. Not on my watch."

Tricia started shaking, crying. "I couldn't ... I couldn't tell my mom ... She never found out..."

"I know."

"I still can't tell my dad..."

"I'm sure he loves you more than you realize."

Tricia sobbed in Annie's lap.

-------

"MURDERER!" "HOW CAN YOU KILL YOUR BABY?" "PICK ON SOMEONE YOUR OWN SIZE!" "THEY ARE GOING TO LIE TO YOU!" "WE SHOULD GIVE THE BABIES SCALPELS SO THEY CAN FIGHT BACK!" "HOLOCAUST!" "THEY ARE GOING TO KILL YOU IN THERE!" "THEY ARE GOING TO CHOP UP YOUR BABY AND SELL THE PIECES ON THE BLACK MARKET!"

Tricia looked down from the train window and saw her younger self struggling to get past the crowd of protesters outside the clinic. They were screaming, insulting, and carrying disgusting pictures. They outnumbered the escorts by scores. It was the worst possible timing. Her appointment was on the anniversary week of the Roe Vs. Wade decision, and the protesters had been bussed in by the hundreds.

She shuddered and watched herself fight her way through the crowd, protected on all sides by four volunteers. She leaned her head against the cold glass window.

"I hated that day," said someone next to her.

Tricia looked up and saw the person who spoke. It was herself, another Tricia. "¡Hola, mi hermana!" her doppelganger said.

"Am I dreaming?" Tricia asked.

"Oh great!" the other Tricia said. "And here I thought I was the one dreaming."

Tricia looked back out the window at the screaming crowd and the struggling and crying woman. "This is a nightmare," she said.

The other Tricia shrugged. "Probably. But I agree with Annie. Nightmares are good."

Tricia looked at her other with confusion. "What?"

"You remember," the other Tricia said. "After Joey had his nightmare."

The screaming from the other bedroom woke her up. It was Joey, and Tricia could hear him yelling and howling across the hall. Dressed only in a T-shirt and panties, she bolted out of bed and ran to the door.

"What's happening?" asked Annie as she quickly pushed herself up.

"It's Joey!" Tricia ran out the room and saw a flickering yellow light coming from underneath her bedroom door. Fire! she thought, and she burst through the door.

Nothing was on fire, but Joey was on the bed screaming and thrashing, and fountains of sparks flooded from both of his hands. "NO!!! NO!!" he shouted. Tricia could see his eyes were glowing under his lids.

"Joey! Wake up!" Tricia ran to the bed and grabbed him. She shook him, trying to wake him.

"DON'T!!" he screamed in his sleep.

"Wake up Joey! Please!" She grabbed his arms.

"NOOO!!"

Joey suddenly grabbed Tricia's bare arms and something flooded into her. It was a fire, an energy essence that slipped in through her arms and quickly filled every inch of her body. Her stomach twisted and flipped, and her feet slipped off the floor. She screamed and she found herself falling as the entire room spun around upside down. As she fell back, she dragged Joey's body out of the bed with her, and her back hit the smooth plaster floor. Tricia suddenly realized that she hadn't fallen down; she had fallen UP onto the ceiling, and was dragging Joey out of bed with her.

Her body was getting very cold. Frost formed along her arms and fingers, over her chest, and down her legs. She could see her breath. A thin layer of ice started to build along her arms.

"JOEY!!!" she screamed.

Joey's eyes opened wide. They glowed bright yellow, and then, suddenly, the light disappeared.

"Tricia?" he said. His face was a mask of terror.

The essence vanished inside her, and Tricia suddenly fell on top of the boy, landing hard on the bed. "OOF!" Her heavy breasts smashed hard into his face as she landed, smothering the boy. She quickly scrambled off of him, saw the ice on her arms, and broke it off. Joey shuddered, gasped, and sobbed.

"It's okay, Joey. It's all right!" she said, and ignoring the melting ice and frost on her body and the bed, she pulled the crying boy up into her arms. "It was just a dream. That's all." She cradled him to her bosom.

"He ... he was ... on fire..." he sobbed.

"I know. It's okay now." She rocked him in her arms.

"I tried to ... I couldn't reach him..."

Tricia caressed his head. "It's all right. You're okay. It was just a bad dream."

Joey was still crying in her arms as Annie rolled into the room. "What happened?"

"A nightmare," she answered Annie. "It was your father, right? He was burning?"

Joey nodded.

"He tried to put the fire out."

Annie examined Tricia. "Is that why you're all wet right now?"

Tricia looked at her clothes and her hair. She was damp and wet, and frost still clung to her hair. "Yeah. It looks like he tried to create some ice powers to put out the fire."

Annie looked at the very large wet spot on the ceiling. "And which one of you made the other one of you get the ceiling all wet?"

Tricia looked up. "He did that to me. I ... fell onto the ceiling." She blinked. "I think I flew."

Annie blinked. "You flew? Joey, was your father falling too?"

Joey shook his head. "No. He ... He ... Yes," he managed to say, and he buried his head into Tricia's chest.

"So, a nightmare," Annie said.

"Yeah."

Annie thought. "Well, that's good."

"No, Annie," Tricia said. "Nightmares are bad."

Annie shook her head. "No, Tricia. Nightmares are good."

Tricia and Joey both looked at her. "What?" she asked.

"Joey, nightmares are your mind's way of dealing with bad memories. It's a natural process. We all have them after something bad happens. Did you have nightmares when you were on the streets?"

Joey shook his head. "No."

Annie nodded. "It makes sense. You had plenty to have nightmares about, but when you don't feel like you are in a safe place, your mind doesn't feel free to deal with these bad memories. But once you are in a place where you feel safe, your mind starts to work on these memories, and tries to deal with them. If you are having nightmares here, it means you feel safe with us. That's good."

That made sense to Tricia. "Hmm..." She frowned. She remembered something from a dream, and then she looked at the boy she was holding. "Annie, I think I'll spend the rest of the night here with Joey. Is that okay, Joey?"

Joey nodded, still shaking.

Annie nodded. "Okay. Good night."

"Good night Annie."

"Good ... Good night," said Joey.

As Annie wheeled out of the room, Tricia continued to hold the boy, rocking him in her arms and caressing him. "It's okay. You're all right."

Joey was calming down. His breathing was returning to normal, and he touched Tricia's sleeve. He ran his fingers across the wet fabric, and then looked up at her. As he gazed at her, his face took on an expression of wonder and amazement.

Tricia cocked her head as she watched the boy, mesmerized by her. "What is it?"

"You're..." he reached up and touched her hair. It was wet and frosted. Tricia pulled on a lock of hair and looked at it.

She chuckled. "Well, look at this ... You got me all wet ... again!" She fingered her hair. "There's a little ice in here, too." She grinned.

Joey pulled back and looked at her. His eyes dropped down to her wet T-shirt, and he could see her erect nipples poking through the thin fabric. Joey immediately looked away, very embarrassed.

Tricia looked down and saw her nipples. "Oh, dear. Excuse me," she giggled. She covered her nipples with her arm. "Got a little nippy in here!" she laughed. "Good thing you woke up, or you may have frozen me completely solid."

Joey looked very guilty.

"You know, before I got in the room, I thought something was on fire. I could see the light from the sparks under the door."

Joey hung his head. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Joey. No harm done."

"No." He rolled on the bed facing away from her. "I keep putting you in danger. I shouldn't be here."

Tricia considered the boy. "Do you want to leave?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Well, I'm not kicking you out."

"Not today," he said.

"What do you mean?"

"I..." He shuddered. "It's only a matter of time. I'm going to do something that will hurt you. I made you too strong tonight. I almost froze you. I almost set a fire ... It's going to happen, and you or Annie are going to get hurt."

"Not if you learn how to control your powers. And I'm here to help you."

"But for how long?" he asked. "Until I seriously hurt one of you? Then what will you do? You'll always be able to just get rid of me."

"But I'm not going to."

"Why?"

"Well, I am a journalist, and you are my source. I have to protect..."

"You got your story. You don't need me now."

Tricia was stunned into a moment of silence. She sighed. "I made you a promise."

He didn't respond.

"What do you want?" she asked.

Joey hugged his pillow and shrugged. "Don't know."

Tricia lay down behind him. She grinned. "Whatever it is you want, you want more, right? Something bigger? More permanent?"

Joey thought for a moment and nodded.

Tricia giggled. "Oh my goodness ... I can't believe it!"

"What?"

"This. You and me. The role reversal." Tricia leaned on one elbow and tapped his arm. "Usually it's the woman who is asking for a commitment. That's what you want, isn't it?"

Joey turned and looked at her. "What?"

"You want to know that you really belong here, don't you.? That you're not just a visitor or a charity case, but someone who really lives in this place. Name on the lease, an official roommate..." She raised an eyebrow and smiled sexily at him. "The man of the house being tended to by his two beautiful girlfriends? Hmm?"

"Part of the family," he mumbled.

Tricia frowned. So much for seduction. Family. That's what he wants ... No. That's what he needs. She thought some more.

"I have an idea, Joey."

"What?"

"Why don't you and I make this official?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, how would you like it if I ... became your foster mother?"

Joey's eyes went wide. He stared at her in shock and a look of excitement grew on his face "You mean..."

"I'm not sure how to do that right now. But it would mean that not only would I be legally REQUIRED to take care of you, but we would get some money from the city, and my insurance would cover you."

Joey broke out into a huge smile. "You would do that?"

Tricia saw an immense joy spread over him. "Yeah," she nodded.

"Th ... thank you!"

She smiled. It warmed her heart to see him so excited and that she could make him so happy. "Don't thank me yet. It may not be possible, or even easy. I'm not really sure how to do this." She thought some more. "I think we would need..."

She broke out into a huge smile. " ... a lawyer."

"A lawyer? Do you have one?"

"I do now! Met one at the police station." She fingered her wet hair. "But I wonder how much I can trust her? She may need to know about your powers if she is going to help us."

Joey looked frightened. Tricia thought some more, and smiled.

"I need to make a phone call," she said, and got out of bed.

Joey looked at the clock. It was a little after two in the morning. "Who are you calling?"

"A friend. Someone who's up at this hour, and who is probably familiar with ASHA."

Tricia headed out into the hall and returned with her cell phone. "What's ASHA?" Joey asked.

She dialed and listened to the phone. "Association for Super Human Advocacy. Probably just what we need." She sat on the bed. She could hear the phone ringing, and then someone picked it up.

"Hey girlfriend!" said the voice on the phone. "You're up late! What's up?"

"Hi there! Thought you would be up now. How's your evening going?"

"Not bad. Pretty quiet now. Took care of a couple muggers, and I broke up a gang fight. Don't take it personally if I hang up suddenly. I'm watching drug dealers."

"I understand."

"So you know you're supposed to wait three days after the first date! What's on your mind?"

Tricia laughed. "Got a question for you. I had an interesting evening, which resulted in me getting arrested."

"Arrested? Well, that explains why I noticed you were at the police station, but you're not still there. I take it you're not in any trouble now, right ... I mean, you're not calling me for a loan because of bail, are you?"

She fingered her crucifix. "No. I'm home and free. But I met this incredible lawyer, and I wanted to know if you knew of her, or what you thought about her."

"What's her name?"

"Amanda Weaver."

"ASHA Amanda Weaver?"

"Yeah, you know her?"

"Yes!"

"What do you think of..."

"Yes! That's the answer to all your questions! Yes! Do I know her? Yes! Do I like her? Yes! Can you trust her? Yes! Is she the best? Yes! Is she reasonably priced? Yes! Is she worth it? Yes! Do I think she's hot looking? Yes! Does she have a good sense of humor? ... No!"

"So you're saying ... yes?"

"If you can read between the lines. And it's not just Amanda. ASHA is amazing. You'd be surprised how difficult it is to get just basic services if you're super-powered. There are lots of professionals who refuse to handle the super-powered for one reason or another. Try getting insurance if you have powers! But ASHA will help you with anything. Getting a loan, finding a psychiatrist, doctor, whatever."

Tricia looked at Joey. "A doctor you say?"

"You need a doctor?"

"Got someone who could use a checkup."

"Amanda can help you with that."

"Thanks! You are a lifesaver!"

"That's what I do!"

"Hey, did you want to get together for lunch again?"

"Not today. I'm still recovering from yesterday. Gonna sleep late this afternoon. Maybe this weekend?"

"Sure! Give me a call."

"Damn! Gotta go. They're moving. Later." CLICK

"Umm ... Bye!" said Tricia, and she closed her phone.

"Who was that?" asked Joey.

She grinned at the boy. "A new friend. Sandy. A bit of an expert in this."

"Does she know about me?"

"All she knows is there is someone in my life with powers, but she doesn't know who it is."

"So this lawyer, you think she can help you?"

"That's what I'm going to find out tomorrow morning." Tricia took another look at her wet shirt, and grimaced. "Let me get out of this." She pulled open a dresser drawer and pulled out a fresh T-shirt ("Silicon Free") and panties. "I'll be right back," she said, and she headed for the bathroom to change.

-------

It was about four in the morning, and Tricia and Joey lay asleep in the bed together. She lay on her back, and Joey rolled over in his sleep. As he rolled over, his hand brushed up against hers.

There was a brief spark that illuminated the room momentarily.

The Omegaplasm flowed invisibly out of his hand and into hers. It carried no specific instructions or powers, but on its own, it started to explore this new body it had found. It traveled up through her arm, following nerve paths through her upper arm and shoulder, and then in through her neck, and into her spinal column. The plasm followed her spinal column up into her brain, where it found an uncommonly complex pattern of electrical signals within her limbic system.

The energy flowed further, back down her body, and through her spinal column, tracing nerve pathways, and filling every cubic centimeter of flesh. It explored, probed, measured, and examined every part of this new body. With the innocence and curiosity of a child, and the intensity of a young lover, it detailed her, running currents of flowing energy though her tissues. This body was so unlike the others. The last body was a dog, and the one before that was an adult man. The shape and construction of this body was faintly familiar, like something that was encountered once, so long ago.

Tricia squirmed in her sleep. A subtle pleasure filled her. Something warm was inside her. Something loving. Something gentle. She sighed, and her hips churned.

Her body started changing, reacting to the presence of the plasm. Her respiration increased, her heartbeat accelerated. Capillaries opened. Breasts swelled slightly as blood flow increased, nipples hardened, and her labia majora flattened, thinned, and rose.

She shuddered, and stretched in her sleep. She shifted as the pleasure increased, and she started panting slightly.

The plasm could see the increase of electrical activity in her brain, and the increase of chemical activity in her body. It nudged the signals slightly, she moaned, and her hand slapped her bare thigh and caressed it. It recognized the fact that whatever was happening, she was enjoying it, and it continued the subtle stimulation throughout her body, prodding here, tapping there, inspecting, scrutinizing ... playing with her.

Her clitoris swelled, and her vaginal walls started to lubricate. The inner portions of the vagina expanded, as her uterus lifted. Her breathing intensified. Her body temperature rose, and a light sheen of sweat appeared on her flushed skin.

She grunted softly, and tightly gripped the hand touching hers.

Her breathing turned into a heavy panting, and her heart raced. Blood pressure rose, and she emitted a series of soft moans as she shifted and kicked in her sleep. Her hips bucked and her back arched. Her areolae and labia increased in size, and her clitoris withdrew. The tissues surrounding her vagina swelled with blood, and her pubococcygeus muscle contracted, tightening the opening of her vagina.

Her free hand moved up her body, caressing her stomach, her breasts, her neck, her face. She leaned her head into her free hand, welcoming the touch. She sucked on a finger, and then her hand moved back down across her breasts and body, and rubbed against her crotch.

She bolted as the pleasure escalated, and moaned in her sleep. Her voice rose in pitch to a series of soft whines, and she shook her head back and forth, as an intensifying thrill possessed her body and mind.

The energy watched her body as she squirmed and shifted. Her hips thrust and her soft whines became ever more desperate. Her free hand rubbed her clitoris, sending a torrent of electrical signals into her limbic system, which fed back on itself in an ever expanding intensity of activity. It could tell that she demanded more stimulation, and it obliged her, amplifying the signal.

She reacted with a sudden thrashing of her limbs and a verbal exhalation. She kicked and moaned and bucked, and a chain reaction reached a critical state within her brain. An explosion of electrical activity in her mind over-stimulated her pleasure centers, and her body tensed all over. Her fingers pressed tightly into the hand she was holding, with her fingernails digging into the flesh.

Joey grimaced in pain as she clawed his hand, and he unconsciously yanked his hand away from her and rolled away. Contact was broken, leaving the orgasming girl alone, writhing in ecstasy, panting, moaning, and humping her hand between her legs.

-------

"Well, you're in a good mood this morning!" Annie said, as she saw her roommate spinning around the dining room making coffee and breakfast. Tricia was beaming, smiling, and softly singing to herself while dancing to her own internal music.

"I feel AMAZING!" she responded. "And I don't know what it is! Maybe it was beating the tar out of some creep, or facing some personal demons, or Joey pushing powers into me, or some combination of those, but whatever it is, I ... LIKE IT! You want some coffee?" Tricia poured Annie a mug without even waiting for an answer and handed it to her. "I don't even know why I made coffee this morning. I'm wide awake!"

"Well, if you find out what it is, get me a prescription."

"Oh! You have any meetings today?"

"No. Why?"

"I'm going to take some time off today. You know that lawyer I met yesterday? Well, I'm going to go meet with her. See if she can help us with Joey. What to come along?"

"Sure. You run this past him yet?"

"Uh-huh. He's all for it, considering last night I promised to try and become his foster mother."

Annie gave Tricia a double-take. "Foster mother? You?"

"Sure! Why not?"

"No reason why not. I'm just surprised, that's all. This is not like you. Or at least, not like the you I moved in with." She eyed Tricia curiously. "What brought this on?"

"I don't know," Tricia said, sitting and crossing her legs. "I just ... realized I like having him in my life. He was pretty worried last night about hurting us with his powers, and was scared that we were going to kick him out or something."

"Sounds like he has some serious abandonment issues, which is logical. He lost both of his parents. He's looking for some stability. A new mother is just what he needs ... And you know Tricia, maybe this is what you need too."

"What do you mean?"

"To be a mother. Maybe this is helping you resolve your issues, too?" She sipped her coffee.

Tricia pondered that. "I don't know ... maybe."

"Of course, becoming a mother with a kid at thirteen, it does have some advantages," Annie added. "You don't have to go through the whole dirty diaper phase."

"No. I've got you for that."

Annie dipped her fingers in her coffee and flicked them at Tricia. "Thppp!" she razzed her. Tricia giggled. "So I gotta ask you Trish ... Getting super powers ... What's that like?"

Tricia sighed. "Well, it's weird. Like, the strength? I didn't even know I had it. I didn't feel anything in my muscles. I didn't feel stronger. I felt lighter, like I could jump higher, and when I grabbed the guy and threw him and punched him, he just felt like he was a giant stuffed animal, really light and soft. But the power didn't make me feel any different, physically. It made everything else change. Every person was really light, and when I picked up the steak knife, I felt like I had to be careful or else I might have crushed the handle, it was so soft."

"Didn't you realize that something wasn't kosher?"

"No. I just got swept up in the moment, and it felt so ... unreal, that I think I thought I was dreaming. At least, that's how I was reacting to it."

Tricia cocked her head and thought some more. "And as for the ice powers and flight, I wasn't controlling them. They were just happening to me. I felt cold, but it wasn't painful or even unpleasant, even though I had ice building up on me."

"But you got to fly," said Annie. She leaned in close. "What was that like?" she asked seriously.

Tricia smiled. "Sorry to disappoint you Annie, but I didn't fly. I fell. THAT way." She pointed up to the ceiling. "Falling, without style. It wasn't fun. It actually made me kind of nauseous."

Annie sat back and sighed. "I still want to try it," she said. "Next nightmare, my turn."

Tricia shook her head. "Uh-uh! Next nightmare, we poke him with a stick."

-------

Translation Guide

"¡Hola, mi hermana!" - "Hello, my sister."



-------

Chapter 13: Enlightenment and Darkness





Wednesday, July 15, 2009 10:00 AM

"Miss Sanchez? Good to see you this morning. Please, come in." Amanda Weaver stood up from behind her desk and greeted the three as they entered her office. "I trust you are in better spirits today?"

"Yes. Much better," Tricia said, smiling and shaking the lawyer's hand. "Thank you so very much for helping me last night."

"My pleasure. And who do we have here?"

"These are my friends and roommates. This is Annie. Annie Friedman."

Annie extended a hand and shook Amanda's. "Shoolem Alaykhem. Pleased to meet you. I've been reading about you on Wikipedia; Legal council for EarthGuard members, congressional testimonies on behalf of super-humans ... Very impressive."

Amanda paused momentarily as she processed Annie's looks and voice, and nodded to her. "Alaykhem Shoolem," she responded. "Pleased to meet you too, and the last I checked, my entry in Wikipedia is accurate."

Annie did a double-take. "Oy! At long last! Somebody knows the correct response!"

Tricia grinned and gestured to Joey. "This is Joey Harper."

"Pleased to meet you." Amanda extended a hand to Joey.

"Hi," he said shyly. He shifted his Harry Potter book to his other hand and shook hers.

"Please. Take a seat," she said. Tricia and Joey took seats and Amanda returned to her chair behind her desk. The office was small, but covered with filled bookshelves, framed certificates, and newspaper stories. Photographs of Amanda Weaver with various superheroes adorned the walls. Tricia noted one photograph of her standing next to a white and red blur, and recognized the blur as Quantum Knight.

"Now, let me be up front about my fees. I normally charge two hundred dollars an hour, but I adjust according to my client's income. So far, you have only required five minutes of my time, but because it was under a stressful situation, I consider last night pro bono. This initial consultation is free, so at the moment, you do not owe me anything."

Tricia sighed. "That's good to know. I'm running a little low right now."

Amanda nodded. "Are you familiar with ASHA and all we do?"

"We were reading some of your literature in the waiting room," Tricia said. "You help people with super-powers?"

"That is correct. It is ASHA's position that the presence of super-powers does not denote the absence of humanity. We provide legal assistance, employment opportunities, educational assistance, service recommendations, and we lobby Congress for favorable legislation. Now, we met last night because you were suspected of possessing super-human abilities. According to the police report, fourteen people witnessed you performing feats of super-human strength. Is this an accurate description of your abilities?"

"You said that I was just having a bad hair day."

"I said what I needed to say to convince Captain Smithfield to not test you."

Annie chuckled under her breath. Joey looked at her. "What?" he asked.

"A policeman named Smithfield ... It's the name of a brand of pork sausage," she explained.

Amanda looked at Annie blankly. "Humorous. I never noticed that before," she said nonchalantly, and she turned back to Tricia. "The police report described that you easily managed to break free from a full tackle from a three hundred pound man, and it took three men to subdue you. This sounds like a testimony of enhanced strength. Is this accurate?"

"I ... no. I don't," Tricia admitted. "It was actually..." she began, but she noticed Joey glaring at her. "Well, I'm not sure if I can talk about that right now."

"If you cannot be upfront with me about your abilities, there is very little I can do to assist you. This consultation is confidential, so anything you say here stays here."

"Oy! So it's like we're in Las Vegas!" Annie said.

Amanda gave Annie another blank look, and returned her attention to Tricia. Tricia gave Annie a grin, and looked at Joey. "It's okay. She can help us. We can trust her. She defends superheroes."

Joey sighed and nodded. "Okay."

Tricia turned back to Amanda. "I don't have superpowers. But Joey here does. He ... boosted my strength temporarily."

"But I didn't mean it!" Joey blurted out. "It was an accident! I didn't mean for it to happen."

Amanda turned to Joey. "It's all right. You're not in any trouble. So you claim to have the ability to increase her strength?"

"I ... guess so."

"How do you do it? Are you channeling magic, or are you a mutant?"

"I ... I don't know. I think I'm a mutant. I just ... sometimes I can do that."

"Have you been tested?"

Joey shook his head. "Do I have to?"

"It would help me in the things I could do for you if I knew more about your abilities." Amanda answered.

"How can we go about testing him?" Tricia asked. "Can you do that?"

Amanda shook her head. "We don't do that here, but any licensed physician can perform blood and radiation tests in an office visit. Some have mages on staff for magic tests."

"That's actually one of the things I wanted to talk to you about," said Tricia. "We would like to take Joey to a doctor, but he isn't covered by our insurance."

"Who is his legal guardian?"

"He doesn't have any," Tricia answered. "Right now, Annie and I are taking care of him."

Amanda nodded. "How are you related to him?"

"We're not."

"I see. Joey, do you have any family?"

He shook his head. "My parents are dead. I don't have any family."

"Is she a friend of the family?"

"No ... I um ... I was homeless, and she found me, and let me live with her."

Amanda thought for a moment. "Were you aware that to knowingly take in an unrelated child and assume guardianship without government approval is illegal?" Tricia cringed. Amanda held up a hand. "I am not contacting the authorities. This is a confidential consultation, and I don't see any criminal intent or harm."

Tricia breathed a sigh of relief.

"But in order to progress any further, I would need some documentation or strong evidence of his abilities. Now, this enhanced strength claim is borderline at best, but not enough for ASHA to become involved."

"What do you mean?" asked Tricia. "Are you saying it's not enough of a power?"

"No. I am saying that I don't have enough evidence to support the premise that he has abilities."

Tricia, Annie, and Joey all stared at Amanda incredulously. Amanda continued. "Don't take this as an insult, but you would not be the first adult to be conned by a needy child claiming superhuman abilities. If Joey was homeless, and he saw you as a sympathetic mark, he could pretend to have abilities to entice you to take him in. It has happened before. Usually it is a promise of a subtle power, such as a claim to increase luck, intelligence or sexual prowess, and I have even heard of such children claiming to improve the strength of an adult. Strength does fluctuate with emotional prodding."

"I'm not a poser!" said Joey. "I'm not like those kids who pretend to have powers. They don't know what it's like."

"And I am not making such an accusation. But I would require some proof of actual super-human abilities in order to proceed in assisting you. Now if we could get you to a doctor for some tests..."

Joey stood up and held both fists up. Fountains of sparks suddenly flowed from his hands. "What do you need?" he challenged. "Is this enough? Will you help us now?"

Amanda didn't flinch. She watched him coolly. "That will be fine. We can proceed."

Tricia reached out and put her hand on Joey's shoulder. "That's enough Joey." She turned to Amanda. "Sorry about this."

"I don't like being lied about," snarled Joey. He stood defiantly with the spray of sparks falling from his fists.

"And she wasn't lying about you," said Tricia.

"She was just doubting and verifying, which is what we want in someone who is going to help us," added Annie.

"Sit down, sweetheart, and turn off the fireworks," suggested Tricia.

Joey did a double-take to Tricia on the word 'sweetheart', and shut off the sparks. He sat down. "Sorry," he said.

"That is all right," said Amanda. "Now, let's organize our tasks. There is the issue of guardianship, a medical checkup, and special education for his abilities. Have you looked into finding any extended family?"

Tricia nodded. "I've checked a bit at work. I haven't found anyone. But we were hoping that you could help us with foster parenting."

Amanda nodded, and she looked back and forth between Tricia and Annie. "And are you two married?"

Tricia's jaw dropped. Please tell me you didn't ask that! she silently prayed, and she looked at Annie, who had a HUGE grin on her face.

"Well, not YET!" said Annie. She clutched her chest. "But I have been waiting very patiently for her to pop the question," she said in mock sadness.

Joey started shaking with laughter. Tricia pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head.

Annie continued. "After all, it's not like I'm going to be the one who get down on one knee. How am I going to get back up?"

"Annie ... please!" said Tricia. "Not now."

"Oh! That's what you ALWAYS say whenever I bring up marriage! Now I know you don't have any problem with us living in sin, but me, I'd like someone who can make me an honest woman!"

Tricia looked up at Amanda's blank face. "We are NOT gay lovers."

"Oh come ON!" pleaded Annie. "Come out of the closet! It's fun out here! We have cookies!"

Amanda looked at the three, and centered her attention on Joey. "She is joking, right?" she asked dryly. Joey shook his head. "I thought so."

"Ugh!" Annie grunted in frustration, and she pointed a finger at Amanda. "I will make you smile at some point today! Mark my words! I WILL break you!"

Amanda paused a beat, and returned her attention to Tricia. "Foster parenting usually involves placing the child in the care of a previously established foster parent, so unless we are able to find an advocate for you within the fostering system, moving Joey into the system would most likely involve him going to a different family. I have some contacts, so I can look into this for you. But I cannot make any promises yet."

Tricia nodded. "I understand."

"In the meantime," Amanda continued, "I can suggest a trustworthy general practitioner." She pulled out a Post-It note and wrote a name and address down from memory. "She can give Joey a physical, provide some basic care such as vaccines and inoculations, and perform the mutagen and magic tests. She is also sympathetic to the needs of the super-human, and has found several ways around the insurance problems." She handed Tricia the Post-It note.

Tricia took the note and glanced at it. She was startled when she saw the name. Dr. Tina Booth ... Where have I've seen that name before?

"Is everything all right?" asked Amanda.

"Yeah. Just a little deja-vu."

Amanda shrugged. "Now as for the special education, there are several schools which specialize in super-human training, which would allow Joey to maximize his..."

"I don't want to go to a special school," said Joey.

"Excuse me?" said Amanda.

"I just want to go to a normal school."

Tricia leaned towards him. "Joey, you have special needs. Maybe these schools can teach you how to use your powers. Give you more control over them."

He shook his head. "I don't want powers. They don't work much anyways. It would be better if I didn't have any powers to begin with." He slumped in his seat. "Nobody would get hurt then."

Annie turned to him. "If you can't control your powers, I would expect you would hurt more people accidentally."

"I just want to live a normal life. I don't want to be a superhero. I don't want to go to a superhero school."

"The schools don't teach you how to be a superhero," said Amanda. "They provide a safe environment for experimentation, guidance, support, and training for creative use of your abilities. But the last thing they do is to teach you how to be a superhero." She paused. "They didn't teach me that when I attended."

They all looked at her in shock. "You? You have superpowers?" Joey asked skeptically.

Amanda nodded. "I do. I tested positive as a mutant. Would you like a demonstration?"

He nodded.

"I notice that you are reading Harry Potter. What page are you on?"

Joey looked down at his book. He opened it and looked down at the bottom of the page. "Two oh two."

Amanda recited. "Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well. A Very Merry Christmas to you. There was no signature. Harry stared at the note. Ron was admiring the cloak. I'd give anything for one of these, he said. Anything."

Joey looked at the words in the book. They matched what she had said perfectly. "Are you a telepath?"

"No. I have a photographic memory. I read that book over the course of an hour about six years ago, and I memorized it. Like I have memorized all of these books in this room."

They all three looked up at the hundreds of books in the room. Annie whistled. "Wow. What are they all doing here, then, if you don't need to read them anymore?"

"I am not the only one who uses this office. Now Joey, this school taught me how to control my ability to memorize and retrieve information. Before I attended, I would fall into trances for hours, memorizing every event that occurred around me, but would be completely unresponsive until I managed to wake up on my own. They didn't teach me how to become a superhero. They just taught me how to control it, and how to be the best I could be.

"You say you want to live a normal life. And I can tell you that you are already living a normal life. What is normal is that every person on this planet has some special ability. Some skill, some talent, some gift. We are all good at something. Some of these special talents are mundane and can be taught to other people, and others are super-human and cannot be taught. But whether it is a mundane or a superhuman ability, every person's job is to find out the absolute best thing they can do with their gift.

"What I discovered in this school was not just how to control my abilities, but what I could do with them. And now I am a lawyer, and I help superheroes, so much so that they refer to ME as a superhero. But this career, this path I took, this was my decision. The school didn't tell me I would be best as a lawyer. That was my judgment. If you go to one of these schools, you will learn exactly how your power works, what its limits are, and give you the tools to use your power in new and creative ways. But what you do with it is entirely up to you. That is a normal life."

Joey sat quietly, thinking. Tricia leaned over to him. "Joey, I think it would be a shame if you didn't learn to develop your powers. No one can force you to do this. After all, it's your body, and your decision ... But you can do things for this world that no one else can do."

"This is not something we have to set up right now," Amanda added. "First thing I would suggest is to get him to a doctor for a check-up and testing, and then we can work on guardianship. We have a few months until the school year starts again, so we can take some time exploring the schools. Okay?"

Joey nodded. "Okay."

-------

"Say AHH."

"AHHHHHHHH"

"Now say EEEE."

"EEEEEEEE"

"Okay. Say OHH."

"OHHHHHH..."

"All right. Your vowels sound good, and your throat looks good too."

Dr. Patina Booth had a tongue depressor inside Joey's mouth and she was shining a flashlight down his throat. She was a beautiful, dark-skinned, East-Indian woman with black hair and deep brown eyes. "Tonsils are healthy. No infections. Very sexy uvula."

Tricia and Annie giggled and chuckled at that as they watched the boy going through the rigors of his physical. Joey blushed at the comment.

Dr. Booth threw the tongue depressor away and wrote something on her chart. "Roll up your sleeve."

"How much longer until the results of the blood test come in?" asked Annie.

"Should be in a couple minutes. Which reminds me!" She put the chart down, opened a cabinet, and pulled out a Geiger counter. She checked the settings and turned it on. It started clicking randomly. She extended the detector wand and ran it across Joey's body. Head, chest, abdomen, arms, legs. The random clicking didn't change.

"No excess radiation. Not science based." She turned off the Geiger counter and put it away. Then she put a blood pressure cuff on him and started pumping, taking his blood pressure. "One-ten over seventy-five. Good. Lie back please?"

Joey lay back on the table, and she prodded about his abdomen. "Tell me if anything hurts." After a couple of minutes of prodding, she was satisfied, and had him sit up again.

"How does he look, doc?" Tricia asked.

"So far, so good. I can see some residual symptoms of malnutrition and iron deficiency, and the rash on his side looks like it is nearly fully healed. So I would say that you two are doing a fairly good job taking care of him. I would like to see him again in a couple of months to check on his progress." She pulled out her flashlight and looked in his eyes. "And how about you Joey. Do you think they're taking good care of you?"

"Yeah! I think so."

She nodded. "Must be nice to live with these two beautiful girls."

Joey blushed. "Yeah, I guess so."

A nurse came in and handed a folder to Dr. Booth. "Thank you," she said, and she took it and read it.

"Interesting," she said.

"What is it?" asked Tricia.

"Results of the blood test. Congratulations. You are not a mutant."

Joey blinked. "What? I always thought I was. I had to be."

"No. You tested negative for the catalyst gene." She handed the folder back to the nurse. "Can you fetch Willow for me please?"

"Yes, Doctor." The nurse left.

Tricia and Annie looked at each other in amazement, and then at Joey. "Magic or Cosmic?" Tricia asked.

Dr. Booth nodded. "Most likely Magic. Cosmics are extremely rare. Nearly one in a billion. Magics are closer to one in every half-million." She placed the stethoscope on his chest. "Deep breaths."

Joey breathed in and out deeply several times.

"Lungs sound good. No congestion."

A young girl came into the room. She was very pretty, with dark skin, hair, and eyes, and looked about sixteen. "Hi Mom," she said.

"Willow. Come in please." She turned to the others. "My daughter," she explained. "Willow, can you test him for magic please?"

Willow nodded and scrutinized Joey.

"What is she going to do?" he asked.

"It is a simple test. It doesn't hurt," said Dr. Booth. "You won't feel a thing."

The girl frowned and raised a finger. Blue light glowed from her fingertip, and Joey jumped as he saw her fingertip light up. She traced her finger in the air. The light left a trail hanging in mid-air, and she drew a strange glyph, and then a circle. She looked through the circle at Joey.

The girl frowned. "I don't see anything. Did you do the other tests?"

Dr. Booth nodded. "He's negative on radiation and mutation. What did you check?"

"Contagion. You sure he has powers?"

"I have powers," said Joey.

"Can you use them safely? Maybe I can only see them when you are using them."

Joey glanced at Tricia and Annie for support, and then shrugged. He lifted a hand and a shower of sparks appeared.

Willow did a double-take. "Whoa ... Wasn't expecting so big a show. Thought it was going to be more subtle." She peered again through the fading circle and frowned. "Can you keep that going?"

"Yeah."

Willow wiped her hand over the glyph and circle, erasing them from the air, and started a series of new glyphs traced around a circle. She muttered to herself. "Names ... words of power ... knowledge ... association ... similarity ... identification ... possession ... polarity ... balance ... finite ... infinite ... true falsehoods ... beliefs..." The glyphs hung in the air and wavered as they jostled into each other. She drew the final circle in the center and looked through again.

She frowned. "I don't see nothin!"

"You sure you're doing it right?" asked her mother.

Willow raised her hand up and looked at it through the circle. A brilliant light illuminated her face from the circle. "Yeah, I'm doing it right. I can see me." She wiped the glyphs away and shook her head. "He's not Magic."

Everyone stared at Joey. Joey shut off the sparks from his hand and looked very shy.

"Are you a Cosmic?" Willow asked. "I've never met one before."

Joey shrugged. "I don't know."

"What can you do?" she pressed.

"Um..." Joey looked nervous.

"That will be all," said Dr. Booth. "Thank you Willow."

"But I want to know what he can do!" she pleaded as her mother scooted her out of the examination room.

"Doctor-patient confidentiality. He doesn't have to tell you. Thank you! Go do some filing."

"Mommm!" Willow whined, and she groaned and shuffled down the hall. Dr Booth closed the door. She returned to Joey.

"Well, I don't know what you are. It does not look like Science, Mutant, or Magic, but we're not sure about Cosmic. I cannot do a Cosmic test here. You will have to find one on your own."

"But ... I thought I had to be one of those, and if I'm not the others, then I should be Cosmic, right?"

Dr. Booth shook her head. "Cosmics are so rare, it would be more probable that one of the other tests didn't work right. But it would still be a good idea to consult with an actual Cosmic to determine that."

"I think I can arrange that," said Tricia.

Annie looked at her skeptically. "Nu? What? So you've got Quantum Knight's number on speed-dial?"

"Maybe," she grinned.

Annie raised an eyebrow. "Are you seeing other superheroes behind my back? That's hardly proper side-kick behavior." She turned to Dr. Booth. "Don't tell anyone, but under the cover of darkness, I turn into ... The Ronin Rabbi!"

Tricia laughed, and smacked Annie's chair. "What is this then?"

"The Schlepn-mobile, of course!"

Dr. Booth smiled. "It must be very dark then. I've never heard of you." She turned to Joey. "So, aside from the fact that we don't know where your powers are coming from, you appear healthy. Do you have any questions or health issues you are concerned about?"

Joey bit his lip and looked back at Tricia and Annie. He nervously shook his head. "No. I'm okay."

"Are they answering all your questions?"

Joey hesitated and nodded.

Dr. Booth considered the boy for a moment. "Good ... I want to check one thing again." She pulled out her stethoscope and listened to his heart.

"What is it?" asked Tricia.

"Most likely nothing. I thought I heard an arrhythmia at one point." She listened some more.

"What's..." Joey began.

"It's an odd heartbeat," said Annie, concerned.

"Is there a history of heart conditions in your family?" Dr Booth asked. "Heart attacks, heart disease?"

Joey shook his head. "I don't think so." He looked nervous.

Dr Booth removed the stethoscope. "I don't hear anything unusual now, but I want to bring in a consult, a heart specialist. I'll be right back."

"You have a heart specialist in your practice?" Annie asked.

Dr Booth smiled. "My husband is a heart surgeon. He is here to take me to lunch." She stepped out into the hallway.

Joey looked at Tricia and Annie with a frightened expression. "What's happening? Am I sick?"

"We're not sure yet," Tricia said consolingly. "If anything, it's good we're finding out something early."

Joey looked back out into the hallway and saw Dr. Booth speaking to another doctor. He could hear a couple of words, including 'homeless', 'women', 'young', 'questions', and finally 'heart'. The other doctor, an East-Indian man nodded, and they came to the examination room.

"Hello. I am Doctor Tarak Booth. You are Joey?" he asked in his Indian accent.

Joey nodded. "Hi. Am I okay?"

"That is for me to find out." He pulled out his stethoscope, placed it on his chest, and listened for several seconds.

"What do you hear?" Joey asked.

"Shh-shh..." He listened some more. Everyone watched him intently. Thirty seconds went by. Joey turned and looked at Tricia and Annie for support.

The doctor finally looked up at the others in the room.

"Okay! Please, will all the very beautiful women leave this room so I can listen to this boy's normal heartbeat? Thank you! And that does include you, my good wife!"

Tricia and Annie were stunned. "OH! Sorry!" said Tricia. "We'll step out."

"Sorry. Didn't know we were doing anything to him," said Annie embarrassedly. "We'll be outside."

As the three women left the examination room and closed the door, Tricia turned to Dr. Booth "Is he okay?"

Dr. Booth smiled and winked at the two. "He's perfectly fine. You can check out now, and schedule another appointment in three months, and we can work out payment options." She leaned in close to them and whispered. "They may need a few minutes though."

"But what is going on?" asked Annie.

"He didn't need a heart specialist. He needed a male doctor."

-------

Back in the examination room, Dr. Tarak Booth waited ten seconds after the door closed before he removed his stethoscope. "You are perfectly fine. No heart problems. You heart is very strong."

Joey breathed a sigh of relief. "What did your wife hear?"

Dr. Booth nodded. "My wife, she is very beautiful, and very smart." He pointed to Joey. "She heard a patient lie to her. She says you have questions, but you do not want to ask them in front of your two women friends. Is this true?"

Joey looked down at the floor and nodded sheepishly.

"What are you wondering about?"

"Well..." he started. "Tricia told me this stuff about ... babies ... and how to make them..."

"Yes. Sexual reproduction. Go on."

Joey was very nervous. " ... and um ... there is this stuff that men make and..." He gestured to his crotch. " ... and when it goes into a woman..."

"Semen, yes?"

Joey nodded. "Well ... Tricia and I use the same bathroom, and ... I ... sometimes..."

"You masturbate in the shower or in the toilet?"

Joey blushed and nodded embarrassedly.

"That is completely normal. You are worried that she will get pregnant?"

Joey nodded.

"It will never happen. Do not worry about it."

Joey looked VERY relieved. "Really? You sure?"

Dr. Booth nodded. "Yes. You clean up after yourself? You flush the toilet and rinse the shower?"

Joey nodded.

"She will not get pregnant. In order for her to get pregnant, you would have to leave behind a lot of semen for her to find, and she would have to intentionally scoop it up and use a turkey baster to push it inside her. She won't get pregnant by sitting on it or taking a bath. And your friend Tricia is a grown woman. She knows that if she wants to get pregnant there are much more fun ways to do that."

"But ... what if it ... like ... gets in her clothes, or on her towel, or something?"

"She would have to push her clothes deep inside her vagina to get pregnant, and again, there are much more fun ways to get pregnant. No, you will never get her pregnant by masturbating."

Joey sighed in relief. "Oh, good."

"Did you have any other questions?"

"Um ... yeah ... like ... How many times is ... too many times?"

"Oh, if I could only have your problems! There is a very simple way to know if you are masturbating too many times. If it hurts, stop."

-------

After the doctor's visit, they made a quick stop off at the police station, where Tricia positively identified her second assailant. Like all bureaucratic processes, it was a simple matter of filling out some paperwork, waiting for a couple hours, and then saying two words ("That's him."). She wondered if this process was similar to getting married.

While waiting in the police station, Tricia received a text message from her assistant Judy. "Marty does not like kid pix. Wants 2 C U." Tricia groaned, realizing that Marty was going to kill her story unless she kept him happy. So she checked her purse for her breath mint supply, and bought a fresh pack in the vending machine.

When they got home around five in the afternoon, Annie excused herself to go to the bathroom, Joey took Scrappy for a walk, and Tricia studied her literature on foster parenting which she picked up as ASHA. They had dinner and discussed the day's events. Joey seemed extremely at-ease and relaxed since his private consultation with Dr. Booth, but didn't go into details over what he talked about.

After dinner, they retired to the living room where they all worked on their own personal projects. Joey was sprawled on the floor drawing and erasing, while Annie worked on her computer and Tricia tried to read her pamphlets.

This is so fucking confusing! she thought. All these rules and regulations and hoops I have to jump through. And in the process, I may just lose Joey to another foster family. Can't have that! Will have a serious paradox issue then. She groaned internally. And on top of all this, Marty is going to kill the homeless kids story. I can just feel it. What a fucking mistake it was to ever work for that bastard. I thought he'd be easy to deal with, but I can't get anything from him. Frustrated, Tricia tossed the pamphlets aside and watched Joey working on his drawings. He was erasing a large section of the paper.

"You do a lot of erasing," she observed.

Joey looked up at her. "Yeah. Well, I'm used to having to reuse paper. And I think that's part of what artists do. We don't just draw. We erase mistakes."

"Hmm..." She reflected on that. "I like that."

"What?"

"Artists erase mistakes."

Joey looked puzzled.

Tricia continued. "There are just a few mistakes in my life I'd like to erase, that's all."

"You wouldn't happen to be talking about anyone in the room, would you?" Annie asked, not even looking up from her computer.

"No! I'm not. You two are not mistakes. I'm ... just thinking about things I've done. Mistakes I've made."

Annie looked up from her laptop. "Anything in particular you want to share with the rest of the class?"

Tricia glanced at Joey, and shook her head. "No. Not really."

Annie shrugged. "You're sounding introspective. This is not the same woman I moved in with."

"Sorry."

"No, it's good," said Annie. "So, these mistakes ... Are they the type that an artist can erase?"

Tricia chuckled to herself. "Hardly."

"So what would it take? A superhero? A miracle worker?" Annie cocked one eyebrow up at Tricia. "A time traveler?"

Tricia glared at Annie. Annie smirked.

Joey shrugged. Having lost all understanding of where the conversation was going, he returned to his erasing. Tricia returned to her reading, and Annie returned to her computer.

"Ehh..." Joey grumbled. "I think I need a new eraser."

Tricia looked around and saw a pencil sitting on the table next to her. She picked it up and handed it to him. "Here you go."

"Thanks." He reached out to take it.

As the pencil passed between them, their fingertips touched briefly.

"AAAHHHH!!!!" Joey screamed in a blind panic and jumped back. He hit the entertainment center, knocking DVDs out onto the floor. He pushed away from Tricia in terror, crawling back and staring at her in horror and surprise. Scrappy jumped into his cage and barked fiercely in safety from inside.

"What?!" Tricia yelled as she jumped back.

Annie spun around. "What happened?"

Joey pointed a shaking finger at Tricia. "You ... You ... What did you ... How did you do that?" he yelled at her.

"Do what? What happened?"

Joey stared at Tricia. He was breathing heavily and was on edge. "You opened."

"What? What do you mean?"

Joey quickly crawled towards Tricia and grabbed her hand and held her hand tight. He stared at her intently and panted. He smiled. "You..." He laughed.

"What is it?" she asked, terrified.

He looked at her head and quickly reached out towards her. "You're back here!" he said, touching the back of her neck

"What are you doing?" Is he feeling me?

He touched the front left side of her head. "You're up here now!"

"You're feeling me, aren't you?" she asked. Her heart surged with joy, and she broke out into a huge smile.

"You're over here now!" he said, touching the right side of her head. "I can feel you! How..." He looked at her in amazement. "How did you do that?"

"I didn't do anything!" Tricia said.

"Well, I didn't do anything! Tricia! I can feel you! Hey, Annie! I can feel her!" He turned to Annie with excitement.

Annie watched with a mixed expression on her face. She held her hands together in her lap. "That's ... good? I think ... Yes?" She wrung her hands together.

Joey looked at Annie's hands and back at her eyes. He let go of Tricia and slowly crawled towards Annie. Annie sat back in her chair, pulling her hands away. "Don't ... You don't have to..."

He reached for her hand. Annie reluctantly extended her hand to his. "It may not work, Joey, and that's okay if it..."

He touched her hand, gasped, and broke out into a huge grin. He grabbed her hand hard, and pulled her towards him. "I can feel you too, Annie! I can feel you both! What happened?"

Annie looked shocked. "You can feel me?"

Joey nodded. "Yeah. I can feel you. All of you!"

"Can you feel my legs?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I can."

"Well, I'm glad someone can! What happened?"

"I don't know!"

"Maybe you just needed time to get used to us?" suggested Tricia.

"I ... I don't know," he said. "It's never taken time before! It just either worked or didn't work." He stared at Annie and looked confused. "Wait a minute..."

"What?" Annie asked.

Joey scrambled back to Tricia, grabbed her hand and held it. He stared off into space for a moment. Then he went back to Annie and grabbed her hand and held it, staring off into space again. He reached out to Tricia. Tricia scooted over and reached out, letting Joey take her hand as well.

He sat on the floor on his knees, holding their hands in both of his. He stared at nothing, and his face scrunched up in confusion.

"THAT ... is WEIRD!" he exclaimed.

"What's weird?" asked Tricia.

"You two! You're so different!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Annie. "Is it my legs?"

Joey shook his head and pulled back, releasing the two girls' hands. He sat on the floor and held his head, blinking and processing. "No ... it's your minds. It's like..."

He turned to Tricia. "Okay, so you're like all over in here!" he said, gesturing to the right side of his head. "You're like really strong here!"

Then he turned to Annie. "And you're all over in here!" he said as he touched the left side of his head.

"So Tricia has a strong right-brain, and I have a strong left-brain?" Annie asked. "Well, I could have told you that. She's all passion and I'm logic. She's Kirk and I'm Spock."

"Huh?"

"Never mind. What does this mean to you?"

"Well, it means that you two would be better at different powers, like you, Tricia ... you would be like really good at..." He gestured inward. " ... body stuff. Like strength and speed and invulnerability and ... lightning fists ... And you! Annie! You would be good at outside stuff. Like..." He gestured outwards. " ... forcefields and telekinesis and magnetism and fli ... freezing things and..."

"And flight?" Annie perked up and scooted her chair forward. "Can I do flight?"

Joey looked frightened. "I ... I don't know ... That's ... That's difficult ... I..."

Tricia leaned in. "But you can push powers into us now? Intentionally?"

Joey nodded. "I think so."

"Can you make me fly?" Annie persisted, pushing her chair a notch forward. "Or float?"

Joey pushed back a bit away from her. "I ... I don't think so ... That's hard..."

"But you made Tricia strong! And you made Scrappy float!"

"I..." He looked at Tricia for support.

Tricia held out her hand to Annie. "Let's not push him. This is his ability."

Annie stopped. "Oh! Sorry. I ... You're right. I just got ... excited."

Joey looked relieved, and he looked at his hands. Tricia asked him "Did you want to try something?"

He nodded. "Yeah, um..."

"Like make me strong again?"

"Ummm..." Joey hesitated. "That's..."

"What?"

"Dangerous."

"Oh. Um, I'll be careful." Tricia sat on the floor next to Joey.

"I'd rather do something safe," he said.

"Like what?"

"Um ... Glowing?"

"Glowing?" Tricia nodded. "Okay. That sounds safe. You want to make me glow?"

"Um ... yeah. Can I?"

She reached her hand out to him.

Joey looked around nervously. "Hold a second." He got up, ran to the balcony door, closed the curtains, ran back, and sat on the floor next to Tricia. "Okay."

He concentrated, and extended his hand. A small shower of sparks emitted from his fingers as he reached for her. His finger touched her hand.

Tricia's body suddenly illuminated in a bright yellow aura that covered her entirely. Blobs of light dripped off her hands and fell, vanishing before they hit the floor. Everyone gasped. She lifted her glowing hands up to her face and examined them, staring fascinated into the light, turning her hands slowly at first, then quickly. As she moved, small corpuscles of light spilled off her hands, and floated in the air for moments before evaporating.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed. "This is ... beautiful! It's amazing!"

"What does it feel like?" asked Annie.

"Nothing! I don't feel a thing! Well ... maybe a little warm, but that's it."

Annie extended her hand. "Can I try?"

Joey nodded and reached for Annie. Sparks jumped from his hand as he touched her, and suddenly Annie was engulfed in a glowing blue light. She gasped and laughed. "Oy! Look at me!" She waved her hands about playfully, watching the little blobs of light spill off of her and float in the air. "I have a super-power!"

"This is so cool!" Tricia proclaimed. She waved her hands around, watching the light globs spilling off of her. She whipped her hand, and blobs of light sprayed off her and bounced off the floor. She burst out laughing. She held a hand out to Annie. "Hey Annie! High-five!"

Annie slapped Tricia's glowing hand with hers. A brief flare of white light corpuscles flashed in the air. They screamed in laughter as they saw the flash of light.

"Oy! I love this! This is fun!" She flicked her hands at Tricia, sending glowing blue blobs at her roommate.

"And you wanted to buy a Wii!" said Tricia, and then her glowing vanished. "Hey! What happened?"

"Oh, I didn't give you much," explained Joey. He reached out to her. "Let me..."

"I need a recharge!" Tricia declared, and she took Joey's hand.

"Me too!" said Annie, as her aura suddenly faded.

Joey touched their hands again, and, with a flash of sparks, they both started glowing again. They both broke out into huge smiles.

"Hey! How come she's blue and I'm yellow?"

"Umm ... I just did it that way. Did you want a different color?"

"Yeah! Can you make me purple?"

"Or can you give us control over the color?" suggested Annie.

Joey thought. "Yeah, I think I can do that." He concentrated. "Think about colors."

"What do you mean?" asked Tricia.

"I need to know where you think about colors. Just start imagining colors in your head."

The girls nodded and concentrated. Joey probed their minds. "Got it." There was a flash of sparks from his hands, and the girls auras started shifting in colors.

"Whoa!" Tricia's aura shifted to purple.

"Oy! This is AWESOME!" Annie's aura changed to green.

Joey grinned, sat back, and watched the girls as they laughed and screamed and played with their new abilities. They punched the air, sending out little blobs of light, and flipped their auras around back and forth across the rainbow.

Annie concentrated, and her aura split into red and green splotches.

"Hey! How did you do that?" asked Tricia.

"I just tried it!" said Annie, as her aura shifted to blue and yellow. "Give it a try!"

Tricia concentrated. "I can't..." She grimaced. "I..." She balled up her fists and strained, and suddenly her aura exploded in a blinding brilliance. Everyone screamed in laughter.

"Now, how did YOU do that?" asked Annie.

"I just pushed it."

Annie scrunched up her face. "I can't do that."

"That's cause you're all on this side," Joey said, tapping the left side of his head. "You can do things that are all..." He gestured, waving his fingers around. "Lots of little things, but Tricia is all over on the other side, and so she does things like, simple, but real strong."

Annie cocked her head. "You mean, it is easier for me to do complex things, and for her to do intense things?"

Joey looked confused. "I ... guess ... yeah."

Annie playfully clapped her hands together, watching the globs of light flow and splatter out of her. "Hey! Can you make it so these lights last longer outside of me, or give me some control over where they go?"

Joey squinted. "I can try." He touched her hand and concentrated, and small burst of sparks came out of his hand.

Annie lifted her hands up, and fountains of colored light blobs sprayed from her hand. She laughed delightedly as she spread her hands wide and showered the room with spinning streams of rainbow colors. Scrappy ran out of his cage to watch the show, and then started chasing down stray blobs of light as they bounced around the room.

"Let me try that!" said Tricia, and Joey pushed the power into her. She concentrated, but instead of a decorative shower of colored lights, two strong beams of light shown brilliantly from her hands and illuminated the walls.

"I can't do what you're doing!" she complained. "How are you doing that?"

Annie looked at her hands and grimaced. "If it makes you feel any better, I can't do what you're doing."

Joey sat back and watched, smiling in pride, and then he glanced at the curtains. He frowned. "Maybe we should..." he started, and he reached out and took the girls hands again. As soon as he got them both, the lights vanished.

"Hey!" they yelled. "Why did you do that?" asked Tricia.

"We were having fun!" said Annie.

"I was worried that someone might see us."

"Oh," said Annie. "Sorry."

"Yeah, sorry. Kind of got carried away there," said Tricia.

"I want to try something else!" said Annie.

"Um..."

"Something inconspicuous this time," said Tricia.

"Oh. Yeah. Okay..." Annie thought. "How about..." She broke out into a huge grin. "How about invisibility? Can you make me invisible?"

Joey smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I can do that."

He reached over to Annie and touched her hand. Sparks burst from his hand, and Annie vanished. Her chair was still there, and her clothes were still visible as well, but they appeared empty, inflated, and animated. Tricia burst out laughing at the sight, and started clapping.

"Oh, very funny!" said Annie's disembodied voice, sarcastically.

"What?" asked Joey.

"Turn the lights back on!"

"Huh?"

"I meant transparent! I didn't mean make everything dark! I know, technically I'm invisible because nobody can see anything, but..."

"What are you talking about, Annie?" asked Tricia.

"What?" she asked. "Can you see?"

"Yeah. I can see you. Well, I can see your clothes at least. You're gone, though."

"You mean I'm invisible? And you can still see?"

"Yeah!"

Annie paused for a moment, and then her sleeve flew up as she smacked herself in her forehead. "OY! SHMENDRIK KHISHIM BOOLVAN SHOYTEH GOOMER! OF COURSE I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING!"

"What do you mean?" asked Joey.

"I'm invisible! Light doesn't affect me, including my optic nerves! What is it? Is it passing around me or just through me?"

"It's ... kinda ... around, like this..."

"She can't see you gesturing, Joey."

"Oh. It's going around you. So you can't see anything?"

"No. I'm completely blind! The light isn't touching me." Annie's sleeves moved around as she felt her surroundings. "It's dark in here. It's also a little colder."

"Oh..." Joey said thoughtfully. "This is probably why Scrappy doesn't run away when he's invisible. He can't see where he's going. I didn't know that."

"Well, I'm surprised he never told you. Trish! Can you get my camera? I want to see this!"

"Yeah!" Tricia got up and grabbed Annie's purse. She brought it back, dug through it, and pulled out her video camera. She turned it on. "Okay ... big smile!"

"Riiiiight!" she said sarcastically.

"Ew! What's that?" Tricia frowned as she looked at the screen.

"What's what?"

"I can see you in the camera!"

"Really? How can that be?"

"Let me see!" said Joey. Tricia showed him. "Oh ... What is that?"

"What do you see?"

"It's ... kind of a smoky, shadowy shape," said Tricia. "I can tell it's you, but I can see through it. It's like ... Oh, I know what this is!"

"What is it?" asked Joey.

"Remember when you first described invisibility to me, Joey? You said you just push colors around. Well, video cameras can see into the infra-red. You're only pushing visible colors around her, but you didn't get all the colors that the camera can see."

Joey looked confused. "But I got all the colors!"

"Not all the colors a camera can see. Infra-red is like, redder than red."

Joey chewed on the idea. "Oh, okay ... Let's see if I can fix it." He reached for Annie's invisible hand, eventually found it, and concentrated.

Tricia watched through the camera. "You got it! She's gone!"

"She's getting cold, too!" said Annie. "Don't get rid of all the infra-red."

"Okay, Annie! Wave to the camera!"

"Eat your heart out, Claude Rains!" Annie said, waving somewhat towards the direction of Tricia. Joey leaned over her, looking down into her shirt.

"What are you looking for, Joey?" asked Tricia.

"Cool! I can see all the way inside your clothes!"

"Don't look at my underwear!"

"What does 32DD mean?"

"JOEY!" Annie waved her hand around and smacked him. "Stop looking at that!"

Tricia laughed. "It's something she should be proud of!"

"Okay! Enough of this!" Annie decided. "Joey! Time to turn me back."

"Oh, okay." He reached out to her.

"WAIT!!!!" Annie screamed. "WAIT! Don't turn it off yet!"

"What?"

Annie thought for a moment. "Tricia! Go to my purse, and get my sunglasses."

"Your sunglasses? Why?"

"Because right now, I bet my pupils are dilated as hell!"

Tricia pondered that for a second. "Oh! All right." She went into Annie's purse again, and pulled the sunglasses out. "Here you go."

Annie reached out blindly, and Tricia found her invisible hand. "This is creepy!" Tricia said, as she felt Annie's invisible fingers wrap around the glasses. She let go of the glasses and watched them float up and follow the sleeve. The other sleeve moved over, and the sunglasses unfolded themselves and floated up to where Annie's head once was.

Once the sunglasses were in place hovering over her shirt, Tricia took some final video of Annie. "Okay," Annie said and she took a deep breath. "This is going to hurt ... Do it!"

Joey reached out and touched her hand. Annie reappeared.

"OW!" she yelped, and she buried her face down into her hands. "BRIGHT! EEK! ... FUCKIN' SHIT! HURTS! ... Oh, that's bright!"

"You okay?" asked Joey.

"Yeah ... Ow! ... Oh, I bet Scrappy doesn't like that."

Joey looked shocked. Then he looked guilty. "Ohhh." He turned to his dog. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that hurt you."

The dog cocked his head at Joey.

"Are you all right, Annie?" Tricia asked.

"Yeah..." she moaned, lifting her head and still wearing the sunglasses. "It's pretty bright in here, but I'm getting used to it again."

Tricia grinned at Joey and held her hand out to him. "Okay! My turn!"

Joey gave her a confused look. "What?"

"I want to be invisible now!" She wiggled her fingers at him.

"I..."

"It's not that fun, Trish," said Annie. "It's cold in there, and it really hurts when it turns off."

"I can take it! Turn me invisible! I want to try it!"

Joey shrugged. "Well, okay..." He touched her hand, and there was a burst of sparks.

Tricia plunged into a pitch-black darkness. A slight chill came over her body. "Whoa!" she exclaimed, and she felt around behind her for the couch. "Am I invisible?"

"Yeah." said Annie. "Ew, that is really creepy looking!"

"It feels strange! Why did it get cold? I thought heat is infra-red light. Shouldn't that still be affecting me?"

Annie looked through the camera. "Yeah, it is." She thought about it. "I guess normal light produces heat when it's absorbed into your body. It comes in as short wavelengths, and emits as long wavelengths. Since it is no longer touching your body, you're not getting that source of heat anymore."

Joey screwed up his face. "Huh?"

Annie smiled and explained. "Being invisible makes you feel a little cold. Not freezing. I'm sure Scrappy felt it too, but at least he has a fur coat." She looked back at Tricia's floating clothes and gasped. "Tricia! I can see you're getting cold. Your tsitskes are standing out like Yukheen and Voyez!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Tricia, and her sleeves moved up to her chest. Two large hand-shaped indentations pushed into the fabric over her full breasts, framing her erect nipples which were now poking through the shirt's fabric. Joey looked and blushed.

"Oh, great!" said Annie. "Now we can see them even clearer."

"So you can't see me, but you can see me through my clothes?" Tricia giggled. "What if I took my clothes off?"

"Tricia, don't!" admonished Annie.

"Too late!" Tricia had already started pulling her shirt up, singing the theme to 'The Stripper'. "Ba-dah-dahhhh ... Ba-dah-dah-dahhhhh..." Her jeans swung back and forth to the tune as her floating shirt rolled itself upward, stretching over the large floating sports-bra, and it turned itself inside out as it rolled and pulled upward.

Joey's jaw dropped.

"Tricia! Stop! You're embarrassing the boy!"

"Oh, it's not like he can see anything!" said Tricia's disembodied voice as the shirt pulled itself upward and fully inside out. The neck stretched open, and the sleeves flipped inside out as the shirt dangled from two invisible hooks above the huge hovering bra and jeans. Joey stared in stunned wonder as he could see the full inflated and floating bra with the nipple indentations and matching white panties inside the animated jeans. Tricia continued her singing. "Bah-dah Dah-dah BAH-dah-na-nah nahhhh!"

"Tricia ... um..." Joey began.

The shirt, now loose and dangling on nothing, spun as if twirled about by an invisible hand. Tricia squealed and the shirt suddenly flew off towards Joey, hitting him in the face.

"Okay, stop that Tricia!" said Annie.

"Why? You can't see anything! I mean, I could even take THIS off..." One bra strap flipped down, then the other flipped down, and the bra scrunched up in the front with its front hooks unfastening themselves. She continued singing the bass line. "Bum, bah-ba-dum, bah-ba-dum!"

"Tricia!" Joey pleaded.

"Oh, what's the matter, Joey? Either you can't see anything, which is fine, or you can see something, which is what you want. Admit it! I mean, you certainly went looking for Annie's!" She gasped. "Hey! How long does this power last? I suppose I just might turn visible at any moment, and you'll see me in all my glory!" The bra unhooked a few more hooks.

"Okay, Tricia. That's enough," said Annie.

"Please, Tricia..." Joey pleaded, handing her shirt back to her. "Put your clothes back on."

"Or you could always keep me invisible!" Tricia gasped in mock shock again. "You know, Joey ... If you want me to stay invisible, you're just going to have to reach out and touch me somewhere. And who knows where you'll wind up touching me!"

"Please?" he persisted.

She sighed. "You really want me to put my clothes back on?"

"Yes!"

"Will you do something for me then?"

"What?"

"Promise me you'll do me a favor!"

"Fine! I will! Now please, before it wears off!"

Tricia clucked her tongue and sighed. "Okay. I will, but remember, you owe me! ... Where's my shirt?"

Joey held her shirt out for her, and watched it as it pulled out of his hand and flipped around in mid-air. "Is it inside out?" her voice asked.

"Yeah."

The hovering shirt did a complicated maneuver, stretching, twisting, and inverting itself. It spun around, and Joey and Annie could see the indentations of two hands and arms inside the shirt. The shirt pulled itself back and up, and it stretched around, rolling and twisting until it stretched over the familiar female form.

"There! Satisfied?"

"Yeah," Joey grumbled, and he reached out and touched her cheek. Tricia reappeared suddenly, and her eyes were wide open with her pupils fully dilated.

"OW! SON OF A BITCH!" She collapsed down and covered her eyes. "JESUS FUCKING CHRIST! That hurts! Oh, that's bright! Dammit! ... Why didn't you let me put on some sunglasses first?"

"Serves you right," said Annie.

Joey sat on the couch and glared at Tricia. Tricia rubbed her eyes, blinked, and looked around. She saw Joey staring at her.

"Oh, don't give me that pouty face! You got your revenge! And that was funny, and you know it!"

Joey continued to glare at her, but gave her the slightest of smirks.

"Yeah, I see you smiling. You enjoyed that!" Tricia climbed onto the couch with him, and eyed him sexily. "Of course, I've got you now. You owe me a favor."

He looked frightened. "What?"

Tricia slinked over towards him, and laid herself directly onto his lap, facing him. Joey stiffened nervously and tried to pull away as the beautiful, sexy bombshell lay over him, pushing her full heavy breast into his crotch, and walking her fingers up his chest. "You ... are a goldmine, you know that?" she said seductively. "You have the most incredible super-powers, and you have this amazing story! It's got everything! Tragedy, bravery, loss and return, social issues..." She eyed the boy intensely. "Let me write your biography."

Joey went from frightened to stunned. "What?"

"I'll make it worth your while," she said, winking at him. "And we'll make a killing!"

Joey stared at her. "NO!" he shouted furiously, and he shoved her off his lap. With a yelp, she rolled off the couch and fell on the floor, landing hard on her butt.

"Ow!" she complained, and she spun around to face him. "What did you do that for?"

Joey jumped up off the couch and glared at her. "I told you! I don't want to tell my story! I just want to live a normal life!"

"Tricia!" Annie cried out. "What are you doing?"

"Oh come on!" she said. "Joey, I'm telling you! This would really help us! You have any idea how expensive it is to take care of you? We need some more money coming in!"

Joey looked astonished. "What?"

"Hey, I don't know if I'm going to be able to become your foster mother. There's a shit-load of hoops I need to jump through, and even if I get through them, I don't know if I'll be able to keep you!"

"You..."

"And I don't know if I'll be able to keep up with this homeless kids story either. Marty was complaining about the pictures, and I don't know how long I can keep blowing him to keep him interested. So what else am I supposed to get from you? Your story is it! You! The Return of Omega Boy! That's the ticket!"

"No! I don't want to go back there! I don't want Omega Boy back. I never wanted to be him in the first place! You ... You're just like my dad! You just want stuff from me because of what I can do. But you don't care! You don't care about what I want! I thought you were..." He choked. "Fuck you! I'm out of here!"

Joey turned and stormed out the front door.

"Joey! Wait!" Tricia called out.

"Joey! Hold the elevator! I'm coming with you!" Annie called out. She grabbed her purse and rolled towards the hallway, stopping to turn back to Tricia. "I'll calm him down and bring him back, but you!" she said to Tricia, glaring at her. "You need a time-out!"

"Oh, come on, Annie! What am I supposed to do with him?"

"You were doing it! You were taking care of him. But you got greedy and selfish. It's not all about you, you know!"

Tricia lowered her voice. "Just take care of him? You think that's the reason why I sent him to me? And what about this paradox-preventing seduction I'm supposed to do?"

"I don't know if you can do that anymore. That's your problem! But whatever you do, DON'T HURT HIM!" And she spun around and rolled out the front door, closing it behind her.

Tricia sat on the floor alone, fuming to herself. "FUCK! SHIT!" She got up and stormed to her bedroom. "AAARRGGH!" she screamed in frustration, and she jumped on her bed, grabbed her pillow, and screamed into it, kicking the bed. She rolled over and stared at the ceiling.

"WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH HIM?" she cried out. "AAARRGGHH! Can't write his story! Can't do the homeless kids story! Why did I send him to me?"

She sat up on the bed and looked at herself in the mirror. "YOU!" she screamed. "Yeah, you! Future girl! You tell me! What am I supposed to do with him, huh?" She jumped up and ran to the mirror. "Why would you send him to me if I can't get anything out of him? What was the whole point? Huh? Tell me!"

She stared at herself and pointed to her reflection. "I'm ready! I'm ready for the whole time-travel thing! Seven-oh-eight PM on July tenth!Annie! Keep filming! Tricia! Memorize the date and time! And-And! Trust your instincts! It's him! I got it! I'm ready, but WHY? Why did you do this?"

She fumed and glared at herself. "You know what's happening! You know what's going to happen! And you know I need help now! You did time-travel once, you can do it again! It's ... what?" She looked around at her digital clock. "Right now it's seven fourteen PM on July fifteenth! Hey, do you know what that means? It means that in less than one minute it's going to be seven-fifteen on seven-fifteen! AND I'M GOING TO FUCKING REMEMBER THAT!"

Tricia sat on the edge of her bed and buried her face in her hands, crying in frustration. "What am I supposed to do? ... Why is he in my life? ... I need a sign!"

Her arms itched. She scratched her arm, and noticed the hairs on her arm were standing up. She sniffed, and looked at herself in the mirror.

Her long hair was starting to rise up, as if charged with static electricity.

"What the... ?" She looked around and saw the clock. It read seven-fourteen.

Seven-fifteen.

FFFOOOMMM!! The bedroom flooded with ultra-violet light.

Tricia saw her first in the mirror. Glowing, naked, transparent, squatting, and thrusting. She spun around and faced the ghost of her future self. The ghost Tricia looked at her with care and concern, and spoke with a voice that was ethereal and distant.

"He needs to love you."

-------

Translation Guide

"Shoolem Alaykhem - Alaykhem Shoolem": Traditional Jewish greeting and response. "Peace upon you". The reverse means the same, but there is an implication that the second person is willing to disagree with anything said by the first. Basically, it means "Hello friend. I may just argue with you."

Ronin Rabbi : A Ronin is a Japanese master-less samurai. A Rabbi is a Jewish teacher.

"Schlepn" : To move slowly, tediously, awkwardly, or carelessly.

"SHMENDRIK KHISHIM BOOLVAN SHOYTEH GOOMER!" : Clueless, idiot, moron/blockhead, complete fool!

"Your tsitskes are standing out like Yukheen and Voyez!" : Tricia's breasts, specifically her nipples, were erect. Yukheen and Voyez refer to two bronze pillars set up by King Solomon outside the temple vestibule. The pillars are famously large, well-formed, and self-supporting, so when breasts are compared to these, they too are usually large, well-formed, and self-supporting.



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Chapter 14: Purple Cows and Colored Pencils





Wednesday, July 15, 2009 7:15 PM

"He needs to love you."

The ghost Tricia squatted on the bed, glowing, naked, translucent, and she looked at the real Tricia with an expression filled with love and concern. Her voice echoed as if spoken from a great distance through a long tunnel. "That is the answer to most of your questions," she said. "He needs to love you."

"But..." Tricia began. She stared at the image. Her future self was beautiful, content, sexy, and energized. Her long ghostly hair swam and flowed over her as if she were underwater, and she rocked her hips forward and backward, thrusting and releasing lazily.

But what am I supposed to do with him? she wanted to ask. Before she could ask, her eyes dropped down to the ghost Tricia's hips and pubic hair, and she watched the gentle thrusting. Tricia frowned.

"Are you fucking him right now?" she asked.

The ghost's contented look vanished. "What?" she asked.

"I said, are you fucking him? Are you fucking Joey right now?"

The ghost's jaw dropped. "I..." she began, and she suddenly looked horrified.

"Don't pretend that you didn't know I noticed it. Are you fucking Joey?"

"Um..." Her face strained, and she swallowed nervously. "I um..." She looked like she was going to panic. She looked left, right, and then back at Tricia terrified. "I uh ... Um! ... Aaaghh!" She clenched her fists tight, grimaced, and strained as if pushing herself to do something really dangerous.

Tricia leaned back. It looked like the ghost was going to explode.

"I ... I ... I..." The ghost held her fists to her face, took a deep breath, and screamed.

"I'VE NEVER SEEN A PURPLE COW! I HOPE TO NEVER SEE ONE! BUT I CAN TELL YOU ANYHOW I'D RATHER SEE THAN BE ONE! AAAAAGGGHHH!" Then she ducked down and covered her head as if she had pulled the pin on a grenade, and buried her face down into whatever it was she was squatting on.

Tricia jumped back and gaped at the ghost. All was quiet.

The ghost slowly moved a hand and peeked out carefully. She looked left, right, up, and then at Tricia. She grinned, giggled, then bolted back upright, screamed, and started singing and bouncing.

"YAAAHOOOOO!!!! OH!
TODO AQUEL QUE PIENSE QUE LA VIDA ES DESIGUAL, 
TIENA QUE SABER QUE NO ES ASI, 
QUE LA VIDA ES UNA HERMOSURA, HAY QUE VIVIRLA."

"Oh my god ... I'm going to go insane!" said Tricia.

The ghost stopped singing and pointed at Tricia. "I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT FUCKING PARADOX ANYMORE! OH MY GOD! What a relief! This is going to make this SO much easier! That didn't happen at all last time! And I was so worried that I had to get every-little-detail right! Every word and bump and thrust and grunt ... You know that first message! That was easy! I just watched that one over and over again to get it right. But THIS one! This one didn't get recorded, and I was just stuck with trying to remember it all!" She clutched her chest. "Oh ... God, I need a cigarette!"

Tricia blinked in confusion. "What?"

The ghost pointed at her again. "You! You fucked it up! You're the one who did something different!"

"What? Me? You're blaming me?"

"Yeah! When I was on your side of the conversation, my first question was 'What am I supposed to do with him!' And I was ready for that! I didn't ask about fucking him until ... oh ... four questions in! But NO! You had to ask something different! And guess what? THE UNIVERSE DOESN'T FUCKING CARE! Oh! This is great! I can relax now!" Her shoulders slumped and she wiped her brow. "Whew!"

The ghost blinked as she looked at Tricia. "Oh! Let me answer your question!" She leaned forward, planting her hands on the chest of whoever it was she was squatting on and leered at Tricia. "YES! Yes, I'm fucking Joey!" She started bouncing and thrusting. "And he is SO, FUCKING, GOOD, OH! YES! OH! Oh, that's right!" She dipped down, turning her attention to her invisible lover. "Isn't that right, honey?" she asked in an overly sweet and loving voice. "You're such a good fuck, aren't you?" She grabbed the invisible face and kissed it several times, humming and smacking her lips loudly. "Mmmmmm <smack-smack-smack-smack>" She tilted her head and dove, opening her mouth. Tricia watched her future self give an invisible Joey a passionate tongue-kiss.

"Ew!" Tricia grimaced at the sight. "Please tell me he's eighteen."

"Rrrarrgh!" The ghost growled playfully as she pushed herself back up and eyed Tricia. "Eighteen? Are you kidding?" She pushed her arms and shoulders back and thrust her impressive chest out towards Tricia. "Do you see five years of boob-sag? Do you? No! No, he's not eighteen yet. No, I'm only about a week and a half ahead of you."

"But, isn't that illegal?"

Ghost Tricia waved her off. "That is the LEAST of your worries right now. No, right now, your main concern is this; He needs to love you."

"But why? And what about the book? His story?"

"Oh, get over yourself, you spoiled brat!" the ghost yelled. "You think this is about you, and about what all you can get out of him. Well, forget it! This isn't about you. You're not going to pull the book deal out of him! You think I sent him to you to help your career, right? Well, you're wrong! He's not going to help your career. If anything, he's going to fucking destroy it! AND GOOD FUCKING RIDDANCE!" She bounced on those words, plunging an invisible cock inside her and bouncing her large breasts with each thrust. The ghost then pointed out into the air. "FUCK YOU MARTY!" she yelled. "FROM ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE SPACE-TIME CONTINUUM ... FUCK YOU!"

Tricia's eyes went wide and she gasped. "What, is he going to fire me?"

The ghost pointed at Tricia. "Again, LEAST of your problems! Concentrate on this! Joey needs to love you. This is not about you. This is about him. You are not important. Joey is."

Tricia crawled forward on the bed towards the ghost. "What are you talking about? Why does he need to love me?"

"I can't go into those details. All I can tell you is this; He and I, we were meant for each other. You can feel that already. You already know that you need him in your life. Well, he needs you in his life. He needs you in his heart. And you need to protect him. Look..." The ghost shuddered with what she had to say. "The shit is going to hit the fan real soon now, and I know you're going to hate me for not telling you what all is going to happen, but I have to tell you, it MUST happen. All of it! And you're going to be scared, but you've got to get through it. You've got to protect Joey. As long as he is with you, or Annie, or even Sandy, he's safe. But Joey is important." She pointed at Tricia. "You are not!"

"What's going to happen?"

The ghost shook her head. "I can't tell you. If I do, Joey is dead."

"Dead? What do you mean? Why can't you tell me?"

"Look, all I can say is this. Telepathy is a bitch. If you know what happening, it's over. The only thing you need to know is Joey needs to love you. He needs to love you more than anything else in the world. And he already loves you. You just need to nurture that. And all you have to do is give him what he needs, give him what he wants. And don't ask for anything in return. And yet, he'll give you so much that you want, so much that you need..." The ghost smiled. "Now that's a paradox for you! Time Travel has got nothing on Love when it comes to paradoxes. In order to get what you truly need and want from Joey, you can't ask him for it. You can only give to him."

"So..." Tricia looked down at the area under the ghost, knowing that a future Joey lay under her. "So do I need to seduce him soon?"

The ghost shook her head. "You can't seduce him. Joey is not the same type of man that you are used to dealing with. For his whole life he's either been controlled for his powers, or in hiding, terrified that someone will try to control him. Seduction is just another form of control, and he won't respond to it. Something else has to happen."

"What? What's going to happen?"

"Something wonderful. Something beautiful." The ghost traced a finger across her invisible lover's chest, and she smiled at him. "And even though you are going to do something wonderful and beautiful for him tonight, this is not the night. You'll know the moment when it comes." She glanced back up at Tricia. "Oh, and that first time, that first night, the first time you get on top of him like this ... Wait until just before your orgasm hits, and then ask him to push you through time."

"That's the time travel? The first night?"

The ghost winked at her. "Trust me." She looked down at her lover again and cocked her head. "Oh Tricia, I wish I could tell you more, but I can't. It's going to be scary, and dangerous, and I honestly can't guarantee that you are going to survive it."

Tricia gasped. "But, you survived! I have to survive, right?"

The ghost teared up. "Time travel doesn't work like that. But just know this: Everything is going according to plan. Everyone in your life now is in it for a reason. Keep your friends close. Keep your faith close. Protect Joey, and don't let anyone else stop you because it's too dangerous. Do whatever you can to protect him, even if it means jumping out the god-damned window to go after him! He is everything! Think creatively! You can get through anything with him, even if he's..." She choked up and ran her hand across her lover's heart. " ... even if he's dying in your arms and you think there is no hope. As long as he is alive and with you, there is always hope."

Tricia clutched her heart. "Tricia ... what's going to happen?"

The ghost shook her head. "I can't say any more." She paused. "No le diga cuando usted descubre sobre su madre." She smiled down at her lover. "That's right! I'm going to be your new mother!" She shifted her hips.

Tricia gasped. That's not what she just said! "Can he hear me? Or see me?"

"No," she said sweetly to her lover. "I know what you want ... You want to hop in the shower again, don't you? She glanced back up at Tricia. "He thinks you look sexy when you're wet."

"Tricia, please! You're scaring me! What do you mean I might not survive? What is it about his mother? Tell me, please!"

"I can't. The only thing I can tell you is when Anton asks, it's three mustards to five mayonnaise. But I have to go now. You have everything you need. And I have one more phone call to make."

"Tricia! Wait!" she pleaded.

"I'll see you on the train!"

FFOOOMM! The ghost vanished. Tricia sat on the bed and stared at the empty space where her future self was sitting just moments ago. She trembled, and a single tear rolled down her cheek.

"No le diga cuando usted descubre sobre su madre." She swallowed. "Don't tell him when you find out about his mother. What is it?" She looked over into her mirror and saw her terrified face. She hugged herself.

"I may not survive ... Joey is everything ... He needs to love me..." She got up and pulled the portrait of herself he had drawn for her and ran her fingers over the surface. "Give him what he needs ... Give him what he wants..."

Knowing what Joey wanted, Tricia put the portrait back on the wall, strode out of the room, grabbed her purse, and left the apartment.

-------

It was over an hour later when Tricia returned. As she walked in the front door carrying her purse and a tall, wide, and shallow bag, she saw Joey and Annie sitting in the living room watching her. She swallowed hard, drew up her courage, and walked in towards them. Joey stared at her angrily, while Annie watched, patiently.

Tricia knelt on the floor. Her face was a mask of shame. "Joey..." she said softly. " ... I want to apologize to you. I have not been fair to you, and I am sorry ... I, all this time, was hoping that I could ... convince you to let me write your story. To help my career. And I never thought about what you were going through. I mean, here you are trying to bury an old life and start a new one, and here I am trying to dig up the old one and make a buck off of it. And I'm sorry. I will never bring it up again, I promise. And I will understand if you are still angry with me, and if you want to leave, but please don't ... I want you to stay with us, and I want to help you ... and I think you're actually a good influence on me."

