By the time Kayden reached the north village, Empire City’s yuppie haven, he was footsore and weary - far more weary than he should be. What’s wrong with me? He wondered. I’m young, and fit. Walking a few miles shouldn’t be a big deal. It’s been an hour or two since I left the lab - it can’t be much past 7am... I should be fine. Kayden realized he was huffing and puffing, and feeling more than a bit faint. “C’mon, doofus,” he said to himself. “You can make it a few blocks further.”
The north village was a collection of brownstones and sizeable loft apartments, with some classy condos - a good place for yuppies to have a family and artistic types to find an audience at the many galleries and museums. It reminded him of the area around Astoria Heights in New York... Darryl folks have money, which made living in this ritzy area affordable to his friend. It was definitely out of Kayden’s budget.
Kayden almost staggered the last few steps to Darryl’s walk up. His home was one of several apartments in a four story walk up, which Kayden often teased meant ‘too cheap for an elevator.’ Pausing at the door to catch his breath, he panted for a few minute from the exertion. This tiredness can’t be natural. I feel as weak as a kitten. What’s wrong with me?
He passed a few of Darryl’s neighbours on the way up - a few kids who looked like they were going skateboarding, and an old lady who was walking her cat. Kayden smiled at that one - the few cat’s he’d had growing up would cut you to ribbons if you tried to put a collar on them, let alone a leash. He couldn’t imagine how hard it would have been to train the kitty. He laughed. Finally, Darryl’s! Kayden lurched up to Darryl’s door, and leaned against the wall for a minute. Damn... I have to sit down or something. Kayden knocked.
Kayden heard a voice call “Just a minute!” - and moments later the door opened to a surprised Darryl Walker. “Kayden! Why aren’t you still at the clinic? I would have been happy to come down and pick you up... Hey? Are you alright, man?”
“No, Dar. I’m not all right. I need to sit down. Can I come in?”
“Yeah sure, Kay. Make yourself at home. Are you hurt? What’s going on?”
I’d like to know that myself, frankly, Kayden thought. “It’s pretty messed up. A few nights ago they knocked me out and took the bone marrow without telling me, and then a few days later the doctor - Justin Pierce - came in looking a little deranged, and injected me with some stuff against my will. He shot and killed one of the nurses that tried to stop him... He’s gone over the deep end.”
“Holy crap! Did the stuff hurt you? How did you walk here without your crutches? There’s more, isn’t there? Why haven’t you gone to the police?”
Kayden sighed. “Because there’s a good chance the police think either a) I’m responsible for David’s murder or b) they think I’m dead or missing. Either way I don’t want to talk to them. The stuff he injected me with... it’s bad stuff. It changed me.”
Darryl looked at his best friend, and sat next to him with a friendly hand on his shoulder. “We’ll work through it, pal - just like always. You need to see a doctor - what if that stuff he shot you full of gives you cancer?”
Kayden started giggling hysterically. When Darryl’s hand touched his shoulder, he felt his mind assimilate his genetic code and current health. He was healthy - and had a tendency to male-pattern balding and high cholesterol that wouldn’t bother him for at least another decade or two. “Cancer! Hahaha. He was trying to cure cancer - and put his medicine he used my bone marrow to make inside me. I... I melted, and a few hours later I came back and woke up. I was different.”
“You don’t look different.” Darryl offered. “You look like you.”
“And yet I’ve been awake less than two full hours and I’m exhausted. If I show you what it did to me, do you promise not to panic?”
“Sure, Kay. Even if you look a little weird, we’ll... HOLY CRAP!” Halfway through Darryl’s speech, Kayden released his hold on his form, and reverted to a humanoid mass of bioplasm that, as he had said, looked a lot like Elmer’s Glue.
“See? I tried to get my form back, but it exhausted me. I don’t know how long I can keep it up.”
“You... you need to see a doctor about this, I think, Kay.” Darryl looked surprised, and a bit taken aback - but not scared or fearful, and not disgusted either. “Is there a doctor you can see about this? Does it hurt?”
