When we last saw Ginny, she began grappling with her suit. When we now see Ginny, she is done grappling with her suit. Here in the low gravity environment of the training room aboard the secret satellite high above Earth she demonstrates her adept mastery of her new attire flipping about sending forth slags of metal and shaped spears into imaginary foes. Aided by the morphing metals of the suit, she shifts back and forth through various wings, weapons, and shapes. But always the form fitted design leaves a metallic sheer coat hugging her lithe form. Yes, even as the suit molds itself into different configurations it clings to her curves, accentuating the youth and beauty of its owner.

We could expect no less, knowing the secrets of her garb. It must assimilate and consume vast quantities of metals and matters to fuel the constant reshaping and reforming it employs. To develop a thick dermal layer it would need some rest and spare material, two things in scare supply at the moment as Ginny has not stopped her training from the instant she finished devouring the instructions.

Her ringing laughter is the only sound in the satellite. Well, that and the clear and calm voice of the instructor pointing out mistakes and correcting flaws throughout the training. But if the elder Napp could hear this sound he would exclaim in surprise, for this genuine enjoyment has long been absent in his daughter's tone. While such things are common among teenagers, Ginny's charmed life attracts the worst kinds of vulturous bloodsuckers. Slowly these flies have stolen her joy and bright smile. The once common tone of her tinny laughter became more and more scarce until... well let us simply say that Ginny has worn a mask since long before today!

But today, one mask is replaced by another; and none can say which Ginny’s true face is. Soon her twists and flips become more restrained until finally, after several awe-inspiring hours that would render any gymnast stuck in Earth's gravity jealous, Ginny sits back panting.

"Wo..whew! That was amazing!"

"I am impressed by your calibration levels Ms. Napp. Our estimates did not expect any pilot to manage the level of compatibility and use you've achieved in this amount of time."

"So I'm like the best?"

"Without reliable comparison data, that would be speculation. I am simply stating that your performance exceeds all our predictions considering your time with the suit so far."

"Yep, I'm the best!" Ginny pauses for a moment, a glint of mischievous light in her eyes. "But you've got a point. I'm not really sure I'm the best. I should go find out dont'cha think?"

"I am sorry Ms. Napp. Your statement confuses me. How do you intend to find out?"

Hopping up and twirling in the low gravity Ginny replies with a hint of mirth, "By fighting the people with powers, duh!"

"Ms. Napp, I am afraid your eager nature is to cavalier. This suit is designed to combat those with abilities, but only after completion of the full training regime in conjunction with military support. Without teammates I am afraid you will be no stronger than many of the weaker individuals with powers."

Frowning, Ginny replies, "But my calibration is higher than expected. Besides, you haven't seen what I can do with something like you. After all, this suit is capable of basically anything right?"

"No, this suit assimilates existing material but it can only produce what the programmed schematics contain, which while extensive is not unlimited. Unfortunately, to ensure no tampering could occur, this suit cannot download additional schematics without an extensive security check."

"So I'll just have to get creative. That's fine, by the way, how do I change out these schematics?"

"As covered in the tutorial, section five, by snapping your fingers you will call up calibration mode for the suit."

The sound of a fingers snapping reverberates throughout the station and then, after a moment's pause "Holey Moley! This is AWESOME!"

Ginny flips back, this time sprouting a pair of feathered wings and careening straight into a line of computers with one flap. "Okay so maybe that's not the even thrust of the other one, but I can move them around! That's crazy!"

Then she sprouts a string of various medieval weaponry, spinning hammers, blades, and even a crossbow out of her arm. "Not too much ranged weaponry? How come you guys didn't give me any guns?"

"Unfortunately the process of bullet creation consumes too much material. It is possible to create guns, but the internal combustion can be dangerous to the user in case of errors. In light of those two facts, designers opted to instead produce much more traditional weaponry with the intent that the suit's owner could simply carry a weapon into combat when necessary."

Ginny frowns, "That seems reasonable, but I can't exactly carry a gun around with me can I? Actually that raises a good point, how do I take you off?"

At this, the metal begins to recede and fold inwards until all that remains is a silver bracelet adorning her wrist. Then a voice rings out of the metal, "A simple request will be fine Ms. Napp."

