Angel's Tale: A MORFS Universe Story By Joreymay

When Angel O'Connor and his family move to Colorado, he changes more than his address. Driving across the country with his mother, he comes down with MORFS.

Part 1

Monday, June 7, 2060... the day the world ended!

Well, his world, anyway. Not that the world had been all that good to begin with. With a name like Angel O'Connor, it took him a while to settle in anywhere. Even when people looked at his strikingly latino features and pronounced his first name right, he ended up with all the Hell's Angel and "and Hell" jokes. And worse. More often, the teachers just looked around trying to find an anglo girl before they realized who he was.

The reactions of the "pures" was even worse. Unless they met his parents and heard the family story (going all the way back to the original Cinco de Mayo), they assumed that his appearance and sex were a result of MORFS. And treated him like trash because of it. Throw in a few old fashioned racists, and high school was just a wonderful place to be.

Despite all that, he was known for his pride. He was proud of his heritage (even though both sides of his family had been in the US for generations, and lived and talked like Anglos), proud of his family, and proud of the grades he had worked so hard for. He was in good shape, but only an indifferent athlete. He was more interested in getting a good education than in the personal glory of sports.

His family had moved four times since he had started school, as his father, Jose O'Connor, worked his way up through the company. They seemed to be set, with his father in charge of the Data Center for the entire corporation. The center wouldn't be moved, and they had wanted someone stable and settled for the position. They shouldn't be moving until well after he graduated from high school.

Confident in their stability, his mother, Magdalena, had a job with the school. Although her job was technically still clerical, she had risen to a lead position. She was known as a hard worker, and was well liked by her coworkers.

Until Monday, June 7, 2060.

Summer had just started. He had plans. Some relaxation, some enrichment, a job, and going with the family to visit friends and relatives. The usual sorts of things. But he was really looking forward to them.

But then there were the meetings that weekend. His father was in the office more than at home. And the whispered conversations between his parents. And his mother's emotions, all over the map. He was only peripherally aware of it, while he celebrated his first weekend out of school.

He should have known something was up when he smelled breakfast Monday morning. Normally, they both had meetings Monday mornings. And even though school was out for him, his mother would be busy for days with all the year end paperwork. But he had made a late night of it Sunday, catching up on the videos he had put off while studying for finals and writing papers.

Still half asleep, he followed his nose into the kitchen. When he put his mind to it he was a pretty fair cook, but he doubted he would ever reach his mother's level. He was surprised to find them both at the table, and a place set for him.

They let him serve himself and start eating before they dropped the bomb.

"I have some news, some good news, and some bad news," his father began. "First, about 20 minutes ago, it was announced that my company is merging with CTGCO. I couldn't tell you about that until the announcement, because of the laws and the confidentiality agreements. The good news is that I will be heading up the Data Center for the combined company. It will be a larger operation, and I will make more money. They are still deciding whether my title will change."

"Congratulations!" Angel cheered. He was genuinely happy that his father was being recognized and rewarded.

"Yes, well... there is also some bad news."

Angel sobered, waiting.

"The new Data Center is in Denver. We have to move."

"But..." Angel was shocked. They had PROMISED! A part of him, the child still hiding behind the grown-up, 16 year old face he showed the world, wanted to scream and cry. But this was no time for that. If they had to move, they had to. And he would go through the process of being the new kid at school, and in the neighborhood, all over again. There were other issues, though. "What about your job?" he asked his mother.

"I gave them my notice this morning. They understand. I will be working there part time for the next few days, making sure my successor is up to speed on everything. The rest of the time, we will be getting ready to go. It might even work out well for me. I checked the internet, and two of the school districts there are looking for someone like me. I might even get a higher salary out of it." She smiled.

"You're going to miss it, aren't you?" he asked, recognizing her "putting a good face on it" expression.

"Yes, I'll miss it," she admitted. "I'll miss my coworkers, our friends here, and all the rest. But we'll make new friends, and sooner or later I'll have new coworkers."

"At least it is happening during the summer," his father commented. "You will have some time to get settled in our new home before you start school again. I'll be jumping right in with my new coworkers." He ended with an ironic smile.

Angel was silent as he finished his breakfast. He had made some friends there, once he was confident that they would really be staying. He hadn't had a girlfriend, and his tastes didn't run to boyfriends. Not that it mattered anyway - he hadn't had any offers from that side of the fence, either. But the point was that he had settled in. He had gotten used to being in one place and had put down roots of a sort. His world had started coming together.

And now that world was ending.

He was going to have to tell everyone. Disappoint everyone. His new boss, the friends he made plans with, even the teachers who expected him next year... everyone.

Shit.

The rest of the day just got more depressing. They sketched out the schedule for him. He would have three days to pack what he would need in the short term, and get rid of anything he didn't want to take to Colorado. Then the movers would come and pack up the rest. Even the final house cleaning would be done by other people.

At the end of the three days, he and his mother would take an indirect route to Denver. They would visit family and old friends of his parents en route. That, at least, was part of what they had planned before. But now, they wouldn't be coming back home. Now, they would end up somewhere else, and try to make that home.

He made it a point to limit his whining to the inside of his head, or the empty house, as much as he could. It would only have upset his parents, and riding cross country with an upset mother at the wheel was no fun. Besides, even he had to admit that whining did little good. It wasn't even a good way to blow off steam about the problem.

Packing his own stuff took almost no time. Digging out the things he needed to return to friends, and the things he wanted (or needed) to give away, took longer than that. By the end of Monday, he was helping his mother pack the fragile and special things they didn't want to trust to the movers.

Tuesday morning, they drove his father to the airport and said their goodbyes. A couple of his coworkers, who were also transferring to the new office, would drive his car there for them.

When they got home, he had a few hours to devote to saying goodbye. His mother would be at the office for the rest of the morning, and then would be taking care of things like newspapers, mail, and all the other details of moving away.

He spent the morning making the rounds of his friends, giving them the things he had put aside and collecting the things they had borrowed from him. A group of them had lunch together at their favorite place, one of the few that hadn't been driven out by some chain.

They joked and commiserated with him, reminding him why he liked them in the first place. They also reminded him that they all had phones, email, and messaging, and made sure he had all the necessary details. A couple of the girls gave him goodbye kisses, to make sure he'd remember them.

It worked, he thought with a grin.

He got home at about the same time as his mother, and they got to work packing more of the things they would be taking in the car. Dinner was leftovers and other goodies from the fridge. He was tired enough that he went to bed much earlier than he had planned on.

He spent most of Wednesday packing the car, while his mother finished up at the office. They would be leaving the following morning, on the theory that it was better to start off relatively rested. He would share the driving, about one hour for every three his mother drove. It was better than nothing.

Wednesday night, his friends took him out for a "night of debauchery," to send him on his way in style. Unfortunately, their choices of excess were limited by their ages. They stuffed him with junk food and candy, played a couple of games, watched a couple of "borrowed" pornos starring unusual MORFS characters, and staged a wet t shirt contest for him to judge. It might not have been much by adult standards, but they enjoyed it.

Thursday morning gave him a new experience: a hangover. Even though he had been careful not to drink (his mother would be sure to smell the alcohol from his sweat and breath in the close confines of the car). His mother gave him no sympathy, but didn't seem too mad about it.

As they drove out of town, he eagerly looked around for a last glimpse of familiar places and people. Within an hour, he was back to nursing his hangover and feeling sorry for himself.

By lunch time, they were well on their way toward the State line. He should have been feeling better by then, but he felt worse. When they stopped for lunch, he lost it almost as soon as he ate it. His mother checked his forehead, she noticed that he had a fever. Cautious by nature, she called her medical insurer and found an in-network clinic nearby.

They were prepared to learn that it was some kind of flu or the like. They were not prepared for the diagnosis they got: MORFS. With no place to call home, he was on his way to becoming anything from a super hero to a cocker spaniel.

After a long discussion with the doctor, they decided that they would continue on to his aunt Maria's house, while he slept away his changes in the back seat. It was less than 10 hours away, so they should make it with little or no trouble. They got his supplies, and gave him a video chip to watch on the road. When he was ready, he would eat an energy pack, take a pill, and then spend the next 18 hours asleep.

His mother joked that she was going to have a quieter ride than she expected, but he could see that she was worried. He watched the video while she told his father and then his aunt about his condition. When they got there, his aunt would be ready.

He made sure to go to the bathroom before they left, then strapped himself into the sheet covered back seat. After choking down the energy pack, he wished his mother a good night (even though it was still fairly early in the afternoon) and swallowed the pill. In moments, he was unconscious.

His mother laughed quietly at the irony of some of the advice she had seen. There was the comment that it was common for one or both parents to want to spend the time when their child was sleeping through the changes in the room, watching over them. It cautioned that it was both pointless and a bad idea. Pointless, because there was nothing they could do. A bad idea because they would be wearing themselves out unnecessarily, and because they would run the risk of seeing some very disturbing things while their child changed. It was ok to check on them every few hours, but they recommended no more than once per hour.

The irony was that she would be spending the time with him. Of course, she would be driving rather than just sitting there watching and worrying. But she would be there, for all the good it would do her.

The drive was largely uneventful. Though she wondered and worried about what her Angel would become, she was able to concentrate on the driving. When she stopped for dinner, it was at a fast food place. She went inside, got her meal, and then sat where she could watch the car while she ate. The only times it was out of her sight were when she got her meal, and when she used the restroom. While she was eating, she called her sister again, and verified that all was ready for their arrival. Her niece and nephew had already gone through MORFS, so her sister knew what to expect. Or thought she did.

One precaution Maria mentioned she had taken surprised Magdalena. She called the local police, and explained the situation to them. He halfway expected them to get calls about them carrying an apparent dead body from the car to the house. Some of the neighbors were less than friendly anyway, being in the throws of the anti-MORFS fervor encouraged by certain churches and others.

The last couple of hours of the drive were the hardest. It was late at night, and she had gone through a very emotional day. While she had been careful not to let Angel see it, she was worried before they got to the clinic, and shaken by the diagnosis. And all that on top of leaving the home, friends, and job that she had grown to love. She was physically and emotionally exhausted. The second time she caught herself drifting off to sleep - and off the road - she knew she had pushed herself too far.

She pulled into the lot at a nearby truck stop, with its combination of gas pumps, large convenience store, and mini food court, and called her sister. She hated calling for help, but she needed to get there in one piece. The truly galling part was that she was little more than an hour's drive from her goal. She had already hit the point where caffeine no longer woke her up, so even that choice was not available.

Like before, she sat where she could watch the car while she waited and sipped her iced tea. She didn't even notice it when she slipped into a fitful sleep, until a hand on her shoulder startled her awake. It was John, her brother-in-law. After a hurried conference, they decided that Maria would drive Magdalena and Angel, and John would follow in his car.

When she opened the car door, she was assailed by the smells. She had left windows open a crack for ventilation, but it was still concentrated. She recognized the smell of adolescent sweat, and the rest was an unpleasant, but largely unidentifiable, mixture. Maria assured her that it was normal.

"Maggie, it was pretty much the same when our two changed. Just," she coughed, "not quite so concentrated. After all, they were in large, well ventilated rooms instead of a minivan turned moving van. It's a warm night, so we can just open the windows and it will air out the car while we drive."

They talked for about twenty more minutes, until Magdalena faded back into her fitful sleep. When they got to the house, her sister woke her up and the three of them carried Angel into the house. After getting him settled into bed, her hosts pointed out that they had seven hours or so before he was going to wake up. They would look in on him from time to time, but she needed to get some sleep if she was going to do him any good. They would wake her an hour before he was scheduled to come out of it, or earlier if anything came up.

She didn't take much convincing. They were right, and she knew it.

When Angel woke up, he noticed three things. First, he was in a strange bed in a strange room. Second, his mother was right there, asking how he felt. Finally, and much more urgently, he felt every minute of the 18 hours it had been since he went to the bathroom.

"Bathroom!" he was relieved to find her helping him out of bed and on his way. While taking care of business, he noticed a set of towels and a washcloth had been set out. When he finished, he took the hint and stepped into the shower. He didn't feel all that different, and nothing obvious had been lost or gained. But he knew that didn't mean all that much.

After drying himself off, he wrapped a towel around himself and made his way back to the bedroom. The bed had been stripped and remade, and a pair of underwear and his old gym shorts were on top of the covers. He slipped into them, and was about to take the towel back to the bathroom when there was a knock at the door.

"It's me," his mother called. "Are you decent?"

"Haven't been for years, but I'm dressed." It was an old family joke.

She came in, followed by his four hosts. His aunt and uncle looked pretty much like he remembered, except they seemed just a little bit taller. His cousins were more of a surprise.

David, the older of the two, looked like a movie werewolf. He was covered in dark gray fur, and had a hairy tail sticking out the back of his pants. His mouth and nose stuck out some, giving the suggestion of a canine muzzle.

Janey looked more like a cartoon squirrel, with red orange fur, prominent incisors, and a large, bushy tail.

He had been told about them, but seeing them in person was different. Their voices had changed, but they could still speak fairly clearly. He later learned that their speech had taken a lot of work to get that good.

He assured them all that he felt every bit as bad as he looked, and they left him to his preparations. He ate the energy pack (which hadn't gotten any better tasting), popped the pill, and all but passed out.

The next three days were a blur of waking, taking care of his body's immediate needs, saying a few miserable words, eating (if you could call it that) and going back to sleep. He had a few impressions about the changes he was going through, but the video had warned him that they were notoriously unreliable. On the plus side, he didn't notice any fur, and his head still seemed completely human. On the minus side, he seemed shorter and there were some changes below the belt. He was unhappy about those minuses, but he was too miserable in general to care all that much.

Every time he woke up, it was to the gentle smile of his mother. Some times alone, some times with the others. While all of them gave him words of encouragement, his cousins were able to share what they went through, and assure him he would get through it.

Then he woke up. This time, really woke up. He had the usual full bladder and coating of crud, but otherwise, he felt normal. His mother smiled a little more than usual, and seemed a little more cheerful when she spoke. But it wasn't until he had taken care of business and started his shower that he realized something about what she had said.

She mispronounced his name. She said it like he had wings and a harp. In the past, she had only used it when saying something gushy like "my sweet angel" rather than his name.

In the shower, he took stock. He had medium sized breasts (judging by girls he knew), white skin - anglo white, not albino white - and, saving the worst for last, fully female plumbing (as far as he could tell). His hair was fine, blond, and down to his shoulders. He couldn't really see his pubic hair, but it seemed a little softer than it had.

Damn!

"This is not the way I wanted to get into a girl's pants."

"I would think not!" He nearly jumped out of the shower at the sound of his mother's voice. It was bad enough that he had said it out loud, but the fact that his mother heard it? Aargh!

"Please tell me I'm still asleep, and you're not really here."

She barely held back the laugh. "Alright. You're still asleep, and I'm not really here."

"You wouldn't lie to your only son, would you?"

"Not any more. But my new daughter is fair game." This time the giggle escaped.

Magdalena was more relieved than anything. If he... she could joke like that, he... she was taking it better than she had feared. She knew there would be difficult times ahead, and that it hadn't really sunk in yet. But this was a good sign. Her son had always been strong, in the ways that mattered. He was proud, and that pride had taken a blow, but he was strong.

But she wasn't quite sure how Angel would take the rest. He had been proud of his approaching manhood, and it was gone. But she would come to take pride in her womanhood. But he had been proud of other things, as well.

"Oh, no." His tone conveyed long suffering martyrdom, tinged with humor. "Don't tell me. You always wished you had a daughter to dress up like a doll, take shopping, and share all that girl crud with, didn't you?" He tried to put a note of accusation in the last, but wasn't sure he carried it off.

That hit a little close to the mark. They had only been able to have one child, and sometimes she really did harbor the guilty wish that he had been born a girl. "I'll never tell. But if I did, I guess that wish will have come true."

As he shut off the water, he asked "How's Papa taking it?"

"Before or after the anguished cries that the noble name of O'Connor would disappear forever?"

Angel startled himself by giggling. The name was common to begin with, and he had enough male cousins on his father's side to survive a major war.

Magdalena went on. "He's just happy that you're alive and well, and relatively normal."

"Relatively?" That had him worried.

"We don't know everything yet. You seem fully human, but we'll need the tests to be sure."

"I just got out for the Summer, and already you want me to study for some tests?"

Magdalena sobered. "Not for the tests. But you will have a lot to learn, and little enough time to learn it. All the little things the other girls spent their lives learning."

Angel reached for a towel, and she handed it to him. He started trying to dry his hair the way he was used to, but she stopped him.

"Not that way! You'll never get the tangles out. Dry the rest of yourself first, then we'll deal with the hair."

He dried his body off, his newly sensitive skin reacting more than he expected to the rubbing.

She let him finish, then commented "You'll find it more comfortable to pat yourself dry, instead."

"Now you tell me." he groused.

He wrapped the towel around his waist, and stepped out.

"Not like that!" she told him. "You've got a lot more to cover, now." She yanked the towel off him, then rewrapped it in a more feminine way. She debated wrapping his hair in another towel, but decided to just bring it along. Another practical lesson.

When they got to the bedroom, his aunt and his cousin Janey had just finished changing his bed.

"The boys are downstairs," his aunt informed him. "And they will stay there until I tell them otherwise."

"They know you don't mess with Mom!" agreed Janey.

His mother guided him to a chair and sat him down. "Close your legs, dear. You're a young lady now."

Janey stifled a giggle, as he snapped his knees together. He gave her what he hoped was still a dirty look.

His mother took a large, wide toothed comb and started combing out his hair.

"Ow! What are you trying to do... pull it all out by the roots? Besides, I thought you used a brush for this sort of thing."

"No, you use a comb first, to get the knots and tangles out. Between your toweling it, and letting it dry this much, it is harder than it needs to be."

Janey jumped in. "And I bet you didn't condition it, either!"

"We'll teach you about that. If you condition your hair when you wash it, it won't be as hard to comb out. Then, while your hair is still wet, you comb it out to untangle it. After that, you can brush and dry it. Just doing that may take you half an hour or so in the morning. Still, you'll learn." She left her daughter's hair a bit damp, and moved on.

"Now it's time..." she announced, with a glint in her eye.

His aunt opened the closet, revealing a full length mirror on the inside of the door. His mother stood him up, and turned him toward it. "... for the grand unveiling!" She whipped the towel off, leaving him standing there completely naked.

"Mother!" he shrieked, trying to cover himself.

"Relax, Angel." She used the halo and wings pronunciation again. "It's all girls here. We just want to help you get used to who you are now. And to help you understand that there's nothing you need to hide from us. You have a lot to learn in a very short time, and you will have a lot of questions. Questions that would have been unthinkably rude and embarrassing to ask us when you were... in your former life. We'll answer almost any of them."

"Almost?"

"We reserve the right to refuse to answer questions that involve someone else," she replied, with mock formality. "And to lie about the personal ones."

They all hugged him, then turned him again to face the mirror.

"Angel, meet... Angel." his mother said, waving her hand toward the mirror.

Angel was stunned. He had never seen a real naked girl before, except in magazines and pornos. And very few of them. But they were all women, really. Now he was staring at an attractive girl his age, and it was him. After a couple minutes of moving his eyes between his boobs and his crotch - much to the quiet amusement of his audience - he looked at the rest and got more of an overall impression.

He was what his father called an "everyday beauty." He was pretty, in a teenage girl sort of way, but not really a world class beauty. In a crowd of his female (former) classmates, he would fit right in. He was neither plain nor outstanding.

For the rest, he had blue eyes, blond hair (a lighter, nicer color now that it was drying), and distinctly Anglo coloring and features. He had a suspicion about something that was bothering him. He turned to his Mother.

"Why have you been calling me Angel?" He pronounced it the way she had.

"Because now you look like an Angel O'Connor, instead of your old self. It is common for people to change names when MORFS changes their sex, and if you really want some other name we can probably arrange it. But the easiest thing would be to keep your name the same and just start saying it the new way. It makes the paperwork much easier, and you already answer to it - even if you don't like to."

"Figured it was something like that." He shrugged. "Now what?"

"Now, we get you dressed. Starting with these." She held up a rather skimpy pair of panties.

A week ago, he would have enjoyed the sight of them. Now, they just seemed... inadequate. He swallowed and breathed, then put them on. He was surprised how well they fit, and how nice they felt. "Whose are they?"

"Yours. When we saw how you had changed, we measured you and did a little shopping."

She handed him a bra. Up to now, it had been a kind of a game. Somehow, this made it real. One minute he was standing there, holding it, and the next he was curled up on the bed, crying his eyes out.

"It's no fair! I don't want to be a girl. I can't be a girl. I'm a man, dammit! I had plans!"

His mother held him lightly, rocked, and cooed soothingly. "That's right, cry it out. It isn't fair. None of it is. The move, the change, all of it. You did everything right, and it still happened. You've earned the right to a good cry."

Through the haze of his emotions and tears, he saw that she was crying, too. He hugged her to him, and cried until he was cried out. Drained.

"There. Feel better now?"

"A little. But why am I losing it like this? I never used to cry like that. Maybe when I was a baby, but still...?"

"It's another part of being a girl. The hormones play hell with your emotions, and you aren't used to it yet. The good part is that it's ok for girls to cry. And sometimes, it's the only thing that helps."

Janey snuggled up to him. "Welcome to the psychotic world of the American teenage girl, An. Just wait till you learn the secret handshake!"

Angel giggled a little through his tears, an odd sensation.

"I kinda know what you are going through. When I woke up with all this," she indicated her fur, tail, and head, "I thought my life was over. And in a way, it was. But I have a new life now, and it will be what I make of it. Sometimes it's fun. Sometimes it stinks. But it's my life."

"How long...?"

"How long did it take me to get used to it like this?" He nodded. "I still have to remind myself sometimes. Like when some of my former friends say or do something hurtful." She sighed. "But for most of it, it came when I realized that this is it. This is my life."

"So now what?"

"Now, we finish getting you dressed and ready to face the world." His mother replied.

She held up the bra. "I'll show you the easy way for now. But if those things get any bigger, and I bet they will, you will need to learn the right way to do it."

She put the strap around backwards, with the hooks in the front. She closed one hook and had him close the other two. Then she slid it around until it faced the right way. She showed him how to finish putting it on, then adjusted the straps a little.

The top was just a polo style shirt, with the few buttons going the wrong way. He barely noticed the difference. The skirt was another matter. He felt the emotions welling up again, but took a couple of breaths and fought them down again. When it was on, it seemed too short. He felt exposed, even though it went down to his knees.

The rest of the day, he got used to dressing, walking, sitting, and generally moving around like the girl he was. When he went down to dinner, his uncle John and cousin David reacted in ways that told him his initial assessment was right - he had become a pretty girl.

At dinner, his mother announced that his post MORFS checkup would be in eight days, at a clinic near his grandparents' house, about two hours travel from there. They were next on the visit list, anyway. In the meantime, she would be going back to his old school, to take care of some things. She would be back in plenty of time to take him to his checkup.

While she was gone, she was leaving him to the tender mercies of his aunt and cousin, for an intensive "girl boot camp". His parents would keep in touch by phone, but he had to learn to stand on "her" own two feet.

As part of that, he would be limited to skirts and dresses, day and night. It was as much a symbol of his new sex as an exercise in his new skills.

"It won't be so bad," his mother assured him. "Once you learn this, there will be no question about your name. You will look, talk, and act like an Angel O'Connor."

"Yeah," Janey chimed in. "Even the Pures would take you at face value... Unless you blow it or someone says something."

Angel learned more than he ever wanted to know about eating like a girl - and keeping his girlish figure. With the changes, they had no idea what kind of metabolism he would have. He might be able to eat anything and stay fit, or he might gain five pounds from smelling a piece of chocolate. He hoped that last was an exaggeration, but the way they said it made him worry a little. Besides, who knew what weird things MORFS had done to his insides?

His uncle and cousin also learned more than they wanted to know. Worse, they got drafted into the roles of observer and critic. Their job was to tell him any time the noticed him doing something that struck them as ungirlish. It was confusing, because they knew how easily Janey and her mother slipped into unfeminine behavior when it was just family.

Angel had a big disadvantage, since he hadn't grown up with a sister, and certainly hadn't grown up as a girl. He knew better than to exaggerate the behaviors he associated with girls. He was afraid they would think he wasn't taking it seriously, or he would just offend them. It never occurred to him that such exaggeration was part of the play that little girls used to learn while they were growing up.

But his biggest disadvantage was the feeling of being an impostor. He had all the right physical features, but it still seemed like he was a boy dressed up and pretending to be a girl. He was certain that people would spot him for a fake the minute he went out in public.

Intellectually, he knew that was in danger of being a self-fulfilling prophesy. If he let the fear overwhelm him, his behavior would be unnatural and draw attention. And once that happened, he would be under a microscope. Somehow, that thought didn't make him any less nervous.

The guys were excused, with prejudice, for the rest of the evening. The women covered more personal issues of hygiene, skin and hair care, and locker and changing room behavior. They even covered methods and options for hair removal from legs, armpits, and pubes.

He nearly lost it again when they taught him how to insert and remove a tampon, making him practice a few times. The feeling of something going inside him where he never expected anything to be able to do so was just too disorienting.

By the end of the evening, Angel was overwhelmed, and thoroughly embarrassed. His teachers had been completely frank, almost brutally so. And they pushed him into equally frank discussion of his breasts and genitals, using informal language. And talked about the contexts for different levels of frankness and language.

After the instant effects of the pills he had used during his transition, it seemed to take forever for him to fall asleep that night. Maybe it was all that had happened, and all he had learned. Maybe it was his worries about the future and the loss of his past. Or the unfamiliar feeling of his nightgown. While he was contemplating the question, he barely noticed himself slipping off to sleep.

After a brief war council, the others went to sleep as well.

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

Angel woke up confused. Everything felt wrong. He was in the wrong room. In the wrong clothes. His chest felt funny, and he couldn't feel his morning flagpole. And a part of him expected to see his mother there.

Then it all came back. The move. The MORFS. The sex change. The lessons.

One thing hadn't changed, however. He got up to take care of his urgent morning business. He was careful to wipe as he had been taught. Thinking about that, and the things he would be doing to get ready to face the world every day, made him realize that he had been dropped into a much higher maintenance life than the one he had enjoyed before.

Then he thought about his cousin Janey, and realized that it could be worse. She had all the upkeep problems he had, plus all that fur and the tail to care for.

He tucked his hair into a shower cap, then took a shower. He remembered what he had been told, and was too wrapped up in the process to do any real exploring.

It was funny. In the MORFS porn, the horny guys turning into girls or halfies couldn't wait to start playing with their new goodies, spending what seemed like hours in an extravagant variety of masturbation and self-voyeurism. But now that he was living that "dream", he could wait. He supposed that, if he expected everything to change back soon, he might have been more eager to explore. But he was pretty sure he had the rest of his life for that.

Besides, his privacy was limited.

When he returned to his borrowed bedroom, he found an outfit spread out on the bed for him. The skirt and blouse were a little nicer, which probably meant he would be seen by someone outside the family. The panties were even smaller than the previous day's, and the bra seemed a little nicer as well.

He dressed as quickly as he could, ran the brush quickly over his hair, then headed for the kitchen. While they ate, he learned that the morning would involve a trip to the mall for some more shopping, and that after lunch, his mother would start her drive back.

It was a given that Janey would be going along. She knew what girls were wearing, and what the clothes said about them. Even Angel knew he wouldn't want to look like he's been dressed by his mother. Boy or girl, that was social death.

Besides, she needed to do some shopping of her own.

For reasons he didn't understand, his mother did not want him to gather much attention while staying with his aunt and uncle. So they decided that they would not walk around together. Instead, they would walk separately but nearby and keep in touch by cell phone. Each would have her mother with her as more of a distraction and excuse. If the two pairs were seen to interact, it could be blamed on the mothers. Angel thought it was over reacting a little, but went along with it.

Before they left the house, they briefly reviewed mall behavior. Then Janey gave her the best tip of all. "If you act too boyish, we just shake our heads and comment on how much of a tomboy you always were."

The wisdom of that approach became apparent by the time they reached the third shop. Angel and his mother went in first, without any reaction. Then Maria entered, with Janey following.

Two couples suddenly surrounded Janey. "Hold it, freak," the taller girl demanded. "This is a 'humans only' shop. Your kind isn't welcome here!"

The other girl joined in. "In fact, your kind shouldn't be in this mall at all. Maybe we should have our boyfriends here show you the way out."

The boys moved in, menacingly. "Well, are you leaving, or are we escorting you?"

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Janey asked, moving as though she was drawing some power for an attack.

"Oh, sure, squirrel girl. We knew you when you changed, remember. You don't have any powers." Even standing back in the store, Angel could hear the contempt in the girl's voice.

"Sometimes powers take some time to show up. Are you sure you're willing to risk their nuts against the awesome Power of the Squirrel?"

The boys hesitated briefly. The girls stepped in toward the smaller Janey. "Are you willing to risk us ripping that tail off and stuffing it down your throat, freak?"

"Is there a problem here?" A deep voice rumbled.

"Nothing we can't handle," snarled the taller girl. She turned to face the source of the voice as she continued. "We were just about to show this..."

She found herself facing a literal bull of a man, in a mall security uniform. Eight feet tall, heavily muscled, sporting sharp horns, he was enough to intimidate even the two football players.

"I suggest the four of you move on, then. You're obstructing shoppers."

The four looked like they were going to say something, but turned and left. The guard turned and looked inside the shop. "Everything ok in there, Shirley?"

"We're fine, Leon. Thanks for coming so quickly."

"S'ok, Shirley. That's what I'm here for." He turned to Janey. "How about you, Janey? You ok?"

"I'm fine, Mr. Meyers." Janey babysat for the Meyers a couple of times, when she was younger. Long before she went through MORFS. She had never been particularly concerned with what people looked like, with or without MORFS... then or now.

Janey also knew the four. They were members of one of the more abusively anti-MORFS churches in the area, and hung around with the daughter of the preacher. They made trouble for a lot of people, but they also had an in with a number of powerful members of the community. They weren't as powerful as they liked to think and act, but the difference didn't help all that much.

The confrontation cast a pall on the shopping trip. Angel had a few new, useful things and had proven he could pass as the girl he had become, and as someone who had not gone through MORFS. It was time to go back to the house.

When they got back, Uncle John was at work, and David was at a friend's house. Janey called to let him know they were back.

Angel's mom was more than usually thoughtful. Angel was more than a little shaken. Janey and her mother, having gone through it before, were a lot more composed.

Janey reassured her relatives. "I knew they wouldn't do much. They were already banned from the mall once, when they were caught on a security camera roughing someone up. That was only for a month, and the police report didn't result in a prosecution, but their parents were told in no uncertain terms that any more incidents would be met with much more severe punishment. And were held responsible for the damages."

"Damages?"

"A torn blouse, cleaning bills, and a damaged display. They got lucky, 'cause they might have had to deal with medical bills, too."

"What did the parents do?"

"Not much, at first. Paid the bills. Made the appropriate noises. That kind of thing. A couple tried to blame the victim, but too many people had seen the tapes."

"Well," her mother added. "After they learned a couple of things, they kept the boys on a short leash for a while."

Janey laughed. "Yeah. SOMEone," she looked at her mother, "reminded the coach that a charge, or even a formal complaint, would make them ineligible for their sports. They have fair grades, and they're not stupid or anything, but they are both really counting on sports scholarships to get in to the universities they want, and especially to pay for it."

Maria adopted a look of exaggerated innocence. "However they found out, they also found out that the coaches couldn't cut them any slack. Apparently, that could disqualify the whole team for the year. Or longer. Who would have guessed?"

"Yeah, who'da guessed?" Janie giggled. The giggle came across as part chitter.

Angel got drafted into helping with lunch, amid comments about it being part of his girl lessons, while his mother got ready to leave.

Over lunch, he learned that his mother would be back in time for his appointment, but not much before. The day before the appointment, his aunt and uncle would drive him over to his grandmother's house, about an hour and a half by freeway, and visit for a while.

His mother said her goodbyes, then drove off. A part of him wanted to run after the car, crying and begging her to take him with her. He imagined it vividly. He knew perfectly well that he was safely within the arms of family, still. But there was still the fear.

His aunt had to go to work for the rest of the afternoon, so she left Janey in charge of his training. She decided to work on informal talk. She tried to make one thing very clear: "Girls describe problems to share them. If we want help solving the problem, we ask after we share."

"So what do I do, how do I respond?"

"You encourage her to go on, and make it clear that you understand. Maybe you tell a similar story, to show that you understand."

They practiced a bit, but it soon moved to a discussion of the events at the mall and the problems with those people. They had just started when David came home, looking disgusted.

"Uh, oh. What happened, oh brother mine?"

"Reverend Hate is at it again," he spat, showing them a flier for a rally and concert that evening, featuring some speakers from around the country. At first glance, it almost seemed reasonable, promoting values like Family, Health, Education, and Human Rights. It was only when Angel realized that the group used such phrases as code words for something far less wholesome, that he understood David's reaction. He was particularly annoyed by the perversion of "Human Rights" to mean the "rights" of those who have not gone through MORFS to discriminate against those who have.

"Y'know," Angel started, "this would be a really good time for some Divine Justice." Due to his name, Angel had always been fascinated with concepts like warrior angels and extravagant Punishments From Above. His cousins were used to it.

"Yeah," Janey agreed. "A good, old-fashioned plague on them."

"Better yet," David rejoined, "a modern plague. Just imagine all those Pures getting MORFS at once. I wonder what their preaching would sound like then?"

The got into some intense, if fantastic, brainstorming. Janey kept up with the training by reminding David to watch for "un female" behaviors by Angel, and she would do the same. A few times, David called things that Janey overrode but reminded Angel of the differences between behaviors among families, female friends, and mixed public settings. Angel was surprised at how few mistakes he apparently made.

The new MORFS would have to affect adults and teens, but not those who have gone through the change or were about to. It would most readily effect those who were genetically resistant to the "normal" forms of MORFS. It would spread through physical contact, like a handshake, but not angry, momentary contact like a slap or a punch. It could go through thin layers of cloth, like shirt sleeves or cloth gloves.

It would be latent for a while, say, two or three weeks, making it difficult to tell when they were infected. During that time, it would be particularly contagious but would not produce any noticeable effects. After the change, it would be less virulently contagious, but would still be somewhat so.

The effects on adults would be relatively mild, for practical reasons. Their body hair would become fur. Bald spots would fill in with fur as well. At two spots above the forehead, the hair roots would fuse to form small horns. Their ears would slowly grow taller and pointed. And their vocal chords would atrophy.

The kids would be harder hit. In a nod to their anti Evolution rhetoric, they would end up resembling chimps. If they got the bug from an adult, they would change sex. If they got it from a peer, they would either keep their sex or become halfies. They would have to relearn how to talk, due to the changes to their faces.

While they were debating, and putting in parts of what they had gone through, Angel had been feeling a mild, excited tingling. He just shrugged it off as a part of his new body's reactions to the emotions. He found it more difficult to dismiss his growing desire to attend the rally and meet the speakers.

"Are you out of your mind?" Janey practically shrieked, when Angel announced his determination.

"You have to admit, it would be a good test. The others ignored me, at the mall. I should be able to pass as an unchanged girl there, and I'm not likely to do anything especially stupid. I just feel like I have to do this. I need to see them, be able to recognize them."

David broke in. "I know a couple of guys who are going, for pretty much the same reason. They could kinda look out for her."

Angel felt a momentary surge of panic. "What have you told your friends about me?"

"That you went through MORFS, and turned Anglo. And that you didn't seem to have any cool powers or anything. We were warned about discussing anything more, while you were changing. Other than that, you're just another out of town cousin."

Janey agreed that she had limited her comments similarly, even to her best friend.

They called their mother, and told her that Angel would be going to a concert with a couple of David's friends, as an exercise in being out in public. There was some back and forth, but she knew the boys in question and trusted them (to the extent that she trusted any teenaged boy). She finally agreed.

He was not entirely happy with the resulting preparations. He had to learn more about dressing for something like a concert, and the difference between dressing for "going with friends" and dressing for a date. He also had to learn about applying - and, more importantly, fixing - subtle makeup for such events.

David quickly left to call his friends and watch some tv, keeping himself out of range of "all that girly stuff" they were doing. Janey took advantage of that to teach Angel one of her old secret weapons - puppy eyes. With practice, he got it. But he still felt a little foolish using it.

One of David's friends called, asking if Angel would like to go early and help with the setup. "She" would have a better chance of meeting who she wanted to meet, and be less visible arriving and leaving. Angel thought that was a great idea.

A little part inside of him was screaming that it was NOT a good idea! Wondering what the Hell had happened to him - to his judgment? Wondering what he was becoming. But that part was largely going unheard.

The boys arrived, and introductions were made. After getting his cousin's cell phone, they were soon on the road. En route, they explained that they were part of a volunteer pool for a number of groups in the area. While they were known to be Neutrals, they were valued for their skills and experience. If they were willing to work the event, they were welcome. Their reputation convinced people that they would not work against the event in any way.

They got his word that he would not sabotage the event. They understood that he was just trying to test his ability to pass among the Pures. They didn't know how profound the change had been, but they didn't really need to.

Once they were there and checked in (Angel with an assumed name), he was assigned gopher duty. This suited him fine, since it would give him legitimate excuses for anonymous contact with the speakers and organizers. He still didn't understand why he wanted to touch those people, but he did.

As he set out pamphlets, programs and fliers, he looked at what they said. As he got more and more upset, he used the image of those people being subjected to the Divine Retribution as a way to keep the appearance of support. He used the image even more intensely when he was dealing directly with the speakers. He had no problems finding excuses to touch them. But when he did, he felt an odd little pulse in his hand. He was so upset about those people and what was going on that he dismissed them without much thought.

He had pretty much finished his rounds before the rally even began. Which turned out to be a good thing. About 45 minutes into the rally, his phone rang. It was his aunt, and she was furious. She made it clear that he was to leave immediately. He offered to have one of the boys drive him back, but she refused. He was to get to the parking lot, where she would pick him up.

He checked out, citing a family emergency, and headed for the lot. On the way, he reflected on the idea that he was ready to leave anyway. By the time he got there, she was pulling up at the service entrance.

All the way home, he was treated to a nonstop lecture on the stupidity and danger of his little jaunt. Once they got home, she expanded her attack to include her own children. She found a suitably female punishment for him: cleaning. The kitchen, then the bathrooms, then vacuuming the carpets. He accepted the judgment and punishments with suitable humility, and apologized repeatedly.

There was one advantage to the timing. He was back in plenty of time for the calls from his parents. His aunt declared that there was no point in worrying them, so she wouldn't mention his lapse and he shouldn't either.

----------

He later found out that he was not the only one engaging in risky behavior. His mother had gone back to take care of some things while she still had access. Specifically, to take care of his records.

"'Lena! What are you doing back?" Annie, the new lead, asked delightedly.

"I had to come back to take care of some paperwork, and I realized that there were a couple of things I hadn't shown you. They are not likely to come up often, but when they do, you need to know what to do."

"You want all of us?"

"No, just you. If they do come up, you'll need to do it personally and confidentially."

They set up in a closed office, and Magdalena started to explain.

"Sometimes, for a number of reasons other than MORFS, a child will change sex. It may be that they were intersexed to begin with, or transgendered, or they might have been hit with some strangeness from some battle between supers. That kind of thing. In such cases, you will get a court order or government directive to change the records. Instead of handling it like a MORFS sex change, you actually go in and change the records."

"There's a program here for doing most of it, but you will also have to change some of the paper records. And be sure that the order goes in the locked files, not the student's folder. Ok, so far?"

"Sure. I saw that thing last year about the girl caught in the crossfire, and I wondered how we would deal with it."

"Yeah. By the way, make sure you teach your successor about this. It should be restricted to the lead and the Superintendent."

"Gotcha."

"Now, here's the way you access the program. You'll need one of the biometric enabled machines as well as the password. Make sure you don't have the password written down here anywhere. Aw, heck... you already know that. Since I'm already out of the system, we'll need to use you. Now, I'll need to use a live record to show you how to do things, so I'll use Angel's. That way, if we screw something up the parents won't get mad at us."

They both laughed at that, while she pulled up his records.

"The first thing is the name. Most of the time, they will want to change it. If it stays the same, just click here." She demonstrated. "It will search the records and let you know if there is another student with the same name."

She went on, showing her the options and explaining the functions. In the end, they had a record completely consistent with a female student. None of the grades, and few of the classes changed. That was made easier by the fact that most of the PE classes were coed.

Next came a scan of written comments and disciplinary notes, correcting for gender as needed. In this case, it was just a matter of changing a few "he's" to "she's", and one mention of "other boys" to "boys".

The program accessed the systems at the individual schools to change records of gym locker assignments and the like. In this case, it could not make some changes due to the fact that they had lived in other jurisdictions before middle school.

She finished the process, then the form that would be filed with the original order. Then she immediately went into showing her the other "forgotten" procedures.

When she mentioned needing to get another copy of the transcript, to carry to Angel's new school, Annie gave her a significant look. Then smiled. After it was printed, signed, and sealed, the day was pretty much over. Magdalena invited Annie and her SO to dinner, her treat. She accepted, and they made plans.

By unspoken agreement, they didn't say anything more about what had happened.

End Part 1

Angel's Tale: A MORFS Universe Story

By Joreymay

Angel learns more about his sex, shopping, powers, and family secrets.

Part 2

Angel wondered what he'd have to do to get grounded. He really wished he could get grounded. A nice, quiet day scrubbing floors, dusting corners, or even hand washing the laundry and dishes sounded nice, and an afternoon restricted to his room with nothing but some books for company sounded wonderful.

But no... his aunt and uncle were too clever for that. Too diabolical. Not only did they do what they could to get him out in public as much as possible, but they seemed to make it as stressful as possible while they were at it. First, they dressed him in his shortest skirt, then took him back to the mall. As before, Janey walked separately and kept in touch by cell phone.

First stop was a shoe store. Not the family style places he was used to, but one that catered exclusively to women. Shoes, purses, and the like. The object was to buy some heels. Not excessive, just two inch heels. But that would mean walking in them while trying them on. In public. In front of people his age.

In case of disaster, they had the tomboy excuse. But is was a matter of pride not to have to use it.

Things were going bad enough, with the tight, unbalanced, unfamiliar shoes. But then, during one of his endless stumbles down and back, he got the word on the phone: from the time he was measuring his foot to the time he fitted the most recent pair of shoes, the salesman had been looking up Angel's skirt every chance he got. And Angel had been giving him plenty of chances.

"What do I do?" he asked her, in a quiet, but near panicked voice.

"Let him know you know, but make a joke out of it. He really does give good service and is a pretty nice guy. Even if he is a perv."

"How?"

"Tell him where you got the panties, and what they cost."

"I don't remember!"

"You got them at Linda's Lingerie, and they were three ninety eight."

He walked back to the seat, and watched as the man took the shoes off. Sure enough, his eyes were not on the work.

"You know," Angel commented quietly, trying to sound casual, "If you are that interested in them, Linda's has them on sale for less than four dollars a pair."

The man's head jerked up, guilt and the beginnings of panic in his eyes. Angel just met his gaze with a frank but neutral expression. After a moment, the man broke his gaze and looked back down at the shoes.

"Ho... how did they feel?"

"They pinched my toes more than some of the others. The rest was ok though."

Aunt Marie had watched the exchange, and had a shrewd idea what was going on. But she was going to let Angel handle it. She did have a suggestion about the shoes, however.

"I think you need something more like those," she prompted, indicating a pair with less of a pointed toe.

The rest of the time, his eyes stayed where they belonged. They also got a 20% discount on the shoes they chose, which was nice. Thankfully, his aunt did not make him wear those shoes for the rest of the shopping trip.

Worse was yet to come. Swim suits. Janey and his aunt seemed to be working at cross purposes, there. When he admitted he wouldn't know where to begin, his aunt twisted the knife. "Think about all your summers at the pool," she began, waiting for his nod. "Now, think of what looked really good on the girls. Think of the girls you noticed, and what they were wearing." She waited again, this time seeing his smile. "Now that you remember what those suits made you think and feel, think of all those boys thinking and feeling those things about you."

Angel's face fell. Then twisted into a grimace. His skin paled a little.

Then Janey chimed in, over the phone. "Don't let her psych you out! You're a girl now. You WANT the boys thinking and feeling most of those things. If you try for something too conservative or unflattering, you draw negative attention to yourself. Especially among the other girls. Think about the girls you saw dressed that way. What did you think of them? How did the other girls and the boys treat them? What did they make you think and feel?"

He remembered, and wished he hadn't.

Janey went on. "The trick is to find something that works for you. Don't try to be cutting edge, 'cause it won't last the summer. Don't go for last year's top fashions, 'cause the girls will know. Think of how it will look and feel, both dry and wet. And think of the fact that you will be interacting with other teens, children, mothers, and dirty old men while you are wearing it."

"Gee, thanks. You're making it sooo simple."

"Any time, coz. Welcome to the world of Young Womanhood."

At first, he was frozen in indecision. He felt almost as much a pervert and impostor looking through the suits as he had looking through the underwear on the earlier trip.

He was startled to "hear" a voice in his head. *Just relax. You're one of us now, no matter what you were before.* the voice soothed.

Angel jerked like he had been hit with an electrical shock, then looked around. The salesgirl waved.

*Don't worry. No one else suspects. Janey is a friend, and I've met her mom a few times.*

His aunt looked startled, then turned and smiled at the girl. "Hello, Miranda. I didn't know you worked here."

"This is my second summer. The money is good, the work is mostly fun, and the owner likes the added security I provide."

"I imagine so. How are your folks?"

"Fine. Working their butts off, as usual." She paused a moment, and Janey gave a little squeak.

"Don't DO that!" she complained.

"Nobody was paying attention. I checked." Miranda grinned. "But while I have you here, we just got in some nice tail suits. A couple of them would look great on you. You go ahead and take a look, and I'll take care of your cousin."

Janey looked at her mother, who gave a small nod, then dashed off to the rack Miranda had indicated.

"Wow. Not many of us can pass that well."

"You were a boy, too?"

"No, I was always a girl. On the outside, only my hair color and eye color changed. The fun stuff is on the inside. Luckily, I was almost done with high school by then. They had to give me my finals and stuff double blind, to be sure I wasn't just reading the answers. I was extra lucky that nobody there made a big deal of it. A lot of people know, but not the ones who would be a problem."

"Oh." he was disappointed. He thought he had found a kindred spirit.

"I'm closer than you think. I was always worried that someone would learn my secret, and turn everyone against me. It felt like I was an impostor for a long time."

Angel got curious. "What goodies did you get?"

"Telepathy, and a little TK. Useful, but not exactly goddess class. Still don't know what you have, Hmm?"

Angel shook his head. "Can you tell?" he asked, hopefully.

"Sometimes, a little. I think you need training for that or something. I can spot the really powerful ones, and the ones who know usually tell me one way or another. You..."

She paused and looked at him a moment. "You've got something, but it seems kinda small and weak. You're fighting the change, but more and more of you knows you're a girl now. The shrinks at the center will probably be able to help you a lot. I just sell swim suits. Speaking of which..."

She pulled him over to one rack, then another, picking out suits and handing them to him. "Any of these should look good on you. Not too daring, not too modest. Why don't you two go on in and see how they look?" She indicated the changing room. "Your aunt can explain the procedures."

For health reasons, he had to try on the suits over his panties. He tried them all on, and some fit better than others. Janey came in with a few suits to try, and joined her mother in evaluating each one he modeled.

They finally settled on two, after explaining to him that he really would need a spare. And Janey was allowed one of the ones she tried on. For appearances, Janey paid for her own, while Marie paid for Angel's. Miranda had warned them of potentially awkward eyes in the vicinity.

After all that, the underwear wasn't as bad as he had feared. He was less than thrilled to have to try on and model some much shorter skirts, midriff baring tops, and the like. And even less so with what they bought.

But the makeup demo was pure torture. It became obvious that they thought they had gone easy on him in that department, and they intended to make up for it now.

His freshman year, he had let some friends talk him into doing a small part in the Fall Play, a revival of "Boneyard". He had to wear makeup for that, so the experience wasn't as new or disturbing as it might have been. But the idea of doing it almost every day, and being seen up close and in regular light, just seemed wrong.

And the face in the mirror frightened him. She was beyond pretty, into beautiful with a touch of glamor. And the little that was left of his old features was gone. He didn't like it, and said so. All he really said was that it wasn't him, but his aunt could read his expression and didn't push it in such a public setting. She had the technician tone it down a little and shift the emphasis. He found that marginally better, and ended up making some purchases.

He found himself envying Janey. All she had to - or could, really - use was some lipstick or lip gloss and sometimes some eyeshadow. Her lashes were thick enough that she would never need mascara, and there was nowhere to put base, blush or the like, on her furry face.

He learned some other important lessons when lunch time came around. At first, they thought they would have to leave. He was not too disappointed about that, but didn't quite understand the reasons. But a few of Janey's friends showed up, and were headed for the food court. His chance at an early escape evaporated. She joined them, and they went to eat together.

They asked about Angel and her mother. She identified him as "Ann", an out of town cousin. That much was true enough. She also mentioned that there was a little tension in the family, and they also understood her desire to eat with them.

While Angel and his aunt ate, at a table well separated from the friends, she explained the problems and even dangers of a girl eating alone somewhere like that. And how much worse it was for an obvious MORFS survivor.

After more shopping, they went home. But not for long. Now that he had a suit, they took him to the pool. As they had at the mall, they kept their distance. He really didn't like walking around dressed like that. He swam some laps, tried some dives (and found that he would have to learn to adjust for his new shape and center of gravity.), and generally tried to ignore the looks. Unsuccessfully tried to ignore the looks. Settled for pretending he was ignoring the looks.

It was bad enough seeing the other boys his age undressing him with their eyes. And the girls measuring him as a potential threat. But it seemed wrong for the younger boys to be looking at her that way. Unthreatening, but wrong. But the really creepy thing was the way the adult men, especially some of the old men, looked when they thought no one was watching. Or worse, the way some girls and women looked at him.

It made him want to shower over and over again. At home. His home. In his old body.

As before, Janey helped put things in perspective. Although they rinsed off at the pool, they showered more thoroughly when they got home. When Angel was complaining about all he had to do with shampooing, conditioning, and especially drying and styling his longer hair, Janey pointed out that she had the same thing - all over her body.

"Just imagine having to brush your boobs while you blow dry them." she harrumphed.

He asked what she thought about the idea of getting his hair cut short, in a low maintenance style.

"Better not try, here. Aunt Maggie wants you to keep a low profile. Most of the MORFS girls I know who got long hair in the process couldn't get it cut for a couple of months. It would just grow back, almost immediately. And that really draws attention. Maybe you can try when you're at Grandma's."

After his aunt rejoined them, Janey pointed out that one of the biggest ways former boys gave themselves away was when faced with frank, informal discussions of body parts, periods, sanitary products, and sex. More often than not, they either froze (in embarrassment), or went overboard (trying to show off their recently acquired knowledge).

Most girls accepted some terms, hated some others, and limited yet others to situations where they would only be heard by certain other girls. "Think," Janey explained, "about the ways you used to treat discussions of sex, your penis, scrotum, testicles, ass, and bodily fluids and wastes. Think about what you would have said or responded to in the boys' locker room, but would not have said in front of us."

Angel acknowledged the point. They gave him a list of words, had him say each a number of times, then set him an exercise. His room was designated a locker room. He would put on and take off his bra, otherwise dressed only in his panties, 25 times while carrying on locker room conversations using those words. When that was done, they continued the exercise while having him put on his bra the "real" way another 25 times. After that, the room was the guest room again, and he was talking with friends (no guys or adults around), for another 25 of the harder way. Finally, he was talking in moderately mixed company, for yet another 25.

Then it got worse. He would have to be able to remove and insert tampons as though he had been using them for years. And be able to knowledgeably discuss his preferences for brands and the benefits and drawbacks of each. Finally, he would have to be so comfortable with that information that he feels no need to bring it up in any but the most relevant circumstances. That took a lot of practice - with several brands - as well. After the first few, he had to use his finger to rub some soothing gel around the inside of his vagina between rounds, to keep from drying out too much.

Once the discussion got beyond brands and varieties, it moved on to childhood toys. It seemed more than a little bizarre to him, talking about some of the things he played with and some of those he would have played with, while standing by the toilet, pushing things into himself and pulling them out again.

At least those lessons didn't come with field trips.

During that night's calls, his mother seemed amused at his lessons, while his father offered sympathy and support. They both reminded him that the lessons were important, and that soon he would be back to just living a life. A new life in a new place.

Although he was almost too exhausted, he decided it was time for a more private lesson. With all the time he had spent handling his new anatomy that day, there seemed to be no reason to avoid exploring his potential for pleasure. He made sure the door was closed, pulled his nightgown up to his shoulders, then sprawled on the bed. It became obvious real quick that the position he used in his old life wouldn't work. Rather than lose the mood, he started playing with his breasts. While they were a lot more sensitive than his old nipples and chest, the greater pleasure from playing with them was nowhere near what he expected from his reading and viewing.

