Kayden woke nestled against Darryl’s chest, and started in surprise, and then relaxed as the memories of the last few hours returned to her. I... I slept with Darryl. She thought. I slept with Darryl and I liked it - and I think he liked it too. Holy shit! She studied Darryl sleeping. I can’t believe how long it took for me to see how handsome he is, she thought. Would I have ever seen it? For god’s sake, girl you were seeing it, she told herself. You were just in denial. Maybe these feelings I’ve found for Darryl were already here - but until I was female Kayden, I didn’t feel safe letting them out? I dunno. She stared at Darryl a few moments more, drinking him in with her eyes. He’s beautiful.

Kayden debated whether or not to wake up Darryl, but he looked so peaceful she decided not to. What I need, she thought, is a shower - an alone shower - where I can get cleaned up. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this sticky. She smiled at that thought. It sounds naughtier than it is, but come to think of it, we were pretty naughty... She gently crawled out of Darryl’s bed and into the shower.

As the hot water sluiced across her skin, she couldn’t help but note how much more sensitive her skin felt. The water felt relaxing and arousing at the same time, and she doused her head to wash her hair, and began applying some shampoo. It was Herbal Essences ‘Hello Hydration’ - a flowery smelling shampoo that Kay suspected was another holdover from when Candy was dating Darryl. It didn’t seem his style - the Head and Shoulders in the rack near the showerhead was more his style.

Cleaning this hair is definitely ‘a process’, she thought. There’s so much of it. Oh well. I suppose I could always just shapechange it shorter... Kayden smirked as she had a thought - which she sometimes called ‘a brainwave.’ Why not just shapechange myself into a clean version of me, with washed and dried and styled hair? Damn - that would be easy mode. She rinsed her hair and put in some conditioner. Still, learning the hard way is probably better - once I know what to do I can take shortcuts.

Soaping herself up was an unexpected bonus. The soap was refreshing, and the water was invigorating her. The feel of the soap on her breasts and stomach was making her a bit aroused, so she finished cleaning herself quickly. The feelings when she soaped between her legs were interesting too. Wow, she thought. Showers just got a lot more fun. Realizing she’d been in the shower a while, she finished up and climbed out to dry off.

It wasn’t until she was toweling her hair dry, that she realized it was 10pm, and she was still female Kayden... What the...? She thought. I haven’t felt that weird fatigue when I was male Kayden! Can I assume my male form again? She tried to shift - and in seconds, male Kayden stood before her - but she could feel the strain of fatigue building. Is it just that it’s hard to be the old me, or that it’s hard to be a man? She wondered. A few moments later, she shifted again - and Darryl was looking back at her in the mirror. No Strain. Weird. She tried a dozen other forms, male and female - and none of them felt the strain that resuming her original form did.

I guess I can be anyone I want, except the old me. Weird. She tried, on a lark, to appear as the ‘waxman’ she’d heard about on the news - and shifted back to the bioplasmic humanoid she’d first seen herself as. Yuch - nope! She thought. Can I do anything else? She tried a few aliens she’d seen on TV shows - the humans with various prosthetics - and a few humanoids that were probably CGI enhanced. She could do them all. One thing she realized was that when she changed to something non-human, her senses and physical strength still seemed to remain in the human scale of things, so if she could give herself alien senses, she hadn’t figured it out yet. Oh my god! I’m the perfect chameleon - more so than I suspected. I wonder if my DNA changes too, or if I could fool a biometric scan like a retinal scan? No wonder Hank said the intelligence agencies would want me.

She stared into the mirror, looking for answers and finding none. She decided to get dressed.

When she exited the bathroom, Darryl was shifting - and his arm flopped onto the area of the bed where Kay used to be. Her absence seemed to wake him, and he looked up at Kay, walking across the room naked to her pile of clothes.

“Hey, beautiful.” Darryl said, yawning. “I can’t believe we just did that. You okay?”

Kay smiled, but flushed, a little embarrassed at being seen naked. “Yeah, Dar. I’m good. Are you?” She pulled on some underwear and her jeans, and reached for her bra and t-shirt.