Joey actually smirked when she said that. Annie grinned and waited.

Tricia sniffed and took a deep breath. She held out the bag to him. "I got this for you. For your new life."

Joey looked at the bag suspiciously, and turned to Annie for support. Annie nodded to him. He took the bag, opened it, and inhaled suddenly as he looked inside. His eyes became wide with wonder and amazement, as he pulled out the art pad and colored pencils set. "Oh my god..." he exclaimed.

"There's also some art gum eraser in there," Tricia added. "Enough to erase a lifetime of mistakes ... I suppose I should have gotten some for myself too."

"Thank you!" he said, practically tearing up. "This is ... amazing."

"Do you forgive me?"

Joey nodded. "I ... I'm sorry for pushing you."

"I deserved it." She looked at Annie for her approval. Annie gave her a grin and a thumbs-up.

"Well!" said Annie. "I suppose I should go to bed now." She pulled her chair back and spun it towards her room. "According to our rotation schedule, you two are together tonight. But I think in this case, it's all really up to Joey. So if I don't see one of you in a few minutes, I'll see you both tomorrow. Good night."

"Good night, Annie."

"Good night."

Annie gave Tricia a wink and rolled over to her room. After she left, Joey opened the colored pencils set and looked through the pencils.

"So..." Tricia said shyly. " ... what's going to happen now?"

Joey pulled a light brown pencil out of the kit and held it up to Tricia. He compared the color to her. "I think this one is closest to you." He then opened his art pad to the first blank page and lay it on his lap. He studied her. "If you could just stay with me right there right now?"

Tricia smiled shyly and nodded, and he started to draw.



-------

"NOOOOO!!! STOP!!!" Joey thrashed and screamed in his sleep, waking Tricia up as she lay next to him. Torrents of sparks erupted from his hands and illuminated the room, and his eyes were glowing brightly.

Tricia quickly grabbed the blanket and put it over his hands. She grabbed him through the blanket and shook him. "Joey! Wake up!"

Joey thrashed some more, and his eyes stopped glowing. The sparks stopped flowing from his hands, and his eyes snapped open. He saw Tricia, his eyes teared up, and his face twisted.

"He was ... he was on fire!"

"I know. Come here." She pulled him close to him and hugged him. Joey started shaking as he cried. "It's okay. We knew the nightmares were going to continue. It's all right."

"And that man ... Delgado ... He was laughing ... He was saying he got away with it."

"Shhh ... It's okay." Tricia rocked the crying boy to her bosom.

"I want these to stop!"

"I know. We'll get through this." She held him and rocked him as he cried and shuddered.

"I want him dead!" he cried.

"Calm down. You'll be okay. That's it."

She continued to hold him, rocking him steadily and soothing him. Joey eventually settled down. Tricia watched him closely as he fell back asleep.

-------

Joey was quiet that morning as Tricia rushed around the apartment collecting her things for work. He sat on the couch sketching various shapes on his new art pad, and wished Tricia good luck as she left for work.

Annie started working on her projects, but at one point she sniffed and reached into her pants. "Damn..." she said, and she turned to Joey. "I knew we shouldn't have gone to that Ethiopian place last night. I'll be in the bathroom for a while." And she wheeled off to the bathroom.

As soon as she was gone, Joey tossed his art pad aside and went to her laptop. He moved the mouse, and found the program he wanted.

"Search ... images of ... Marcelo Delgado. Go," he commanded the laptop. A moment later a window appeared with images. He clicked on an image, opened it, and commanded it. "Print." The printer started.

"Close." The window closed, erasing all evidence of his search.

"Search ... news of Marcelo Delgado. Go." Another window opened. He clicked on a link and saw the text. His eyes scanned the text, searching for words that looked familiar. Most he knew. Some he didn't. One word seemed important.

"Search ... definition of... 'Paroled'. Go."

-------

Tricia was on her way to the morning Bullpen session when her cell phone rang. She opened her phone. "Hey Annie. What's up?"

"Drop whatever you are doing. Joey's gone."

"What? What happened? Where is he?"

"Not sure. He waited for me to use the bathroom, and he used my computer. He was clever enough to try and hide his tracks, but he didn't know about the log files. Trish, he did some searches on Marcelo Delgado."

"So? He's in prison. You think Joey went to see him in prison?"

"He's not in prison anymore. He was paroled three months ago."

"WHAT???"

"He cut a deal with the D.A. Apparently he couldn't live up to the image of a hero-killer in prison, so he started naming names, and the judge reduced his sentence. And what's worse, Joey knows what the word 'paroled' means now. He did a search on that, and he's also got his current address."

"Where does he live?"

"Takoma Park."

"Shit!" Tricia's jaw dropped. "He had another nightmare last night, and said he wanted him dead ... Annie! Tell me, is the dog still there?"

"Scrappy? I don't know. Hold on." Tricia could hear Annie call the dog a couple of times. "No, he's gone."

"God damn it! With the dog, he's dangerous. Can you send me that address?"

"I'm emailing it right now."

"I'm on my way. Thanks Annie!" Tricia hung up, ran to her desk, grabbed her purse, and ran to the door. Marty met her before she could reach the door.

"Listen, Tricia, I've been thinking about that story..."

"No time, Marty! I have something I need to take care of." She tried to side-step him, but he stayed in her way.

"No, this will just take a second," he said, leering at her breasts. "You see, I've been looking at these pictures, and I'm thinking this isn't really newsworthy."

"And any other time I'd be glad to talk to you about it, but right now I can't."

"If we could just step into my office for a few minutes..."

"Not NOW Marty!" Tricia pushed past him and headed for the elevators.

"Tomorrow then?"

-------

"Well, I still don't see any sign of Joey," Tricia said on her cell phone. She was sitting in her car outside Delgado's house. The house was small, and a car was parked in the driveway. "Are you sure Joey didn't get his work address?"

"Positive," answered Annie back in the apartment. "It took me over an hour to dig that up, and it definitely wasn't in the cache or the logs. The only address he got was the home address."

"Anything interesting on the police web?"

"Nothing that looks like Joey. You sure the ghost of Tricia future didn't say anything about this?"

"Yeah. I don't know. Maybe this didn't happen to her. The only thing she really said was that it all has to happen. I don't see why this has to happen though. Nothing good will come from this." Tricia checked the clock. "It's been over five hours. You know Annie, I'm really starting to envy you and your diapers."

"I'll switch with you any time."

Tricia saw a car coming which slowed down and pulled up in front of Delgado's house. A rear door opened, and Marcelo Delgado got out of the back seat.

"Looks like Marcelo works the early shift. Carpool just dropped him off."

"Any sign of Joey?"

"Nope." Tricia continued to watch as Marcelo waved to the people in the car. As the other car left he pulled out his keys and got into his own car.

"He's getting in his own car. Does he have a second job?"

"Not that I could find," answered Annie.

As the car pulled out of the driveway, Tricia spotted some movement in the back seat. Something that looked like a dog's head poked up for a second.

"SHIT! He's been in the back seat the entire time! Gotta go!" Tricia hung up, started her car, and pulled into the street, following Marcelo's car. "Oh come on! Please Joey, don't do anything stupid..." She followed the car for a couple of blocks.

As Marcelo's car reached a turn at the top of a large embankment, a sudden sonic explosion erupted inside the car and blew out all the windows. Tricia screamed as she saw the car spin out of control, hit the guard rail, and break through it to roll down the embankment. She quickly pulled over, got out of her car, and ran to the ripped section of guard rail. She watched in horror as the car rolled down the entire hill, end over end. It finally landed on its wheels, with every window broken, and every side smashed.

"JOEY!" she screamed, and Tricia started climbing down the rocky embankment. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest as she scrambled down the sharp rocks. "Please be okay! Please be okay!"

She saw the back window break open as it was kicked out from inside. When the hole was large enough, the small Yorkshire Terrier poked out of the hole and scampered across the back end of the car. A moment later she saw Joey crawl out from the back seat.

"JOEY!" she screamed, still climbing down the hill.

Joey crawled out of the car and over to the front side door. With a large rock he smashed the glass, reached in, and pulled the bloodied unconscious driver out of the car. He dragged him onto the ground, dropped him, grabbed the biggest rock he could find, and knelt down next to his head.

The boy reached to his ears and pulled out two earplugs. Then he lifted the rock in both hands and held it up high over his head. He roared, and Tricia saw his eyes turn black. Black sparks poured out of his hands.

"JOEY!" She screamed again. Joey heard her this time, and he looked up at her.

"Go away!" he screamed.

"Don't do it!" she yelled back. She was at the bottom of the hill now, and she approached him slowly.

"He killed my dad!"

"No he didn't, Joey. It was an accident."

"If it wasn't for him, he would still be alive! He deserves to die!"

"No, he doesn't. It was an accident. Don't do this, Joey!"

"I want them to stop!"

"This is not going to stop the nightmares! It's just going to make them worse. Please, Joey! Don't. If you do this, I can't protect you anymore. This is too big. You're not a killer. You know killing is wrong."

"I..." He hesitated. Tears rolled down from his obsidian eyes. The black sparks flowing from his hands fluctuated, died down for a moment, and then surged again. "You don't believe that! You wanted to kill!"

Tricia was stunned. "Me? What are you talking about?"

"That man who tried to rape you. You tried to kill him. You wanted him dead. Why can't you understand?"

Tricia's jaw dropped. "You're right! I did want him dead. But YOU STOPPED ME! And you were right to do that! I do understand! Believe me, Joey, I do understand what you feel. I know what you're going through, and now that it's over, I am GLAD you stopped me. You were right! You know that killing is wrong."

Joey hesitated.

Tricia continued. "You were strong for me that night. You helped me be good. So let me be strong for you now. Let me be help you be good."

The black sparks surged again. "WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT BEING GOOD?" he yelled at her.

"What?"

Joey's face scrunched up in pain. "You took me in just to take advantage of me! And you sleep with your boss! You don't even love him!" Tears rolled from his empty black eyes. "Why should I listen to you? When are you good?"

"I ... Joey, I make mistakes. But I ... Is this what you want? You want me to stop sleeping with my boss, is that it?"

Joey gasped and nodded. The rock wavered in his hands.

"Then that's what I'll do. I'll stop, right now. Never again. I do this for you. I'll be good for you, and you be good for me, okay? We help each other, okay? We're family. That's what we do."

Joey held the rock up high. His eyes lightened, and the black sparks diminished to a trickle.

"Please, Joey, don't hurt him. Let me help you."

Joey was shaking, crying, and he threw the rock aside. Tricia stepped up to him, knelt down next to him and embraced him. Joey sobbed in her arms. As he cried, Tricia looked down to check on Delgado. He lay unconscious, but she could tell he was still breathing.

"Hey!" came a voice from above them. "Do you need help?"

Tricia looked up and saw a man standing at the top of the embankment. "Call an ambulance!" she yelled. The man nodded and waved, and pulled out his cell phone.

"Come on, Joey. We need to get out of here. Okay?" He nodded. "Let's go home. Come on Scrappy!"

Scrappy looked off into the nearby woods and growled. He stood his ground and barked angrily.

"Come ON, Scrappy!" Tricia repeated. The dog ignored her, continuing to growl at the trees. Frustrated, she scooped up the dog, and led Joey back up the hill to the car.

-------

It watched the woman take the boy and the dog away, and watched as they climbed up the steep hill of rocks. There they met others who came down the hill to observe the bloodied Delgado. It waited patiently as more people came to take the injured Delgado away.

When all of the humans had finally left the scene, and when a silence had fallen over the site, the creature crawled out of the wooded area. Its skin, originally brown and black to camouflage with the trees and leaves, now shifted into grays and blacks to match the rocks as it crawled over them.

It sniffed the air.

It jumped onto the car and stuck its head into the back window, and smelled again. The creature hissed, pulled its head out, and ran in a circle excitedly.

"Yessssss ... yessssss..." it hissed. "Ohhh-mmeeeeg-ahhhh..."

It scampered back to the clearing, hissing and spitting, and back into the woods. "Oh-meg-ahhh! Oh-meg-ahhh!" It found a small clearing, fully out of sight, and hissed again. "Ree-turn!"

A pentacle of fire erupted around the creature, and the doorway opened. The creature fell into the fiery, tunnel opening, and spread its leathery wings wide to guide its descent.

It landed in the Cavern of Travel. The cursed electrical lights stung the creature's eyes. It spun and found the exit. "Mmmiiisssssss ... trrrreeessss!" It called out, hissing and running through the tunnels of rock.

It came across a brother creature. This one had not eaten in days, and was crazed with hunger. The brother looked at the creature and hissed a challenge. The creature roared in response. "Back!" it commanded.

The brother charged. The creature saw it as weak and unfit. Such weakness must be punished. It jumped back, lifting itself on its wings, and fell on its brother, biting the neck. The spray of blood filled its mouth with pleasure. This one would be good to eat now, but she will be displeased if his message was delayed. It was of no matter. It would not need to eat. She would reward it soon enough.

It continued through the tunnels until it found her in the Cavern of Thought. Her beauty burned, and it turned its eyes away. "Mmiissss-tresssss!" it called out. "I have newssss..."

"Yes," said the woman's voice. "What is it, my pet?"

"The one I watch ... Delgado ... Attacked!"

"And how is this interesting?" Her voice dripped with impatience. She was not pleased.

"The scent is there! Omega!"

She turned quickly. "Omega. Returned? Did you see him?"

"No ... But the scent is there!"

"Show me!" she barked.

The creature turned and ran as fast as it could through the tunnels, back to the Cavern of Travel. The mistress was behind it. Along the way it stopped, blocked by a group of brothers and sisters devouring the remains of the dead brother. They growled and hissed at the creature, barring its path. The creature stopped and waited, and as the mistress approached, they fled in terror.

It took off again, and returned to the Cavern of Travel. It found the last spot, opened the doorway, and jumped into the new tunnel of fire.

"Thisss way! Thisss way!" It eagerly led the mistress to the broken car. The creature glanced at its mistress. Her sublime and elegant form hurt to observe, and the creature resorted to simply pleasuring itself at the sight of her shadow.

The mistress approached the car. "What did you see?" she asked.

The creature hung its head in shame. She would be displeased at this. "Could not approach ... The pain..."

She ignored its response and leaned in close to the car. She breathed in deeply. She sighed and moaned. "Omega ... You have returned from the dead ... How pleasing."

She turned from the car and snapped her fingers. A brief flash of flame erupted from her hands. "Children, to me!" she called through the ether. The creature stood back and watched as the small eruptions of fire appeared. Brothers and sisters appeared in the woods and in the clearing, and they crawled forward on their bellies, unable to look upon her beauty.

"Learn this scent!" She commanded. "Find this scent!"

The brothers and sister creatures hissed and growled in excitement. The mistress turned to one creature. "Look upon me."

The creature looked up at her beautiful form. The pain was tremendous, and its erection grew.

"Come to me, my pet," she commanded. She reached out to the creature.

The Reward! The Reward! The creature leaped up into his mistresses arms. Her warmth burned, her softness smothered, her smell intoxicated. She rolled the creature in her arms and took hold of its erection.

The pleasure agonized.

She rubbed the erection, and the creature wailed, screamed, and brayed. The Pleasure! The Reward!

"Find me this scent!" she commanded her children. Her voice overpowered, and the orgasm started. The erection started spraying. Streams of demon seed flowed from the phallus.

The brothers and sisters jumped and screeched as it watched their fellow brother fall to the Reward. "Find me the Omega Man!" she commanded again. The stream of demon seed dropped to a trickle, but the orgasm continued, and now blood started to spray out of its engorged member.

"Find me the one that creates this scent!" she commanded again. The creature spasmed, shuddered, and died, its orgasm ripping vital organs out of its belly and ejaculating them onto the ground.

The mistress dropped the twitching creature to the ground. "Find me the one, and such a reward is yours!" The brothers and sisters screamed in excitement.

She pointed at two nearby creatures. "You two ... Dispose of this. The rest of you ... GO!"

The hordes of demons screeched and fled the field, taking flight over the city, leaving behind the mistress and the two brothers that devoured her faithful servant.

She licked the blood and semen from her hand. "It will be good to see you again, Omega Man," she said, and she vanished.

-------

Translation Guide

"TODO AQUEL QUE PIENSE QUE LA VIDA ES DESIGUAL, 
TIENA QUE SABER QUE NO ES ASI, 
QUE LA VIDA ES UNA HERMOSURA, HAY QUE VIVIRLA."

(Lyrics to "La Vida Es Un Carnaval", performed by Celia Cruz.)

A translation from Babelfish reads "All that one that thinks that the life is unequal, it must know that is not thus, that the life is a beauty, is necessary to live it." I interpret it as "Everyone thinks life is unfair, but it is not so. Life is beauty, it must be lived."

Personally, I don't really care what it translates to. Tricia was just so happy, she needed to sing something fun, and that's what came out. She is a fan of Celia Cruz, and a picture of her hangs in her bedroom, as seen in the cover for Chapter 8.



-------

Chapter 15: Gratuitous Sex and Violence





Thursday, July 16, 2009, 5:30 PM

"I just wanted the nightmares to stop," Joey said as he sat on the couch. Tricia and Annie sat with him. "I'm sorry."

"It's over now," said Tricia. "We're just lucky that we got out of there before anyone could identify us."

"Do you think he was seriously hurt?" asked Annie.

"Don't know. He looked pretty stunned, and his ears were bleeding. He may have some permanent hearing loss from this."

Joey sat quietly and looked down in shame.

Tricia reached around Joey and pulled him in for a hug. She kissed his head. "Hey, if I'm going to be your new mom, then what I'm supposed to be doing right now is lecturing you and making you feel guilty for hurting him. But right now I'm just so relieved to get you home safe."

"Hey, if you want guilt," said Annie, "I can do guilt! I'm a Jew. I'm an expert. I grew up in the University of Guilt."

Joey grinned a moment.

"So tell me yingl. Do you feel bad about what you did?"

He nodded.

Annie shrugged. "Then my work here is done. Not much else I can do. It's good that you feel bad about it. That's your conscience working."

Tricia tussled his hair. "If you're having problems, you come to us. If you ever want to talk about your nightmares, we're here for you. Okay?"

He nodded. "I just wanted them to stop," he repeated.

"The best way to get rid of nightmares is to let them happen and to talk about them and think about them," said Annie. "It's mental pain, like physical pain. When you are hurt, your body repairs itself, and puts up pain to protect itself. Same thing with your mind." She patted his knee. "Maybe you need to draw what you dream about? Maybe that will help."

Joey nodded.

"You get started on that. We'll start dinner."

As Tricia and Annie got up to make dinner, Joey went into Tricia's room to do some drawing. Tricia pulled some microwavable burgers and vegetables out of the freezer, and put the vegetables in the microwave.

"So, what happened out there?" asked Annie.

Tricia sighed and shook her head. "I've never seen him like this before. He was going to kill him. I keep forgetting what living on the streets must do to someone. He seems so quiet most of the time, but underneath ... it's like there is a wild animal. He does what he has to in order to survive." Tricia paused. "And the weird thing is, I think he tried to kill this guy because he saw me try to kill that rapist at Tony's. But he's the one that stopped me, and I had to stop him this time."

"Sounds like he's looking to us to know what is right and wrong."

Tricia shook her head. "He knows right from wrong already. I think he just needs to see it in action from us." She chuckled. "The thing that really convinced him was the fact that I promised to stop blowing Marty."

"Nu? You, with no more of the sexual favors for your boss? That's surprising."

"Tell me about it. I actually like the idea, but then I think, well, what's keeping me at that job? Marty's going to kill the homeless kids story if I don't keep him happy in blowjobs, and if I stop now, why is he going to want me around at all?"

"Well, your cleavage still gets good ratings."

Tricia looked down at her chest. "Yeah, it does that."

"So why do you think Joey wants you to stop blowing Marty?"

"He said he wanted me to be good, but I think it's more than that." She whispered. "I think he wants me all for himself."

Annie raised her eyebrows.

Tricia nodded. "It's going to happen soon. She said it was going to be after a wonderful and beautiful moment, but right now it doesn't feel very wonderful or beautiful."

-------

They had dinner and talked of dreams and nightmares. Joey opened up a little bit, talking about his nightmares, and the vision of his father burning. Tricia talked about her own recurring dream of being on the Metro trains. Annie talked about her occasional nightmare of being stuck on the ground and attacked by a wild animal.

After dinner they cleaned up and watched some TV. During a laundry detergent commercial Tricia wondered about her clean clothes supply, and went into her room to check on her clothes. As she was looking through her drawers, she glanced up into her bedroom mirror and something odd caught her eye. There was something poking out behind Joey's new dresser. She turned to his new dresser, looked behind it, and pulled out the pages of paper that were hidden there.

She gasped and sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the pages. They were drawings of her, but they were not the respectable drawings she had seen before. These were sexy and erotic drawings of her. She was naked in all these pictures, reclining and inviting, passionate and seductive. Her full breasts were prominently displayed in every picture. Her public area was either covered or apparently shaved. Tricia's first thought was that he too had been getting visits from her future self, but the lack of pubic hair and the position of her drawn hair changed her mind. In the drawings her hair hung down loose as it did in real life, and wasn't suspended by static electricity as the future Tricia's hair was.

She flipped through the pages. Most of the pictures were of her naked in alluring positions. A couple were of Annie in the nude, which surprised her. But she saw that she was the most prominently drawn figure.

There was a gasp behind her, and she turned, looked up, and saw Joey standing in the room holding his art pad. He had a horrid expression on his face as he saw her looking at his drawings.

She smiled at him very sweetly. "Hey there."

"Uhhmm..." He shifted, embarrassed.

Tricia twirled her hair in her fingers. "You've been busy, I see."

Joey swallowed. He turned bright red.

"I have to tell you, Joey, I'm very surprised."

"Ummm ... I can..."

"I am also quite relieved." She grinned at him slyly. "And all this time I thought you hadn't noticed me," she pouted.

Joey blinked and shook slightly. He looked down at the ground in shame, and tried to speak, but couldn't.

Tricia laid the pages on the bed. "I love these," she said, running her fingers over the pages. "These are wonderful ... Beautiful."

He looked up in surprise.

"Especially THIS one. I love how you drew my breasts."

Joey turned crimson.

"But they don't stick out that far all by themselves in real life. I think maybe you must have caught them in mid-swing." She winked at him.

He looked back down at the ground again.

"Joey, it's okay. It's okay to look at me like this." She cocked her head at him. "I know what I look like, and I know the effect I have on men." She gave him a sexy smile and whispered. "I like it when men look at me like this."

Joey swallowed hard. He trembled.

This is it. This is the moment. I can feel it. And she said I can't seduce him. Riiiight! I know just what he wants. "Of course, the main problem is ... you really need a live model to draw me properly."

His eyes opened wide. Tricia stood up and lazily walked around the bed. She swung her hips and twisted her body just a bit more than necessary as she walked towards him. "So why don't you set up over there, and I'll be right back. I just want to get a little mood music." As she walked past him, she reached out and traced her finger under his shaking chin.

Tricia smiled to herself as she stepped out of her room and into the living room. Annie was still watching TV, and Tricia looked through the CD collection and pulled out a disk. "Hey Annie," she said. "Why don't you go out to the movies tonight?"

"Well, Harry Potter just opened, but I thought we'd take..." She looked at Tricia and her jaw dropped. Tricia winked at her. "Are you going to..."

She nodded. "Something wonderful and beautiful is happening."

Annie pointed at her. "You be good to him."

Tricia grinned back and shimmied her shoulders. "I'm going to be spectacular!" She sashayed back to her bedroom.

She closed the door behind her and saw Joey standing in the far side of the room holding his pad in front of him, pen in hand. He swallowed nervously as he watched her. Tricia gave him a sultry smile and walked to her portable CD player. She put the disk in, turned it on, and selected her favorite track. Then she took her shoes off and climbed onto the bed as the CD played an ethereal introductory note.

The synthesizers played an opening rhythm, a pounding heartbeat establishing a passionate energy for the piece. She walked on the bed on her knees towards him. "How do you want me?" she asked. "Like this?" She lowered herself and stretched out on the bed, displaying her body to him. "Or like this?" Then she rolled onto her back and kicked her feet into the air. "Or like this maybe?"

The establishing chords started playing, reinforcing the pounding rhythm and filling the room with harmonies. Joey licked his lips and watched her. Pen in one hand, paper in the other, he eyed her writhing body.

"Just keep moving," he finally said.

"What?" she asked.

"I know what you look like. I need to see your energy." He smiled at her.

Tricia rolled back and got up on her knees again. She grinned at him mischievously. "You asked for it," she said, and she raised her arms up above her head and swung her hips to the music, twisting her torso, arching her back, and pushing her full breasts towards the young boy.

She gathered her long hair up over her head and let it fall in amber and bronze curtains over her face and shoulders. Then she threw her head up, whipping her chestnut locks back and stared at him with intense azure eyes. As the introduction ended, the lyrics started, and Tricia chanted along to the words.

"Something in the moonlight catches my eye.
The shadow of a lover goes dancing by.
Looking for a little bit of love to grow, so
give me love, give me heart and soul."

Tricia slinked down onto the bed, sliding down on one side, her eyes locked on his. Her shoulders rolled and her hips twisted. She rubbed her legs together sensuously.

"You never let me cross to the other side now.
I'm tied to the hope that you will somehow.
Hard on the heels of something more, 
but I lost your love, heart and soul."

She rolled down across her stomach and onto her back, her arms entwined over her head, and she kicked her legs up once and twice in time with the music.

"The tear in my heart as you walk on by.
I feel so low and your head is high.
Everything you do convinces me more, please
give me love, give me heart and soul."

Her torso writhed, and her hips bucked with the beating rhythm of the song, then she crawled back up on all fours.

"Looking to the day when I saw your face.
I wasn't in the running, I wasn't in the race.
You move in a way that I've known before, 
now I want your love, heart and soul."

She was on her knees by now, and the moment the electric guitars thrashed powerfully, sending the song into the driving chorus, Tricia grabbed the front of her blouse and ripped it open, exposing her cleavage and sports bra to the engrossed thirteen year old boy. Buttons hit the walls.

"Leaving you ain't easy now!
Loving you's the harder part!
You never want me for myself!
Now I've needed you right from the very start.
Oh, won't you even try to..."

She crawled towards him with a desperate look in her eyes, stopping within arms reach of him, and stood on her knees again and writhed to the music, running her hands up and down the length of her body, cupping and pushing her breasts and running her hand down between her legs to stroke her thighs.

"Give a little bit of heart and soul!
Give a little bit of love to grow!
Give a little bit of heart and soul, 
and don't you make me beg for more.
Give a sign, I need to know, 
a little bit of heart and soul."

Joey was drawing furiously. He was breathing heavily and his pen whipped across the page, creating dynamic lines and curves which matched her style and form. Most of the time he wasn't even looking at his drawing, but he drew in confidence as Tricia performed before him.

Tricia fell onto the bed on her back and squirmed to the music as the melody returned. She reached up with her hands and legs and mock-dog-paddled.

"Walking on the water, walking on the air, 
that was the heart of the love we shared.
Do you keep secrets left untold?
Can't give love, heart or soul?"

She rolled onto her side and pantomimed, pointing to Joey, then to herself.

"I used to have a lover with a Midas touch!
I turned to gold but he turned to dust.
Left me for another, I turned to stone, 
now give me love, heart and soul!"

She walked towards him on her knees, one step every four beats to the music. Singing to him, she pulled her blouse off one arm, in the first step, and let it drop off her other arm completely on the next. She reached out to him as he drew frenziedly.

"Living in a fantasy, 
there's never any room to breathe!
Hoping every waking hour, 
you'll turn around and say that we can start!
Oh won't you even try to..."

She grabbed his arm, stopping his drawing and pulled him towards the bed. As he crawled on the bed with her, staring at her magnificent and voluptuous form, she lay down in front of him and stretched sensuously and inviting, displaying her fabulous body to him.

"Give a little bit of heart and soul!
Give a little bit of love to grow!
Give a little bit of heart and soul, 
and don't you make me beg for more!
Give a sign, I need to know
a little bit of heart and soul."

Joey stood over her on his knees. They were both breathing heavily from her performance, and he dropped the pen on the bed and lowered the art pad. His eyes were locked on her body, her full bra-encased breasts, her soft naked belly, and her clothed groin. She let go of his hand, and he held it out towards her body, fingers outstretched and eager to touch her.

Tricia gazed up at his face, but as the art pad tilted downward, she saw the figures on the page. Distracted, she took the art pad and turned it towards her. "Oh ... My ... God!" she exclaimed. It was covered with erotic caricatures of her form, sketches of simple lines and curves that captured her performance, her poses, and her energy. "These are beautiful!" she exclaimed.

"So are you," he said, reaching for her.

Tricia was enthralled at the artwork. "Breathtaking..." she said. "I swear Joey, you have a rare talent." She ran her finger across one of the lines on the page. "If you ever write a book, you should do all the artwork in it."

Joey froze. "What?" He stared at her in horror, and jumped off the bed enraged. "WHAT IS THIS?" he yelled.

Tricia looked at him confused. "What is it?"

He backed away from her, tearing and angry. "Is this what this is all about? You're just trying to get me to do that book again! I keep telling you! NO! I don't want to do it!"

"Joey! No, I didn't mean it like that..."

"I CAN'T TRUST YOU! YOU PROMISED!"

Tricia got up. "No, Joey, I didn't mean that."

He shook his head. "I'm out of here," he cried, and he took off running out the bedroom, and then out of the apartment.

"Oh, GOD DAMN IT!" Tricia yelled, and she grabbed her blouse, rolled to the side of the bed, grabbed her shoes, and then ran out the door, slipping the shoes on her feet and putting her blouse back on.

"What the hell is going on?" asked Annie as she sat in the living room. "What did you do?"

"Something stupid," she said, pulling her blouse on. The buttons were ripped off, and it wouldn't close, so she held it tight around her and she ran out the front door after him. "JOEY!" she cried out. She looked up and down the hall, and saw the door to the stairwell closing. She ran to the stairwell and called down the stairs. "JOEY! STOP!"

She could see him running down the stairs. He was running fast, and wasn't slowing down. Tricia immediately took off down the stairs after him. "PLEASE! STOP!" she called out. God damn it! Why do we have to be on the fifteenth floor?

She ran down the stairs after him for nearly a full minute, calling to him and clutching her blouse closed around her. He ran out of the stairwell and several seconds later she followed him out of the door. She saw the front foyer door closing and she ran out after him. As she reached the streets, she lost sight of him for a moment, but saw him running fill tilt away from her. Tricia sprinted after him, thanking God that she was still wearing her super sports bra.

"JOEY! PLEASE! STOP!"

Joey cut across the street, dodging incoming cars and headed for a small park. Tricia followed, nearly getting clipped by a passing car as she crossed the lanes. She ran into the park after him, and lost him.

"Oh, shit!" she said. Can't stop. She ran further into the park, just following the main pathway, hoping that she would see him soon. "JOEY! PLEASE COME BACK!"

A small bridge caught her attention. It looked like a good hiding place. She ran towards it and looked underneath it. There was no one there. She continued on searching. Up ahead there was a small public restroom, so she headed for that. She rounded the corner behind it, and ran directly into a group of about six young men, all in T-shirts, ripped jeans, and all were heavily tattooed.

Her body went cold. She recognized them. They were Mara Salcatrucha, a local gang. OH SHIT! She turned around to run away. Two more were behind her.

"Hey, chica! Where are you headed?" said one of the men.

"I don't have time for this," she said, trying to side-step the man.

"Well, then you're going to make time!" He blocked her path. The others slowly approached her from behind, grinning and chuckling. "Damn girl, you're in the wrong place."

"Don't touch me!"

He took that as an invitation, reached out, and grabbed her arm. "I do what I..."

"I SAID DON'T TOUCH ME!" she yelled, and she threw a punch with her free arm into the man's face, nearly breaking his nose. She kicked a second man as he approached. A third grabbed her from behind, and she kicked his shin.

They fell on her, easily overpowering her. Tricia screamed and kicked, and a hand covered her mouth. She was pulled back and easily lifted by several of the gang members and carried to a picnic table. She struggled and fought against the men, kicking, thrashing, and fighting as they pushed her on the table. They shouted and laughed as they pinned her down and grabbed at her clothes.

"Look at these tits!"

"God DAMN!"

"Gonna fuck her up!"

She felt her necklace ripped from her. ¡No! ¡No otra vez! ¡No! ¡Para! ¡Ayuda! Hands clawed at her sports bra.

Joey came running to the scene. "LEAVE HER ALONE!" he cried out. He ran towards her, but was caught by a gang member.

"Get out of here, kid!" The gang member smacked him and threw him to the ground. Joey scrambled up and tried to run past the man, but was tackled again.

Joey screeched and with a wild swipe raked his fingernails across the man's skin. Then he grabbed the man's arm and bit him hard, drawing blood. The man howled in pain and pushed the wild kid off him. Joey hit the ground, grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it into the man's face. As the man coughed and choked, a second approached Joey.

Joey's eyes turned bright white, and white sparks exploded from his fists. The second man stopped and yelled. "¡Un diable mutante!"

The boy jumped into the tangle of bodies on the picnic table, glowing hands outstretched and leaving a twin trail of sparks behind him. He reached in, fighting past the gang members and just barely managed to touch her bare skin.

It was enough.

A deluge of power permeated her body, and with a primal scream Tricia thrashed. The bodies that held her down were no longer overbearing. They were now feather-light, and she hurled and kicked the gang members into the air. She spun, pushing hard against the wooden picnic table, smashing and shattering it in the process. She regained her footing and roared, consumed with a savage fury.

The world transformed around her. Her roar dropped down in tone, lower and lower, until it felt like a constant guttural purr. Screams and yells fell at least four octaves. Bodies flying through the air slowed and tumbled unsupported. Streetlights dimmed and flicked to a steady flashing beat. The air became thick. Her breathing and heartbeat reduced to a crawl, and her body felt sluggish. Her long hair floated and fell about her as if moving through water.

What the fuck? She tried to speak. Her mouth and throat were slow and difficult to control. What's happening? She whipped her head left and right, surveying the scene. Bodies of gang members slowly sprawled through the molasses air. Pieces of shattered wood table spun and flipped in the air. She saw Joey standing nearby, his hands covered in glittering jewels of energy.

She looked at her hands and put it all together. Strength! He gave me strength! I just threw those bastards off me! She looked at the floating bodies. But why is everything going so slowly? No! They're not. I'm going FAST! I have super-speed! She looked at the splintered wood and then at her flawless unharmed hands. And I didn't feel a thing when I hit the table. I may be invulnerable too! I'm ... I'm super-powered!

She looked back at the gang members. Most of them had reached the ground by now and were tumbling. She glared at them, and felt the rage burning inside her. You fuck with ME? she wanted to scream at them. She clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes on the nearest man. I'll show you what it's like to try and fight with someone stronger than you!

Tricia pushed forward, trying to run towards the nearest gang member. Her feet slipped as they easily ripped the soft fabric of her shoes. She stumbled and lost her balance, falling slowly towards the ground as her shoes tore off her feet. God DAMN IT! I like these shoes! Her palms hit the concrete ground. It felt soft and spongy. This must be invulnerability. That or I'm digging holes in the concrete. She pushed herself back up and thrust her body forward. She could feel the momentum building in her body, and she clawed at the thick air, balancing herself as she dug her feet into the ground for traction.

Running at super-speed felt nothing like running at normal speed. It felt to her a lot like running underwater. The air pressure was incredible, and she found that most of her effort was in breaking the barrier of air in front of her with her hands. It was almost like swimming in air. The trick was to duck her head and torso down low to reduce drag. Her feet slipped easily on the soft ground as she reached the end of the concrete, but it only took a few steps in to figure out how to dig her toes down for traction.

A few strides in, and she managed a rhythm. She had finally built up some speed as she reached the first gang member. She tried to stop, but discovered that was not possible. She had too much momentum. Thinking quickly, she reached down and grabbed the man by his shirt and pulled. He lifted halfway off the ground before his shirt ripped in her hands. She grabbed him by the arm and hoisted him up. There was a wrenching, popping sensation that came from his shoulder, and she could see his face overcome with fear and confusion.

Tricia dug her feet into the ground, braking hard. The man flipped and flopped in her grasp like a worthless rag doll. She pushed the flopping body up high with one arm and tried to roar again. She eyed his chest and balled her fist, pulling back for the strike.

This is for every woman who was ever raped! It would be easy. She could feel the bones in his arm bending in her grasp. A simple punch into the ribcage would shatter the ribs. His foul heart was on the other side, protected by bones as substantial as styrofoam. A moment later that heart wouldn't be there anymore. Should I grab it and pull it out and show it to him, or should I just punch it all the way through the other side? Terror and pain and perplexity washed over the man's face. Good! she yelled at the man mentally. Feel these things! This is what you make us feel! Know these things before you die!

A sound caught her attention. Far behind the man she was holding she saw Joey. His eyes were wide in fear. His face was a display of terror and despair. He was looking at her and screaming, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. But from the look on his face, she knew what he was saying.

Don't kill.

The fury built into a madness. RAPIST! MOTHER-FUCKING BASTARD! Her body craved his death. Her soul called for revenge. Her heart cried out for justice. Her fingers clawed the air, ready to render satisfaction. She tensed her body for the kill.

Her conscience spoke. Don't kill. You will hurt Joey.

KILL HIM! HE SHOULD DIE! WHY SHOULD HE LIVE? She glared at the helpless man in her fist.

Don't kill. If you kill, you lose Joey forever.

The madness boiled inside of her. Now was her chance. Now was her time to fight back, to extract revenge against that man who raped her. To bring justice to every woman ever raped. It would be easy. It would feel so good to see him die.

Don't kill. Joey wants you to be good. Be good for Joey.

GOD DAMN-IT FUCKING SHIT! she screamed mentally through the time warp and she made her decision. Tricia opened her fist into a flat hand and punched the man's chest, pulling the punch at the last moment. The shockwave rippled through his chest and ribcage, but broke nothing, and he flew out of her hand.

Tricia whipped her head around and saw the other seven gang members. Fine! No killing! But that doesn't mean I can't HURT you! One down, seven to go!

She dug her feet into the ground and sprinted towards the second man. Feeling more confident with the power, she scooped him up, spun him, and threw him into a third. The two sprawled back in a tangled mess. She slid on the ground as she put on the brakes, sliding like she was stealing second base, and dug two shallow trenches into the ground. She centered her attention on two more men, and took off towards them. She didn't even slow down as she reached them. She just open-handed slapped them in the face as she passed them. Their bodies spun and twisted in the air in reaction.

How fast am I running? ... It feels like a normal speed now. Let's see...  She looked at the blinking streetlights. One-two-three, one-two-three ... Three times a second. But those lights blink sixty times a second, so I'm going twenty times faster than normal. But how fast is normal running speed? Ten? Fifteen miles per hour? That's what? Two to three hundred miles per hour? Fuck YEAH!

She ran full-tilt into another man, throwing her shoulder into him and shoving him out of the way. Bet that felt like being hit by a bus! She grabbed the sixth one and spun him wildly, throwing him a good fifty feet into the grassy area.

The last man stood with a petrified look on his face. He had pulled a knife. Oh, PLEASE! She ran to him, grabbed the knife by the blade in her hand, and squished the soft metal before yanking it out of his hand. She did another open-palm punch into his chest, pushing the man off his feet.

She looked at the knife in her hand. It was mangled beyond recognition, and her hand was unharmed. I should get rid of this. She looked around and saw the nearby pond. With a gentle toss she hurled the knife into the water.

Tricia surveyed the scene. There were eight bodies on the ground, all still alive. Joey was still spinning, trying to find Tricia. All done! she declared.

The world still slushed by in its muffled state.

Okay ... Now...  She looked around. How do I turn this power off? OFF! she commanded mentally.

The streetlights continued to flicker at the same rate. Bodies barely moved. Joey was still slowly turning.

OFF! she repeated. STOP! Um ... FASTER! ... SLOWER?

The world was still sluggish.

Oh shit! A nervous energy built inside her as she started to panic. What do I do? WHAT DO I DO?? I'M STUCK! I DON'T WANT TO BE LIKE THIS ANYMORE! She saw Joey. Joey! I need him to take the power out of me. She ran over to him and slid to a stop in front the boy. She grabbed his hand and held it tight. JOEY! PLEASE! TURN IT OFF! PULL THE POWER OUT!

Joey's head barely had time to turn towards her, but his face immediately showed a grimace of agony. His arm slowly tried to pull back from her. She looked down at her hand holding his, and realized the awful truth.

OH SHIT! I'M HURTING HIM! She let go of his hand and pulled away. I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! How fast did I hit him? Did I break anything? Oh, God, I'm sorry! Please Joey! Please! Pull the power out! I'm sorry!

She tried to stand still in front of him, but the energy inside her was restless and pushing her to move. Joey slowly pulled his hand back away from her as he reacted to the pain of her grabbing his hand with super-strength at three hundred miles per hour. She shook in front of him, desperately fighting the need to run. Please Joey! Take it out! Please!... 

He was pulling away from her.

I need to ... I need to BURN it off! That's it! The power's temporary! Maybe I get it to burn out quicker if I use it! She turned and pushed her body through the thick syrupy air and built up speed as she sprinted away through the park. She got a good hundred feet away and started to approach some trees before she realized something horrible. How fast am I going? Two to three hundred miles an hour? And what happens when the power cuts out when I'm going that fast? The momentum is still there! What if I hit these trees and I'm not invulnerable anymore? She dug her toes into the ground, flipped her body around, and skidded to a stop. I need someplace safe to run ... someplace where I won't hit something solid when I stop.

She turned and ran back towards Joey, running past him, and headed for the small pond. Maybe I can be run around here, where there aren't any trees. As she approached the pond, she dug down to stop and pick another direction, but her feet slid on the dirt and she tumbled towards the pond.

SHIT! SHIT!

She awkwardly stumbled as she tried to regain her balance, and her feet hit the water. It was solid, like sand. Instead of sinking in, she found that if kept moving, she could stay on top of the water. Hey! COOL! The comic books were right! You CAN run over water with super-speed! Grinning, she pushed forward, running across the surface of the pond. This is PERFECT! If I stay here, I land safely when it cuts out!

Tricia bolted across the surface of the pond, and as she approached the other side she dug down and flipped, pushing her feet in the opposite direction. She could see this massive spray of water curtains blossoming from the trail she left across the surface of the water. She laughed inside and took off again, breaking through the sheet of water as she took off in a new direction. The cold water droplets gently bounced off her body and soaked into her clothes.

THIS IS AWESOME! WAH-HOOO! she wanted to yell. She made a second lap, and continued to sprint around the surface of the pond. Tricia whipped around for a third lap and pushed into the spray of water.

The water pounded against her hard. What the hell? Why did the water suddenly get so tough? I ... OWWW!!! Her feet suddenly hurt as the small waves cut into her as she stepped on the rippling surface of the pond. Why did the water suddenly get sharp? What the fuck is going on? Why does it hurt so... 

SPLASH!!

Tricia tumbled head-first into the water. The cold shocked her and she struggled to the surface. Her head broke out of the water and she gasped for air.

"TRICIA!" Joey yelled to her, and he ran to her, splashing into the pond.

Her feet touched the bottom of the shallow pond. Hard rocks cut into her feet, and she winced as she struggled to the pond's edge. Joey reached her and grabbed her. "Tricia! Are you okay?" He was breathing heavily as he reached her.

Tricia was hyperventilating. "Yeah... <gasp-pant> I... <pant-pant> Ow!... <pant> Feet hurt..." She gingerly tried to find soft footing as she walked in the water.

There was a brief flash of sparks from Joey's hand, and her feet didn't hurt anymore.

Tricia looked down at the water, and realized he and pushed invulnerability into her again. "Thanks," she said, breathing heavily. She looked at him. Joey was staring at her in amazement.

"I'm sorry I ran away. I just..."

"It's okay." She pulled him to her and hugged him. "I'm just glad you're all right."

"I was so scared."

Her heart was beating madly, and she panted against him. His body was warm and comforting, and she found herself leaning down, melting into him, resting against him, and pushing her breasts into his head. Her legs trembled, and her hips shook. A sudden longing filled her being.

Joey pulled back and looked at her. "You're all wet again."

She smiled and laughed. "Yeah ... You keep doing that to me." A voice echoed in her memory. He thinks you're sexy when you're wet. She could see it in his eyes. There was desire and fascination in his stare. Her hips twitched, and she licked her lips.

Tricia realized that she wanted him. She wanted him right there. She looked up and saw eight moaning men on the grass. "Come on ... Let's go home."

He looked at the men. "You didn't ... You didn't kill them!"

"Yeah," she said as she walked out of the pond. "I wanted to though. But I couldn't do it." She clenched her pubococcygeus muscle. God, I want him! What the hell is happening to me?

Joey stared at her and smiled in pride. "Thanks," he said. They walked past the groaning gang members. Most were unconscious. A couple were groaning in pain. They reached the picnic table and Tricia retrieved her necklace and what was left of her shoes. Her hands trembled. I feel so ... so ... fucking HORNY! she realized. She looked at Joey. "Let's go home," she said, breathlessly.

"You were amazing," he said to her as he stared at her wet body.

She swallowed nervously and smiled back. "Thanks. Couldn't have done that without you." It must be the super-powers. And Quantum Knight was right! Good GOD I need to get fucked!

"You're shaking," he said.

She looked at him. He trembled a bit. "So are you."

"I'm ... cold."

"Me too," she lied. "Come on." She took his hand and they started walking together out of the park. "Let's get you home and out of those dry clothes and into something warm and wet."

"Dry," he said.

"Huh?"

"You said get into wet clothes. I think you meant dry clothes."

"Oh, yeah ... right!" Tricia shuddered in horror. WHAT DID I JUST SAY??? HELLO? Dr Freud? Your slip is showing!

"I'm sorry I ran away. I'm sorry I made you go through that."

They walked past the final gang member, the one Tricia threw. "Hey, if I'm going to be your foster mom, this is all part of the job." She hugged him as they walked through the park. They were both sopping wet and dripping. "You know, when I mentioned the book, I didn't mean your story. I meant, you can do anything with your life."

Joey nodded. "I'm sorry. I just..."

"It's okay. Come on."

They walked together hand in hand down the sidewalk, across the street, and back into the apartment building. Her feet were bare, but the hard concrete felt soft under her tread thanks to Joey protecting her with a mild invulnerability. As they got in the elevator, Tricia leaned against the side, calming herself. Her breathing had mostly returned to normal, but her heart was still pounding. Her hips wanted to churn and buck, and her clitoris screamed for attention. She could see Joey trying not to stare at her, but he kept stealing glances at her breasts. She looked down and saw her hard nipples pointing out through the fabric of her wet bra. She pulled her loose blouse close around her, trying to cover herself up. Strange how she had forgotten about her open blouse this whole time.

They reached the fifteenth floor, and stepped out and back to the apartment. Annie was waiting for them, and as they walked in, she saw them dripping wet and filthy. "Are you all right?" she asked in concern.

"Yeah. We're okay. We got in a fight, and fell in the pond across the street. Joey, go take a shower and get into some ... dry ... clothes."

Joey nodded and held her hand just a moment longer before he left for Tricia's room. Tricia walked into the living room and sat on the arm of the couch, resting and collecting her thoughts. She squeezed her legs together.

"What happened?" asked Annie.

Tricia pointed to her room. "Well, I was modeling for Joey, and things were going really well, and then I said something stupid that he took the wrong way. He thought I was bringing up the book again, but I wasn't clear." She bent down squeezing her legs together, fighting the sexual desire that was rising from her clitoris. "He ran to the park, and I got caught by a gang of Mara Salcatrucha."

Annie gasped. "No! Are you okay? What did they do?"

"They attacked me. They tried to rape me." Annie gasped again. "But Joey! He came back. He rescued me!" She looked at Annie with wonder in her eyes. "He just dove right inside them all and he pushed powers into me. Powers you wouldn't believe! He made me ... invincible!" Tricia shook her head in disbelief. "I fought them all, and I beat them all. Easily! In seconds! And there were eight of them!" She stared at her hands.

Annie sat silent for a moment. "Are THEY all right?"

"I ... I'm sure there are lots of bruises and a few broken bones, but ... I could have killed them. I ... WANTED to kill them! And Joey, he gave me enough power to do that. I could have easily killed them. But I couldn't!"

Annie tilted her head as she watched Tricia. "Why not?"

"I ... didn't want to hurt Joey. I wanted to be good for him. And it was so hard. I had a rapist in my hands and I was ready to rip his heart out, and I couldn't do that to Joey. He was trusting me with his power!" She folded back down again and squeezed her legs. "Oh god ... Annie ... You're going to have to take Joey tonight. I ... don't think I can control myself around him ... I ... Oh god ... The powers do things to you. I'm so ... fucking ... horny!"

Annie raised her eyebrows, and she considered Tricia. "So, it's finally come to this."

"What?"

Annie smiled. "After a week of you trying to seduce him and failing, he's finally managed to seduce you."

Tricia looked up at her. "Huh?"

"You're thinking about him first. His needs. His respect. His concerns. His trust. And you want him. I think it's time. This isn't about you getting something from him, or fulfilling a prophecy. It's all about what it should always have been about; how he feels about you, and how you feel about him." She nodded towards Tricia's bedroom. "He's jumped headfirst into danger to save your life twice now. I think that means he likes you. I think it's time you showed him how grateful you are. Go give him his Bar Mitsvah present."

Tricia shook as a spasm emanated from her groin. She smiled. "You mean, go make a man out of him?" she said, shaking.

Annie shook her head. "No. That's not what a Bar Mitsvah is all about. A Bar Mitsvah doesn't turn a boy into a man. It's a ceremony and celebration where you let him know you recognize him for the man that he already is."

Tricia chuckled under her breath as she held her legs. "It's time ... Thanks, Annie." She got up and walked into her bedroom. Annie watched her as she closed the door behind her.

Her heart was thundering in her chest. Her body trembled with a nervousness she had not felt since she was a teenager. She could hear the shower running, and her heart skipped a beat. She clutched her chest and took a couple steps towards the bathroom door. As she reached her dressing table and mirror, she picked up her hairbrush and turned to the mirror for a last-minute primping.

She gasped at the sight. She was a complete wreck. Her hair was matted and filthy, and there were strings of green algae in it. Her mascara was running, and her face was blotchy and dirty. Her clothes dripped. She dropped the hairbrush. "Oh, fuck it!" she said, and she took a deep breath and marched into the bathroom.

The bathroom was filled with steam, and she closed the door behind her. She could see Joey behind the translucent shower curtain, and could tell that he had seen her, for he had turned suddenly and covered his groin. Tricia marched to the tub, grabbed the shower curtains, and flung them aside violently.

They stared at each other. Joey was standing naked under the shower, his hands covering his penis. There was soap on his crotch. She could tell he had been masturbating.

"Joey," she began. "You have now saved my life two times, and I have not thanked you properly!" She shook as she stood there, and a sudden realization dawned on her. "No ... you have saved my life three times now. Twice from men attacking me, and once from myself." She teared up. "Joey, I admit it! All this week I have been trying to seduce you, trying to get you to let me write your story. I figured that was the reason you were in my life, to help my career! But I was wrong. You are in my life because I need you!" She wiped her eyes. "I am used to having men in my life who's only demand was that I be beautiful and sexy and easy and great in bed, and I can do that! That's easy! And I thought that was the only thing men ever wanted. But here you are, and you are the first man in my life who demanded that I be good! And decent! And ... respectable! And all this time, when I have been trying to drag you down to my level, you've been raising me to your standards. And now that I've been here, now that I know what it its you want, I want it too!" She cried and wiped her eyes again. "I want to be respectable! I want to be good, and decent, and caring, and I want to be the person that you look up to!" She sniffed. "Nobody at work respects me ... Annie is always surprised whenever I do anything mature ... I want to be what you want me to be."

Joey stood silent, covering his crotch and looking scared. Tricia wiped her tearing eyes again. "I only know one way to show you how I feel, and I'm scared now. But I'm just going to go ahead and do it. Joey?" She took a deep breath. "I'm going to take my clothes off now and get in the shower with you. Is that okay?"

Joey paused and looked at her without changing his expression. " ... okay..." he said very quietly.

Tricia smiled through her tears, and opened her blouse and dropped it to the floor. She reached down and unbuttoned her pants, and pulled them down with her underwear. Joey saw the dark patch of pubic hair over her groin. She stood up straight, stepped out of her pants, and started to unhook her bra.

"What ... What's going to happen?" he asked.

Tricia's eyes sparkled as she looked at him. She smiled through her tears as her bra opened and fell. His eyes went wide as he saw her large, full, naked breasts and pointed nipples.

She whispered her answer to him. "Everything, Joey. Everything is going to happen."

Tricia stepped into the shower with him, and Joey nervously stepped back, letting her in. The warm water hit her and an intense pleasure flowed from the steady massage of the streams. He watched as the water poured down her heavenly body. Tricia reached up and softly caressed his smooth face with both hands. Her hands trembled as much as he did.

She carefully lowered herself, getting down on her knees in the tub. Joey knelt down as well, shaking and still covering his erect penis with one hand. Standing on their knees, the height difference between them lessened dramatically. The warm water streamed onto her head and drenched her filthy hair and poured down her face, washing away the dirt and tears. Tricia lifted her face into the stream and luxuriated in the spray for a moment. Joey watched the mud and mascara flow down her face, fall on her chest, and stream down between her full beautiful breasts. They both looked back at each other. Water dripped and poured from her hair and over her face, and she drew his face close to hers.

They kissed.

His soft and strong lips trembled against her, and she tilted her head one way and guided his head to tilt the other. She pulled his head firmly, pressing her lips to his as the warm water flowed down their faces. She opened her mouth against him and gently licked his lips, and felt his body shudder in response. Tricia reached down with one hand to gently pulled his hand away from his erection and she guided it up. Joey shuddered as his hand cupped her breast, and she pulled his body close to her. He wrapped his free arm around her and they kissed passionately. He experimentally licked her lips, and she licked his tongue in reward, and soon their tongues were invading each other's mouths, sucking, kissing, licking, and exploring.

Tricia moved forward and backward slightly, rubbing her body up against his. Joey shook as his hips became weak with desire. She was feeling less nervous now, and more in her element. She pressed her big breasts hard into his chest, rubbed her stomach to his, and felt his erection poking and rubbing against her abdomen. She lowered her hand from his back to his butt and pulled him in tight, pushing his hard cock up against her. She rocked her hips and rubbed his cock with her body.

She broke the kiss and kissed down his cheek and neck. "Thank you, Joey," she whispered. He rolled his head back as she kissed under his chin and across his neck. "Thank you for saving me."

"You're weMMMmmm" he started to say, but she muffled him with another deep kiss. Their tongues entwined, and she broke the kiss and tilted her head forward, touching her forehead to his. Her eyes locked on his, and she held his gaze firmly in hers as she carefully moved her hand off of his buttocks and around to his erection.

He gasped as she gently took his soapy erect penis in her hand, and she stared into his eyes as she started fondling and rubbing his hard cock. Joey shuddered and drooped slightly as he lost all strength in his hips, and he grabbed her shoulder with one hand and held on for support. His other hand held her big breast, and he squeezed her, running his thumb over her hard nipple.

"This is how you make me feel," she said to him as she rubbed her fingers over his swollen member. She traced patterns across the sensitive underside of his cock, and then slipped her fingers around the shaft and pushed down deep into his groin. Joey convulsed at the sensation, and he panted into her shoulder, leaning on her body for support. She stroked him firmly, exploring the full length of his hard cock.

"God damn!" she said sexily. "For a thirteen year old, you sure have a big dick!" She stroked him lovingly. "That's the super-hero in you. You are going to be huge in a few years." She started pumping her fist over his hard cock. Joey cried out and hung on to her, grasping her and shaking.

"Oh god ... oh god..." he exclaimed. "I'm gonna..." Joey tensed up and thrust his hips forward, and clutched onto her as hard as he could. He spasmed, and Tricia felt the hot spray of cum shooting out onto her body and arm.

"That's it, baby! Cum for me!" she encouraged him as she stroked his spurting cock. "Shoot it all out. Oh baby, that's so good."

Joey moaned as he orgasmed into her hand, and he gasped for breath as he collapsed against her, clawing her shoulder and squeezing her breast. His hips convulsed as he pumped more and more semen out of his hard cock and onto her body. Water poured over them both, washing away the sperm and soap.

His body relaxed against her, and she could feel his erection softening. "Oh baby..." she cooed to him. "Did you like that?" she giggled.

Joey panted and laughed into her shoulder. He nodded. "Yeah!" he answered breathlessly.

"It's a lot more fun when I do it, isn't it?" she asked, smiling at him. He nodded again, and she kissed him on the mouth, tonguing him amorously. "I have a confession to make," she said.

"What?"

"I found that bra that you jerked off into." Joey's eyes went wide. She grinned at him. "God, that got me so hot! But in the future, don't use a clean one. Use a dirty one." She kissed him again. "Or better yet, use the one I'm wearing at the time." She giggled. "Or just use me."

Tricia pulled his lips to hers again and she kissed him hungrily. His one hand held onto her breast, and she took the other and placed it on her other breast, and putting both of her hands on his, she pulled back and pressed his hands hard into her soft mounds, pushing them together and accentuating her cleavage.

"You like my big boobies, don't you?" The flesh overflowed his hands, and she rubbed his hands into her full bosom wantonly. Joey took the invitation and looked down to admire her large breasts. He squeezed his fingers deep into her, watching the flesh bulge out between his fingers, and Tricia cooed at the sensation. "Well, don't just stand there," she said. "Give them a kiss."

She pushed forward and lifted her chest upward, thrusting her huge breasts up to him as he lowered his face down. She buried his face in her cleavage, and Joey started kissing and licking her soft flesh. He moaned into her bosom and he explored every curve and inch. He dragged his tongue over her fat mounds and she shivered even though the spray of water kept her warm. Her nipples ached for attention, and she guided his mouth down to one. As he slipped his mouth over her nipple, a bolt of pleasure shot through her body straight down to her pussy. She squirmed under his attentions, and rocked back and forth cradling the boy's head to her breast.

"Oh, god ... yesss..." she whispered. She rolled her head back as the boy sucked her nipple. A steady warmth emanated from his lips and flowed through her breast, and she instinctively thrust her hips forward. Her other nipple screamed for attention, and she guided him to her other breast. A second bolt of pleasure erupted the moment he wrapped his lips around her nipple, and Tricia shuddered and clawed at his head.

Her hips thrust involuntarily, and she took one of his hands off her breast and guided it down to her groin. His fingers pushed against her sex and she shuddered as a thrill surged from her aching vagina and enveloped her entire body. She gasped and shook as his fingers found her clitoris and gently played with it. Her knees went weak, and she braced herself on the tub to stay upright.

"That's it! Yes!" She panted. Joey was quickly becoming an expert at fingering her. His fingers probed and stroked her as she churned and thrust her groin into his hand. She leaned forward on him, supporting her weight on him, and then leaned full back, exposing her entire body to the spray of water. She gasped and panted and cried out as she blossomed with pleasure.

"Oh! I like that!" she panted.

"I can tell," he said.

"I'm that obvious, huh?" she joked, grinding her pussy into his hand.

Joey reached up with one hand and held the back of her head. "You're practically glowing back here. I think this is where you like things. It gets really bright here, especially when I do something like this." He pinched her clitoris, and Tricia yelped and bucked hard against his hand.

Shaking uncontrollably as the pleasure overwhelmed her, Tricia managed to look at Joey with astonishment. "You mean ... You can just feel if I like something?" He nodded. She laughed. "BEST FUCKING SUPER-POWER EVER!"

She leaned forward and attacked him, kissing him fiercely as he rubbed her pussy, sliding two fingers inside her. Tricia shook and gasped as the pleasure intoxicated her. She could feel her orgasm approaching.

"Something is changing," Joey said.

"You're going to make me cum!" Tricia panted. She clawed him and rubbed her body up against him as she shook her hips against his hand. Gasping and thrusting, she kissed him hard as the euphoria reached a critical mass. With one final thrust into his fingers, Tricia threw back her head and screamed as she climaxed. Explosions of ecstasy detonated inside her and gushed through her entire body. She could feel her muscles contracting, and with each contraction was a fresh new burst of rapture that rolled and echoed through her body. She bucked and cried out as the pleasure consumed her, and leaned against the cold tile wall as her muscles surrendered.

Joey continued to finger her, but just as the sensations started to get painfully intense he stopped, and she shook, shuddered, and babbled as she gasped and panted in the afterglow of her orgasm. "Oh ... my ... god..." She panted. "That was ... amazing!" She reached for him, and he pulled her shaking body to his, and they embraced and kissed. As she rubbed her body against his, she could feel his returned erection poking into her abdomen.

She giggled, and he laughed with her. And for the next several minutes they played in the shower, tickling, laughing, kissing, washing, and shampooing. Dirt and sand and makeup and algae and tears and sweat were scrubbed off and flowed down the drain. They eventually shut off the water, got out of the tub, and dried each other off. Tricia skipped her usual practice of blow-drying her long hair, and playfully led Joey out of the bathroom and into her bedroom.

She crawled onto the bed sensuously and rolled to an end table where she opened the drawer and pulled out a wrapped condom. She looked and smiled at him as she opened the wrapper and pulled out the condom. He was grinning anxiously as he admired her voluptuous body. Her big breasts rolled across her chest as she shifted back to him, and his erection twitched. "¡Bueno!" she said as she eyed his erect penis. She crooked a beckoning finger towards him. "Come here big boy!"

Joey climbed on the bed towards the sexy woman. "Are we going to... ?" he asked.

"The word you're looking for is 'fuck'," she said as she reached to his hard cock. Taking him gently in her hand, she pulled him closer to her and rolled the condom on him. "And yes, we're going to fuck now." She grinned.

Joey gasped as her hands tickled his penis, and she reached up to him and pulled him down. They embraced and kissed, and Joey melted on top of her. She licked his tongue and pressed his body up against her full breasts as she caressed his back. Joey shook with excitement as he positioned himself on top of her.

Tricia opened her legs for him.

Joey kissed her lips, her chin, and her neck, and slowly worked his way down her chest as he gathered her full, large breasts together in his hands. He kissed, licked, and nuzzled into her soft mounds, tasting and savoring her flesh and heat, and Tricia lay back breathing heavily, stretching and arching her back as he made love to her breasts. "Oh yesss..." she sighed, and she caressed his head. He kissed down one side of her breast, tracing the full curve with his tongue and lips. Tricia squirmed under him, and gasped as he tickled the underside of her big tits. Her hips bucked and she ground her pussy against his stomach. He licked up into her cleavage, and then across the full curving mound to her erect nipple. Joey tongued her nipple, sending thrilling shivers through her body.

She pulled his head down to her breast, mashing her big boob into his face. They laughed and giggled as he struggled for air, and he attacked her other breast fiercely, wrapping his arm underneath her and lifting her torso up to him.

He kissed and licked his way back up her chest, then up her neck, and then to her cheek. She squealed under his attentions, and tongue-kissed him as his lips returned to hers. His erection poked against her vagina, and she reached down to guide him inside her.

She could feel his heart hammering in his chest as she placed the swollen penis in between her outer lips and lined him up. "Slowly," she whispered to him. Joey pushed forward, and his hard cock nudged inside her slightly. They both gasped as he entered her. She could feel his warmth and strength as his erection started to stretch open her passage. She groaned and pushed him back a bit, working the lubrication around the opening to her vagina. "Okay ... again."

He pushed forward again, getting about halfway into her. Tricia squirmed under him, relishing the sensation of a hard prick penetrating her. She pulled her hips away, encouraging his to pull back and work up the lubrication. With a final thrust he pushed all the way inside her, and she moaned as he filled her.

Joey gasped as he bottomed out inside her, and Tricia wrapped her legs around his hips and held onto his face with both hands. They stared into each other's eyes. "You're inside me now," she whispered. "I've wanted this since the day I met you."

He shuddered as he braced himself over her. "I didn't think this was possible."

"Believe me! This was destiny!" She pulled his face close and kissed him, and Joey started thrusting. He dropped his head down to her shoulder and panted as he fucked his hard cock inside her. Tricia gasped and writhed under him as his erection repeatedly pushed inside her, stretching and filling her, and rubbing her clitoris.

"That's it. Fuck me!" she said. "Fuck me with your big cock!"

Joey grunted as he pounded her. "Oh ... I'm going to..." he said. It didn't surprise her that on his first time he wasn't going to last long inside her. Few men lasted long their first time with her. Tricia held him close as he collapsed on her body.

"Come, baby! Come inside me!" she coaxed.

Joey groaned, heaved, and shuddered. Tricia could tell he was ejaculating. "That's it, baby! Come inside me!"

"Oh god..." he wheezed. "Oh Tricia..." He relaxed on top of her, and Tricia cradled him and caressed him.

"Oh yes, Joey ... Thank you ... So good!" she said to him. "That was so good." Tricia lay there with this spent boy on top of her and thought about what she just said to him. It was the first time she had ever said that to a man and actually meant it. She had certainly had better sex in the past, but never with anyone she truly cared about. And although she could tell that Joey had a long way to go as a lover, his pleasure meant so much to her that she enjoyed it just as much as he did.

He started to pull out of her, and she reached down to hold the condom as he withdrew. "Careful..." she said, and he pulled out of her. Joey collapsed on the bed next to hear, panting and exhausted, and Tricia removed his condom and wiped him clean with some tissues. He watched her with glassy eyes as she tended to him, and then turned out the lights and pulled the covers over them.

They cuddled, kissed, and held each other, and as they drifted off to sleep together, they were blissfully unaware of the flashing lights from the emergency vehicles that accumulated in the park across the street, and of the quiet sobs that emerged from the bedroom across the hall.

-------

Translation Guide

¡No! ¡No otra vez! ¡No! ¡Para! ¡Ayuda! - "No! Not again! No! Stop! Help!"

"¡Un diable mutante!"- "A mutant devil!"

"¡Bueno!" - "Good!"



-------

Chapter 16: Three Mustards and Five Mayonnaises





Thursday, July 16, 2009, 10:00 PM

"What the fuck happened here?"

Captain Smithfield sipped his coffee as he surveyed the scene of destruction. Eight members of Mara Salcatrucha in various states of injury were being attended to by EMTs. Trenches were ripped up in the ground in long skid marks. A destroyed picnic table lay in shattered ruins.

Lieutenant Reid consulted his notes. "They say it was a rival gang fight. We've got broken bones, a couple with dislocated shoulders, concussions, whiplash..."

"Who, and how many others?"

"Depends on which one you ask. One said La Raza, another said Skinheads. Between fifteen and thirty."

The captain nodded. "Sounds like they haven't gotten their story straight yet. What happened to the table?"

"They say it was broken when they got here."

"So in other words, they broke it." He looked at the tracks dug into the earth. "What is this?"

"Again. Depends on who you ask. Some say it was like this when they got here. One of them said the other gang had motorcycles."

"You'd think they all would have noticed the motorcycles." Captain Smithfield examined the fresh tracks. "This isn't a motorcycle tread." He squinted. "Looks like a footprint."

"Really?"

The captain followed the trench to a series of small divots, and then reached the concrete ground surrounding the restroom. He knelt down and examined the concrete floor, touching the hand-print indentation. He noticed the concrete dust in the depression. "This is fresh."

"Excuse me?"

"The hand-print. This wasn't made when the concrete was still wet. This was recently ripped up."

Reid looked puzzled. "Who leaves fresh hand-prints in hard concrete around here? Bullwhip?"

"Nope. Too small. Either a kid or a woman." He returned to the divots and measured them. "Stride is fairly long. Too long for a child. I'd say it was a woman."

"Quantum Knight?"

"No. She normally doesn't leave a mess like this." He examined the scene. "Divots look like acceleration steps, and the trench is braking. Looks like a speedster." He picked up a fragment of splintered wood and examined it. "Hand-print in solid concrete and a completely destroyed pine table, she's also a brick."

"A brick-speedster?"

Smithfield nodded. "It makes sense. They find a woman, take her to the table for easy access, and she Hulks-out on them. No wonder they aren't talking. Only one problem."

"What's that?"

"If she could do this kind of damage, and knowing what the Mara Salcatrucha normally do with women they find, why are they still alive?"

-------

As the captain and his lieutenant conducted their investigation, the woman slipped unseen through the crowd of police and emergency technicians, and stepped into an ambulance. She closed the door behind her, and sat next to the young man laying on the stretcher. She flashed her ID.

"Hi there. Jezebel Dis, FBI. What happened here?"

The young gang member coughed and groaned. "I ain't telling you shit, lady."

"I'm not interested in your shit. I want to know what happened. Word is you all got into a fight with one man. Super-powered, right?"

The kid shook his head.

"My job is to get that guy off the street. Maybe into a coffin. I pay well for any help in finding him."

"Fuck off."

"How does five-grand sound to you?"

His eyes perked open.

"Tell me about him. What did he look like? What could he do? What did he wear?"

The kid shook his head. "You're in the wrong place. It's not your guy."

"How do you know?"

"It was a chick."

Jezebel's eyes widened, and she inhaled deeply. "A woman? What did she look like?"

The kid looked at her. "Like you. But with really big tits."

She glanced at her hand, then at her well defined chest, and then back at the kid. "Like us? Hispanic?"

He nodded.

"What could she do?"

"She was ... fast, and strong. I don't know. It was so quick."

"Did you get her name?"

He shook his head. "No, but there was a boy she was chasing. She was calling to him." He thought hard. "Joey."

"Joey? Hmm." She inhaled again. "Who was the boy? Her boyfriend? Her son?"

He shrugged, and grimaced in pain. "Too young to be her boyfriend. Not her son."

"How do you know?"

He shook his head. "She said something about it." He thought. "Can't remember."

Jezebel leaned in close, inhaled deeply, and concentrated. "Foster mother?"

"Yeah, that's it. What are you sniffing me for?"

She smiled at the kid. "I like the way you smell." She gave him a grin. "You've been very helpful. You deserve the reward."

"You mean five thou..." That was as far as he got before he noticed Jezebel unbuttoning her blouse with one hand. With her other hand she reached out to his pants and rubbed his thigh.

"That was actually worth ten thousand," she said. "And so much more."

The kid grinned as she unzipped his pants.

Three minutes later, FBI agent Jezebel Dis stepped out of the ambulance and walked to the street, casually licking her hand and tasting the various bodily fluids that dripped from it. And as she reached the sidewalk and dropped her identification badge in the nearest trashcan, she could hear the screams from the emergency medical technician who discovered what remained of the body she left behind. By the time she disappeared into a nearby alleyway, several people back in the park were saying that they had seen a woman leave the ambulance, but nobody could agree on what she looked like. One said white. One said black. One said Asian.

-------

Tricia sat in the padded seat, leaning her head against the large glass window, and luxuriated in a warm glow. Her breasts tingled, and she found herself rubbing and touching her body, squirming with pleasure. Her head bounced softly against the window as the train shook, running down its tracks.

"I know just how you feel," said the woman next to her.

Tricia looked up and saw her doppelganger sitting in the seat behind her, relaxing with a dreamy look on her face. Tricia looked around at the Metro train. They were inside the tunnels now.

"This is weird. I keep winding up here."

"Yeah. Me too," said the other Tricia lazily.

Tricia blinked, and pinched herself. "This is a dream, right?"

The other Tricia nodded and sighed. "Yeah, I figured that out last time."

Tricia looked around, and back at her twin. "Long trains going through tunnels ... that I understand. Twin sisters? ... That I don't understand. I'm Tricia. Who are you?"

The doppelganger blinked with a dazed look on her face. "Well, I thought I was Tricia. Not so sure anymore."

"Lot of help THAT was," she said sarcastically, and found herself rubbing her leg and breast. "God, I am so horny! What's going on?"

The other Tricia smiled. "Must be Joey." She leaned back in her seat and stretched. "I'm dizzy. ¡Dios mio! Joey just gave me the fucking of a lifetime. I'm still shaking."

Tricia chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't call it that. It was very sweet, but it WAS his first time..."

The other Tricia shook her head. "No, that first round was sweet. The second round was ... grrowlll!" She growled to herself in pleasure.

"What are you talking about? You mean when we got into bed?"

"No, the second round in bed, after the nap, when he pushed me through time?" Tricia looked confused. The doppelganger Tricia squinted at Tricia, and her mouth dropped open. "You haven't had that yet, have you? You're in that nap now, right?"

"Huh?"

Her twin leaned forward, drunkenly off-balance and pointed at her. "You jerked each other off in the shower, then went to bed and had sex, and that's it, right?"

"Yeah."

She smiled and sat back. Tricia could tell that her doppelganger was definitely drunk. "We're out of sync! I think I'm a couple hours ahead of you ... It's amazing what a couple hours can do to you." The twin looked around at the train. "Oh! That's what's happening here."

"What's happening?"

"Time-travel. Look, Tricia, if you're where I think you are..." she said sluggishly pointing at her, "then the reason you're horny is that for you, Joey is currently awake and wants more so he's sucking on your nipples." She smacked her lips and pointed her thumb at herself. "That's what happened to me. Now you need to wake up and get on top of him and fuck the hell out of him. And remember; right before orgasming, ask him to push you through time!"

Tricia stared at her sister. "Have you been drinking?"

"That ... is an excellent suggestion!" she said sluggishly. "But no, I have not been drinking. But I sure could use a cigarette!"

"Oh no, don't start that again!" pleaded Tricia. "You remember how hard it was to quit."

The doppelganger waved her hand at her. "All right ... But you know? I think I am drunk. But this is not alcohol. Nope!" She stood up carefully and grabbed a handrail for support. "No, this is pure ... afterglow!" She grinned and shifted. "Yessssssss," she hissed, and she held onto the vertical pole, wrapping her arms and legs about it like a stripper. She spun and swung on it lazily, whipping her long chestnut hair about her.

"Tricia," Tricia said. "What did he do to you? What is he going to do to me?"

She grinned and pantomimed locking her lips with an imaginary key, and then stuffed the imaginary key into her bra. "Nope! You have to find that out for yourself." She winked. "Trust me. You're going to love it."

The tingling in her breasts surged. Tricia squirmed and rubbed herself. "¡Dios mio! He's really going to town on me, isn't he?"

The doppelganger grinned and nodded. "I think you should go back to him now." She sighed. "I gotta get up too. Have to go to work ... Damn it. Marty's going to kill that story today."

The sensations in her breasts intensified, and Tricia undulated and threw her head back, thrusting her chest forward as the pleasure flowed from her hard nipples. She gasped and clutched the head pressed up against her chest tight to her. The room was dark, and she squirmed under the boy as he mauled and kissed and sucked on her nipples. Her pussy itched for attention, and she could feel his erection rubbing against her leg.

She glanced at her digital clock. It was three in the morning. She looked back at Joey and smiled as she watched him eagerly sucking a nipple and squeezing her big breasts. Tricia ran her fingers through his hair, catching his eyes.

"Caught you, you bad boy!" she accused sexily. "You just can't get enough of my boobs, can you?" He grinned at her, and she pushed and rolled on top of him, pinning his body down and mashing her fat tit into his face, smothering him. Joey let out a muffled moan and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight. Tricia giggled and shimmied her chest, working her big fat breast into his face. "You just love my big boobies, don't you?"

He gave another muffled groan in affirmation.

"You like being smothered by my big titties?" she said as she rubbed her breasts over his face. Her hips churned, and she could feel him thrusting his groin up into her leg. Tricia reached down and grabbed a hold of his erection. "Well, I can't get enough of your big, hard cock." She stroked him, getting her hand wet with his pre-cum.

Joey bolted, and his hips shook. Tricia started to slide downward, freeing his face from her enveloping breasts. He took a huge gulp of air, and she kissed his forehead as he kissed and licked up her chest and neck. Soon they were kissing each other open-mouthed, their tongues battling and licking each other. She stroked his hard dick and squirmed as he kneaded her ass and breast. Tricia broke the kiss, growled at him, and sat up on top of him, straddling him. She rocked her hips over his groin, and rubbed his cock against her pussy with her hands. She was sopping wet already.

"I want to fuck you again," she whispered.

"Me too," he answered, reaching up and caressing her soft body.

She leaned over to her bedside table and pulled out a fresh condom. Sitting back on top of him and straddling his legs, she grinned, unwrapped the condom, and lovingly rolled it over his naked erection. Joey gasped and smiled as he watched the sexy nude woman running her fingers over his penis.

"One of these days we will have to do this bareback, so I can feel your hot cum inside me!" She lifted up, touched the head of his penis to her pussy, and lowered herself on top of him, sliding him fully inside her.

Tricia let out a long breathy sigh of relief as he filled her. The relieving pleasure glowed and as she felt his hardness stretching her and rubbing against her clitoris. She gasped and shifted on him, leaning forward and propping herself up on his chest. Joey reached up and caressed and squeezed her breasts as they dangled over him.

"Oh ... god!" She started grinding her hips, bucking and gyrating on his hard cock as an intense joy ignited inside her. Joey started thrusting, jerking chaotically at first, but then he dug his heels into the bed and pushed hard, lifting her body. "OH!" she yelped as she felt his shaft shoved deep inside her. "Oh yes!" She shifted her legs, opening them wider and giving him more access, and Joey started rhythmically pumping his hard dick inside her wet pussy with deep thrusts.

"God damn! You're a fast learner!" she exclaimed. Her pussy burned bright with a primal euphoria, and her body shook as he repeatedly filled and stretched her, and she moaned and gasped and rocked up and down on him. "Oh yes! Fuck me!" she cried out as the boy mauled and squeezed her ample breasts, digging his fingers deep into her soft flesh.

Joey's face was a portrait of wonder and excitement and disbelief, and Tricia grinned at him and leaned far forward on top of him. She kissed his lips hungrily, sucking his tongue into her mouth. Joey continued to pound and thrust into her. She sat back up straight and dropped her entire weight on his groin, impaling herself on his staff. Then she lifted her arms over her head, gathered her hair, and ground her pussy into him hard.

"Oh god," she gasped as she shook and gyrated her hips. "You feel so fucking good!" She stretched and arched her back, and she thrust and bucked on him, grinding her clitoris against him.

Joey ran his hands over her full breasts again, and Tricia let go of her long hair and slapped her hands over his, squeezing them into her tits. She groaned as his fingers buried deep into her. Together they mauled and deformed her boobs.

A soft tingle inside her alerted her that her orgasm was imminent. This is it! This is when I go back in time! Yes! July tenth, seven oh-eight PM. Annie keep filming! Tricia, memorize the date and time and, and, trust your instincts, it's him! Act surprised! She started bouncing up and down on his hard cock. "Fuck YEAH!" she cried out. "Joey! I'm gonna cum!"

"I know," he said, holding on to her huge bouncing breasts as best as he could.

"Do something for me!" she pleaded, rocking and humping herself against him. "When I cum, use your powers on me, and push me through time!"

Joey looked puzzled. "Through time?"

"Yeah!" she gasped. "Fuck me! Yes!"

"Okay," he said, slightly confused.

Tricia bit her lip and thrust and pounded harder, pushing herself to ignite her orgasm. "Oh! FUCK! YES! THAT'S IT! OH GOD!" she chanted.

"I can feel it coming," said Joey. "Here goes."

His hands, still buried inside her fat breasts, glowed and started to spray out sparks. The room lit up with a flickering light, and Tricia shuddered as she felt an essence enter her body through her breasts and flow through her. She thrilled at the sensation as Joey filled and invaded her body from above and below.

Her orgasm was moments away, and everything started to transform around her. Her body slowed down, becoming sluggish and thick, and the light from the streetlights outside flickered and strobed. Her digital clock's numbers blinked and flashed, the individual segments of each number flashing independently in a set pattern across the display. Her voice dropped in octaves, becoming a guttural purr. The bounce in her hair slowed into an underwater dance.

What the fuck? This isn't right. She felt trapped in her semi-frozen body. This isn't traveling through time. He's just speeding me up again. Her body felt unresponsive and anchored. And he's not speeding up my body, but just my mind. What is he doing? I can't move! I ... I ... OH GOD!!!

And then her orgasm hit.

Tricia's orgasms normally felt like a series of small explosions synchronized with a set of pelvic contractions. But this was different. In the time-warp magnification perspective, the explosion was now a hurricane, and Tricia mentally screamed as her psyche was blasted away in a deluge of divine and carnal ecstasy. Gone was the simple and manageable firecracker bursts of pleasure, and in its place was now a torrent of euphoric fire erupting from her vagina, overwhelming her simple strengths and shattering her willpower.

The rapture inferno blazed inside her, consuming and inundating her consciousness with pleasures unimaginable. The surging continued unrelenting for ten, twenty, and then thirty seconds, as the sheer intensity shredded her sanity, preventing her from even forming a coherent thought. The surge then started to die, the hurricane dropped into a gentle breeze of pleasure, and Tricia's mind reconnected.

WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT??? THIS ISN'T HAPPENING! WHAT IS GOING ON? Her body was rigid and frozen, with all muscles tensed. She could feel a low roar emanating from her throat. I'm supposed to be traveling back in time. This isn't supposed to happen! I ... Oh my god! ... Oh no! ... THAT WAS JUST THE FIRST FUCKING CONTRACTION! AAIIIEEEE!

And then the second wave hit. The volcanic eruption of ecstasy ripped through her body and mind, leaving gaping holes in her cognitive processes. Severed from language, Tricia's mind snapped as the unyielding pleasure tore open her ego, emptying her of defenses, of thought, or countenance, and of will. The flooding orgasm washed her away, leaving behind an empty vessel in the woman's mind and heart.

The second wave ended, and Tricia's mind returned to a sense of ability. Internally she cried and screamed. GOD DAMN IT! STOP IT! PLEASE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME? PLEASE! STOP! I DIDN'T MEAN THIS! THIS ISN'T WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN! JOEY, YOU'RE KILLING ME! IT'S LIKE FUCKING A GOD! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! ... AAIIIEEEE!

The third contraction started, and the deluge of pleasure resumed, ripping out her thoughts and anger, shredding her defiance and strength, and consuming the shattered remnants of her being.

