The Succubus Files-2: Persecution by Lynceus Alyssa was back in my life, and things were looking better. But then I came face to face wtih human fear at it's most primal level, and it shocked me to the core...

Ever since I woke up, naked, in a government lab, my body completely transformed, I've discovered that I have some amazing powers. Like, for one, despite the fact that I don't look like I could out-wrestle a nine year-old boy, I'm strong. Really strong.

I mean, I can't lift a car, like Alyssa could when she had her powers, but I can lift about 900 pounds over my head, which is really damned amazing for someone of my height and build! I was also more agile than ever, although that might have had more to do with my different body structure and flight power.

It really seemed like my ability to fly was always on, at least to some extent, I felt amazingly light when I moved, and I had some really impressive hang time when I jumped. I took to just gliding around a few inches off the floor, since I had to do a lot of flying before I got tired.

For awhile there I got a kick out of hanging upside down in the air like some kind of antigravity bat, but Alyssa told me that it kind of freaked her out, so I stopped. Mostly. I still feel bad that she'd lost her own powers; it was really nice to discover our abilities together.

Although she's still a lot stronger than she was, she's not lifting any trucks, that's for sure. As I'd discovered, I can really take a pounding, and my body starts healing itself the moment I'm injured. Although too much of this and I really get hungry.

Yeah, that's another thing. I can't seem to digest vegetables any more, I'm on a strictly carnivorous diet, which includes bloody steaks. I can't really chew them, I just sort of suck the juice out of them. Alyssa says she can't decide if it's cool to watch, or just creepy.

She's mentioned letting me bite her more than once, but I remembered the 'dream' I'd had. Sakkara had killed someone she cared about doing that, and I won't lose Alyssa again! Granted, my level of bloodlust wasn't anywhere near what hers had been, but why tempt fate?

My nightvision also defies explanation; I can see just fine in a room with no light at all! Fire and heat seem to have no effect on me, I don't burn, heck, smoke doesn't even make my eyes water. Tear gas does, of course, as I found out during our escape from the lab.

It really points to a supernatural origin for my powers, but I try not to point this out; the government doesn't seem to have any magic experts, and besides, I like talking with Doris. But she's a geneticist, if she got the idea that she couldn't help me, she probably wouldn't come by as often.

My last, and probably most potent ability is calling hellish flame to my hand. It's definitely not of this Earth, and it seems to be able to burn just about anything. Any time they try to gauge the heat of my fireballs, the equipment starts behaving oddly. For now, they're chalking my power up to 'pyrokinesis' and leaving it at that.

I can't really blame them, metahumans seem to blatantly ignore science. Almost like our powers are governed by some other form of physics, I guess.

I was still kind of resistant about the whole costume thing, although I sure had a lot of fun with the ring I'd been given! Alyssa and I were in her room, and I was basically letting her treat me like a living doll, using the ring to change into any outfit she asked for. To my surprise, I really liked using the ring to play 'dress up', the more I get used to my body, the more I like seeing myself wearing different outfits.

She had me in some lacy number that looked way too sexy for a girl of my apparent age. “Hon, are you sure about this?”

She grinned. “You're a little hottie now, baby. Might as well flaunt it, right?”

I posed, placing a hand on my hip. “Hm..maybe.”

“Ok, I want you to try this on.” She held up a magazine of this girl wearing some black lace Victorian-style number. I read the article title.

“Gothic Lolita fashion, and you? You're serious?”

She clasped her hands together. “Please? For me?”

I shook my head and willed the ring to change my appearance again. I whistled lowly. “Wow...” I swished my skirt this way and that; the ring's illusions are just too real to be believed!

“Wow is right, you look...adorable, but in a sexy kind of way.”

I looked at her. “Sexy to who?”

She moved closer, putting her arms around my shoulders. “To me.” She kissed my neck, which sent shivers down my spine.

“Do you really mean it hon? Sorry...it's just...”

She ran her fingers through my short hair. “I know, it's a little strange to me too. I mean, I always could appreciate how a girl looked, but this is different. I love you, Stef, no matter if you're a boy or a girl, so get that through your thick skull, please?”

I sighed. “I'm trying! It's just..not easy.”

She hugged me closer, and I could feel her breasts against my shoulders. “Baby, you're doing just fine, you really are. I think there always was a girl inside you, wanting to get out.”

I frowned. “You really think so?”

She rested her chin on my head. “Yeah. And you know what? I really like her.”

“So you like me better this way?”

I could see her frown in the mirror. “That's a hard question. Better? No. Just...different. I mean, don't get me wrong, I miss my big strong boyfriend. You used to hold me like this.”

“Yeah...” I felt my eyes mist up a bit. “Argh...”