Still, it felt good. Very good. And it made him feel more sexy. He began to feel some reactions between his legs. Not the ones he was used to, but reactions. He started rubbing his legs together while he kept playing with his breasts. As the feelings increased, he let his mind wander. As he slid his hands down his belly and toward the seat of all those new sensations, he had a vague image of someone there. Not an hallucination or the like, just a daydream.

At first, he couldn't even tell whether the vision was female or male. And he didn't care. The vision was kissing and fingering where he was running his hands. The feelings got better as he explored. Places that just felt like body parts during the practice became real erogenous zones. He had stuck his finger in and out of his vagina dozens of times that day, rubbing and otherwise moving his lips in the process, and it was nothing. Now, the slightest hint of those motions was wonderful. They felt different to his hand, as well. He knew the theory - engorged labia, lubricating vagina, erect clitoris. But in practice, it was just "doing this feels good", and "doing that feels even better". And sometimes "Oops, that wasn't so good" or "Ow!".

He experimented with rubbing around his clit in various ways, after trying the more direct approach and feeling like someone had dragged something rough over his cock head. Slowly, he found what worked better, less well, and worse than not at all. He never really came, but satisfied himself with a small peak which allowed him to release the built up tension.

He barely got his nightgown pulled down and the covers pulled up before he dropped off to sleep.

The next morning, as he was rushing to the bathroom, Janey stopped him with a smirk and a greeting. "Have fun, last night?"

He froze, torn between shock, denial, embarrassment, and outrage. The moment passed as Janey ducked into her room. He continued into the bathroom.

On the way to breakfast, he cornered his cousin. "Were you spying on me?"

"Hardly. I was headed downstairs for my book, and heard sounds from your room. For a moment, I thought you were having problems. Then I recognized some of the sounds." She grinned.

"Oh." Now he felt foolish.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Didn't your folks ever give you the 'perfectly natural, everyone does it' speech?"

"Well, yeah. But it was different then."

"Oh," her tone turned frigid. "And how was it different?"

Angel may have been a boy until recently, but even he could recognize the warning signs. Thinking fast, he replied "Because they were toilet training me at the time?"

Janey barked out a laugh, and the chill left the room. She did admit that his reaction was completely consistent with his being a girl.

The next couple of days were filled with more training. They refined his grooming and hygiene, taught him the beginnings of putting together outfits, and recognizing and reacting to the social signals that girls share. All with plenty of field trips (even, ugh, the grooming and hygiene). The outings for outfits and social cues were mostly observational. But some had more practical exercises.

He went to bed each night with his head swimming. He had absorbed so much, so quickly. But he knew that he didn't get it all, and that he had a lot more to learn.

It hadn't been all that long since they were together, but he found himself looking forward to the phone calls from his parents. He missed them, and the strangeness of his new situation made him wish they were there. There was a small spark of fear in him - the primal fear of rejection and abandonment. The calls helped keep that under control.

Saturday came, and with it, his mother. She wasn't entirely pleased with the limits on his progress, but accepted the notion that some skills were covered in depth. She hoped he could learn the rest as he went along. He could clean, dress, and make up himself to a limited but functional degree, and he could handle hygienic issues. The rest was practice and refinement.

After some phone calls, a family lunch and discussion, it was decided that everyone would go to his grandparents' house on Sunday. The others would visit for a few hours, then return home. Angel and his mother would stay there until sometime after his appointment, and then continue their trip toward Denver.

He was looking forward to the visit, with mixed feelings. Even though he had not seen much of his grandpa, he had learned a lot about pride, honor, and the virtues of hard work from him. There were reasons the cousins sometimes called the house "Grandma's". For much of their married life, he had gone great distances to get enough work to support his family. He often lived at the work site for weeks at a time. But he kept a roof over his family's head, food on their table, and clothes on their backs. With a few cautious investments, and a lot of self denial, he was able to buy a small second home in the town where he did most of his work. He rented rooms to a couple of coworkers, helping defray the costs.

A small college in that area had been growing during that time, and expanded to the point that it was literally across the street from the house. Grandpa had been about ready to retire, anyway, so he allowed the college to manage the house and rent it for student housing. It was a good deal for him, since the school paid the taxes and took care of the upkeep, while providing a monthly income for him. It was a good deal for the school, because the arrangement cost it much less up front than their alternatives. He moved back home and retired. By then, his grandchildren had gotten used to thinking of the house as hers. And to a certain extent, so had she.

When the college needed to expand again, it made him a very good offer for the property. He accepted, and his retirement was complete. It took a while for her to get used to having him "under foot" all the time, and the cousins were still not used to seeing him there all the time.

He was not the serious, foreboding authority figure that you would expect from his life story. He had a genuine love of life, and took great joy in his family. He could be strict with the children when it was called for. But it rarely was. The grandchildren would do just about anything to keep from disappointing him.

And that was what worried Angel now. What would his grandpa think about him becoming a girl? And an anglo girl, at that? He had heard that neither grandparent had any problems with the changes in his cousins, or other members of the family. But Angel was the only sex changer in the family that he knew of.

He needn't have worried. When they got there, he was welcomed with open arms. His Grandpa had heard about how hard he had worked to learn his new life, and was impressed. The first part of the visit was full of the joyful chaos of any house full of loving relatives. Once the others had gone back home, it was time for some quiet, Sunday afternoon relaxation.

Angel and his Grandpa spent a good deal of the afternoon sitting out on the porch and just talking. His Grandpa had a way of getting people to open up - to share what they had bottled up inside. Angel was no exception. He quickly understood that nothing was really out of bounds, that nothing he said could change what they shared.

Then his Grandpa dropped the bombshell. Angel was not the only MORFS sex change in the family. In fact, there were two others. One was an uncle Angel barely knew. The other was his Grandma. She had been a friend of his before the change, but after the change the friendship had turned slowly to love. She had been relieved that she didn't have to hide anything about her change from him. Not even her powers.

They weren't all that spectacular. She could see in several wavelengths from the far infrared through the ultraviolet. And she could do so in what amounted to telescopic and microscopic modes, as well as normally. In addition to being able to spot and analyze things most people couldn't, it gave her a limited form of "X-ray Vision" (even though she didn't actually see in that band) and an ability to see clearly in absolute darkness (by virtue of the infrared light from the heat of her body). It was still early in the MORFS era, so her family had kept her powers as quiet as possible. She never became a superhero, or any kind of operative. She was just "that nice girl" (later, "lady") "with the really good eyesight."

Her grandkids always knew she could "see right through them," but didn't know how true that really was. Her own children knew the secrets, but hadn't learned them until they were adults. For some reason, MORFS had skipped a generation (the uncle was family by marriage), and then came down hard on Angel's lot.

After that discussion, a lot of things made more sense to Angel. Including his parents' lack of reaction to his own change. And his inability to get away with anything while visiting that house.

After dinner, he engaged in a time honored tradition by baking cookies with his Grandma while they talked. She shared the problems and challenges she had "back in the Late Paleolithic" when she got MORFS. She also talked about the joys of womanhood and motherhood. She confided that she thought she got the better end of the deal, overall.

She also confided that it had taken her a long time to really start thinking of herself as a female. And that she understood the struggle Angel was going through. It had not been as simple or easy for her as her husband seemed to think. Some of her own relatives and friends stopped having anything to do with her. Some parts of her family still kept their distance.

The cookies were soon done, and being enjoyed by all four of them.

"So," his mother asked around a small bite of cookie, "what do you think about the family's deep, dark secrets?"

Everyone chuckled. Angel thought for a moment, then replied "At least now I know those eyes weren't REALLY in the back of her head."

That got a laugh from everyone.

They spent the next couple of days refining his girl lessons, especially how to walk, talk, and act in more formal situations. It was one thing for him to commit the kinds of social faux pas that a girl his age might stumble with in formal situations. It was another, more serious, thing for him to do so in a way that marked him out as a (former) boy.

Even though the clinic would know about the change, they covered how a girl - even a tomboy - would act in such situations. They also warned him about some aspects of the upcoming exam, which did nothing to put him at ease.

"They're going to put something WHERE? And do WHAT with it? You've GOT to be kidding me! What is that, some kind of torture for MORFS sex changers?"

"No, dear. It's something all women go through, as part of our physical exams. I won't say that you'll come to enjoy it, but it's important and doesn't last long."

"Angel, it's not as bad as it sounds. Like those times you got the prostate and hernia exams, the best thing to do is just relax and let it happen."

"But... but... Eewww!"

"Amen to that." the two women chorused.

But in some ways, the creepiest part of the process was the simplest. The reading. The idea of some stranger rummaging around in his mind, finding God knows what personal secrets, made him almost appreciate the physical exam. But as they talked about it, he started to realize that it was not significantly different than his encounter with Miranda.

He told them about the encounter, and they agreed that it would be somewhat similar. Shorter, and less personal, but similar. They found the claim about a small, weak power interesting. His Grandma mentioned that it was similar to the way hers was classified.

"It's not what you've got, it's what you do with it."

Angel couldn't resist. "Yeah, but I don't have one any more!"

For a second, the women looked puzzled. Then the light dawned, and the women tried to look shocked. It didn't work, and they were soon laughing.

"Mind if I tell your Grandpa that one?" his Grandma asked. "He always did like that kind of joke."

He agreed. And he was only a little surprised when his mother used the comment as a launching point for yet another round of asking how he felt about the change, and assuring him of their complete support. He was more than a little relieved when it came time to get ready to go to the clinic.

He was already dressed in the recommended loose, comfortable clothes, so getting ready was little more than touching up his hair and minimal makeup. His mother went with him, for support as well as to handle all the paperwork.

In the waiting room, he almost made an awkward mistake. But when he started to reach for a sports magazine, his mother stopped him with an abrupt comment about an interesting looking article in a teen fashion magazine next to it. He took the hint, and picked up the teen zine. He knew that many girls read the sports magazines (and some half joked that they did so to see the athletic men in minimal, tight uniforms), and there was no reason for him not to be one of them. Still, it would make him stand out in a way that might raise suspicions.

He glanced around the room, wondering who else switched sexes. There was a girl a little older than him, obviously uncomfortable in her clothes and about being seen there. Her peaked ears and slit eyes might have something to do with it, he supposed. There was a boy whose behavior somehow struck him as wrong. As effeminate. But was it a sex change, or was he just that kind of boy? None of the kids, and few of the adults, looked entirely comfortable there.

Finally, after an interminable six minutes, his name was called. His mother stayed with him as he was scanned, poked, prodded, and stretched, but gave him privacy for his samples. She was not allowed to accompany him into the room with the evaluator. But that part was quick and relatively painless.

After that, they went back to the waiting room for a while. He watched people come and go until he was called again, and they went to an office to discuss the results with the woman who was the lead doctor for his tests.

Physically, he was an average sixteen year old girl. No special organs, nothing missing or extra... normal. He could expect to grow a bit taller, and have his breasts grow a bit more, but he was otherwise pretty much fully developed.

Mentally, he was handling the change a little better than average, but was still having trouble accepting his girlhood. Angel suppressed the urge for a sarcastic response to that announcement. His mother commented that they were aware of the problem, and asked whether there were any things she should be doing or looking for. The doctor gave each of them some materials she said they might find useful, including contact information for local support groups.

She went on to say that he was a low level bio elemental. She cautioned him not to expect much. He would probably be completely resistant to infections and the like, and could control his fertility. She emphasized that it did not constitute a license for promiscuity, because it would not protect him from social, emotional, and other consequences.

With practice and some training, he would probably be able to heal small injuries at the cellular level and perceive and recognize a variety of microorganisms. That would seem to be about it. Not exactly super hero class, but mildly useful.

She would never know how badly she had underestimated Angel's abilities.

His mother collected the proper forms, declaring Angel "safe" for things like school and sports. His record, with his grandparents' address, would be in the central database, but he did not fall under any of the categories of "dangerous" that would have required him to register himself locally in some places.

Angel and his mother were both relieved by the results, but Angel was a little disappointed. He went through all that, and didn't even get any cool powers or abilities out of it. If anything, he was a little smaller and weaker than he was before.

Still, he had resources. Unique resources.

"Grandma, you remember that thing about 'what you do with it' before?"

She smiled a little as she nodded.

"Would you be willing to use your abilities to help me learn to use mine?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you have this built in multispectral microscope, right?"

"I wouldn't put it exactly that way," she replied wryly, "but pretty much. So?"

"I've been playing around a little bit since we got the results. I'm supposed to be able to perceive and recognize micro stuff, and I think I might know how it works, kinda." He shifted around a bit, reaching for the words. "Since the change, I've been noticing that some things look kinda funny. The books said that you get stuff like that sometimes when your eyes change, and it's temporary, so I wasn't worried. But on the way home, I noticed that I could still see the funny stuff when I closed my eyes. Like when you look at the tv then close your eyes. Except it didn't fade away, and I got some funny feelings about it."

"So you think this funniness is your perception of the micro stuff?" she consciously used his terms, wanting to avoid derailing his train of thought.

"Maybe. Yeah."

"So how can I help?"

"Well, right now I don't have any real idea what I'm looking at. And there's no way the references match it. So I was hoping that, maybe, you could look at some things and tell me what they are, and I can match that with what I perceive."

"I don't know, honey. I'm not really trained in microbiology. I wouldn't really know what I was seeing, either."

"I thought about that. But what you see would match what they showed in the references, so you could look them up. At the very least, you could tell a virus from a bacteria, and that would help. I think."

She thought about it. It would be a lot of work, and she really didn't know much about what they would be looking for. School was a *very* long time ago, and she had paid more attention to physical things than to living things. On the other hand, this was her grandson... granddaughter, a loved one who needed her. How could she do anything less than her best to help?

"We can try." she allowed. "I don't know how much good I can do, though." Then, one of her half formed objections came clear. "But how will we know we are talking about the same thing? Everything is mixed together, with lots of different kinds of things in the air and on any surface you look at. I could be naming a bacteria, and you could be perceiving the virus next to it."

"Yeah, I thought about that, too." he said with an odd mixture of emotions. "But I think maybe I can do something about it. I can manipulate those things a little, and I think I can make an area that is clear of all the stuff, then concentrate one kind of thing in that place. Watch."

He took one of the thin walled water glasses from the kitchen, then had her look at the surface. Her pride as a homemaker took a momentary hit when her special vision showed a menagerie of microscopic life coating the outside. Then she remembered that it was the normal state of things, and almost impossible to completely eliminate.

He put one fingertip against the side, a little way down from the rim, then asked her to look there. As she watched, all the little bits of life flowed away, leaving a dime sized spot of sterile glass on the inside and outside, with his fingertip at the center. Then, as she continued to watch, some moved back in. But those were all the same kind of thing - a sort of ball with spikes.

"How big can you make the clear spot?"

"That's about it right now. Well, that much bigger than the contact area. If I use my whole hand, it's about that much bigger than the hand. If I push hard, I can make the extra just a little larger."

"Do you have to be in contact?"

"It has to be within that little bit extra. It's like a field or something." "And it shrinks when you get further away?"

"Yes. But it suddenly drops off to nothing beyond that."

"Ok. we'll see what we can do."

The first thing they did was go out for some supplies. They got an inexpensive student lab kit, with a pack of microscope slides and slide covers, and a few other useful tools. They also picked up some software designed to help with the identification.

The first part was relatively easy. Each of them could fairly easily differentiate between virii and bacteria (and the like). The virii were much smaller to her eyes, and shared a theme to his perceptions. They found some broad categories among the larger organisms which he could also recognize with a theme.

But within those categories, they quickly ran up against a wall. The software and references needed more than the shape and appearance of individuals. In some cases, it required the characteristics of cultures or colonies. In others, their preferential environment. Or other details that their approach wouldn't supply.

They had a little more luck with some forms of virus. The home testing kit let them differentiate a number of the more common varieties, and would have let them recognize a few dozen more if they had samples.

It wasn't as much as they hoped, but it was a beginning.

And the best part was an accident. His mind started wandering a little while she was looking at one of his samples. She remarked that they looked like fresh water pearls, and he thought about how much more valuable sea pearls were. His Grandma gasped, while she watched each virus reshape itself into a sphere.

A few more experiments showed that his subconscious mind could control the process, taking the general pattern from his conscious thoughts. They also showed that some part of him had taken in the details of the original subjects, and could cause them to revert. They decided to halt the experiments, since they didn't know what effects their modified pathogens could have on people or other living things if they got away before he reverted them.

Neither of them understood the extent of his subconscious abilities. Yet.

They moved on to something else that had been mentioned. She got some small plants, then took a knife and made a cut in one of the leaves. He was able to push the cells into rejoining, healing the cut, but he had to touch it at the site of the cut. From two inches away, there was no effect. When the cut was healed, he noticed something that seemed wrong about small parts of it. His Grandma looked with high magnification, then had him do what seemed right. He just thought "make it right," while he put his fingertip over it.

The wrongness went away. When she looked again, she could see what happened. The wrong parts had been where the knife had significantly damaged or destroyed individual cells, rather than disconnecting them from adjacent cells. In some cases, he healed the damage. Where that wouldn't work, an adjacent cell had divided and the new cell filled in for the dead one.

She was impressed.

Animal testing had to wait for a mishap. His mother was in the kitchen, working on dinner, when she cut herself. It was superficial, but painful, and a drop of blood welled up from it. He took a two step approach. First, he drove out all "micro stuff" that wasn't her from the area of the cut. Then he did what he had done with the leaf.

There was no sign that there had ever been a cut, other than a small bead of blood on her finger.

When it came time for them to leave, he promised to work on expanding his "field", and on learning to recognize more things.

In between his power training, he still had to deal with his girl lessons. It helped to have someone who had gone through it before, but it was still a pain in his too cute little butt. The materials they got from the clinic also helped. One particularly helpful video had some transformees giving a sort of boy to girl (and girl to boy) translating dictionary.

His mother announced that it was past time for them to be on the road. "You've already cost us two weeks of prime visiting time, and we have to move into our new place soon." she announced, with mock seriousness.

In truth, they were both ready to get back on the road. He loved visiting his grandparents, but wanted to get on with the summer.

While riding in the car, he amused himself by trying to expand his "field". When he pushed it out too far for too long, he got tired and hungry. After the first couple of times, he made it a point to keep a variety of snacks with him. His mother worried that he would get fat, but he reminded her that he was a growing girl, and was using lots of energy.

He learned to listen to his appetite. Something inside told him what kind of something he needed, and how much. When he seemed to sense that he would gain some body fat, he was able to choose whether to disable the process or direct where the fat would go. His slowly growing breasts were his favorite target.

One time, while he was using a slide to see the extent of his field, the car hit a pothole. The slide snapped, cutting his finger and palm deeply. Through the pain, he concentrated on the process like before. He could feel it work. Starting from the inside, the cuts closed up and the cells were healed or replaced. There weren't even any scars.

"Cool!"

They continued their visits, finally going a hundred miles out of their way to visit some of the O'Connor cousins.

That visit was also educational. First, there was a message asking him to call his cousin Janey.

"Somebody up there likes us, oh cousin mine. You remember our little conversation about cosmic justice?"

"About the time of the rally? I guess so. Why?"

"It's happened."

"What do you mean?"

"About half of the kids at the rally have turned up with MORFS. According to the locals, it is mostly hitting the ones with family histories of high resistance. They're trying to keep it quiet, but some of the invited speakers have the same problem in their congregations. And it gets better."

"O... k. How?"

"Apparently a new mutation of the second virus went around there. It affects adults, but not as seriously as the kids. And it's affecting adults in the Humans First groups all over the country. They're looking at the other places, where the first cases showed up, on the theory that one or more of those people brought it to the rally and infected everyone there."

"Oh, shit!"

"Language, young lady!" his mother admonished, coming around the corner with his aunt. "What's this all about?"

"I'll tell you later. I want to finish this call."

As the two women moved on, he continued. "Where are they looking?"

"California, Florida, and Utah, from what I've heard."

"Couldn't have been our conversation then," he couldn't make it sound like he believed it. "You and I haven't been anywhere near those places. Certainly not before the rally." he put all the exaggerated innocence he could into the pronouncements.

"Yeah, right. Like we could have that kind of power. Interesting coincidence, though."

They talked for a few more minutes, then hung up. He had a lot to think about.

He did have that kind of power. If he was right, his power had modified the still-active MORF virus in his body to have the effects they discussed - and a couple that must have come from his subconscious - and then somehow delivered it to the people at the rally. He remembered the odd feeling when he touched any of the speakers or others there. He figured that was the infection being delivered.

And here he had been disappointed that he didn't have any cool powers or abilities.

One of the coolest aspects of the whole thing was the potential for stealth. He was on record as all but powerless, and there was no flashy effect when he used his ability. And if he maintained his looks, he would remain under the radar of many people - just another girl.

He needed a test. He got his cousins to take him to the mall, ostensibly to pick up a few things. Once they were out of the house, he asked them to point out any of the more obnoxious "Humans First" types they saw. They agreed, without knowing anything about his powers.

They pointed out a small group, almost as soon as they got there. They were accosting a girl with feline features. Angel let himself remember the virus from the rally. He walked toward the group, planning to make contact while asking where a particular store was.

As he got closer to the group, he was startled to realize that he was perceiving something familiar. Three of the five were already infected with his custom MORF virus, waiting to become active.

He turned away, as though he had always planned to go that way, and approached a book store. After a quick glance at the magazine rack, he rejoined them.

"That was quick. Just what did you accomplish?" the older girl asked.

"You know that new version of MORFS that's spreading among their kind?"

"Yeah, I've heard about that."

"They've got it. I can tell these things now."

"Like a super power?" his younger cousin piped up.

"Not much of a power. I can sort of see things like that." He wasn't sure why he was keeping the rest from them. They were family, and probably as reliable as his other cousins. But his mother's attitude had gotten to him. The fewer who knew the extent of his abilities, the less chance of it coming to the wrong people's attention. Besides, if things went wrong, they could honestly say - even think - that they had no idea.

He wandered parts of the mall with them, looking at people and accessories. He was looking at the people to see what he could tell. He was looking at the rest to keep his "cover" for the trip.

He made it a point to ask about a variety of teens. The MORFS survivors were easy to spot, for the most part. He saw a few who seemed to his special senses to be like the more obvious transformees. He verified that a couple of them had changed in ways that were not readily visible.

There were some others who he suspected of being on the verge of MORFS. They had the bio signature, but it did not act the same as the others. There was a sense of building up to something, similar to that he had observed in the teens with his custom cocktail. That seemed like useful information.

He made it a point to ask about some with no indications, some with the impending MORF appearance, some with his creation, and some others. Most of them were people his cousins didn't know or didn't know well. But some, including a couple of the impending MORFs, were friends.

He was pretty sure he could recognize the MORF variants, but he saw other things. Virus infections, bacterial concentrations, etc. Not just in people, but in foods, on counters and tools, doors, etc. Ironically, the foods gave him a start on another category.

He stopped by a cheese shop, and was intrigued by what he saw in some blue cheese. It was something micro, but not what he was used to. He asked the salesperson about the cheese. When she described the special characteristics of a blue cheese, he figured it out. He was perceiving a mold. But one sample wasn't enough to learn the signature of molds.

Much to his cousins' distress, he ducked out to the area behind the food court. In the dumpsters there, he found what he was looking for - a wide variety of moldy foods. His cousins stood way back, and after a few moments he realized why. He had been so wrapped up in the thrill of discovery that he failed to notice the smell. Luckily, he had managed to avoid getting anything on himself, but he decided a hasty retreat was in order.

After that, he kept to the more normal parts of the mall. This part of the expedition he could be honest about. He told them about the fact that he was still learning to understand what he was perceiving with his new ability, and suddenly had a lead on recognizing mold.

"Big deal. Even I can do that. It's all green and fuzzy. Or sometimes another color." His younger cousin wasn't impressed. Good.

He reminded her that he had told her it wasn't much of a power. But he did want to learn how to use what little there was. She kinda understood that. But she still thought his side trip was yucky.

He had to agree.

With all that had happened, he was curious about something he had barely noticed. As he was perceiving the MORF variants, he would get a brief hint of an image. He had recognized those associated with his custom plague, but wrote them off as being based on his prior knowledge. Now he wasn't so sure.

He got an intro to the impendings they knew. He asked a couple of questions, like what did they think about getting it, and what they would like as the outcome. With each one, he briefly turned the conversation to one of the cousins present. He let his mind release his conscious thoughts for a moment, then opened himself up to the impressions. And he got them. He saw the boy as large, strong, and superficially similar to a large breed of dog or wolf. Not a werewolf, like his cousin. A wolf.

For the girl, he saw a birdlike young woman, complete with feathered wings.

After their goodbyes, he made a note to himself and then asked his cousins to keep an eye on the two of them. They were puzzled, but agreed to let him know.

End Part 2

Angel's Tale: A MORFS Universe Story
By Joreymay

Angel reaches his new home, and meets the neighbors.

Part 3

Originally, the plan was to make one last stop to visit relatives on the way north. But the delays and the detour caused them to miss the time for that visit. Those relatives were, themselves, out of the area.

They drove up I 25, past a lot of scenery. Just north of Colorado Springs, they saw the home of the Aerospace Force Academy. Normally, John didn't really care about his family's lack of high powered political influence. But these days, it took such influence to get a tour of the place. So just this once, he sort of wished for that kind of pull.

They continued on up the freeway, past a variety of other places that sounded interesting, and finally got to their destination: a suburb of Denver called Greenwood Village. It was a professional class suburb on the southeast side of the city. The houses were nice, if a little on the old side, and the one his father had found seemed to be a good one. It was close to the local pool - a factor Angel would have appreciated more before the change - and within walking distance of the high school.

Angel was a little startled at his own reaction to seeing his father after so long. He literally jumped into his arms for a hug. He felt himself on the verge of tears, another novel experience. After all the greetings were finished, they sat down to a dinner of supermarket fried chicken and side dishes. They talked about their experiences over the last few weeks, touching on things they hadn't gotten to on the phone. Angel said little about his powers, other than the fact that he had family help with practicing his recognition skills.

After dinner, they watched the news on tv. There was a brief report on the new threat of the MORFS variant which affected adults, dubbed AMORFS. It was creating a major stir among the group most affected - ironically (according to the newscasters) those most critical of MORFS transformees and of transformee rights.

When the news was over, they decided to get to bed. His father had work in the morning, and he and his mother would start unpacking.

His room was on the second floor. The boxes with their things had arrived some time before, probably while he was changing, Angel thought. His bed was not set up, but there was an air mattress with sheets, a pillow, and a blanket piled on it.

He hung up and otherwise put away his new clothes, made his bed, and headed across the hall for a bath. His parents had their own bathroom en suite, so this one would be all his. Once he was ready, he changed his mind. A hot, relaxing bath would probably be too relaxing. He decided on a quick shower, instead.

He had to laugh at that thought. A "quick" shower now took longer for him than the longer ones he used to take. He tucked his hair into a shower cap to keep it dry, which would save some time. Then he got down to business. He took a little more time than was strictly necessary while cleaning his more sensitive areas, but he was too tired to really get into it.

After drying off, he went back to his room (and after all that visiting, this really was his room). He made his temporary bed, slipped into the required nightgown, and went to wish his parents good night.

"She still doesn't think of herself as a girl," his mother was quietly saying, "Not really. She still sees herself as a boy in a girl's body."

"Well, he was a boy for years. Then suddenly he..."

"She, dear. If we can't even change the way we talk about her, how can we expect him... dammit! her to?"

"Alright, she. After a young lifetime as a boy, suddenly she wakes up as a girl. She was strong as a boy, and she's strong as a girl. But I think that's working against us. She's walking the walk, talking the talk, and dressing the part, but her inner boy is doing what he always did. He's doing what has to be done, because that is a big part of who he is. But it's him doing it, not her. It hasn't changed who he is, it's reinforced it."

Angel slipped back into his room, his head reeling. It was true, every word. He kept his silence, but couldn't keep the tears from his eyes. That reminder of his new hormones just made it worse. He clamped his mouth tight against the response, and vented a mental scream.

*Hey! Knock it off!* an unfamiliar voice echoed in his mind. *Some of us need our rest!*

The touch of the telepathy reminded him of Miranda, but the "voice" was different. Someone he didn't know.

*Oh... sorry.* The voice responded, having apparently read his thoughts. *You must be my new neighbor. Sorry neighbor boy. I got a sunburn today, and I'm kinda cranky.*

*Neighbor girl, thank you.* He thought back. *Sorry I disturbed you.*

*Girl? Are you sure? You sound like a boy*

*I was a boy. Now I'm a girl. Damn MORFS.*

*That explains it. I'm Helena. Lena to my friends. Get some sleep, and we'll talk in the morning.*

The unexpected exchange startled Angel out of his funk. He went back out to wish his parents a good night, making sure he made some noise on the way. They wished him goodnight, with no indication of their earlier conversation.

He was tired enough that he barely stretched out on the bed before he fell asleep.

It was not a peaceful night. His exhausted slumber was filled with strange and disturbing dreams. Luckily for him, he only remembered bits and pieces. And those quickly faded, replaced by images of waffles and bacon. Images coupled with the realization that he was really smelling waffles and bacon.

With mixed feelings, he threw on a bathrobe and made his way down to the kitchen.

"Mmmm. Smells good." He looked at his parents, both having breakfast at the kitchen table. "Ok, what's the bad news this time?"

At their confused looks, he explained. "Last time I came down to breakfast and found the two of you like this, I found out we were moving. The suspense would only spoil the meal. So what's the bad news?"

"No bad news. Just a welcome to our new home, glad we're back together breakfast. Besides," she smiled at her new daughter. "I wanted to make sure the waffle iron survived the trip."

"Apparently," Angel replied wryly, "it did." He helped himself to a plateful of breakfast, and sat down.

"I'll have to get to work pretty soon," his father added. "The integration is a lot more painful than we expected. I've been working late most days, and most weekends. Now that you're here, I have an excuse to scale back a little. But you probably won't see me that much for the next couple of weeks."

He finished his breakfast, kissed his wife, hugged his new daughter, and dashed out to his car.

"You may as well just throw on one of your old shirts and some pants. We're going to be unpacking most of the day." his mother conceded.

Much as he liked the idea of dressing completely the old way, he decided to wear some of his new underwear. He figured he might need to make a quick change, and he was still not all that quick with a bra.

The first thing they did was bring the rest of the things in from the car. The bags of dirty and well traveled clothes went down to the basement for cleaning. Other things went to their appropriate rooms.

Angel had just finished taking his last load of travel stuff up to his new room, when he "heard" a cheerful and familiar voice in his head. *Hey, neighbor boy. You've got company!*

His mother gave him a funny look when he came back down stairs and went right to the front door. He opened it, finding a girl about his age. She was carrying a red tipped white cane, and a tray of home baked goodies. Her eyes were an uninterrupted white. Her average figure was somewhat covered in shorts and a short top, and she was wearing Cloud Shoes with no socks.

"Lena?"

"In the flesh. Now you can put a face to the nightmare." she grinned.

"Mama! One of the neighbors is here."

"Hello, Mrs. O'Connor," Lena chirped. "My mom thought you might like these after your trip."

"How thoughtful. Did I hear Angel say your name was Lena?"

"Yes, ma'am. I kinda introduced myself to him last night."

"How...?"

"You remember Miranda?" Angel prompted.

"Only by reputation. You're a telepath?"

"And a few other things. I'm not really powerful or anything, but it's useful."

"How do you get around?"

"Mother!"

"It's all right, Angel. My eyes would be largely superfluous if they did work. I can 'see' with my powers, more than I could with my eyes."

"I figured it was something like that. We had a couple of kids like you in the district."

"Yes, they probably read you this easily. On the other hand, we learn very quickly to keep everyone's secrets. Otherwise, we wouldn't live a week. It's nice to meet another Lena, though."

"Must be hell trying to put together a surprise party for you." Angel quipped.

"There are ways around it." She smiled.

*What's it like?* Angel thought, wondering whether he was coming across all wrong.

*Don't worry about it.* Lena thought back. *We can swap details later.*

"So, neighbor boy," she said out loud. "What are your plans for the day?"

"Hey! I told you I'm a girl. Now."

"Uh huh. Let's see... A boy's shirt, boy's pants, and a boy's mental voice. Girl, huh?" she teased.

"Well, two of the three are my doing, I'm afraid. We haven't gotten around to buying things for working around the house, so I told her to throw on some of her old clothes."

"I'm just yankin' your chain. You already knew that I could see through her clothes."

Angel started feeling awkward at that.

"Hey, don't worry about it. It's just the way this stuff works. Frankly, I usually ignore it. One more set of secrets I don't need to know."

"How do you stand it?"

"I learned to ignore most of it. After I got a quick education in the realities of human nature." She shook her head. "You don't get to keep many illusions like this."

Then she made an obvious effort to change the subject. "Hey, I never got any answer to my question, neighbor boy. What are you doing today?"

"Mostly unpacking. Our stuff got here while I was wasting all that time sleeping and... other stuff."

"Would you like some help?"

"With the unpacking, or the other stuff?" Angel was half kidding.

"Both. But the unpacking will be faster. Besides, I need to keep this sunburn out of the sun for a while."

"How can you help with my changes?"

"Out of self defense, I learned how to help people with some things. It was either that, or endless months buried under their whining. I sympathize with their problems, but I need the occasional night's sleep to deal with my own life."

"You're that powerful?"

"Power has nothing to do with it. It's mostly some visualizations and sh... stuff. I have an advantage with a little more direct feedback, but anybody can learn it."

"Ok... Well, you wanna help me put my room together?"

"Sure. We can talk while we do it. Just a second." She had a look of quiet concentration. "Ok. I let my Mom know where I will be."

Magdalena looked a bit wistful, and Angel rolled his eyes. Lena heard their mental comments loud and clear.

When they went upstairs, the first thing he unpacked and set up was his music system. Since he didn't know the area, he let her choose the station. She chose one that specialized in music for girls and young women. Chick music, as he thought of it.

"I suppose you could call it that. They also have good news reports and shit like that. Think of it as an aid to help you find your new self." She grinned.

The first thing they did was assemble the bed. It was definitely a two (or more) person job, but they got it done. Angel found that Lena's "vision" was good for things like finding dropped bolts and nuts, among other things. Once the frame was together, and everything else added, they made quick work of making the bed.

As they sorted through his things, he realized that a lot of his things would have no real place in his new life. That thought depressed him. He could use most of his t-shirts, and a few other bits and pieces of his clothes, but most had to go. And his decorations, souvenirs, and even his old toys were mostly out of place in a girl's room. It hurt to realize it, and he couldn't bring himself to get rid of them. Yet.

"You know, down at the old mall there's one of those swap shops. You know, the places where people like you can take the stuff from your old body and trade it in for stuff for your new one. Well, there are small charges and stuff, but it's still good."

"I'll check it out."

Lena looked at one box, and commented "This one is all slacks and dress shirts. You can probably just take it as is."

That got them on the subject of Lena's powers, and what they were like. "Part of it is like hearing. I can listen, and pick things out, or I can ignore some things. But sometimes, something is too loud to ignore."

"Sorry!"

"Yeah, well... I was just sensitive because of the sunburn and all. Sorry I snapped at you last night."

They agreed to forgive each other, then continued with the conversation. Of course, that lead to his powers, and what it was like to use them.

When she heard about the minor healing ability, she asked if he could cure her sunburn. He wasn't sure, but offered to try. They agreed to have him try a small area with his finger before trying to fix the whole thing. It worked, but was limited to the same small area as his other effects. He mentioned the exercises with his grandma, and his later practice.

Once the finger test worked, he tried his entire hand. That worked, with the same space limits as the finger. He suggested that he could do much of her at once, if they pressed their naked bodies together. But she saw the leftover male take on the possibility, and decided it was too soon for that. While he worked on her, two hands worth at a time, they continued to talk.

"Now that ability to see what MORFS will be doing to someone, that's pretty cool. Can you do anything about it?"

"I haven't tried. Seemed kinda dangerous to be messing around with it."

"I see your point, but that could be pretty powerful, and help a lot of people."

Almost on queue, the radio announced a report on the wave of MORFS hitting the radical Pures groups, including the variant hitting the adults. They went on to talk about the range of responses the victims had. Some turned around and became supporters of other MORFS survivors. Some kept to the party line, even to the point of giving up their positions and authority. Some tore their families apart over the issues.

Some killed themselves.

When Angel heard that, he collapsed. His guilt over those deaths overwhelmed him, and all but shouted the details of the rally and his actions to Lena. She was shocked, but quickly recovered. She had seen people with much more to be guilty about.

"It's not your fault. You didn't know, not really. And you did not kill any of those people. They died from their own poisons, the same ones they used to drive other MORFS survivors to their deaths. They made their own decisions, not you." Lena alternated between talking and thinking at him, using her best soothing tones for both.

"But..."

"But nothing. Your mother is on her way up. She heard your reaction to the story." She switched to mind mode. *What have you told her?*

*Only that I went to part of that rally, as a test of my ability to pass.* he thought back.

*You should tell her.*

*Not yet. It would be too much.*

*You might be right. But at least tell her you saw it spreading there, and that you feel bad that you didn't do anything to stop it. She needs to help.*

Just then, his mother came through the door, looking concerned. "What happened?"

"She heard something on the radio that upset her. Something about that rally just after she changed."

"It's horrible!" he cried. "Some of them killed themselves. And it's my fault!"

"It's not your fault. Even if you had created the variant, and infected them..."

Lena quickly thought at him, *She doesn't know. She doesn't even guess. Hear her out.*

"... it wouldn't be your fault." she continued, unaware of the brief mental exchange. "That was a choice they made. It was an unfortunate choice, but it was theirs to make." She hugged her daughter, doing her best to radiate reassurance and unconditional love. Lena helped a little, letting him feel those emotions from her. After a while, he calmed back down. They talked a little about his new emotional responses, and both Lena and his mother reminded him that it was part and parcel of being a girl. Finally, he convinced his mother to go back down, and let him talk with Lena "girl to girl."

*Why not tell her?* Lena asked. *She would have accepted it, and understood.*

*I know that,* he thought back. *But she really needs to think I'm pretty much harmless. Especially if she gets screened for a job in the school district or as part of my going to school.*

Lena conceded the point, but called it weak. To give him something else to focus on, she got him to finish healing her sunburn. And since she had been wearing a thong bikini, he got to see all of her. A little at a time. By the time he was done, she was completely naked and he couldn't remember being upset.

She was a little amused, and a little sad about what had been going through his mind. He was clearly a good person, but until recently had been a teenage boy. He was excited at the idea of seeing and touching her, but it didn't have the charge he expected. He was disappointed about that, but he kept trying to keep his focus on the healing. The occasional fantasy slipped through, especially when he was working near her butt and boobs, but it was more reflex than anything.

"Poor guy," she thought. "He's going to be mostly straight. And to him, that will seem gay."

Once he was done, she decided on another experiment. "Do you think you could give me a tan? It would be a shame to have had all that pain with nothing to show for it."

He agreed to try. Starting with a small spot again, he thought about what his skin did when it tanned. Something clicked in his mind, and she had a small, round, dark tan. He worked on adjusting the level, and soon had a color she liked. Wanting to keep him distracted, she declared that she did not want a tan line. That became another session of him running his hands all over her body again.

She set her mind to the feeling of completely non-erotic contact, pleasant in the way of a hug from a friend. She let that feeling seep through to Angel as well. After a while, he relaxed and made better progress.

Lena was pleased with her new tan, but needed to keep him distracted. The next logical step was obvious. As she admired her tan, she declared "I have got to show this off. Let's get over to the pool."

"Like that?" his mind was again on her nudity, but more in a locker room way than a boy seeing naked girl way.

"Of course... not. I'll get dressed and clear it with your mother. You get into that old fashioned excuse for a suit you put away."

As Lena dressed, Angel suddenly got shy about undressing in front of her. Lena caught that, and sent him wisps of the image and feeling of changing in the locker room. By the time she was ready to go talk to his mother, he was already topless and pulling out the swimsuit top.

"Mrs. O'Connor?"

"Call me Lena or Magdalena. Is she all right now?"

"For the moment. I have her distracted, and want to keep it that way a little longer. I talked her into coming over to the pool with me, so she can meet some other people from around here. Any problems with her doing that?"

"I suppose not. But can you keep in touch?"

*Of course.* came the voice in her head.

"Yaa! I forgot about that."

"Sorry about that," Lena replied verbally, then *It would be useful to discuss some things with you in a way that can't be overheard.*.

*I understand* she thought back. *But I'm not really used to talking this way.*

*That's ok. Ask me out loud about my tan.*

"Did you have that tan when you got here?"

"Nope!" she grinned. "We found another use for your daughter's powers."

"My daughter, the tanning chamber?" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Angel coming toward them.

"Even better. She healed my sunburn completely, then did the tan."

"If I'm right," Angel said, with a hint of pride, "I even fixed the skin damage underneath the burn."

"A gem," Lena exclaimed, in exaggerated fashion "That's what your daughter is. Come on. Let's go show my mom!" She all but dragged Angel out the door.

"Now, I have to warn you, she gets a little... enthusiastic at times." Lena said, rolling her eyes.

"Hiiii! You must be Angel! Oh, I've been looking forward to meeting you for so long! Your poor father has been missing you so much. He must be over the moon now that you and your mom are here." While she wrapped him in a hug.

Neither had noticed Lena slipping away and running upstairs. While her mother was busy assuring Angel that he could come to her if he needed anything at all, Lena slipped into her suit and grabbed her towel. She was downstairs again before the speech ended.

"Oh my God, Helena! What happened to your sunburn? Where did you get that tan?"

"Our new neighbor has very talented hands," Lena added a sultry note, giving her body a little shake.

"Helena Marie, are you seducing the neighbor girl already? Give her a chance to catch her breath, for heaven's sake!"

While he was blushing from head to foot, Angel was amused to see that Lena's mother could give as good as she got. And started to understand where Lena got some of her sense of humor from. Lena steered her outside and toward the pool entrance.

"Wow. Your mom is really... something."

"I did try to warn you. Yeah, she's pretty ok for a parent. But her other side can be pretty extravagant, too. What can I say? She's a parent."

The both laughed their way to the pool.

There was a brief delay at the entrance, while they checked in. Angel discovered that his father had registered the family, but the desk needed her thumbprint. That done, they went in and looked around.

Lena guided him up to a small knot of people, and introduced him. "Angel, this is Otter..."

"Or Sherry, most of the time. Hi, Angel."

"...and David, Robin, and Star Dawn. Guys, this is my new neighbor, Angel."

They exchanged greetings, and moved to some shade to sit and talk. Angel noticed that Sherry and Star Dawn were morfs, and David and Robin weren't - yet. Sherry showed some overt signs of her difference. The tall, sleek blonde had webbed hands and feet, with heavy nails.

"So... Otter?" Angel began.

"Yes? Oh, the name? Well, other than the webs - or partly because of them - I can swim really well. I'm fast and strong, both in the water and out. My lungs grew bigger and stronger, as well. And Radar can tell you that I've always liked a bit of fun." She chuckled.

"Radar?" Angel asked.

*That's me.* Lena smiled.

Startled, he looked at her. She just smiled, a little too innocently.

"Ah, ok. How about you, Star Dawn?"

She looked startled. "How did you... oh, the name? My folks were into some mystic trip when I was born, so it's my real name. In the end, it fit better than they anticipated." She cupped her hands, as though she was holding a ball, and formed a ball of light. It wavered, then vanished with a flash.

"Damn! Almost had it that time." Looking an apology to Angel, she continued, "I'm still working on control."

David had a look of friendly suspicion. "Why the focus on them? Are you like Radar, there?"

"No such luck," Angel replied.

*They're ok,* Lena assured him. *You can tell them the "public" version or the whole thing.*

Angel went on, as though he had only been finding the words. "I'm a low level bio elemental. I can sense some things, and can do some superficial healing and stuff at the cellular level."

"Don't let her modesty fool you," Lena jumped in. "Look what she did for me!" She indicated her skin.

"Nice tan." David commented. "That's right, you had that bad sun burn yesterday. We didn't expect to see you here today." He turned to Angel. "You did that?"

"Yeah. Didn't know I could, until Lena talked me into trying. My power only extends about a quarter inch from my body, so I can only do superficial cuts or skin damage."

"Unless you stick your finger in a deeper wound," offered Robin. "You could probably close things up from the inside out that way."

Angel regarded her, briefly. "Sounds messy. I might try it in an emergency, but it's not my idea of fun." He allowed himself a brief shudder.

"Still, it might have helped." She held up her left arm, showing a jagged, diagonal scar across it.

Angel's first thought was a suicide attempt.

*No, an accident. Go ahead and ask her.*

"How'd it happen?"

"I was over at the reservoir, riding my bike. Some people distracted me,"

*Ask me later.* Lena advised.

"...and I hit a hole or something. I flipped the bike, and came down, hard. Sprained my ankle, and some broken glass did this. They just laughed, and walked on." Her face grew hard, briefly, then softened. "Luckily, some other people saw the accident, and helped me. Eighteen stitches and a long recovery later, and I was functional again. Unlike my bike."

"Long recovery?"

"It was a bad sprain. I was out of school for a week, and it took a couple of weeks longer before I could walk without pain."

"I bet Angel could get rid of the scar for you." Lena suggested. "Save you more trips to the counselors."

"Counselors?"

"Since it is there, it looks like the aftermath of a suicide attempt. I've had three different well meaning people report me through channels. Each time, I had to trot out the accident report. Pain in the ass. Do you really think you could do that?"

"I can try. I'm still kinda new at this. Shouldn't do any harm, either way."

She held out her arm. Angel took it, and put his finger over the end farthest from her hand. "We'll try a little spot first. Just in case."

Robin stiffened a little at that comment. Then she looked at Lena and relaxed again. Angel suspected some mental communication. He let himself experience what he could perceive of the skin under his finger. He could feel the wrongness of the scar. As he had with Lena, he encouraged the cells to reform themselves in the "right" way. He felt them shifting and growing. Finally, it seemed right.

He pulled his finger away, and looked. The skin was pale, but there was no sign of scar any more. "How did that feel?"

"Weird. There was a moment where the skin seemed to be crawling or something. But no pain or anything."

"Want me to do the rest?"

"Sure."

This time, he used his hand to cover the rest of the scar. But it did not go quite as well. The wrongness was too deep in a couple of places. He could - and did - fix the parts he could "reach", but nothing he tried would let him get the rest. The exercise left him tired and frustrated.

"I'm sorry," he said, as he released her arm.

"Why? It looks fine, other than the lack of color."

"That, I can probably fix. But some of the scar is too deep for me to fix. I tried, but I just couldn't reach it." He was near tears.

Robin hugged him. "Hey, you did a great job. It is a whole lot better than it was, even if you say it isn't perfect. It's all good."

The others agreed. They took turns looking and prodding the pale flesh that had replaced the scar. Angel still felt miserable that he had been unable to reach the rest. He also felt tired and a little dizzy.

Lena got busy. She recognized the symptoms of an overextended elemental, so she silently sent David to get a hot dog and sports drink from the snack bar. When Angel offered to try to match the skin tone over the former scar, she stopped him and insisted he rest and have the snack first.

"You pushed yourself too hard, when you were trying to get the deeper parts. You need to recover before you try anything else. Now," she shifted to a motherly tone, "you are going to enjoy your snack, and then maybe a relaxing dip in the water. And remember, I'm watching you."

The others chorused "Nobody escapes Radar!" then laughed.

Lena tried to scowl at them, but couldn't quite pull it off. "Geez! One or two small incidents, and suddenly a girl has a reputation!" She tried a fake pout, which didn't fool anyone.

Angel was curious, but no more information was forthcoming. He was sure he'd hear the stories sooner or later.

After his snack, and a refreshing half hour in the water, he was feeling himself again. Well, as much as he could in that body. He checked on Robin, who was delighted with her missing scar. She told him she could barely feel it pull a little bit in the spots where it was too deep, but that was a major improvement over the way it had been. He color matched the former scar with the rest of her wrist without becoming dizzy or hungry.

David confronted him, in a friendly way. "We never did get an answer about one thing. How come you talked to Otter and Star about their morfs, but not us?"

"Because you haven't morfed yet. It's part of what I told you. I can perceive indicators that people have morfed, or are about to morf. I'm not sure yet, but I think I can tell what form the morf will take."

"Cool!" David jumped in. "Can you change it?"

"Why does everyone ask me that? I don't know. I haven't tried it, and I'm kinda afraid to try it. The consequences if I mess it up could be pretty horrible."

They all shuddered at the thought.

After a couple more hours at the pool, Lena asked who could go back and help Angel's family unpack. Only Star Dawn could go that afternoon, but all of them were free the next day. After a quick check with Angel's mother, they decided on a move in party the next day. David suggested that they ask Glen to join the party. Glen, aka "Little Bear", "Bear", or just "LB", had grown to about 6' 5" when he MORFed, and his vaguely ursine features fit in very well with his exceptional strength and thick skin. And despite the jokes about a strong back and a weak mind, he was an honor student. No sooner had David started the suggestion, when Lena made the arrangements.

Angel could tell that some of these people would be useful to have as friends.

When he got home, he changed and finished unpacking his bedroom. He got his computer set up, connected and running tests while he worked on the rest. There were a lot of boxes set aside for the swap shop Lena had told him about. And he has already been traveling light from the move.

When the computer was ready, he got online. He found some email from his friends, wondering whether he had fallen off the face of the planet. His cousins had interesting news: both of the kids he had them watching had developed MORFS, within 12 hours of each other.

While he was online, he bookmarked a number of sites dealing with the details of MORFS.

That night, he enjoyed something for the first time in his new life: a home cooked dinner with his parents. It sounded like such a small thing, but the meaning was significant to him. His family was back together again. The facts that the house was different, and that he was different, didn't matter that much. This was home, and his family. The rest was just details.

Of course, the devil is in the details.

The next morning was a busy one. His mother took him on a quick run fairly early, to get sodas and snack foods. In the half hour before the party was supposed to start, they got two calls from the school district. The first was a pointed invitation to an orientation for transfer students in two weeks, and a reminder of the paperwork that the school would need before that time. Ten minutes later, the second came: an invitation for his mother to come in for an interview that afternoon, for the position she had applied for.

Angel assured her that he could handle the unpacking party. She gave him some money for pizza for his friends, reminded him to eat like the girl he was, and made sure he knew the number of the new cell his father had gotten for her. She went upstairs to get ready for the interview.

When she came down again, the crew were hard at work. Some had special jobs. Lena "looked" inside the boxes to let Angel know what was there. Angel directed traffic and placement. Otter and LB did the heavy lifting, as needed. The others unpacked and put things away as directed. She saw that things were well in hand, and might well be finished before she got back.

After a quick round of introductions, they got back to work. She pulled Angel aside.

Since the school district shared a parking lot with the high school, she decided to take the papers in and save herself a trip. A few things needed Angel's signature or preferences, but that was quickly taken care of. That done, she was on her way.

About an hour and a half after his mother left, he had Lena do a quick poll of preferences, then ordered the pizzas.

While he was ordering, Lena narrowly avoided a big problem. A box had been mislabeled, and under some books were some distinctly male clothes. Especially underwear. And while the box was being opened for unloading, it tipped and started to spill. She saw the problem before the contents came into view. and stopped people.

"That goes up to the parents' bedroom. Her father's stuff. Just throw the books and stuff back in and close it up. I think we'll need Bear or Otter to take it up, with those books."

Angel looked a question at her.

*Some of your stuff, like underwear. You don't want them wondering.*

*Thanks!*

They had emptied all but a few boxes by the time his mother got back, including the pizza boxes. The few that were not emptied were those, like the underwear box, that needed to be left for the family to take care of. And since they were all upstairs, she was treated to the sight of a boxless living room when she arrived. As she had pretty much expected, she found the kids lounging in front of the screen, watching a video.

"Well, what do you think?" Angel asked her.

"I need to rearrange some things, but I'm impressed. Looks like you kids worked hard."

A couple of backs tensed when she said "kids", but seemed to be quelled by some thoughts from Lena. Still, she made it a point to note who reacted and try not to use the word with them. She had seen the same reaction in her old job.

The crew decided that the pool would be a good way to cool off. They all had their suits with them, just in case, so they changed and headed out. When they left, Angel told his mother about the incident with the box and the contents of the remaining boxes. They went upstairs and moved boxes into the appropriate rooms. Angel took a few minutes removing the books and stacking the half empty box with the other unusable clothes.

Then, at his mother's urging, he changed and went to the pool to join his new friends. It was bad enough to be there in a very feminine swimsuit, with all those eyes on him. But after swimming for a while, he found himself noticing things. It was mildly familiar when he reacted to a couple of visible camel toes and bare cleavage, but it felt different and was not as strong. What he really found disturbing was the way he was noticing some of the guys. Some of those very small swimsuits were very full. Especially when their owners noticed the girls he had noticed.