“Maybe in Paragon. Not too much call for Doctors of Metahuman Medicine here in Empire City.” Kayden tried shaking his head. “I might have to figure this out on my own. On the lighter side, I think the bullet wounds I took a few weeks ago have healed. I can regenerate from harm. I can do other things too. And no, it doesn’t hurt – it’s just gross.” Now that Kayden wasn’t appearing like Kayden anymore, he felt his fatigue beginning to dissipate, but he was still dead tired.
“I scared some guards on the way out of the clinic - the doctor left me for dead, I think - and they shot me. I ran away - and came here. If they called the cops - and they probably did – I’m probably wanted for questioning at the very least, and maybe for David’s murder at worst. I can’t get found - can I stay here for a few hours, and get some rest?”
Darryl nodded. “I’m worried about you, Kay. I’m going to call in sick and take the day off classes. You might need help if things get weird... I mean weirder than they already have. You can crash on the couch.”
“Thanks, Dar. You’re the best.”
“Damn right I am.” Darryl laughed.
Kayden lay down on the couch and tried to relax - but found it hard to get comfortable in the clothes he had transformed, so he stripped to his boxers. In the background he heard Darryl calling Yvonne Cobb - one of their mutual friends - to take notes for Darryl today at class. Before Darryl was done his phone call, Kayden was asleep.
Darryl didn’t know what to make of Kay’s sudden appearance, and equally sudden and disturbing transformation. So, you big dummy, you went on got experimented on and now you’re in trouble. Life keeps kicking you when you’re down, doesn’t it?
Thank god you’re alive. I don’t know if I’d have been able to bury you... We’ve been friends for so long. Darryl went and grabbed a beer from the fridge and tried to calm his nerves.
I guess I better wait till the doofus wakes up. There’s no telling what might happen if I leave him here alone. He drank his beer and wondered - would Kayden try to use his powers for good, or for his own profit. Ha - knowing him, even he doesn’t know. I hope he’s going to be okay - I know if I woke up looking like he did, I’d flip out and lose it. I’m surprised he hasn’t. Darryl settled down to wait for Kayden to wake, whenever that would be. In the meanwhile, he flipped on the TV news and looked for any news about the events at the Trask clinic Kayden mentioned. It might be mildly important in the very near future...
* * *
Kayden slowly came to consciousness. Whoa... I guess I slept a bit too deeply. I’m actually a bit dizzy. Where am I? He looked about, and realized where he was. Darryl’s. I came to Darryl’s. I feel better - but I’m still in this goopy sludge form. God, this sucks! Kayden tried to resume his normal form, but found it far too tiring to hold for more than a few minutes. Why can’t I hold this form? Am I out of shifting-juice or something? And why am I trying to just be my old self - if I can change into anyone, why not be a new person instead of goop-Kayden? At least I won’t look like a glue bottle vomited me up. Can I even change into other people?
“Hey, you’re up!” Darryl’s voice came from behind him, in the kitchen. “I was just grabbing a soda. Want one?”
“Sure - a beer would go better though.” Kayden felt like a drink.
“No problem. Is a Corona okay? It’s all I have left.”
“I still don’t know how you can drink that stuff, Darryl.”
“I don’t. It was Candy’s – it’s been sitting in the fridge since we split up six months ago.” Darryl went to the fridge and grabbed the Corona, bringing it to Kayden.
“It’s fine. Thanks.” Kayden took the proffered beer, and took a swig. It was cold, and had a clean mild taste. It tasted a lot better than he remembered. He drank until about a third of the bottle was gone before coming up for air.
“Thirsty - or more in need of a drink?” Darryl asked.
“Take a guess.” Kayden smirked. “Maybe a bit of both, actually.”
Darryl sat in a recliner next to the couch. “You want the bad news, or the worst news?”
“Might as well hit me with the bad news.” Kayden groaned.
