A dying man is given a second chance. This story is a fan fiction that takes place in the Whateley Universe.

---------------

The super villain social club was right where Frogger had told me. It was an out of the way location, with the main entrance being in a side alley. There were no signs or indications that this was a club for super villains or even any that it was a club at all. For anyone who didn’t know where they were going, it would merely appear to be the fire exit from the building.

I’d been sitting back for awhile, watching as two obvious super villains entered through the door while another one left. I was pretty certain that I had the right place, but knowing where it was wasn’t the same as being able to walk through the front door. After all, not only did I not look like a super villain, I also looked too young to go into any kind of bar or club.

“Might as well get this over with,” I said, trying to pretend that I wasn’t extremely nervous and even a little afraid.

I went to the door and stepped through, only to find myself immediately confronted with a bouncer. He wasn’t dressed in any kind of costume, merely slacks and a nice shirt, but I was still pretty sure that he was a villain or at least had powers. After all, not only he was he tall and almost impossibly muscular, he also had eyes that glowed ever so faintly.

“No kids allowed,” the bouncer told me, almost gently. “This ain’t no place for you.”

“I’m here to see Lady Havoc,” I said simply, suddenly getting a look of surprise followed by one of intense suspicion.

“Like I said,” the bouncer repeated. “No kids allowed.”

I gave him a flat look as I said, “I wouldn’t have thought that a place that caters to super villains would be concerned with laws about minors in a bar.”

“We’re not,” he responded with a faint smirk. “We just don’t let kids in.”

I scowled at that, beginning to get annoyed and frustrated. However, I was pretty sure that it wouldn’t be a good idea to try anything on the bouncer. After all, you probably didn’t get to be the bouncer in a bar for super villains unless you could really handle yourself.

Just then, someone else called out, “Hey Lenny, is that little girl giving you trouble?”

There were snickers and laughter from the other occupants of the club. I looked up and saw several people in costumes sitting around with beer and shots in front of them. And there a few more who were wearing civilian clothes, most of whom wouldn’t have been out of place in any other bar. Of course, the woman with green skin and horns on her head was an exception, even if she was wearing jeans and a T-shirt.

Then I looked at the guy who’d called out to ‘Lenny’, the bouncer. The man was big and bulky, with muscles on top of muscles, though still not quite as big as the bouncer. He had a mask that covered his entire face, but there was something about him that seemed familiar. It was his voice and build… I suddenly remembered exactly where I knew him from.

“Thanks for the advice with the eggs,” I called out to him. “Practicing with eggs like you suggested really helped.”

Though I couldn’t see his face, his body language definitely suggested he was surprised, probably at the fact that I recognized him even with that mask on. Of course, if it hadn’t been for the whole exemplar mental package thing, I probably wouldn’t have.

“You know her?” Lenny asked him.

The masked man just responded, “I met her briefly at the Clinic…when I was getting taken care of after that fight with Captain Saturn.” Then he came over and joined us, staring down at me though I couldn’t see his expression. “I’m Jack Hammer.”

“Ribbon,” I answered, earning a snicker from Lenny. Admittedly, like my appearance, my name didn’t come off as very threatening at all. And while that could definitely be an advantage for appearing harmless, I now realized that it would also make it difficult for anyone to take me seriously.

“What are you doing here, kid?” Jack Hammer asked me, being a bit friendlier than Lenny had been.

“I have a message for Lady Havoc,” I said simply, having noticed that Lenny hadn’t denied she was here.

Jack hesitated for a moment, then said, “I really don’t think she wants to be bothered by anyone right now.”

“That’s an understatement,” the green skinned woman added with a snicker. “The way she’s been lately, she’s likely to kill the messenger.”

I frowned at that, trying to think about how I could get to Rachael while avoiding a scene. After all, I was pretty sure that if I tried to start something here, I’d just get my ass kicked. I might have powers, but there were a bunch of professional super villains present who probably wouldn’t take kindly to me if I caused trouble.

After several seconds, I said, “Can someone tell her I have a message from Big Al?”

“Who’s Big Al?” one of the uncostumed customers mused.