He could visualize every detail of what those suits barely hid. He couldn't help visualizing them. It wasn't his power, just his memory, knowledge, and new sex. He imagined he could even tell which ones were circumcised. He felt the kind of fascination that drew people's eyes to accidents and the like. He couldn't look away.

*Close your eyes. It helps.* came Lena's good advice.*Now turn your head. You don't want them to catch you staring. Girls get reputations that way.*

*What's the matter with me? Not long ago, I saw a lot more than that a few days a week. Hell, I saw better than a lot of that in the mirror every day.*

*We'll never know. I can't really compare.* There was an unmistakable note of humor in the "voice".

Angel was about to respond with an equally humorous comeback, when the loss came crashing in on him. It was true. He had lost his package, and everything that went with it. His hopes. His plans. His future. Gone. He couldn't stop the tears, as he folded down to the grass and curled up.

"It's ok. Go ahead and cry." Lena comforted. *I told the others that you are missing the people you left behind when you moved. One in particular.*

"Th...thanks." He sobbed. "I... need to go home for a while."

*I let your mother know. We'll get you there.* Lena assured him. "Otter, can you help?"

"Sure thing, Radar. C'mon girl, let's getcha home."

Even though Sherry could have carried him, they walked him home between them. Once inside, they walked him up to his room, followed closely by his worried mother. They helped him out of his swimsuit, and into some underwear, shorts, and a t-shirt.

Sherry picked up the suit, to hang it up, then stopped. "Uh, guys...? How long since he changed?"

All three of the others looked at her in shock. Lena assured the others *I didn't tell her!*

"A... a little less than a month. How? Why?" Angel could barely speak.

"I had a close friend go through it, and a few small reactions made me think about it. But now you have one more thing to deal with." She showed them the inside of the swimsuit bottoms. The evidence was unmistakable.

"Aw, shit!" Angel ground out, as he pulled his panties back off. Looking, he saw he was in time. He didn't even remember his audience as he grabbed a tampon from the drawer of his nightstand and expertly inserted it. As he was pulling his panties back up, he noticed the three of them staring at him. "What?"

"You didn't even stop to think," Lena began.

"You just did it, like you had been doing so for years." Sherry finished.

"I changed at the home of some relatives. They made me practice. A lot. They knew I would be doing it in front of girls..."

"Other girls." His mother corrected.

"Whatever. And they knew it was one of the dead giveaways. We really worked hard on all the usual slips. So what happened?"

"It was only partly you. I could tell that Radar was holding back something big, and not telling us the complete truth. It takes a lot for her to do that. Then there were the tiny behavioral cues, when you were looking around and when you broke down. Little things, but together they added up. Of course, I wasn't certain until I asked."

Angel looked at Lena. "Why didn't you...?"

"She wasn't thinking about it. I caught vague references to names, but not their relevance."

The good news was that the shock had pulled him out of his depression. The bad news was that he'd blown his cover. Again. Twice in three days. He started to worry.

"Yes, you can carry this off." Lena insisted. "But there's really nothing to carry off. Whatever you were, you are a full fledged girl now. Periods and all. Welcome to our world."

They all hugged him, and promised to help him get through the next few days - and beyond.

End Part 3

Angel's Tale: A MORFS Universe Story By Joreymay

Angel learns more about herself, meets a prophet, and tries to save a life.

Part 4

"Ok, Angel." Lena was saying. "Now think of going to the pool tomorrow. Good. Now think of eating breakfast next Monday. Good. Now think of starting school. Good. Now, think of waking up next Christmas morning. Good."

"What the heck are we doing, anyway?"

"One of the ways you sort out the 'meaning' of mental images is how and where you represent them. We're finding out where you put the past and the future. With that, we can put things there. We won't really change your memories or reality, but you will think about some things differently. And that's what we are trying to accomplish - making it easier for you to accept your new life, on your own terms."

It had been a weird morning for Angel. Lena was doing her thing, trying to help Angel realign his self image to reflect his new reality. Trying to make his life easier. The setup worked well enough, "mapping" his "timeline", "Calibrating" this and that, visualizing one thing or another.

But when she pulled it all together for him, it didn't work. He could - briefly - think of himself as a girl or a woman, but not this girl or woman. And without addressing the mystery element, the whole thing fell apart. Some part of him wouldn't let it work.

They both started to get frustrated, which didn't help. Before they gave up for the moment, Lena looked at Angel and, with complete conviction and sincerity, said "You want to do this. I'm not sure whether those parts of your mind that have your best interests as a focus will find a way to let us know what the issues are and how to successfully address them this morning, or tomorrow morning."

Angel sort of mentally crossed his eyes at that, but the two of them moved on to other things. He went to his computer and checked his mail. One of the people on his watch list was out of bed. Angel's cousins sent him a picture and description, and he was a little confused.

He had the general kind of changes Angel had seen, but not to the degree he had seen. He had the strength, and certain suggestions of canine features. But he mostly appeared human. From their description, he was larger, much stronger, had a stronger (but not apparently distorted) jaw, and the same general kind of thick nails as Otter. While not visible in any way, he also had an enhanced sense of smell. On the down side, his color vision was less acute.

After thinking about it for a while, it made a certain amount of sense to Angel. He saw the form, but could not yet recognize the degree. He was confident that, with practice, he would be able to recognize and integrate some indication of degree. But he needed a lot of samples.

This was a job for an expert. *You busy?*

*Not really. What's up?* Lena sent back.

After a brief exchange of images and thoughts, Angel asked *Where would a wide range of Morfs hang out, on a day like this?*

*The pool or the Mall. You've already seen a lot of the talent at the pool.*

Angel flashed on earlier problems with the mall, but Lena reminded him that was a different mall in a different State. And that he was confident about his ability to be female in public.

Conceding the point, he cleared it with his mother. She had her own shopping to do, and decided it would be a good idea for him to start looking for some more school clothes. Lena could advise him, and he could use the exercise as cover for his real mission. And if he found something appropriate, Lena could "call" her to come and either veto it or pay for it.

*Don't get your hopes up too high,* Lena warned his mother. *He still hasn't really learned the fun of shopping for shopping's sake. One step at a time.*

His mother sighed briefly, then got them into the car. Once at the mall, they split up. They had cells and Lena for keeping in touch, so she went her own way and let Angel and Lena go theirs.

The expedition was a success. In addition to learning about the feeling that seemed to indicate the degree of the transformation, he learned some practical aspects of the school dress code.

Over the last ten years, the strict and oppressive dress codes of earlier times had all but vanished. Their earlier successes had faded, and been shown to owe more to the famous effect of making any significant change in an institution than to any inherent merit of the strict dress codes themselves. That wouldn't have been enough to force a change by itself, given the usual inertia of school districts and the like. The real killer had been the lawsuits on behalf of intersexed and other sexually nonstandard students. Some failed, but many succeeded. And the costs to the schools was enormous, win or lose.

Like most districts, theirs had mostly reverted to the earlier dress codes. Those were based on health, safety and disruption, and were largely immune from such lawsuits. Some of the skirts his aunt and cousin had foisted off on him would not meet the new standards, being too short. And much the same was true of some of the blouses. But he was left with a very wide range of choices.

In the end, after pressure from both Lena and his mother, he got a few things.

On the way home, he was forced to admit that he had a good time doing the shopping and just hanging around with Lena. Nor was it wasted in any sense. In addition to his purchases, he had spotted a number of impending Morfs, and had notes about them. He noted their names, the image he got, and the impression of the degree of change. He didn't have an objective scale for the degree of change, but he could tell the shades of gray apart. He would watch them over the next couple of weeks.

Dinner that night was a nice confirmation of his earlier feeling: he was home with his family. After helping with the dishes, he went upstairs to (as he put it) "do my homework."

He explored the websites he had bookmarked. He learned more about the MORF viruses, and what had been learned about his own personal variant. The first thing he learned was that his version wasn't a virus. It was three different ones, which interacted. The best guess among the researchers was that sooner or later the three would uncouple, and spread separately. The medical community was working on prevention and cure, but were not particularly optimistic.

In the process, he also learned a lot more about microscopic life and pseudo life than he ever knew there was to learn. And the biggest thing he learned was that he had more to learn. A lot more to learn.

His head was swimming as he got ready for bed. Too many facts, but too little understanding. In one of his early computer classes, the instructor made a big deal of the difference between data and information. That came prominently to mind while he was trying to get to sleep.

He spent a restless night, filled with strange dreams and nightmares. Most of them came and went, leaving little more than an unpleasant emotional texture behind. But two stuck in his mind. The first was an old nursery rhyme he knew, about a centipede trying to become conscious of how he walked, and becoming hopelessly confused. First, he saw the poor critter as a cartoon style beast. Then, he was the centipede.

He woke up, with a feeling of urgency. He grabbed some paper and a pen, and wrote what he could remember. He just hoped that the next morning, when he woke up, it wouldn't say something like "Life is a peach pit."

The other was even stranger. He was trying to sculpt a toasted marshmallow. But every time he shaped it, the brown, outer part cracked and leaked, and the effort just ended up a shapeless glob. Then he got an idea. He turned it inside out, and shaped the brown part on the inside. The white outside kept its shape, and formed a new skin. He woke up knowing this was the answer to something important. But he had no idea what.

He wrote it down as well.

It was a little early, but he couldn't really get back to sleep. He went to take care of his morning business - including the unpleasant new bits - and take a shower. This time, the extra time he spent cleaning between his legs really was for cleaning.

That done, he dried himself and took the necessary precautions. Then he went back to his bedroom to get ready for the day. While he was combing and brushing his hair, he looked at his notes. While not quite down to the peach pit standard, they were puzzling. After each, he had written and underlined "IMPORTANT" in large letters. He just wasn't sure what was so important about a bug laying distracted in a ditch, or a gooey sculpture.

He got to the kitchen first, for a change, so he decided to make breakfast. Especially because that gave him the choice of what to make. He put on the "helper" apron, out of self defense, and got started. He knew better than to use his mother's apron. Even his dad wasn't safe trying that.

He put on the coffee, then decided to take a long term approach to breakfast. He had learned a way to make pancakes which reheated very nicely. They weren't as good as his mother's best, but they were better than most. He could make up a batch, serve some for breakfast, and put the rest away for a quick meal.

With the griddle heating, he was just finishing the batter when his mother appeared. First, she made a bee line for the coffee. He knew better than to say anything before the first half cup or two. She turned a bleary eye at what he was doing, and nodded. After the elixir of life had done its work, she joined him at the counter.

"Your quick snack specials, hmm? Want me to do bacon and eggs to go with it?"

"Sure. Got enough room?"

"I'll manage. What got you up so early?"

"Some weird dreams. After the second Earthshakingly Important Missive from Dreamland, I couldn't get back to sleep."

"Journal?"

"Got 'em."

"Peach pits?"

"Too damned close."

"Language! Want to talk?"

"I don't think it would help. I just need them to rattle around until they decide to make sense."

They worked side by side, talking about trivia, while they cooked. With a practiced timing, honed by years of experience, his dad showed up just when the food was almost ready to serve. He got out plates, forks, and glasses, and poured himself some coffee.

They talked about work and plans. His dad would be working late again. His mother expected a call from the school district, about the job. He was going to hang out with his new friends, and get to know the area a little better.

*You're up early!*

*Bad dreams. Want some breakfast?*

*Sounds better than my usual bowl of cereal. I'll be over in a minute.*

"Lena's coming over. I just invited her to breakfast."

"How did... oh! Ask her if she wants some bacon and eggs with the pancakes."

His father looked at the two of them like they were crazy. While Angel asked Lena about the food, his mother explained.

"She's the telepath from next door. Seems to have taken Angel under her wing, since we arrived."

He nodded his understanding, then craned his neck as though he was trying to look at Angel's back. Another old family joke.

While Angel and Lena cleaned up, his dad left for work. His mother went out to "pick up a few things," and told him to refer any calls to her cell. When they were done, they went up to his room to talk.

Lena asked about the dreams, and then helped him interpret them. She didn't suggest interpretations so much as ask leading questions to help him understand them himself. She said it was more of the stuff she learned in self defense.

The centipede dream was the simplest. She asked what he was doing just before he went to sleep. He told her about the research. She asked what the bug in the poem was trying to do. After some prompting, he decided that it was trying to do something consciously that he had been doing perfectly well without conscious thought. In the poem, walk.

He decided that his subconscious mind was trying to tell him to stop trying to consciously manage his powers at the detail level. Looking back, it seemed obvious.

The other dream was more difficult. It brought up things he didn't like to talk about. When Lena asked him about the image of a toasted marshmallow, she caught an image of a large crowd of giant, angry, taunting latino youths yelling insults and threats.

When he saw her reaction, he knew what she had seen. It was actually a conglomeration of several incidents, reduced to their essential commonality. It was horrible and painful. He was upset that she saw it, and upset at reliving it.

After helping him to calm down a bit, she asked "Why were they so angry?"

"They thought I was a traitor to my race."

"I don't understand. Was this after you changed?"

"No, before. They said I was like a toasted marshmallow: a thin layer of brown - latino - on the outside and a whole lot of white - anglo - on the inside. They said that under any pressure, the latino part of me would go away entirely. They said I was only pretending to be what I looked like. And they were angry about it."

Lena recognized something else, but had to make him come up with it. "Why didn't you just blow that off? If it was so obviously false, why did you let them get to you?" she asked, gently.

"Because it wasn't," he wailed. "Wasn't obviously false. My pride, my heritage, my family... we really were more anglo than latino. We were and are middle class Americans first, and everything else a distant second. It was true, but I didn't want it to be true. Who I was and what I was were closely tied to many things, but my ethnic history was a big one."

She let him cry it out, and comforted him when he was done. When she had him calm again, she asked him what that information said about the dream, and what the dream said about changing him.

"If I try to stay who I was, a thin layer of a proud, ancient culture over a core of middle class white bread American, trying to change who I am won't work. It will only destroy what helps define me."

Just then, the phone rang. He was about to go answer it, when it stopped after one and a half rings.

"Your mother's home. She got the phone."

They had been so involved in what they were doing that they had not noticed her return.

"She needs to talk to you." Lena smiled.

Angel got himself together and went downstairs in search of his mother. She was just hanging up the phone.

"Oh, hi Angel. I was just about to go looking for you. That was the school district. I got the job! I have to go down to fill out some more paperwork and talk to some people. Could you finish putting the food away while I get ready?"

"Sure." he assured her.

"I'll be there all afternoon. Will you be ok?"

Angel rolled his eyes. "Yes, Mommy. I'ze a big... girl now."

His mother caught the pause, even in the middle of the sarcasm. She just shook her head, then dashed upstairs to get ready.

Angel and Lena put the stuff away, then Angel fixed them a snack. They were sitting in the living room, munching away, when his mother rushed out the door. Somehow, they both found her hasty exit funny.

They were just coming down from their bout of laughter, when Lena stiffened. She nodded a couple of times, then turned to Angel.

"Mind a little more company?"

"No, why?"

"Someone's on her way over, and I suspect it has something to do with you."

"That sounds ominous."

"In a way. How's your mythology?"

"Huh?"

"What does the name Cassandra mean to you?"

"I assume you don't mean the singer or the actress?"

"Right"

"Wasn't she some kind of prophet? Under a curse from some goddess, so she only saw bad stuff?"

"Close enough. We have our own version here. We call her Cassandra, or Cassie, but her name is really Penny. She's a little bit of a precog, but her main ability is a weird one."

"What else is new, these days?" Angel observed, wryly.

"I mean weird by our standards."

"Ok, that's impressive. What is it?"

"She seems to be subconsciously hooked into everyone in the region who has a perceptive power. Like you and me."

"She knows everything we see?"

"Not consciously. I heard that she tried to make it conscious, and nearly ended up catatonic."

Angel whistled.

"What it does now is feed into her subconscious. For some reason, she becomes aware of impending disasters and the like and, unlike the original, possible ways to avoid them. If any exist."

"Useful, in a backhanded way. What a way to spend your life." Angel shook his head.

"Yeah. She was kind of a genius before MORFS, and seems to have gotten smarter with all this. And she was already dealing with the darker side of things, which seems to have helped her. She helped me get through my introduction to the nasty side of the human psyche."

"And she's here now."

Angel went to the door, and watched the approaching girl. She was tall for a girl, about 5' 10", he estimated. She looked a little older than them, probably about to be a senior. She had black hair, which made her skin look paler than it was. And she had a look of urgency.

"Hey, Cassie. What's the problem?"

Angel looked at the two of them, and rolled his eyes. "Would you like to come in and get a little more comfortable?"

They looked at each other, then at him, as though the idea had never occurred to them. Then they shrugged and moved inside.

"Want something to drink?" he offered. "Iced tea, soda, water...?"

"Tea would be great. Thanks."

As Angel went for the tea, Lena gave Cassie the public version of his life and powers. He got back in time to catch the end, including the description of the tan and the healing of the scar. When Lena was finished, Cassie drank a moment, and thought.

"She must be the one then."

"What one?" Angel asked. "Am I some kind of walking disaster or something?"

"I see Radar gave you the condensed version. Probably about as complete as what she said about you." She arched an eyebrow. Angel always wished he could do that, but never got the hang of it. "You're not the problem, but you may be the answer."

"Ok," Lena prompted, "All you've said is that someone's in danger, and someone I know can help. Spill."

"Ok. One of the boys from my school..."

"Your school?" Angel asked.

"I go to Smokey Hills. Anyway, Jerry Anderson, a sophomore there, is about to go through MORFS. But he won't survive it."

From his research, Angel knew that some transformations were fatal. And so far, there was nothing Medicine could do about it. Apparently, Jerry would be one of those cases.

"Unless...?" Lena prompted.

"That's where you come in, Radar. It's a little confusing, but from what I can make out, someone you know can complete his... her... that's one of the confusing parts... can complete hir transformation with your help, then can transform Jerry's transformation. I wish I could say it more clearly, but it's all jumbled. I could guess at some things, but my guess would be no better than yours, and might just confuse things more." She stopped and took a breath.

"Jerry's a nice guy. Nobody deserves to die like that, but especially not someone like him."

Angel was beginning to feel hedged in. "How close is he?"

"To starting the transformation? Two, maybe three days is the impression I get. Are you the one... his chance at life?"

"Maybe. I don't know. I'm not very strong, and it may be too late for me to do anything. I can change things a little, but I've never tried something like that. I might kill him myself." He stopped, taking hold of his fears." I do fit one part. I have my own issues to resolve, and Lena's been helping me try to resolve them. Are you sure he'll die without help?"

"Cassie's never been wrong about such things before. She may not see all the possible sources of help, but those she misses tend to be marginal at best."

"Do I really have to get my crap together before I can help?"

"I get that impression. It's kinda like, if you do you can do a lot more a lot quicker and better than if you don't. If it's you at all."

"Gotta be." Lena jumped in. "She's the only one I know that even remotely fits the bill."

"Well, I'll do anything I can. I just don't know if I can help all that much."

"It wouldn't have to be much. Just enough to keep him from dying. Ugly and alive beats dead any day of the week. Thank you, Angel." she paused in thought. "What's your real name, if it's not a secret or something?"

"It really is Angel. Something my folks have had reason to call overly optimistic, at times," he grinned, wryly.

"Sorry."

"No prob'. It does sound like something that would fit in with Cassandra, Radar, Otter, and the like, now that you mention it."

"There's always Star Dawn," Lena reminded them. "She grew up with what sounded like a code name, too."

"All right." Angel summed up. "We have two major tasks to accomplish, and we need to do them in order."

*Bossy, ain't she?* Lena was grinning. Penny just nodded and smiled.

"Cassie," he continued, "you can't help with the first part. Not really. But it would be good if you can find out what Jerry will be doing later in the day. If necessary, we can get him on radar, or vice versa," he grinned impishly, "when we need to find him. But your help could make it easier. Have you told him?"

"Hell no. No point in it. If you can't fix it, he'd spend his last couple of days upset. If you do fix it, that worry would have been for nothing. As far as I know, he doesn't even suspect that he's about to come down with it."

"Good. Easier that way. We'll contact you when the time comes."

"I guess she means I'll give you a shout," she tapped her forehead, "then. Good hunting."

Penny looked like she was going to say something, then changed her mind. They said their goodbyes, and she left.

"Is that all on the level?" he asked Lena.

"She never jokes about that shit, or fakes it. It's gold."

"I guess we'd better get started. Again. Suddenly, that innocent life looks a lot more important than my little identity crisis."

"Don't sell it short. It will only work if we both keep in mind the importance of what we are doing. Not the stuff about his life. The stuff about yours. While we do this, our entire focus has to be on you."

"But..."

"No buts. This is about you, and only you. We can worry about other people later." Her no nonsense look convinced him.

The next two hours were intense. They explored the essence of his ethnic identity and ethnic pride, then made sure they were firmly anchored at his core. They would be equally valid and equally strong if he had fur or feathers. And every bit as much a part of him.

She had him take a few minutes and grieve for what he had lost. She assured him it was ok, and valid, for him to feel and mourn that loss.

The rest of the time was taking apart ways he thought and fitting them back together in new ways. It made no sense to Angel, but it was clear that Lena knew what she was doing.

In the end, Angel had a new sense of who she was. And who, and what, she would become.

She offered Lena something to drink, and then fetched the refreshments.

They talked about nothing in particular, just relaxing. After about a half hour of that, they decided it was time to do something about Jerry.

Lena, after checking to make sure that Angel had integrated her new identity, contacted Penny. *Hey, Cassie,* she sent. *What's the word on Jerry?*

*He's at the movies - the old Chinese - for the next half hour or so. After that, his plans are kind of open.*

*We'll meet you there.*

After a few minutes of "calling" around, Lena arranged a ride. Penny was already there.

When they got there, he was still inside. They walked around the lobby, looking at the posters and displays, and basically killing time. Lena introduced him to a few of the people working there, as classmates from the high school or other friends. While almost all of them looked fully untransformed, more than a third of them showed signs of having gone through MORFS or coming up on it.

As Lena was introducing her to Andy, an assistant manager, she noticed something at the snack bar. She pointed to a corner near the Banuba machine, and quietly told him about the buildup of potentially harmful bacteria there.

"Another member of the club, Radar?"

"Yep." and then *Believe her. She's a bio elemental, and can see such things.*

*How powerful is she?*

She gave him the public version.

"If you want, I could sterilize it for the moment. But you'll need to find a way of keeping it from building up again." She was oblivious to the mental conversation.

*Won't it drain you?*

*Not really. It's a very small area*

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble, then sure. Be careful you don't burn yourself, though."

She reached over with three fingers and sterilized the area. It took less that two seconds.

"Done. You might want to clean the area with disinfectant, or just some diluted bleach, at closing time every couple of days."

"That could be a useful gift. Can you imagine a health inspector or the like with that ability?"

She was saved the need to answer by a sudden rush of people flowing into the lobby. The movie had let out.

Lena pointed Jerry out. He was thin, about average height, with blonde hair. Angel recognized him from the mall. He was going to morph into the semblance of some kind of large lizard. She showed Lena the mental image, and Lena told her that it was a Gila Monster, as poisonous as some snakes.

Cassie joined them. Very quietly, she explained the information she now had. He would develop oversized poison glands, and they would release their corrosive neurotoxin into his system before they were fully developed. His body would shut down and die.

He headed into the men’s' room, so they decided to "run into him" on his way out. They went into the ladies' room, and adjusted their minimal makeup in the mirror, while Lena monitored his progress. They stepped out at the perfect time to literally run into him.

"Oof. Sorry. Oh, hey, Jerry!"

"Hey Radar. How's your summer going?"

"Pretty good. I got a new neighbor, and I'm showing her the places to avoid." she said with an ironic smirk. "Angel, this is Jerry. Jerry, Angel."

"Another of your crowd, eh?" he smiled.

"What makes you say that? She is, but how did you know?" Lena had the answer before she was finished talking, but let him say it.

"With a code name like that?"

"Actually," Angel replied, "it's not a code name. My parents gave it to me at birth." While she talked, she was building a more detailed mental image of him. She could see what Cassie was talking about, almost like a very short animation.

"Oh, sorry. Well, now that the cat's out of the bag, whatcha got?"

Lena had been reading him as well. "Well, for one thing, she can cure that nasty sunburn on your back. And even give that pasty face of yours some color." Lena showed off her tanned arms and legs, and indicated her face.

"I've never heard of a power like that before."

"Actually, I'm a bio elemental. Barely. I can only affect things up to a tiny distance from my body. So, I can do stuff with skin, and sort of see microbes. But that's about it."

"Well, that could still be kinda cool. I mean, you could make a fortune just dealing with zits." He was trying hard not to laugh. "Everyone in school would want to be your friend!"

"Not to mention the whole tanning thing." Lena agreed.

"And wrinkles." Penny added. "Do you have any idea how much women - and businessmen - pay to get rid of wrinkles these days?"

Angel had a second of hurt, feeling like they were laughing at her. But then she realized that they weren't. Yes, they were making a joke of it. But they were doing it in a way that showed they accepted her. She was one of their own.

She liked that feeling.

"Cassie," Lena said, "You got a car here?"

Penny nodded. "What's the plan, Radar?"

"Well, Jerry could use some help with his skin problems, and Angel could use some help moving those boxes of clothes. Why don't we go over to her place, and hang out a little?"

*Can you clear it with my mom?* Angel thought.

*Already did. Everyone's covered except Jerry's mom, and she's out for the day.*

*What about his dad?*

*Dead. Don't bring it up.*

*Thanks for the warning.*

"Ok," Jerry cut in, "What are you two thinking at each other?"

"What?" Angel was startled. Was he telepathic?

"I've seen that look before. When someone new starts talking with Radar or one of the others, they get those looks. After a while, they just learn to relax and let it happen."

"Ok," Angel confessed. "You caught me. I was asking her to clear it with my mom. She already did."

"Wow. Your mom is ok with all that telepathy stuff?"

"Yeah. Back where we used to live, she worked for the School District. Had to deal with them all the time."

"Cool. They kinda creep my mom out. No offense, Radar."

"None taken." she smiled. "Used to creep me out, too."

They got into Cassie's (mother's) car, and headed toward the house.

Angel was letting her subconscious mind process the problem, and had the feeling it wasn't finished yet. She decided to gather more information.

"So, Jerry. What would you want MORFS to do for you?"

"Oh, I wouldn't mind getting a little bigger, and a lot stronger. I'd want to stay pretty much human looking. Ooh, and I want some kind of a cool zap. And maybe some special senses, like you all."

Something clicked. It would be possible to change the template from a poison gland to some sort of energy projection, and reduce the overall appearance to what he requested. His special sense would be a sort of infrared sense, maybe operating as night vision. His eyes, teeth, and tongue would almost certainly change, but she could hold off the scales and tail. He could even have a form of regeneration.

But it wouldn't be easy, and if she waited too much longer, it wouldn't be possible. She could do it under the cover of curing the sunburn, but it would leave them both weak and tired. In his case, that would be a good thing. It would make him more vulnerable to the changes she would introduce. In her case, it would just mean she had to eat and rest. A lot.

She filled Lena in, mentally, while Penny carried on the conversation with Jerry.

The plan was simple. They'd get Jerry to carry Angel's old clothes boxes downstairs, then repay him with the sunburn healing. They would find a reason to explain the difficulty. After a snack and some rest, Penny would take Jerry home, none the wiser. Safer, but none the wiser.

When she started in on his back, she found the reason easily enough. "You've sunburned your back a lot, haven't you?"

"Yeah, ever since we moved here from California. It's funny, I never used to burn there."

"It's the altitude," Penny jumped in, "The whole Mile High City thing. The air is thinner, so more bad stuff gets through. You have to use the sun block all the time."

"You've done a lot of damage," Angel continued. "Luckily, I should be able to get most of it."

*Is all that on the level?*

*Most of it. I can fix it as easily as I did yours, and if I didn't, the MORFS would probably take care of the rest.*

"Hmmm. We have a problem." Lena said. "He didn't just burn his back."

"Oh, yeah?" Angel said, amused. "Been mooning the sun?"

"Not quite," he admitted, "but my suit is a little, um, brief."

Penny giggled. "Some of the girls talked him into it."

"Yeah, but it was worth it." he sighed. "You shoulda seen what they wore, as part of the deal."

"I tried. But I didn't have a magnifying glass with me." she laughed.

While the laughter died down, Angel fetched a towel. "Ok, fry boy. Strip to your underwear, and lay face down on the sofa. Lena will know when you're ready."

With that, they went into the kitchen. He could still hear their giggles as he changed. When he was on the sofa, with the towel draped over his butt, Angel and Lena came back in. Penny remained in the kitchen.

"Where's Cassie?"

"Making us a snack. We're gonna need it."

Letting her subconscious mind guide her, Angel started at his feet and worked upward. When she got to the towel, she worked under it but over his briefs. When she finished with that area, she pulled her hands out and adjusted the towel. She had just worked her way up his lower back, struggling to make the necessary changes to his morf pattern as she went along, when the front door opened.

"Ok, what's a naked boy doing on my sofa?" her mother demanded.

*Don't worry. I filled her in.*

A startled Jerry was trying to get up, and somehow hold the towel around him. Angel held him down.

"We lured him here to have our wicked ways with him." Angel grinned. "Now that we wore him out, I'm fixing his sunburn."

"Ok. Just make sure you clean up after him. They're worse than puppies."

Angel gasped, then rolled her eyes. Was that really what her own mother used to think about her? Then she saw the twinkle in her eyes, and knew that was intended as an in joke. Lena's grin told her that she was in on the joke.

While her mother went into the kitchen, she settled down and went back to work. The brief rest had done her some good, and his body had started processing the little gifts she had left. But she still had a long way to go.

She lost track of everything but what she was doing. After a while, it was like crawling up a steep hill on her hands and knees. As tired as she was getting, she sensed that he was getting even more so. Finally, she found herself at his shoulders. He was asleep, and she was fighting to keep from joining him. Finally, she got as far as she was going to be able to, and finished up the last little bit of sunburn. She didn't even notice herself slipping to the floor, asleep.

She woke up to find her mother pushing a mug of soup into her hands. "We've got some solid food too, when you’re up to it. How're you feeling?"

"Wiped out. Lena?"

*Here. Whatcha need?*

*How is Jerry doing?*

*Asleep, but good.*

*I need to talk with everyone, without him hearing. Could you relay?*

*What am I? A human hub?*

*Yep. Just like the human tanning booth.* She grinned, tiredly. *How long?*

*We let you sleep a half hour, until your breathing shifted.*

*Cassie, is he out of danger?*

*She says yes. You did it.*

*Good. I want to tell him that he's about to come down with MORFS.*

*Are you sure that's a good idea?*

*No. That's why I'm asking first.*

Penny didn't see any disasters either way. Lena opined that he was stable and mature enough to take the news well. Her mother was concerned about revealing the ability, but Penny assured her that he was trustworthy.

In the end, they left it up to her.

She woke him up and offered him some food. He was a teenaged boy - of course he accepted. For a while, he almost forgot he was sitting there in his underwear, with a towel around his waist, in a room full of females.

Until he realized that he had to go to the bathroom. He stood up, and started to lose his towel. He grabbed for the towel, barely snagging it in time. Lena giggled, scooped up his clothes, and offered to show him the way. He couldn't help blushing as he quickly followed.

He staggered a little on his way there, and on his way back. Angel sympathized. She was still a little wobbly herself. They sat there, eating and talking, for a while.

When she was feeling more herself, she got to the point. "It usually doesn't take so much effort to do that. There are a few things you should know. First, you have let yourself get sunburned too often and too badly. Your skin was badly damaged, and it was only a matter of time before you developed skin cancer. I fixed the damage, but it took a whole lot more time and energy than a simple sunburn. But it might have been pointless. While I was doing all that, I found out one more thing. In a day or two, three at the most, you will come down with MORFS."

"Is it because of all this?"

"No, it's been building for days. I can perceive that, and sometimes I can tell a little bit about what it will turn out like. This time, I put so much into the healing that I'm too wiped out to tell much. The ironic part is that the MORFS would have healed your skin. If you want, I can give you a tan tomorrow, and see what I can tell about your transformation."

"Sure, I'd like that. Let me get your number, and I'll call you tomorrow. If I don't, I'm already sick." He thought a moment, then, shyly, "Is it as bad as they say?"

"MORFS? Well, it kind of depends. It's pretty miserable, but my changes were pretty limited. You spend most of the time asleep, and you feel a desperate need for the bathroom and a shower in between the times you're asleep."

Lena jumped in. "You feel like you have the flu when you are awake, until the last time you wake up. Then you feel better than that. Depending on the changes, you might feel strange when you do wake up that last time."

Penny joined in. "And then you get to know yourself all over again. It can take a while to get used to the changes, and to learn to use your new capabilities. The big thing to remember is that you are still you, and your life moves on from there."

Magdalena added "It may sound corny, but remember that your family will love you, no matter what. And your true friends will also. But they are only human, and if the change is too much, it may take them some time to adjust."

"Spoken like the mother of a morf, Mom." Angel smiled.

"I have to admit, I'm scared." Jerry said. "But this could be so cool, too. After the change is over, I might have fantastic powers or something."

"Or you might just get green hair." Angel shrugged. "It's luck of the draw."

"Ok, c'mon Sunburn Kid. I'll give you a lift home. You can warn your mom, and get your chrysalis ready." Penny kidded him.

End Part 4

Angel's Tale: A MORFS Universe Story
By Joreymay

Angel gets a job, forms a gang, and takes them for a test run.

Part 5

That evening, the news had another report on The New Plague: AMORFS. Apparently, the Powers That Be had a new working assumption. The three components had been spreading separately, harmlessly, in their own ways. But when the carriers came together at the rally, the components combined and started to have an effect.

While one of the components was clearly a MORF variant, the other two weren't quite as clear. They were already spreading separately again. And none of them were mutating the way the original two had done. That was considered good news, since it made the possibility of some kind of prevention or cure more practical.

Another mystery was the effects. The effect on adults was remarkably superficial and consistent. Body hair and facial hair became fur, except for two small patches high on the forehead. Those fused to become small horns. Their vocal cords thickened to the point of becoming useless. By the standards of regular MORFS, that was nothing. One out of three didn't even suffer any significant fever or discomfort.

The effects on adolescents were indirectly more pronounced, but not directly. Directly, they seemed to defeat the genetic resistance some people have to MORFS. Beyond that, the usual range of changes seemed to be involved, with a few exceptions. None of the victims seemed to develop any powers, and all seemed to undergo a more thorough transformation than average. Also, they were about 10% more likely to change sexes under the new combination than the average MORFS sufferer.

Angel's father couldn't help but notice her reactions to the news. He strongly suspected that she had more to do with it than she let on. But she clearly didn't want to say anything, and he didn't really blame her. It hurt to know that his own daughter felt she had to keep things from her parents, but he understood that it was only going to get worse as she finished growing up.

He didn't have to like it.

They weren't as close as he would have liked. Especially after the long separation during the move. And it didn't help that the transformation happened during that separation. Or that other important events happened then. He loved his daughter every bit as much as he had loved his son. But he didn't have the easy closeness they had once shared.

If the news report got Angel thinking, the movie they watched got her positively churning. It was one of those "close buddies put together and pull off an elaborate scheme" movies. What did she have? Her talents. Radar, Cassandra, Otter, and Star Dawn. And maybe Lena knew of some other trustworthy people.

She started getting excited. For the whole summer, she had been reacting. Learning to be a girl. Learning to use her new abilities. Learning her way around her new home. Changing her self concept. Even the thing with Jerry was reactive.

Now, she was going to start something. She wasn't sure what, but it would be something they could have fun with, and something they would keep people from knowing they were involved with. Something people would talk and speculate about for years.

Something. She had no idea what.

*Hey Lena! You busy?*

*Just soaking in the tub. Why, you got some emergency?*

*No emergency. Just something to think and talk about.*

*Well, I'm not going anywhere at the moment. Shoot.*

*You know that movie, where the friends team together to scam the guy who hurt a friend of theirs?*

*Yeah, I know it. Oh, God! Don't tell me you're going all fan girl over Leo Cesene!* There was laughter behind that thought.

*God, no. I was into that movie before this summer. I like the action stuff.*

*Ok, sure. So?*

*I want to do something like that.* She went through a jumble of images and ideas, not really finding the words.

*Ok, stop. STOP! I get the idea. You want to build yourself an adventure, like in the movie. Some sort of scam, that will leave people talking, but not about us.*

*Yep.*

*What's the payoff?*

*The payoff?*

*In that movie, it was revenge. And a lot of money. In others, it's been the freedom of a loved one, some sort of valuable treasure, or just lots of money. What's the payoff?*

*For me, the adventure. I need your help getting past that. We need a goal. And people we can trust, with useful skills and contacts. Can you give it some thought?*

*Sure. We'll talk tomorrow. Now leave me alone, so I can jill off in peace!*

Angel was stunned by that image. She knew it turned her on, but wasn't sure how or why. From the videos, she knew that her old habitual responses would take a long time to fade. And that thinking about someone else doing something sexual was usually a turn on, even if you're not attracted to them.

Mostly, it made her want to explore a sadly neglected part of her new self.

She said her goodnights, then went upstairs. Two different sets of images were fighting for her attention. She was still excited from the movie, and the beginnings of her plan. But she also got excited by visions of fingers and things those fingers could be doing.

After letting the images, and her actions, carry her over the edge a couple of times, she thought she heard some gentle laughter in the back of her mind.

After breakfast the next morning, she got two phone calls. One was from Jerry, saying that he was feeling fine, and wanted to take her up on the tan and reading. The other was Andy, asking whether she would come to the theater that afternoon, to "talk about something." While he was being somewhat mysterious, he was not being melodramatic about it.

Her father had already left for work, but she managed to catch her mother on her way out the door, and let her know the plans for the day.

"If you're going to have that boy over here, make sure you have someone like Lena here with you."

"Why?" Angel was genuinely puzzled.

"You haven't been a girl all that long, but by now even you should know better. Think back, before the change. If a girl had invited you over to her house, while her parents were gone for the day, what would you have thought? Especially if you ended up with most of your clothes off?"

"Oh." Angel really hadn't thought about that. Despite thinking of herself as a girl, or sometimes a young woman, she was still thinking of him in terms of "another boy". She never even thought about the fact that he knew her as a girl, and would react to her as a girl.

She still had some things to learn.

Lena laughed when Angel contacted her. She agreed with her mother, that Angel still had a lot to learn.

While they were waiting for Jerry to show up, Lena went over some things that Angel had ignored or forgotten.

"Don't treat the guys like you did when you were one. Some of the common gestures and comments will be interpreted very differently. If you're lucky, you'll be written off as a tomboy. More likely, they'll either call you a bull dyke or think you're coming on to them. Think about it. Remember when you were at school last year. What was your first reaction if some strange girl, or one you barely knew, came up to you the way another guy would?"

Angel was beginning to really hate it when someone started one of these lectures with a reminder of when she was a boy. From her new perspective, that boy was not always the way he had thought of himself. That boy thought he was polite, respectful, and perhaps a bit enlightened in his interactions with girls. Now, she saw that he was lecherous, dismissive, judgmental, and more than a little voyeuristic. Remembering things he thought, things he did, things he would have done if he had the chance - the thought of some boy acting that way toward her, thinking that way about her, was disturbing.

Jerry got there, and Angel knew that her timing was bad. He was within hours of showing the telltale symptoms.

"Did you tell your mom about the MORFS?"

"Uh... no. I kept trying to bring it up, but I couldn't."

"Well, you'll have to tell her now. It's happening today. Soon. You need to get to the doctors as soon as you can."

"What will I become?"

"You'll have some of the characteristics of a lizard, a gila monster, but you'll mostly look human. You'll stay male. You'll get a little stronger and taller, and have some sort of zap. That's about all I can tell you."

"Will I have a tail?"

"Probably not. Now call."

They ended up driving him to the clinic, where his mom would meet him. On the way, they suggested symptoms to tell the doctor. Lena agreed to follow him in mentally, and help if he needed it.

He needed it.

She helped him answer first the nurse, then his mom, then the doctor, in ways that created the appropriate impression. by the time he actually saw the doctor, he didn't have to fake much. He was starting to feel really lousy. The descriptions and answers were enough to get him the test, and that confirmed it. MORFS.

His mom took it well. She had gotten a ride to the clinic from a coworker, and used her car (which Jerry had borrowed, and the girls had used to drive him there) to drive home. Lena "called" another friend, who owed her a favor, and he drove them home.

While they were eating lunch, Jerry's mom called to thank them for getting him to the clinic, and to apologize for leaving them stranded. They assured her it was no problem, and wished Jerry well.

Sometimes, even in a world with MORFS and powers, a coincidence will happen.

*Hey, Radar! Answer your door!* David laughingly thought.

*I'm next door. Come to Angel's house.* Then out loud, "David's on his way over. You won't believe why."

"Oh?"

"I'll let him tell you himself."

At the sound of footsteps outside Angel looked at Lena, who nodded. "Door's open! Come on in."

"Geez! Don't tell me you got even more powers. That would be too depressing."

"No, just some good friends." Angel replied, indicating Lena

"Oh. Yeah. I even knew she was here." He theatrically slapped the side of his head.

"Whazzup?" When he looked a question back, Angel continued, "She wouldn't tell me."

"They're having some sort of competition over at the pool, so I thought you might like to come to the movies with me. I can't buy you tickets, but at least I have my dad's clunker to get us there."

*Family joke,* Lena explained. *The car is practically new, and very nice. Not enough room in the back seat for traditional sports, though.*

Angel laughed before she could stop herself. The tone of that last thought left no question about what kind of "sports" Lena was thinking about.

"As a matter of fact," she replied, after recovering her breath, "we were just about to go looking for a ride to the old Chinese. The assistant manager wants to talk to me. I'll spring for the popcorn."

"Deal. Talk about what?"

"He didn't say. Probably something about my little demonstration, though."

They filled him in on the events at the theater, skipping over the reason for ambushing Jerry. Once he knew it had something to do with Penny's premonitions, he accepted the limited information.

"Is he going to be all right?" David didn't know Jerry, since they were different at different schools, but he did know the nature of Penny. "Cassandra doesn't waste predictions on trivial stuff. Damn it."

Lena noted with amusement that David was thinking about the time he had tried to get Penny to predict the Lottery numbers. He never quite believed her claim that she couldn't. Angel looked back and forth for a second, then gave up.

"He should be ok. We took him to the clinic this morning, in the first stages of MORFS."

"That's good. The ok, not the MORFS, What will he be like?" He remembered their earlier conversation about her powers.

"Mostly normal. A little bit reptilian, and some interesting abilities, but mostly normal."

"Oh." Then he switched gears. "When do you need to be there?"

"In about an hour."

"Mind getting there a little early? There's a matinee in about 45 minutes I'd like to see."

"Sure. Just give me a minute to get ready."

"Us a minute." Lena corrected, and followed Angel to her room.

They fixed their hair and makeup (although Angel still didn't like wearing the stuff), and Angel grabbed her purse. Then they were off.

On the way to the theater, he started talking about an old interest of his: things from the popular culture of a century ago which could be useful now.

"For instance, in the comic books of the 1960s the people with powers had logos, icons which identified them. The heroes and the villains, and even some of the groups. I even thought of some for some of you." He fished in his pocket, pulling out some folded up papers.

Most of them were ancient images - a parabolic antenna on some triangular frame for Radar, a sphere on a small stand for Cassandra, some small mammal curled halfway into a ball for Otter, And a frame with an animal hide for someone called Tanner.

"Who's Tanner?" Angel asked.

"You," he replied, pointing to Lena's arm. Lena laughed. "There's another one for you, though."

She looked through and found some more abstract images. Part of a five pointed star above a line for Star Dawn, a triangle topped with a circle with a small oval above it for Angel. "I'm not sure I like the name Tanner, but I can see where an alias could be useful."

She thought a moment. "What about you?"

"I don't have any powers."

"Neither did some of those ancient heroes and villains." She knew she was goading him a little with the "ancient" part, but it kept him going.

"They had special skills and gimmicks. And almost all of them were, like, heads of major corporations and had lots of money. I can barely afford the movie."

"Ok, so what kind of powers would you want? What would be your ideal morfs result?" Angel prompted.

Lena continued with "If we found a magic wishing spot for MORFS, what would you wish for?" Privately, to Angel, she thought *I have an idea for your scam.*

David thought a moment. "I always wanted to fly. But that is kinda common. I know! I saw this 'ancient' program," he looked at Angel as he emphasized ancient, "on ESP research in the old Soviet Union."

"What in the where?" Angel had heard the old terms, but wasn't sure what they were.

"ESP is another word for psychic stuff, and the Soviet Union used to be where the EastBlock Confederation is. Or parts of it, anyway."

"Oh, Ok. So?" Angel noticed the beginnings of an oddly familiar tingling.

"Well, there were a couple of things they were looking at that seemed pretty cool. One was remote viewing, which is pretty much what we now call telesense. People could supposedly see, and sometimes hear, what was happening in other places. Like a holocast without the cameras."

Angel thought about every boy he had ever known, including her previous self, and what they would use that ability for first. She smirked and asked "And the other thing?"

"Some of them could use their minds to create a picture on photo paper. I'd want more, to be able to do it on any paper or cloth."

Angel couldn't stand it any more. Laughing, she said "So you want to be able to peek in the girls' locker room, and make your own porn out of what you see?"

Davis turned red. "That's not..."

"You know," Angel interrupted, mischief in her eyes. "There is an easier way. A change that would actually let you be in there."

Despite himself, David was interested. "Yeah?"

Lena joined in the fun. "And even let you see and touch those wonderfully naughty girl parts all you want."

"Like invisibility or something?" He started getting caught up in the image.

Lena turned to Angel. "But it would kinda mess with the balance of the group. We don't have all that many guys."

David nearly ran off the road as he realized what they were getting at. "But... but I like being a guy!"

"Maybe we could meet him half way?" Lena cracked.

Angel took a second to catch on. "But then we'd have to start using all those funny pronouns. And it would still mess up the body count."

David barely squeaked "But.."

"That's true," Angel continued, as though seriously considering the matter. "We'd have to decide whether he should have a nice tight little male butt or a rounder, softer female one." Both girls dissolved in laughter.

"I don't wanna be a girl. Not even halfway." The wail was exaggerated for comic effect. The girls stopped laughing.

"And what, exactly, is wrong with being a girl?" Lena asked, in an arctic voice. After she saw a number of images flash through his mind, from periods to bras to being on the receiving end of sex, he found his voice.

"Nothing. If you're born that way. But I've been a boy my whole life!"

The car got very quiet. And David struggled frantically to understand why.

*You ok?* Lena asked Angel.

*Mostly. But I may as well tell him. Isn't he figuring it out about now?*

*Pretty much.*

"I'm sorry, Angel. I didn't know. When did it happen?" It never paid to underestimate David's intelligence.

"Beginning of the summer. And yes, it was a helluva shock and a lot to get used to. But now it's just a part of life."

"Lucky."

"How do you figure?"

"You changed just about the time you moved. No awkward problems with the people who knew you as a boy."

"Actually, I changed en route. I don't recommend it. And most of the people I saw before I got here were relatives. They knew. In fact, they took turns training me in the finer points of being a girl."

"They did a good job. I never would have known. Except for that awkward silence, that is."

"They concentrated on the usual giveaways and the practical stuff. For a lot of the rest, we had an all purpose excuse: a history as a tomboy."

"You just seem like an ordinary girl."

"Ordinary?" the temperature in the car dropped.

"You know what I mean. You're pretty, and smart, and all that stuff. You don't need to go fishing for a compliment with a harpoon! You don't seem any more different than the other girls than the rest of the other girls do."

"Huh?"

"Girls... people are all different. Like Chaos Theory, the differences are bounded for certain groups. You fall within the normal boundaries of differences for girls around here. Well, for everything but your powers. And even then..."

"I get the idea. You can stop chewing the leather now. I think it's soft enough."

Now it was his turn. "Huh?"

Lena explained. "Time to leave the foot in mouth disease behind, and move on," she grinned.

"Just as well. We're here anyway." He was obviously relieved.

As he parked, he commented. "By the way, that was only number 3 on my list of things to do with the powers."

Angel looked at Lena, who nodded.

"At least you admit it was there. What were the top two?"

"Spying and cheating." Lena chuckled.

"Well, I wouldn't have put it that way. Finding and catching the bad guys, and seeing what the teachers and politicians don't want us to see."

"Yep," Angel agreed with a grin. "Spying and cheating."

Wisely, David gave up. When they got inside, Andy was in the lobby. He was talking with a girl in one of the ticket stands, but when he saw them he broke off and walked over to them.

"You made it! Thanks for coming. I don't think you'll need backup, though." He said with a smile. "Radar, I know. Who's your other friend?"

Angel handled the introductions. "Andy, this is David. Among other things, he was our ride here. David, Andy." The boys shook hands. "They were going to watch a movie while we talk."

"Great!" he enthused. He walked them over to the person he had been talking with. "Karen, please comp these two on my authority. Code 17."

While they got their tickets, he took her across the lobby and through a small door. Then up some stairs to an office. "My boss would like to talk to you about an offer."

Angel smiled, but inside he called out *Lena! I may need some backup.*

*Trouble?*

*I don't think so. But could you monitor things while I'm in here? I may be in over my head*

*Ok. There's just you two and an older man. He's the manager of the theater. They seem upbeat.*

There was mostly good news. The manager was impressed, but a little skeptical, when Andy told him about her warning and help. He wanted to verify her abilities, just to be able to say he had.

He presented her with a tray with a half dozen slides on it. She saw right away that there was a trick. In addition to the samples in the usual place at the center of the slide, one end of most of the slides was also contaminated. After another quick look, she changed her mind. It wasn't necessarily a trick.

"Um, the person who prepared these... did he or she take a break partway through the batch?"

"Yes, he did." the manager answered in an odd voice.

*He's the one who prepared them.* Lena verified.

*Ouch. This won't be fun.*

"Well," she continued, hesitantly, "He didn't wash his hands very well after going to the bathroom. These four," she pointed, "Were handled at this end with unwashed hands. And he might want to see his doctor soon. He's developing a bladder infection."

She then went on to identify the formal samples, and sterilize the slides. And the contaminated parts of the tray.

Impressed, the manager went on to make the offer. He explained that they had five theaters in the Denver area. Her job would be to inspect each one at least once a month, and document and, if possible, neutralize danger spots. He knew that labor laws limited how much she would be able to work, especially after school started. He couldn't offer her much money, or much in the way of a title, but he could offer some benefits. In additional to health insurance and the like, she would get free movie passes and concessions.

*He's willing to go salary, and a title of assistant manager. And he thinks he might be able to get manager, if he has to. But he really hopes you won't push that.*

"I'd have to be at least a lead, or an assistant manager, to get them to take me seriously enough. And they'd know if I had anything less than the salary that went with the title."

He started to look worried, but she went on. "How about if we start me as a lead, with the salary and the perks we discussed, for the first month. Then, when they all see the value of this, you can justify the promotion."

*He's thinking about it. But worried about whether it will work out.*

"And if I don't prove the value of the whole thing, you can fire me. No hard feelings."

That seemed to settle it. They shook hands, and he gave her some forms to fill out.

She still had one reservation. "I'll have to clear it with my folks, first. But I don't think it will be any kind of a problem."

"I understand. Talk to them, and call me here tonight. If you can't reach me, let Andy know."

"Ok. And if it's yes, I'll get this stuff filled out and back to you."

"Great. Andy will show you out."

*He thinks he did well in the negotiations, and he's happy with your suggestion. Now let me watch the movie!*

"Your friends are in theater three, if you want to join them. The movie just started." At her nod, Andy walked her past the ticket taker and pointed the way. "You know, you could have gotten more for this."

"Yeah, but he wouldn't have been happy about it. A little compromise goes a long way."

"Ah, yes. She is wise beyond her years." He grinned. "Enjoy the movie."

She had no trouble finding her friends in the half empty theater. They were sharing a tub of popcorn, and they had saved her a seat beside Lena. They all enjoyed the movie (and the popcorn), and then it was time to go.

Lena knew what had happened, but Angel explained it to David. He thought it was a great idea. And he liked the idea of free movies. Angel apologized for not buying the popcorn, but he said that he came out ahead - the popcorn cost less than the movie ticket would have.

They got back on the subject of his fantasy morf, and Angel felt something click inside her. Somehow, she knew that she had just created a MORFS cocktail that would give him what he wanted.

"Too bad there isn't such a wishing place." He was saying.

Lena gave him an odd look. "Well, actually... can you keep a really big secret?"

"Aw, come on Radar. You know I can."

"You remember Pope Hill?"

"Pope Hill?" Angel asked.

David explained. "Back at the end of the twentieth century, there was this huge gathering for Catholic youth here. The Pope came, and addressed them in a place set aside in the State Park that's by the reservoir."

"Which Pope?"

"Saint John Paul."

"No relation to George or Ringo," Lena snickered. The joke was ancient, and often fell flat when people didn't recognize the names.

"Anyhow, sometime later some of the people around here started calling one of the little hills in the park Pope Hill. Supposedly, that's where he did something." He turned to Lena. "So what about the hill?"