Her mind reattached. She was mentally sobbing. Please ... I beg you ... Stop ... Make it stop ... I'll do anything ... It's too much ... I can't take it... 

A fourth contraction came, and Tricia's mind was forced aside by a tidal wave of irresistible and unyielding pleasure.

I'm going to die here ... It's never going to stop ... We're not meant to know such pleasures ... God forgive me, for I now know how you feel love... 

A fifth contraction, and a fifth wave of ecstasy consumed her.

Tricia sat on Joey's hard cock, and her face was glazed over with submission. Her mind was numb and broken, and she didn't even try to think of anything as her mind reattached. She simply waited, resigned to her fate.

The world changed around her, and she heard herself screaming as her body broke free of it's time-warp imprisonment. Limp and overcome, she fell over on the bed, rolled off of her lover, and lay panting and gasping. Aftershocks quaked through her body, and tears flowed from her eyes as she stared at the blank ceiling.

Joey was in a frenzied state, and he quickly climbed on top of her and positioned himself between her legs. Tricia lay unresponsive, just staring at the ceiling, shaking, breathing heavily, and moaning. He stopped as he saw her face, and he looked worried.

He held her face in his hands. "Tricia? Are you okay?"

"Ohh ... huhhh ... huhhh ... huhhh..." She groaned and panted in response.

"That was what you wanted, right?"

"Uhhhh..." She shook her head, answering 'no', and her body shook uncontrollably in an aftershock.

Joey looked guilty. "Oh ... Did I do something wrong?"

"Uh-uhhhh..." She shook her head again, still panting.

"Did that feel good?"

"Uh-huhhh..." She nodded, and another aftershock ripped through her body. Tricia babbled incoherently as the quake rocked her. "Ai-gah-bah-bubba-blah..."

Joey watched her breasts jiggle and slosh as she shook, and he smiled. "Did you want me to do that again?"

"UH-UHH!" She shook her head 'no' very defiantly.

Joey crawled off her, lay down beside her, and cuddled up to her, caressing her body. He kissed her cheek and she blinked and looked at him with wonder and awe. He looked confused and concerned.

She gave him a weak smile. "J ... Joey?" she managed to find her voice. His eyes perked up. "That was..." she said through her heavy breathing, "the most ... intense ... experience ... of my life..."

Joey processed that. "So ... I'm not in trouble?"

Tricia giggled, too exhausted to collapse in laughter properly. She reached up and stroked his cheek, and pulled him in close to kiss him.

They kissed for a while, and as Joey pulled back, he saw she was crying. "What's the matter?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing. I now know that I love you."

Joey teared up as well, and he stroked her cheek. "I love you too, Tricia."

They cuddled up and kissed and held each other, and fell asleep in each other's arms.

-------

Annie woke up at about six-thirty. After checking her diapers, she rolled into a robe, transferred into her chair, and rolled out into the living room. Tricia was sitting at the kitchen table wearing her robe and looking out the window. There was a cup of coffee in front of her, and a pack of cigarettes. Tricia was quiet as she stared out the window watching the sun rise.

"So?" she asked as she rolled over. "You're still alive."

Tricia gave Annie a blank look. Annie shrugged. "After that scream last night, I was wondering. But I figured, if one of you died, the other one of you would have told me."

Tricia returned to gazing out the window and stared into the sun. The light illuminated her blank face.

Annie considered her. She noticed the pack of cigarettes. Tricia was not smoking, and there was no trace of smoke in the air. "You haven't lit one up yet, have you?"

Tricia shook her head.

"May I?" Annie asked, reaching for the pack.

Tricia handed her the pack of cigarettes. Annie casually crumpled the pack and threw them in the trash. "Oopsie!" She looked back over at Tricia. "Well, you're feeling weak, so something is on your mind. Are you feeling guilty?"

Tricia shook her head. "No," she managed to say.

"What is it?"

"I think I lost my virginity last night."

"NU? You? What? A virgin?"

Tricia shook her head. "Not that type. I mean ... I've had sex. I mean, good God, I've had sex, and I'm good at it, but ... Do you remember back in like, high-school, where there was always this one girl who wasn't having sex? She was... 'saving herself', or wanted to get married first?"

Annie nodded. "Yeah, I remember. I WAS that girl. For a while. Until Bobby Chambers went down on me."

Tricia smiled. "Well, she always said that she didn't want to just 'have sex', but she wanted to 'make love'. And the rest of us always ragged on her, cause we figured that she didn't know what she was talking about, because she didn't know what she was missing." She sipped her coffee. "And it was true. She didn't know what she was missing ... But we were wrong. She did know what she was talking about."

She looked out the window again into the rising sun. "For the first time in my life, I made love." She said this quietly, with a look of awe on her illuminated face. "Not for favors. Not for someone to do my homework for me. Not to get out of a speeding ticket. Not for a passing grade. Not for a job. Not for..." She closed her eyes and pushed the confession out. " ... money..." She gasped and shook. "But for love."

Annie watched her carefully.

Tricia teared up. "I understand now. I understand why I sent him to myself. Because I love him, and I need him. He's changing me. He's erasing my past, and redrawing my future." She looked at Annie with sparkling eyes. "I am a new woman. In the past day I have been a goddess, and held the power of life and death in my hands. I have been seduced, baptized, cleansed, died, and reborn in love."

Annie looked skeptical. "Died? What do you mean? Was it that scream last night?"

Tricia nodded. "I played a practical joke on myself, and now that I'm this far on the other side of it, I see why I have to pass it on. I told myself to ask Joey to push me through time when I hit an orgasm. But I never said 'backwards' in time. So he did the last thing he did, which was to warp time. Super-speed. It makes the world look so slow. I had an intense orgasm that lasted, I don't know, several minutes long ... What do the French call an orgasm?"

"Le petite mort," Annie said. "The little death."

Tricia nodded. "You know what orgasms feel like. Well, stretch it out twenty or thirty times longer than normal..."

"Oh, you poor dear!" said Annie sarcastically.

Tricia shook her head. "Seriously Annie ... We were not meant to know that much pleasure."

"Sorry," she said honestly. "So you felt like you died?"

Tricia nodded. "You can't come out of that experience without feeling reborn."

They heard a door open, and turned and saw Joey slowly emerge from Tricia's room. He was in his pajamas. "Tricia?"

Tricia beamed as she saw him. "Hey baby!" She got up, ran to Joey, and hugged and kissed him. "Come here!" She pulled him to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. "Let me get you something to drink."

As Tricia pulled out the orange juice and poured him a glass, Joey looked at Annie with an embarrassed expression on his face. Annie smiled at him. "I know ALL about it, so don't worry about me. Mazl tov!"

He grinned. "Thanks."

Tricia gave him the orange juice. "Here. Drink. You need more fluids." She watched him with pride and love as he drank the orange juice.

Annie watched Tricia as she watched Joey drinking. "So, exactly how much fluids do you think he needs?"

Joey finished his orange juice, and Tricia took the glass, put it in the sink, and then took Joey by the hand. "You're going to need more this morning," she said to him as she eagerly pulled him out of the dining room and towards her bedroom.

"Um, Tricia?" Annie called out. "Shouldn't you be getting ready for work?"

"I've already showered," she said, winking at Joey, and she pulled him into her bedroom and closed the door. Grinning sexily, she pushed the giggling and laughing young man onto the bed, whipped her robe off her naked body, and jumped on top of him.

-------

Tricia had an extra spring in her step as she arrived at work that morning. She bounced into the office giggling and smiling at everyone, picked up her notepad, and headed for the morning meeting. Her good mood soured the moment she saw Marty at the head of the table.

Marty took a bite from his bagel and started the meeting. "So, what do we got?"

Mike Grimes checked his notes. "AP says they have opened a manslaughter case for that stage collapse for the Madonna concert."

"Where was that again?"

"Marseille, France."

"How many people were killed?"

"Two workers, British and French. Eight others were injured."

"Any Americans?"

"They originally thought so, but no."

"Skip it. Anything else?"

"Ummmm ... Yes. A man in Wyoming fought off a mountain lion with a chainsaw."

"Go with it! Bob?"

Bob Patel looked at his notebook. "LaToya Jackson is re-releasing her song 'Home' in tribute to her brother. Proceeds going to AIDS research."

"Sounds nice. See if you can get a clip of the song. Tricia."

Oh god, here it comes. Tricia braced herself.

"I've been looking at the pictures, and I really don't see much of a story in this. So I'd like you to go back to the swimsuit story..."

"No."

The room fell quiet for a moment. Everyone turned and stared at Tricia, and she kept her eyes down on her notepad. What did I just say? Why did I say that?

"Tricia, I said that..."

"I heard what you said." She looked up from her notepad. I know why I said that. I said that for Joey. She glared at Marty with a cold stare. "And I said no."

Marty blinked.

"No, Marty, I'm not. It's not a story. We've got starving homeless kids here in the city, and people need to know that they need help."

"Look Tricia," Marty began, "I know you feel passionate about this story, because after all, you worked so hard to find a source for it," he said condescendingly, "but it's just not what the station is looking for right now. Now if you just..."

"Marty! I'm not doing the swimsuit story, and you're not putting me in one, no matter how good the ratings are. It's demeaning. To me, to you, to the station, and to the city! Now we've got an actual situation here that people need to know about."

Mike Grimes chuckled to himself. "Demeaning ... to you?"

Tricia gave Mike a cold stare. "Yeah. It's demeaning." She turned back to Marty. "What is wrong with this story? You tell me!"

Marty sighed. "Tricia, I've been looking at these pictures, and they just don't do anything for me."

"Well, what is it that these pictures are supposed to do for you, Marty? What are you looking for?"

He shook his head. "Well first of all, the kids are ugly."

Tricia's jaw dropped. "Ugly? What the fu ... What do you mean, ugly? These kids are HOMELESS! They're filthy, sick, malnourished ... what are you expecting, another ... JonBenet Ramsey?"

Marty perked up and pointed at Tricia. "I would LOVE another JonBenet Ramsey story!"

"Well, sorry Marty! They can't all be cute, blond, blue-eyed, white girls! These kids look the way they do because they live in the streets and the sewers, and a lot of them are brown! Sorry! HEY! Maybe if I find one a blond white one, will that work?"

"No, that won't help, Tricia."

"Well, what is it that you are looking for?"

"Look, can we discuss this in my office?"

"No. We discuss this here, in front of everyone! What are you looking for, Marty?"

Marty pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, do you know what sold that JonBenet Ramsey story?"

"Oh, let me guess! Young, attractive, rich, blond, white girl goes missing?"

He shook his head. "That was only half of it. You ever do a search on her recently? They had HUNDREDS of great pictures of her. THOUSANDS of them probably! THAT'S what sold the story! We never ran out of good pictures to run. Every day we had a gorgeous new picture of this little girl to show the public, and we could keep that story going for years! No offense to your or Judy's photography skills, but you can't make these kids look good enough to feed the public's appetite for great photos."

"Marty! We're not trying to entertain our audience with pretty pictures. We're trying to inform them of a dire situation! That's what we do!"

Marty shook his head. "Tricia, wake up. We're in the entertainment business. If you wanted to be a journalist, you were born in the wrong decade."

Tricia stared at Marty, stunned, with her jaw dropped, and she blinked at him. She shook her head. "I'm not doing it, Marty. I'm doing the homeless kids story."

"Well, I'm not going to run it."

"Oh, for God's sake, Marty! Show some principles!"

Mike Grimes chuckled again. A few others snickered at her. She glared at Mike. "What?"

Mike shook his head. "Look who's talking about principles," he said grinning.

That line got a lot of laughs, and Tricia's blood boiled. She stood up and slammed her notepad into the table. "FINE! Let's do that! Let's take a good look at who's talking about principles!" She looked around the room and dozen people in it. "Okay, I admit it. I've blown just every guy in this office for favors!"

Everyone stared at her, surprised. They looked around the room.

"Oh, except for you, Charlie ... You're new ... Oh, and you, Anton ... I owe you."

Anton nodded and waved, urging her to continue.

She looked back around the room. "And guess what? I've learned that it wasn't worth it. I may have gotten a good paycheck for it, but I lost something more valuable. And I realize now that I'd much rather have my self-respect!" She pointed at various men around the room. "I'm not going into your office, or your darkroom, or your supply closet, or the men's room, or any other place I've dropped on my knees anymore. It's over. But here's the thing! You all never refused. You were just as unprincipled. I never twisted anyone's arm to suck his cock! So who's got principles here?"

Marty sighed. "Tricia, if you just..."

"I'm DOING the homeless story, or I'm out of here!"

Marty stared at her. "You're not doing the story."

She stared him down. "Fine ... I QUIT!" she yelled, and she stormed out of the conference room.

Tricia strode over to her cubicle and grabbed her purse. Marty came after her, followed by everyone else in the meeting. "Tricia, look, you don't have to do this. If we could just about this in my office..."

"I've HAD IT with 'talking' in your office, Marty! And you convinced me! I'm a journalist, and this is no place for journalists." She opened her desk drawer, pulled out a few personal items and shoved them in her purse. "The only thing you're interested in is ratings, not responsibility." She pulled out her secret stash of Doritos and threw them in the trash. "And there isn't any way for me to stay here. I need to be someplace where I'm respected, and let's face it, nobody respects me here." She grabbed her sweater from the back of her chair and threw it over her arm. "And that's my fault. I admit that. I never gave anyone here any respect either. I can't earn that now." She stormed toward the front door. "Goodbye Marty. You know where to send my last paycheck."

She threw the door open and stormed out. Then she stopped in the hallway. A sudden sense of dread fell over her. Oh god ... What am I doing? I need to ... what?

She turned around and marched back into the office. Everyone was staring at her.

"ANTON!" she yelled.

Everyone looked at Anton. He blinked in confusion. "Uh, yeah?"

"Marty's office!" She pointed to his office, then marched in, grabbed Anton by the arm, and pulled him in with her. "I owe you!"

"What?"

She reached Marty's office, threw the man inside, stepped in herself, and slammed the door closed. Marty's office had no internal windows, so they had complete privacy.

Anton watched Tricia as she leaned against the door in anguish and slid down to the floor, dropping her purse. "Oh god, Anton ... What am I doing?"

Anton chuckled and sat on the floor next to her. "Well, it looks like you quit your job."

Tricia buried her face in her hands. "Why did I do that? Oh god, I can't go looking for a job now. Not in this job market! Oh, fuck! What am I doing?"

"Girlfriend, I have never been more turned on by you."

Tricia looked up and gave him a weird look. "Oh, NOW you're interested?" She chuckled. "I don't think I can handle that now." She sighed. "How is David anyways?"

"Oh, he's just fine. We talk all the time. He's in Fallujah now. He's coming back in about four months."

"When are you coming out of the closet, Anton? Nobody cares nowadays."

He shook his head. "The day Obama signs an executive order barring 'Don't Ask Don't Tell'. The Army still cares. If I come out, the Army finds out that David lives with a gay man..." He looked at Tricia, and put his hand on her knee. "But I meant it. Not all that ... ew, ick, girl-parts stuff..."

Tricia giggled.

" ... but, I've never seen you like this. Standing up for principles. I always knew you had them. I just always wanted to see you use them. It's good to see you like this."

Tricia ran her fingers through her hair. "Well, thanks. Even if it's a bit late, and it is my last day. But god ... I don't know what I'm going to do now!"

"Hey, I got some friends at WBAL. I'll put in a good word for you."

She smiled. "Thanks ... You don't think I'm fucking up my life, do you?"

"Me? No. I think you just stopped fucking it up. Little thing like this can't do any damage to what's important."

She took his hand and squeezed it. "Thanks Anton." She sighed. "So ... what do you think we should do about this blowjob?"

He chuckled. "Well, how long does it normally take you? I mean ... The less time it takes, the better for your reputation. But I'd like to have a reputation too."

Tricia shrugged. "I've got nothing to prove to them. I'm usually done in five minutes. How does fifteen sound to you?"

He gave her a thumbs-up. "Sounds good. That will get them talking about me." He looked at Marty's desk. "In fact ... I think we should go all-out. You should leave in a blaze of glory."

"What?" she asked as Anton got up. "What do you mean?"

Anton opened Marty's desk drawer and looked through it. "Ah, here we go. Mustard and mayonnaise. What ratio do you think?"

"Um..." Tricia remembered something her future self said. "Three mustard to five mayonnaise?"

"Girl, I like the way you think!" He pulled out a handful of mustard mayonnaise packets and a small paper plate, opened them up, and stirred the condiments together with his finger.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

He chuckled. "Like you don't know." He returned to her with a plate full of a creamy yellow sauce, scooped up a finger full, and smeared it on Tricia's face. Tricia burst out laughing.

"Hey, if I'm going to get a reputation from this..." he said as he scooped up another blob of mustard and mayonnaise, " ... I want it to be a good one!"

Tricia giggled and screamed in laughter as he continued to paint her face with the mixture.

-------

Fifteen minutes later, Tricia threw the door to Marty's office open and stepped out. Everyone in the office gasped as they saw her. Her face was plastered in a dripping mess of a light creamy goop. It was in her hair and dripping down onto her chest. "Good GOD! WOW!" she exclaimed. She marched through the office, scooping up gobs of cream from her face and loudly slurping it up in her mouth. "HMMMMM ... YUM!" She smacked her lips loudly and licked her fingers. "Judy, you've GOT to try this!" she said to her assistant, holding out a finger to her.

Judy jumped back in terror.

Anton stumbled out of Marty's office, acting dazed and overwhelmed, and was stuffing his shirt down into his pants. Tricia reached the front door, gave everyone a dazzling smile from behind her goopy stained face, and winked to Anton. She lifted her hand to ear, thumb and pinkie extended, miming a telephone. "Hey! Call me!" She waved to everyone else. "Toodles!" And she strutted to the elevator, got inside, and grinned to everyone in her old job as the doors closed.



-------

Chapter 17: Up in Spirits and Down the Shaft





Friday, July 17, 2009, 9:45 AM

Tricia marched in the front door of her apartment, dropped her purse and sweater on the floor, threw her arms up in a wide arc and joyfully announced with a broad smile, "I QUIT MY JOB!!!"

"Nu? What?" asked Annie.

"You ... what?" said Joey.

Tricia grinned from ear to ear. "I did it! I'm out of there!" She spun into the room, dancing and twirling. "God, I hated that job!" She stopped and centered her attention on Joey. "And I owe it all to you!"

Joey blinked. "M ... Me?"

"Yes! You!" She growled and prowled over to the couch where he was sitting, climbed on his lap, straddled his legs, grabbed his face and kissed him passionately. "Rowrl! Can you believe it? Marty wanted me to drop the homeless kids story and do some stupid shit about bathing suits. He actually wanted me to wear a bathing suit and have it rip open on camera! And the old me would have done that, but not anymore! You! You told me to be good, and I'm being good for you!"

She kissed him again. As she pulled off him, Joey looked bewildered, and he licked his lips. "You taste funny."

"Tricia? What are you doing?" said Annie as she rolled towards her. "You think this is a good idea?"

"Oh, of course not! It's a lousy idea!" She hugged Joey's head into her large bosom, and squirmed on his lap. "But I feel too good! ¡Dios Mio! It feels so good to get out of that job!"

"That's nice shvesterl, but do you have any leads?" said Annie. "What are you going to do for money now?"

Tricia hugged him and kissed Joey's head. "I don't know. I've got about three weeks of unpaid vacation, but I'm not eligible for unemployment. Maybe I can work for a temp agency, or do some waitressing. Anton said he's got some friends at WBAL, so I may have some luck there."

"Mrf mrrrd migh mrfmrrng," suggested Joey into her breasts.

Tricia pulled back, giving him air. "What?"

"I said," he gasped, " ... you could try modeling."

Tricia bit her lip and considered it. "Not a bad idea. But I don't have the best figure for modeling. My boobs are too big." She leaned forward and enveloped Joey's face into her bosom again and caressed his hair. "And besides the only modeling agencies who would be interested in me are the ones who want to photograph me in the nude. And I'm not going to do that."

Since Joey's face was buried in her chest, he didn't see Tricia turn to Annie and silently mouth the word "Again" to her. Annie giggled quietly.

"Well, whatever it is you're going to do, you start it today," Annie said as she turned her chair. "I can't be the sole bread-winner in this house. I'm not going to be the working father while you get to be the stay-at-home mom. I'm not cut out for that." She thought for a moment. "MY boobs are way too big for that job."

Joey squirmed inside Tricia's bosom, and she pulled back. He gasped again. "Um ... If you need money, I guess I can help."

"What do you mean, sweetheart?" asked Tricia.

"Well ... I could usually get about ten or twenty dollars a day."

Tricia looked puzzled. "How?"

"Just asking people."

"You mean begging? No. We don't do that. No, I'll get a job. That's my responsibility." She kissed him on the nose.

Annie gave Tricia a serious stare. "So? Are you going to get started, or what?"

Tricia stared back at Annie and rocked on Joey's lap. "Don't you have some ... flushing to do?"

Annie rolled her eyes. "Yeah ... I can take a hint. And I do." She wheeled towards her bathroom. "Joey! Make sure she starts working on her resume, okay?"

Joey nodded to Annie as Tricia ground her hips into his lap. "Okay," he said. As soon as Annie entered her bathroom, Joey turned to Tricia. She was eying him hungrily. "What's a resume?" he asked.

"Well," she said, leaning in and kissing his cheek. "It's a list of all the amazing..." She kissed his forehead. " ... incredible..." She kissed across his eyes. " ... wonderful..." She kissed across to his other cheek. " ... special skills I know." She kissed him deeply on the lips, and her tongue brushed across his lips.

Joey squirmed under her. Tricia pulled off of him and looked him in the eyes. "Oh, you like the dirty resume talk?"

He squirmed his hips some more. "I need ... ow! ... umm..." He tried to reach down to his groin.

"OH! Baby! I'm sorry." She got up on her knees, relieving the pressure on his groin. "You need some room to grow don't you?" She giggled as he reached down and readjusted his pants around his erection.

"Um ... Yeah." He grinned. Once he finished his adjusting, Tricia lowered herself back down on him She could feel his hardness pushing up against her, and she rocked her groin up against his.

"So, where were we? Oh yes! Skill sets!" She kissed him again. "So I could use your help here. I need to know which skills I can put on a resume for my next job, and which ones I should keep off the list, like..." She moved up and pushed her body full into his, pressing her breasts around his face. " ... like this full-body rub! Should this go on the resume, or should I only do that here?"

Joey grinned and laughed as Tricia rubbed her body up against his. "Hmmm ... Not on the resume!"

Tricia grinned back at him. "Okay, that's one! Now how about these hip thrusts here?" She started thrusting her hips, rubbing her groin up against his hard penis.

Joey ran his hands over her curvy ass. "You're good at this. Home only!"

"Okay. How about this boob-shimmy?" She shook her shoulders, shaking her breasts around his face. He giggled and laughed as she walloped him with her big tits.

"I think you should take off your blouse for that," he said, reaching up and caressing her breasts.

"Oh, dear me! You're right!" she cooed and giggled, and together they started unbuttoning her blouse.

Her cell phone rang. "Oh damn!" she exclaimed. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, checked the number, and frowned. "Who's this?" She opened the phone and answered it. "Tricia Sanchez!"

"Miss Sanchez? Good morning! My name is Desiree Malebolge, and I'm a case worker at the Child and Family Services Agency in D.C. Do you have a few minutes to talk?"

"Oh, yes!" she said. Joey had her blouse fully open and was working on the front hooks of her sports bra. Tricia got off his lap and sat on the couch, and playfully slapped his hands away from her. "Yes, I'm free now."

"Well, it has come to my attention that you were looking for an advocate in order to become a foster parent to a certain child. I believe I may be able to help you with that."

Joey was undeterred, and he lay in her lap and attacked her bra again. "Really? That's wonderful! Thank you!" After some fumbling, Joey successfully opened the top hook, and quickly learned how they work. "You know, I've been reading all the pamphlets, and there's like a million hoops to jump through."

"Many of these requirements are just formalities, but I'm certain I can help you with them," Ms. Malebolge said reassuringly. "But it's my job to match needy children with good parents, and I find that those who already have a strong bond make good matches. I understand that you currently have a good relationship with this boy?"

Joey got her bra open, freed her naked breast, and clamped his mouth over her hard nipple. Tricia shuddered as a jolt of electricity shot from her nipple straight to her pussy. "Oh! ... Um, Yes! You could say that were are quite ... attached to each other."

"Well, that's wonderful to hear, and I would love to be able to help you with this process. It always brings me such pleasure to have families come together."

Tricia switched the phone to her other ear and freed one hand. With her free hand she reached down to Joey's groin and rubbed his erection through his pants. Joey continued to caress her breasts and suck on her nipple. "Yes, I'd like it if we could come together too. Is there a time I can come over and see you?"

"I have an opening at eleven. Is that too soon?"

Tricia glanced at the clock. It was nine-fifty. "I ... let me check." She lowered the phone and called out. "ANNIE?"

"YES" she answered from the bathroom.

"I'm on the phone with someone from Child and Family Services. She wants to meet us. You want to come?"

"Oy! Yes! Of course!"

"Can you be ready in half an hour?"

"Ummm ... Yeah, I think."

Tricia returned the phone to her ear. "Yeah, eleven is fine."

"That's wonderful. I'm so looking forward to meeting you and Joseph. Do you have our address? Four hundred sixth street, southwest."

"Thank you! And we'll be there! And I'm looking forward to this too."

"I'll see you then."

"Bye!" Tricia hung up. She took a deep breath and reveled in several satisfying pleasures, and then cradled Joey's head to her full breast. "You are a very naughty boy!" she said, grinning at him.

Joey smiled back at her with a mouth full of breast.

"It's a good thing you're so good at this tit-sucking..." she said, squirming in the couch and rubbing his hard cock. " ... or I might be angry."

"Moo muff maa?" he asked, muffled.

"You're going to have to let go of that boob if you want to talk to me."

"Moh ma mooo"

"I know you don't want to."

Joey popped his mouth off her nipple. A strand of saliva stretched between his mouth and her breast. "I said, who was that?"

"Child and Family Services Agency. It looks like Amanda Weaver found us an advocate. This woman wants to help us become a family." She cradled his head. "You know of course, that she can never know about us loving each other like this."

Joey nodded.

"I would lose you. And I would go to jail. Can you believe that? Stupid law. It's illegal for me to take my big boob and rub it in your face like this." She pushed her breast into his face and rolled it around. Joey luxuriated in the soft, warm, enveloping flesh. "And why? You like it! I like it! You're supposed to like it. I'm supposed to like it. No harm here. It makes you feel more confident. Makes me feel more nurturing. The whole POINT of a nipple is for someone to suck on it."

Joey sucked on her nipple for a moment as Tricia caressed him. His tongue swirled in slow circles around her aureole. Tingles of joy spread from her breast and oozed through her body. Her pussy ached for attention, and she squirmed under him. "Hey," she whispered. "I have an idea."

"Hmm?"

"Can you give me just an eensy-little-tiny-itty-bit of super-strength?" she asked cutely.

He gave her a puzzled look.

"I've just always had this fantasy of carrying my man into my room before I ravage him."

Joey grinned, and a brief spark flew out of his hand as he caressed her breast.

"YES!" Tricia grabbed the now feather-light boy with her new strength, easily threw him over her shoulder, and marched to the bedroom. Joey screamed and giggled as the bronzed bare-breasted Amazon carried him off. She closed the door behind her, dropped him on the bed, dropped to her knees and started to undo his pants.

"You know, part of this fantasy is that I get to just rip these clothes off of us both. Just SHREAD them off! But, that would be expensive." She pulled his pants down, and his erection sprung free. "Oh, bueno!" She gently took his erect penis in her hand and stroked it.

Joey grimaced and grabbed her hand. "AHH!" he yelled.

"What is it?"

"Super-strength! A little too hard! Okay. I took it out."

Tricia gave an embarrassed grimace. "Sorry. Aww..." She pouted. "But I like having something of yours inside me." She leaned down and kissed the base of his erection. "Can you think of something else of yours I can put inside me? Hmm?" She kissed up the length of his cock. "Oh, look! I found something!"

Joey smiled and shuddered. "What are you doing?"

Tricia grinned as she swirled her tongue around the tip of his hard cock. "Something you wanted me to do all week!" He tasted clean with just a faint touch of musk. "Ohhh ... yum!" She licked his crown lovingly, kissed it, and then drew him into her open mouth. Joey bolted as she sucked his cock, and he squirmed, fidgeted, and gasped as she started to bob her head up and down the length of his shaft.

"Oh god..." he exclaimed.

His hard dick filled her mouth perfectly, and she relished his cock, running her tongue along the sensitive underside. She pulled off his wet dick and sensuously rubbed him all over her face, humming with pleasure. "You taste so good! I love sucking your big cock! Why did I wait so long to try this?" She gave him another long lick and paused. The taste had changed to a sweet and tangy flavor. She scrunched up her face in confusion. "What the... ?" She squinted at him. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Change the way you taste." She licked his penis again and smacked her lips. "Hmm. Is this some new aspect to your powers we don't know about yet? Maybe it's changing your body chemistry?" She licked him again. "It tastes like ... Oh wait!" She looked stupidly and rubbed his penis up against her face again, and then licked him. "Yeah, that's me." She grinned and giggled. "Mayonnaise."

"Huh?"

"I had a little spilled on my face earlier. Well. Back to the blowjob!" She licked his shaft and plunged down on him again, relaxing her throat and taking him down all the way with a well-practiced maneuver. Joey groaned as she went down on him, sucking him to the base, and he bucked and thrust his hips up. Tricia moaned and rolled her head left and right as she sucked his dick, and slurped loudly as she withdrew. "Oh yes!" she moaned. "You are my new favorite snack. Fuck Doritos!"

Joey laughed through his gasping as Tricia licked the sides of his shaft and ran her tongue around his cock head. She stroked him and lightly ran a finger across his testicles. He shook in reaction. Grinning and eyeing him, Tricia lifted her body up, bringing her full breasts closer to his erection. Joey shook as he watched her, and opened his legs instinctively.

"I know what you want," she said, pressing her full breast to his hard penis. Joey inhaled sharply and arched his back, pushing his hips up into her bosom.

"Oh god!" he exclaimed, and he bucked his hips, thrusting against her fat tit. Tricia wrapped her arm around his buttocks and shifted, sliding his cock into her cleavage.

"You want to fuck these big tits, don't you?" she said, mashing her breasts around his hard cock. His swollen head poked out the top of her cleavage, and he started thrusting and humping her breasts.

"Yes! Oh yes!" he panted, pushing his hard dick up between her breasts. Tricia shimmied her shoulders and matched his rhythm, bouncing her big, plump tits around his swollen trapped member. Pre-cum oozed from the tip of his penis.

"OH!" He yelped. "I'm going to..."

Tricia bent her head down and wrapped her lips around his cock head. She licked him, sending him over the edge. Joey bolted and gasped, and flooded her mouth with a hot salty cream. She sucked it out, slurping noisily, rolled it over her tongue and savored the flavor, and then swallowed it down.

She groaned and pulled off him as he collapsed and relaxed, breathing heavily. His eyes were glazed over and he looked at her in astonishment. Tricia smiled at him and licked her lips appreciatively.

"You ... you ate it?" he asked incredulously, still panting.

She nodded, smiling. "Every last delicious drop!"

"Eww!"

Tricia laughed and stood up. She kicked off her shoes, shrugged off her open blouse and bra, dropped her pants and underwear, and crawled onto the bed with him. She nuzzled up to Joey and tried to kiss him, but he flinched as her lips came close to his. "Oh, you are so cute!" she said, and she kissed his cheek. "It's not that bad."

"But it came out of my dick!"

She started unbuttoning his shirt. "Not everything that comes out of your dick is bad. But I understand why you're weirded out. You're still a beginner, and that was pretty advanced. A lot of women don't like to do that, and they spit it out. Not me. I swallow." She tickled his chest. "You're just lucky I didn't gargle this time."

Joey burst out laughing, and Tricia kissed his chest and moved upward, kissing and nibbling his neck and cheek. He started kissing her face, and smacked his lips. "You got a LOT of mayonnaise on you!"

She grinned and nodded, and kissed closer to his lips. Joey slowly kissed towards her lips, experimenting with the taste and scent, until he grew more confident and was kissing her lips again. Her tongue licked his lips, and she took his shoulder in her hand and pulled, rolling onto her back. Joey leaned up and looked at her naked body, and Tricia raised her arms over her head and stretched out luxuriously and sensuously. Her large breasts rolled and sloshed over her chest.

"Your turn," she whispered.

Joey reached out and ran his fingers over her belly. He glanced down at her pussy and looked confused. "What ... what do I do?"

"Whatever you want. You have a naked woman to play with. Explore my body. Play with me. See if you can make me feel good."

Joey smiled, got up on his knees, took his shirt off, and placed both hands on her body. His hands were warm and soft. One hand slowly traced down across her stomach and abdomen, and the other moved up over her breasts. Tricia squirmed under him. His gentle touches sent shivers through her form.

"Mmmmm..." she hummed in pleasure. "¡Delicioso!"

He cupped one large breast and lightly brushed her hard nipple with his thumb. His other hand slid down to her inner thigh. Tingles of excitement sparked through her body and she undulated. "¡Siente bien!"

His fingers curled upward and lightly brushed her vaginal lips. A shock ran through her body, and she gasped. "¡Usted es bueno en esto!" she said breathlessly.

"What?"

"You're good at this. Keep going."

He cupped her groin with his warm hand and ran his finger between her outer vaginal lips. Tricia bucked as a jolt of fiery pleasure flashed from her pussy. His other hand slid up her neck and caressed her face. His fingers brushed over her lips and she opened her mouth and gently sucked a finger, running her tongue over the tip.

A finger on his other hand probed into her vagina. She groaned and slapped her hand over his, driving his hand hard into her pussy. She thrust her hips, grinding her clitoris into his palm.

Tricia closed her eyes and writhed, humping his hand and sucking his finger. She groaned and stretched and twisted. She felt light and free and consumed with pleasure, and he hooked his fingers inside her mouth and vagina and pulled. She held on to both of his hands tightly and bucked and ground her hips. His tongue dragged over her stomach, across her navel, and up towards her breasts.

She gasped loudly as his tongue traced the curve of the underside of her breast, and she rolled her shoulders. Her heart was pounding madly, and she kicked as the constant burn of joy glowed from her pussy.

"Wow!" Joey giggled.

"Oh, yessss," she hissed, eyes still closed as she licked his hand. "So good." Delight flashed through her body. "You're so good. You make me feel like I'm floating."

Joey giggled and nuzzled into her breast. He wrapped his lips around a hard nipple and sucked. Another bolt of electricity shot through her, and Tricia gasped, moaned, and let go of his hand and held his head to her bosom. He wiggled his finger inside her pussy and stroked her clitoris with his thumb, sending another fresh explosion of joy through her body.

"YES!" she yelped, and she arched her back, trying to push her breast against his head. Her body shook in ecstasy, and she panted and moaned and writhed under his attentions.

"I love your breasts like this," Joey said as he rubbed his face over her fat tit. Tricia's breasts felt light and unhindered, and she giggled and shook her chest. Her whole body writhed in reaction. His lips found her nipple again and he sucked lovingly as he plunged his finger into her pussy rhythmically.

"Oh god ... I want to fuck you!" Tricia gasped, and she blindly reached out to the end table for a condom. Her hand hit nothing, not even the bed. Confused, she opened her eyes.

"¿Que es?" What she saw was momentarily baffling, and it took her a second to figure things out. Straight above her was Joey, her dresser, wall, and the door to her bathroom. The ceiling was to her right, and the bed was two feet to the left. She realized that she was floating, and Joey was holding her up with two fingers while he nuzzled into her bosom. "What are you doing?" she giggled. She grabbed onto his head for support, pressing his face deep into her tits, and laughed. "Put me down!"

Joey pushed her onto the bed and crawled on top of her. She could feel her weight return and she laughed and giggled as he kissed up her chest and neck, and soon they were kissing each other passionately. He squirmed over her body, and rubbed his erection up against her pussy. She spread her legs instinctively. Joey pushed his hips down, and touched the head of his cock against her.

She broke the kiss. "Condom," she said breathlessly.

Joey was shaking on top of her. "Can we just, for a little bit..."

"No. We use a condom."

"But I just want to feel..."

Tricia looked at him dead serious. "No. Fourth rule for living with us: No means no."

Joey looked guilty. "I'm ... sorry. I just wanted to feel what it's like."

"I know, sweetheart, and I want to feel it too, and it'll happen one day. But we do things right. I want to get tested first, and I don't want to risk getting pregnant." She caressed his cheek and kissed his lips. "Get a condom."

Joey nodded, sat up, and looked in the bedside table drawer. He pulled out a condom, and frowned as he saw something else in the drawer. "What's this?" he asked.

"Don't pay any attention to that."

"But what is it?"

"Something I used when you were not in my life. Now get over here."

He reached into the drawer. "It looks like a..."

"Joey! Beautiful naked woman over here wants to get fucked!" Tricia giggled.

Joey blinked and shook his head. "Sorry!" He grinned, closed the drawer, and fumbled with the condom. "How do I open this?"

"You're going to have to figure that out."

He flipped the condom around, examining it, pulling and twisting it, until he finally managed to open the package. "Got it!" Tricia squirmed on the bed as she watched him roll the condom over his erection. She licked her lips.

"Get over here!" she said, reaching for him. Joey climbed back on top of her and kissed her as he moved between her legs. Tricia reached down, took his hard cock in her hand, and guided him in. He pushed and slid inside her, filling and stretching her pussy with his hardness.

They both groaned. A fulfilling pleasure ignited inside her and flowed through her body as she savored his weight and fullness. She opened and lifted her legs wide and high, thrust her hips up, and stretched her arms up over her head. "Oh god, yes..." she gasped. "Fuck me!"

Joey started thrusting, using long deep plunges that filled and emptied her wet pussy while tickling her clitoris. Shivers raced through her spine. She writhed under him, moaning and gasping. "Yes. Oh yes. Fuck that big cock into me!" She ran her hands through her long hair and across her face, and then sucked on her fingers.

He pushed down on top of her body, lowering his face into her chest, and he kissed and licked her

skin. Tricia held his head and squirmed as his thrusting increased in pace and rhythm, and she could feel her big breasts bouncing and slapping his face with each thrust. Ecstasy traveled through her, and she pushed her hand into the headboard for support and dug her heels into the bed, lifting her hips. "Fuck YES!" she wailed.

Joey started thrusting harder, pounding her pussy with all of his strength. Each thrust hit her clitoris like a hammer, sending bursts of joy and happiness into her. She let go of his head and pushed both hands into the headboard, pushing back. He lifted his body up and picked up the pace of his thrusting, pounding her harder and faster. Tricia's big boobs flopped and bounced chaotically on her chest, unable to match or resonate with his pounding assault.

The heat was building inside her, and she could feel the flash point approaching. Her orgasm was imminent. She caught his gaze and noticed him grinning at her knowingly. "Fuck me, you big-cocked mind reader! Make me cum!"

Joey grabbed her shoulders and pounded her furiously. "OH GOD!" she screamed, and with a final thrust her orgasm lit. Waves of explosive ecstasy detonated inside her, rushing and overflowing her senses. Tricia wailed as she came, and Joey pressed his hard cock as deep inside her as possible and shuddered and gasped as he orgasmed. The two lovers clutched each other desperately as their hips ground into each other and orgasms overtook their bodies.

The waves ended, and they relaxed in each other's arms, gasping and panting.

-------

"Will you two wipe those silly grins off your faces?" said Annie as she locked the van. "You're not fooling anyone, you know!"

Tricia tried to look nonchalant, but failed miserably as she glanced at Joey. A mischievous grin spread over her face as she caught his eye. Joey looked sheepish and tried not to look back at Tricia, but couldn't stop.

Annie spun her chair and rolled towards the front of the building. "And what is rule number three?"

"Thank you Annie!" Tricia and Joey said in unison as the walked with her from the handicapped parking space. They went up the ramp to the main entrance, and Joey held the door open for Annie as she rolled inside. There were many people in the hallway waiting for the elevator, including several kids. As the elevator doors opened, the kids ran inside and started hitting buttons, and the elevator quickly filled with people.

"MAKE ROOM!" Annie bellowed as she rolled to the elevator. The people in the elevator pushed out of the way, and as Annie got in and Tricia and Joey approached the elevator, it was obvious that the elevator wasn't going to take any more people.

"Go ahead," said Tricia. "We'll take the stairs." Annie nodded and waved as the doors closed and separated them. Tricia and Joey were alone in the lobby. They looked at each other, grinned, took each other's hands, and headed for the stairwell.

As they got in the stairwell, Joey reached out and playfully pinched Tricia's butt. She shrieked in laughter, and they chased each other up the stairs. A couple flights up they got tired, but Joey pushed a little super-strength into Tricia, and with her renewed with energy, they quickly made it up the rest of the way with her pulling and doing most of the work.

As they reached the hallway on the tenth floor, Tricia saw the elevator panel. The elevator was only at the seventh floor. She shrugged and entered the office to the Child and Family Services Agency. A receptionist was at the front desk.

"Hi. I'm Tricia Sanchez. I have an appointment with Ms. Malebolge."

The receptionist smiled. "Yes! Right this way." She stood up, lead them down a hallway, and looked into an open doorway. "Desiree? Your eleven o'clock is here." She beckoned to Tricia and Joey to enter the office.

Tricia saw the woman. Desiree was a beautiful and slim Hispanic woman with dark eyes and long black hair and an inviting smile. Tricia liked her immediately. "Good morning!" said Desiree. "Please! Come in."

"Hi, I'm Tricia Sanchez." She shook Desiree's hand.

"Wonderful to meet you. And you must be Joseph?" She shook Joey's hand. Joey smiled and nodded. "Please, take a seat Joseph."

As Joey sat in a chair, Tricia also went to sit. Desiree spoke up. "Actually Miss Sanchez, if I could speak with Joseph privately for just a brief moment?"

Tricia blinked. "Oh ... um, I guess so. What about?"

"It will only take a moment."

Tricia shrugged. "I guess so." She turned to Joey. "I'll be outside." She took a step to the office door when a shout rang out from the front foyer.

"NAIGEH-TSURA'AS! DID THEY HAVE TO PUSH EVERY BUTTON? THOSE PLAUGUES OF PSORIASIS!"

"Oh, my roommate is here," said Tricia. She stuck her head out the door. "OVER HERE, ANNIE!"

Annie saw Tricia, turned her chair, and rolled down the hallway. She was fumingly angry. "Klipeh gilgl! Kids hit every button in the elevator!"

Desiree spoke up. "If she could just wait outside with you."

"Oh, she'll want to meet you," said Tricia.

Tricia stepped back in the office, and Annie rolled to the door. "Who thinks it's fun to sit in an elevator? Zay makhn mikh meshigeh!" She swiveled and rolled into the office. "Anyways, I..."

Annie took one look at Desiree Malebolge and screamed in horror. "AAAAAIIIIIIIEEE!!!!" She bolted and thrashed in her chair, panicking and fell out of her chair.

"ANNIE! What's wrong?" Tricia dropped down to help her. Annie was screaming and clawing.

"SHMA-YISROOEL! GOYLEM! WHAT IS IT???" She was screeching, thrashing, and looking at Desiree in terror.

Desiree sighed and rolled her eyes. "Oh dear, not again." She casually waved her hand and the office door slammed shut by itself, knocking Annie's chair over. The door locked.

"What the... ?" Tricia spun as the chair hit her and Annie. She looked around. "What's going on?" Joey had bolted from his chair and backed up against the far wall.

Annie was in hysterics. "WHAT IS IT???" she screamed.

"I was afraid this was going to happen again," said Desiree as she casually strolled towards Annie and Tricia. Annie cowered and shook behind Tricia. "I keep adjusting the spell, but there are some cases which even I can't foresee."

Tricia looked at Desiree in horror. "What are you talking about? What spell?"

Desiree smiled sweetly. "Why, the spell that makes you see me as a Hispanic woman." She sniffed the air. "Half Brazilian, half Mexican, that was easy enough. And you?" She turned towards Joey and smelled the air. "English, Irish, German ... also quite easy. You see me as a white woman."

She then turned back to Annie. "But YOU! I never would have prepared for you. Japanese descent, with Hebrew culture? The spell didn't know what to make of you. So what is it that YOU see?" She leaned down closer, and Annie cringed in fear, gasping and crying. "A Japanese woman and a middle-eastern Jewish woman, both sliced into pieces and stitched together haphazardly? The spell does have a macabre sense of humor."

"Devil Woman..." Joey whispered in fear.

Desiree turned towards Joey. "Is that what they call me? How appropriate. But allow me to introduce myself properly."

A scarlet flame ignited at the soles of her feet and burned up her legs, transforming her as the flame rose. Where there were previously sensible work shoes and a pant suit were now a pair of black stiletto heels and long glossy black boots which stretched up to her thighs. Blood-red skin with a faint pattern of scales emerged out from under a tight black corset. The flame covered her head and swept out past her back into the air, revealing large demonic bat wings and a head with a horridly beautiful red face, yellow eyes, long black hair, and fangs.

Tricia gasped in terror, for she recognized her. The demoness turned to her. "Call me Desdemona." She then turned and looked at Joey. "And I think I may have been searching for you, Joseph, for a very long time."

Joey cringed in fear. Desdemona took a step towards him. "Come to me, my boy..."

Tricia jumped up. "YOU LEAVE HIM ALONE!" She ran to tackle the demon.

Desdemona casually smacked Tricia aside, sending her spinning into the far wall. She hit the bookshelves and books tumbled over her. Annie screamed, and Joey scrambled around behind the desk. The demoness swiped the desk, throwing it across the small office. It crashed and broke against the wall, sending papers everywhere. Desdemona quickly snatched Joey by the shirt and lifted him off the ground. "I have you now."

Joey kicked and fought in her grasp, unable to break free. There was a pounding on the door. "MS. MALEBOLGE! WHAT'S GOING ON? ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?" a woman shouted outside the door.

Desdemona scowled, and hissed at Annie. "You blew my cover! But I can't just leave you here. Everyone still thinks I'm dead. So either I just kill you now or..." She looked at the two girls and smiled. " ... I may just have use for you after all."

A long tendril of flame erupted from her free hand, forming a fire whip. She lashed the whip at Tricia and Annie, pulled it tight, and the whip wrapped around the two. They screamed as the burning rope tightened around their waists. Desdemona then stomped her foot on the floor, and five lines of fire spread out across the room. The floor was suddenly covered in eldrich flames, and dissolved underneath them, opening into a deep pentagonal shaped hollow shaft of fire that burned straight down into the earth. They screamed as they plummeted, pulled by gravity and the fire whip which was tightly wrapped about them, and Desdemona laughed as she spread her wings wide and guided their descent through the fiery tunnel, down into the depths of Hell.

-------

Translation Guide

"Shvesterl" - Sister/Girlfriend

"¡Delicioso!" - "Delicious"

"¡Siente bien!" - "Feels good!"

"¡Usted es bueno en esto!" - "You're good at this!"

"NAIGEH-TSURA'AS!" - Literally "a plague of psoriasis", a nickname for an undisciplined child.

"Klipeh, gilgl!" - Husk of evil, evil spirit. More names of ill-behaving children.

"Zay makhn mikh meshigeh!" - "They are driving me crazy!"

"SHMA-YISROOEL! GOYLEM!" - "Hear, O Israel!" (Holy shit!), "Monster!"



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Chapter 18: Dungeons and Demons





Friday, July 17, 2009, 11:00 AM

The tunnel reverberated with the screaming.

Tricia, Annie, and Joey were shrieking and crying as they plummeted through the fiery shaft. The walls were covered in flames, and they could see faces formed in the flames, faces screaming in their own agonies. The solid fire whip that wrapped around Tricia's and Annie's bodies cut hard into Tricia's stomach, and she clawed at the mystical bonds, trying to free herself.

She couldn't find a break in the whip. All sense of up and down was lost. There was only forward and backward. Tricia looked ahead to see Joey still fighting Desdemona's grasp. Her wings were spread wide as she glided through the tunnel of fire. An opening appeared in the distance, and the demoness beat her wings as she approached the exit.

They emerged in a cavern, flying straight up out of the floor. Desdemona hovered in the air and waited as the girls' momentum carried them up into the cavern. The tunnel vanished underneath them, and the girls landed hard against the cold rocky floor. Tricia was momentarily stunned as she hit the ground, her breath knocked out of her, and she rolled in pain as the fire whip dissolved from around her waist.

Desdemona landed gracefully while carrying the struggling boy. Joey kicked and fought against her. The demoness gestured upward, and a large iron cage supported by four long chains dropped down from the ceiling, its door open wide like a gaping mouth.

She loosened her grip on the boy and turned him to face her. "Right now I have other matters to attend to," she hissed at the boy. "But I will return to you soon enough." Desdemona then casually tossed Joey into the cage. He hit the far metal wall with a hard and loud thud, and the cage closed and locked itself as it swung wildly on its supporting chains.

Tricia's heart jumped as she saw him hit the back of the cage and fall limp. "JOEY!" she cried out. Her blood raged, and she narrowed her attention on the demon. A mania possessed her, and she balled her fists and ran to the monster, yelling a battle-cry. Desdemona turned to see her, and Tricia punched her hard in the face.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" she screamed, and she spun and kicked the her in the side.

Desdemona hissed at her, and struck back. It was fast and brutal, and Tricia was slammed in the face with a simple backhanded slap that sent her flying. She landed and rolled on the ground, dazed. The demoness walked slowly towards Tricia. "Just what do you think you are?" she asked amusedly. A flame ignited in her hand, and grew into the fire whip again. She lashed the whip at Tricia, and it wrapped around her midsection again. The rope burned into her, and Tricia desperately pulled at the hard flames.

A second cage dropped from the ceiling, and with a simple flick of her arm, Desdemona yanked Tricia off the ground and threw her into her cage. The fire whip lurched hard into Tricia's stomach, and she hit the back wall of the cage hard, knocking the wind out of her. She gasped and rolled in the cold iron cage as it closed and locked around her. The whip evaporated.

Annie crawled and pulled herself on the floor away from Desdemona, cowering and crying. She shrieked as the demoness turned and considered her.

Desdemona gestured to the ceiling, then took a second look at the paralyzed girl, and waved it off. "Oh, what's the point? You're already caged," she said dismissively.

The demoness strolled over to Joey's cage and peered at him through the bars. Joey crawled to the back of the cage and cowered, shaking in terror. "I will be back for you. I am looking forward to seeing what surprises you have for me."

Desdemona then casually sauntered over to Tricia's cage. Tricia glared at her with a fury. The demoness licked her lips and smiled. "It will be fun breaking your spirit. Soon you will call me your mistress."

She turned back and considered Annie again. "And you?" she scoffed. "Hardly worth breaking. You would be worthless as a serving girl. I shall leave you to whichever of my pets find you first." She stepped over the cowering girl and walked away towards a nearby tunnel. "Goodbye, half-Jewish, half-Japanese ... half-woman."

She left them, and the cavern was silent except for the shaking sobs from Annie which echoed against the rock walls, and the creaking chains from the swinging cages. Tricia scrambled up to the door of her cage and pushed against it. It was solid. She shook the bars. The door rattled, but held.

"Annie! Joey! Are you hurt?"

Annie shook, crying. "I ... I don't know."

Joey screamed and slammed his body into the bars. His cage shook and rocked on the chains, and he fell over. "YAAARRGHHH!" Like a wild animal he ran to the back of his cage and then threw himself into the bars again.

"JOEY! STOP!" Tricia called out.

"YEAARRRGGGHHH!!" He fell on his back and started repeatedly kicking the bars. BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM!

Annie screamed in terror. Tricia saw her looking at something that just crawled into the cavern. "JOEY! STOP! YOU'RE ATTRACTING SOMETHING!"

Joey stopped and looked out the bars. He gasped. "Oh no!" he cried out.

Annie rolled on the ground and started to pull herself away from the thing that slipped in from the darkness. It crawled into the light from the flood lamps attached to the cavern ceiling. It was some creature that Tricia had never seen before. Part wolf, part lizard, it was about the size of a big dog, with patches of black fur and red scales covering its hide. It peered at Annie with far too many eyes and opened its maw. Several rows of pointed teeth gleamed in its mouth, and two streams of drool dripped out. A long forked tongue whipped out and tested the air.

"Oh no..." Annie gasped.

Tricia's heart pounded. She was crying and shaking in fear. "Oh god, no..." She reached out of the cage towards Annie. "Annie! I..." She saw the creature stalking her, and growled at it. "HEY! YOU! GET OVER HERE!" She slapped her cage, trying to catch the creature's attention. "GET AWAY FROM HER! SEE IF YOU CAN EAT ME! COME ON!"

The creature looked up at Tricia, considered her for a second, and then returned its gaze on Annie. It crawled closer.

"Oh god ... Annie ... I'm so sorry..." Tricia was crying. Joey shook in his cage.

Annie fixed her eyes on the thing stalking her, gritted her jaw and breathed heavily through her teeth. "Think! Think!..." she chanted. She watched the creature coming towards her, and saw it staring at her legs. "Wounded animal ... yeah ... that's what you see ... you still need to kill..."

She rolled on her side, freeing her right arm, and tensed her right hand. "HEY!" she shouted at the creature. "Up here!" she commanded, and she lifted her head and bared her throat.

"ANNIE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" screamed Tricia.

"Can't defend my legs," she said trembling through her gritted teeth. "Up here ... Go for the throat."

The creature turned its head towards her bare throat. She swallowed, shaking. It hissed and growled, and a fresh stream of drool dripped out of its maw. It crouched, ready to strike.

Annie stared at the thing, breathing heavily and quivering. She clenched her hand into a fist.

The creature roared and pounced. Annie screamed back and slammed her fist into the thing's head, knocking it to the ground. She grabbed its neck and wrapped her arm around it, holding it fast in a strangling grip and roared at the thing as it struggled and clawed, trying to free itself. Sharp claws scratched her arms, drawing blood. Annie howled, squeezed harder, and grabbed its maw and held it shut with her strong hands. She pulled, twisted, and stretched its neck, and the thing gasped and rasped in her grip.

There was a horrid cracking sound, and the creature went limp. Annie shrieked and threw the thing off her. "YEEAAUUGH!!" she yelled in disgust and fury. It rolled away and twitched.

"UGH!" she bellowed. "YEAH! THAT'S RIGHT! I'M STRONG! THAT'S 'CAUSE I DON'T USE A MOTORIZED CHAIR!" She wiped the drool and blood off her arms, and shook in disgust. "Ugh! You fuck with ME? I'm from NEW YORK!" She broke down and sobbed, and dragged herself away from the carcass.

Tricia was crying and she leaned her head against the cold bars of the cage. Annie started dragging herself towards the exit of the cavern.

"Annie! Where are you going?"

Annie looked back. Tears rolled down her face. "I'm going for help. I can't stay here." She was sobbing.

"You'll get killed out there."

"I'll get killed in here."

Tricia reached out to her. "Annie. Please. Maybe you can reach us. Or reach Joey!"

Annie shook her head. "You're too high up." She looked at the two cages. "And you're too far apart. Even if you got the cages swinging, you'll never reach each other." She wiped her nose on her arm. "I don't know what else to do."

Tricia sobbed and grabbed her crucifix. She prayed, rattling off the Lords Prayer quickly. "Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." She broke down, crying, and resumed. "Gives us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptations, but deliver us from evil." She sobbed again. "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen."

She looked out the cage. Annie was dragging herself towards the exit. Joey was watching her, crying.

She clutched her crucifix again. "Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come ... Thy ... Thy..."

She stopped, and stared at her crucifix. Her voice echoed in her head. Keep your friends close. Keep your faith close.

Her heart pounded as she remembered.

"ANNIE! WAIT!" she screamed, and she pulled her crucifix off.

"What?" Annie sobbed.

Tricia waved her crucifix. Her cage swung in reaction, sending her off balance. "God damn it!" she cursed, and she held onto the bars. She looked down at Annie as she lay still on the ground. The voice echoed again in her head. Everyone in your life now is in it for a reason.

"Come back! I have an idea! Here!" She threw her crucifix down to the ground. "Take my crucifix."

Annie shook her head. "That won't help. I'm not Catholic, and I don't think demons are afraid of crosses."

"No! Quantum Knight! She's entangled with my crucifix!"

Annie blinked in confusion. "What? What does that mean?"

"It means she always knows where it is! And how it's moving! She knows where we are!"

Annie nodded quickly and started dragging herself towards Tricia's crucifix. "How did that happen?" she yelled.

"We went bra-shopping, and we had lunch!"

Annie stopped and stared at Tricia. She looked angry. "Well, when were you going to tell me about this?"

"I ... I didn't know if I should! She told me her secret identity!"

"Well, fuck the lease agreement! From now on you tell me if you know super-heroes! Any others you know?" She resumed dragging herself.

"No. I ... Just get the crucifix!"

Annie managed to crawl up to Tricia's crucifix, and she snatched it up. "What do I do with it? Can she hear us through this?"

Tricia thought. "No. Just ... write to her! Write big letters in the air! She'll feel the letters. I can't do it in the cage."

Annie rolled on her back and started waving the crucifix in the air. "Q-U-A-N-T-U-M, K-N-I-G-H-T" She chanted letters as she wrote in the air. "H-E-L-P" She drew an exclamation point. "C-O-M-E, N-O-W, P-L-E-A-S-E, H-E-L-P"

She lay still for a moment and waited several seconds. "Why is she not coming? Are you sure this works?"

Tricia racked her brain. "I don't know ... I hope it does..."

"Well, maybe she's too far away! Maybe she can't come this far!" Annie cried.

Tricia shook her head. "Distance doesn't matter. She said she can teleport any distance. I don't know why she ... WAIT! I know!"

"What?"

"It's a blind teleport! She can't see that it's safe. She needs to know that there is a safe place for her to teleport into." She looked down at Annie and gestured to the floor. "Let her know this area is clear."

Annie nodded and crawled to a spot. She wrote in the air. "C-L-E-A-R" She crawled to another spot. "T-E-L-E-P-O-R-T" She made a right turn and dragged herself to another spot. "A-R-E-A" She made another right turn and dragged over to another spot. "H-E-R-E"

Then she dragged herself into the center of the four spots and slapped the crucifix against the floor a couple times. She rolled on her back and tossed the crucifix up in the air as high as she could. It fell back in her hands. She rolled back and drew a big "X" on the floor and slapped the crucifix in the center of the "X". Leaving it there, she quickly rolled aside.

They waited and watched. Annie was breathing heavily. Several seconds passed in silence.

"Why isn't she coming?" she asked.

"I ... I don't know."

"Maybe we're not on Earth anymore! Maybe we're in Hell, or another dimension! Maybe she just can't get to us! What if we're..."

VRUMMM – Thump – thump – thump - VRAMMM. A rubber ball appeared in the room. It bounced a couple times, and vanished. Everyone jolted.

"What was that?" asked Joey.

"It looked like a superball!" said Annie.

"She's testing the area!" said Tricia. "She can reach us!"

VRUMMM – VRAMMM ... VRUMMM – VRAMMM ... The ball reappeared and disappeared a couple times in different places. VRCRAKKKK! The ball appeared and exploded out of the floor, sending a shower of debris from the section of floor it materialized inside.

"What was that?" shrieked Annie.

Tricia winced. "She tested wrong. She teleported something into the floor. That ... probably hurt her." Tricia closed her eyes and prayed. That might have killed her. Please, be all right!

There was silence for an entire minute, and Annie started crying. "What's wrong? Why did she stop? What's happening?"

Tricia leaned her head against the bars. She prayed silently.

VRUMMM! A helium balloon appeared in the room. It floated up to the rocky ceiling, popped as it hit something sharp, and fell back to the ground. Tricia breathed a sigh of relief.

Please! Please come quickly!

VRUMMM! Clink – clink – clink ... It was a grenade.

Annie screamed "WHAT THE FUCK?!" and rolled away as fast as possible. Tricia yelled and ducked her head. Joey watched in terror.

VVRRUUUMMMM!! A figure in white and red appeared in the air above the crucifix, tucked into a fetal position. She landed on her hands and feet in a crouched position. She spun, her long blond ponytail whipped about her. "One – Two – Three – Four!" she counted as she looked at Annie, Joey, Tricia, and a dark corner. She glanced at the dead demon, and looked back at the shadows. VRUMM! A throwing star appeared in her hand, and she whipped it towards the dark corner. The spinning blade dissolved in a sine-wave pattern of multiple blades, and struck something soft hidden in the shadows. The thing in the shadows screeched and died.

Quantum Knight stood up and looked around the room. "Sorry about the dummy grenade," she said. "I've been fooled before." She approached Annie. "Are you okay?"

Annie was breathing heavily in relief. "I ... I think so."

"I'm Quantum Knight."

"I know. I'm Annie. A groysn dank! Thank you!"

Quantum Knight looked up at the two cages. She teleported up to Tricia's cage and hung onto the bars. "Hey friend! Let me help you."

"Oh, thank god!" Tricia sighed. Quantum Knight reached into the bars, and Tricia took her hand. A moment later they appeared on the floor of the cavern. Tricia startled, and ran to Annie. They embraced.

The superhero teleported up to Joey's cage and held onto the bars. "Hi there. I'm Quantum Knight," she said warmly. She reached into the cage.

"I'm Joey."

"Hi Joey. Give me your hand."

He hesitated, and then took her hand. "Is this going to hurt?"

Quantum Knight shook her head. "No. Just bend your knees a bit. We're going to land on the floor. Ready?"

He was outside the cage and on the floor before he could answer. Joey jumped, and got his bearings, and ran to Tricia and Annie. They all hugged each other.

Quantum Knight gave them a moment. "Okay, we need to get out of here. What happened, and do you know where we are? All I know is you just shot out down through the ground at about ten times escape velocity."

Annie blinked. "So, we're still on Earth? We're not in Hell?"

The hero looked around and nodded. "Yes. I don't think they use florescent lights in Hell."

Tricia stood up. "I don't know where we are. I thought you would know."

The superhero shook her head. "No. All I know is home is that way." She pointed to a wall. "And it's VERY far away. I've never jumped this far before."

"How far away are we?" asked Tricia.

She shrugged and pointed. "Don't know. All I can tell you is at home, 'up' is THIS direction." She was pointing nearly horizontal. "I'd say about eight-five degrees from here."

Annie thought for a second. "Five thousand, nine hundred and fifty miles."

Everyone stared at her.

"What?" She looked at them all. "Eighty-five degrees, seventy miles per degree curvature of the Earth. Eighty times seventy is five thousand six hundred. Five times seventy is three hundred fifty. Five thousand, nine hundred and fifty miles."

Everyone continued to stare at her.

"Well ... okay! So I rounded up! It's closer to sixty-nine and a half miles per degree. So I may be off by thirty or forty miles!"

Everyone still stared at her.

"Am I the only one who knows these things?" she asked exasperatedly.

Tricia nodded. "Yes, Annie, you are." She picked up her crucifix and put it on.

Quantum Knight spoke up. "How did you get here?"

"Desdemona," said Tricia.

The superhero shook her head. "You're sure? She's dead."

"Not any more."

"Oh fu..." She looked at Joey and controlled her language. She sighed. "This is not good. She's a Hyperion class villain."

"Hyperion class? What does that mean?"

Quantum Knight walked over to Annie and extended her hand. "It means you call Hyperion and get the hell out of the way. Come on. Get up."

"I can't walk," said Annie.

"Are you hurt?"

"I'm paraplegic."

"Oh, great!" she cursed.

"Hey!" Annie responded, insulted.

Quantum Knight shook her head. "Sorry. Nothing personal. I'm just assessing our situation. Tricia! You'll need to carry her."

Tricia came and leaned down to pick Annie up. "Aren't you stronger than me? Maybe you should carry her."

The superhero leaned down and helped lift Annie. "You want to do the fighting?"

Tricia thought for two seconds. "I'll carry her," she decided.

Together they lifted Annie and Tricia groaned as she carried the girl. "Damn it girl, you need to lay off the Ding-Dongs!" she complained.

"Hey, at least MY pants size is still in single-digits!"

"Quiet, you two," Quantum Knight concentrated, and a katana appeared in her hand. "Let's go." She took point and silently moved towards the exit tunnel.

"Can't you just teleport us home?" asked Annie.

"No. It's too far and you're all too heavy. I can get that far alone, but carrying other weight limits my distance. I barely got here with the weight of this costume. I might be able to carry one of you about a mile, but there's no way I can push you all six thousand miles. We need to find another way out of here."

Joey reached over and gently touched Tricia's arm. Annie suddenly felt very light in her arms. Tricia looked at him. "Thanks," she whispered. He nodded, and stuck close to her.

-------

The tunnels were dark and dry, and foul alien stenches wafted through the passageway. Quantum Knight summoned a flashlight which she kept at a dim setting. The floor was rocky and uneven, and Tricia tripped and slipped on them more than once. Sounds of scuttling feet and hissing echoed through the tunnels, but it was hard to determine if they came from in front or behind them.

"So, what is Desdemona?" asked Joey.

"She claims to be an eighth-circle demon," said Quantum Knight. " ... summoned to Earth three thousand years ago by a seriously insane sorceress. She, the sorceress, was immensely powerful, and she sacrificed herself to open a doorway to summon a demon. Powerful people can be used to open doorways to bring in powerful demons." She sighed as she walked. "But I don't see how she can be the same one, unless she was summoned again. Desdemona was killed over five years ago by Omega Man."

Joey was quiet. Tricia noticed his discomfort, and changed the subject. "So, what do you think it is with the electric lighting?" She nodded towards the lines of power cables that stretched through the tunnel. "Wouldn't a sorceress be using, I don't know ... magic torches or glowing crystals for lights?"

"Actually, it makes perfect sense to me," said Quantum Knight. "Snow Angel explained it to me once. She said that technology still works for mages, and if technology can do something that magic can do, it's usually easier to use technology. For magic torches you would need a staff of servants to continuously adjust the spells, which means magical training for the staff. For electric lights all you need is one qualified electrician."

The passageway widened into a larger cavern lit by a single floodlight attached to the ceiling. Long, deep shadows were cast in all directions. Quantum Knight moved silently, sword extended, and Tricia and Joey followed closely. The superhero stopped, raised her hand, and summoned a throwing star.

She held her pose for a moment, and then suddenly threw the star. It split into the sine-wave pattern and flew into a dark corner. Something in the shadows gasped and screeched as she hit her mark.

"How are you seeing these things?" asked Joey.

"I can't. They can see me, and I can sense that."

They continued on. The cavern turned, and they could see a flickering light illuminating the walls. Quantum Knight cautiously peered around the rock wall. "Shit!" she whispered.

"What is it?" asked Tricia.

"It's her," Quantum Knight pulled back and leaned against the wall. "She's got a boy tied to an altar. Looks like a sacrifice." She carefully put her sword down on the ground.

"We're ... we're not going to just leave him there, are we?" asked Joey.

The superhero shook her head. "We can't. And yet, if I go in and engage her, and she's who she says she is, I can't stop her." She looked at Tricia. "There's no easy way out of this. You're going to have to rescue that boy. I'll distract her, and lead her back down the tunnels. You get everyone else out, and I'll catch up to you. I saw another exit on the far side of the altar."

Tricia's heart caught in her chest. "O ... okay!" She put Annie down.

Quantum Knight concentrated, and a small bracelet appeared in her hand. She gave it to Annie. "Here. Put this on. I'll know where you are. Tricia, if you can't get back to Annie, get the kids out. I'll get Annie."

Annie gasped in surprise, and then nodded. She turned to Tricia. "You do as she says. Leave me if you have to."

Tricia shook her head. "I can't..." Joey took her hand and squeezed it.

"Don't worry," he said. "You'll get back to her."

Tricia nodded.

Quantum Knight stepped back and clenched her fists and jaw. She concentrated. Her arms shook with tension. She seemed to be pulling something.

"What are you doing?" asked Annie.

"Bringing ... in ... the big ... gun!" With a final pull, a massive gun appeared in her arms out of nowhere. The others all flinched.

"Shma-yisrooel! What is that?" asked Annie. "A BFG 9000?"

"Yep." Quantum Knight lifted the heavy weapon and turned on a motor. It whined softly as it warmed up. "A magnetic acceleration nail-gun. Fires nine-hundred nails at high velocity in sixty seconds. Takes three hours to reload." She held the gun up high. "I've got friends in high-paying jobs." She turned to Tricia. "You ready?"

"Don't I get a gun?"

"I don't want you fighting, or even tempted to. Get the kid off the table, and then get Annie and Joey out of here. You see something, you run from it. Got it?"

Tricia nodded.

Quantum Knight took a deep breath, and nodded. "I'm going in." She looked around the corner and vanished with a loud VVRAMMM!

As soon as she was gone, sparks flowed out of Joey's hand. Tricia felt the presence of power in her body. "Strength and Invulnerability," he said, and he let go of her.

"Thanks!" She turned the corner and started running.

The altar was not far away from her, and she saw three people there. The young boy was tied to the table, struggling to free himself. Small bursts of lightning rippled over his body. Desdemona stood next to a huge pot of some boiling liquid, and Quantum Knight had teleported directly behind her. With a kick, the superhero knocked the demon into the boiling pot, lowered her gun towards the villain, and started firing point-blank. The nail-gun sprayed its payload out into the villain, and Tricia could hear the demon screaming in pain as the nails ripped through her body.

Tricia ran to the boy, climbed the altar, and grabbed the ropes that held him down. "Don't worry. We're getting you out of here!" she said to the boy. He looked at her pleadingly. He was middle-eastern, dressed in robes and a turban. He spoke to her in a language she didn't understand. But she knew what he was saying.

The rope ripped easily in her hand. She grabbed another rope and pulled on it.

Quantum Knight was perforating Desdemona in her cauldron, and the cauldron suddenly shattered as the nails passed through her ripped and torn body. The contents of the pot spilled out, and Desdemona rolled out onto the ground, gasping and screaming.

A wrenching sound came from the gun, and the motor stopped. "Damn it! Jammed!" cursed the hero, and she tossed the gun aside and summoned two katanas.

Tricia reached for a third rope when a wave of green energy rolled over the boy. He screamed and thrashed, and his body was suddenly consumed in flames. Tricia screamed and jumped back, and watched in horror as the boy's body changed into a void, a hole ripped in space that expelled a hot stinking sulfur air.

"NO!" she yelled. Tricia stared at the empty hole. It was still shaped like a boy, but the boy was gone. A horrid sinking feeling entered the pit of her stomach. "I was too late ... I'm sorry..."

Desdemona crawled up and roared. Tricia could see her ripped body mending itself, flowing together like clay under an invisible sculptor's hands. Long, sharp talons extended from her fingers. She turned on the hero and screeched. "WHO DARES?"

Quantum Knight leaped onto the demon, slashing twin blades and slicing into her flesh. "GET OUT! GO!" she ordered Tricia.

Tricia looked back at the void where the boy once was, and saw two monstrous hands reaching out of the hole. She screamed, tripped, and fell onto the rocky ground. As she scrambled to get up she could see the massive long arms reaching through the hole in space, and she started running.

The thing caught her by the legs and snatched her into the air. She twisted and screamed and saw the demon as it dangled her over the ground. It was still crawling out of the hole in space, and it crushed the table as it stepped down. It was huge troll-like creature, bigger than an elephant, with long arms, a piggish snout, and green scales.

It grabbed her with both hands, lifted her to its mouth, and bit down hard on her. Tricia screamed. The jagged teeth ripped her clothes, and pushed into her skin.

The teeth felt soft.

Tricia looked and saw they hadn't broken her skin. I'm invulnerable! she remembered. And strong! She gritted her teeth and shrugged, pushing its claws off of her. "GET OFF OF ME!" she yelled and she punched its face hard. She could feel its bones breaking under her fist, and the recoil loosened its grip on her body.

The thing spat her out, and she dangled from its long arm, and it whipped her around and threw her across the cavern. Tricia screamed as the world tumbled around her violently and she smashed into a far wall. The rocks were soft and yielding, and she fell onto the soft cavern floor.

Quantum Knight gasped as she saw Tricia attacked and thrown. "No!" she cried, but Desdemona pounced on her. She teleported a couple feet around her and slashed at the demon again.

Tricia got up. "I'm all right!" she called out. She turned and saw Annie and Joey hiding behind the cavern wall. She turned her attention back to the big demon. It took a few lumbering steps towards her.

It roared. A belch of fire emerged from its jaws. Its fists ignited. Tricia gasped.

Joey saw it. "Oh no ... not again," he said and he took off running towards Tricia.

"Joey! No! Get back!" she yelled. She started running towards him.

"You need to be fire-proof!" he yelled back, and he sprinted toward her, sparks flying from his hands.

The big demon roared and charged. Joey reached her and grabbed her hand. A new essence filled her. "GET OUT OF THE WAY!" she yelled, and she gently pushed Joey aside. He tumbled back off-balance and fell on the ground. "Oh, sorry!" she said, seeing how hard she pushed him. "I didn't mean to ... AAIIEEE!!"

Tricia screamed because the big demon had clenched both huge fiery fists together and slammed them down on her. She caught them in her hands, and the shock-wave ripped through her body. Her feet pushed into the rocky floor a couple inches.

She pulled on the demon's fists, trying to throw it. She felt strong enough to lift the two-ton demon, but couldn't get leverage.

The demon grabbed her, pulled her out of the ground, and casually threw her across the cavern again. She hit a far wall and fell to the ground. Cursing and unhurt, she growled at the demon. "Stop DOING THAT!"

The demon turned its attention to Joey and lumbered towards him. Joey ran and ducked behind some rocks. The monster roared, looked around, and saw Annie. It grunted in satisfaction.

Annie screamed.

"NO!" Tricia screamed, and she took off running towards the demon. Joey, who was closer to Annie, also jumped out of his hiding spot and sprinted towards her. The demon lumbered towards her.

Sparks flowed from Joey's hands as he ran. Fire burned from the demon's claws. Annie screamed and desperately tried to crawl away from the charging monster.

Joey ran under the demon's legs and reached her first. He touched her hand. "FLY!" he screamed, and he jumped out of the way.

The demon pounced, and Annie launched into the air, avoiding it by inches. The monster landed in the spot where she was moments ago, its face buried in the rocks. It looked up at the floating girl and howled in frustration.

Annie hovered high in the cavern with a look of bewilderment and astonishment on her face. "I'm ... I'm FLYING!" she said in amazement. "I can't believe it! I'm ... AAIIEE!"

She screamed as the demon stood up and swiped its fiery claws at her. She easily weaved out of the way, her lifeless legs swaying under her.

"Annie! Get down!" cried out Joey.

The demon jumped and reached for her again, and Annie swooped higher and looped in the air, easily dodging the creature.

"AAHHRRGGHH!!!" Tricia roared as she arrived and barreled into the back of the demon's legs. It fell over as she tackled it. "GET AWAY FROM HER!" she yelled.

Joey ran to Tricia and touched her again. "That ... stuff control," he said.

"What?"

"Throw him!" he yelled.

Tricia grabbed the demon's head and pulled. She felt a flash of energy transfer into the demon, and it rocketed up into the ceiling, smashing into the light fixture. Annie yelped as she dodged the flying demon and then the dangling sparking power cables.

The creature fell and shook the ground as it landed. It grunted, and looked at Tricia in fury.

"Mo ... Momentum!" Joey said. "That's the word!"

Tricia balled her fists and braced herself as she faced the creature. "Stand back, Joey." She glowered at the demon. "This is going to get ugly."

-------

On the other side of the cavern, Quantum Knight and Desdemona were in a furious battle. Desdemona was savagely slicing her claws at her opponent, and Quantum Knight easily dodged and spun out of the way.

"Why ... can't ... I ... SEE YOU?" the demoness screeched as she threw a fireball at the red and white blur.

Quantum Knight teleported behind Desdemona and slashed her back and wings with two swipes of her katanas. "The same reason you can't hit me. You're pathetic!" She whirled her dual blades in a Twin Butterfly pattern and took out serious size chunks from her legs. "You're going to pay for that boy's life!" Desdemona roared in pain and slash out a wall of fire, missing the hero as she teleported away.

Her legs and back reformed, healing on the spot. "All I have to do is hit you once, ninja!"

"Thanks for telling me. I'll make sure that doesn't happen." Quantum Knight jumped, flipped, and teleported directly over the demon. Both blades sunk deep into her torso through her collarbones as she fell on her, and the hero flipped forward, sending the demon flying around and over her as the blades ripped out of her chest. Desdemona landed with a wet splat against a wall, growling and cursing as her wounds healed instantly.

Quantum Knight glanced back at Tricia, Annie, and Joey as they fought the demon. She was momentarily distracted. "What the hell is going on there?"

Desdemona growled, catching her attention again. Her eyes glowed brilliant red. Quantum Knight tried to remember everything she had learned about her abilities. Is this her Hell-Bomb attack? she wondered.

Twin lasers erupted from the demon's eyes, and the hero screamed in pain as the lasers seared into her. The lasers bent mostly around her as the light waves deformed and unfocused on her, but enough energy came through to hurt her. Quantum Knight teleported about the room randomly, trying to avoid the deadly gaze, but simultaneously keeping the demon's attentions on her. Glancing shots hit her, burning her uniform, and she finally ducked behind a rock for shelter.

Desdemona stared at the rock, boring right into it with her lasers. Pebbles and smoke burst from the side of the boulder. She stood up and headed for the hero, lasers still trained on the disintegrating rock.

Quantum Knight hid behind the rock, breathing heavily and thinking. "Come on ... Come on ... Think! ... GOT IT!" She reached back to The Singularity and summoned a hand mirror. Brandishing the mirror, she rolled out from behind the rock and held out towards the demon.

Desdemona trained her lasers on the hero. The lasers hit the mirror. Quantum Knight pointed them up into the ceiling, where they dug out a huge section of rock.

A massive boulder was carved loose and fell. Desdemona looked up and barely had time to scream before the monolith flattened her, spraying her blood and brains out in all directions. A shower of brain matter spilled over the hero.

"Eww ... Yuck!" Quantum Knight took a deep breath and wiped the bits of flesh off her uniform. "That's going to leave a stain. I..."

Another boulder fell with a loud thud, and then another, and the hero realized she was underneath a collapsing roof. A loud rumble grew as the ceiling started to collapse. Dust and dirt obscured her view. "Shit!" she yelled, and she took off running, dodging the falling rocks as she ran back to her friends.

-------

The demon roared as it slammed its fist into Tricia. Tricia held her ground and caught the demon's fist and twisted, sending the creature flying.

Annie was still flying high in the air, and Joey was on the ground, screaming. "Annie! Please! Come down!"

She tried to come down, but had to swoop back up as the demon swung for her. Tricia ran towards the demon, ready to tackle it. The demon kicked at her, catching her unaware, and sent her flying into a wall.

The monster then turned its attention to Joey and reached for the boy. Joey ran screaming.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Annie screamed and she swooped down in front of the demon, catching its attention. "Remember me? The injured one?" she taunted it. "Yeah, that's it! Go for the injured one!" She swooped away, teasing the monster.

The demon roared and threw a fireball at Annie. She yelped and spun, easily dodging the attack.

"MOM! NO!" Joey cried out.

Annie looked about the room. Tricia seems dazed and was still getting to her feet. Joey was on the ground, and the demon was lumbering after her. The room was flashing with light. She looked behind her and saw the dangling power cables. Sparks of electricity burst from the cables.

She grinned as she considered the live wires.

Annie swooped over to the power cables and picked them up. The insulation was ripped and bare wires were showing. Holding the power cable, she charged the demon. "HERE!" she yelled. "CATCH!"

The demon opened its mouth as it saw her coming. Annie whipped the power cables into the demon's mouth, and it snapped its jaws shut on the live wires. A huge shower of sparks exploded inside the demon's mouth and it tensed up, quivered, and fell over dead.

"Ha! I knew that course in electronics would come in handy one day!" said Annie proudly.

The sparks stopped, and the cavern plunged into total darkness.

"Oy vey! Not good."

"Joey!" Tricia called out. "We need light!"

"Where are you?" he called out. "I can't make myself glow!"

"Sparks!"

"Oh ... Right!" The cavern was illuminated again as Joey pushed out two fists full of glowing sparks. Annie swooped down and took Joey's hand, and he grabbed her with an iron grip. She suddenly started glowing brightly, bathing the entire cavern in light.

Tricia came running, and a loud rumbling sound echoed in the cavern. They looked down the length of the cavern as saw the entire ceiling was collapsing. Quantum Knight was running through the falling debris towards them. The superhero saw them, and teleported right next to them. "COME ON!" she yelled, and they all headed for the nearest tunnel.

The cracks in the ceiling reached them, and a large boulder fell loose and landed in front of the exit, blocking it completely. Tricia ran to it, grabbed it, and shoved it aside. Annie zipped through the opening, dragging Joey as fast as possible, and Tricia and Quantum Knight followed behind, sprinting as the chamber behind them collapsed. Rocks and boulders fell and rolled down the passageway with them as they followed the curving tunnel down lower and lower.

The tunnel finally opened into another chamber, and they stopped. They were all breathing heavily, and choking on the dust.

Joey looked around at them all. "What happened to that boy?" he asked. He looked at the collapsed tunnel. "Is he still..."

Tricia shook her head. "I'm so sorry. I didn't get him free in time. I..." She stopped.

Annie floated towards Tricia and held her shoulder. "It's not your fault. You did your best."

Tricia swallowed and nodded. She didn't want to think about him, so she looked around the chamber. "We're going to have to look for another exit," she said, changing the subject. "I don't like the fact that we went down lower."

Annie looked at the chamber. "Maybe there's an exit up high. I can search up there," she pointed, and started to rise.

"HOLD IT!" Quantum Knight yelled. They all looked at her in surprise. She was gritting her teeth angrily, and pointed to all three of them individually.

"YOU are flying and glowing. YOU are throwing boulders around and are unscratched after a demon tried to bite you in half. And YOU have sparks coming out of your hands! Now I need to know what's going on! If you want my help in a rescue, I need to know both our ASSETS and our liabilities. Now you three should have told me about your powers as soon as I got here. Had I known ... maybe we would have been able to save that boy." She let that sink into them.

Tricia, Annie, and Joey all looked at each other, ashamed. Joey looked especially horrified. Tricia knelt down to him. "Go ahead, Joey. She's okay."

