The following is set between missions two and three of my mission arc 'Attack of the Catgirls'. Names have not been changed to protect the embarrassed.
***
"Is it magic?" Lady of the Peace asked, her voice strangely calm.
The doctor in front of her mistook the nature of the seeming calm. "Well, we're not really sure. The requirements of a full physical change, replacing
all the subjects cells, in such a short and dramatic time frame, would seem to suggest that. It's really quite fascinating actually. There are countless
methods of high-speed transformation, obviously, but to mass produce it in such a simple form... this could be revolutionar-" He looked up from his notes
at a sudden flare of heat, finding himself looking into Lady's fiery eyes.
"Doctor, that is my brother in there," she growled. "Not some test subject, not a fascinating experiment, my brother. A hero that has saved
countless lives, and doesn't deserve to put up with you talking like that where he can hear you." She turned to Net Sabre, standing next to her.
"Call Stephen and get him here. We need an actual professional handling this."
"But she can't hear us here," the doctor protested as Dark Glass shoved past him and walked towards the door.
"I have two catgirls. I know how good their hearing is," Lady said coldly, walking past him. Net Sabre regarded him for a long moment, expression
hidden behind her helmet, before walking away to make a phone call.
"Little hard on him?" Dark Glass murmured to her sister softly.
"You could see it in his eyes," she scowled, opening the door and stepping inside. The Warshade followed, stopping in the doorway at the sight of the
figure curled up on the bed. She'd heard what the doctor had said, what Alice had reported, but even so... Instead of the familiar sight of Robert Barnes,
long time hero and older brother, there was a tall, black furred catgirl on the bed, one sleek leg pulled up against a considerable chest that the hospital
gown utterly failed to hide.
Hearing them come in, she looked up at them, reaching up and brushing a massive mane of blonde hair out of the way, revealing a face that, if not for the black
fur and yellow stripes, was identical to Ifrits. As she closed the door behind her, Dark Glass couldn't stop the quip from slipping out. "Well, this
proves once and for all that you got the hot babe gene in the family."
"Miranda," Ifrit scolded as Robs eyes flashed, showing the slits the pupils had become.
"You're a shapeshifter these days," she replied with a smirk. "If the concept of big tits really fills you with burning envy, go right ahead
and swell them up."
"Nice comeback," Ifrit noted, moving over and sitting down on the bed. "If I needed any proof it's really you, that'd do it." Rob
snorted, ears twitching. "How're you doing?"
"Sore. Tired. Angry," she muttered, hands clenching into fists around the bedsheets. "Sick of those fucking doctors poking and prodding me,
taking my blood... what, didn't they get enough of that last night when they had me chained to the damn bed?" Her ears were flat against her head,
tail lashing back and forth, before she looked up at them. "Thanks for telling him off."
Ifrit smiled weakly. "I nearly punched him," she admitted, then her head jerked back slightly as three gleaming silver claws emerged from between the
knuckles on Robs left hand. Miranda looked at the claws (Often called wolvers for some reason she'd never heard of), with more then a little fascination.
"I think I tried to use these on him last night," she said softly, raising her arm to study them. "Or one of them. I cut through the restraints,
went for them... I don't remember anything for a little while after that." She stared at the claws for a long moment. "Sorry they didn't let
you in. It... It was in my medical instructions."
"You had medical instructions for being poisoned?" Miranda asked, surprise in her voice.
Rob laughed bitterly. "Instructions for being drugged out of my mind," she replied with a slight snarl. "Remember that kid I rescued before
Christmas? The one Atta tried to turn into a Supa Troll?" The other women nodded in reply. "I realized... something like that could happen to any of
us one day. I... I didn't want you to see me like that," she continued, voice wavering. "I didn't want you to see me like this." As the
claws slid back into her hand, vanishing without a trace, Ifrit pulled her older... sibling into a gentle embrace.
"I've been there myself," she whispered softly.