The guy sitting next to him answered, “Big Al is that loan shark…”

“No,” another customer responded. “He’s a big time numbers guy in Atlantic City.”

Lenny nodded to a nearby waitress, an attractive redhead who had glowing blue tattoos of lightning bolts on her arm. She hurried off, coming back a minute later and announcing, “Lady Havoc wants to see her…”

Jack and Lenny both seemed surprised at that. “I’ll show you to her, honey,” the waitress told me as she gave me a curious look.

“Havoc isn’t the kind of person a kid should get involved with,” Jack warned me, actually sounding a little concerned. “And this isn’t the kind of place you should be hanging out.”

I just smiled at him and said, “Thank you, but I can take care of myself.”

The waitress led me to the next room, which had secluded booths instead of tables. Because each booth area was partitioned, I couldn’t make out just how many other people might be present. However, it was pretty quiet in this room so I was sure there weren’t many people.

“She’s back there, honey,” the waitress said, pointing to a partitioned booth in the far corner.

“Thank you,” I told her pleasantly.

As I walked towards the partitioned area where I’d been directed, my heart began to race. I’d already been nervous just coming in here, but now it was getting worse. How would Rachael react to seeing me like this? Would she even believe I was really me? All I could do was brace myself and find out.

I stepped into the partitioned area and saw that it wasn’t really one of those booths you see at a family friendly restaurant, like I’d been picturing. Instead, there were the same kind of table and chairs as in the other room, only they were surrounded by these thin walls to give more privacy.

Rachael sat at the table, facing in my direction. She was wearing her Lady Havoc costume, and I couldn’t help but noticing a large and scary looking energy rifle sitting in the chair beside her. In fact, I was pretty sure that this was the same weapon she’d used to shoot me. On the table in front of her, there was a half empty glass of beer and two empty shot glasses.

Rachael stared at me with a cold look, then her eyes widened slightly in surprise. “You,” she said in obvious recognition. “I remember you…vaguely.”

I nodded at that, not knowing whether I should feel relieved or not that she remembered me at all. When she had her episodes, her memories tended to blur and even go missing, especially during her severe episodes like the one at the Clinic. In a way, it was a good thing that she remembered me, but I also knew that I certainly wouldn’t want to be stuck with the memory of having killed a little girl.

“I thought you were dead,” she commented, looking vaguely relieved, though she quickly covered it up. However, her eyes darted to her weapon, perhaps in case I was here to get some kind of revenge.

“I’m harder to kill than I look,” I said with a shrug, trying not to think about just how much that had hurt.

“I hear you have a message for me,” she stated. Her expression was grim, but there was a look in her eyes that seemed hungry to hear what I had to say.

“Your cure worked,” I told her simply. She didn’t bother hiding the intense look of relief, then her body language all relaxed. I bit my lip for a moment, then added, “But there was a side effect.”

“A side effect?” Rachael demanded, giving me a worried look. “What kind of side effect?”

I looked away from her for a moment, glancing around at the partitioned walls before meeting her eyes again. “It caused burnout,” I finally said, unable to keep my voice from shaking. “And a late manifestation of mutant abilities.”

“WHAT?” Rachael blurted out, her eyes going wide in obvious surprise and disbelief.

If I’d had any lingering suspicious that Rachael’s cure was intended to turn me into a mutant, her reaction definitely removed them. Her expression was stunned and a little confused, and under other circumstances, I might have burst out laughing.

“He’s a mutant?” she gasped, probably more to herself than to me.

“A high level exemplar to be exact,” I told her, trying to keep my voice calm. Then I gestured down at myself and gave her a nervous smile, cautiously asking, “Well Pumpkin…what do you think of my new look?”

Rachael’s eyes went even wider than before, and for a moment, I thought she was about to start choking. I just stood there, feeling unbelievably self-conscious as she stared at me. This was even more awkward than the first time Melanie or Rich had seen me like this.

“Daddy?” Rachael finally asked, looking more than a little doubtful.