Joey looked up at the superhero. Quantum Knight folded her arms across her breasts and waited impatiently. He sighed and swallowed. "It's ... me," he finally said. "I'm the one doing this. I'm ... giving them superpowers."

Quantum Knight cocked her head as he said this. He sighed once more. "I am ... I was..." He took another deep breath and pushed it out. " ... Omega Boy."

Her jaw dropped open. "Omega Boy?"

He nodded.

She thought a bit. "Are you creating superpowers?"

He nodded again.

"You did this with Omega Man?"

He looked down at the ground and nodded. "Yeah."

"Hmm ... The Variable Power Transference theory. Not what I was expecting. I always suspected Omega Man had an array of magical artifacts. How are you doing this?"

Joey shrugged. "Well, I don't know. They tested me, but I'm not a mutant, or..."

"Hold it, wait a second!" Tricia said, and she looked at Quantum Knight. "You're a Cosmic, but you haven't noticed anything, have you? He's not a Cosmic, is he?"

Quantum Knight shook her head. "No. I would have seen that immediately." She turned to Joey. "Are you magic?"

"We've tested everything now," said Annie. "So unless one of the tests failed..." They all looked at Joey. Joey looked very self-conscious.

"We can all worry about that later," said Quantum Knight. "Right now we need to find a way out of here." She took a few steps into the cavern, looked into the depths, and then looked up. "Not good," she sighed.

"What's not good?" asked Annie.

Quantum Knight pointed to the ceiling. "My gun and swords are up there. That means the chamber that just collapsed is right above us, which means THIS ceiling is compromised." She summoned her flashlight. "Come on. Let's find a way out. Stick close to the walls."

"What happened to Desdemona?" asked Tricia.

"Dead."

"Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure of it," said the superhero. "Nothing could have survived that boulder hitting her. Got her brains all over my costume."

Tricia, Annie, and Joey all glanced at the purple stains on her costume, and winced in disgust.

The four moved into the chamber, following a wall. The ceiling cracked and shifted every once in a while, and they could see dust and pebbles drop from above. Annie floated next to Joey and provided most of the light, and she kept seeing things up high or in the distance that she wanted to explore. Joey held on to her tightly, refusing to let go of her.

"Come on, Joey!" she complained. "Let go! I'll be right back!" She pulled on his arm, trying to free herself.

"NO!" he shouted, refusing to let go of her. "I'll ... I'll come with you."

"I'll be all right!" she insisted.

"Take him with you," said Tricia.

Annie looked exasperated, and relented. "Fine!" She pulled him to the other side of the chamber to explore.

Quantum Knight watched Annie and Joey as they explored the far wall. "You know, we really should stick together," she said to Tricia.

"I wanted a chance to talk to you alone," Tricia whispered. "I'm ... sorry about keeping his powers a secret. I didn't know what to do. And now that kid is dead..."

The hero sighed. "That kid was dead the moment he was brought in here. Even if I knew about Joey's powers, you three are inexperienced." She sighed. "I wouldn't have been able to get him out by myself."

"I feel awful ... I should have..."

Quantum Knight put her hand on Tricia's shoulder. "Hey, there are some situations where there is no good solution. You learn what you can from it and move on. That summoning spell had already been started. If you all spent time telling me about his powers, we would have arrived too late." She looked over at Joey and Annie as they explored another section of the cavern. "So..." the hero whispered. "is Joey... 'him'?"

Tricia nodded. "Yeah. Look, he doesn't know about the time-travel. Don't bring it up, okay?"

She nodded.

"He's got enough problems."

"So what's his story?"

"Well, you know how his dad died?"

"Omega Man was his dad?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah, a lot of us figured that."

"Well, he's been hiding on the streets in DC ever since. Orphaned and homeless. I found him last week and took him in. It's been ... an adjustment. For all of us."

"I would guess."

"He's got some control issues. His dad pushed him into making him a superhero, and he's been hiding from everyone else for the past five years. So I think the last thing he needs to hear is he's got some destiny to fulfill." Tricia looked at Quantum Knight. "And if you think about it, time travel is the ultimate mind-fuck of a control issue."

Quantum Knight chuckled. "Yeah, I guess so ... So ... How's the sex?"

Tricia did a double-take. "What?"

She waved her hand at Tricia. "Please! I saw the video. And ... well ... you really need to take that necklace off sometimes."

Tricia's jaw dropped, and she clutched her crucifix. "You mean you ... felt..." She shook her crucifix up and down a couple times.

"Every thrust and bounce. I thought about sending you a text message, but I figured that would have really killed the mood." She grinned. "Don't worry about me. Everyone in EarthGuard is pretty understanding about these things."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I mean, I'm part of an international organization, and I'm used to dealing with all sorts of cultural norms. We all need to be pretty flexible and respectable to each other. DarkMyst, for example, has three fourteen year old wives, which is fine in Saudi Arabia. What are you gonna do?" She looked over at Joey. "He IS consenting, is he?"

"Um ... Oh yes, he is! Past consenting, and well into eager."

Quantum Knight chuckled. "Well, still, you should keep it quiet. And if anyone complains, show them the tape and tell them you had to do it to prevent a paradox. It's either give the boy a good time, or destroy the universe."

"I thought you said it won't destroy the universe."

"That's just my opinion. But still ... it's a great way to win an argument."

"Let go, Joey!" Annie's voice echoed through the cavern. "I just want to check something up there!" She was pulling away from Joey.

"No!" he answered back, hanging onto her. "I need you to stay with me!"

Quantum Knight looked over at the two. "What kind of powers can he make?"

Tricia sighed. "We talked about that. It's energy and forces. Strength and Invulnerability, Flying and Light. I've seen Invisibility and Sonic explosions. Super-speed, Time warping ... He has to touch us to transfer a power."

"Your friend is interesting. Is she Jewish-Japanese?"

Tricia nodded.

"Weird."

They had reached the end of the cavern, and met up with Joey and Annie. "Nothing," said Annie.

"Nothing on this side either," said Quantum Knight, and she sat on the ground. "It looks like we are trapped."

Tricia sat down next to the hero. "No, WE are trapped in here. You can always get out."

She shook her head. "I'm not leaving without you three."

Joey sat down, pulling Annie down with him. Annie complained. "Joey! I want to stay up here!"

"I'm getting tired."

"Oh ... Okay," she said dejectedly. She floated down to the ground, moved her legs manually to stretch out in front of her, and settled on the ground. "Tricia, can you help me?" she asked as she reached for her socks.

Tricia moved over and pulled Annie's socks off and helped her pull her pants leg up, exposing her thin legs.

"What are you doing?" asked Joey.

"Checking for breaks and cuts," said Annie.

They spent a minute checking her legs. "I don't see anything," said Tricia. "But we should check again when we get home."

"IF we get home," Annie corrected. She looked at the superhero. "Any ideas?"

Quantum Knight sighed. "I've been thinking about it. If I try a blind teleport straight up, I risk killing us all. Don't know how deep we are. I could summon my PDA and write an email message and send it back, so EarthGuard will at least know that we need help, but without coordinates that won't help. GPS won't pick up signals down here. They would never find us."

Annie looked at Joey. "What about Joey? We do have the all-purpose power tool here."

Joey looked frightened. Tricia perked up. "Yeah!" she said. "Hey! You can give me super-strength! Maybe I can dig our way out of here!"

Quantum Knight shook her head. "Too risky. The ceiling is already weak, and if we just start randomly digging it will bring everything down on us."

Tricia sighed. "What about lightning? Or fire blasts? Maybe we can just burn a way out of here! Melt the rocks."

Annie shook her head. "The heat from lightning or fire would burn us all to a crisp. It's not like we have any ventilation in here."

"Can you make us like ghosts, so we can just pass through the rocks?" Tricia asked.

Joey shook his head. "I don't know how to do that."

"Can you give one of us teleportation? Or boost her ability?" Tricia asked. Joey shook his head again.

"And even if he could," said Quantum Knight, " ... it's still a blind teleport."

"What about making a wormhole in space?" Annie suggested. "A tunnel from here to outside?"

Joey looked at her. "Something we could go through? No. That's ... like really hard."

Tricia's eyes widened. "Far-sight!" She looked at Joey. "You can make light-tunnels that we can see through! You did that with your dad! We can use that to find a safe place to teleport!"

Joey's eyes brightened. "That would work."

"How does that work?" asked Quantum Knight.

"Well," said Joey, "I could give Tricia ... or better yet, Annie. She would be better at it ... the ability to open a hole that light passes through. And she can move the opening up and around until she can see a safe spot. Then she can tell you how far away the spot is."

The hero thought for a second. "And how does she measure accurate distances? Does this power giver her a numeric read-out of the distance?"

Joey shook his head. "No, but I can make it so she could feel the distance."

Quantum Knight nodded. "Feel the distance," she repeated. She held her hands apart. "Annie. How far apart are my hands?"

"What?" she asked.

"How far apart are my hands? In inches."

"Umm ... about twelve?"

"Fifteen. You're off by twenty-five percent." She put her hands down. "Guessing larger distances would be harder. No. Translating a feeling of distance into numbers and back into my understanding of distance won't work. Best if you just give me the power. That way nothing is lost in translation." She held out her hand to Joey.

Joey shrunk back. "Umm..." He looked uncomfortable.

"What? You need skin-to-skin contact?" Quantum Knight pulled off her black glove and held out her bare hand. "Here."

"I..." He hesitated, and shook his head.

"Come on, Joey. This is our way out of here. Unless you can think of another way out!"

"I ... don't think it will work."

"Well, let's give it a try! Come on!" The hero was getting impatient.

Joey stared at her hand and shook his head.

"Please, Joey," Tricia pleaded. "Just try."

Joey shook, swallowed, and reached out to Quantum Knight's hand. His finger barely touched her hand when he yelped and pulled back. "It won't work!"

"What do you mean, it won't work?" asked the hero.

"Joey's powers don't work on most people," explained Annie. "They didn't work on us for a long time."

Quantum Knight looked at Annie and Tricia. "Nonsense. They work on you two, they worked on his father, they'll work on me." She held her hand out to him again. "Try again."

Joey shrunk back again and shook his head. He leaned into Annie. "No, it won't..."

"Do it, Joey! We don't have time for this!"

"Hey! Leave him alone!" said Annie. "Go easy on him."

Quantum Knight shook her head. "Under normal circumstances I would. Right now we are trapped in a cave with a ceiling that can collapse at any moment. Joey! I know you can do this. Now give me that power!"

Joey shook his head and cowered back. "It won't work."

"Well, damn it! What's the problem? Answer me this question. What is it that you need?" the hero demanded.

Tricia's eyes opened wide as the answer dawned on her. "He needs to love you."

Everyone looked at her, stunned. Tricia looked amazed as well, and she looked at Joey. "That's it, isn't it? Love." That is the answer to most of your questions. "You loved your dad, and it took a week living with us to love us. And your dog? You said the powers worked with him immediately." She smiled. "How long does it take to fall in love with a puppy?"

She reached out and took Joey's hand. "You spent five years alone on the streets, isolating yourself from everyone, protecting yourself. No wonder you thought that your powers didn't work anymore. But you've always kind of known, haven't you? Deep down?"

Joey looked down at the ground, ashamed. He nodded slightly. "I ... kind of thought ... maybe..." he muttered.

Tricia held his hand and caressed him. "It's okay." She turned to Quantum Knight. "Unless we can think of another way out of here, our best bet is for you and him to..."

"What?" asked Quantum Knight, slightly offended. "You mean, he and I have to..." She gestured to herself and Joey.

Tricia shook her head. "You don't have to go that far." She scooted over to the hero. "Look, out of the four he's been able to push powers into, I'm the only one he has been intimate with."

Joey and Annie looked horrified at her revelation. Tricia looked over at them. "She already knew, and she's okay with it." She squinted at them. "You two haven't..."

They shook their heads. "No," said Annie.

Tricia returned to Quantum Knight. "I think he only really needs an emotional connection. Just ... talk to him. Get to know him. You're a superhero, but you're also a woman. Just ... let him into your heart a bit."

Quantum Knight shrugged and sighed. "This isn't my strong suit, but ... fine."

Tricia turned back to Joey. She took his hand again. "Joey ... I need you to go talk to her."

Joey shrunk back. "No ... I..."

"I know you're scared. But this is our way out of here. Please, just talk to her. Get to know her."

Joey was shaking, and he shook his head. "I ... I can't just..."

Annie reached out to him. "Joey. Can you come here please?"

He looked at her and immediately scooted over. Annie stared at him in wonder, and she looked shy. "Is it true? That you love me?"

He nodded shyly. She smiled and bashfully looked at the ground. She chuckled. "Most guys send flowers or chocolates. But you!" She looked him in the eyes. Her eyes sparkled with joy. "You made me fly!" she said with wonder. "You swept me off my feet!" She giggled. "No one else has ever done that before."

Her eyes teared up, and her face scrunched up in fear. "I'm scared," she confessed. "And I want to go home," she said, crying. Tears rolled down her face and she wiped her tears away. "And it looks like the only way out of here is for you to get close to her." She sniffed. "And I know how scared you are. You've hidden your heart for so long. Well now you need to stop hiding! And I know you can do this." She wiped more tears out of her eyes. "You're brave. You jump in front of demons and rapists and into fights without a single thought to your own safety. Well, now you need to do something even scarier than that. You need to open your heart to someone. You need to learn to trust her. And I know you can do this." She squeezed his hand. "Please. Do this. Get me home."

Joey was tearing up, and he nodded. "Okay," he whispered. "I'll get you home. I promise."

Annie nodded, smiling, and as he started to pull away, she held onto him. "Wait ... One more thing." He turned back to her. Annie stared down at the ground, and looked sad. She sniffed. "I always knew that Tricia would be your first. And I've never held out any hope to be anyone's first. But Joey?" She looked up at him with pleading and tearing eyes, and reached out to his cheek and caressed him, wiping his own tears on his young face. "Well..." She looked at him longingly and shook with an internal struggle. She took a deep breath.

"WELL GOD DAMN IT! I'M NOT SETTLING FOR THIRD!" And she pulled him in and kissed him full on the mouth.

Tricia and Quantum Knight watched with gaping jaws and in stunned silence as Annie kissed Joey. It was a long kiss, and when they stopped, Annie dropped her head down and lightly touched her forehead to his. She smiled and laughed softly. "That was nice. Now ... You go show her what it is that you do to women. Okay?"

He smiled and nodded. "Okay."

"Go to it." She pushed him towards the superhero.

Joey nervously shifted over to Quantum Knight. They both looked at each other uncomfortably. "Well, this is awkward," said the hero. They both chuckled anxiously at each other.

Quantum Knight held up a hand and said "One moment." She shrunk a bit, visibly dropping in size a couple inches, startling Joey and Annie in the process. Her suit became looser as she contracted inside it. She reached up and pulled her mask and cowl back, revealing a pretty face with dark blue eyes and short cropped messy and sweaty black hair. She pulled her other glove off and ran her hands through her hair. "There, that's better," she said. Her voice had gone up a register. "Not so imposing at this size, am I? Hi. My name is Sandy." She held out her hand.

Joey took it and shook her hand. "Hi Sandy ... Quantum Knight."

"You don't know any other superheroes, do you?"

He shook his head. "No."

She nodded. "Well, a point of protocol. When you are with me, and I'm not wearing the mask, I'm Sandy. When I am in the mask, even if it is just the two of us, I'm Quantum Knight. It's not just formalities, it's a good habit. I have friends who have been outed by a family member or a close friend because someone blurted out the wrong name at the wrong time, and it can be dangerous. Nobody means for it to happen, but accidents happen." She shrugged, and lifted her mask and cowl. "So ... In the mask, Quantum Knight. Out of the mask, Sandy. Okay?"

Joey nodded. "Okay ... Sandy!"

Sandy dropped her mask and cowl, letting it hang behind her head. She smiled and paused. "You know, I'm not really the idle-chat and first-date-get-to-know-you type of girl. I like to just skip right over to the third date, which is when things get interesting. But ... I don't think that will work for you, will it?"

He shook his head. "I ... don't know what you're talking about."

Sandy glanced at Tricia. Tricia shook her head. Sandy shrugged, and looked back at Joey. "You know, we've met before."

Joey looked surprised. Sandy thought back. "Let's see ... it was July, of oh-three. Yeah." She nodded. "I got the word that Omega Man was in DC, and I had to jump into costume real quick and get out there. I nearly missed you two. You know how fast he operated. He fought some guy with a really creepy getup ... what was his name? ... Tombspawn! Yeah, that's it. You remember him?"

Joey shook his head. "No. But there were a lot of places we went."

"I met up with you two after you were starting to leave. We had a conversation on the top of the Washington Monument. Do you remember that?"

His eyes lit up. "Oh, yeah! I remember that. That was you?" He squinted at her. "You had a different costume then."

"Yeah, I had that ugly brown thing. It was some joke about Brownian motion that only I got. Called myself 'Quantess' back then. This was back before I had a decent publicist and any idea what I was doing." She smiled and ran her hands through her wet hair again. "I tried to get your dad to join AmeriForce. But he wouldn't do it. I understand why now. He was protecting you."

Joey looked down and shrugged.

Sandy noticed him looking sad. "He was a good man, and a great superhero."

"No he wasn't," he said. "He wasn't a good superhero."

Sandy cocked her head. "Why do you say that?"

"Cause he wasn't a superhero! He just ... pretended to be one. He was just a guy with a stupid costume and a stupid name and..."

"I KNOW!" exclaimed Sandy. "I didn't want to say anything earlier, but when he first came out, all the rest of us were all like, 'Omega Man? Is he serious?' I mean, that was a dumb name!"

Joey's eyes brightened. "Yeah!"

"And that costume? Ugh! That yellow and blue getup with the cape and the big omega symbol on his chest? And it wasn't even centered on his chest properly! It was JUUUST a little skewed a bit to the right."

"Mine was worse! I tore it up the last time I wore it. And the only thing worse than 'Omega Man' was 'Omega Boy'! I mean, it was cool when I was seven. But then, everyone at school was saying, like, how dumb and useless I was, and how stupid the name was."

Sandy nodded. "Well, it was a stupid name, but you weren't dumb or useless. That was one of the things I wanted your father to do; get a publicist. They know how to pick out a name and costume." She cocked her head. "But the costume and name doesn't make the hero. No ... I say he was a great superhero because he was willing to go out there and put himself at risk to help people. That's all it takes to be a superhero."

Joey looked down at the ground and shook his head. "He wasn't that good. And he didn't do it to help people. He just did it to make himself feel big. He ... He was always asking for powers, even just at home. 'Joey, can you make me strong so I can open this jar?' 'Joey, can you give me heat-vision. I don't feel like using the microwave.' "Joey, can you make me invulnerable? I can't find the oven-mitts.'" Sandy chuckled a bit, but Joey shook his head. "And he would ask for Far-Sight, and would ask me to make it last as long as possible, and then he would go into the bathroom ... I didn't know what he was doing then, but I think I know now. I think he was spying on the neighbors."

Sandy sighed and nodded. "Power corrupts. And it's addictive. I've seen it. Hey, I've gone through it myself." She sighed again. "We all have to learn how to deal with it. I..." She swallowed. "I've never told anyone this, but when I first got my powers, one of the first things I did was I committed a crime." She looked ashamed. "I had this ring from my grandmother. Nice one. And I needed money, so I entangled it to myself and sold it to a pawn shop. And then that night I teleported it back to myself and the next day I sold it to another pawn shop. I did that to five different stores. Felt awful about it. And I've talked to other heroes, and we've all done something wrong with our powers. It's just human nature."

Joey rubbed his hands over his face. "My dad killed," he confessed.

She nodded. "I know. And so have I."

Joey looked at her. "I mean people."

"Me too." She nodded again in shame. "It was early in my career. I had caught this serial rapist. A real bastard. He was mocking me even as I put the handcuffs on him, saying his lawyer was going to get him out back on the streets in a day, and there was nothing I could do about it. And the names he was calling me ... bitch, slut, cunt ... he just got to me, and I wanted him to shut the fuck up ... so I teleported him to the top of a building and threw him off and jumped after him. I just wanted him to experience some fear, to shut him up. To put him in his place. And he didn't stop. He just laughed and cursed at me, knowing I was going to rescue him. And I teleported close to him to grab him, but I misjudged the distance, and I teleported with my hands inside him."

Joey winced.

"It just makes me bounce back, but it hurt like hell, and my hands were useless, and I couldn't grab him, and he hit the ground, and all I could do was teleport back home." She looked at the ground in shame. "I still have nightmares. I tell myself every day that this world is a better place without him, but it doesn't help. I murdered that man, and I have to live with that." She sighed again. "Did your father regret killing?"

Joey thought. "He was quiet for a long time after one mission. It was one of the first ones. I think he did."

"We all kill. Every superhero has killed. Heck, even Snow Angel has killed. It's a secret shame that we all have. And it's either because you don't know how to control your powers, or you don't know how to control your temper. Sometimes it's both." She looked at Joey meaningfully. "You're a superhero. You may kill one day."

"I'm not a superhero."

"Yes, you are. It's not the costume or the name. You have powers, and you have the conviction and morality to use them. You're brave. You jump into fights. That's all it really takes to be a superhero. Everything else is just training." She paused. "There is always a moment in your life when you realize you're in a situation where you just have to take control of it. To hell with fear. To hell with uncertainty. You have the power and the skills and knowledge, and you tell everyone we're doing things your way because you can do it. That's when you know you are a superhero."

Sandy looked in Joey's eyes and smiled to him. He smiled back. She leaned in closer to him and licked her lips. She rested one hand on his, and reached up and caressed his cheek. "Like right now, we both have these powers, and now is the time to use them." She tilted her head and leaned in closer. He trembled a bit under her touch. Sandy leaned in and kissed him. It was a gentle kiss, a kiss of timid exploration. Joey leaned into her and kissed her back. Their kiss became more forceful and passionate, and Sandy kissed across his cheek.

"One day soon," she whispered as she kissed his cheek. " ... I'm going to take you out into the city at night." She kissed his lips and to his other cheek. Joey rolled his head in pleasure. "Every hero needs to see the city at night from the rooftops."

They kissed each other on the lips again. Their mouths opened and their tongues probed each other's. The kiss became raw, sexual, and passionate. Joey slid one hand onto her thigh and caressed her. Their hands squeezed each other.

Sparks erupted from his hands. Sandy shuddered as she felt something try to move inside her. "That's it," she said between kisses.

Joey shifted as he kissed her. His hand slid up her thigh to her waist. Sandy pulled him in close to her, and they continued their raw open-mouthed kiss. The cavern was flooded with a sparkling flickering light. Tricia and Annie watched with anticipation, and could see the occasional dust and pebbles drop from the ceiling.

His hand slipped up to her breast, and he cupped and caressed her. "Yes," she whispered. "Touch me." She shook and shuddered as something moved inside her. She gasped. "Yes! I feel it! I..."

Sandy suddenly threw her head back. Her eyes glowed a brilliant light-blue, and bolts of energy shot out of her eyes. The twin glowing spheres flew up into the ceiling and passed through the rock. "It's working!" she gasped.

Joey was undeterred, and he kissed across her neck and caressed her breast. Sandy gasped and shook. "We're deep!" she said. Joey licked up her neck and across her chin, and kissed her on the mouth again. Her tongue pushed into his mouth as she kissed him. "EW!" she shouted as she pulled off him.

"What?" he said. "Did I..."

"Not you. Just saw something hideous. Keep going!" She pulled him back and resumed kissing him. Joey's tongue licked over hers, and she rolled her head as they kissed. She pushed her body towards him, specifically pushing her breast into his hand.

"I see the ground!" she announced, and she reached out her hand to the girls. "Okay! Grab on!" Tricia helped Annie pull closer to Sandy, and they both grabbed onto her arm.

"Hold tight!" Sandy announced. "Okay, we're doing this in two jumps. Close your eyes, and don't let go! I don't care what you hear! Keep your eyes closed and don't let go! Ready?"

"Yes!" "Yes!" they answered.

"HERE GOES!"

VVRRAAMMMM!!!



-------

Chapter 19: Sand and Stars





Friday, July 17, 2009, 12:00PM

VVRRAAMMMM!

Tricia held her eyes tightly shut as she clutched onto Sandy's arm. She could feel the ground vanish beneath her, and for a weightless moment there was a cacophony of horrid sounds enveloping her. Screeching, screaming, ripping, roaring, cackling, bellowing, howling, shrieking, squealing, grunting ... She felt herself twisting and tumbling in the air, and her body knocking into Annie's and Joey's as they fell.

VVRRAAMMMM!

Most of the sounds stopped, and all that was left was a horrible high-pitched screaming sound that she knew all too well. It was Annie, and she was screaming. Tricia opened her eyes just as they hit the ground, and closed them again immediately as she tumbled in the soft, hot sand. It was painfully bright and very warm. She couldn't open her eyes. Annie was still screaming and panicking, and Tricia rolled to her hands and knees and blindly crawled through the scorching sand to her friend.

"ANNIE! WHAT IS IT?" she cried out. She tried peeking out into the bright light through a heavy squint. Annie was thrashing on the ground and crying, holding her eyes shut.

Sandy had pulled her mask and cowl back on and reverted to her full size again, becoming Quantum Knight. She crawled to Annie. "What's the matter?"

"I ... I SAW..." she sobbed.

"I told you to keep your eyes closed!" she scolded her.

"WHAT WAS THAT???" she bellowed.

"It looked like a breeding pit or something. I don't know what it was."

"OY! WHY! WHY DID YOU PUT US IN THERE?" she sobbed.

"It was a mid-way point!" said Quantum Knight. "It was the only way I could get us out. I couldn't get us all this far in one jump. And it was the only place large enough for us all to teleport safely!"

"Ugghh!" she sobbed again.

"What was in there?" asked Tricia.

"Demons. Hundreds of them. We were only there for a second. Not long enough for them to do anything to us. They just saw something show up and vanish."

Annie was moaning and crying. "They were ... EATING each other!"

Quantum Knight nodded. "At least. I saw a lot more going on. Every bodily function was happening there." She stood up and scanned around them.

Tricia's eyes were adjusting to the bright light, and she could open them wider now. She could see Joey sitting in the sand next to Annie, comforting her. "It's okay, Annie," he said. "We're out of there."

Annie pushed herself up, and had calmed down a lot. "I'm sorry," she sniffed. "I shouldn't have looked. I just ... I don't know why I did that. UUGGGHH!!" She shook in revulsion. "That was disgusting. That was the most horrible thing I've ever seen!"

"Really?" asked Tricia.

Annie nodded. "Yeah ... and I've seen Teletubbies erotic fan fiction!"

Tricia grabbed Annie and hugged her, laughing. "Oh good! You're all right!"

Annie nodded, grinning but still shaken. "Yeah, I'm okay. I was just stupid. I ... UUGGH!" She shook, trying to shake the image out of her head. She then looked around. "Where are we?"

Tricia looked up at the horizon, and stood up and looked around. There was nothing but sand dunes in all directions for as far as she could see. It was bright and hot, and she could see ripples of heat shimmering off the ground in the distance in every direction.

"I don't know," she said. She turned to Quantum Knight. The superhero had summoned a GPS and was examining it.

"We are at ... twenty-eight degrees fourteen minutes north by twenty-seven degrees thirty-nine minutes east, which puts us in the north side of Egypt," the hero reported.

Tricia blinked. "Egypt?"

Annie looked around. "Egypt? This is the Sahara desert?"

Quantum Knight nodded. "Yep." She sighed. "And it looks like we're about..." She measured something on the GPS. " ... about two hundred fifty-miles south-west from Cairo."

"Ugh," Tricia groaned. "Is there anyplace closer than that?"

The hero shook her head. "Not really." She studied the GPS some more. "Two hundred miles north is a beach resort, but we need to get to the airport. Nearest one is in Cairo. There's an embassy there that can help us too." A PDA appeared in her hand, and she started tapping into it. "I'm going to send a message to EarthGuard. See if they can send us a ride." She looked around. "Although, I don't think we should stick around here. There are hundreds of demons under the ground here, and they may know the way out. I don't want to be here if they come out looking for us."

"So you can get e-mail out here?" asked Annie.

"Not exactly. I can get e-mail back home. And I can send this thing back home to do the emailing," she said, showing her PDA to Annie. " ... and pull it back here. I'm asking Multiplex to head to my place. See if he can get some supplies for us. You need anything? I'm asking for water, protein bars, and a first-aid kit."

"You can get things from home?" Annie asked. "How?"

"I've got a cooler I'm entangled with. He can put things in the cooler and I can teleport the cooler and everything in it over here and back home."

"Can you put us in the cooler?" joked Annie.

She smiled. "I'm a superhero. Not a miracle worker."

"I'm thinking some sun-screen," suggested Tricia, looking towards the sun. It was low in the sky. "But it looks late ... or is it early?" She looked around. "Which way is north?"

Quantum Knight pointed. "That way. It's late here."

Annie shifted, sniffed, and reached into her pants. She grimaced. "Umm, Tricia?"

"Yeah?"

"Those demons scared the shit out of me."

"Yeah, they scared me too."

"No." Annie shook her head and looked embarrassed. "I mean it. They scared the shit out of me." She looked at Tricia and gritted her teeth.

Tricia dropped her jaw. "OH! ... Um ... okay!" She turned to Quantum Knight. "Can you get us some wet-wipes and a trash bag?"

"Wet-wipes?"

"And a change of clothes?" asked Annie, looking at her wet shirt. "I've got demon-spit on me."

Quantum Knight nodded. "Sure. What all do you need?"

Annie looked down at herself. "Fresh shirt, pants, underwear."

"Okay." She tapped into the PDA and it vanished from her hands.

-------

Over the course of the next hour, Quantum Knight managed to teleport herself and the others about a mile north-east, and transfered her PDA between herself and the Singularity several times, exchanging messages with Multiplex. He had quickly reached her place, and had packed some water, food, and a first-aid kit into a small cooler that Quantum Knight could pull back. She had also extracted her weapons from the caves and managed to push them back into their proper places back at the Singularity.

Tricia tended to the scratches on Annie's arms, and Joey sat looking out over the desert, both looking for any nearby signs of activity and watching the three women quietly. He looked uncomfortable, unsure how he stood with each of them now. Quantum Knight seemed to be all business now, and didn't appear interested in him.

When Quantum Knight pulled the cooler with the wet-wipes and fresh clothes over, it had been many minutes later, and the sun was close to setting. She handed the cooler to Tricia, and those two worked on cleaning Annie while Quantum Knight and Joey stepped several feet away on the other side of a dune to give them some privacy.

"Why did it take Multiplex so long?" asked Joey. "Doesn't he run real fast?"

"Kind of. Not exactly," she explained, sitting down and pulling her mask and cowl back. She took her gloves off and rubbed her fingers through her sweaty hair. "He summons a string of clones in front of him, and erases them behind him. It's a strange form of body-surfing. He can get to places quickly, which is why a lot of people classify him as a speedster. But he can't carry objects with him. He doesn't duplicate things he carries. So it takes him just as much time to get back from a store carrying something as we would take."

Joey nodded, understanding. "How does he do that?"

"What. The cloning?"

"Yeah."

"I have no idea."

"Oh."

"Seriously!" Sandy shook her head. "I haven't a clue. You would think that of all people, I would know, but I don't. He's science-based. Natural powers, but I'm baffled. If he's pulling bodies from alternate dimensions, why does he never disappear entirely from over here pulled from somewhere else? Is he using virtual particles? Creating matter and anti-matter versions? If he is, you'd think we would notice the continent-ripping explosions!" She shook her head again.

"Hmm..." Joey shrugged. "Have you asked him?"

"Yeah. I have."

"And?"

"He didn't answer. He got distracted. That happens to him a lot."

"What do you mean?"

She chuckled to herself. "Multiplex is the closest thing you will ever find to an autistic superhero. He just can't concentrate on you. Of course, that's really just the core." She turned to Joey. "There's a central ... energy, that is the core of Multiplex, and he can create and erase bodies at will within a certain distance from that core. And the core jumps from body to body, so that's how he runs. If a body falls out of range of the core, he can't erase it or jump into it, but he can still control it and see through it. But the further a body gets from the core, the more autonomous it gets." She pointed to the distance. "When we get to Cairo, you'll meet him. He's at the embassy there."

Joey frowned. "He's at the embassy?"

"Oh, Multiplex is everywhere. He's got bodies all over the planet, embedded in every field, every country, every institution. He's in hospitals, schools, businesses, governments ... you name it. And all those bodies are fairly high-functioning. They can talk to you, but the core is inundated with information. He's listening into every conversation, talking to hundred or thousands of people at once. So talking to the core is a challenge." She grinned at him. "You really have to slap him around to keep his attention."

Joey chuckled at the image. They smiled at each other, and he looked embarrassed. She cocked her head. "What is it?"

"Umm ... Back in the cavern..." he started.

"Yes?"

"Did I go too far? Touching you like that?"

Sandy glanced down at her full breasts and smiled at him. "You did what you had to do to get us out of there."

"Oh." He sounded dejected. "And did you just ... do what you had to do also?"

She looked at him carefully. "Yes, at first. But I meant every word I said to you." She reached over and took his hand in hers. "When I first kissed you, I was thinking... 'Let's just get this over with.' But then I could feel you trying to push something inside me. And it wasn't working. And I had a moment when I realized that it was never going to work, because I wasn't trying." She paused and thought. "I think that's part of the equation. For your power to work on me, you have to open to me, and I have to open to you." She looked shameful for a moment. "I don't really let people into my heart that easily. I don't have time for it." She looked back up at him. "But I could tell you were trying, and you inspired me. So I broke down that last wall and opened myself up. And that's a scary thing to do." She caressed his hand. "But I'm glad I did it. Thanks."

Joey smiled shyly, and glanced back in Tricia and Annie's direction. "I don't know how many girlfriends I have now." He chuckled.

Sandy grinned at him. "Well, let me make things easier for you. You don't have any responsibilities towards me," she said sincerely. She squeezed his hand affectionately. "You've got enough keeping those two happy. I can take care of myself." She paused. "But I meant what I said in the cave. I do want to take you out into the city one night. When we get back home. Just you and me. Run across the rooftops, jump off a few buildings, see the lights and feel the heat rising from the streets. Take out a few muggers ... and see what else happens." She winked at him.

Joey looked embarrassed. "Umm..." He looked around bashfully. "When are they sending someone to get us?"

"Multiplex is still trying to organize that. It'll be many hours." Sandy looked into the setting sun. "It'll be dark soon. I don't like the idea of sticking around here overnight."

Joey looked into the setting sun and nodded. "Me neither."

-------

On the other side of the dune, Tricia was helping Annie clean up.

"You are a good friend, you know that?" said Annie.

Tricia was trying not to look at Annie's bare ass and handed her another fresh wet-wipe. "Well, I try to be." She held the trash bag open as Annie put a soiled wipe into it. "So..." she said, fishing for a topic. "When they make the movie of our lives, do you think they'll film this scene?"

Annie laughed. "Khas ve-shoolem! I hope not! But if they do make a movie, who do you want to play you?"

Tricia thought for a second. "Don't know. Jessica Alba maybe. I always thought Sheyla Hershey looked like me." She looked down at her breasts. "But she would have to drop a few cup sizes. And get about six inches taller."

"Who's that?"

"Brazilian actress. Singer. Model. How about you?"

Annie grinned. "Hitomi Tanaka."

"What is she?"

"Japanese idol girl."

Tricia frowned. "Isn't that a porn star?" Annie nodded. "Has she got your figure?"

"And then some. She's got great legs. Of course, they're usually up behind her ears."

Tricia smiled. "Does she speak English with a New York Jewish accent?"

"Nah. She'd have to be dubbed over."

"Fran Drescher?"

"Oy!" She threw the last wipe into the trash. "I think I'm done here. Can you help me with the underwear?"

Tricia closed the trash bag and pulled out the clothes Multiplex had gathered from Sandy's house. "Here ... Weird ... Why does she wear underwear with a picture of a raccoon on it?"

"Just help me with that," she said, rolling onto her back.

Tricia moved down to Annie's feet, lifted her legs, and slipped the underwear onto her. "You know, I'm not used to being in this position, putting clothes ON someone."

"Just try and keep the sand out."

"That's damn near impossible." Tricia lifted Annie's hips onto her lap, brushed sand off her bare butt, and then pulled the underwear up. She picked up the shorts and held them for a moment.

"You know ... now that I have you in this position..." Tricia began.

Annie's eyes went wide.

Tricia grinned. "Gotcha!" She started putting the shorts on over her legs. "But actually, I did want to say that was some kiss you gave Joey."

Annie looked embarrassed. "Tricia, I just did that to get Joey to..."

"Annie!" she said, cutting her off. "You didn't just make that up. That was real. And it's okay. You can feel that way about him. I'm not angry, and I'm not the jealous type." She pushed the shorts up over her hips. "I'm actually kind of proud of you. I know you have a hard time opening up to men." She gently rolled Annie off her lap and helped her sit up. "Nothing has changed between us. You're still my best friend." She held out her hand to her.

Annie looked at her shyly, and smiled. "Thanks." She reached out to Tricia and they did their well-rehearsed double-slap fist-bump. "So ... what happens between Joey and me now?"

Tricia smiled. "Whatever you want to happen. I'm okay with it."

Annie smiled bashfully. "Thanks," she whispered.

Tricia reached for the fresh T-shirt as Annie started to remove her shirt. Annie sniffed her shirt. "Ugh! This demon spit stinks."

Tricia looked the T-shirt. "Annie, you're not going to believe this shirt." She showed it to her.

Annie frowned as she read the shirt. "The Falsies?" She made a face. "Hey! I can't wear that! These are real! What was he thinking, picking that shirt?"

"I'm sure that was just what was in the top of the drawer."

"But FALSIES?"

"It's the name of a band. See? 'We're more rock and roll than you!'"

"I'm not wearing that!"

"Annie! We're in the middle of the Sahara! Nobody is going to see you!"

"Ach! Gimme that!" She grabbed the shirt and put it on.

Tricia climbed to the top of the dune and called over at Sandy and Joey. "We're done!" She went back down to Annie, and Sandy and Joey came over the top of the dune.

"Okay. I've been exchanging messages with Multiplex back home," Sandy said. "He's having some trouble procuring some transport, but he should get something to us by tomorrow morning. But in the meantime, I think we should keep moving towards Cairo." She started packing the cooler with the trash bag and old clothes.

"How do you propose we do that?" asked Annie.

"I can make a few more jumps, get us maybe a couple miles." She looked at the setting sun. "But we're running out of light. We'll eventually have to camp for the night."

"I'm not sleepy," said Tricia.

"We're still on DC time," said Annie. "It's the middle of the afternoon at home." She looked at Sandy. "I don't want to stay here any longer than possible. Can't we just keep going through the night?"

"Teleporting at night can be dangerous," said Sandy, sending the cooler back to the Singularity. "It's best if we stop for the night."

"We're not!" Joey declared forcefully. "We're going to Cairo tonight."

Everyone looked at him. Sandy cocked her head. "Joey, we can't walk that far."

"We're not walking, and we're not teleporting," he said. He looked at them all. "I made a promise to Annie that I would get her home. And I'm going to do that." He turned to Sandy. "You said there's a time when you know you have the power and the skills to solve the problem. And when that time comes you take command. Well I have the power and the skills, and I know how we can get out of here."

"How are we going to do that?" asked Sandy.

He centered his attention on Annie. "We're flying out of here." He turned back to Sandy. "But we need some rope. Can you get us some?"

"Rope? Sure." She pulled out her PDA. "What do we need rope for?"

"I want us all tied together. We need to be close to each other."

Sandy typed a message to Multiplex. "Are you going to give us all the ability to fly?" asked Annie.

He shook his head. "No." He walked over and knelt down next to her. "Just you. You're flying us all out."

Her eyes went wide. "Me?"

He nodded. "I've been inside your mind. I don't know if Tricia can do this. She's all inside strong stuff, and I'm ... not strong with Sandy. But you can do this. You can handle ... complex things."

"What ... what do I do?"

He took her hand. "I'm giving you three powers. Mo ... Momentum control, anti-gravity, and force fields." Sparks flew from his hands, and Annie suddenly floated into the air. Her hair raised up as if she were underwater, and she gasped and shrieked as she hovered over the ground. A huge smile broke out on her face.

"Here's what you are going to do," Joey explained. "You're going to make the anti-gravity field big enough to carry us all. I think that's going to bring up some of the sand with us, so you're going to have to be careful."

Annie looked worried. "It's not working!" she said.

"I haven't given you that yet. We're not ready."

"Oh ... Okay."

"You're also going to put a force-field around us. My dad wasn't good at that, but I think you will be. I can feel that you can do shapes."

"Why a force field?"

"It's going to protect us from the wind. Then you're going to use the ... momentum control and use it on all four of us. Get us going in the right direction. You're going to have to concentrate and keep all these things going at the same time, and try to keep us together."

Sandy pulled back the cooler, opened it, and took the rope out. She tied one end around her waist and then looped it around Annie. "Good plan," she said. "I'll make a superhero out of you yet!" she said proudly.

"So..." Tricia said to Joey. " ... Annie is the pilot, and you're the engine. Sandy does navigation. What do I do?"

Annie nodded to the bottles of water and first aid kit. "In-flight catering." She grinned.

Tricia stuck her tongue out at her.

-------

Sandy tied the rope around all four of them, tethering them together in a row of herself, Annie, Joey, and then Tricia. Tricia held the cooler with the water, first aid kit, and protein bars, and Sandy held the GPS. The sun was low in the horizon, and the sky was turning to brilliant shades or red, orange, and purple.

Joey concentrated, and there was a fresh burst of sparks from his hands. "Anti-gravity" he prompted her, and Annie floated with her arms outstretched and concentrated. A soft energy field emitted from her body. Tricia felt lightheaded and her stomach turned a bit, and she found herself having difficulty keeping her feet on the ground. The sand below them drifted up like dust, and swirled in the light breeze. It started blowing upward into her pants legs and up in her shirt and in her nostrils. She coughed and winced, trying to clear her nose.

"Momentum!" Joey prompted, and Tricia felt a sudden pulling sensation inside her body along her spine. The sand pulled downward as she and the others ascended into the air. Tricia and Joey rose faster and higher than she and Sandy did, and the rope tightened about her waist.

Annie looked downward at everyone with a huge grin on her face. "This is AWESOME!!!" she screamed. A breeze was blowing upward now, blowing the women's hair straight up. Tricia felt the pulling sensation on her spine again and she and Sandy moved up higher. "This is hard too!" said Annie. "You two need more effort to move."

"What's with the wind blowing straight up?" asked Tricia, trying not to look at the ground. Her heart was pounding with fear. She hated heights.

"I don't know," said Joey. "That always happened when my dad made the anti-gravity field big."

"Makes sense to me," said Annie. "Air inside the field equalizes in pressure. Outside the field it's slightly higher pressure below the field and lower pressure above. Creates a force imbalance that just keeps building on itself."

"Try the force field," said Joey.

Annie concentrated, and a shimmering energy membrane grew out of her body. It flowed out and expanded into a sphere surrounding her, and it continued to expand. Tricia could see it pushing on Joey as it enveloped him, and she cringed a little bit as the field approached her. She touched it. It was soft, and it pushed her body until the rope became taut. It flowed over her like a sheet of water, and the air was very still inside the bubble.

"This is amazing!" said Sandy as she was pulled into the bubble.

Annie concentrated and drew the four together. Tricia could feel gentle nudges along her spine. Annie adjusted the size of the anti-gravity and force fields until they matched. "Okay. I think I've got it." She was smiling brilliantly. "Now, which way do we go?"

Sandy consulted her GPS and pointed towards the darkest portion of the horizon. "That way!"

"To infinity, and beyond!" Annie cried out gleefully, and she concentrated. Tricia felt a stronger pull on her spine, and together they all started flying across the desert.

-------

For the first few minutes of the trip, Annie had to make a lot of slight adjustments to the various effects she was producing. She experimented with different techniques. She tried putting all of the thrust into Tricia and Sandy and letting them move ahead and pull her and Joey along behind, and even though that was easier to control, it was harder on everyone's waists as the rope pulled each other. So she had to abandon that and continue the more difficult task of coordinating four flying objects of different masses. Sandy threw everything off at one point as she shifted her mass, changing size to adjust her costume.

Strange moaning tones oscillated from the force-field as it cut through the air, and Annie had to adjust the shape of the field for it to become more aerodynamic. Soon the spherical bubble which could easily handle speeds of up to forty miles per hour had shifted into a bullet-shape, and they were able to double their speed. Annie said that she thought it could handle speeds much faster than that, but she couldn't seem to get past eighty miles per hour.

Tricia watched Joey carefully during the flight. He showed expressions of abject fear every once in a while, and she figured that was the reason they weren't going any faster.

It got darker as the sun set, and the stars came out. Annie paused in flight at one point and they just hovered motionless and looked at the stars in awe. Tricia's heart swelled at the sight. The sky was glittering with thousands of stars, far more than she had seen in years. She hadn't seen a sky like this since she was a little girl.

"Why do they have so many stars here?" asked Joey in a reverent whisper.

Annie was crying as she looked at the night sky. She wiped her eyes. "There's no light-pollution here. Back home there are so many streetlights that they light up the sky. We can't see this at home." She sniffed. "I almost don't want to go home now."

They continued on. The Moon was not out to illuminate the ground, and Joey pushed the glowing power into Annie as well.

Shortly into their flight they passed over a road, but for two hours they saw nothing but more desert. They stopped for breaks occasionally, resting and chatting, drinking water and snacking on power bars. Annie was in a spectacular mood the entire time, and she clung onto Joey as much as possible, even when on the ground. Tricia suspected it was more than just the simple joy of flying. Sandy was right. Superpowers turn you on.

Four hours into their trip they saw the lights of Cairo illuminating the sky. They pressed on. Signs of civilization appeared. Sandy had put her mask back on, and made Joey cut Annie's glowing down to avoid alarming people as they flew over roads and small buildings. The density and complexity of structures slowly increased.

Then they saw the Great Pyramids at Giza.

The pyramids were along their flight path, and were illuminated by great spotlights that gave them a majestic golden glow which dominated the skyline. Quantum Knight warned Annie to not fly too close to them. They were, after all, trying to avoid attention and trouble, and flying right up to one of the Seven Wonders of the World at night, with all the lights and tourists and cameras, would not have been a good idea.

But it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They circled the Pyramids at a half of a mile's distance a couple times, admiring the monumental structures. Quantum Knight summoned her digital camera and took a few shots, and then they continued on in their flight.

Soon they were soaring over a sprawling metropolis of glimmering lights, towering buildings, and activity. Tricia gasped in astonishment as she took in the glittering jewels of light of a city at night. Streetlights, traffic lights, signs, cars, and buildings formed intricate constellations that captivated her. Her fear of heights was long gone, and she thrilled at the sights.

Quantum Knight guided them over the city towards the American embassy which was sitting on the far side of the Nile. As they approached the building, Annie asked if they could take another few laps around the city, but Joey said he was getting tired. Annie agreed reluctantly, and they descended onto the front courtyard of the building. A well-dressed man was waiting for them there, and as Tricia and Quantum Knight untied the rope from themselves, Annie shifted and lowered herself into Joey's arms and relaxed with a dreamy look in her eyes.

The man approached them and addressed her. "Quantum Warrior, I presume? My name is Mr. Hendricks. Welcome to the American Embassy. I got a message from EarthGuard."

Quantum Warrior? Tricia thought, and she studied the man. She couldn't quite place his race, he appeared so mixed. His face was almost nondescript, a perfect every-man look to him.

"Thank you," said Quantum Knight. "I've got three Americans with no passports and no money. We need a place to stay for the night, and we need to arrange a flight back home for them."

"Certainly," he nodded. "We have some guest rooms. If you'll come with me?"

"Can we get a chair for Annie?" asked Joey.

"Oh, I don't mind you carrying me," Annie slurred, snuggling up to him.

"I'm ... I'm getting tired," he said.

"I'll take her," said Tricia, and she scooped up Annie from his arms. She was feather-light, and as soon as Joey let go of her she increased in weight exponentially, nearly knocking Tricia off balance. Joey touched Tricia's arm, and Annie felt almost weightless again.

You're not that tired.

Quantum Knight rolled up the rope and put it in the cooler along with her GPS. The cooler vanished the moment she closed it. Tricia walked up to her and said "So... 'Quantum Warrior'?"

The hero nodded. "We're in the middle east. Knights aren't that well respected here, so we adapt." Tricia looked at her funny. "Hey, we all do it. Jade Mujahid changes his name to Jade Star when he goes to America."

They entered the front lobby, with Mr. Hendricks holding the door open for them. They all took a deep breath of relief as they walked into the air-conditioned building. The staff on duty looked at them curiously.

"Can we get a wheelchair?" asked Tricia to Mr. Hendricks.

"A wheelchair?" He thought. "I don't believe we have one here. I can get a rolling chair."

"I don't want to sit in a chair!" Annie whined. "I want to take a bath."

"Annie, you're going to need a chair eventually."

Annie grumbled under her breath.

"I'll see if I can obtain one. But in the meantime, let me show you to your rooms," said Mr. Hendricks. "This way."

They went up a staircase and down a hallway. As they approached a room, Quantum Knight put her hand on Mr. Hendrick's shoulder and grabbed his attention. "Plex!"

He did a double-take. "Um, yes?"

"Am I going to find cameras in there?"

He thought for a moment. "I anticipated your needs. Surveillance has been turned off."

"Thanks."

Tricia looked at Mr. Hendricks with confusion. "Plex? ... Multiplex?"

He smiled at her politely. "My name is Mr. Hendricks ... here." He opened the door and led them into the guest room. It was tastefully decorated in blues and gold, and had a single king-sized bed in it. "Is there anything you need that I can get for you?"

"Depends," said Annie, as Tricia lay her down on the bed.

"Depends on what?" asked Mr. Hendricks.

Annie grinned. Tricia groaned. "Is that joke ever going to get old?" she asked her.

"Never!"

Tricia stepped over to Mr. Hendricks and whispered into his ear. Mr. Hendricks' eyes went wide. "Oh! I ... see. Very well, I can get those for you." He stepped to the door and stopped. "I ... have never bought those before. Is there any special kind?"

"Women's, small to medium. Normal absorbency," said Annie.

He nodded. "Very well." He turned to Joey. "Sir, I have another room for you. This way?"

Joey looked surprised and confused. "No, it's okay. I can..." Tricia gave him a look and nodded to him. He shrugged. "Okay." And he followed Mr. Hendricks out to the next room.

Quantum Knight sat in a chair and stretched in it. She pulled her mask and cowl back and shook out her hair, becoming Sandy again. "Well, I could use a nap." She turned her attention to Annie. "How are you doing?"

"Mmmmmmm..." Annie hummed deliciously and rolled on the bed. "I'm feeling good."

Sandy chuckled. "That was some fancy flying you were doing there. You know, I've got friends who fly, and a lot of them say it's not as easy as it looks. But you made it look easy. Graceful even."

Annie smiled. "It WAS a little difficult at first, but it got easier."

"Well, you did a hell of a job," said Sandy.

"Yeah," agreed Tricia. "That was amazing."

Annie sighed and stretched her arms over her head. "Yasher koyekh. But it was my pleasure."

Sandy grinned. "I can tell. So ... should we bring Joey back in and have him take care of you for another hour or so?"

For a very brief second Annie's smile turned brilliant, but then it disappeared entirely. "Oy, no. I ... I need a bath. Tricia, could you help me with that?"

Tricia nodded. "Sure ... Maybe I should check on Joey first."

Sandy got up. "I'll check up on him. Then I've got to work with Plex on your flight and temporary passports."

She left the room, stepped into the hallway, and looked in the next room. Joey was sitting on the bed, looking a little dazed. "Hey there," she said, and she stepped into the room and closed the door behind her.

"Hi," he said, looking up at the superhero.

Sandy sat on the bed next to him. "Well, you did it. You got us to Cairo."

He grinned. "Yeah."

"There's a superhero in you after all. I'm proud of you."

He chuckled. "Thanks."

She cocked her head and looked at him. "Everything okay?"

He shrugged. "I guess so. It's just..." He shrugged again.

"A lot to think about?"

He nodded.

"Yeah, I can understand. Kidnapped and imprisoned. Scared, rescued, fighting, demons, hours of grueling travel." She grinned at him. "A couple seriously sensuous kisses from two hot babes."

Joey grinned.

"You know, sometimes I find the best way to deal with lots of stress and confusion is to just go do and think about something else for a while. Let your subconscious work on it." She stretched out on the bed sensuously, leaning on one arm, and considered him. "So ... You and Tricia ... How's that going?"

Joey blushed and looked at the floor.

"Bit of a handful, isn't she?"

Joey chuckled. "Two, actually."

Sandy giggled. "Two handfuls? She is quite buxom, isn't she? She's got what we in the business call the 'Heroic Proportions'." She thought for a moment. "She'd make a good superhero. Or at least, she'd be able to fill out a costume nicely. Annie too."

Joey blushed and looked at Sandy. His eyes darted to her full breasts and back up to her eyes. She grinned at him.

"I can see what it is you look for in women."

Joey turned away bashfully.

"Aww ... You're shy. How sweet. But you know, there's nothing wrong about being honest about what you like. And you can look at me if you want to. Heck, you're supposed to. The costume is designed to attract your attention."

He looked back shyly. Sandy ran her hand along her curvy hip. "Did you ever notice that about superhero suits? They're designed to accentuate the curves and muscles. Make us look sexy." Her hand traveled over her well-toned thigh and butt, and moved up her thin waist, her muscular abdominals, and across her full bosom. "It's great for publicity, and in a fight. The costume helps makes us look healthy and strong. It sends this very clear message. 'You want to fuck me, but you don't want to fuck WITH me.'"

Joey chuckled. "Where do you get your costume from? Did you make it?"

She shook her head. "I tried making my first one. It was awful. So I broke down and hired someone. There are plenty of designers out there looking for heroes who need a superhero suit. Heck, they do most of their business making costumes for normal people who want to play superhero in the bedroom. Of course, those costumes are designed a little differently."

"How so?"

Sandy stretched out her arm. "Well, these have to be rugged. Tear resistant, stain resistant, and there's usually a wicking layer to absorb the sweat. Some have armor. Pockets. Embedded equipment. Those others can use cheaper materials, and sometimes they're even designed to be ripped off. Not these." She thought for a second. "FYI, if you're ever with a superhero and you really want to get her out of her costume and into her pants, don't rip her costume, even if you're strong enough to do it. It's universally considered rude." She smiled.

Joey laughed. "So I bet those other costumes are easier to get in and out of."

Sandy shook her head. "Nope. That's one thing they have in common. All superheroes want to get in and out of their costumes in a hurry." She gave him a serious look. "I'll show you."

She casually reached up to her neck and pulled on a hidden zipper. Her costume opened down her front, revealing creamy colored skin that glimmered with a light sheen of perspiration. Joey's eyes went wide as he saw the swellings of her full breasts, an alluring cleavage, and her sports bra when they came into view. She continued unzipping her front, exposing a tight belly with strong abdominals and her navel. Sandy pulled her costume open, revealing more of her full bra-encased breasts. A rich aroma of a sweet womanly fragrance blossomed from her body.

"Sorry if I stink in here, but I've been sweating a lot. But I find most guys like the smell."

Joey swallowed nervously and blushed. "It's ... okay."

She gave him a sultry smile. "So, I have to ask you," she whispered. "When you and Tricia are alone ... Do you use your powers?"

He shifted on the bed, squirming slightly as he adjusted his pants. "Um ... Yeah," he admitted.

"Fun, isn't it?" He nodded, grinning. "We all do it. What do you do?"

"Well..." He swallowed again. "I've ... made her float."

"That's fun!" She sat up. "The first time I had sex with a superhero, we did it on the ceiling. Did you do that?"

He smiled and shook his head. "No, I ... just made her float."

"What else have you done?"

He blushed. "Well, one time, she asked me to push her through time, right when she was ... well ... you know..."

"When she was orgasming?"

He nodded. "Yeah. And so I made her mind go like, really fast, so like she felt it a long time, like twenty times longer."

Sandy giggled. "Oh, wow. Did she like that?"

"I think she did, but she doesn't want to do it again."

She laughed hard. Joey glanced down at her bouncing breasts, and looked away. "Yeah, I can understand that. I've been there."

"Really? You've done that?"

"Well, not the same way, but I super-positioned during an orgasm once."

He frowned. "I don't understand."

"When I super-position, I turn into multiple virtual versions of myself that all overlap slightly. So I was on top of this guy and I split into about a dozen virtual mes, and we all orgasmed at the same time, and I felt them all. It was only for a few seconds, but it was a dozen times more intense. It was like I was my own personal orgy. So ... Fun, but never again!" She grinned at him. "My powers don't all work well in the bedroom. I have three other tricks I can do." She shifted and rolled on the bed, pulling off her gloves. "I can tell when people can see or hear me, so I always know if anyone is watching. Like right now, nobody is watching us or listening to us. We have complete privacy." She thought. "I can also teleport right out of my clothes. I think it's sexy, but too many guys really like taking my costume off me." She paused and gave him a grin. "And THEN ... I can do this."

Sandy clutched onto her bra and she shrunk down to the size of a child. All of her clothes stayed the same size, and just draped loosely over her, with the exception of her boots which fell off her feet. Joey jumped back. She grinned and grew back to her normal size. "Can't do that for very long. I have a hard time breathing at that scale." She readjusted herself in her clothes, pushing her breasts back into place within the bra. Joey blushed and tried not to watch her. "Can you imagine me doing that when a guy is inside me?"

Joey winced. "That sounds painful."

"Only if I go too far. I can also get larger, so if you're ever interested in an Alice In Wonderland fantasy..." She winked and smiled. " ... just 'Eat me'."

Sandy giggled and laughed at her own joke, and Joey smiled and pretended to understand the reference.

"You do anything else?" she asked him.

Joey nodded. "Yeah, I..." He looked down and took her hand. Sandy raised an eyebrow as he held her bare hand in his. "When I touch someone who is close to me, like you are now ... I can feel your mind."

She cocked her head and gave him a quizzical look. "Feel my mind? You're telepathic?"

"I can't read your mind, but I know where you are thinking things. Like right now, I can feel that what you feel with your hand is showing up here..." He reached out to the side of her head, next to her ear. "And if I wanted to put a power that you could control with your hand, I would attach the power to this part of your mind."

She nodded. "So that's how you make powers I can control?"

"Yeah. But with Tricia, and I guess with you too ... I can tell if you like something and if you don't."

Sandy smiled broadly. "That is a fantastic power. More men should have that power. You know that's going to make you a great lover."

Joey chuckled. "Well, I've been thinking about this, and how I can move signals from one part of the brain to another. I kind of do that already with the Far Sight ... Can I try something?"

Sandy shrugged. "Sure. It's not going to hurt, is it?"

He shook his head. "No. I think you may actually like this."

Sparks came out of his hands, and he concentrated on her, looking in her eyes and feeling her mind. "Think of something sexy," he said. "Something that makes you feel good."

She smirked and smiled. "Okay. Do you want me to tell you what it is?"

Joey shook his head. "Got it. It's the same place in Tricia. Now ... if I connect that to where you feel your hand..."

Sandy's mouth dropped open and she moaned in ecstasy as she started rubbing her hand into his. "OHH!! OH MY GOD!" She collapsed on the bed and writhed as she clutched his hand, rolling and twisting her hand in his, flexing her fingers and meshing them with his. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING TO ME?" she moaned as she writhed on the bed.

"I think this is working," Joey said with a smile.

Sandy groaned and slapped his and her clasped hands against one of her fat breasts, put her other hand on top of them, and then started to obscenely stroke her hand in and out of the combined grasp of his hand and hers. She gasped and twisted and kicked and yelped and drooled. She looked at him with wild eyes and pushed her enchanted hand into his face. "Suck on my fingers! Please!" she pleaded.

Joey flinched back. "Okay, that's enough!" He let go of her, and Sandy startled. She pulled her hand back and looked at it longingly.

"What did you do?" she pleaded.

"I took the power out."

"Well, PUT IT BACK IN!"

"No! You're getting all..."

Sandy didn't let him finish, and she rolled up and tackled Joey on the bed, pinning him down. She pressed her firm body up against his and started kissing his face and neck. "You don't just turn a girl on like that and just leave her hanging!" She kissed him hard on the mouth, and pushed her tongue deep inside his mouth as she rubbed her groin up against his leg.

Joey struggled under the woman. She was immensely strong, and he couldn't break free of her grip. "Orff ... geff offf!"

"I am NOT getting off you! Not until I'm done!" she declared, and she kissed him hard and ran her hand down to his pants. "There's a superhero in you, and I want it in me now!" She fumbled with his belt, undoing his pants and kissing his neck. "How do you like doing it? Me on top? You on top?" She kissed his mouth and down his cheek. "Reverse? Doggy?"

Joey's eyes opened wide. "Dog!" he said.

"You like it doggy style? Me too!"

"No! I..." She shut him up with a kiss, and her hand managed to open his pants. Joey struggled under Sandy, trying to push her off his mouth, but she was too strong. He mumbled into her mouth, and she didn't pay any attention.

Sparks flew out of his hands. With a yelp, Sandy suddenly shot up off the bed and landed on the ceiling. Unfortunately her grip on Joey was so strong she brought him up with her, and she tangled her legs around his and rolled on the ceiling, pinning him against the drywall.

"Oh, you want to do it on the ceiling, huh?" she rasped, and she started licking and chewing on his neck.

"Sandy! Stop!" Joey pleaded. "That's not what I meant!"

He pulled the power out of her and they fell back on the bed with a loud thump. Joey squirmed and pushed his arms up inside her embrace. "Let ... GO!" he yelled.

Sparks flew out of his hand, and Sandy flopped, flipped, rolled, and slid off the bed. "What the FUCK?" she cried out, and she grabbed onto the blankets in futility. They just slipped out of her grasp. She hit the carpet and continued sliding across it like ice over Teflon, stopped only by the presence of the far wall. She scrambled and pushed against the floor, trying to upright herself, but couldn't manage to get any traction to even sit up straight. She just kept slipping and sliding against the carpet.

Joey took a deep breath and sat up on the bed. "Sorry about that." He was breathing heavily. "I think I used too much power on that last thing."

"What did you do to me?" yelled the superhero.

"Oh, um ... I made you non-fiction."

"What???"

"No wait, that's not it. What's it called?" He rubbed his hands together. "Friction! That's it!"

Sandy stopped thrashing and lay on the floor, looking up at the ceiling. She was breathing heavily, and her costume appeared twisted about her body strangely. "Frictionless."

Joey climbed off the bed and knelt on the floor next to her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that to you. That was too much."

She looked at him in confusion and resignation.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked.

Sandy was taking deep breaths. "Joey ... You almost gave me an orgasm just from holding my hand!"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. Look, Sandy, I like you, but, I didn't want to do this, and I didn't want to do it Doggy style. I don't even know what that is!"

"Can you take this out of me?"

"Umm ... Are you going to be okay?"

She shook her head. "I think so. I'm ... I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

Joey nodded and touched Sandy. She touched the floor carefully and sat up. "Whoa!" she exclaimed. "That was weird."

Joey watched her carefully. "When you said 'Doggy style', well, that reminded me. I have a dog."

Sandy squinted at him.

"My dog, Scrappy! He's been sitting in his cage all day. I put him in before we left to go see that woman who turned out to be Desdemona. That was about ten-thirty this morning. I don't know what time it is now back home, but he's probably hungry and thirsty, and he needs to go out, and, I don't know when we're getting back!"

Sandy nodded and held up her hand. "You need someone to go home and take care of your dog, right?"

"Yeah."

She was still breathing heavily. "Is there a neighbor with a key, or a key outside that Multiplex can get to?"

"Um ... I don't know if there are any neighbors who have a key. And I don't know of any keys outside. Wherever Tricia and Annie's purses are now, I guess."

Sandy nodded again. "I'll ask Tricia. And if not, I'll go take care of him."

"You'll do that?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm a superhero. That's what I do." She looked at him. "But if I do this, I'm not jumping back six thousand miles just to see you get on the plane. You three are on your own for a while." She sighed. "Multiplex will help you out. He's good at these things."

"Thanks." He paused. "Are you going to tell Tricia about this?"

"Don't know. Are you?"

Joey sighed. "I don't know. The thing I'm worried about is ... she may want me to try that power on her."

Sandy broke down giggling. "Okay ... Let's keep this our little secret. At least for a while." She held her hand out to him. "We still good?"

He slapped her hand. "We're good."

"We still have a date, right?"

Joey nodded. "I just won't use that power on you again."

Sandy nodded. "Good idea." She thought for a second, and concentrated. A moment later a small bracelet appeared in her hand. "Here." She handed it to him. "So I know where you are. Doesn't seem right that I should know where Tricia and Annie are and not you."

Joey accepted the bracelet. "Thanks," he said, and he put it on.

She stood up, straightened out her clothes, and zipped up. She put her gloves and boots back on and pulled her cowl and mask back over her head, and adjusted her goggles. "Well, unless a better solution comes up, have a good flight and I'll see you in DC."

Joey stood up. "Okay. And thanks for doing this."

Quantum Knight regarded the young man and leaned down to kiss him. The kiss was quick, but it turned into a long hug.

-------

Translation Guide

"Khas ve-shoolem!" - God forbid, heaven forfend.

"Yasher koyekh." - "Thank you."



-------

Chapter 20: Secrets and Window Seats





Friday, July 17, 2009, 11:30PM (Cairo), 4:30PM (DC)

"Think of a wonderful THOOUUGHHT! (sharp)
Any merry little THOOUUGGHHT! (flat)
Think of Christmas, think of snow! 
(splash-splash-splash, splash-splash-splash)
Think of sleigh bells, off you go 
(splash-splash-splash, splash-splash-splash)
like reindeer in the SKYYYY!!!" (sharp)

Tricia closed the bathroom door behind her and shook in revulsion at Annie's awful singing. She stuck a finger in her ear and twisted, hoping to somehow manually re-tune her voice to something approaching the actual melody. She loved Annie dearly, and Annie had many wonderful talents, but singing was just not one of them.

"WHAT is being killed in there?" asked Quantum Knight as she came in from the hallway.

Tricia chuckled. "I've got her in the bath now. She's in a weird mood. Good, but weird. How's Joey?"

The hero thought. "He's doing well. But he's worried about Scrappy."

"Oh my god! I forgot! I..."

Quantum Knight held up a hand. "Is there a neighbor that can help, or the building manager?"

Tricia shook her head. "None of our neighbors have keys, and ... technically we're not supposed to have pets ... so..."

She nodded. "I'll take care of him. But you're in charge now. Multiplex will help you arrange a flight and get what you need, and I'll see you back in DC."

Tricia sighed and nodded. "Thanks again, for everything. You're a lifesaver!"

"Oh, I love it when you say that!" Quantum Knight hugged her and then stuck her head in the bathroom. "Annie!"

"AAAAHHH! WHAT!" she screamed from her bubble bath.

"I'm heading back to DC. Going to take care of your dog."

"Oh! OY! Thank you! Um ... Can you get our purses and my chair too? And my van?"

"Where are they?"

Tricia thought. "Child and Family Services, south-west ... I don't remember the exact address."

"I'll find it," said Quantum Knight. "Take care, Annie! Have a good flight!"

"A groysen dank!"

Quantum Knight closed the door. She summoned her PDA, and checked something on it. "Good. Clean room is still clean." She sighed and looked at Tricia. "This is going to be my second six-thousand mile jump today! Wish me luck." She smiled nervously. "You take care of yourself."

"Good luck, and you too."

The superhero nodded and dropped down into a tight tucked-in fetal position, and concentrated for a couple seconds. She suddenly vanished with a loud VVRRAAMMMM, and Tricia was alone in the room.

She sighed and stepped into the hall. She checked on Joey. He was drawing something on the desk, and then she went down to the front desk. "Mr. Hendricks? Quantum Knight had to leave..."

He looked up from his computer. "Yes. She made it home safely. She wanted you to know that."

Tricia stopped for a moment. "Oh, that's right." She whispered to him. "You're there too."

He nodded quietly. "I've been working on your flight reservations. Your flight is at three tomorrow afternoon, and I've found a place where I can get a chair tomorrow morning."

"Thank you." She cocked her head. "Why so late in the afternoon?"

"I am taking into account your jet lag."

"Oh. Thank you!" She gave him a sultry smile purely out of habit. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

He smiled back politely. "I am quite fine. You can get some rest, and I'll take care of everything you need."

Tricia nodded. "Well, good night Mr. Hendricks."

"Good night."

As she returned to the stairs, she stopped and wondered. Something was off, and she finally realized what it was. He had shown absolutely no sexual interest in her. It was something she wasn't used to. She looked back over her shoulder to catch his eye and give him a coy wink, but he wasn't looking at her. Shrugging, she returned upstairs.

"HIIIGH-WAAAYY TOOO THE DANGER ZONE! (flat)
HIIGH-WAY TOOO THE DANGER ZONNNE-whoa-whoa-whoaNNNN!!" (sharp)

Tricia shuddered slightly as she passed her and Annie's room and headed for Joey's. He was sitting at the desk, drawing, and he looked up at her, smiling.

"Hey. How are you doing?" she asked him.

"Okay."

She sat on the bed. "I was thinking of taking a quick shower. Do you mind if I use yours?"

Joey grinned. "I don't mind. Did you need someone to wash your back?"

Tricia gave him a coy smile. "As much as I would love to do that, I don't think that would be appropriate here. Maybe when we get home?"

Joey smiled and nodded. "Okay."

She looked at his drawings. "What are you drawing?"

"Oh ... um, I don't know ... Just drawing what I saw."

Tricia stood up and looked at some of the sketches. She saw one of Annie floating high in the clouds, but it was entirely scribbled over. "That one was nice."

"I don't like that one. I think her shape is off." He pulled out another sketch. "This one is better. I did a better job on her eyes."

Tricia looked at the second drawing, She couldn't really see anything different about how the way Annie appeared in the drawings. The only thing she saw different was that Annie was in a different place. The second drawing had her hovering just inches over the ground inside the cavern where they were fighting the demons.

Memories of the fight returned, and a dark thought crossed her mind. She watched him as he worked a bit more on a sketch. "Joey, I need to check on something. I'll be downstairs."

"Okay."

She left and closed the door, and took a deep breath and gathered some strength. She then went back downstairs and found Mr. Hendricks. "Excuse me."

"Yes?"

"Do you have a computer I can use?"

-------

It only took her a couple minutes to find what she was looking for.

She started by checking the obituaries in the Lehigh and Northampton counties of Pennsylvania from 1995 onward. When she found it, she looked up the autopsy report. That led her to the missing persons report.

A few minutes of reading and the full story was laid bare before her eyes, and she sat back in her chair and teared up. "Joey ... no..." she whispered. She thought back over the course of the day. You were so brave today ... We had no idea. She wiped her eyes, and thought of Annie singing in the tub.

"God, forgive me for what I have to do now."

She printed the reports, collected them up, and returned upstairs.

"THOSE MAG-NIFICENT MEN
IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES! (sharp)
THEY GO UP-TIDDLY-UP-UP!
THEY GO DOWN-TIDDLY-DOWN-DOWN!" (flat)

Tricia entered their room and closed the door behind her. Then she stepped to the bathroom door and knocked gently. "Annie? May I come in?"

"Wait! Let me move some bubbles around! ... Okay!"

She walked into the warm bright bathroom. Annie was in the tub, covered in bubbles, and splashing happily. "THEY ENCHANT ALL THE LADIES AND STEAL ALL THE SCENES, WITH THEIR UP-TIDDLY-UP-UP, AND THEIR DOWN-TIDDLY-DOWN-DOWN!"

"You look like you're in a good mood."

"Ahh! I feel GREAT! We have to do this more often! And I don't even know why I asked Quantum Knight to pick up my chair. OR my van. It's not like I really need them anymore, is it?" She grinned from ear to ear.

"Annie ... We need to talk."

"Well, pull up a toilet and talk!"

Tricia sat on the closed toilet seat and sighed. Annie splashed in the tub oblivious to Tricia's cautionary mood. "Annie ... Look. What I'm going to tell you, it has to stay between us."

"Well, sure! What is it?" She grinned at her. "Did you meet another superhero?"

Tricia sighed. "Kind of. It's Joey. He's been more brave than we realized."

"Oy! He was amazing today! He made me fly and glow, and he made you strong! He helped us fight demons! He gave me all those powers to get us out of the desert! He ... he pushed that power into Quantum Knight. You know that was hard for him. What a man!"

Tricia smiled cautiously. "Yeah, he was quite amazing. But ... Annie, he fought a demon that the rest of us didn't see. But it's been so busy today that we just didn't even notice it ... I thought it was odd when I heard it, but we were fighting for our lives, and I couldn't think about it then. But now..." She shifted on the seat, turning to face Annie. "Do you remember back in the caverns, when he first pushed that flying power into you?"

Annie smiled brightly. "Of course! Oh! Even though that thing almost got me, I'll never want to forget that moment. I flew! I flew straight up!"

Tricia nodded. "You went straight up, almost to the ceiling."

Annie clutched her heart. "Oy! Yes! I loved it."

"I bet you did. Did you hear him calling to you?"

"Yeah."

"He was calling for you to get down."

Annie nodded. "Yeah, but that thing would have caught me."

"I understand. But he said something else. Do you remember?" Annie shook her head. "He called you 'Mom'."

"What? Did he?"

Tricia nodded. "I didn't give it any thought at the time. I was too worried about that demon. But yeah. He said 'Mom. No.'"

Annie shrugged. "Well, I guess he sees me as his mother. Or at least one of his mothers."

"He may do that, but I don't think that was it. I think he was thinking about his real mother."

"Nu? What do you mean? He said he doesn't remember his mother."

"I know ... I think he lied to us about that." She pulled out her papers and read from them. "May eleventh, 1999 ... He would have been three years old at the time. Stephen Harper of Northampton county, Pennsylvania calls the police and reports his wife, Alicia Harper, missing. He found his son Joseph Dante Harper home alone in the back yard. Two days later the police filed a missing persons report." She looked at another paper. "May nineteenth, 1999. After a week of searching the area using dogs, police receive a report from some kids who discovered a body of a woman in a nearby forest. Detectives on the scene say there is no sign of the body being dragged there, and dogs couldn't find a trail to her. She was positively identified by her husband. Her body was only about a mile away from her house."

Annie gasped.

"Coroner's report said that there was no sign of an attack or sexual abuse. The body was partially eaten by animals, but from the ways the bones were broken, they said cause of death appeared to be deceleration trauma."

Annie blinked. "Deceleration trauma? That's..."

Tricia nodded. "She fell. Straight out of the sky. No trail for the dogs to follow ... You know what happened, don't you?"

Annie's mouth dropped open in shock.

"He's three years old, and he has the power to push super-powers into those he loves. Who does he love? Who does he love more than anyone else when he is three years old? Who loves him more than anything else?"

Annie shut her eyes and shook.

"You can see what happened, can't you? He loves his mother, and one day he pushes a power into her. He makes her fly! And what does someone do when they suddenly learn they can fly? What did YOU do, Annie? You went as high as you could! You zipped and fluttered around, moving as far and as fast as you could, exploring the ability. And you loved it! It's your dream come true! ... And so did she. She did the same thing you did. And who could blame her? But the big difference is, you were trapped in an underground cavern, and couldn't go very far. She on the other hand wasn't underground. She was outside. There was nothing stopping her."

"No ... Oh no..." Annie shook.

"Where do you think she went? How high do you think she got? She's in the air! She laughing, and singing, and swooping, and living this dream come true! And then ... Annie, you know his powers are only temporary. We've both felt it. And when the powers run out, they don't slowly die away. They don't give you a warning light. You don't feel anything happening. They just suddenly die. But did you think she knew about this when he was three years old? Did you think they knew how long the power would last?"

"Khas ve-kholileh! No..."

"She was flying, and then she fell. No warning. She hit trees on the way down. They ripped her skin and broke her bones, and then she hit the ground. She died alone in the middle of a forest." Tricia wiped a tear away. "And the worst part is, he knows. He knows what happened. He remembers it."

Annie looked at Tricia in shock. "How can you be sure?"

Tricia was tearing up. "He was terrified of you flying. He was screaming at you to come back down, because he knows that his powers are temporary, and how addicting the powers are. And when he finally got a hold of you, he grabbed onto you and would NOT LET GO! And you were bitching at him to let go of you and he wouldn't! He didn't want you to fly!"

Annie sat in silence.

"Annie! Think back to what all happened this week! Do you remember how easy it was for him to make his dog weightless? But then later on when he was pushing powers into us for the first time, he says he can't make you fly because it's too hard? He was lying! He was trying to protect you! And the nightmare! Do you remember that? He pushed two powers into me. He made me ice-up, and he made me fall onto the ceiling! And we knew he was dreaming about his dad burning to death, and that explained the ice, but you asked him if his dad was falling too. And he said 'no', and then he said 'yes.' The 'no' was the correct answer. His dad wasn't falling. His MOM was falling."

Annie was tearing up, and she shook her head. "No ... Nebakh..."

"Don't you see? He killed both of his parents with his abilities. And he knows it! And I don't think he ever told his father about how his mother died. And I don't think his father ever tried to figure it out. Who knows? Maybe he did! Maybe that's what drove his father to try and be a superhero, to restore some balance in his life, to protect people because his wife didn't get help when she needed it. But this secret Joey holds, it's his darkest secret. It tears at him. It terrifies him!"

Tricia knelt down next to the tub and reached out to her friend. "Annie ... You know what this means to you..."

Annie shook her head defiantly. "No ... Don't do this to me..."

"Your dream. It's his nightmare. You know you can never..."

"NO!" she screamed. "No! Don't!" Tears rolled out of her eyes, and her face screwed up in pain.

" ... ask him to..."

"DON'T DO THIS TO ME!" she pleaded.

" ... make you fly again."

"NO! DON'T ASK ME THAT! PLEASE!" She was sobbing.

Tricia took her by the shoulders and shook her. "Annie! Listen to me! You have to do this! You can't ask him! He's terrified of it."

Annie was crying and she turned her head away from Tricia. "Stop it! Please! Don't do this!" She fought and slapped at Tricia's arms. Tricia refused to let go of her.

"Look at me! Annie!" She grabbed her chin and twisted, forcing Annie to look in her face. "I know this is hard for you. I know that this is what you want. I know how happy flying makes you, but it's tearing him apart!"

Annie screeched and slapped at Tricia's arms. "NO!" she screamed, sobbing and crying. Tricia held onto her firmly.

"I know how hard this is for you."

"NO YOU DON'T!" she yelled, crying. "You don't know what it's like! You don't know what my life is like!"

Tricia was crying too. "You're right. I don't know what you go through. I'm here for you every day and I'll never really know what you're feeling. But this isn't about you! You said that to me once. You said that this wasn't about me, and you were right. Well now I'm saying it to you. It's not about you. It's about Joey! He loves you, and he's terrified that if gives you what you want, you're going to kill yourself with it."

Annie shook her head, crying and bawling. "No, I won't ... I promise I won't ... Please don't take this from me..."

"You can't have it. The powers are addicting, and they are corrupting. When you were flying, I've never seen you so happy, and I've never seen you so selfish before. He was trying to protect you, and you were trying to fly off and play. Annie! You KNEW the power was temporary! But did you think about that any time? Did you? Did you even ONCE think that you shouldn't fly so high because the power would suddenly go away, and you would fall?"

Annie's face screwed up. Tears flowed from her eyes, and she shook.

"You're one of the smartest people I know, and I don't blame you for not thinking about it. Flying must feel wonderful! But you KNOW how dangerous it is. And Joey is terrified of you falling. He's in his room now, drawing pictures of you flying. There's a beautiful one of you soaring in the clouds. You look gorgeous in it. He knows that this is your dream. But he scribbled all over it and drew another one of you just six inches off the ground. That's the one he likes, where you get to fly, but you're not going to die when you fall.

"Promise me you won't ask him to make you fly again! Not even for little things, like getting in and out of the tub. He's so scared, and he's been trying to be so brave all day today. But we are taking care of him, and he needs time to come to terms with this. He needs to work this out himself, and the last thing he needs is another person he loves to constantly beg him to give her powers. Annie! Promise me you won't ask him to make you fly again. Promise!"

Annie was shaking and crying, and she leaned her head down towards Tricia and nodded. She tried to speak but couldn't. She lay her head on Tricia's arm and sobbed loudly, and Tricia held her friend tightly and cried with her.

-------

The column of black smoke flowed against the wind as it tore across the desert, leaving a dark trail of sooty fumes in its wake. Endless sand dunes flowed across the ground, providing no features or landmarks, yet the ink-like jet of vapor raced across the morning sky, searching, scouting, and examining, following a trail imperceivable by human senses.

It stopped and spiraled down, an obsidian tornado digging into the soft sand. Twists and tendrils of smoke solidified, forming a human figure. Shadows obscured all features of his face and body, and wafts of murky mists flowed over him, forming dark robes and a hood.

The eyes appeared from underneath the hood, forming twin stars of pure white light penetrating from the pitch. He stared at the ground.

"Cursed place. The stench of the vile saturates the good earth."

The figure gestured with one onyx hand and a whirlwind of inky smoke emerged from his sleeve. His cloak barely rippled with the current of air, but the whirlwind tendril tore into the ground, burrowing and scattering the sand in a wide arc as it dug into the dunes.

An explosion thundered in the sky, and the dark man looked upward. "Ah. The sonic boom that heralds the arrival. Would this one learn the ways of stealth one day?"

The glowing figure in the sky flipped. Brilliant jets of flame erupted from the hands and feet, providing a retro-active thrust as it decelerated. It dropped, scattering sand as it descended. It was an androgynous human form, unclothed and genderless, its skin a thin glossy transparent membrane covering a solid mass of circuitry, metals, cables, and moving lights. It hovered a meter over the ground and tilted its head towards the dark figure.

"Protocol.greetings('DarkMyst');" said the glowing figure.

DarkMyst bowed. "And greetings to you, the Hyperion."

"GlobalPositioningSystem.current('self') returns {28° 14' 25.31"N, 27° 39' 4.29"E}; CompareCoordinates(Report('QuantumKnight-2542', 'GPS')) returns MarginOfError(2.21e-6);"

"I assume this means you believe we are in the right place."