"There's something there." She said, with a tone of mystery.

"Yeah. A hill."

"No. Something more. Something I can sense and communicate with, a little."

"A ghost?"

"I don't think so. But something."

*What's going on?* Angel asked Lena.

*A trial run for your scam. A biggie.* she grinned. Then, out loud, "If you go there with me, you might just get your wish."

"Yeah, right."

"What have you got to lose?" Lena responded, just as Angel thought at her.

*What's the plan?*

*We create the illusion that the place, rather than you, is responsible for the custom morfs. We use him as a dry run, then let him in on it after he recovers. He's smart, and those powers he wants could be useful.*

Angel shrugged acknowledgement.

They went to Angel's house for some water bottles, then walked to the State Park. Lena and David knew where they were going. Angel just enjoyed the scenery. The hiking and bicycle trails were well marked and easy to follow.

They came to a small rise, with a historical marker. The marker was dated 2043, and was placed by a Catholic youth group to commemorate the 50th anniversary of an address by the sainted Pope. Angel took his arm and asked him "Are you sure you're ready for that change?"

"Sure, why not?" He answered flippantly. His body language and expression betrayed more emotion.

Lena gave her the details. *He's torn between disbelief and hopeful excitement. Let's do it.*

Pretending to stumble a little as a distraction, Angel used the hand on his arm to transfer the package her body had made for him. As she recovered from the "stumble", Lena got David's attention.

"Ok. I seem to work as a catalyst, here. I'm in contact with whatever it is here, but you need to do your part. Relax a little, and let your mind form an image of the new you. It has its standards and, as far as I can tell, some limits. If your request is too dangerous, it may be toned down or turned down. It can accept childish motives, like your peeking, but not malicious ones. Malicious requests can cause a nasty rebound." She started feeding him a very faint reaction which, if full blown, could become a sort of religious awe. She slowly ramped it up as she continued. "You may get all that you want or only part of it. The more you picture it, the clearer it becomes. You might get some sort of a feeling about it's response, as you continue to shape your vision. It says it is getting some of it, and it feels you will like what you get. It won't be exactly what you want, because of its limits. But you will find a few unexpected bonuses will more than make up for that." He was barely listening. Angel thought that his look was what they meant by beatific.

While all that was going on, Angel's little present was spreading through his body, preshaping the DNA changes and preparing him for the transformation. She estimated two days before he showed the usual fever and so on.

Lena said "Done!" sharply, and let the feeling drain away. Some remained, without any input from her.

"That was... interesting." he commented, shaking his head. "Now what?"

"Now we go back to the house for a snack." Lena grinned. "All this walking has given me an appetite. Angel, do you have any more of those pancakes?"

"Sure. And some other stuff. Now I know I'll need that job. I'll need the money just to feed the gang." They all laughed, but Lena noticed an odd resonance with the word "gang". She left it alone for the time being.

On the way back, David asked Angel "So how about it? Can you see anything?" He indicated himself.

"You are about to go through MORFS."

"When?" There was more than casual curiosity in his voice.

"Looks like about two days."

"How long will it take?"

"I can't tell. I'm not really any good at estimating that part. Yet."

"So what do you see?"

"Too early to tell much. I see feathered wings. Big ones. And some kind of powers. But I can't really tell what they are."

He kept trying to think of ways to bring it up again, to get more information, but failed.

After making a serious dent in her snack supply, they watched some tv and talked. Angel was startled when the door opened and she heard her mother's voice.

"Well, at least this one's got his clothes on!"

David looked alarmed, but Lena barely kept herself from laughing. Angel shot her a dirty look, then turned to her mother.

"Well, you know what they say about variety." She wiggled her eyebrows up and down.

"Are you going to wear this one out, too?"

"I don't know. How long until dinner?"

David wasn't sure what was going on, and Lena wasn't helping.

"As long as it takes you to make it. Now that both of us are working again, you're going to be doing your share of the cooking."

"I need to talk to you about that. The job thing, not the cooking." Angel turned to her friends. "Normally, I'd invite you guys to stay for dinner. But this may be an interesting evening. See you tomorrow."

"C'mon strange boy. That's our cue."

"Oops!" Angel turned toward her mom. "Mom, this is David. He's one of the people I met at the pool a couple of days ago. David, my Mom."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. O'Connor."

"Nice to meet you too, David. Thank you for helping Angel feel welcome."

"No problem." He turned to Angel. "See you later."

After they left, Angel followed her mother upstairs. While her mother changed out of her work clothes, Angel told her about the theater and the job offer. She got the predictable response that they would need to talk it over with her father.

Back in the kitchen, her mom supervised and helped where needed, but there wasn't much need. Even before the summer, Angel had been competent in the kitchen. So mostly, they talked. Angel told her about Jerry's visit and trip to the clinic. Her mom told her about learning the new procedures, and how many were similar or different.

For a change, her dad was able to come home on time. He would have to take care of some things he brought home with him, but he could handle them from his computer. He found the rest of his family in the kitchen, getting dinner out of the oven. The sight of his daughter still caught him by surprise, but he was getting used to it. Son or daughter, that was his child.

He helped set the table, and soon they were enjoying the fruits of Angel's labors. Angel asked him about his day, and he gave a brief account of the highlights. The best part was that he was still on track for being able to start keeping human hours soon.

He asked his wife about her day, and she just glossed over it with a few generalities. He had an idea what that meant. Something important about Angel. Good or bad, he couldn't tell. He gave in to the inevitable and asked her about her day.

"Oh, just the usual life and death struggles in the morning." Angel deadpanned. Then, with a little more animation, "Oh, and I got an interesting job offer from the Chinese Theater this afternoon." She smiled.

He still wasn't sure whether this was a good or bad thing. His wife had a bad habit of "including" him in decisions this way, but he rarely had any real say unless he had a very strong feeling about it and was willing to face the potential unpleasantness. As he listened to Angel describing the interview and offer, he watched his wife as covertly as he was able. Unfortunately, she seemed ambivalent about it.

Instead of the expected pro forma ratification of her mom's undisclosed decision, Angel found herself in a genuine discussion of the issues. It was agreed all around that it should not be allowed to interfere with schoolwork or other responsibilities. Transportation was an issue to be resolved. Three of the theaters were close to bus or light rail stops, and she would have to make arrangements about the others. Issues were raised, discussed, and resolved.

In the end, they let her make her own choice. She could start it, and keep it as long as there weren't significant problems. And if she chose to quit, they would support that as well.

"So, what plans do you have for your magnificent salary?" Her father teased.

"A microburger. Once a week. Luckily, I will have free concessions while I'm at work."

After the laughter died down a little, she got marginally more serious. "If it does pan out, I would like to use some of that to upgrade to an eCom. I know it would be a significant drain on the family budget to ask you to get me one, so I haven't asked. But it would be something to be able to afford that luxury on my own."

She didn't expect the look of pain in her parents' eyes. But she should have. They were not poor, and her parents had always been able to provide for her needs and more. And they were always quite clear in their determination to continue to do so. They had looked into the possibility of an eCom more than once, but could not justify the costs. Her younger self knew about that, and he was even a part of the decision making process some of those times.

"With my new salary, maybe we could..."

"No, Daddy." Daddy? Where did that come from? "It wouldn't mean anything if you got it for me." She might not be a boy anymore, but she still had a lot of the old pride. "I want it to be something I earned, something I did."

"I don't have any real objection, if that's what you really want. And I know you are responsible enough to take care of it. We can discuss it again when you are confident about continuing your job."

She hugged him. "Thanks, Daddy!" There it was again. "And you too, mom," as she moved around the table and hugged her.

Buoyed by the mood around the table, the small talk resumed.

Angel's dad turned to her mother and asked "So, any more naked boys on the sofa today?"

"No, this one had his clothes on when I got home. They must be losing their touch."

"Or getting faster, with practice." he laughed.

"Aargh! I'm never going to live that one down, am I?"

"Nope!" her parents chorused.

After helping with the dishes, she set to work on the forms the manager had given her. Every now and then she had to get some of the information from her parents, but it was mostly just routine stuff. "School hasn't even started, and I'm already doing homework." she grumbled.

"That reminds me," her mom responded. "I got the summer reading list for you. It's not the same as the one from your old school. There are only two books, but they recommend reading them as early as possible, and then skimming them again just before school starts."

Angel groaned, but accepted the sheet. Neither sounded all that interesting, but she could read them on the bus and stuff.

Before it got too late, she made a "call". *Hey, Lena!*

*I have a phone, you know!*

*Yeah, but does it reach you in the tub?*

*I'm not there, now.*

Angel dialed Lena's number. It barely rang before she picked it up.

"So whacha want this time?"

"Something happened, and I wonder if you had anything to do with it." She thought a second, then blurted "I didn't mean it like that! I just mean..."

"I know what you mean. And yes, what you were just thinking about probably is a result of what we did. My guess would be that when you made that image of yourself as a girl, she was the kind of girl that would call her father 'daddy' like that. You'll probably trip over a few more stereotypes like that, for the same reason. Hey, it was your image!"

"I guess so. Am I stuck with them?"

"No more so than any other habits. They're not fixed in plascrete or anything."

"Ok. Thanks. By the way, I'll be taking the job. So I guess movies and popcorn are on me for a while."

"Great. I knew there was something about you that I liked."

"You just love me for my passes!" Angel gave a fake sniff.

"And the popcorn. Don't forget that! And the drinks, and the candy, and..."

"Gee, thanks!"

"Any time."

"How are Jerry and David doing?"

"Jerry is down for the count, but apparently without any complications. David told his folks, but he also told them he wasn't sure when it would start. He still has his doubts that it will come at all."

"Oh he of little faith!"

"Isn't that...? Never mind." Then, mentally, *We shouldn't talk about today's experiment on the phone. You never know who might be listening or taping.*

"Well," Angel continued out loud. "All I did was tell him what I saw. I don't know whether he got it from the hill or somewhere else."

*Interesting. Baiting the hook?*

*If anyone's listening.*

"My show's coming on. Gotta go. See ya tomorrow!" Lena hung up as soon as Angel said goodbye.

After watching a little tv with her parents, Angel went up to her room to catch up on her email. Some notes from her old friends. Those were going to take some thought.

One caught her eye, however. It was from her cousin Janey, and it was in Family Code.

Family Code was a way to communicate privately within the family. It was not unbreakable by a determined snoop, but it was good enough to keep from catching the attention of most automated scanners. The general theory was that they wouldn't decode it if they didn't notice it.

The message was disturbing enough to warrant the precautions. Miranda, the telepath friend of her cousins, had "overheard" something ominous. Some strange people were in town, looking for the cause of the AMORFS outbreak. They believed it must be a powerful, experienced bio elemental, powerful enough to affect most of the stadium, and experienced enough to be subtle. The prevailing theory of their Organization was that he or she first went to the other identified source locations to infect some of the people there with one of the components. Then he, she, or they went to the rally, and combined and spread the infection.

Angel reflected on how close they were to the truth. Her only comfort was how far off base they were in terms of power and experience, and the fact that there were no records of her having been there during the rally. .

Apparently, some in the Organization thought there was a team at work, with some bio elementals doing the active work and some others covering them and providing useful support.

Either way, Miranda was convinced that anyone falling into the hands of that Organization would not be offered a hearty handshake and a pat on the back. In fact, there were hints of some very unpleasant experiences for such prisoners.

It was time for a serious parent/daughter talk. She went downstairs to look for them. She found her mom in the family room, looking through some cookbooks while listening to the tv. Asking her mom, she found out that her dad was in "the office", doing the work he brought home.

She got them together, and started to talk. Soon, it was pouring out; the conversation, the rally, the Organization... everything. And the whole issue of what to tell her old friends in response to their emails.

Then came the discussion. The inevitable disapproval of some of her actions - such as sneaking into the rally - and of keeping the whole thing a secret from them. Their disappointment that she had felt the need to hide all of that from them. The concern over what she had been through, and what she faced.

And the support that only a family can give.

By the time she dragged herself up to bed, she had some answers. She could answer her friends with the news about her MORFS and limited description of her powers. She could point out that she no longer looked latino, and deal with that issue on a person by person basis. Then she could drop a broad hint and hope it would take hold, by "assuring" them that after the MORFS she was "still" a girl. And that it was important for them to keep that in mind if someone asked about her.

Her sleep that night was more than usually restless.

In the morning, she dragged herself out of bed, and went in to take care of the necessities. She noticed that she was still experiencing the reminder of her newfound womanhood, so she was very thorough in the shower. She also noticed that she felt lousy - physically and emotionally. After all the talks and training, it didn't surprise her all that much. But it didn't exactly thrill her, either.

When she got back in her room, she checked the time. It was a lot later than she thought. She dressed quickly, and got to the kitchen in time to say goodbye to her parents. She knew that both of them went in an entirely different direction than the theater, so she didn't bother to ask for a ride.

Since her pancakes were gone, breakfast was cereal. Not that she minded, but she had been hoping to spend just a few more days being spoiled with good breakfasts and the like. At least there would still be weekends.

She dialed all but the last digit of Lena's number, then called *I'm phoning you!* and added the final digit.

Lena answered before the first ring was more than a chirp. "What's up, funny girl?"

"Besides me?" she came back. "I need to talk about some stuff while I eat my lonely bowl of cereal. But some of it is sensitive. And I don't want to talk with my mouth full."

They hung up, and Lena asked *Ok, what's so important?*

Angel told her about the warning from her cousins, and the discussion with her parents.

*It's about time. You really need your folks in the loop. Especially if that mysterious group starts coming around.*

*I was thinking that we should let Penny know, in case something comes up.*

*Probably a good idea. I'll let her know.*

*And on a related note...*

*B flat?*

*I don't think I'll ever be flat again, thank you very much. However, do you think David would be willing to give me a ride to the theater this morning? We can talk to him about what really happened yesterday on the way.*

*I'll check and get back to you.*

*He's awake. Why don't you call him and ask about that ride?*

Angel shrugged, and made the call. David agreed to give her a lift, commenting that he wanted to talk to her anyway.

Angel met him at the door. "We're just about ready to...Holy Crap!"

After a moment of puzzled looks from her friends, she recovered. "Ah, David? We really have to talk."

Now that the changes she started the day before had a chance to work their way through his system a little more, she had a clearer picture of how he would turn out. And it wasn't quite what she had anticipated.

"Ok, what was all that about?" David asked, as they headed down the road.

"What do you want first, the interesting news or the annoying news?"

"Hmmm... tough choice. How about the Holy Crap news?"

"I got a better look at you today. It looks like you're going to be more powerful than I thought. A lot more powerful."

"And that's the annoying news?" he quipped. "Powerful in what ways?"

"First, the physical. You'll be somewhat taller, and a lot more muscular. Especially through the chest, because of the wings."

"A nice manly chest, right?" He couldn't keep a touch of worry out of his voice.

"Yes, you get to keep your masculinity. At least until some of the girls catch you remote viewing where you shouldn't." Lena laughed at that comment, and David blushed.

Angel continued, "The other powers were the surprise. You'll be a fairly strong illusionist, as well as having the telesense sight and hearing you wanted. But if I'm reading this right, you'll have the ability to analyze and transmute most things. Sort of like what I do with living things, only without that limitation. There will be some limit to how much you can do at a time, also like me."

"You transmute living things?"

"Mostly micro stuff. Cells and the like, down to viruses and prions. And that brings us to the annoying part. Lena?"

*Gee, thanks.*

*It was your idea.*

*I just elaborated on your idea.*

"If you two are going to argue, please do it out loud. This silence is hard on the nerves, and this traffic is bad enough without that."

"Sorry." they chorused.

Lena started in. "What are your thoughts and impressions about the thing at Pope Hill?"

"Right now, I'm beginning to think it wasn't what it seemed. At the time, there was a feel of the supernatural about it, and then a sense that something had happened. I spent the evening thinking of everything from divine intervention to morfed prairie dogs."

"Morfed prairie dogs?" Angel commented. "I hadn't thought of that one."

"Yeah, but now that I think about it, their powers would have added up to the same thing as the two of you."

"Uh,,, yeah."

"I'm waiting." he said quietly, through compressed lips.

"Ok. We had to test an idea. We couldn't tell you ahead of time, because we needed your reactions. And because we'll need you to be able to honestly remember that experience as you, well, experienced it."

"But it was all you."

"Yes," Angel admitted, noticing that Lena seemed to be monitoring his thoughts and emotions. "My powers are a little more extensive than we told people. Among other things, I can create a sort of custom MORFS."

"She wouldn't do that!" Lena said sharply.

"Dammit, Radar, get out of my head!"

"What wouldn't I do?"

"Unleash a deadly plague. And I didn't think you would. Only that you could."

"Yeah, well... as to that..."

"Ok, what did you do?"

"I kinda caused the whole AMORFS thing." Angel admitted, sheepishly. "I didn't even know I could do something like that, much less that I was doing so. It was right after my change."

"Well... it couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch of people. But still, you're scary."

"You'll be scarier. I doubt you'll be able to do my tricks with microbiota, but you'll be plenty deadly if you choose to be."

They drove the rest of the way in silence.

"The shows won't start for a couple of hours," Angel offered, "but if you come back then, I can probably get you in to a matinee."

"In the meantime," Lena told him, "We can talk and stuff."

Angel found an open door and went inside. She found the manager in his office and gave him the papers. He looked over the signed papers briefly, then welcomed her to the company. After giving her an identification card and badge, he explained the nature of the work a little more. First, she would be giving the food prep area a thorough examination, showing him any existing or potential trouble spots. Then she would do the same in the restrooms.

She thought it was a little funny when he expressed concern over her level of comfort dealing with the men's restroom. She almost told him about her life before the summer, but instead just assured him that she was fine with it. She did suggest that they do the restrooms first, before anyone else arrived.

He agreed, commenting that the last thing he needed was the kind of rumor that could start if he was seen coming out of a restroom with a teenage girl. They shared a nervous laugh over the image, then got down to work.

As she did her looking, they talked. Over the long term, the job was larger than she had thought. Once she had inspected the critical spots for food handling and public hygiene, she would be going over the storage areas, and then the buildings and ventilation systems. Not all at once, or all in the same day, but over time. While he was most urgently concerned about concessions and the restrooms, he was also aware of the potential problems of molds and mildews in the less public areas. Especially in buildings which were more than half a century old.

He quite frankly told her that her work had the potential of saving the chain millions of dollars over time. And that once those higher up than him were aware of that, her value and rewards were likely to go up considerably.

"And getting me on board wouldn't exactly hurt your career, either?" she grinned.

"I hadn't thought of that," he deadpanned. Then he broke into a grin. "But you could be right."

By the time she had gone through the concessions area, she was more than a little grossed out. Now that she was paying attention, the idea of eating food handled there was less than appealing. She found a half dozen more hot spots like the one she had spotted before, but the whole area was somewhat less than sterile. She showed him the hot spots, then sterilized them. She commented on the lower level contamination in other areas, and he noted that as well.

By the time she was done, some of the regular workers had come in and were starting to get things ready. She noticed that they were cleaning some of the areas she had noticed, as well as turning on the machines and getting things ready to go. The manager pulled the assistant manager and lead aside and told them about the hotspots and marginal areas. Then he asked her back to his office.

She was surprised how tired she was. It wasn't the drain of using her powers - sterilizing those spots was trivial. Mostly, it was the effort to maintain her concentration that long. And the strain of doing the whole thing with the manager looking over her shoulder. Knowing she was going to have to do the same thing under the gaze of all those other managers, at those other theaters, didn't help.

Up in the office, he thanked her for her hard work, and asked whether she had any questions or issues. She asked how to use her ticket and concessions privileges. He smiled and explained the use of her ID card.

He didn't smile when she mentioned her lack of transportation. After a couple of moments thought, he said that he would work something out. In the meantime, the theater would reimburse her for buying a bus pass. Three of the theaters were close to bus and light rail stops, so that would help.

On a related note, she asked where and when she would be working next. He said he would call her with that information, as well as the transportation arrangements, later that day.

He showed her how to thumb out, and then she was done for the day. Lena and David were in the lobby, looking at the show times and trying to decide what to see. Once the three decided (with a quick reminder of "car keys trump chick flick"), Angel got to show off by using her pass to get their tickets and some snacks at concessions.

While they were waiting to go in, David told her "We talked about it while you were at work, and decided it was all your fault."

"Gee, thanks. Don't I get a vote?"

"Nope. You were absent for the voting."

She stuck her tongue out at him. Then got more serious and asked "So how are you feeling about it all?"

"Happy. Scared. Annoyed. I understand why you guys did it that way, and Radar helped me install some special stuff for later. But there is still a part of me that doesn't like the fact that you tricked me that way. But at least I get something good out of the whole thing. Scary, but good."

"Have you told your folks?"

"Not the details. Just your prediction it will happen soon, and your ability to see that."

"How did they take it?"

"I don't think they really believed me. But they took steps to get things rolling. In fact, they asked me to ask you to narrow down the time frame if you can. They want to make the appointment at the clinic."

Angel looked at him, and asked herself when he would start showing symptoms. "Tomorrow afternoon. Try for a late afternoon appointment."

"Any idea how long?"

"Nope. That seems to depend on other things."

She turned to Lena *Anyone noticing the conversation?*

*Yes and no. They see we're talking, but they don't know, or care, what about.* Then, out loud, "So, other than the perks, how's the new job?"

*Nice change of subject.* Angel grinned. "Not too bad. I need to work out a better way to show the affected places, though. Having a manager hanging over my shoulder the whole time gets old really quick."

"How about a dCam?" David asked. "It's cheap, and you can send the 'grams to the manager's tablet."

"That could work."

They settled in to watch the pre-movie "entertainment". Angel had been so caught up in the conversation that she had been barely aware of walking into the theater and finding seats.

After the movie, he took them home. They agreed to meet at the pool, after lunch. If he was going to spend a number of days in bed, he wanted to get his time in the sun, first. Besides, anything the sun did to his skin, either MORFS or Angel would take care of.

End Part 5

Angel's Tale: A MORFS Universe Story By Joreymay

The boy on the sofa takes a startling direction. Angel learns that theater managers come in a variety of tempraments - the good, the bad, and the ugly. She also meets David's parents.

Part 6

After the movie, they went to another part of the shopping center. One of the stores there was set up to sell the bus passes, so she went ahead and bought one. She was careful to keep the receipt for the promised reimbursement.

They spent the rest of the afternoon at the pool, just enjoying the day. Angel had not had many chances to do that since she changed.

When she got home, there was a message from the theater. On Saturday, she would do the other one that was not near the stops. For the next three days she would be doing theaters near bus and light rail stops. She was to call the manager or an assistant manager at the Chinese to let them know she got the message, and to let them know if that presented any problems.

She decided to wait on making that call, since her parents would be getting home soon. That way, she could find out if they had any problem with the schedule before talking to anyone at the theater.

She found a chicken in the refrigerator, and seasoned it for roasting. While the oven was preheating, she peeled and cut up some potatoes to roast with the chicken. After setting things up the way she wanted them, she put them in the oven and set the timer.

She decided to tease her mother, so she went up to her room and got one of the old action figures (boys still couldn't stand to call them dolls) she had kept, and sat it on the sofa. She sat next to it, and turned on the tube. By the time her mother walked in the door, the illusion of an afternoon spent goofing off was somewhat spoiled by the smell of roasting chicken.

"What, no boy this time?"

Angel indicated the figure next to her. "I think I overdid it," she pouted.

After a startled laugh, her mother commented on the smells from the kitchen. After a brief conversation about dinner, she went upstairs to change. Angel followed, telling her about her new schedule and asking about problems.

"I don't see any problem... help me with this, will you? ... but you need to run it by your dad and see if he has any problems."

"Is he coming home on time?"

"He's supposed to. One never knows." The phone rang. "Could you get that, honey?"

It turned out that her father was not coming home any time soon. Yet another integration crisis had reared its ugly head. He listened to her proposed schedule, and only had one reservation.

"You'd probably better not count on me for a ride tomorrow or Sunday. The last one of these took five days of massive overtime and headaches to fix. Other than that, it sounds good."

She assured him that she would make other arrangements for a ride, then sent her love and ended the call.

Her mother was disappointed about the call, and about missing it. She knew she could call and talk to him if she really wanted to, but he was going to be pretty busy. She checked her calendar, then told Angel that she could take her on Saturday.

Angel called the theater, and talked to the manager.

"I'm glad you called. Make sure you get there on time tomorrow, and let me know if there are any problems. In fact, please call me after you leave." He wouldn't say any more about that, so she let it drop after agreeing to call. Not for the first time, she wished she had a little of Lena's powers. Or even what David would be getting.

*I heard that!*

*Hey, I'm on the phone with my boss! I'll call you in a minute.*

She finished the call on a more upbeat note, then called Lena.

Lena answered with "That doll was a cute touch!"

"Action figure, thank you very much! Snooping again?"

"No, but your mom was more startled than she let on. I wondered what the fuss was."

Angel told her about her schedule, and the odd way the manager acted. Lena offered to try and find out what was behind it, but Angel decided to let it drop for the time being. She did mention that she wouldn't mind at all if Lena paid some attention to her vicinity while she was at work the next day. Lena agreed, and offered to meet her at the theater after work.

"And of course," Angel giggled, "since we will be right there and all, you wouldn't mind seeing another movie."

"And the popcorn. Don't forget the popcorn!"

"I knew it! You just like me for what I can get you!"

"I thought you already figured that one out!" Lena was barely restraining her own mirth.

They talked for a few minutes, then Lena added "Before I forget, do you have any dinner plans next Friday?"

"Not that I know of. MOM! Any plans for dinner next Friday?"

"Hey! Cover the phone when you do that. What'd she say?"

"Apparently not. Why?"

"My folks want me to invite you guys over. Your dad's been here, but they'd like to get us all together."

"Daddy might not be able to make it," Angel cringed a little about the way she described him, "He's got some big problem at work. I'll see about Mom." This time she held her hand over the pickup while she consulted.

"What time do you want us over there?"

They exchanged arrangements, then goodbyes.

While Angel was on the phone, her mother was making a salad to go with dinner. The rest was just about ready, so they set the table and talked. She told her mother about the invitation, and her mother surprised her by thinking some sort of acceptance back to Lena. She could see what David meant about the look of such activity.

After that, They described their days at work, and impressions of coworkers.

Over dinner, Angel talked about the conversation with David, and what she had seen in him.

"If he's that powerful, he'll probably have to register."

"What does that mean?" Angel asked.

She explained that the registry had been created after a number of incidents with unusually powerful morfs. In addition to being listed in a special part of the central registry, they need to report their status to their school, the police departments where they live, work, and/or go to school, and to their employers.

She went on to point out that it wasn't as bad as it sounded. Under most circumstances, they couldn't legally be discriminated against or unduly harassed. And many employers and school groups regarded the powers as potential resources rather than threats.

"Like the way Mr. Moore, the theater manager, thinks about me?"

"Exactly. Without your abilities, you'd be just another teenaged body to clean the theater, sell concessions, or work the ticket booth - for little more than minimum wage. Instead, you're a valuable asset, a specialist who might save the theater a lot of money and trouble."

"Or like Miranda at the boutique."

"Right. I imagine that Lena is registered as well. Her teachers will take steps to keep her from being able to cheat on tests and such, and when she gets old enough, she will not be welcome as a customer at certain kinds of gambling establishments. On the other hand, those same places might pay her an excellent wage to help spot cheaters, thieves, and other threats to their businesses."

"Am I registered?"

"Not in that sense. You are in the central registry, but your evaluation showed that you weren't dangerous enough to meet the requirements. So you don't need to do the other things, and most people won't find out unless they're told or shown."

"How is Lena dangerous?"

"Well, aside from the danger to people's privacy and the like, just think about what she could do if she put her mind to it. While it's not in her nature, someone with her powers could drive someone to a killing rage, a suicidal depression, or a deeply delusional state. Such a person could cause someone's hand to push the wrong button at the wrong time, or turn a steering wheel the wrong way. Any number of things."

"You sound like you're afraid of her."

"I'm afraid of her potential, but not her. If I didn't trust her implicitly, I wouldn't let you two spend so much time together. Besides, didn't David make a similar comment about your own potential for destruction?"

"I'd never..."

"Of course not. But it is the difference between what your powers could do, and what you would do. Such acts would go completely against your values. Against your whole sense of who you are. So I'm not worried."

"But the..."

"Yes. That was before you knew what you could do. And even then, it's a lot milder than some people your age would've conjured up if they had the chance."

The conversation shifted to more trivial topics as they finished the dishes and went their separate ways. Angel went to her room to check her mail. She really didn't expect many replies from his old friends. It was too soon, and it would be a lot to accept. But there might be one or two.

To her surprise, nearly all of them answered. Some thought she was joking, and said so. A few were very upset, and their abusive messages reflected that. She had expected that, so it didn't hurt as much as it might.

But the real surprise was the number of positive ones. Especially from his female friends. In terms they usually used for a loss of virginity, they welcomed her to womanhood and expressed their support. They also commented on the reactions of some of the others, and shared the local news and gossip.

She didn't understand why there were tears running down her face by the time she was done reading.

*It's a girl thing, silly.*

*Was I that loud?*

*Kinda. Especially when you read a few of the more emotional things. By the way, sorry I overheard your dinner table talk. My 'ears' perk up when someone mentions me."

*Like the old horror movies and fantasy novels? She Whose Name Must Not Be Spoken?*

*Gee, thanks, plague girl.*

*Well, since you heard anyway, are you?*

*Yes, I'm registered and all that. And wait till you see the hoops they jump through to avoid even the suspicion that I might be cheating.* There was definitely laughter in her mental voice.

They talked some more, and Lena asked whether she wanted her to ride to the theater with her.

*If it wouldn't be too much trouble. I didn't want to have to drag you there and have you wait around.*

*S'ok. There are a couple of stores there that I haven't been to in a while. Think one of your folks can drop us off at the park-n-ride on Monday? It'll be easier from there.*

*I'll check, and let you know.*

Her mother said that it would be no problem. She also said she was happier with Lena and Angel riding together. Less chance for trouble.

After relaying the response to Lena (who heard it, anyway), Angel decided to get ready for bed. She would have to get up earlier in the morning than she really liked.

And she was right.

After dragging herself out of bed and into the bathroom to get ready, she got some good news. She was apparently done for the month. She would take precautions that day, anyway, but it was still a relief.

She made a mental note to research ways to use her elemental abilities to make it less of a problem.

She had no problem deciding what to wear. The uniform shirt was clean and ready, and the rest was prescribed by theater rules anyway. Her only real choices concerned underwear, and she went for comfort.

She made sure Lena and her mother were awake and getting ready. Her mother was cooking breakfast, but was not fully dressed. She thanked her, then reminded her about her need to go to work.

While Angel was eating, and her mother was changing, Lena added her two cents worth.

*What a waste of a perfectly good Saturday. You owe me, working girl.*

*Would another free movie do it?* Angel thought, with a grin.

*Throw in a Brunchie and a drink, and you got a deal.* Angel could almost see Lena's grin as well.

*Deal.*

Even with directions and an early start, they only got there ten minutes before she was scheduled to start. For some reason, the road crews were more active on Saturdays than on weekdays, and apparently more active during the summer.

"Of course!" Lena explained. "They avoid the rush hour traffic on the weekends, and they can't do a lot of their work with snow on the ground. Or even with the asphalt frozen."

"I guess that makes sense. Well, here we are. Can you show Mom around while I'm busy here?" And she added mentally *And keep an eye on my situation?*

*I should have held out for a Banuba to go with the others!* "Of course. No problem."

She tried the side door that should have been unlocked. It wasn't. She tried the other doors, with the same results. *Lena,* she called, *I can't get in. Is someone there?*

*Yes, and he is aware that you're there. It is some kind of company politics. Try calling Mister Moore.*

She did, and he called the office there. After another couple of minutes, a tall, impeccably dressed man came to the door. As he opened it for her, he growled "You're late."

"I'm sorry, but I was told to be here at nine o'clock. I got here at ten till, but the doors were locked."

"I have no use for excuses! My employees know they are to be here at least fifteen minutes before their shifts."

*Don't back down. It's not personal or a MORFS thing. He just likes bossing people around and setting impossible standards so he can yell at them."

"My understanding is that I work for the chain, rather than you. If I do work for any one manager, it is for Mister Moore. Do you have information that contradicts that?"

"I'll have to look into that. Go thumb in, then get to work." He wasn't going to give an inch.

*He is angry at the implication that his theater is not as clean as it should be. Be careful how you say things, but it is mostly something between him and the other managers.*

If Angel thought it was tough the day before, going through the process with Mr. Moore hanging over her shoulder, it was absolutely nerve wracking doing so with this guy all over her. He never did anything "improper", just glowered and glared.

She found four hot spots, and a little less of the general contamination than at the Chinese. With each thing she found, his frown got deeper. She sincerely felt sorry for the kids who did work for him. Especially those on early shifts that day.

When she tried to lighten the mood by pointing out that he had done better than the Chinese, he chewed her out for spreading gossip. Lena let her know that he was secretly pleased, but he had no intention of letting her know that.

Finally, she was done. She thumbed out, and went toward the front. She had "asked" Lena to have the two of them decide what movie to go to, preferably before she got to the box office.

They did, but she groaned at the choice. It was the chick flick David had avoided the day before. She got the tickets, filling out more paperwork than before (and annoying the other people in line) in the process. And it was the same at concessions. But soon, food and drinks in hand, they were on their way into the theater.

As they settled into their seats, Angel noticed one of the air vents. It had some mold and mildew at the edges, and was spraying a fine mist of mold spores when it blew. It was a relatively harmless variety, as far as she could see, but she wanted to make it a point to check the vents in the Chinese when she did her next shift there.

She was surprised to find herself caught up in the movie, reacting much the same way as her mother and friend, at much the same places. For just a fleeting moment, she wondered whether Lena was doing that to her.

*No, I'm not! Now shut up and enjoy the movie.*

Angel was embarrassed to have even had the thought, much less letting Lena "hear" it. She would have to learn to shield her thoughts. In the meantime, just what *was* that guy doing at the house of his girlfriend's sister?

She laughed. She cried. She gasped. She sighed. And all too soon, it was over. Time to go.

"So... what do you think of chick flicks now, Angel?" her mother asked, teasingly, as they got into the car.

"Hmmmph. Must have been a fluke or something. Would have been better with a chase or two."

They weren't buying it. *I'm such a girl!* she thought.

"Got that right." Lena chuckled, out loud.

When they got home, there was a message to call David.

He let her know that he had a late afternoon appointment for suspected MORFS. He said that the advance notice helped, and the fact that it was Saturday. "Sunday appointments tend to be emergency only, and even then they're hard to get."

He asked whether she could come over for a brief snack and introduction. She asked her mother, who agreed. He said they would swing by in a couple of minutes to pick her up. She hurried up to her room and changed out of her work clothes. She threw on a t-shirt and her shortish denim skirt, then hurried through refreshing her makeup.

When she got downstairs, her mom and Lena were talking to a man and woman she didn't know. Since David was there, too, she assumed they must be his parents. His father was about six foot four, with an athletic build. His mother was about five foot ten, with slightly pointed, ears, green eyes and vertical slit pupils. Her build could be described as lithe, Angel decided.

Lena excused herself and left.

*Don't leave me!* Angel mock begged.

*You'll be fine. They're good people. And David didn't tell them about the scam part - just Pope Hill.*

Everyone else exchanged goodbyes, and Angel left with David and his parents. They exchanged pleasantries on the short drive to their house.

The drive to their house was short but pleasant. When they got inside, they sent David to get the food ready, and asked her to sit.

"I hope you understand," his mother began, "that our main concern is David's well being. He is convinced you are genuine and one of the good guys. We don't know you, and can't judge."

His father took up the theme. "What we really need is some indication about your abilities. So, if you don't object, we propose a small test."

"What kind of test?"

"Look at us, and tell us what you see."

"A man and a woman, parents concerned with their son."

Her father gave a half smile. "We were thinking more of the way you saw what will happen to David."

"Oh. I shoulda figured that. Let's see..." she looked at the father and let her subconscious tell her what there was.

"You," she pointed at him, "are very fast, obviously strong but not superhumanly so, and some kind of elemental. Metal, it looks like. Cool. You also have some sort of mental shield thing."

She looked at the mother. "How shocking." she grinned. "An electricity elemental and a metal elemental married to each other. That must make the sparks fly."

His mother blushed, as the father barked out a short laugh. Just then, David came back into the room.

Angel went on. "You also have some kind of shields, made from your element. You can see well in the dark, and have improved balance and flexibility."

They were impressed, and suggested making a start on the nachos before they got cold.

After some small talk, punctuated with enthusiastic eating, they asked if she could take a last, preMORFS look at David.

Angel decided to make a point. "Sure, if I get to see some of your parlor tricks."

"Ouch!" David's father responded. "I guess we deserved that. I'll go get something while you start."

As he left the room, Angel took a good look at David. She munched on a cracker as she let the information gel. His father returned as she cleared her mouth to speak.

"He's going to have large, feathery wings and a strong build. He'll be as tall as you," she indicated his father, "or maybe a little taller. Despite his build and weight, he will fly easily. He will have telesense, both audio and visual."

She drew a breath, and let it out. "He will have illusionist ability, and a limited ability to transmute matter."

"Limited?" David and his parents chorused.

"He'll only be able to change a relatively small volume at first. Like his other abilities, that will grow with age and practice. I don't think he'll ever be strong enough to change the world," she grinned, "But if you ever wanted a solid gold Cadillac, he might eventually manage it."

His father let out a low whistle.

Angel waved her hands theatrically, as though over a crystal ball. "Thus speaks Madame Olga."

"Hey, I thought Cassie was the fortune teller?" David quipped.

"No, she's the MISfortune teller. I just tell your future." She returned. Everyone laughed.

"Ok, my turn." His father said. He held a small chunk of a silvery metal in his hand. It seemed to melt, yet never seemed to be liquid. From the middle of the blob, a head emerged. A very female head. Soon the body followed, dressed in graduation style robes. In front, arms formed, and hands, holding a small sphere. In back, wings unfolded. The features and details became more refined and lifelike. The figure, about two inches tall, seemed to shake her head and flutter her wings. She turned and "looked" at her sculptor, then up. Some strands of her hair rose as supports, and a small halo formed. The figure smiled, and froze.

"Wow!" Angel was clearly impressed.

He handed the figure to his wife, who ran her fingers over parts of it. The robes became blue. The face, a pale pink. The hair yellow. Finally, the wings became an iridescent rainbow. She handed it to the stunned Angel.

As Angel admired it, David's father told her (with meaningful glances at David), "It's a titanium alloy. Very light, and very strong. And uniquely suited to electrical discoloration like that. We both had significant power to begin with, but it took us years of practice to get that degree of control."

As she went to (reluctantly) hand it back, he said "It's for you. A gift. To thank you for your help with David."

She felt a little bad about that, wondering what they would think if they knew she had been the one who caused him to transform in the first place. But she didn't let it show.

David had an idea what was going through her mind. "You deserve it," he assured her.

"Here," his father held out his hand for it. When she handed it to him, he pulled a necklace chain out of his pocket. As he turned the figure over, she noticed that some of the hair arched out to form an opening. As she watched, the jump ring at the end of the chain deformed to slip through the opening, then reformed. He handed it to his son.

David turned to Angel. "May I?" he asked, holding the chain open. She nodded, and he fastened it around her neck.

Seeing Angel's embarrassment, David's mother changed the subject. "What are we going to do for flying clothes?"

"Well, we can't do much until we know his measurements. Maybe we could go with something like that." his father grinned, pointing to the necklace.

"Aaagh! Not that!" David responded.

Angel giggled. "He's still afraid he'll wake up as a girl."

"It happens!"

"Yes, dear. We know. And we'll love you just as much as a daughter as we did when you were our son." His mother had a devilish sparkle in them.

"You will? I will?" He turned to Angel. "What did you tell them?"

The others laughed. Angel explained. "Only what you heard me tell them. Your precious Y chromosome is safe. But your overreaction to your mother's teasing was a wonder to behold. Believe me, if you did switch sides, it wouldn't be the end of the world."

David opened his mouth to say something, then bit down on it. That moment, and the way it turned out, told her she could trust him.

After some more talking, and eating, they were all fairly comfortable with each other. But David was starting to feel distinctly uncomfortable. He was feeling nauseous and fluish. He made a crack about his father's cooking, in reference to some of the later snacks.

"Uh, David?" Angel responded. "They weren't tainted. I looked. You've started."

"Started?"

"MORFS. And right on time. Your appointment at the clinic is pretty soon. I guess that's my cue to leave."

"We can take you home on the way to the appointment." His father offered.

"No thanks. It's not far, and it's still a nice day out there. I'll walk."

"Are you sure?"

"I'll call Mom, to let her know, then take off. It was nice meeting you both. Thanks for the food. And especially for this wonderful necklace."

"You're welcome. We'd better get ready to go, then."

As they started getting ready, she said goodbye again and walked outside. She called her mother and told her the plan, then set off for home. She enjoyed the walk, and the day.

When she got home, her mother told her to call Robin.

Robin told her that a friend of the family, a pediatric surgeon who works with her mother, was impressed with what she had done with her scar. He wanted to take her and her family out to dinner, and talk to her about it.

The restaurant she mentioned didn't mean anything to Angel, but she really hadn't been in town very long. She asked her mother, who came and spoke to Robin. From the shift in the way she talked, she ended up talking to their would be host. She muted the phone, and turned to Angel.

"Do you want to go?"

"Sure, why not? What do you think?"

"It's fine with me. I'll make the arrangements. Did you need to talk to Robin when we're done?"

"I guess not." She went into the kitchen to get herself a drink. While she was there, she "called" Lena.

*You busy?*

*Not really. Just slogging through the Summer reading. Whazzup?*

She told her about the phone call. Lena knew the doctor.

*He's an ok guy. And a good doctor. He was the one who first treated Robin after her accident. She could have lost the use of that hand if it wasn't for him.*

*What do you think he wants?*

*Probably something to do with your powers. He really cares about his patients.*

*So what do you suggest?*

*Eat his food, hear him out, and make up your own mind. He won't force you to do anything, and blackmail is not his style.*

*What about the restaurant?*

*It's kinda fancy and very expensive. But the food is really good. If he springs for dessert, go for it. They've got desserts you wouldn't believe.*

*Am I going to have to dress up?*

*Dress nicely, but not really formal. A clean, pretty dress or blouse and skirt. That sort of thing.*

*Ok, thanks.*

*Bring me a doggy bag.*

*You're shameless.*

*Damn right.*

Angel giggled, then went back out with her drink.

"You'll need to put on a nice dress. And shoes."

"Not barefoot?" She tried pouting.

"No!" Her mother couldn't quite hide her amusement. "And it is a good time for you to practice your makeup skills."

"Ugh!" She had long since lost her dislike of makeup per se, but the kind of makeup her mother was talking about was another matter. Elaborate and artificial, without looking as heavy and contrived as it actually was.

A waste of time, as far as she was concerned. But, with her mother so determined, it was time she was going to have to waste.

She groaned. "The food better be as good as Lena said."

It was better.

Her father was stuck at work, and very disappointed to be missing the dinner. The food was wonderful, but she remembered her promise to Lena and limited how much of it she ate. The talk over dinner was superficial, getting to know you stuff. How long have you been here... how do you like it... Have you been to...? And it went both ways.

When dessert came (and Lena was right about that, as well. It was spectacular.), the talk shifted a bit. The doctor said that he was impressed with Angel. Not just her abilities, which he praised, but her manners and her sense of humor.

"And you took us out for this horribly expensive meal just because of that?" Her tone was light, but with a slight edge.

"No, you're right. It's all part of my evil plan to make you feel like you owe me something." He smiled like a cartoon villain.

"My mother warned me about men like that." Angel quipped, in a little girl voice.

The startled doctor, and Angel's mother, blushed at the implications.

He recovered first, and complimented her on the job she did with Robin's wrist.

Angel shook her head. "I couldn't go deep enough. There are still adhesions, which pull at her skin and limit her flexibility. I hate that." There was no doubt about the sincerity of her distress.

"She had those before. But now, she no longer has the visible scar that has caused her so much trouble. She's very happy with the outcome, even if you aren't satisfied."

Angel conceded the point. The doctor went on to start talking about a little girl he was treating. She was five years old, and had been a beautiful child. Then she was in a bad accident. She had to undergo several serious surgeries, but she was finally out of danger.

The accidents and the surgeries had left her massively scarred. He took out a picture of her from before the accident. "This beautiful little girl will live to grow up, but she will grow up looking like something out of a Frankenstein video."

Angel felt herself close to tears. And stayed that way as the doctor went on to say that the family had never been particularly well off. And with her mother also hurt badly in the accident, what little money they had tended to go to absolute necessities and medical costs. They did have insurance, through the father's work, but the coverage was limited. They considered scar abatement to be elective, and didn't cover it.

"There are medical approaches that would help. But the conventional medical approach would cost upwards of ten thousand dollars. And they don't have that kind of money. As to work by a bio elemental who specializes in such things, her face alone would run about five thousand dollars."

Angel dropped her fork, hitting the plate with a crash that she thought could be heard throughout the restaurant. No heads turned, so she decided she was probably wrong about that. When she recovered enough to speak, she reminded the doctor about the limitations on her power.

"That shouldn't be a problem. Due to her age, her skin is thinner than Robin's. And we're not looking for cures of underlying problems, just the cosmetic elimination of the scars. Just some sort of a chance for a normal life."

Angel recognized that he was laying it on a bit thick. But her heart went out to the little girl.

"I can't pay you much. And most of that will come from some generous donors rather than from her family or their insurance."

She almost opened her mouth to say she would be willing to do it for free, but he went on.

He said that if it worked out as well as he thought it would, he should be able to get her other work, at better rates. And there would be benefits from the occasional pro bono work. She knew that meant free. She would be able to write off the pro bono work at the full rate she would normally charge, rather than the discounted amount from this case.

He turned to her mother. He pointed out that the money could help pay for Angel's college expenses, and could become a good career in its own right. And the pro bono work would certainly look good on her college applications.

After all that, Angel decided she would accept the money if she did it. She looked at her mother, who had on her supportive face. She would accept whatever Angel decided.

Angel said that she would do it. The doctor was all smiles after that. They agreed that she would make the attempt on Tuesday, a few hours after she finished at the theater. When the waiter came and took Angel's remaining dessert to be packaged for her to take home, the doctor said something quietly to him. He nodded and moved off. He returned a short time later with the bill. The doctor added a tip, then thumbed the pad. It printed out a receipt, and the waiter thanked him. He was back a moment later with a bag containing the leftovers.

It wasn't until she got home that Angel found an extra container in the bag. On the top, it just said "Lena: Thanks!" Inside was a full portion of the dessert.

*Wow! I'll be right over."

She was at the door less than a minute later, grinning.

"I was going to ask how it went, when I 'heard' you think my name. Apparently everything went well." She was grinning widely. It was her second favorite dessert from that restaurant. A close second. As they nibbled their boxed treats, Angel described the evening.

"How do you feel about it?"

"Proud. Scared. I don't know. Overwhelmed."

Lena looked up for a moment. "Gotta go. The downside to this telepathy is that Mom and Dad can reach me any time they want to." She sighed theatrically. "Homework calls! And school isn't even in yet. Thanks for this!" she hefted the now reclosed container. They said their goodbyes and she left.

Angel put hers away, and went upstairs. As she was cleaning off her makeup, she heard her father get home. She rushed downstairs and gave him a big hug. While he slumped tiredly into his chair, she told him about the dinner. He managed a tired smile, which brightened as her mother walked in.

Angel soon went up to get ready for bed. She would have to get up early the next morning, since they would be taking the light rail to the theater. When she started down to wish them good night, she saw them hugging and talking quietly to each other. She went back up to the top of the stairs and called out her good nights. They returned them, and she slipped into her room.

Within seconds of climbing under the covers, she was asleep.

And almost immediately seemed to be trying to beat the alarm clock to death, trying to shut off it's annoying tones. Muttering darkly about finding the time manipulator and making him pay, she dragged herself to the shower.

Once she was awake, clean, and dressed, she went down to the kitchen to get some breakfast. Her mother was there, hovering over the coffeemaker

"Whose brilliant idea was it to have me ride the train with you?" her mother grumbled.

"Yours, of course."

"Since when do teenage girls listen to their mothers?"

"I must have missed that lesson. I'll try not to listen in the future."

"That's what I like to hear," her father interjected, walking into the kitchen in his bathrobe. "Mutual respect and cooperation."

At the identical glares from mother and daughter, he grinned and started backing out of the room.

"At least get the milk out before you run away." Angel demanded, rolling her eyes.

"Are you going in to work today?" his wife asked, as he moved toward the refrigerator.

"Unfortunately, yes. But only for a half day. I'll shower and dress after you ladies leave."

The banter and small talk continued through a brief breakfast of cereal. They all agreed that this was not the way Sunday breakfasts should be, but schedules weren't always what they would like.

As they were finishing breakfast, Angel called out to Lena. *You about ready to go?*

*Yeah, pretty much. If you don't mind me going stark naked.*

*Lena!*

*Relax, working girl. I just have to rinse my plate.*

Moments later, the three of them were in the car, with Angel's mother driving them to the Intermode Terminal. A few minutes later, they were pulling in. Angel noticed the shadows of some old lettering on one wall. "Anyone know what a Park and Ride is?"

Lena answered. "It's what they used to call this place, when it first opened. When they redid the place a few years ago, they renamed it."

Angel enjoyed the novelty of the train ride. She had ridden busses any number of times in her life, but never anything quite like the Light Rail train. They got to their stop, and then walked the four blocks to the theater. They still had more than enough time.

Half a block from the theater, Lena stopped them. "Angel, I don't want to worry you, but the guy in there is kinda nuts. He hates morfs, and believes you have been sent here to destroy his career and put one of us in his place."

"You're right. He's nuts if he thinks that. It isn't that good a career to begin with."

"He thinks we want to control everyone's minds through some sort of tricks with the movies. And he sees himself as fighting for the human race, against the monsters who are taking their place. And he keeps thinking about some kind of traps he's set."

"Details?"

"He isn't thinking about them. Only that they will foil your plot."

"Is he thinking about those traps killing me?"

"No, just humiliating you."

"That's it, young lady." her mother insisted. "No job is worth that kind of danger. We're going home."

"No, Mom. I promised Mr. Moore. Besides, Lena can keep an eye on things and get help if things really get out of hand."

Lena spoke up again. "Call Mr. Moore. If he still wants you to go in, have him stay on the phone and listen, while you keep the line open."

Angel did so, and her manager readily agreed to the plan. Almost as though he had expected it.

Lena and Angel's mother stayed back as Angel approached the theater. Angel got into her "good little employee" persona, and tried the door. It opened and she was immediately face to face with the manager. He was shorter than average, but still taller than her. While he wasn't really fat, he was noticeably overweight.

"You the special inspector?" He asked sharply.

Angel bit back a sarcastic reply, about the fact that she was wearing the badge and uniform, but let it pass. She suspected he was trying to provoke her. He showed her where to thumb in, and she went to work. He told her to do the concessions stand first. She tried to tell him about the reason for doing the restrooms first, but he cut her off.

"Just do as I say!" he barked.

*He thinks you were going to pick up some sort of contamination in the restrooms, then take it to the concessions stand.*

*Eeeew.*

*He thinks he's put a stop to that, but figures you have a backup plan.*

"Ok, get started!"

With her first glance, she was shocked. It was obvious that one of his "traps" was that he had washed the usual places just before she got there. But he had not used a proper disinfectant, and all he had really done was spread the contamination around. She started with the worst area she saw and pointed it out. She offered to try to sterilize the rather large area by one of the "butter" pumps, and started to reach out her hand.

He grabbed her wrist and yanked it upwards. "I knew it, you scheming little bitch!" he roared. "You were going to use your filth to contaminate it and claim you found it that way!"

"OW! Let go! You're hurting me." she cried.

He ignored her and continued his rant. "But I was ready for your tricks! I cleaned that area myself, not half an hour ago." There was an angry triumph in his voice.

"But you didn't..." WHAP! He slapped her face.

"Shut up! I won't listen to your lies!" He stood there, keeping her wrist in that death grip while he ranted on about her and her kind for what seemed like hours. He finished with "Get out! I will see you fired. And if I have anything to say about it, prosecuted!" He dragged her toward the door.

"Just let me thumb out, and I'm gone." She shot back.

"And let you try something else? Not on your life. Now get out, or I'll have you arrested for trespassing!" He released her wrist, propelling her toward the door.

He needn't have bothered. She wanted nothing more than to get out of there as quickly as she could. Lena and her mother rushed up to her as soon as she was out the door. Between them, they moved her to some benches in front of a nearby restaurant, and sat her down.

"Are you all right?" her mother asked, worriedly.

"Not entirely. He hurt my wrist. But I can..."

"Don't!" Lena stopped her. "I know it hurts, but don't fix it yet. Let them see it first."

