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Chapter 4

It was a simple workout room. The middle of the floor was padded and all along the perimeter were the tools of the trade. Four stationary bikes, two treadmills, a universal resistance weight machine, a rack of dumbbells and barbells, a pegboard with jump ropes, and various solo instruments of pain and torture all in the name of physical fitness.

"We're not going to work on anything physical today," Ray explained. "I want to jump right into breathing and settling your mind, so when the time comes you can achieve it a lot faster than you can now."

"Breathing?" I said with just a touch of sarcasm. "And here I was thinking I've been doing that right all of these years. Isn't it kind of automatic?"

He slipped off his shoes and went to the middle of the mat to have a seat. "To stay alive, yes; to stay focused and maximize your energy, no."

I looked around for a chair and was at a loss, so I hopped around a little while I managed to withdraw my feet from the heels I was wearing.

"Sit across from me."

I still hadn't learned how to sit on the floor without flashing anyone, so Ray may have gotten a sneak preview of what color panties I wore. When I'd finally gotten turned around he was smiling at me.

"Give me a break. I've been a girl for a day and half."

He pointed down at his legs and I saw that his feet were in his lap like that funky karate meditation pose. Oh, well I guess that's what we were doing, wasn't it? He closed his eyes while I arranged that one. There would definitely have been flashing panties there. Surprisingly I was very limber; I didn't even feel the strain against my knees that I did as a boy when trying that particular pose out. Once the skirt was adjusted I let him know.

"You can look now, thanks." He nodded once.

Your hands aren't that important, but you want to keep centered, which is key to JKD. It didn't take me long to remember that JKD was Jeet Kune Do. Duh.

"So, back straight, but not rigid, head centered, level and in line with your navel, chin in just a little, but relaxed, and hands in your lap but symmetrical on place. If you need something to do with them then do that thumb middle finger thing like this, or close your fist, place your knuckles together and extend your thumbs where they touch, like this."

"I feel so Kung Fu."

He chuckled. "Shh. Now, let your eyelids relax, but not entirely close. You want to leave a little light so that you won't accidentally fall asleep. Good, just like that. Now here's the routine that I'm sure you've heard somewhere before. In through the nose out through the mouth. Good air in bad air out."

I gave him a good try sucking in a good breath and blew it out. He didn't say anything at first so I did it again.

"Sorry, I got distracted there. While taking a really deep breath like that is visually very nice it's actually counter-intuitive to the process."

I gave him a annoyed smirk for staring at my breasts.

"Instead, use your abdomen to cycle the air instead of so much of your lungs. Your chest and back shouldn't be moving and you shouldn't be able to hear the breath enter or exit. That may give you a better indication of how to proceed."

I tried again, slowing my breath in and out. It was odd using just my abs for this, but it wasn't as jarring, I guess, either.

"Excellent. Breathing in and out is one cycle. I want you to count as light as you can in your head for a hundred cycles. Keep your posture and try to clear your mind. If you lose count start over from one, don't try to figure out where you were, that just distracts you from the task. You can't overdo meditation, so too much is okay. I'll be right here when you finish so take your time."

Have you ever tried to just concentrate on one thing at any one time. What a joke. I was so distracted smelling my boyfriend's cologne at first that I had to start over five times before I even made it to twenty. What had to be four hundred counts later, I opened my eyes. Ray was staring at me with a really contented look on his face before he noticed that I was aware.

"Sorry, you're just… never mind. Okay, shake your hands out a little and then massage them. Get the heat going." We both performed the action and he gestured to my legs. "Feeling numb or anything?"

I shook my head. "I'm cool. Refreshed and very relaxed actually."

"Good. Untangle your legs and make sure, then climb to your feet slowly. If you aren't careful you can get a massive head rush and fall flat on your face. Believe me. I've done it."

We worked our way up and I followed his example of massaging my legs, hands, and arms.

"We aren't going to get into any sweaty work today. I'm just going to show you a few things and then Mr. Lions is supposed to meet us here at nine."

"Who's he?"

"Your talent coach."

I nodded and then waited patiently for the next lesson.

"JKD is different from all the other styles out there. There aren't any katas to perform as you are supposed to be practicing on actual people."

I stopped him there. "What's a kata?"

"Think of them as the moves in whatever particular style you choose. You practice the moves in slow determined motions and it allows you to correct posture, angle, etcetera. Then you incorporate them into actual fighting. Once you do them a lot then the fighting becomes second nature. You move by instinct instead of having to think about everything that you do. JKD eliminates that, because it was developed, in part, to adjust to fighting against every style out there. You use what you need and toss the rest."

Ray went on explaining the basics and philosophy of that particular art, then by the time we were 'centering' my body an older guy showed up at the door toting a cart behind him.

"Good morning you two. All ready to start?"

Ray introduced us and then went off to one of the stationary bikes to begin his workout. Mr. Lions just jumped into the meat of the subject.

"So, what sets you off?"

"Pardon?"

"I've heard you are having control problems. Usually control is lost when you experience strong emotions. The barriers that you've naturally developed fall and you wind up… well in your case, zapping someone."

I crossed my arms under my breasts. "Yeah, that's pretty much it."

He nodded. "Okay, so any particular thing set you off so far?"

My face heated up a little. "Um, fear definitely. My first night here, after the transition."

"Ah yes, I heard that was you, that's very natural. Fear makes us do things that we wouldn't otherwise be capable of doing. What else?"

I darted my eyes to the side, where Ray coincidentally was starting to build up a healthy glow about him. Not quite sweat, but close. It was distracting. "Lust," I whispered so only the teacher could hear.