“Kayden Ballard is is being called a ‘mutant villain’ who murdered his nurse in the clinic, and is now ‘a dangerous mutant on the rampage, who is to be considered armed and dangerous.’ They’re calling you “The Waxman.” The worst news isn’t life threatening - but it’s still just as shitty. Trask made a statement that since you ‘broke your contract and killed indiscriminately’ they won’t be making any payments to you now, or in the future. How much did they promise you?”
Fuck my life. All this was for nothing. Kayden sighed, and hung his head. “Fifteen thousand dollars cash, plus one tenth of one percent of the cure for cancer - only about 100 million dollars a year for forever - plus or minus twenty million dollars.”
“Jesus. I’m sorry, man.” Darryl went to put his hand on Kayden’s shoulder in sympathy - and flinched at the last minute, but forced himself to touch his friend.
It was too much, Kayden thought. I’ve lost my life, my body, and everything I had, as little as it was, for what!? For nothing! All his stupid formula did was turn me into a mutant! Kayden started crying, small tears at first, then mighty sobs that wracked his body like an earthquake. He felt someone grab him in a hug, but he couldn’t pay attention to anything other than his grief and loss. A few minutes passed, until Kayden could control himself again.
“Sorry, Dar... I didn’t mean to fall apart like that.”
“Hey, no worries.” Darryl said, releasing his friend from the hug. “Anyone would’ve gone off the deep end at what’s happened to you. You did make some stupid choices, Kay.”
“Thanks for the reality check, Dar.” Kayden said, smirking. “I guess I did. Now what do I do?”
“I dunno, Kay. I don’t know. You can’t keep looking like you do now, and you can’t go back to being Kayden.”
“I might be able to change into other people, Dar. I haven’t tried yet, but I might be able to. Maybe I need to make a false identity until I can clear my name or something?”
Stolen novel; please report.
Darryl thought a moment. “It might be worth a try. Do you have anyone in mind?”
“Yeah.” I’ve had it in mind since I was fourteen, he thought to himself. You’re damn right I do - the real me! “I’m going to try it.”
Darryl moved back a few inches to give Kayden space.
Kayden looked into his minds eye, and started building a mental image of herself... her real self.
She started with an average sized frame - about 5' 7", not too tall, not too short, with an athletic build. She gave herself long toned legs and arms, and smooth unblemished skin. The change continued outwards, and her face smoothed from its current waxy shape to an oval shaped face with full lips, high cheekbones, and a killer smile. Her bright green eyes twinkled on her face like little emerald stars, and her hair was long and full and the color of orange flame. Although she was athletic, she had hips and a respectable perfectly formed bust - but god only knew what the bra size actually was - probably somewhere around a ‘C-cup’ if she had to guess. The overall effect was pretty - perhaps even beautiful - with a quirky smile and hypnotic eyes, capped by a smooth clear alto-soprano voice that sounded, to Kayden’s mind, a little sultry. Female Kayden looked about the same age - maybe a bit younger; maybe 18 years old.
Female Kayden forgot one important thing. She forgot to make herself any clothes. Standing in front of Darryl, was a quirky, beautiful girl wearing only some ill-fitting men’s boxers. Darryl couldn’t tear his eyes away from hers - they were like tiny jewels he was falling into, like he could fall forever and not plumb their depths. The quirky smile made her cute and down to earth, and the body was beyond pretty. Darryl’s heart felt a little funny for a moment, and he gasped. “You... You look amazing!”
Kayden looked over at Dar, and saw he was staring at her. Her eyes met his, and she felt something she didn’t understand. It ‘clicked’ - but what it was, she couldn’t say. All she could do was look back. A few moments passed, the two of them staring at each other, one in curiosity and the other in disbelief. Kayden realized Darryl was staring, and looked down at herself... The transformation worked! Oh my god! “Hey! Stop staring! Perv!” Her voice was sweet and sultry, just like he imagined it. It was the kind of voice you could listen to all day long and not get bored.
