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Author's Note: This one is a bit of a break from my usual type of stories. I wanted to do something different and yet sweet and sentimental for Christmas. It started out in the spirit of the Three Wise Men as I figured that our elders usually have a lot of wisdom if we can get past their quirks and actually listen. I hope you all enjoy. ~Amethyst.
 

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They say your whole world changes when you become a teenager. For most people it’s all about physical changes, seeing the world differently, and new social circles and such. I guess those all changed for me too but not anywhere near in the way I was expecting. In a manner of months everything I knew about myself, my family and my entire life was turned inside out and upside down. Now I know what you’re probably thinking; all teenagers go through this in High School, but not everyone goes through what I have.

For me it all began in December of my fifteenth year. It could be argued that it all began several months before that December, when my dad’s name was mentioned on a website called Hyper Leaks, or possibly even fourteen years before that. Perhaps a small explanation and a little background story is in order before I tell you my story. Hyper Leaks is a site that exposes the true identities of super heroes and super villains and in August my dad, Michael Evans, was revealed to be the superhero Stonewall. To say that I was shocked by this revelation was an understatement as my dad was the last person I thought could be a superhero.

Unlike a lot of teenagers I’ve always had a really good relationship with my dad. He had raised me alone ever since my mom was taken from us when I was a year old. That’s what dad always said anyway and I assumed that ‘taken from us’ was a euphemism for death that he had used when I was a child to make it less hard on me. Anyway, when my dad found out that his identity had been leaked he came clean with me about it. He was indeed Stonewall and he was a Hyper or as most people called them, a mutant. More specifically he was what he referred to as a geomorph and geokinetic, which meant that he could change into a stone form and mentally control rocks and minerals.

Things really changed for me after that. At first I thought it was the coolest thing ever, I mean my dad was fucking Stonewall and everyone in our home city of Edmonton knew that name. Hell, he was one of the biggest superhero names in the entire country. It was pretty cool once the reporters stopped sniffing around but then things started to get crazy. My dad lost his day job because of all the attacks from villains. The company he worked for as an engineer just couldn’t get any insurance coverage while he was working there so they let him go. But the villains weren’t just attacking his workplace, they were attacking me too. It got to the point where I was getting kidnapped twice a week by some villain or another who wanted to prove themself or who had a beef with my dad.

So when that December rolled around my life pretty much sucked. We had to be very careful with our money to make it last which meant I had pretty much no social life whatsoever. What social life I did have was basically just at school but even that wasn’t much since all but one of my friends had abandoned me for fear of getting caught up in one of the attacks on me. I had once dreamed that I would be famous and everyone in school would know my name and with my dad’s unmasking I had gotten that wish in an offhanded way. Nobody wanted to get close to me but everybody knew who I was. I had even been saddled with a nickname, the Damsel In Distress, which some even shortened to Didi.

I hated when people called me that, I was a guy dammit. I have to admit though that my appearance really didn’t help matters. I always thought that I must take after my mom because I look nothing like my dad and what few pictures we had of my mom seemed to support this theory. Dad is a big muscular guy with broad shoulders, brown eyes and hair, and a tanned complexion. I on the other hand was always skinny and pale with light blond hair and blue eyes and a bit shorter than average. I also preferred to wear my hair fairly long, especially now that we couldn’t really afford haircuts. I guess you could say that the girly nickname just hit a little too close to home. I had always wanted to be big and strong like my dad, even more so since he told me who he was, but clearly that wasn’t going to happen.

December 6th began much like any Friday at school. I walked there with my one and only remaining friend Alan and we discussed the upcoming Christmas holidays. “I can’t wait to get a few weeks off school, I’m really starting to feel burned out,” Alan said as we approached the school gates.

I nodded soberly in full agreement. “Tell me about it, I need to get away from all this shit for a little while. This whole Damsel in Distress kick the school is on is driving me crazy. It’s almost worse than the kidnappings themselves.”

“Speaking of which, aren’t you overdue for one Jake? It’s been almost a week hasn’t it?” my friend pointed out.

I nodded once again and this time added a sigh. “Yeah, I wonder who it will be this time, Destructo hasn’t tried yet but the Hintmaster usually tries like every other day,” I said naming two of my father’s better known enemies. “It could be one of those minor villains trying to make a name for themself too.”

“I don’ know how you can do it all the time,” Alan said with a shake of his head.

“It’s not like I enjoy it. Dad always comes and rescues me though,” I responded defensively.

“I know that, but why don’t you ever try escaping on your own, or fight back or something?”

“It’s not like I have any powers to fight a major super villain with. I could try escaping but I’m usually tied up or strapped to a missile or something. Or maybe I’m just missing the convenient exit labeled ‘Escape Here’,” I replied acidly. “Look Alan I’d better get to class, I’ll see you after school.”

“Okay Jake, I’ll catch you later,” he responded as we both went our separate ways.

It was an average day at school for me; boring classes and eating lunch alone while other kids in the cafeteria teased me and laughed at the Damsel in Distress. Sometimes I wished that someone would rescue me from them. Halfway through lunch it would seem that I had gotten my wish as I was summoned to the office via the P.A. system. When I arrived at the office and saw the receptionist and the principal tied up I had just enough time to think, dammit not again, before a violet mist appeared and sleep claimed me.

I awoke to the sound of Christmas carols playing somewhere in the distance and the smell of baking sugar cookies which I must admit confused me greatly given the circumstances. Even more confusing was the fact that I wasn’t even tied up in some dank basement somewhere or strapped to some doomsday weapon. Instead I was in a comfortable bed with a warm comforter draped over me. “What the hell?” I thought out loud as I sat up and looked around the room. Outside the window I could see that it was dark outside and I wondered just how long I had been out. I shrugged it off and continued looking around to discover that the room was moderately furnished like any other bedroom I’d ever seen and had bare wood paneled walls, a plush light blue carpeted floor, and a wooden door that was left slightly ajar.

This had been my oddest kidnapping yet but if my mysterious captor was going to leave the door open I was going to take advantage of it. I stood up and opened the door fully to step out into a hallway. There were four other doors in the hall but I ignored those and headed for the staircase that lead down. I could see another hall on the other side of the large staircase with five more doors but I decided that downstairs was likely to be the best chance of escaping wherever I was. I crept carefully down the stairs and the second I reached the bottom a female voice called out, “Oh you’re awake, please come into the kitchen, I’ve baked cookies and we have so much to talk about.”

I ignored the voice and headed toward the large doors that sat on the other side of what I assumed to be some sort of foyer, hoping that those doors would be the way out. To my disappointment the doors were solidly locked and I couldn’t seem to find any mechanism to unlock them. As I rattled the door trying to get them open the voice sounded again. “You needn’t bother trying to leave; I’ve made sure that all the doors are sealed tight. Now get in here so we can catch up Jake, we have so much to discuss.”

I cursed under my breath and headed to the sound of the voice. Whoever she was, she seemed to want to be nice so maybe I could convince her to let me go. So, hoping for the best, I made my way out of the foyer, through a large dining room, and into a kitchen where a woman stood waiting for me. She was wearing a black and purple costume with a silver pentagram on her chest. She also wore black gloves, boots, a cape, and a mask with a sort of witches hat to top it all off. Only one thing seemed off about her costume, a thick golden bracelet that was latched tightly around her left wrist. “Arcana…” I began in shock. She wasn’t one of the villains my Dad usually faced but she really made a name for herself in Toronto in the past year. From what I had heard online she used to be a hero before suddenly going bad and more than a little insane.

“Oh, it seems I left my work clothes on, silly me. Is this better?” Her costume seemed to flow like liquid until it became a black and violet velvet dress. My eyes widened as her true identity was revealed before me. She was of average height and slim with a somewhat large chest, pale skin, blue eyes, platinum blonde hair and a very familiar face. She seemed to sense the recognition in my eyes as she went on to say. “We’ve been apart for so long sweetie, when you were only a year old your father took me to the hospital and they had the nerve to lock me up like I was insane or something. It took me a little while to get out and by then you and Michael were gone. But now I’ve found you and we can be together again and when your father returns we’ll have a nice family Christmas together. Do you prefer turkey or ham?”

I just stood there stunned for a while as she kept happily chattering as if she wasn’t a super villain who had just kidnapped me. I was brought back to reality by a cookie being shoved into my open mouth. “Here try one; I baked them just for you.”

Admittedly the cookie was really good, but tasty Christmas treats weren’t really high on my priority list at the moment, so once I finished chewing and swallowing I managed to get out “How?”

“I used one of your grandmother’s recipe’s sweetie,” she replied.

Her answer really confused me until I realized that she was talking about the cookies. “No, I meant how did you find us?”

She looked quite proud of herself as she replied, “Oh I found your father’s name and address on that Hyper Leaks site, it was super helpful. And as soon as I finished finding the man who runs that site and turning him into a newt, for revealing your father and endangering you both like that, I came to find you and bring you home. I left your father a note so he should be joining us later. Although without my magic it might take him a while to get here. He’ll probably have to take a plane and they are usually overbooked at this time of year, and those airports can be so crowded. Family is so important to your father though so he’ll be on the first flight he can get.”

Well at least my dad would know where I was so he could come rescue me. So now I just had to handle an insane super villain who was apparently my mother until he arrived. Maybe if I could keep her talking she would let her guard down, she did seem to like the sound of her own voice. “Where are we?” I asked.

“We’re at home of course; the Seacroft Mansion not far from Toronto. Did you know that most people think this place is haunted? I use a bit of magic to keep people thinking that so that we don’t get any unwelcome guests, and if we do get unwelcome guests they go home convinced this place is haunted and tell others to keep away. It’s a win/win situation really and gives us plenty of privacy. Michael and I lived and worked together here for years before you were born. Then you nearly died on us and your father had the gall to run away with you and leave me in that asylum after all I did to save you.”

“I almost died?” Was she lying or did my dad never tell me this? I sat down at the table as I tried to absorb all of this.

“Oh yes, you were on death’s door. My magic wasn’t strong enough to save you so I looked for other ways. That’s when I found out about this power amplifier,” she said as she displayed the gold bracelet that I had noticed earlier. “The previous owner practically gave it to me and when I put it on it became so clear to me. So I used my magic to take the life energy from an old woman living on the streets and give it to you, it’s not like she was doing much with it. Would you like some milk with your cookies sweetie?”

She stole someone else’s life energy so that I could live? There mere thought of it made me sick and I wasn’t sure I wanted to believe it. Maybe she had it all wrong; she was obviously not playing with a full deck. “You… you killed a person so that I could live?”

“Well if you really must know it was more than one person,” she admitted casually. “That one woman didn’t have much life left in her so I took some from other homeless people until I had enough to save you. You’re my son; I would do anything for you.”

I felt like throwing up. She mentioned killing those people so casually. I stood up and glared at her and spoke very slowly, “I. Am. Not. Your. Son.”

She regarded me quizzically for a long moment. “Of course you are, you look just like me and I would know your life energy anywhere. I guess boys just aren’t very close to their mothers. Granted you do look more like a girl than a boy…” She trailed off lost in thought. Then her face lit up as an idea came to her. “I know just how to fix this. We will be so much closer after this and it shouldn’t take much work at all since you’re already so much like me.” Her hands started to glow with a violet light, a light which kept growing brighter until she sort of threw it at me.

I fell to the floor in a heap from the pain that had suddenly become my entire world. I felt like I was on fire and someone was rearranging my insides with a pair of tongs and a red hot poker while kicking me in the jewels repeatedly. My face and flesh felt like clay being worked into a new shape; pounded, pinched, pressed, squeezed, and shifted around and I could hear my bones creaking as they too were reshaped. Finally all the pain ended and I lay breathing heavily on the floor curled up in a ball.