"Who?"

"People from the theater chain. They're on their way. But right now, your Mr. Moore is getting kinda frantic, trying to get you to talk to him."

Angel looked around, puzzled. Then she remembered the phone. "H.. hello?"

"Thank God!" Mr. Moore's voice sounded a little horse, and very stressed. "Are you safe now? Did he hurt you?"

"I'm safe now. My mom and Radar are here with me. I'm about half a block away from the theater, sitting on a bench. He hurt my wrist, but I can heal it. Radar told me not to fix it yet, so your people can see."

"I'm so sorry, Angel." Mr. Moore replied. "Some people from the chain will be there any minute, along with the police. You have to believe me, I would never have sent you in there if I had any idea he would do something like that."

*He's telling the truth.* Lena supplied.

Just then, a dark blue van pulled up in front of the theater. And a moment later, a police cruiser.

"I think they're here now." Angel told Mr. Moore. "Would your people be in a blue van?"

"That's them. Hold on a moment."

Four people got out of the van, three men and a woman. One of the men pulled out an eCom and answered it. He turned and looked at them, then nodded. He spoke to the woman, who turned and walked toward them. He then talked to the police officers. One of them also started walking their way.

"They should be coming to talk to you."

"They are."

"Do you want me to stay on the line?" he offered.

"That would probably be a good idea." Angel replied. She noticed that one of the men heading into the theater was carrying something that looked like a smallish suitcase. "What's that thing he's carrying into the theater?"

"I would imagine it's the testing kit. They'll take samples and analyze them. Any ideas where they should start?"

By now, the woman was standing next to them, waiting. The officer was almost there as well.

"The worst bit was near the butter pump closest to the front door. But the whole place is a mess. It looks like he wiped it down with a wet cloth and maybe some soap. There are heavy pockets on or near all the food equipment, and smears all over the counters and everywhere else. I guess he wiped one of the bad areas first, then used the same cloth to wipe down the rest of the area." she shuddered.

"I'll tell them." he promised.

"I'd better talk to these people now," she said, then stood and turned toward the woman.

"Angel O'Connor?" the woman asked politely. When Angel nodded, she identified herself and showed Angel her theater ID. Angel started to extend her hand, then winced and dropped it. Both the woman and the officer winced in sympathy.

Angel noticed something else, and raised the phone. "Mr. Moore? Have them sample his hands. His handprint on my wrist is badly contaminated."

"Is it dangerous?"

"Not to me. But he'd better disinfect his hands before eating or drinking anything. It's nasty stuff."

The woman and the officer were impressed. The woman took out her eCom and spoke to someone. One of the men from inside came toward them. "Do you mind if we take a swipe of that hand print, before you wash it?"

"No problem."

They asked her to describe what happened, in her own words. She started with the warning from Lena, and that got the officer's attention. He turned to Lena. "You're Radar?" he asked.

She nodded. He smiled and said he had heard good things about her. Then he turned serious and said he would want a statement from her as well. She nodded again.

As Angel continued with her story, the man from the theater wiped the bruise on her wrist with something that looked like a mutated swab, then dropped it in a plastic bag and sealed it. He wrote something on it. The officer said something to him, and he repeated the process, giving the officer the second bag.

Both the man and the officer used their eComs to take pictures of the damage to her wrist and cheek.

*Geez.* Angel thought. *Does everyone else in the world have one?*

When they finished taking the pictures and 'grams, she asked whether they needed the bruises any more. They looked puzzled and said they didn't. But the officer asked why she asked.

"I'm a bio elemental. That's why I can do the things I was doing for the theater. If you're done, I can heal the damage and get rid of the rest of the junk he left on my skin." her face twisted in revulsion. Not for the microbes he had left behind. Truth be known, her months of study had given her a sort of an appreciation for them. But the thought of that man touching her that way was almost enough to make her sick.

They gave her their blessing, and watched in fascination as the bruises faded away and the swelling shrank to nothing.

After some more questions and answers, the officer asked the one thing she hadn't thought of. "Do you want to press formal charges?"

Angel heard her mother suck in a breath to answer, and held up her hand in her direction. "I'll leave that decision to my employers."

She turned to the woman. "If you do decide to go ahead, I'll help any way I can."

The woman thanked her. They were startled by a shout from the direction of the theater. The manager, hands cuffed behind his back, was being marched to the cruiser. The shouting continued, as he expressed his outrage at that treatment.

When the officer was finished, the woman formally offered her apologies on behalf of the company. She gave them her card, and invited them to call her any time. She asked them if their car was nearby, and they told her they came by light rail.

*Mr. Moore has an idea.* Lena told Angel.

Angel was startled. She had forgotten about the cell. Again. She raised it to her ear. "Yes?"

"I'm sending Andy to pick you up and take you home. He should be there in about twenty minutes. Is that all right with you?"

Angel told the others, and they agreed. She thanked her manager, and this time hung up. The woman asked whether they would be ok waiting there for him, and they said they would. She apologized again, then turned and went to the theater.

While they were waiting, Lena said "In this case, I don't think I'll hold you to the offer of the movie. And especially not the food."

They all laughed about that one. Then they made a game of asking each other whether they wanted to go to this place or that, and whether they should drag Andy into the lingerie shop with them. The humor was a little forced, but little by little they relaxed. When Andy arrived, the girls piled in the back seat and Angel's mother took "shotgun". Once they were all inside and strapped, Angel quipped "Home, James."

"Yes, madam," he returned, in a bad English accent.

"I thought his name was Andy." Lena remarked.

Angel was saved from the need for another comeback by her phone ringing. It was Mr. Moore. He asked Angel to come to his office after they got home and rested a bit. And he asked that Radar come with her. She agreed, and made a big show of hanging up after their goodbyes.

When they got home, Angel's mother suggested they watch some tv or a video while she made them some snacks. She knew what Angel had favored as comfort foods when she was a boy, and suspected that they would still work for her.

End Part 6

Angel's Tale: A MORFS Universe Story
By Joreymay

Aftermaths: Angel and Andy get promoted, Radar gets a consulting gig, and Jerry wakes up. A magic fairy lady helps a little girl.

Part 7

Once they were fed and rested, Angel's mother drove them to the Chinese. While they were in their meeting, she would be at a nearby market, shopping.

"When you're done, give me a call and I'll pick you up. And Angel," she paused, giving her This Is Significant look. "Use the phone. Lena is not a public utility."

Both girls laughed, but it made Angel think. "I have been kind of taking you for granted," she apologized. "It's just kind of, I don't know, addictive. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Most of my friends go through it. And the practice is good for me." Then she got her own grin. "Besides, my tan might need a touch up from time to time. And there's always the free movies."

"And the popcorn. Don't forget the popcorn." Angel laughed, happy to give Lena her own line back.

When they got to the office, the manager thanked them both for coming. After offering them seats, he repeated his earlier apologies.

"Please believe me, I had no idea it could turn out like that. Some of us had suspected he had such attitudes, but we couldn't prove it or do anything. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to prejudice you against him. That was a horrible failure of judgment on my part."

She accepted his apology - again - and he went on to fill them in on the fallout of the morning's excitement.

The abusive manager was being fired, for cause. He tried claiming that she had set him up and had lied to the management about what happened, but that stopped when Mr. Moore started playing part of the recording he had made of Angel's call. They made it clear to him that if he bothered her, or any employee of the theater chain, or so much as bad mouthed the chain or any of them, they would go forward with the prosecution. Angel's age, and his (now former) position of authority, made the potential charges very serious.

He was also to seek psychotherapeutic help.

For the time being, he was still in jail. He still faced charges of assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest, and wouldn't get a bail hearing until Monday.

Andy would be running that theater for the rest of the Summer, temporarily promoted to manager. He cancelled the early matinees until the crew could complete cleaning and disinfecting the concessions area and the restrooms. The public reason is that a (now) former employee got careless with cleaning supplies, and the closing was a precaution while they cleaned up the problem and aired out the theater. Which was true, as far as it went.

Andy requested that Angel return as soon as she reasonably could, to inspect the cleanup. He was not comfortable opening some parts of the concessions stand without that.

The employees at that theater, especially the leads and assistant managers, were to be screened for such attitudes toward the transformed. They wouldn't be fired, but they would be warned to behave and would be watched.

Turning to Lena, he said "Radar, you've already played a big part in this. Would you be willing to help with the screening?"

She reminded him about the legal limitations on what he could do with the information. Including the fact that if she uncovered individual wrongdoing, such as pilferage, they couldn't do anything more than use that as an indication to keep an eye on the thief in the future. Once he acknowledged that he understood that, and that it would be the same with any other telepath they engaged, she got a familiar gleam in her eye.

"Ok, what's in it for me?" she grinned.

He offered a fairly generous consulting fee, then added a sweetener. "I could also throw in some passes, so you won't have to keep mooching off of your friend, here." He returned the grin. There was some good natured give and take over details, but in the end it was agreed.

While Lena quietly conferred with her parents, he turned to Angel.

"Another misjudgment of mine was your initial status. If I had thought things through a little more thoroughly, some of this could have been avoided. But we can remedy a part of that. Would you be willing to continue, if we promoted you to Manager, and made it clear that you work directly for the chain? Your salary would increase accordingly, and you would gain some additional benefits."

"Would I still get the free passes and concessions?" she asked, mock seriously.

He grinned. "I think we can arrange that."

The down side was that she would have to do more paperwork, especially reports.

"Ugh. More homework!"

"School comes and goes, but homework is forever." He grinned. "But at least you get paid for the time you spend writing these reports."

She nodded, ruefully.

"At this rate, you could be my boss by the end of the Summer." He grinned.

Angel asked for some privacy, to consult with her mother by phone. He agreed, and rose to leave. before he did so, Lena formally accepted his offer. He smiled and nodded, then left.

Angel called her mother and filled her in. After some discussion of the commitment it represented, and the responsibilities, she agreed to let Angel decide for herself. She asked Lena where the manager was, and learned he was up by the box office.

She found him, and let him know that she accepted. He smiled at the news, and asked her to wait a moment. When he finished what he was doing in the box office, they returned to his office. He had her give him her ID card, then ran it through the machine. It no longer showed her as working for the Chinese, and it indicated she was now a manager.

"Your new badge, a shiny gold one like mine," his smile quirked, "will be waiting for you tomorrow at the next theater on your list. Along with some company equipment. Thank you again."

He made a Contractor ID for Lena, which would also get her the passes and limited concessions, and handed it over with a flourish.

After the girls left the office, Angel called her mother. She would be there when she finished the shopping, so they had a few minutes to wait. Angel decided she was hungry, and Lena agreed, so they headed for concessions.

When the college aged girl behind the counter brought their Brunchies and saw Angel's card, she couldn't help herself. "No way!" She ran the card, and it verified Angel's status. "How the heck do you make Manager and a staff position in less than a week?"

"Save the chain millions of dollars, then get beat up by a psycho manager." Lena responded.

"I wouldn't have put it quite that way," Angel added. "But yeah, pretty much."

Angel had never seen someone's attitude shift that quickly. "That thing downtown?"

Lena looked at her briefly, then said "Yes. She was at ground zero for the fireworks."

"Geez. I guess I don't need a promotion that much. You ok?"

"Pretty much," Angel answered. "It was pretty bad for a while, though."

"I bet. Well, I'd better get back to work before some manager sees me slacking off. Take care."

Munching their snacks, they headed out the door and went to wait for their ride. They were just finishing them when the car pulled up. They brushed the crumbs off of themselves, then piled into the car.

On the way home, they told her about going back to the other theater that afternoon. She shuddered a little, but accepted it. Their tentative plan was to get a ride there with her, then make arrangements when they were done.

She offered to get them lunch before they went, but they declined. They could get something at the theater, when they got there. When they got home, they helped put away the groceries. Angel's mother suggested they change into outfits more in line with their new status. Lena thought that was a good idea, but Angel groaned. She just knew her mother was going to make a big deal out of it.

She had an idea what she needed to shoot for. Andy wore nice slacks, with a shirt and tie. Mr. Moore wore a suit, and she was now ranked with him. She dug through her closet, ruefully remembering all the times her earlier self had laughed at the image of a girl with a full closet wailing about having nothing to wear. She grabbed what she was starting to think of as her "interview dress", and some matching flats. She would be damned if she was going to spend the afternoon in heels. Not with what she was going to be doing.

While she neatened her makeup, she left it as light as she had done it that morning. The woman from the chain office didn't seem to have much more, so she figured she was fine. A quick run of the hairbrush, and she was ready to go.

Lena appeared a few minutes later, just as Angel was starting to rethink lunch. The Brunchie was nice, but not all that filling. Before she could act on that, they were back in the car and on their way. All the way there, she was developing a growing desire for pizza.

*Lena?*

*Yeah, pizza sounds good. Now cut it out! You're making me hungry.* They exchanged grins.

When they got to the theater, they piled out of the car and wished Angel's mother a good afternoon. They walked into the theater, and spotted Andy standing by the concessions area. He was talking with the woman from the chain - the one from that morning.

"Ready to start?" he asked, with a smile.

"Actually, I was hoping to inspect the pizza first. And then do a little quality control. It's been a long day."

"I think that can be arranged." He smiled. "But I would like to get this going as soon as I can."

"No Problem. It looks a whole lot better than it did this morning. I can tell you that already."

"Great. You two go thumb in, and we can get started."

Angel showed Lena where and how to thumb in. Angel's new status came up when she demonstrated. Lena's title as Consultant came up for her. That done, they went back out to the lobby. Angel took a close look at the pizza carousel. Most of it was fine, and the pizza itself was "clean". There were a few spots of contamination in parts that didn't contact the food, so she got Lena a slice and then passed it over as she reported that to Andy.

As Lena and the woman walked off toward the office, Angel started a more detailed inspection of the area. As she was doing so, she noticed Andy sending the workers up to the office, one at a time. All told, she found about a dozen small areas of contamination, none of which threatened the food. When she reported that to Andy, he signaled his people to open the concessions for business. He suggested she get her pizza and a drink, then take a break.

That struck her as a wonderful idea. She couldn't believe how tired she was. She served herself, then had one of the cashiers run her card for her stuff and Lena's pizza. Then she found her way to the break room, and collapsed into a chair.

Half a slice, and a third of a glass later, she was just starting to feel human again. The door opened to two female voices.

"...scary. I mean, what if there were other people here when he wigged out?"

"He always was kinda... oh!" The girls stopped just inside the doorway, drinks in hand. They looked at her like mice eyeing a python.

"What?" Angel asked. "Do I have pizza on my face or something?"

They relaxed a little, and gingerly sat down at the table. Both were older than her, but they knew she was someone important. She was dressed nicely, and their new manager was deferring to her.

The older one worked up her nerve. "Is it true?"

"That depends. Is what true?"

"Did Mr. Hooper go nuts, and beat up some girl from the regional office?"

"Sort of. What else did you hear?"

"Um..." the younger one ventured. "We're not supposed to gossip about stuff." She looked at the older girl, significantly.

"That's ok. Consider it a request from the regional office." she laughed.

"Well... he's always been kinda creepy about some things. Especially morfs."

The older one added "Yeah. When my little brother went through it, I had to make sure we didn't say anything about it here. Even though half the people here knew about it, if he ever found out I'd be out on my can."

"Or any of his little spies. And you notice, there's nobody here who even looks like a morf."

"So when this, like, super morf comes from the head office for some big inspection, he was going ape shit. Last night, everything had to be cleaned twice."

"Twice? What were you using?"

"Oh, just this cheap shit he gets. Supposed to be saving some big bucks and making him look good to the Powers That Be, but we have to work twice as hard to get stuff clean."

"Ok, so... you cleaned everything twice?"

"Yeah, and he's saying shit like if that inspector sees anything, we'll all be fired and they'll close down the theater. And how she'll probably make something even if she doesn't find it, just because she's one of them. A morf."

"What was she supposed to be like, this inspector?"

"To hear him talk, she must be eight feet tall, with big fangs and horns, but she can shape shift to look any way she wants."

"And she can be invisible, read minds, and teleport. And make other people into 'her kind'."

"Her kind?"

"Morfs. When he's not being careful, that's how he talks about them."

"What about everyone else?"

"Most of us have friends or family who have changed. But we have to be careful what we say. His assistants, and some of the leads, are almost as bad as him."

"So what happened?"

"He was going to make sure she didn't wipe out his career and close the theater. But when some girl from the office got here, he went nuts and beat her up. Then he attacked someone else from the office, and a cop. That's when they took him away."

"What about the girl?"

"She went to the hospital, or something."

Angel was having a hard time keeping from laughing. "Or something. Actually, she's pretty much ok. She's a bio elemental, but not a very powerful one. her nature lets her see biologically active contamination, and neutralize it. That is why the chain is having her do the inspections. Not to punish anyone, but to spot and eliminate potential sources of food poisoning and the like."

"It also let her heal her own injuries. After the beating, the chain people and the police took 'grams of the injuries, then she healed them."

"You know her? Of course you do. You work for the main office. What is she like? What else can she do?"

"I think she's pretty nice. And she's easy to talk to, apparently. She can do things like heal shallow wounds, and give you a tan. And heal scars. Even old scars, like that one." She pointed to a scar on the back of the older girl's hand.

"If she was here, would you want to get rid of that scar?"

"Sure. But how would she do it?"

"Probably about like this." She drew her finger over the scar, urging the cells to go back to what they knew was right. When she pulled her hand away, the scar was gone. The two girls stared at the hand, then at Angel.

"You... you're her. You're.."

"Angel O'Connor, at your service." She grinned. "And apparently, resident boogey man." She looked at the older girl, as though waiting.

"Tina. Tina Pierson. Thank you, Ms. O'Connor."

"Ouch! C'mon. I may be a manager, working for the chain office, but I'm still younger than both of you. It's Angel. At least, when we're not out in public."

"Sorry, Angel."

"It's ok. Sometimes I have that effect on people." She grinned, and turned to the younger girl.

"I'm Shelly Butler. Shel, to my friends and occasional family members."

They exchanged smiles, then Angel glanced at her watch. "Oops. I'd better get back to work. Any idea what other damage your former boss might have done?"

The girls looked at each other, then chorused "Restrooms." Angel groaned, then nodded.

She swallowed the last bite of her now cold pizza, and washed it down with a swallow of her soda. She tossed her plate and cup, then headed out.

She had a conference with Andy about the cleaning supplies, and suggested he check the books. Maybe it was just the bad taste the confrontation had left in her mouth, but she had a nagging feeling that not all of the savings from the cheap supplies was going back to the company.

Since the public was already there, the restrooms were a little tricky. They waited until the lobby was empty, then put a "closed for maintenance" sign on the door to the men’s room. Andy went in first, to check for stragglers. Once inside, Angel was surprised the chain hadn't gotten complaints about it. Her earlier self had been in some pretty poor restrooms, but this one had no business being in a family theater. She pointed and described, suggesting a very thorough cleaning - with proper supplies - as soon as the theater closed. She also noted that the paper supplies were not up to the standards of the other two theaters, and mentioned it.

If anything, the ladies room was worse. She caught hints of something that bothered her even more. After having Andy open the wall mounted vending machine, she found the inside contaminated and the sanitary supplies substandard. The packages of the supplies were intact, so at least the products themselves were not contaminated. But girls would be handling the outsides and then the product. The thought made Angel a bit ill. She sterilized the machine and the wrappers, then they closed it up and left.

Walking back toward the concessions stand, she told him "Well, the good news is that they're not an immediate threat to the health of the customers. But I'm surprised that the health department hasn't already shut down this theater."

She heard a sudden drop in the background noise level, and something metal hit the floor. The people in the concessions stand were just staring at her, with a range of emotions from fear to anger.

*Wake up!* Lena's mental voice caught her by surprise. "Did you really mean for all those people to hear you order Andy to shut down the theater?*

*Of course not. That wasn't even what I was saying.*

*They think it is. Your move, oh great Manager.*

Angel spoke up, making sure they could hear what she was saying to Andy. "We want to keep this place open, so you really need to get things like that cleaned up."

Andy finally caught up with what was going on, or else Lena told him. "Sure thing, boss lady." He grinned. "I want to keep this nice cushy job."

The normal sounds of activity in the concessions area resumed, just in time to face a wave of people as one of the theaters let out.

"Any idea how much longer Lena's likely to be?"

"At a guess, another two hours or so today. Got something in mind?"

"I want to snoop around, and see what else there is to see. I just have this feeling there's something I need to see. I'll let you know what I find."

He thought it was a good idea, and they went up to the office to get her a spare set of keys.

"Don't bother. I QUIT!" One of the assistant managers came slamming out of the office, barely missing them with the door.

Miss Miller, the woman from the Chain office, was typing something into the computer. "I've cancelled his ID. Is he planning anything?"

"He knows where Mr. Hooper kept his secret stash, and plans to get it before anyone knows that he quit. It's in the back of the mop closet between the restrooms." Lena told her.

Andy heard, so he turned and ran down the stairs. Angel followed. They caught up with him just as he was unlocking the door to the mop closet.

"Excuse me!" Andy called out. "That is for employees only!"

The former assistant manager tried to bluff it out. "But I'm..."

"The person who just resigned. I will take those keys now, and your nametag." Andy was taller than the ex-employee, and in much better shape. Looming over him, he had him trapped between the still locked door and himself. For a moment, it looked like he was going to try to fight his way out. But then he deflated and gave in. He tore his nametag off, breaking the pin in the process. He slammed the badge into Andy's waiting hand, followed by the keys. Andy didn't even blink.

"Your ID card has been deactivated, so don't bother trying it. And with so many people hearing your shouted resignation, any attempt to stir up trouble probably won't get you very far. Now I suggest that you leave, unless you want to join your former boss." He didn't have to spell out that alternative.

Angel let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding, while she watched the guy tromp out of the theater, shouldering a couple of customers aside in the process. Andy waved one of the leads toward the couple, then turned back to Angel.

"Let's take a look." He said, as he unlocked the door and opened it. He turned on the light on the way in, then closed the door behind them.

"Ow! Sunofabitch, that hurt!" he swore quietly, turning his hand to show her the gash the broken pin had opened on his palm. "Can you do anything?"

She looked carefully. "It doesn't look too deep for me, so let's give it a try." She put her finger over the injury, finding the "wrong" and urging it to make itself right. At the same time, she drove the staph infection out, before it had a chance to take hold. She was right about the depth - it was easily within her limits.

A moment later, all that was left of the injury was a small blood stain around the wound site. Andy washed his hands in the utility sink while he thanked her. Then he asked her to look around for anything unusual, commenting that the closet looked too shallow. The ones at the Chinese and the other theaters he had worked were deeper. It didn't take her long. There was an active stain spreading from under the apparent back wall of the closet, and what looked like the residue of a number of unwashed handprints - also active enough for her to notice them - on one part of the wall and under an adjacent shelf. Looking under the shelf, she saw what looked like a smallish wad of used chewing gum. But it looked wrong. Like it was plastic or something. And the only evidence of biological action was from the smeared fingerprints.

Also, it didn't quite touch the wall.

She pointed it all out to Andy. He tried pushing on the "gum", and they heard a soft click from the back wall. Andy went to pull on one of the things hanging on the wall, but she told him there was no hand residue there. He then tried pushing on the wall at the spot she had seen. It moved slightly inward, then stopped. He let go, and it sprang open like a cabinet door. A brief glance inside showed some equipment that had no business in a mop closet.

"We'd better get the others." As he opened the outer door, the back wall closed itself. He shrugged, then walked out. She followed, and then looked to him for advice.

"I'll watch the door here. This is something for you headquarters types. Go up and figure out the next move together. I doubt it's going anywhere."

He was almost wrong. Angel went upstairs, and sketched out what she saw. Lena was unusually quiet, and not in the way that seemed to indicate a telepathic conversation. Miss Miller listened quietly, then got on her eCom to the office. They sent out another team, to take a look.

Angel looked at Lena, who just said "Don't talk to me. I can't talk to you right now."

Miss Miller took up the theme. "We have to be very sure that none of our information about the stuff downstairs comes from her, in any way. Otherwise, we can't take action on anything we find there, no matter how illegal."

Angel understood, and said so. But it was frustrating. From the looks of things, Lena was even more frustrated than she was.

Twenty minutes later, she was showing the team from the office the secret door and describing the way they discovered it. She warned them about the secret door closing when the outer door opened, then waited for a good time and left. She went and talked to Miss Miller.

Miss Miller was actually pleased with the way that part had worked out. "You're not the only transformed specialist on staff. John is a very specialized electricity elemental, what's sometimes called a technopath. He can read a computer or other electronic device the way you can read microbiota. And unlike Radar, his testimony is admissible. Since he can do that without touching anything, David could gather fingerprints while he was working. Nasty stuff, apparently."

Angel shuddered. Lena spoke up. "The natives are getting restless."

Grateful for something to do, Angel volunteered "I'll let Andy know. You want to continue the interviews?"

"No. We've pretty much covered today's shifts. We can get the rest tomorrow. Remind them not to talk about these events until after then. It won't stop them, but they'll be more discrete."

Angel grinned, remembering Tina and Shel. Then she went down to talk to Andy.

Andy had a good idea what to do. After taking people aside and reminding them not to say anything where the customers could hear, he made sure everyone was too busy to get restless. Any time the crowds thinned out, he had them cleaning and restocking. While there were a few mutters of "Yessir, Massa" and the like, it seemed to work.

When he had a spare moment, she asked him about something that had been bothering her. "What did you use for the cleanup this morning? I heard he had switched to some cheap stuff."

"I noticed that. I sent one of the leads over to the store with some petty cash money and a very specific shopping list. More expensive than getting it in industrial quantities, but readily available. I have the receipt, and they assured me they would authorize the expense."

She was moving to get herself another snack and drink, when something clicked in her mind. The thing she needed to check was so obvious. With all the shortcuts the old manager had taken, was the food ok? Especially the refrigerated products and ingredients?

She went to work, making a quick but thorough survey of the refrigerated storage and the active stocks. Much to her relief, it was all good. Some of the meat was uncomfortably close to its expiration date, but even that was not dangerous. When she reported to Andy, he told her that he had checked that, too. There had been some questionable cheese and bread products, which he had pitched, and a couple of storage containers that needed a more thorough cleaning. But all that happened before she got there.

After an unexpectedly long and eventful day at work, the girls were ready to go home. Angel's father would be there in about a half hour to pick them up. They munched on some more pizza and washed the bites down with their soda while Angel reviewed the summary of the report the team had written.

It covered her actions and Andy's, but the interesting parts were what they found in the room. One alarming part was that the equipment and the room were booby trapped. At a remote command, the contents of the room could be destroyed and the secret door sealed. Only the fact that the former manager was in jail had prevented that signal from being sent.

More disturbing were the images. He had a computer getting images from hidden ceiling cams in the restrooms, and some of those images were apparently finding their way to a profitable voyeur themed website. Including some from the Saturday matinees and special kids' shows.

The team speculated that his aversion to her checking the restrooms that morning had at least as much to do with a fear that she would find the cameras as with his fear of her seeing the contamination.

All things considered, she was glad that she had only read the summary. The details were likely to fall in the WTMI category. As it was, she felt like the day had aged her to at least her early thirties.

"Welcome to my world," Lena commented sourly.

"Ouch!" Angel commented, understanding what she meant.

When the girls were safely strapped in the car, Angel's father asked "So how bad was it?"

"I really earned that microburger today." Angel replied, not quite getting the humorous tone of the joke all the way to her voice.

Her father just nodded, and turned on some music he knew she liked.

Dinner was a subdued affair, with her parents trying to balance being supportive without being intrusive. They both had been through things at work that they couldn't talk about from time to time, so they had an idea what she was going through in that regard.

Angel's sleep that night was troubled.

When she woke up, she was giving serious thought to quitting. The job wasn't as much fun as it had been. In fact, she was having a hard time facing the idea of going in to another theater. She was assured that the other two managers were more like Mr. Moore than like either of the other two theater managers, but still...

Then again, maybe it was just the drag of getting up so early. Especially when it was still Summer.

Maybe that was the key. School could be just as much of a drag, and she would have to get up in the morning for that. And she couldn't very well quit school, just because it wasn't always fun. Maybe this was a little bit too much like being back in school already?

Truth be known, she wasn't all that thrilled with the idea of going back to school, either. So far, she had just been doing things in mixed company, mostly with more adults than teens her age, or with just a few friends or family members.

But school was... school. All those other teens, judging, evaluating possible conquests or rivals, watching for any sign of weakness or difference. And not just for a day or two at a time. Five days a week, for months on end, with just the occasional interruption. All those boys - and some girls - trying to get into her pants any way they could, or trying to "put her in her place" one way or another.

She shuddered.

*Aw, c'mon. It isn't that bad.* Lena chided her. *You used to like school.*

*I used to hate being the new kid. And I still do. But this year it's worse. I'm the new girl, all right. New to the school, and new to being a girl.*

*So today should be a piece of cake.*

She couldn't answer that logic. It was wrong, but she couldn't answer it. Conceding defeat, she got up and got ready to face the day.

This time would be a little different. Angel and Lena would take the light rail downtown, then transfer to a bus. And just to complete the difference, Lena's mother would be driving them to the terminal.

A quick bowl of breakfast and a couple of goodbyes later, she was on her way next door.

She was surprised at her reception. Mrs. Morgan met her at the door, with a polite smile. She did not seem her usual bubbly self.

*She knows about yesterday,* Lena explained. *Not everything, but enough. She understands why I'm going with you - why I went with you - but doesn't really like it.*

*Why are you doing it?* Angel was honestly puzzled. Yes, it was a major benefit for her, but what was in it for Lena?

Lena looked startled, then thoughtful. *I guess, because you're my friend. And you really need me.* Then she grinned. *It sure hasn't been boring.*

They both giggled at that, and Lena's mother seemed to relax a little. They were soon at the terminal. They waved goodbye to her and boarded the train.

"She's still worried," Lena told Angel. "But she's more confident about our ability to handle whatever comes our way. At least, when she doesn't slip back into thinking of me like I'm ten years old."

"Literally?" Angel asked.

"Sometimes. Most parents do it."

That set them off again, earning them annoyed looks from some of the other commuters.

*They think we're just some high school kids out to have fun on our vacation. Want to mess with their minds a little?* Lena suggested.

*What do you have in mind?*

"Now that you've got your promotion to the head office, do you think the managers will have problems taking your orders?"

"The last one sure did. I can't say I was sorry to see him fired, after that." It was a little close to the mark for Angel, but she had an idea where Lena was going.

*They're starting to wonder, but they think we may be bullshitting them.*

A real thought came to Angel, and it seemed to fit in. "Did you review the reports from yesterday?"

"Not yet. Legal says it has to go through all the channels first. What a mess."

"Yeah, well at least we didn't have to shut the place down completely. I think Andy will make a good manager, when he's ready."

"He sure showed what he could do, coming in and holding it all together like that."

"So, what's on the schedule for today?"

"After the inspection this morning, we need to go back and finish the screening interviews."

*How are we doing?* Angel asked.

*They don't know what to think. They don't believe teens could carry off such a conversation convincingly, if it wasn't true.*

*I'm not sure I could, either.*

Lena decided to mix it up a little. "Want to catch a movie after work?"

"Not today. Jerry is supposed to be up and around this afternoon."

"Are we invited to the grand unveiling?"

"Of course. But before we go there, I need to find some fairy wings for a certain little girl." Angel added a little emphasis on those last three words. "any idea where I can find them this time of year?"

A little girl, about seven years old, spoke up. "Try the castle store." she suggested, holding up a bag. Wrinkles and folds in the bag hid part of the name, but Angel could make out the word "Chest" on it. Her mother shushed her, reminding her that it's impolite to listen to other people's conversations.

"She's right, though." Lena conceded. "It's a magic and game shop shaped like a castle. And it's not too far from the theater. It has all kinds of costume stuff."

"Remind me to check it out after work, then. And remind me to pick up something for Jerry, too."

Angel spent the rest of the ride looking out the window and chatting with Lena. When they got off, she smiled and waved goodbye to the helpful little girl. They had a ten minute wait for the bus, but it dropped them off a block from the theater.

"What am I facing?"

"He seems ok. He's a little afraid of you, because of the rumors, but not angry or dangerous. Despite his fear of you, personally, he thinks the inspections are a good idea."

"Well, that's a welcome change. Will you be ok?"

"I'll be fine. I brought some of the Summer Reading with me, and watching you will help keep me awake through it."

They shared a laugh over that, then Angel headed in to the theater. The manager met her at the door, introduced himself, and showed her where to thumb in. After she did so, he handed her a lumpy envelope with her name on it. Inside was her new, golden badge.

He took her up to the office, and indicated a box on the desk. She saw that it had her name on it. She remembered that Mr. Moore had mentioned something about equipment. She opened the box, and her breath stopped. It was an eCom and a tablet. When she powered on the tablet, the screen was full of what looked like legal boilerplate text.

*Lena! They just gave me an eCom and a tablet! Is it on the level?*

*Seems to be. Listen to what he tells you, now.*

"I can translate for you," he smiled gently. "The short version is this. The company owns them. You get to use them. You have to take care of them. Personal use is allowed, but nothing illegal or disreputable. The company can search them any time, and if they find anything bad, they can fire you. And if you leave the company, voluntarily or involuntarily, you have to give them back. Clear enough?"

*He's on the level. He signed the same thing for his equipment.*

"Clear enough." She skimmed quickly through the wordier "official" version on the tablet, then signed and sent it.

She happily spent a few minutes setting up the tablet and eCom, and forwarding calls from her cell to the eCom. Her fun was tempered by the knowledge that she had to get to work quickly, so she could be done before opening time.

When she did start, it was clear that he had been paying attention to the notes the office had sent out about her earlier findings. Each of those spots was clean and sterile. She complimented him on that, and he seemed to relax a little.

She found a few minor spots at concessions, but they were less serious than the ones she had found at the earlier inspections. But she did find some problems in the restrooms. In the women's restrooms, there were some problems with the sanitary disposal containers. And in both sets, there was some contamination inside the "convenience center" vending machines. Not as bad as at the previous day's theater, but enough to make it worth another advisory. She had not checked those in the first two theaters, and she probably should do so next time around.

With all she had scheduled for the day, they confirmed their earlier decision not to stay. But she did use her concessions privilege to get them a snack.

They didn't have any trouble finding the magic shop. The castle shape was mostly just a facade, but it sure stood out.

She had no trouble finding the wings, and got a wand to go with them. She also found a plastic gila monster for Jerry.

A short bus trip later, they were at the previous day's theater. Lena and Miss Miller would finish the screening interviews, while Angel waded through a stack of paperwork or - as Miss Miller called it - the curse of management.

"But I thought the curse was..." Angel started. After getting the evil eye from both of her listeners, she meekly turned back to the paperwork. Luckily, relatively little of it was actual paper.

After two hours of reading and writing reports, while the others continued the interviews, Angel got some good news from Lena. Jerry was up and around, finished with his changes.

Another hour, and they were finished. Actually, Angel was done almost half an hour earlier, and was just waiting for Lena. Three people had resigned rather than come in for the interviews, and one other had resigned during the interview. There were a half dozen more on the "watch" list, including two habitual thieves. More than half the workforce had come through clean.

When they thumbed out and were getting ready to leave, Lena surprised her by saying that Penny would be picking them up. Apparently, Jerry wanted to see them and wanted them to see him. They could see her from the doorway, leaning against her car and waving.

Angel would have liked to have changed before the visit, but wasn't given the choice. At least the clothes were not completely uncomfortable.

Jerry was fairly impressive in his new and "improved" form. A little taller and significantly more muscular. Although he didn't have scales, his skin showed the characteristic patterns of color that she had seen when she looked up gila monsters online. He would catch some flack from the "pures" over his appearance, but he was far from unattractive.

The changes to his eyes would not be too much of a problem, but the changes to his tongue and teeth made speech difficult. He used his tablet to write things he couldn't convey with simple gestures or the like. His visitors sympathized, and all had stories of relatives or acquaintances who had learned to speak fairly normally after even more severe changes. And he still had almost a month before school started again, so there was time to learn.

He laughed when Angel gave him her gift, promising to treasure it.

While he was talking with the others, Angel took a "special" look at him. She could see that things had largely gone as anticipated. She asked him whether he had found his zap yet, and he said he had not. She reassured him that it would come to him sooner or later, and cautioned him that it could be dangerous if misused. But the same was true of most such powers.

His mother thanked them for coming, but said that she needed to get him some new clothes before the stores closed. Lena looked amused about something, so Angel assumed there was something more to it. She shot a mental question her way, but she just said it was private.

She did open up a bit, once they were in the car. "His upper chest isn't all that has grown. His mother was getting worried about the possible effects of a group of attractive girls paying that much attention to him." They all got a good laugh out of that.

When she got home, she just wanted to relax. She changed into some more comfortable clothes, put dinner in the oven, and got going on her long overdue summer reading.

For a change, both of her parents were home for dinner. Her father commented that it looked like he would have a more or less normal schedule for a while. Angel and her mother both commented that it would be nicer that way.

Before going to bed that night, Angel packed some things for her trip to the hospital. No sense wasting time after work.

For a change, her sleep was peaceful.

Another day, another theater. At least this would be the last theater on the list, for the first pass. And in many ways, it was the least interesting. An assistant manager lived near her, and gave them a ride to the theater. Lena was invited to make herself comfortable in the lobby while Angel worked. So Lena read (and "listened") while Angel did her thing.

The manager was polite and attentive, but did not hover, and she seemed to appreciate Angel's efforts and observations. The few things that Angel turned up were minor, and easily remedied. After all the drama and discoveries of the earlier theaters, she was almost disappointed.

The manager did mention that she had been careful to respond to the earlier advisories, at no small cost in terms of the efforts of her staff. But she made sure they understood the reasons for the cleanup and for the changes in procedures.

Angel was done early, and after thumbing out decided there was more than enough time for a movie. Besides, she owed Lena. They settled on a compromise, a date movie. It was a romantic comedy, designed to appeal to both halves of a date in different ways. Angel laughed hard, but was mildly annoyed to find that her reactions mirrored Lena's - and those of the other girls there - more closely than those of the guys.

As they were getting up to leave, and brushing Brunchie crumbs off of themselves, her eCom rang. It was Dr. Baker. He had some things come up, and wondered if she could come in a little earlier than planned. She told him where they were, and about their lack of transportation. He said he would be right over to pick them up.

He was as good as his word, arriving ten minutes later. He drove Lena home, and waited while Angel dashed into her own house to grab her bag and drop off her tablet and cell. Then it was right to the hospital. Angel was impressed; he had a personal parking spot there, with his name on it and everything.

On the way there, and on the way up to the pediatrics wing, he reminded her about the girl and her condition. Angel, in turn, reminded him about her limitations. And told him about the wings and wand. He thought the girl would like that.

After a small side trip to put on the wings, Angel followed the doctor to the little girl's hospital room, followed, in turn, by a nurse. When they got there, she was sitting up in bed and looking at a picture book. She looked up at them and smiled at the doctor. Her smile for Angel was merely polite until she saw the wings. After that, her look of wonder lit up the room.

Angel explained that she was going to use a special kind of magic to make the scars go away. She warned her that it would feel funny, and got her to promise to let her know right away if anything hurt or felt wrong.

She started with one of her hands, so the little girl could watch as well as feel. She giggled about the funny feelings as her skin realigned and repaired itself, and smiled broadly when she saw the two small scars were gone.

Next, she did the girl's head. The scars disappeared on cue, with the expected "wigglies" as the girl called the sensations. Angel tried to encourage the shaved patches to grow out faster, but quickly stopped when she felt it pulling on the girl's energies. Her hair could grow out at its own pace.

Next, she had the girl stretch out on the bed face down. The nurse untied her little gown, and Angel went to work on her back. About halfway down her back, Angel found herself stretching her power and starting to pull on the girl's energies again. She stopped, and took a break. She said she would be right back and pulled the doctor outside the door.

She explained about the deeper damage there, beyond what she could safely handle with the girl as weak as she was. He responded that he was aware of that damage, some of which would have to wait for another, much later, operation. They decided that she would stop when she needed to, and she would keep from trying to push deeper in such places. She would also tell him what she was sensing, while she was working. The girl was used to nurses and doctors working that way.

After taking a couple of breaths to center herself, Angel went back in. She finished her back, then had her turn over. She was shocked at what she saw. There was a battlefield map of scars, some from the accident, and many from the surgeries. She winced even more at the sight of one of the accident scars. Running diagonally across what would one day become her right breast, the injury had apparently torn away part of her nipple.

She decided to do that one first. Carefully, watching her depth and making sure she didn't pull on the girl's energies, she started at one end and healed it up to the edge of the nipple. Then she did the same with the other end. Then, slowly and carefully, she set to work on the nipple. It was hard to go that slowly and delicately, while dealing with so much damage.

She took a couple of breaks in the process, but finally had it done to her satisfaction. It felt "right" to her special senses. She moved on to other scars, telling the doctor about the deep (for her) damage in some places, and about the beginnings of infections in a couple of places. Since they were at and near the surface, she was able to take care of those as well.

As she worked, she realized she was getting her first in person look at a little girl pussy. She had been a boy when she was that age, and didn't have any sisters. It was interesting to see the ways it differed from hers, especially when she spread her legs to get to some scars on her thighs. Angel had been profoundly relieved to notice that there weren't any injury scars on or near that precious little slit.

When she was done, the doctor let her sit up and look at what she could see of herself. The nurse gave her a mirror so she could see her face and other hard to see places.

"Thank you, nice fairy lady. I thought I would be like that forever." She jumped up and gave Angel a full body hug, as only a child that age can.

Angel smiled and hugged her back. then she said it was time for her to leave. The nurse helped her back into her gown, retying the ties, then Angel gave her a small present. It was a silver plastic ring, with two fairies holding up a pretty "stone". It just seemed like a fairy present.

After leaving the room, Angel excused herself and removed the wings. The nurse drove her home, thanking her on the way and commenting on the difference it would make in the girl's life. When they arrived at her house, she handed her an envelope. She watched as Angel unlocked her door and went inside, then drove off.

She flopped down on the sofa, exhausted. It wasn't that she had used so much of her elemental energy. It was mostly all that careful, little at a time, detail work that had worn her out.

She opened the envelope. Inside was a nice thank you note. Inside that was a check. A big check, for a lot more than she had expected. She carefully put it back in the card, and the card inside the envelope. She dropped the envelope on the table, next to her new tablet and her old phone.

She was jolted awake by the ringing eCom. She hadn't even been aware of falling asleep. As she went to answer it, a glance at the screen made her hesitate.

It was Cassandra.

End Part 7

Angel's Tale: A MORFS Universe Story By Joreymay

David finishes changing, but wakes up in a panic. Later, Angel finds herself in a confrontation with a powerful (in more than one sense) bio elemental.

Part 8

Cassie was on the eCom. And she was in full Prophet of Doom mode.

"Hi, Penny. Or is it Cassandra?"

"Cassandra. Hey, you got an eCom! Congrats!"

"Yeah. It came with the promotion at the theater. But if I quit or get fired, I have to give it back. So, what's the crisis?"

"Right to the point? Ok. It's David. You and Radar need to be there when he wakes up. He will wake up hard, and need help."

"Hard?"

"Mind out of the gutter, girl. His new senses will panic him, and there's a good chance he will lash out with his other powers. There are a lot of possibilities that way, all bad. Radar can get through to him, before things get too far out of control."

"So what do I have to do with it? Other than the obvious?"

"You need to go with them to the clinic. Another person, someone you don't know, will be there in a bad situation that your perceptions can help with."

"Ok, when?"

"David will wake up about 11:00 tomorrow morning."

"Have you called Radar?"

"She knows. You two can work out the details. She's busy right now, but she'll call soon."

"Just a ray of sunshine, aren't you?"

"Hey, at least half of Apollo's curse doesn't work."

"What's that?"

"You know the story of my namesake?"

"Just part of it."

"Apollo was into this girl, Cassandra. And she didn't exactly object to spending some time with him. He was considered a hunk, and a god to boot. Since prophecy was one of his things, he gave her the gift. But when she wouldn't put out for him, he added a curse. She would see the truth, but just about bad things. And nobody would believe her."

"Ouch."

"Yeah. I see the bad stuff, but at least some people believe me. Of course, the anti morfs crowd don't want to know, because of what I am. And lots of adults ignore me because I'm a teen. What could I know?"

"Been there. So, what's your plan next time you see Apollo?"

"Can you whip up an STD that works on gods but not me?"

"Not enough information. I'd have to spend a lot more time with gods."

"More time?"

"Well, I can't spend less. That sort of thing doesn't come in negative numbers."

The continued the banter for a few more minutes, then ended the call. Before she had a chance to put down the eCom, her mother walked in.

"What's the envelope?" she asked. "And where's the rest of the mail?"

"The mail wasn't here yet when I got home. The envelope is a thank you card for what I did today, and a check. Take a look."

She did, and whistled. She put it back, then turned her head and sniffed theatrically. "I don't smell dinner."

"Sorry. After I got back from the hospital, I just collapsed. A call from Cassie woke me up, just before you got here."

"Cassandra? Not Penny?" She understood what that indicated.

"Oh, yeah. In spades. On my day off tomorrow, Lena and I have to be at David's when he wakes up. Lena needs to help him, and I need to help someone else at the clinic they take him to."

"Sounds fun." Her tone implied anything but.

"Oh, yeah. Should be a ton of laughs." Angel rolled her eyes. "So what do we do about dinner?"

"What about dinner?"

Angel jumped. Either she was much more tired than she thought, or someone did something to the door. He was the second person to come in without her noticing. She gave him a quick hug, then sat down again.

"Angel had a long day, and didn't get a chance to cook anything."

"Want to go out?"

"Any other day. I'm still wiped. Frozen?"

"Just the single serving things your father stocked up on when we weren't here to keep an eye on him, and some sides and desserts. Take out?"

Now he was in his element. In his temporary bachelor days, he found the good, the bad, and the overpriced around there. "What's everyone in the mood for? There's a good barbecue place, pizza chains, squid kabobs, chicken, and the usual fly throughs. If you want fancier, there's Indian, Thai, Chinese, EastBlock..."

"Ugh, no borscht. Barbecue sounds good to me. Mom?"

"Why not? It's been a while."

They finalized plans, and he called in the order. Then, with an air of martyrdom, he went out to pick it up.

After he left, Angel relaxed. Before she knew it, she was asleep again.

The smell of food woke her. And a wonderful smell it was. Over dinner, they discussed their days. Other than Angel, they had been remarkably routine. They were just starting to think about dessert, when Lena "called".

*Angel! Would you guys like a fresh baked peach pie?*

"Lena is offering us a fresh baked peach pie. What do you think?" Her mother got the "thinking to Lena" look for a moment, then said "She'll be right over."

"Hey! She was talking to me!"

"I had to find out some things. You can talk to her now."

Knowing a cue when she heard one, Angel went to the front door. There was Lena, coming up the walk with a steaming pie in her hands. After closing the door behind her, Angel followed her into the kitchen.

"What's the occasion?"

"Mom baked two. One for us, one for a meeting. The meeting was just cancelled, and she knows what will happen if she leaves two pies in the house." Lena grinned.

Over pie, Lena politely asked "So, how did it go with the little girl and the fairy?"

"One exhausted fairy later, she's mostly a pretty little girl again."

"Mostly?"

Angel told her (and the rest of her audience) about the hair. While she was at it, she vented her frustration about being unable to go deep enough for some things. And about her other limitations.

"You gave her back her face and body. That's no small thing. Only a handful of people in the world could do that, and you did. Quit feeling sorry for yourself!" Lena snapped.

This was a side of Lena that Angel hadn't seen before.

*What's going on?*

*I'm worried about David. I have an idea what he'll be going through, and it isn't pretty. I can probably help calm and stabilize him in the beginning, but he's going to need more help than I can give him.*

Angel's parents exchanged looks, then went back to their pieces of pie. They could see from the girls' faces that their discussion was serious.

*What have I done?*

*Given him his dream. But he'll have to get through a nightmare, first.*

*Do his parents know?*

*I was talking with them when Cassie called you. They will expect us. And they'll expect his likely reaction.*

They concentrated on their dessert for a few moments. Angel was aware of the pie. It tasted wonderful. Almost as good as her mother's.

*I heard that!* Lena grinned. *Almost?*

*Well, I might be prejudiced.* Angel grinned back.

After Lena left, Angel spent some time setting things up on her eCom and tablet. She would be able to take pictures and holos with the eCom, send them to the tablet, and modify them there. That way, she could take pictures of the affected areas, highlight them, and show them to the managers (and, if appropriate, the office). It would be better than having the manager tag along behind her when she was inspecting.

When she woke up the next morning, Angel was annoyed. She could finally sleep in, but she woke up at about the same time as she had been. And she couldn't get back to sleep. Giving up, she got ready to face the day. At least she could dress for comfort, rather than professional image.

The one advantage of waking up early was that she got down to the kitchen in time to wish her parents goodbye for the day. She wasn't sure why, but that was more important to her than it used to be.

After days of going to work and other responsibilities, it was strange to have a morning to herself. Especially a weekday morning. The pool wouldn't be available until after she had to be at David's, so swimming was out. Still, with email to answer, summer reading to do, and so on, she had plenty to do.

When it started getting near time to go, she realized she hadn't heard from Lena all morning. That was unusual, as well.

*I was just resting and centering. I suspect this is not going to be fun.*

Angel agreed. However, they decided to leave a little early and enjoy the day while they walked over to David's house.

About two thirds of the way there, Lena got agitated. "He's starting to come around. It will take a while for him to really wake up, but we'd betted hurry."

They trotted the rest of the way, not wanting to arrive too winded to do any good. They got there with minutes to spare.

"Come on in. He's starting to stir." They could see the worry on his mother's face.

Angel started wondering what she was doing there. She was all for providing moral support and all that, but Penny had been very clear. Or as clear as her Cassandra ever seemed to get, anyway.

"Ok, everyone." Lena started briefing the three of them. "When he wakes up he'll probably be disoriented. Chances are really good that he'll be frightened. I'll be talking to his mind to calm him and help him focus. I may ask you to do something, or stand somewhere, or something like that. It won't be without reason. He needs to know that he's here, and he's safe. After that, I'll help him get a handle on his new perceptions and align them with his eyesight. He may get severe vertigo, so have a barf bucket ready. Once he's got it together enough, you can shower him, dress him, and get us all to the clinic."

"Will you need to be with him the whole way?"

"I think you can manage his shower without me. But I'll be in touch with his mind. Angel can... Get ready! Hello, David. Welcome back."

David started thrashing around on the bed. "What's happening? Where am I? It looks all crazy! Mom! Dad! Help! Where are you?"

Angel watched helplessly as he got more and more upset, and as panic tinged his voice. Lena took his left hand with hers, and used her other to turn his face toward her. She held their hands up near the center of his field of vision.

"But I can't! I can't see them!" He thrashed around, hitting Lena a couple of times. Angel could see that there would be bruises, but dared not help yet.

A large, white, feathery wing shot out from behind him, knocking his mother off her feet. She seemed unhurt, but kept clear of the wildly flailing appendage and its mate.

Lena clearly continued talking silently to his mind. Sometimes his protests were similarly silent, sometimes out loud. After a while, he calmed down somewhat. His wings folded in against his back, and he stopped thrashing. He brought his free hand up in front of his face, and wiggled his fingers. Then he started getting upset again.

"Why can't I hear anything?" he wailed.

"Because I asked them to be quiet." As she said it, it looked like she was speaking it into his mind as well. "I'm going to count. Focus everything on my voice. One. Two. Three..." for each count, she squeezed his hand. After about fifty, he seemed calmer. But she kept counting. After one hundred, she dropped his hand. At one hundred eighty, he sat up and looked around.

At first, Angel was a little puzzled by the pattern of the way he looked. When he looked toward the door, he smiled a little. Angel turned to follow his gaze, and saw that his father had changed into a swim suit. She watched as he carefully looked at his parents' faces. But when he turned to her, he looked at all of her. At first, that didn't make any sense. Seeing his covers start to tent helped her make the connection. His new vision, his telesense, was the same as Lena's in some ways. He was seeing right through her clothes.

"Hey! Watch where you aim those X ray peepers, you perv!" She chided, in a joking tone.

"Sorry. I can't really control it yet."

"Sure." with friendly skepticism. She looked a question at Lena, who nodded. "How are you feeling, David?"

"Cruddy. And I lost control. I need a shower, bad."

For a moment, Angel didn't understand the control comment. Then she noticed the smells. The bed would definitely need to be changed. She felt sorry for David. On top of everything else, that had to be embarrassing.

"Let's get you cleaned up." his father said. He lifted David out of bed, and carried him to the bathroom. Lena followed them, but stopped outside and closed the bathroom door. Angel helped his mother strip the bed, including the badly stained mattress pad. She noticed a shiny layer that had been under the pad.

Then she moved to Lena.

"Will it interfere too much if I heal those bruises?" she asked.