Darryl sputtered. “Hey - not fair, Kay – you’re the one who turned into a beautiful woman right in front of me! You could have put some clothes on first! Don’t blame me for looking if you’re going to put it on display!” Darryl did break his gaze with some difficulty and turned away to protect her modesty.
Kayden blushed, a little self consciously. “I guess I did, Darryl. Gimme a sec, okay.” She surprised herself by actually feeling more than a little embarrassed - like she’d shown off way more than she should. She even felt the inclination to cover herself. Kayden grabbed the clothes she had removed to nap earlier, and finished getting dressed. A few moments later, she had shifted them to fit a bit better - sized and shaped for her new form. Her boot cut jeans were now hip huggers, and the shoes were leather sandals - flats. Kayden wasn’t ready to try walking with heels. The T-shirt had a scoop neck that showed off some of her new cleavage, and hugged her curves nicely. Huh. She thought. I guess I do nice work. I wonder how I look?
“Hey, doofus. It’s okay to look – I’m dressed. Sorry for the surprise show.”
“Hey, trust me, Kay - it was my pleasure. It just caught me by surprise. I didn’t know you could turn into a woman.”
“Me either.” Kayden replied. “I just thought I’d give it a try.”
“Yeah, well...” Darryl looked a bit uncomfortable. “Are you going to be staying that way for a while?”
Kayden nodded. “It looks a lot better than my goop form, and I can’t seem to resume my male form yet, so yeah, I think I will be. Is that okay?”
“Y..yeah, sure.” Darryl stammered. “It’ll just take some getting used to.”
Kayden smirked. “I’ve really thrown you for a loop with this, haven’t I?”
“Well, it’s not like I’ve ever imagined what you’d look like as a girl. I’m a bit shocked - you look amazing!”
Kayden felt her cheeks warm with the compliment. I’m pretty, she thought. This is different. “Thanks, Dar. Now what do we do? I’m feeling a lot better.”
“It’s just after 1pm. Feel like grabbing some lunch? Pizza Hut has a lunch buffet.”
“Gimme a minute, Dar. I haven’t even seen myself yet - mind if I go use your bathroom mirror?”
“No, go ahead Kay. You know where it is.”
Kayden headed to the bathroom, and flicked on the bathroom light. Wow! She thought. I turned out pretty good! Not drop dead gorgeous, but pretty. Nice, she thought. The image in the mirror did everything she did - lift an eyebrow, turn left and right. Kayden knew the reflection in the mirror was hers - but it didn’t feel real - like maybe she was still dreaming. Huh... That’s now me. I’m cute – I’d do me... Is that even a thing? I wonder if I can hold this form longer than I can hold my male form?
Oh hell! What if I can’t hold it? I don’t want to go goopy in front of people... Still, I did have some warning before. I think I can manage it. Kayden grinned when her stomach growled in agreement... She hadn’t eaten in well over 18 hours, and was more than a little hungry. Am I ready to go out like this? I DO feel a bit self conscious... She shook her head. Fuck it. Let’s do this!
“Hey, Dar! If you still feel like that lunch buffet, let’s go. Uh... I don’t have any money.”
“No worries, Kay. I’ve got it covered.”
“Thanks Dar.” She said thankfully. “I hate having to leech off you like this.”
It was Dar’s turn to blush. “No biggie. It’s nice having company for a bit - and it’s good to have you back, even if you look like... like a beautiful woman. Frankly it’s an improvement.”
He likes me better this way? WTF? Color me surprised! Kayden smiled slyly. “Then I might just stay like this,” she said, winking a bit. “See what happens then!” She laughed and headed to the door. “You coming, Dar?”
Darryl shook his head, surprised by Kayden’s flirting. “Not yet I’m not,” he muttered, half in jest. Damn. What the hell is she playing at? Darryl thought to himself. What does she expect to happen?