When I finally dared to move again I felt an unfamiliar weight tugging at my chest as I rose to my knees. I let out a soft moan as I tried to clear my head enough to stand and looked up at Arcana. “What in hell did you do to me?” I gasped at the sound of my voice, it was higher in pitch and I could hardly believe that it came out of my mouth. In fact my mouth felt different too, a bit smaller and my teeth felt off as well.

I was still trying to catalog all the strange differences when the sorceress answered me. “I would think that’s pretty obvious Jackie. You said you weren’t my son and you really weren’t very masculine so I made you into my daughter. I always wanted a little girl and now we can have all sorts of fun together. I can teach you to cook and bake, we can go shopping together, and you can tell me all about your boyfriends so I can give you motherly advice. I am so excited about this!”

“You did what!?!” I shrieked. Sadly I even shrieked like a girl. I quickly reached down to check my equipment and felt my arm brush against a breast, my breast, as I confirmed the absence of any remains of my manhood.

“Jackie!” the loony magic user shrieked a shriek of her own. “I really am going to have to teach you better manners; I think your father has rubbed off on you too much. A proper young lady does not grab herself like that in front of others; people will get the wrong impression.”

“Change me back into a guy right now,” I said sternly as I stood up and glared at her with my hands on my hips. Then I realized that that was too girly and crossed my arms over my chest which only made me more aware of the size of my new chest. Damn how big did she make those things?

She shook her head, “No Jackie I’ve decided that I much prefer you as my daughter. I might consider changing you back once you start behaving like a proper young lady.”

I clenched my fists in frustration as I muttered, “God dammit why couldn’t Destructo have kidnapped me this time? At least he would just strapped a bomb to me or something.”

“Speaking of that, no more kidnappings either young lady,” she said while giving me the evil eye. “I won’t have you associating with petty thugs like that; they’ll be a bad influence on you. People like that will abuse you emotionally and humiliate you. We’ll send you to a nice high school here were you can make friends with other teenage girls.”

“Obviously you’re not familiar with high school girls. I think the emotional abuse and humiliation would be less severe if I stuck with the super villains,” I retorted. Then I thought of the woman in front of me, “Or maybe not.”

Arcana didn’t seem to catch that as her attention was on the oven timer that went off. She checked whatever was in the oven and turned back to me, “Dinner is almost ready Jackie, you go and wash up and then we can eat. There’s a washroom just off the living room and another two upstairs but don’t dawdle.”

I sighed, but figuring that it was probably best to play along until I got my gender back, I left the kitchen and passed through the dining room and foyer to the living room and found the washroom in question. Once inside I washed my now very feminine hands as I looked myself over in the mirror. So this was me as a girl. My face was only changed slightly; a narrower jaw, higher cheekbones, thinner eyebrows with more of an arch to them, fuller eyelashes, and lips like a pouty cupids bow. With all of that, my ice blue eyes and longer hair that had lightened a few shades to platinum blonde I was very pretty. You could also tell without a doubt that I was related to Arcana.

My body had some noticeable differences too, aside from the obvious I mean. My shoulders were even less broad than before and my arms seemed a bit shorter while my legs were longer. My feet were also smaller as evidenced by how loose my shoes were. My hips were wide and my waist slim with a flat tummy and a little more padding in the rear than I remember being there before. And then there was the breasts, there was no missing those, they seemed a little large for my age and if I had to guess I would say that they and my body as a whole was probably comparable to Arcana at my age though I had no clue whether that was due to magic or genetics.

Once I decided I had done enough staring at the girl in the mirror I dried my hands on one of the towels and made my way back to the dining room. Arcana was already seated and waiting for me to join her. She gave me an odd look as I entered the room like something wasn’t quite right and then the lights apparently came on because she announced, “You can’t keep wearing those boys clothes Jackie. We will need to go shopping for some proper clothes for you soon but this should do until then.” She aimed her glowing hands at me and before I could dive under the table for cover I could feel my clothes shifting around me. A moment later my black t-shirt, jeans and sneakers were transformed. In their place I now wore a black sleeveless dress with a mid-thigh length hem and a pair of black sandals with a heel not much higher than the cowboy boots I sometimes wore.

“Ummm… thanks I guess.” I was half hoping she had been going to turn me back into a guy but at least the dress fit properly. My guy clothes had been way too tight in some spots and too loose in others. I felt a little better supported up top too, which was probably a good thing. As I sat down I thought to myself, this is only temporary, if I play along I can get this lunatic to turn me back. I just need to pretend to bond with her and act like a good daughter. I can do this. I might even find a way to escape.

Dinner consisted of a baked salmon filet, brown rice and a salad and it actually tasted pretty good for what I considered to be girl food. It wasn’t even poisoned. I could do without her insanity but she did treat me with more respect than most of my kidnappers. A year before I probably couldn’t even have conceived of relating at all to that last sentence but that is just how crazy my life had become I guess. As we ate she attempted to teach me proper table manners and interrogate me about my life, my interests, and my dreams for the future.

For the latter I told her that I wanted to be famous, leaving out that I wanted to be a super hero like my dad. It would probably never happen anyway since if I did have the Hyper Chromosome like my dad it likely would have activated by now since it usually does it during times of unusual stress on the body and/or mind. I mean what can be more stressful than getting kidnapped by super villains twice a week? I had to admit though that this situation was starting to get to that point. I’ve heard that some people can go their whole lives with the H Chromosome remaining dormant though, so it was possible that even if I did possess it I would never get any powers.

As dinner was winding down Arcana asked, “Have you thought about what you’d like for Christmas Jackie? Clothes or make up? Or maybe a new cell phone so you can talk with all the new friends you’ll be making here?”

I shrugged as I tried to ignore how weird my body felt and give it enough consideration to make it look like I was warming up to her. “I dunno Mom. I never thought about getting a cell phone, since I don’t really have many friends to talk to. They all kind of abandoned me once the kidnappings started. Even the one who still talks to be doesn’t really spend much time with me except for walking to school and home. I asked dad about getting a car for when I’m old enough to drive but I don’t think he was too keen on the idea.”

The sorceress looked at me with a stunned expression on her face. “Don’t worry sweetie you’ll make a lot of friends here and you really should have a cell phone. It would be useful in case someone tried to kidnap you or something. You could just call me and I would come and find you. I agree with your father that a car might be a little much for a fifteen year old girl but you never know. Christmas is coming and I’ll know whether you’ve been naughty or nice.”

“I thought that was Santa Claus’ job,” I said, more than a little weirded out by the whole conversation.

“Oh please,” she retorted. “You’re too old to believe in Santa Claus. Besides I can keep better tabs on you than some mythical old fart in a red suit ever could. I’ll make you some nice jewellery with a locator spell so I can always know where you are and we’ll need to get you a cell phone that has a GPS locator.”

“O…kay,” I replied. I was definitely getting very creeped out by this conversation. I really did not want to think of this woman keeping an eye on me every waking moment. “I think maybe we can hold off on that for now Mom, I mean I won’t be leaving the house until Dad gets here and we have lots to do before then if we want to have a nice family Christmas right?” I suggested, hoping to get her off that topic.

“You’re right of course Jackie; there is so much to do. I need to go out and get a few things before your father arrives.”

“Okay Mom,” I replied with false cheer, “While you’re gone I’ll just have a look around my new home.” Then in my mind I added, and look for escape routes, as I got up and started to leave the room.

“Freeze young lady!” Arcana commanded and I froze in my tracks out of sheer terror and turned to make sure she wasn’t throwing another spell at me. To my relief she merely said, “Before I go I want to set some ground rules. There will be no running off until I can properly keep track of you, no kidnappings, and no house parties.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Whew! For a minute there I was afraid you were going to turn me to ice or something so that I couldn’t move while you were gone.”

She regarded me thoughtfully for a moment before replying. “That’s not a bad idea; it will keep you in one spot and out of trouble until I can properly monitor you.” Her hands began to glow again and I had just enough time to close my eyes and regret my big mouth before the spell hit me.

It was quite a while before I opened my eyes. I had heard Arcana walk away and shut and lock the front door behind her as she left the house. I mean she had just used another spell on me to keep me from going anywhere and I wasn’t really sure if I wanted to know whether she had really frozen me or used some other spell to restrain me. When I did open my eyes and looked at my hands in front of me I realized that she had indeed turned me to ice. My hands were somewhat transparent and had that slightly bluish white tint that only ice has. I was like an ice sculpture of girl me.

In curiosity I turned my hands to get a better look. Wait a minute, I moved my hands! I could move! The realization set my icy heart soaring. I tried turning my head and moving my legs and found that I could move as easily as I normally could. What in the world was going on? I quickly realized that at the moment I didn’t really care what was going on as long as I could use this chance to escape. The question remained though, how was I going to escape?

I knew that the doors were out of the question, Arcana had told me they were all secured and I couldn’t even find a way to open the front door. There were lots of windows in the house but they were all too small, I would never be able to fit my shoulders through. Then it hit me. Jake’s shoulders were too broad to get through one of the windows but maybe Jackie’s weren’t. That only left me with one concern. I was worried that if I pushed too hard or banged into something while trying to get out that I would shatter the ice that my body currently seemed to be composed of.

“Dammit, I really wish I were still flesh and blood right now,” I cursed as I stared at my icy hands. I just kept staring at them for several minutes as if by thinking hard enough I could will myself to be human again. Then to my great surprise it actually worked. Ice slowly gave way to flesh and within a matter of minutes I was human again. “That was pretty cool,” I said not realizing the pun I made, “It’s kind of like when my dad… Holy shit, I think getting turned into ice awakened whatever powers I have.”

As awesome as the possibility of me having powers was, I really needed to keep my priorities in order. Escape first and experiment later. I headed for one of the windows and to my joy it actually opened. My shoulders and hips were both a bit of a tight squeeze and I was pretty sure that I had bruised both of my breasts but I managed to wiggle my way outside. From the outside the mansion looked like a rundown derelict and I was eager to put as much distance between myself and the creepy façade as possible before Arcana returned.

Far In the distance I could see the city lights and closer I could see passing white and red lights that indicated cars passing on a highway. Since the highway seemed like the closer of the two I started hoofing it in that direction hoping to hitch a ride into the city. If I really was near Toronto then I knew just who to go to. I hadn’t talked to him in a while. and I wasn’t sure what I was going to tell him, but if anyone was going to at least hear me out it was Grandpa Max.

It took a lot longer to get to the highway than I had guessed earlier and even longer for someone who wasn’t totally creepy to pull over and offer me a ride. My feet were killing me and I was about ready to give up when a beat up old Mustang pulled over. It was really dark by then but the person inside the car turned on the inside light to reveal an Asian woman maybe between eighteen and her early twenties with blue streaks in her long hair. I breathed a sigh of relief and opened the door to climb in. “If you’re going anywhere but Toronto I’m afraid you’re out of luck because that’s as far as I’m going,” the woman said, her voice slightly deeper than I would have expected.

I nodded and got in the seat before closing the door and buckling my safety belt. The belt felt awkward and seemed to cut into my new breasts, but eventually I got it somewhat comfortable. “My grandfather is in Toronto I need to go stay with him for a bit.”

The young woman shrugged, “I usually don’t pick up hitchhikers but it’s twenty below and I figured you were probably freezing outside in that dress. I’m Crystal by the way,” she added as she put the car in gear and started driving.

I was very confused by her first comment. “Umm I’m Jackie,” I wouldn’t have used that name but it was close to Jake and I was starting to get used to Arcana calling me that. “Is it really that cold out there? I wasn’t cold at all.”

She turned to look at me with a raised eyebrow but just shrugged and continued driving as she spoke again. “That’s what I heard on the radio; maybe you just have a thick skin. So what’s your story kid? Outside in that dress, in the middle of nowhere, with no jacket or even your purse.”

“My mother is insane and I decided that being with my grandpa was probably safer?” It was more of a question than an answer.