He nodded along trying not to grin. Seeing my discomfort he motioned to the opposite corner that Ray was working out. "There's no need to feel embarrassed about this. Lust is very distracting. People tend to totally let go in times like those. Unfortunately you don't have that option until you have total control."

I frowned. "I get a warning signal so I can stop, but last night…" It's like talking to your dad about your sex life. "Ray didn't pull away quick enough and I tased him."

Mr. Lions head drew back in understanding. "That would be a mood killer."

"No kidding."

"How about expulsion points." At my clueless look he clarified. "Where does your energy release at? Hands, toes, eyes…"

"Um, hands and lips, so far."

"Lips?"

I rolled my eyes in embarrassment. "We were kissing."

"Ah, gotcha." He pondered on that for a moment. "I'd have to say, until otherwise verified, your entire body is suspect. So we have to treat it all as an expulsion point. That leaves out a simple fix like special gloves to contain your talent."

Yeah, that would have been so much better. Pop some rubber gloves on me and I'm fixed. Too simple I suppose.

"Well, hopefully we can make some progress today, if you are willing."

"Please." I'd like to be able to kiss my boyfriend without burning his lips and frying his hair, not to mention do other things that keep annoying me.

"This little machine," he pointed out, "will test your output and it will give you something to focus on. Once you can achieve focus then the rest is cake."

There was a single copper looking rod that stuck out straight from the cart that was hooked up to an analyzer of some sort. Mr. Lions was flipping a few switches while I glanced at Ray who had finally built up a sweat. He grinned at me and gave me a thumbs up for encouragement.

"Alright, we're all set, just grab that rod there and see if you can consciously deliver a jolt."

I didn't have a clue. "I don't know how I did it in the first place."

He nodded. "That's okay. I'm doing it this way for a reason. I don't want to influence any natural ability you have. That will serve you better in the long run. If I tell you that something can't be done a certain way then you might create a mental block, of sorts, and it will slow your training down. So we're going to do it step by step until we get some results."

Well, make sense why don't you. I really should stop and think things through on occasion, before speaking. I grabbed the rod. "Ready?"

He stepped back and concentrated on the display. "Go for it."

I flashed back to all of my comic book reading and how new superheroes were able to control their own powers when they first started off. Deciding on one way I closed my eyes and tried to mentally build up all the power in my body, focusing and forcing it up my toes, calves thighs, hips, from one side of my body to the other.

Before I knew it ozone filled the air, much stronger than I had smelled it before. I pushed that power down my left arm and into the copper rod. Blue-white light filled my vision even with my eyes closed and a loud displacement of air cracked in the small room, sounding like a bolt of lightening.

"Jesus, Lomax, get a fire extinguisher!"

My eyes shot opened and the cart, made mostly out of metal, mind you, was on fire. The machine on top was charred to black slag already. That's when the fatigue hit me. It felt like I had ran a four minute mile in two minutes. My knees went weak, and before I hit the floor and blackness could claim me, someone lifted me into their arms.

"Ray?"

I awoke in the darkness, the only source of light was a weak desk light somewhere behind me.

"You know if you keep this up then I'm not going to have anywhere to practice."

His face appeared above me. "Where am I?"

"The next office over from the room you destroyed," he answered rather jovially. "Mr. Lions said to bring you here and let you rest. It has a nice couch I sometimes use when I want to get away from it all." He briefly looked me over. "How do you feel?"

"Better, I guess. A little tired."

He nodded. "You want to try to sit up?"

I frowned at him. I wasn't an invalid. "Yeah."

He took hold of my hands and helped me up into a sitting position. "Yeah, just a little tired, and a lot hungry."

"Wouldn't surprise me. You missed lunch and it's almost dinner time. Feel like eating?"

I nodded and he handed me my shoes and nylon knee socks. "I thought you'd be more comfortable. Plus you have cute feet."

My toes curled under and tried to dig into the thin carpet. "Thank you." After making sure everything was secure, Ray helped me up until I was sure about the stability of my legs. "Were you or Mr. Lions hurt?"

He shook his head. Though I thought his hair looked a little more frizzier than it was earlier. I narrowed my eyes at him to fess up. He shrugged his shoulders. "You remember the old cartoons where the coyote has a bomb go off in his hands, how he looked all charred and blinking after it blew up, but he wasn't hurt?"

I nodded and cringed at the same time.

"Well that was Mr. Lions. I was far enough away for it to feel like a boat load of static electricity, hence the hair."

I reached up and patted it down. "Sorry."

"It's okay, although I'm getting you a skin tight rubber suit tomorrow. Not only will it contain you, but it will be hot as…"

I smacked him on the shoulder. "Only if you wear one too." He actually looked like he was thinking about it. "What?"

"Shh, I'm thinking about it. Just seeing you in one of those outfits might be worth it."

Leaning into his chest I lay my head against him. "I'm hungry. Feed me."

There we were, walking around the corner with me leaning on Ray when we were spotted. "Aren't they the cutest couple?" My eyes were directed to Heather, sitting at our table, except there was another table along side. Debbie was next to her looking over her shoulder and then back to her book. "No, we're the cutest couple," responded Debbie

"Aww, you're so sweet," fawned Heather.

Ray led me over and sat me down. "I'll go get us some eats, you rest." I nodded. That walk took whatever energy I had left and dumped. I thought that I was going to fall asleep right there. Leaning against my palm was the only thing that kept me awake and staring straight ahead into Heather's overeager face. Egads!

