---

She stopped screaming when she saw us, but seemed frozen in place. Gingerly, I made my way over to her, calling for Kim as I went. I looked around as I walked, hoping to find another alive. But it was clear she was the only one. How did a little girl like her get out here? I wondered.

"Are you..." she started lethargically, then stopped as if surprised by something. After a moment she continued, "Kittyhawk?"

I nodded, "Yes, I am. Let's get you out of here." I picked her up gingerly. She flinched a little at my touch, but otherwise remained still. Rather than continue to walk on the corpses I hopped/flew to the edge of the pit where Kim was coughing up her breakfast.

"How can you stand that smell?!" she said when she stopped vomiting.

"Not easily." I replied, gagging again. We quickly put some distance between ourselves and the grave, if you can really call it that.

We walked in silence for a little while until the smell cleared enough to breath a little deeper. The girl was stiff at first, but then started sobbing into my shoulder. That's when I realized she wasn't as young as I thought because her breasts were pushed up against me. She was far too developed for a child her size. Taking a closer look at her face I realized she was an adult, just a very small one.

"How did she get out here?" Kim asked. "And is that her blood?!" The girl was liberally covered in it, including her wings. I hadn't even noticed the wings at first, since they blended in with all the blood on her clothes, body, and the other corpses that were around her. There was something odd about them...

"I certainly hope not!" I said in response to Kim's question. "But she isn't acting like she's badly hurt, physically. I think we should get her back to the others as quickly as possible, though, so Jessica can take a look at her."

"Lead on." Kim said. I nodded and took off. The girl screamed for a moment, but then relaxed. Her wings moved a few times, but the movements were erratic, like she wasn't doing it on purpose.

Once I'd leveled out she relaxed. The trip back was without incident and I glided to a landing as close to the hospital ship as I could manage. By the time I'd come to a stop Kim caught up with me. I looked down to ask the girl her name, but she was asleep.

Lek and Muay were walking towards the ship as we arrived, both carrying an armful of food. "Khun mae!" they yelled happily. They clearly wanted to run to me, but instead ran inside the ship to drop off the food. We followed them inside.

By the time we got inside they had already deposited the food next to Melissa, who was devouring it like there was no tomorrow, and latched themselves to either side of me. "Why don't I take her off your hands?" Jessica suggested.

"Thanks." I said, handing the sleeping girl over.

"What happened to her? She's covered in blood, and so are you!" Jessica exclaimed as she took the slippery bundle from me.

"We found her in some kind of mass grave of mutants. We don't think it's her blood." Kim said while I tried to get Lek and Muay to at least relax their grip.

"Relax girls," I said, "there was no fighting this time." That seemed to calm them somewhat. Enough, at least, for them to relax a bit.

I was happy to see Melissa awake, at last. She waved absently at me between bites, but was otherwise absorbed in her feast. When I asked Jessica how she was doing she said, "Much better, now. I think she'll be back in action in a few more days, so long as she takes it easy." Then she turned to the girls who were still sticking to my side, "Why don't you two take the new girl here and get her cleaned up. I can't find any wounds that need treating."

Lek and Muay looked at the little winged girl, back at me, and then at Jessica before finally nodding. Muay took the girl and they hurried off to clean her up.

Jessica looked oddly at me, "You seem more energetic then when you left."

Kim laughed, "That's true, literally! She took an electricity snack while we were out."

I shrugged at Jessica's incredulous look, "I was pretty drained, from healing myself I assume, so I charged back up. I seem to be stronger when I'm carrying a good charge."

She nodded, "I guess that explains how you were able to recover so quickly after losing so much blood."

With that we left her to her work, which seemed a little less hectic than it had been the day before. As we left the ship I spotted Mike leading a group of people back in. They were all carrying handfuls of fruit or vegetables and a few had caught small animals. We really needed a better way to carry stuff, not to mention a better food supply. If we got all these people back to the island it would be difficult to feed them all as it was.

I spotted Carl and Paul talking by Carl's plane and headed that way. "I'm going to keep an eye on the new girl if you're not planning on heading out right away?" Kim said.