Lena shook her head, and lifted her arm to allow access to a spot on her side that had taken a couple of good thumps. Angel made them right, then moved to Lena's face. It was already starting to swell in places, and if she had waited much longer she would have had to do it in steps to get around her depth limits.

"Thanks, Can you get the bathrobe out of David's room? It's inside the closet door."

Angel nodded, and went on her errand. When she returned with it, Lena took it and hung it inside the bathroom door. Angel heard the father's "Thanks" before the door closed.

Angel went downstairs to help his mother. She had apparently done the worst part, and was stuffing the now thoroughly wet bedclothes in the large capacity washer.

"I haven't had to deal with that in thirteen years. It hasn't gotten any better." David's mother grinned. "It's a good thing we were prepared. Without that layer under the pad, the mattress would have been ruined.

When they heard the shower stop, she started the washer then motioned Angel back up to the living room.

"Thank you again. Without you and Radar, I don't know what we would have done."

"I didn't do all that much here."

"You gave us the warning. We knew what to expect, and it gave us a chance to prepare."

"Ok. You're more than welcome. I'm sure he will be just fine."

"I second that." Lena grinned, walking down the stairs from the bedrooms. "They should be ready to go as soon as the fashion crisis is resolved."

"Huh?"

"There was a last minute growth spurt. The new clothes are too small. Including the underwear."

A few minutes later, the men came down. David was wearing a t-shirt that was only a little large on him, and jeans with very rolled up cuffs. And a grin, when he looked at Angel and Lena.

"Ok, c'mon letch. Let's get you to the clinic." Lena didn't seem too disturbed about what she knew he was seeing.

*For me, it's no worse than all those boys undressing me with their eyes. At least his image is more realistic.*

Angel conceded the point.

When they got in the car, Angel rode shotgun, and Lena and David's mother propped him up between them.

After they were underway, Angel commented over her shoulder "Hey, David. I told you that you'd keep the family jewels."

"Until I tried squeezing them into those clothes. I think maybe I bruised something. Could you fix it like Radar's bruises?"

"Only if you want to be 'fixed' like the vet does. Besides, there's no bruising there. Nice try, though."

David flinched at the threat to his fertility, and gave a rueful grin at having his bluff called.

When they got to the clinic, David's father handed in some pre filled out paperwork at the desk. David was ushered right in, and Lena followed. They apparently recognized her, and allowed it. Angel stayed in the waiting room, with his parents. She occupied herself by playing games on her eCom, while his mother read a book she brought along. His father alternated between trying to read and pacing. From the wear on the carpet, he wasn't the first.

After what seemed like hours, a nurse called them in. She ushered the parents into an office, but asked Angel to follow her into another. She recognized the room as an evaluation room, the kind they had used to "read" her when she changed. The young man behind the desk seemed a little apologetic when he spoke to her.

"Please don't take this the wrong way, but we have some questions about what we were told about you. Frankly, I've never encountered a bio elemental with your ability to read the direction MORFS will take, or has taken."

"It was just a matter of self training. I can't really do much with my powers, since my range is so limited. So I concentrated on what I could perceive. After I looked at a lot of morfs, I started to understand what I saw. Well, perceived. It's not really seeing, more of a sense we don't have words for."

"Would you mind terribly if we asked you to demonstrate that ability? We have someone you might be able to help us with, but we need to know what we're dealing with first."

"Cassandra warned me there would be days like this."

"Penny Johnson? She's involved here?"

Angel was only a little surprised that he knew who she was talking about. "She told me to come here today. In part, to help David and all. But the other part had something to do with one of your other patients."

"What did she tell you about him?"

"She didn't even tell me he was a him. Just that you would benefit from my help with that person, and bad things would happen otherwise."

"She's right. But still, we have a duty to be sure."

He had three people come in, one at a time. She told him what she noticed, then they left. In the end, he was impressed.

"You noticed a couple of things I missed, but were more general about some things than I was. I don't think there are any more questions, except the big one. Are you willing to help?"

"Of course."

"I don't want to tell you too much, but I can't read him properly in his current state. Anything you can tell us might help."

In the room he took her to, she saw a boy who looked to be about twelve or thirteen. He was curled up tightly in a fetal position, and shaking. He looked pale, and she could see that he was very low on energy. She mentioned that, then gave him a good look.

"He's a halfie, with shape shifting and some low grade telepathy or empathy. He is using the mind stuff to hold up a shield, and is trying to shapeshift. With where he's concentrating his efforts, I would guess that he is trying to go back to his old body. Or at least look like it. He's in the middle of the shift, but doesn't have the energy to finish it. I don't think he can stop it. And I think he's dying."

Without thinking, she put her hand on his shoulder and offered some of her own energy. She was caught by surprise when he sucked her energy like a giant drain. She couldn't even pull away. Time lost all meaning,

A second or a day later, she felt hands pulling her away from him. She was barely aware of seeing other hands on his body. The room started swimming, and she noticed she was being gently pushed down on something like a couch or a bed. Rest sounded wonderful.

She woke up in a different room, with her shoes off and covers over her. Lena was there, and David's mother.

She opened her mouth to ask a question, but realized she had more than one. Lena answered a few.

"You were out for about an hour. The boy you helped is much better, and they want to talk to you about it. David is fine. He needs some special training, but if he works hard he can probably be out of here before school starts. And yes, he'll have to register."

*Our locker room will never be the same.* Angel thought at her, with a tired grin.

*It never was.* Lena grinned back.

The evaluator came in. "What you did was brave, but foolish. We have people here who are trained to give energy safely. He could have drained you completely." He half scolded. "Still, you did help him until they got there. As fast as he was fading, he might not have made it. He finished his change and woke up a few minutes after you went to sleep. He still needs a lot of help, but thanks to you, he'll get it."

"That shield of his kept me from seeing much of anything. We owe you one, and he owes you a big one." He shook her hand, handed her his card, then left.

"Ready to go?" David's mother asked.

"I guess so."

They went to David's room, which looked more like a dorm room than a hospital room. They said their goodbyes, collected his father, and left.

On the ride home, Angel had a lot to think about. Despite losing her manhood, she had it pretty easy when she woke up from her transition. David was a friend, but she'd put him through hell.

*You gave him what he wanted, and more. Unlike you and me, he can't whine that he didn't ask for those powers. And once he's learned control, he'll be very happy with the gifts.*

"You girls are awfully quiet back there." David's mother commented.

"Just tired. And thinking." Angel answered, which was true enough. She just neglected to mention what kind of thinking.

*Ooh, devious. I like it.* Lena grinned.

Out loud, Angel asked "Got any plans this afternoon?"

"Just thought I'd hit the pool. I've been neglecting my tan, lately." They both laughed at that, and in the front of the car, David's parents smiled.

"Sounds good. I'll go with you." Then she mentally shifted gears. *I guess this proves what we thought. I can shape how and when people morf.*

*Yep.*

*Scary. That's a lot of responsibility.*

*It's reassuring that you look at it that way. But it does prove the concept of the Pope Hill idea.*

*That's true. And I bet David will be able to help a lot, too. Once he gets control.*

*Oh, yeah. That adds a whole new dimension to the idea.* Lena grinned again, with new enthusiasm.

When they got to Lena's house, everyone exchanged thanks again, and the two girls went inside their houses to change.

At the pool, they found a few of their friends and went over to say hello.

After the usual round of greetings, Star eagerly spoke up.

"Watch!" she invited. She held her hands as though holding a bowling ball (without the finger holes). A small ball of light formed in the middle of that space, then grew to the size of that imaginary ball. She held it steady for several seconds, then made it shrink away and vanish.

Everyone congratulated her. She could do beams and radiance from day one, but this took more effort and skill. She was very pleased with her accomplishment.

Angel asked her whether she could control the color and spectrum of the light. She could, with a fair degree of control. Certain colors she could even get completely monochromatic, like a laser red. But she couldn't get it coherent like a laser.

"Yet!" she declared.

Robin asked Angel if she could touch up her tan. Angel talked, in general terms, about what had happened at the clinic, and promised to help her the next day. The talk about the clinic led to talk about David, and from there to the child and then the theaters. They already knew some of it, especially Robin.

They were all disappointed that they probably wouldn't see David until school, give or take a little. They were anxious to see his wings and find out whether he could fly, though. Angel had been vague about his other abilities, thinking that it would be better if they heard it from him. When, and to the extent, he was ready.

Sherry had gotten some good news. She was on the diving team, and had gotten a determination that her "extras" would not affect her competition status. In track, swim team, etc. her morfs given abilities put her in the Special Teams categories.

They generally had fun talking, swimming, listening to music, and just being teenagers on summer vacation.

Eventually, she noticed the time and headed home to fix dinner.

By morning, she was fully recovered.

She got up later than she had the day before, so she hurried downstairs in her bathrobe to wish her parents a good day. When they left, she went back up and, in a leisurely way, got ready for the day.

She fixed and ate some breakfast, cleaned up, then started some reading.

*Angel! You've got company coming, and she's trouble.*

*Who?*

*Some bigshot bio elemental. She's representing a sort of union. And she's pissed at you.*

*Monitor?*

*Like I could help it. She's louder than you!*

Angel didn't need Lena to tell her when her guest arrived. She could feel her as she pulled up, and could see her field come through the door before she got there. Angel was jealous.

She set her eCom to record, and answered the door before the bell rang. "Can I help you?"

"Angel O'Connor? We need to talk." the woman began, briskly.

"I can see you're a much more powerful bio elemental than I am, but I'll need more than that before I let you into my parent's home." Angel challenged.

The woman handed Angel a business card, which identified her as Betty Wilson, representing AMBE - the Association of Medical Bio Elementals.

Knowing she was wrong, Angel asked "Here to recruit me, Ms. Wilson?"

"Hardly," came the haughty reply. "You don't qualify."

Angel recognized a put down when she heard one. "Why, then?"

"To keep you from getting in a lot of trouble."

Angel had to admit, if only to herself, that she had her attention. Reluctantly, she invited her in. After offering her a seat and a drink, Angel sat on the sofa and prepared to listen.

She got right to the point. "I would be very surprised if you did not know how much we charge for our services. Do you know how many of us there are in this country?"

Angel shook her head.

"Eighteen. Eighteen active medical bio elementals in the whole country. And each of us only takes a limited number of cases. Do you know why we charge so much and take so few cases?"

"Greed is too easy an answer. So why don't you tell me?"

"There are only eighteen of us because the rest of us burned out. Imagine spending all day. every day, faced with ugliness and horror. Children far more disfigured than that little girl you saw. And always being pressured to do things for the rich and powerful. And for the deserving needy. Every day of your life. No days off, no personal time." Angel shuddered.

"And the politics. Even with all of us working full time, at an inhuman pace, there would still be a need for doctors and surgeons. We wouldn't have wanted to destroy that market, even if we could."

"But many didn't see it that way. The AMA is still a powerful group, and they know how to work the system. They started a bill going through Congress to require us to get medical degrees before we did any healing, and to operate under the same rules as the regular doctors."

"We weren't without our own resources, so soon we were at the negotiating table. The high prices and limited patient loads were part of the negotiated compromise. We can, and do, perform a certain amount of pro bono work. But we have to limit it to prevent burnout."

*She's not telling you the whole story. But it's enough for her purposes.*

*Thanks!*

"Most of us started out the same way you did, doing favors for friends and family. Then getting talked into helping some poor, deserving case. Being exploited from every direction."

Angel hadn't thought of it quite that way.

"And now that we have some little bit of control over our lives, the last thing we need is some underpowered little brat breaking the agreements and giving us a bad name. Before we would let that happen, we will take steps."

*Is that the threat it sounded like?*

*Not really. No violence or anything, just legal and economic steps*

Somewhat relieved, Angel assured her that she would not be taking their high priced cases or violating the compromise. She wouldn't depress the market for their services, or take on anything she couldn't handle. And that she wouldn't give them a bad name.

Ms. Wilson wasn't entirely convinced, but let it go with a warning that they would be watching her. With that, she left.

Once Angel was sure she was really gone, she stopped the eCom recording. Then she downloaded a copy to her old computer and another to her tablet. Just to be on the safe side. Then she used the eCom to call Lena.

"Any plans for today?"

"I was going to visit David for a while, then do the pool. Sound good?"

"Great. How are we getting to the clinic?"

"His folks. They're going, too." Then she suddenly shifted gears. "You all right?" Her tone said that she knew Angel wasn't ok.

"N... no." She barely got the eCom disconnected and down on the table before she was curled up on the sofa, crying.

*I'll be right there.* Lena told her.

A moment later, wrapped in Lena's arms, Angel wailed "Why am I crying like this? Why do I feel this way? I never used to do that."

"Shhh. It's all right. It's just an adrenalin crash. And you're still new to being a girl. Our emotions are different. The hormones and all. You'll be ok." She held her and rocked her until the storm died down.

"I feel so weak." Angel complained.

"Of course you do. I'll go get you some pie. Just the thing for a little energy." She smiled. Making herself at home in Angel's kitchen, she served out a piece of the pie and poured a glass of milk. She took it in to Angel, and made sure she ate and drank as they talked.

"I could feel how much of a strain that conversation put on you. I was a little surprised you lasted as long as you did, after she left."

"I feel better now. Stupid, but better."

"You're not stupid. You handled her well, in a situation designed to put stress on you. And you kept it together until she was well and truly gone."

"Yeah, but..."

"Yeah, but nothing. Any girl would have collapsed that way, if she could keep it together that long in the first place. You've got nothing to feel stupid about."

"Do you think I need to redo my makeup before we go see David?" Angel joked.

"Just a little touch up or two." The irony in her voice was inescapable.

"That bad, huh?"

"That bad."

Despite the preparations, they were ready in plenty of time. David's parents were in the front seat, and the girls were in the back.

When they got to the clinic, David was in his room. He was using something that looked like a soft bristled hairbrush on his wings. "Aargh! Now I know why birds turn their heads all the way around. How can you do anything at that part of your back?"

The girls laughed, and his mother smiled. His father looked almost as puzzled as he did.

"What's so funny?"

"It's a girl thing, dear. Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it."

That set the girls off again. His mother paused a second, then blushed.

Moving on to change the subject, she asked "How are you doing, here?"

"Ok, I guess. I'm just beginning to realize how much I have to learn. Not just stuff like how to take care of my wings, but how to control my other powers and how they think the powers work. Stuff like they don't think I'll be able to make antimatter out of matter, or make or destroy subatomic particles."

"That's good, I think." His father said. "I'd rather you didn't blow up the place that way." That got a chuckle.

"It seems like I'm spending more time learning how not to use my powers than learning how to use them." David complained.

"And you will." Lena told him, firmly. "I went through that too, you know. Until you have a good handle on it, it can drive you nuts. How often do you want to walk into walls and things because your telesense is looking somewhere else?"

"And don't forget the story of King Midas." His mother reminded him. "I shudder to think what you could accidentally turn your food into."

"Urgh. I hadn't thought of that. Fun. That should help motivate me to work on not using it."

"Are you learning any fun things?" Angel asked.

"A little. One pretty cool thing seems to be a side effect of the transmutation thingy. I can look at something and get a sort of mental image of what it is like all the way down to the atomic level. It's not conscious, but I can pull out some information. Like when there is something hidden inside the thing I'm looking at. The down side is that I don't really know what I'm looking at in real world terms. I mean, I know if it's a box, or a fork, or whatever. But I can't tell whether This atom is lead or gold, or That is a molecule of water or carbon dioxide. I can understand that All These are the same as That Other, but I can't put real world names on any of it."

"I know what you mean." Angel said. "I went through the same thing with the bio stuff. I just had to spend a lot of time looking at a lot of stuff, with people telling me what it was, before I started to get the hang of it. Then I started to be able to build on it on my own, and recognize patterns. You'll get the hang of it." She took a breath. "All of it."

David understood what she meant. She could do similar things, but only to living stuff like cells and virii and the like. At least he didn't have to learn about being the opposite sex while he was learning to control and use his abilities. And like her, he could choose where to put the effort and what applications to practice when.

He had a long way to go, even after he got out of the clinic. But he would be able to do fantastic things.

They visited for a while longer, but David had to get back to his lessons in what he called the Xavier Institute.

When the girls were back home, they got ready for the pool.

When they got there, Angel grinned. "Do you guys live here, or what? Every time I come to the pool, there you are."

"Pretty much." Sherry laughed. "It's my nature. I want to be near, or in, water as much as I can. And we can't really afford our own pool."

Star was playing with the shape of her light ball, and generally enjoying the day. Robin was networking and working on her tan. Only David was missing.

Angel and Lena filled the others in on David, without going into specifics about his powers. They all got a good laugh about the middle of the upper back comment. In between bouts of swimming and diving, Angel gave Robin the promised help with her tan. Unlike Lena, she wanted some fairly specific tan lines. Angel made sure to heal any skin damage along the way, especially sun damage.

To Angel, the best part was the conversation and the bonding. A few months ago, she would never have understood that. But now she did.

A car drove past, with a superficial resemblance to the one Ms. Wilson drove. It clearly wasn't her car, but it was enough to remind her. She shuddered.

The others asked her about her reaction, and she told them about the visit. They offered support and sympathy. Robin seemed to alternate between annoyance and guilt. Angel guessed that was because of the part she played in getting her together with the doctor. Angel was careful to reassure her about that. But it did bring something to mind.

"She did bring up one point, though. She was talking about the bio elementals being exploited, sometimes by well meaning people, sometimes by others. And she was right."

Robin looked very unhappy.

"Don't look like that, Robin. Yes, the doctor exploited me to get something for his patient for less than the usual cost, and yes, you helped get us together. But so what? The point is that we're not the only ones. I have shamelessly exploited Lena, ever since we met. And to a lesser extent, she has exploited me. The school has exploited Sherry for her athletic ability. Most of us have been exploited, at some time, for our eye candy quotient."

"Yes, most of the time we've gotten something for it. I've probably saved the theater chain thousands of dollars, and gotten some toys, free food and movie passes, and a nice little paycheck that I haven't gotten yet. Lena got to benefit from my theater goodies and got a tan. Sherry gets some sort of recognition."

She stopped for a breath, and to put her next thoughts to words. "I'm not saying any of this is wrong. But it's something we should think about. Star," she turned toward Star. "How would you feel about being invited to a great party?"

"I like it. When and where?"

"Now, how would you feel if, when you got there, they just wanted you to light the place up and throw in some colored lights and such?"

"Pretty lousy. And from what you were saying, what do I get out of it?"

"You get to eat the food, listen to the music, and even talk to some of the people there. But beyond that, you're a living light fixture."

"It seems kinda one sided."

"Exactly. And that's what I'm talking about. For the rest of our lives, people are going to try to exploit us. Not an even exchange, but a one sided benefit." Robin started looking down again, and Angel continued. "Not just for out powers. Robin, you're a good looking girl. How many people want to exploit that? How many have tried? Do you have any idea how much someone could make with a porno vid of you? Or how much your looks, energy, and smarts could benefit the theater if they put you behind the counter at little more than minimum wage? This isn't about our powers. It's about us."

Sherry broke the awkward silence, with a grin. "You know, that's not a bad idea for a theme party. An Exploitation Bash. Everyone there is exploited for some aspect of the party. Star does that lighting. You do tans and stuff. Bear and I do the heavy lifting and act as bouncers. Radar does communications and the other part of security."

"That's great for you powered types. But what about the rest of us?" Robin muttered.

"Oh, don't worry hun. You've got plenty to exploit. With your money and contacts, you can get us the place for this."

"But... I..." Robin began.

"No real choice. This is Exploitation!" Sherry declared.

"What do you say, everyone? An end of the summer Exploitation Party, the Friday before School starts?"

"Party... party... party... party!" they chanted. Then cracked up.

They started putting together a list of people to invite, and what they could exploit about them. Some of the exploits were more silly than useful, like the boy known for his endowments being used for a coat rack. When they got their laughter back under control, they found another way to use him.

That evening, at dinner, she told her folks about the party. They weren't sure how they felt about the theme, but they liked the idea of her meeting more of her potential classmates before school started.

Then she told them about the visit, making sure to tell them about Lena monitoring the whole thing. Then she showed them the recording. Then they had a family discussion about it. She would have to be careful what she did in the medical arena. It was clear that their political power was as much beyond hers as their power level was.

They were not happy, especially about the implied threats. But they agreed that she handled herself well under the circumstances. But in the future, she was to contact at least one of her parents - by phone or by Lena - if something like that comes up.

"I didn't want to bother you at work."

"Go ahead and bother us for something like that. It's part of being a parent, and both of us have bosses who understand that."

Later, Angel had some time on her hands and was curious about what Ms. Wilson hadn't told her. She went online and started searching. Before too long, she had several references. They disagreed on a number of details, but agreed on one thing. When the AMA pulled their power play, the insurance industry counter punched. Basically, they said they were all for the AMA idea, but with one change. They would no longer issue malpractice insurance to any doctor who was not practicing under the supervision of a bio elemental MD.

And if any group had more lobbying muscle than the AMA, it was the insurance industry.

Recognizing that the AMA couldn't back down, most (but not all) sources claimed, the medical bio elementals offered the face saving "compromise" to the negotiators. The rest was history.

The next morning, she woke up early again. As she got ready for her work day, she realized she would need a ride to work. She also wanted to know about Lena's plans.

*Lena? You up?* she tried to be gentle.

*Barely. Had to make a bathroom run.*

*Are you coming today?*

*Do you really need me?*

*No, I don't think so. I need to find a ride, though. Any ideas?*

*Try your mom. She's still a little paranoid, and getting you there safely would make her feel better.*

*Ok. Movie today?*

*Nope, gotta pass. I need to help David some.*

*Ok. Give him my best.*

Angel went downstairs and spoke with her parents about getting a ride to work. Lena was right - her mother was still spooked about Ms. Wilson's visit and the incident with Andy's predecessor.

Angel made a note on her eCom to talk with the theater people about transportation.

After a quick breakfast, her mother took her to work. As soon as she saw the door into the theater open, she was on her way to her own job. Angel went and thumbed in, then headed up to the office. She found Mr. Moore figuratively up to his elbows in paperwork. The main real paper was a pile of envelopes.

He smiled and greeted her, then handed her an envelope. Her first paycheck. Aside from the reimbursements, it wasn't all that much. She hadn't worked many hours to begin with, and the various withholdings took a good chunk of what was there. Still, it was her pay. That was a nice feeling. It was less than she made for helping the girl, but more than the cost of a microburger or two.

The plan for the day was that she would reinspect concessions and the restrooms briefly, then go through the theaters themselves. And after that, the store rooms and other non public areas. In addition to health threats, she would look for threats to the building, such as dry rot. While it was a lot of territory to cover, it was not as detailed and most of it could be done while the theater was open.

She reminded him about needing Monday off, and he verified it was scheduled. Then she asked what she would be doing after reinspecting the first five theaters.

He told her that the other local regional offices had asked for her help with their own theaters. Over the next two weeks, she would be inspecting selected theaters in other parts of the Greater Denver Area and beyond.

She asked about transportation. He told her it would be provided. In fact, she would be going with someone from the office. Her partner would be conducting the periodic inspections of the theater paperwork that the central office insisted on.

After school started, she would be conducting brief reinspections once or twice a week, so she could spot any developing problem areas. She would also be on call, within reason, for suspected problems.

He pointed out that since the status change, she was on salary rather than on hourly pay. That would pay for the on call time and incidentals, as well as her active work time. And she would be expected to let management - at the theater or the office - know any time she noticed something untoward at one of the theaters. Even if she was only there to watch a movie. That function was not limited to her bio elemental functions. Anything that affected the patrons' experience was appropriate.

Finally, she would be expected to attend the monthly dinner meeting of managers, the first Tuesday of each month. Dress was business casual, and the company paid for the food and non alcoholic beverages. Since she was underage, that last limitation didn't really affect her.

She started with the bathrooms, since she really wanted to get them done before too many employees - much less the public - got there. One of the urinals apparently had a small leak, since there was a slowly spreading mildew patch on the wall by the bottom. She took a couple of pictures and moved on. Everything else was in reasonably good shape.

She was relieved to see that the ladies' rooms were in good shape as well. A couple were a little short on paper supplies, but that was something they regularly watched for.

The concessions area was in good shape. Just the usual low level stuff that the morning wipe down should handle. The storage areas were mostly good.

The key word was "mostly".

End Part 8

Angel's Tale: A MORFS Universe Story By Joreymay

Angel really earns her microburgers. Closer to home, she works her "magic" on parents and learns her way around the school. And she actually gets to spend some time with family and friends.

Part 9

The concessions area was in good shape. Just the usual low level stuff that the morning wipe down should handle. The storage areas were mostly good.

The key word was "mostly". One case of HealthyBites chips struck her as wrong. When she opened the case and checked a bag, she understood why. It was contaminated. She used her eCom to call Mr. Moore in and started checking other cases more carefully. She found one more bad box of the chips, just as the manager arrived.

She told him about her findings. She said that it was unlikely anyone would actually die from the food poisoning, but they could get pretty sick. He checked the cases and found they were from the same lot number. He used his own eCom to take a picture of the label on the case, and called the corporate office. Normally, he would call the regional chain office that he reported to, but this was urgent.

He was glad it was a weekday, and the full staff would be there. He told them about the problem, and sent them the label picture. He also made it a point to credit Angel for the discovery. That wouldn't exactly hurt his own career, since he was known to be the one who brought her onboard for that purpose.

Word quickly went out to all the company's theaters, throughout the State. And to the offices of other parts of the company. With luck, the cases would be pulled before any were opened or, worse, sold. The good news was that it was part of a shipment that arrived the previous evening, so most would have been safely stored away.

While he knew that the central office would contact the company that made the tainted treats, he decided to call the local distribution company to let them know directly. He was frustrated to have to leave voice mail messages at both of his contact numbers.

While he was doing that, Angel finished her inspection of the supplies and moved on to the theaters themselves. She noticed the traces of mold blowing in through the vents. She also found some problem areas at the front, by the floor. She guessed that the active areas were fed by spilled drinks, etc. flowing downhill over time. She found similar problems in the places where the stadium seating ended, and the flat seating began. Finally, she found several problems around the trash cans just outside the theater doors. The problems were mostly on the walls, making her suspect that the floors were cleaned regularly and relatively well.

She took pictures of everything, transferred them to her tablet, and used the graphics package to enhance and otherwise highlight the problem areas. By the time she was about halfway through the process, the theater had opened and she was working around a stream of early moviegoers. She retreated to the office to finish the graphics and notes, then went looking for the manager.

She waited as he explained some procedure to a ticket seller, involving drink boxes and the kiddy matinee. When he was free, she showed him her findings. He asked her about the danger level from the blowing mold and spores, and she said it probably wasn't too serious. Sensitive people might become uncomfortable, and allergic people might have a reaction. Unlike the tainted chips, it was not an emergency.

He acknowledged the rest, and told her to write up her report and send it to the office. Then he rushed off to investigate an apparently angry young mother.

While she was working on her report, Angel reflected that her job was reminding her more and more of school. And that set off a train of thought, running from school, to the exploitation party, to Robin and the others.

She decided to take a break and call Robin. She was, as usual, at the pool. Angel asked whether she'd like to catch a movie with her at the Chinese in a little bit, after she was done with her work there. Robin happily accepted and, in response to a gentle hint, offered Angel a ride home after the show.

Robin was happy for the free movie and refreshments, but was happier for the invitation. She was afraid that Angel blamed her for the visit from the angry elemental, for getting her in trouble. But the more they talked, the clearer it was that she didn't.

Robin was especially glad that Angel didn't act superior to unchanged people, the way some morfs did. With David changed, she was the only one in their little group who hadn't changed. Yet.

She knew she would. It was inevitable. Her mother had. All her closest friends had. Most of her cousins had. But how would she change? Would she become powerful? An exotic beauty? A boy? She shuddered at that last thought. Even a halfie would be better. Her cousin Lynn had become a halfie. Other than the frequency with which people suggested she do something that was impossible for most people, and the problems with the lines of some clothes, she had adapted well.

But there was Angel, asking what she would want to become if she did change. When she did change. And the only thing she could think to say was "a friend." She was not really a lonely person. She had a lot of school friends, and her little circle of close friends. And unlike some of those friends, she still had both parents. She just... needed people. Friends, especially.

Angel was a little puzzled by Robin. She was well liked, well to do, and well provided for with looks and brains. But she seemed to have what Angel's mother called "self esteem issues." She just wasn't as sure of herself as she sometimes seemed, or as she deserved.

But Angel knew there were limits to what she could do for people. A point her recent visitor drove home with some force. If anyone could help her, it was Lena. And if Lena hadn't done so, there must be a reason. So the only thing left was to be a good friend. Accepting her, appreciating her, for who and what she was.

When she was dropped off at home, Angel went up to take a shower and get ready for dinner. She really wanted to get out of her work clothes, and into something more comfortable. And a shower sounded wonderful.

While she was finishing her shower, the water pressure dropped. She figured that her mother had gotten home with the same idea. She quickly finished and shut off the shower.

She dried off and dressed. Then she went downstairs and played a game on her tablet. When her mother got there a few minutes later, she had a large envelope in her hands.

She gave it to Angel, saying "Here is your class schedule and some things you'll need for your orientation on Monday. If you have any questions, Lena and your other friends can probably answer them. You will have a chance to change your schedule after the orientation, but the classes are pretty full."

Before Angel could reply, her father walked in. She was happy that he would make it to the dinner, and even happier that she noticed him coming in. That made it more likely that the other day was a fluke.

He had more good news. He had the entire weekend off. He finally had things running well enough that the weekend staff could handle almost anything that would come up, and the on call staff could handle virtually anything else.

Virtually.

The way things had been going the last couple of weeks, that one little word made Angel nervous.

*Paranoid much?* Lena teased.

*Just realistic. Whacha up to?*

*Frantic last minute cleaning. We have some important guests coming to dinner tonight, and Mom wants to make a good impression.*

*Need any help?*

*That would kinda defeat the purpose, y'know?*

*Good point. See ya soon.*

"Darn it!" Angel's mother seemed only mildly upset, but she decided to investigate anyway.

"What's the problem?"

"It's these new wrinkles. I still haven't gotten the hang of compensating for them when I do my makeup."

"You know," Angel began. "I could get rid of them for you."

"What?"

"I can get rid of your wrinkles. I can fix any part of your skin that you want. You want the skin of a teenager, I can give it to you."

"Uh, no thanks! At my age, the last thing I need is to battle acne again."

"Ok, early twenties. And no acne. What do you think?"

"Can you get everything?"

"No. You have some stuff going on with your facial muscles, and I can't reach those. But I can do your skin. Just take a minute or two. Want me to do it?"

She was tempted. She hated the things age did to her skin, and couldn't afford the high end treatments to do something about it. "Ok. If it won't be too much strain."

Angel snorted. "Hardly. I've done a lot more and barely noticed it. You might want to take your makeup off first, so you can see what it looks like."

Taking a wipe sheet in hand, her mother cleaned her face with practiced ease. Without her makeup, the face in the mirror looked middle aged and worn. And a little plain. Angel had her close her eyes and lean her head back a little. As she ran her hands slowly over her face and down her neck, she felt a warm tingling, and a sort of flutter. Before she really had a handle on the feeling, Angel was asking her to open her eyes.

The change was dramatic. It was clearly her face, but different. The lines were gone, her skin was tighter in a good way, and her face seemed to glow. There were still some signs of the aging, in the slight sag of some muscles, but the effect was still remarkable.

When she put her hand up to her face, the contrast was remarkable. She started to frown, then quickly caught herself. Just a fraction too late.

"You know, I could do your hands and arms, too. No extra charge." Angel grinned.

"In for a penny, I guess. Are you sure?"

Angel took that hand and ran her own over it, front and back. Then she moved up her arm, cupping her hands into a sort of cuff to get all sides at once. Soon she was at her shoulder. She let her compare hands and arms. Again, the difference was striking. Without comment, she smiled and held out her other hand.

While she was working on it, Angel got a mischievous gleam in her eye. "You know, mom, I could do your whole body. Give Daddy a thrill."

Her mother gulped. "I... I think we'd best take this a little at a time." She never quite got rid of the stretch marks from carrying Angel, and from nursing him. She was always a little self conscious about that. And a few unsightly scars she picked up through the years. But did she really want to get rid of them? They told the story of her motherhood, and of exciting events in her younger days. She would have to think about that.

"Thank you, Angel. That was a wonderful thing to do. How are you doing?"

"That was nothing. Once I got the right feel, it took almost no effort. I really could do your entire body and hardly notice it. When I gave Lena her full body tan, it mostly took a little effort because I was fixing a sunburn and a lot of longer term skin damage. And even then, it didn't take much. I only overextended myself when I was healing Robin's scar, and that was because I tried to go too deep."

"What about the little girl?"

"Different problem. Normally, when I'm healing, I draw partly from my own energy and partly from the other person's. With her, I had to be careful not to do that. I was more exhausted from the effort of keeping myself away from her energy than from the healing itself."

"That's good to know. Thank you again, but now I need to get ready to go."

Angel went back downstairs, to join her father in front of the tube.

"Everything all right up there?" he asked.

"Fine. Just arranging a little surprise." she grinned.

She surreptitiously studied his face. Now that she was looking, she could easily see the effects of age on his face. It would be trivial for her to fix it. But for men, such aging is not so much of a bad thing. In his position at work, he was an authority figure. He directed and coordinated the efforts of a number of other people, who sometimes didn't get along very well. His age helped give him that air of authority. She would have to be careful.

*It's safe to come over now.* came the amused thought.

*We'll be there in a few.* Angel replied. "Mom! It's about time to go!"

"You two ready to go?" came the answer.

Angel looked at her father. He shrugged. He was just as happy going over there in his work clothes. He had already washed his face and hands. And he had been there before, without changing.

"Looks like it." he called up to her. Then he noticed she was coming downstairs. She saw him, and shook her head in one of her "what am I going to do with you?" gestures, then shrugged and smiled.

He saw the look she gave him, then did a double take. There was something different about her. About her face and hands, and even her arms. His confusion must have shown, because his wife and daughter broke into a brief spate of laughter. Then they turned to leave.

On the way to the door, Angel grabbed the envelope with her schedule in it. She wanted to go over it with Lena before Monday.

They were exuberantly greeted at the door by Lena's mom. Once they were inside, they were introduced to her father. He was a pleasant man, a little younger than Angel's father, with thinning brown and gray hair and just the beginnings of a beer belly. Like Angel's father, he was dressed in a working suit. Unlike Angel's father, he had the jacket unbuttoned and was without a tie. In fact, the top button of his shirt was undone.

"I see I'm overdressed," Angel's father joked. He took off his tie, and put it in a pocket of his coat. From the others' reactions, the scene was not uncommon. And they were quite comfortable with it.

While the adults talked over appetizers and drinks, Angel pulled out her schedule to show Lena.

"Any advice?"

"Actually, it looks pretty good. Were you really in all that AP stuff back at your other school?"

Angel just nodded and shrugged.

"Mrs. Veng is one of those teachers you really like or really don't. She is a tough grader, but scrupulously fair. And she generally allows some extra credit. The rest are ok, from what I've seen. None of them have a thing for or against morfs, except for things like the extra work they have to do when I'm in their class."

Angel put away her papers, then took up the conversation mentally. *How's David doing?*

"David's doing well," Lena replied out loud. "He needs to work on control, and he was getting frustrated with his attempts to micromanage his powers. I told him about your dream."

They were called in to dinner. As they walked in to the dining room, Angel asked "Which one?"

"The centipede," she replied, pulling out a chair for Angel.

Dinner was nice. Angel's parents had brought a bottle of wine as a traditional house gift, and the adults were all having some with dinner. The girls were not. Angel wasn't all that upset about that. She had tried a little again after her transformation. She didn't like it any more than she had before the change. If anything, she liked it a little less.

The wine inspired talk among the adults about drunken antics. That set Angel to wondering: with her power, could she neutralize the effects of alcohol in her system? It would probably take concentration, which would be impaired unless she could keep it from affecting her in the first place.

*That would be pretty cool, though.* Lena thought at her. *No worries about some guy trying to get you drunk to get into your pants.*

Angel couldn't help herself. *Too late. A guy already got into my pants.*

Lena looked startled, then caught on. *Your former self doesn't count!*

"Lena! You know it's rude to have mental conversations at the table. Especially with company." her father gently scolded.

"Sorry, dad." Lena turned back to Angel. "So, did the Midol help?" she asked, with mock concern.

"Not as much as I would have liked. But I'm going to see if I can use my powers to make it shorter or something." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lena's father shake his head, smiling.

Angel's mother didn't bat an eye. "If you succeed, dear, don't mention it to the other girls. It could make you very unpopular. Especially among the girls who are on when you say it."

The other adults laughed in agreement.

*Oh, well. It was worth a try.* Lena grinned.

"So, seen any good movies lately?" Angel asked, changing the subject pointedly. She wondered if she was the only one actually embarrassed by the unsuccessful attempt to throw their parents.

Over dessert, the subject of age and youth in the workplace came up. Lena's mother laughed that she didn't have to worry about it. She "and a couple of other wrinkled old bats" ran an online business, selling camping accessories. Her husband, who was in marketing at the company Angel's father worked for, complained that the men in his department were more youth oriented - and vain - than the women. And that he had already seen younger looking men get promoted over older looking ones, independent of their actual ages. It was supposed to be illegal and against company policy, but it happened anyway.

His wife commented that maybe Angel's mother could share her secret. She had dropped years in a couple of days.

"Er... that would be me." Angel volunteered. She described using her elemental powers to restore her mother's skin, and the way she'd fixed Lena's skin. She saw a conflicted look grow on Lena's father's face.

*He really wants it, but it's not that simple for him. It would be a violation of hospitality to ask, and he's afraid of looking vain.*

"Here, let me show you what I mean." Angel offered. She got up and moved behind him. "May I?" she asked him. He looked at his wife, who smiled encouragingly, then he nodded.

She went over his face and neck, describing what she was doing. First, she just did the skin. Then she went through and rejuvenated the hair follicles of his beard. Finally, she went over his scalp, rejuvenating his hair there, as well. Then she moved to his hands and arms. She made sure to ask about his scars, but he didn't want to keep them. When she was done, he looked like he was in his late twenties or early thirties.

She thanked him for his help, and he thanked her. He commented that a lot of people in marketing and entertainment would pay a small fortune for such treatments. That got Angel wondering.

"Lena, when you morfed, did a lot of people suggest ways you could make a lot of money or build a career?"

"They still do. Legitimate ones, like law enforcement and private security or psychotherapy, and less legal ones like insider trading and blackmail. I think a lot of us get that."

"You have to decide what you want to do with your life." Lena's mother put in. "You have a lot of options. But so do most reasonably healthy and intelligent people your age. In your case, you can choose to use your powers to make a living. Or you can use them on the side and do something unrelated. A lot of morfs do things completely unrelated to their powers."

"One option you both have," Angel's father added. "Is to use your powers to help pay your way through college. A good education will go a long way toward helping you get where you want to go. Even if you want to follow a career based on your powers."

That conversation hit Angel where she lived. When she was a boy, she had just started thinking about what she wanted to do. She took it for granted that she would go to college, but had no idea about a major. Much less a career. Over the summer, her goals were just to learn to be a girl, and to build her control of her elemental abilities. She hadn't really thought past the beginning of school.

*They're talking to you.*

Angel shook herself. "Sorry," she blushed. "I just got lost in some thoughts."

Her mother smiled. "We were just saying that you didn't really have to make up your mind right away. It's just something to think about. But you should choose some shorter term goals. They can help you choose among the opportunities you have."

The girls cleared the table while the adults moved to the living room for more talk. At first, Lena's mother didn't want Angel to help - she was a guest, after all. But she gave in when Angel pointed out it would give them a chance to talk in relative privacy.

The two girls agreed that they had no idea what they wanted to do with their lives. But that didn't stop them from throwing around outrageous ideas. They debated which of them would make the best prostitute. They decided it was Lena, but Angel would be a close second. They agreed that neither of them wanted to run the country, much less the world.

It was silly, fun, and relaxing. Angel was almost sorry to go home. But she had work in the morning, so she needed her sleep. Especially given the fact that she would be facing the manager she thought of as the martinet. And would be doing so without Lena.

Wanting to do some shopping, Angel's mother drove her to the theater. She asked Angel to call her on her "plain, ordinary cell" when she was ready to be picked up. Angel had a good chuckle over her mother's overacting, but promised to call using her using her "fancy, high tech eCom."

When Angel arrived at the theater, she struck a balance. She was polite, but not deferential. She treated him as a peer, but one worthy of human respect. And one with whom she was not personally close. She had done it as a boy, but she found it more difficult as a girl.

Mostly, she concentrated on what she was there for.

While he didn't try to dominate her for more than a few moments, he did hover over her shoulder. It made her uncomfortable, and she suspected that was deliberate.

"Since the office wants more details, I work a little differently now. I'll take pictures of the problem areas, enhance them to indicate the affected areas, then send you the results. That frees you up for your other duties while I work."

When he didn't take the hint, she decided that, too, was deliberate. If he wanted head games, she would give him head games.

The problem areas she had found before were well scrubbed and disinfected. He might be a pain in the ass, she thought, but he does take such things seriously.

She decided to return the mind game favor, and started taking a lot of pictures. She also muttered things like "oh, my," and "Hmmm." When he tried asking what she saw, she just said it would be in the report.

Eventually, the stress seemed to get to him and he wandered away. She finished her reinspection, finding nothing more than the routine stuff. Aside from a few shots she decided she liked for artistic reasons, she deleted most of the pictures she had taken.

She moved on to the store rooms. She noted that none of the suspect lot of cases were there, and again found little to concern her. There was a bloom in one corner that could indicate some sort of leak above the room or behind the wall, so she got a good picture of it. Looking in the other areas, she was impressed. Even the employee refrigerator was clean.

In the theaters themselves, she found some of the same problems as at the Chinese. She suspected he hadn't had time to read or react to those reports. She documented the problems, and got on with her work.

When she finished her rounds, she took a seat in the break room. She downloaded the pictures to her tablet, then enhanced them. Putting the pictures together in a report, she made it a point to praise his effectiveness in dealing with the earlier problems. Then she added her notes about the new problems, saved the report, and sent it to his computer.

She went to find him, and let him off the hook. She said the reinspection went fine, and the problems she found were small but long term. She also told him that her report was on his system, and asked whether there was anything else he wanted her to look at. He asked her to check out his office.

She went up to the office, and was unsurprised to find two cartons of the suspect chips there. She checked the labels against her tablet, and verified they were the same lot. Both had the "wrong" feeling when she checked them.

There were some problems with the wall behind his desk. There was a vent there, but it wasn't just that. The scattered growths indicated some sort of moisture in the wall from time to time. While she was looking over the problem, she realized that the store room with the bloom was right downstairs from the office. She took more pictures, enhanced them, and sent him the secondary report. At a guess, there might be some leaks in the roof or something.

After another brief conversation with him, she thumbed out, called her mother, and headed out the door into a beautiful day.

They decided that a nice day like that called for a picnic. On the way home, Angel called her dad and told him the plan. He agreed that it sounded good, and said he would start getting things ready. On the way home, mother and daughter discussed where to have it. Angel knew of some nice places in the State Park, near Pope Hill, and suggested them. They were an easy walk from home, and the setting was nice.

After a pleasant walk, they found themselves at some shaded tables. Technically, it was a group site, but nobody was using it just then, and the screen didn't indicate any reservations for the day.

Angel was puzzled by a sort of half ball under the stand barbeque, until her father explained it was a solar assist cooker. During the day, the large round reflector loosely focused the sunlight on some rocks under the grill, heating them up. The heat from the rocks was then used to cook the food. There was a sort of shutter arrangement that allowed some control of the heat. Angel had heard of them, but never really seen one. She had even seen stuff in the store that you could sprinkle on the rocks to help flavor the stuff being cooked.

He went on to tell her that people had used such things as a novelty since the middle of the Twentieth Century, but they started getting popular in State and Federal parks because they reduced fire dangers and pollution.

After briefly using the supplied wire brush to clean off the grill, Angel disinfected it in her own way before they started cooking. It being "outdoor cooking", Chef Dad was in charge of heating the meat. Angel didn't quite know what it was, but hot dogs and brats cooked outside just tasted better than those cooked inside. Even if the cooking seemed identical.

While they were generally enjoying themselves, Angel pointed out Pope Hill and mentioned the reason for the name. Then, for the heck of it, she told them about the supposed "something" there - something that both Lena and David said they had encountered. She mentioned the idea of morfed prairie dogs, and that of some kind of supernatural presence. Then she said that, if nothing else, it was a good local story and fun to speculate about.

When they got home, they decided that a swim would be nice. They changed, and walked over to the pool. After Angel introduced her parents to Sherry, Robin and Star, they went to sun and swim while she talked.

Star showed her the new trick she worked on. Not only could she move both hands under the light ball and keep it stable, but she could change the color of the light . And she could make the ball float up and down a few inches.

Angel was suitably impressed, particularly at the effort Star was putting into her practice and learning. To Angel, that was important.

About half an hour after Angel arrived, Lena showed up. She looked tired, but satisfied.

*David's learned a new trick.* she grinned.

*And that is...?*

*He can do the transformation thing from where he has his telesense, rather than from where his body is. For the moment, they seem tied together, but it feels to me like he can move them separately. If he can, that would be pretty powerful.*

*He is SO going to be a useful part of the Pope Hill Project. Any idea when he gets sprung?*

As though catching their conversation, Sherry came up to them. "Hey, Radar! Any word about when David joins the land of the livid?"

"He should be home in time for the party." Lena answered. "How's the guest list coming?"

"Fifteen and counting. We need some adults to exploit, too. In theory, as chaperones. In practice...?" She shrugged.

They rejoined the group. Robin reported that she was working on a place for the party. But she said it would be easier if she had some idea how big a group they were looking at.

Sherry replied that it would be easier for her if they knew how much room they'd have. They could easily get thirty to forty guests, including adults.

That evening, they went to a nearby international buffet her father had found. They had everything from cheeseburgers to sushi, and a few things Angel didn't recognize at all. Angel allowed her appetite full rein, much to her mother's dismay and her father's amusement.

She was also happy to see that the desserts were as varied as the entrees and sides. All told, it was a wonderful meal.

Angel made sure her body did what she wanted with the (considerable) excess calories and such... mostly, dumping them unabsorbed.

When they got home, they watched the tube a little before getting ready for bed. Angel enjoyed the unhindered family time.

Just for variety, Angel's father took her to work on Sunday morning. When she was done, she would call home and one of her parents would pick her up.

As they arrived, Angel was amused to see a truck from a commercial vent cleaning company pull away. Apparently, Andy had taken her report to heart.

Inside, he welcomed her with a smile. She went and thumbed in, then they talked a few minutes before she went to work. She didn't envy him his task. He'd had to borrow some staff to make up for the defections, and hire in some longer term replacements. He had to put a good public face on the quiet investigation. There was a lot of deferred maintenance to be taken care of, and substandard supplies to be replaced.

It turned out that there was another secret room, with looted supplies and the like. Both rooms had been cleaned out, and the false walls removed. While she was there, Andy especially wanted her to give them a look.

Her runs through the restrooms and concessions area turned up remarkably few problems, and those were the minor, unavoidable ones. When she started on the theaters, she noticed some accumulation around the vent outlets. She suspected something similar was at the previous theaters, but had been masked by the blowing biota.

There were signs of intensive cleaning in the areas she had targeted at the other two theaters, and little to no sign of contamination. The location of the secret room she had discovered had been well cleaned, but still needed some work. She took pictures and notes.

The main store room was a disaster. Several boxes of snacks were at least partially contaminated. It didn't take her long to find the reason: holes chewed in the boxes. Parts of the floor had mouse droppings, and there were some paths of contamination across the floor. There were at least two holes in the wall, and she suspected one or two more behind some stacks which were too heavy for her to move.

She took a lot of pictures, made a lot of notes, and then went to find Andy.

He didn't like the look on her face. He hadn't known Angel all that long, but he considered her a friend. And had reason to think she reciprocated. So when she came to him with that combination of anger, disgust, and regret, he knew she had found something bad. They adjourned to his office, and she spelled it out.

They could probably salvage most of the supplies, but he would have to empty the room, clean and disinfect it thoroughly, and carefully inspect each snack from every compromised box. He would have to dispose of any that showed even a hint of damage.

It would cost his theater a fortune in pay and spoilage. On his watch. That couldn't be good for his career.

He had another option. He took a somewhat higher loss on the snacks, and just chucked the compromised cases entirely. He would fall short until he got some replacements, and it would add to the temporary sea of red in the accounts, but it was safer.

He also scored some points with his employees. He took them to his office, in ones and twos, and told them what he was going to do. Then he told them that the cases would be made available for scavenging after closing time, and warned them to carefully avoid any individual servings that had even a hint of damage. He hinted that Angel had found some sort of nasty disease around some of the mouse nibbles. He also warned them not to spread stories around about it.

He called the ones who weren't on shift that day, and told them the same thing.

At Angel's suggestion, he called Little Bear (who he knew) and Otter to see if they would help shift the load in exchange for passes and snacks. And salvage rights. Bear happily accepted. Otter couldn't come in the morning, because of some church and family stuff. But she was free in the afternoon.

Angel knew just enough about the real world to assure Andy that she had no idea that he might be breaking labor laws or company policy with that quick and dirty temporary recruitment. And that it was none of her business, anyway. She could see the light bulb go on, and figured Andy was in for some interesting fiddling of the already hopelessly compromised books.

He asked her to hang around until he and Bear could get some things moved, so she could find the other mouse holes. He suggested she take in a movie while she waited. So, popcorn in hand, she sat in one of the theaters "carefully inspecting" the animated feature she had been wanting to see (but had been afraid to be seen doing so).

Relaxed and entertained, she went back to work. She had access to all four walls, and much of the floor, by then. She found and photographed the other unauthorized entrances.

She had thought of an idea. She thought about the mice, and strained to perceive any of them. When she found some, she let her mind take in the information, then asked her mind to find a way to repel the pests from the room.

She found herself taking a bag of veggie chips from one of the compromised cases. One by one, she took chips out of the bag, did "something" to them with her hand, then placed them in the openings. She added notes to the report about what she had done, then sent it to Andy and headquarters.

She went and found him, and let him know about the chips and the report.

When she was finished there, she called home. Her father was still in the area, and would pick her up shortly.

When he got there, she offered to treat him to a movie, but he had other plans. He had put off a number of routine repairs since he moved in, and he intended to get some of them done. He also had an ulterior motive.

When they got home and Angel changed, he started assigning her tasks in the same way that he had before she changed. When her mother asked him about it, within earshot of Angel, he claimed that he just wanted to be sure she could still handle tools.

Later, when he was sure he was alone with his wife, he admitted to a deeper motive. He wanted to remind Angel, at a deep level, that her new powers were not the only way she could accomplish things. That she was still a fully functional human being, rather than some kind of transcendent elemental. And that her sex change had not robbed her of any of the knowledge and skills she had as a boy.

"Boy or girl, man or woman, she's going to have to be able to look after herself. Our son was well on his way, competent on everything from cooking to simple repairs. I don't want our daughter to lose ground on any of that."

While Angel didn't know any of that, she did know a certain satisfaction from working with her hands, and getting things done. She heard what her father had said about handling tools, and it was satisfying to find out that she still had those skills. After weeks of concentrating on learning to be a girl and working on her elemental side, it was surprisingly relaxing to work with her hands in the old, familiar ways.

While they were working, her mother prepared a dinner of good old fashioned comfort foods. She knew they would be tired and hungry when they finished. And she was right.

Conversation at dinner was light. They asked Angel whether she was ready for the orientation the next day, and talked about what they expected for the upcoming week. And about a whole lot of nothing in particular.

That night, before she went to bed, she looked through her orientation materials. In addition to the regular rules, there was an entire booklet of rules for morfs. Everything from grooming standards for fur and feathers to the use of projected power. Pretty much the same idea as the regular rules - look reasonably neat and decent, do what you're told (within reason), don't cheat, don't disrupt classes or activities, and don't damage school property or people. All said with a lot of words and specifics. Some particularly applied to Lena and other telepaths, expanding on issues of cheating and personal privacy. Likewise for telesensors like David.

She laughed when she saw that flying in the halls was treated the same as running in the halls.

Pretty much the only thing that she had to be aware of for herself is that if she got caught deliberately giving someone a disease or the like, she would be in trouble. That wasn't really spelled out, but it was clear enough.

Physically enhanced morfs would undergo testing at orientation or at the beginning of school. Another thing for David to look forward to. Luckily, she didn't qualify.

Trying to think ahead, she suddenly realized that how she dressed would make a big difference. And that she would essentially have two first days at school to make good or bad impressions. For better or worse, the teachers, administration, and her fellow students would all judge her on how she was dressed and groomed on those two days. Dressing too well would be as bad as dressing too casually.

She gave silent vent to her frustration.