"What happened? Why are you so tired?"

"Blew up the workout room."

I heard the sound of an old book closing. "This has got to be a better story than learning about ancient foot cleaning rituals," Debbie commented. "Go ahead. Tell us about your latest drama."

"Mr. Lions had some machine and he wanted me to give it a shock. I kinda over did it."

Debbie's eyes narrowed at me in suspicion. "Was this around nine this morning?"

My skull felt like one of those bobble-head dolls as I nodded.

"That was you!" Heather squealed. "The lights went out again and the walls shook!"

My eyelids lifted a little in surprise, but I actually wasn't that shocked, no pun intended, considering I passed out. My hero came to my rescue when he sat a tray in front of me loaded down with protein and carbs of every variety. I was about to complain that I wasn't that hungry, but my stomach protested otherwise.

Heather just giggled. "You'll probably go back for more. I know I did when I found the extent of my talent."

At the first mouthful of mashed potatoes I thought I was going to have an orgasm right there at the table. It wasn't until I polished them off that I noticed everyone staring at me. I swallowed a lot harder than normal. "What?"

Debbie decided to clue me in. "You just inhaled about a pound of potatoes in under a minute."

The roasted chicken was next. "Just keep your distance and I won't have to hurt you." Oh, heaven! Two legs, a thigh, and a breast later and I moved on to the three dinner rolls. They had just the right amount of butter on them and were still warm. It was like Thanksgiving all over again. Oh, corn on the cob!

"You remembered!"

Ray's eyes were a little wide. "Uh huh."

Oh, needs salt. Shake shake shake. Much better.

"Did you want me to get you something else?" I looked at Ray as I was biting into the last half of the corn. "Oh, yeah, would you? You're so sweet. Maybe some more mashed potatoes and a couple more thighs? Oh, and another roll. Those were so good."

Dani and Christopher joined us, each looking at the utter devastation on my tray. "Hungry?"

I nodded. Heather explained. "Had her first talent session today. Kind of went overboard. Her body is claiming back all the energy she expended."

Half a glass of Pepsi followed the corn and by that time Ray was back with more grub! Christopher looked down at his plate and then over to mine. "Whoa."

"It's a psychokinetic thing. You really don't know the meaning of hunger until you've blasted all of your energy in one shot."

"I should have guessed when the lights went out and I heard thunder that you'd be involved," Dani said in mid laugh.

Ray reached up and moved my hair out of the way that had fallen in front of my shoulder. "You weren't there. You know that machine Lions uses to measure our energy output?" They all looked at him and nodded, for the most part. "Toast. Literally. So is most of the small workout room. Treadmills were melted. Lions barely had a chance to dive out of the way before lightning-girl here torched the place." I looked up as I was finishing the gristle from the last of the thighs and grinned.

"He was covered head to toe in black soot and his hair was standing on end."

I dropped the bone on top of the tall pile in the middle of my tray, and a tiny high-pitched burp escaped my lips. "Whoops, excuse me."

A blue-haired Asian looking guy stopped by on the way to his table. "Whoa," he said as he noticed my tray. "I see the rumors are true."

"Hey, Max." Heather chirped. "Kris, this is Max Stevenson. He's the Hydrokinetic."

I said hi with my eyes as I was still too busy sucking down the last of my Pepsi. He leaned his head back and laughed. "Ah, I remember my first time like it was yesterday."

Almost slamming my cup down I sighed in contentment. "That's it. No more. I think I'm full." Then something caught my eye on Max's tray. "Oh, key lime pie!" I was up and out of my chair in a second. The dinner lady gave me a strange look as I was eying all the desserts on the counter. I picked up the key lime, and then saw a nice slice of German chocolate cake. I hadn't had any of that in like a year, so I got that piece… oh, dammit, pecan pie! "Can I get a scoop of ice cream for the pie please?"

Ray showed up beside me and helped me carry my choices back. There were some advantages of having a boyfriend after all.

My tray had been cleared and a fresh fork was produced. Oh, and my Pepsi was refilled. I stopped my clearing out of the food supply for a moment and tugged on his shirt until his lips were on mine. "Thank you."

Dani just stared at me with disgust in her eye. "I hate having to watch every little thing I eat. Eek! A peanut! I better watch out that might add five pounds. But you just ate the equivalent of everyone at this table and look at you." I patted my tummy. Yep, still firm, so I shrugged an apology, then proceeded to gather the last of the crumbs from the cake and mashed them with the fork so they'd stick to the underside and I could…

"I hate you," Dani deadpanned.

Seeing Ray finishing up with his tray, I stacked the desert plates and looked at him. "Want to go work off some of this food?"

"I think I blew my schedule."

Ray laughed quietly. "Don't worry about it. Things like this happen all the time at the beginning, at least from what I've seen and heard. They'll just rearrange things and you'll be back on track in no time."

We passed by what was left of the room I nearly destroyed. Everything that used to be in the corner near where I tested was gone. The floor already had new carpet on it and the smell of fresh paint was still lingering. "They work fast."

Ray shrugged. "Maintenance never has enough to do around here anyway. They don't mind." At my reluctant look he pressed on. "They think of you as job security."

He led me to the corner where it happened. "I want to try something if you're willing."

"Okay."

When we stopped he maneuvered in front of me. "We already know your warning sign right?"

I nodded. "Ozone."

His hands slid down to my waist. It almost felt like if he tried, he could meet his fingers on either side, but I knew my waist wasn't that tiny. They slid further down to the tops of my hips. "I'm going to kiss you, and at the first sign of warning we stop. Let you cool down and then start back up again."