Hyperion was expressionless. "True. Query(DarkMyst.response('Concurrence'));"

"This place is tainted with the malodor of the demon spawn," the dark figure spat. "I do concur."

Hyperion dropped to the bare rock which DarkMyst had cleared, and landed gently. "Commence(investigation);" it said. "SonarMapping.initiation();"

A loud explosion ripped under Hyperion's feet. The figure stood still with no expression, and a moment later a hologram emitted from its eyes. A three dimensional analysis of hollowed chambers connected by a network of tunnels was displayed in the glowing image. Many of the chambers appeared thin.

DarkMyst approached and studied the figures. He pointed with a black finger into the display. "The Chamber of Travel is destroyed. The Chamber of Thought is collapsed. The Chamber of Labors, buried. The Chambers of Memory and Pleasures are intact, but cut off. Here ... The Chamber of Digestion appears unharmed. That is unfortunate. The demon pets still live. She may yet still be."

"Report('QuantumKnight-2542', Analysis') returns..."

"I know what she said. But I will not believe Desdemona is dead until I hold her black lifeless heart in my hands and feel her cold blood drip from my fingers." The dark sorcerer strode away from the pit where Hyperion stood. "Omega Man was a fool to toss her body into the ocean." He stopped when he reached the top of a dune and turned to the android. "Start digging!"

"Response(Concurrence);" replied the Hyperion, and the fiery explosion ripped open the rocky ground.

-------

Tricia found herself in the train station again.

She was staring at an advertisement for the Newseum when she remembered that the last thing she did was to go to sleep. She turned and wandered the large empty underground train station. She was on the upper level, next to the turnstiles and the Information booth. No one was in the booth.

She sighed. "That would have been nice if someone were on duty," she said to herself.

She headed for the escalators and rode them down to the lower level, and smiled as she saw another version of herself sitting on the concrete bench. "¡Hola, mi hermana!" she called out.

Her twin sister looked up. "Hey! Nice to see you! When are you at?"

Tricia approached her doppelganger. "Cairo, the embassy. You?"

"I'm on the plane. I'm ahead of you. Come on, sit down!" She patted the concrete bench.

Tricia sat down. "I was hoping to see you again. You were right about Joey. It was him attacking my nipples."

The twin Tricia frowned. "Excuse me?"

"Last time, when we were on the train? It was Joey's and my first night together? I was sleeping in that little break between bouts, and you were a couple hours ahead of me?"

She shook her head. "Noooo ... I remember that night with Joey, and I remember him going for my nipples when I slept, but I didn't talk to you. You're the first past version I've met."

Tricia frowned, and she chewed her lip. "Maybe there's more than two of us here."

The lights flashed on the floor, and a train barreled through. Both Tricias watched the train go by. The train had six cars, and every car had at least one Tricia in it. Some had two. It continued down the tunnel without stopping.

"Yep," agreed the other Tricia. "Definitely more than two of us here."

"This is really weird."

"I'll say."

"So ... any advice for the next few hours?"

The twin Tricia chewed her lip. "Well ... It's been pretty easy. Oh!" She turned to Tricia. "See if you can get some more money from Multiplex. He's going to give you some money for small expenses, like food and drinks, but Joey's going to need a drawing pad and one of those pens with all the colored inks in it? You can pick those up in the airport."

Tricia nodded. "Okay."

"Also, get one of those cheap digital cameras. The flight over the Mediterranean is going to be gorgeous! Let Joey take some pictures. Oh! And Annie! She's still going to be in a bad mood about the whole non-flying thing, so let her go nuts when you reach Tel Aviv."

"Tel Aviv?"

"Yeah. You'll have about two hours there. You won't be able to leave the airport, but there will be plenty of Jews there to keep her happy. Let her do all the ordering in the restaurant, let her buy souvenirs ... Just let her have fun! It'll do her a world of good."

Tricia laughed. "Okay. Anything else?"

"Ummm ... If you're going to splurge, the Egyptian chocolate? Forget it! I don't know what they were thinking! Stick with American. Also ... you'll probably want to get some condoms."

She raised an eyebrow. "Condoms?"

"Hey! It's a long flight!" Her future self winked back. "You just want to read magazines the whole time? Just try and pick them up in the Cairo airport. I tried to get some in Tel Aviv, but Annie insisted on helping me ask for them, and then when I told her what I was looking for she was giving me all this attituuuude, said it was too risky to do it on the plane." She waved her hand dismissively. "Believe me, it wasn't risky. OH! Joey! He's all weirded out by Annie and Sandy kissing him, and he's worried that you're going to be jealous."

Tricia giggled. "Oh, that's sweet!"

"Yeah. He is..." She smiled sweetly and reflected. "Well, he thinks he has three girlfriends now, and doesn't know how to handle that situation. You'll need to help him through that. Let him know how you feel."

Tricia grinned and rocked in her seat. "And how do we feel about that?"

Future Tricia raised an eyebrow. "I think you can figure that out." She smiled. "Of course, I tried the tact of saying that I'm used to being with guys who have other girlfriends, and that helped a little, but he is really sensitive about hurting us, so you'll have to cover all the bases. Let him know that all three of us appreciate his concern, that we understand that he needs to learn about his powers, and that means loving a lot of people. He can do different things with different people. That kind of stuff. Now as for sex..." She grinned. "Well, he's interested in Annie and Sandy, and he's too shy to ask you directly, so you'll have to be blunt and tell him straight out it's all right with you for him to sleep with them." She looked at Tricia with some concern. "It IS all right with you, right?"

"Oh, sure!" said Tricia. "Kind of turns me on to think about it."

She nodded. "Me too. Just checking. Actually it would help if you told him it gets you excited. And give him some pointers. Like, you know, Annie needs hours of romance to get in the mood, and Sandy needs about, oh ... sixty seconds of foreplay up against a brick wall."

Tricia burst out laughing. "Did she say that to you?"

Her future self shook her head. "Nah. That's just the impression I get." She chuckled and sighed. "This is fun! What would you call this? It feels like 'Pay it Forward', but that's the wrong direction, isn't it?"

"Yeah. You're paying it backwards." Tricia thought. "I'm upstream, you're downstream. Pay it Upstream?"

She nodded. "Pay it Upstream. Sounds good."

Tricia sat for a moment. "Why do you think this is happening?"

"What?"

"The train station? Time travel? What's going on?"

Her future self shrugged. "Don't know. Maybe it's because..."

The alarm clock woke her up. Tricia's eyes snapped open and she saw Annie laying next to her, squinting and groaning. Tricia grunted in frustration, groaned, rolled over to the clock and turned it off. It was noon. She felt groggy and she rubbed her face, waking herself up.

"What time is it?" asked Annie.

"Twelve. Here. What's that at home?"

"Five AM," Annie moaned.

"Uggh ... Come on." She slapped Annie on the leg. "Time to get up. We have a flight to catch."

Annie rolled over onto her stomach and buried her face into the pillow. "Go without me," she mumbled. "I'm still sleepy."

Tricia got up and opened the curtains. The light was blinding, and Annie groaned and buried her face deeper into the pillow. She walked back over to Annie and slapped her on the butt. "Come on! Wake up!"

"If you're going to slap me, will you at least do it where I can enjoy it?"

Tricia grinned and opened the door to the hallway. A wheelchair was sitting outside. She brought it in, and set it up next to the bed. Annie looked at it and moaned.

"Ugh."

"Come on, Annie. I know you would rather be floating. But you have to..."

"I know, I know. It's not that. I just hate the Invacare Tracers. Can't move the arm-rests. I like my ultra light-weight titanium."

-------

Mr. Hendricks, or Multiplex, did a spectacular job with their arrangements and papers. As they arrived downstairs in the lobby, they found him waiting for them with breakfast sandwiches, a limousine ride to the airport, EarthGuard secured transport papers, first class tickets, and some spending money. Tricia felt a little uneasy about asking for more money, so she casually asked about the price of digital cameras. Mr. Hendricks opened his wallet and gave her another five hundred Egyptian pounds. When she tried to refuse, he informed her that it meant little to him. She initially took that to mean that money meant little to him, but he explained that was not the case. It meant little to him because it was all going on Quantum Knight's expense account.

They rode to the airport, and the EarthGuard transport papers got them through security. All the time Tricia kept a close watch on Annie. She was moody and sullen, but when Annie discovered that their trip would take them through Tel Aviv, she screamed in joy and was bubbly the rest of the afternoon. They picked up a few things in the airport; a couple magazines, a digital camera, and a blank pad and pens for Joey. Tricia was curious about the Egyptian chocolates she found in one shop, but opted for a bag of Hershey's Kisses instead. If there is one thing America still does right, it's chocolate.

Because of Annie, they got to board early on El Al Israel Airlines flight 446 in the handicapped section up front in first class. ("Thank you, Annie!") Annie and Joey both got to sit next to windows, and they got to take pictures of Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea during the flight.

After an hour and a half flight, they landed in Tel Aviv, Israel, where they had a two and a half hour layover until their next flight to Atlanta, Georgia. Following her own advice, Tricia let Annie go nuts, and although Yiddish was not the primary language spoken there, it didn't take long for Annie to find another Yiddish speaker. It also didn't take long for her to get into an argument with him.

They ate dinner at a restaurant, and Annie did some shopping, and bought a head scarf and photo book. She also bought a postcard, wrote "Wish you were still here," on it, and mailed it to herself.

Delta Airlines flight 153 for Atlanta, Georgia took off at 7:00 PM, local time, and Tricia, Annie, and Joey settled down for the long thirteen hour flight. Annie and Joey watched through the windows as long as there was light, and for the first leg of their flight they saw nothing but the Mediterranean Sea. The sun had set by the time they had reached Turkey, and they watched the city lights coming on in Caterini, Greece. They napped, read, talked, and ate as they passed over Macedonia, Albania, and skimmed the edges of Montenegro and Croatia. They eagerly watched out the windows as they passed over Venice, but could not see anything as they flew over the Alps in Switzerland.

Four and a half hours into their flight they saw the lights of Paris. Soon they were over the Channel, then over a brief outcropping of a lower portion of England, and then they headed out over the black, featureless North Atlantic.

Most of the passengers slept in the flight. Tricia, Annie, and Joey also slept as they could. At one point Tricia woke up and saw that the attendants were sleeping, Annie was fast asleep, but Joey was awake and sketching. She gave him a mischievous wink, and he grinned back at her, flipped a few pages around, and turned his sketchpad around to show her what he had been working on. It was a picture of her in the airline seat, strapped in securely and sleeping, but completely naked.

Tricia held back a giggle and smiled at him. She playfully fingered a button on her blouse, and glanced over at the bathroom. It was vacant, and the attendants were nowhere to be seen.

Feeling sexy, and spurred on by her dream that she could get away with it, she reached into her purse, pulled out some condoms, and placed them in her breast pocket. Then she unbuckled her safety belt and headed for the bathroom. She gave Joey a wink and crooked her finger, beckoning him to follow her, and then stepped into the bathroom.

A minute later Joey followed her into the small, cramped bathroom. "Hi," he whispered. He closed and locked the door behind him.

"Hi," she slurred. "Cozy in here, isn't it?" She pressed her body up against his and wrapped her arms around him. She kissed him before he could answer, and pushed him up against the sink. Joey lifted himself up on the sink, raising himself so his head was closer to hers, and she slipped her tongue into his mouth while she hugged her body up hard against him.

She kissed down his cheek. "I missed you last night!" she whispered. She kissed him frantically on the lips and back to his cheek again. "I missed having your hard cock inside of me!"

"Tricia..." Joey began. "I need toMMmmmgghhh." She planted her mouth on his and sucked his tongue into her mouth. Her body undulated against his, and she grasped and clawed his back, and then reached down to her own shirt and pulled it upward. Tricia broke the kiss long enough to pull her shirt up over her head and drop it to the floor, revealing her full bra-encased breasts.

"Did you miss these?" she asked suggestively, thrusting her chest up towards him. She took his hands and placed them on her big breasts. "They missed you." His hands were warm, and she squeezed them into her soft flesh.

She dove onto his mouth again, but Joey pushed her back. "Tricia, wait! Stop!" he whispered.

She reached around his head and drew him closer. "It's okay. No one will find us." She kissed him again.

He pulled back. "No means no."

Tricia blinked and stopped. "I'm sorry ... What's the matter?"

Joey dropped his gaze, unable to look her in the eyes. "I..." he started, but couldn't continue. He looked frightened and confused. "I don't know ... I mean..."

She cocked her head and smiled, knowing what was bothering him. "It's okay. What is it, sweetheart?"

He sighed. "I don't want to hurt anyone. But ... There's you, and now there's Annie, and Sandy, and..." He swallowed. "I don't know what's going on, and I don't know what to do. I mean ... It's supposed to be just one boy and one girl, right?"

Tricia gave him a reassuring smile. "That's what they say," she whispered, and she leaned in and kissed his lips softly. "But the people who say that, they're usually the ones who can't get laid." She got him to grin at that, and she nuzzled into his cheek. "You're worried that I'm going to be angry or jealous because you have feelings for Annie and Sandy, and they have feelings for you. Well, I'm not angry or jealous, and I don't think they will be either." She leaned back and looked him in the eyes, and caressed his cheek. "I'm actually quite proud of you. And I really think you need to explore other women. I mean, I love you, and your powers work off of love, and I think you need to explore your powers, and for that you need to love more people. More women. I want to help you with that." She grinned. "And as for me, I'm not used to being a guy's only girlfriend. You and me for these past few days, this has been the longest exclusive relationship I've ever been in. I'm not used to this."

Joey giggled. She grinned and continued. "Seriously! These past few days, I've felt lost. But once Annie kissed you, I thought... 'Oh! This is familiar territory. This I can deal with.'" She chuckled. "But it was fortunate that we found each other. You gave me what I needed to grow up, and I can give you what you need to learn how to love." She smiled to herself. "You could even say that we were destined to find each other."

Joey smiled shyly and nodded. "So ... with Annie and Sandy..."

Tricia reached up and started unhooking the front clasps of her sports bra, revealing more and more deep and inviting cleavage. "I know you love Annie so very much. I know because that's how you were able to make her fly like you did. And I know that you're attracted to her. She's beautiful, and I think she's interested in you too. And if you want to love her the way you love me, I'm all for it."

Tricia finished unhooking her bra, and she felt her breasts sag slightly as they fell out of the cups. She opened her bra and arched her back, pushing her chest up towards his face. He started kissing down her chest, and he nuzzled into her cleavage. His warm and soft lips sent shivers through her spine, and she sighed and caressed his head. "Now if you're interested in Sandy, well I got the feeling that if she were interested she let you know pretty bluntly."

Joey looked up from Tricia's breasts with a slight grin on his face. Tricia cocked her head and raised an eyebrow. "You two were alone with each other a couple of times. Did something happen?" she asked cutely with a broad grin.

"Well ... kind of..."

Tricia shimmied her shoulders, shaking her big boobs around his face. "What happened?" she teased him.

Joey blushed a bit. "She ... let me know she was interested." He reached up and cupped her big breasts, running his thumbs over her hard nipples. Tingles of pleasure erupted from her nipples, and she shifted her hips.

"That certainly was a diplomatic answer. What did she do?" Tricia giggled.

Joey kissed the top of her breasts and started working his way down and around the full curves, kissing, licking, and nibbling the side and underneath of one large mound. She could feel her heart beating harder, and she took some deep breaths.

"She started taking her clothes off, and she kissed me again," he said.

"Oh, really?" Tricia cooed and rubbed her nipple in his face. "How far did you get? Did you get to play with her boobies?"

Joey moved to her other breast and licked the underside. "Um ... no."

"Why not?"

Joey pulled off her breast and looked at her. "I didn't know ... how you would feel."

Tricia cradled his face and stroked his hair. "Ohh ... You poor dear. You were worried about me. Well, let me make things clear. If you want to play around with Sandy or Annie, you can do it. The only things I ask is don't get pressured to do something you don't want to do, and always use a condom." She kissed him deeply. "Also, afterward, come to me and tell me every juicy detail! Okay?"

Joey laughed. "Deal!"

Tricia smiled and reached down to his pants. "Now, where were we?" she asked as she unbuttoned them.

Fifteen minutes later Joey came out of the bathroom. He had a slight grin on his face, and he just returned to his seat as quietly as possible and picked up his sketchpad. A couple minutes later, Tricia also emerged from the bathroom and returned to her seat. As she buckled herself back in, she glanced over at Annie. Annie's eyes were closed.

She opened her eyes and glared at Tricia.

"What?" Tricia whispered.

She flicked her eyes over to Joey, and back to her. "Did you just join the Mile-High club?" she whispered.

Tricia put on a mocked offended look. "Of course not!"

Annie continued to glare at her.

Tricia grinned. "Joey did."

Annie rolled her eyes and went back to sleep.

-------

They landed in Atlanta, Georgia on time at 1:15 in the morning on Sunday, July 19. After a brief hour and forty minutes layover which barely gave Annie enough time to take care of her needs, they boarded their last flight to Washington DC. They landed in Dulles International Airport at 5:00 AM, and took a cab home. It was six in the morning when they finally got home.

When they got into the apartment, Joey immediately went to Scrappy's cage and took the excited dog out. Annie's chair and her and Tricia's purses sat in the middle of the living room. Tricia found a note from Sandy sitting on the chair.

Welcome home!
Van is outside. Had to pull some strings to get your chair and purses. Police collected them for evidence. They're going to want to talk to you. I told them to give you a day or two to rest.
Fed & watered dog, took for a walk. Cleaned cage.
Sorry about the shoe. He already had it.
-Sandy

Tricia smiled as she glanced in the cage and saw the well-chewed left Mephisto Nastasia designer walking sandal. The right one was still untouched. She grimaced at the dog.

Annie rolled into the apartment. "Oy. Good to be home. I'm exhausted." She moved up to her other chair and locked the wheels. "Jo ... Tricia, can you help me?"

Tricia helped Annie pull up out of the loaner chair and into her personal chair. "Oh. Thank you. So much better."

Should I just fold this up and put it in your closet as a spare?"

Nah ... Don't like that chair. We'll donate it. I've got friends who could use it." Annie stretched and yawned. "I don't know about you, but I need another nap."

The yawn was contageous. Joey yawned, and then Tricia yawned. So did Scrappy. "Me too," said Tricia. "Travel wears you out. You want to take a nap, Joey?"

Joey nodded, but looked a little nervous. "Yeah. Um..." He looked up at Annie. "Would it be okay if ... I sleep with Annie?"

Tricia looked at Annie approvingly. Annie, however, had a concerned look on her face.

No," she finally said a bit coldly. "I don't think that would be a good idea." And she spun her chair around and rolled to her bedroom, leaving Joey and Tricia in the living room, stunned.

-------

Translation guide

"A groysen dank!"- "Thank you."

"Khas ve-kholileh!" - "God forbid."

"Nebakh" - "Pity"

"¡Hola, mi hermana!" - "Hello, my sister!"



-------

Chapter 21: Track Five and Velcro





Sunday, July 19, 2009, 6:00 AM

Annie rolled into her bedroom and closed the door behind her, leaving Tricia and Joey in a stunned silence. It was all because Joey had just asked if he could sleep with Annie, and Annie had said 'No'.

He looked down to the floor. Shame crept over his face. "I'm sorry..." he started. "I ... I don't know ... What just happened?" he asked Tricia in horror.

Tricia waved to him, not taking her eyes off the hallway where she last saw her roommate. "You did nothing wrong."

"But ... is she angry at me?"

She gave him a reassuring look. "No. I don't think she's angry with you." She reached out, took him by the hand, and led him to her room. "Joey, why don't you go to bed. I'll be over in a minute. I just want to talk to her."

"Is she okay?"

"I'm sure she's just tired, that's all." She guided him to her bed. "You get some rest."

He sat on the bed, worried and scared. "Tell her I'm sorry."

Tricia patted his shoulder. "I'll take care of her. Go to sleep, and I'll be back soon."

She left him in her room and closed the door, and then went to Annie's room. She knocked on her door. "Annie? I'm coming in." There was no response, and she opened the door and stepped in.

Annie sat in her chair, her arms folded across her stomach, and she looked sullen and depressed. Tricia closed the door and glared at her.

"Annie, what the hell was that out there?"

"What did it look like to you?" she answered gloomily.

"He was trying to reach out to you, trying to open up, as you encouraged him to do. And you slapped him away."

Annie turned away from Tricia.

"You hurt his feelings! He's sitting in my room now wondering what he did to hurt you. Now what is it? Are you angry at him?"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry for hurting him. And no."

"You're angry because of him? Because of the promise I made you make. No flying, that's it?"

Annie squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head again. "No. It's not that."

"It looks like that to me. Annie, if you're going to get angry at anyone for that, get angry at me! I can take it. But Joey can't. It's your rule! We don't hurt him."

"That's not it!" Annie rasped. She was tearing up.

Tricia came closer to her and knelt on the floor next to her friend. "If that's not it, then what is it? What's the problem?" She reached out and caressed Annie's hand. "It's me, isn't it?"

Annie gave Tricia a brief look of disgust, and shook her head.

"Look, if you're worried about open relationships, about me being jealous, I already told you how I feel. I don't get jealous. And you two have something special. You need to explore it. He loves you, Annie. And you love him too. That's the only way he could have made you fly in the first place."

Annie wiped her eyes and shook her head again. "That's not it."

"Then what is it? You're worried about where you fit in the relationships? Well, so does he. He doesn't know where you fit in with him and he fits in with you. And all he wanted to do was..."

"You think I don't know what it is he wanted?" she barked, glaring at Tricia. "I know exactly what he wanted!"

Tricia raised an eyebrow. "Oh ... So that's it. You're not ready to take it to that level, and you don't want to have to tell him 'No' while you're in bed together, is that it?"

Annie huffed and rolled away to her dresser. Tricia stood up. "Look Annie, I can tell you that, although he gets eager, he'll listen to you and he'll respect your wishes. You don't have to worry about him."

"I'm not worried about telling him 'No'."

Tricia cocked her head. "So if you're not worried about telling him 'No', then what are you worried about?" She paused for a second. "Oh I get it ... You're worried that you will say 'Yes', is that it?"

Annie shot a fearful look at her.

Tricia nodded. "Yeah, that's it. You do want him. So what's the problem? Is it his age? Is that it? You're the one who told me he's not too young to be interested."

She shook her head, crying. "No, that's not it."

"Well he wants you. And if I'm not the problem, and if he's not the problem, then who IS the problem?"

Annie screeched at her. "TRICIA! LOOK AT ME!" Her face scrunched up in pain, and tears rolled down from her eyes.

Tricia looked at her friend, sitting there in her wheelchair. "Oh. I see. It's the paralysis." She nodded. "So, you're finally pulling the poor little crippled girl routine. No, not a chance! Not with me." Tricia knelt down next to her, took her hand, and squeezed it hard. "Remember that first day we met? You laid down the law. No pity for you. Well, I've lived up to that. You haven't gotten any pity from me, and you're not going to. And guess what? You make it easy. Do you have any idea how often I find myself wishing I could be more like you?"

Annie chuckled through her tears, and shook her head.

Tricia continued. "You're strong, and you're smart. You're kind, and you're beautiful. You're the total package, you know that? These are the things Joey loves about you. You know he doesn't care about the chair."

She nodded, wiping her tears. "I know ... It's just that..." She shuddered. "I can't just ... jump into bed with a guy. I'm not like you."

"What is it? You WANT to be more like me?"

She flustered. "Yes ... No ... Kind of ... I just..." She sniffed. "I want this, but I don't know what's going to happen."

"So what's the worst that can happen?"

She teared up. "He'll get on top of me ... And he'll push here..." She touched her abdomen. " ... and I'll..."

Tricia nodded. "Piss all over him. I understand."

Annie sniffed again and wiped her eyes. "I want this, but I want it to be special. And I don't want to have to worry about what all my body is going to do. What it looks like down there. Whether I cleaned everything..."

Tricia squeezed her hand. "You want to be ready. And perfect for him." She chuckled. "You're such a romantic. I've never been the romantic type." She smiled and looked at herself. "We're so different, you and me. I'm still wearing an outfit that a demon tried to bite through. I've got dried demon spit and tooth holes in my clothes, and I'm still wearing it. But you get dribbled on, and you have to get a complete change of clothes. You're so meticulous, and we both love you for it."

Annie smiled and laughed. "It looks good on you. It's like a grunge, just-got-attacked-by-a-monster-and-still-look-fabulous look."

Tricia chuckled. "What do you need?"

"Time," she answered. "I need time to ... get ready. And I need ... help."

Tricia nodded and reached over to Annie's chair-purse. She pulled out her cell phone and handed it to her. "Here. Call Sven. Splurge. Take the time."

"But..."

"What else are you doing today?" Tricia grinned at her friend. "Do it. Call him. Take as much time as you need. And I'll explain things to Joey, and I'll keep him busy while you're doing your thing, and then you can have the rest of the evening alone with him."

Annie smiled and nodded. "Thanks." She reached out to Tricia, and they hugged each other.

"I'll even keep him fresh for you," said Tricia in the hug.

Annie laughed, and buried her face in her hands. "Oy vey! ... What am I doing, Tricia?" She peeked through her hand at her friend. "I've never done this before."

"What? You've been with guys before."

She nodded. "Yeah, but ... it's always been exclusive. I've never shared a guy before." She looked embarrassed.

Tricia smiled. "I've always been with guys with other women. I'm used to it." She paused. "But you know, this is different for me." She held Annie's hands. "This is the first time the other woman was someone I actually cared about."

Annie blushed. She thought for a moment. "Of course, if I do this with Joey, what happens next?"

Tricia cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

"Well, who does he sleep with?"

She chuckled. "I suppose we could alternate. I'm sure he would enjoy that."

Annie giggled into her hands. "Oy! Oh! ... But you know what's going to happen!"

"What?"

"Him, sleeping with both of us ... You know he's going to want both of us at the same time sometime!"

Tricia's jaw dropped, and she considered the idea. "Well..." She laughed. "Look at us! Who could blame him for wanting that?"

Annie stared at her. "Are you seriously considering it? What are we going to do then?"

"Annie, we don't have to do anything we don't want to do. The only thing that absolutely HAS to happen is I have to have sex with him so he can push me through time. But when it comes to you, it's all about what you want."

Annie squinted at Tricia. "So you're saying ... it's all up to me."

Tricia nodded. "Yeah."

"So ... you're NOT saying you're against the idea."

"Hmm?"

"Tricia, you didn't say you were against the idea of a threesome."

Tricia squinted back. "Neither did you."

Annie opened her mouth to protest, but stopped, realizing that it was true. She buried her face in her hands in embarrassment again. "OY! Khas ve-shoolem! I..." She burst out in a nervous fit of laughing. "I've never done that! I'm a good Jewish girl! I don't do the freaky stuff!"

Tricia giggled and patted Annie's hand. "I haven't done that either. But we don't have to worry about that now. Right now is all about you and Joey. You two deserve a night together, and I think you should take it. Call Sven! And you can have him the whole night to yourself. I'll crash somewhere else for the night."

A couple minutes later, Tricia returned to her room, and found Joey still sitting on the bed looking worried. "Is she okay?" he immediately asked.

She closed the door. "She's fine." She took off her shoes and climbed on the bed with him. "She's sorry that she hurt your feelings. She just needs some time, that's all." She gently coaxed him to lie down on the bed.

Joey lay back, looking slightly relieved, but still scared. Tricia cuddled up to him. "Let's get some sleep," she said. "I'll explain everything to you later on."

-------

The earth had been shaking for hours.

The Chamber of Digestion, a fetid pit filled with blood, bones, rotted flesh, shit, piss, ejaculate, drool, and a host of abominable creatures crawling through it all shook as the rock thundered. The demons within it screeched and scrambled, and howled and slashed at each other as their panic grew. Something was coming. Something dangerous.

The rumbling and booming turned into a deafening roar, and the ceiling glowed with heat. A sudden explosion ripped the ceiling apart, and a hole opened, conjuring a brilliant shaft of light illuminating the dust and dirt. The demons screamed in agony as the blinding light burned their eyes, and many ran to the farthest corners of the pit, seeking shadows and holes to hide in.

A glowing figure descended into the pit. It was a humanoid form made of glass, plastic, and steel. It hovered over the ground, and was soon followed by a column of black smoke which formed the figure of a dark man of flesh dressed in a shadowy cloak.

The demons screamed and roared their challenges. DarkMyst scanned the shadow pit.

"An Inquisition of demons infests this cavern. This abominable place must be scoured," said the dark sorcerer.

"Status.switch(Combat);" replied the Hyperion.

The horde charged the intruders, their eyes locked on the twin prizes of fresh meat and a clear path to the outside, and their fangs dripping with saliva, blood, and fresh flesh. DarkMyst threw his arms wide open, and two tendrils of black smoke erupted and solidified, forming twin barbed scimitars. He threw the sharpened weapons into the multitude, and the swords became alive and deadly, spinning and slashing into the creatures, cleaving through them as if they were made of smoke and spider web, beheading, disemboweling, amputating, and leaving a trail of spraying blood and flying body parts.

A barrage of emerald lasers erupted from the Hyperion, cutting, blinding, searing, piercing, and razing the herd.

The demons screamed and gasped as they fell. They shrieked and roared. They charged. They scattered and scrambled. They hid. They feasted on their fallen brothers. But none could touch the two heroes. To approach was to die, to attack was to die. To hide was to be found and killed. Like twin gods of light and darkness, science and magic, fire and cold, reason and passion, earth and cloud, they passed their judgment on the horde, and slaughtered all under their gaze.

The razing took many minutes. Demons fell by the scores, and soon there was nothing but the faint sounds of dripping blood. DarkMyst waded into the pool of blood and flesh, and scanned the darkness. The Hyperion shielded the tunnel.

He extended his mystic senses. "Death. All." He reached back and pointed towards the bright tunnel in the ceiling. A vaporous tendril emerged and clouded the opening, forming a solid plug which sealed the tunnel, and plunged the pit back into darkness illuminated only by the faint glowing from the Hyperion. "If there are others in the complex, they will not escape through here." He turned and continued wading through the muck towards another tunnel exit. "We hunt for her body now."

The Hyperion hovered behind him, following silently.

The collapsed tunnels were filled with rocks and boulders, and that which could not be swept away with solid mists and forcefields where sliced apart with lasers. They made their way through the erratic passageways, digging and channeling through the debris.

They penetrated the Chamber of Labors. It was destroyed and buried. DarkMyst extended his mind and searched. The Hyperion extended a hand. The hand glowed, and debris shifted nearby.

Nails, once scattered in the rocks, now flew up into the air, attracted by the magnetic pulse. They gathered on the Hyperion's hand. The android took one and let the others fall. "Analysis(subject) returns {"nail", "iron", "cobalt", "electrogalvanized", "ferromagnetic"}; Correlation("Quantum Knight", "ammunition") returns true;"

"Then this is the place they fought." DarkMyst searched the shadows. "So where is her bo..."

The fiery concussive explosion came out of nowhere, and it threw DarkMyst across the cavern. He hit the rocks hard, and his skull knocked against the wall, rendering him dizzy. The Hyperion spun and tumbled and smashed against the far wall.

Desdemona dropped out of the shadows, hissing, spitting, and crouched on the floor. She considered her two opponents. The Hyperion was her greatest threat, and the sorcerer was still stunned. Her talons extended, and she leaped onto the metal figure. She slashed, clawed, and penetrated the skin and circuitry, burrowing her talons into the hero's chest. Sparks and light flashed as the Hyperion shook, and she tore the chest open, revealing a metallic understructure of circuits, wires, and framework.

The Hyperion lay still.

Desdemona turned and regarded the dark sorcerer. She extracted her claws from the hero and considered them. Small insects clung to her hand. She licked her hand, shuddered, and spat. "Some life forms are too foul, even for me." There was a brief flare of fire, and her hand was clean; the insects were burned off.

DarkMyst rolled and tried to stand up. She was on him before he could look at her, and her raking attack send a spray of black blood into the air. She slashed, ripped, sliced, and hacked him as he feebly tried to summon the protective mists. With one hand she grabbed him by the neck, and the other she thrust directly into his chest, up under the ribs. He lurched and tried to scream, and his feet and legs started to turn to a swirling mist.

She thrust upward and grabbed his heart.

"Oh no!" she said, squeezing the sorcerer's heart in her clawed hand. "You're not turning to mist and escaping. Not while I have your heart."

DarkMyst rasped and shook. The swirling smoke spun around them like a tornado, and much of his legs disappeared in the transformation. He held onto her arm and tried to push her off, but she held him fast.

"So, sorcerer ... You came looking to see if I was dead. You were wise to check, but foolish to come with so little assistance. Now my old home will become your tomb." She squeezed his heart, puncturing it with her claws.

He groaned as the pain became excruciating.

"But as you die, die knowing this ... No power can kill me. I do not die. The most anyone can do is delay me. But I think I have found the one I have been searching for. One that can lead me to one powerful enough. The Omega Man. Did you know he is back from the dead?"

DarkMyst struggled. The dissolving mists whirled up higher, transforming his upper legs.

"When I find him, I will sacrifice him, and open a doorway to my home, the eighth circle. And then I will bring forth my mate! And when I have him, then I will finally be able to breed properly! My brood will take over this planet, and I will be its queen. And your EarthGuard will have failed."

The sorcerer pushed his power. He struggled and quivered in agony, and much of his torso dissolved into the black swirling fog.

"Goodbye, DarkMyst." She squeezed his heart, crushing it in her fist. DarkMyst screamed and evaporated into a cloud of vapor. She beat her wings, scattering the mist, and then turned to the tunnel entrance.

"To me, my pets!" she commanded.

A section of wall burst open, and the creatures peered out from the Chamber of Memory. She headed for the tunnel towards the Chamber of Digestion. The demons crawled and flapped and scattered about, following her. She crawled through the tunnel, making her way through the path created by her intruders, and entered the Chamber of Digestion.

She stretched out her wings and glided over the filthy pond of a floor, and landed at the far end. The sealed plug that DarkMyst placed was still there, and she sliced it down and open.

The room was bathed in bright sunlight again.

"How good of you to make an opening for me," she said as she climbed up the vertical tunnel. Upward and onward she climbed, and then she emerged in the sandy desert of the Sahara. Her demon pets followed her faithfully and obediently. They screeched at the hot mid-day sun as the clambered out of the pit, and roared their challenges to the sky. Desdemona waited for them all to emerge, and looked north west with anticipation.

Dozens came out of the hole, scores of demons from the first and second circles. They were small things, the size of dogs, and they were stupid and nearly worthless, good only for dying. As the last demon emerged from the pit, she summoned the power within her and rose over the tunnel entrance. She lifted her arms, and a great fireball built between her hands. The wiser demons saw what was coming and scattered, but the young and foolish ones drew closer, eager to see what magic their mistress had in store.

She yelled and hurled the fireball towards the carved tunnel, and a massive explosion shook the earth, incinerating the young and foolish demons, and collapsing the tunnel. The entire ground shook and fell as chambers underneath collapsed and utterly crushed the two heroes trapped within.

She smiled as she watched the ground settle, and the sand pour down into the pit, erasing all traces of her home's presence. Her wings beat slowly as she hovered, and she turned slowly and addressed her followers.

"We leave now. The journey will be long and hard and cold." She thought back to her deep past. "Like Satan's cock. I expect not all of you to survive flying over the ocean, so if you must succumb..." She gave them all a hard stare. " ... have the decency to fall into the jaws of another, so that you are not wasted."

The demon horde screamed and roared in their approval. Desdemona grinned and beat her wings, and headed north-west, and began her six-thousand mile journey to Washington D.C, followed by a flock of screeching and chattering demons.

-------

After a good long nap, Tricia was feeling refreshed and alive again. She had changed her clothes into something without teeth-marks in it, but saved the bit-through shirt to show to friends, and possibly auction off on eBay. Annie was right. A T-shirt that had huge gaping fang-holes in it looked pretty cool. Maybe I'll start a fashion trend. Couldn't be any worse than acid-wash.

Her nap had taken her back to the Metro station again. She reflected on her latest dream. She couldn't remember much of it. She did remember talking to another version of herself, telling her about Annie's issues. A second version of herself arrived looking happy and mischievous, and with the simple message of "Let her count." Let who count? Count what? She couldn't remember. Most likely she wasn't told.

She was putting on her boots when the doorbell rang. "Joey? Can you get that?" she called.

Joey was in the living room playing with the dog. He got up and answered the door. As he opened the door, he stood and stared at the man standing there. He was well over six feet tall, taller than Quantum Knight at her tallest. He was broad-shouldered, white, blond, well-muscled, with a chiseled chin, and was disturbingly gorgeous in his tight T-shirt and shorts. He carried a small gym bag. The man looked at Joey through steel-blue eyes and grinned.

"Ello? I am 'ere far Miss Annie?"

His voice had a strange accent Joey could not place.

"Um ... Yeah. She's here," answered Joey cautiously. "Who are you?"

"Sven? Is that you?" Tricia came running up to the man. She gasped in pleasure as she saw him. "Oh! Sven! Please, come in!" She eagerly grabbed the hulking man by the arm and dragged him into the apartment. "It's so good of you to come!"

"Ello, Miss Tricia," he said politely.

"Oh, I can't begin to tell you how good it is to see you!" Tricia gushed to the tall, blond, Swedish man. "Annie and I are SO glad you could make it!" She placed both of her hands on his broad and muscled pectorals. "It is SO good to see you again ... You and your ... big blue eyes..." She grimaced as she stared at the gorgeous man, and her fingers clawed at his tight T-shirt. "And your ... pecs! ... And those big strong arms!..." She shut her eyes and strained as she spoke, and leaned her head against his muscled chest, trying to gather strength, and she balled her fists and started pounding on his chest in frustration. " ... And that tight butt! ... Washboard abs! ... Your perfect hair!... <gasp> Those muscled thighs!..." She pounded on him, and her voice got angrier. "You! ... Gorgeous! ... Hunk! ... Of Swedish! ... Beefcake! ... And so nice! ... And polite! ... And strong! ... And GAY!"

"Um ... Miss Tricia?"

Tricia screamed at him and grabbed him by the shirt. Her eyes were pleading and crazed. "WHY? PLEASE! LET ME MAKE A MAN OUT OF YOU! TRY A WOMAN FOR ONCE! COME TO OUR SIDE!"

"Miss Tricia, cood you lat go uf me?"

"I'll make it worth your while!" she begged hysterically. "You're too perfect to waste on men! We need you! Don't you understand?"

Joey was watching all of this with an extremely dumbfounded look on his face. "Um ... Who is this guy?" he finally asked.

Annie emerged from her room and rolled into the hallway. She gave Joey a friendly smile, and then looked over at Sven. Her face lit up. "SVEN! AAAH!" she screamed.

"Ello, Miss Annie!" he said politely as Tricia was hanging onto his shirt. "I am 'ere far you today." He gestured to the buxom Hispanic woman clawing at his chest. "Cood you 'elp me?"

"Tricia! Let go of him! Shoym! He's mine today!"

Tricia pounded her head against his broad chest in frustration. "Fine!" She let go of him and groaned. "But the offer still stands! Whenever you want to go straight, you come to me! ME! You hear me, you Swedish dreamboat? You Nordic god? ME!" She barked at him and turned him around toward Annie. "Now you be gentle to her."

Annie dropped her jaw. "Gentle? Oy! You're kidding me! Gentle, shmentle!" She reached out to the Swedish man with both arms outstretched. "Sven! Get over here! Take me! Do your worst! ROUGH ME UP! Pull out that viking hammer of Thor and nail me!"

Joey was completely confused and watched the two girls fight over the big Swedish man. Sven was politely embarrassed, and he walked over to Annie. "Shall ve get started?"

"Oh, no no!" Annie scolded the man. "You're not wheeling me anywhere. You carry me! Up! Up!"

Sven smiled politely, knelt down in front of Annie, and wrapped one meaty arm around her tiny frame. Tricia watched and admired him from behind, and reached her fingers out towards his butt and pantomimed clawing his perfect ass while she silently mouthed a few dirty words. Annie screamed in joy as the big Swedish man snatched her up, threw her over his broad shoulder, and effortlessly stood up.

"AAIIEE! OY! YES! TAKE ME!" She laughed and squealed as she dangled over his shoulder. She slapped both of her hands on Sven's butt. "OY! What a TUKHES!"

"Miss Annie! You shoodn't." Sven chided.

But Annie didn't care. She screamed, giggled, and laughed and started her horrid singing as he carried her and his gym bag into her bathroom.

(sung to the tune of Donna Summers' "Hot Stuff") 
"Kh'zikh meer epes FLAYSHIKS, zol meer zein yontef!
Darf ikh epes FLAYSHIKS, ketsl, hei nakht!"

Tricia watched the two disappear into the bathroom with a look of pride and joy and just a slight touch of envy on her face. She sighed, and looked at Joey.

Joey stood there with a look of exasperation, confusion, and impatience. "Well?" he barked. "Are you going to tell me what's going on? Who is that guy? What's happening?"

Tricia gave him a beautiful loving smile, clapped her hands together as if she were holding something precious, and said "Something disgusting! Come along! Let's go out and get something to eat. Are you in the mood for ice cream?"

-------

They arrived at a Baskin-Robbins. Joey ordered a banana split, and Tricia dutifully looked at the plain vanilla non-fat frozen yogurt for a minute or two, had a profound thought about the fragility of life, and then decided "Fuck it! Hot fudge sundae! Extra chocolate!"

They got their ice cream and sat together in a small table in the far corner, far away from other customers. Tricia stared at her dessert, and watched the gooey chocolate sauce drip down over the whipped topping and ice cream. "Ohh ... I am going to pay for this," she muttered to herself.

Joey looked at her expectantly. "Well?"

Tricia smiled. "Okay. Let me tell you what's happening." She leaned in toward him and spoke softly. "Joey? Annie loves you. She loves you very much. And she wants to explore that love with you. She wants to love you in the same way that I love you."

Joey blinked and smiled slightly. "Really?"

She nodded. "Yes. But she's a very different girl than me. This morning, when she turned you down, it wasn't because she didn't want you. It's because she DOES want you. But she's not the type to just jump into bed with any guy when the opportunity strikes. I'm more like that."

He looked worried.

"Well, I USED to be. I don't think I should be doing that anymore. But Annie likes romance. She wants to be pampered and adored and swept off her feet. And she wants everything to be perfect and magical. She wants a very special experience with you." Tricia paused. "But her paralysis causes her a big problem with that."

Joey looked confused. "What do you mean?"

Tricia smiled. "She does a good job fooling us that her life isn't difficult, but it is." She picked up her spoon and scooped up a large blob of the dark brown sauce and let it drip down onto her sundae. "Of course, what I have to tell you now should be all rights make this look so disgusting that I wouldn't be able to eat it, but somehow chocolate is immune to that." She closed her eyes, put the spoon in her mouth and licked the chocolate sauce off of it. The rich, sweet flavor flooded her tongue and filled her with an ecstasy that she did not understand, nor want to understand. "Mmmm..." she moaned. "God, I love chocolate!" She savored the sweet essence for a few seconds, and opened her eyes. "I'm talking about when she goes to the bathroom."

Joey blinked in surprise. "The bathroom?"

Tricia nodded. "Think about the muscles in your body. She can't use any muscles down here..." she gestured, " ... below the waist. It's not just her legs. It's everything down in here, in her abdomen. We use these muscles to control when and how we go to the bathroom. We know when we're full and need to go to the bathroom, we can hold it until we get there, and we can release when we're ready, and push if we need to. But Annie can't do any of that. She never knows when she needs to relieve herself, and she just goes when she needs to, and she doesn't know when it happens. That's why she wears diapers. You knew she wore them, right?"

Joey nodded.

"When she goes to the bathroom, she needs a long time because she's usually cleaning up a big mess. She uses a catheter, and she sometimes has to reach inside and pull stuff out with her hands."

Joey grimaced. "Ew!"

"I know. It's not a pretty thought. But this is what she has to do." She looked down at her chocolate sauce. "Oh, good! NOW it's starting to look disgusting. I ... No, wait. That's still chocolate." She scooped up another spoonful of chocolate sauce and licked it off the spoon. "Oh, god!" she sighed. "I love this stuff!" She savored it again. "So Joey, Annie wants to spend some time with you. But she wants a magical and romantic time, and she doesn't want to worry about accidentally pissing or pooping on you."

"Oh. But that won't bother me! I understand it."

Tricia smiled. "But what's important is, it would bother her. She wants a perfect evening with you, when she doesn't have to spend any time worrying about what's going to happen. You can understand that, right?"

Joey nodded. "Yeah. I can see that." He smiled.

Tricia smiled. "So, this is where Sven comes in. Sven is a nurse, and a damn good one too. And all that stuff we were doing with him earlier, that's just a game we play with him because he's such a gorgeous hunk and we have to tease him about it. But he's helping Annie get ready for tonight."

"Tonight?"

She nodded, grinning. "She wants to spend tonight with you, alone."

Joey's face fell. "Oh." He looked concerned.

"Are you okay with that? Did you want to do that?"

He looked shocked. "Oh, yes! But ... umm..."

Tricia cocked her head as she looked at him. "What's the matter?"

Joey sighed. "Nothing ... I just didn't know this was happening."

She smiled. "We kind of sprung this on you, didn't we? I know you don't like being controlled, and that's not what's happening here. She just wants some time with you so you both can explore your feelings. See what you feel about each other." She shrugged. "But what happens is all up to you. Maybe nothing will happen, or maybe something special will happen. She's hoping for something special, and she wants to be ready if it comes."

Joey toyed with his banana split, thinking, and a slight smile came over his face.

"You like her, don't you?" Tricia asked with a grin.

He nodded. "Yeah." He grinned back.

"I like her too. I think she's pretty special. And she wants a romantic evening. I think she deserves a romantic evening, don't you?"

Joey nodded again, and looked up at Tricia. "I don't know how to do romantic."

Tricia shrugged. "It's not that difficult. You don't have to be sophisticated. You just need to give her what she wants. Something special."

Joey looked down at his ice cream and frowned. "I know what she wants," he said in resignation.

She wants to fly. And that scares him. She cocked her head. "That sounds like it scares you. She just wants to spend the evening with you. But you don't need to do anything you don't want to do."

Joey looked across the store and watched a mother and her kids. A little girl was dancing and skipping to the music playing in the store, and her younger toddler brother chased after her. A long elastic cord stretched from a bracelet on his wrist to a matching one on his mother. He eyed the plastic tether. "She deserves everything she wants," he said.

"That she does."

Joey looked back at Tricia. "I want to give her what she wants. Can you ... can you help me with that?"

"Sure!" She smiled warmly. "What do you need?"

He looked at his hands. "Can you help me make something?"

-------

At first there was nothing but blackness. Pure dark.

But a single green light, a small one, started to blink in the darkness. It was dim, and unable to illuminate anything. It just blinked alone in the nothingness.

Another green light appeared, blinking next to it. Then another. And another. They blinked at different rates, unsynchronized with each other. Independent.

A dozen small blue lights appeared, solid and sturdy. Yellow lights ignited, and then red ones. A small chromatic constellation grew as the lights appeared in the darkness. They filled out the space, forming the basic layout of a human figure.

The Hyperion was back online.

The lights grew in intensity, illuminating the small hole. The Hyperion lay in the same spot, ripped, damaged, partially buried in some rubble, but was mostly uncovered. It lay in a small enclosed chamber with a ceiling of a solid black mist.

DarkMyst, in human form, lay beside the Hyperion on the ground, alive, but straining. His arm was outstretched upward toward the ceiling. A column of black tendrils flowed from his hand into the ceiling, where he held the tons of rock up.

"Are you awake yet?"

The Hyperion lay silent.

"Can you speak?"

Silence.

A blue tinged hologram projected from the Hyperion's eyes. The image formed the head of an insect. It ticked and clicked randomly, its mandibles and antennae flailed about.

"Tick-cacakt-tikka-tikka-tik"

"Your majesty," said the sorcerer with genuine reverence. "Queen of the Hyperion. Your survival is a blessing."

"Tikka-tikkak-cattic-cakkacat"

"Do you need assistance?"

The image of the insect head disappeared, and was replaced with a diagram of the Periodic Table of elements. Several boxes were highlighted. Diagrams of crystals and long-chain molecules appeared underneath.

DarkMyst studied the chart. "Many of the metals can be found in the rocks around us. The organics, you can find those on my boots. I can still smell the filth, and would welcome a re-purposing of the demon shit. What do you need the organics for?"

The Periodic Table was cleared, and was replaced by a series of figures showing the development of insect that looked like ants from larvae to workers.

"Your crew suffered greatly. How long until you repopulate?"

A picture of Antarctica appeared. An angle diagram of approximately thirty degrees was oriented on the South Pole.

"Two hours. How long until you affect repairs on your craft?"

Several concentric circles appeared around Antarctica.

"We don't have days! She will have left for America. They must be warned. We need to escape here. Can you speed up your repairs?"

A three dimensional diagram of the Sun appeared.

"So you need light energy." DarkMyst raised his other hand and closed it into a fist. "I do not create light, but for me, light is but the absence of darkness. And I am the Master of Darkness!"

He strained and the shadows moved. The darkness that enveloped them pulled from the walls, and the walls glowed, releasing light.

"Tik-tik-tikak-tikkit." DarkMyst watched the Hyperion's skin turning darker, as thousands of microscopic solar cells deployed in the membrane.

"You're welcome," replied the sorcerer. "Now, haste!"

-------

"You are looking very handsome," said Tricia as she adjusted Joey's tie.

Joey smiled and blushed. He wasn't used to being called handsome, and he didn't quite know what to do with the compliment. It was many hours later, and they were back in the apartment. Tricia and he had gone shopping, bought the tie and a few other things, worked on their special project, got dinner, and then got a call from Sven saying that he and Annie were finishing up.

"Thank you," he finally figured out to say. He felt jittery and strange. "I feel nervous."

Tricia smiled happily. "You're going on your first date. You're supposed to feel nervous." She licked her thumb and pushed a lock of his hair back. "But if it helps, and if I know Annie, she's more nervous than you are right now. She's probably scared shitless!"

Joey chucked. "Well, as long as she's shitless."

She laughed. "That's funny. But, she gets stage fright. You're the one who can jump into scary situations, so I'm not worried about you. So you take good care of her tonight, okay?"

He nodded. "I will."

"Good boy. Now, you have everything ready?"

He gestured towards the living room. "Yeah. I got it set up. Track five?"

"Track five. You have condoms?"

Joey blushed and nodded. He patted his pocket.

She grinned. "Bondage equipment?"

He burst out laughing. "Um ... yeah." He patted his other pocket.

Tricia kissed him. "Okay. You're ready. Wait here, and I'll get Sven out of here. And have fun."

Joey watched Tricia leave her room and close the door behind her. He sat on the bed and waited, and could hear faint voices from the living room. He could hear Tricia gasp at one point, and gush at Annie's appearance.

His hands shook and his stomach felt queasy. Shivers of nervousness ran over his spine, and he thought about what he planned to do, and about what he wanted to say. His breathing was ragged. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself.

There was a minute more conversation, and then he heard Tricia and Sven walk by the door and leave the apartment. Now it was just him and Annie alone in the apartment.

He walked to the bedroom door, took a steadying breath, opened it, walked into the hallway, and saw her.

Annie was sitting in her chair in the middle of the living room with a slight, shy and expectant smile on her face. She was breathtakingly beautiful. She sat demurely, wearing a light yellow spring dress that showed her lovely bare arms. Her long black hair was touched up with a few gentle curls, and she wore a white rose in her hair. Her face was subtly made up with a light blush, and she wore a ruby lipstick. She wore earrings for the first time, and a silver chain about her delicate neck. His eyes followed the chain down to a pendent which nestled at the top of her alluring cleavage.

His jaw dropped.

"Hi," she said shyly. "You're looking good."

Joey swallowed. "Hi ... um ... You're beautiful."

Annie blushed. "Thank you."

They looked at each other for a few seconds, both unsure where to go next.

"You got me home," she said. "Thank you."

He smiled shyly. "You're welcome."

"I'm ... I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings this morning. I..."

"It's okay. I understand." He glanced at her body. "You're worth the wait."

She blushed. There were a few more seconds of awkward silence. Annie chuckled nervously.

"Well," she said. "Don't just stand there. Pull out the Parcheesi board," she flustered. Her face fell as she said that, and she gave him a worried look. "Please don't."

Joey grinned. Seeing Annie frightened seemed to calm him. Knowing that she was depending on him to take control gave him some confidence. He walked over to the CD player, picked up the remote control, and checked the player. It was still paused on track five, as he had set it up earlier. He turned to her.

"Annie?"

"Yes?"

"I want to thank you for everything you've done for me."

She smiled and blushed bashfully.

He continued. "And it's more than just letting me live here. You're my teacher. You've been teaching me how to read, and how to write, and do math..."

She smiled mischievously. "Are you saying you're hot for teacher?" she joked.

Joey stepped up to her. "I was wondering if you could teach me something else."

She looked at him questionably. " ... Sure. What did you want to learn?"

He smiled. "Can you teach me how to dance?"

Annie gasped, and her face fell. She looked hurt. "Joey ... My dancing days are over."

Joey pressed a button on the remote, starting the music. The stereo started playing the opening chords of a slow love ballad which Annie recognized immediately. A strong vibrato bass line and slow drumbeat set a romantic mood. He put the remote down and reached for her hand. She sat motionless, and stared at his hand, unsure what to do.

Sparks flashed from his hand.

Her mouth dropped open, and she unconsciously lifted her hand to his and took it. The essence filled her body the moment she touched his fingers, and she felt herself become light. Her long hair lifted as the anti-gravity field enveloped her.

"OH!" she gasped. She slowly rose out of her chair, floating freely as he gently guided her up.

"I think you just needed to find the right partner," he said, and he drew her close.

Annie tried to speak, but couldn't find words. Her face was a jumble of joy, surprise, and fear. She immediately started tearing and trembling.

Watching every motion in my foolish lover's game.

"How do I hold you?" he asked confidently.

"Um..." she squeaked.

On this endless ocean finally lovers know no shame.

"Just ... hold my hand here..." she finally said, nervously.

"Okay."

Turning and returning to some secret place inside.

"And hold my waist..." Her voice cracked.

"Like this?"

"Yes..."

Watching in slow motion as you turn around and say,

" ... Now just ... sway."

Annie was crying as Joey slowly swayed them to the music.

Take my breath away.
Take my breath away.

"Are you okay?"

Annie nodded her head vigorously, fighting her tears. "Yes!"

Joey smiled. She only weighed a couple pounds, and he held her body up and close to him. Her legs dangled down to the ground. He carefully swayed the crying girl around, turning slowly in time with the music.

Watching I keep waiting still anticipating love.

Her head dropped down to his shoulder. She shook as she cried.

Never hesitating to become the fated ones.

"Annie. It's okay."

"I KNOW!" she burst out, laughing through her crying.

Turning and returning to some secret place to hide.

"OY! Zero Gravity!..." She wiped her eyes, laughing "Can't cry in it! Tears don't fall!"

He laughed with her.

Watching in slow motion as you turn to me and say,

"Then don't cry!" he said.

She hugged him close and screamed in laughter.

Take my breath away.

She was getting her crying under some control, and Annie pushed herself back to arms length. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, but she was still beautiful as she gazed at him with wonder, love, and gratitude.

Joey held her carefully, easily supporting her entire reduced weight through her arms. He swayed to the music and turned a little faster. Her long hair billowed out behind her, flowing as if she were underwater. Her legs swung out, pulled by centrifugal force, and he was careful to keep her legs from hitting any furniture.

Through the hourglass I saw you, in time you slipped away.
When the mirror crashed I called you, and turned to hear you say, 
If only for today I am unafraid.

Their dancing became a bit more elaborate. Annie pushed out from him and extended her arm, turning her body in a slow spin as she moved to the music. Her limp legs kept her from moving quickly, for they tended to split and swing wildly when she tried to move fast. Holding his hand in hers, she spun her body in the air, wrapping her and his arms around her, bringing her in closer. Her long hair whipped and tangled around her head, and they laughed and giggled as they tried to push her hair out of her face.

Take my breath away.
Take my breath away.

He moved her gently with the music, growing bolder in the movements as they figured out how to maneuver her body. He dipped her and then lifted her up high above him and turned her. Her long silky black hair whipped about wildly, and her full breasts bounced freely under her dress in the light gravity, and Joey found himself distracted by their motions, and he realized he was unconsciously and intentionally pushing her to get her breasts to bounce more vigorously.

Annie's face was glowing with happiness as she danced in his arms, and she noticed him staring at her breasts. The music modulated into the next higher key.

Watching every motion in this foolish lover's game.

"So ... Arthur C. Clarke was right," she said with a grin.

"What? Who?"

Haunted by the notion somewhere there's a love in flames.

"Science fiction author. Wrote 'Rendezvous with Rama' A guy in it said some women should never be allowed to be astronauts."

Turning and returning to some secret place inside.

Joey was baffled by this sudden switch in the subjects. "Huh?"

Watching in slow motion as you turn to me and say,

Annie pushed herself up high, bringing her chest up directly towards his face. She smiled mischievously and quoted the book. "Weightlessness did things to their breasts that were too damn distracting." And on that moment, she threw her head back and her arms spread wide like a swan taking flight, and arched her back, thrusting her full bosom and naked cleavage towards his face. It was an open invitation for him to admire her beautiful breasts, and he held her and trembled slightly as he stared into her cleavage.

Take my breath away.
My love, take my breath away...

Annie leaned forward, caressed his cheeks, and pulled his head close into her chest. He could feel the softness of her breasts touch his jaw as she held him close. His cheeks pressed against her bare upper chest, and her scent was sweet and clean. She nuzzled her face into his hair, smelling him, caressing him, and she dropped lower as the music faded out.

As she lowered, she held his cheeks in her hands, lifting his face towards hers. She didn't pull him in close, but she gazed into his eyes with such happiness. "Thank you," she whispered.

He smiled back at her. "Your welcome." He looked at her lips. He wanted so much to kiss her, and he licked his lips.

She pulled him close, but it was for a hug. She pressed her body up against him and held him tight, nuzzling into his neck. He held her close and hugged her, wrapping his arms around her. He could feel the softness and firmness of her full breasts as the pressed against his chest. Her body was warm and soft, and she trembled slightly.

Annie tilted her head upward, moving her face up closer to his. She pulled back, maneuvering to keep her face inches from his, until their mouths were very close. She licked her lips.

"I have something else for you," he whispered.

She looked at him, confused. "What?"

"Do you trust me?"

She nodded. "Yes."

He gently pushed her back a bit, and took her right hand in his left. "This is going to look really weird, but..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a strange rolled up object made up of strips of Velcro.

She looked at the object. "What is that?" she asked, confused.

"It's a tether. Tricia helped me make it. I need your help. Can you hold this right here?" He held the object up to his wrist. Annie looked at him queerly at first, and then used her free hand to hold the object in place. Joey wrapped one strip around his wrist tightly, and held the other end to her wrist.

"What's this for?" she asked, holding the other end next to her wrist.

"It's to make sure I don't lose contact with you." He wrapped another strap around her wrist, and the tether now held their two hands together. It kept their hands together, but gave them enough slack to still be able to reposition their hands.

Joey took a steadying breath. He was getting nervous, fighting a battle between fear and trust. He looked Annie in her eyes. She could see his struggling. "When we were in the caves, and then in the desert, I was ... scared ... to make you fly." He reached out with his free hand and caressed the side of her head. "but I can also feel that you ... love it!" He smiled, and she grinned. "And you're so good at it too."

Annie giggled. He continued. "You're so much better at flying than my dad ever was." He swallowed. "And I feel like I can ... trust you. I want to give this to you."

"Give what?"

Joey held her and walked, carrying her over to the balcony door. He opened the door. It was a warm summer evening, and he took her outside, and they stood and looked out over the city. The sun was low in the horizon. Annie's heart was racing as her suspicions grew.

"Where are we going?" she asked with a tremor in her voice.

Joey looked out over the city and then back at her. He was nervous too. "I don't know. Anywhere."

Annie felt the essence of new powers flowing into her. She could feel her conscious control grow over local gravity, momentum, and an energy field which flowed from her core. She gasped as the force field expanded around her, flowing over her and Joey like a thin rippling sheet of water.

She looked at Joey in awe. "A ... Anywhere?" He smiled at her.

"As far as you want. As fast as you want. As high as you want. As long as you want."

Annie was speechless. She squeezed his hand, gasped and trembled, and looked back and forth between Joey and the city. She saw the city in a new light. For so long it was just a backdrop, a collection of far too many buildings with far too few ramps, but now it was her playground. She willed the anti-gravity field to expand so it enveloped Joey. She could see his feet slip off the balcony floor. She gently nudged them both with her mind, and they lifted, slowly at first, off the balcony platform and up over the railing. Her heart was racing as they cleared the railing, and she could see the street and sidewalks so far below them.

She screamed with joy, and they shot into the sky.

They hovered over the buildings, and Annie pushed them in small bursts of speed in one direction, and then another, and another, darting about randomly as she played with the power. Joey felt the tugs of momentum being pushed into his body, and at first his hand-tether played a significant role in keeping two of them together because she would push herself in one direction and him in another, but she soon learned how to synchronize her motions and his, and the tether was soon just a formality, keeping their hands clasped together as they flew.

She laughed as she swooped them up and down, experimenting with gentle turns and easy stops, and then they headed south towards the National Mall. She rocked them in flight, and played with the motions and the shape of the force field. The air whipped around the field as they accelerated, causing strange moaning sounds to emit from the field as the air oscillated around them. Annie shifted the shape of the field, changing the pitch, and soon she was tuning the pitch into a select five notes within an octave.

"What are you doing?" Joey asked.

"I've got a song in my head! I'm trying to get the force field to play it."

"Slow down. I want to try something."

Annie slowed them and they hovered. Joey concentrated on her, feeling her mind with his. "Concentrate on the music," he instructed. He reached out towards her ear and snapped his finger next to her. "You hear there ... and you think music there ... Patterns feel similar ... Connect here, to broadcast ... and..."

Music played. It was a simple adagio consonance of violins and flutes setting a delicate, exploratory mood, accented by the occasional gentle stings of harps and bells. Annie bolted and spun around. "What's that?" She looked around for the source of the music, but there was nothing near them. "Where's the music coming from?"

"You. I connected the part of your brain that has the music in it to send to the hearing part of any nearby brains. I can hear it too."

She stared at him in amazement. "You're hacking my brain?"

"Cool, huh? I got the idea from, what was it? ... Op ... optical telepathy."

"Audio telepathy..." she said in astonishment. She broke out into a wide grin as the clarinet solo took up the simple melody, and they took off south over the city, flying to the music. It was a light and playful melody, evoking a childlike wonder of the world. French horns supported the melody in the background by laying a sustaining framework of harmonies.

Annie squealed in delight as they flew hand-in-hand, dipping low between the buildings and then soaring high into the sky. She threw her free fist forward, hero style, and lowered the intensity of the force field, letting some air through. The wind blew across them, knocking the rose out of her hair and rippling her dress. They could see people see them as they zipped by, and she darted them left and right, zig-zagging through the city as they picked up speed.

She was laughing as the melody was picked up by the brass section. A flock of pigeons launched in front of them, and she playfully dove into their midst, scattering the cloud into a splash of panicking birds. She giggled as she chased one particular bird, and reached out and touched its soft tail feathers in mid-flight.

The melody changed into a transitioning counter-point. The music accelerated and increased in dynamics.

"What is this music?" Joey asked.

Annie gave him a brilliant smile. "It's the love theme from Superman!"

The melody picked up again, this time by the violin section, and was supported by the brass, becoming romantic and playful. She barrel-rolled them over the rooftops, and lightly touched the tops of trees as they flew over them. They soared and glided across the city, carried by the magical music. Melodies and counter-melodies called and answered.

Joey could feel her mind lit up in a hundred places. She was warping gravity, shaping a force field and adjusting its aerodynamic properties, synchronizing momentum on them both, all while simultaneously replaying a memorized symphony orchestra of brass, woodwinds, strings, and percussion playing complex melodies, harmonies, and counter-melodies.

"How are you doing all of this at the same time?" he asked in astonishment.

"IT'S ALL THE SAME!" she screamed.

The brass took the melody as they reached the National Mall. She zipped them over the Smithsonian museums of History and Art, flying east. She took a long orbit about the Capitol building, and headed west over the American Indian Museum, the Air and Space Museum, the Hirshhorn Gallery, and the Smithsonian castle. Annie made a bee-line straight towards the Washington Monument, and as they stopped at the very top, she reached out and lightly touched the tip of the top aluminum capstone. She giggled and pointed to a spot. Joey could see lipstick stains on the top piece.

"Who did THAT?" he laughed.

Annie shrugged and laughed, and they swooped off westward. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "You know what we should do someday?"

"What?"

"Repaint 'Surrender Dorothy'!"

Joey had no idea what she was talking about, but Annie seemed to delight in her idea. She could see the confusion on his face. "I'll tell you about it later."

They waved to themselves over the Reflecting Pool, looped around the Lincoln Memorial, and headed southeast over the Potomac River. The music was surging with string melodies and brass counter-points, and Annie dived low to skim the water's surface. The water got pulled up in the ant-gravity field and sprayed out behind them, forming rainbows.

They flew under the George Mason Memorial bridge just as the music was reaching the finale. She lifted and they rocketed straight upwards, matching the building volumes and intensity of the thundering brass sections. Annie strained and thrust her fist high as they went ballistic, soaring higher and higher with the final fanfare.

Joey looked down at the ground, and saw everything shrinking away. The air pressure dropped noticably, popping his ears. He looked up at the sunset lit-cloud they headed towards. The trumpets resounded, the kettle drums thundered, the violins sang, and as they passed up into the cloud and ejected out the top, the cymbals crashed in the music's orgasmic climax. Annie mind exploded with pleasure at that moment, and she cut all power. They coasted in free-fall to apogee, carried only by momentum, and she wrapped the anti-gravity field about them again to support them in a gentle hover.

The music faded to a slow denouement, and the simple sweet oboe solo returned, signaling the end of the piece. Annie trembled in a post-orgasmic bliss, and she turned to Joey. They drew close and reached for each other. No words were spoken. No words were needed. Her lips were warm upon his, her breasts pressed softly against his chest, and they embraced each other as they kissed, hovering over the clouds over the city, rotating slowly in a soft dance, illuminated by the setting sun.

-------

Translation Guide

"Oy! What a TUHKES!" - "Oh, what a butt!"

"Kh'zikh meer epes FLAYSHIKS, zol meer zein yontef!
Darf ikh epes FLAYSHIKS, ketsl, hei nakht!"

This is a Yiddish version of Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff", which does not translate perfectly. "I'm looking for some flayshiks, let it be yontef, I need some flayshiks, baby, tonight." Flayshik literally means "meat", but because in Jewish tradition one is supposed to wait six hours after eating meat before eating any dairy, flayshik is associated with long lasting effects. So it really means something along the lines of "long lasting meat". Yontef is a holiday, something to be celebrated.



-------

Chapter 22: Code Eleven and Counting to Ten





Sunday, July 19, 2009, 8:30 PM

"Oh, get a room, you two!"

Annie and Joey were in mid-kiss, hovering thirty thousand feet over the city, floating over a layer of clouds, and their eyes snapped open in alarm. They had just spent the past several minutes playfully flying over the city, and were finally in a romantic embrace. So the last thing they expected or wanted to see was somebody else up there with them.

They turned and saw the young curvaceous girl floating near them. She looked about fifteen, had dark green skin, long flowing light-green hair, and wore a skin-tight bodysuit of blue and green. Snow drifted off from her body.

"Sn ... Snow Angel?" Annie gasped, recognizing the superhero.

"Oh! Young love!" Snow Angel sang as she pirouetted about them. Snowflakes sparkled off her as she spun in the setting sunlight. "I love it so! You really found a good spot up here. This is very lovely! So romantic!" Her voice was musical and dainty. She swooped closer to them. "So tell me! Who's idea was this?"

"Um..." Joey and Annie looked at each other guiltily.

"Just kind of happened, huh?" She batted her eyes at them. "I can understand. It's really easy to get swept up in the excitement. And I have to confess, I've brought a few guys up here too. It REALLY gets you in the mood!" She floated and danced around them happily. "But I also have to tell you, foreplay in the planet's most restricted airspace? Not the best of ideas!"

Annie's eyes went wide. "Oh my god! Are we in trouble?"

Snow Angel smiled brilliantly. "Well, you wouldn't BELIEVE the phone calls I was getting. You really upset a lot of the boys downstairs, and right now they've got a few F-16s at Andrews ready to come and take a peek at you. So let me handle this." She pulled out her cell phone, placed the receiver in her ear, and dialed. She waited a moment.

"HIII! It's me! Snow Angel! Listen, I've found them, and you can call off the boys. We've got a Code..." She scrutinized them closely. " ... Eleven here ... Yeah. It's just a couple of kids on a date, and I've given them the once-over, and, no, they're not carrying any WMDs! ... What? ... No! No, I'm not bringing them in for questioning ... Cause it would REALLY break the mood right now, that's why! ... Captain ... Captain! ... Captain, I'm..." She rolled her eyes and held up one hand, flapping her fingers open and closed, pantomiming a loquacious puppet. "Captain, don't make me have to pull rank through EarthGuard. I really don't like filling out the paperwork ... Well, I understand, but you were NOT the first one to call me. I got an earlier call from EarthGuard ... Hold on!"

She put the phone on mute and looked at the two. "You're Joey and Annie, right?"

They nodded.

"Whew! Good! I'd hate to think I got the wrong couple." She reset the phone. "That's right! We can vouch for them ... Yes, I'll take care of them. I'll bring them down as soon as possible ... Thank you, Captain ... You tell your boys I'm sorry they didn't get to play with their toys, and I'll come by for a visit soon to cheer them up ... Thank you, Captain ... Buh-bye now!"

She pressed a button on her cell phone and sighed. She gave them a sad shrug. "A promise is a promise. I have to take you down now. They really don't like you being up here. Come along!" She reached out and gently took them by the hands and guided them downward.

"Um ... Thank you," said Annie. "How much trouble are we in?" she asked as they descended into the clouds.

Snow Angel smiled and shrugged. "Not much now, but oh, this could have gotten really ugly. You do NOT want to mess with the F-16s. Those things are just nasty. And if they didn't just kill you, but somehow brought you in for interrogation, you wouldn't get out for years. Believe me, there are some very paranoid people in the military. They get paid a lot of money to look for dangerous things, and you know how people naturally believe the things they are paid to believe, so if they think you're dangerous, they'll keep you until they prove it."

Annie looked embarrassed. "Sorry. I didn't think about this."

The superhero giggled. "Believe me, NOBODY ever thinks about this. You're not the first ones to come up here for a little nookie. I'm just glad I caught you early, in code eleven."

Joey frowned. "Code eleven? What's that?"

"Oh, it's just a little joke between me and the boys. Couples like coming up here so often, that it's not a big surprise when it happens anymore. So the big question they want to know is, how far did you two get? Two people on first base, that's code eleven. You know? One-One? But if you had your hand in her top, that would be a code twenty-one."

Annie giggled. "So, I suppose the worst you have to encounter is a code thirty-three?"

Snow Angel laughed. "Well, there's the thirty-threes, and then there are the thirty-threes with precipitation. But the ones you really have to be careful of are the code threes."

Annie yelped and laughed heartily, and Joey had no idea what they were talking about. They descended out of the cloud bank and could see the city again. "So? Which way is home?" asked the superhero.

Annie looked around. "Ummm ... I don't know. Where are we?"

Snow Angel pointed to the river. "That's the Potomac. North is that way. You really have to know the city if you're going to do any flying. Where do you live?"

"Adams Morgan."

"Oh! Nice area! I know where that is! Come along!" And she led them home.

-------

When they arrived at their building, Annie and Joey could see Tricia and Quantum Knight on the rooftop waving at them. They bashfully waved back, and descended to their apartment balcony. As they landed on the balcony, Annie slipped upward and lay in Joey's arms, and he carried her inside. They waved to Snow Angel, and she waved a finger at them. "Now you two find something fun to do inside. I don't want to have to go chasing after you again. Okay?"

"Oh, we'll find something fun to do," said Annie, and she nuzzled into Joey's neck.

Snow Angel waved them off, pirouetted back up to the rooftop, and floated towards the two women. Quantum Knight walked up toward her. "Thanks, Iowa! I knew I could count on..."

Snow Angel floated right past Quantum Knight, ignoring her friend, and zeroed in on Tricia. She bobbed directly in front of her and stopped just inches away. "Well HELL-OHH!"

Tricia jumped back as the floating superhero approached her far too closely. "Oh! Um, Hi!" she answered nervously.

"You MUST be Tricia!" said Snow Angel, closing the gap between herself and Tricia.

"Yes ... um ... That's me! Tricia Sanchez." Tricia took another nervous couple steps back. "Pleased to meet you." Snow Angel continued to press forward, always approaching as Tricia backed away from her. "Thank you for ... um ... helping them. I was worried that ... um ... they would get lost."

"Oh, my PLEASURE!" she said, just a bit too enthusiastically. She looked Tricia up and down. "You look gorgeous naked, don't you?"

Tricia let out a very nervous laugh. "Oh ... um ... Yeah, I guess. Thank you? No complaints so far!" She kept nervously backing away from her.

"I've seen you before!"

"Well, um, yeah. I've been on TV a lot."

"Really? I should get one. So, you like doing things in front of a camera?"

Quantum Knight stepped forward. "Back off, Iowa. She's straight."

Snow Angel shot Quantum Knight an annoyed glance. "So?"

"Iowa!"

Snow Angel grunted in frustration. "Oh, poo! You're not being fun!" She floated back a respectable distance from Tricia and gave her an apologetic look. "I apologize if I made you feel uncomfortable. But you are just so scrumptious looking!"

Tricia was just glad that she was no longer being chased by a horny superhero. She blushed. "I ... thank you, I guess."

Quantum Knight tilted her head towards the south. "So, where did they get off to?"

Snow Angel continued to admire Tricia's body.

"Iowa?"

"Hmm?" She was startled out of her revere.

"Where did you find them?"

"Oh ... um, about a mile from the Pentagon. Captain Ridge was NOT at all pleased. And about five miles up."

"And were they..."

Snow Angel clasped her hands together and spun in mid air. "All over each other! Oh, it was lovely. I really hated to break it up." She sighed. "It's so beautiful up there."

Tricia approached the edge of the building and rested her hands on the ledge. She looked out over the city. The sun was just under the horizon, and the streetlights and building lights were turning on. "I bet it is," she said. She sighed. The other two women joined her and looked out. The Washington Monument and the Capitol building were brightly lit, and dominated the cityscape

"Kind of like Cairo all over again, isn't it?" Quantum Knight said.

"Yeah," Tricia said. "That was an amazing night. I'm usually really scared of heights, but not then." She carefully looked over the edge of the building and felt squeamish.

"What happened in Cairo?" asked Snow Angel.

"We got to fly over the city at night. Four of us," Quantum Knight answered.

"It was so beautiful," Tricia said longingly. "It's so romantic up there, it's a wonder this kind of thing doesn't happen more often."

"Oh, it does," said Snow Angel. "All the time. Starts in the spring, and we get some fliers who take a date up there. It really picks up in the summer, sometimes a couple times a week. Not so much in the winter months." She sat on the edge, dangling her legs over the side of the building. "Don't understand why. The sky is always so clear."

"Some of us get cold," said Quantum Knight.

"Oh yeah. That's right. I keep forgetting."

"Have you been to Cairo?" asked Quantum Knight.

"No. I haven't! I should get out there some time." She grimaced. "But I don't like airplanes." She looked at Quantum Knight. "So Cairo is nice?"

"From up high it is."

Snow Angel looked out over the city. "Some cities are really nice to fly over. Baltimore is beautiful. Lots of colors. Seattle, Portland, San Fransisco ... gorgeous! New York is fun. Lots of tall buildings to play around. L.A.?" She mock gagged. "Ugh! Not again until they switch to electric cars."

Tricia laughed.

"But D.C. is really special. It's not as tall as other cities, so you get to stay low. You get to see all the monuments up close. Lots of classic Greek architecture. If it weren't for all the paranoid generals here, it would be really nice."

Tricia looked out over the city and imagined herself flying over the streets and around the buildings, the statues, and the monuments. She sighed longingly.

Snow Angel checked her out. "You want to go?"

"Huh?"

"Do you want to go flying?"

"What? You and me?" Tricia flustered. "Oh, no. I couldn't. I don't really want to."

"Yes you do," Snow Angel chided.

"Well ... I don't want to impose. I mean, you're on duty and all."

"Oh no! No imposition. I'd be happy to take you up! Show you what I get to see every night."

Tricia hesitated. "Well ... Can you do it? I mean, are you strong enough to carry me?"

Snow Angel giggled. "I can make anyone near me fly. So you're not too heavy."

"Um..." Tricia was still hesitating.

"And I promise to be a good girl!" she said, raising her hand. "You will have nothing to worry about. I will not touch you inappropriately when we're flying."

Tricia turned to Quantum Knight for support. "She can't lie," said the other superhero.

"Oh, that's right," Tricia said. "But ... is it safe?"

"I can promise you, that as long as you are with Snow Angel, your health and safety are guaranteed. She is the absolutely safest way to fly."

Tricia looked back and forth between the two superheroes, and made her decision. "Well, okay! I guess a quick flight wouldn't hurt."

Snow Angel squealed in delight and took Tricia's hand. Tricia immediately floated up into the air, supported by invisible magical energies, and she shrieked in surprise. "Come on! Let's go flying!" said the green girl. And they took off over the city.

Quantum Knight stood alone on the rooftop and watched the two fly away together. "Yep," she said to herself. "Health and safety guaranteed, and nothing inappropriate when flying." She chuckled to herself. "But once you land, you can kiss your lesbian virginity goodbye."

-------

Joey carried Annie in his arms into the apartment. He kept her ultra-light, wrapped in an anti-gravity field that left her with only a couple of pounds of weight. She was kissing his neck and hugging his body as he cradled her. He leaned his head toward hers and their lips met, and they kissed passionately.

With her free hand, she unstrapped the Velcro tether from her arm, freeing herself. With both arms free, she held his face in her hands and kissed him, pushing her body up against his.

"It's time," she whispered. She gazed at him adoringly. Joey felt himself getting lost in her beautiful emerald eyes. "Take me to bed."

He smiled at her and carried her past her chair and into her bedroom. She held him close and snuggled up to him, kissing his lips and cheeks and neck. He took her to the bed and let go of her body. Her body slowly drifted downward, but they held each other's faces. She took a hold of his wrist which still had the Velcro tether on it and giggled as she ripped it open and tossed it to the floor. Her face was shining with joy, passion, and excitement as she started pulling his tie off.

Joey pried and kicked his shoes off as he held her, kissing her lips. Her sweet warm tongue was making exploratory probes, grazing his lips and tongue, and soon their kissing was raw and open-mouthed, their tongues licking and tasting each other.

Annie threw his tie to the floor and started unbuttoning his shirt. She giggled and delighted in running her fingers over the buttons, and then over his smooth naked chest. "I've never done this upright before," she whispered, and she kissed down his chest, unbuttoning the shirt along the way. Joey ran his hands across her back and found the zipper to her dress. He pulled it down and opened the back. Annie pulled herself upward and extracted her arms from the simple straps as he pulled them over her shoulders. The yellow dress fell to the floor in a puddle of cloth, revealing her golden flawless skin and leaving her in a simple white bra and panties. Joey ran his fingers across her arms, shoulders, chest, and down and across the curves of her full soft breasts. Annie gasped and squeaked, and held his head to her chest. He kissed the soft rounded top of her large breasts, and she trembled.

Joey felt inside her mind, and could feel her trying to use the thrusting momentum power again. He willed the power back into her, and she squealed as she felt the power return to her. Her body thrust lower, and she reached his pants. She unbuckled his belt and started working on his pants as he dropped his shirt on the floor.

When his pants were unbuttoned and unzipped, she pulled them down, freeing his erection. She stopped and looked at his penis in surprise. Then she looked up at his face with confusion.

"Joey. You're circumcised! Are you Jewish?"

"Um ... no."

"Oh." She sounded disappointed.

"Well, my grandmother on my mom's side was, but..."

Annie exploded. "AAIIEE! OY! MEIN GELIBTER! I'VE FOUND YOU!" She grabbed him around the waist and willed the momentum power, throwing both of them on the bed. She shrieked and laughed and screamed in joy as they bounced and rolled. She hugged him tight and smothered his stomach with kisses as his penis pushed hard into one fat breast. Annie pushed him on his back, willed herself lighter, and pulled herself up his body, kissing his chest and laughing, and soon her mouth was on his, and they were kissing each other hungrily and clawing at each other's bodies.

Joey managed to kick his pants off his legs, and he lay naked save for his socks on the bed as the beautiful half-naked Japanese girl slathered her body on top of him. His hands explored her smooth back, and ran over her bra strap. He tugged on it feebly, unsure what to do. Annie pulled off his mouth.

"I can't figure this out," he said.

She giggled, reached back with one hand, and expertly unhooked her bra. She pushed back down on him and resumed kissing him as he opened her bra and pulled the straps down off her shoulders. They soon extracted the bra and her dangling necklace and tossed them aside, and Annie lay on top of Joey with her full naked bosom pressed hard against his naked chest. He could feel her hard nipples poking into him, and they rolled over with her on her back. He propped himself up on one arm next to her, and admired her large and beautiful breasts, capped with small and dark nipples.

He reached out and lightly ran his fingers over the firm and round mounds, and gasped as he took in their exquisite beauty. His erection pressed hard into her leg.

"They're not as big as Tricia's," said Annie, almost apologetically.

"They're beautiful," he answered, and he cupped one large breast and gently squeezed it. Annie gasped and shuddered slightly, and Joey could feel her pleasure centers lighting on fire from his simple touches.

"You like this, don't you?" he asked, grinning.

She bit her lip and trembling, nodded her head. "Yeah ... I ... Oy!..."

He carefully ran his hand over her breast, exploring the full curve from the upper to the underside. His fingers delicately brushed over her erect nipple. Annie bolted and shook.

"You REALLY like this!" He could feel her mind flaring in reaction. She was panting and writhing, and she arched her back, pushing her breast into his hand. "I mean, Tricia likes this, but you REALLY like this!"