The two friends walked down the stairs, Kayden a bit off balance from her unfamiliar center of gravity, the unfamiliar width of her hips giving her walk a bit of swishyness that looked rather nice, even if it was a bit difficult for her to get used to. “I probably shouldn’t go home. The police may be watching it.”
“Why worry? You can look like anyone. They won’t catch you.”
“I suppose. I have a few things I should pick up I guess - but I still can’t stay there.”
“You can crash on my couch for a while, until you get back on your feet, if you need.” Darryl smiled. “No expectations - just help me keep the place clean and tidy and I’ll take care of the groceries and stuff. I assume you’ll be looking for work... so I guess the big question is as you were, or as you are now?”
“Yeah.” Kayden said, shyly. “I guess it depends on how long I can hold this form, or any other form. If it only lasts 2 hours, I won’t be working anywhere except from a home office.”
“I suppose. It seems like there’s more to it, though. You seem happier. More cheerful. What’s up?”
“I... I’m scared to talk about it.” Kayden confided, as the two of them walked out onto the street. “It’s something I’ve been keeping inside for a long time... I just couldn’t do anything about it.” Kayden felt icy fear run down her spine and grab hold of her stomach like a sick, roiling icy feeling - like she was going to throw up any minute.
“Wait...” Darryl said, stopping. “You’re trans? Transgender? I didn’t know.”
“No one knew, except Laurie. She figured it out a few months ago, and didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t mean to lie to you...” Kayden looked worried. “I didn’t mean to abuse your trust, Darryl... Please don’t freak out. Please don’t be angry!” Kayden felt sick with worry.
“I... I’m really sorry, Kay. I should have known. I should have seen what you were going through.”
“How could you, Dar? I was really good at keeping it hidden. You didn’t see it because I was too scared to show you.”
Darryl placed his hands on Kayden’s shoulders, and looked deep into her green eyes. “Dammit, Kay! I’m your best friend. I’ve known you for over twelve years. You were in pain - and as your best friend, I should have seen it. I didn’t, and for that, I’m sorry. I wasn’t there for you when you needed me.” The pain in Darryl’s voice was apparent - it was obviously very upsetting for him. Kayden wasn’t untouched by emotion either.
Tears ran down Kayden’s face as Darryl explained, and she couldn’t explain why she did what happened next. Her friend was there, in pain because of her. She did what any girl might have done - she hugged him, and held him. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you enough to tell you. I’m sorry I kept it all in, instead of letting you help me. I’ve been a shitty friend. I’m sorry too, Dar.”
Dar hugged her back, then smoothed the long red hair out of her face. “No worries, Kay... Just don’t wait till you practically die to tell me something this important again, will you? Please?”
Kayden pulled back, and sniffled, wiping her red eyes. “I promise.”
“Well, then. Shall we go? Dinner awaits!” Darryl motioned towards the restaurant, and Kayden smiled.
“Dinner sounds good.” Kayden agreed, and turned to walk with Darryl.
* * *
The restaurant was full but not crowded, and the waiters and waitresses looked like they had it under control - barely. After a few moments they were seated - a booth in the corner of the restaurant, a bit out of the way. It offered a bit of privacy from the lunch crowd, which Kayden appreciated. She found walking into the restaurant that too many people - mostly male, but not all - were checking her out, and she surprised herself by realizing she was feeling a bit shy and vulnerable.
“You okay, Kay?”
“Yeah, Dar... just realizing I’m a bit shy and not used to being out in public yet.” Kayden grinned. “I guess it’s ‘be careful what you wish for?’”
“I’ll say.” Darryl agreed. “It’s hard to keep from staring. You look so damn different!”
“Well, thanks for trying, Dar. I appreciate it.” She couldn’t help but smile at him, looking so concerned about her. Her eyes met his, and she felt herself sink into them. He has nice eyes... She thought vaguely. Kayden knew she shouldn’t be staring at her friend Darryl - but she was so entranced, she didn’t fully realize she was doing it.
