Chapter 1: The Beginnings of a Supernova
Saturday, July 4th, 2020
Location: Earth, United States of America, Southlake Texas.
“Nova!”
“We could use your help over here!”
The screams from Jonny, the guardian of our team, snapped me back to the present. The horrific pain in my chest which had me gasping for breath, fought for my attention with the blaring alarms in my armored skin suit.
~WARNING~
~MAAS mk.VII INTEGRITY HAS FAILED~
~AUTOMATIC HEALTH REGENERATIVIES DEPLOYED~
~HEALTH AT 27%~
Groaning, I fought through the mental haze and pain as my suit’s heads up display showed my health slowly climbing. However, the red outline of my left arm and across my torso pushed my focus downward. The twisted, malformed arm that I had interposed between myself and that monstrosity was still attached. Though that was only tentatively as it swayed with each breath like a ribbon in a breeze.
Drawing my gaze downward.
Only to find the horrific sight of a bone spike imbedded into my left breast, right through the armor. A second was sticking out of my gut and seemed less concerning as I found each breath causing a wheeze. Even worse was the sight of bubbles of blood pushing out from the spike in my breast.
“Nova!” screamed Jonny as the four meters, thirteen-foot-tall grey skinned Ghoul backhanded him like it had me. Sending the heavily armored guardian MG of our team flying.
“By the Saint’s tits your all worthless!” screamed a young man, Alize, our Jr. Knight commander.
“Nova, get up now!” said BB through the comms in my suit. The feminine, cat like voice came from a chat window with a cat wearing cotton bunny ears.
“Alize is calling for reinforcements but they won’t make it!”
“He’s ordering you back into the fight.”
“If you don’t do something now Nova, your all dead!”
Fine.
My inter voice was filled with an inner rage that would have transitioned into a growl if I was capable of one. Physical pain, emotional trauma of letting my team down, and that inner song within my blood that called for battle. The fear that Jonny might be dead.
Fucker wants me to do ‘something’ then I will.
Just don’t blame me for what happens next!
Eyes darting to my Hud’s icon I switched it off, ‘Training Mode,’ hit the stim pack icon, and waited for half a second as sweet relief took the edge off my pain. Allowing me to focus as I raised my right arm, palm up. A familiar spell mandala formed in three dimensions over my hand. Causing the Ghoul to snap its head around in my direction.
“Engage overdrive,” I said. The taste of blood filling my mouth as breathing became just one more thing to concentrate on.
~OVERDRIVE ENGAGED~
~MANABURN INITATED~
“No!” screamed Boylan as he rushed in to body block the Ghoul with his shield and heavy armor. All the while Anny, our healer, rushed to Jonny’s aid. Nibley ducking under Alize’s outstretched arm as the healer switched away from her futile attempts to come to my aid to the more recent casualty.
“Get back here!” screamed the Jr. Knight commander as his squire, Boylan, risked his life to buy me the seconds I needed to finish the spell.
“Now Nova!”
“Do it now!” screamed the Jr. Knight commander.
My mandala imploded into a marble sphere the size of my pinky nail as it started glowing like a miniature white sun. All the while Boylan bought me the last seconds, I needed to finish the spell.
“GRAWWWWWW!!” Roared the Ghoul as its giant three fingered hand, tipped in jagged claws swung upward. Crashing into the squire with a massive metallic ~CLANG~
Twisting my wrist. I pointed my palm with its miniature sun at the Ghoul. Ignoring my teammate who was in the way.
“Fireball,” I coughed out, blood spittle reaching all the way up and into visor and splattering across my HUD.
“Saint be damned Bitch!” screamed Alize as my fireball few like an arrow towards the back of his squire.
A nasty grin covered the Ghoul’s face as it could taste its impending victory.
With a flick of my mind the miniature sun swerved and narrowly avoided the armored squire’s back. Instead making a hollow ~Thump~ as it slammed into and through the Ghoul’s chest.
~Thump~
Sounded a second time as the fireball slammed into and through the concrete wall behind the Ghoul.
“HAAA, HAAA, HAAA,” laughed the Ghoul as it touched the cauterized hole in its chest. As an Undead, a hole in its chest was a superficial wound at best.
I laughed weakly and coughed up more blood while raising my middle finger.
My team mates dropped to the floor.
“Why me!” screamed Alize.
The Ghoul continued to laugh as it stepped forward towards our prone positions.
Its smile widening as it tasted victory.
~Thump~
The Ghoul, the wall, the abandoned Factory.
Exploded in an eye searing nova of fire.
“No!” I screamed into a face full of black fur. The hot and stuffy feeling from getting a face full of cat ended abruptly with a, “Meow” of annoyance from Onyx as I shoved her off. The mix breed black cat was the size of a Main coon, fluffy, and liked to voice her opinion like a Siamese.
“Get off me!”