"It's the ... it's the ... para ... plegia. OH!" She gasped as he caressed and squeezed her. She shook her head and ran her hands through her hair. "I lost ... sensitivity ... down there ... OY! ... And it all ... moved ... up here ... to Moysheh ve-Arendlakh!" She groaned.

Joey smiled. "So, what if I kissed you right here?" He leaned down and kissed the top of her breast. She gasped. "Or here?" He kissed lower, licking her and tasting her sweet skin. He dragged his tongue down to the underside of her breast, and Annie bucked and panted heavily.

"Oy! Azoy! Azoy!"

He ran his tongue around the full underside of her breast, exploring and painting the perimeter. Her breast was soft and warm, and her skin had a slight salty-sweaty taste that he loved. Annie whined and thrashed, and she grabbed the blanket in her fist and held on as she arched her back. Her body was a contradiction in action, her top half consumed in frantic motions, and her bottom half lifeless and limp.

He licked higher and brushed his tongue over her hard nipple. He felt parts of her mind igniting, and she shrieked, grabbed his head, and pushed his face directly into her breast, forcing her nipple into his mouth. Joey rolled on top of her, laying between her languid legs, and wrapped his arms around her body, holding her breasts to his face tightly.

Annie moaned and enveloped them both in the anti-gravity field, and they floated off the bed. She laughed and shrieked and held his head to her breast and shook her boobs in his face.

Joey latched onto her other nipple and sucked hard. Annie screamed.

"AZOY! AZOY! IKH KIM SHOYN BALT!"

He didn't need to know Yiddish to know what that meant. He could feel it in her mind. There was a growing surge of signals in her pleasure center. Joey swirled his tongue around her nipple as he pulled it hard into his mouth.

There was an explosion of activity in her mind, and Annie screamed in her orgasm. Waves of ecstasy rolled through her brain, and she clung on tight to his head as they floated in the middle of the room.

-------

Flying over D.C. was every bit as beautiful and exciting as Tricia had imagined it to be. Snow Angel took her on a grand tour. They flew over parks and memorials, and she got to see the wonders of the city from a new vantage point. The Portrait Gallery, the National Archives, and even the IRS building were awe-inspiring structures in their classic Greek style. Modern styles blended with ancient, and she loved the strange curves built into the Mellon Auditorium and the Ronald Reagan International Trade Building. They flew over the White House gardens and around the Ellipse and across the National Mall, swooping through two sculpture gardens and around the various Smithsonian museums. Snow Angel took her west to the Washington Monument, and showed her the secret that only the flying community knew of; the lipstick mark at the top of the monument. She explained that it had been there as long as she had been in D.C., and nobody knew who did it.

They explored the World War 2 Memorial, and then followed the Reflecting Pool to the Lincoln Memorial. Ignoring the tourists, Snow Angel flew them both directly inside the open structure, and they floated in reverence before the giant statue of Abraham Lincoln. Tricia waved to the tourists who took their pictures, and Snow Angel blew Abe a kiss, and then they headed out north following the shoreline to the majestic Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

"I want to show you something," Snow Angel said, and they took off north and arrived at the luxury Watergate apartments. Snow Angel settled Tricia on a balcony, waved to the door, and it opened for them. She floated inside to the pastel colored apartment. The lights turned on as she entered.

"What's this place?" asked Tricia as she walked in and looked around. It was a lovely apartment decorated with flowers, strange crystals, and light pinks, yellows, and greens. The scent of flowers accented the room. She ran her hand over the soft fabric of the couch.

"My place. My sanctum sanctorum," answered the superhero, and she waved one hand. The glass balcony door closed by itself, and a stereo turned on. Soft music played at a gentle volume. She floated into the kitchen. "Did you enjoy your flight?"

"Oh! Yes!" Tricia sighed. "It was amazing!" She touched her chest, feeling her heart still rapidly beating from the excitement. She ran her hand through her wind-swept hair and fluffed it out. She still felt a little dizzy from the flying. "Thank you!" Tricia looked at a strange green crystal that at first glance appeared attached to the wall. Her eyes opened wide when she saw that it was actually unsupported, and floated freely next to the wall. "I had no idea the city was so beautiful."

"Thank L'Enfant! He designed the place," she answered from the kitchen.

"What is this crystal? Is it magic?"

"Uh-huh! It's a ward. It protects this place. Nothing can get inside without my permission."

"It's gorgeous," she said, although she realized it reminded her of the cursor from The Sims. Tricia leaned down and smelled a bouquet. "Love the flowers." She thought for a moment. "What was that big red 'one' near the White House? Looked like it was made out of roses?"

"World War One First Infantry Division memorial."

"I never knew about that one."

Snow Angel floated back into the room, and returned with two glasses of white wine. She handed one to Tricia. "There's a lot to discover in this city. I'm still exploring it." She touched her glass to Tricia's. They sipped their wines. It had a sweet apple flavor, and Tricia felt the alcohol warming and relaxing her. Snow Angel gave her a sultry smile, and looked down over Tricia's body. "I'm still finding things in this city that excite me," she whispered.

Tricia caught the double entendre, and chuckled nervously. "You promised to be a good girl. Nothing inappropriate."

Snow Angel smiled and cocked her head. "And I was. But we're not flying anymore."

Tricia's jaw dropped as she remembered the conditions of Snow Angel's promise. She looked around the apartment at the flowers, the stereo, the wine, the lit candles. Where the hell did THOSE come from? She looked back at the superhero. Snow Angel had floated a couple inches closer to her.

"Ummm ... I'm..." she said as casually as physically possible. "I'm not into that."

Snow Angel pouted. "Aww..." She grinned and bobbed closer. "You could be. I think you would be spectacular. I sense such raw sexuality in you."

Tricia gave another nervous laugh, and took a step back away from the floating woman. She could feel the cold emanating from her close body. "Well, I'm really not like that. And I'm flattered that you find me so..."

"Oh, you are hardly flat!" said the superhero, eying her full breasts. She drifted closer, and Tricia found herself being slowly chased, and she ducked around to the other side of the couch.

"Um, seriously! Please. I'm not that type." She quickly put her wine glass down on an end table, freeing her hands.

"Sometimes all it takes is one good experience. Have you ever made love to a healer before?" She skimmed closer.

Tricia took another step back, making her way around the couch. "Uh, no ... I ... can't say I've done that."

Snow Angel glowed with a green aura, illuminating the room. She released her wine glass and it floated down to a table, not spilling a drop. "I can make you feel good in every imaginable way," she said, sensualously stretching her arms up over her head. "I can replenish your energy, make it so you never get tired, never grow weary, always stay at peak condition. No muscle cramps, no exhaustion, no stretched tendons. Even friction-burns can be kissed away." She floated closer. "I once made love for three days straight. We never stopped for food, water, or sleep."

"That's ... That's impressive!" Tricia gasped, taking a few nervous steps back. "One for the record books!"

"We can make our own record. You busy this week?"

"Sorry! I got a ... thing!" She stepped backwards and hit a wall.

Snow Angel gestured to Tricia's feet, and two streams of ice shot out of her hands, freezing her feet to the floor. Tricia lost her balance and fell back against the wall. The superhero swooped up to her, took her arms and strongly stretched them out wide. Ice grew over Tricia's hands, binding them to the wall.

"What are you doing?" Tricia gasped.

Snow Angel bobbed up very close to Tricia and caressed her cheeks with chilled fingers. A light frost came from her breath as she closed in. "Shhhh..." she shushed her. Her cold body pressed up against Tricia's, and she could feel Snow Angel's soft breasts push up against hers. "I want you to try this," she whispered. "I want you to like this."

She leaned in close, licking her lips and tried to kiss Tricia. Tricia turned her head away violently, refusing the kiss. Snow Angel pouted and shushed her, and tried to gently return Tricia's face to hers. "Just a kiss. Am I so revolting?"

Tricia got furious. She turned her face straight to Snow Angel and glared at her angrily. "Yes! What do you do to your babies?" she barked at her.

Snow Angel blinked in confusion. "What?"

"Your babies! What do you do to them?"

Her mouth dropped open.

"I know about your pregnancies!" Tricia said. "Quantum Knight told me. You've been pregnant scores of times, but you don't have any kids. What are you doing?" she demanded. "Are you that irresponsible?"

"I'm not being irresponsible." Snow Angel touched her abdomen. "I still have my babies. They're all right here."

"Don't lie to me!"

"I don't lie. The magic won't let me."

"Oh. So, you're still pregnant?"

She shook her head. "No. Nobody is growing in here. Not for a while. I've been very careful this year."

"So, what are you doing to your babies?"

"When they are conceived, I just ... un-conceive them. It's a simple spell. They just return to what they once were, eggs. They go back. They are still with me."

Tricia's jaw dropped. "You're killing your babies? You're aborting them?"

She shook her head. "They don't die. They just become the one cell again. The weird side effect is every time I do this I get younger." She caressed her abdomen. "But they are always with me. I can feel them." She gave Tricia a curious stare. "Did you know that every woman carries hundreds of souls with her?"

She reached out and touched Tricia's abdomen. "Here. Souls. Your babies. Hundreds of them." Her fingers glowed blue as she probed Tricia's womb. "You lost a baby. I can tell."

The pain returned. Tricia felt the shame envelop her. "I ... I had to ... I didn't want..."

"You hurt from this still." Snow Angel smiled at her. "Why do you hurt? Because people tell you to be hurt? Did you think a little thing like death can harm a soul? They go through so much. They don't die. They attach, they detach, they flow, they experience, they explore. Life and death are just stages and opportunities for souls. Chapters in their stories."

She reached up and caressed Tricia's cheek, and gave her a reassuring smile. "It is time to forgive yourself. You could not harm a soul if you tried."

Tricia teared.

Snow Angel leaned in and kissed her full on the lips. She pressed her cool body up against hers, and her hands wrapped around her head and body. Tricia could feel her cold and soft lips against hers, and her chilled tongue gently probing her mouth. Snow Angel's body, although cold, was not disturbing or uncomfortable. It was a welcoming coolness, she decided, like a tactile sensation of a cool mint flavor. She relaxed slightly as the sorceress kissed her, and she could feel the magical energies entering her body, calming her, soothing her, caressing her. Restoring her.

She was just starting to get into the kiss when there was a bright flash of light, followed by a knocking on the balcony door.

Snow Angel broke the kiss. They both turned and looked out the glass door. Quantum Knight was standing on the balcony.

"I've got a digital camera and Internet connection, and I'm not afraid to use them! Let her go, Iowa."

Snow Angel sneered and grumbled. She turned to Tricia and sighed. "Oh, poo!" She drifted back and waved her hand dismissively at Tricia's bonds. The solid ice blocks turned to snowflakes, and Tricia found herself free. She took several steps back from Snow Angel, and rubbed her wrists.

Quantum Knight pointed to the balcony door, and Snow Angel grumbled again. The door opened, and the hero entered, pulling her mask off. "I keep telling you. If you have to ice them down, they're not interested."

Snow Angel crossed her arms over her breasts defiantly and grumbled. "You're not being any fun!"

"How are you doing, Tricia?"

Tricia was still rubbing her cold wrists and backing away from Snow Angel. "I'm ... okay, I guess. Did you know she was going to do this?"

"I figured she would."

"Why didn't you warn me? Why did you just let this happen?"

Sandy shrugged. "You had fun, mostly, didn't you? And I knew you weren't in any danger." She turned to Snow Angel. "Now you! You be a good girl and apologize to Tricia," she said in an overbearing motherly tone.

Snow Angel harrumphed and sighed, and put on a sweet smile. "I'm sor..." She winced. "I apologize," she corrected herself.

Tricia glared at her. "But you're not sorry."

She sighed again. "I apologize. I shouldn't have pushed you so hard."

"And?" Sandy added.

Snow Angel glared at Sandy. "AND..." She sighed again. "And I promise to mmrm mrmm brrm rrmrm..." she mumbled.

"WHAT?"

She took a deep exasperating breath. "And I promise to not do that again, or put the moves on you in any way, unless you're interested!" she said to Tricia. "There, satisfied?" she asked Sandy. And she stuck her tongue out at her. "Thbbbpt!"

Tricia looked to Sandy for confirmation. Sandy nodded. "That's good. She can't lie, so she has to keep that promise. Thank you, Iowa."

"mumble-grumble-mumble..."

Sandy pulled her mask back on. "So? You two finished in here? You ready to head out?" she asked Tricia.

"Um, yeah!" Tricia answered quickly, and she headed towards the balcony door. "Thank you for the flight, but um..."

"OH! WAIT!" Snow Angel cried out. "Just one moment!" and she fluttered off to the kitchen again. She skimmed back a second later and bobbed right up in front of Tricia, holding a small business card. "Listen, um ... I'm like really sor..." She winced. "Okay, so I'm not! But, I really like you, and I want us to be friends, and don't want you to be scared of me, or uncomfortable, and I really do keep my promises. I won't try anything again. But you are so..." She looked over Tricia's body and clenched her fists and kicked her legs in excitement. Snowflakes scattered off her body. " ... just so ... scrumptious and gorgeous! I can tell you're good at it, and I just want to lick you up one side and down the other!"

Tricia startled.

She continued. "But, I really want you to feel safe with me, and feel that you can trust me. And I DO want to see you again, and I want you to feel free to come by any time, ANY TIME, for, I don't know ... just to talk, or get naked ... or have sex ... not necessarily in that order. And if you have any favors you need me for, please come see me!" She reached up to Tricia's chest and slipped the business card into her breast pocket. "So for anything, any reason, this is the BEST time to come over! Please? Please promise you'll visit me?"

"I ummm..."

"Please-please-please-please-please-please pretty-please?" she whined, kicking her dangling legs, sending more snowflakes to the ground. She batted her eyelashes and held her hands clasped together in prayer.

"Come on." Quantum Knight gestured to Tricia, and she opened the balcony door. "And you better make that promise to her. It'll keep her happy."

Tricia backed away from the floating superhero, feeling weirded out. "Um ... okay, I promise..."

Snow Angel squealed and giggled in excitement.

"But it may be a few days ... or weeks ... and just to talk! I mean, I like you, but I'm not ... INTO you like that. Okay?"

She nodded and shook in glee. "That's okay! Oh, thank you! You don't know what this means to me! I'm really looking forw..." She winced and paused. "I really enjoyed meeting you, and I want to see you again soon."

"Um ... nice to meet you too." Tricia nervously stepped onto the balcony. Quantum Knight took her by the hand, and they teleported away.

Snow Angel floated alone in her apartment, looking out the window wistfully. She turned to her mirror and gave herself a serious look. "I AM looking forward to seeing her again," she berated some inner force. "You just misunderstood!"

-------

Annie and Joey lay in each other's arms in the bed. They had floated back down, and Annie was recovering from her breast orgasm. Joey cuddled up to her, kissing her lips and caressing her smooth golden skin.

She looked in his eyes with a dreamy smile. "That was amazing," she whispered.

Joey grinned, proud of himself. "I'm glad I can make you feel good."

"Time to make you feel good."

Her hand slipped down to his erection, and she gently fondled his penis. Joey gasped as she lightly stroked his shaft, and he rolled on his back to give her more access. She smiled and giggled as she watched him squirm from her simple touches. She rolled half-way on top of him and kissed his lips, his chin, down his neck, and then down his chest. Her hand caressed his hard cock as she made a trail of soft kisses down his body. The field enveloped her, and her legs drifted up into the air, pulling her body up over the bed. She floated over him and they both laughed as she kissed down his stomach.

Joey gasped as he watched the floating girl make her way lower and lower, across his abdomen. He shuddered as the tip of his penis brushed against her cheek. Annie moved her head, nuzzled down to the base of his penis, and gave a long sensuous lick up the length of his shaft. He bolted from the pleasure and moaned as he grabbed the blanket with both fists.

Annie swirled her hot tongue around the crown and playfully licked his shaft. He squirmed and groaned in response, and caressed her face, head, and hair. As he lay there savoring her attentions, he was simultaneously keeping her charged with powers. Joey liked to keep a constant hand contact with her. The Omegaplasm flowed from his hands easiest, and it felt awkward to make it flow from other places. He tried to move the flow of power to come out of his penis, since it was in direct contact with her.

Annie shrieked in surprise. "Well, there's something you don't see every day," she said as she saw the sparks coming from his erect penis.

Joey burst out laughing. "Sorry. I was trying to ... I don't know what I was doing."

"It's like you have a lightning rod down here." Annie laughed.

"Give me your hand." He reached down, took her hand, and redirected the power back through the familiar hand-to-hand channel. Annie grinned and giggled at him, and returned her attention to his erection. She kissed and licked him, and rubbed it sensuously over her face. Joey groaned as he watched her.

Annie lifted her head, guided his crown to her lips, and took him into her mouth. She dropped down low, sucking his cock entirely inside her mouth. Joey let out a gasp of pleasure as she sucked and stroked him. She bobbed her head up and down, sliding her lips over his sensitive rod, and swirled her tongue under the ridge of his crown.

"Ohhh..." he moaned, and he bucked in reaction.

She slurped loudly on withdrawals, and stroked his shaft with her hand as she licked his tip. Joey squirmed under her attentions, and thrust his hips upward towards her mouth. She plunged down on him again, sucking him hard.

She pulled off him, stroked him, and looked him in the eyes with dead seriousness. "I want you inside me."

"What?"

Annie willed herself to be lighter, and she dragged herself back up to his face. She kissed him on the mouth, snaking her tongue into his mouth. "I want you to put it inside me," she whispered.

He looked at her carefully. "But you won't feel anything."

She shook her head. "That doesn't matter. You will. That's what's important to me." She caressed his cheek. "Did you hear what she called me?"

Joey looked confused. "Who?"

"That demon. She called me half-woman. Half-Jewish, and half-Japanese, that I can take. But half-woman? No. That hurt." She teared at the memory. "I am a whole woman, Joey. I am your woman tonight. And I want you inside me."

"Okay," he nodded. He kissed her and rolled her onto her back. "Be right back." She watched him lovingly as he got up, picked up his pants, checked the pocket, and pulled out a condom. He also took the opportunity to take off his socks. Annie ran her hands over her own body as she watched him unwrap the condom and put it on.

Joey reached for her panties and pulled them off her. He was shocked when he saw her naked vagina. "Aren't you..." he started. " ... supposed to have hair here?"

Annie grinned. "I did. Sven is full-service. You like it?"

He caressed his hand over the smooth skin of her groin and touched her vaginal lips. "Yeah. I do."

"It's the one benefit of spinal cord injury. Brazilian waxes are a breeze." She chuckled. "Next time you see Tricia, tell her there are two Brazilians in the apartment. See how long it takes her to figure it out."

Joey chuckled and pushed a finger in between her lips. He felt the warm slippery fluids leaking out. "I'll do that," he said, and he moved between her legs and pushed them open.

"You'll have to get some lubricant. I have some in the end table."

"No. You're wet."

Annie's mouth dropped open in horror. "Oh NO! NO! NO!" She reached down and touched herself, and pulled her wet fingers back.

"No, this is good," said Joey.

She rubbed her fingers together and sniffed them. Her look of horror turned into surprise and amazement. "This isn't ... this is ... Joey! Did you do this? Did you use your powers to do this?"

He shook his head. "No. You did that. You're a whole woman. Something must still be connected."

Annie gasped in astonishment, and as Joey lifted her legs up, she burst into a huge smile. "I am a whole woman!" she said emphatically.

She held onto her legs, holding them up and open, and Joey positioned himself. He touched the head of his condom-wrapped penis to her lips and rubbed it up and down, working his way inside. Annie lay back breathing heavily and repeated the phrase "I am a whole woman" to herself, pleasuring herself with the meditation.

After several attempts, Joey managed to get the angle and entry, and he pushed inside her. He gasped as he felt her tight vagina envelope his cock, and he held her legs and lowered himself down on her. They were face to face, and he looked in her beautiful eyes with wonder, excitement, and love.

She caressed his cheeks. "Are you inside me?"

He nodded, speechless from pleasure. His breath was shuddering and he trembled over her.

"Tell me what you feel," she said.

"So ... good!" he managed to say as he moved his hips. He withdrew and plunged in again, withdrew and plunged. He started a slow rhythm, slowly fucking her as he stared into her emerald eyes. "You feel so good!" he breathed.

Annie watched him with love, watched him as he moved over her body, thrusting and panting. His chest rubbed against her breasts, he breath was hot on her neck, and she kissed him as he fucked her.

"I love you Annie!" he gasped, accelerating his thrusting.

"I love you too, Joey!"

He was pounding into her, thrusting and grunting and grabbing her shoulders. She held onto him and watched him. Joey ground his groin hard into hers, and he gasped and shuddered.

"Cum!" she encouraged him. "Cum inside me!"

Joey held her still as he ejaculated into the condom, and groaned loudly. Annie clutched his body and held him tight.

A sudden surge of pleasure erupted in her body, and she gasped, bolted, and thrashed under him. She let out a scream of both passion and surprise.

"Ahh!" Joey yelled. "You're squeezing me! What are you doing?"

Annie rolled her head back and forth as she rode the mystery orgasmic pleasure. She panted and moaned. "I ... I ... What was that?"

He collapsed on top of her, breathing heavily. She lay still and relished in what was undoubtedly afterglow. "Where ... Where was I squeezing you?"

"Down there," he panted.

Annie lay and breathed heavily. "I don't believe it! You must have given me..." She took another couple breaths. " ... a vaginal orgasm." She panted. "I didn't feel it coming! I just felt it hit." She held his head and pushed his face up so she could see him. "Joey!" She looked at him with a pleading wonder.

"Yes?" he panted.

"DO IT AGAIN!"

-------

The night city flashed underneath them in a series of jumps and jolts, and they landed on a nearby rooftop. Quantum Knight let go of Tricia's hand, and sat on the building ledge. Tricia sat next to her.

"So, what did you think of her?"

"She is WEIRD!" Tricia said.

"Sorry for letting you into that, but some things you just really need to experience first hand, and Snow Angel is one of those things." Quantum Knight grinned.

"Would she have, like, molested me?"

"Nah. She would have tried very hard to turn you on, and if she failed, she would have stopped." She took a deep breath and sighed. "But on the other hand ... that rejuvenation power of hers really tingles in all the right places."

Tricia laughed. "Yeah ... I think it did. Thanks for the rescue."

"Anytime."

She chuckled to herself. "You know, I work with cameras, and that picture you took? Flash through a glass door? You know you didn't get anything."

The superhero laughed. "Yeah. You know that, and I know that, but she doesn't know that. She's a little behind the times when it comes to tech. She still misses 8-track tapes."

Tricia thought for a moment. "She's really flaky!"

"Told you."

"Did anyone ever call her Snow-flaky?"

Quantum Knight laughed. "Only everyone, and to her face. But nobody does it anymore. She enjoyed it too much. I mean, what's the point? Wasn't any fun." She paused. "Did you find out about what she does with her pregnancies?"

"Yeah. She said she ... reverses the process. 'Un-conceives' them. Turns them back into eggs. She said she gets younger when she does this."

"Younger? Hmm..." Quantum Knight thought. "That must be why she looks like a teenage girl all the time. She gets pregnant, she un-conceives, gets younger, and repeats until she can't get pregnant anymore because she's too young. That explains why she doesn't have much of a figure."

"I think she has breasts now."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh. She pushed up against me, and I could feel them. Didn't feel like packed snow. Felt squishy. Real. She said she hasn't been pregnant in a year."

"Hmm. Maybe she's pushing herself through puberty. Trying to get a figure again. I'll have to check."

They sat in silence for a minute, just looking over the city at night.

"So, is this what you do every night?" Tricia asked.

"Well, I usually move around a bit more. Head for the trouble-spots. You interested?"

"Sure."

Quantum Knight stood up. "Okay. But remember. We find trouble, you stay out of it. Let me handle it. Okay?"

Tricia stood up. "Absolutely!"

They clasped hands and started running together, and reality flashed and changed around them in quick bursts. It was a surreal form of travel, with a completely new location every couple steps. Buildings switched and changed underneath them as they ran, and sometimes they found themselves in mid air, only to appear on another rooftop in the next moment. Quantum Knight would stop occasionally and listen, look, and sometimes just feel the night air. Tricia's ran alongside the superhero, feeling the thrill of hunting and adventure, running across the rooftops and listening to the sounds of the city at night.

They stopped on the top of a small two-story building, and Quantum Knight held up her hand to Tricia, signaling silence. She peered over the side of the building. Tricia listened, and heard sounds from below. Struggling. Gasping. Scratching. Quantum Knight summoned her battle-staff and jumped over the side of the building. Tricia looked over the side, and saw her attacking three men who were crowded about a disheveled and crying woman.

She watched as the hero spun, kicked, swiped, hit, and punched the three men, easily overpowering them, and keeping their focus on her. She looked over to their victim, and saw her staggering up, and trying to make her escape.

Tricia immediately found the fire escape and climbed down it. She caught the woman just before she managed to escape the alley. She was terrified, in hysterics, but Tricia stopped her with a word.

"No."

The woman screamed in fright as Tricia stopped her. Her clothes were ripped. She was crying and bruised. "Let me go!" she sobbed.

"You run now, and you'll never forgive yourself." Tricia pointed to the alleyway where her three assailants were getting the tar kicked out of them. "They're not going anywhere. They're caught. They can't hurt you anymore. But only YOU can put them in jail."

"Please! Leave me alone! Just let me go!"

"I know what they were doing, and I know what you're going through. It happened to me. I didn't press charges, and I've never forgiven myself. But if you want to see them look at you in FEAR, you stay here, and when the police come for them you point to them and tell the police that they tried to rape you."

The woman stood, crying and shaking. She was terrified, and she looked back to the alleyway, and back to Tricia.

"I'm not leaving you alone. I'll help you. But it's time for you to be a hero."

The struggling ended, and Quantum Knight dragged three unconscious men out of the alley into the streets. Several people had gathered to watch as she handcuffed the men to a lamppost and called the police. Tricia stood with the woman and glared at the men, and she waited with her until the police arrived. Once they arrived, Tricia prodded the woman, and she told the police what had happened. The men were collected up, and the woman left with the police. When they were gone, Quantum Knight took Tricia by the hand and they teleported to the rooftops again.

She leaned against a wall on a rooftop and pulled her mask back, and ruffled her hair. She was breathing heavily from the fight. "Thought I told you to stay out of trouble."

"I did. I let you do the fun stuff. That woman needed some help."

Sandy sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I guess that was a good thing you did. Sometimes the hardest part of the job is to convince the victims to press charges." She fumed, raged, and slapped her fist into her hand. "Damn, I hate rapists. Could fucking kill them all! I really wanted my swords, so I could just put them down for good!"

Tricia's eyes went wide. She could tell Sandy was in a foul mood. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah just ... Rapists always get me like this. Just give me a moment." She closed her eyes, took a deep cleansing breath and exhaled slowly. "One ... two ... three ... four..."

Tricia watched her as she counted and calmed herself. A memory flashed in her mind from a dream earlier that day. Let her count. It struck her as odd. She had no intention of interrupting her. She wanted her to calm down, to get under control. So why would I tell myself to let her continue counting?

As she watched her counting, Tricia caught the highlights of the city lights reflecting in Sandy's black hair. She was a very attractive woman, she decided. She had a very cute face for someone capable of so much rage and violence. She eyed her body, admiring her firm muscles and full curves accented by the lines in her costume. Sandy's breasts were large and held firmly, most likely in that same brand of super-bra that Tricia was wearing. The curves excited her, and she felt a close kinship to this woman.

"Five ... six ... seven ... eight..." Sandy stretched her arms wide, opening her chest and breathing deeply. Tricia admired her strong abdominals, her muscled thighs, and defined calves. Her breasts caught her attention again as she stretched and twisted. Tricia shifted slightly on her hips as she watched the woman, and unconsciously licked her lips.

"Nine ... Ten." Sandy opened her eyes and caught Tricia staring at her. Their eyes met, and Sandy's eyes dropped down to admire Tricia's full curves. She smiled, and gave her an intense look.

Tricia actually blushed. "Sorry. I..."

Sandy raised an eyebrow.

"It's been a weird night," Tricia stammered.

Sandy chuckled, and started walking slowly towards Tricia with a sultry look in her eyes and a slight swing in her hips.

"Tricia?"

"Yes?"

"I'm not subtle like Iowa."

Tricia blinked. "She was subtle?"

"I'm just going to give you ten seconds to say 'No'."

Tricia's jaw dropped and her legs felt weak.

Sandy continued to walk towards her. "One ... two ... three..."

Tricia wanted to say 'No', but there was something about Sandy that made her weak. "Let her count" reflected in her mind, and Sandy seemed to radiate in attractiveness. She was tall and muscular, powerful and commanding, and Tricia felt her heart beating harder as the beautiful amazon approached her.

"Four ... five ... six..."

Sandy reached her and touched Tricia's chin with one gloved hand, lifting her face to hers. She placed a hand gently on Tricia's side and lovingly yet firmly pulled her closer. Breasts pushed against breasts, and Sandy tilted her head to one side, leaned in, and kissed Tricia on the lips.

Tricia's heart melted and her knees buckled, and she reached up and held onto Sandy's shoulder for support. Sandy wrapped her arm around her and pulled her in a tight embrace, kissing her and licking her lips as Tricia continued the counting in her head.

"seven ... eight ... nine ... ten!"

VRAMMM!

They appeared in a dark room. Tricia fell back against a smooth wall and Sandy pushed her body against her and kissed her passionately. They clawed at each other as the kissing became more intense, and Sandy started licking and biting down her cheek and neck. Tricia could see the room. It was small, about the size of a bathroom, and empty except for some small plastic devices which marked the corners of the ceiling and the floor. There was no door, but one wall had a large glass panel in it, showing a bedroom.

Sandy glanced towards the bedroom, and a moment later they were just suddenly in the bedroom.

"Where are we?" gasped Tricia.

"My place." Sandy kissed her on the mouth again, and Tricia felt Sandy's body contract slightly. They were now at equal heights, and they wrapped their arms around each other tightly as they kissed. Sandy pulled Tricia's long hair away from her shoulder, exposing her neck.

She vanished. Tricia nearly stumbled as the woman simply disappeared out of her arms, leaving her standing alone and holding an empty superhero suit which fell into her hands. Empty underwear was embedded inside the suit.

Strong naked arms wrapped around her from behind, and Sandy started kissing Tricia's exposed neck. Tricia laughed and could feel Sandy's naked body rub against hers. "Cute trick," she giggled as Sandy tickled her neck with kisses.

Sandy slipped her hand inside Tricia's shirt. "You're going to love this one then," she whispered, and suddenly the room flipped itself around. Tricia felt every part of her body suddenly sag, and she saw in front of her what looked like her own clothes suspended in mid-air and inflated as if worn by an invisible person, and then suddenly fall to the floor. She looked down at herself, and saw that yes, she was stark naked.

Sandy's hands ran up and over her naked body, caressing her from behind. She turned Tricia around and the two women embraced and kissed. They collapsed on the bed together, their naked bodies entangled with each other. Tricia couldn't get over how strong Sandy was, how forceful and commanding she was.

"I've wanted you all week," Sandy whispered between kisses.

Tricia's heart was beating furiously. She had never felt attracted to a woman before, yet Sandy had this masculine side which overwhelmed her senses and confused her libido. Passion surged inside her as she kissed this woman, and felt her soft breasts against her own, and as she ran her fingers over the strong curves of her hips. Sandy dropped her head down and licked her breast in that magic way that she always wanted, and Tricia arched her back and gasped as Sandy's tongue sent tingles through her spine.

"I didn't know I wanted you," Tricia said between breaths. "I've never done this before."

"Never done it with a woman before?"

"No," she gasped.

Sandy licked down Tricia's stomach. "It's easy. You just do to me what you want done to you. I'll show you."

Tricia's eyes rolled back in her head as Sandy showed her.

-------

Translation Guide

"MEIN GELIBTER!"- "My lover!"

"Moysheh ve-Arendlakh" – Literally "little Moses and Aarones", named for the two great nurturers of the Jewish people, Moses and Aaron. Figuratively, her breasts.

"Oy! Azoy! Azoy!" - "That's right! That's right!"

"IKH KIM SHOYN BALT!" - "I'm going to come any second now!"



-------

Chapter 23: Heart and Hell's Fury





Monday, July 20, 2009, 7:00 AM

It was the middle of the afternoon in Egypt when an explosion ripped open the surface of the desert, scattering sand, rocks, and debris in all directions. As the dust and smoke cleared, the glowing figure of the Hyperion rose out of the ground.

As it floated over the hole and reconfigured its systems, a column of black smoke ejected from the pit, turned, and landed on the ground, forming itself into a man. DarkMyst stumbled and dropped to his knees, weak from his endeavors. He glared at the Hyperion.

"Well?"

"SatCom.request(uplink) returns Pending ... Initiating ... Complete;"

"You've sent the warnings?"

"True; Protocol(departure);"

An immense explosion of fire erupted from underneath the Hyperion, and the superhero lifted into the sky, heading north-west. Sonic booms rippled in its wake.

DarkMyst watched the Hyperion launch into the sky. "Farewell my friend. Allah be with you."

-------

Tricia woke to the sound of an incessant beeping noise. She opened her eyes and blinked, and it took her a moment to remember who's bed she was in. Sandy groaned next to her, rolled out of bed stark naked, and ran to her desktop computer.

"SHIT! FUCK!" she yelled as she read the message.

"What?"

"Desdemona is alive, and she's on her way here!"

"WHAT?" Tricia sat up in bed, holding the sheet over her naked body. "I thought you said she was dead!"

"I thought she was! I've still got a costume with her brains all over it soaking in the laundry room!" Sandy continued reading. "Hyperion just left Egypt, and should be here in half an hour. But Desdemona left Egypt about eighteen hours ago. She's after Joey."

"How fast does she fly?"

"I don't want to find out." She turned to Tricia. "Tricia, does she know where you live?"

"I ... I don't know."

"What does she know?"

Tricia thought. "She knew my phone number. She infiltrated Child and Family Services."

Sandy jumped up and ran to her costume. "We have to assume she knows where you live. Get dressed!"

Chills ran down Tricia's spine as she jumped out of bed and grabbed her clothes. They quickly got dressed, and Quantum Knight pulled out her cell phone and hit one button. "Iowa! Get to Tricia's apartment ASAP! Desdemona is in the area ... Yeah. Call Bullwhip and Multiplex." She closed her cell phone. "You ready?"

Tricia pulled her boots on. "Ready!" She took a hold of Quantum Knight's hand.

"Hold tight." Quantum Knight looked up through her skylight window into the open air.

Reality flickered around her faster than she could make sense of it. It was a series of jumps, five or six per second, that had them in high in the air, the early morning city flashing underneath them. They were jumping so far and so fast she couldn't figure out which way they were traveling. There was no sense of motion.

For a brief instant they were on their balcony, and then they were home. Annie's chair sat empty in the middle of the room. Scrappy jumped up and barked.

Quantum Knight ran directly to Annie's room and burst through the door. Annie and Joey screamed as they ran in. Annie covered herself in the blankets. Tricia breathed a huge sigh of relief to see they were still there, and safe.

"What are you doing?" Annie yelled.

"Get up! Get dressed! We're getting you all out of here!" Quantum Knight picked up Joey's clothes and threw them at him.

"Why?" asked Joey.

"Desdemona is alive. She's coming."

Annie gasped in horror. "Tricia! I need help."

Joey quickly got dressed, and Tricia grabbed some fresh clothes for Annie. Quantum Knight watched out the window as Tricia worked, getting Annie dressed.

"I see Snow Angel," Quantum Knight reported. She pulled out her cell phone. "Iowa! Get the boy to your sanctum. He's priority." She turned to Joey. "You ready?"

"Yeah. Um..." He flustered, and ran to Annie and gave her a kiss. "I need to get Scrappy." He ran out into the living room.

Tricia watched him run out, and felt a longing to be with him. She ran out after him. "Joey! We'll be right behind you," she said as she reached him. She looked out the glass balcony door and saw Snow Angel standing on the balcony, knocking on the door. "Go with her. She'll keep you safe, and we'll be over soon." She kissed him on the cheek.

Joey looked terrified. "Okay." He ran to the door. Scrappy was barking madly in his hands, and Tricia watched as Snow Angel took him by the hand and jumped off the balcony.

She ran back into Annie's room, bringing her chair. Annie was almost ready. Quantum Knight was helping her put on her clothes.

The superhero suddenly snapped her head up. "WHAT THE FUCK?" she cried out, and she ran to the window and vanished.

Tricia and Annie looked at each other in horror. "Help me into my chair," said Annie.

They heard the VRAMM of Quantum Knight's teleportation from the living room. Tricia ran out and saw the superhero standing there holding Scrappy. The dog was whining and crying. "It's okay. It's okay..." she said soothingly to the dog. "Good thing I entangled his collar!" she said as she handed the dog to Tricia and got on her cell phone. "IOWA! WHAT THE FUCK? YOU DROPPED THE DOG!"

"What dog?" asked Snow Angel as she hovered next to the balcony door. She was alone.

Quantum Knight spun and looked at her. "Who's got Joey?"

"Isn't he here?" she asked.

Tricia stared at Snow Angel in confusion, and then looked down at her dangling feet as she hovered over the balcony. Her body froze in horror as she realized what had just happened, and she dropped to her knees in anguish, screaming in terror.

"AAAHHHH!! NOO!!" Tricia pointed to Snow Angel. "SHE WAS STANDING RIGHT THERE!"

"What?" asked Annie.

"SHE WAS STANDING!" Tricia cried. "SNOW ANGEL DOESN'T STAND! IT WAS DESDEMONA! AND WE JUST HANDED HIM TO HER!"

Quantum Knight looked out the window over the city. "Oh my god..."

Tricia was in a panic, and she ran to Quantum Knight. "Please! We have to go get him! Now!"

"Calm down. We will!" She turned to Snow Angel. "Get the boys over here." She turned back to Tricia. "We'll get him. Don't worry. He's got a bracelet. I know where he is."

"You have to take me with you!" pleaded Tricia.

"No, Tricia. It's too dangerous. Leave this to the professionals." She ran to the balcony door.

Tricia ran after her and grabbed her arm. "NO! You have to take me! He needs me!"

"TRICIA! I don't have time for this!" Quantum Knight pushed her away. "We'll get him!" She reached for Snow Angel, took her hand, and the two superheroes floated off the balcony.

Tricia ran to the balcony railing, screaming. "NO! NO! HE NEEDS ME!" She turned back to Annie. "I have to go with them! I have to protect him!"

Annie rolled to the doorway, horrified. "Tricia. It's too dangerous."

Tricia handed the dog to Annie. "Don't you understand? This was in the message! I have to protect him! I can't let anyone else do it! Even if it means..."

The words from her future self echoed from her memory. Do whatever you can to protect him, even if it means jumping out the god-damned window to go after him!

She stared at the balcony railing. "Oh God ... give me strength!" She clutched her crucifix, and looked out into the distance at the sight of the two superheroes flying off. Then she looked down at the street, fourteen stories below her. Her body went cold. Her spine trembled in fear from the thought of what she had to do. Terror flooded her mind, but she thought about Joey being carried off by this demon. A rage exploded in her heart, and there was no time to think, no time to be afraid. She climbed onto the railing.

"TRICIA! NO!" Annie screamed.

"YOU CAUGHT THE DOG! YOU CAN CATCH ME!" she screamed, and she leaped off the balcony into the empty air.

"NOO!!!" Annie cried.

Tricia screamed as she tumbled and plummeted. The world spun and flipped around her, and she was buffeted by air as she dropped to the streets. She closed her eyes, tensed her body, and prayed.

Time slowed down for her. Seconds stretched out into an eternity. Thoughts of her mother drifted into her mind. She had been dead these past four years. She missed her so much. Maybe she would see her now. She would have to tell her about the abortion. She hoped she would be forgiven.

VRAMMM! A hand grabbed her. VRAMMM! VRAMMM! She landed softly on the rooftop.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" screamed Quantum Knight.

Tricia opened her eyes and gasped. She saw her friend, Quantum Knight, growling at her. She grabbed her with both hands. "You have to take me! I have to go with you!" she pleaded.

"Like hell you do!"

"I'll jump again if you leave me."

"Then I'll knock you out!"

Snow Angel swooped in low and snatched them both by the arms. The mystic fields enveloped them, and they took off into the sky. "She's coming with us!" Snow Angel decided, and they swept past the apartment balcony. Annie saw all three of them fly by, and she clutched her heart.

"Bu-rekh-a-shem," Annie prayed. "May God be with you."

-------

Snow Angel followed Quantum Knight's instructions, and they flew south-west over the Potomac, landing on top of a tall building in Rosslyn, Virginia.

"I still think this is a mistake," Quantum Knight said, referring to Tricia. "I can teleport him out faster than anyone else can fly him out."

"Desdemona knows that too," Snow Angel said. "She'll want to take you out first."

Quantum Knight thought, and nodded. "You're right."

Tricia looked out over the complex of buildings. She recognized it as Freedom Park. "Where is he?" she asked.

Quantum Knight pointed south to one of the twin towers. "Over there. On top of the big one on the left. He's still wearing the bracelet. I can feel it moving."

"What do we do now?"

"We wait for reinforcements." Quantum Knight summoned a pair of binoculars and looked at the building.

They waited, and less than a minute later Tricia heard a series of cracks getting louder and louder. A huge shadow suddenly covered her, and she spun and saw the awesome figure of Bullwhip as he landed on the rooftop. Bullwhip was a huge African-American man, taller than Quantum Knight, and easily three hundred pounds of solid muscle. He wore dark brown leather head to toe and black sunglasses. His cape stretched out as two massive wings, and it moved by itself, rolling and folding as the wings compacted. He held two huge whips in his meaty hands, and the ropes coiled themselves up like octopus tentacles and hooked to his belt.

"What's going down?" His voice was deep and smooth, a combination of James-Earl Jones, Barry White, and Isaac Hayes all rolled into one. He glanced at Tricia and nodded.

FFF-T-T-T-T-T-T A line of identical men appeared on the rooftop from the stairwell, all wearing the same blue and purple jumpsuit and mask. As soon as they appeared, they vanished, leaving only one behind. Multiplex had arrived. Tricia tried to recognize his face through the mask, knowing that she had met him before. But his face was so nondescript it was hard to place him. He quivered almost nervously, looking distracted and anxious, and he quickly glanced at the other four.

"Hello What Is Hello Quantum happening Knight,  again Snow Miss Sanchez. Angel. Bullwhip?" He spoke rapidly in broken overlapping sentences that made little sense.

"Good, you're here," Quantum Knight said. "Here's the deal. Desdemona is back, and she's got a boy on top of that building. She claims he's the one she's been searching the past three thousand years for. He's Omega Boy."

"Omega Boy?" Bullwhip asked. "He's still alive?"

"Yeah. And he has a variable power transference ability. This is Tricia Sanchez. He's attuned to her. He can give her powers like he did for Omega Man." She handed Bullwhip the binoculars, and he looked through them. "Right now he's tied up and it looks like he's alone, but he's not." She stood on the ledge. "Desdemona has got a horde of demons with her. They're watching us. I can feel a lot eyes looking at me from over there."

"I can sense a lot of magic over there. Cloaking spells," said Snow Angel. "How many do you think?"

"Feels like hundreds of eyes. Considering the number of eyes demons seem to have, we've got scores of them to deal with."

"So it's a trap," said Bullwhip.

"Yeah." She turned to the others. "Hyperion is on the way, and should be here in twenty minutes. I don't think we can wait that long. So we're going to spring the trap. Bullwhip, you handle the big ones and Snow, handle the little ones. Plex, we need to get Tricia to Joey. You run interference for her."

Multiplex nodded.

"Tricia, you get to Joey, use whatever powers he gives you, and get yourself and him out as fast as possible. Run, fly, whatever. Don't stop running. You got your phone?"

Tricia nodded nervously and patted her pocket. "Yeah."

"You keep running until you get a call from us. I don't care if you reach the Pacific Ocean, you keep running. Do NOT help us. I don't care what you see. You run. Got it?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

Quantum Knight summoned her twin katanas. "I'll take Desdemona. I pissed her off last time, and I can do it again. Our job is to keep her busy until Hyperion gets here. Try and keep this on top of the building. If this spills onto the ground, Plex, you do crowd control. Ready?"

Snow Angel radiated in mystical energies, and she touched Tricia. Tricia floated up with her. "Ready," she said.

Bullwhip unfurled is great winged cape. It flapped on its own. He took a single whip and it uncoiled and gently wrapped around Snow Angel's arm. "Ready."

"Let's I Let's do am get this. prepared. started," Multiplex articulated. He took Snow Angel's hand, and lifted off the ground.

"Let's go," said Quantum Knight. "And try and stay alive." Snow Angel took off, carrying Tricia and Multiplex, and providing an anchor for Bullwhip to pull himself on. Quantum Knight vanished with a loud VRAMM and blinked in the air far in front of them.

And Tricia held on for dear life as they charged forward into battle.

-------

Quantum Knight reached the building rooftop long before the rest got a quarter of the way over. Tricia watched her arrive and spin as dozens of demons appeared out of nowhere around her. She saw Joey at the far end of the rooftop, laying down, and possibly tied up.

Bullwhip swung on the whip that snagged Snow Angel's arm, and he accelerated far out in front of them, using her speed, potential energy, and a telekinetic boost to quickly push him forward. As he reached the apex of his swing, the whip released her arm and he soared in the air towards the building. His cape extended into great leather wings, caught the wind, and he glided down to the rooftop. As soon as he landed, demons charged him. His dual whips cracked and sliced into the throng, grabbing and pushing the creatures and holding them back.

As Snow Angel approached the rooftop, Multiplex dropped down, flitting in a line of clones that rapidly took him to the surface. He exploded into a score of bodies the moment he touched the rooftop and was immediately set upon by a host of demons. More bodies appeared out of nowhere, wrestling and grappling and punching the demons. His bodies pushed forward, clearing a hole for Tricia to land in.

A swarm of winged demons took off the building, screeching at Snow Angel and Tricia. "Hold on tight!" the hero shouted, and Tricia screamed and held on while Snow Angel spun in mid air and waved her hand. A barrage of ice daggers ejected from her hand in a wide arc, slicing and puncturing the incoming demons. They looped and rolled, and Snow Angel dropped her off in the midst of Multiplex's bodies.

With an unearthly cry, Desdemona dropped her cloaking spell and set upon Quantum Knight. The hero teleported around her, dodging her swipes and fireballs, and slicing her with her twin katanas.

"You will pay for destroying my sanctuary!" the demoness screamed, slashing at Quantum Knight's throat.

"Yeah, yeah! Put it on my tab," replied Quantum Knight as she dodged and spun, slicing into Desdemona's leg.

Snow Angel swooped over the throng of demons and blasted out a wide hurricane of frost and cold, freezing large swaths of the creatures. Demons died by the dozens as she spun and danced over them, dodging their claws and teeth. She headed to the edge of the swarm of demons to envelope a larger number, and smacked into something huge and invisible. She quickly bounced back and watched as the air shimmered and a cloaking spell dropped. A single massive demon turned and looked at her. It was at least a fourth circle demon, a hairless orange salamander easily three times the size of an elephant. It hissed and roared at her, and its huge fangs dripped with venom.

"Um ... Bullwhip?"

Bullwhip took one look at the huge demon and leaped towards it. One whip cracked and wrapped around the monster demon's neck, and he swung to the other side of the demon and cracked his other whip around a set of pipes that protruded out of the rooftop. Braced and with leverage, he roared and pulled, rolling the behemoth lizard over. The rooftop shook as the demon fell over.

Tricia ran amongst the mass of Multiplex bodies, as another horde of smaller demons roared and clawed at her. Occasionally one would get through and jump on her, and she fought and punched the demons as they reached her. The screeching and roaring was deafening, their stench revolting, and their single-minded madness terrifying, but she fought on, protected by a wall of bodies.

The demons were starting to thin out as the heroes took them out by handfuls, and Tricia saw a clear path to Joey. He was laying on the rooftop, bound tightly with a fiery rope, and he stared at her in fear. She sprinted to him, dropped to her knees, and kissed him on the mouth. Power flooded into her body, and she grabbed the mystical rope and ripped it apart in her bare hands. It evaporated immediately.

"Tricia?" he gasped, terrified.

"I've got you," she said, lifting him up in her arms and standing up. "We're getting out of here."

"Did Scrappy..."

"He's okay." She looked around for the nearest stairwell. She saw one in the distance, but there were about six demons in the way. "Oh shit! How are we supposed to get down?"

The demons saw them and started charging. Joey's hand burst in sparks as he touched her. "Fly!" he cried.

"I don't know how to fly!"

"LEARN!"

Tricia saw the demons coming for her and she jumped into the air. She felt a force inside her, pushing her body against gravity and twisting her, spinning her around. The building shrunk away from her, and Joey flipped and dangled in her arms, threatening to pull out of her grasp from the force of her acceleration and spinning. He gasped in pain as she held onto the boy around his waist. She pulled him in tight, and he groaned. She could feel his ribs bending under the strain she was putting on him, and she loosened her grip on him. He screamed and clung on tight to her, nearly falling.

Hovering was difficult without spinning. Tricia couldn't find a reference point, didn't know if she was going up or down, forward or backwards. She concentrated on the force inside her, gently controlling it to reduce the spinning and bobbing, and they started drifting. "This is NOT easy!" she cried out.

A winged demon took off towards them, roaring its challenge. It didn't reach them. An ice bolt took it out. Snow Angel yelled to them. "Get out! Go!" She returned to her fighting.

Tricia nodded, but continued to hang in mid air, learning how to manage the minute thrusts of power. Hard accelerations seemed easy to her; it was the gentle nudging of force and torque that took some practice. "I think I'm starting to get this," she said, slowing down their spinning.

"Good!" Joey groaned. "Let's get down now!"

Tricia looked down at the ground so far away from her, and her stomach twisted in fear. "Oh god!" she exclaimed, unconsciously kicking her feet. "I don't like this!" She nudged the force inside her gently, and they dropped like a stone for several feet before she stopped the dead fall. Joey nearly fell out of her arms as he jostled in her loose grasp.

"Just get us down!" Joey said, clinging onto her. "Carefully."

She nodded and tried another nudge of power. This time they dropped slower, in a much more controlled manner. Tricia watched the building and used it as a reference point, and also judged her descent from the way Joey felt in her arms. She figured if he only felt like he weighed half of what he did on the rooftop, then they were descending at a safe pace.

On the rooftop they could see the heroes fighting off the demons. Snow Angel, Multiplex, and Bullwhip had managed to kill off the majority of the demons. Quantum Knight was still engaging Desdemona, slicing her and teleporting around her. Bullwhip still had his whips about the monster demon's neck, and he was using the monster as a giant fly-swatter, smashing it over smaller demons.

The giant demon fought against the strangling whips about its neck, and Bullwhip was keeping it under control. But then it charged the man. Bullwhip flipped the massive demon onto its back, and its tail snapped across the length of the rooftop. Tricia's watched in terror as she saw the whipping tail strike Quantum Knight from behind. Her swords flew out of her hands, and she limply fell over the side of the building.

Joey saw it happen too. "TRICIA!" he yelled, pointing at the falling hero.

Tricia hesitated for one second, remembering Quantum Knight's instructions. "Do NOT help us. I don't care what you see. You run." "Fuck it!" she cried, and Tricia dove to the falling hero. Joey screamed in horror as they accelerated straight down. Tricia was finally starting to get a knack for flying. It was still difficult, but as long as she had a target she could focus on, it became easier. They got within arm's reach and Tricia grabbed Quantum Knight around the waist. "Got her!" she cried happily.

Then she saw the ground coming up very fast and she flipped in mid air and put on the brakes. She forced inertia in the opposite direction, decelerating quickly. G-forces flooded her body, which didn't seem to bother her at all. Joey must have put invulnerability in her, she realized. But Joey and Quantum Knight didn't have the invulnerability, and they hung in her arms limply, and she could hear Joey groaning in pain as the acceleration forces bent both him and Quantum Knight double in the crooks of her arms.

The ground was coming up very fast, and Tricia wanted to reduce the deceleration. She could tell she was hurting her two passengers, but she could also tell even at the rate they were going now, they were going to hit the ground hard. She planted her feet towards the ground and braced herself.

THOOM! Her feet hit the ground hard, and a shockwave ran through her body. The ground cracked under her feet. Joey and Quantum Knight flopped hard in her arms, but stayed in her grasp. People walking past screamed in surprise as they hit the ground, and several ran in terror.

Joey groaned in pain as Tricia relaxed her grip on them. He coughed and moaned. "Are you okay?" she asked both of them as she lay Quantum Knight down.

Quantum Knight was unconscious. Joey gasped and choked as fell to his hands and knees, catching his breath. "I'm... <pant-pant> ... I'm okay. Ow!"

"I'm sorry. I don't know how to control the accelerations," Tricia said with concern. "There's so much power."

"It's okay," Joey breathed. "I'll be all right. Just give me a moment."

Tricia turned her attention to Quantum Knight. She was still unconscious, but breathing. "That thing really knocked the wind out of..."

A horrid screeching sound caught her attention. Tricia and Joey looked straight up and saw the black and red figure of Desdemona as she flew high over them. Fire rippled in her fists, and they could tell she was looking at them. She started to dive.

"Oh god," Tricia gasped, and she turned to Joey. "Joey! Give me super-speed. I can get us out of here!"

He shook his head. "I can't. You'll kill us both!"

"Force field?"

He shook his head. "Won't work. We don't have a choice!" He grabbed her arm, and a shower of sparks exploded from his hand.

Tricia felt her entire body explode with energy. Her arms and legs stuck out straight and her body went rigid as an insane amount of power invaded her, bursting every cell, filling her from core to skin, inflating and swelling her spirit. She felt like she was being hit by multiple bolts of lightning, and she shook uncontrollably as Joey flooded her with force. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she tried to scream as the Omegaplasm charged her.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" she cried mentally. "IT'S TOO MUCH! STOP!"

"Strength! Speed! Flight! Invulnerability! Fire-Proof!" Joey chanted as he pushed the powers into her. "Lightning Fists!" Her fists ignited with arcs of electricity. The flow of power suddenly changed, leaving her quivering uncontrollably, ready to explode at any moment. "The lightning fists will run out first!" he instructed. "When the lightning is gone, you get back to me! Okay?"

She managed to nod, shaking from the power.

Joey released her. "GET HER!"

The moment he let go of her, Tricia stopped quivering, and she exploded into the air. She felt a fury, a madness consume her as she looked up at the demon ten stories above her. She focused on the wretched creature and balled her fists. This woman, this thing, this abomination had terrorized their planet long enough. Lighting flared from her hands, and time slowed down around her, bending to her will. She could feel the G-forces pushing through her body, acceleration which would normally rip a person in pieces passed through her with no trouble. Her clothes pulled hard on her body, and she felt stitching rip in the thin fabric of her tank-top. Her hair was pulled back tight by the wind, yet the hurricane forces seemed to have no affect on her eyes. She curled her toes upward, keeping her boots from slipping off her feet as she rocketed upward.

Tricia let out a roar, which stretched into a long guttural groan at the super-speed. Desdemona hovered above her, frozen in the time-warp. Tricia pushed her fist upward, and connected with the demon's jaw with a killing blow.

KRAK-A-THOOM!!!

In the brief moment when she connected, Tricia felt the bones in Desdemona's skull liquefy. Lightning bolts burst out of her accursed eye-sockets, spraying singed flesh and blood out in crimson and black arcs as her destroyed skull snapped back, breaking vertebrae. Her body whipped back like a dead rag doll, twisting and rupturing as the punch ripped skin off her neck.

She shot past the demon, up past the roof of the building, and looped back downward. Flying without passengers is so much easier,  she thought to herself. She could feel the G-forces trying to rip her body apart, but the invulnerability painlessly held her together. The shockwave from her punch was rippling through the glass side of the building, and windows exploded. The twisted and mangled body of Desdemona soared and tumbled upward. Tricia grinned and barreled straight for the demon for a second attack, smashing both fists into her stomach and chest and pushing the demon down to the ground. Desdemona's ribs cracked and shattered, her limbs snapped and flopped as the shockwave ripped through them. Blood and bile erupted from her mouth, and Tricia pushed the eighth-circle demon down to the ground, aiming for a section of pavement which was free of people. She accelerated, driving the demon down faster.

She had a brief moment when she thought maybe she shouldn't be accelerating straight towards the concrete ground.

BOOM!

They hit the ground hard, shattering the pavement and forming a huge crater. Dirt, dust, rocks, chunks of concrete, and water sprayed in every direction. Other than that and the loud BOOM, Tricia really didn't notice the impact. She was feeling great! She willed time to return to normal, and she could hear the screaming of panicking people as they ran from the fight, and the shower of glass and other debris as it hit the ground. Desdemona's twisted and mangled body lay before her, and Tricia grabbed her by what she thought was her neck and lifted her. Electricity flared across her battered body, and Tricia balled her fist and punched her in the face.

CRACK!

Desdemona's bloody and broken body flew out of the crater, and Tricia followed it, jumping in front of it before it reached any of the fleeing people. She threw her arm in front of her and caught the pummeled demon, breaking her back in the process. She grabbed her by the ankle, crushed the bone, and whipped her limp and butchered heap of a body left and right...

WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!

 ... smacking her against the pavement repeatedly, leaving wet bloody stains and flinging blood and chunks of flesh into the air. Her wings were shredded, her body mutilated, and Tricia threw her crumpled form back into the crater, where she landed with a wet splash.

Tricia stood and waited, breathing heavily. Her heart was pounding furiously, and her stared intensely at the crater.

FFF-T-T-T-T-T-T Multiplex flitted down to the ground, took one look a the scene, and zipped around to the crowd, leaving bodies behind with every nearby person. "GO!" "GET OUT!" "NOW!" they screamed as the clones bodily grabbed people and shoved them out of the area.

Tricia never took her eyes off the crater. Electricity rippled over her fists as she watched.

A single mangled and bloody hand reached up out of the crater. Its bones, shattered and twisted, painfully snapped themselves back into place. Flesh mended and filled, and claws extended. The hand grabbed the side of the crater and pulled. Her reforming head rose from behind the rim, her hair was as black as night and her eyes twisted with rage and hellfire.

"WHO ... DARES ... TOUCH ... ME?" she rasped, staring at Tricia with a searing and epic hatred.

Tricia cracked her knuckles.

"Mi yama esta Patricia Maria Sanchez. But you can call me Omega Woman!"

Desdemona's eyes went wide with a moment of sheer terror.

Tricia smiled. "I'm the new bitch in town!"

The demon regained her composure and hissed, baring her fangs. She rose out of the crater, her repaired wings flapping, lifting her over the hole. Flames ignited from her clawed fists. She roared a challenge.

"Oh, no-no-no-no!" said Tricia, in the same way her mother always said it. "Don't-chu be giving me no attitude! I'll give you a..."

SMASH!

She didn't finish the sentence. Instead, she kicked up the super-speed and covered the distance between herself and the demon in a tenth of a second, slamming her fist into Desdemona's mouth. The punch sent the demon flying back in one direction, and her fangs in another. She watched in pleasure as the monster rolled and tumbled and scraped against the pavement, and then ran to where she stopped tumbling and waited for her to try and stand up again.

Desdemona lifted her broken head, and Tricia grabbed her by the hair and smashed her fist into the demon's face.

POW!

"You come to MY planet!" She punched the demon again.

WHAM!

"Come to MY city!"

CRACK!

"Threaten MY friends!"

CRUNCH!

"Try to take MY MAN!"

THOOM!

"You ever hear the phrase 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'?"

BOOM!

"Well I'm PISSED!"

Bap.

Bap? Tricia thought, and looked at her fist, stunned. What happened? I...  A sudden horror came over her as she realized she hadn't seen any lightning for the past several punches. It had burned out some time ago, and now the strength was gone. Oh SHIT! She dropped the bloodied demon on the ground and took off, flying.

SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! she cursed mentally, and she turned three-sixty, trying to find Joey. He was nowhere in sight. Where is he? How far did I go? She saw a few Multiplex clones at the edge of the crowd.

"Multiplex! Where Joey?!?" Multiplex pointed to the left. She willed herself in that direction, flying around the side of the building, and saw him almost a block away, still kneeling next to Quantum Knight. How the hell did I get so far away from him? She pushed the flying power to full speed and rocketed towards him.

The flying power vanished, and she fell, tumbled, hit the ground, and rolled violently across the soft pavement. Her clothes ripped as she skidded and rolled awkwardly, and she jumped up and pushed the super-speed to full power. Everything around her slowed down to a crawl and she dug her feet into the ground, pushing herself, sprinting towards him.

She had just built up a good velocity when the Earth suddenly returned to normal speed around her, and Tricia found herself with way too much momentum, and she flipped and tumbled and rolled across the ground again. As she got up, she could see Desdemona rising into the air again, fully healed, and turning towards her.

"Oh FUCK!" she screamed, and Tricia sprinted towards Joey as fast as she could.

Desdemona let out a blood curdling howl, and she started flying towards Tricia. Tricia kept her eyes on Joey as she ran. "JOEY!" she cried out.

Joey saw her coming, and saw Desdemona far behind her, but coming up fast. He immediately jumped to his feet and sprinted towards Tricia. Sparks flooded from his hands as he ran. He could see the terror in Tricia's eyes, and the rage in Desdemona's. The demon was accelerating towards her, claws outstretched.

Quantum Knight recovered slightly and saw Joey and Tricia running towards each other. Desdemona had nearly reached them. "They're not going to make it!" She rolled to her feet, crouched, and teleported.

-------

A moment frozen in time.

Tricia and Joey reaching for each other, their hands inches apart. A fountain of sparks bursting from his hands. Above and behind her, the demon Desdemona coming down at a severe angle, her razor-sharp talons outstretched, and inches from Tricia's neck.

A millisecond later, Quantum Knight appears above them all, and kicks her foot directly into Desdemona's face.

Screaming. Roaring. A collision of bodies. A spray of blood.

-------

Desdemona hit the ground hard, and Quantum Knight landed, standing firmly between the demon and her two friends. Tricia and Joey fell on the ground together. Tricia shrieked as the blood splashed across her chest. They rolled and stopped.

"Joey! Are you..." Tricia started. And then she saw it. Joey lay on the ground, quivering, gasping, and choking. Blood sprayed and gushed from his chest in thick pulsing streams.

"NOOO!!!" she screamed, and Tricia planted her hands over his chest, trying to stop the flow of blood. The warm sticky fluid sprayed out from under her hands and spilled on the ground.

Quantum Knight glanced at Joey, pulled her cell phone, and hit a button. "IOWA! Life Support! STAT!" She dropped the phone and watched Desdemona as she regained her footing.

From the top of the building there was a shower of snow, and Snow Angel dropped off the side of the building. She quickly landed next to Joey's head, crouched down, and put both hands on his body. Joey bolted as a green energy field enveloped him.

Desdemona hissed. "Look at what you made me do! I needed him!"

"You get away from them," ordered Quantum Knight.

"No. That one will pay," she growled, pointing to Tricia. "And I'm not wasting any more time with you." She charged forward.

Quantum Knight dropped low and kicked high into the demon's stomach, pushing her back. She teleported above and kicked again into her head, forcing her back. The demon roared and swiped in the air, missing the hero by fractions of an inch.

"You will STAY BACK!" Quantum Knight screamed, and she teleported behind her and grabbed her from behind.

VVRR-VRRR-RRRRAMMMM

"AAAHHH!!" Quantum Knight screamed in pain and dropped off the demon. Desdemona turned and looked at the hero as she collapsed.

"What? You thought you could teleport me somewhere?" She kicked the hero aside. "You have ANY idea how large I really am?" Quantum Knight groaned in agony. The demon turned back, focusing her eyes on Tricia. "So unless you have someone else who..."

SMASH!

The ground shook violently as a dead 30 ton salamander hit the ground. Standing on top of the mangled monstrous carcass was a 300 pound man of solid muscles. He was decked out in leather, whips, and a really cool pair of sunglasses.

"My turn," he said smoothly.

Desdemona hissed at Bullwhip. His whips lashed out, snagging her feet, and she was yanked bodily away from the others and thrown violently onto the pavement. Bullwhip launched himself at the demon, roaring at her, and smashing his massive fists into her body.

Tricia watched the fight for one second, and turned back to Joey and Snow Angel. "Can you help him? Please! Fix him!"

Snow Angel stared in horror at the boy. Her fingers probed his body. "I ... I can't!"

"What do you mean!"

"This is too much!" Snow Angel teared up and looked at Tricia. "Tricia! His heart was punctured! I can't fix that. I can do little things, fix cuts and bruises and burns, but not this!"

Tricia gasped. "NO! You have to help him!"

Snow Angel shook her head, crying. "I'm sorry. I can push oxygen into his cells for a while and control some of the pain, but I can't heal this. This is too much damage!" She looked back down at Joey. "This isn't supposed to happen. I'm sorry, but..." She turned back to Tricia. "I can keep him alive, but only for a little while." Tears ran down her face. "Just long enough for you to say goodbye."

-------

Translation Guide

"Bu-rekh-a-shem." - Thank God!

"Mi yama esta Patricia Maria Sanchez." - "My name is Patricia Maria Sanchez." (Note the initials.)



-------

Chapter 24: Purpose and Sacrifice





Monday, July 20, 2009, 7:15 AM

"NO!" Tricia screamed. "I refuse! We are NOT letting him die!"

Snow Angel was tearing, and holding Joey's head. Green energy flowed from her hands into his body. "Tricia! There's nothing I can do! I told you. I can't fix this!" Her voice was shaking in sorrow.

"You HAVE to be able to help him!" She looked into Joey's eyes. He was choking on his blood, shivering, rasping, and his eyes stared at Tricia in terror. "Joey, I am not letting you die! We're getting through this!"

"Don't give him false hope," Snow Angel sobbed.

The sprays of blood were now just trickles, and the warm blood ran down over his shoulder and into a puddle around him. Tricia closed her eyes, crying, praying, and pushing on his wound, trying to keep the blood inside him. "You have to help him. Please."

Her mind raced back, searching for clues, inspiration, anything. She remembered the conversation she had with herself back on Wednesday. The words from her future self echoed in her mind. "Everyone in your life now is in it for a reason ... He is everything! Think creatively! You can get through anything with him, even if he's ... even if he's dying in your arms and you think there is no hope. As long as he is alive and with you, there is always hope."

"Everyone in my life is in it for a reason..." she whispered to herself. "Think creatively." She stared at Snow Angel. "You! You can heal! You can rebuild tissue! Heart is just tissue! You can rebuild his heart, can't you?"

Snow Angel hesitated. "Yes, but ... it's too difficult!"

"Is it too much tissue to rebuild?"

"No. It's ... I don't know what to do! I don't know what it's supposed to look like!"

"WHAT DO YOU NEED?"

"These are complex structures, and I don't know what's missing, what needs to be rebuilt, what connects to what! What shape things are supposed to be."

"So you're physically capable of healing him, but you just need information, right? You just need to know what to do. Someone to guide you?"

Snow Angel nodded. "Yeah. But ... do you know what to do?"

Tricia shook her head. "No, but..." She grabbed her cell phone and opened it. Blood from her hands smeared over the keys and screen. She tried to wipe the blood off the screen, but she only managed to put more blood on the screen, rendering it worthless. "God damn it!" she screamed, and threw the phone aside. Tricia took a couple deep breaths and thought. She leaned in to Joey. "Joey. I have an idea. But I need your help. You can still use your powers, right?"

Joey's mouth was opening and closing like a fish gasping for air. He had stopped breathing, but was still conscious. He nodded fearfully. She took his hand in hers.

"Good. I need a power. Something like a ... mind scan. Something that can let me find someone who can help us and talk telepathically. Someone miles away. Can you do that?"

He nodded. He breathlessly mouthed a word. " ... name..."

Tricia concentrated on the name of the person she wanted. Sparks erupted from his hands, and she felt the power enter her body. Her mind rippled, and she threw her head back and screamed as a wave a psychic energy exploded from her consciousness.

"DOCTOR BOOTH!"

-------

Somewhere in the suburbs of Bethesda, Maryland, Willow Booth sat in her bedroom in a lotus position, meditating and floating about eight inches above her bed. The young, brown-skinned, teenage girl was surrounded by hovering, glowing circles of mystic energies inscribed with triangles, pentagrams, and arcane glyphs.

"Speak to me, spirits of the ancients..." she chanted. "Speak to me ... tell me your secrets."

The spirits were not talking today, and she continued her concentration, stretching her mind out into the astral, seeking knowledge and companionship. Her phone buzzed, and her eyes snapped open. The glyphs and symbols vanished, and she settled on the bed gently.

She looked at her phone. "Whoa ... Sorry spirits, but you're nothing compared to Twitter." She rolled to her bedside table, tossed aside a stuffed rabbit, and grabbed her TV remote. She then turned her TV on and switched to the local news channel.

" ... and emergency crews are arriving on the scene," said the reporter standing outside a building complex. "So far there have been no reports of injuries from people escaping the area, but it looks like there are two people injured at the scene of the fight. For those of you just joining us, there is a major super-fight occurring right now at Freedom Plaza in Rosslyn, Virginia. We are getting varying reports as to how many people are involved, anywhere from five to seven. So far we've confirmed Multiplex, Bullwhip, Snow Angel and Quantum Knight. Bullwhip is currently fighting a red woman with black wings and fire powers." The camera focused in on Bullwhip as his leather whips entangled in long fire whips. "We're not sure as to the identity of the woman he's fighting, but she appears to have a strong resemblance to a villain named Desdemona, who was killed over five years ago. We don't know if or how this woman is related. There is also a very large and apparently dead ... I don't know what to call it ... a dinosaur, or something, and there are a lot of smaller strange bodies about the area. Lizards, or dogs, or very large bats or something like that."

A woman's voice spoke up from the station. "And what is going on with the wounded?"

The camera panned over. "Quantum Knight is down, but ... I can see she is still moving. Snow Angel and this other woman are tending to a young boy. It appears he's been seriously wounded. We don't know yet who this woman is, or who the boy is."

Willow gasped as she saw the camera image zoom in on Tricia and Joey. "MOM! DAD!" She jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs. "MOM! DAD! COME QUICK!"

"What is it, Willow?" her mother called from the kitchen. Her father was sitting at the table reading the paper when Willow ran in.

"Remember that boy last week? He failed the magic tests, and all the others? He's on TV! There's a big fight, and I think he's hurt!" She grabbed her mother and pulled her. "Come!"

They all three ran back to Willow's room. Her mother gasped as she saw them. "It's Joey. Oh dear."

Her father watched, seeing the blood spraying from his chest. "Oh no ... He's..." He shook his head.

"We've been getting some reports that the woman has super-powers, and is responsible for most of the property damage in the area," said the reporter. "We also hearing from some witnesses that the boy had some powers, but we can't confirm that. I'm going to try and get a bit closer, and see if I can..."

Willow and her parents watched as Tricia threw her head back and screamed something, and a wave of blue-white energy shot out of her body. The reporter let out a "What the FUCK?" on the air, and the energy wave expanded and exploded across the plaza in all directions. The wave washed over the reporter and the camera, and the image shook violently as the cameraman stumbled. They could see the ground, feet, shadows, and legs, and the reporter spoke again. "What was that? Doctor Booth? Did you hear that?" Several agreeing and affirming voices from the local crew came from off-camera, and the camera image shakily righted itself, returning to the reporter.

"Greg? Are you all right? What was that?" asked the anchor woman.

"Uh, yeah. I'm okay! That ... that was weird. That energy wave, when it passed, I heard a woman's voice, and she said 'Doctor Booth'." He turned to his crew. "You all heard that too, didn't you? Yeah. We all heard a 'Doctor Booth'. I don't what that means, but I'm going to find out." The reporter started running towards the wounded, but was stopped by a sudden stream of Multiplex clones. The clones vanished, leaving one behind.

"Get back!" Multiplex commanded.

"Multiplex! Can you tell us what is happening? Who are these people, and who is Doctor Booth?"

"I said BACK!" And on live TV, Multiplex violently punched the reporter in the stomach, taking him out in one shot. He then lifted the reporter and started carrying him away from the fight. The stream of Multiplex clones shot towards the camera, and a gloved hand covered the lens. The signal broke into digital noise.

"Um ... we're going to switch to our eye in the sky," said the anchor woman. "Dan, can you tell us what you can see?"

The image switched to an aerial shot of the city. Sounds of a helicopter came over the speaker. The camera was following the wave of blue energy and it traveled across the Potomac. "Well, Abbie, we're watching this energy wave, and it is just racing out in all directions like nothing I've seen before. It's not stopping for anything, and we've been watching traffic accidents happen right in front of our eyes. The entire George Washington Memorial Parkway and the Key Bridge are just in chaos. So whatever this is, it's affecting people, but I don't think it's directly affecting anything else."

"Any idea what this wave is?" asked the anchor woman.

Willow turned to her parents, and gave them a frightful and expectant look. "She's calling you!" She ran to her window and looked out. Her parents took each other's hands and they stared at each other, waiting.

"What is that, Willow?" her mother said. "Is it a spell?"

"It didn't look like a spell. I don't know what that was." She watched out the window. "Oh."

"What is it?" her father asked, and they looked out the window. "What do you..." He stopped as he saw what his daughter saw. The horizon was glowing as the massive energy wave approached.

"Can you protect us?" her mother asked.

"I don't think this is something you need to be protected from," Willow answered. The phone started ringing downstairs. "Don't answer that."

A web of blue-white lightning filled the sky as the wave raced towards them, and Tarak held Patina's hand in his, and held tight. The wave enveloped the houses across the street, and a moment later flew into the house. Tarak screamed as the wave hit his brain, and he fell back onto Willow's bed, grabbing his head. The wave vanished.

"Got him!" Tricia yelled, all the way back in Rosslyn, Virginia. "Doctor Booth! Can you hear me?" she cried out.

Tarak rolled on the bed in agony, screaming. Patina and Willow raced to him, holding him, and trying to help him.

"STOP IT!" he screamed.

"Joey. I think it's too loud," Tricia said. "Can you reduce the volume? ... Is this better? Can you hear me?"

Tarak stopped screaming. He looked around in Willows room in a panic. "Daddy! Are you okay?" Willow pleaded.

"Tarak! Please are you all right?" his wife asked.

"Who is that?" he asked.

"You can hear me! Good! Oh, thank God! This is Tricia Sanchez! We met last week at your wife's office. You talked to a boy in private. Joey. Do you remember him?"

"I ... I..."

"Look. I'm talking to you telepathically. Joey's been hurt, and he needs a heart surgeon. You're the only one I know. I need you to help him. He's been ... I think he's been stabbed in the heart. I've got Snow Angel here, and she's keeping him alive, but she needs help to fix his heart. I need you to help her with that."

Tarak looked around wildly. "What? I..."

"Daddy! Please? Are you all right?"

"I can hear a woman. I can hear her," he said.

"Yes! Good! And I can hear you too!" Tricia said. "Now please! Help me! He needs help. I ... I can't feel his heart beating."

"His heart stopped beating," Snow Angel's voice confirmed. "It's shaking now."

"You're talking to her?" Willow asked. "You can hear her?"

"Yes. I ... Tricia, you said. What are you doing? How are you doing this?"

"Not important right now. Look, I know this is really strange, but I need you to help me."

"I ... I don't know if I can help you. You need to get him to a hospital. Now!"

"He says we have to get him to a hospital. Can we get him to a hospital?" Tricia asked Snow Angel.

"No," Snow Angel said. "I'm pulling Earth lifeforce. We can't move him."

"No, we can't move him," Tricia repeated. "We can't get..."

"I heard another voice," said Tarak. "Who is that?"

"You can hear her? That's Snow Angel. Joey! How is..." Joey pointed one shaking finger to his ear. "You're connecting what we hear, right? Okay. Look, Doctor. We need you to help Snow Angel put his heart back together."

"I don't know what I can do to help you."

"Daddy! Please, help him!" Willow cried.

"Um ... I need to see the wound. Where is the wound."

Tricia hesitated. "Um, I..." She looked at Joey's wound. "It's about ... three, maybe four inches from his neck ... I..."

Joey pointed to his eyes, and then hers. She made the connection. "Optical telepathy?" He nodded. "Doc, you're gonna be looking out of my eyes now."

"What? AAAHHH!!" Tarak thrashed and reached out as his world changed.

"You're looking out of my eyes now, doctor," Tricia leaned in over Joey and ripped his shirt open. Blood poured from the wound in thick surges. "Oh, god..." she gasped, and she tried wiping the blood away. Her eyes filled with tears, and she almost wiped her eyes with her bloody hands, and managed to wipe her eyes on her arm instead. More blood seeped out of his chest, obscuring the wound. She kept wiping the blood away, and she could see the ripped skin on his chest, but there was too much blood in the wound to get a clear view. "Can you see the wound?"

Tarak sat on the bed, looking through Tricia's eyes. "I ... I can see what you're seeing, but I can't see the wound. Can you suction out the blood?"

Tricia swallowed. "Can we do anything about the blood? Get it out of the way?" she asked Snow Angel.

Snow Angel nodded. "His heart has stopped." She reached into the wound and the blood froze solid. She pulled chunks of red ice out. Tricia looked closer at the wound.

"I still can't see the damage." Tarak said. "I don't think I can help you. I'm sorry, Tricia."

"I AM NOT GIVING UP!" she yelled. "I've got a sorceress here pumping oxygen into his cells and she can rebuild tissues! She just needs to know what needs to be fixed, and you can help her. And I'm not letting go of your mind until you help her! Now what do you need?! I've got a shit-load of power to work with here."

"I ... I need to see what the damage looks like."

"He says he needs to see the damage," Tricia relayed.

Snow Angel thought. "Okay. Um ... I think I can do that." She held her hand over Joey's shoulder and a snowy sculpture formed in her hand. Tricia recognized it as a heart and a lung, and torn in various places.

Tarak looked at the model. "Can you show me what is under the lung?" Tricia relayed the request, and Snow Angel lifted the lung model, showing the heart model. He studied it. "There is a tear through his aorta and ventricular septum, and it looks like his aortic valve has been damaged."

"So you can help us!"

"Tricia ... His blood is compromised. There are air bubbles and pieces of flesh in his blood. His blood is clotting ... Even if we fix his heart, we're looking at embolisms and infections. This is not going to work. I'm sorry."

"Snow, can you clean his blood? Get rid of air bubbles and germs and whatever else that doesn't belong in there?"

She nodded. "Yeah. That's easy! I can handle little things like that. It's just the big stuff I need to know."

Tricia stared at the snow models. "Doc, we can do this. She just needs to know what a healthy heart looks like from the inside. Do you have something she can look at? Joey? Can you bring her into this? Make it so she can see what he is looking at, and hear him too?"

Joey nodded, terrified. Snow Angel let out a yelp. "WHOA! Where is that?"

Tarak turned to Willow. "Get my heart model from my study." The girl nodded and ran. He turned to his wife. "Anatomy books." She nodded and ran. "This may not work, Tricia."

"I can hear him too!" Snow Angel remarked in surprise.

"What does he need? What else do we need to do?"

"Well ... he's lost a lot of blood. He needs a transfusion too."

Tricia glanced at her arm. "I don't know his blood type ... I don't know what where we can get blood from..."

Snow Angel turned her head around. "Multiplex! O-Negative, stat!" She turned back to Tricia. "We have as much blood as we need. Multiplex is O-Negative. Universal donor. It's a little radioactive, but we can worry about cancer later."

Willow returned with the plastic heart model and handed it to her father. His wife returned with a few anatomy books, and they lay them on the bed, opening them to the sections on the heart. Tarak opened the plastic cutaway model of the heart and started pointing to sections. "This is the aorta. It wraps around the pulmonary arteries and is fed by the left ventrical. His-side left."

Snow Angel nodded, and mentally probed Joey's damaged heart. "I ... I think I see what's damaged. There's a big rip in this thick part."

"That is the ventricular septum. Can you rebuild it?"

"Yeah." Snow Angel concentrated. "This is going to take some time, but I can shape this."

Joey grimaced. Tricia squeezed his hand. "You're doing great Joey. This is going to work. We're going to fix you." She glanced over at the fight between Desdemona and Bullwhip.

"We do not need to see that," said Tarak. "Keep yours eyes on Joey."

"Sorry." Tricia returned her eyes to Joey, but wondered how much time Bullwhip could give them.

-------

Bullwhip's and Desdemona's fight had taken them far from the others, as was Bullwhip's intention. At first they grappled with whips, but she had managed to destroy his with a combination of fire and claws. Thinking he was helpless without them, she used her mystic fire-whips on him, only to discover that the moment they touched him, they were no longer under her control. So now they had resorted to brute-force clawing and pummeling each other.

He savagely punched her, repeatedly delivering bone-crushing blows to her body and skull, and Desdemona raged and screamed, viciously slashing her claws at him. The man was an unstoppable powerhouse, and every rip in his clothes that she did manage to puncture just repaired itself, fibers reweaving themselves as fast as she healed from his attacks.

She roared and charged him, her claws extended and fire rippling from her hands. Bullwhip caught her by the arms and held her back. She bared her new fangs at him and hissed, and he head-butted her. Desdemona shook it off, and held her ground, glaring at the mutant superhero.

"You're getting weaker. You're getting tired."

"Not yet," he growled back at her, straining to hold her.

Desdemona squinted and sniffed. "No ... It's not that. It's your clothes. Clothes do make the man, don't they? You're not strong. Your clothes are, aren't they boy?"

"DON'T CALL ME BOY!" Bullwhip yelled, and he smashed his fists into her, knocking the demon to the ground. Desdemona reset her jaw and smiled at him.

"I know your secret. I don't have to attack you. Just your threads." She licked her lips, hissed, and pounced, slashing into his sleeves. Chunks of cloth ripped and fell off, and others re-wrapped around his arm, reinforcing their integrity. Bullwhip blocked and fought, and she slashed his face, leaving huge scratches in his cheek. He screamed in pain, and she tore his sleeves open, ripping huge pieces of cloth off. She slashed into his chest, and more leather and fabric fell to the ground. Much of his skin was now exposed, and what little cloth was left wasn't enough to defend or enhance him.

Desdemona centered her eyes on his chest, at his heart. She licked hip lips and smiled. "Time for you to die, hero."