I bit my bottom lip and looked up at him. "Are you trying to get me really frustrated?"

"Nuh-uh. Well, in a way, yes. I'm trying to get you to where you can recognize what sets you off and put a clamp on it before it gets out of hand. If that means that you get frustrated, I would think that would be that much more incentive to get it right sooner, rather than later."

My lips were suddenly dry. I hadn't refreshed my lipstick since I ate, but that didn't seem to matter to Ray. I ran my tongue over them in preparation, but never finished before he set his lips on mine and literally sucked my tongue into his mouth. Oh wow, that was something I'd never done before. I fell into the pleasure of his body pressed against mine once more. My nipples tightened up, and my tummy tingling sent me to happy land. It wasn't until I felt his hand at my lower back and lowering to cup my butt that I smelled it.

I jumped back looking heat into his eyes. My breath was a little rushed and I concentrated on pushing the energy down until it I could feel it ease.

"Got it?"

I shook my head. "Not yet. But I can calm it."

"Good start." He smiled. "Ready to try again?"

My teeth showed this time. "Right where we left off."

This time I pulled him to me. His hand was right back on my butt, kneading it slightly. Who knew that could feel so good? It took much less time for the reaction to occur. I was already primed, so it made sense. With a frustrated cry I backed away and pushed it back down. Oh god, I'm never going to get any sort of release if this keeps up.

"Better?"

What? Was he kidding? "Sorta." Power's down, heat is up. It was a matter of perspective.

Again, I was in his arms and this time his hand was under my skirt and on the flesh of my butt. His skin was so hot. Only ten seconds this time. I started to break away, but he held me. "Fight it, Kris. I'm not letting go this time."

I almost panicked. I was going to taser him again! But as he continued to kiss me I forced all of my will to push the power back down. I was distracted so I didn't kiss him back so well, but when I knew I had it down I rejoined the fun with eager abandon. His knees bent and I followed him down a little until I realized he wasn't getting on the floor he was bending to pick me up. My legs popped up and around his waist instinctively, and both his hands were under my skirt supporting me as he spun us around and found the nearest wall.

As soon as my back hit the wall I could smell the ozone again. But I was determined this time. Nothing was coming between me and this feeling that Ray was giving me. I grunted and took a mental sledgehammer to the whatever was trying to force its way out of me, losing on a second or two of concentration in the process. Something hard was between my legs. I knew Ray was still fully clothed. As an ex male I was very familiar with what was happening. I'd even participated in a session or five of dry humping. As a girl, this was a first.

My panties were wet and I had way more than an itch going on down there at the moment. But Ray was doing his level best to scratch it for me. His hands slid to the middle of my thighs for more support as he ground his trouser covered erection right where it needed to be for me to…

My mouth broke away from his. "GHNNNNNnnnnnn." What the hell was that? Did it come out of my… "Oh god, Ray!" Something washed over me, and I was afraid I was going to let it all go on him. I steeled myself and let the pleasure through but kept the power down. My fingernails dug into his back and I whimpered in his neck. That's when he stiffened and shuddered. A suppressed noise was held in his throat.

Both of our lungs were over labored and from what I could see of his face it was blushed red from exertion. He pulled back and looked at me as I was looking at him. Ray looked exhausted and I was just grinning like a hatter. I kissed him once more. My lips were over sensitive and felt bruised, so I made them light kisses. "Thank you, Ray. I did it. We did it."

He huffed once more and I felt his hands give way on my thighs. Bracing myself I dropped lightly to my feet and found out that I didn't have knees anymore. Whoops! I leaned back against the wall to brace myself and Ray dropped to his knees in front of me. I looked down at him and smiled. I still had a little itch, but I felt a heck of a lot better than I did over the last two days.

Testing out my wobbly legs I figured I was fairly safe and started moving for the door. "I'll go to the bathroom and get you some towels."

Luckily he was wearing dark colored slacks. "Closet."

I turned around and saw that he'd backed himself against the wall. "What?"

"Closet in the corner has some towels."

"Oh, okay." I took a peek out the door just to make sure the coast was still clear, and then closed and locked the door. That could have been embarrassing. A quick trip across the room and I opened a supply closet where a bunch of terry towels and cleansers were sitting there pretty as can be. Duh, people would have to wipe up their sweat from the machines so it wouldn't get nasty. Sometimes I just don't think. I grabbed two for him and one for me. Luckily, I wasn't a mess, just sticky. The panties were a lost cause. I'd have to wash them before sending those on to the school laundry.

"Um… " I handed him two of the towels, and noticed a large wet stain on the front of his slacks. I was the cause of that. Weird. And just to make the situation even weirder I sat down right beside him.

He started to unbuckle his belt and then stopped when he caught me staring.

"Like I said before, Ray, I've been exactly where you are at, and seen, not to mention experienced it as well. You've got nothing to be embarrassed about. With a pleased grin on my face I added, "In fact, I think you should be quite pleased with yourself."

He chuckled and then gave me a stern look. "Not the same. Don't look."

I leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "I could help."

He blinked, definitely thought about it. "Not here. I want…" His face turned all serious. "I want our first time to see each other to be special."

Oh god, he's a romantic too. I really didn't know how to feel about that. I wasn't much of a romantic when I was a guy, but I did know that I like being romanced like last night. Okay, I'd let him play it his way for now. Besides even though I felt it rubbing nicely against me, I still didn't know what my reaction would be to actually see one out in the open. Guy feelings could jump back up into the drivers seat and I could get violently ill or something.