Rob shook her head. "Not this," she said, lowering her head and closing her eyes. "That's not... I... You've dealt with this, I can deal
with it myself. It's not this..." She pulled her legs in slightly, sniffling. "They... they poisoned me. I would have done anything for them. I
woke up yesterday, and I needed it. Yarnball, it... I can't describe it 'frit," she mumbled.
"Then don't," the fey whispered gently, squeezing the catgirls shoulder.
"They had a telepath work through, try and get my mind back into shape, but they didn't get it all," Rob murmured. "It was divine. Every
part of my body felt alive, every hair nearly vibrating. My legs were so weak, I couldn't talk, I couldn't think. There was only this light... And then
it was gone. It was so wonderful, but it didn't last. They said if I was good, they'd give me more." Her body tensed again, anger returning.
"I would have done anything for the bastards, just to feel like that again. They turned me into one of their... their damn junkies," she spat.
"Well, they didn't get to keep you," Mir pointed out honestly. "They got to you in time, and like you said, even if the doctors can't
reverse the changes, you can deal."
The catgirl opened her eyes again and regarded Miranda again, eyes gleaming with rage. "That's not enough," she said in a dangerous tone. "I
need to get the bastards that did this, that tried to make me a fucking pet." She clenched her hands into fists again. "I need to see them, to beat
them... Make them get a good look at these claws," she spat, ears flat against her head, body trembling with rage.
Ifrit regarded her for a long moment, considering, then spoke. "You'll get your chance." Her sisters looked at her in confusion. "Alice
called earlier. There's another shipment of that filth coming in today, in just over an hour, on a ship scheduled to dock in Independence Port. The heroes
she called in for this mess are going to be paying it a visit."
The Warshades eyes widened in surprise. "Um, 'frit," she said as Rob's expression and body language shifted from helpless anger and shame, to
properly directed wrath. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea..."
"No, it's just what's needed," Ifrit replied calmly, sliding out of the reassuring embrace and pulling a bag out of nowhere. "I modified
one of my costumes. The armored bodysuit variant. It's not the power armor you're used to," she apologised as Rob took the bag and opened it to
reveal the body armor, repainted in Knight of the Peaces usual colors, "but hopefully you'll make do."
Rob slid off the bed and ripped the hospital gown off, pulling on the bodysuit. The shame and humiliation had vanished, replaced by an expression that frankly,
unnerved both the Warshade, and the alien lover in her head. "But, you're dealing with a new body, different weapons, different protections..."
she protested.
"I'll make do," Rob said calmly, in the same tone Ifrit had used talking to the doctor earlier. She popped her wolvers, made sure they came
through the gauntlets cleanly, then tapped the button that had the suit seal up and mold to her curves. "I see you fixed the boots," she noted dryly.
Ifrit shrugged. "Could hardly let you get into your first catfight when you could hardly walk," she teased lightly, handing Rob a teleporter.
"Dock Twelve. Let me guess, you need-"
"-to do this alone," Knight of the Peace finished, setting the destination and pressing the launch button. As the small device built up a final
charge, she looked over at Miranda, whose expression had gone past shock into pure horror. "Don't worry," she said with a shrug. "I'm
too cute to die." And in a flash of light, she was gone.
Miranda stared at the empty space for a moment, then looked at Ifrit. "Have you lost your mind?!" she yelled. "She's charging off to get
killed!" In reply, Lady of the Peace pulled out another two teleporters. "Uhhh..."
"Please, you think I'm letting her do this alone?" she asked with a wry smile as the door was thrown open and the doctor from earlier charged in,
followed by Net Sabre.
"Rob's gone off to vent anger in a suitable direction?" Net asked her fiancee with a laugh in her voice.
"Of course," she laughed. "Now we need to go and keep an eye on her."
"Miss Barnes, what the hell do you-"
"Oh do shut up before I burn your eyebrows off," Ifrit retorted. "You coming sis?"
"... Well, I guess that's the only decent thing to do... and I better call Alice, she's gonna want to let those heroes she recruited know about
this," Miranda grumbled, pulling out her cell phone and teleporter at the same time. "I really wish you'd warn me about these things before you
set them into motion..."