Bullwhip surprised her by charging her, punching her in the stomach. She doubled over in pain from the crushing blow. Her ribs cracked and shattered, and she fell to the ground. He roared and pummeled her body. His arms and chest were bare, muscled, sweaty, and bleeding, and he pounded her with his fists, screaming at her.

She kicked out, connecting her foot to his chest, and sent him flying back. He rolled on the concrete, scraping his skin. She glared at him, and wiped the blood from her mouth.

"You should be weak. How are you staying so strong?" She sniffed the air. "Ahh! Clever boy, punching me in my own clothes. Using my own clothes against me." She stood and raised a claw to her bodice. "But what if I fought in the nude as well?"

Ker-CHUNK! WhirrRRRRRR! "Hey! Beelze-bitch!" Desdemona turned and saw Quantum Knight standing nearby, carrying the BFG-9000 Magnetic Accelerator Assault Cannon. "Remember this?"

"NO!!" she screamed, and spread her wings to take off. Quantum Knight lowered the gun and started firing a stream of accelerated nails at her. The nails split into a sine-wave pattern, focusing in on her, ripping through her flesh and taking out huge chunks. Desdemona spun and howled in a rasping and gargling voice as the nails tore through her body.

Quantum Knight glanced in Bullwhip's direction. "Go! Get some fresh clothes! I'll hold her!"

Bullwhip nodded, turned, and ran towards the emergency vehicles parked a block away. His pants were still intact, and using the strength in them he leaped high into the air, covering the distance in a couple of seconds. He landed hard on a police car, smashing the hood, and startling the several officers around him.

"Bullwhip! Jesus, fucking Christ, what's going on? What can we do to help?" one of the policemen asked.

One policeman was a big guy wearing a leather jacket. Bullwhip jumped off the car, landed next to him, and slapped one hand on his shoulder. The jacket quickly unzipped and flipped itself off the man. The man yelped as his jacket flew off him and onto Bullwhip.

"Gotta borrow this," he explained, moving on to another policeman. The jacket zipped up around him and he touched another startled policeman. His Kevlar vest, strapped over his body, suddenly became alive and unhooked itself, whipping around Bullwhip's torso. He continued striding through the crowd of police and paramedics, and headed for the fire fighters. The first one he reached, he touched, and the tan fire fighter's jacket ripped itself off the startled man and wrapped itself around the hero. Bullwhip reached the fire truck and slapped one hand on the side. All the hatches on the truck opened, and a long fire hose snaked out like a tentacle towards the hero. He took the fire hose in one hand and looked back to the fight. The fire hose unhooked itself from the truck and snapped out, wrapping around a light post. Bulllwhip grunted and jumped on his powerful legs, and the hose pulled him, and he soared back into the battle.

He arrived back next to Quantum Knight just as she was running out of nails. Desdemona was a bloody and disgusting mess, perforated and barely recognizable. Nails were popping out of her as the flesh reformed around her body.

"Welcome back," Quantum Knight said, as she dropped the gun and summoned her swords.

"How much time until Hyperion gets here?"

"Ten? Fifteen minutes?"

Bullwhip lashed out at her with the fire hose, using it like a whip. The hose shredded under her claws as she slashed back. "Damn. This thing isn't built for combat."

"You need a new whip?"

"You got one?"

Quantum Knight nodded, and concentrated. A strange contraption appeared in her hands, consisting of a metal backback, straps, cables, and a whip. "Taser whip," she explained, handing it to him. The taser whip animated and flipped about him the moment he touched it, and it soon attached to his back with the whip in his right hand. "I never figured out how to get the power regulator to work. Could never get fine-control on the intensity."

"So it's either off or on full-power?"

"Yeah."

The taser whip raised itself up and he lashed out at the demon. "Suits me just fine!" There was an explosion of electricity as the whip entangled Desdemona's body. Quantum Knight teleported next to her and started slashing the moment the whip released her.

-------

FFF-T-T-T-T-T A stream of Multiplex clones zipped into existence around one of the ambulances. Most of the bodies simply pushed people aside, but a couple ran into the back of the ambulance. Multiplex quickly dug through the equipment and pulled out a blood transfusion kit. He and two others jumped out of the ambulance and sprinted towards the wounded.

The three of him arrived next to Joey, and Multiplex simultaneously rolled up his and Joey's sleeves while opening the transfusion kit. "Fist fist fist..." he said.

"Joey, make a fist," Tricia translated. Joey closed his hand into a fist, and Multiplex started to attach the blood transfusion lines.

Snow Angel was concentrating on Joey, mentally guiding her healing abilities. "I think ... I think I've got that wall closed. Let me see it again."

Tarak, back in Bethesda, studied the heart model closely. He compared it to the model Snow Angel made. "It needs to be thicker," he said, gesturing to the middle of the ventricular septum.

"Is it enough for him to survive?" Snow Angel asked.

"Yes, but it won't take much strain," Tarak answered.

"I can magically reinforce it. Let's work on something else. We don't have much time." She concentrated on the heart model. "That yellow piece, I can fix the hole in that."

"You need to rebuild his aortic valve. He's missing a flap."

"You mean there's a piece missing?" Snow Angel peered into Joey's heart mystically. "Great! I can't find it. What's it look like?"

As Dr. Booth showed Snow Angel drawings and photographs of the aortic valve, Tricia looked into Joey's eyes. He was scared. "You're doing great, Joey. We're going to fix you."

He opened his mouth and tried to speak. He had stopped breathing some time ago, and couldn't push air through his lungs anymore, but he mouthed a word. " ... cold..."

Tricia shook with fear, and she was tearing up. "I'm so sorry. This is my fault. I shouldn't have wasted so much time fighting her ... I..."

He squeezed her hand. " ... okay..." he mouthed. He was tearing as well.

"Tricia!" Dr. Booth shouted. "I need you to look at her model."

"Sorry." She blinked to clear her tears and looked at Snow Angel's ice sculpture of Joey's heart. She watched as a section of ice slowly grew as Snow Angel rebuilt Joey's aortic valve.

-------

Bullwhip and Quantum Knight continued their assault on Desdemona, pounding and slashing her as she screamed and raged and fought back. She had pushed all of the nails out of her body and reformed it, but the continuous burns, blows, and cuts made it difficult for her to fully heal.

The electrified whip wrapped around her, shocking and burning her body. Desdemona sent out her own whip, and it arched around Bullwhip, burning the power pack on his back. Quantum Knight stabbed her in the leg and chest, and the demon howled and slashed, ripping through the metal whip.

"Damn!" Bullwhip growled, and he shrugged off the remains of the taser whip apparatus. He clenched his fists and jumped on the demon, smashing her in the face and body. Desdemona dropped, and he pummeled her over and over as Quantum Knight sliced into her body.

The demon dropped on the ground, and lay still. Bullwhip stopped hitting her, and stood over her, breathing heavily. Quantum Knight stopped as well, and looked at the demon.

"You think she's... ?" Bullwhip started to ask.

"No," Quantum Knight rasped. She leaned down to examine the villain.

Desdemona snapped her head up. Her eyes were glowing red, and she smiled.

"WATCH OUT!" Quantum Knight yelled.

BOOOM!

Snow Angel, Tricia, and Multiplex all turned and saw the explosion. It was a massive concussive force blast that sent Bullwhip and Quantum Knight flying. A huge cloud of black smoke rose into the sky. "Hell-bomb attack," Snow Angel whispered. "Oh, no..." They watched in horror as the two heroes landed and rolled limply on the ground. Neither one was moving.

Desdemona stood up and stretched her wings. Broken sections reformed. Cuts healed. Bruises faded.

Tricia gasped. "We've got to go!"

Snow Angel shook her head. "We can't move him yet."

"Keep! Keep!" Multiplex stuttered, and a stream of clones shot out from the bodies that sat next to them. The clones zipped towards Desdemona.

Tricia watched the line of clones as they approached the demon. "What is he doing?"

"He's buying us time!" she answered. "Let's hurry!" Snow Angel peered down into Joey's chest to resume working on his aortic valve.

Multiplex stopped in front of the demon and held a hand out in front of her. "St ... Stop. Stay!"

Desdemona turned and regarded the hero. She grinned. "You? Please."

Multiplex held his ground. "St-Stay ... Stay! ... Back!" He was shaking.

The demon watched the terrified hero for a moment, amused at his bravado. She inhaled deeply and chuckled at the scent. "And what were you planning on doing, hmm? You can't do anything to me. You have no strength, no weapons, no defenses. You're not even a proper speedster. You can't build any inertia. What are you? What is it the kids call it these days? ... Oh, that's right. A meat shield. So what ARE you planning to do?" She sniffed the air again. "Oh, I see ... You're just going to try and bury me in bodies, is that it? You think you can just throw enough bodies on top of me, I won't be able to dig out, right?"

She raised her claws. "I'm very good at clawing my way out of bodies. You're not going to be able to stop me. And it's just going to hurt you a lot. So why not just save us both the trouble, and get out of my way."

The hero stood, unmoved. He was shaking and sweating, but he held his hand up. "B-Back! N-No!"

Desdemona's lip oozed into a smile. "Very well. If this is what's going to happen, then why don't we make things a little more interesting?" She raised a finger into the air and started drawing a glyph. Red lines and curves hung in the air as she drew, forming an arcane symbol.

Snow Angel, far away had her face planted close to Joey's chest and did not see the sign Desdemona was drawing. But the image was caught on camera by a local newscaster, and Desdemona's glyph was broadcast out across the news. Over in Bethesda Maryland, Willow Booth watched the symbol being drawn, and immediately recognized it.

"STOP HER!" She yelled to her father. "DON'T LET HER FINISH THAT SPELL!"

Snow Angel and Tricia heard Willow through the telepathic link, and they looked up to Desdemona. The symbol was completed, and it flashed out of existence.

"Too late." Snow Angel whispered, realizing the full extent of what the spell would do. "She's done. We have to hurry!"

Desdemona smiled cruelly at Multiplex. "You do have one thing going for you. You can jump between bodies faster than I can catch you, so my only real chance to catch you is to use my Hell-Bomb attack. But I just used it, and it takes hours to recharge. But this little spell changes everything. Now for every one of your bodies I kill, that death energy is channeled into my Hell-Bomb, recharging it faster. And if this little fight is going to turn into the epic blood-bath I think it's going to be, it'll be fully recharged in minutes. Now ... How much death are you willing to experience?"

Multiplex gritted his teeth and vibrated. Pseudo-images of duplicate bodies shimmered around him. "I ... said ... Stay ... BACK!"

The demon licked her lips. "Let's get this started," she whispered, and she roared and pounced.

Multiplex screamed and ran towards her, and exploded into a tsunami of bodies. The massive crowd of men rose over the demon as a tidal wave and crashed down on her. Desdemona slashed mercilessly, ripping and disemboweling the bodies as they hit her and forced her back. Multiple hands grabbed her arms and hair, pulling her back and down, and she easily sliced arms off, ripping, tearing, rending, and laughing as the men screamed in agony.

Next to Tricia, Snow Angel, and Joey, the two Multiplex clones shook, grunted, and agonized as their brothers were being hacked to pieces. They collapsed down in pain, and Joey turned his head to see the fight. His eyes went wide as he saw the sprays of blood and body parts. Desdemona spun and ripped, severing pieces and throwing them in all directions. She managed to break free of the crowd and took to the air, but the clones zipped up and showered over her, grabbing her wings and body, and pushed her back down again. The nightmarish massacre continued.

Tricia glanced at the fight, and then turned back to Joey, touching his face with her bloodied hand and turning his head back to her.

"Don't look..." she whispered to him, and then turned to Snow Angel. "Please! Hurry!"

Snow Angel had glanced at the fight, and redoubled her efforts. Tears started to roll down her face. "Thank you, Multiplex..." she whispered. She concentrated on the aortic valve, mystically pushing and pulling it, testing its integrity. "I think it's a little too thick, but it works. I'm closing his wound in his aorta."

"Doesn't have to be fancy," Dr. Booth said. "Just get it closed."

The screams, howls and ripping sounds coming from Desdemona and Multiplex were distracting, but Snow Angel kept working. "Almost ... almost ... Got it!"

"Any air in the heart chambers?"

She concentrated. "Got it. Pure blood."

"Good. Now his lung. He has rips in the front and back of his left lung."

"That feels really complex. Lots of small tunnels. I don't know if I can..."

"That just needs to be air-tight right now. Close the wounds. He'll have some reduced lung capacity, but he can survive that. Also, you'll need to close off arteries that feed those areas."

Snow Angel nodded, and concentrated on his lung, sealing the two wounds in it.

"You'll also need to clear out any blood in his lungs, any debris. Can you do that?"

"I can get most of it. Joey, you're going to be coughing a lot."

"How does his ribs look?" Dr. Booth asked.

"One's broken. I can reset that, but it'll be weak."

"Then his pectoral muscles. They're probably ripped."

"Finished his lungs."

A huge chunk of flesh slapped Snow Angel in the face. She screamed, grabbed it, and tossed it aside. "I don't want to know what that was." She grabbed at Joey's chest. "Sorry, this is going to hurt." She pulled, and Joey winced and grimaced as she reset his rib.

Tricia stroked his cheek. "You're doing great Joey."

"Fusing the rib ... That should hold a while. Gonna stitch up his muscles..."

KA-BOOM!

Tricia and Snow Angel spun and watched in horror as the column of black smoke rose, and scores of limp and dead bodies were projected in all directions, spinning, tumbling, and crashing and crumpling on the ground. They felt the heat and concussive force, and stared in abject terror for a second as they saw the piles and piles of bloodied, broken, ripped, shredded and dead Multiplex bodies.

The two Multiplex clones sitting next to them collapsed.

"No time!" Snow Angel put her hand over the wound. "Sealing the skin. Tricia! Pull out his IV ... Restarting his heart. Welcome back, Joey." A surge of green energy flashed in his body, and a searing pain exploded in his heart. Joey gasped loudly, his breath rattled and his face scrunched in pain. Tricia felt her contact with Dr. Booth sever. "GO!" Snow Angel screamed, and she jumped into the air.

"COME ON! JOEY!" Tricia yelled as she grabbed the boy's arm and pulled. Joey gasped and choked and shook. His libs were useless, and Tricia tried to lift him. "Strength! Give me strength!"

Joey gagged and coughed and struggled to stand up. There was a brief flare of sparks from his hands, but nothing happened. He rasped and convulsed, trying to clear his lungs. Blood came out of his mouth.

Snow Angel spun in the air above them, a blizzard of snow erupting from her body. Ice armor grew over her torso, head, and limbs, and great snowy wings emerged on her back. She was now carrying a shield and spear made from ice, and she centered her attention on the demon.

Desdemona casually walked towards them and watched the girl as she prepared herself for battle. Her lips curled into a smile. "I always wondered what would happen if we met." Her hands ignited.

"You will stay away from them!" Snow Angel commanded.

The demon simply smirked. "So tell me the truth, angel ... and you always have to tell the truth. Do you really think you can beat me?"

Snow Angel winced, grimaced, and charged, screaming. She threw her ice spear, and it plunged into Desdemona's torso. The demon roared and broke the spear, and blasted a torrent of fire at the hero. Snow Angel's shield took the brunt of the blast, melting to nothing, and she returned with a hurricane of snow and frost, blinding the demon and swooping around her. She formed an ice-blade and swung it at the demon's back, smashing and slicing into the hell-spawn's wings. Desdemona screeched and summoned a flaming sword, and sliced at Snow Angel's blade.

Tricia was frantically dragging Joey, trying to get him up and running, and Joey was still coughing and choking on the blood in his lungs. His left arm was limp and useless, and his legs were too weak and shaking to carry him. She managed to get his right arm over her shoulder and pulled him up. "Please, Joey! Help me! Help me help you." She started dragging him.

He convulsed and vomited, unable to move.

Desdemona was pounding and slicing at Snow Angel, who was deflecting and parrying with her ice-blade. She roared in frustration. "I have had enough of these distractions!" she cried, and the demon threw out her fire-whip and lashed Snow Angel's legs together. She pulled and twisted, flipping the hero over her and smashing her hard onto the ground. Snow Angel's blade flew out of her hand, and her armor shattered. Desdemona then flipped the girl to the other side and repeatedly smashed her against the ground. SMASH-SMASH-SMASH-SMASH! Snow Angel lay broken, and the demon pulled the whip once more and threw the battered girl across the compound. Her limp body flew through the air, hit the building and landed in a crumpled heap.

Tricia had just managed to get Joey moved several feet when Desdemona spun and focused on her. The demon took off towards the two and threw out a stream of fire. Tricia screamed as the fire curved around them, forming a trapping circle on the ground. She barely had enough time to turn and look before Desdemona's hand grabbed her by the throat and lifted her into the air. Tricia instinctively grabbed the demon's arm, dropping Joey and struggling against the strangling grip. She could feel the searing heat from her hands, and the sharp talons scratching her neck. She kicked and pulled and gasped, fighting for air and escape as Desdemona flapped her wings and hovered high above the boy.

The demon held Tricia close to her face. "You ... hurt me." She licked her lips and savored the frantic and helpless fighting. Tricia was choking and straining, trying to breathe, trying to free herself, and a horrific despair flooded her.

I'm going to die! Oh God! Help me! I'm going to die! Run, Joey, run!

"Very few have hurt me in the way you have. You and that ninja bitch." Her breath was hot and dry and stank of sulfur. Her voice sent chills down the struggling girl's spine. "But I have a special place for those who hurt me. They are the dark holes, the evil trenches. Are you familiar with what is in the eighth circle of Hell? Have you read Dante?"

Tricia fought for air, holding onto Desdemona's arm and kicking, trying to free herself.

"He knew what tortures are found in every corner of Hell, all except for the dark holes. I will tell you what happens in there. The dark holes are a laboratory, a place where the most creatively sadistic of demons get to try their ideas. This is where you are going, to be tortured in ways no human can imagine."

Tricia could hear Joey underneath her, coughing and getting huge gasps of air. She couldn't look down, couldn't see how far she was from him. Run, Joey, run! Get out now!

"You will be ripped to pieces, reassembled to our liking, and ripped apart again. Your mind, your moralities, your family, your friends ... they will all become our playthings. Tortured, killed, resurrected, reformed ... We will make you kill your own friends, enjoy their deaths and torments, and then reapply your conscience so you can feel the guilt. You will forget you are in Hell, and only think you are a monster. We will dangle salvation above you, always let you feel just enough hope to be crushed ... Your despair will know no bounds, and will feed the demons of Hell for generations."

Tears were flooding Tricia's eyes. She was getting weaker. She couldn't breathe. I'm going to die. God help me!

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Joey cried out from below. Desdemona looked down at the boy, annoyed.

Run! Joey! Get out!

"What did you say?"

Joey had finally managed to cough up the blood from his lungs and he stood shakily in the circle of fire. "I said leave her alone," he sobbed. "She's not the one you want. I'm the one you want! She doesn't have powers. I do."

Desdemona growled.

Don't do this, Joey! Run! Get out! Go!

"I'm the one who created Omega Man. I'm the one who gave her powers, so I'm the one who hurt you. It was me!" He swayed and stumbled. "I'm ... Omega Boy."

The demon cocked her head and considered his words.

Please! Run! Get out!

"Please don't hurt her. I'll do anything you want ... I'll go with you, but don't hurt her. I ... I love her."

Desdemona pulled Tricia close to her foul head and smelled her. Tricia could feel the heat from her face on hers, sending shivers through her body. The demon squinted.

"Well, what do you know? You're nothing. You have no powers. You're just a worthless cock-teasing slut who knows how to use her tits and cunt. But he has no need for you anymore." She grinned. "You've fulfilled your purpose in life."

And with a quick motion, Desdemona swung her arm and hurled Tricia across the compound. Tricia felt something crack in her neck, and she tumbled and rolled in the air. She started to black out as her limp body twisted and spun.

Snow Angel had just managed to heal a great deal of injuries, and saw Tricia as she arched through the air towards the building. She leaped into the air and shot to her, intercepting her in mid air. Tricia's momentum sent them both back, and together they crashed into the building window. Glass shattered and fell as they tumbled in an office.

Joey gasped and watched. "NO!" he screamed. Desdemona watched in amusement.

Snow Angel grunted and rolled, trying to upright herself. She was covered in broken glass, and she moved one leg. The leg slipped and bent in the wrong way. It was clearly broken; the bone stuck out of her leg and ripped costume. Snow Angel saw the broken bone and blinked at it in bafflement, and then she turned to Tricia who lay still. She looked at Joey, at Desdemona, and back at Tricia. There was confusion, realization, sorrow, and fear. She touched her arm.

"Tricia? ... Tricia?"

She sent a wave of green energy through Tricia. Her body jolted and flopped.

"TRICIA?"

She sent another wave of energy through her. Tricia jerked once involuntarily from the wave, but there was no response.

Her face twisted in agony, and she shook the woman. "TRICIA!!" Tears flowed down her face. Pain contorted her body, and she glared at the demon.

"YOU! YOU MURDERER! YOU KILLED HER!" she sobbed, wracked in pain. "TRICIA IS DEAD!"

Joey dropped to his knees. Desdemona's lips curled into an evil smile.

And Snow Angel's words echoed across the compound, across glass and concrete, and were eventually picked up by a parabolic dish held by a television reporter. Her words were digitized, scrubbed, enhanced, uploaded to a satellite in geosynchronous orbit, reflected back down to receiving station, reprocessed, and broadcast out on the Internet and cable television, where they finally reached a young girl miles away, sitting in her wheelchair and holding a small dog.

"No ... No! NO! NO! NOOOO!!!" Annie screamed. She teared and held the dog close to her. "PLEASE! NO!!!"

The dog whined in sympathy, and Annie could feel his fur sticking out. She shook in rage and terror. She closed her eyes and screamed.

Her arms itched. Sobbing, she opened her eyes and saw the fine hairs on her arms sticking out. Her long hair was rising up, carried by static electricity.

FOOOM! The room was bathed in ultra-violet light from a source behind her. Annie spun her chair and saw her. "Tr ... Tricia?"

The glowing, transparent, naked figure of Tricia Sanchez squatted on the couch. She thrust her hips gently, and looked at Annie with kindness and compassion.

"Oh, Annie..."

Annie glanced back at the television, seeing Tricia's dead body on the screen. She looked back at the glowing figure from the future. "But ... what ... how..."

Tricia nodded. "I know what just happened. I know what you just saw. But I can't leave you in the dark any more, my dearest friend. It's time for you to understand what is going on. There's no point now in keeping the secret." She smiled. "There are things you need to know, and things you need to do. And I'm sorry, but if this doesn't work, it's all up to you."



-------

Chapter 25: The Black Line and Ashes





Monday, July 20, 2009, 7:30 AM

BING-BONG "Doors opening," said the familiar female voice.

Tricia was sitting on the concrete bench, holding her head between her legs, and staring at the comforting terracotta colored hexagonal tile floor that was ubiquitous in Metro. She carefully lifted her head, conscious of the fact that the last things she felt were her neck snapping and her skull breaking. There was no pain now, but her head felt loose, like it was just recently attached, and not very securely.

"Uhhhh..." she groaned, and looked up at the train waiting for her. She was back in an underground station. Desdemona, the fight, the pain, the blood ... it was all coming back, and she saw the LED sign on the side of the train. The sign alternated between "BLACK LINE" and "TO OBLIVION".

"Subtle much?" she sneered at the train. The train waited for her.

She staggered into the waiting car and leaned against the Plexiglas divider. She felt dizzy. BING-BONG "Step back. Doors closing," the woman's voice said. The doors slid closed behind her and the train started moving. Tricia slumped against the Plexiglas and looked around the car.

One other woman was in the car with her. It was another Tricia. Her doppelganger looked at her darkly from her seat, and dropped her head down.

"Hola, mi hermana," Tricia said. "I think ... I think my head was cracked open."

The other Tricia nodded. "Probably was. I think I'm in a coma."

Tricia held the seats as she walked up the aisle towards her sister. "What happened to you?"

She shrugged. "Same thing that happened to you. Desdemona tried to kill me. She threw me."

"Me too. Did Snow Angel catch you?"

"I don't think so. I think I blacked out before I hit anything. Did she catch you?"

Tricia thought. "I ... I don't know. I thought I felt something."

"You may still have a chance."

"Why do you think you're in a coma?"

The other Tricia sighed and nodded towards the door. "I missed my stop. The train stopped, and I knew it was my station, but I was too scared. I was alone, and ... so I stayed on the train, and now I keep riding. I don't know how to get off."

"Why can't you get off the train?"

"It just feels wrong."

Tricia sat down next to her sister. "How long have you been here?"

She shrugged. "I have no idea. Hours? Days? Weeks? Time doesn't mean anything anymore." The train started to slow down. "Is this yours?"

"My what?"

"You would know. Oh, god ... another one. They come in waves now."

"What comes is waves?" Tricia asked, but the train entered a new underground station, and slowed gradually to a full stop.

BING-BONG "Stand back. Doors opening." The doors opened, and a third Tricia collapsed onto the train. She was crying, sobbing, gasping, and clutching her throat. Tricia jumped up, ran to her, and knelt down next to her, taking her by the hand. "It's okay. It's okay," she soothed her sister.

"She ... she TORE MY THROAT OPEN!" the newest Tricia wailed.

BING-BONG "Stand back. Doors closing." The doors slid shut and the train started to move.

"I'M DEAD!" she cried out, and she fell into Tricia's arms and sobbed.

"It's all right ... It's okay." Tricia held her twin sister and caressed her head. "It's over now."

Tricia-in-a-coma watched and carefully moved up as the two other Tricia's embraced each other.

"WHAT'S GOING ON?" screamed the sobbing Tricia. "WHAT'S HAPPENING? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?"

"I don't know," Tricia said, starting to cry herself.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU WARN ME?"

"None of us were warned," said Tricia-in-a-coma. "We all fight her. We all get hurt. I think a lot of us get killed."

Tricia shot a look at her older sister. "Is this what you were talking about? Waves of alternate versions of me all coming in, holding our heads and throats, being killed off by Desdemona?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Waves of us. I've seen dozens, hundreds maybe. The injuries are all different, but the situation is always the same. They come in, they say how they got hurt, and they stay on the train for a couple stations, and then they leave."

"And you just sit there and watch them?"

"What else can I do?"

"You can help." Tricia took her sobbing younger sister by the arm and helped her up, and sat her down in a nearby seat. She looked at her sister's throat. "I don't see any damage."

"This is just a dream, though," she said, tears running down her face. "This isn't real. What the hell kind of stupid afterlife is this, anyways? I want to go to the beach, or go to a hotel. I don't want to be on this stupid train anymore." She wiped her eyes and looked at Tricia. "What was I supposed to do? Fight a demon? How was I supposed to kill her? Nothing stops her!" She shuddered. "It doesn't make any sense. What the fuck was all this time-travel for if it just leads to this? What the fuck was the whole purpose of my life if I was just leading myself to get killed by this demon?"

Tricia lowered her head and thought. She remembered the last words spoken to her, from Desdemona, right after the demon smelled her. "She told me my purpose in life was fulfilled."

"Me too," said the crying Tricia.

"Me too," said the eldest Tricia.

Tricia thought. "That was too specific. She sensed something. And I think she didn't understand it, but she was right." She looked back up at her younger sister. "Maybe this prophecy, this destiny, this whole grand plan that we were following, maybe it wasn't about us fighting Desdemona and beating her."

"What do you mean?" asked the younger Tricia.

"I mean ... look, I'm just trying to trust my instincts here, but I was told that the only thing I needed to do was to make sure Joey loved me. That was it! Joey was everything. This wasn't about fighting, or about getting super powers. It was about love. Joey needed to love me. And I needed to love Joey. Look, we've done stories about superheroes before. We all know that whenever there are superheroes in a story, it's all about their powers, but maybe this time it's not about powers. Maybe it's just about love."

The younger Tricia shook her head. "What are you talking about?"

"Look at what we've seen and what we've done. We fought off eight rapists at once. Quantum Knight teleported six thousand miles. Annie flew us two hundred and fifty miles over the desert, and killed two demons. Snow Angel repaired Joey's heart, Bullwhip killed who knows how many demons, and we all fought Desdemona, and we flew over cities. These are exciting things, and difficult things, but compare that to finding someone and learning to love. Compare all that to looking at your life and completely changing yourself for one person. Loving someone is one of the hardest things to do. Every person can do it, but it's just as hard as any super-feat. It just doesn't get as much attention as demon-slaying does." Tricia looked her younger self in the eye. "Did Joey love you?"

She hesitated, and nodded. "Yes. He loved me." She smiled for the first time.

Tricia smiled back. "You had to become a completely different person for him to love you. And you did it. That's all you needed to do."

"But what does that accomplish? What good is it if we just get killed? If I'm dead, then he's dead."

The elder Tricia spoke. "Snow Angel said something to me. She said that death can't hurt a soul. Maybe love is just the ultimate goal, and it just doesn't matter how much life there is."

Tricia held her younger sister's hand. "Desdemona can't kill that love."

The youngest Tricia shook her head. "But WHY? Why this? Why does it have to end like this?"

The train at that moment came out of the tunnels. Light poured in from the glass windows, and Tricia could see the train as it followed the gently curving tracks. She gasped and stood up, looking out the window. The others looked out too and inhaled sharply at the sight.

The train stretched ahead of them for what appeared to be miles. It was an endless train of hundreds to thousands of cars all linked together and it stretched out to the horizon.

"I thought Metro trains only had six cars," the eldest Tricia said.

"Me too," Tricia answered. "But this is a dream. And look at it." She turned to her younger sister. "Do you see it? This train. It's not just some random dream imagery. It represents our life. It's our destiny. Look how long it goes. There are not just miles ahead of us, there are years ahead of us. You, me, her ... we're all just possibilities of the infinite set of all Tricia Sanchezes. And Joey has given us this gift to see it.

"Tricia Sanchez's life doesn't stop here. It keeps going. Some of us die here, and some of us survive and continue. But far up there, in the very first car, is the oldest Tricia, the first of us, and she's driving this train. She's carved out this path which goes through this very dangerous time."

"Why did she do this?" the younger Tricia asked.

"I don't know ... Maybe she's reached that point in her life when she realized that love was more important than life, and she was willing to sacrifice her lives for Joey." She thought for a moment. "You would do that. You jumped off a building to get to him. Look at what she does for him."

The train started to slow down. They could see that they were approaching a station. The younger Tricia shook. "Oh no ... This is my stop. I don't..."

"This is your time," the older Tricia said. "You need to leave the train. You don't want to stay here."

The youngest Tricia nodded and slumped to the doors. The train stopped.

BING-BONG "Stand back. Doors opening." The doors slid open. Tricia could see the brightly lit outside station, but the younger Tricia gasped and shuddered at what she saw, obviously seeing something different. She turned away from the door and looked at the other two Tricias.

"I..."

"Did Joey love you?" Tricia asked.

She nodded. "He loved me. And I loved him."

"You did good. You did what you were supposed to do with your life."

She smiled for the last time, tears rolling down her cheeks. "He loved me," she whispered. She then turned back to the doorway, took one last shuddering breath and stepped off the train. As soon as her foot touched the platform, she vanished.

BING-BONG "Stand back. Doors closing."

The doors slid closed and the train started moving again. The elder Tricia-in-a-coma stared at her. "You really believe all that? You didn't just say that to make things easier for her?"

Tricia kept her eyes on the door. "If I said that to her to help her, I'm saying it to myself to help myself. I choose to believe it." She turned to her elder self. "It's all I've got left."

The other Tricia nodded. "I understand. It's all I've got too."

The train immediately started slowing down again. Tricia felt something different about this stop. "Oh no ... This is it. This is my stop. Oh god..." She could see the station as they decelerated. "I don't want..."

"Tricia, it's your time."

The train stopped. BING-BONG "Stand back. Doors opening." The doors slid open, and Tricia saw that what was behind the doors was not a brightly lit station, but an all encompassing blackness. She shuddered and gasped. Shivers ran down her spine, and her heart started beating furiously.

She was terrified, yet compelled to come closer, and she stepped towards the blackness. It was nothing, pure nothing. "I ... I ... I don't know what's going to happen," she said, shaking. "I'm scared."

"Tricia. One of two things will happen."

"What?"

"Either you are going to go back, or you are going to go forward. Either way is pretty good."

Tricia looked back at her older self. The coma Tricia looked at her lovingly and asked "Did Joey love you?"

Tears filled her eyes. "Yes," Tricia whispered. "He loved me."

"You did good."

She smiled and her tears rolled down her cheeks. "You know what to do now."

The other Tricia nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."

Tricia looked back into the darkness, and took a nervous step forward.

"Tricia?" her sister said. "Um..." She looked nervous.

"Yes?"

"If you do make it back ... and you ever find your way back on the train again..." She gave a strange smile. "Can you bring me a magazine or something?"

Tricia nodded and let out a sobbing chuckle. "I will. Goodbye." She turned back to the darkness. "He loved me. I loved him. That was all I needed to do."

And she took her last steady breath, and stepped into the darkness.

-------

"Oh, this is just pathetic," Desdemona snarled, landing near Joey. The boy was on his knees, staring into the distance through the encircling flames around him at the still form of his first love. He was shaking his head, crying, gasping, and shivering.

"No ... No ... No..." he whispered in soft sobs.

She inhaled, sampling his thoughts. "Oh, this is what, the THIRD one you've killed? Both parents, and now your girlfriend. Tsk, tsk, tsk..." She took a few steps toward him, smelling his despair. "You know, you really need to find some more durable people in your life, someone that can actually survive being near you for any length of time. And we both know that slant-eyed crippled kyke isn't going to last long. Maybe I should just put her out of her misery too."

He looked at the demon in horror. She sniffed and smiled. "So, you can give powers to anyone you love. Interesting." She inhaled again. "No ... Don't even think about giving her powers to fight me. We both know how that would turn out. No, if your beaner-bitch couldn't take me, what makes you think the hebe invalid would?" She cocked her head and looked at the crying boy. "But perhaps I've misjudged your worth. All this time I was thinking you just held a tremendous power which I could use to open a gate, but maybe I can find a better use for you." She started walking in a wide circle around him. "You can give powers to others. Maybe you can give them to me as well?"

Joey shivered as she stalked around him.

"Consider the possibilities, Joey," she said, shimmering as illusions rippled over her body. With each step she became a different beautiful woman. Lucy Liu, Elizabeth Banks, Drew Barrymore, Tia Carrere. "I can be any woman..." Angell Conwell, Kim Kardashian, Natalie Portman, Halle Berry. "Any age, any color, any shape, any time..." She shifted older, younger, black, white, slim, buxom. "You like this shape, don't you?" she said, shifting into Tricia Sanchez. "Come with me, and you won't miss it. Or how about this one?" She shifted into Annie. "You'll like me as her. At least I can spread my legs by myself. Or perhaps you like the truly exotic? Perhaps you would want me as I am?" She shifted back to her normal red-skinned demonic form, complete with wings.

"Whatever you want, I can be it. Whatever you desire, I can give it to you, and more." She stepped closer to the boy. He turned his head away in terror, looking down at the ground. "I can fulfill your wildest dreams, and give you unimaginable pleasures." She leaned over, reached down, and hooked one finger under his chin and waited for him to lift his face upward. "You will soon learn that those sluts you have been with are nothing. Come to me if you truly want to learn the pleasures of love."

Joey kept his face pointed at the ground. He shook, and he slowly clenched his hands into fists. His fear turned into rage.

"Love?" he whispered, and then growled "What ... do you ... know ... about love?"

Desdemona blinked. Something had changed, and she looked nervous.

Joey's hands rippled with energy. Black sparks flowed from his fists. He lifted his head up to the demon and stared at her through obsidian eyes. "You ... KILLED my love!"

The demon gasped and her knees suddenly buckled underneath her. She fell to the ground and in a panic tried to crawl away from him. "No! NO! What are you doing? STOP!" she pleaded. The flames around him extinguished.

Joey struggled and got to his feet, while Desdemona flapped her wings, trying to lift off. The bones in her wings snapped under the strain, and the large leathery folds dragged on the ground as she tried to pull herself away from the boy. He stood over her, his fists erupting in black fire and his eyes smoked with an onyx power, and he pointed a single finger at her accusingly. "You have been on this planet for three thousand years," he growled at her. " ... and you have learned NOTHING about love! What a waste!"

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? STOP! PLEASE, STOP!" she begged him, still trying to crawl away from him.

Joey looked at his hands and saw the black sparks for the first time. "What is this?..." He looked at the demon, and then at his hands. He smiled. "So. You think you're hot shit, sniffing and reading my mind to learn what my powers and weaknesses are? Well guess what? I'm still learning too! And you can't pull an answer out of my mind if I don't know it yet!"

"NO!" She screamed in frenzied terror, weakly pulling herself away from him. "GET AWAY FROM ME! STOP!!"

He took a couple limping steps closer to her, closing the distance between them. "Well here's an update of what Omega Boy can do!" he shouted at the demon. "If I love someone, I can give them powers!" He took another step closer, holding his blazing fists high into the air.

"BUT IF I HATE..." he roared at the hell-spawn, " ... I CAN SUCK YOU DRY!"

"NOOOO!!!" Desdemona screamed in horror, and she frantically clawed and scratched at the ground, feebly and weakly pulling herself across the blood-stained concrete. "MERCY! PLEASE! DON'T!"

"Mercy? You want mercy? The only reason you know that word is because it's the last thing your victims say before you kill them. Well now that will be the last thing you will ever say! You have terrorized this planet for far too long," he said to the demon. "And now it's time for you to die!"

Desdemona was delirious with panic as she clawed and pulled at the ground, dragging her limp body. She screamed and turned to Joey. "YOU! NO! You don't kill! You're not a killer!"

Joey stopped in his strides towards her. The black sparks from his hands died down a bit.

"I can smell it on you," she continued, shaking madly. "You don't kill. You made a promise."

He looked at his fiery hands and thought. His shoulders slumped, and his head dropped. "You're right. I'm not a killer," he said dejectedly.

Desdemona covered one hand with the remnants of her wing. Her claws extended, and she started building the mystic energies in her fist.

"I made a promise to her," he continued, tears running down his face. "I am good for her. I don't kill." The black sparks started to fade.

Her hand ignited under her wing.

Joey saw the flames illuminating through her wing, and drew himself up straight. "I am an artist," he said proudly, and he pulled his fists back up. The black sparks erupted again.

Desdemona's eyes went wide as the fire went out in her hand. Joey raised his hand up over her. He stared her down and passed judgment on the hell-spawn.

"And sometimes it takes an artist to erase a mistake!"

Joey slammed his hand down and grabbed the top of her head, and Desdemona let out an unholy, and unearthly scream of agony. An explosion of thunder erupted from his hands as he drained the mystical energies from her body. Desdemona shook and convulsed, screamed, and howled.

She desperately reached out one hand towards a nearby lamppost. An arc of electricity exploded from it and hit her hand. Joey could feel her reaching for new power sources, and he ripped the electricity from her soul, sending it into the abyss inside him. The lamppost pulled and ripped from the ground, and the electrical bolt was severed.

She scrambled, and reached out around her. Her hands glowed green, and Joey could see her reaching for a new power source. Spirits, ghostly figures rose from the ground and swirled into her body. Ectoplasm. Annie was wrong. It does exist. But not for her. He mentally grabbed the incoming spiritual energies and sucked them into the spiraling vortex of power.

Desdemona, panicking and screeching, then reached high, and he could feel her pulling energy from the sky. A ley line, a normally invisible mystical band of power arched in the sky above them, and was pulled and stretched down, vibrating in a loud, deep strum and becoming visible from the strain. She tried to feed on that power, but Joey cut it off, ripping the ley line from the sky and devouring it whole into the void he created.

The demon's screams turned rasping, and she held her hand up, shaking, trying to extend her claws. Joey pushed the power, sucking everything out of her. Her skin started to change color. Red to pink, and then to white, and then to gray. Her skin dried and cracked. He could see her eyes drying out, and cracks forming over her horrified face. Pieces started to fall. Fingers dropped and shattered on the ground.

"DIE!" he screamed, and with one final push Joey plunged his hand into her head, crushing her completely as she collapsed into a pile of dust and ash. He fell to his knees and pounded his onyx-fire covered fists into the chunks of dust and dirt that was once the demon Desdemona, and he screamed and roared and cried as he smashed the dust, breaking the chunks into smaller and smaller clumps of dirt. "DIE! DIE! DIE!" he screamed in his sobs.

He grabbed handfuls of dust and violently threw them in his tantrum, The black fire on his hands raged and burned with each handful of ash. "DIE! DIE!" he continued to scream, and pounded his fists into the piles of ash. He collapsed down into the debris and sobbed loudly. "Die ... die ... die..."

He wept. He cried. He sobbed. There was nothing left to drain, and the black fire on his hands dissolved into smoke.

Over in the distance, Quantum Knight had recovered slightly and had watched the final battle. She slowly pushed herself to her knees, summoned her battle-staff, and used it as a crutch to pull herself up. She was bruised, battered, burnt, and her costume was ripped and torn in places. She stumbled and leaned on the battle-staff, and teleported next to Joey.

She dropped her staff, fell to her knees next to him, grabbed him and hugged him. "It's okay. It's all right now. It's over," she consoled him. Joey screamed and cried in her arms, and she held him tight and rocked him.

"SHE'S DEAD!" he screamed.

"I know." Quantum Knight shuddered and sobbed with him.

She held him and rocked him as he cried, looking up to see Snow Angel watching them with a horrified look on her face. She turned and saw the police and paramedics in the background watching in sorrow as well.

Then she heard a sound. A thunder was growing, building in volume and power. She looked up into the sky and saw the bright lights.

"Oh great ... NOW he shows up."

The bright light turned into flames as it approached, and the Hyperion descended, decelerating on huge jets of fire. The air shimmered around the form, rippling from the heat of re-entry. The hero hovered over the plaza next to Quantum Knight and Joey, and scanned the surroundings.

"Query(status);" it spoke.

Quantum Knight looked out at the reporters, emergency crew, and various onlookers. "Situation is now under control. Desdemona has been killed."

"I concur," Snow Angel said, calling out from the building, and still laying next to Tricia's still body. "I detect no demonic energies. She is gone."

"Acknowledge();" said the Hyperion.

"Full report pending," said Quantum Knight. "Point of contact, Quantum Knight."

"Acknowledge(); File.update(); Query(self, assistance, method);"

Quantum Knight looked around at the scores of bodies, both demons and Multiplex. "You can help with cleanup."

"Acknowledge();" The Hyperion paused. "Suggest(Counseling(boy));"

"We'll take care of him. You handle clean up." She looked around some more. Bullwhip had gotten to his feet shakily, and a team of paramedics was running towards him. A couple Multiplex bodies were still moving, and she breathed a sigh of relief. The Hyperion hovered higher, and began survey work.

"Quantum," Snow Angel called. "Bring Joey over here please."

Joey was still crying in her arms, and he looked over at Snow Angel and Tricia's body. "No ... No, please..." he begged.

"Bring him over here, please," Snow Angel repeated.

"Oh, for God's sake, Iowa!" Quantum Knight barked. "Leave him alone!"

She shook her head. "I need him over here. I need to readjust the spell that's holding his heart together, and..."

A decidedly Hispanic-sounding groan emanated from the body next to her. Joey's head snapped up and his mouth dropped open. He could see her moving.

" ... and I need him to hold her head," she completed.

"TRICIA!" he yelled, and Joey scrambled up and stumbled, trying to run. His eyes were fixed on her as he frantically tripped and limped towards her. Quantum Knight teleported next to him, took him by the arm, and helped him the rest of the way. They entered the office through the shattered window. Broken glass lay everywhere, and Tricia lay next to Snow Angel, her head supported in her hand. They were both bloodied and cut, and Joey could see a broken bone protruding from Snow Angel's leg. It didn't seem to bother her. He dropped to his knees in the broken glass and cradled Tricia's head.

"Easy ... easy..." Snow Angel whispered. "Her skull has been fractured, and there is a fractured vertebrae high in her neck. But I don't detect any nerve damage. I've been working on both. Hold her head gently ... Like this." She guided Joey on how her head was to be held, and then she touched his chest. "Now let me work on your heart for a moment."

Joey looked down at Tricia. She was breathing, and her eyes were blinking, and her arms and legs moved slightly. "What ... what happened?" he asked.

"Yeah," agreed Quantum Knight. "What happened? You said she was dead."

"I know," Snow Angel said. She smiled with pride.

"You brought her back to life!" Joey said.

"No." Snow Angel beamed. "I didn't do that."

"Did HE do that? Just now?" Quantum Knight asked.

She shook her head again, smiling. "No."

"Then what happened?" Joey asked in astonishment. "How did she come back to life?"

"She didn't!" Snow Angel grinned from ear to ear. "I lied!"

"What?" Quantum Knight said.

"I did it! I lied!" Snow Angel laughed excitedly. "I didn't think I could do it, but it worked! I haven't lied since nineteen seventy-eight! I told a guy I was a virgin. And, well, I still think it wasn't a lie because technically I should be, cause the damned thing keeps growing back!"

"Hold it, hold it!" Quantum Knight held up a hand. "You can't lie."

"No, I can lie."

"No! You always said you can't lie!"

"I never!"

"Yes, you DID!"

"No!" Snow Angel shook her head. "I said I DON'T lie. The magic doesn't let me. I never said I CAN'T lie. Everyone else says I CAN'T lie. It's one of those things that people attribute falsely. You know, Al Gore never said he invented the Internet. Carl Sagan didn't say 'Billions and Billions' until he wrote a book pointing it out. Sarah Palin never said she could see Russia from her house. No, never happened. But I can lie if I have to!" She paused and thought about it. "Hurts like a mother-fuck though!"

"You're pulling my leg," said Quantum Knight.

"No, but I really wish you would pull mine."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, pull my leg. Really! Look at this." She gestured to her broken leg.

"Ew!" Quantum Knight yelped. "I'm not touching that!"

"Come on! Would you pull my leg? I need you to reset the bone."

"No! I ... Ick!"

"Oh, grow a pair of ovaries will you, and pull my leg!"

"No!"

"I don't want it to heal like that!"

"No! I don't know how to set that!"

"Well, just wiggle it around a bit then! Keep it from setting like that."

"No! Ew!"

Joey was caressing Tricia's face as he gently held her head. Their eyes met, and she tried to mouth some words to him, but he couldn't hear her. "It's okay," he said. "It's all over. She's gone now," he told her reassuringly. He looked up at Snow Angel. "Why?" he asked.

"What?" Snow Angel asked.

"Why did you lie to me?" he asked. "Why did you say she was dead?"

Snow Angel looked at him with sympathy. "I'm sorry that I hurt you, but I had to do it. Tricia told me this would happen, and she asked me to lie to you, to tell you that she was dead."

"What?" He blinked in confusion, and turned to look at Tricia. She blinked also, looking confused. Joey looked back at Snow Angel. "But ... when did this happen? I didn't see her say anything to you."

"Oh, she told me about this about two weeks ago," said Snow Angel.

"What?" asked Joey.

"What?" asked Quantum Knight.

"Yeah!" Snow Angel nodded, and reached to Tricia's breast pocket. She pulled out a business card and read it. "On ... July fifth, at eight-fifteen in the evening." She put the card back in Tricia's pocket. "She showed up naked in my living room. She is GORGEOUS when she is naked!"

Joey blinked, confused. "What?" he repeated.

"She told me this was all going to happen, and that it was very important that I do a few things for her. She said I had made a promise to her to help her." She started counting things on her fingers as she listed them. "I had to let her know where I lived, and when to send the message. I had to go to a health clinic and cure everyone's lice infestations and ... yeah, that was you! I remember you now. I had to make the promise to help her. And then she told me that at this moment, if I could save her, I had to lie and tell you that she had died. Apparently it was the only way to kill Desdemona."

He looked at her in bewilderment, and turned to Tricia. "Is this true?"

Tricia blinked. "I ... uhhh..." She closed her eyes.

"Tricia!"

Snow Angel patted his arm. "Don't worry. She's just tired. She's going to sleep now. And no, she doesn't know about this yet. But she will. It's all part of the time-travel."

Joey looked up at Snow Angel. "Time-travel? What time-travel?"

Snow Angel looked at him strangely, and then at Quantum Knight. "Was he not supposed to know about the time-travel?" She covered her mouth. "Oops! My bad!"

Quantum Knight shook her head in disbelief. "Um ... no, but I don't think that matters now." She looked out into the plaza and saw the police and paramedics running up to them. "We have plenty of time to talk about this later. But I think we should all go to the hospital right now." She touched Joey's arm. "You did good Joey."

Joey was still looking bewildered, but he smiled. "Thanks." He returned his attention to Tricia, and he cried silently and smiled as he cradled her head.

Quantum Knight looked out and saw Multiplex standing in the middle of scores of bodies. "If you'll excuse me, I need to do something." She carefully stood up, and headed out to the plaza. She got about twenty feet away when she heard Snow Angel suddenly shout out a curse.

"Oh damn! I broke a nail!"

-------

She limped towards her fellow hero, using her battle-staff as a crutch. Several paramedics came running up to her. She dismissed them with a very sharp "Not NOW!", quickly convincing them all to leave her alone.

Multiplex stood in the middle of the plaza with a tortured expression on his face. He was concentrating and pointing with a shaking hand to bodies one at a time, and they were vanishing as he pointed at them. With each vanished body, he shook slightly, gasping in sharp pain as he dismissed the carcasses.

"Hey," Quantum Knight said, grabbing his shoulder. "I need to talk to you." She stood in front of him and turned his face to hers.

Multiplex blinked and looked at her. "Hi. Um..." He got distracted and looked back at the bodies.

Quantum Knight pulled her mask back a bit, uncovering her eyes. She didn't care about the number of people and reporters there were around them. She just simply unfocused everyone's view around her except for Multiplex's. She pulled his face back to her. "I'm talking to you."

He blinked again and stared at her.

"Look. I don't think anyone on this planet has any idea of what your life is like, and out of all the people on this planet, I alone may have the closest idea of what you just went through. When I super-position, I can feel multiple existences just for a brief moment. When someone shoots me when I'm doing it, I feel all the bullets hit. It's only for a moment, but it's sometimes more than I can handle. But what you just did ... I can't begin to imagine what you went through."

Multiplex watched her for a moment, and looked over her shoulder. He turned his head, distracted. She pulled his face back to her. "I'm TALKING to you!"

"Oh ... um..." He looked apologetic.

"Look, what I'm trying to say is, I saw what you did for us. And what you just did was probably one of the bravest things I've ever seen. I can tell that you felt all that pain. I can tell that you still feel it. And I want to thank you. If it hadn't been for your sacrifice, we wouldn't have beaten her."

He watched her. A curious expression came over his face.

She smiled. "You ... and I ... We've never ... You never showed any interest, but ... Well you deserve this!" And Quantum Knight pulled his head close and kissed him on the lips.

Multiplex shuddered, surprised as she kissed him. She wrapped her arm around his head and body and gave him a long and sensual kiss. She could feel dozens of new eyes on her, cameras and video recorders mostly, and she unfocused them all.

She pulled back, breaking the kiss, but held him in her arms. Multiplex stood perplexed and stared at this woman for a moment. She watched him, waiting for any response.

"You ... You KISSED me."

She nodded. "Yeah. I did. I know you're not really into that, but..."

"No. I ... I liked it! But..."

"Oh! Really?"

"Yes."

Quantum Knight was stunned momentarily. "Well ... You never seemed interested before." She cocked her head and explored him.

"Oh no. I'm ... I'm interested."

"Oh ... Well, good, because there's a lot more where THAT came from," she said smiling.

Multiplex looked around, half nervous and half distracted. "I, um ... It's just that ... I hope you understand..."

She looked at him quizzically. "What is it?"

"Well ... I'm kind of ... seeing someone else."

Quantum Knight stared at him unblinking for five fulls seconds, and then collapsed into giggles. She held onto his strong body and laughed loudly.

"Actually ... several people," he amended.

She screamed in laughter, and held on to him tightly.

-------

Over the course of the next hour, Tricia, Joey, Quantum Knight, Snow Angel, Bullwhip, and the blood-donor Multiplex clone were all loaded up into ambulances and taken to Georgetown Medical Center, which turned out to be a bit difficult considering the number of accidents that occurred on the Key Bridge. By the time they arrived at the emergency center, the reception area was in chaos with the number of reporters and cameramen trying to break into the examination rooms to catch a glimpse of the wounded heroes. Police and security men where trying to keep them out. Everyone was shouting and pushing each other.

"Excuse me! If you can just let me through!"

"No reporters! Get back!"

"Is it true this woman is a new superhero?"

"Is the boy okay? Does anyone know his name?"

"Get back!"

"Please! Can we just get one picture? One quote?"

"PLAGUES OF PSORIASIS! MAKE ROOM FOR A JEW!"

Meanwhile, back in the trauma center, Doctors Booth had both managed to get into the hospital undetected. The hard part for them was leaving their house without being seen. A couple reporters had arrived and camped outside their house before they could leave, but with a quick camouflage spell from Willow they had managed to slip out the back door and down the street, where they called a cab.

Most of the injuries were cuts, bruises, and burns. Tricia, Joey, and Snow Angel had broken bones. The nurses and doctors cleaned them up and dressed their wounds. Doctor Tarak Booth examined Joey's heart with an ultrasound, and scheduled him for a full blood transfusion to remove all traces of Multiplex's radioactive blood. Doctor Patina Booth helped in the general treatments as well.

Snow Angel's leg was set, and before the attending could bring out the plaster for her cast, she covered her leg with ice, forming her own cast. They handed her some crutches which she simply giggled at, and she floated off the examination table to look in on her friends.

Tricia was taken to get an MRI, was placed in a neck brace, and was then admitted to a room. When she heard that Joey was admitted as well, she demanded that they share a room. The administrator who initially refused her request was quickly rebuked by several superheroes, and Joey was soon put into the bed next to hers.

Snow Angel was working on Joey's torn pectoral muscles under Doctor Booth's guidance when Quantum Knight limped into their room. She was out of her costume but still wearing her mask and cowl. She was heavily bandaged and being followed by a nurse telling her to get the hell back into bed right now.

"Hey, Trish?" she called out.

Tricia lay in her bed, her head supported in a neck brace. She lifted her hand. "I am NOT moving my head. What?"

"Annie's here. I think she's in the reception area."

"Well, why isn't she coming up? Why doesn't she call?"

"What? You have a friend down in reception?" the nurse asked. "Forget it. There's a hundred reporters down there, and every last one of them says they are a personal friend of yours, and they want to come and visit you. If we open those doors, it'll be a stampede. No, your friend is going to have to wait."

Quantum Knight thought for a moment. "Damn. And it's not like I can teleport her in here. It'll be a blind jump." She turned to the nurse. "It's just a matter of opening the doors and keeping the reporters back, right?"

The nurse shrugged. "If you can think of a way to do that, sure."

She smiled. "I have an idea."

-------

Down in the reception area, the reporters were still fighting and pushing against the police and security guards, trying to force their way into the trauma center. They were yelling and pushing and barking out questions, and refusing to back down.

The doors to the emergency room flew open violently. Standing in the middle of the archway was a three hundred pound African-American man of solid muscle. He was bandaged, bruised, and wearing a hospital gown, and he stared down the entire room full of reporters.

Every reporter fell silent under his gaze.

"Stand back!" he ordered.

They did.

"This thing is open in the back, so if ANYONE tries to take a picture of my ass..."

The cameras all went down.

Bullwhip strode into the room with heavy steps. His feet were bare. He glared at the reporters, and they all backed away from him as he entered the reception area. He saw the girl he was looking for, and stepped up to her.

Annie sat in her chair, her mouth and eyes gaping wide and her head slowly turning upward as the behemoth man approached her. She actively tried to shrink.

"You Annie?" he rumbled.

She stared at him in reverence and awe, and nodded ever so slightly. Then she let out a little mouse squeak that was about four octaves higher than humanly possible.

"You're coming with me."

" ... okay..."

Bullwhip touched her chair, and it rolled to the door by itself. He followed behind her, and Annie sat nervously, riding, and watching the reporters and policemen as she passed them. She shyly pointed to Bullwhip behind her and mouthed the words "I'm going with him," to one of the reporters.

He took her through the doors, and closed them behind him. Quantum Knight stood nearby. "Thanks, Bull. I'll take her from here."

"Anytime," he reverberated. He nodded to Annie. She blushed and shyly waved at him.

Quantum Knight started to push Annie down the hall, and stopped. She turned them both to him. "Say Bullwhip ... You like Jewish girls?"

Annie took in a shuddering gasp.

Bullwhip raised an eyebrow. "Can't say I know any." He checked out Annie again. "But I do like those Japanese girls."

Annie's jaw dropped and she turned several shades of crimson.

"Say 'thank you' to the nice superhero, Annie," said Quantum Knight.

Annie gulped and blurted out "A groysen dan ... Domo arigato." She bowed her head quickly at him.

-------

When Quantum Knight brought Annie into the room, Annie immediately burst into tears and rolled over to her roommates. "Tricia! Joey! Voos makhstee? Please, tell me you are all right!" She turned to Doctor Booth and Snow Angel as they worked on Joey. "Please, tell me!"

"They will be just fine," the doctor said.

"They need a little more work..." added Snow Angel, " ... but they'll be okay."

"Oy!" She grabbed Joey's and Tricia's hands and held them close to her. "Bu-rekh-a-shem." <Ptoo-ptoo-ptoo> "I'm so glad. I saw the whole thing. I thought you were both..."

Snow Angel looked a little annoyed. "Um ... I'm fine too!" she added.

Annie paid her no attention. She squeezed their hands and held them to her cheeks.

"Um ... Ow..." Tricia said as Annie pulled on her arm. "Annie, I'm a little banged up here."

"Oh, sorry!" She put their hands back on the bed, but continued to hold them. "Does it hurt much?"

"Yeah," Joey said.

"Oh, you poor dears. How bad are they?" Annie asked. "How long are they going to be here?"

"Well," Doctor Booth started. " ... under normal circumstances, Tricia I'd keep here for a week and keep her in the neck brace for at least a month. And Joey needs some surgery, which would be a couple weeks. But seeing what Snow Angel can do, we can probably get them both out of here by the end of the week. I still need to run some tests on Joey, and he needs a full blood replacement..." He checked his watch. " ... which we should be getting to very soon."

Annie nodded. "Thank you." She paused. "Um, if you don't mind, I'd like to talk to them privately for a few minutes."

Doctor Booth nodded. "Very well." He took Snow Angel by the hand and started to guide her out of the room. "This will give us a chance to start you on your next career."

Snow Angel grimaced at the doctor. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm signing you up for medical school."

"No!" Snow Angel whined as she floated behind the doctor out of the room. "I don't wanna go to medical school! That's all ... icky stuff! I don't like school!"

"You will be very good at it."

"I don't wanna!"

Quantum Knight grinned as she watched the doctor lead the superhero down the hall. "I'll be out here if you need anything," she said, and she closed the door. Annie saw a nurse approach Quantum Knight and ask her a question as the door closed.

She sighed and looked at Tricia and Joey. "Finally. It's just the three of us now. Oy! What a morning! I'm so glad you're all right. But, we need to talk about some stuff."

"Yeah," said Joey, sitting up higher in his bed. "You can start with this time-travel stuff."

"Oh! You know about that?" Annie asked.

Tricia nodded. "Ow! ... Yes. Snow Angel blurted it out. Look Joey, I'm sorry, but we couldn't tell you. You ... you were just coming off the streets. You were hiding from people who wanted to control you. And you wanted a normal life. And if I told you that you had this destiny to fulfill, you might have run away. And nobody would have blamed you. But what happened is ... or WILL happen is ... very soon you are going to give me a power to travel through time. And I'm going to use that power to go back and send messages to myself. And Snow Angel apparently. And one of those messages will lead me to find you." Tricia glanced towards Annie. "You didn't know about Snow Angel getting a message too. I just found out as well."

"Actually, I did know," Annie said. "I just got a message too."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh. And she explained everything to me." Annie reached into her chair purse. "But first of all, we need to show this to Joey."

She pulled out the hand-held camera, turned it on, and set it to play. Then she handed the camera to Joey. "This was taken last week Friday, the night Tricia found you. It's the first message."

Joey watched the small screen, and his eyes went wide as he saw the ghostly image of Tricia appear in the video. "Is that you?" he asked. He squinted. "What are you doing?"

"Having fun on top of you." Tricia smiled.

"Really?" Joey blushed. "That's ... weird!"

"It's actually part of the process of time travel," Annie explained. "Your powers are based on love, and in order to push a woman through time, you need a lot of love."

Joey watched the video, and when it ended, he cued back and watched it again. "Is this why you asked me to push you through time that one time?"

Tricia nodded, and winced. "Yeah."

"I did the wrong thing."

"No, you did the right thing. I was the one who asked for the wrong thing at the wrong time."

He watched the message again. "That is really weird. You said there were other messages?"

"Yeah," Tricia said. "I sent another message to myself. It came that night when you first ran out on me. It was basically a pep-talk. I was telling myself to stop being such a..." She hesitated.

"Tipesh? Shmendrik? Shoyteh goomer? Boolvan? Shmegdeh? Shmuck? ... Smeghead?"

"A spoiled brat and bitch. I needed to respect you." She smiled. "She told me a lot of things, told me things were going to get dangerous, and I had to protect you. That you were very important. But she didn't tell me why. She didn't tell me about Desdemona, even though she knew about her."

Joey frowned. "But why not?"

"That, I can answer," Annie said. "Desdemona could read minds. Joey, you were the only person on this planet who could kill her. Hyperion couldn't kill her. You had the ability to remove her powers. And if you, or anyone knew that, she would have found out and killed you from a safe distance. So if you knew, or if Tricia or I got a warning, you would have been dead."

Joey gasped.

Annie continued. "Joey, your powers are something completely new. Nobody has seen anything like your abilities before. They may have to invent a new category for you. But Tricia in the future knew that Desdemona would find you eventually. She was looking for people with strong abilities so she could open a doorway into Hell or wherever she comes from, and bring her husband in. And if she did that, she would have been able to spawn a whole new race of indestructible demons that would have taken over the Earth.

"The problem is, your power-draining ability is short-ranged. You need to be up close for it to work. But if you knew about your power-draining ability, she would have known, and she never would have gotten that close to you. So it was important that she met you when you were still this young, long before you or anybody knew about that ability. Those black sparks ... I've never seen them before."

"Black sparks?" Tricia said. "There were black sparks?"

"Yeah."

"I've seen them." She glanced towards Joey. "When you were attacking Marcelo Delgado. You had black sparks. And your eyes were black."

"Really?" Joey asked. "I didn't see them."

"You were holding that rock over your head, but you weren't looking at your hands. And nobody can see their own eyes. It was a good thing that he didn't have any powers, or you would have ripped them out of him, and you would have learned about that ability."

Annie nodded. "Also, just as your power-granting ability is fueled by love, your power-draining ability is fueled by hate. You needed get up close and get angry. Insanely angry. Not just afraid, but we're talking a murderous rage. This is an eighth-level demon you were up against. And just as it takes a tremendous amount of love to push Tricia through time, it took a tremendous amount of anger to kill off Desdemona.

"The trick was to get her close to you when you didn't know about your power-draining ability, and to get you insanely angry at that moment. So Tricia sacrificed herself to do this. Well, FUTURE Tricia sacrificed her past self, Present-Tricia, to do this. And she couldn't tell herself what was happening. But she knew that if you saw Desdemona kill your very first love, it would trigger that amount of rage."

They all sat in silence for a moment, digesting that. "But..." Joey started. "But Tricia survived."

Annie nodded. "This one did. It was not a guarantee. Tricia may well have died for you. Apparently there are lots of alternate Tricias in the time-stream, all running this same gamble, and some survive, and others don't. We got lucky, and ours survived. Obviously Tricia did not want to die, so she contacted Snow Angel for some help. If Tricia survived an attack, Snow Angel could convince you that she died. After all, she's a mystic healer, and would know if she were alive or dead. And everyone knows that Snow Angel can't lie."

"Doesn't lie." Joey corrected.

"Whatever. The point was, you had to believe her. And both Snow Angel and Future Tricia are very sorry for scaring you like that, but it was the only way to save your life."

Joey thought about it for a moment. "So, what happens now?"

Annie smiled. "Well, if this were a story, this would be the point when someone would say something about living happily ever after. But we've got homework and paperwork to fill out. You two have to send out four time travel messages, and that's going to take a lot of hard sex." She grinned. Tricia laughed, and Joey blushed. "Also, there's going to be hospital bills and insurance problems."

"Oh no..." Tricia lamented. "I'm off my insurance. I quit my job. What are we going to do?"

Annie waved that off. "Not to worry. Actually, you can still get your insurance if you want it. There's been a lot of talk on TV, and when they started speculating that the new super-woman looked like Tricia Sanchez from WKMB, WKMB was contacted to confirm. They've made two statements, which basically combined into 'No, she doesn't work here anymore ... She ... Oh! You mean that new super-hero? Oh Yes! Yes, she still works for us! Oh, we love her!'" Annie rolled her eyes.

Tricia shook with laughter, and moaned from the pain. "Ow ... I need more drugs."

"Well, the good news is, you don't have to go back to them. In fact, I'm pretty sure you can get a job anywhere you want now. Our hospital expenses are being covered by EarthGuard right now. Quantum Knight submitted a request yesterday for the three of us to become provisional members."

"Really?" Tricia thought about that. "When did she tell you that?"

Annie thought for a second. "She hasn't yet. Don't worry. She will. That was one of the other things Future Tricia told me about. Which reminds me..." She looked in her purse. "Your future self gave me something else. A bunch of numbers."

"Numbers? What numbers?"

"Here," she said, pulling out a slip of paper. "I wrote them all down on this convenient Mega-Jackpot Lottery ticket."

"ANNIE!" Tricia shouted. "Is that..." Joey's eyes went wide, and he gasped.

"Shhhh ... I didn't bring enough for everyone! But yes." She grinned. "The current jackpot just broke a hundred million, but the drawing isn't until this Friday. It'll be a hundred seventy-eight million dollars by then. I was wondering why you didn't give us the pick-four numbers. Apparently you had a better plan."

"Dios mio..." Tricia gasped, clutching her heart.

Annie put the ticket back in her purse. "I've already called Amanda, and she's setting up a Limited Liability Corporation for us. It'll be a tax shelter, and the three of us will draw some hefty salaries, and we'll get insurance benefits as well." She smiled at Joey. "Sorry Joey. I know you wanted a normal life, and we tried, but that's just not going to happen." She sighed. "I'm afraid you're just going to have to live in the lap of luxury surrounded by beautiful women who love you inappropriately, and pal around with super-heroes."

Joey chewed on the idea for a moment. "I could deal with that."

"But you ARE going to college."

Tricia almost started hyperventilating. "Oh my god ... oh my god..."

Annie clapped her hands. "So! I think this deserves a toast! Annnnd ... I can see that you have some orange juice, and Tricia has some apple juice ... That IS apple juice, isn't it? Anyways, I saw a vending machine outside. I'm going to get a Diet Dr. Pepper, and then we can give a proper Lekheiyim and we can start doing our happily-ever-after stuff. I'll be right back."

She started to roll out of the room, and stopped. "Oh, and Joey?"

He blinked at her. "Yeah?"

"Last night..." She squinted her eyes at him, looked at him sexily, and growled. "As soon as you feel up to it, I'm ready to go again."

Joey blushed. Tricia raised her eyebrows. "Oh yeah..." she said. "How did that go?"

Annie grinned. "We put a few butt-prints on the ceiling." She winked and turned her chair.

They watched her roll out of the room, and then they were alone at last. Joey and Tricia smiled to each other. "Wow," she said. "You stud. On the ceiling?"

Joey nodded, and pushed himself up. "It's not as fun as it sounds. It's pretty cold up there."

"What are you doing?" she asked.

He climbed out of bed and limped over to her. "I want to be with you," he said, and crawled into her bed with her.

"You shouldn't..."

"I don't care," he said. He lay next to her and draped one arm over her body, and he held her close. He buried his face into her and shook quietly, and Tricia could tell he was crying. She caressed his head.

"Joey, it's okay. We're safe now."

"I know ... I thought I lost you."

"You're not losing me. Ever. I still want to be your mom."

He nodded his head. "Thanks," he whispered.

They lay for a moment, holding each other and caressing. Joey then lifted his head.

"Tricia?"

"Yeah?"

"I've been thinking."

"And?"

"Well ... Everything that's happened to us..."

"Uh huh?"

He paused. "It's too good a story not to tell."

Tricia started giggling. "You mean you want to do the book now?" She started shaking with laughter. "OW! Don't! Don't make me laugh now!"

Joey started laughing too, gasping in pain as his injured body shook in mirth. He lowered his head and watched her breasts bounce as she laughed.

-------

Annie rolled her chair a short distance down the hallway. Along the way she saw a crowd of people hanging about the four superheroes who were being tended to. As she approached the vending machine, she pulled out her purse and looked through it. There was a small notepad with her notes she took from her conversation with the future Tricia.

Three more items were on the list. "Talk to Snow Angel about warding the apartment..." she read. She wasn't sure what 'warding the apartment' was, but apparently it was important. Tricia's and Quantum Knight's special relationship ... Forgot that. Oh well, they don't need me to tell them about that. They'll figure that out tonight.

She looked at the last item on the list which she did not talk about, and took a deep and nervous breath. Oy! How am I going to do this one? She pulled out a pencil and added two new items. Call Sven for appointment ... Buy wine...  She sighed. At least I don't have to worry about that until this weekend.

She put the notepad away, pulled out five quarters, and fed them into the machine. "C-7" she pressed. The machine responded, turning the large metal spiral which pushed the soda forward.

The soda got stuck, and Annie glared at the machine. "AHHHGH!" she screamed, and hit the machine. "Galzen! Ganef! Visteh kalyekeh! A shlak min-a-shumeiyim!" She grunted and dug into her purse for more change.

A large shadow enveloped her, and a huge, black, muscled, and bandaged arm stretched over her and touched the machine. The screw suddenly moved by itself, dislodging the soda. Annie slowly turned her head up and saw the massive frame of Bullwhip as he stood over her.

The superhero bent down, took the soda, and handed it to her. "Yours?" he asked in a rich, deep, heart-melting voice.

Annie felt her heart jump into her throat, and as she timidly looked up at the huge and gorgeous hunk of a man standing over her, she had the distinct impression that most of her internal organs had decided to relocate as well. She swallowed nervously, blushed, smiled shyly, and nodded. She reached out one shaking hand and took the soda. "Um ... yes..." she managed to say. "A groysen dank."

Bullwhip casually leaned against the soda machine and considered the girl. "So ... Quantum Knight tells me you're their roommate."

She smiled and nodded quietly. His voice was so smooth and rich, it made her stomach flip.

"And you're Jewish too? How did that happen? You convert?"

She shook her head. "I ... um..." She giggled, hardly believing this man was interested in her. Oy! That voice! It's like butter. "I ... was adopted ... My mothers knew each other in college, and um..."

He nodded and watched her. Her heart was thumping madly in her chest. "So ... you're a ... a superhero! I'm a big fan ... Um..." She was blushing and stumbling. "I'm not ... um ... used to talking to ... But I suppose I should get used to it now..." She giggled.

Bullwhip nodded. "Say, Annie."

"Yes?"

"How would you like to go for a walk with me?"

Annie broke out into a huge smile and shyly dipped her head.

"Okay," she said quietly.

Tricia and Joey were still laying in bed together when they heard Annie let out a heart-wrenching scream of terror. Joey shifted up as quickly as he could, and Tricia barely managed to turn her head to look out the door. They could see there was a commotion out in the hallway as people watched in shock and confusion at what was happening.

Annie stepped into the room.

(Let me say that again. Annie STEPPED into the room!)

Annie was standing up, and desperately hanging onto Bullwhip's solid body, and her eyes and mouth were wide open with surprise and joy. She was hyperventilating, and clutching onto his meaty arm, holding on for dear life. He had one hand down around her, holding her by the seat of her pants, and her trousers had tightly wrapped themselves around her spindly legs. Her legs moved in strange, jerky motions, as if controlled by a puppeteer.

"TRICIA!" she yelled in jubilation. "BULLWHIP AND I ARE GOING FOR A WALK!!!" She screamed in joy, and slapped his arm. "OKAY! NOW GO THAT WAY! THAT WAY! WAIT! NO! TAKE THE STAIRS! TAKE THE STAIRS!"

-------

It was about three in the morning when Tricia awoke to something that sounded like a zither being strummed quietly. She opened her eyes and saw Quantum Knight standing next to her bed.

"Hey there," Quantum Knight whispered, pulling back her mask. She was back in her full costume.

"Hi," Tricia whispered. "Is Joey..."

"He's asleep."

She smiled. "Good." She looked at her friend. "How many costumes do you have?"

"This is my last one. I need to get some more. I'm thinking of changing the design a bit." Sandy pulled up a chair and sat down. "Having a devil of a time getting those brain-stains out of the other one. I'll have to send it to the dry-cleaners." She chuckled. "That's always an adventure."

Tricia chuckled quietly. "I can imagine."

Sandy smiled and watched Tricia for a moment. She got serious. "Listen ... I need to ask you something. And um ... I don't want you to take this the wrong way."

"What is it?"

Sandy took a deep breath. "What do you see in me?"

Tricia sighed and smiled. "Hey, I like you, but ... I'm not thinking about switching sides. I mean, last night was special, but..."

"That's not what I'm talking about," Sandy interrupted. "Well, last night was fun, and it may be related, but I'm not asking you to move in or anything. No, I'm not asking about that."

Tricia squinted at her. "What do you mean?"

Sandy sighed in frustration. "How do I say this?..." She got up and paced the room. "Look. There were a lot of cameras on you yesterday. People saw you using powers. You left a crater in Freedom Plaza, and you sent out some energy wave that caused a dozen traffic accidents."

Tricia grinned. "It's not the first time I've caused traffic accidents," she bragged.

Sandy smiled. "I'll bet. But ... The police have evidence that you have super powers, so they made the hospital test you." She paused. "Your blood test came back negative. No mutagens. They got excited when they detected a bit more radioactivity from you, but that when away when they washed you down. Apparently you got some of Multiplex's blood on you. Then they asked Snow Angel to check you out. She did, but she knew already that you didn't have any magic in you."

She stopped and stared at her. "But it's not often that I'm here, so they don't always get the opportunity to test for Cosmics. So they asked me if you were a Cosmic." She shrugged. "I said no, but then I got to wondering..."

She walked back to Tricia and took her hand. "Tricia ... Cosmics recognize each other. They like each other instantly. And I liked you the moment I saw you ... I just opened up to you. I trusted you immediately. I even told you my secret identity! And I realize now I was really trying to justify it to myself, but I really didn't understand it. I mean, if you were a Cosmic, I would have noticed it immediately, and I haven't seen it."

She stopped and thought. "But last night, something happened ... There was a moment when you were watching me, and I felt something. It was so strong. So powerful. You were so ... beautiful. And I didn't recognize it at the time, but now that I look back, it was like I was looking at a Cosmic."

She shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe it's just the stress. It's crazy, I know. I mean, you're not a Cosmic. I know that. I would have seen it instantly, and you would have seen me as one too ... Maybe I'm just tired." She smiled at Tricia. "I jumped twelve thousand miles over the weekend. I spent three hours reloading and lubing the damned gun..." She ran her fingers through her hair and chuckled. "And it's not like you've been exhibiting other super powers, have you? I mean, powers that Joey hasn't given you."

Tricia's eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open, She stared at the ceiling. Visions of the Metro stations and trains filled her mind. Future and past selves, conversations, maps, station markers, they all flashed in her memories. Sandy clutched her heart and gasped as she watched Tricia. Tricia looked at her friend. She radiated in beauty. She saw more than just a friend and superhero. She was a sister, a lover, a soul-mate.

Sandy stared at her. "I feel it again," she whispered. She ran up to her and took her hand. "You're feeling it too! I can tell! What is it?"

"I'm..." Tricia whimpered.

"Tricia! You ... You ARE using some powers, aren't you? Something that Joey isn't giving you, right?"

"I'm ... having dreams," she confessed. Tricia started shaking.

"What kind of dreams?" she asked eagerly.

"I'm on the Metro ... and I'm traveling through time..." She was terrified.

"Time?"

"Yes ... I'm talking to myself ... Other versions of me ... We're out of sync, in time. Separated by hours ... I see signs in the station, signs about my life. I see things outside the train, parts of my life that I've gone through ... The things my future selves tell me ... they come true!"

"When did these dreams start?"

Tricia blinked and shook. "Um ... I think..." She looked around the room, and saw Joey sleeping peacefully in the bed next to her. "When Joey came to us. It started that night. I remember mentioning it to Annie last week. I had two dreams about the trains, and that was the on the third day he was with us." She thought some more. "They started right after I got the first message!"

She gasped and looked at Sandy. "What's happening?"

Sandy watched Tricia in amazement. "Oh my god..." she whispered, and she reached out and caressed Tricia's cheek. "Right mind, right concept, right time ... But what's time to a time traveler?" She laughed quietly. "I can't believe it. I'm witnessing a cosmic birth."

"What are you talking about?"

"Tricia! A Cosmic is someone chosen by the universe to reflect a law of nature. Someone who experiences something so purely, understands something so clearly, that the universe notices. There is no Cosmic who controls time yet. But you ... Joey is going to push you through time. You're going to experience something. And the universe has noticed you already! I think it's confused, not sure if you are really the one yet. But that's because it hasn't happened yet." She laughed again. "I need to invite some people over!"

"No! Don't, please!" Tricia pleaded. "I don't..."

"Tricia! You're a Cosmic. There are only eight of us on the planet. And none of us have seen someone BECOME a Cosmic! I have to bring them in!" She squeezed her hand. "And trust me. You're going to love them!"

-------

Translation Guide

"A groysen dan ... Domo arigato." - Attempted "thank you" in Yiddish, followed by a "thank you" in Japanese.

"Voos makhstee?" - "How are you?"

"Tipesh? Shmendrik? Shoyteh goomer? Boolvan? Shmegdeh? Shmuck? ... Smeghead?"- "Stupid? Clueless? Complete fool? Dolt? Clueless? Jerk?" "Smeghead" is not Yiddish, but is an insult popularized on "Red Dwarf", and is untranslatable.

"Lekheiyim" - Tradidional Jewish toast, "To life!"

"Galzen! Ganef! Visteh kalyekeh! A shlak min-a-shumeiyim!" - "Bandit! Thief! Wretched cripple! An evil nuisance visited upon us from heaven!"



-------

Chapter 26: Happy Endings and New Lives





Over the rest of the week, life had completely transformed for Tricia, Annie, and Joey.

Tricia and Joey recuperated quickly thanks to Snow Angel's healing abilities and they both made complete recoveries. Tricia's head and neck wounds were simple to heal, and she was out of the neck brace by the next day. Joey got his full-blood transfusion, but needed more work on his heart, lungs, and muscles. Dr. Booth worked closely with Snow Angel on these.

It did not take long for Tricia to be positively identified in the videos, and there was a crowd of reporters who camped out at the hospital for their entire stay, all eager to get a glimpse of this new superhero. Blogs and talking head shows lit up about her, talking and speculating and generating rumors which just got worse as the week progressed. The video server at WKMB crashed under the sudden demand for clips of her segments, and old nude photos of her appeared on the web. The Virginia police department had collected her cell phone at the scene of the fight, and reported that it rang non-stop in the evidence locker for hours until its battery died. Tricia of course loved the attention, but for Joey's sake refused interviews.

It also didn't take much time for the reporters to discover Annie as her roommate, and soon she was inundated with reporters at the hospital and at home, and she needed a security escort to get in and out of the hospital. Offers for her services exploded, and because she wasn't entirely certain that the lottery ticket prediction would work, she shrewdly let people know that she was in high demand and would only consider seriously high-paying jobs. The payment offers tripled.

Because he was a minor, the hospital and the police tried their best to protect Joey's identity, but his name somehow slipped out within a couple days. Rumors of the return of Omega Boy abounded, which fueled tremendous speculation and a resurgence of interest in Omega Man. A documentary on Omega Man appeared on the Discovery Channel within days, and Joey got to see his father on television for the first time in years. He also got to see himself in the fight at Freedom Plaza, and could hear the faint recording of himself saying "Omega Boy", but it was hard to hear.

Talk radio shows speculated and developed rumors about Tricia, Annie, and Joey. Accusations flourished from simple inappropriate behavior to kidnapping, rape, and mind control. Late-night talk show comedians had a field day with the new rumors. Wanda Sykes commented on her show that if any inappropriate behavior existed between Tricia, Annie, and Joey, it was well-deserved.

"Considering what Joey did for us all, there ain't enough pussy in the world to pay him properly." quipped the comedian. She of course was immediately rebuked by the extremely sensitive, and her ratings skyrocketed.

Several superheroes visited the hospital over the week. Tricia met with them, and many of them felt like old friends to her. Quantum Knight and Bullwhip recovered quickly, suffering only bruises, cuts, and burns, but Snow Angel handled their wounds within the first day, and they were back to work within a couple days. Crime in DC picked up a bit with the news of so many superheroes out of action, but it soon died down when it became apparent there was a whole crowd of new superheroes in the area visiting and picking up the slack.

-------

On Wednesday evening Annie rolled into the hospital chapel, finding it empty except for the presence of a young, blond, teen-aged girl who sat alone, weeping quietly. Annie noted the girl, wheeled down the small aisle, and parked next to her.

"Hi. Do you mind?" Annie asked quietly.

The girl glanced at Annie, hung her face down, and shook her head.

She was very pretty, Annie noticed. She had long blond hair, fair skin, and Nordic features, and was just starting to blossom into womanhood. Annie reached for her purse and pulled out her cell phone. She sent a quick text message, and put the phone away.

The girl sat quietly, trying to keep herself under control. She simply held her head low and didn't look at Annie. She occasionally sniffed and wiped away tears.

Annie pulled a tissue from her purse and offered it. The girl shook her head. Annie put it back in her purse and said "You know, I've spent a lot of time in hospitals, and I know there are times when you just need to get away and think, cry, scream ... Everyone needs to get away. Patients, family, friends ... even doctors." She looked at the girl. "Is there someone here you're worried about?"

The girl thought for a second and nodded her head.

"You want to talk about it to a stranger?"

She shook her head.

"How about a friend?" Annie held her hand out and smiled.