"You're right." I looked to the door. "I'm gonna go get cleaned up myself. Did you want to meet later?"

He grimaced. "I've got a ton of homework to make up. I wasn't able to do my regular classes today."

Because of me. "Sorry. You were sweet to watch over me. Okay. Tomorrow morning. Seven?"

He nodded. I got up on my knees and leaned in for a final kiss goodnight. I ran my fingers through his lime green hair, and smiled at him after. "Text me later if you get a chance."

"Count on it."

I stopped by the bathroom on the way to the room and washed out my panties. Yep they were a mess. But I was pleasantly sated at the moment and didn't mind cleaning up in the least. I added cleaning myself up to the mix and fifteen minutes later I stuffed the semi dry panties in the laundry chute and made my way down to my room.

By some strange coincidence, Danielle wasn't there and I had time to procure a new set of black cotton panties before she got back. Whew, no explaining!

Right when I flicked my screen-saver off to check my schedule there was a bang against the door. The knob rattled a second later and then exploded inward with Dani eating Christopher's face off. Or that's what it looked like. I smiled and leaned back so as not to be noticed right away. Looks like love was in the air at the Center! He had turned her around and had her up against the wall. Was there something about walls today?

"Oh god, Dani, I want you so bad right now. I've always wanted you."

"Christopher," she almost squealed in delight.

"Ahem." I know, I'm a party pooper. This time Dani did squeal, and Christopher jumped about halfway across the room. "Sorry. Wow, bet you kind of regret this whole roommate thing right about now, huh?"

"Kris! I thought you were off with Ray?"

"I was. We were. We're done now."

Her eyes lit up. "You're glowing!"

Um…

"No, we didn't do that. He was able to figure out how to get my powers under control." Walking the line of truth. That's my specialty. We technically didn't do that, and we did get control of my powers. I signed off from the computer and stood. "I think it might be in both our best interests if I move next door, ya think?"

Dani looked heartbroken, but not enough to want to stop me. The double play on her face was almost cry worthy. I stepped over to Christopher and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Treat my best friend right, Christopher. I think you two make the perfect couple." Then I was beside Dani. A tear dropped down her cheek. "Don't worry about it. We have boyfriends now. We need the extra space, both of us." She nodded and jumped into my arms.

"I love you Kris."

"I love you too. Now…" we were interrupted by a jolt running through Dani's body. I pulled back and she had a really blank look on her face. "Dani? Danielle?"

Christopher grabbed my shoulder. "She's having a vision. She's a pre-cog remember?"

Yeah, I do.

"Just make sure she doesn't hurt herself and let her finish. It's the only thing we can do."

It took four minutes and thirty-two seconds, from the time I actually started timing her, for her to surface in a gush of breath. She grabbed me and almost screamed, "Kris!"

Christopher stepped in without waiting for a beat. "Dani, you just had a vision. Relax." Her scared eyes darted to her new boyfriend and she dived into his arms. "Christopher it was so awful," she sobbed.

"It's okay, baby. I'm here."

It took another five minutes at least before she was calm enough to relate the tale. "There's another transition. It'll be tonight, or tomorrow morning. It was still nighttime and I couldn't see a clock anywhere."

Christopher turned to me. "Get something to write with. I don't want her to have to tell this more than once." Without saying a thing I ran to my desk and grabbed a note pad and a pen, and started scribbling - tonight or tomorrow morning (night).

"It's in Houston. 762 Wainwright on the north part of downtown. I remember seeing the city from the window."

"Go ahead, don't wait for me," I urged.

"She's insane, Kris. I mean like raving psycho. She killed her parents and she was about to kill her little brother. There was so much blood." She shuddered and started crying again. Christopher pulled her to his chest.

"Call Doctor Shanahan. There's an emergency number on your cell."

I grabbed my holster off the dresser where I left it and pulled out the iPhone to follow Christopher's orders. He was a heck of a lot more experienced than I was with something like this. It took a second, but I found the number and hit send. Only one ring later and the doctor was on the other end.

"Yes, Kristyn."

"Doc, Danielle's had a vision. There's going to be another transition tonight and people are going to die."

"I'm still in the building. I'll be right there."

After she disconnected I relayed the message. Dani had pulled herself together, barely. "Kris, you have to be there tonight to stop her."

Ever slam face first into a wall while running? It felt a lot like that. "I what?"

Christopher dabbed at her tears with a tissue, but Dani grabbed it away. "Her powers, they're some sort of electricity based mental blast. All she has to do is look at someone and she can make their heads explode. She seems to have full control of her powers, but she hasn't transitioned yet."

What the hell makes her think I'm the only one that can… oh hell.

"You're immune to electricity. It can't harm you. You can feed off of it. It makes you stronger," Dani rambled.

"How can you know that? I don't even know that."

"She tried to kill you, but you absorbed it and used the power to…"

I didn't want to ask, but it came out of my mouth anyway. "To do what?"

Knock Knock!

"Dammit!" I ran to the door and slung it open. "I hate your timing."

Shanahan looked winded like she had run half the building. "What's going to happen?"

Christopher took over and was as succinct as possible. "Pre-tran subject female. In full use of her talent will murder her parents and possibly a young boy."

"What's her talent?"

"Some type of electricity based mental weapon. She blew her parents' heads apart. Dani saw it all."

"That's not all," I said rather stiffly.

Shanahan looked back at Christopher. "Apparently the only person that can stop her is Kristyn," he said.