"Man you could at least turn into something designer, I wouldn't be caught dead wearing a bracelet this plain."

Again, the metal shifts and molds until, after several excruciatingly long minutes, Ginny proclaims herself satisfied with the trinket. Then a thought occurs to her, "Hey could you turn into earrings or some other kind of accessory?"

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

"Indeed Ms. Napp, this suit was designed for covert operations in a variety of settings. As such, our schematics include a wide range of relatively benign trinkets intended to blend in most settings, including those tailored to your more expensive tastes."

Again, several minutes pass as Ginny adorns herself in so many different jewels even a real princess would be jealous of the selection. But none of this fazes Ginny, for the value of her father's corporation far outstrips the wealth of many a nation. Finally satisfied with her selection, she settles on a pair of studded earrings that replace her relatively gauche bracelet and allow her to hear the whispers of the machine in much more intimate fashion.

"Ms. Napp, does the current configuration suit your tastes?"

"Why yes it does, perhaps a bit last season for me but I can make it work. I'll just tell people they were a gift from someone important and I wanted to keep them close at all times, that'll drive the boys wild!"

"Ms. Napp, I must caution you that in such a minimal form the suit will not achieve full mass. I will not be able to deploy in much more extensive fashion than I have for our current training here aboard the satellite. As such your resiliency and power will not be at maximum level until an extended period of time passes in a fight."

"So I'll get stronger as the fight goes on while everyone else gets exhausted and weak? I'll be unstoppable!"

"The increase in mass will limit your mobility and speed. This suit also does not provide any physical enhancements to the user's body beyond movement assistance. You will grow weary, although I will try to limit the necessity of your exertions."

At this, Ginny frowns. "Well whatever, I guess I can take a bit less speed for some more power. If you get too much I can always create some range weapons, maybe that crossbow, and shoot people to lose some weight."

Then Ginny whirls about one last time, surveying the damaged consoles broken from her hasty flight away from the suit and her missed projectiles during the early attempts at target practice. "Well we just won't mention that we broke daddy's lab will we. I think we can get away with this one considering he forgot to tell me about the suit. But I should really get back to Earth and thank him. He'll need cheering up today."

For a moment, the infectious joy that took root in Ginny disappears. The thought of facing her father today and interrupting his mournful vigil is a sobering one. His absence at her birthday parties is a constant ache in her heart and a reminder of the terrible responsibility he feels for the death of her mother. But today Ginny is determined to show him she appreciated his gift and resolves to intrude on his solitude. Marching over to her shuttle, she punches in the codes for the return trip and settles in with her suit to review the manual one more time.

Far below, on Earth her father's vigil has already been interrupted by the clamor of his security team. Bursting into the study, the most athletic of the scientists huffs and puffs for a moment or two before imparting his critical message, "SIRSOMEONESSTOLENIT!"

Mr. Napp pauses for a moment to parse the man's words. Then his prodigious mind bursts into action as it connects the dots and realizes why the scientist would intrude on him today of all days. "Have you called up the video feeds?"

"Disabled sir, apparently destroyed moments after they gained entry to the system."

"Why didn't the system lock them out?"

"We don't know sir! Somehow, they managed to bypass all our security, the DNA scanner, security code for the satellite, the handprint recognition, even the ambient voice filter! Whoever they are they were flawless, not a single alarm tripped."

"What about the suit, did they manage to take the suit." The rising note of urgency in Napp's voice is the only sign of his expanding worry.

"We believe so sir, but we haven't got anyone up there to check it out."

"Why not," then, his concerns burst out as a different thought occurs to him. Far more important than his mere company, his daughter is in space today! "Wait, my daughter, is she safe?"

For a moment the scientist pauses, then he pulls out his tablet and checks the logs. "She arrived safely at the observation platform and is on her way back now sir. It appears she was safe on the other satellite during the theft."

"Good, at least she's not hurt. We need to get one of our men in a shuttle and send him to the research platform. I'd go myself but I need to be here to comfirm Ginny is safe. I won't believe any report until I see her with my own eyes. While our man is up there I want them to check all the other security tapes. They might have destroyed the transmitter but the local copies will still be available. Same with the scanner data, we can get the logs on the security system and the vocal recordings. Maybe those will tell us who stole from us."