“Shh. Don't hold them in. If you want to cry, just do it. You're entitled now.”

“When I thought you were gone, I didn't care if I lived or died. I need you so much. Are you...ok with that?”

“Very ok. You were strong for me once. You helped me stand up to Mom. I can be strong for you now. Just lean on me honey. I'm here.”

I leaned back, letting her support my weight. It felt really good. “There's a song like that...if you fall I will catch you?”

She laughed. “If you fall I will catch you, I'll be waiting...time after time.”

“Yeah! Uh, who sings that?”

She giggled. “Cyndi Lauper.”

“Gah! I'm such a girl!”

She suddenly cupped my little AA breasts. “Yes, yes you are. And naughty girl, no bra?”

I blinked. “Did I need one?”

“No, not really, you're small enough up top not to. Although you will have to worry about your nipples poking through your dress...like they are now.”

She rubbed them, and I moaned softly. Oh shit, that felt so nice!

Then she gently bit my earlobe, and I gasped. “You like?” She whispered.

I nodded. “Uh huh...”

“I'll miss how we used to make love, baby. But there are other ways. Lots of other ways.”

I was so turned on right at that moment, I was ready to grab her and throw her on the bed. So of course, it was that exact moment that my ring lit up.

“Alena? I kind of have a problem, how quickly can you get downtown?” It was Doris, and she sounded like she was in trouble.

“I'm on my way!” I frowned, looking at Alyssa. “Raincheck?”

She smiled and kissed me. “Be careful. And definitely. I'll be waiting.”

-

I was still in the Gothic Lolita getup as I flew over the city. I felt like some weird magical girl from an anime. Look out world, here comes Sailor Purgatori! I let my skin turn red, and my dress became backless as my wings became visible. I didn't need them to fly, but it felt good to exercise them. If Sakkara had been any indication, they were going to get a lot bigger over time!

Of course, that was another thing I wanted to ask Doris about. After I helped her with her problem, that is. I saw the smoke rising and heard the sirens before I saw anything, even with my eyesight. Doris was literally holding a burning building up, trying to keep it from collapsing!

I hovered near her. “Doris, you could be burned!”

“...doesn't matter....people inside!”

I nodded and zipped through an open window. As I said, smoke and heat don't bother me, and I could see perfectly fine inside. The building groaned under it's own weight, as it's very supports were being burned away. It was old, a firetrap waiting to happen. “Hello! Can anyone hear me! I'm here to help!”

I heard coughing. “Here, please! My baby!”

I bust down the door and into the hall, moving quickly towards the sound. I entered a bedroom, ignoring the heat and the flames, and saw a woman holding a little girl to her breast.

“I'm here, I can help you.”

The woman's eyes widened. “What are you?! You look like a Devil!”

“Would a Devil be here to save you? Come on, let me take the child...” I reached for her, only to have the woman shy away. She reached for her necklace, a crucifix, and ripped it off her neck.

“Don't get any closer! You can't have my baby!”

“Don't you understand? You'll both die...please, let me help you!” I reached for the child again, and the woman jabbed the crucifix into my hand. And God...oh God help me...it burned!

I pulled my hand back, holding it in shock.

“You are a devil! You are! Get thee behind me!”

I growled and grabbed the woman, child and all. She jabbed at me with the crucifix, but I didn't care. I threw a ball of Hellfire at the wall, which burned an opening for us. And I flew us out, even as the woman jabbed the cross into my eye!

I screamed, but I refused to let go, not until we were on the ground. I cowered in pain as she kicked me, and spat me. Finally, the firefighters pulled her away. I heard the building finally collapse and...I felt nothing.

-

“Stef? Stef!” Doris scooped me up in her arms. “Honey, what's wrong, what happened?”

I just stared off into space, shivering. I felt cold. So cold.

“Fuck, your eye! What happened?”

“...I'm evil.”

“What? No, honey, you're not, you saved that mother and her little girl!”

“She thought I was a devil. She stabbed me with a cross. It hurt...it hurt...why did it hurt?”

“Just hold on honey, I'll get you home.”

-

But when she brought me out of the alley, I could hear voices. “It's a demon! It's evil! It caused the fire!”

Someone threw something, which hit Doris, I heard her grunt. She snapped at a nearby cop. “Officer, control this mob or I will defend myself!”

I guess that was enough to incite him to action. “Uh...hey! That's enough! Move along! This lady just saved a whole bunch of lives here, if you keep harassing her, I won't stop her!”

“So you're siding with them?! The freaks!?”

“Oh for the love of...” I heard the squawk of a radio. “Dispatch, this is Officer Riley, at the corner of Baker and Sixth. We got a riot about to form, please advise?”