The girl smiled and giggled softly. "Thanks ... But I don't really want to talk," she whispered, almost hiding her voice.

"You might find that talking helps," Annie offered.

The girl shrugged, but stayed quiet.

Annie shrugged as well. "Suit yourself."

They were quiet for a moment.

"That's a pretty dress you're wearing," Annie said.

"Thank you," the girl whispered noncommittally.

Annie paused. "You know what would look good on you?"

"No. What?"

"Green."

The girl snapped her head up and stared at Annie. Annie smiled and winked. The girl groaned and blew out a long exasperating breath, and her skin and hair shifted, returning to their normal green color.

"How did you know?" Snow Angel asked.

"You're one of the more popular subjects in the SCI community. I have a friend who showed me a re-colorized picture of you as a blond. So I recognized you." She leaned in close. "I think he's got a crush on you."

Snow Angel smiled sadly. "I should go visit him sometime."

"He'd like that." Annie tilted her head.

"What was that text message you sent?"

"Found her. Leave her alone," Annie recited. "Everyone is looking for you, and wondering why you keep disappearing. I figured you needed some escape time, and I wondered where you would go. My first guess was the roof, which is not the easiest place for me to reach." She patted her chair. "But then I thought, you can fly, so why would you stop at the roof? Kind of pointless for me to check up there. But if it was the first place I thought of, it would probably be the first place anyone else would have thought of, and you would have thought that too. So I thought I would try here. You want to talk?"

Snow Angel sighed.

"Well then, why don't I start?" Annie turned her chair towards her and looked at her seriously. "Thank you. Thank you for saving my friends' lives. If it were not for you, they would both be dead, and I know it was very difficult and painful for you to do this, and you got hurt seriously. So I thank you. We are all in your debt."

She smiled shyly.

Annie continued. "If there is anything I can do to help you, please, let me know." She held out her hands to the superhero. "I'm a hell of a good web-designer."

Snow Angel giggled. "Thanks." She reached out, took Annie's hands, and held them.

"Whoa ... You're fingers are freezing!"

"Yeah. They do that."

Annie ran her fingers over Snow Angel's hands. "It's a nice cold. Not biting. Feels good." She paused. "Can I ask you a very personal question?"

Snow Angel shrugged. "Sure."

"What is your name?"

She smiled. "You can call me Snow, or Snow Angel..."

Annie shook her head. "No. That's a title, a code name. And I'm not going to call you 'Iowa' either."

She paused for a second, and smiled shyly. "No one has asked me that in a long time ... Emily."

"Emily ... Nice name. Pretty. Don't hear it that often."

"Well, it was pretty popular back in my day."

Annie tilted her head. "And when was that?"

She took a deep breath. "Nineteen-ten."

"Oy! You're looking good for your age. How old are you now?"

She thought and sighed. "I don't like thinking about that, but I guess I'm ninety-nine now."

Annie looked impressed. "Wow. You should tell Willard Scott."

She giggled and shook her head. "I don't think I will."

"Well, next birthday we're throwing you a big party. You have a bunch of new friends now."

Snow Angel smiled. "Thanks." She looked at Annie, and her smile faded as her eyes dropped down to the chair. "I suppose you'd like me to take a look at you too."

Annie cocked her head. "For what?"

She gestured to her legs. Annie looked down. "Oh."

"Isn't that what you wanted?"

Annie sat quietly for a moment. "You know ... For years, I dreamed of meeting you so you could ... But today, no. That's not why I came here." She thought some more. "And besides, I saw that interview you did. You've been asked before. We both know what happens if you try to heal this type of injury."

She nodded. "It can be excruciating. Some healing needs to be slow." She sighed. "So ... you've dreamed of meeting me. Here I am." She leaned back, wiped her face, and gestured reluctantly to the chapel. "Is this what you were expecting?"

Annie shook her head. "No. And of course we first met over the clouds. I certainly never would have expected that."

Snow Angel chuckled and hugged her knees. "I have to ask you something ... When I first approached you, and you two were all into each other..." Annie blushed slightly. " ... I thought I heard music."

"That was me ... Well, both of us. Joey gave me this power to broadcast music mentally."

"What was that piece? It was beautiful."

"Love theme from Superman. 'Can You Read My Mind?', orchestral version." Annie smiled. "I've listened to it so many times I've memorized it. I'm a sucker for any movie about flying. Top Gun, Peter Pan, Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang. Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines." They both giggled. "How about you? What do you like?"

Snow Angel cocked her head. "I like Broadway musicals. It's the only thing left from vaudeville. I always have some song stuck in my head."

"You have one now?"

Her smile faded. "Yeah, I do." She closed her eyes and sighed.

Annie waited.

Snow Angel turned towards the front of the church and softly sang to herself. It was barely a whisper.

"See my eyes, I can hardly see.
See me stand, I can hardly walk.
I believe you can make me whole.
See my tongue, I can hardly talk."

She took a soft shuddering gasp of air and continued. Her voice got a little stronger, but it quivered with an underlying pain.

"See my skin, I'm a mass of blood.
See my legs, I can hardly stand.
I believe you can make me well.
See my purse, I'm a poor, poor man."

She started slapping her hand on the pew in front of her, steadily driving the hard beat from the rock opera.

"Will you touch, will you mend me CHRIST?
Won't you touch, will you heal me CHRIST?
Will you kiss, will you heal me CHRIST?
Won't you kiss, will you pay me CHRIST?"

Her voice was stronger, her fist pounded the pew harder in time with the music, and bursts of snow fell from her hand as she accelerated the tempo. Annie watched her with a growing concern as the girl's voice grew angrier and more desperate.

"See my eyes, I can hardly see.
See me stand, I can hardly walk.
I believe you can make me whole.
See my tongue, I can hardly talk."

Snowflakes had turned into ice crystals which fell from her pounding fist and shattered as they hit the ground. Snow Angel's eyes were locked on the cross hanging at the front of the chapel. She stared at the cross with a growing fury, and her singing turned into a rasping shout.

"See my skin, I'm a mass of blood!
See my legs, I can hardly stand!
I believe you can make me well!
See my purse, I'm a poor, poor man!"

Ice grew over the pew in front of her, and Annie could feel the cold radiating from her body. Snow Angel pounded the pew faster and harder, her voice growing louder and angrier. Tears flowed down her cheeks, forming icicles.

"Will you touch, will you mend me CHRIST?
Won't you touch, will you heal me CHRIST?
Will you kiss, will you heal me CHRIST?
Won't you kiss, will you pay me CHRIST?
SEE MY EYES I CAN HARDLY SEE! 
SEE ME STAND I CAN HARLDY WALK!
I BELIEVE YOU CAN MAKE ME WELL! 
SEE MY TONGUE I CAN HARDLY TALK!..."

Annie grabbed her arm, risking frostbite, and stopped her. Snow Angel's face was a mass of pain and tears. She pulled the girl into her arms, and Snow Angel screamed and cried.

"It's okay..." she soothed the superhero. "It's all right..."

"THEY KEEP..." she screamed.

"I know," Annie said.

"THE BURN WARD!..." she sobbed. "THE AMPUTEES ... EMERGENCY ... THEY KEEP TAKING ME..."

Annie rocked the sobbing and crying girl in her arms. "I know. You need to get away."

"I CAN'T..." she screamed. "I HAVE TO ... Great Power! ... Great Respons..."

"No! Your body! Your decision!"

Snow Angel looked up at Annie. Her face was tortured and twisted, and she gasped for breath and struggled for control. "No. I have to. I have the power," she cried.

"You take care of YOURSELF first," Annie ordered.

"But I..." She sobbed, but couldn't finish her thought.

"Nobody tells you what you have to do with your powers. What are they telling you?"

Snow Angel winced at the memories and spoke in broken, sobbing words. "The doctors ... They keep taking me to ... to new patients ... They want me to ... heal ... rebuild ... stop pain ... look inside..."

Annie rocked her and stroked her head. Snow Angel's tears fell and froze on the way down. She wiped them away, breaking them off her face. She was wailing and screaming.

"The patients call to me ... Some I can't help! I can't cure diseases ... They yell at me!" She sobbed. "And the ... administrators ... They yell at me too ... Not FDA approved ... Liability! Like I'M GONNA HURT SOMEONE!"

Annie continued to hold the shaking and crying superhero and rocked her. The girl was freezing cold, but Annie didn't complain.

"I'm not a doctor!" she whined. "I'm not like them." She looked up at Annie, gasping for breath. "They're good people! They care, and they're strong. But they knew what they were getting into. They chose this! They got training!" She lay her head down on Annie's lap and shook while she cried.

"I WAS SEVEN YEARS OLD!" she screamed. "HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE?"

Annie held her and rocked her, caressing and soothing her. "Is that when you got your powers?"

Snow Angel nodded her head and sniffed. "It was the snowflakes."

"Snowflakes?"

She nodded again, crying and sniffing. "I was ... I went outside. It was nighttime. Snowing. Mommy was in bed. I wanted to ... to make snow angels one last time."

Annie held her and caressed her, and wiped a couple tears from her own eyes.

"I thought it was going to be my last winter." She looked up at Annie. "I have Leukemia."

Annie shuddered. Snow Angel dropped her head back into her lap. "I wanted to live. And I was watching the snow ... and I knew that every snowflake was different. And I wondered ... and I found out that ... some snowflakes are more different than you can imagine." She looked up at Annie. There was a wonder in her eyes as she softly spoke. "They talked to me. I could hear them. They asked me to promise to help people. I said I would. I wanted to be like my doctor. He was so nice to me. But I really just wanted to live."

She lay her head back down. "Mommy found me. Took me inside. Called the doctor. That morning I felt better ... and my room was covered in ice." She shook in silent crying. "So I have to do it. I promised."

"You promised to help people," Annie agreed. "But did you promise to help every person you meet who needs help, every moment of every day? Did you promise to give up your life, and your choices? Your freedom?"

Snow Angel looked up. "No," she whispered.

"Emily ... you DO help people. You fulfill your promise. But you don't have to suffer for it."

"I don't want to go to medical school," she confessed.

"And you don't have to," Annie said. "Your life, your decision."

She lay her head back down on Annie's lap and cried, and Annie lay her hands on her cold body and did her best to warm her, and heal her.

-------

On Saturday about noon, Joey was released from the hospital. Tricia had been officially released a couple days earlier, but she stayed with Joey anyways. Annie had shuttled back and forth between the hospital and their apartment the entire week, and brought them some fresh clothes, for which both Tricia and Joey were very grateful, having discovered the awful things that happened to their underwear due to their respective near-death experiences. Annie also got Tricia a new phone, with a new number. Tricia's first text message on the new number was on Friday night, from Annie, just after the Mega-Jackpot Lottery drawing. The entirety of the message was "Fuck work!"

Tricia was dressed in a simple T-shirt and jeans. Her shirt was a parody of the classic "I <Heart> NY" slogan, saying "I <Reduce/Reuse/Recycle> MEN". Joey loved the shirt, and could not stop staring at it. Tricia thought that maybe it had something to do with the fact that it was a little tight on her.

They signed out, hugged a few favorite nurses and doctors, took pictures, and hand-in-hand, headed towards the front exit, only to stop as they saw the crowd of reporters still waiting for them. Joey squeezed her hand. "Do we have to go that way?"

"No," she said, and they backtracked into the hospital. She called Annie on her new cell phone. "Annie!"

"Oy! Where are you?"

"We're still inside. Can you move the van around back?"

"No. I'm not in the van. I'm home."

Tricia did a double-take. "What are you doing home? Aren't you picking us up? Did you forget we were leaving today?"

"No. Something came up. You don't mind coming home alone, do you?"

Tricia frowned. This is so unlike her. "Um ... No. It's okay. We'll manage." She closed the phone. "We're on our own. I suppose we could get a cab or..."

She glanced at Joey, and then at his hands. " ... or we could just go home under our own means."

Joey grinned and shrugged. "Why not?"

"I still want to go out the back," Tricia said. "Less reporters." They headed off to one of the rear exits.

As soon as Tricia opened the back door, they were accosted by several reporters who were hanging out in the back of the hospital. "Miss Sanchez! A word! Can you tell us about your powers? How long have you known Joey? Is it true this is Omega Boy?"

"Back off!" Tricia yelled, pulling Joey closer to her. "No comment!"

"Tricia! Sweety!" a familiar voice called out. She cringed, turned, and looked, knowing who it was before she could stop herself from looking.

"Oh god ... it's you, Marty."

"Tricia! Oh it's so good to see you!" her old boss said, pushing up through the reporters. The other reporters, seeing that Tricia knew this man immediately quieted down to record everything that they said. "Listen honey!" he pleaded as he came up close. "Last week, we had a rough day, but I think we should just put all that behind us and start new. Whaddaya say?"

Tricia groaned and rolled her eyes. "That wasn't just a rough day, Marty. I quit, remember?"

"Look, honey! I'm willing to forget all about that! And I thought about it, and you were right! You need to do better stories, and I'm willing to let you do them. Do whatever you want! Take whatever stories you want! You want an office? A raise? Personal staff? Whatever! Name it, it's yours!"

Tricia glared at him. "Look Marty! I'm not taking it! I'm not interested!"

"Oh come on, honey! Work with me! Tell me what you want, and I'll get it for you!"

"Marty! I told you! I'm not interested. The only reason you're offering me this is because I'm famous now, and you want to take advantage of me, AGAIN. Well, forget it!"

"Tricia honey!"

"DON'T 'Honey' me!" she snapped at him.

Marty raised his hands up in surrender. "Okay! Okay! Look, Tricia! I'm telling you, I know what it is that you want. You want to change the business of journalism back to journalism, the way it used to be. Well, I'm here to tell you that you can do that. And I can help you. People will listen to you now! We can make a difference together!"

Tricia closed her eyes in frustration. "Oh, give me strength!" she muttered to herself. She snapped her eyes open and stared at Marty. "Listen Marty, I..."

A surge of energy filled her body, and she jolted slightly. She felt strong, powerful, and invincible. She looked at Joey. He had a slight grin on his face.

She looked back to Marty with her own slight grin. "Marty. Let me put this to you in very simple terms."

"AAAHH!!"

Tricia had grabbed him by the belt and hoisted him up high, one-handed, over her head. All the reporters scrambled back and kept their cameras trained on her.

"I do NOT want to work with you!" she yelled.

"AAAAHHH! STOP! TRICIA! HELP!"

Still holding the man over her head, she carried him down the steps and marched towards the nearest dumpster. "I do NOT want to hear from you again. I do NOT want to see you again!"

"LET ME DOWN! HELP!"

The other reporters scrambled and followed, eagerly capturing every moment, and obviously enjoying the scoop.

Tricia reached the dumpster and casually jumped eight feet into the air, landing on one of the two lids. She kicked one of the lids open. "I do NOT want you in my life, in any way! I do NOT want to have to deal with you. This is GOODBYE!"

Marty was still wailing and yelling, and Tricia lowered him to look in his face. "You're a disgusting pig, and nobody should have to work for you. And this is the LAST time you are going to see me in a good mood."

"Tricia! Don't!"

She dropped him in the trash, and kicked the lid shut. It slammed with a loud, echoing, metallic BOOM, and she jumped off the dumpster. Sounds of rustling and yelling came from inside the dumpster, and as an afterthought, and grabbed the edges of the lids and crushed them, crimping them shut.

"GOODBYE Marty!" She yelled, slapping the side of the dumpster. "And don't worry. I'm not going to tell them anything about the shitty way you treated me," she said, referring to the reporters who were watching this. "I assume you won't say anything either."

"HELP!" He screamed from inside the dumpster. "SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

Tricia brushed her hands clean and marched back to the reporters. She glared at them. "Anyone ELSE want to piss me off?" she challenged them. They stared at her with expressions of amusement and disbelief.

She gave them a critical look. "What?" she yelled. She glanced at her shirt, and pointed to her left breast which was currently sporting a triple-green arrow logo for recycling. "Oh, you're concerned about THIS? Look, normally I would recycle, but that wasn't a man. Come on, Joey." She held her hand out to him. "Let's go home."

Joey grinned and took her hand. She picked him up and held him easily, and she jumped into the sky.

-------

Tricia and Joey soared across the city, heading east. He was cradled in her arms, and the warm summer air rippled through their hair and shirts. The bright city flowed under them as they flew home. They grinned at each other.

"You know, I think I'm getting better at this flying stuff." Tricia said.

"I think you still need to work on that take-off." said Joey. "I think I left my spleen back down there."

They smiled and reached for each other, and were soon kissing. "Dios mio, I've missed this." Tricia gasped.

"Me too," he said between kisses.

"I can't tell you how many times this week I wanted to slip into your bed and suck you off."

"I can. It was eighty-seven times. I kept count," he joked.

She laughed. "You know, we have some work to do. We still have to do this time-travel stuff."

"I know. I'm looking forward to it." He frowned. "Do you think that was a good idea, throwing Marty in the trash like that?"

Tricia shook her head. "Probably not, but I'm not worried about it. The video will go viral, and it'll torture Marty more than me. He'll try to sue me tomorrow, but Amanda will straighten him out. Once she points out to him that a lawsuit will bring up the sexual harassment, he'll back down."

"You sure about this?"

"I'm POSITIVE that's what's going to happen," she said with a smile.

Joey caressed her cheek and stared into her eyes. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For everything. You saved my life. You rescued me from the streets and gave me a home. I don't know why this all happened, but it's like you just came into my life and decided to make all my dreams come true."

Tricia gave him a glowing smile. "I don't know why this happened either, but thank you. You made me understand that what I was doing with my life was wrong. You saved my life too."

They hugged and kissed each other high over the city.

They soon approached their apartment building in Adams Morgan, and they could see another crowd of reporters waiting for them at the front entrance. Tricia rolled her eyes and landed on their balcony. When she touched the sliding glass door, she felt a brief jolt of electricity, and the door slid open for them.

"Hmm ... That was weird," she remarked. "I wonder what..."

"What is THAT?" Joey asked, pointing into the apartment.

Hanging next to the wall was a green crystal. It floated unsupported, and rotated slowly. Tricia recognized it immediately. "Oh! Snow Angel was here. She gave us a ward." She stepped into the apartment. "It's a spell. It protects this place. Nobody can get in without our permission," she explained to Joey.

"Cool!"

Scrappy came running up and barking, and Joey scooped him up and hugged him. "Hey there, Scrappy! I missed you. Has Annie been taking good care of you?" The dog excitedly licked and greeted Joey and Tricia.

"Ello?" came a voice from Annie's room. Sven stepped out, startled to see Tricia and Joey. "Oh! Velcome back! I did not hear you coom in."

"Sven?" Tricia said, completely forgetting to flirt with him. "Hi! What are you doing here?"

He pointed back to Annie's room. "Miss Annie called far an appointment. Ve have yust finished up."

Tricia stood and blinked, thinking. This is why Annie didn't pick us up? "Oh, um ... Okay. Annie?" she called out.

Annie rolled out of her room and into the living room. "Oy! Joey! Tricia! You're back!" She was looking gorgeous, wearing a black dress with a shawl draped over her chest, and her hair was done up nicely. She smiled warmly, and turned to Sven. "Thank you Sven! Friday, next week?"

"Ya." He nodded. "I vill see you then." He picked up his gym bag. "Goodbye. I vill see you all on Friday." He took one last strange glance at the floating green crystal, and left.

Tricia crossed her arms and struck an attitude pose. "This? Sven? This is the reason why you couldn't pick us up from the hospital?" she asked, more than a little annoyed. "What? You have a hot date?"

Annie took a deep breath to steady herself. "Sorry for springing this on you, but we need to talk."

"Um..." Joey had put the dog on the floor and was holding Tricia's hand. He was gently pulling her in the direction of her bedroom. "Can we, like, talk later?"

Annie shook her head, and then pulled the shawl down from her chest, revealing a staggering amount of luscious cleavage. "We're going to talk now," she decided. She gestured to the couch.

Tricia's and Joey's jaws nearly hit the floor as they stared at the vast expanse of breast flesh Annie was exposing, and they both felt compelled to sit on the couch, forced by the authority of Annie's cleavage. Annie reached for three wine glasses and a bottle of wine which sat on the end table, and poured.

"I know what it is that you two want to do right now, and I can't blame you. For all that's happened to us, it's easy to forget that it's only been two weeks since Joey moved in with us. We're all still in this honeymoon phase, and I know you two want to go rip your clothes off and go shtupn each other silly." She handed them the glasses of wine. "Hey! My eyes are up here! BOTH of you!"

"Sorry!" Tricia said.

"I'm not," Joey said.

Annie smiled. "Anyway, I suppose I could just let the two of you go do what you want to do, and have lots of fun doing it, but I gotta tell you, it's not going to work."

Tricia frowned. "What's not going to work?"

"The time-travel," Annie answered, taking a sip of wine. "It's not going to work. Joey, you're not going to be able to push time-travel into her."

Joey looked confused. "But I thought that ... That's what is supposed to happen, right?" He turned to Tricia. "You said I push time-travel powers into you, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah. What are you talking about, Annie?"

Annie also nodded. "Yes, he does. But it also won't work." She pulled out her purse and retrieved the small hand-held camera. "And it all has to do with this. Take a look." She flipped open the screen and played the original message again, handing the camera to Joey and Tricia. "Take a close look."

They watched the video. "What are we looking for?" Joey asked.

"Look at her breasts."

Tricia shot a strange look at Annie. "My breasts?"

"Uh-huh!" Annie drank some more wine. "Watch them. Watch what they do."

"Well..." Joey said, watching the screen and tilting his head. "They're bouncing."

Annie nodded. "Kind of flopping around a lot, aren't they? You can tell she's not wearing a bra."

"Well I don't normally wear a bra when I'm having sex. I don't know what YOU do. Could you make your point, Annie?"

Annie smiled. "The point is this. When Joey and I had our night together..." She took the moment and gave him a sexy leering and a little growl. " ... we did a lot of positions that I normally can't get into. I got to be on top for very the first time, which is fun! Oy! What a view!" She took another swallow of wine. "And do you know what this boy did to me the moment I got on top of him?"

Tricia looked confused. So did Joey. "No, what?" she asked.

Annie put her wine glass on the end table and slapped both of her hands on her breasts. <slap-slap> "He did this! He went right for them!"

Joey blinked. "I ... I thought you liked that."

"Oh, I did!" she said, squeezing her big breasts. "I liked it a lot. And I know you liked it too. And I figured when you get Tricia on top of you, you must do this to her too, right? I mean ... How could you not? Look at them! They're huge! They're just so ... there!"

"Well, yeah, but..." Joey started.

Tricia held up a hand. "Wait, wait, hold it ... What are you talking about?"

Annie smiled and gave her breasts a couple good squeezes. "Take a look at what breasts do when you squeeze them. Look! Squish-squish-squish-squish..." She mauled her breasts, squeezing and mashing them, deforming them inside her black dress.

Tricia rolled her eyes. "We know what happens, Annie."

"Yeah," Annie agreed. "Kind of hard to miss, isn't it?" She let go of her breasts. "Could you imagine what that would look like if my hands were invisible? That would look pretty weird, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah I guess, but..." Tricia blinked as she made the connection. She looked at the video of her future self having sex with an invisible Joey...

"Joey and I know what it looks like, because you grabbed your boobs when he turned you invisible. You got these big hand-prints in your tsitskes. So you think we would have noticed it in the messages. Take another look. It didn't happen then. You talked to yourself a second time. Did you ever see her breasts suddenly get hand-prints pushed into them from invisible hands?" She took another mouthful of wine and swallowed it down. "Because I didn't see it in the message I got."

Tricia thought back. "No, that never happened. But I don't see what the point is."

"So where are his hands?"

Tricia shrugged. "I don't know. They could be ... anywhere. What's the point?"

Annie nodded to Joey. "Joey, be honest. If you have Tricia on top of you like that, wouldn't your hands be on her big boobs?"

Joey blushed a bit and nodded. "There ... or her legs," he said.

"Take a look at her legs in the video. You see hand prints there? I didn't."

"Annie," Tricia said with her last bit of patience. "What is the point?"

Annie picked up her wine glass, took a final swallow of wine, and drained her glass. "Here is the point," she said, putting the empty glass on the table. She leaned towards Joey. "Joey, your powers are based on love. You can't give someone powers unless there is some love between you two. And the more love you have for this person, and the more this person loves you, the greater the power you can create."

She reached out and held his hand, caressing his fingers. "Take a look at what you've been doing with Tricia. You've been giving her super-strength all through this time, and she has been getting stronger and stronger each time. This is because the love between you two has been growing. But I have to tell you, time-travel is a seriously strong power. It takes a lot of energy, and the thing I learned from this last message from Future Tricia is that for all the love that you have for her, and all the love she has for you, it's still not enough to push her through time."

Joey and Tricia stared at Annie. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"It's a big power, but the love of one woman just isn't enough to support time-travel." She took a deep, nervous breath. "But TWO women..."

Joey's eyes went wide. So did Tricia's.

Annie grinned. "So where do you think your hands are when you send Tricia through time?" She squeezed his hand.

"Hold it! Wait!" Tricia threw her hand up. "Are you saying that ... in all those messages, YOU were in the room too?"

Annie nodded. "Uh-huh. Apparently I got the top half and you got the bottom half."

Tricia stared at Annie, dumbfounded. "And the three of us ... we're having a threesome?"

She nodded again.

Tricia looked at Annie, her hair, her tight black dress, her cleavage. "And from the way you're dressed, I take it you're saying you're ready for this?"

"I am now. I've been shvitsn about this all week, wondering how I was going to do this. I finally decided to ask my doctor if alcohol was right for me. This was not my first glass of wine today. Drink up. You're going to need it."

Tricia was stunned, and she stared at Joey. His eyes were wide as he digested this. She looked at Annie, at Joey again, at Annie again, at her breasts, then at her own glass of wine.

A huge smile broke out on her face. Oh, what the hell! she decided, and she downed her entire glass of wine in two swallows. It burned her throat, and warmed her insides immediately, and she set the glass on the end table. "Okay! If you're up to it, so am I! How about you, Joey?"

Joey sat completely stunned, unresponsive. He stared off into the distance, unable to look at either girl.

Annie shifted in her chair, trying to transfer over to the couch. She pulled on Joey's hand. "Come on. Move over, stud. Make room for a Jew." He blankly turned and looked at her. "It would be easier if I weighed a little less," she suggested.

He blinked, and sparks shot out of his hand. Annie's body lifted easily from her chair and she slid onto the couch next to him. She cuddled up to him and traced her finger around his ear. "So ... how do you think we should get this started? I've never done this before."

Tricia threw her arm around Joey's back and cuddled up to him on the other side, running her hand over his shivering chest. "Yeah ... Who do you think gets to be the meat in this sandwich?"

"How about the one with the flayshik?" Annie joked, tickling down towards his abdomen.

Joey was shaking and terrified, and he grabbed the two wandering hands and pushed them aside. "Whoa-whoa-whoa-WHOA!" he yelled, and he jumped off the couch and turned to them. "Let's ... let's stop for a second here!"

Tricia and Annie sat on the couch and watched the terrified boy. "What's the problem, Joey?" Tricia asked.

"Isn't this supposed to be every man's fantasy?" Annie asked.

Tricia nodded. "Yeah. It is. Don't tell me you haven't dreamed of this, Joey."

Joey was pacing nervously, and he put his untouched wine glass on the DVD rack. "Well ... um ... Look, this is ... This is a lot, don't you think?"

"It IS a big step," Annie agreed. "But it's also something that has to happen. The way it works out for you is, you have to have sex with two beautiful women in order to save the universe. If not, we get paradox, and who knows what that will bring."

Tricia waved it off. "Ahh, paradox, shmaradox. We don't do this, and the universe adjusts. Not a big problem for the universe. That's not a big issue. No, I think the real issue here is ... performance anxiety."

"Performance anxiety?" Annie asked. "You mean you think he'll have trouble keeping it up, or trouble pushing you through time? Because I gotta tell you..." She gave him a sultry growl. " ... he has no trouble keeping it up."

Tricia stared at his crotch. "Oh, I wasn't worried about that. I think between the two of us we can keep him going." She grinned lasciviously at him. "No, I was thinking about the time-travel."

Annie nodded. "Ah! Well, let me set everyone at ease about that. It's not going to work."

"What?" Tricia snapped her head back to Annie.

"What?" said Joey.

"It's not going to work. It's a tough power. Future Tricia said time-travel was a bit like trying to get pregnant. It takes a few tries. She said it didn't work the first couple of times they tried, but she was kind of vague on how many times they did it before it worked. We just have to keep..." She punched her fist in the air to emphasize her point. " ... plugging at it until it works. When did you say she sent that one message?"

Tricia thought back. "She said she was a week and a half ahead of us, and that was last week, Wednesday. Today is Saturday. So it looks like today or tomorrow."

"So, this will just be practice." Annie grinned at Joey. "So you get over here so we can ravage you."

"WAIT!" Joey yelled, holding his hands out. "Just ... just stop it. I need to ... I need to think!"

He paced the room, and Tricia and Annie alternately watched him and grinned to each other. Joey walked, holding his head and shaking.

"You're just nervous," said Tricia.

"Maybe if you had a little wine?" Annie suggested.

"Ok, could you two just stop talking for a moment? Please?"

Tricia and Annie looked shocked, but kept quiet. Joey was grasping his fingers in the air, trying to figure out what it was he wanted to say. He finally found it. "Okay ... um ... Can we have like, one day, just one, when something miraculous or amazing doesn't happen? I mean ... Look at what's happened! Two weeks ago I was living on the streets! And you found me, and that was like, one of the most incredible things that had happened to me in a long time! I mean, you let me sleep on the couch, and I was THRILLED! AT A COUCH! But it didn't stop there! You let me stay here. You bought me clothes. You helped me take care of Scrappy. You gave me food. You started teaching me how to read, and you taught me ... other stuff." He blushed slightly. "And then ... you showed me that my powers DO work, and HOW they worked ... and then..." He looked at Tricia. "Then you and I..." He looked at Annie. "And you and I..." He paced some more. "And now I have two girlfriends, and friends who are superheroes, and ... and ... now you both want..."

He turned and confronted the two women. "It's like I keep winning the lottery over and over. And we ACTUALLY WON THE LOTTERY!" he yelled. "Don't you think it's a bit much? I mean, don't you get the feeling that something or someone is controlling all this? Making this happened? Why is this happening? It shouldn't be like this! Nobody is THIS lucky!"

Joey finally quieted down. He looked at the girls. He was confused, scared, angry. Tricia watched him, and it hurt her to see him in pain. "It is a lot, isn't it?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said.

She thought about it. "It's a control issue," she realized. "You don't like being controlled. And you want to know who is controlling your life. I think I can answer that."

"Who's controlling all this?"

Tricia smiled. "You are."

Joey blinked and looked at her confused. "What? Me? What do you mean?"

"Joey. If there is one thing I've learned from time-travel, it is this. At first it looks confusing, that you are out of control, and that you being manipulated by someone else. But you're not. You're just benefiting from a wiser version of yourself."

"I don't understand."

"I mean, there's more than one of you, Joey. There's more than one of any of us. The universe is split into an infinite number of instances, each running its own story, and you, I, and Annie, we're all together in all these universes. There is an infinite number of me out there, an infinite number of her, and there is an infinite number of you out there. And what's happened is that one of my older sisters out there got a chance to come and talk to me, to tell me things that would help us. But the reason that happened is one of YOU made it happen.

"Think about it like this. There is an older version of you out there, an older brother, and he cares about you. He knew what you were going through out on the streets, and he bent time to send you help, to get you off the streets and into a home, to be surrounded with love and to be protected. And now it's your turn. Right now in hyper-time, there is a younger Joey out there, two weeks behind you, and he's on the streets. He's hungry, he's lonely, he's scared, and he's looking for a miracle. And you can give him one. You have that power.

"Do you understand, Joey? You want to know who's been in control of all this? How did all of your wishes come true, all of your desires fulfilled? It was you. YOU are in control. YOU made it happen. And you can make it happen to yourself again."

Joey stood quietly, thinking. His face was blank as he processed it.

Annie leaned over to Tricia. "Did you get all this from your future self?"

"Yeah," Tricia nodded. "I think she is pretty wise."

Annie smirked. "I just KNEW a 'Wise Latina Woman' would show up somewhere."

"Shh."

Joey shifted on his feet. "So, what you're saying is ... it's my decision. I don't HAVE to do this."

Tricia nodded. "Right."

"But I can always choose to do this, to sent this message back to help ... my younger brother, so he can get off the streets."

"Yes."

"So Joey..." Annie asked. "What do you want to do?"

Joey looked back at the girls. His eyes met theirs, and dropped down to their bodies. Annie's smooth and golden skin caught his eyes first, and he followed the soft curves of her breasts and dark cleavage. Tricia inhaled deeply, expanding her chest, and catching his attention. His eyes darted over her immense breasts wrapped in a tight T-shirt. He could see the indentation of her nipples, hardened already with anticipation, poking through her bra. His eyes followed her curves down over her rounded ass, thighs, and calves. He looked over at Annie's legs. They were thin and lifeless compared to Tricia's, yet knowing who they belonged to made them still beautiful in his eyes.

He swallowed hard and turned away from them, leaning against the entertainment system for balance. He took a few heavy, nervous breaths, grabbed his wine glass, and swallowed down a mouthful of wine. He shook as the wine burned his throat, and Tricia smirked at Annie as he coughed and recovered from the sudden impact of the alcohol.

He put his glass back on the DVD shelf and took a couple more deep breaths.

"There is always a moment in your life..." he said with determination, " ... when you realize you are in a situation where you just have to take control of it." Tricia recognized that he was quoting Quantum Knight. He turned back and stared at them with a new resolve. "To hell with fear. To hell with uncertainty. You have the power and the skills and the knowledge, and you tell everyone we're doing things your way because you can do it."

Annie grinned and patted the empty section of couch between her and Tricia.

Joey smirked at her. "But if you think I'm just going to sit on the couch and have the two of you ravage me, forget it!" He lifted his hands, and sparks showered from them. The girls startled. "I'm the one with the powers. I'm the one with the responsibility. And so I'm taking my girlfriends to bed!"

He pounced and grabbed their arms, and Tricia felt her stomach flip as an anti-gravity field enveloped her. Joey pulled them both up, and she and Annie screamed in surprise as he easily hoisted the two grown women up, one in each arm, and threw them both over his shoulders. Tricia kicked playfully and they both laughed and shrieked as the young man turned and marched them to the bedrooms.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Tricia screamed.

"AHHH! OY! LET ME GO!" Annie yelled, laughing.

"No!" Joey decided. "You two are getting fucked!"

He marched into the hallway and stopped between the two bedrooms. "Which room should we use?" he wondered aloud as the two girls screamed and giggled in his arms.

"Mine!" shouted Tricia, laughing.

"No! Mine! I've got water-proof sheets!"

"I have condoms!"

"So do I!"

"I also have toys."

"Your room!"

"Tricia's room!" Joey decided, and he carried the two squirming, laughing, and shrieking girls into her bedroom. He flipped the both around and threw them on the bed. Gravity took over again, and Tricia and Annie bounced and flopped on the bed, squealing and giggling. Tricia immediately scrambled up on her knees, and Annie rolled to look at Joey.

"Lets see..." Joey said. "YOU like to fly..." He touched Annie's bare leg, and she shrieked as she rose over the bed. She twisted expertly in mid air, warping gravity and momentum, and she laughed and beamed and twirled.

" ... and YOU like to be strong!" Joey touched Tricia's arm, flooding her with power.

Tricia looked at her hands, and felt the power surging in her body. She clenched her fists, looked at Joey, and grinned. "YEAAGH!" she screamed, and she grabbed him by the shirt and roughly pulled him on the bed, throwing him down.

RRRRRIIIIP!

She tore Joey's shirt off, destroying it completely, and threw the remnants across her room. "YESSS!" she yelled in triumph.

"What are you doing?" Annie asked in bewilderment.

"Haven't you always wanted to do this?" she yelled gleefully, and she grabbed his pants and tore them open with her bare hands. RRRRRIIIIP! Joey laughed as the super-strong amazon shredded and mutilated his clothing, throwing handfuls of razed cloth about. He kicked his shoes off before she managed to rip them off his feet.

"Um ... no I haven't," Annie answered. "But it looks fun."

Joey was nearly naked by now. "Oh, you gotta try it!" Tricia grabbed the front of her shirt with one hand and pulled. The thin T-shirt ripped easily off her chest, revealing her massive breasts and her huge bra. Joey and Annie watched her mountainous bosom jiggle and shake as she shrieked in pleasure. "YES! OH YES!" she shouted and she ripped and tore her shirt to shreds and threw the pieces aside.

Tricia fell on her back and she started to pull her boots off. Joey reached out and touched Annie, and she felt a surge of power enter her. "Go ahead!" he coaxed her. "Try it!"

Annie's body tensed as she felt the new power inside her. She looked at her hands in wonder, and then looked down at her little black dress. "But I LIKE this dress! And it's expensive!"

RRRRRIIIIP! Tricia's jeans flew in several directions. "Oh go ahead, Annie! YOU'RE A MILLIONAIRE!"

Annie processed that for one second, and let out a primal scream. "AAAAAHHGGHH!" She grabbed her dress and tore it open, shredding it to pieces and revealing her golden skin, tight abs, and her matching black bra and panties. Her breasts floated and jiggled in her bra as she shrieked in laughter. Still hovering over the bed she took her favorite dress, reduced it to ribbons in her hands, balled it up and tossed the pieces aside. Annie looked down at her ample breasts and with a final shriek, grabbed her bra and yanked it off her, ripping the straps. Her full naked double-Ds bounced freely in the anti-gravity.

She leered at Joey and stared at his crotch. His underwear was still intact, and his erection was prominent, trying to push its way through the thin fabric. Annie growled and swooped on him. She violently grabbed his underwear, slapped one powerful hand on his hip, braced herself, and pulled. Joey yelped in pain as the underwear pulled tight around his butt, and he let out a gasp of relief as he felt the thin fabric give up the fight and rip.

"Careful Annie!"

"RRRAAAGGH!" She screamed, yanking the underwear off. His erection bobbed free in front of her. She grabbed his hard dick in her powerful hand.

"AAAAAAGGGHH!" Joey screamed, more in fear than in pain. He pulled the super-strength from Annie. "OKAY! That's enough strength for you!"

"Oh! Sorry! Did I hurt you?"

"No."

Tricia by this time had fully torn off her pants, socks, and panties. Pieces of torn clothes were everywhere. She got up on her knees and started fumbling with the hooks on her bra, which was the last thing she was wearing.

"What are you doing?" Annie asked. "Rip it off!"

"What? NO! This is my super-bra! I'm not..."

"RIP IT OFF!" Annie ordered. "Rip! Rip! Rip! Rip! Rip!" she chanted.

Joey joined in on the chanting, and Tricia mentally apologized to her new super-bra. She grabbed the cups with her hands, yelled, and pulled.

"AAAAAAHHH!!" RRRIIIPPPP!!! Tricia's enormous breasts bounced free. "Oh GOD! THAT FELT GOOD!" She tossed the remnants away and stood proudly naked on the bed. She gave Joey a growl, and jumped on him.

Joey pulled the super-strength out of her as quickly as possible, but Tricia was still bigger than him, and she easily overpowered the boy, threw him to the bed and crawled on top of him. She savagely kissed his mouth, his cheek, his neck, and worked her way back up to his lips again, shoving her tongue into his mouth. She rubbed her naked body up against his, and ran her hand down his chest, over his stomach, and then eventually found Annie's hand wrapped around his erection.

"Hey! Let me have some of this!"

"Scoot over!" Annie chided. "Give me some room."

Tricia scooted over, uncovering Joey's body, and Annie gently floated down halfway on top of him. Her lips met his, and they kissed passionately. Her hand released his cock and ran up his body, caressing him, and Tricia took his erection in her hand and stroked him while nibbling on his ear and neck.

Joey moaned and squirmed under the dual attentions from the two beautiful women, and he held their bodies and pulled them both tight against him, pushing their big breasts up against his body. He twisted his head back and forth, kissing Tricia, then Annie, then Tricia again. And for each one he kissed, the other would nibble his neck and cheek. Both girls were fondling his hard dick now, and he thrust his hips high, matching their stroking.

"Oh ... oh god..." he panted.

"Tell me Joey..." Tricia whispered in his ear. "Is it everything you dreamed it to be?" Watching the boy writhing and hyperventilating at her and Annie's touch just got Tricia's engine running. She could feel herself oozing with anticipation, and she rubbed her crotch up against his leg.

Joey nodded breathlessly. Tricia locked her lips on his and sucked on his tongue. He tasted of wine. Her hand was getting wet from his hard cock as it practically dripped pre-cum. Annie licked the side of his face. Tricia could feel and smell Annie's hot wine-sweetened breath on her cheek.

They kissed and licked his lips and face, stroked and caressing his body and hard cock for several minutes. Joey squirmed and kicked and twisted under their bodies. Tricia couldn't decide which was hotter, kissing him while knowing Annie was watching, or watching them kiss each other.

His hands roamed down behind her and cupped her bare ass, and Tricia could feel him pushing her, trying to coax her upward. He was kissing Annie's neck and pushing her upward as well. Since Annie only weighed a fraction of her usual weight she slid up easier, and she let go of his erection, wrapped her arms around his head, and gasped as he kissed down her smooth chest and nuzzled into her breasts. Tricia smiled as she saw Annie's face turn to raw joy as his lips wrapped around her nipples, and Annie shuddered in pleasure as he sucked on her breasts.

"Ahh ... Oy! ... oh yes..." Annie breathed.

Tricia scooted upward, bringing her fat breasts up towards his face as well. "Make some room, Annie." she giggled. "That looks fun." And she pushed her bosom into his face and up against Annie's full breasts. Joey rubbed his face against her tits and licked frantically, moaning as the two busty women buried his head in breast-flesh. He licked and sucked her and Annie's breasts, and thrust his hips up hard into Tricia's hand. Tricia stroked him and caressed him while Annie rocked her torso and whimpered in Yiddish.

"Ikh hob tse deer a yaitser!"

"English, Annie!" Tricia chided.

"Baby, I'm a-want you!" Annie gasped, and she breathed heavily and rocked her chest in Joey's face as he locked onto her nipple. Tricia smiled and took a trek down his body, kissing his chest and stomach along the way. She crawled down to his erection and dragged her tongue up the length of his shaft.

Joey bolted, squirmed, and thrashed in response. She giggled and licked his cock again. Joey dug his heels into the bed and pushed high. Tricia took him into her mouth and sucked hard.

He moaned into Annie's breast, and she caressed his head, cradling his face to her bosom. She made little cooing sounds as he suckled her, and the air thrummed above her as her anti-gravity field rippled around her. Her limp legs drifted up, and Annie looked down towards Tricia. Their eyes met and they grinned at each other.

"Come on down here," Tricia invited. "Let's give him a thrill."

Annie giggled and floated higher. She gently pushed Joey's head from her breasts and pushed herself lower. Joey saw where she was going and grabbed a pillow and threw it behind his head, eager to watch the girls. Annie softly kissed down his torso, dragging her tongue over his skin, and eventually reached his hard wet cock. Tricia slid over a bit to give her some room.

Together, Tricia and Annie started licking Joey's cock. They kissed and sucked him, and he lay back and moaned, panted, and grabbed the sheets. His legs spasmed and his body jerked as the two girls slathered their tongues and lips over his swollen member. Tricia licked up the side of his shaft, took his crown in her mouth, and sucked gently, swirling her tongue in circles along the top while Annie kissed and licked down the base of his cock. She bobbed down, taking more of him into her mouth and slurped loudly on the withdrawal. As she licked down the side, Annie licked up and sucked him into her mouth.

"Oh ... oh god, yes..." Joey moaned.

Annie bobbed and sucked his cock hard, withdrawing and plunging down on him repeatedly, and she hummed in pleasure as he jerked and thrashed on the bed. Tricia licked up his underside, and Annie pulled off him and kissed down the side, freeing his hard cock. Tricia immediately sucked him into her mouth again.

She started to kiss and mouth her way down one side, and her lips brushed against Annie's.

Their eyes met, and Annie smirked at her. Annie pulled off Joey's dick and reached for her. Before Tricia knew what was happening, Annie had grabbed her head, pulled her in, and started kissing her full on the lips.

Tricia was startled, and Annie suddenly thrust forward, rolling Tricia onto her back. Annie's body lay directly on top of Tricia and she kissed her passionately. Breasts pushed up against breasts, stomach against stomach, and Annie's arms entwined around Tricia's head. The kiss was long and hard, and her tongue snaked into Tricia's mouth, licking her tongue.

Annie broke the kiss and stared into her roommate's eyes. "You have any idea how long I've wanted to do this?"

"I ... didn't know you felt this way," Tricia said.

"Trish ... Every morning you bounce around me half-naked, get me all wound up, and then you leave me with nothing but a laptop and a broadband connection. What do you think I do?"

Annie didn't let her try to answer. She pushed back down on Tricia and kissed her on the mouth again. Tricia brought her arms up and held her, caressing her smooth and strong back. Joey sat up and watched his two girlfriends kissing each other, and he stroked himself.

"Oh ... this is ... hot," he decided.

Tricia rolled over, taking Annie with her, and got on top of her. She kissed her passionately and started kissing down Annie's cheek and neck, and headed for her breasts. Annie was panting heavily and shuddered as Tricia dragged her hot tongue over the full curves of her large, firm breast. Tricia flicked her nipple, and Annie shuddered and gasped in reaction.

Tricia looked towards Joey, winked at him, and beckoned him to come over. Joey eagerly crawled over to Annie's breasts, and together they licked and sucked her sensitive nipples.

Annie shrieked in ecstasy. She grabbed their heads and pushed them both into her big breasts. "Oy! Azoy! Vay iz meer! Azoy! Tatenyoo ziser! Oy!"

"¡Dios, mio! She really gets off on this boob-sucking, doesn't she?" Tricia managed to say.

Joey grinned and nodded. "Keep sucking. She's almost there."

Tricia redoubled her efforts, nursing hard on Annie's erect nipple. Her big soft breast was mashed hard into her face, and Annie was shaking, thrashing, panting, and moaning as her two roommates suckled her. She suddenly screamed and started bucking and shaking. She pulled hard on Tricia's hair, pushing her face deep into her breast, and she shook and cried out. Annie was gasping and shuddering, obviously in the throws of a massive orgasm, and she wailed and cried as the rapture peaked within her.

Tricia and Joey pulled off her bosom and alternately watched her and each other proudly as Annie collapsed in gasping afterglow. Joey wiggled his eyebrows. "That's one," he said, and he eyed down Tricia's body.

Tricia glanced at his rock-hard cock, smiled, and rolled on her back invitingly. "Time to get you into a condom," she said. Joey eagerly jumped out of bed, ran to her bedside table, and pulled out a fresh condom. He climbed back on the bed, tore open the package, and rolled the condom on.

Annie lay breathing heavily, her eyes rolled back and her face was flushed. She flopped her head around and watched Joey as he positioned himself between Tricia's legs. "Wait!" she gasped, and she rolled onto her side. "Let me get ready. I want to watch this."

"Oh, so you like to watch, huh?" Tricia grinningly accused her roommate as she spread her legs wide.

"But of course! I'm going to have to," Annie said between heavy breaths. "After all, it's not like he can do us both at the same time."

Joey was poised, ready to take the plunge into Tricia's hot pussy when he stopped and stared at Annie.

"Was that a challenge?" he asked.

"What?"

"You say I can't fuck both of you at the same time?"

"Watch your language, yingl. And no, that wasn't a challenge. It's a fact. You can't do it."

He leered at her. "Says who?"

Annie gaped back. "It's simple mathematics. You've got one, we've got one each. We outnumber you. The gregor to hamentash ratio is not in your favor."

"Yeah, but I have superpowers." Joey defended.

Tricia spoke up. "Joey, two things. First, don't threaten to use your powers to grow another dick on our account, because ... Ew! ... and second, could you stop talking and stick it in?"

Joey glared at Tricia. "You don't think I can do it either, do you?"

"What are you planning on doing?" Tricia asked. "Cloning yourself? Your powers don't work like that!"

He slapped both hands on her thighs and sparks came out. Tricia could feel the power inside her growing, probing her. "No. But they can do this," he answered, and he started sliding his hands up and down her legs. The sparks flowed and flashed as he ran his hands all over her legs, exploring every square inch of her thighs.

She grinned as she watched him, and waited to see what he planned to do. His touch tingled her, and she squirmed underneath him. Pleasures tickled her mind as he explored her legs. He ran his hands up past her knees, over her shins and calves, and then over her ankles, the balls of her feet, and then over and under her feet. He ran his fingers between her toes, and Tricia giggled. "That tickles!"

All the time he was exploring her, he stared at her face intently. "Okay..." he said to himself. He ran his hands back down her legs towards her vagina. He pushed her legs up, raising her butt a bit, and slid his hand under her and cupped her ass.

Tricia rolled her head around, relishing the attentions. His hands slid up forward, and his fingers caressed her outer labia. She bit her lip and sucked air through her teeth as he roused her passions. He delicately explored the folds, and slipped a finger inside her. Tricia moaned and cupped her breasts, and he probed deep inside her. She could feel her heart beating strongly in her chest.

His finger swirled inside her, touching, probing every inch and sending flashes of joy through her body. His thumb brushed over her clitoris, and she bucked as the minor lightning bolt shot through her. She was breathing heavily, and her hips churned and twisted in response to his touches.

"I ... think ... I've got it!" Joey declared. "Hold hands," he commanded. Tricia didn't think. She simply raised her hand, and Annie took it. He slid his hand out of her, and grabbed their held hands.

Sparked flowed.

"AAAIIIIEEE!!" Annie shrieked.

Tricia's eyes snapped open. "What is it?" she cried.

Annie was panting in a heavy panic and had a look of astonishment and shock on her face. "I CAN FEEL..." she started to say, and she slapped her leg with her free hand. "Wait ... I can't ... I..." She looked perplexed.

Joey gently touched Tricia's leg.

"AAHHH!" Annie screamed again, and noticed that Joey was touching Tricia's leg. She slapped her hand on Tricia's leg and bolted. "I FELT THAT! I can feel ... YOUR legs!" She squeezed her fingers into Tricia's leg. "But they feel like mine! Oy! What are you doing?"

Joey beamed, and he ran his hand along Tricia's leg. Annie shuddered and moaned. "I linked your minds," he said proudly. "I found the area that gets all of these sensations in Tricia, and I'm just making her send the signals to you in the same spot. I can tell it's been pretty quiet there for a while, so it's probably a little sensitive."

Annie moaned and squirmed as he caressed Tricia's leg. Tricia reached down and ran her hands over her thighs. Annie shivered. "You can feel this Annie?"

"Uh HUH!" she whimpered, and bit her lip.

"That's clever!" Tricia said proudly to Joey. He smiled. She wiggled her toes and kicked her legs up. "You feel that?"

She gasped and shook. Her breathing was heavy and shaking, and her eyes were wide with a marvel and wonder. She burst out laughing. "I CAN FEEL THAT!"

"Can you feel this?" Joey said, and he touched Tricia's wet vagina.

Annie shrieked and bucked. "AAAIIEE!! OY! WAIT!"

"How about this?" he asked, swirling his fingers around her labia.

Annie thrashed and pounded the mattress, moaning in pleasure.

Tricia cooed. "Ooh ... I like that."

"WAIT! WAIT!" Annie shouted.

"How about this?" Joey asked again, and he touched his erection to Tricia.

"HMMMRGH!" Annie bucked and grimaced, sending her breasts bouncing on her chest. She bit her knuckle and groaned. "WAIT! STOP!"

"No means no!" Tricia warned Joey.

"Oh ... Okay," he pulled back.

Annie panted and swallowed. Her eyes were glazed and she turned to Joey. "Go ... slowly ... please ... Gently..." she panted.

He nodded and pushed forward, touching Tricia again. Annie shuddered. Tricia reached down and took him in her hand, and cautiously lined him up, rubbing his cock-head into her opening. Annie gasped and panted, clawed her hair, rolled her head, and whimpered in pleasure.

Joey slowly pushed forward, slipping inside Tricia's hot and wet pussy. Tricia gasped as she felt him entering her, and Annie whined and cried out. "Yessssss!!" He pulled out slightly to spread Tricia's lubrication, and then pushed back in further. Tricia's heart was pounding harder and faster, and she relished the sensation of his hard cock plunging deep inside and filling her. She squeezed her internal muscles around him and wrapped her legs around his body, pulling him in deeper.

Annie screamed. Her fingers dug hard into Tricia's hand and she writhed on the bed. Joey pushed himself all the way in, bottoming out into Tricia, pressing up against her clitoris. He groaned and leaned down. Tricia took his head in her free hand and guided him to her lips, and she kissed him.

Joey started pumping with a slow rhythm. A fire had ignited inside Tricia, and threw her head back and savored the feeling. Annie was moaning and crying next to her, and Joey was on top of her, his head resting on her chest, breathing heavily and thrusting slowly.

Annie started panting heavily. "Faster..." she called out. "Fuck him back," she growled.

Tricia smiled and planted her feet on the bed, and started pushing her hips up to meet his down-strokes. She gasped and panted, and Joey picked up his strides in rhythm and intensity, giving her long and powerful strokes. The fire was raging inside her, and she bucked and writhed under the boy.

Joey lifted his hips upward and started pounding Tricia as hard and as fast as he could. Her breasts bounced and she clenched her teeth, grimaced, and took his ferocious beating. She held onto Annie's hand tightly, willing the pleasure into her.

She felt her orgasm building. Annie yelped and groaned, thrashed and bucked. "Fuck me!" she cried out. "Fuck her! Fuck US!"

Joey's furious pounding build into a frenzy, and new sparks flowed from his hands. His eyes glowed. "TIME!" he yelled. Tricia could feel new power entering her.

Her orgasm felt like it was seconds away, and Tricia gasped and panted. "YES!" she yelled. "Push me through time!"

She had no longer finished saying it before she remembered what happened the last time she said this, and realized it was the wrong thing to say. She tried to tell him to stop, but it was too late.

The world changed around her. Sounds dropped in octaves, and Joey slowed down to a fraction of his speed, plunging downward into her at an unimaginably slow speed. She looked around and glanced at her digital clock. The numbers blinked slowly. She looked at Annie. Her eyes were wide in horror, and Tricia knew instinctively that Annie was experiencing the time-warp as well, and that she was going to feel her orgasm.

Her last conscious thought before her orgasm hit was a silent wish to Annie. For God's sake girl, just let go and enjoy the ride.

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It took four tries.

It took four hot, sweaty, passionate, bestial, free-for-all fuck-fests for the power to finally kick in. Four raw, nasty, carnal orgies to save the universe. Time-travel had its price.

They spent all day and night together on Saturday exploring, playing, and fucking each other silly. On Sunday morning, with Tricia riding Joey and Annie burying her breasts in his face, Joey finally managed to push Tricia backwards through time. It surprised her. She didn't know it was coming. One moment she was in her bedroom bouncing on Joey, and the next she was in the living room and she could see another version of herself rolling on the floor and Annie was screaming at her while holding a video camera. She nervously recited her message and cut the power, and she returned to the present day. Later that day they tried again and sent a message to Snow Angel, who was just as surprised to see Tricia. Tricia couldn't help but flirt with the superhero as she delivered her message, realizing that this was probably the reason why Snow Angel was so flirtatious with her. When she sent the message to herself, she wasn't worried about the issue of paradox anymore, and made it clear to her younger self that it was not a problem.

When she sent the final message back to Annie, she saw the images on television which Annie had just seen, and her heart went out to her. This Annie, the one a week ago, may have just seen the death of her best friend. Tricia didn't know if that other Tricia was alive or dead, and didn't want to stick around long enough to find out. She delivered the lottery numbers, told her the secret of time travel, and told her that if her plan didn't work, it was all up to Annie to take care of Joey. The one thing she was certain of was that Joey was safe from Desdemona. Once he got angry, once he saw Tricia's death, Desdemona's death was assured.

Oddly enough, the most difficult part of the process was getting food delivered to their apartment. Due to the fact that Tricia was in the hospital for so long, Annie didn't do any shopping, and they had basically run out of everything except for Alpo. They ordered a pizza to be delivered on Saturday night, only to discover that the appearance of a delivery man just sparked a fight amongst the reporters downstairs over who could take his place to sneak inside and get a picture. They all three sneaked out the balcony that night and flew to a nearby restaurant.

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Monday, August 31, 2009, 7:30 AM
(Five weeks later)

"Thank you Annie!" everyone in the van called out as they pulled into the handicapped parking spot. Tricia opened the van door, and she, Joey, Sandy, and Annie climbed and rolled out of the van. Tricia was in her new favorite denim shirt and jeans. They were her rough clothes for work. Joey was in a brand new polo shirt and slacks, and he wore a backpack. Sandy was wearing a summer dress, and Annie wore a brand new sharp business suit. They locked the van and headed to the building.

"Nervous?" Tricia asked Joey.

"A little," he admitted.

Sandy yawned. Tricia checked her out. "Are you going to make it?"

She smiled back. "I'm normally not up at this hour, but there was no way I was going to miss this." She playfully punched Joey in the shoulder.

They followed the sidewalk, went up the ramp, and entered the building. A few dozen other people were in the hallway. They were mostly kids who were closer to Joey's age, but a couple adults also appeared. Several kids pointed to them and whispered to each other.

"Hey Joey!" a voice called out. "Hi Trish! Hi Annie! Hi whoever you are!" Willow Booth came skipping up to them carrying her notebook. "You're starting today?"

"Hi Willow. Um, yeah. I decided to try this out."

"Oh! You're gonna love it here!" The bubbly sixteen-year-old girl bounced on her heels in front of him. Her blossoming breasts bounced noticeably, catching his attention. "They have great programs for everyone! You ever find out what you are?"

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Science, Magic, Cosmic, or Mutation?"

He shook his head. "Nope. I'm just Joey."

"Well, whatever you are, they can help you." A bell rang. "Gotta go! I'll see you later, kay? We'll do lunch!"

"See you." They watched Willow as she skipped down the hallway. As she approached several other students, she called out a battle-cry. "Save the Cheerleader! Save the World!"

Several students called back in unison, and in high-pitched squeaky voices. "Save the Liver!" They all laughed and giggled at the local joke.

"Joey?" called out one adult. They turned and saw a man approach. He was about thirty, and had a very nondescript and forgettable face, and was a mixed race which Tricia couldn't identify, but he seemed oddly familiar to her. "It's good to see you. It's good to see you all. Welcome. I'm Mr. Madden. I teach science here. I believe you're in my class."

"Hi Mr ... Madden," Joey said nervously, shaking the man's hand. He squinted at the teacher, frowned, and then smiled.

Tricia shook his hand. "Good morning. I'm Tricia Sanchez. And this is Annie Freidman. We're his guardians." Annie cocked her head and looked at him curiously as she shook his hand. "Oh, and this is our friend, Sandy Carter."

Sandy giggled and stepped up to Mr. Madden, and as he extended his hand she took it and placed it directly on her breast. Mr. Madden jumped slightly, and tried to pull his hand back. Sandy held his hand to her breast and whispered to him. "Hi ... So, you like doing experiments?"

Tricia and Annie did double-takes. Joey snickered and tried to keep himself under control.

"Ummm ... Nice to meet you," he said nervously, and extracted his hand from her. He turned to Joey. "So, who is your homeroom teacher?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"Um..." Joey pulled out a schedule. "A Miss ... Mathews?"

"Oh! You'll like her." He looked relieved. "Follow me. I'll show you where she is."

As he quickly turned and walked down the hallway and the rest of them followed, Joey turned back to Tricia, smiled, and silently mouthed the word "Multiplex" to her. Tricia did a double-take, and looked back at the teacher. She cocked her head as she watched him, trying to see the man as the superhero, but his mannerisms were different. It was an effective disguise. She glanced at Sandy. Sandy grinned and giggled as she followed him.

"Karen?" Mr. Madden called out as he reached a room. "Joey is here." He gestured inside the room, and Joey shyly walked in, seeing his new classmates and new teacher. Tricia, Annie, and Sandy watched from the hallway.

Miss Mathews was a young attractive woman, roughly Tricia's age, and very pretty with lightly freckled fair skin and shoulder-length reddish-brown hair. She was fairly athletic looking, yet quite buxom. Knowing that this was the type of woman Joey liked, Tricia somehow instantly disliked her. Tricia glanced down at Annie, who looked back up at her. Annie's eyes flared briefly. Then they both smiled politely.

"Joey!" she called out, and strutted up to him. "Come in! Class! We have a new student this year. This is Joey Harper." She guided him in front of the class. Joey shyly stood in front of the six other students and waved.

"Hi..." he said quietly. He looked over the other kids. One girl was black but had a patchwork of odd white birthmarks covering her body. One huge Asian boy sat in the back of the classroom. Another boy, thin and weak looking sat in front. He had crutches. In the middle of the room a boy and a girl, both dark-haired and pale sat very close to each other. Joey could tell that they were brother and sister. The last girl caught his attention. She was ghost-white, with platinum blond hair, pink eyes, and was dressed in black. She sat scribbling in her notebook.

The patchwork girl checked him out. "You that boy who killed that demon?" she asked.

Joey shifted uneasily. "Um ... yeah."

"You Omega Boy?" she asked.

The big boy in the back snickered.

"Um ... Not any more. Used to be."

"That's lame," said the hulking boy in the back. "Omega Boy was nothing."

"Clyde, be nice," Miss Mathews scolded.

"So, what can you do?" the thin boy up front asked. He glanced at Annie and smiled at her, and returned his attention to Joey.

Joey hesitated. All the other students watched him attentively. He fixed his eyes on the big bully in the back. "A few things. I can remove someone's powers."

The big kid's snide smile evaporated, and there was a moment of fear on his face.

"Can you..." started the dark-haired boy. " ... control that?" finished his sister, immediately on top of what her brother said.

Joey glanced at the brother and sister pair. They looked at him with equal intensity. "Um, yeah. I don't do that accidentally."

They both sighed with some relief. They were perfectly synchronized.

Joey frowned as he considered the brother and sister, and then smiled in recognition. "Do I have your CD?" The two grinned slightly and nodded.

The big asian boy in the back sneered. "You don't look so tough."

"I also created Omega Man. I gave him his powers. And I can do it again with anyone..." He stared down the boy. " ... else."

The big kid clammed up and tried to look bored.

The patchwork girl rolled her eyes at Clyde, and then grinned at Joey. "So whatcha gonna call yourself?"

"Huh?"

"If you're not Omega Boy, whatcha gonna to call yourself?"

Joey shifted, and glanced back at Tricia, Annie, and Sandy. He looked back at the girl. "Well, I wasn't planning on ... but I was thinking, oh ... I don't know ... Omega Knight?"

Sandy very quietly squeaked and pumped her fist in triumph. "Yessss!" she whispered.

"So, what do you like to do?" asked Miss Mathews.

Joey shrugged. " Um ... I like to draw ... and I'm reading Harry Potter..." The albino girl snapped her head up on the word 'reading' and scribbled something down. "But, I'm not that good a reader," he confessed.

"You should sit with Sarah then," the thin boy up front said. The rest of the class giggled.

"Actually, an excellent idea, Simon," said Miss Mathews. "Joey, why don't you take a seat next to Sarah."

Joey looked around to figure out which of the girls was Sarah, and the albino girl looked at him expectantly. She shifted over shyly. Joey walked over and took a seat next to her. He looked at her.

"Hi Sarah," he said.

Sarah scribbled in her notebook. Joey glanced at what she wrote. It read "Joey Harper sat next to me and said 'Hi Sarah.'"

"Hi," she whispered back shyly.

"Raquel?" Miss Mathews called out. "Could you get Joey a book? And then we can start." As the patchwork girl got up and strutted over to the bookshelf, Joey glanced up at Tricia, Annie, and Sandy, and waved to them. They waved back, and left.

As they walked through the hallway of the small school, Tricia said "I think he'll be okay here. Don't you?"

"I don't like that teacher," Annie grumbled. "She too ... perky!"

Sandy was dancing, spinning, and skipping ahead of them. "Did you hear that? Omega Knight! Isn't that the coolest name or what?"

"Did you suggest that to him?" Tricia asked.

"No! He must have thought that up himself." She spun in delight. "Of course, adding 'Knight' to any word make a cool superhero name."

"Including N-I-G-H-T 'Night'?" Annie asked.

Sandy stopped. "Except for 'Night'. 'Night-Knight' doesn't work. But you know, I knew a guy who tried it."

Tricia scoffed. "You're kidding."

Sandy skipped over towards the ladies room. "Speaking of which, girls, I gotta get back home and get some beauty sleep. Thanks for letting me tag along. I didn't want to miss his first day of school."

"Oy! You're welcome."

Sandy leaned down and hugged Annie, and then she hugged and kissed Tricia. "Catch ya both later!" And she walked into the ladies room. As soon as the door closed, they heard the faint echoed sound of a zither strum.

Tricia and Annie looked at each other. "Come on," Annie said. "Time for work. I'll drop you off." They left the building, got back into the van, and started driving.

As they were driving, Tricia turned to Annie. "Are you going to be free for lunch today?"

"No. I've got an investor's meeting, and then I'm meeting a rep from SCI-FIT. They want to open a branch here."

"Really? Cool. Is that the..."

"Exercise and therapy gym for Spinal Cord Injury patients, yeah."

"And that can help you?"

Annie shrugged. "I hope so. Couldn't hurt. They can help a lot of people here" She glanced at Tricia's stomach. "You know, you could join too. Work on those abdominals."

"Joey likes my muffin-top."

"If we get it started, I'm hiring Sven."

"Okay, I'll join."

"How things going for you? Are you getting enough people?"

Tricia nodded. "Great! And I'm getting two more today!"

They pulled up in front of a building, and Tricia leaned over, kissed Annie on the cheek, and got out. "I'll see you tonight!" Annie playfully growled back. She closed the van door and headed towards the building, and was immediately approached by a reporter and his photographer.

"Miss Sanchez! Peter Baxter, Washington Post. If we could just have a word with you!"

"Oh GOOD!" Tricia shouted, and she grabbed the reporter and photographer by their arms. "I'm glad you're both here! Come on!" She dragged them into the building.

The moment she walked in, she was greeted by a crowd of homeless men, women, and children who were all sitting around tables eating, playing games, reading books, and being tended to by volunteers. She waved to the crowd and pulled the reporters into the kitchen.

"Here. You can start with breakfast." She pointed around the room. "Toaster and bread, butter, jam, you can help with the eggs. Get cereal and milk out. And hurry. It's only a couple hours until lunchtime."

Peter Baxter stuttered. "Um no, I actually wanted to ask you about..."

"I know EXACTLY what you want to ask me about, and I'm going to tell you the same thing I've told every other reporter who wants my story. You want my story, you're going to have to pay for it." She pointed to the homeless in the shelter. "Write THEIR stories first. Talk about them. Get to know them. Feed them. Take care of them. Tell the city all about those people we're ignoring. And I'll be watching you."

"But Miss Sanchez!"

Tricia advanced very forcefully on the reporter, pushing him up against a wall. Her breasts pushed directly into his chest. "Let me explain this to you. There is a very large number written inside my bra. That number is the number of stories I expect you to write and publish about these people. Now the way it works is, if you reach that number, THEN I'll consider giving you an interview. But I have to warn you!" She stared him down. "I've converted to metric."

Peter Baxter blinked and looked down at Tricia's huge breasts. He swallowed nervously.

"So get over there and start spreading jelly!" She pointed her thumb towards the kitchen table.

Tricia triumphantly marched back into the main room and stood amongst all homeless people there in her new shelter. She saw Gus sitting there, and she beamed as he smiled towards her. This was a good idea she said to herself as she clapped her hands together and rolled her sleeves up.

"God, I'm going to love this job."

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Translation Guide

"shvitsn" - "sweating"

"flayshik" - "meat" (long-lasting meat)

"Oy! Azoy! Vay iz meer! Azoy! Tatenyoo ziser! Oy!" - That's it! Woe is me! That's it! Sweet little father in heaven!

"The gregor to hamentash ratio is not in your favor." - A gregor is a hand held noise-maker which is held and spun and shook vigorously during the Purim celebration whenever Haman's name is mentioned during the reading of the book of Esther. A hamentash is triangular pastry, usually filled with poppy seeds and fruit, chocolate, or cheese, and is eaten during the Purim celebration. Due to the respective cylindrical and triangular shapes of the gregor and hamentash, they are also used as "cute" terms for penis and vagina.



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Afterword and Acknowledgements





Strum-dum, Strum-da-da Dum!

Acknowledgments and Afterword

I'd like to thank several people for assistance in this book. First, my proofreaders, Bozo, Greg, Ryan, and Steve. You find the strange little mistakes that I couldn't see, and gave me confidence when you couldn't find mistakes.

To Lexi, Annie's sister, for your story of confidence and vulnerability.

To SpacerX, for unabashed assistance and advice.

To Michael Wex, author of the book "Just Say Nu: Yiddish for Every Occasion (When English Just Won't Do)". If it were not for you and this fabulous resource, Annie would not have been possible, or at least as much fun.

To "Raccoon", my SCI reader, and the one guy who knows why Sandy has a picture of a raccoon on her underwear, for your feedback and help in understanding assisted living.

To all of my readers, especially those who wrote to me. Whether you are telling me how much you are enjoying the story or just flirting with Annie or Sandy, your feedback is what gives me the enthusiasm to write.

And last, and most, to my lovely wife, who is my first audience, and gets to hear every chapter as it is meant to be read, out-loud. Thank you for understanding and supporting this need to write, for laughing and crying at the right places, for letting me know when things fall flat or get confusing, for convincing me to not use the N-word even in that one context, and for dealing with me getting up at 3 AM every morning to write.

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I know that most stories here on SOL don't have an afterword, but I'm that type of person who likes to share the HOW as much as the WHAT of what I make. I'd like to share a few thoughts with you. Maybe it'll inspire you in your writing. Or maybe it'll keep you casually entertained as you read this instead of doing whatever it is that you should be doing right now.

CHARACTER ORIGINS
Joey is paradoxically one of the oldest characters in this story, because I first conceived of him about 15 to 20 years ago. I come from a strong background of comic book collecting and superhero role-playing games, so I still have large portions of my brain devoted to super-power analysis and character creation. Joey came about from a brainstorming session when I was looking at the Champions RPG rules and mentally combining several different powers and advantages, and I combined "Variable Power Pool" with the "Usable on others" advantage, and saw the possibilities. I then wondered what he would be like if he couldn't use the powers himself, but had to rely on others to use the powers, and I quickly decided he didn't make a good RPG character that I would want to play. But I was intrigued by the character, and kept him around in the back of my mind for years.

During my idle wondering about the effectiveness of Joey as an RPG character, I also worked out his basic origin story. I came up with the Omega Man/Omega Boy storyline, where his father was killed and he was left in the streets for years, living homeless, and I realized he would only come out of hiding when he was discovered by a reporter. So every time I started thinking about Joey, I always came to the conclusion that this was really the reporter's story, not Joey's. When I revisited this storyline when searching for erotic story material, I saw the romantic and erotic potential, and decided it was time to tell her story.

What can I say about Tricia? She was tailored to fit the story. When I started this project, I knew very little about her. I didn't have any idea of what she was like. I started working out the things that she had to do and show at the beginning of the story, and then the end of the story, and that's how I came to learn about Tricia. Her journey had to include sexuality, love, sacrifice, and growing up. This led to the story of a party-girl who searches for respect, and faces and accepts responsibility.

Making her Hispanic was my dig at the plethora of television dramas which all seem to center on the trials and tribulations of beautiful, rich, white people. I refuse to watch them. I cast about for an appropriate ethnicity that matched the fiery-tempered party-girl image, and I went with Hispanic. (I also went with that because I knew some Spanish from high school.) Tricia needed to be hot, passionate, spicy, and sexy, and Hispanic just appealed to me.

Making her Brazilian was just one step more of that thinking. I know that she could be anything; Mexican, Puerto Rican, Columbian, Panamanian, Dominican, etc... , but I just gravitated to Brazilian. I don't always put a lot of thought into these details; I usually grab the first idea that jumps into my head and stick with it.

Now I am man enough to admit when I make mistakes, and I made a mistake making her a Spanish speaking Brazilian. Brazilians mostly speak Portuguese. But by the time I discovered this it was firmly entrenched in my mind that she was Brazilian and spoke Spanish, so I did a little fudging and made her half-Brazilian and half-Mexican. Her father was Brazilian and her mother Mexican. She grew up in Arizona, a legal American, in a Spanish-speaking community, and has more experience and use for Spanish than Portuguese. I also decided that she doesn't often tell people that she is part Mexican because when she is telling someone her ethnicity, it is usually in the context of seducing a man, and Brazilian just seems to most men she meets just that more exotic than Mexican. It helps her in her seductions.

Coming up with Tricia's looks was a challenge. The hard part for me was to find a picture of a woman who actually inspired the character. When I write, I often put a picture of a woman on the screen next to the word processor just to help channel the character, and for Tricia that woman turned out to be Sheyla Almeda Hershey. I was thrilled when I discovered her, for there was something about her face and smile and hair and body that just screamed Tricia to me. But the very next day after I discovered her, she made headlines for getting the worlds largest breast implants. I was actually devastated; I thought she was already perfect. What was she doing pumping more silicone into herself for?

Tricia needed to find Joey, and she needed to use an age-modifying graphics program to identify him. And it just struck me as highly unlikely that Tricia, trained as a reporter, would know how to use one of these programs. She needed someone with some specific technical skills, and so I created a geek friend.

(Ah, Annie ... Let me be up front and clear about her. She is fictional. I'm sorry to say this, but she is not based on any real person that I know. So, you have no chance with her.)

Since this story was intended to get erotic, I made the geek friend a beautiful and buxom woman for Joey to eventually enjoy. And because the story was now heading into romantic triangle territory, I had to put her in the same house, making her Tricia's roommate.

Since I was still on this "no white chicks" kick, I cast about for another nationality. She had to contrast with Tricia visually, ethnically, and in energy. So I went with Japanese. Annie would have a delicate, demure, and quiet beauty that would contrast nicely against Tricia's overt and fiery sexuality.

At this point I was seeing her as a sidekick, and I needed to spice her up somehow. The technical side of her told me she was smart, and in comic books there is a tradition of brainy characters to be wheelchair-bound, so I got the idea to make her handicapped.

This of course spurred a huge argument in my brain concerning the pros and cons of a handicapped character. I realized that if I was going to do this, I wanted to do it right, and do something different. Now I was a big fan of the X-Men, but it occurred to me that I had never seen Professor Xavier ever go to the bathroom. Or get dressed. Or take a bath. Or do one of a hundred other things that we temporarily able-bodied people do without thinking too much about. And as I did research and read some blogs written by the wheelchair-bound, I saw one fiery post from this one girl who wrote something along the lines of "Yeah, I wear nappies (diapers). What do you want to make of it?" And when I saw that, I realized that was what I wanted in Annie.

How she became Jewish on the other hand, I have no freaking idea. It simply popped into my head one day, and it made me laugh, and ever since then she has been Jewish. It's probably one of the best ideas I have ever had, and not a day goes by that she doesn't brighten my day by spouting something Yiddish in my ear at the right moment.

The girl I found to "play" Annie, the one who's picture I put up when writing her, is Hitomi Tanaka, a Japanese porn star. She is gorgeous, but I have to tell you, every time I look at her now, I think to myself "Yeah, she looks Jewish."

GEEKING
I am such a geek.

Okay, as I said, as I write my stories, I like to find pictures of beautiful women to put on the desktop next to the word processor to help "inspire" me. I pick out a different woman for each character I'm writing. And I find that if I have the picture up, as I look at the picture I can channel that character's personality from the woman's face. It helps a lot in writing, especially erotica.

And it also helps in other ... recreational and educational activities ... in which I want to see one or more pictures of select naked women.

The trouble is, I use Windows, and the default picture viewer is this Pictures and Fax viewer that has a few nice features like zoom and rotate and scrolling through the images in a directory, but it's limited in that it will only open one image in one window. I can't have two pictures on the screen for those scenes or scenarios when I have two women characters in the same room. So in those cases I have to resort to opening pictures in a web browser which doesn't have the same features. And it's pain, and it just got to me, until finally I couldn't stand it anymore. So I wrote my own picture viewing program.

Yeah, that's right. I wrote a specialty program to help me look at pictures of naked women.

And the entire reason I wrote this program is so that I can use these pictures to push myself into certain moods. However, some nagging problems involving translating delta values from mouse motions in absolute screen coordinates into relative coordinates of an arbitrarily scaled and rotated image creep up occasionally, and they are hardly conducive to these moods. There are times when I am fascinated by a healthy pair of knockers and I am thinking "I'd like to see them closer or at a different angle", and I drag the image and the image motion just doesn't match the mouse motion, and I am distracted from my enjoyment of Sheyla Ameida's golden globes by these creeping thoughts of "Maybe I should be doing translation AFTER scaling."

And guess which thought my brain decides to concentrate on? Yeah! It's got to be an order-of-operations issue.

SUPERHEROES
I love superheroes, and I have created entire pantheons of heroes in my RPG days. I always found that I was attracted to the heroes with weird powers. Strange combinations or strange limited effects, or rare powers.

Having said that, it's strange to admit that there's really not much for me to say about the heroes. They were pretty much all defined independent of this story, and very few abilities were modified for the purpose of the story. Each seemed to have his/her own origin in my mind. Quantum Knight came straight from the very real rule I discovered that one could take virtually any word and add the suffix "Knight" to it, and make a cool superhero. (Any word except for the word "Night".) Bullwhip was inspired by the new Superboy who appears in the Death of Superman storyline. They explained his strength as a side-effect of "tactile telekinesis", the ability to telekinetically move objects as long as he was touching them. I thought at the time that if I had that power, I would be using whips. Snow Angel was very much taken from a character I created for the City Of Heroes MMORPG (Ice/Empath Controller). Hyperion was an old idea, inspired when I thought of the Starship Enterprise and all it could do, and wondered what it would look like if I put a cape on it.

Multiplex on the other hand is a better story. Waaaay back in the sixties there was a very stupid Saturday morning cartoon of a superhero group called The Impossibles, three guys touring the country under the guise of a rock band. One was a coiled up spring (Coil Man), one could turn into water (Fluid Man), and one could duplicate. And it was Multi Man who caught my attention.

Deeply wrapped in layers of stupidity was this very cool idea. Multi Man could travel quickly and jump great heights by summoning waves of clones ahead of him and erasing them behind him. He could meat-shield, providing defense by sending out bodies to be taken out and others that could sneak around behind someone and take them out from behind. It was a great idea, and Multi Man was the only reason I ever watched the show. Even at that tender young age I realized that one of the advantages of Multi Man was that he was easy to animate, requiring only traced copies of the same pose rather than walk-cycles. When I started playing Champions RPG, I wanted to create Multi Man, and I tried and failed. But I always wanted to play him. When I started to work on this book, I realized I had to put in my own version of the character.

Multiplex is the only character I cannot wrap my head around. He is more alien than the Hyperion. I want to write a solo-story for him, but I think that would be a contradiction in terms.

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In order to prepare for this book, I had to do research in a lot of topics, ranging from Quantum Mechanics to spinal cord injuries to Yiddish. But one of the more interesting experiences was researching Pro-Life activists.

As a soft-spoken Pro-Choice feminist, I had a lot I wanted to say on the subject of reproductive rights. I had given the subject a lot of thought, and came up with some arguments that I had never heard used before. But usually whenever the subject ever did come up around me I was always surrounded by a bunch of loud-spoken Pro-Lifers who never shut up long enough to listen, so I never got my chance to try my ideas. So when I started writing this book I realized I had an opportunity to say a few things I had been trying to say for years.

When writing Annie's rant, I pulled from my own personal experiences of dealing with Pro-Life advocates. But I also knew that my own experiences, those of a man who never had to go to a clinic, were limited. So I decided to get some first-hand experience.

I attended a free Clinic-Escort training class, in which I discovered that very good, brave, and noble people volunteer to help escort women past abusive protesters in order to obtain medical services. The training was very clear how difficult this task is, for the vital skill you need to perform this is not the ability to fight back against abuse, but the ability to stand tall and take heaping amounts of abuse without cracking, retaliating, or even reacting. It takes patience, inner strength, character, and fortitude. I discovered that the tougher you think you are in a fight, the less qualified you are to do this very tough job. This is not a job for someone who can be tough like a mountain lion, this is a job for someone who can be tough like a mountain.

The training was eye-opening. I heard stories from the lines, did some practice role-playing, and learned about the tactics the "antis" use, which include verbal abuse and a willingness to accuse the escorts of assault and battery for any level of physical contact. If a protester grabs a patient and an escort grabs the protester's hand to remove it, the protester will claim to be assaulted, and every other protester in eye-shot of the incident will lie to the police and claim the escort attacked first. If a protester trips and falls, and an escort makes the mistake and leans over and extends a hand to help them up, the protester will cry that (s)he's being attacked, and will call the police to have the escort arrested (and removed, making it that much more difficult for women to get into the clinic). But if the escort doesn't help, the protesters will accuse her/him if bring heartless and uncaring, just proving their point.

After the training, I visited a clinic and spoke to both the escorts on duty and the protesters. I spent about an hour there interviewing both sides, and the protesters soon came to the conclusion that I was not actually researching a book (as I had explained to them) but I had actually come to make a decision about my daughter. (Note that they thought her fate was my decision.) I said I don't have a daughter. "That you KNOW of!" was the woman's response, smirking as if she won some argument, and completely oblivious to the fact that if I had a daughter I didn't know of, I also wouldn't know if she was pregnant, and wouldn't be trying to make up my mind about her.

I listened to both sides. I took notes. I saw the horrid pictures on the protesters' signs. I heard their stories and opinions. I took their pamphlets. And then I went home and returned to my writing, adding new sections to the story, for I had learned something from this experience. The Pro-Life, Anti-Choice clinic protesters were FAR WORSE than I had originally imagined. And so I added more to Annie's rant, and then wrote the segment that followed, replaying Tricia's experience at a clinic. And I have to tell you, every insult that I put in that scene was a direct quote I heard that day from Pro-Life protesters. I did not make any of that stuff up.


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The End
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Posted:  2010-01-10
Last Modified: 2011-01-28 / 11:12:43 am
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