Rising Star

[Dark Seraph]

Atlas Park.

Nat smiled as she looked at her uniform on stand, the bright orange and white, with the star at the centre of the chest, Texan Pride, she felt proud to wear it and at the slight joke in her name.

There was a buzz as her phone rings, picking it up, she saw it was her mother. "Hey ma."

"Oh hi Nathan-"

Nat coughed. "We been over this ma, ever since the toxic accident, it's Nat now."

"Sorry sweety, just over 18 years of you being my little man, just takes getting used to, you understand?"

Nat had lost track of how many times she had to correct her mother, she knows she means well, but she was getting forgetful in her age. "So what's the call for?"

"Oh just wanted to see how you where setting in in Paragon, big shift from Austin, Texas."

"Well you know ma, ever since the accident, my football dreams went up in smoke.... And let's be fair, they ain't the most tolerant folks back home, ta mutants or trans." She said, a slight bitter memory at how many of her friends turned their back on her after the change.

Her mother sighed. "I know sweety, Paragon will be good for ya, they have them rainbow flags and all, do ya good."

"Thanks ma, how's pa and Betty?"

"Oh you know your father, butting heads with anyone that tries to besmirch the family and ya sister is still upset over your change."

Nat couldn't help but laugh. "Ma, she's just upset I got this rocking bod while she has to sweat at the gym, but good news. I lined up a therapist and there is apparently a support group for trans, apparently randomly changing gender happens a lot here, hell, there was even a drug that did it... This place is wild ma, I think I will fit in great."

"Well just as long as ya don't get inta trouble, see you sweety."

Nat smiled. "Later ma." She sighed and hung up.... Time to start her new life, as a new... Well, cow woman, the woman part was still taking getting used to... The cow part, not so hard... Even if she couldn't look a hamburger in the eye anymore.

[Dark Seraph]

Atlas park.
Hopkins gym.

Nat looked down at the event organiser. "Are you sure this is alright? I mean Sam... I am legally trans."

The short goblonid man chewed on his cigar, he kinda reminded Nat of Danny DeVito, as took a puff he looked up at her. "Look lady, we ain't got no JK Rowling to drag you over the coals, you did the physical right?"

She nodded. 

"And the doc said you are a woman, right?"

She nods again.

"Then I don't care, you fight in the woman's bracket, now lets meet some of the girls, Neph, Jane, get down here." He called out.

Two women came forward dressed in sports tops and boxing shorts, Nat noticed both had cybernetics limbs... But that is where the similarity ended, the first one must of been six foot at least, her body thick set with dark shoulder length hair and oddly pale skin, faint spider web of dark veins visible in her cheeks. The other woman was shorter and slim, tanned skin with red hair that hung over one side of her face.

Sam turns to Nat. "Big one is Neph, one of my prize fighters, slim one is Jane, new comer like you. Gals, this is Nat.... She tells me her self help group wants her back in sports and MMA is sports, enjoy." He waddles off, puffing his cigar.

Jane reached a hand forward. "Nice to meet you, never seen a Minotaur like you before."

Nat blushed. "Technical, cow woman." She explains.

Neph grins. "So.... Think you got what it takes for super MMA? What's you skill set? Me I use energy to protect and fight. Jane here is electric, what's your wheel house."

Nat swallowed. "Uh, my hero id says Shield and Street Justice?"

Neph nodded. "Well, you can't use a shield in the ring, but you could probably adapt.... Try a spar against Jane, you should be on even footing." She gestured with one metal limb to the ring.

Nat looks them over. "Are you sure? I just got here..."

Neph pats Nat's head. "Sure, just no using those horns to gore, that would be a foul."

Taking a breath, Nat kicked off her shoes and walked up to the ring, climbing in as Jane clambered up, moving to an opposite corner.

Neph rang a bell. "Begin."

Nat took up the natural pose of using her shield, left arm out front in defensive, right arm hanging back to strike with while Jane was surrounded in electricity, fists raised as they slowly circle each other. Jane was the first to move, throwing out some testing punches that Nat took on the arm, the cow woman grimacing as electricity ran up and down her left arm.