“Meow-er,” said Onyx as she finally got off. The seventeen-pound cat was huge, and underneath I found myself nude once more. The clothes I had worn to bed strewn about as I was once again forcibly reminded of my habit of striping in my sleep.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Grumbling, I sat up and turned to the full-length mirror next to my dresser. A moment of hesitation as I tried to reconcile the nude young woman staring back at me and who I should be.
“Izzy Swalwell, eighteen years old, and still living with my parents. Jane and Tomas Swalwell.”
My voice soft in the early morning gloom. The clock on the nightstand next to me showing 5:03AM in bright red.
My will focused on those words as other names, other faces, other lives flashed through my mind. A ritualistic seeming problem as it happened every morning. The nightmare at dawn and the identity confusion upon first waking up happened every morning. Something that made sleeping all the more difficult, knowing that I would awake feeling like a stranger in my own body.
Yet for all that, no one I had talked to could explain what I know. How come I kept forgetting the face in the mirror every morning. How come the first thoughts I have upon seeing myself in the mirror are about having sex with that girl. About pushing her down, opening those legs and sticking something that I DON’T HAVE inside her.
What creeps me out is that instead of disgust at the idea of sexually violating myself, I get turned on. My body reacting to the idea and preparing for a partner I don’t have. The twin desires rising within me to unbearable levels. With the release of one only building further tension in the other as if I was of two bodies. Yet could only touch one.
Instead I had found that the answer wasn’t release, but exercise. So, I got up out of bed and proceeded to the mat at the foot of my bed. Picking up my DAO along the way. The curved wooden Chinese war sword I used when I practiced the Izzy style of swordsmanship.
Moving through he motions like some sort of meditative dance I moved through the twelve forms of the Izzy sword style. Or rather, Blazing Divine Wrath Sword style from the Blazing Divine Winds sect. A memory of hundreds of years practicing this sword art. Of which I could only utilize two of eight forms as I don’t have Chi despite all my efforts to the contrary.
Yet despite years of effort when I was small. I never found any true evidence of Chi in this world. However, I still love the art and have used it on more than one occasion. My parents going so far as to showcase it to several martial arts instructors. Only for us to be chased out as instructors would feel that it as a setup considering I knew way too much. My skills too perfected despite my youth. The martial art too strange, yet highly effective. Resulting in dismissal and banishment as my parents were labeled con men for no child could do what I could do without extensive training from the first day I could walk.
For them, I was a case of child abuse and not a prodigy. It didn’t help that my mother’s the type who can sometimes push her children relentlessly. Something every teacher of mine who has interacted with her has found out.
So, I practice at home.
In the nude.
Letting my body. The body of an extremely fit, eighteen-year-old girl, if a bit short at four foot ten, 148 centimeters, work out my tension. For over an hour I moved. Slowly at first but quickly gaining speed as my training sword cut through the air. My shoulder length brown hair damp with sweat that rand down my body as I pushed myself to master the forms.
“Honey, time to get up!” shouted mom from downstairs. The clock next to my bed showing 6:27AM. Tension that had been with me since the moment I awoke was gone as I toweled off. Then put on my bathrobe as I unlocked my bedroom door.
A smile on my face as I remembered.
A shower, breakfast, then off to Amber’s place.
Her dad was running for a nonpartisan city councilors seat and had asked all of Amber’s friends to come down to wave signs for him as he shook hands at the fourth of July celebrations. Most had begged off but as Amber’s best friend I couldn’t say no. Amber is a daddy’s girl and would be devastated if I didn’t show up.
With that in mind I made my way downstairs after getting cleaned up. An American flag tee shirt on and cutoff jean short shorts to show my support for the holiday and lots of skin to combat the heat. With temperatures in the nineties, I would surely need it.
“Morning mom!” I said. Stepping into the dinning room and finding my mom pouring my dad a cup of coffee. My dad engrossed in his tablet. His suit jacket hanging over the back of his chair.
“Morning dad!”
“Good morning sweety,” said mom before going back into the kitchen. Her hair was shoulder length as well and she wore an American flag themed sundress under the homemakers apron she typically wore.
“Pumpkin,” said dad with a glance up and a smile. He was tall and relatively fit for his age and sedentary position. Being a successful lawyer and all. Hence his blue business suit and Independence Day themed tie.
“I take it you slept well?”
“Meow,” said Onyx as she strolled into the kitchen.
“Meow.”
“Your food bowl is over here you, silly cat!” said mom as she, predictably, dropped some cat treats in the bowl next to Onyx’s food bowl.
“Meow,” said Onyx happily as the cat rushed over to her reward for successfully bullying the humans into giving her wat she wanted.
“Blessed silence,” said Dad with a theatrical sigh.
“Damn cat is just as bad as a yappy dog.”
His words were followed by Onyx loudly crunching on her treats.
“As I was saying. How are you doing pumpkin?” said dad as her turned to give me his undivided attention.
“Same as always,” I said with a shrug.