*Hey! Keep it down!*

*Sorry.*

*What's the crisis, anyway?*

*Trying to figure out what to wear to orientation tomorrow.*

*And?*

*Trying to get a handle on how I want the teachers and students to see me.*

*What'd you do at your old school?*

*Wore slacks and a polo shirt to orientation, then my good jeans and a button shirt my first day."

*Oh, yeah. I forgot. If you want, you can do pretty much the same. A nice skirt and a polo shirt for orientation, and your denim skirt and a nice blouse for first day. That would be suitably ambiguous.*

*And what would that say?*

*It's more what it wouldn't say. It would shout that you're not a fashionista or a neogoth, and would more quietly add that you are not a super, a slob, or someone making any kind of obvious statement.*

*I guess that'll do. Thanks*

*Sure. Now hush. I'm just getting to the good part!*

Now all she had to do was match up a suitable skirt and polo combination. She remembered laughing about the idea of girls going through all that thought and agony over what to wear, back in the old days. Now that it was her, it didn't seem quite so funny.

She settled on her navy skirt and cream polo, then had to go through the whole thing again with her shoes. She decided on sandals on bare feet. It was still summer, after all.

In the morning, she got up extra early and took special care getting ready. Washing, hair, makeup (still far from her favorite thing), clothes - everything seemed especially important. A part of her was puzzled. It was just a student orientation. What was the big deal? The rest of her seemed to say "It just is. Live with it."

Her parents insisted she have a good breakfast that morning, reminding her that it would be a long time until lunch. They had the radio on, so her father could hear the traffic reports before he left. Angel was surprised to hear a news report about some people getting sick the day before and blaming a movie theater for it. It was not one of the theaters in her chain, she noted with relief. The report went on to say that there had been other such reports in the region that weekend, and that the snack maker she had reported to her office had issued a region wide recall for that lot of chips. For a company that relied on an image of healthy foods, it was a severe blow.

Her mother drove her to school on her way to work. After wishing her well, she drove away.

The orientation would start in the theater, and her mother had dropped her off at the backstage doors. Those were closed and locked, but it didn't take her long to walk around to the open doors into the building. In the lobby of the theater, there were tables for signing in, arranged by last name. She signed in, and got a packet of information with her name on it. She had some time to kill, so she looked through the packet. There was an updated schedule for the morning, some duplicates of sheets she had in her earlier information packet, a copy of her class schedule, and a sheet describing the mentor program.

During the orientation, they would each have a student in their own class paired up with them. That student would help find places, talk about opportunities and activities, and generally answer questions about the school from the student point of view.

Angel's mentor was Robin. She suspected her mother's hand in that.

She went into the theater, and found where Robin was sitting, waiting for her. They still had some time before it would start, so they talked. It turned out that the volunteer mentors could request a specific newbie. Angel silently offered up an apology to her mother for her earlier suspicions.

Angel hadn't been aware that Robin was an honor student, and active in several clubs. She was exactly the kind of "good influence" they tried to recruit for mentors and the like. Angel liked her before, but now she was impressed with her. Robin shrugged it off as a combination of good genes and good habits.

Angel also appreciated the balance in Robin's life. She put a lot of time and effort into school, but made sure to take time for things she liked doing. She didn't really fit in any of the usual stereotypes.

The festivities started with introductions of some key faculty and staff members, and a welcoming speech from the principal. When she was done talking, there was a video about the school, and student life there. Angel was surprised to see some familiar faces in the film, like Sherry doing a bit at the indoor pool and talking about being a morf at the school. She was less surprised to see the end credits, which listed both David and Robin as having worked on the script and filming.

Robin told her it was a class project for their Media Production class, and that they had a lot of fun doing it. She promised to show her some of the outtakes sometime.

After the video, there was some more talking. Angel was not surprised to hear that the school took a dim view of harassment, especially that between morfs and the unchanged, and between different religious groups. There were some general references to incidents which should not be repeated.

Finally, they were sent off to find their classrooms and have a brief talk from each teacher. On the way, Robin pointed out the sights and answered Angel's questions. In one answer, she told Angel about some clashes a few years earlier, between some abusive "pures" and some obnoxious "supers". The pures had apparently been fired up by a guest speaker at their local church, and were set on "driving the evil ones" from the school. A few of the more powerful, and less patient, morfs counterattacked. The results were messy. Nobody was killed, but several people - mostly innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire - were hospitalized.

After that, and similar incidents at other schools, the harassment policies were tightened up.

Most of the classes were in four major buildings. It was not unusual for new students to be scheduled in such a way that they would have a class at one end of the campus followed by one at the opposite end, followed by one near the first one, and so on. Robin called it "hidden PE", and pointed out that it was a real pain in bad weather. Especially when there was significant snow on the ground.

In an open area near the middle of the school stood what looked like an ancient one room schoolhouse. Largely because it WAS an ancient one room schoolhouse. Robin told her that it was the first school in the district, and was more than a hundred and fifty years old.

There were some recruiting tables from various clubs in some hallways. Robin commented that there were a lot more of them during freshman orientation, but many of the clubs thought there weren't enough people in the transfer orientation to bother with.

Everywhere they went, Robin was greeted in a friendly way, usually by name. She commented that in a school with more than four thousand students, it was easy to be lost or unnoticed. She wasn't quite sure why so many people seemed to know her and like her, but she accepted it.

Angel was surprised to see that several of the teachers were obvious morfs. She didn't quite know why she was surprised, but she was. When she thought about it, she could remember a number of morf teachers at her old school, but had never paid much attention to it.

By the end of the morning, Angel thought she had a pretty good handle on the situation. She knew the first few real days would still be confusing, but that was par for the course.

After the orientation, Robin took Angel around to the fast food places near the school, describing their varying attitudes toward students and the groups that tended to go there. Some of the places were pretty much take out only, but you could comm your order in ahead of time, pick it up at a prearranged time, and be back on campus in plenty of time for a leisurely meal. Robin demonstrated by ordering them a couple of personal pizzas, then winding their tour over to the pizza parlor just in time for the food to be ready. They walked back over to the school, and sat on a bench there to enjoy their feast.

After that, they started walking home together. It was not too far, and they lived in the same neighborhood.

As they took a well worn shortcut through a corner of the State Park, Angel stopped so suddenly that Robin ran into her, and they nearly fell down. When Robin started to ask what was up, Angel just held up her hand.

*Angel! Don't go home yet!* Lena sent her.

*Why?*

*The police are on their way to talk with you. They think you are involved with something very bad. A kidnapping, I think.*

End Part 9

Angel's Tale: A MORFS Universe Story
By Joreymay

Angel has a confrontation with the police. Radar has a boyfriend. Angel has more work to do. And the party plans are coming together.

Part 10

As they took a well worn shortcut through a corner of the State Park, Angel stopped so suddenly that Robin ran into her, and they nearly fell down. When Robin started to ask what was up, Angel just held up her hand.

*Angel! Don't go home yet!* Lena sent her.

*Why?*

*The police are on their way to talk with you. They think you are involved with something very bad. A kidnapping, I think.*

*How do you know?*

*Cassie warned me, so I took a quick mental peek and called you. They're close.*

*Contact my mother and let her know. I won't go until you get back to me.*

She filled Robin in, assuring her that she was not involved in anything like that. Then they waited.

*Your mother is on her way home. So is a lawyer she contacted through me. I'll let you know when they get there.*

*Thanks.*

Robin walked with her to the edge of the park, then Angel told her that she probably didn't want to get mixed up in all that. She agreed, and headed home alone.

A few minutes later, Lena told her that her mother had arrived. Angel started walking home. Lena told her that the police had arrived and were asking her mother about her. As she approached the house, a familiar car pulled up. David's father got out and spoke briefly with her mother. Then he turned to the police.

When she got within earshot, Angel heard "...the young lady's lawyer. And I hereby notify you that these proceedings are being monitored by Helena Morgan, a registered telepath."

"What does Radar have to do with this?" Asked the female officer.

"You have not specified the nature of your business here, so I cannot properly answer that. However, she does have a personal interest, as a friend and neighbor of the young lady."

Angel noted the difference in the way he talked. This was not the informal, pleasant father of a friend who had made her the pendant. He was every inch the lawyer. She found that reassuring.

"Angel O'Connor?" the male officer asked her.

"That's me. What's up?" her attempt at a casual response was tinged with genuine curiosity and a little apprehension.

"We would like to ask you a few questions. What can you tell us about Elizabeth Wilson?"

"Who?" Angel glanced at her lawyer, who was wearing a neutral expression.

"A bio elemental, and officer of an organization of bio elementals."

"Oh. Betty Wilson." another glance, still a neutral expression. "Not much. She came to see me last Thursday. We talked, and then she left. Why?"

*Lena, ask David's father whether I should volunteer the fact that I recorded the visit.*

*He says not yet.*

"Please let us ask the questions here, Miss O'Connor."

"It was a reasonable question, officer." her lawyer interjected. "What is your interest in the woman?"

"She has been reported missing." the officer was looking directly at Angel as he said that.

*He thinks you had something to do with that.*

Angel reacted with unfeigned surprise. "When?"

The officer ignored her question. "When did you last see her?"

Angel looked at her lawyer, who nodded. "She left about 9:30, 9:45 in the morning. I didn't really look at the time."

"Can you tell us what you talked about?"

Another nod. "She told me about her organization, and the agreement they have with the AMA. then she told me I didn't qualify for membership, but I still fall under the terms of the agreement."

"And then?"

"And then I assured her that I would abide by the agreement, and she left." Angel shrugged.

"What was her emotional state?"

"I'm not Radar. I really couldn't say for sure. Do you want me to guess?"

"Just give us your best recollection." He was getting annoyed.

"She seemed a little annoyed. Like the whole thing was a waste of time."

"And how did you feel about it?"

She looked at her lawyer, who nodded. "Curious. I wanted to know more about the stuff she talked about. And relieved."

"Relieved?"

"She wasn't happy about being here, and it showed. After she delivered her lecture and left, I was relieved that we were both done with that shi... scene." She caught the sharp look her mother gave her, and a brief mental laugh from Lena.

"Can you account for your movements the rest of the day?"

She looked again. Her lawyer held up his hand.

"That question sounds like you suspect my client of some crime. Is that the case?"

"We don't know that a crime has been committed. We are just covering the bases."

He frowned, then nodded for Angel to answer.

"I went to visit a friend in the MORFS clinic for a while, then I went swimming. After that, I was home the rest of the day."

"Did anyone see you at those places?"

"I can vouch for the clinic visit. She was visiting my son."

"The pool records can verify when I was there, and Radar and the girls saw me there."

Her mother spoke up. "And I can verify that she spent the rest of the day at home.

"And the rest of the week?"

"We have already allowed you some latitude in these questions. I must remind you that this conversation is being monitored by a registered telepath. You consider my client some sort of suspect, and are trying to avoid the legal requirements while treating her as such. You already have her movements for the rest of that day, and you have the report that Ms. Wilson missed several appointments the rest of that day and has not been seen since. You are fishing, based on some misplaced hunch. I will not permit such treatment of my client."

"If you have any more questions for her, I suggest you submit them, in writing, through my office."

"You..."

"John!" his partner barked. "You are out of line. Drop it. Now!" She turned to face Angel, and handed her a card. "If you think of anything else, please call me." She turned again. "Counselor, Ma'am" She nodded to Angel's lawyer and mother, in turn.

As they pulled away, Lena told Angel that the cops were arguing. The woman was reminding her partner that he could not afford another complaint about his disregard for procedure. The man was thinking Angel kidnapped or killed Ms. Wilson, and was thinking some very uncomplimentary things about Lena. The woman had worked with Lena a couple of times, and had a better opinion of her than of her partner.

Angel, her mother, and David's father went into the house. As her lawyer, he wanted to see the recording of the meeting. As a friend, he wanted to make sure she was all right. After sharing a cup of coffee and a snack with them, her mother went back to work.

After watching the recording, and being told what Angel later found, he offered to research the real legalities for her. He also asked to take a copy of the recording with him for safekeeping. She agreed, and he made the copy.

After he left, she made herself a sandwich and flopped down in front of the screen to watch a little mind rot. At one point, she stumbled over a news report about the chip problems.

The report prominently mentioned her theater chain's lack of problems. They went on to say that the chain had reported the problem to the vendor on Friday, but that communications problems kept some other sellers from responding to the recall action until now.

They had a clip of a spokesperson from the chain crediting their discovery to their "exceptional and dedicated quality control staff", and the quick action to "one of our theater managers" and other staff. She ended with a statement about their focus on the well-being and enjoyment of their customers.

Out of curiosity, Angel used her tablet to check her email. There was a note about the press release and statement, and an explanation of the wording. Two potentially awkward issues came up, and they chose to avoid them. The first was her age, and the second was her status as a morf. Rather than subject her to the possible consequences of raising the issues, they were deliberately vague about who did what.

They assured her that the company recognized her actions, and her value to the chain. She was to get a commendation at the next managers' meeting. So would Mr. Moore.

She decided she had a couple of hours before she needed to start dinner, so it was a good time to go out for a swim. After changing, she walked over and thumbed in. As she walked up to her friends (were they ever anywhere else?), Sherry was laughing at something Robin said.

She saw Angel, and repeated the information. "Robin found an appropriate place for the party. An empty house, with a pool. But in keeping with the theme, the house and pool need work, which we will be exploited to provide."

Angel grinned. "Sounds appropriate, all right. Who benefits?"

"Robin's uncle, who owns the house and uses it as a rental property."

They all had a good laugh about that. Angel went to work on her diving for a while. After the practice she had been putting in, she was getting better at adjusting to her new form. But mostly, it was fun.

When they were resting in the shade for a little bit, Angel talked with Star Dawn. She was curious about her elemental perceptions. It turned out that Star had not spent much time on that aspect of her new nature. She had been concentrating on power and control.

Angel asked whether she could radiate in the ranges beyond human perception. Like the infrared and the ultraviolet. Star conceded that she wasn't really sure. She thought she probably could, but she had no real feedback that she could use to tell.

Sherry wandered up during the last part of the discussion, and had an idea. "I have some old black light posters you could use. Put them up in a dark room, and if you radiate in UV, parts of them will glow."

They thought that was a good idea, and Star accepted the offer. That whole discussion brought Angel back to her earlier thought. She asked whether Star could see into the IR and UV. Star thought for a moment, then said that she probably could. But she hadn't worked on that.

From her own experiences, Angel suspected that Star could learn to recognize a range of interesting things. She suggested that Star try some exercises, to learn to recognize and use different frequencies (and combinations) of light. Unlike Angel, Star was not a particularly weak elemental. But, she conceded, she could always use an edge.

When Angel got back home and started getting dinner ready, she started thinking about school. She had a flash of annoyance that the school Penny and Jerry went to, Smokey Hills, started a week later than hers. They were in the same district, but there was some sort of bureaucratic thing that made the difference.

That got her thinking about her mother. Her jobs with the schools had already been useful, and she seemed to like the people and the work. It just struck Angel that her mother was capable of so much more. She was strong, well educated, and generally as competent as anyone she'd met. It was obvious to Angel that there was something she just wasn't seeing.

That made her think about David. She wondered how long it would take him to get over the novelty of easily seeing inside the girls' locker room and shower. For that matter, easily seeing through anyone's clothes wherever he looked.

Then she started wondering about herself. While she had been in store and pool changing rooms, there was still an element of the unknown about the locker room at the school. If she wasn't over that yet, maybe it would take David a while, at that.

Angel shook her head. Grasshopper thoughts like that were not her usual style, but she had been doing that more and more often. She wondered whether it had something to do with being a girl. Maybe the hair color change - was she blonde through and through?

Then she wondered whether she had forgotten to set the oven timer.

After dinner, Angel spent some time on her eCom, talking with Lena. She found out that Lena would be spending the next couple of days with David, helping accelerate his training. For some reason, she seemed to really want him finished in time to start school with them.

For some reason, Angel had the impression that there was something more to it than that. She wasn't sure what, and Lena wasn't saying anything about it. Strange.

As usual, the next morning came much too soon.

She had to leave early enough to get to the light rail, and get to the theater on time. And she had to do so looking like a manager. What a way to start one of the few, precious, remaining days of summer vacation.

Her mother dropped her off at the station, then headed off to work. Angel was a little nervous, traveling alone like that. Before the change, she had thought nothing about traveling alone on a bus. But now that she was a girl, it was different, somehow. She didn't like that feeling.

She was still strong. She still knew how to fight. But the posturing and bluff that had helped a situation keep from becoming a fight wouldn't work in her new body. Her only remaining bluffs were making herself look like she knew martial arts, or perhaps like she would scream her head off.

Or maybe, just maybe, she could use her abilities as a bluff. Maybe making her hand go as dark as her melanin could manage, in front of their eyes, and warning them that she was a morf would work as a threat.

In the end, the whole thing was pointless. Nobody bothered her, and certainly nobody threatened her. In fact, other than her own musings, the trip was comfortable and pleasant.

The theater inspection itself was unremarkable. She found a few things that needed routine cleaning, and a lot of indications that her earlier reports had been heeded. In fact, the only part of the whole thing that was at all memorable was when she stumbled across a stack of movie posters.

"What's the policy about those posters?" she asked the manager.

"They're available to all the employees, on a first come, first served basis. Of course," he allowed himself a small smile, "I get first choice. RHIP and all that."

Angel returned the smile.

He continued. "Just check the backs. If there are initials in the corner, it has already been chosen by someone on-shift. It cut way down on arguments."

She acknowledged the information, then went back and sorted through them. They were all for movies that were no longer at the theater, but she found some that would make good decorations for the party. She was about ready to leave anyway, so she went up to the office for a rubber band and sticky note. After banding and labeling the posters, she wrote up her report.

When it was done, she sent the usual copies to the office and the manager. She went looking and found him, to ask whether there was anywhere else he wanted her to look. There wasn't, so she thanked him for the posters, thumbed out, picked up a snack, and left.

When she got back to the station, she realized the one hole in her plan. She didn't have a ride from there. It was only a couple of miles to home, and the uphill bits were not at all steep, so it wouldn't be that bad. But it was still summer, and she was dressed for work rather than for exercise.

She shrugged, and started off. She quickly realized that the distance was a lot longer on foot than it seemed in the car. What took less than ten minutes driving ended up taking an hour and a half on foot. After the first few blocks, she remembered something that had come up in her girl training. The notion that it was common practice for women to bring a pair of walking shoes with them when they would be wearing more formal shoes to work or an event. That way, they could change shoes before going on long walks or driving.

At least she wasn't wearing heels.

By the time she got home, she was as hot, tired, and sweaty as she could ever remember being. She dragged herself up to her room, kicked off her shoes, and peeled off the damp, sticky layers of clothes that were clinging to her. When she was done with that, she threw herself down on her bed, spread her arms and legs, and just reveled in the feeling of the relatively cool air all over her body.

The next thing she knew, it was two hours later and she was a little groggy from her extended nap. She wasn't sweaty any more, but was conscious of the uncomfortable residue that the sweat had left behind on her skin when it evaporated. A cool shower sounded like just the thing.

The shower revived her, but she decided her little hike had given her enough sun and exercise for the day. Besides, she needed to finish her summer reading. After all she had been through, it was strange to think that in a matter of days she would be in school again. In a way, it seemed appropriate that she would be starting at a new school - it went together with the new sex, new powers, new home, new job, and all the rest.

After drying off and dressing comfortably, she used her eCom to call her next theater. She verified that she could get a ride from the assistant manager again, but she would either have to stay to the end of the shift or make other arrangements for a ride home.

She called the office, to see if they could help her make any arrangements. She ended up speaking to the woman she met the day of the attack.

It turned out that she had been just about to call Angel. There were some specific spot checks they wanted her to make that week, and Wednesday would be a good day for them. The good news was that the woman, Amanda "call me Mandy" Harrison, would provide transportation in a company vehicle. The bad news was that she would be working most of the day.

When she was done with that, she called Sherry. It came as no surprise that she was at the pool when she answered. Angel let her know about the posters, and asked how preparations were coming. Sherry told her that preparations were in place, and replies were coming in to the invitations. She had even spoken with David's parents about using both their elemental and professional abilities, and acting as chaperones. They had agreed, on the condition that David was home from the clinic and up to partying. Apparently, they had strong views about exploitation of various sorts.

Later, her mother came home to the smell of dinner cooking. Angel was sitting in the kitchen, reading. She looked up from her book to greet her, and let her know that she would be working late the next day. Other arrangements would have to be made for dinner.

And while they were at it, new arrangements would need to be made anyhow. Between school, work, homework (for both) and the like, she wasn't likely to have the time and energy to make dinner very often.

"Sounds reasonable." Her father's voice made them both jump. Neither of them had heard him arrive or noticed him standing there until he spoke. He greeted them properly, then suggested that his wife accompany him upstairs to change. She raised her eyebrows at that, but followed.

Angel was shaking her head at their antics, when she got a call on her eCom.

"Hey, working girl," an all too cheery Lena said. "I thought they'd never leave. Got plans for tonight?"

"Not really. Just dinner, and maybe some more reading."

"Good. How about taking me to a movie after dinner?"

"You have your own passes now, you know." Angel was amused.

"Yeah, but I wanna save them for later. Besides, you can get better stuff from the concessions than I can."

"Let me check with my folks."

"Uh... you don't want to disturb them just now. Trust me."

Angel was startled. "O...k... Uh, that's an awkward thought. Hmmm. What movie do you want to see?"

They discussed movies, times, and theaters. Lena's mother was willing to drive them, if Angel's folks would pick them up. Angel was embarrassed to realize that Lena knew more about what was playing when than she did - and she worked for the chain.

By the time they settled on a choice, her father had wandered into the kitchen and started setting the table. Her mother followed shortly. When she asked about the movie, a look, and brief smiles, passed between them. They agreed, and agreed to pick the two girls up after the movie.

Once they were in the car, Angel noticed the excited look on Lena's face. She doubted it was about the movie. She was right.

*Aren't you going to ask why I'm saving my passes?*

*Ok. Why are you saving your passes?*

*For my date with David!*

"Really?" Angel blurted, out loud. Then *Oops. Sorry. When? How? What?*

*We got really close while I was helping him at the clinic. And he'd been wanting to get together with me even before, but thought he wouldn't have a chance, Silly boy!*

*All that wasted time?* Angel grinned.

*Yeah. Oh, Angel, you have no idea how much this means to me.*

*Do your folks know? Do his?*

*Mine know a little. I don't know how much his folks know. Oh, God! How will they feel about it?*

*They like you. His father does, for sure. I think they'll be happy for you two.*

After Angel got their tickets, they headed for the concessions area. The college girl who had first noticed Angel's promotion grinned and commented to her coworkers "Watch out! The brass is here!"

"Shhh! You'll blow my cover. We're here undercover, disguised as high school girls." Angel grinned back.

"Anything you say, boss." She dropped a small mock curtsey. "What can I get you?"

Opting for the classics, they got some popcorn and drinks. The girl processed Angel's card, and wished them well.

Once they were in their seats, they alternated between silently conversing about Lena's love life and paying attention to the screen. Even without her powers, Lena's excitement would have been infectious.

When she got home, Angel realized that she would have to do something about her outfit. Her next theater was managed by a woman, and while she was a good sort, she would readily notice anything wrong with such things. Angel had long since learned that was a woman thing.

She took her things down to the laundry room, and put them through the special clean cycle. While she was waiting, she mused about another thing the manager would notice: that it was the same outfit. Unfortunately, she didn't really have anything else that was appropriate.

When she was a boy, she had been amused by all the attention girls seemed to pay to clothes. For the second time since she went to "bump into" Jerry, she found that the clothes issue didn't seem so trivial - or so funny - from her new perspective. She was going to have to spend some of her hard earned salary on clothes. And not cheap clothes.

Thinking about clothes, she noticed the boxes stacked in the corner. She had never gotten around to visiting the swap shop. She had hesitated, not wanting anyone she knew to see her there and figure out how she had changed. Enough people had done that already.

On the other hand, she would be going to Boulder on Saturday. They were sure to have a shop there. And it was far enough away to limit the exposure.

But not eliminate it. There was one person who would know. Mandy. And with her coming from the office, a bad reaction could be really bad. She would have a chance to sound her out while they did the spot checks.

She called Lena. As usual, just the thoughts were enough to produce the answers.

"I like you calling him my boyfriend." Lena giggled. "And yes, I can spare some time. He will be doing some flying practice around that time, and they don't need me for that. But I might be a little distracted. You haven't seen his new muscles ripple when he uses those wings."

Angel swore she could hear the sigh without using the eCom. No question, Lena had it bad.

"Yep. No question about it. And there is nothing in the world like a hug when you're being wrapped in his arms and those wonderful wings."

Angel found the image striking, but remembered the other part of her question. "How far can you do your thing?"

"With loud thoughts and someone I know, I've done 35 miles with no real problem. I've done 10 miles with unfamiliar and faint. I haven't tried anything beyond that."

"So as long as we stay within the Denver area, we should be good?"

"Easily. I've met her, and can focus on you, so I might even be able to reach Boulder."

"Thank you so much."

"I understand how much it means to you. She doesn't seem to have any problem with you being a morf, or an elemental."

"But the other part..." Angel began.

"Yeah, it's hard to guess how she'll take it. Give me a shout when you're ready."

They said their goodbyes, and hung up. Angel realized that she had one more person to tell.

Her mother wasn't entirely happy that she would be going so far away for the shopping, but agreed with the reasoning. She also wasn't happy that Angel would be doing it all without her. Angel promised that she would save most of the credits for a time when the two of them could go.

Her parents were ambivalent on the whole issue of the swap shops. They were too much like thrift shops. They had nothing against thrift shops. Far from it - they regarded them as an unmitigated blessing for poor families. And that was the problem. They were not poor, and tended to think of shopping at a thrift shop in terms of depriving some poor person of whatever they were buying. It just seemed not proper to them. They made an exception when they were looking for something hard to find, especially if it wasn't something likely to benefit a poorer buyer.

Angel pointed out that the swap shops did not operate quite the same. They were private companies, rather than fund raisers for some charity, and they sold the secondhand clothes (and the new clothes) at a higher price than thrift shops would. The used clothes were still substantially less expensive than they were when they were new, and the new clothes were at about the price you'd see at a discount retailer. The big draw was the credits. Not using the credits would be wasteful.

That proved to be the telling argument. They viewed waste as a terrible thing.

Wednesday morning came much too early. Next time she saved the chain's bacon, she vowed, she'd negotiate better hours. Of course, school was going to start soon, so her work hours wouldn't be the problem. Her school hours would take their place. And those were not negotiable.

Bleh.

After showering, she went downstairs to have breakfast with her parents. She reminded her mother that she would be working late, doing the spot checks. After breakfast, she went back up to change.

Angel carefully got ready, taking the time to make sure she got her makeup right as well as everything else. She would be meeting - and making an impression on - more managers after her reinspection of the fifth theater. And sounding out her coworker about her attitude toward gender morfs.

When her ride arrived, she made sure he wouldn't have to wait. She was sitting in the living room, listening to the radio, before he was due to arrive. She heard his car pull up, so she turned off the news and was out the door before he was even out of his car.

When they got to the theater, she thumbed in and got right to work. She hadn't found a lot the first time she was there, so there wasn't much to recheck. When she went through the unchecked places, she found some problems in a supply closet. Ironically, there was an active spot on the wall behind the shelf holding the bottles of disinfectant. For the rest, there were just the usual low level things that would be handled by routine cleanings.

She found the manager, told her about the one spot in the storage room, then went and wrote her report. She called the office to let them know she was done, then settled in to wait for her ride. It would be a while, since she had finished earlier than expected.

She had loaded her summer reading into her tablet, so she used her time productively. After checking her company email, and finding nothing interesting, she picked up where she had left off in her reading. She smiled at the thought that it made her look like she was dealing with official business.

When Mandy showed up, Angel blanked her tablet and followed her to the car. As they were driving to their first theater, Mandy explained that she would be checking some of the theater's paperwork while Angel went through and looked. Angel should plan on not having more than about an hour in each theater, so she was really just shooting for a quick overall impression and any really obvious, major problems.

They were soon there, and Angel got to work. She found a couple of overlooked hot spots, and quickly documented them. She had the manager's email, so she sent him a brief report. She followed up when Mandy was done with him, using her tablet to display the images and pointing to the problem areas.

On the way to the next theater, she got a mental contact from Lena. She was ready.

Angel casually brought up the issue of morfs and people's attitudes toward them.

"I can't say I'm entirely sorry that I was skipped, unless I get hit by that new thing, but my husband is a morf, and a lot of my family went through it."

Angel hadn't even realized she was married. "What did he get?"

"My husband? Pointed ears, a new hair color, and his acne and vision problems cleared up. Our daughters didn't get the hair or ears, so we don't think they inherited anything."

"Daughters?"

"Chris is 7, and Mel is 5. Remind me to show you their pictures." she beamed.

*Focus!* Lena reminded her.

"How do you feel about the idea that one or both of them might go through it?"

"Concerned. I don't like it when they get sick in any way. It's a mom thing." She grinned, then went on. "If they got some major changes, like fur and fangs or something, they would go through some problems socially. That's another thing parents don't like."

"What if they changed sexes?"

"We thought about that. Their nicknames are ambiguous, so they could keep them if it did happen. But they're such sweet little girls, I hate the thought of it happening. And the social fallout from that is sometimes worse than becoming a full hybrid."

"How do you feel about other gender changed morfs?"

"Honestly, I'm happy that I didn't go through it. I wouldn't have missed carrying my girls for anything in the world. I've seen a number of people who did go through it, and they seem to go through a private hell. In addition to the hell their peers can put them through."

She thought a moment, then went on. "They're almost always easy to spot. They just don't fit in their bodies, and exaggerate things to try and fit in. For the first year, at least, I can spot one a mile away."

*She's not hostile, but is uncomfortable. She's seen some unfortunate things.*

"How do you feel about working with morfs, like me?"

"I don't much think about it. I just think of you as a normal, but talented, girl for the most part. Same with the others who don't show it. We have some others in the office who are more obvious. They can be as good, or as rotten, as anyone else."

*Office politics. Don't ask.*

They arrived at the theater. Angel found and reported some things, but nothing that presented any serious danger to the public or the employees. After writing and presenting her report, Angel and Mandy headed out toward the next theater.

"Hungry?" Mandy asked.

"Now that you mention it, it is past my usual lunch time." Angel grinned.

Mandy knew a small place nearby, with food her family swore by. They each got a sandwich, chips, and a drink, and then they settled at one of the shaded outdoor tables to enjoy their food.

Mandy showed Angel her pictures of her husband and children. Angel made the appropriate appreciative noises, and returned them with a smile. They talked and ate, enjoying the break. When the only people within earshot left, Angel guided the conversation back to morfs.

"How do you feel about closet morfs?"

"People hiding their change? I understand it. There are some crazies out there, who would use it as an excuse to make their lives hell. Why? You're not exactly hiding your status, even though it's not obvious to look at you. Radar's eyes and cane get some of the attention, but she's not exactly hiding, either."

*Go for it. She's curious and receptive.*

"There's a part you don't know. Something that's not in most of the records. I need your help with something, but I need you to keep my secret."

"As long as it's something I can ethically do, sure. But I do have an obligation to the company in certain areas. If it's something dangerous, or illegal, I don't want to know."

"Nothing like that. It's just that last Spring, before I morfed, I was a boy."

"WHAT?"

"I was a boy. With distinctly latino features."

"Ok, pull the other one."

"It's true. I changed during the move out here."

"Sure. And you just happened to pick up years' worth of mannerisms?"

"No, my relatives put me through a sort of boot camp to get me past most of the obvious giveaways."

"They did a good job, then. I'm still not sure I believe it, though. You're not like any of the sex change morfs I've seen. So what do you need?"

"When we go to Boulder, I need to bring some boxes of clothes with me. There's a swap shop near the theater, and I want to trade my old male clothes for some more appropriate stuff. From what you said, your audit is likely to take longer than my inspection, so I thought I'd take care of the clothes while I'm waiting. I figure it's far enough away that nobody is likely to recognize me and start asking awkward questions."

"You're serious?"

"Completely. Will you keep my secret?"

"No reason for me not to. But I still find it hard to believe that you got so good at blending in so quickly."

They bussed their table, then headed off to the next theater.

*She's less comfortable with you than she was, but that seems to be from the surprise. Give it time. And speaking of time, it's time for me to work with my boyfriend!* Angel could not help noticing the emphasis on the last part.

While she was working the next theater, her mind kept wandering back to that last exchange. She found herself conflicted. She was happy that her friend Lena was so happy. She was happy that her friend David was so happy - or that he seemed so happy. But thinking about it gave her a sort of sick/sad/angry feeling that she didn't recognize. It wasn't very strong, but it was there.

It felt a little like envy. She'd experienced envy. She knew what it felt like as a boy and as a girl. This was like it, but not entirely. It was... puzzling. And disturbing.

On the drive to the next theater, she was startled out of her introspection when they barely avoided an accident. Angel had a brief glimpse of large, dark bat wings on a figure which slammed into a car two cars ahead of them. The other cars on the road slammed on breaks, and moved to keep from slamming into the cars in front of them. There was a brief, bright light and a sizzle from the direction the figure had come from, and the top of a street light went crashing to the ground.

She was surprised at the colorful nature of Mandy's vocabulary.

Angel was calling 911 almost immediately. She noticed that Mandy had her eCom out as well. When she got through, Angel described what she saw, and where. The cars were already moving, and other than the pieces of street light, there was no sign of what had happened. Having done her duty, and reported what little she saw, she asked Mandy whether she was ok.

"Pretty much. Just shaken a little, I guess. Sorry about the language."

"What language?" Angel grinned. "I was too busy watching the entertainment."

Ten minutes later, they were at the theater. This one was older, and had some long term problems. Angel reported what she saw in the brief run through, especially the structural problems, then suggested they arrange for a more thorough examination.

She sighed, realizing she was making more work for herself. Since she was on salary, the hours she put in didn't buy her anything. But she would not do things half way. That was simply not her nature.

Their final theater was in Golden, a town famous for its long lived brewery and the venerable School of Mines. The college actually taught more engineering than mining, and was a top school in some fields. And it was a major reason for the nearby theater. Angel noticed that the mix of movies playing there were aimed more at young adults than at families, and the ambience reflected that as well. There were still the kiddy matinees and some family movies, but less than at the other theaters in the chain.

Her spot check turned up a few problems, but nothing earth shattering. She was somewhat startled, and revolted, by some residue she found in the back row of one theater, where the latest teensploitation offering was playing. She briefly wondered whether she could reconstruct the DNA to see who it was, but when she felt the special part of her mind start to process it, she firmly told herself she did not want to know who he was.

At least he was not likely to be anyone she knew. She was a long way away from home.

They talked about their families on the way home. Without Lena monitoring, Angel could not be sure, but Mandy seemed to be handling things better. Or else the near accident and later work just knocked it clear out of her head. Either way, Angel just relaxed and enjoyed both the ride and the talk.

The ride was longer than she expected, due to the rush hour traffic. They took the circle, instead of going through Denver proper, and that apparently helped cut down the drive time. Angel hated to think what it would have been like going through town, since parts of the circle were pretty crowded.

When Mandy dropped her off at home, Angel was tired. She could see that her mother was already home, but couldn't tell about her dad. She dragged herself inside, greeted by the cheerful voice of her mother and the mouth watering smell of cooking food. Her mother took one look at her and invited her to go upstairs and change into something more comfortable.

As she gratefully slipped out of what she had come to think of as her manager uniform, she got a cheerful interruption.

*So, how'd it go?*

*Ok, I guess. She stayed uncomfortable for a while, until the near accident. After that, she seemed more concerned that she'd sworn in front of me than anything.*

*Near accident?*

Angel filled her in, throwing in remembered images.

*Wow. Interesting afternoon.*

*One way of putting it. How was your date with David?* She meant it as a joke, but the unfamiliar feeling grew again.

*You're jealous!* Lena seemed startled. *About us, David and me. Why?*

*I wish I knew. It doesn't make any rational sense, but there it is.* Angel was sad and frustrated then.

*We'll talk after dinner. Your family is waiting.*

When Angel walked into the kitchen, her mother turned to greet her. Her smile faded to a look of concern when she saw Angel's face. "What's the matter, Angel?"

"Nothing, really. I'm just tired and confused. And jealous, apparently."

Her father looked like he was debating between hugging her and retreating. In the end, he remained. But he let his wife do the talking.

"Jealous?" her mother asked. "Of whom?"

"I don't know. Lena. David. Mandy. The world."

"Mandy?" her dad asked.

"Her coworker, dear. The one who drove her around today."

"Oh." He looked like he was out of his depth.

The more they talked, the more it seemed to be a combination of envy and jealousy. In a sense, the envy was rational. The jealousy was not.

Angel envied the people who retained their birth sex. And people who understood and were confident in their sexuality. More recently and intensely, she envied people in loving relationships. Not like the relationship she had with her parents and some relatives, but the relationship her parents had with each other, and the one growing between Lena and David.

Her parents comforted her, and assured her that such envy was normal - especially under her circumstances. She would continue to come to terms with her change, and would learn about her sexuality in time. And she would find her someone. Wanting those things was just human, and so was feeling a bit of envy toward those who apparently had what she wanted.

The trick to it was acknowledging the desires and working toward them, rather than wasting time and effort focused on others who have them.

Angel hardly remembered eating dinner, or how the table got cleared or the dishes done. All she really had attention for was the discussion - the sharing, confession, understanding, and sympathy. And the tears, her's and her mother's.

The jealousy was more complicated. She wasn't even sure who she was jealous of, or why. Part of it had to do with Lena, somehow. Was she jealous of the time and attention David was getting from her only close friend there? A childlike part of her seemed to be reacting that way. A remnant of her former, male self seemed jealous that David was getting the girlfriend "he" had been getting close to. At the same time, some of her new female self seemed jealous of Lena, for getting David's attentions. It was complicated, and messed up.

*But human.* came the familiar mental voice. *I'm on my way over, so we can talk.*

Angel was embarrassed that Lena had apparently "heard" some or all of that, but told her parents about her impending visitor. They agreed that it was probably a good thing that the two of them talk for a while.

They hadn't really said anything Angel didn't already know, intellectually. But Lena had reassured her that she was in no danger of losing her friendship. But she also made it quite clear that Angel was now a girl, and she didn't swing that way. She would love her as a close friend and sister morf, but there had never been any chance of a sexual relationship.

And despite some habitual responses, she made it clear that Angel was more directly responsive to boys than to other girls. She reminded her of her responses to people she had seen and encountered, and flashed some images in her mind faster than she could consciously respond to. Denial flared, but Angel really knew she was right. Lena hugged her and comforted her as she mourned her lost self, her lost sex, and her lost sexuality. In the end, Angel had cried herself to sleep.

Angel was glad that she did not have work the next day, since she had been an emotional wreck by the time she finally got to sleep. And it was not exactly the most peaceful or restful sleep she had ever experienced.

Angel's parents let her sleep in, eating and going to work without waking her. They knew that she could call them if she really needed to talk, and the note they left reminded her of that.

She was kind of listless as she went through her morning rituals. Since she had no plans that called for it, she skipped the makeup. She could always apply some later, if necessary.

Thinking about makeup, she tried playing with her appearance. She had no problem adjusting the color of her skin in general, giving herself an all over tan. Then she played with tan lines, simulating various states of dress or undress while "tanning". She easily gave her cheeks and lips some color, simulating subtle blusher and lipstick. She couldn't create much in the way of colors, so the best she could do for her eyelids was shades of tan.

After the fun with the tan lines, she experimented with melanin "tattoos". The effect was similar to a henna tat, but "all natural." That could be fun to do at the party.

She played with varying her skin tones, and some of her features. She darkened her skin as far as she could, and decided she looked like an anglo girl in Australian Abo body makeup. She lightened her skin, thickened her lips and nose a little, and looked a little more Afam. Other than her hair. She knew she could grow it out any natural color she wanted, but it would take more energy and resources than she wanted to waste. She kept the facial changes, but lightened her skin somewhat. That created a more reasonable appearance. She decided she would have to remember that appearance, and felt the sort of shift that came when she "learned" an organism.

She returned to her normal nose and lips, then faded her skin as far as she could. Except for her eyes and hair, she could have been an albino. Allowing a little more color, she went through Nordic Beauty, baby pale, winter fade, and then her normal skin color. She gave herself a good all over summer tan, then decided to reduce the color on her breasts. She liked their "creamy" look against her otherwise tan body. She debated various tan lines below the waist, but ended up leaving the tan.

Angel dressed casually in a blouse and skirt, then picked up her eCom to call Sherry. She wanted to tell her about the posters for the party, and her new trick with the body art. When she answered, Sherry told her that she and Robin were just on their way out to do some shopping. She invited Angel along. Since Lena would be busy helping David with his last day of special training, and she had finished her summer reading, Angel accepted.

Robin's mother was available to drive them, and the four of them talked about the plans for the party while they drove to the mall. Sherry hinted about valuable party favors, and talked about the specialists they would exploit and the work that needed doing.

Angel was surprised to learn that two of the chaperones/exploitees would be David's parents. The party would double as a coming out celebration for him. David would be there, exploited to the hilt. A couple of other elementals, who Angel didn't know, would also be there.

There was a heavy workload for the other elementals. David's mother would be upgrading the house wiring, using her abilities to check things and her experience as an electrician to do the work. With occasional assistance from her husband. The water elemental would check out the plumbing, and clear any clogs and the like. She would have David's father deal with any cracked pipes and such. She would also clean out the pool, the filter, and the associated pipes.

The stone elemental would deal with problems with drywall within the house, and cement and stone outside.

David's father would deal with any necessary metal work. He would also give a talk about exploitation, from a legal viewpoint.

Angel would inspect the house like she had inspected the theaters, especially the kitchen and bathrooms. While others would clean what she found, she would be expected to sterilize as necessary. Beyond that, she would do first aid and the body art.

The owner would provide certain supplies, like paint, painting equipment, wire, and fixtures and such as needed.

When they got to the mall, Robin's mother dropped them off and reminded Robin to call before she was ready to go, to give enough time to get there. Then she was off to get her hair and nails done.

One priority was welcome back gifts for David. Another was bits and pieces for the start of the school year.

Angel found him an action figure of a winged man, the hero of an old cartoon. Robin found him a nicer than average wing brush at a morf specialty shop. Otter wouldn't tell them what she found, keeping it hidden in a colorful bag. She did admit to finding a morf rated nail and claw care kit for herself, though.

The rest of the time was more free form. They found things they thought would be good for their lockers, their totes, and, of course, their appearance. When they took a break at the food court, they got in some serious boy watching. Angel even joined in a little, much to her surprise. She told herself it was just to fit in with the others, but it really wasn't.

The only real downside to the expedition was when they encountered a small group of militant Pures, trying - with some success - to humiliate a couple of young, obvious morfs. The two looked to be about nine years old, with fine, golden brown fur, large ears, and somewhat prehensile tails. Their tormentors, three girls and one boy, ranged from about 17 to 19 years old, with athletic builds and a distinct lack of visible morf characteristics.

The two kids were cowering on the bench, while the others stood over them talking angrily and laughing derisively.

"Anyone know them?" Angel asked the others, as they walked toward the confrontation.

"Unfortunately. The tall brunette is the daughter of one of the local anti-morfs preachers. He's bad news, and she's worse. He left about a month ago, and nobody but his family has heard from him since. She was bad before, but since then she has been an unholy bitch. Its almost like she got MORFS, and it just changed her personality."

"Or he did." Angel muttered.

"What?"

"Oh, sorry. The timing is suspicious, though".

"How so?"

"Did you hear about the big rally? And AMORFS?"

"Vaguely. So?"

"Think about it. All those bigots in one place, and suddenly there is a new form of MORFS attacking them and they turn furry, with horns. Are they all going to just come back and try preaching the evils of people like us, looking like that?"

"Makes sense," Robin added. "All their power and money came from preaching hatred of morfs, and suddenly it's all gone. Her power in her nasty little clique came from him. Now, she has to try and hold it all herself."

Sherry nodded. "And she's probably afraid that she'll get it herself. She always claimed she couldn't get it because she was his daughter. Now..."

Angel flinched. That was one secret of hers that they didn't know. And wouldn't, if she could help it.

One of the other girls raised her hand like she was going to slap one of the kids. With a snarl, Sherry jumped in and grabbed her wrist. She almost lifted her off the floor. Two mall cops were closing in from the far side, and moved in to break up the confrontation just as the boy was getting ready to intervene. Angel felt herself preparing to deliver some sort of infection, and fought it. She desperately wanted to be in control of when and how - and especially whether - she did anything like that.

The girl tried to blame Sherry for everything, but there were too many witnesses, including the mall cops. And the security cameras had caught the whole thing.

The preacher's daughter tried to take control of the situation, citing who her father was. But his "leave of absence" was too well known. And the reason was too well guessed.

While all that confrontation was going on, Angel and Robin moved to the kids. They comforted them, and asked what happened. While they were telling their story, Angel figured what was bothering her about them. They weren't MORFS survivors.

End Part 10

Angel's Tale: A MORFS Universe Story By Joreymay

Angel learns more about the attacked girls. David comes home. Party time!

Part 11

While all that confrontation was going on, Angel and Robin moved to the kids. They comforted them, and asked what happened. While they were telling their story, Angel figured what was bothering her about them. They weren't MORFS survivors.

They were genetically identical twins, but one showed no direct signs of the secondary MORFS infection. As far as Angel knew, that could only mean one thing: their looks were inherited. One of them would be coming down with MORFS in a few days. So far, the other wasn't infected.

Angel wished Lena was there with them. She could have used her mind reading and projective empathy. She realized she had become more than a little dependant on Lena, and wasn't sure that was a good thing. One thing she had been working toward since the change was standing on her own two feet.

For the time being, she concentrated on soothing the little girls. Their names were Kerry and Terry, and they were both nine years old. They had been shopping for a present for their mother, and had gone into one of the little specialty shops. When they went inside, the others were there and started making comments about animals. The twins had gone through similar things long enough to know that their only chance was to pretend they didn't notice. Then one of them made the mistake of reaching for a pretty scarf just ahead of one of the older girls. She had only been thinking about how pretty it would look on their mother, but the teen accused her of trying to steal it from her. She tried to make things better by giving it to her attacker, but that didn't work. Complaining about it being "contaminated", the teen bought the scarf then very deliberately destroyed it.

The twins ran from the shop, crying. The teens followed, and cornered the girls at the bench. Then they started yelling at them about being animals, and needing to learn their places. The scarf girl berated them for what they "made" her do, destroying the scarf. That was what was going on when Angel and her friends spotted the confrontation.

When one of the security people approached the twins to get their statements, Angel and Robin reassured them and held their free hands. The twins were also holding hands with each other. Angel asked them who they were there with, and they said it was their mother. She offered to let them use her eCom to call her. They accepted, and as they did so, she explained to the mall cop that it would be better for the mall if they could have their mother there while they answered his questions. It would just avoid later complications.

He agreed, and asked Angel and Robin about their observations and involvement. Partway through that, Kerry handed her back the eCom and said their mother would be right there. Angel thanked her, then went back to answering questions.

After making sure that the attackers were well out of earshot, he confided that they had been called by the saleslady in the shop. Those teens, and a few others, had been trouble for some time, but she had been afraid enough of the preacher's power not to do anything about it. They had led the attackers to believe that they had been spotted on the security cameras, to avoid issues of revenge.

A couple of minutes later, the twins' mother came running up. One sight of her and Angel knew what the twins reminded her of: lemurs. Their features were not as pronounced as hers, but the resemblance was unmistakable. Deferentially, the cop asked her to identify herself, and had the twins verify that she was their mother. He apologized, saying that it was necessary for the protection of the youngsters. Though distraught, she indicated she understood.

When the twins gave their statements, Angel thought they were exaggerating the supposed heroism of Sherry's actions and those of Angel and Robin. Otherwise, it was pretty much the same as before. They did give their mother a miserable look when they talked about the surrender and destruction of the scarf. They also added the fact that they had earned the money they were going to use for the present themselves, doing odd jobs.

Their mother hugged them, and thanked them for the thought. After they were done giving their statements, their mother made it a point to thank the trio for helping her girls. The girls had been so excited about shopping with their hard earned money, and the independence of shopping by themselves. She thought they were going to look at toys, books, and maybe some clothes for themselves. They admitted that they deliberately let her think so, and that they did mean to actually look at those things. But they really wanted to surprise her.

Angel maneuvered things so that the twins were talking to Sherry and Robin, and quietly maneuvered their mother aside.

"There's something else you should know," She began quietly.

The mother looked worried. "What is it?" She managed to keep her voice down.

Not able to think of any other way of saying it, Angel just came out with it. "In a few days, Kerry will be coming down with MORFS."

"How can you know that?"

"I'm a low level bio elemental. While I can't do all that much, I can see things like this. I thought you would like the heads up."

"I don't know..."

"You don't have to believe me. I probably wouldn't, in your position. But if she starts getting feverish and the rest in a few days, have her checked."

"What about Terry?"

"She doesn't seem to be infected yet."

"What will happen?"

"I wish I could tell you. Most of the time, I can look at someone in this stage and get some idea. This time, I can't. My guess would be that it has something to do with their inherited stuff. I could try again on Saturday, if you like. The closer it is, the clearer it gets."

"I'll think about it." She still didn't sound convinced, and Angel understood. Angel gave her the number of her eCom, then they rejoined the others. After the girls and their mother thanked the three friends, they left.

The girls decided that they didn't really want to spend any more time shopping that day. The confrontation had dampened the fun too much. Robin called her mother, and found out it would be about half an hour before she would be ready to pick them up.

They decided to check out the scene of the crime. It turned out to be a small, high end shop specializing in accessories. They found the display of scarves, and found out they were silk. And very beautiful.

"Are the girls ok?" asked a voice from behind the counter. A moment later, an elegant lady of about middle age stood up from there. "Please pardon my late appearance. I was arranging some special orders back here. How are the girls?"

"They're fine, ma'am." Angel answered. "Their mother came and got them. They were scared and upset, but not hurt physically."

"I saw what you girls did to help. That was very brave. Those four have been trouble for years."

"So we were told. What you did was also brave." Sherry answered.

"Nothing I shouldn't have done long ago. But I just couldn't let them hurt those little darlings."

"Well, thank you." Robin joined in. "You have a lovely shop here."

"Thank you. Weren't you in here last year, around Christmas? With a tall, well dressed lady who carried herself well?"

"My mother." Robin acknowledged. "I had forgotten. We went so many places, it was all a blur after a while. Wait... you brought out that brocade chair for me, while my mom looked around. She got that embroidered clutch for Aunt Jane."

"That's right. I trust your aunt is happy with the bag."

"Oh, yes. She loves it." Robin smiled.

"I'm glad. It was a lovely piece." She turned and looked at Angel. "Did you get the girls' names? I would like to give them something."

"Only their first names. Kerry and Terry. But I'm sure the security office would have their names and address."

"I hadn't thought of that. I expect you're right. Well, please look around. You three are welcome here any time."

They looked around, admiring the things on display. It seemed like seconds later when Robin's phone beeped with a message. Her mother was at the food court door, ready to pick them up. They said goodbye to the woman, and she thanked them again.

At the door, they saw two of the four attackers standing aside, sullenly. The other two, the preacher's daughter and the one Otter had stopped, were being loaded into the back of a police cruiser. Real police, rather than just mall cops.

When they got in the car, Robin's mom asked whether they knew anything about the thing with the police. On the way home, they described the events. Robin reminded her about the shop, and told her the lady there sent her regards.

"She's the owner of the shop." Robin's mom told them. "And very well known in society. It sounds like you've impressed her. That is not easy to do."

While the others talked, Angel was quiet, lost in thought. She wasn't sure what she was going to infect those attackers with, but she was sure it was nasty. It would have been so easy.

And so wrong.

They would face consequences for what they did. Measured consequences. But what she nearly did might have spread. She might even have infected the girls. Or her friends. She did not like those thoughts.

When Angel got home, she checked the time. David wouldn't be home until after dinner. Well, he would be released earlier, but then his folks would be taking him out for a celebration. She would count on Lena, who would be going with them, to let her know when she could call or visit.

Angel made herself a snack, then used her tablet to check her emails, and to answer some. Then she made, printed out, and attached a new label for the action figure's box. That didn't kill as much time as she might have liked. She started playing some games on the tablet, letting her mind roam. She remembered an experiment she had wanted to try, but only with at least one parent there. Something told her that she could eliminate the effects of various drugs and toxins from her body, using her elemental abilities. She wanted to test that idea with alcohol.

First, she would try to drink it without letting it affect her. Basically, without letting it get into her bloodstream. If she succeeded at that, she would try letting some start to affect her, then clear it all out of her system. In theory, it sounded ok. In practice... who knew?

That's why she wanted backup.

Besides, if it did affect her she would be in no condition to judge that fact. She giggled at the thought.