Nat continued to weather blows, before spotting her opportunity, her right arm lashing out like a spear lunge, crashing into the left side of Jane's face and much to her horror, tearing it off. "Oh my god I am so sorry." She called, dropping her defences.

Jane waved a hand, instead of muscle and blood, under her face was a second clock work face. "It's cool Nat, new synth skin doesn't exactly cling right, comes off easy." She kneels down, picking up her face and reattaching it. "There, all better.... But hell of a blow, if I was human, would of probably shattered my cheek."

Nat blinks, then looks at Neph. "Er... This is normal? Are you normal?"

Neph laughed. "I am a cyborg, human with robot parts, she is an android, robot with human parts... But should of given you a heads up, but not bad for a spar, you held up pretty good despite not carrying a shield."

Nat heads to a corner of the ring and leans against the pylon, this was going to take some getting used to.... But she had to admit, until she smacked Jane's face off, it was kinda fun, not as fun as football, but still fun.

[Dark Seraph]

Atlas Park
Hopkins gym.

Nat was lead out into the main gym by Jane, feeling extremely self-consciousness, she hadn't really done work outs in public since the change, she didn't like the way some people looked at her body, especially in figure hugging work out gear, but Jane said it be okay.

Being led between the work out machines, Jane let go of her hand and smiled. "So Nat, what you thinking? Curls? Arm work? Maybe the treadmill?"

The cow woman sighed. "I jiggle way to much for a treadmill, maybe the rowing machine?" 

The clockwork nodded and walked over to the treadmill, hopping on. "Well, you do what works for you." She said as she started jogging.

Nat sat down, grabbing the pull bar and starting to work. "So I got to ask... Why are you working out? You are a robot right?"

Jane giggles. "It makes me feel human, sides, it's relaxing, keeps my joints limber."

Nat nods, them freezes as she hears a phone camera clicking.

Looking up in horror, she saw some dude bro taking photos.... Of her, her cheeks flushing red, Jane hopped off the treadmill and walked up to him. "Hey dumb ass, read the sign." She points to a nearby sign saying no cameras.

He snorted. "What are you gonna do pipsqueak."

Jan reached over and tapped his phone, a shower of sparks erupting from her metal fingers as blue smoke rises up from the phone. "If you can't obey the rules, get the fuck out."

His face flushed crimson as he pulled back a fist. "You bitch." He yelled.... But found he could not swing.

Standing behind him, holding his arm in an iron grip with a face like thunder was Nat. "Hey buddy, shame you broke your arm." She gives the limb a savage twist, the sound of snapping bone echoing out, several other gym goers looking up in confusion as the dude bro screamed.

"What the fuck is going on in here?" Came a bellow as Sam waddled in, cigar chomped in his goblonid face.

The dude bro shouted. "This crazy bitch broke my arm!"

Sam looked up at Nat. "Why?"

Nat chewed her lip. "He was about to punch Jane.... Who destroyed his phone cuz he took photos of me working out."

Sam took a deep pull of his cigar, before shoving a gnarled finger in the dude bros gut. "I don't have many rules here, but you broke two, your membership is cancelled and you are banned from my gym, fuck off before I let Nat get really nasty.

The dude bro grabbed his bag with his good hand, screaming about suing them, but Sam waved it off before looking at the two and smiling. "Ya did good girls, been looking for an excuse to ban his ass for months now, he just comes and hits on the girls or poses in the mirrors, consider ya next two months membership on the house." He nods and turns, waddling off.

Jane stepped up to Nat. "You didn't have to stop him, I am a clockwork under this synth flesh, he would of hurt himself punching me."

The cow girl blushed. "Ma always told me ya never hit a girl and ta stand up ta bullies." She said softly.

Jane grinned. "Well cutie, as thanks, lunch is on me... Want to get back to work or dip for food?"

Nat thinks on this. "Well, given what Sam said, I feel a lot more comfortable working out, so might do some sets."

[Dark Seraph]

Kings Row
Up and away burgers.

Nat looked over her burger. "Seriously?"

Jane nodded, chewing some fries. "I was brand new, paragon made clock work, so I used my normal name as my hero name, for a few weeks I was the hero Jane Doe."