Got to give it to the doc. She's stubborn. "Unacceptable. How can a student with virtually no training take down the subject."

"I'm immune to electric based attacks. Apparently I feed off them and I was about to find out how Dani knows this when you showed up."

My best friend almost cringed, she did shrink into Christopher's arms. "I think you tried to talk her down, but she's insane. There is no controlling her. She just wanted to kill everyone, not just her family. She tried to kill you, right when you went to stun her with your powers, but whatever she did gave you a boost. It was like… hooking up a flame thrower to a Bic lighter. There wasn't anything left of her."

I backed up and almost stumbled, but I caught myself on the dresser. "I killed her?"

Dani looked miserable confirming what she just relayed to me, and nodded her head slowly.

Shanahan looked torn. "Kristyn, get a paper clip out of your drawer."

I think I was so confounded by what she said that I just did it on automatic. She crossed the room and took it out of my hand, unfolding it along the way and then handed it back to me. "That outlet there," she pointed at an unused one by the dresser. "Stick it in there." I was halfway there when my common sense came back online. "No, it'll shock me!"

"Not if you're immune it won't. It's not a great test, but we don't have time to do this scientifically under controlled conditions so we make due. Do it."

Screw it I've tased enough people for a little karmic payback. I jammed it in and flinched at the loud pop and sizzle. What I wasn't expecting was the burst of energy that ran up my arm. It was like having a shot of espresso pumped into me with an IV.

The lights dimmed, and I heard from somewhere down the hall, "Dammit Kristyn what the hell are you doing now!"

Debbie.

I pulled the clip back out and the metal was blackened, but my fingers were fine. "She's right. I feel pumped right now."

Shanahan didn't even blink. Instead she turned to Christopher. "Do we have an address?"

I held up the pad I was making notes on. "Right here."

She nodded. "Fine. Christopher take Danielle to the clinic. The doctor's been alerted. Tell him I authorized a mild sedative considering the shock she's gone though. Kristyn, you're with me."

I tore off the paper that I had the notes on and tossed it to the desk before grabbing my purse. "Where are we going."

She ignored me and started dialing on her cell. "James, I need you Max and Raymond ready for deployment in ten." The doctor stopped in front of Heather's door and knocked rapidly.

Heather swung the door open and almost jumped back. "Dr. Shanahan?"

"Heather, you and Rita deployment in ten."

Her eyes bugged and she ran back to her desk for something. We were halfway down the hall when Heather caught up to us. Rita was lagging behind. "What happened? Where are we going?"

"Houston," I said. "There's a transition tonight and it's going to get messy."

We were led to a room downstairs and Shanahan passed us off to a late forties/ early fifties military looking guy in a off the rack blue suit and tie. He had a jagged scar along his left temple that ran down past his ear. I wondered for a second if this was the elusive "Colonel" that Dani told me about the day before.

Heather was told to suit me up and almost had to drag me into a semi large room off the main one. She was up on my sizes from yesterday's 'date' mission, so she didn't have to go through that Q&A session. Instead she threw a sports bra at me, taking one for herself and began to strip right in front of me.

"Hurry up, we don't have much time."

Just going on automatic, I stripped off my vest, and the blouse followed soon thereafter. Heather was too busy dropping her bra on a table to notice me, and I don't think that she would have cared either way. Somewhere along the line we had flowed into the girls don't get embarrassed in front of each other mindset.

Rita finally caught up and was halfway out of her blouse by the time she closed the door. From the looks of things there were a number of different outfits that we could choose from and Heather didn't think twice about dressing me up just like her, to avoid confusion in decision making I suppose. Next was a black tank top, followed by matching loose fitting pants. The pants rode up further above my hips than normal boy jeans, but they were comfortable nonetheless.

"You're a seven and a half right?"

I looked up at her as she was holding a pair of boots. With a nod from me, she set them down on the floor by me and sat to don her own pair.

"Stick the hem of your pants into the boots, so they don't get in the way later. Like this."

They weren't combat boots, at least not the ones that I have seen in movies, but they were close enough, riding high above my ankle. The heel was normal, lifting me up, maybe an inch, but nothing that a hiking boot wouldn't have done.

Noticing my lack of conversation, Heather piped in a few words of wisdom. "Just relax, and follow our lead. We're just there to make sure things go smoothly and assist where we can." She shook her head. "I have no idea why they're bringing you along so soon. You haven't even had any training."

"I…" I couldn't bring myself to say that I was only there because I had to kill someone, that I was the only one that could get close enough without having their head blown off.

"What?" She just finished lacing up her second boot and jumped up to retrieve something else. When she returned she had a shirt of sorts and a web belt, or a utility belt for those of you that aren't familiar with such a thing. No pouches for bat-a-rangs, but you had the ability to hook several things of use there if the need arose.

All three of us donned our commando gear. I could actually see where everything was going now. We looked ridiculous, like girls playing in their father's clothes, just not as baggy.

I wouldn't answer her question, so I was soon dragged back to the main room where the boys had finally arrived. It looked like they kept their G.I. Joe Night Ops clothes in their own rooms and were ready for action. How they got dressed so quick was beyond me.

Ray looked pissed when he saw me. "What are you doing here?"

I know he saw the guilty look on my face, but was cut off by the old guy spouting off. "At ease, Lomax. She's here because her talent makes her an asset to this mission."

Ray spun on the guy without a care in the world. "She's got no training, sir. She doesn't know what this is about."