I nodded at that, then let out a sigh. I sat down in the chair across from her and said, “I didn’t exactly have a way to ahold of you to tell you about this.” Then I forced a weak smile and added, “And when I tried talking to you at the Clinic, you obviously weren’t in the mood to listen.”

“You can’t be,” Rachael protested weakly, looking a bit dazed and confused. “You’re a little girl…”

“I have a weird BIT,” I explained with a shake of my head. Then I admitted, “This is pretty damn weird for me.”

“I’d imagine,” she responded carefully, seeming to get hold of herself.

“Your cure worked,” I explained, fully aware of the way she was staring at me though I tried to act as though I didn’t notice it. “But as you see…” I gestured down at myself. “The doctor isn’t sure if your cure gave me the mutation…or just triggered a latent one I already had.” Then I paused, thinking about the fact that two of my kids were mutants and now it looked like at least one of my granddaughters was as well. “It’s probably the latter.”

“I’m sorry,” Rachael said, giving me a pained look. “I didn’t mean for…”

“You saved my life,” I quickly pointed out. “I knew damn well that there were risks, but they were better than the alternative. Sure, I’m a little girl now…but I’m still alive. Hell, I feel better than I ever have in my life. I’m not blaming you for this. I’m thanking you.”

Rachael stood up from her chair and came around the table, so I stood up as well. She was quite a bit taller than me, which was no surprise. Just about everyone was taller than me now. She stared at me for several long seconds before abruptly giving me a hug.

“I’m glad you’re alive,” she told me, pulling back and looking teary eyed. “I was afraid something had gone wrong…that it hadn’t worked.”

“I gathered that from what happened at the Clinic,” I responded wryly, only to have her wince at that that.

“I’m sorry I hurt you,” she said awkwardly.

“What if it had been a real little girl?” I asked her in a cold tone. “One who didn’t have regeneration to save her life?”

Rachael hesitated a moment, then admitted, “Trust me, I’ve already been thinking about that a great deal.” She sat down again, suddenly looking very tired. “You have no idea how relieved I was to see you alive, even before you told me who you were.”

“You can’t keep doing this,” I told her quietly, thinking about all the people she’d killed. “You can’t keep going on these rampages…”

“I know,” she responded with a sad shake of her head. “I’ve spent years trying to find a cure for my Diedricks, but every time I think I might have something…it goes wrong. The closest I came is something that has a sixty percent chance of curing it…but an eighty percent chance of frying my brain and turning me into a drooling idiot. I get so frustrated…and that just triggers an episode…” She gave me a tearful look and said, “You have no idea what it’s like when you can’t even control yourself.”

I gave her a gentle hug, wishing I could do something for her. It broke my heart to see what she was going through, knowing how it not only hurt her but everyone else as well. I knew that mutants weren’t the only ones who could have mental issues, but combining them with super powers always made for a very dangerous combination.

“I go by Alyss now,” I told her, not sure what else to say. Then I joked, “It would be pretty damn weird having people call me Al or Dad when I’m out in public…at least when I look like this.”

Rachael chuckled weakly at that, responding, “Yeah, I can see that.” Then she tested the name, “Alyss…”

“Alyss Megan Morgan,” I said, giving her my full name.

Her eyes widened slightly as she caught my middle name, then she smiled faintly and said, “I like it.”

“My codename is Ribbon,” I added, making a foot long ribbon in my hand for demonstration. “Not exactly impressive.”

“Neither is the ability to make a toaster,” she pointed out wryly.

I shrugged at that, then added, “Well, I can also move an engine block without needing a hoist now, so that’s pretty handy.”

Rachael chuckled again, then asked, “So, how do you like being a girl? And a mutant?”

I thought about it for a moment, then told her, “It’s a lot to get used to for both of them. But the way I figure it, you gave me a second chance and I’d be an idiot if I didn’t try to embrace it.”

“And what are you going to do with this second chance?” she asked me, giving me a curious and somewhat wary look. “If you’re here for my help getting into the business, I can definitely hook you up with the right people. But somehow, I don’t think you’d like the lifestyle.”

“That’s not why I’m here,” I told her, remembering exactly why I had come. “I didn’t come here so I could become a criminal.”