They stared for another moment until their reverie was cut short by a waitress with a tag declaring her name to be Stacey. A few moments later, she had taken their orders for food and drinks, and left the two friends blushing in their seats.
“Maybe we should look at the buffet?” Dar suggested, looking a little uncomfortable at the unexpected development.
Kayden nodded, trying to conceal her blushing. “Food sounds good.”
Together they rose and headed to the buffet, and the next half hour or so was spent enjoying pizza, pasta, and soda pop.
Kayden realized about halfway through their meal there was no way she was going to eat as much as she had the last time she was here. After three pieces of pizza and a small salad, she was on her way from being stuffed to feeling gorged.
“I guess my stomach is smaller?”
“Maybe.” Dar agreed. “Not that it would matter. You could just make yourself thinner, couldn’t you?”
Kayden grinned. “I guess I could. Neat – I’ll never have to watch my waistline! A lot of people would kill me just for that.”
Darryl laughed. “I know a few people who might; Yvonne and Laurie come to mind.”
“No!” Kayden denied. “They wouldn’t...”
Without warning, the wall of the restaurant exploded inwards, shards of glass spraying across several tables, and splinters and shards of jagged wood exploded like a bomb into the room. Somehow, miraculously, Kayden and Darryl had been spared more than a few light cuts - but the rest of the packed dining room was in chaos. People screamed in pain, and the smell of blood and worse filled the room. In the wreckage, someone moved.
It was a man wearing some sort of tactical gear, and armed with several high-tech weapons... Obviously some sort of mercenary or metahuman. Several jagged shards of razor steel impaled the booth around him - and although he wasn’t unharmed, he only had a few minor cuts. Two of the people in his booth weren’t so lucky - one man was pinned to the floor by a shard of steel through his leg, and his date was pinned through the torso to the wall. Kayden couldn’t tell if she was alive or dead.
The man snarled. “You’ll have to do better than that, Shrapnel!” He taunted, and unlimbered a large multi-barreled gun that looked unlike anything Kayden had ever seen before, even by other supers. He unleashed a burst of gunfire - and the sound was harsh and loud, like ripping canvas the projectiles fired so quickly.
The survivors of the initial blast screamed and ran or crawled away as quickly as they could - a battle between two metahumans was the most destructive event known to mankind, short of a weapon of mass destruction - and even then, not always. Some metahumans - good and bad - had the power to level cities with ease. Kayden hoped this one, whoever it was, wasn’t one of those.
“Come on, we’ve got to get out of here!” Darryl yelled, looking for an exit in the chaos.
Kayden hesitated. I can help these people! I can heal the injured, if nothing else. If I run, most of these people will die... I can’t do it. I can’t abandon all these people... I’m scared!
“Kayden, come on!” Darryl grabbed her and dragged her towards the exit.
“Darryl, no! Let go of me!” She yelled, struggling.
“What are you doing, Kay?” Darryl looked just as panicked and as scared as she was.
“I’ve got to help. Get outta here – I’ll meet you later! I promise!”
Darryl paused and saw the determination in Kayden’s eyes. “Try not to die, okay?”
Kayden didn’t know what possessed her to do so, but she grabbed Darryl’s face, and planted a kiss on his lips. “I won’t - now get out of here.”
Darryl stood there shocked, then retreated out of the store. Only the injured, dying and Kayden remained - along with the madman with the rotary chain gun, who stepped out of the wreckage into the parking lot, to get a better shot.
I can’t believe I’m doing this! What the hell am I doing? She knew she needed a costume - a disguise - if she wanted to remain anonymous. She tried morphing into a different form - a version of her with blonde hair and slightly different appearance, wearing a dark costume of black and yellow, marked with a Biohazard symbol, and was surprised to find it was just as easy as assuming her female Kayden form. This is insane! She thought, as she plunged towards the battle between the two meta-humans.
But it doesn’t matter. Someone has to help these people... I guess that person is me.
She ran towards the chaos, hoping she wasn’t too late.