"Which is the only reason you are coming along." He raised his eyes above Ray's head and looked at the rest of us. "Grab your gear and load up. We have a three hour flight ahead of us."

There was a locked room that the old guy swiped a keycard near. Once it was opened I saw why. Weapons. My stomach tightened, and I was suddenly aware of exactly how much I had to eat only an hour or two earlier. Every one of the teens entered, with me trailing behind and was given a number of different things. Ray looked after me from there on in. I wasn't given any weapon since I hadn't had any training, but he handed me two small canisters with ring hooks on the side.

"They're just smoke. You can't hurt anyone with these. Just pull the pin, count to two and toss it where you want the smoke to go." He attached them to my belt without a second thought. Then he looked again and grabbed a medium sized blade, and did the same. "Everyone should have at least a knife. Just in case."

I wasn't there to stab anyone. I could have told him, but I couldn't meet his eyes.

When he turned away again I saw him step up to a locker where a number of long rifles were stored. Even I knew what they were. Watch enough movies and you come to recognize those dark matte colored, sleek looking rifles with the mongo sized telescopic sights on top. He picked up a long cylinder object and screwed it to the end of the barrel, and then grabbed a box of bullets.

After slinging it over his shoulder he turned and saw the fear in my eyes. He seemed to be a little bit conflicted. I could almost tell what was going on in his mind. He had never wanted to me to see him like this, to know what it was they did; not yet.

Before I knew it he had a hold of my upper arm and was steering me out into the previous room and through another door that led to a garage, apparently. "Now you know why I held myself apart from the others. Why I didn't want to make friends."

I swallowed hard. I didn't want to know anything else. I just wanted things to go back the way they were. We were the first ones seated in one of the SUV's. When he closed the door he situated the rifle between his legs, pointing upward, and then leaned back.

"I'm a sniper."

A choking gasp erupted from my throat. "A sniper?"

"An assassin," he clarified. "When there's a new one of us that is too dangerous to bring in, I'm the one they bring in to take them out."

My boyfriend killed people. My stomach clinched, knotted in cramps, and I was feeling sick. "Why?"

He didn't look at me and I didn't know if I could meet his eyes. "Sometimes… sometimes the transition doesn't take well to certain people. Their mind snaps or synapses fire wrong or something. But they wind up killing people around them. Usually their family is first. They have to be stopped." He sat there and rationalized what he was doing like it was some seminar, flat and devoid of emotion. "If we don't then the secret gets out because they go on a killing spree. I've seen it already."

"Why you?"

He laughed, almost ironically. "My talent makes me the perfect killer. I can shoot a perfect bull's-eye at almost 1500 yards. I can break a person's neck with one well placed blow. I can pass myself off in almost any profession and gain accesses to secure facilities with almost no effort." His face turned hard. "Shanahan says I have the idea personality profile to handle the stress of the job. My morals are bent enough to enjoy what they send me to do."

I didn't want to ask. "Do…"

"Do I?" He ran a hand through his hair and his head lowered. "Yes, and no. I can deal with it because it's a job that needs to be done."

I took a deep breath and let it out. "That's why I'm along this time."

He snapped his head to the side and fear dropped like a mask over his face.

"I'm the killer tonight."

The doors opened up and Heather hopped into the front passenger seat and the thug looking guy that was with Dani when I got picked up was our driver. Ray didn't say anything else. Heather looked back at the two of us and appeared concerned, but then she passed me something. Gloves and a black nylon handkerchief looking thing. I looked at it for a second with a confused look on my face.

"It's for your head. Keeps your hair out of the way."

Ray reached for the cloth. "Here, I'll help you."

I snatched my hands away and almost dove for the opposite side of the SUV. "Don't touch me!"

The pain on his face was obvious, the shock on Heather's face was comical, but I wasn't laughing. I could tell that she wanted to know what happened. Thank god that she had the sense enough to let the subject drop until a more opportune time. I wasn't sure if it was the thought of Ray having killed someone or many someones, or the thought of it being me doing the killing that drove me away from the guy I had almost-sex with him only hours earlier. Either way I couldn't stand the thought of touching anyone at that moment. Everything was just so unclean.

The plane ride was bumpy and ominous at the same time. The old guy gave us a brief aerial view of the 'target's' house, and the floor plans on the way. It was all very military. It was located in a residential neighborhood in an old part of Houston. He had places that everyone was supposed to be. Max was to climb the fence in the back. The family had an above the ground swimming pool, so he had a large source of water to do whatever he does. Heather's job was to eliminate the lights in the surrounding street and houses. Ray would be in the SUV with his rifle and would 'eliminate the target' if an opportunity presented itself. James was a Telepath. He would ascertain if the target was worth saving at all. I guess there was a small chance that whatever happened to the girl was a temporary breakdown or something that could be fixed with drugs or treatment. From the vision that Dani had we all knew that what was going to happen was a foregone conclusion.

The details were sent to us once Dani had her sedative and could coherently handle relaying the vision she had.

One of goons would wire the front door and blow it off its hinges. I would enter through what remained. The bodies of the parents would be in the middle of the room. The kid would be cowering on the ground with his sister standing above him, ready to send him off to his parents. We'd have words, and the girl would try to kill me. I'd fry her in the attempt. The house would catch fire, and that's where it ended.

I kept getting looks from everyone. Looks that held pity, or even surprise that I had that much power. The worst was from Heather. Hers, though she tried to hide it, was a look of apprehension -- fear.

After the briefing I went to the back of the plane as far away from everyone as I could. Curling up in the seat, I stared out the small window into the endless black of night.