"No, I'm not. I have some things to talk to Paul about, so go ahead." I replied. She went after the kids while I snuck up behind Paul and wrapped my arms around him from behind.

He jumped a bit and then relaxed, "I can think of worse surprises. How did your trip go?"

"Fine. I got charged up at the club, but there was no sign of anyone in it. But we spotted hundreds of vultures circling outside of town and found a hole filled with corpses. I think they were all mutants. We also found one that was still alive. Lek and Muay are getting her cleaned up right now." I said.

"How many were there?" Paul asked angrily.

I shook my head, "I don't know how deep it was, so I couldn't guess beyond saying there were probably over twenty. They were already decomposing, so we didn't want to stick around for a body count. Especially since we found that girl."

Carl looked thoughtful, "You know, I bet Thomas could use that."

"Use it! What are you talking about?!" Paul demanded.

"I just meant if we could get some pictures to him he could use them as evidence to help convince the UN to take steps to protect mutants." he replied.

"Oh, yeah, I guess that would be a good idea." Paul said, calming. "Do we even have a camera?"

Carl nodded, "I have a small digital camera. It's not much, but it should do the job."

"I'll go back out and take the pictures later. I wanted to talk about our supplies first, though." I said.

Paul shrugged, "I don't know what we can do about that. We're managing to find enough food to eat at least. But even sharing what we have we barely have enough clothes for everyone. Especially after we scrapped so much of it for bandages. At least we don't need so many of those now. But we don't have much else. I used up the money we had on the IV supplies and a few other things."

"For one, I could take a group of the healthiest people back to the island." Carl suggested.

I nodded, "I think that's a good idea. We have too many people here, especially since many of them are too weak or injured to help much. How soon could you leave?"

"The plane is fueled and ready, we could leave right now if you wanted." he replied.

"Let's wait until tomorrow." Paul suggested.

We agreed and left Carl to get his plain ready. Like on the island everyone got together at dinnertime; even our aquatic friends came by and added a few fish to the meal. We decided to take that time to find out who wanted to go. We expected to have more volunteers than we had room.

In the meantime I decided to help with the food situation and went hunting. Being the only flyer in operation at the moment, I went farther afield then the others could easily go and found quite a bit to take back. Far more than I could carry, really. After rounding up a good selection of fruits in a piece of bark and carrying another buffalo in my other hand I flew back.

After dropping off the food with the cooks of the day I went in search of the girl from the grave. As I expected I found her in the hospital ship. She'd been cleaned and dressed in some very oversized shorts and tee shirt with the back partially cut out to accommodate her wings. At first I thought they hadn't cleaned her wings, but then I realized they were just naturally a deep red, like blood. The IV was now in her arm, to my surprise.

"She wasn't hurt but she's skin and bones." Jessica said, startling me.

"I'm very curious to find out how she got out there." I said.

"So am I. If she was dumped with the other mutants than I'd have to assume they somehow thought she was dead. How they got that idea I don't know. Perhaps she hid among the corpses and they just didn't look very closely. I know I wouldn't want to." Jessica said.

I nodded, "Neither would I. I'd also like to know where all those mutants came from. I can only assume from Genarm. Failed experiments, or rebellious ones."

Jessica shuddered, "I can't understand how any corporation could become so corrupt. Isn't there anyone there with a conscience?"

I shrugged, "Probably. But I doubt everyone at the company knows what's going on. The worst stuff is probably done by individuals taking advantage of the situation. So many people see mutants as less than human that it provides plenty of opportunities for abuses that on normal humans wouldn't be tolerated. Even treating animals that way wouldn't be acceptable to most people."

"I didn't know it was that bad." Jessica sighed, shaking her head.

"I didn't either, until recently. I've heard some of the things people experienced before they ended up here and I'm getting the impression that's just the tip of the iceberg. Plus, the first mutant I brought to the island was persecuted despite being a child and nearly killed. I hadn't really thought about that being a prevalent attitude at the time, but it must be to allow so many atrocities to happen." I replied sadly.