She laughed but there was concern in her tone as she responded. “Most teenagers think their mothers are insane sometimes but I’m sure she’s not that bad, maybe you should rethink this whole running away thing Jackie.”

“I’m not running away,” I clarified. “My mother actually is insane and she kidnapped me and since she brought me so close to Toronto the safest place that I could think of when I escaped was with my grandpa. She went out and I left in a hurry.”

“You must have been in a hurry to leave without a jacket in this weather,” Crystal replied. We didn’t talk much after that. She seemed inclined to let my keep my secrets to myself and I really didn’t feel much like talking when I had so much to think about. Arcana occupied a good deal of my thoughts but the possibility that I was a mutant like my dad consumed even more. I really needed to find out whether it really was the case or whether it was some kind of weird fluke.

It was almost one in the morning when we finally passed through the suburbs and entered Toronto itself. It was then that Crystal spoke again. “Jackie it’s pretty late, your grandfather is probably asleep by now.”

I sighed as I had been thinking the same thing. “I’ll just sleep on his back porch or something I guess.”

Crystal turned and gave me a look that said that that was not going to happen and her words confirmed it. “I am not about to let a teenage girl sleep outside in this weather. If you haven’t noticed it’s started snowing. I assume your lack of a purse means that you have no money for a motel either?” I nodded mutely. I really didn’t want this person worrying about me and I wasn’t about to take any money from her even if she offered it. I needed to find some way of making her think I would be okay but honestly I was starting to feel pretty tired. She turned at the next light before responding to my nod. “You seem like a decent kid, a little messed up right now but decent. My place isn’t far away. You can sleep on my couch tonight and I’ll drive you to your grandfather’s in the morning.”

It was really nice to her to offer to let a strange person stay the night but I felt that she had already done enough by giving me a ride into the city. “I really don’t want to put you out any more than I already have.”

“I insist Jackie,” Crystal pressed, “It’s not safe for a teenage girl to sleep on the streets at night. I would feel horrible if I left you alone out there while going home to my warm and safe apartment. So no arguments, you’re staying with me tonight.”

It wasn’t long before we pulled up to Crystal’s apartment complex and she guided me upstairs and inside. I could almost feel her eyes on me as we walked and climbed the stairs. It wasn’t a bad feeling, it was more like she was trying to figure me out which wasn’t all that hard to believe given how little I had told her. I probably wouldn’t want a strange person in my home unless I knew a bit more about them either. I just tried to ignore the feeling and be a well behaved guest.

If I had to use two words to describe Crystal’s apartment they would be modest and comfortable. It was a small but cozy place, much like the pillow and the comforter she had brought out to the living room for me to use. I was just setting those up on the worn old sofa when Crystal spoke and my heart leaped into my throat. “No offense Jackie, but you weren’t born a girl were you? I’m guessing you used to go by Jack?”

I just stared at her my eyes as wide as saucers, how the hell did she figure that out? “Uh… what makes you… umm… think that?” I stammered.

“I’m sorry, I should have been a bit more tactful,” she quickly apologized. “You’re really very pretty, and I’m sure if people went by looks alone you’d pass easily. But you still walk and talk like a boy.” I was about to argue when she cut me off, “No not your voice, that’s really good too, it’s more the words you choose to use and you don’t stress certain words or add emotion to your speech like most girls do.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said grouchily.

She just smiled at me, “See that was much better, you really stressed that ‘no’. Is this why you left home? Didn’t your mom support your transition? Don’t worry I can totally relate, my parents weren’t very supportive when I decided to make the change either. I can help give you some pointers on the speaking and movement if you like.”

Now I really was confused. What was she talking about? Pass? Transition? Change? Then it hit me, she thought I was a transgendered girl. I wasn’t sure whether to be miffed that she read my true gender so easily or happy that I still moved and spoke like a guy. But putting all that aside Crystal had just revealed something very personal about herself and in a way I felt guilty for being handed something I didn’t really want through magic while she was working so hard to attain that very thing through hormones and surgery. “My name was Jake actually and you probably won’t believe me but I didn’t want to be a girl.”

I told Crystal all about what had happened until I had met her and to my complete surprise she actually started laughing. When she saw the confused look on my face she quickly apologized, “I’m sorry Jackie I’m not laughing at your situation, I’m laughing at mine. Trust me it’s such a cruel joke that it’s actually funny when you think about it.”

“You’re really going to have to explain the joke to me Crystal, because I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

The Asian woman looked lost in thought for a moment, “Okay the best way for you to understand is to tell you some background on how the H Chromosomes work first. But before I do that let me ask you two things: How do you feel about being female? And are you comfortable in your body as it is?”

At first I thought she was asking me the same thing twice but when I thought about it that wasn’t the case, it really was two different questions with two different answers. “I think that mentally I’d rather still be male, I grew up male, never had any desire to be female, and being female just seems wrong in my head, I have no idea how to be female. My body felt really uncomfortable when she first changed me but now I’m not feeling any discomfort with my body at all, in fact it feels great since I became a human popsicle. I… I think that’s what disturbs me most right now is that mentally I think it should feel wrong but it doesn’t.”

“It’s your Archetype,” she explained. “Every mutant has a unique Archetype or blueprint of what their body should be that is created when their latent Hyper Chromosome pair is activated. These Archetypes are influenced by the mutant’s genetics, mental state, preconceived notions, conscious and subconscious desires, and often by their new powers as well. People satisfied with their appearance may look the same after being activated or have only negligible physical changes, many have an ideal look in their subconscious, some are determined by what they are thinking of when activating, some are heavily influenced by their powers, and many are a mix of these. It’s possible that your discomfort with being a girl at the time actually forced your Archetype to be female so that you could be more comfortable with it.”

“Lovely so now I’m going to enjoy being female. What if I tried to go back to being male? Transition like you are?” I asked.

“You’d probably grow more and more uncomfortable with your body as your transition continued, if your abilities didn’t cause you to revert to a female form.”

“What do you mean by that?” I asked in confusion.

“Going based on what you told me about your dad and what happened when you were frozen I think that you’re at the very least a cryomorph. Probably more than that, powers are largely influenced by the conditions under which they activate, strong desires, and possibly by genetics as some second generation mutants tend to have powers similar to their parent(s). I think you may have had a genetic predisposition to elemental based powers, so when you were so stressed out about being frozen that it latched onto ice as your element. Your ice form is probably a direct reflection of your Archetype so whenever you used your powers you would be undoing any physical changes you made when your body changes to that form.”

“Oh this just keeps getting better,” I retorted dryly. “What I don’t get is how this is such a cruel joke to you, and how do you know so much about Archetypes and stuff?”

“Crystal is more a description than a name,” she offered. Then she looked like she was concentrating really hard on something as she held her hand out in front of her. There was something growing in the palm of her hand, a tiny blue crystal that kept growing until it was roughly the size of a quarter.

My eyes widened as she placed the newly formed crystal in my hand, “You’re a mutant too.”

She nodded, “Those crystals I create make nice jewellery but some people in the magic user community discovered that they also amplify magic to some degree. I sell them to afford to live here and save up for my surgery. When I discovered my ability we had some genetic tests run and my pair of Hyper chromosomes were either damaged or only partially formed. The doctors think I should be able to do a lot more with my powers but the information in the chromosomes is only partially present. They also believe that I have an Archetype stored but the part that usually changes us to fit the Archetype is missing so I didn’t change. Instead I just started feeling like my body was horribly wrong. I started doing a ton of research on mutants and Archetypes so I could know more and following my instincts on how my body could be more comfortable. Transitioning and the blue streaks in my hair are helping me get closer to what my body should be.”

“I think I get the joke now, only I think there are multiple jokes and they’re being played on both of us,” I said as I thought about the fact that her crystals amplify magic. “Is there anything else I absolutely need to know about being a mutant before we go to sleep?”

“Well you do need a name,” she said thoughtfully.

“I think I’ll stick with Jackie,” I replied, “I’m getting used to it and it’s pretty easy to remember.”

“No silly,” she said as she slapped me with the pillow. “You’ve got powers, so you need a code name; it’s a mutant rite of passage.” She turned pensive and a moment later suggested, “How about the Ice Queen?”

I shook my head so fast at that suggestion that it made me dizzy. “That makes me sound like a super villain, and a bitch.”

She was not to be discouraged as she quickly suggested, “Frostbite? Chill? Frigid?” The last was suggested with a playful grin.

“No, no, and hell no,” I responded with a glare.

“Oooh! Ooooh! I got it! Jackie Frost!”

“Now you’re just getting ridiculous,” I muttered.

“Damn,” she said as she attempted to think of more suggestions, “I can’t think of much at all that’s ice or cold based and doesn’t sound evil.”

“I don’t really see the need for a code name right this minute,” I argued.

“Come on Jackie, coming up with a name is half the fun,” Crystal insisted. “Besides what if you need to foil a bank robbery or something tomorrow, are you just going to think up a name on the spot? It’s bad enough that you don’t have a costume yet. Maybe we should think about names related to snow or slush?”

“Aww fuck it, fine. You want me to have a name, then I’ll go with Slush,” I grouched, grabbing at the last word she used just to get her off my back about the whole thing. “Can we sleep now?”

“Way to take the fun out of it Jackie, but it’s an okay name I guess,” Crystal said sounding a bit disappointed. “I doubt anyone else is using it. I’ll let you get some sleep, if you need anything feel free to come and ask.”

“Actually,” I said a bit nervously, “Before I go to sleep I think I need to use your washroom.”

“Oh its right down the hall,” she replied, “It’s the first door on the right, across from my bedroom.” Her eyes widened as she realized the implications that asking that meant for me. “Are you… do you know if…”

I nodded silently, “I haven’t really checked extensively but I’m pretty sure Arcana gave me the full package. Things feel different down there than I’m used to. It felt all wrong at first but now it feels…”

“Comfortable?” she finished for me.

I nodded mutely and made my way down the hall to enter the door that she had indicated. Having to sit from now on was going to be a pain in the ass and the whole process was messier and more time consuming but at least the feeling of relief was the same. The worst part was wiping myself afterwards. It wasn’t that it made me physically uncomfortable; I knew that it was my body and that it needed to be done. The problem was all in my head. I hadn’t been a girl for even a day yet. I still mentally thought of myself as male and such a personal act on my female body made me feel like some sort of sick voyeur. Stop it, I told myself as I washed my hands afterwards, you can handle this, don’t freak out now. You’ve been kidnapped how many times? And you’ve gone through this whole weird incident without losing it so far, you can go a bit longer.

I stepped back out into the hallway and called out to my hostess, “Good night Crystal, thanks for all the help. I really appreciate it.” Then I made my way to the living room, curled up on the sofa, pulled the comforter up close, and cried myself to sleep.

“Jackie… Jackie, w-w-wake up!” Crystal’s voice penetrated the fog of slumber and I wondered why the hell she sounded so frantic. When I managed to open my eyes and raised my hand to rub the sleep from them I got my answer. I had apparently turned to ice in my sleep. That wasn’t all though; the sofa, the pillow, the comforter and even the floorboards around the sofa were coated in frost. I practically jumped into a sitting position and tossed the comforter aside where it landed on the floor with a thud. The damn thing was frozen solid.

“What the fu…” I started to say before I realized that Crystal was shivering beside me, her hands red with cold from trying to shake me awake. “Oh my God! I’m so sorry Crystal, I must have changed while I was asleep, I’ll try to change back.”

“C-c-can y-you t-try to get r-r-rid of the i-i-ice f-first? I-I’m g-going to go m-make so-some c-c-coffee.” She stood up and fled for the warmth of the kitchen leaving me trying to figure out how exactly to get rid of the frost and small icicles that were forming on everything near me.