Without pausing to confirm the orders, the scientist races out of the room already typing away on his tablet to relay the instructions. Settling back in his chair with a grim expression, Mr. Napp finishes his drink in a swift motion and turns to the pictures on his desk. One is a miniature of his wife, the other his daughter. Silently reaffirming his vow to protect his wife's only child, he steels himself for the painful memories today will soon bring.

Several tense hours pass before Mr. Napp's investigator reaches the satellite. But during those hours, Ginny arrives home and returns to her father. Walking in on the rare sight of him out of the study during a crisis, she pauses for a moment to compose herself. For her time with the suit changed her.

It is the hinted blush of a subtle shift that accompanies that most mysterious of changes, the transition of girl to woman. Brushing her fingers along the portrait of her mother, Sylvia, that sits in the hall she contemplates for a moment the burden of her father and his relentless quest to bear this crushing weight, the shadow of her mother's love forever lost.

"Ginny" her father's soft voice echoing in the hall brings her back to Earth and with one final look she steps away from the portrait and turns to face the man whose soft eyes for a moment set aside the concern of the past few hours and find themselves engaged in a new sort of trial. For the sight of Ginny standing next to the image he studiously avoids today of all days brings weakness into the steely titan’s demeanor. A crack that proves to disable his prodigious mind for a moment and forces Ginny to open the conversation.

"Dad. I wanted to thank you for the gift."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," here her father hesitates, a momentary note of uncertainty creeping into his voice. "Darling, I..." voice failing, her father can only stare at her, as she stands beneath the portrait. Overcome by emotion he simply observes, holding himself together by the barest of margins.

"I know," Ginny bites her lip, uncertain how to continue, then she pulls in a labored breath and continues. "I know how today is for you, so I just... I wanted to say I love you and thank you." Turning to flee from her father's presence Ginny holds, for merely a moment and spins back to say one final thing. "Dad, she loved you and she wouldn't want to see you like this, not for anything, not if she was even a bit like me. If she was anything like me she'd... well she wouldn't want this."

Choking on a sudden rush of emotion, her father can only manage, "Thank you Ginny." Then turning, as though the words cost him years of his life, he retreats to the study. This audience is over.

Hesitating for a moment Ginny pauses before she leaves, not moving a muscle and hardly breathing. Inside she can hear the soft sound of her father's labored breathing and the shaking clink of glasses. Then she flees down the hall before her inadvertent eavesdropping reveals more than she is prepared to hear.

Inside, her father reclines with a generous glass of alcohol. Wiping the impertinent perspiration from his eyes, he hesitates, reassuring himself that no doubt the fire sprinkler in the hall has malfunctioned and released some water on his face, curiously collecting at the corners of his eyes. Centering himself and reigning in his raging emotions that he refuses to acknowledge, he turns back to the computer screen and to his waiting technician who relays him a report of damage to the satellite in precise, almost military fashion.

The security system and subsequent logs were eliminated almost surgically, the suits defense system hacked in flawless fashion, and the bonding process completed without alarm. Evidently, these professionals are of a grade so high they managed to treat this state of the art security system as if it were a child's plaything.

He contemplates ordering a military crackdown. Using all available force to close the spaceports, monitor anything attempting reentry over the next few days, and tracking downs these incursions relentlessly. Then he sighs, the needs of secrecy far outstrip the appeal of a severe response. So he summons the head of his security force, informs the man to be ready for instant deployment upon sighting of the suit, and settles in to wait. Meanwhile, his daughter has her freedom, freedom to explore the limits of her powers inside the confines of Earth's gravity for a change!

She will need it need it as next week one heroine may not be enough, especially one as inexperienced as Ginny! Join us next time as we revisit a pair of old faces, saying goodbye to one of them! For death is stalking Liberty University and the line between survival and what lies beyond is a thin one indeed. Especially for the women of Liberty City, as the loss of the freedom Ginny so recently acquired lies on the line. What new threat could test Liberty City so drastically? Fear not, dear reader, as we will soon find out in... "Rise of The Chauvinist!"