"I heard Carl talking about a friend the other day, who was trying to set up some kind of retreat for mutants?" Jessica said.

"Yes, Thomas. He's trying to get the UN to declare our island as a sanctuary for mutants. Maybe we'll even be able to get some help to develop the island a bit and get endangered mutants there, I don't know. Speaking of which, I'd better get Carl's camera so I can take some photographs of the grave. Is she going to be alright?" I said, nodding at the girl.

"I have no idea. Besides being malnourished she's fine, physically. Considering how you found her though, there's no saying how she is mentally. We'll have to wait until she wakes up." Jessica replied.

I nodded and said goodbye. After collecting the camera from Carl, who was removing everything he didn't need from the plane to make room for more passengers, I flew back to the grave. With all the vultures around it was easy enough to find again. So far nobody seemed to have noticed it...or cared.

I wasn't sure what Thomas needed, so took pictures of the grave and the surrounding area to try and give some idea of where it is. The smell was no better, though, so I got my work done quickly and returned. Carl took the camera in hopes he would get a chance to deliver it to Thomas on the way to the island, or back again.

The natives were getting restless, as it were. The rescues from the club were eager to go tear it apart. I wasn't sure anymore if it would accomplish anything, but then I remembered the VCR and television Melissa and I had been preparing to take with us before we found them. The problem was that we'd have to go inside to retrieve them, if they were still there.

Paul and I talked about that with the German and a few others. They were sure numbers would prevail, but I knew that if it came to a fight some of them would likely die. Protecting them was more important to me than trashing the club. Finally, we got them to agree to wait until Melissa was ready to join us. That way she and I could come in through the roof while Kim, Mike and Tina would lead the rest through the ground entrances. It was still risky, but they were adamant about it.

At dinner we discussed who would go back. Carl said that he didn't want to try and take back more than ten people; less if any of them had wings. As expected, there were many volunteers. As soon as we brought up leaving Lek and Muay grabbed hold of me and wouldn't let go until we assured them that it was their choice.

Jessica was interested in going, but decided that staying where she was would be more useful for now. She also didn't want to leave the little mutant girl until she had at least woken up. Clarice and Jordan were the first to volunteer. Kim, Lek, Muay and Jessica were the only ones found before the last visit to the club who decided to stay. A couple of women from that trip also chose to go. They were still healing, though they were well enough to travel. They seemed more interested in putting as much distance between themselves and the club than they were in burning it down.

Some of the others were interested in going, but decided to leave later either to let someone else go or so they could get in on the planned destruction of the club.

With that settled we finished our meals and went our separate ways. Paul, Lek, Muay and I stopped off with Jessica to check on the little winged woman. She still hadn't woken up. "I hope she wakes up soon. I think she may be as in need of solid food as Melissa was." Jessica said.

Melissa was lying next to our newest addition. She looked fine, if a little pale. The only other sign of her injuries was the binding holding her wing together so it could finish healing. "Go on to bed doc, I'll let you know if this one wakes up." she said.

Jessica nodded and headed up to the cabin of the big boat where she was sleeping.

"How are you feeling Melissa?" I asked.

She shrugged, "Still a little weak, but otherwise okay. I figure I'll be ready to fly tomorrow, the day after at the latest. You still planning on tearing down that place?"

I nodded, "Yes, once we're sure you are up for it. We're planning to attack it from both the ground and the air. I want to see if that VCR and television are still where we left them before we torch the place, though. I still want to get a look at those videos and see if there is anything useful on them."

Melissa grimaced, "I don't think I want to see what's on those things. Judging from what we've found so far, they'd probably just piss me off."

Paul nodded, "I'm with you, but they may lead us to other mutants who need help. There certainly doesn't seem to be a shortage of them around here."

The conversation wound down after that and we said goodnight to Melissa. I was glad to see her looking so lively. Lek and Muay must have still been thinking about the possibility of being sent away, because they cuddled up close that night.