If my powers were anything like my dad’s then I thought that theoretically I should be able to mentally shape, move, and control ice. I concentrated on the frost and ice around me and focussed on pulling all that frozen moisture off all of the nearby surfaces and pooling it into a large ball of ice. I lost my focus several times but eventually I was able to gather it all into a volleyball sized mass. I thought about trying to move that ball with my mind but I decided to err on the side of caution and carried it into the kitchen to drop it into the sink. That done, I turned my attention to becoming flesh and blood again, it was easier than the first time but I took a bit longer because I wasn’t concentrating as well this time. I was really worried about Crystal. When I finally managed to change back I gave my hostess an apologetic look, “Sorry about that Crystal, are you okay?”

“I’m fine; it’s nothing a hot cup of coffee won’t cure.” She demonstrated this by taking a sip from the coffee mug she had both hands wrapped around and breathing a sigh of relief. “See, much better. Did you want anything to eat before we leave? I have some fruit and yoghurt in the fridge.”

“No thanks, I’ll be okay, besides you’ve done enough for me already,”

“Okay then kiddo, as soon as I finish up my coffee we can get going.” She continued to sip at her coffee as she picked up a small envelope off the table and handed it to me with her free hand.

“What’s this?” I asked, unsure as to whether I should take it.

She pressed it into my hand, “It’s the crystal I made for you last night, I figured you might want to keep it. I also put a slip of paper with my cell phone number in there in case you need me for anything. Feel free to call me if you need help with adjusting to being a girl or need to talk or something.”

I took the envelope and smiled at her. “Thanks for everything you’ve done, I appreciate it but I really don’t want to bother you unnecessarily.”

She shook her head and reached out with her free hand to ruffle my hair. “I wouldn’t have offered if it was a bother Jackie, so if you need me I’ll be around. I like you kiddo, you’re kind of like the kid sister I never had.”

If Crystal had heard me crying the night before she had the good grace not to mention it. Once she had finished her coffee she got ready to go outside, donning a thick winter coat, boots and gloves. She even had me put on a pair spare of boots and parka that she had. I argued that the cold didn’t bother me but she said it was to keep up appearances so I shrugged and went along with it. Then we made our way down to the parking lot to discover that her Mustang was half buried in snow. As Crystal cursed and muttered something about an ice scraper then she stopped mid-sentence and turned to look at me quizzically, “Jackie, do you think you could?”

“Sure, why not,” I replied, taking a good look to make sure nobody was watching. When I was certain it was safe I changed into my ice form and spent several minutes carefully mentally pulling all the snow and ice off her car before once again returning to my flesh and blood form. The process took a lot longer than either of us liked but I saved Crystal the effort of using the scraper and I figured I probably needed to practice with my new abilities anyway so it was all good.

Crystal insisted on coming with me to see my grandfather just in case he didn’t believe me and I needed a place to stay until I could contact my dad. She also insisted on speaking first to get a feel for how he would react to having a granddaughter instead of a grandson. Soon we were standing on his front porch and I reached out to hesitantly knock on the door. I was really nervous about this meeting; I hadn’t spoken to him in a year, not since Grandma died. I had wanted to come to the funeral to pay my respects but he and dad had forbid it. In retrospect I figure that the reason for that and why they had always came to visit us instead of the other way around was because they didn’t want to risk Arcana finding me.

I heard movement inside the house and then the sound of the lock being fiddled with. The door opened to reveal Grandpa Max standing in his bathrobe and squinting to get a look at his unexpected visitors. “Can I help you ladies?” Then he got a good look at my face, “Oh split! You look just like her don’t you? You girls go wait in the car, I’m going to change and get my bowling bag.” Then he shut the door in our faces and left us staring at one another in confusion.

“What in the hell was that all about?” I wondered aloud not quite believing what had just happened.

“You’re asking me? He’s your grandfather,” Crystal pointed out.

“Well yeah, but he’s never been crazy before,” I argued. “Maybe he’s got Alzheimer’s or something. If he’s not out in five minutes we’ll knock again.”

Five minutes passed and we did knock again. This time he was fully dressed and did indeed have a bowling bag in hand. “You youngsters these days really need to learn patience,” he complained as he shut and locked the door behind him. “You need to learn better listening skills too, I told you to wait in the car.” He pushed us both along to where Crystal’s car sat waiting like a pair of schoolchildren. Once we were piled in with Grandpa in the back he said, “I don’t know who you are missy but you’re here so drive us to Ten Pins Alley on Kingston. Jake you’re going to tell me exactly what happened.”

Crystal didn’t bother to argue she just started the engine and drove. I on the other hand was turned around in my seat staring at my grandfather, “How’d you know I was me?”

“Michael called me yesterday and told me that Ashley kidnapped you, and then in the middle of the night I received a visit from a very angry sorceress asking where her daughter was. Then a girl the same age as you, who looks just like Ashley at that age, shows up on my doorstep. It doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together. You were stupid trying to come see me Jake, it was the first place she looked.” He frowned at me but there was relief in his eyes. “And get your damn seatbelt on!”

I hurried to get buckled up. “Umm Grandpa, if she looked for me there first how do you know she wasn’t watching the house and following us now?”

“Because she hasn’t done anything yet,” he said coolly. “Besides, I think she’s a little busy at the moment, your father’s flight landed an hour ago. This is the best time to be moving you to a safe location, while they’re slugging it out, and she won’t know about the bowling alley. Now get on with telling me what happened, I’m not getting any younger.”

I gave Grandpa the story of what had happened since I woke up in the strange bedroom. I did leave out Crystal’s situation though as it wasn’t my place to say anything about that. He didn’t interrupt or comment but merely nodded when he thought it appropriate. When I finally finished he sighed, “We’ll have Mervin see if there’s anything he can do to return you to your male form if that’s what you want Jake, but I’m afraid your friend is probably right, at best you’ll be uncomfortable in such a form and at worst you’ll just revert back when you use your powers. As for you Crystal, thank you for taking care of my grand… child like you have.”

Crystal was keeping her eyes on the snowy streets but responded, “It was no trouble Mr. Evans, Jackie is a good kid and she needed a friend.”

With it being Saturday Ten Pins was very busy when we arrived. It would have taken Crystal forever to find a parking space if Grandpa hadn’t guided her to the management parking spaces at the side entrance. Despite all the cars outside the building though, the inside was quiet as a tomb. There was no sound of balls being hurled down the lanes and striking pins, there wasn’t even the sound of friendly chatter that usually occupied such places. Instead all of the patrons of the bowling alley were crowded around the big screen TV by the snack counter watching in stunned silence as a reporter spoke from what looked like a war zone.

Once we got close enough I could hear the reporter for myself. “…once again, I am reporting from downtown Toronto where after a fierce battle Michael Evans, known to the world at large as Stonewall, has been defeated by Arcana. After the battle the sorceress disappeared with the unconscious hero in chains. Is this the end of Stonewall and what plans does Arcana have for him? We will keep you posted on this breaking story as details arrive.”

I just stood there stunned until Grandpa Max took me by the shoulders and guided me and Crystal to a maintenance door at the back of the alley and then down a flight of stairs to a secure steel door. He unlocked the door and we all filed inside a small room that resembled a hotel room with a sofa, big screen TV, kitchenette, and three other doors. Two men my grandfather’s age were on the couch watching the news and frowning. They didn’t even turn their heads as the door opened and we filed in. The skinny one of the pair, a man with a wild mane of white hair who sported a pair of coke bottle glasses said, “Did you see this Max? We had better hurry up and find your grandson before Ashley does.”

“Jake came to my house while Michael and Ashley were fighting,” Grandpa said before giving me a look and adding, “Well in a manner of speaking.”

The pair turned around and gave us their full attention, their eyes widening at the sight of me. The one I hadn’t gotten a good look at before was short; maybe five foot eight, and mostly bald with a distinct beer belly asked, “Is that Jake? Oh Lord, she looks just like Ashley at that age.” I could see tears forming at the corners of his eyes as he stared.

I was getting really tired of this. I got that I looked like Arcana but why did they all have to make such a big deal about it. I had more important things to think about though, my Dad was in trouble and maybe, just maybe, he needed me to save him for once. “Look Grandpa I appreciate you bringing me somewhere safe but I need to go save Dad, there’s no telling what Arcana will do to him, she is all sorts of crazy.”

“Don’t you dare talk about your mother that way,” the one with the beer belly scolded me. “She is not responsible for her actions. Besides what are you going to do? Go walk into her home, put a pout on those pretty lips, and say ‘Pretty please let my daddy go?’ You’d just end up joining him.”

“Hey! I’ve got powers, I could…” I started to argue.

“You could what? You would probably get your ass kicked,” Grandpa said sternly. “Ashley has been developing her powers for twenty years and you’ve had your for what, twelve hours? You need to learn how your powers work before you go rushing in there. Besides she won’t harm your father. All she did after their battle was restrain him. Think about it, when she was holding you captive did she harm you at all?” I was about to argue when he raised his hand and stopped me, “I realize that turning you into a girl and freezing you was probably traumatic but did she physically harm you in any way?”

I thought about it for a long moment before finally replying, “I guess not. In fact she seemed obsessed with keeping me happy and safe in her own twisted way.”

The man with the glasses and wild hair nodded, “That’s right and that gives us some time to train you. Maybe with our help you can save both of your parents.”

“No offense, but what do any of you know about mutant powers?” I asked.

Grandpa Max grinned at me, “Well for one thing, we trained your parents. Jake and Crystal, you are looking at one of the very first super hero teams ever. I used to be known as Captain Inferno, Mervin was called The Silver Sorcerer, and Eugene was The Brain. Together we were the Thrilling Threesome.”

I just stared at him as he revealed that little tidbit of information and then when the names finally hit me I couldn’t help myself, I started laughing my ass off. “P-Please tell me you didn’t call yourselves that in public.” I heard Grandpa mutter something about ‘youngsters today’ but it was then that I realized that Crystal was staring at Eugene, the tall skinny one. “Earth to Crystal, are you okay?”

She nodded as she turned to me and asked, “Don’t you know who The Brain is Jackie?” When she realized that no answer would be forthcoming she sighed. “The Brain was one of the people on the science team that discovered how mutation works; he practically mapped the H Chromosome.”

I could tell that Crystal was dying to talk to Eugene about her own situation but she was trying not to be selfish because my own situation had just become even worse. But if he could help her at all then she really deserved it after the way she had helped me. I needed to know exactly what was going on with my family but I figured I didn’t need all of the men there to explain it. “Umm, Grandpa I’m kind of lost on why both my parents need saving. Do you think you and Mervin can maybe explain that to me? I think there’s something that Crystal should talk to Eugene about in private anyway.”

Crystal sent me a grateful look as Grandpa sighed but nodded. “You deserve to know everything Jake. Eugene, why don’t you take Crystal to your lab while Mervin and I explain things to Jake here?”

Once the pair was gone Grandpa began the explanation. “We were ready to retire and leave the super hero thing to the younger generation when your father’s powers first manifested.”

Mervin then added, “Around the same time my niece Ashley started showing the potential for magic as well. She was the most gifted student I had ever taught. The three of us saw the pair of them as the perfect way to carry our legacy into the future so we trained the two of them together.”

“They were a teenage boy and girl with a lot in common and spending most of their time together so of course the inevitable happened, they fell in love,” Grandpa continued the story. “Your mom called herself Cantrip back then and the two of them worked so well together. It looked like they would have a great future together. They were so happy, even more so after they married and you were born.”

“But then I got sick didn’t I?” I asked, figuring out where this was going.

Mervin nodded sadly, “You got pneumonia and you just didn’t have the strength to fight it. Ashley came to me for help; she was desperate to save you. I started doing my own research but neither of us could find a way that wasn’t tied to dark magics. We heard about a collector of magical artifacts and Ashley went to see her about something that could help. It was that woman who sold her Morgana’s Bracelet. She told her that it was a magic amplifier but in reality it is far more than that.”

“Is that the gaudy gold thing she wears?” I asked.