Darryl thought about it. “Yeah, Kay. I’m kinda surprised it happened, but I’m more than good. I never thought of you that way, until today - but when you started looking like that, I... I couldn’t help it. I was pulled in. Your eyes are magnetic.”

"Thanks, Dar. I always felt this way on the inside. Today was the first day I was able to show it on the outside too. It was special. I felt something looking at you too, Dar. I don’t know what it was, but it was powerful.”

Darryl smiled, pleased to hear he had affected Kay as much as she had affected him. “You’re welcome, Kay. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I need to get cleaned up. I’d consider asking you to join me - but you just climbed out of the shower, so I’ll go take my turn.”

“See you soon.”

“You bet!” Darryl replied, and headed to the bathroom, naked as a jaybird.

Kayden couldn’t help but allow her gaze to follow his butt as he walked to the bathroom. Nice ass. “You want some dinner?” She called.

“Sure!” Darryl answered. “There’s some pork chops thawed in the fridge.”

Kayden nodded, and finished getting dressed, then headed to the kitchen to try and make dinner. She took a few moments to look over the stuff Darryl had in his fridge, and tried to come up with something edible. Maybe some wild rice with a side of vegetables to go with them? She thought. I’d better get working.

* * *

The two friends pushed away their empty plates, groaning. Dinner had been great, but Kayden had only been able to finish about two thirds of what she could usually eat, and she felt bloated. The demolished remnants of dinner got cleaned up, and the leftovers saved for later, while Kayden went to the small living room and turned on the television.

WBGN News at 11:00pm was on, with a shocking report about a new heroine called Virus who disabled and captured Shrapnel and a new villain named Carnage simultaneously. Apparently she was some sort of healer, with a monstrously fast healing factor - the shaky videos they had of her showed wounds healing while people could watch them! A lot of the talking heads were wondering what ‘rank’ Virus would be - and guesses ranged from a very lucky 4 to an 8 that was holding back. Since Carnage was rated a 5-6 and Shrapnel was rated a 7 or a low 8, most people guessed she was actually closer to a 6 or a 7, but until she faced more villains and more problems, it would be impossible to tell.

Kayden couldn’t help but shake her head at all the debate about whose rank was whose. It was stupid. By my reckoning, If I’m going to join in the numbers game, I’d be a 5. If they hadn’t softened themselves up for me, I’m not sure I could have beaten them. “Hey Dar! I’m on TV!”

“Cool!” Darryl called back. “Record it!”

Kayden looked for the remote, unable to find it until she realized how stupid she was being. She interfaced with the Tivo and started recording the news on six different channels. This is super cool, being able to be my own remote control, she thought. I have the power! She giggled. I control the vertical, and the horizontal... Hahaha! As she thought it, the screen image altered to her mental command, and then reset to normal.

Darryl came and joined her on the couch, and watched the news with her. After a while, he turned to her, and took her hand. “You know, Kay... I was really worried for you earlier today. Are you going to be okay?”

Kay squeezed Darryl’s hand, acknowledging his comfort. “Yeah. It felt good to help those people - really good. Those supervillains were no more than super-powered thugs, and I’m beginning to discover I don’t really like bullies that much. Maybe I should think about doing the heroine thing again?”

Darryl nodded. “If it makes you happy, then go for it. Just be safe... and for now, I guess you need a place to stay until you can get your own place? I mean, Kayden is wanted, right? You can’t just go home.”

Kayden sighed. “Yeah. My clothes are there, which I’ll need to get. I can change them to look right for me as I am now, and there some other personal stuff there too. My movies and videogames, such as they are, plus a few other things. I should go get them.”

“Okay. Just remember to look different than you look now. We don’t want the police to see the female you yet, or the male you either.”

Kay nodded. “I’ll be careful.” She said. “But I should go tonight. I’ve got no toiletries, no clothes - nothing. Can I still crash here?”

Dar smiled. “Always. You can have the couch if you want, or...”

“I think I should take the couch for tonight, Darryl. I’m not saying its forever - but I need some time to think about what’s happened today. I’m more than a bit overwhelmed.”

“I understand, Kay. The couch it is. Do you want a lift to your place? It’ll be easier to pick up your stuff with my car.”