***
***
"Is it magic?" Lady of the Peace asked, her voice strangely calm.
The doctor in front of her mistook the nature of the seeming calm. "Well, we're not really sure. The requirements of a full physical change, replacing
all the subjects cells, in such a short and dramatic time frame, would seem to suggest that. It's really quite fascinating actually. There are countless
methods of high-speed transformation, obviously, but to mass produce it in such a simple form... this could be revolutionar-" He looked up from his notes
at a sudden flare of heat, finding himself looking into Lady's fiery eyes.
"Doctor, that is my brother in there," she growled. "Not some test subject, not a fascinating experiment, my brother. A hero that has saved
countless lives, and doesn't deserve to put up with you talking like that where he can hear you." She turned to Net Sabre, standing next to her.
"Call Stephen and get him here. We need an actual professional handling this."
"But she can't hear us here," the doctor protested as Dark Glass shoved past him and walked towards the door.
"I have two catgirls. I know how good their hearing is," Lady said coldly, walking past him. Net Sabre regarded him for a long moment, expression
hidden behind her helmet, before walking away to make a phone call.
"Little hard on him?" Dark Glass murmured to her sister softly.
"You could see it in his eyes," she scowled, opening the door and stepping inside. The Warshade followed, stopping in the doorway at the sight of the
figure curled up on the bed. She'd heard what the doctor had said, what Alice had reported, but even so... Instead of the familiar sight of Robert Barnes,
long time hero and older brother, there was a tall, black furred catgirl on the bed, one sleek leg pulled up against a considerable chest that the hospital
gown utterly failed to hide.
Hearing them come in, she looked up at them, reaching up and brushing a massive mane of blonde hair out of the way, revealing a face that, if not for the black
fur and yellow stripes, was identical to Ifrits. As she closed the door behind her, Dark Glass couldn't stop the quip from slipping out. "Well, this
proves once and for all that you got the hot babe gene in the family."
"Miranda," Ifrit scolded as Robs eyes flashed, showing the slits the pupils had become.
"You're a shapeshifter these days," she replied with a smirk. "If the concept of big tits really fills you with burning envy, go right ahead
and swell them up."
"Nice comeback," Ifrit noted, moving over and sitting down on the bed. "If I needed any proof it's really you, that'd do it." Rob
snorted, ears twitching. "How're you doing?"
"Sore. Tired. Angry," she muttered, hands clenching into fists around the bedsheets. "Sick of those fucking doctors poking and prodding me,
taking my blood... what, didn't they get enough of that last night when they had me chained to the damn bed?" Her ears were flat against her head,
tail lashing back and forth, before she looked up at them. "Thanks for telling him off."
Ifrit smiled weakly. "I nearly punched him," she admitted, then her head jerked back slightly as three gleaming silver claws emerged from between the
knuckles on Robs left hand. Miranda looked at the claws (Often called wolvers for some reason she'd never heard of), with more then a little fascination.
"I think I tried to use these on him last night," she said softly, raising her arm to study them. "Or one of them. I cut through the restraints,
went for them... I don't remember anything for a little while after that." She stared at the claws for a long moment. "Sorry they didn't let
you in. It... It was in my medical instructions."
"You had medical instructions for being poisoned?" Miranda asked, surprise in her voice.
Rob laughed bitterly. "Instructions for being drugged out of my mind," she replied with a slight snarl. "Remember that kid I rescued before
Christmas? The one Atta tried to turn into a Supa Troll?" The other women nodded in reply. "I realized... something like that could happen to any of
us one day. I... I didn't want you to see me like that," she continued, voice wavering. "I didn't want you to see me like this." As the
claws slid back into her hand, vanishing without a trace, Ifrit pulled her older... sibling into a gentle embrace.
"I've been there myself," she whispered softly.