“Yes,” he replied. “And it changed my niece the moment she put it on. She stole the life from several homeless people and used it to give you the strength you lacked as she cured your ailment. I went to see the collector myself and the woman told me the true nature of Morgana’s bracelet. You see, the bracelet belonged to the sorceress Morgan le Fay and as she lay dying she placed her dark soul within it. She gives the wearer the power to fulfill their desires but she twists those desires and the good intentions that go with them into something horrible. The host can only watch helplessly as Morgana uses their bodies and power to commit the most heinous of acts. But above all Morgana always seeks more powerful women to act as hosts and she will only release a host once a more powerful host has been found, which I fear is where you come in.”

“Okay so my mom isn’t really evil and crazy but can’t help herself. I’ll try to get the bracelet off her if I can but how is this suddenly all about me?” I asked, a little confused.

“We think that your mother has been fighting her control, a lot more than Morgana expected,” Mervin pointed out, “That’s why she didn’t escape the asylum until last year.”

“And all that time she’s been away from her husband and child and wanting desperately to be with us,” I muttered in realization. “Morgana used that desire against her to escape, didn’t she?”

“More than likely,” Grandpa agreed. “To escape and get her hands on a new host.”

“You think she already found a host from inside an asylum?” I asked in confusion.

“Think about the age we live in,” Mervin prodded. “With mutants running around Morgana doesn’t have to limit her hosts to just sorceresses anymore and Morgana is probably very eager to get her claws into a new host with Ashley resisting her so much. And then there is you. You’re the child of a line of powerful elemental mutants and a powerful sorceress. You’re young and impressionable and the odds of you being powerful in some way were pretty high if you were to come into one of your lineages. Now as a boy you weren’t much use to her, but as a girl…”

“Oh my God, she planned this all along!” I half shrieked in realization.

“It does seem that way,” Grandpa agreed. “The only thing she didn’t plan on was you escaping. And that is exactly why you can’t go rushing in there untrained. You’re going to have to fight her because if you go back willingly now and just let her hand you the bracelet, a master manipulator like Morgana is going to smell a trap.”

“What if she finds me?” I asked remembering what she said about knowing my life energy.

Mervin seemed to consider that possibility. “She won’t know about the bowling alley, this used to be the hideout of a super villain called the Headpin. We bought it two years ago after he died of a heart attack and I’ve made sure it’s well shielded against magical spying. I may not be as powerful as my niece but I do know my stuff. If you have to go out for any reason I’ll make you a pendant that will disguise you and shield you from magical sight. That means she’ll have to search the city the hard way and that will take a while.”

When the three of us stepped into Eugene’s lab to join Crystal and Eugene I found myself amidst dozens of machines that I couldn’t even guess the purposes of. The Brain was sitting at a microscope and making sounds like he was fascinated with what he saw while Crystal sat in an armchair nearby looking very nervous. They both looked up at the sound of our footsteps and Eugene smiled. “This girl’s DNA is incredibly fascinating. Her H Chromosomes are broken and only contain part of the information on her mutation but I believe I can solve the problem with your help Mervin.”

“You can help her?! How?” I asked practically jumping up and down in happiness for my new friend.

Eugene adjusted his glasses as he seemed considered how to explain it. “The Archetype is a blueprint, not just of the mutant’s abilities but of their form as well. Essentially it stores a mutant’s entire genetic code as it should be. Crystal’s current genetic code was somehow damaged when her mutation manifested and it corrupted her H Chromosomes. However, the area that stores the data for her Archetype appears undamaged. I believe that by examining this part of her genetic code that I can find that stored Archetype and the data it contains on what her genetic code should look like.”

“Where exactly do I come into this?” Mervin asked rolling his eyes. Apparently he had seen Eugene go into a scientific nerdgasm many times before and wanted a direct answer.

“You know a clone spell, do you not?” the scientist asked.

“Of course I know one,” Mervin grumbled. “But I haven’t been able to cast it for years. I would need more power to be able to use it.”

“I believe that our young friend here can help you with that,” Eugene replied. “Now what I plan to do is use the data in her Archetype to create a sample of what her DNA should be. Then once you have an amplifier you can cast the clone spell using the sample as a basis.”

“I suppose it could work,” Mervin agreed, “I’ve never known you to be wrong about this kind of thing. We’re going to be pretty busy getting the training room and the spare bedroom ready though.”

“Oh it will likely be several hours before I’m ready to produce a sample for you, sifting through her chromosomes for the correct genetic structure won’t be an easy task. I would suggest that while I work on this and the two of you set up the training room that these two girls get something to eat and some clothes to train in. That dress that Jake is wearing may be attractive but it is hardly practical. She will likely need some everyday clothes as well. Feel free to give them a few thousand dollars from my petty cash.” With that he went back to his microscope as Grandpa Max and Mervin took Crystal and I back to the main room.

“How does he have thousands of dollars in petty cash,” I wondered aloud as Crystal and I sat on the couch.

“He holds the patents on quite a few technological devices,” Grandpa Max explained as Mervin left the room. “That’s how we managed to buy the bowling alley and pay the people that work here.” He then went and took a small lockbox off the top of the fridge and counted out three thousand dollars in hundreds and fifties, handing half to each of us. “Both of you get some clothes and other necessities. We have to consider the possibility that it’s not safe for you to return home Crystal, so you’ll need to stay here as well until this all blows over, and if Eugene can do what he’s proposing you might need some training as well.”

A few minutes later Mervin returned bearing a small silver pendant on a chain. “I’ve spelled this to shield you from magical sight and to alter some of your features and change your hair color Jake.”

He placed the chain over my head and around my neck and I could feel a slight tingling. I assumed that meant that the spells were working until I saw the disappointed looks on Mervin’s and Grandpa’s faces. It also helped that Crystal said, “Am I supposed to not see the changes, because she looks exactly the same to me.” Then the chain snapped and the pendant flew toward the wall where it shattered.

Mervin sighed, “Well I guess this means it’s a moot point whether Jake wants to stay like this or turn back.” Seeing my confusion he added, “It appears that you have developed a strong resistance to transformation magic, probably due to how you got your powers. I’ll make another one without the transformation spell. I’d use an illusion but she would likely see that a mile away. You two will just have to be careful and keep your eyes peeled for Ashley.”

“I guess you all had better start calling me Jackie then,” I said with a sigh of my own. I had tried to prepare myself for this eventuality in my mind but it still hurt. At least I wouldn’t be uncomfortable with my body. Adapting mentally was going to be a bitch though.

Once Mervin had finished making me another pendant Crystal and I headed off for the closest mall. Despite being excited over the possibility of having her problem fixed Crystal was quiet for most of the drive. Finally I had enough and spoke up. “You know you being excited is not going to hurt my feelings Crystal. You’ve suffered with this for a while right? Well you deserve to have something go your way. I’ll get used to all of this eventually and at least I’m not stuck in a body that feels wrong like you.”

“I… I heard you crying last night,” she admitted. “I thought that this might just be too much for you.”

So she did hear me after all. “Look at the day I had yesterday, I was kidnapped by a raving lunatic who revealed herself to be my mother, a woman I thought was dead. Then she turns me into a girl which at the time felt like the worst thing in the world. Then she freezes me and I managed to somehow unfreeze myself and escape. Then I met you and suddenly felt horrible for having the body I do now and being comfortable with it. All that time I was trying not to show any fear or upset and trying to keep it together. It was the worst day of my life, so of course I needed to let it all out. The only good thing about yesterday was meeting you.”

She smiled at that. “I think that was the high point of my day too kiddo.”

“Today doesn’t suck quite as much,” I said with a shrug. “Sure I’m stuck this way but at least I know it and I can try to move on. And I think the big reason I’m so scared of moving on is that I may be comfortable being female but I don’t have any idea of how to be female.”

“I don’t think that’s going to be a huge problem,” Crystal said as we pulled into the mall parking lot. “I noticed earlier that you seem to be getting used to your new center of gravity and it’s really helping your walk. And times like now, when you’re not trying to bottle everything up inside, you let a lot more emotion into your voice. The rest of it is just small things and I can help you with those. I can also teach you about fashion and makeup and all the other things you’ll need to know. Other than that just be yourself, fundamentally there’s less differences between being male and female than you’d think.”

Shopping with Crystal was a learning experience. She would point out all the different types of women’s clothing and which went best with which, what could be worn for what type of occasions, what colors worked best for me, and the difference between night and day wear makeup. I think she didn’t want to push me too far though because there were certain topics she would avoid, like boys. I had noticed a few looking at me appreciatively as we made our way from store to store and I think I found some of them attractive as well. To be honest I wasn’t really sure how I felt about that; on one hand it would make adjusting to being female easier but on the other hand thinking of relationships and sex from the other side of the fence scared me.

We did more than just girl lessons though. We bought the necessities like Grandpa Max had suggested; toothbrushes, makeup, and more personal grooming items than I ever realized a girl needed. For most of the shopping we went to a department store so it would cost less. After the necessities we bought a wide variety of underclothes including panties, sports bras for when we work out, and several regular bras as well. It turned out I was a large C cup. Crystal suggested I get D cup bras since the C cup bras were a bit too tight and at my age I was probably going to grow a little more. “Crystal shook her head as I finally chose some bras that weren’t too uncomfortable. “Well Jackie, you definitely have the super hero physique but I don’t envy you the back pain those are going to cause you.”

“Speaking of which,” I shot back, “Maybe you should get some other sizes, you never know what your new physique will look like when Eugene and Mervin get you fixed up.”

She ended up deciding to do just that and once we were done with underclothes we moved on to workout clothes and casual wear. Crystal insisted on a good variety of things as I would need to get used to wearing things other than t-shirts and jeans and I might was well start immediately was her thinking. I did get some jeans but I also got a large variety of shirts and tops and even some skirts as well at Crystal’s insistence. For shoes we each made sure to get a pair of sneakers, something Crystal called ballet flats, and some winter boots with good grip.

After one last stop at a jewellery store, where Crystal insisted I get my ears pierced, we made our way to the food court for a late lunch. As we sat at the table eating Chinese I said, “Thanks for everything you’ve done for me since we’ve met Crystal; I’m glad I’ve had you to help me through this. So, how are you feeling? Are you nervous yet?”

“Yeah,” she admitted, “I am. Eugene seems pretty certain that he can make this work, but what if he can’t?”

“Then you go back to what you were doing before. But the only way to find out for certain is to try I guess. I’m curious though, you seemed pretty big on code names and costumes and such when you found out about me, did you want to be a super hero?”

“As I kid I never really thought about it honestly,” she replied with a sad smile. “But when I found out I was a mutant I thought that it would be the coolest thing ever… and then we discovered my genetic quirk. My dream was revealed to me and snatched away in a matter of weeks.”

“I never wanted to be one until I found out who my dad was,” I said after a bit of thought. “But I think I was so focussed on the hero part than I never really considered the things like names and costumes. But I guess if you don’t have those things then the people around you get hurt. I’m pretty much a big shining example of that since Dad got outted.”

“Yeah, that Hyper Leaks site was a menace to good heroes everywhere,” she said with a frown. “It hasn’t updated in over a week though and I heard that it’s been having technical issues.”

“Maybe that has something to do with the site admin being a newt now,” I replied casually.

My timing was perfect, just as she was taking a sip of her Diet Coke Crystal’s eyes widened and the soda came spraying across the table as I deftly moved aside to avoid being hit. When my friend recovered from her laughing/coughing fit she managed to get out, “She didn’t.”

“She did, or at least that’s what she told me,” I responded. Then I couldn’t hold it anymore and burst out laughing, “You should have seen the look on your face! Honestly though, that is what she told me.”

When we arrived back at the bowling alley Grandpa Max had us put all our new things in the spare bedroom that we would share while we stayed there. We had been gone for over five hours and they had the room ready for us and were finishing up setting up all the sensors and other equipment for the training room. They had been meaning to get it set up earlier but they didn’t see a pressing need to do it without someone to train there. While we were waiting for them to finish Crystal set all of her concentration on generating a fist sized amplification crystal for Mervin’s use. Generating a crystal that size seemed to drain her pretty badly but she seemed happy with the final result.