“That would be great, Dar. Thanks.”

Darryl rose and grabbed his keys, and the two friends left his apartment.

* * *

Justin Pierce took a break from cuddling his little buddy Mr. Chips, to take a look at the time. Midnight, he thought. How appropriate. He chatted out loud, as he stood and began making plans - both to himself and to Mr. Chips. “You know, I can’t go back to work. Mr. Trask will hunt me down and try to kill me, or course. How inconvenient.” As he talked, Justin was taking a bunch of electronic and mechanical parts and crafting something that looked suspiciously like body armor and some sort of high tech weapon.

“Still, I guess we could just kill him and go back to being normal.” The thing was, Justin didn’t exactly feel normal anymore. He’d always been driven - but now, he was driven by more than desperation and a need to save his beloved dog... now it was something more. “...but why should I try to be normal, when I’m so obviously not? I want to help people - I still have to figure out how to cure cancer, for everyone else suffering if nothing else - but at the same time, isn’t it alright if I take a little something for myself?” The pieces he was working with flowed together, piece after pieces - soldered and bolted, stitched and glued. If the pieces didn’t fit, he changed them with his power until they did, and kept going.

Mr. Chips couldn’t think of a reason not to. “Yip, Yip!” He barked, cuddling Master.

“Good boy.” Justin replied, petting his dog. “Still, if we kill him, we’ll be branded villains - probably supervillains or a ‘mad scientist’ or something.” Justin thought about it for a while. If I am branded a mad scientist, does it really matter? I can still do my research - I just have to hide from the police. Is that any different from hiding from Trask for the rest of my life? “If I was a villain, I could just take Trask down - after all, buddy, he sent Victor here to kill you.”

“Grrrrrr.”

“I know, buddy. I know. I could forgive trying to kill me - but nobody hurts my dog and lives. I guess we go kill him. How does that sound, buddy?”

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

“Yip, Yip!” If Trask hurts Master, then I’ll hurt him, Mr. Chips thought. Master will never cry again!

“Good boy.” Justin scratched behind Mr. Chips ears - it didn’t feel like much, but Mr. Chips seemed to enjoy it. “Victor said I was a hazard... Maybe I should take it to heart, don’t you think? How does Hazard Man sound to you?” By now his rough suit of armor was complete, and he had begun working on a quick and dirty blaster rifle of sorts. He had ideas for at least a dozen gadgets he could cobble together by dawn.

“Yip! Bark!” Mr. Chips jumped up and down with joy.

Justin smiled. “Hazard Man it is, then. Let’s make the world quake, starting with Bolivar Trask.”

* * *

Kayden sat nervously in Darryl’s blue Scion FRS as he drove towards her old apartment. The evening sky was alight with common light pollution, plus the hundreds of tiny stars and glowy lines of the wireless signals that Kayden could see with her special powers. It looked a bit like the northern lights, but a bit unlike them too - it was unique, and she felt oddly blessed she was able to see it - perceive a beauty no one else could see. She pulled her thoughts back to the moment, and thought about her apartment. The police will probably have my place under surveillance, she thought, even if they only want to question me. I think I’ll masquerade as my mythical ex-girlfriend going to pick up her stuff... That might work best.

Darryl drove quietly, leaving Kayden to her thoughts - he needed time to think too. I can’t believe we made love today - hell, I can’t believe my best friend is a super hero... heroine... fuck! He was still in a bit of shock, but he couldn’t help but smile fondly at his best friend Kay sitting next to him. She does look one hell of a lot prettier as a girl, though, I can definitely say. I wish I knew about him being trans a long time ago - maybe he wouldn’t have been in so much pain? I wish he’d trusted me.

He drove on in silence.

When they got to Kayden’s building, neither one of them was surprised to see a police car parked on the side of the street, with a couple of uniformed officers sitting inside. One was male, the other female, and they looked bored.

“Check it out, Kayden... Think they’re waiting for you to show up?” Darryl asked.