---

In the morning we all chipped in to get the ten mutants leaving with Carl ready to go. The plane only had four seats including the pilot's seat, so we used blankets again to get everyone settled in as comfortably as possible.

I made sure Carl understood that nobody else was to leave the island. They would need everyone to get the new arrivals settled in and I was still worried about another attack. I knew some of them would want to come help when they found out what was going on, but they were needed there.

Paul anticipated my desire to follow the plane to the island and talked me out of it. He did agree that I could shadow it for a couple of hours to make sure nothing happened to it, though.

Those two hours were uneventful, so I waved at the plane and turned back. When I got back Lek and Muay were all over me. Since we were still waiting for Melissa to recover, and the new girl was still sleeping, we decided to relax for the day, other than doing a bit of hunting and gathering for food.

It was a pleasant day, the four of us spending it together much as any family might. Lek and Muay had quickly become like daughters to us both. I had been preventing myself from getting pregnant in part because I worried about not being able to protect everyone if I was pregnant. Now I was wondering if I'd made the right choice.

I still knew so little about them, but I was afraid to push them. They had been abused so much that I thought it might be best to let them forget the past, at least for now. I could see a day coming very soon when we'd need a whole slew of psychiatrists for all the abused mutants we were collecting, though. Maybe that was something Thomas could help with, whenever we were able to contact him again.

I was awoken in the morning by screaming. I quickly threw some clothes on and rushed out, Paul and the girls close behind. I expected to find us under attack. But when I got out of the boat there were no strangers in sight. Everyone was looking at the hospital ship, though, so I headed there. Several others had the same idea.

When I got inside the hospital ship I found Melissa and Jessica trying to calm down the small woman we'd found the day before. She seemed to be talking over herself and nobody could understand her. That led to another scream of frustration from the little woman. When she saw me enter she turned to me.

"Whycan'tanybodyunderstandmearoundhere?!" she yelled.

I took a moment to break down what she'd said, "If you spoke a little slower it would help." Everyone else looked at me in surprise. "What?"

"You understood that?!" Jessica said.

I nodded, "Yeah. It was all jumbled together because she's talking so fast, but I managed to figure it out. Couldn't you?"

She shook her head, "No, it wasn't just a jumble to me. It was more like a high pitched squealing sound. I couldn't hear any words in it at all."

The small winged woman, meanwhile, looked even more frustrated, "Whyareyoutalkingsoslow?!"

We spoke back and forth like that for a while with both of us having trouble understanding the other while the others looked on in shock and bewilderment.

"What are you saying to her now?" Paul asked.

I looked at him in surprise, "Can't you understand me?"

"Now, yeah, but when you were talking to her your speech was getting faster and faster until I couldn't understand it at all." he said.

The small woman stopped to stuff some food in her face and Jessica nodded as she watched the little woman eat at an incredible pace. "I think I understand now. She must have an amazingly fast metabolism. Look at the way she eats, and talks. She's going so fast the rest of us are having a hard time following her movements, let alone understanding her speech. Cat seems to be the only one who can come close enough to her speed to understand her."

"You can't follow her movements?" I asked. Sure, she was moving fast, but not that fast!

Paul shook his head, "A little, but she's mostly a blur when she moves like that."

"And to me she's moving even faster. I'm guessing Paul is pretty fast, himself." Jessica said.

Paul nodded, "Yeah, that's about the only thing I got out of my mutation. But Cat's a lot faster than I am. I guess you've got translation duty with this one."

I didn't really feel like I was doing anything differently, but they were right that I could, almost, keep up with her. Eventually my own speech seemed to speed up enough for us to converse more or less normally.

"So, why is everyone else so slow?" she asked me.

I shrugged, "I think it's more a matter of we're so fast, especially you. If you could learn to slow it down some you could probably talk to them okay. You weren't this fast yesterday when we found you, but maybe you were just tired then."

She blinked several times in surprise, "Oh, that makes sense, actually. That's how I escaped, I slowed myself down to the point where they thought I was dead. Then they threw me out with the other rejects, I guess. Let me see if I can do it again."