The men needed a bit of a breather once the training room was finally set up so they brought us into the control booth to explain how everything worked while they rested. “Eugene designed the whole thing,” Mervin explained. “We were following his blueprint so if anything doesn’t work it’s all on him. He designed the room not only to help train mutants but to also gather data on their abilities. There’s programmed training sessions for individuals or groups as well as a data retrieval session which is what we’ll put you through first Jackie.”

“Eugene will want to be here for that though,” Grandpa put in. “He’ll have sensors and other little doohickeys he’ll want to attach to you. Now whoever is monitoring the session can activate various obstacles, weaponry, or opponents for you to battle your way through until the task for the exercise is complete or the time limit is up. Mervin, I’m going to set up a practice robot so you can test out that amplifier crystal.”

“Fine, fine,” Mervin said with a groan as he got to his feet and opened the door to enter the training room. “Just make sure you don’t set it to kill me, I’m not as young as I used to be.”

As we watched a slot opened up in the floor and a robotic head emerged followed by the arms and body and then the legs as the platform it was on rose to the same level as the floor. The robot took a step toward Mervin as the hand he held the crystal in began to glow with a silvery light. As the robot took another slow step forward but it didn’t get any further than that as the light intensified and split into nearly a dozen ribbons of light which tightly bound the robot where it stood. As Mervin turned to leave the training room the restrained robot was swallowed up by another slot opening in the floor.

When he emerged from the training room Mervin was grinning from ear to ear. “Not bad at all, I haven’t had the power to use that spell for nearly a decade. This should allow me to use the clone spell just fine if Eugene has anything for me to clone.”

“Maybe we should go check on him,” Grandpa suggested thoughtfully. “You know how he gets when he’s absorbed in his work. He loses all track of time and what begins as work on something like a new transistor results in a particle beam weapon, a shrink ray, and invisible paint.”

“We never did find that last one,” Mervin muttered. “But you’re probably right, let’s go see how he’s coming along.”

We headed back into The Brain’s lab where Eugene was warming something on a hot plate. He looked up as we entered and smiled, “Oh you’re just in time!”

Crystal tried looking over his shoulder to see what was on the hot plate and asked, “Is that the modified DNA sample?”

“Oh heavens no,” he replied, “I finished that an hour ago. This is chocolate fondue, would you like some? I made enough for everyone.”

“Ummm maybe later,” Crystal responded nervously. “Mervin thinks the amplifier crystal should work fine for the clone spell. So we’re ready to go when you are.”

“Excellent! I’ll just get the sample and we can begin.” Eugene beamed as he went to the back counter to retrieve a petri dish that I assumed had the altered version of Crystal’s DNA, which he handed to Mervin. “It was tricky finding the proper data but once I did it was simplicity itself to decode the information. Please be careful with that sample though Mervin, I only had enough stem cells on hand to generate the one.”

The sorcerer nodded as he gingerly took the sample in one hand and gripped the crystal in the other. He mumbled some words I didn’t quite catch and both of his hands began to glow bright silver. The energy then shot out from both his hands to strike Crystal squarely in the chest. It took a moment before I noticed the changes that were occurring in my friend. She seemed to lose two or three inches in height as her figure became more feminine. Her hips widened, her waist became slimmer and her chest grew slightly as her facial features softened and became less angular. Her eyes seemed to get a bit bigger and turned a blue that almost seemed to glow, an electric blue that her formerly black hair now matched. Even her eyebrows were that shade of electric blue.

“Fascinating,” Eugene said. I could only nod mutely in agreement. Then he asked, “How do you feel?”

I think Crystal was more stunned than any of us with that mixture of shock and bliss that played across her new features. Finally she managed to get out, “I… I feel great. I feel like myself for the first time in years. Oh thankyouthankyouthankyou!”She wrapped each of us in a big hug as tears ran down her cheeks.

When it was my turn for a hug she almost crushed the air out of my lungs. “Crystal you’re crushing me,” I gasped.

“Sorry Jackie,” she said with a blush. “I’m just so happy; I can’t believe I’m really me now.”

With Crystal’s problem dealt with our three mentors decided that it was time to see what we were both made of. They had us both change into our new exercise gear, which consisted of a sports bra and spandex top with yoga pants. As we changed I caught Crystal staring at her new self in the mirror. I could have told her to hurry but I didn’t want to ruin her moment, she had been waiting to see that reflection for a long time.

Once we had made our way to the training room Eugene attached all sorts of monitors and wires to us to monitor our life signs and our powers readings. Then he had me enter the room first where he threw everything he could at me in both my ice and human forms to determine what I was capable of. I spent nearly three hours in there being tested in every conceivable way. I was quite a bit faster and more agile than normal but my reflexes, strength and other physical attributes were only slightly above average for a girl my age in both forms. In my ice form though, my stamina was nearly limitless. My powers were fairly similar to my dad’s and grandpa’s actually. I could control, shape and move ice, and to a lesser degree water, to suit my needs and since my ice form was composed of ice this even gave me limited flight capabilities. I couldn’t go as fast as most fliers but I was certainly no turtle either.

There were a few things that were complete surprises though. For one thing, I could seem to control my element to a lesser degree while still in my human form. Eugene theorized that this was because such a high percentage of the human body is made up of water. Another surprise was that I could generate ice using the moisture in the air or anything else around me that contains moisture, but I had already accidentally discovered that when I awoke at Crystal’s apartment. The last surprise was due to the nature of my element being so different from my father’s nearly indestructible stone form and my grandfather’s non-solid flame form. I could be shattered or melted and pull myself back together again using what was left of me and whatever moisture that was around.

That last one was discovered by accident when I lost my concentration while attempting to fly through an aerial obstacle course, fell to the ground, and completely shattered my ice form. That was not something I wanted to do often, it’s really weird having to pull myself back together, and it kind of destroyed the clothes and sensors that I was wearing. Eugene thought that this ability was because my element is actually water, which is fluid. He figured that my powers only manifested as ice because of the way I got them and because ice was easier for me to work with. By the time I pulled myself back together that first time and returned to my human form I was ready to take a breather, so after I went and got some new clothes on, I joined the others in the control room while Crystal was being tested.

Crystal’s abilities were focused mostly on the blue crystals she generates. Now that her body was what it should be, she could generate them and re-absorb them with barely having to think about it and she used them to create weapons, armor, and other constructs. She was also faster and stronger than a normal human. The poor robots that Eugene pitted her against had no chance, she took them out with one hit apiece and soon Eugene discovered why. The crystals she generates are nearly indestructible and apparently in her new form her bones are made of the stuff. That, combined with her innate strength and speed, means that she hits like a speeding train.

It was possible that there was more to both of our sets of powers but Eugene was testing for the more common expressions of our power types. After he had all of the information he wanted we discussed what to do about my current situation. We knew where Arcana was holding my dad but with her power and experience it would be insane to go and confront her on her own turf with little or no experience in actually using my abilities. Even if Crystal and the Thrilling Threesome *snicker* helped me, Arcana was just too powerful and unpredictable for two rookie mutants and three retirees to take on without a plan. So since we knew that deep down Arcana wouldn’t let Morgana hurt Dad, it was decided that we wait it out, keep monitoring the news, train every moment that we could, and let her make the first move.

With that decided we had a late dinner of pizza and Crystal and I were given the rest of the evening off so we could rest up for training the next morning. I decided to sleep on the floor and let Crystal have the bed since I was a little afraid that I might turn icy in the middle of the night and give her hypothermia or something. We did stay up and talk for a while before sleeping and Crystal couldn’t stop gushing about how happy she was with her new form and powers. I wished that I could share her enthusiasm but I still couldn’t help feeling a lot of uncertainty about being female and all the things would come with it.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas we settled into a vigorous training routine. Crystal seemed to be adapting to her new abilities well but by the beginning of the second week I was still having trouble concentrating, especially when my first period hit. I was in constant discomfort, I felt fat and hated myself for it, I was grouchy, and since the only other female around had never experienced that time of the month before either, I was pretty much on my own on how to deal with it. By the second day I felt so bad that I was spending most of my time in my ice form to make it easier on myself.

It was around then that Crystal decided she needed to go on a supply run. I was pretty sure that she just needed some time away from me and I couldn’t really blame her since I was being a stone cold bitch. Mervin had even made her a pendant to alter her features and hair to look more like a regular Asian girl so she could go out without having to fear being attacked by anti-mutant extremists. I was sitting in the main living area wallowing in self-pity when Grandpa, Eugene, and Mervin had apparently decided enough was enough. Grandpa sat down on the couch beside me and put an arm around my shoulders. It was a good thing it was him because the aura of cold I was giving off at the moment would have frozen anyone else and we seemed to be fairly resistant to one another’s powers.

“Jackie, you…” he began uncertainly.

I really didn’t want anyone trying to cheer me up at the moment. “Grandpa, it you’re here to give me the ‘you’re a special snowflake’ speech you can save it. That’s the last thing I want to hear right now.”

Grandpa frowned and grabbed me by the shoulders, forcibly turning me to face him. “No, I am here to tell you you’re being a dang fool! Crystal trying so hard to help you adjust and you’re not giving it a chance!”

“You think I’m not trying to adjust?! I have no choice but to try to adjust, I’m stuck like this, remember!” I snapped back.

“Is that why you’re in your ice form all the time? You’re not adjusting you’re hiding from biology and reality,” he countered.

“You have no idea what I’m going through right now!”

“I was married for forty-seven years Jackie; I think I learned enough during that time to have a pretty good idea how you’re feeling right now. It’s not just this though; you’ve been like this most of the week. At first you seemed to be adjusting fine but then you started becoming distracted and depressed.”

“Max is right,” Mervin put in. “Come on kid we want to help you but we can’t do that if we don’t know what’s going on in your pretty little head. Those first few days of training you were doing great and then your head just wasn’t in the game anymore. Not accepting who you are is a weakness, one that Morgana will exploit, so tell us what’s bothering you.”

I could have literally given them the cold shoulder but they were my mentors and I knew that being a bitch to them served no purpose no matter how I might feel at the moment. I sighed and uncertain where to begin I just came out with it. “After Dad’s secret identity got leaked and I started getting kidnapped by all of his enemies the kids at school started calling me the ‘Damsel in Distress’. I already got teased before that for looking kind of girly but once the kidnappings started it got worse every day.”

“That’s just teenagers being jackasses Jackie,” Grandpa insisted.

I nodded sadly. “I thought that too, at the time, and I thought that if I ever did get powers of my own like Dad that I would be able to prove them all wrong. I thought that if I had powers that for once I could be the hero.”

“Well you didn’t wait around for rescue when Morgana kidnapped you,” Mervin pointed out. “You saw a chance to escape and took it. You have powers now, and if you apply yourself to your training you will be the one to save your parents.”

“Don’t any of you see it?!” I snapped. “I thought that when I got powers that I would be big and strong like Dad. Sure I’ve got power, but now I’m even more of a damsel in distress than I was before. Not only am I actually female now but I’m weak and fragile too. If I hit something too hard I’m the one who breaks, not the other way around.”

“And then there’s Crystal,” Eugene finished my thought. “She’s strong and her powers make her nearly indestructible too.”

“Exactly! Compared to her I’m a frail little girl. I’m getting used to being female but what I can’t take is that I’ve turned out to be exactly what everyone in school said I was.” I couldn’t look at any of them right now so I looked down at my knees. They had to realize now that there was no way I could ever save my parents like they were expecting.

“That’s the biggest load of horseshit I’ve heard in my life,” Grandpa Max said, raising my chin so that he could look me in the eyes. “The only person who can decide who and what you are is you, nobody else.”