“Probably. I’d better change.” Kayden bent down so that she couldn’t be seen outside the car, and shifted - changing from her being a solid 5' 7" to a 5'0" slender twig of a woman, with short blond hair in a bob. She sat up, to show Darryl - and instead of wearing a pair of jeans and t-shirt, she had nylon leggings, a knee length skirt and short heels, a white blouse and a light jacket on top. “How do I look?”

Darryl jumped. I may get used to that, one day, he thought. “You look great. It’s amazing how you can do that, you know.”

“It is pretty cool, isn’t it?” Kay got out of the car. I’ll be back in a few minutes - maybe half an hour. Do you want to wait or come up with me?”

“I’ll wait. If the police get antsy I’ll text you.” Darryl replied.

“Cool - thanks. See you soon.”

“Stay safe, please.” Darryl looked worried. “I’ll see you soon.”

Kay - who decided her pseudonym for this evening would be “Nissa” - short for Vanessa - headed into the building. The police didn’t even glance at her twice as she walked past them, into the front vestibule, and used her building key to get inside. Huh, she thought. That was unusually easy - but I guess I’m not matching the profile they’re looking for.

Getting up to her room on the third floor was simple - and there weren’t any guards or police posted at her apartment door, so she unlocked it and went inside. The lights still worked, thankfully - and there was no food left in the apartment to go bad, so that was a plus. She went to the bedroom and grabbed her gym bag, and started filling it with toiletries - razor, soap, toothpaste, brushes - and then topped it off with the videogame console she’d been using - a PS3 - and the ten or twelve games she had to her name. Digging under the bed, she found her suitcase - a soft-sided green nylon bag with zippers - and her small stash of ladies clothes. It wasn’t much - but Kayden had never had much - and all her clothes, plus the stash of ladies clothes, fit easily into the one large suitcase.

The nightstand had some stuff - a bottle of aspirin and some balm. A picture of Kayden with his friend Darryl the time he and the others went fishing at Darryl’s dad’s cabin in the woods. God, that was a great weekend, Kayden thought, remembering. Laurie and Yvonne and Brendan had been there. Robert had got so shit-faced from drinking Darryl’s dad’s scotch that he ran naked through a patch of poison ivy and ended up covered in mosquito and black-fly bites. Poor asshole... Kayden chuckled at the memory, remembering how Robert’s boyfriend sucked up to him and tried to tend his wounds. You know, Darryl and Laurie were right. I should have come out to them - my friends I mean - a long time ago. Maybe I’d have been happier? I don’t think I can keep calling myself Kayden, though - its too risky. I need a new name.

Kayden took the picture of her old male self and her friends and placed it in her suitcase. Beneath it was a tarnished silver pendant that looked like a lion rampant - a heraldic lion - on a stainless steel chain. The pendant was largish - about two inches across, and circular in shape. Darryl had given it to Kayden a few years ago, when he first left his mom and dad and moved out on his own. Darryl knew he was having problems with his folks, but not what exactly those problems were. She held the chain in her hand, and smiled.

She remembered what Darryl said, too. “I know you’re scared. I would be too, if I was in your position. The lion represents bravery - so until you can be brave on your own, maybe this little guy can help you feel brave too.” She hadn’t said it at the time, but that little gesture of friendship had meant the world to her. It was also the first piece of jewelry she had ever been given, and it held a special place in her heart. She couldn’t remember the last time she wore it - she didn’t want it to get hurt, and a lot of places she had worked at preferred no jewelry of any kind.

Kayden gave it a wipe with a jewelry cleaning cloth, and the silver began to shine again. “It’s good to have you back, pal.” She said, and placed the necklace over her neck. The lion pendant settled between her breasts, and it felt good to wear it. Proper. There was no way she was leaving this behind.

She took a last look around. Aside from a few minor trinkets and supplies, there was nothing of value left in the apartment. It saddened Kayden to realize that she owned so little, had been doing so poorly, that everything she owned could fit into two small bags. Unbidden, tears came to her eyes. I was free - but I was a failure. She thought. I need to do better... to be better than I was. I can’t let this continue.

She wiped away her tears, and grabbed her meager possessions, and left the apartment.