A burst of static, then. “Circle the wagons, Mitch. Sending backup now.”

The police formed a defensive ring around us, holding the crowd back until the backup arrived.

-

Finally, Doris got me home. She'd wrapped me in a blanket. I still felt cold. Alyssa gasped when she saw me. “What the fuck happened?! Honey? Talk to me!”

“What happened...? I'll tell you what happened! She saved lives, and they wanted to crucify her for it!”

“Oh my God, baby, your eye!”

“She's not healing it, she said she was stabbed by a cross. I don't care what anyone says, Stefani isn't some demon!” Doris punched the wall in frustration.

“Hey, hey, easy on the wall, ok Giganta?” King Faraday walked in.

“...sorry. God, this is my fault, I should have seen this coming..”

“Blaming yourself isn't going to fix the kid. Ok, let's move her to the couch. I have a doctor coming.”

-

“Well, the damage isn't all that severe to the cornea. It should heal eventually. I can't imagine why her natural ability to recuperate isn't working on the wound. Well, not unless I'm willing to step beyond the bounds of medicine.” The doctor patted my arm and rose. “Have her rest for a few days, if it doesn't clear up, we'll have to operate. If we even can, that is, given how fast her other wounds heal themselves.”

He left the room and I could hear him talking to Faraday quietly. But I couldn't make out the words. Alyssa was holding me, and I slowly realized that me acting like a zombie was upsetting her. I reached out and touched her hair.

“I'm sorry, Alyssa. I don't mean to worry you. It's just...I never thought God would turn on me.”

“Steven...Stefani. Don't say that! Come on, you haven't been to Church in years!”

I chuckled. “True. But I was never burned by a cross before. I never had someone be so afraid of me, they'd rather die. And let their child die. I...how can I be a hero if that's what people are going to think? That I'm a mon..”

“Don't you dare finish that sentence! Don't you dare! You are not a monster! You're a beautful, wonderful person, and I love you! Would I love a monster?”

“...I should shut up now, huh?”

She kissed me fiercely. “Yes.”

-

The next morning, I could see out of my eye again. Alyssa had...helped me feel better. In a lot of ways. But when I went downstairs for breakfast, wearing one of Alyssa's shirts (how's that for a switch, she used to wear my shirts as nightgowns!), I found King watching the news.

He turned off the set. “I'll give you the short version. The religious community is demanding answers, the cops are stonewalling them, and the media is having a damned field day.”

I sat down. “Fuck.”

“Yeah, you got that right, girly. But you know...this was inevitable. There's a lot of fear about metahumans. It was only a matter of time they'd latch onto one of the less pretty ones. Not that you're not...pretty, I mean.”

I groaned. “Please, King, don't. 'Pretty' is not a word I ever wanted used to describe me.”

“Heh. Yeah, I guess not. I don't know how you do it.”

I blinked. “Huh?”

“I see you fall apart all the time, and hell, who wouldn't? But you keep pulling yourself back together. And you're not a cop, or military. From them, sure, I can see it. Duty before all else. But you're just a kid, you know?”

“I...don't have any answers. I guess it's just that there are people who care. And if they can have faith in me...maybe I should too?”

“Yeah, Giganta is pissed. And I don't even want to know what Jade is going to say. That little filly is going to launch me into orbit!”

I laughed. “She wouldn't do that.”

“I'm government. She has a pretty dim view of us. I know she's technically supposed to acknowledge our authority, but that young lady has the power to change the world. And we keep getting in her way.”

“I wonder, sometimes. How I would feel, if I was still human. And this was going on around me. Would I think that metahumans are a menace too?”

King shrugged. “I don't know. I don't think so. But either way, we're going to have to move you out of this town, at least until this dies down. Ain't no pretty girl...human or not, whether she wants to be a girl or not...dying on my watch.”

I smiled. “Are you sure you work for the government? That almost sounded like you care!”

“Damn right I do. Look, the country is a mess, but the minute we throw our hands up and say it's not going to work, abandon ship, that's it. Game over. So I keep hoping that one of these days, the people are going to stand up and say 'enough, this isn't what we want', and make the politicians and the warmongers listen. That's how this country got started, and it's high time people remembered that.” He finished his coffee.

“Wow. You're a patriot.”

“Damn right I am.” He reached over and ruffled my hair. “I got a daughter who looks about your age. I know you're older, but I see you, and I can't help but think about her future. Will she be a metahuman? Will she fall in love with one? What about her children? Your kind are here to stay. And whatever else, you are humans. Special humans, but humans. You have the same rights as anyone else, and the minute that changes, this country is dead. You know what they're talking about. Metahuman laws, registration, all that crap.”