Rob shook her head. "Not this," she said, lowering her head and closing her eyes. "That's not... I... You've dealt with this, I can deal
with it myself. It's not this..." She pulled her legs in slightly, sniffling. "They... they poisoned me. I would have done anything for them. I
woke up yesterday, and I needed it. Yarnball, it... I can't describe it 'frit," she mumbled.
"Then don't," the fey whispered gently, squeezing the catgirls shoulder.
"They had a telepath work through, try and get my mind back into shape, but they didn't get it all," Rob murmured. "It was divine. Every
part of my body felt alive, every hair nearly vibrating. My legs were so weak, I couldn't talk, I couldn't think. There was only this light... And then
it was gone. It was so wonderful, but it didn't last. They said if I was good, they'd give me more." Her body tensed again, anger returning.
"I would have done anything for the bastards, just to feel like that again. They turned me into one of their... their damn junkies," she spat.
"Well, they didn't get to keep you," Mir pointed out honestly. "They got to you in time, and like you said, even if the doctors can't
reverse the changes, you can deal."
The catgirl opened her eyes again and regarded Miranda again, eyes gleaming with rage. "That's not enough," she said in a dangerous tone. "I
need to get the bastards that did this, that tried to make me a fucking pet." She clenched her hands into fists again. "I need to see them, to beat
them... Make them get a good look at these claws," she spat, ears flat against her head, body trembling with rage.
Ifrit regarded her for a long moment, considering, then spoke. "You'll get your chance." Her sisters looked at her in confusion. "Alice
called earlier. There's another shipment of that filth coming in today, in just over an hour, on a ship scheduled to dock in Independence Port. The heroes
she called in for this mess are going to be paying it a visit."
The Warshades eyes widened in surprise. "Um, 'frit," she said as Rob's expression and body language shifted from helpless anger and shame, to
properly directed wrath. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea..."
"No, it's just what's needed," Ifrit replied calmly, sliding out of the reassuring embrace and pulling a bag out of nowhere. "I modified
one of my costumes. The armored bodysuit variant. It's not the power armor you're used to," she apologised as Rob took the bag and opened it to
reveal the body armor, repainted in Knight of the Peaces usual colors, "but hopefully you'll make do."
Rob slid off the bed and ripped the hospital gown off, pulling on the bodysuit. The shame and humiliation had vanished, replaced by an expression that frankly,
unnerved both the Warshade, and the alien lover in her head. "But, you're dealing with a new body, different weapons, different protections..."
she protested.
"I'll make do," Rob said calmly, in the same tone Ifrit had used talking to the doctor earlier. She popped her wolvers, made sure they came
through the gauntlets cleanly, then tapped the button that had the suit seal up and mold to her curves. "I see you fixed the boots," she noted dryly.
Ifrit shrugged. "Could hardly let you get into your first catfight when you could hardly walk," she teased lightly, handing Rob a teleporter.
"Dock Twelve. Let me guess, you need-"
"-to do this alone," Knight of the Peace finished, setting the destination and pressing the launch button. As the small device built up a final
charge, she looked over at Miranda, whose expression had gone past shock into pure horror. "Don't worry," she said with a shrug. "I'm
too cute to die." And in a flash of light, she was gone.
Miranda stared at the empty space for a moment, then looked at Ifrit. "Have you lost your mind?!" she yelled. "She's charging off to get
killed!" In reply, Lady of the Peace pulled out another two teleporters. "Uhhh..."
"Please, you think I'm letting her do this alone?" she asked with a wry smile as the door was thrown open and the doctor from earlier charged in,
followed by Net Sabre.
"Rob's gone off to vent anger in a suitable direction?" Net asked her fiancee with a laugh in her voice.
"Of course," she laughed. "Now we need to go and keep an eye on her."
"Miss Barnes, what the hell do you-"
"Oh do shut up before I burn your eyebrows off," Ifrit retorted. "You coming sis?"
"... Well, I guess that's the only decent thing to do... and I better call Alice, she's gonna want to let those heroes she recruited know about
this," Miranda grumbled, pulling out her cell phone and teleporter at the same time. "I really wish you'd warn me about these things before you
set them into motion..."
***