Nat couldn't help but chuckle, she knew what it was like standing out, there where not many cow women in Paragon, even less resembling Texan Long horns, so her secret identity was paper thin. "So what is you hero name now?"

Jane leant across the table, Nat getting a good look down her top, some male habits died hard, as Jane whispered in her ear. "Static Skull, cuz I'm electric and have a skull print on my mask." As she sat back, she gave a sky grin. "And I don't mind you taking a peak, I'm not packing, but it's nice to know I can draw a gaze."

Nat blushed as took a long sip of her soda. "Sorry, I just.... Yeah, I used to be a leach...."

Jane gently rubbed her foot along Nat's leg. "You can talk about it, before your accident I mean... I over heard you and Sam talk, sorry."

Nat took a deep breath, looking at her hands, her therapist had suggested opening up about this, that it be good. "Well, eight years ago, I was Nathan, up and coming collage football star and man whore, I go to parties, get drunk and have one night stands. Usual collage shit."

She chews her lip, it felt both good and painful talking about this. "Then I got into a car accident, I wasn't drunk at the wheel, the big rigger was sleep deprived, car got side swiped, toxic goo flooded in and I spun off the road into some farmers prize breeder cow... I was out of it for a month, during that time I mutated from human to cow hybrid and from man to woman." She sighs. "The hardest part was not the transition... I kinda think I was in the closet about that with how quickly I adjusted.... The hard part was how quickly all my dude bro friends alienated me.... Or tried to get in my pants." She buries her head in her hands.

Jane got up, coming around to sit next to her and gave her a hug. "As a clockwork, I can sort of understand, gender issues are a big thing amoung the Awakened clockwork, as we do not always identify with the gender we are built as..... How did your family react?"

Nat shudders slightly. "Dad... Oh god my dad, he went to bat for me, butting heads with anyone that tries to shame me for being trans or a mutant, my mom? She sometimes calls me Nathan or son, but I think her mind is starting to go and my sister? She okay, if fucking jealous of my body.... Thanks, the hug means a lot."

Jane smiled, then gave her cheek a kiss. "S'kay, you needed it and you are cute."

"Oh you are just pulling my tail."

"Nu hu, why do you think I asked you on a date?"

Nat blinked. "Wait, this is a date?"

Jane rolled her eyes. "Do I need a neon billboard? I'm interested in you Nat."

Nat suddenly felt thick tongued, her face flushing. "I er... Um... Thanks?"

Jane returned to her seat and winks. "I'll let you think it over, not many want to date my kind after all."

Nat suddenly became very interested in her meal as she tried to figure out the confusion raging in her head.

[Dark Seraph]

Hopkins Gym.

Nat stood in the shower and sighed, hot water running down her body as her mind thought on Jane, it was odd, Jane was interested in her.... But was she interested in her or just her body? She rests her head against the stall wall as she heard someone else enter, the click of metal on tiles.

She froze up thinking it was Jane, but let out a sigh as she say Neph walk in, her eyes glued to the tattoo that took up Neph's back, a robed angel, in one hand a scroll, the other hand a flaming sword... And a nice ass. Nat slapped her self, brain out of the gutter damn it.

Neph looked over. "Planing to prune in there Nat?" She calls out and steps into the stall, starting the water.

"Er, deep thoughts Neph, deep thoughts." Nat admitted.

As the cyborg started soaping up, she looked over. "Want to talk?"

Nat thought for a second, before signing and explaining her problem, Jane's eagerness, her own doubts about dating, not wanting to be a notch on someone's belt.

Neph laughed. "Well, I can see where you are coming from, you used to do one night stands right? But you don't want to be a one night stand, right?"

Nat nods, blushing.

The cyborg continued. "Well, Jane is also new to this too, so emotions come hard and fast for her, so she might not even be aware she is coming on to hard... So why not talk to her?"

Nat thumps her head against the wall. "Because I am an idiot and did not think of that."

Neph laughed harder. "You be shocked how many problems would be solved if people just talked it out."

Nat nods and turns off the shower, stepping out and grabbing a towel. "Thanks for the advice."