“Just make sure you remember to go to bed early whenever possible,” said Mom from the kitchen as I sat down at the dining room table to dads right. My spot given tradition as the oldest. After a moment of consideration, Dad nodded and turned back to this tablet and Coffee.
“I know tonight is not going to be good with it being the 4th and all but your condition doesn’t let you sleep in and you need your sleep.”
“Yes mom,” I said with a theatrical sigh.
“Good,” said mom before walking over to the living room.
~Bang~
~Bang~
~Bang~
Moms slaps against the wall of the stairway gave off a hollow bang that echoed up stairs and through the walls. An effective means of getting our attention and one that she only used when she was getting frustrated.
“Where’s Dougie?” I asked. As the second oldest, sixteen, and very responsible, Dougie was typically up and about at the same time I was forced up. My nightmare condition having always forced me up around dawn.
“He’s off to help that gym he’s with set up at the fair,” said Dad.
“You mean the festival in town square where Amber and I are going to wave signs?” I said as mom walked in with my cup of tea. I don’t drink coffee.
“That’s the one,” said dad before taking a sip.
~Thud~
~Thud~
Came the echoing footfalls as the last two members of the family made their way downstairs. A seven-year-old girl, followed by a twelve-year-old boy. Anny and Tommy’s faces lit up with a grin at the smells coming from the kitchen.
“Wash up!” said mom from the kitchen as the two moaned their displeasure before turning and walking back towards the downstairs bathroom.
Moments later they were back as mom began setting our plates filled with waffles, eggs, bacon, fruit and plenty of maple syrup. The homey scene made me smile as my dad called the family to Grace. Having us all halt as he prayed before we ate our food.
“Amen,” said the family in unison before tucking in.
All the while as they ate, Dad kept turning back to his tablet.
A frown seemingly etched onto his face despite the good food we were eating.
“What’s wrong honey?” said mom from the foot of the table across from dad.
“The news reporters are saying something preposterous,” said dad with a shake of his head.
“But everyone is saying the same thing. Even the more obscure and independent news outlets.”
“What’s that?” said Tommy as he perked up.
“In the middle east there are reports that there is a hole in the sky,” said dad distractedly as he twisted his tablet around to show the table. A scene like a giant jagged wall filled the mid-day except through this we could see a night time jungle with THINGS. Insect and mammalian hybrids wandered out into the landscape as Arabic men with guns moved towards the hole in reality. Only for the camera view to shift abruptly as an Insect, wolf hybrid rushed at the camera. Causing it to shake violently. The sounds of gunfire and Arabic shouts, then screams filled the scene before it stopped and began to repeat.
We sat there and watched the video play three times before the silence at the dinner table was broken.
“Fuuuuuuck,” said Tommy and I whole heartedly agreed.
“Language!” snapped mom as she glared at Tommy who was pulling out his own phone as he looked for more videos on it.
“Ok,” said the boy distractedly as Anny scooted next to her brother.
“Let me see!” she said and he tilted his phone to let her see the screen.
“At least it’s not here,” said mom as she pushed away her empty plate. Meanwhile when I checked my phone, I had found it was already 8:12AM. Forcing me to abandon the last few scraps of food I had left and push the plate away. My mind already abandoning the news as it didn’t affect me and while interesting. I had more important things to do at the moment.
“I got to go and meet up with Amber.”
“Be safe,” said Dad, “And check in with your brother.”
“We haven’t seen him for more than five minutes all week.”
“Sure, thing dad,” I said as I got up to leave. Heading to the bathroom to wash up before leaving for the day. Maple syrup was terribly sticky Afterall.
“One moment dear,” said mom as she walked down the hallway. Quickly returning with a neatly folded Orange and Magenta bundle.
“Thanks mom!” I said with a grin as I hurriedly wrapped the orange end around my neck. Letting the magenta end that was decorated in a pattern reminiscent of a deep space nebula. One with a star in the distance that looked just about to explode. Though no matter how much I loved the pattern, it only took up about a foot, or thirty centimeters of one end. So, I wrapped the silk like scar’s orange end around my neck and let the nebula fall down my back and behind my butt.
A genuinely happy smile crossed my face after I put it on. The proof that I hadn’t made up all those things in my head. For while everything I said or did could be pushed away as some sort of mental illness. This couldn’t.
When I wore it, I never got hot or cold.
It didn’t work for anyone else, but it was a large part of the reason the habit I had picked up as a child of sleeping in the nude had never gone away. The reflexive desire to shed any clothing was partially made possible because I was always warm and comfortable with my scarf. A piece of clothing that I’ve had all my life and for the life of her my mother couldn’t explain where it had come from. It had apparently just appeared in my crib one day. As every child has a favorite toy or item. Mine hand been this scarf and despite its age it still looks brand new.
“Thanks for washing it for me!” I said to mom before waving goodbye.
“No problem dear!” said mom as she waved back.
“Be safe!” said dad’s echoing shout as I shut the door to the family home. Quickly moving into a fast walk, then a jog as I prepared to traverse the half mile between my home and Ambers.