Ray stayed away, well sort of. He kept me in his line of sight and watched over me. He wouldn't let anyone try to bother me either. If he didn't get to talk to me then nobody would. Maybe he was just being protective. I wasn't in the mood to figure it out. The last thirty minutes of the flight I spent creating little electric arcs between my forefinger and my thumb. Once I knew how to suppress it I knew how to call it. Plus I had the added advantage of having that gigantic blow out that morning. So, instead of willing all the power in my body, I willed whatever was in the first joint of my thumb. That was enough for a reaction. Zzzt.

Before we disembarked I received a headset that everyone could communicate with. I felt very Commando at the moment. But since I didn't have one of those 50mm railguns to tote around, it was a lost cause.

Two SUVs were waiting for us, pulling up to the plane right when the stairs dropped open. It really looked like Ray wanted to say something to me, and contemplated blocking my way off the plane, but I gave him a stare. That gave me a reprieve for a little while. Though he still wound up beside me in the SUV.

By the time we arrived at the house the neighborhood was asleep. The downstairs lights were still on and I could see a shadow passing by the front window.

"They're still alive," I gasped.

Ray dropped his hand to my arm. "No matter how quick we go, they will die tonight. A Pre-Cog's vision cannot be changed. It's not a prophesy. It is a telling of what is to occur. You can't change anything, Kris."

I was about to tell him to eat me, but he kept going. "The most we can do is limit the amount of damage after she is dead. Dani spoke of a fire."

The second SUV's doors opened and Max, James, and one of the goons stepped out. Heather was already beside ours, slowly dimming the streetlights. Shadowy figures moved. I guessed Max was working his way around the back, and I could barely see James at the front window. He signaled the goon to the front door.

"Go, I'll be here when you get back." I opened my door and he grabbed my arm. "I don't care what you have to do, Kris. I still care about you. Nothing is going to change that."

I flipped the handkerchief into a triangle and tied it around my head as I crossed the street at a leisurely pace, seemingly without a care in the world. Nothing could be changed. That meant that nobody would see me approach until I walked though the door.

"Advance, EK." Cute huh. That's my secret call sign when they are talking to me over the radio. By the time I was at the sidewalk I was slipping on fingerless gloves. Halfway up I started building up the energy in my arm to stun her. Just a short blast was all it would take. I'd still try to stun her. I'm not a cold-blooded killer. That's about the time I hear cussing and see something splatter against the curtains from the inside. Someone just died. High pitched screams. I guessed it was the dad. Ten feet away. The mother begging for the girl to stop. Another splatter against the window.

"Blow it," I said calmly and with determination.

A half second later and the front door exploded off its hinges. Just in time for me to make my entrance. I skipped the front step and jumped to the one above it to avoid some splintered wood. Right when I hit the porch everything went dark. Heather just insured that nobody would see anything in the surrounding area by sucking away all the light, including what was in the living room I just walked into.

Willing energy into my left hand I set arcs across my fingers illuminating the area about ten feet in diameter.

The first thing I saw was the blood coating everything, then the bodies of the parents, side by side on the floor. I'd have to step over them if I was to get any closer to the girl. To her left, a boy. He couldn't be more than five years old. He too was splattered with a spray of blood on his face and Speed Racer pajamas. His face was tear stained and snotty. A puddle was spreading beneath where he sat. It wasn't blood and it wasn't tears. The girl had killed the boy's parents right in front of him. All of this, I saw in three seconds. Any compassion I felt for the girl was gone. Nobody that could be capable of doing this deserved to live. "Who the fuck are you?!" The girl screamed.

Instead of relying on just the energy in my arm I pulled a good portion of what I had in reserve, pooling it down my arm and through my hand. Just as Dani said. We exchanged words. "Death."

My hand opened by my side and her eyes flashed electric blue. A surge of energy slammed into my head and I directed it straight down my arm and back to her. All the previous times when I went all out I'd had my eyes closed. This time I saw the arc of lightning coalesce out of four fingers and a thumb, meeting in a pyramid shape and shoot like Zeus' thunderbolts from Mount Olympus.

Air displaced and ozone followed in its wake. Since electricity travels at the speed of light I just saw the girl glow blue for the first few seconds and then literally disappear from the face of the earth right before every window in the house exploded outward from the resulting crack of thunder.

It didn't stop there. Arcs jumped off of the main bolt I had sent at her and ran along the ceiling. The television exploded, three lamps burned bright and follow suit. I heard things in the distance whine and pop and it felt like I was losing control. I wanted it all to burn, to wipe out every piece of evidence that this girl ever existed in the first place.

The screams brought me out of it. The boy. I looked down and he wasn't where I last saw him. He was in the hallway to my left holding his hands over his ears with his head between his legs, screaming at the top of his lungs.

My eyes closed and I pulled it back inside. The living energy that dealt a deadly justice retreated and then stopped all together. Opening them back up I looked over at the boy and he was even more terrified of me than he was of his sister. His eyes were terror filled as he screamed in a high staccato pitch, over and over. I just blinked and turned around, keying the com unit. "Clear."

The thug brushed past me as I was on the way out. James saw it all. He stayed well clear of me. I couldn't blame him. I had the first taste of the rest of my life, and it wasn't the fun and games of playing spy versus spy that I thought it was going to be. It was way too real. I knew exactly what part I'd play in the future. I knew what the tests were going to show. I knew where my talent lay, and it wasn't creating lightshows for the kiddies on the boardwalk. I can tell you that right now.

Photo Credit: Kristen K.