Kay tried to compose herself during the elevator ride downstairs, and managed to calm herself somewhat. She felt a bit nervous as she left the building - every fiber of her said ‘those cops will see me!’ - but the police were obviously looking for someone that looked like the old Kayden, not the 5ft tall young woman he was temporarily morphed into. It was too easy - they only saw what they expected to see.

Kayden shook her head as she realized just HOW easy it was. They didn’t even blink at me. What could I do with this power if I was inclined to be a criminal... oh my god. I’d be unstoppable. She shook her head again, dismissing the idea. I’m not a criminal. I’ll figure things out in my own way.

Kay reached Darryl’s car, and he popped the trunk. A few seconds later, her meager possessions stored within, she got in the car and Darryl drove off.

Darryl couldn’t help but see the glittering silver lion on Kayden’s chest - nestled as it was in her bosom. He blushed. “I see you’ve still got the necklace I gave you. It looks good on you, Kay.”

“Thanks, Dar. It meant a lot to me when you gave it to me... Did you know it’s the first and only piece of jewelry I’ve ever owned? It means a lot to me.” She put her hand on his right thigh, and smiled. “I couldn’t leave it behind. Thanks for giving me the lift.”

Darryl grinned. “No worries, Kayden. And I’m glad it’s that important to you. I guess you’re going to need some more jewelry now, though aren’t you?”

Kayden grinned back. “I guess. I’ll start with getting a job and an apartment first, before I buy luxuries like earrings and stuff.”

“I suppose. I’m glad you’re taking this well. How are you going to get a job without ID?”

“I’m not sure yet. I’ll have to get new ID. I’ll sort it out.”

Darryl took the statement at face value. If she doesn’t want to talk about it, then I guess we don’t talk about it. Maybe she’s going to have to do something illegal to do it? Maybe it’s better if I don’t know the details? I just hope she’s going to be okay.

“I suppose this is a silly question, Dar, but can I crash at your place for a few days?” Kayden asked.

“Yeah, doofus. You didn’t even need to ask.”

“Thanks Dar. You’re the best.”

“You’re damn right I am!” He smiled, and his eyes lit up. “Besides, I wouldn’t turn down my best friend, now would I?”

“No, I guess not.” Kay said smiling. “Let’s go home then.”

“Home it is.” Darryl kept driving.

* * *

Bolivar Trask hadn’t slept well. His henchman Victor Franco hadn’t been responding to his calls, and Trask was beginning to wonder if he was going to. His stomach was acid over all the flack he and his company had been getting about this “Waxman” affair, and some people were beginning to think it had been Dr. Pierce who shot the nurse David, rather than the Waxman. Now he was being labeled an employer that hired mad scientists who did unsafe human testing, and the shares of his company were in a swan dive. It was a miserable day - and it wasn’t even 9:10 am.

The day before Halloween, thought Trask. At least tomorrow is Friday - I can see the grandkids with their costumes after work. Sally said Thomas and Mary had some really nice costumes this year. Maybe I can leave all this scandal for now and deal with it Monday? Trask thought of whether it could wait, or not - and it all came back to Victor. If he doesn’t call by noon today, I have to assume he’s dead. How Dr. Pierce killed him, I have no idea - but it might be possible. Damn - good help is hard to find. There’s no other reason Victor wouldn’t have called me by now. Fuck.

Bolivar Trask looked at his black coffee and danish his secretary had brought him... The idea of eating right now turned his stomach he was so mad. He pushed them both away to the edge of his desk, and fumed. I’ll have to hire outside help. It will be expensive - but maybe I can convince them to throw in the Waxman for free? If not, it still might be worth it to capture him, just to know what the hell Pierce was working on when he went off the reservation.

FUCK!

Just as Mr. Trask was about to get into a really good rage, he heard glass shattering outside his office, and someone shout ‘Hey! You can’t go in there!’ He opened the drawer of his desk, and grabbed a pistol he kept there, and pressed a button that would summon security. All he needed was thirty seconds. There was the sound of a gunshot, and then the loud blast of a different weapon - some sort of energy weapon. The frosted glass on the window of his door lit up momentarily, showing the silhouette of an adult man.