“He’s right,” Eugene said with nod. “Your problem is that you’re still thinking like a typical teenage male. You think you need to be big and strong to win a fight but strength is relative. We were saving the world while your parents were still in diapers and how many of those battles do you think we won with brute strength? I’m The Brain for crying out loud, can you imagine me using brute force to win a battle?”

I had to admit, at least to myself that none of them were the big strong types and likely never had been. While I was considering that Mervin pressed their point. “Your dad is big and strong and he’s made that work for him, but only because he learned how to play to his strengths. You’re a girl now Jackie, so start thinking like one. Girls don’t fight with muscle, they use their minds. You can have all the power in the world but it doesn’t mean a thing if you don’t use your brain.”

“You might be fragile, but you can always pull yourself back together again if you break, how many people can say that?” Grandpa added. “You’re not built for attacking directly, so don’t. Use your speed and agility, hit and run, let people think your powers are just ice based and then hit them with water. Hell, even use your damsel in distress bit as an advantage. People make the biggest mistakes when they think they have the advantage, don’t fall into that trap and make sure to exploit it when your enemy does.”

I had to admit that they were probably right. If I was going to save my parents I needed to start thinking about both my powers and myself differently. I returned to my human form and stood up to wrap all three of them in a hug. “Thanks guys, do you have any other sage advice?”

“Apologize to Crystal when she gets back for being such a bitch,” Mervin said as he ruffled my hair. “And then the two of you take the rest of the day off and do something together. You might be comfortable with being female, now you need to embrace it. Powers are tied to form if you’re not comfortable with one you won’t be with either. You need to be comfortable with your powers if you’re going to save Michael and Ashley.”

I did apologize when Crystal returned and the two of us when out to do some Christmas shopping. We both wanted to get Grandpa Max, Mervin, and Eugene something and something for one another as well. We decided to team up and get them a silver box with some smaller personal gifts placed inside. The box itself was engraved with the message: For Three Wise Men: You gave us the gifts of Wisdom, Hope, and Strength. I didn’t know what Crystal bought me since we didn’t plan to exchange gifts until Christmas day, but I got her a locket engraved with the words: For the world’s greatest big sister. I even convinced her to go to a photo booth in the mall so that I would have a photo of the two of us together to put inside.

I had also decided to try being optimistic and bought something for both my parents as well. I saw a stuffed princess from a classic video game and just had to get it for my dad. I only hoped that he would get the joke if I did manage to save them. For my mom I was a little less certain. I only knew her from what glimpses I could get of her true self while being held captive. I knew that me and Dad were important to her and that she really wanted us to be a family for the holidays. In the end I found a snow globe with a woman, a man and a young girl making a snowman inside and it struck a chord with me. I just had to get it for her.

After we finished our shopping we ate a quick dinner and returned to the hideout under the bowling alley to put away our purchases. Then to my surprise Crystal suggested that the five of us go upstairs to bowl a few games together while the alley was closed for the night. It was a lot of fun but it had me a bit confused. Finally, during our second game I asked her, “What’s up with the bowling? It’s kind of a guy thing isn’t it? I thought you were supposed to be helping me embrace being a girl.”

Crystal grinned at me and nodded, “This is to teach you the most important lesson of all about being a girl. Being a girl isn’t all about shopping, clothes and makeup, or sappy movies. Sure those things can be nice, but a lot of girls just aren’t into that stuff. All girls are different. The most important thing that you need to know about being a girl is that you just need to be yourself. Be Jackie and be happy with who that is, no matter what kind of girl she is.”

That day was just what I had needed. After that I redoubled my efforts to try to get as good with my powers as I could before Morgana made her move. For some reason that none of us could figure out I was still changing into ice in my sleep but I supposed that it would take time to figure out why and how to prevent it. I would hate to turn anyone I fell asleep with into a popsicle, but I didn’t plan on that for quite a while so I figured that I had time. Other than that I was doing well in my training sessions, though Eugene did impose a ‘no flash freezing the robots’ rule. It seems that if you freeze metal in seconds flat and then hit it that it shatters. Anyway, it seemed that I was starting to get a good handle on my abilities when Morgana finally made her move.

It was ten in the morning on Christmas Eve and Grandpa, Mervin, and I were going through a midmorning training session when Crystal came in and had Eugene stop the session. “Sorry guys,” she explained as we made our way to the living area, “But I figured that you were going to want to see this.” She rewound the tape in the old VCR Grandpa had set to record local news and hit play. The news report seemed normal enough until the anchorman was handed a card and his face went pale. “This just in, downtown Toronto has become bedlam in the wake of another attack by Arcana. Our mobile news team caught this footage before the feed cut out suddenly.” The news room was replaced with a view of Arcana standing in Nathan Phillips Square by the fifty foot tall Christmas tree. Beneath the tree my dad was trussed up in chains with a big ribbon on him like some sort of perverse Christmas gift.

“Merry Christmas Toronto, this is your future ruler speaking. I was going to wish you all a merry Christmas from my family to yours but then it occurred to me that my family isn’t complete. So until it is there will be no merry Christmas for any of you.” Her hands glowed bright violet and the view panned up to above the tree where a black portal opened and hundreds of evil looking winged gremlin type things began pouring out wearing Santa hats of all things. The camera panned back to a close-up of Arcana who had a helpless look in her eyes that was at odds with the evil smirk on her face. “I know you’re out there Jackie, so come on down to Nathan Phillips Square for some fresh baked cookies and a Christmas slay!”

“It’s a trap.” Grandpa said, voicing what all of us were thinking.

“Of course it’s a trap but we can’t sit here and do nothing, Ashley would never forgive herself if anyone dies because of this. We need to put a stop to this,” Mervin said, his eyes not leaving the screen.

“Retirement was getting boring anyway,” Eugene put in. “Let’s get suited up men. Girls come to my lab, I made some costumes for you as well. I was going to wait until tomorrow to give them to you but you’ll need to protect your identities.”

We followed Eugene into his lab while Grandpa and Mervin went to get their costumes from their bowling bags and change. Once we were inside he handed each of us a package. “These are bulletproof and as durable as I could make them, and it took some work but yours is meant to alter its molecular cohesion to suit your own Jackie. You girls go change and meet us in the living area when you’re finished.” I had no idea what he meant by that last part but it at least sounded useful.

We raced to the room that we had been sharing for the past two weeks and got out of our clothes. Crystal also put her pendant aside before getting into her costume. Hers was a black body suit and domino mask with a large crystal shaped emblem on the chest the same color as her hair. It also had a line of the same color with crystal patterns running down the left side from her underarm to her foot. “Wow, I can’t believe I’m actually putting on a costume and going to save the city.” She said in a quiet voice.

“It looks good on you Crystal and I think you’ve earned it,” I said as I slipped into my own costume. Mine was a light blue affair that covered me from my toes right up to my neck with a large white snowflake pattern that covered my right breast, shoulder and arm with the same pattern reflected on the back. In addition to the attached hood trimmed with white fur that would hide my hair and partially obscure my face, I also had a light blue domino mask. Last but not least I had a white utility belt with a snowflake buckle. I examined the small tubes that were attached to the belt to find that they were filled with water and I assumed that it was for emergencies when I had no nearby moisture to work with.

We returned to the living area to find Grandpa and the others in the costumes that they had been famous for in their day. The costumes were hanging off of them in some places and too tight in others and largely were a big neon sign advertising why old men shouldn’t wear spandex, but at the same time it gave them an air of regal confidence. I almost wished I could have seen them in their prime as I looked at them standing there: Grandpa in his bright red and yellow flame themed costume; Mervin in his silver and black costume and hooded cloak; and Eugene in his dark blue bodysuit with metal utility belt, goggles, boots, and gauntlets. “Are you girls ready to go?” Grandpa asked.

“Ready when you are Captain Inferno,” I answered without even a snicker.

“Let’s get to the roof then, “The Brain suggested. “Mervin has been checking the emergency bands. The gremlins don’t seem to be leaving Nathan Phillips Square area and most people have been evacuated without any casualties so far. We think Ashley is trying to hold them back.”

“I can’t be sure how long she can continue actively resisting Morgana though,” The Silver Sorcerer said with a sigh as he clutched the amplifier Crystal had made for him tightly, a grim look on his face.

We took the secret staircase to the roof where there was some sort of bulky looking blue aircraft with a stylized number three emblazoned on the front waiting for us. “Okay everyone let’s get aboard the Thrill Machine and kick some gremlin ass!” Grandpa exclaimed as he opened the hatch.

“I’m not calling it that,” I said with a shake of my head as I got on board and buckled in.

We arrived at Nathan Phillips Square to find it nearly abandoned except for the festive gremlins, which where destroying anything they could get their hands on. Grandpa and I decided to take the fight to them while The Brain found a landing spot so the others could join us. So once the hatch was opened we leapt out of the *sigh* Thrill Machine and flew right at the biggest group of gremlins we could find. We tore into them holding back nothing. Mervin had explained that they were a form of magic elemental and couldn’t be killed but that with enough damage they could be sent back where they came from.

Grandpa’s form might not have been solid enough to hit them but his bursts of flame were hurting them a lot, even more so when he spun around and became a raging cyclone of fire. “Way to heat things up, Captain Inferno,” I joked as I flew behind another group and let loose with my aura of cold, flash freezing them.

“Not so bad yourself youngster, the way you handled that gave me chills,” he retorted as they fell to the ground and shattered before disappearing in puffs of violet smoke.

“Well I knew they wouldn’t like me giving them the cold shoulder, but I didn’t think they would be so broken up over it.” Then out of the corner of my eye I saw a young girl maybe six years old clutching a doll as a group of gremlins closed in on her. I created a barrage of icicles and launched them at the group as I swooped in to pick up the girl and place an ice barrier between us and them. “Are you okay sweetie? What are you doing here all alone?”

“I.. I lost my dolly,” she replied in tears. “An’ when I found her mommy was gone an’ there were all these scary monsters.”

I wiped her tears with a frozen finger, “What’s your name sweetie?”

“J-jenny,” she responded amongst some sniffling.

“I’m Slush and I’m going to take you somewhere safe. I know I might be a little cold to the touch but I need you to hold on tight. Can you do that for me Jenny?” The little girl nodded and clutched me and her dolly tightly. I gripped her tight in one arm as I turned the barrier I had made into another barrage of icicles to hurl at the gremlins as I flew us toward the edge of the square where I thought I had seen a news van.

On my way there I discovered that the Thrill Machine had landed and the others had joined in the fight. The Brain was firing some sort of sticky bombs that stuck to the gremlins and exploded seconds later as they tried to dislodge them. Meanwhile the Silver Sorcerer was impaling some with shafts of silver light and knocking others from the air with gigantic silver fists. And then there was Crystal. My good friend was prancing merrily through a large gathering of the creatures, swinging away happily at them with a ginormous crystalline sword. The sword seemed to instantly dissipate any of the creatures it touched. “I’m glad you’re having fun Crystal,” I said with a chuckle, freezing some of her attackers as I flew past to deposit Jenny beside the stunned news reporter and cameraman.

“Oh you know me Slush,” she joked back. “If I couldn’t get in on the action I would be just shattered.” Her sword cleaved through the frozen gremlins, leaving nothing but tiny shards of ice in its wake.

I shook my head at the pun as I let go of Jenny. “Jenny I’m going to leave you with the nice news lady here.” Then I turned to the news lady in question. “Get this girl somewhere safe and warm and help her find her mother, it’s not safe for any of you here.”

“Who are you?” the reporter asked in awe.

“I’m Slush, now get this girl and yourselves to safety.” I took off into the air again and was about to re-join the others when I heard Grandpa’s voice through the earpiece I was wearing. “Slush, leave the gremlins to us; get to the tree and save Stonewall and Arcana. Remember it’s you that Morgana wants.”