“...oh wow.”

“Yep. The comics, they been talking about this for years, funny, ain't it? Like, somehow, people knew, and were trying to prepare us for this. But there's no way people are going to stand for a return to McCarthyism and fearmongering At least, they better not!”

“Thanks, Mr. Faraday. I feel better knowing you're watching out for me.”

“Aw stop, I'm getting all misty.” He chuckled.

-

I went back upstairs to check on Alyssa. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, yawning.

“Morning, beautiful.”

She smiled at me. “Mmm. You're up early.”

I sat down next to her. “What's the matter, want to go back to bed?”

She brushed some hair out of my eyes. “With you? Definitely.”

I leaned into her touch. “I was thinking about taking a shower.”

“Is that an invitation to join you? Because I think I'll take you up on that.”

I won't excite you with details, but we did more than just get clean.

-

After we got dressed, we went downstairs and I cooked her some breakfast. Because, well, Alyssa can't cook to save her life. The girl can burn water, I swear! “French toast, baby?”

“Sounds heavenly!” She sat down at the table, watching me. “I envy you so much for being able to fly like that.”

“Huh? Oh!” I had risen about 6” off the floor; the kitchen had not really be designed for someone of my height. “Yeah...it really is cool. I guess I should be more grateful, huh?”

“I don't know, baby. I kind of miss being strong, but honestly, I don't miss having metal skin.”

I nodded. “I can't argue there. You're a lot easier to make love to.”

“Oh yeah...and it feels better too. Do you think we're going to be ok?”

I sighed. “I hope so. I mean, I can't go to college like this. That's a given. Mr. Faraday has been good about helping us out, but that means I'll have to try to make this superhero thing into my job.”

“This is about last night?”

“No...I'm better now. The whole thing was a shock to me, but I should have seen it coming. I have this ring, I can look like whoever, so why would I try to save people looking like a demon girl? That was stupid.”

“Aw honey...if it's any consolation, I like your look.”

I shot her a glance. “You do?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Especially those cute little wings.”

“You're weird!” I paused, flexing my wings. “...but I like them too.”

I floated over with her plate. “Here you are, angel, French toast, scrambled eggs, and your orange juice.”

She smiled at me. “I love the service here. Do you accept tips?”

“Only if they come in the form of sexual favors.”

She beckoned me over, and we shared a kiss.

Mr. Faraday came in to get some coffee. “Aw jeez, is that all you two ever do? Damn teenagers. You have a room, why not use it?”

We both giggled. “Gah, did I just giggle?”

“Yes dear, you do that now. Sorry Mr. Faraday.” Alyssa grinned.

“Such a liar. Tomorrow morning we're moving out, so pack whatever you want to keep.”

I frowned. “Where are we going?”

He smiled. “Someplace where you'll fit right on in. Sin City.”

“Ooh, Vegas! I always wanted to go.” Alyssa did this thing where she bounces a little when she's excited. It makes her breasts move in interesting ways.

“Ok, I'll bite. Why Vegas?”

“Lot of weird stuff happening there. Supernatural stuff. Apparently that other Green Lantern got into it with some kind of a giant ghost or something last night.” He drank his coffee. “So my boss figured, we have a demon girl on the payroll, might as well put you to work.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Payroll?”

He snorted. “You think all this comes out of the goodness of my heart?”

I sighed. “Well, it would be nice. But yeah, I suppose I do have to work for a living.”

Alyssa frowned. “I wish I could help.”

King pointed at her. “You, keep her from going crazy. That's a very important job. Now, unless my ears deceive me, someone was talking about going to college? How does UNLV sound?”

We looked at each other. Alyssa nodded. “It sounds good. We'll be in Vegas that long?”

“As long as your girlfriend can be more discreet, no reason why not.”

I blushed, but thankfully, no one can really tell. “That was dumb of me last night.”

“Rookie mistake. And you didn't deserve what happened. Anyways, take the rest of the night off, have some fun, go out and see a movie or something.”

I nodded. “Good idea, but I think I should go visit Doris first. I have some questions only she can answer.”

“Suit yourself.” He poured himself more coffee. “We'll be leaving tomorrow at 0900 hours, so don't stay out too late.”

Once he left, Alyssa looked at me. “So what did you need to talk to Dr. Zeul about?”

“...I need to know.”

“Huh?”

I sighed. “Will I grow any more than this? Or am I going to be a little girl for the rest of my life?”

She put her arms around me. “You know it doesn't matter to me, right?”

“...maybe not now, but how are you going to feel in ten years? Twenty?”

“Baby...the future hasn't happened yet. Why are you worrying about it so much?”

“Let me tell you about a dream I had...”

To be continued...