Her expression turned even more wary and she asked, “Have you decided to be a hero then? Are you here to try taking me in?”

“No,” I responded with a sad shake of my head. “I have no intention of becoming a hero either.” I paused at that, then said, “I’m here because I need your help.”

Rachael stared at me for a moment as she absorbed that, then she cautiously said, “I’m afraid I can’t do anything with your BIT, Daddy…Alyss. I wouldn’t have the first idea of how to turn you back into a guy…”

“I need your help with the Marquis,” I stated grimly.

Rachael gave me a blank look, then commented, “I thought you said you didn’t want to be a hero.”

“He has Rich,” I blurted out in frustration. “I need you to help me save your brother…”

“But the Marquis only takes mutants,” Rachael started to protest.

I cut her off and exclaimed, “Rich is a mutant.” She paused, looking surprised at that. I shook my head and admitted, “I only found out recently… He’s been keeping it a secret for years. He was afraid that I might worry about him doing the same thing you did.”

Rachael winced at that, then stared at me for several long seconds. “My Dad turns into a little girl,” she finally said, “and a mutant. And now my little brother is a mutant too…” She scowled for a moment, then demanded, “Is Mel a mutant too?”

“Not that I know of,” I responded, pausing for a moment before admitting, “But the Marquis seemed pretty sure that Kaylie is…and that she’s going to manifest soon.”

Rachael didn’t say a word to that at first. She just took a long drink from her beer, looking worried. “I was the only mutant in the family,” she finally said, her voice quiet and tired. “I felt like a freak. Now, suddenly everyone is.” Then her expression darkened and she demanded, “What happened?”

I told her about the attack at the mall and she listened without interrupting me. Once I was finished, she began asking questions, trying to get details on what Rich could do, on what powers the Marquis demonstrated, and on what he’d said about Kaylie.

Finally, Rachael said, “Only an idiot would go after someone like the Marquis. You have no idea how dangerous he’ll be once he starts getting more powerful donors.” She finished off her beer, then said, “But there is no way in hell I’m gonna let that fucking asshole have my baby brother.” Her eyes flashed with anger, but it wasn’t the anger that came with her Diedricks, but more the kind that could lead into an episode. Then she suddenly looked at me and weakly joked, “Pardon the French. Your delicate little ears shouldn’t have to hear that kind of language.”

In spite of the dark situation, I still found myself chuckling at that. It was nice having my baby girl back, even if it was only for this short time. I’d really missed her.

Without a word, Rachael stood up and grabbed her energy rifle. She took my hand in hers, reminding me a great deal of when she was a little girl and liked me to hold her hand whenever we went someplace. However, this time it was her hand that was larger than mine. Still, I smiled faintly as we began to leave the club together.

When we got to the other room, one villain in some kind of fire themed costume taunted me, “Oh, the little girl has to run away from the big bad super villains…” He laughed as though that was the funniest thing he’d ever heard.

Suddenly, Rachael had her energy rifle pointed right in his face, looking furious as she snarled, “No one fucks with my family…”

The villain looked like he was about to piss himself, and I gulped, expecting her to pull the trigger any moment. She was clearly starting to slip into one of her episodes, and everyone in the club could see it. But after several seconds, she lowered the weapon, then gave me a reassuring smile to show that she was still in control.

“She must be Lady Havoc’s kid,” the red headed waitress exclaimed, staring at me in disbelief.

“Baby Havoc,” the fire themed villain joked weakly.

Jack Hammer was sitting at the bar, holding a whole pitcher of beer in his hand as though it was a glass. He watched me for a moment before musing, “Now that I think about it, there is a resemblance.”

Neither Rachael or I said anything as we started for the door, with Lenny quickly stepping out of the way and giving me a wary look. After the way Rachael had reacted to the one villain teasing me, he was probably a little nervous about what she might do for the way he’d treated me. He looked relieved as the two of us left without causing any further trouble.

As soon as we were outside, Rachael gave me a curious look and commented, “I know you didn’t have any choice about turning into a girl…but what’s up with that dress?”