She stood there concentrating while I consciously slowed myself back to normal to talk to the others. "She's trying to get herself slowed back down now so we can all talk to her." I explained.

"How did you do that, anyway? I've never heard you talk anywhere near that fast before." Paul asked.

I shrugged, "I really don't know. I just seemed to do it automatically while talking to her."

"Caaan...yyyyooooouuuu...uuunnnnddderrrrstttttaaaannnndddd...mmmeeeeee...nnnooooowwwww?" she said, very slowly and carefully.

"Uh, pick it up a notch, will you?" Paul said.

She nodded and tried again, "How's that?" She was obviously working hard to pronounce each word clearly, but otherwise sounded normal enough.

"Much better. What's your name?" Jessica asked.

"Lu...uh, that won't work anymore." she said and stopped to think. We all knew what she meant, whether she realized that or not, so waited patiently. "How about...Alicia?"

Jessica smiled, "Hello Alicia, I'm Jessica. This is Paul and I imagine you know Kittyhawk, though she goes by Catherine or Cat most of the time."

"Uh, hi. Am I still in Mexico?" Alicia asked.

"No, you're in Thailand. Just outside Bangkok, to be precise." Paul replied.

She shrugged, "Guess it doesn't really matter where I am. My old life is gone now, anyway."

"Isn't there anyone you know that might be able to deal with the new you?" Jessica asked.

She snorted, "Yeah, right. I'm a third of my former size, with the wings, and have to concentrate really hard just to talk like a normal person. Oh yeah, and I used to be a guy. I'm sure that would go over real well."

"Well you're welcome to stay here as long as you like, or go on to the island later when Carl gets back with his plane." I said in hopes of cheering her up, or at least distracting her from what she'd lost.

"I guess. It's not like I have any other options." she replied morosely.

"Why don't I show you around?" Jessica suggested. She agreed noncommittally and they wandered off.

"Is it just me, or is that little girl seriously depressed?" Paul said.

"She's an adult, you know. But yes, I think you're right. Not that there aren't plenty of others here who've had a bad time but she seems to be taking it worse than most." I said.

"Yeah, I think she was a rather macho guy." Melissa added.

"How are you feeling this morning?" I asked.

She shrugged, "Pretty much normal, really. Jessica insists I take it easy for another day or two, though. So I'll be helping her out with the injured. Although at this point we're dealing with more mental injuries than physical ones, I think."

"How bad is it?" Paul asked.

"Pretty bad. Honestly, I'm amazed most of these people can even function after everything they've been through. By the sounds of it Alicia had it easy. I think the only reason Lek and Muay aren't comatose is you two." Melissa replied.

"They are very strong." I said.

She shrugged, "Sure, but they've been through hell. Have you noticed how they shy away from every man here except for Paul?"

I had, but thought little of it considering what I knew they'd been through. "Yes, but they seem to be doing well."

"Sure," she agreed, "because you two love them like nobody probably ever has. That's something most of the people we've rescued don't have. Heck, that's something I don't have, anymore. It makes a difference."

Paul and I left Melissa to help the wounded after that, but I couldn't get her words out of my head. Did we really make that much difference?

"Still thinking about what Melissa said?" Paul asked after I'd wandered aimlessly for a while. Lek and Muay had elected to help show the new girl around. I suspected they thought she was a lot younger than she was.

I nodded, "Yes. Most of these people...they've been treated so badly. I can hardly imagine what it's done to them. Can we really make that much difference to the girls?"

Paul laughed, "Melissa was only half right about that. You made the difference. You're the one they call khun mae. I'm just the guy with you."

I snorted, "Right, that's why they aren't afraid of you when they're afraid of every other guy they come into contact with? Try again buster."

He shrugged, "Okay, maybe they're attached to both of us. They are cute little things, aren't they?"

I sighed as I watched them chattering away to Alicia as Jessica gave her a tour. "They are. I guess we've gotten ourselves a family without even trying."

"Regrets?" he asked.

I shook my head and smiled, "No, no regrets. Other than what they had to go through before we found them."

---

To Be Continued…