The door to his office opened, and Trask saw an oddly dressed man enter his office. At his side was a robotic plushy dog. He wearing obviously homemade body armor and a motorcycle helmet, armed with some sort of high tech weapon cobbled together from spare parts - but it was obviously lethal enough; two of his security people had their brains splattered all over the walls in his offices foyer. Could it be? Trask aimed his pistol at the intruder.

“Stop, or I’ll shoot!” Trask called out. It was plain the man in the homemade armor could hear him. He was laughing! Laughing, at Bolivar Trask! Trask felt a vein on his forehead swell with rage, and his face flushed. “Who are you? You’re a dead man, you know that? Do you know who I am?”

The man laughed once more. “Yes I do, Mr. Trask.”

Justin Pierce! The gall of that bastard! He’s a dead man! “I see you’ve gone off the deep end, Pierce. Surrender yourself and your data from the project, and maybe - just maybe – I’ll let you live.” 20 seconds more, he thought.

“It’s Hazard Man, now Mr. Trask. You’re in no place to be issuing threats. I have a counter proposal for you. You leave me alone, you leave my dog alone, and you never bother me again, or so help me I’ll burn your company down around you before I leave you out for the buzzards.”

“How dare you!” Trask yelled, turning purple. “I paid for a cure to cancer - and I paid for your lab and your research. Its mine - all of it. I fucking OWN you. I’ll tell you when you can leave, god dammit!”

“I see.” Hazard man looked down at his little robot dog. “I told you he wouldn’t go for it.”

“Yip! Yip!” Said Mr. Chips

“I know. Next time I’ll listen to you first.” Hazard Man - Doctor Pierce - looked up and shook his head. “Nobody owns me. Fuck with me, and I’ll destroy you.”

He’s fucking crazy! Trask thought. He couldn’t really be going villain could he? Dr. Pierce, a mad scientist? Preposterous! Pierce is barely able to function as an adult without help he’s focused on his work! Not in a million years! He raised the gun and aimed at Dr. Pierce’s face. “Better men that you have tried, asshole.” 5 seconds... Where the hell was security?

Pierce closed his visor, and raised his gun - Trask fired, once, twice, three times! The bullets hit the homemade armor Dr. Pierce was wearing - and bounced off. It was unreal - the bullets ‘pinged’ off, like Trask was shooting Captain Patriot, not hitting some homemade kevlar. Ricochet’s raced around the room, burying themselves in the walls of his office. “What the hell...?”

Hazard man simply pointed his shotgun-like weapon at Trask and aimed. “You made your bed Trask. Now you can lie in it!” The weapon began to power up, making a ‘bweeeeeee’ sound that raised in tempo as it neared its charge limit - and at the last second, Hazard Man shifted his aim, and shot to Trasks’ left. There was a huge explosion, and Trask was thrown against his desk. Glass shattered, and masonry crumbled downwards to the streets below. Where there had once been an office wall, there was now a 20ft wide gaping hole - the whole damn wall of Trask’s office was gone!

“I’m not going to end you quick, Trask.” Hazard man said. “You were going to kill someone I care about deeply. For that, I’m going to make sure your demise is very, very slow. You might be wondering what happened to your security team... They won’t be coming. Mr. Chips here pumped nerve gas into the security room during their morning meeting - they died quickly. Quicker than you will, Mr. Trask.”

Trask gasped in pain - his left arm was bleeding from a masonry shard embedded in the flesh above his elbow, and he was covered in dozens of nicks and cuts. He was battered and bruised from the blast, and somewhere during the blast, he’d lost hold of his pistol.

Hazard man picked up the little dog, and walked over to the hole in the wall. His backpack did something, and changed - two glider like wings extending from it. He turned at the last moment. “You’ll be hearing from me soon, Mr. Trask. Goodbye.”

With that, Hazard man leapt out of the window, and swooped away - some sort of jet pack in his gear giving his glider suit thrust and lift. Soon he was gone.

Trask just stared at the retreating Doctor Pierce. “He’s totally nuts. Totally.” He shuddered, thinking of the roughly thirty men working security for him in the building, all dead. Sane men you could bargain with - but not Pierce. It was the first time Bolivar Trask had felt fear in a long time.