“On my way Cap,” I replied as I made full speed toward the tree. I landed roughly twenty feet from where Arcana stood waiting for me, a dozen large icicles hovering at my command in case I needed them. “Let my mother go Morgana,” I said coldly.

I thought that I could see hope in the eyes under that mask even as the sorceress laughed as her hands glowed and she threw a spell at me. I only barely reacted in time, shifting my body from ice to water long enough for the projectile she had conjured to pass through me harmlessly. Then I pulled one of the icicles toward me as I refroze myself to fill the gaping hole in my chest. In mere seconds I was as good as new. “Oh how delightful,” Morgana said, painting a manic smile upon my mother’s lips. “You’ve become even more powerful than I had hoped.”

“I wouldn’t be so happy about that, since I came here to kick your ass,” I snapped.

“And hurt your mother?” she replied confidently. “I think we both know that you’re not ready or even able to do that.”

“I think you’ll find that I’m full of surprises,” I shot back as I flew at her with a punch. I had told Grandpa and the others that I had a plan for freeing mom. I didn’t give any of them the details on that plan though, because even I thought it was a little insane. So much of what the Thrilling Threesome had told me made sense though, and I was hoping that there was enough of their wisdom in their plan to make it work. Morgana would smell a trap if I tried to get her to release my mom without a fight. I planned to make her think that I was prepared to give her that fight and to give her just the opening that she was looking for.

With a flick of Arcana’s glowing hands I found myself held in place, my arm outstretched mid-punch, a living ice statue of defiance. “You planned to hit me?” she taunted. “That was your big surprise? Such a child you are, but children have so many strong desires. You will prove a much more suitable host than your mother was.” I could see the horror in my mother’s eyes as she removed the bracelet and placed it on my outstretched wrist.

My body was suddenly freed and laughed as Morgana took control. She reached out with my powers to freeze my mother where she stood but I fought her and flew twenty feet into the air. Morgana tried to move me but I resisted. We fought back and forth for control and suddenly I found myself inside an icy cavern facing a shadowy woman dressed in black. “Morgana,” I spat.

“Yes child, and do you know where we are?” she responded. “We’re inside your mind. It’s not a very inviting place is it? But you’ll get used to it; after all you’ll be spending the rest of your life here once I get full control of your body.”

“Yeah, good luck with that,” I said crossing my arms.

“I have had more hosts than you can imagine and they have all given up in the end,” she teased.

“Mom didn’t,” I replied coldly. “No she fought you right up until the end didn’t she? And I’m willing to bet you haven’t taken over many teenagers before. One thing about us teenagers, we’re just full of rebellion.”

“Enough child, you bore me. Get it through your pretty little head right now: While you wear my bracelet I have the advantage and sooner or later I will have full control over you and your powers.”

“Oh that’s right,” I snickered. “You haven’t possessed a mutant before, have you? You’re used to using sorcery. Trust me it takes some learning to get used to this body and what it can do. Maybe a little demonstration would help. Can you guess what I’m having my body do right now? I’m flash freezing everything around me.”

“Your powers are mine now child! Every time you use them I learn more,” Morgana said with a sneer.

“Have you figured out flying yet?” I asked with a smile, “Because we’ve been doing that this whole time. Right now we’re like forty feet in the air. This is what it feels like when we stop.” I suddenly focused all my attention and all the willpower I could muster on not flying.

“What are you doing?! This won’t do you any good child, I will get control!” she shrieked.

“I’m sure you would with enough time,” I countered. “Oh, here’s a fun science fact. With a hard enough impact ice shatters. And if you freeze it quick enough, so does metal.”

The dark sorceress’ eyes shot wide open in sudden realization. I could feel her fighting for control even as we struck the ground and both my body and Morgana’s Bracelet shattered from the impact.

When I finally managed to pull myself back together and mostly re-form my body, the first thing that I was aware of was crying. Mom was kneeling nearby and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that she was the source of the sound. Grandpa and the others were trying to calm her down and convince her that it probably wasn’t a good time or place to have a nervous breakdown. She just knelt there though, inconsolable and clutching a large chunk of ice. Off to the side Grandpa seemed to be explaining everything that happened to my dad.

Once I was formed enough to walk again I stepped up behind my mother, placed a hand on her shoulder, and said, “Hey Mom, do you think I could have that back? I kind of need that part of me. I mean sure I could use some of the snow around here to fill that spot, but you never know where it’s been.”

Her head snapped around and she just stared at me for a long moment, tears running down her face. “Jake?!... Oh I am so sorry Jake.”

“It’s Jackie now Mom, and what do you have to feel sorry for? Wanting to protect and be with your family? That was all you wanted Mom.” I took the chunk of ice and placed it in the hole in my stomach before kneeling down to embrace her. “None of that other stuff was you, it was Morgana. I probably couldn’t have resisted her for as long as you did. You resisted her for fourteen years. The only reason that I was able to defeat her was that she needed time to figure out my body and powers and she was overconfident. But it was you who put up such a fight that she was desperate for a new host.”

“But I…” she began.

“No, Morgana did,” I insisted. “Besides I’m starting to like being a girl and if it hadn’t been for that I wouldn’t have powers now and this whole crazy plan of mine would have never worked.”

“That was reckless, stupid, and damn near gave me a heart attack,” Grandpa scolded me as he and Dad approached. “But I’m proud of you Jackie.”

It was then that Dad wrapped both me and Mom in a hug. “I’m proud of you too Ja… Jackie. Thanks for coming to my rescue. It’s going to be hard getting used to having a daughter instead of a son but I guess that just means that now I’ve got two powerful women that mean the world to me. And nobody is ever going to take either of you away from me again.”

“I hate to break up such a touching family moment,” Crystal interjected. “But it won’t be long before people figure out that the battle is over and come to see what’s up. And I don’t think they’re going to believe that Arcana was possessed this whole time.”

“Cantrip was the one who fought Arcana until Slush came to help and destroyed the source of her power. Arcana was destroyed along with it.” Mervin said with a shrug. “I think there’s enough truth in that to be believable.” A wave of his hands and Mom’s costume changed from the black and violet witch outfit to a lavender and white costume with a hooded cloak instead of a pointed hat and cape.

“But I need to pay for what I did,” my mother said with a shake of her head.

“I know you don’t want to believe this right now Ashley, but you have done nothing to be punished for,” Mervin insisted. “You fought Morgana the whole time and tried to prevent her from harming anyone and I think you’ve spent enough time punishing yourself over the past fourteen years for those homeless people. If you really feel the need to make amends, then maybe Cantrip should spend some time in local hospitals helping to heal those wounded today. It might help you to heal as well. Now let’s see about repairing some of the damage here while Michael goes to deal with the press.”

Mom nodded silently and the pair began to magically repair the damage done in the square while I found a quiet place to change back to flesh and blood. That proved to be unnecessary as much to my surprise, and relief, I was not naked when I returned to human form. My costume was still present and had seemingly suffered no damage whatsoever. I guessed that must have been what Eugene had been talking about when he mentioned molecular cohesion. When I returned from hiding I saw Dad talking to the press from a distance while Mom and Mervin magically repaired buildings and Crystal and the others cleared what rubble they could. I decided to join them and clear the snow and ice that had gotten blown into storefronts and over people’s dropped belongings.

Soon we had done all we could and the police were starting to let people back into the square again. No deaths had been reported today and for that I was very grateful, Mom didn’t need anything more to punish herself over. She and Mervin had headed to the hospitals to do what they could for any of the injured, Dad was finishing up with the police and the reporters, and Grandpa and Eugene had gone to return the Thrill Machine to the bowling alley and get a few things from the stores before they closed for the night. As for me and Crystal, we had just finished up an interview with the news lady that I had met earlier in the day.

We were about to leave when I felt a light tugging at the leg of my costume. I looked down to see the Jenny standing there, shyly holding a gift box out toward me. “She wanted to get you something for saving her, and so did I,” explained the woman standing beside her. “I’m Sarah, Jenny’s mother. Thank you for giving me my daughter back, I was afraid I had lost her.”

I was speechless as Jenny pushed the package into my hands. “Sorry that you had to save me Miss Slush. When I’m grown up I want to be a hero just like you but I don’t know if I can.”

I knelt down and took the package and gave the girl a kiss on the forehead. “You know even heroes need rescuing sometimes. A wise man once told me that the only person who can decide who and what you are is you, nobody else. But for what it’s worth, I think you’ll be a great hero someday.”

The girl beamed at me and said, “I’m gonna do my best to be just like you Miss Slush.”

I opened the package to discover a blue and white scarf with a snowflake pattern on it and smiled. “Thank you Jenny and Sarah, I will treasure it always. Have a Merry Christmas.” I wrapped it around my neck and waved goodbye as Crystal and I started off to find my dad.

“That was sweet,” Crystal said once we were out of earshot.

I blushed, a bit embarrassed at being such a softie, but still I replied, “I used to think being a hero was all about beating the bad guys and smiling for the reporters. There’s a lot more to it than that though, and I think that being that little girl’s hero is worth far more than everyone knowing my name.”

“I don’t think she could ask for a better hero than that kiddo,” she responded with a smile.

It was Christmas day and the whole family was gathered at Seacroft Mansion to celebrate the holiday together. I wasn’t used to big family gatherings since usually it was just me and my dad. This year though my family had gotten a whole lot bigger. Not only did I have my Mom now, but there was also Grandpa, Mervin, Eugene, and last but not least, Crystal. I had spent most of the day in the kitchen with my mom and Crystal as they attempted to teach me to cook a big holiday meal while the men discussed whatever it was they chose to discuss.

We had opened what gifts we had gotten one another and I nearly squealed at the snowflake shaped crystal earrings Crystal had made for me, but all in all the gifts just weren’t important. I think the most important gift was the big one that I had received the day before. My family was whole again, and together we could face anything. Now though, we had all sat down to dinner and discussion had turned to what we were going to do now. “Well we aren’t going back to Edmonton,” my father stated flatly. “There would be too much explaining to do even if we did have something left to go back to.”

“We can stay here for now,” Mom pointed out, “But I don’t like that idea for the long term. Jackie will need to go back to school sooner or later and I think I would like to live a semi-normal life again when that happens.”

“What about AMPS?” Mervin suggested.

“What the hell is AMPS?” I asked. I didn’t seem to be alone in my confusion either as from the looks on everyone’s faces only Eugene and Grandpa seemed to know what he was talking about.

“AMPS stands for Aaron Morris Private School,” Eugene explained. “It’s a school on an island up north In Hudson’s Bay devoted to mutants. A colleague of mine called Deep Blue helped found it about ten years ago. The site used to be an old naval base that they bought from the government but they have made a very nice campus there. There’s also a decent sized town that’s grown up around it. A lot of the staff lives there as well as former students and their families. In fact most of Morristown is comprised of Hypers or people who support them, from what my colleague has said.”

Mervin nodded in agreement, “Blue told me the same thing. She’s been trying to get me to come there to help teach the magically inclined students, but I’m sure she would hire you if I recommended you Ashley. You and Jackie could probably both start up in September when the new school year starts. Until then you could stay here or try to find a place in Morristown.”

“I’ll bet you Morristown or the school itself could use a good engineer too,” Grandpa put in while looking pointedly at Dad.

Mom and Dad both seemed to be considering the idea and I had to admit it did have some appeal. I did have some reservations though. “A whole town full of mutants? That sounds kind of cool, but I just got used to being here with you guys and Crystal.”

“You don’t have to leave right this minute,” Crystal said as she reached over and ruffled my hair. “And we can always talk on the phone and visit one another. Who knows, maybe I’ll decide to check out Morristown too and see if I like it enough to stay.” It did give us something to think about as we talked over dinner. It was entirely possible that we would indeed move to this Morristown and that I would go to school with others like myself, but at the moment I was more concerned with enjoying the holidays with my family. Besides, my future, whatever it might be, is a story for another time.