She spent some time practicing her body art patterns. She could do letters and numbers well, and some kinds of pictures. She could do a nice interlace band, and a couple of flower and stem (with or without thorns) bands. Also the usual hearts, birds, and even a credible mermaid. After practicing for a while, she started getting hungry again.

She looked at the time, and decided she could get a snack while getting dinner ready to go into the oven.

She was munching on an apple when Lena "called". *David's been sprung,* she cheerfully sent. *As soon as the paperwork's done, we're outta here!* There was no denying the cheer in her voice.

*That's great. Let me know when he's ready for a visit.*

*Will do!*

When her mother got home, Angel told her about David. Then she told her about the events at the mall.

She waited until they were all eating dinner before she brought up the experiment. Their first reactions were predictable, for parents of any teenager. But as she explained her reasoning, they admitted that it was worth exploring. Carefully.

Shortly after dinner, Lena let her know that David was ready to "receive visitors" for a while. Angel got the present, still in its bag. She did remove the receipt and the price markings, though. Since he could see through any coverings, there didn't seem to be any point in wrapping it.

*Lena?*

*Whazzup?*

*Is David's vision like yours?"

*It depends. He can use his eyes normally, even when his other vision is elsewhere. And when they're together, it's like they sort of overlap. Why?*

*I want to try something that he can see, but other people can't.* She sent an image, which made Lena laugh.

*Just use a QuikOff marker on your skin, where it will be covered with clothes. Any that doesn't wash off easily, your powers can probably get rid of. I want to be there when you walk in.*

Angel grabbed a marker, then headed for the bathroom. A couple of minutes later, she was ready to go. Her mother drove her over, and stayed to visit a moment with his folks. Lena came down, took Angel's hand, and led her up to David’s room. *Come in behind me. Act naturally.* She smiled.

They filed through his door and, as soon as Lena stepped out of the way, he burst out laughing. On Angel's chest, just below her breasts, were the words "Quit peeping, you perv!" And on her lower abdomen, just above her pubic mound, were the words "Keep out!".

She tried to give him a dirty look. "I thought so. And I even brought a present." She couldn't quite carry off the disdainful sniff. When he pulled the box out of the bag, there were two startled laughs. The hero's name and graphics had been modified somewhat. His name was now "Captain Peeper", and it showed him looking through a wall at the back of a girl dressed in her bra and panties, holding some undefined garment.

"So, other than spying on locker rooms and the like, what can you do now?" Angel joked.

"Watch!" he said, excitedly. He put his hand over the box, and concentrated a moment. When he pulled his hand away, the girl was bare on top, and was clearly holding her bra.

"The Hill really came through on my requests." he beamed. "The flying, the seeing, the pictures... everything!"

At Angel's puzzled look, Lena explained. *I conditioned him to think about the events on the hill, regarding the origin of his abilities.* She hastened to add *At his request! If he stops and thinks about it, he can remember your part. That way...*

*Anyone reading his stray thoughts will just catch the references to Pope Hill. Clever!*

"Ok, what are you two plotting?" he asked, in mock suspicion.

"Your downfall, of course! Silly boy." Lena gave an evil laugh worthy of a movie supervillain. Then she smiled and kissed him. Deeply.

Angel felt a stab of jealousy at that, but let it pass. These were her friends, and she was happy that they found someone. Happy that they were happy. And she was also happy that they were both still her friends.

All too soon, it was time to leave. They gave Lena a lift home, after David's parents rebuffed her hints about spending the night.

"You're shameless, you know that?" Angel laughed, when they were in the car.

"We already established that." Lena laughed back. "Completely and utterly."

"Is everything ready for tomorrow?"

"According to Sherry. David's folks will give us a ride there. And back, unless you make other arrangements."

"I may have to. I have to go to Boulder on Saturday. Work."

"That's no fun."

"I'll also be taking my old stuff to the swap shop there. You think that's far enough away to avoid local attention?"

"Should be."

They got home, and Lena walked next door to her house.

Angel decided to make an early night of it. Before going to bed, she picked out an outfit for the party itself, and some work clothes for the setup. She laid out the work clothes, and carefully put the party clothes, makeup, etc. in a tote.

She slept well, and slept in. The way she saw it, she was making up for some of the short, disturbed nights of the last week.

When she got down to the kitchen, there was a note wishing her a good time at the party, and reminding her that she had work the next day. Then the dreaded phrase: "We trust you."

Aargh!

*What's the... oh.* Lena's reaction seemed to combine amusement and sympathy. *For what it's worth, they really do. They just worry about what others might do.*

After fortifying herself for a hard day's work, Angel was ready to go. Half an hour later, when David and family showed up, she was still ready.

In the bright morning sunlight, the place looked worse than she remembered. As the others were arriving, Sherry gave each a list of jobs. Some had few but lengthy jobs. Others had a lot of smaller stuff. Everyone there had some sort of skills, powers, and/or resources, and they were being shamelessly leveraged.

Angel's list included inspecting the food areas (kitchen and poolside) and the bathrooms, pointing the cleaners to the parts that weren't obvious. Where needed, she would also sterilize areas.

Then she would check the rest of the house, looking for things like mildew, dry rot, and insect and rodent damage.

She asked about some holes she saw on the outside of the top floor, near the roof.

"Woodpeckers." Robin snarled. "Not only do they make holes like that, but they go pecking on the walls at odd hours for a sort of mating call. Nice, interesting birds in theory, destructive pests in practice."

Shaking her head in wonder, Angel went inside. The light wasn't as bright in there, so she waited a moment for her eyes to adjust, then read the rest of the list. After reinspecting the areas others had cleaned and repaired, she would be available for first aid, tans, and her special tattoos.

Her inspection of the kitchen was largely pointless. She found a lot of places that needed cleaning and disinfecting, but they were all pretty much obvious to the naked eye anyway. She pointed out the priorities, then left the cleaning crew to their work. Their first target would be the refrigerator, so that it could be used for food and drink.

The story was pretty much the same for the outside facilities. At least as far as her task was concerned. The pool was another matter. A younger looking girl, maybe a freshman or sophomore, was treading water. Her skimpy swim suit didn't cover much, but she wasn't drawing much attention. The water was churning, and an area at the shallow end of the pool was accumulating a growing pile of sludge. Biologically active sludge, in part.

Angel learned that the girl was called Flo, and she was a water elemental. Like Angel and Star Dawn, her name was an appropriate accident. She was using her abilities to clean the pool and purify the water. After that, she would handle the pipes and filter. And then the fun part (not) - the house plumbing. Since she was busy, Angel made a mental note to introduce herself later.

When she got to the bathrooms, Angel was relieved to find people already hard at work. The toilets had been cleaned first, as another measure of enlightened self interest. She found some areas that needed to be redone, but it wasn't as bad as she had feared. The sinks, bathtubs/showers, and vents still needed a lot of work. She found some areas behind the tiles which were active, indicating some kind of leakage. That wouldn't affect their use of the facilities, but they would document them for the owner. She also found some spots which weren't obvious, and pointed them out.

She took a break, getting herself a drink and sitting down, before moving on to the larger job. The house was a beehive of activity, with a few people directing crews and most people doing fairly routine kinds of work. She saw some rooms being stripped, tarped, and taped, apparently for painting. Some people were washing walls, also in preparation.

Sherry came up to her and asked how she was doing. After exchanging pleasantries, Sherry gave her some priorities for the inspections. Those rooms would be fixed (as needed) and then painted first. They were using quick drying cleaning products and paints, so there shouldn't be much trouble with wet walls or fumes. They had some large fans in place, and all the screened doors and windows were open.

Sherry joked that they really needed two more elementals, wood and air. But they would make do.

One of the first things Angel discovered was a little too familiar. The air ducts needed cleaning. Luckily, that was something that the owner would have to take care of after the party.

With her trusty EZrace marker in hand, Angel went through the rooms and marked areas that needed attention. Most just needed a better cleaning. She lost any sense of time by the time she finished the first floor and moved to the second.

When she was checking the master bedroom suite, she was startled by movement outside the window. Getting a better look, she saw it was David, wings extended, working on the woodpecker damage on the outside wall of the room. The window was open for ventilation, so she went over and said hi.

She was hit with a strong gust of wind, as the startled David used his wings to regain his balance. After he saw who it was, he smiled. They talked for a little while about his plans for his powers. He still wasn't too sure what parts he would announce. The flying and telesense would be a little too obvious to conceal, although he was considering understating the range of the telesense. He would probably do the same with his illusion ability, giving him an alibi if one of his illusions showed up outside of his supposed range.

When she asked, he told her that the range on the illusions could be tied to his telesense. Angel heard something behind her, and turned to see herself standing in the middle of the room. The "other Angel" explained that Lena had helped him learn the trick of creating an illusory avatar, seeing, hearing, and talking through it. "Angel" turned into David, and pointed out that he could make it look like anyone he chose. "David" then turned into Lena, sort of. Some of her features were a little off, as though he was projecting a more idealized version of her. Angel smirked at that, and warned him to watch out for that if he wanted anyone to believe it was her.

"Lena" smiled, and turned back into David. He acknowledged the point. He was hampered by his lack of TK, which meant that his avatar could not pick anything up or open doors or the like.

"Ouch! Dammit!" With the shout from outside, "David" vanished. There was another gust of wind from outside, and Angel turned to see David steadying himself again. "I was trying to work while talking that way, and I cut myself with the putty knife. Can you take a look at it?"

"Sure. You want to come in through the window, or the door?"

David thought for a second. "Door. I don't want to mess with the screen." With that, he turned and jumped from the roof. It was the first time she'd seen him fly, and she was impressed. He didn't even seem to wobble as he looped in for a landing.

A moment later he was up the stairs and in the room with her. She noticed something different about him than his avatar. She could sense his biological essence in person, but the avatars lacked that dimension.

The cut was about two inches long and jagged. Almost as much a tear as a cut. Luckily, it wasn't too deep for her to cure. She quickly disinfected and healed the cut. When she was done, she kept hold of his hand longer than strictly necessary.

She was confused about her feelings. Holding his hand like that, once she was done with the healing, made her feel connected in a way she seemed to desperately want. But he was a boy. Worse, he was Lena's boyfriend. Even after all the talk about it being normal and acceptable to feel things, it was confusing. And upsetting.

She made herself release his hand naturally. She knew it would say something if she suddenly dropped it, something even a typically oblivious boy would not miss.

She wondered where that thought came from. She knew that she had come to realize just how naive and wrongheaded her former self had been, but when had she generalized that to most boys? And when did she start thinking of boys as so completely separate from her?

David was thanking her, and saying he had to get back to work. She responded automatically, not really noticing until he was on his way out the door. A part of her wanted to stop him, to keep him there longer. But she knew it was not the time or place.

By the time she finished with the top floor, she had treated half a dozen more cuts and scrapes, and one second degree burn. She was more than ready for a break before she took on the basement. She moved down to the living room, which had been cleaned, repainted, and partly refurnished.

After making sure she had somewhere to sit, she moved to the patio and snagged a couple of pieces of pizza and a drink. When she got back to the living room and collapsed on the sofa, she saw that she wasn't alone. A tired looking Flo was draped over the other end.

"Overworked elementals of the world, unite." Angel joked, tiredly.

"You must be Angel." an equally tired Flo replied.

"If I must, I must." It was an ancient joke, but Angel couldn't resist. "And you're Flo?"

"Guilty as charged. What have they got you doing?"

"Inspecting for biologically active contamination, and healing their boo boos." Angel replied, around a bite of pizza. "You?"

"The pool and the pipes. Yech! You would not believe how clogged all the drains were. Or what was clogging them."

"Please, I'm eating!" Angel smiled. "Want some?" she offered the other piece of pizza.

Flo accepted. They swapped bits and pieces of their life stories. Flo admitted her real name was Florence, which she didn't like. She was an incoming freshman at Smokey Hills. She had gone through MORFS when she was twelve "As though I wasn't changing enough!" she concluded with distaste.

She sympathized with Angel's recent change, and especially with having gone through it on the road. Angel hadn't mentioned the sex change, or the related training, but she did mention the training with her grandmother. Flo thought that was great.

Angel learned that Flo was a little boy crazy, and had a thing for an older boy on the swim team. Unfortunately, her affection wasn't returned. Angel sympathized.

As they sat there, resting and talking, they started quietly rating the boys there on a scale of zero to five. They would watch a boy go by, and raise the appropriate number of fingers. They also added a few gestures for nuances, ranging from puckered lips as a speculation (or observation) that he was a good kisser, to a brief flash of a one fingered salute indicating a desire for a more physical intimacy.

Despite Flo's age, and the comments from her own "trainers", Angel was surprised to find their quiet conversation turn explicitly and frankly sexual. They both admitted they were virgins, although in Flo's case it was mostly a technicality. They both had jacked a boy off, but Angel didn't mention it was her previous, male, self. They had both done a few things with girls, but again Angel didn't mention she was a boy at the time. Beyond that, the younger girl was the significantly more experienced of the two.

They also shared stories of "you could make a fortune at..." comments. The big difference there was that Angel was old enough to act on some. Flo loved the idea of Angel's theater job. Especially the perks. Angel promised to treat her to a movie some time.

Feeling somewhat rested and restored, they went back to their assigned tasks.

*Congratulations!* The tone of Lena's thought was clearly amused. *You not only made a powerful friend, you passed a major test.*

*Powerful?*

*In her own right, she's a fairly powerful water elemental. But her parents are, shall we say, well connected. Her mother was a US senator. Her father was the famous Mixed League quarterback.*

*So that's where I heard that name before. I used to have a bobble head of him.*

*Well, now he owns several businesses, and acts as a lobbyist at the Statehouse. As I said, well connected.*

*What about the test?*

*She's had a couple of unexpected and... unpleasant... experiences with relatively recent sex morfs. Nothing disastrous, but unpleasant enough that she has learned to test people before getting close to them.*

*And?*

*She is completely convinced that you were born a girl. A little repressed for her tastes, but all girl. And if anyone asks her, she'll tell them so.*

*Great! They keeping you busy?*

*Sometimes. Mostly, I'm coordinating the crews and stuff. What do you think of David's avatar?*

*Useful. Startling, but useful.*

*Uh, oh. Gotta go.* There was a loud whump from outside. *Come out back!* Angel went to investigate. So did about half the people in the house.

The scene outside was confusing at first. Then she found out what had happened. Two of the boys were checking out the gas grill. When one of them tried lighting it, he touched off a small but strong explosion. His face and hands were burned. Not deeply, but enough that his eyebrows and lashes were gone, and he was in more than a little pain. The other one was hit from the side and went down, knocking over a loaded table. His burns weren't as bad, and he didn't seem to be otherwise injured. Others looked after him while Angel went to work on the first.

She didn't bother regrowing the burned off hairs. That would take care of itself with time. Luckily, the burns were not too deep for her, and she was able to heal them without too much trouble. When his vision was clearing, he was staring at her pendant, and then at her face. She wasn't sure what to make of that, but at least he wasn't staring at her boobs.

When she was sure he was recovering, she moved to the other. His burns weren't as bad, but they covered more of his body. Distressingly, part of his shirt had melted and stuck to his arm. Someone had cooled it off, so it wasn't doing any more damage, but it was still stuck.

She wasn't sure how to handle that, so she started with his face. He only lost one eyebrow, she noticed. She healed the skin, and tanned it to match the rest of his face. She then got to the rest of his body. As she worked his torso, she noticed his muscles. She found herself appreciating their definition.

Then she got to his arm. She started by healing the burn, to keep it from spreading the damage. Then she moved to one of the stuck parts. After a couple of tries, she found the way to get his cells to push out the foreign material and slough off the cells it was directly stuck to. Finally, she restored the arm cosmetically, filling the pits and fixing the color. By the time she was done, she was a little wobbly.

She declared herself off shift for anything but emergencies, grabbed a piece of giant sub and a drink, and went off to find somewhere to stretch out. The next thing she clearly remembered was waking up next to a half eaten sandwich piece and a miraculously unspilled drink can. She was a little groggy from her extended nap, but otherwise seemed well restored. From the angle of the sun, it was late afternoon.

She decided she was still hungry, and finished the sandwich and drink. She noticed a lot of progress in the rooms around her. A few minutes later, she was very happy to find the nearest bathroom was completely cleaned, repainted, and open for business.

When she wandered out to the living room, she noticed that some of the posters had been mounted and hung, giving the place more of a festive air.

She went to the basement, and was pleased to see that most of it was done as well. David's father was already down there, rehabilitating a somewhat rusty water heater. With one exception, the only bio problems she saw were minor, and easily handled.

That exception was the environmental system. the integrated heater, cooler, humidifier, and dehumidifier was the source of the problems she had seen with the vents. It was not really a threat to anyone at the party, but she wrote a note on it anyway.

When she went and reported her completion to Sherry, She was put on call for any more injuries. Sherry asked her how well she was recovered from dealing with the two burn victims, and she said she was just fine.

"I seem to remember something about you being able to grow hair. Is that right?"

"Yeah, I can do it. But it takes a lot of work and resources from both of us. Why?"

"I was hoping you could grow the eyebrows and lashes back."

"Whose back are you going to be lashing?" Robin grinned, stepping into the conversation. "Can I watch? Or better yet, help?"

"That's a little kinky even for my tastes." added Flo, who had come in with Robin, searching for Sherry.

"Not those kind of lashes!" Sherry insisted, her careful grammar slipping. "Eyelashes."

"That's gotta hurt." Flo said, covering her eyes with her hands.

"When did I lose control of this conversation?" Sherry moaned.

The other three girls looked briefly at each other, and replied in near unison. "Yesterday!"

Muttering something about having walked into that one, she asked the girls what they needed. They told her they were making a supply run, and asked whether she needed anything.

Angel spoke up. "Unflavored gelatin. At least two boxes."

"Why? Making some special dessert?" Sherry seemed genuinely puzzled.

"You asked me to grow their hair. The gelatin is close to the same stuff, so after they eat it I can use it for raw materials. It will take a lot less out of us."

Sherry nodded, and went silent for a moment. Robin jumped, then said "I hate it when Radar does that!" After collecting herself, she asked Sherry for forty dollars out of the party fund, to cover the purchases. Sherry reminded them to give her the receipt when they got back.

And any change.

When they left, Angel was at loose ends. The only reason she didn't go with them was that she might be needed in case of another accident.

For a change, she wasn't. So she rested, snacked, and stayed out of the way. When they returned, she grabbed the gelatin and went looking. First, she grabbed a couple of clean cups. Then she hunted down the browless wonders. She mixed each a drink of the gelatin and water, then told them to come back in half an hour.

When it was time, she decided to try an experiment. When she had worked with the little girl, she had worked hard to avoid pulling any of the energy from her. This time, she was going to try to pull most of the energy from the boys.

And it worked. Sort of. She wasn't sure whether she spent more energy controlling the borrowed energy than she would have used to do it herself. But toward the end, it seemed to be more automatic. In fact, she had to make it a point to slow the process back to natural levels on the third try.

Again, she rested and snacked for a while. A couple of people looked at her like she was being lazy, then stiffened when they apparently got Radar Grams. Looking a little sheepish, they moved on.

Some people went to cook, while others set up the music and such. The posters and other party decorations went up, and the furniture was arranged. All with no more than minimal injury to anyone involved.

When she noticed that several of the people had changed from their working clothes to their party clothes, Angel followed suit. There were lines for the showers, but her own labors had not really been physical in that way. She went up to the bedroom designated the girls' changing room, and dressed. Someone had planned ahead, and provided a long mirror and table, suitable for several people using at once. She adjusted her makeup, then headed back down.

When she got to the living room, some people were already dancing. Star Dawn was providing some lighting effects to go with the mood of the music. When Angel saw Sherry and asked why that part was indoors, she was told there were three very good reasons. First, afternoon thunderstorms were all too common that time of year, and they didn't want to risk the equipment. Second, there were neighbors. True, they were more than a block away, but they might get unhappy with loud music coming through the outside speakers. And finally, because that way the dancers and the swimmers wouldn't be getting in each others' way.

She conceded that it made sense.

After the party had been going for about an hour, it started to rain. Those outside quickly moved their supplies inside, and prepared to wait it out. Some people commented that Flo might have been able to keep the patio area dry, but she had extended herself a little much with doing the pool and the pipes.

With everyone inside, Sherry and Robin declared it time for the Program. First, they handed out small envelopes to everyone, asking them not to open them yet. Sherry thanked them for allowing the party committee, and the house owner, to exploit them so thoroughly. She said the party was, in large part, just a last bash before the start of school. Some of the Smokey Hills students smirked at that, having an extra week before the start of school.

She went on to say that it was also to raise their awareness about exploitation. As teens, with or without powers, they were frequently exploited by marketers, employers, schools, families, and others. It was a one sided arrangement, where the exploiters got significantly more out of the deal than the teens did. She went on to say that it wasn't always a bad thing. The kids often got something out of it, even if that was less than the value of their actions.

And sometimes, they got something unexpected out of it. She had them open the envelopes. Each had a gold pin, with the number 2060 and a stylized pair of slave manacles. She told them that they were solid gold, other than the stainless steel pin assembly. She acknowledged the boy who designed and cast them, and thanked an "anonymous donor" who provided the gold.

Angel had her suspicions about that. Especially given the way that David refused to meet her eyes. She didn't quite understand why - he knew that she knew about his power, had given him that power, and that she didn't seem to see anything wrong with his using it. She just smiled and shrugged it off.

David's father took his cue to give his talk about exploitation. He gave them some of the legal background, including the fact that until they were 18, their options were somewhat limited. But he stressed that they still had the power to make choices.

He finished the speech with a rousing "Let's party!" And they did.

Angel wandered around the party, talking, listening, munching... generally operating in party mode. She even let the earlier burn victim pull her into a dance or two. She was having too good a time to worry overly much about the feelings she got when dancing with him. Especially the slow dance. Some friends pulled him away after one of the dances, so she started wandering again.

Off to one side, there were some people having some sort of disagreement involving colors and letters. Curious, Angel moved in closer. After a couple of rounds, she was none the wiser. One of the girls in the group moved away to get something to eat, and Angel followed her.

At the food table, she introduced herself. "Hi. I'm Angel."

"I know. People have been pointing you out. I'm Shirley." She held out her hand, to shake.

They shook hands, then Angel asked about the conversation.

"Oh, that. We were just having some fun with Spectrum club."

"Spectrum Club?"

"It's one of the clubs at school. Been around forever, and is at a lot of other schools. It's really about promoting understanding and appreciation of sexual diversity."

Seeing Angel's confused look, she went on. "It started with LGB. That's lesbian, gay, bi. Soon it went to LGBQ."

"Q?"

"Questioning. A lot of people our age are really not sure of their sexuality. Anyhow, with MORFS and some other things, we eventually added transsexual and intersexed. So now we use LGBTIQ to characterize it. And, of course, anyone is welcome. We have a lot of Hets in the group, for philosophical or personal reasons."

"Ok, so what's with the colors?"

"John was pointing out that some sources only give the rainbow six colors. And since Spectrum Club has those six letters, we got to playing around with which letter should correspond with which color."

Angel nodded her understanding, and they walked over to a couple of chairs to sit, eat, and talk. Shirley described herself as bisexual, or at least, Bi curious. Angel, in turn, described herself as confused. Shirley smiled at that, and invited Angel to come to some of the club meetings.

"We talk about a lot of things, and maybe we can help you clear up some of your confusion."

*You really should think about it. They're a good bunch of people.*

Looking a little startled, Angel replied *I'll think about it. Keeping an eye on me?*

*Actually, we have a couple of quick requests for your services. An accident slicing onions, and another cooking burn.*

*How bad?*

*Superficial, but painful. Also, David will be opening his presents in a few minutes.*

*Ooh, can't miss that. I'll be right there to work my healing magic.*

"Radar gram?" Shirley asked, looking amused.

"Yep. Got to go heal the klutz squad again. Nice talking with you." They gestured their goodbyes, and she took off for the kitchen.

She went for the burn first, since it could easily get too deep for her otherwise. A brief pass of the hand, and a little convincing at the cellular level, and it was done. The cut was a little bit more of a problem. There was onion juice in it, which was mildly destructive as well as being painful. There was also some bleeding to deal with.

The bleeding actually worked in her favor. She was able to use the skin cells and the blood cells to help the plasma rinse away the onion juice. Then she closed the wound from the inside out, pushing out unwanted materials in the process. Once the skin was closed and matched, she had him wash his hand thoroughly.

Then it was off to the celebration. About two thirds of the people there gathered to welcome the "new and improved" David. While he had been working on the roof and the outside of the second floor, the den had been decorated. There were pictures of birds and winged men, from classical images of Icarus to the poster Angel had collected from the Winged Avenger movie. A large banner welcomed him back, and a large pile of presents was on the table.

When he opened the presents, he seemed to like all of them. His eyes lit up when he saw Robin's wing brush, and enjoyed the thoughtfulness of Sherry's wrist mounted GPS com unit. While they weren't all that expensive, they were still useful. This one, with a Winged Avenger theme, even included scramblers on the comm part and two handheld radios with matching scramblers for his "team".

His others ranged from the practical to the absurd. Clearly, the rubber beak fell into the last category. Everyone got a laugh from the silly ones.

Then someone declared it was time for a speech.

"Thank you all," David began. "This is just great. And I have to say, I owe a big debt to some of you. Angel, and especially the love of my life, Lena, who together with my parents helped me get through those first hours. And the rest of you, who helped motivate me to get through the training."

After watching the reactions from the others, ranging from pleased to embarrassed, he continued. "I knew, without any doubt in my mind, that you guys would never let me live it down if I came back anything less than fully trained." He smirked. There was a brief silence, then everyone laughed.

"Now let's go finish getting exploited!"

With that, a few people started gathering the wrappings, while David collected his loot and the cards. David cut his finger opening the wrist unit's package, and two of the others got paper cuts from the wrappings and ribbons. Angel promptly handled the anguishing injuries, amid suggestions from their friends that they were over reacting.

"I should have given you Captain Peeper tonight, with the rest of the presents." Angel said. Inadvertently, she said it loud enough to be overheard. After they rejoined the party, people started saluting him and calling him "Captain" or "CP".

Lena came up to them, grinning. "That's how these names get started, for the most part. Unless you come up with something catchier, it will be The Captain and Radar."

Robin stepped in. "Wasn't that the name of a singing group, a century or so ago?"

David wisely remained silent.

Lena stiffened a moment, then David turned and looked toward a wall.

"What is it?" Angel asked.

"Crashers. We've got it." Lena replied, abruptly.

Angel saw Sherry and Bear moving quickly toward the back door. A moment later, she heard a yelp from outside, then saw Lena and David relax a little. Lena gave her a quick rundown about what happened.

When the two boys stepped through the gate, they found themselves pinned in a bright light. To either side of them was a large person, wearing sun glasses. They turned to find their way blocked by a tall, muscular, winged figure. That was when one of them let out a loud yelp. They quickly put their hands up in a gesture of surrender.

Bear and Sherry each took one of them by the shoulder, then Star Dawn stopped the light. Sherry closed the gate, and the winged figure disappeared. While they were being marched into the living room, Lena gestured for Angel, Robin, and David to follow her there. She looked amused.

*Stand with us and look serious.* Lena "told" Angel. *We have a plan for this contingency.* She was clearly enjoying herself.

When the boys were marched in, they found themselves facing a very serious looking group of five teens, flanked by the four adults. The central figure, Lena, stepped forward.

"You know who I am." It was not a question. "Because of my abilities, I am in charge of security for this gathering. What do you have to say for yourselves?"

One started bravely. "We were..." he paused a moment, then continued weakly. "Just trying to crash the party. We didn't mean any harm."

"You don't know the nature of this gathering." Again, not a question.

"We just thought it was a party."

"It is more." She turned to Angel. "Mark them."

Silently, she added *Put the word 'Crasher' on their foreheads.*

Angel moved to comply. As she reached toward the face of the first one, he tried to flinch away. Sherry held him firmly in place. Angel put her hand over his forehead, and tanned his skin in the pattern of the word. When she pulled her hand away, his companion gasped. Since the other boy was a relatively dark Afam, she paled his skin into the letters.

That done, she stepped back into line. Robin produced a hand mirror, and used it to show each of them the markings. Then she stepped back into line.

Lena spoke up again. "Each person here has agreed to be subjected to the theme of this gathering, as a condition of participating. Are you willing to do so as well?"

"What is the theme?" the first boy asked, nervously.

"If you agree to be subjected to it, we will tell you. Behave, and we will remove your badges of shame." She indicated their foreheads. "If you try to leave without permission, you will bear those marks for the rest of your life. Choose!"

"It's not anything illegal, is it?"

Lena smirked. "No, under most circumstances it is entirely legal."

The boys looked at each other, then nodded.

"The theme is exploitation. Each of us has been exploited to make this gathering happen. Those of us with special resources or abilities had those exploited. The rest provided labor. Even the adults. You will now do as you are told. Behave, and you can enjoy the party and leave unmarked. Do you understand?"

Looking miserable, they agreed. Sherry and Bear took them to the kitchen, to explain their duties, and the music resumed.

"Well, that was fun." Lena grinned. "They're not really bad guys. They just don't always think things through."

"Don't forget I have work tomorrow." Angel reminded her.

"Give them an hour. If they behave, and they will, you can remove the marks. Nice job with those, by the way."

"Thanks. Who came up with the tribunal thing?"

"David. That boy has quite a sense of the dramatic, doesn't he?" Lena patted him on his cheek in a proprietary way.

"Oh, get a room you two!" Robin carped, half seriously.

"His folks would notice. Unfortunately." Lena made an exaggerated motion like snapping her fingers.

Angel just smiled and went to find some more food.

While she was relaxing on the sofa, Flo came and joined her. Their talk wandered through a lot of topics, not least of which was boys. But finally, Flo came to something she had been apparently working herself up to asking.

"What's high school really like?"

Angel thought for a moment. "A lot like middle school. You have more freedom, but also more responsibility. The school is bigger, and there are a lot more students. It's easy to get lost or overwhelmed. But if you get involved with clubs and stuff, you can find people to make it a lot more comfortable and fun. Most of the kids are pretty good, but there are still some assholes from time to time. You learn to avoid them or deal with them."

Angel was surprised at her choice of language. There was something about the young water sprite that just brought it out.

Their conversation was cut short when John wandered up and asked Angel to dance. Flo just grinned and asked if he had a friend. He smiled, and looked around the room. Seeing the other explosion victim across the room, he waved him over.

"Go ahead and ask," he told him with a grin. "You know you've been wanting to dance with her all day."

"I didn't say dance."

John just shook his head and gently shoved him toward Flo. After that, Angel lost track of them while John led her to the dance floor. After they finished the dance that was already going, A slow dance started playing. Angel found herself naturally moving into his arms, as they started swaying to the music. There was something comforting about feeling his body heat bathing her.

Not just his body heat. His bio field. Relaxing into him, she let herself trace his fields. She allowed herself to be aware of the processes, his heart beating, his lungs infusing his blood with oxygen, parts of his brain more active than others... hormones spreading, some diffusing out through sweat and into his breath, blood rerouting, tissues engorging, fluids mixing...

The music ended, and she pulled herself up short. There she was, pressed against a boy - a boy! - and one she barely knew. And she was feeling the unmistakable evidence of his reaction to her pressing against him. His hand had moved from the small of her back, pressing gently on her butt to pull her closer. His face was coming closer to hers, gently washing her face with his passion scented breath, its scent making promises her body ached to redeem.

But he was a boy! It was just wrong. She turned her face away and allowed herself to sag a little. Then she pulled away, pleading fatigue from all the elemental work she had done that day. He gave a small, understanding smile and walked her back to the couch. Then he went to get her another drink.

She turned her head to see Flo staring at her, openmouthed. "You big tease!" the younger girl accused.

"I... I wasn't! I didn't..." Angel stopped to take a couple of deep, steadying breaths. "I didn't mean for anything to happen. Things were just going so fast, and I wasn't ready!" Another breath. "I mean, I wouldn't do anything like that. I'm not the kind of girl who would tease someone. Especially someone like him. He's nice, and strong, and good looking and..." She looked at Flo's eyes. "...he's standing right behind me, isn't he?" She turned to look.

With a puzzled look, John handed her the drink. Angel tried to explain herself. "She was accusing me of teasing you. Out there, when we were dancing. But I wasn't. I mean, I didn't mean to. I'm not a tease. I mean..." She dropped her head into her hands. "There's never a medical emergency when you need one!"

John chuckled, and shook his head. "I admit that you really got to me, and I may need some serious consultation with my right hand, but I never thought there was anything malicious about it. I can understand if you feel like you aren't ready for some things yet. But I would like to be around when you do feel ready." He paused, then looked annoyed. "That didn't come out right."

"It's... complicated." Angel replied. "I've changed, with the MORFS and all. It's only been a couple of months, and I still don't have control over some parts of my elemental nature. I'm still relearning who... what... I am."

"And here I thought puberty was a pain in the butt." he grinned, wryly. "No pressure. But if Radar goes peeking through my dreams, I take no responsibility for whatever you and I end up doing there. Or how many times."

She could imagine what he might dream. Back when she was a boy, she had those same kinds of dreams. She was both a little creeped out and, somehow, pleased at the notion of him dreaming about her in that way.

*That was interesting.* Lena sent. *But it's time to clear the foreheads of the crashers.*

*Where?*

*Kitchen. Then we'll put them back to work.*

Angel excused herself, explaining what she had to do. She thanked John for being so understanding, and left.

Once in the kitchen, she quickly restored their foreheads. While she was there, she took care of another burn and two more cuts. Feeling a little tired, she grabbed another snack and headed back to the sofa.

"I don't get it." Flo greeted her. "What are you so afraid of? You're a girl. He's a boy. A nice, handsome, strong boy. I'd take him in a minute, but he's interested in you. So what's the problem?"

"How long have you been an elemental?" Angel countered.

"Two years. Why?"

"You remember what it was like for the first couple of months? The struggle to learn control? The insane sense of power? The questions you had to answer for yourself, because they're different for each of us?"

"I guess. So?"

"I'm still dealing with that. And I'm a bio elemental. I could hurt someone, even kill them, if I got careless or carried away when I am close to them. And when I start getting all caught up in the whole boy girl thing, I'm way too distracted."

Flo looked skeptical.

Angel went on. "Ok. When did you realize that you could kill someone with your powers?"

"Kill someone?"

"By messing with their blood - all that water moving around inside of them - you can disable someone or kill them. Don't try to tell me you hadn't realized that."

"No, I caught on pretty quickly. I just never talk about it." She got a very serious look. "How did you find out?"

"I didn't. It just seemed obvious. After you figured that out, how long was it until you were able to really cut loose with someone again?"

"Well... I guess it was a while."

"I only morfed this summer. On top of that, I was moving across the country, and visiting relatives. All while trying to understand and control these frightening new abilities. Now I'm starting to settle in, and get the hang of things. And next week, school starts. A new school. I've never been to school as a morf. I've never dated as a morf. I'm still learning my way around."

"I guess I understand. It's a little like me, starting a new part of my life at a new school. Only more so, since some of my friends are doing the same thing."

"And the only friends I'll have at school are the ones I've made in the last few weeks. So, I'm not super prude or anything. But I do have a lot on my plate at the moment."

Flo seemed to accept that, much to Angel's relief. When she had rested a little, she offered to give Flo one of her "special" tattoos. She accepted, choosing a porpoise leaping above choppy waters.

All too soon, it was time to leave. Angel called home for a ride, then went around saying her goodbyes. Lena alerted her when her mother arrived, and she headed for home.

Being all partied out, it didn't take her long to take care of a few necessities and fall into bed. She carefully set the alarm for her trip to Boulder, then was asleep almost before her head hit the pillow.

End Part 11

Angel's Tale: A MORFS Universe Story By Joreymay

A nice, quiet weekend? What's that? Saturday includes work, her first visit to a swap shop, and a shopping trip with her mom. But Sunday makes Angel wonder whether she will ever have a nice, simple meal out again.

Part 12

Sometimes, you can't win. Angel got home at an unreasonably early hour (for a summer Friday night party), got right to bed, and still woke up feeling like she had spent the night in the business end of a street sweeper.

She dragged herself out of bed and went through her morning routine. 87 hours later, give or take a lifetime, she was clean, dressed, groomed, and on her way to breakfast. She started pulling things out of the fridge and cupboards, until she saw her mother standing in the doorway, looking at her funny. Following the shift of her eyes, Angel looked at the table.

It wasn't just the pickles and butter brickle ice cream that caught her attention. It was the whole mismatched cornucopia that filled the table.

Angel shook her head to clear it, then turned sheepishly to face her mother again.

"Is there something I should know?" her mother asked wryly, picking up the pickle jar.

"Um... My ride should be picking me up in about 20 minutes?" Angel tried. When her mother just kept looking at her, she caught on. And blushed.

"Nothing like that! I just overextended myself or something yesterday." She did a quick scan of herself, verifying that there was nothing there that didn't belong.

Her mother chuckled. "Why don't you take a moment to figure out what you really want for breakfast. It would take a lot more than 20 minutes to eat all of that."

Angel went inside herself, and got an impression of what she really needed. Then, she went to another part of herself, and looked for foods that would give her combinations of those needs, rather than trying for one per food. She quickly settled on a smoothie, a spinach and ham omelet, and some toast.

Her mother made the omelet while she put things away and made the drink. She was just about finished eating, when her eCom announced a call. Her ride would be there in five minutes. She bolted down the rest of her food, then went to get the boxes of "his" clothes.

She was just putting the last one on the porch, when the company van pulled up. Mandy helped her load the boxes, said hello and goodbye to Angel's mother, and got them on the road.

Angel noticed that Mandy seemed to have come to terms with her secret. Or at least, she was acting much the way she had before Angel told her. She told Angel that she wanted to get back relatively early, since her older daughter, Chris, had a dance recital that evening.

Angel smiled, and acknowledged that. With luck, she should be done with her inspection in a couple of hours. Mandy's audit would take longer, even with Angel's probable need to write up a report. Her business with the swap shop should not delay them.

The theater was literally across the street from the university. Mandy told her that it was almost entirely staffed by university students. Even the manager was a grad student. During the summer, they picked up a few local high school students, but not many.

The manager seemed a little nervous to have them there, but not hostile. And for a change, he was mostly concerned with Mandy. It sort of made sense to Angel. Mandy was more like a senior professor, there to grade him on the paperwork. Angel was more like someone there to check on the work of the other employees. He was nice, and not at all condescending, but he was not all that concerned with her.

Angel got busy. She checked the restrooms first, for the usual reasons. After noting a few problem spots, she moved on to the concessions stand. While there was nothing disastrous, she saw what seemed to be a pattern. It was as though the employees were doing just enough to get by. Not so much laziness as a lack of urgency. They got the important stuff, and left the rest until it started getting bad enough to become important.

She documented the problem spots, and noted that none of them posed an immediate threat to customers or workers. By then, the doors were opening and families were streaming in for the early matinees. Angel checked the theaters, working around the active children and harried adults, and noted the same pattern as before.

Finally, she checked the service areas and storage. She was surprised to find that the things in storage were arranged a little differently. She made a note to ask about that. It looked to her like that arrangement would be more efficient in the long run.

She also made a note to mention the smell and residue of two distinct kinds of smoke in one of the supply closets. She had nothing against smoking either tobacco or pot, but the chain had policies about such things.

She finished her inspection, and quickly wrote up most of her report. Then she went looking for the manager. She found him in his office, sweating bullets as Mandy went through the books. He seemed to welcome the distraction when she asked him about the arrangement of stored supplies.

She didn't quite follow his description of the analyses that went into it, but the bottom line was that it was a lot more efficient. She also quietly suggested that he get his people to find somewhere else to smoke, and do a thorough wipe down of that closet. She assured him that those observations wouldn't make it into her report, but the efficiency would.

She finished her report and sent it. Then she went to find Mandy. Mandy estimated that she had another one and a half to two hours worth of work left to do. Angel borrowed the keys from Mandy, and went to deal with her old clothes. In theory, it should be a simple process.

After it became obvious that some cases of MORFS resulted in gender swaps and major body modifications, an enterprising young MORF got an idea. People were spending fortunes on new wardrobes, and thrift stores and consignment shops were getting flooded with clothes. At the time, the government imposed dress codes were still in effect, so families had little choice. It was a significant need, just waiting to be met.

She had spent a lot of time in used book stores, and decided to try applying that business model to the clothing situation. Recent morfs would bring in their old wardrobes, which would be evaluated for currency, condition, and cost. The evaluators would allocate credits, which could then be used to buy clothes more appropriate to the customer's new condition. The clothes would then be carefully inspected and cleaned, then tagged and racked for sale. Those garments which did not meet their standards for salability were donated to a thrift store or the like.

Everything from tuxedoes and formals to shorts and t-shirts were available. In addition, the stores offered some new items, from underwear (which they did not resell) to shirts and such. They even offered tailoring services. People who suddenly gained or lost size, appendages (such as tails or wings), or gender could start their new wardrobes while getting some advantage from their old ones.

Angel was surprised to notice that there were a lot more racks of female clothes than male clothes. But after a little thought, it made sense. For starters, girls tended to have larger wardrobes than guys. And then there was the simple fact that people with changes similar to hers could use more of their old wardrobes - especially t-shirts and sometimes shorts - than the female to male transformees, and the more fitted female garments were less likely to fit after significant body changes than their male equivalents.

This worked to her advantage. She got more credits for her relatively uncommon boy clothes, and had more choices when using those credits. And since people were morfing every day, new and current stuff was coming in all the time.

Savvy shoppers knew about that, and regularly checked the stock. Even though many of them were paying with money rather than store credits, girls and women could get designer dresses and the like for discount off the rack prices. This also gave closet morfs, like Angel, cover when they went in to use their credits. She just had to be careful when she took things in to get the credits.

The popular shops were widespread. Some rivals had started up, but they couldn't compete with the widely usable - and transferable - credits. The founder retired a wealthy woman, but still acted as a spokeswoman for the chain.

While Angel was waiting for her credits to be tallied, she looked around. She found a business suit in her size, which was appropriate for her in her manager role. She also found a couple of skirts that she had almost bought during earlier shopping trips, but had decided were too expensive. She tried everything on, and all but one skirt fit well.

While she was looking, she found a few nice things with wing slits in the back. Unfortunately, they were all distinctly feminine.

That done, she went to check on her credits. They were not as much as she had secretly hoped, but they covered her choices with as much again left over. Plenty for the promised mother daughter shopping.

Angel carefully hung her new things in the van, then went back to the theater to check on Mandy's progress.

Mandy was giving the manager a large dose of bad news/good news. The good news was that things largely added up, and there was no evidence of wrongdoing. The bad news was that the paperwork was sloppy, and that certain government types could come down on his head like a ton of bricks for some of it. She put it in terms he would be sure to understand, likening it to professors with their own particular ways of doing things, and their ability to lower the grades of students who tried doing things differently.

She gave him a reasonable time to get it all in order, after which someone would be there to check it out.

On the way home, Mandy expressed the opinion that he would be leaving the chain as soon as he graduated. "His heart is just not in it. It's just a job to him, not a career."

That got Angel thinking about her own career plans. Or rather, her lack of any. She was still no closer to knowing what to do with her life than she had been the last few times the issue came up. In fact, the visit from the mysteriously absent Ms. Wilson had closed off some of her possible directions.

She was pretty sure that she did not want to spend her life working for the movie chain. It was a good job, with very nice perks, but it just didn't feel like a career. In that way, she was probably a lot like that manager.

They passed the time on the way back with small talk. Mandy told her about the company gossip and about her family, and Angel told her about the party.

When Mandy dropped her off at home, Angel was met at the door by her mother. After a brief hello, Angel showed her the clothes and the credit voucher.

Her mother told her that she was on her way out to do some shopping at the mall, and invited her along. When Angel declined, pleading tiredness, she saw her mother's face drop. She knew that shopping was a big thing for her mother, and something that she hoped to share with her new daughter. It still wasn't high on Angel's list of recreational activities, though.

On the other hand, her mother had been so supportive through the whole thing. She hated to disappoint her. So she offered a compromise. If she could wait a bit, giving Angel time for a snack and a brief nap, she would go along. Her mother smiled and agreed.

So Angel found herself at the mall. With her mother. Shopping.

She understood the need for some of what she used to think of as excessive shopping. It was dumb the way the same size clothes, from different makers, would fit so differently. And it was even worse with bras and such.

She could even understand it as a social activity. She had enjoyed some of her previous expeditions with new friends and longtime relatives. But it wasn't really the shopping for her. The shopping was just something to do as part of the main activity of hanging out together. There was a little of that in the trip with her mom, but not all that much.

She liked being with her mother. There was no question about that. She liked doing things with her. But the shopping was a whole other thing. And it reminded her too much of the lessons. Especially of the time with the shoe salesman.

This time, when they were looking at shoes, she made it a point to push her skirt down between her legs when she sat for a fitting. Her mother knew what she was doing and why, and was amused.

As had been the case with the girls, Angel found herself enjoying her mother's company. She wasn't really there to buy anything, and she didn't have any real plans for the evening, so she didn't feel as stressed as she often had. Her mother had her try some things on, commenting on how they would - or did - look on her. More often, she would hold her mother's purse while watching her try on things. It was not exciting, but it was companionable.

In the end, Angel got out with a blouse, a pair of shoes that she didn't expect to wear much, and a couple of books she had been wanting. It took three large bags for her mother's purchases. Toward the end, she commented about the fact that she was the one carrying those bags.

"Of course, dear. That's the way it works." Her mother grinned. "If you don't have a man with you to act as porter, you bring a teenager for the job."

Angel rolled her eyes, and schlepped the bags out to the car.

When they got home, her father told them that Dr. Baker had called. He wanted to apologize for putting Angel through what Ms. Wilson had done, so he invited her family out to dinner again.

After a brief family conference, she decided to accept. She called him back and told him, and they made arrangements.

She called David's house, to satisfy her curiosity. First, she asked his father whether he had finished researching the AMA agreement. He said that it would take a few more days. She thanked him, then spoke to David.

She asked what she had missed at the party. While it had continued for a few hours after she left, nothing particularly special had happened. Flo left shortly after she had, all but dragged away by her parents. Her objection had raised a minor tsunami in the pool. After that, people drifted away in ones and twos. The cleanup had been relatively easy.

He verified that he had been the one who provided the gold for the party pins. He also told her that he was working on doing engraving in addition to the images, as well as expanding the kinds of materials he could put images on. From one of her functions at the party, she suggested he consider working on tattoos as well. He liked the idea.

They ended the call, and she put down her eCom. She took her tablet, and used it to check her emails and then play a few games.

She got a call on her eCom, from a name she didn't recognize. Once she accepted it, she quickly saw that the mysterious Mrs. Berman was the mother of Kerry and Terry, from the incident at the mall. They exchanged greetings, and then her caller seemed to get a little nervous.

"I thought about what you said, and talked it over with my husband. Would you still be willing to come over and look at the girls in your special way?" She seemed to second guess the way she had said that, and blushed. She tried to sputter an apology, but Angel waved it away.

"Of course. How are they doing?"

"They seem to have recovered from what happened. They consider the three of you heroes, the way you rescued them from those... people." She all but spat that last word. "In fact, they would like a chance to thank the three of you. Do you think you and the others could come over this evening?"

"I don't see why not." Angel smiled. She gave her the numbers for Sherry and Robin, and got the address from her.

When she told her parents about the call, her mother volunteered to drive her. She admitted to a certain curiosity about the twins and their mother, after Angel's earlier descriptions. Angel got ready, and soon they were off.

It took about twenty minutes to get to their house, during which they talked about the trivia of their lives. On their way back, they would be picking up some take out for dinner.

For the last block, they found themselves followed by a familiar car. Both cars parked, and Sherry and Robin joined Angel and her mother. They got halfway up the walk before the door slammed open and they were swarmed by two enthusiastic bundles of energy.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" they burbled, alternating enthusiastic hugs among their three rescuers.

"Girls!" warned a familiar voice. The girls quieted - a little - and became a little more formal and a lot more comprehensible.

"Thank you for coming." Kerry said, with a huge smile spoiling her attempt at formality.

"And thank you very much for rescuing us!" Terry added, enthusiastically.

A laughing Sherry replied "You're welcome. It was our pleasure."

During that exchange, Angel was taking in information about the girls. Terry was infected, seemingly by the same virus that Kerry carried. She was running about a day behind her sister, and Angel would have to work a little harder to understand her likely outcome.

Kerry was easier to read now. Angel got the feeling that her subconscious had digested the original information about their genetic structure, and had started on the new information. It was apparently going to be a bit of a mixed bag for her - nothing too bad, but nothing much in the way of powers.

The girls all but dragged the trio inside, trailed by an amused mother. Mrs. Berman met them at the door, introducing herself to Angel's mother and introducing the four of them to her husband.

Mr. Berman was a large man, with obvious muscles, and purple hair, eyebrows, and moustache. Angel could see that parts of his build, along with the colorful hair, were the results of MORFS. By most measures, he was completely human.

He was also very friendly, and very grateful for their rescue of his daughters.

While Sherry and Robin kept the girls busy - and vice versa - Angel and Mrs. Berman found an excuse to go into the kitchen by themselves for a moment.

"I'll need to look more carefully, but I can tell you some things. Terry is infected now, and is running about a day behind Kerry." she shrugged apologetically. "I will need a better look to see much more about Terry, but I can give you a pretty good idea about Kerry's outcome."

"Go on," their mother urged, sinking into a chair and gesturing an invitation toward another chair.

Angel sat, and continued, in a low voice. "She will apparently only have one major change. She will grow wings and be able to fly. Beyond that, she will be a little larger and stronger, particularly her chest and tail, and her hair and fur will change color. That's about it. I don't see her developing any special powers or problems. I suspect that she'll have to endure some lame Wizard of Oz jokes from some of the other kids, but other than that..." she shrugged.

"Are you sure...?"

"I've only had this ability a few months, so it's entirely possible that I have missed some details. But the bottom line is that they both should be ok. A little different physically, but ok."

Their mother slumped with relief. "When?"

"Kerry should start getting symptoms tomorrow, probably in the afternoon. Terry should follow on Monday. If you can get them both clinic appointments for Monday, it should work out fine. Kerry will have an extra half day of feeling lousy, but it's not an emergency."

They went back out into the living room, carrying trays with drinks for everyone. When Angel had gotten a good read on Terry, she started noticing the two of them together. And noticed something she had missed. She helped take the empty glasses out to the kitchen, as an excuse for another conference.

"They have twin telepathy!" Angel was quiet, but insistent. "It's not very strong now, but the change will reinforce it. Have you noticed?"

"All twins seem to have something like that." their mother replied. "But in most cases it is just from being close and in synch. Not really telepathy. I got suspicious enough a few years ago that I looked it up. I was never really sure about it, though."

"Well, now you know. Terry looks like she is going to be pretty much the same as her sister. Her hair and fur may be a different color, I'm not sure. But she will have something extra. It seems to have something to do with the telepathy, but I just can't see it well enough to bring it into focus. It will be fairly weak, but she may learn to use it well anyway."

When they returned, Mr. Berman gave them a concerned look. His wife took him aside and quietly reassured him. When they returned, Angel's mother started making noises about having taken enough of their time, and how nice it was to meet them. As the older girls got ready to leave, the Bermans offered to reward them. The only reward they would accept were hugs from the girls, which were freely and enthusiastically given.

Back in the car, Angel's mother had a little bit of a smug expression playing about her lips.

"Ok," Angel demanded. "what's with the expression?"

"Expression?"

"Oh, pleeease, Mother." Angel had learned more than public mannerisms during her training.

Her mother was a little startled by how thoroughly that response projected a teenaged girl.

"Oh, all right." She conceded. "While you two were in the kitchen, their father brought up the issue of rewards. Not just for the rescue, but for the readings. I assured him that you wouldn't accept anything more than something like those hugs. All of you."

"Aha!" Angel used her mock-sinister voice. "You've fallen into our trap, thinking you can predict our every move."

They laughed and talked all the way to the restaurant, and then all the way home.

That night, Angel went to bed with a smile on her face. Something that had been altogether too rare over the last few months.

When she went down to breakfast the next morning, her folks were discussing some plans for the day. Apparently, they had heard about a restaurant that had an excellent Sunday Brunch for a relatively reasonable price, not too far from the theater Angel would be inspecting. They offered to pick her up when she was done with the theater, then take her out from there.

She accepted, and after a quick bite to stave off starvation, went to get ready. When Mandy got there, Angel filled her in on their plans. She thought it was a great idea. So good, in fact, that she called her husband and suggested something similar. They knew a place somewhat closer to home, and somewhat better suited to their young children. She would call when she was done, then meet them there.

They hit the theater like a tornado, anxious to get their jobs done well, but quickly. Angel found signs of the theater's age, and human limitations, but no incipient disasters. The restrooms, concessions, and vents showed clear signs of having gotten the benefits of her earlier reports. She did find a quarter case of expired snacks in one of the store rooms, but learned that a couple of the younger employees had claimed them for an upcoming party. There was no danger from them, other than a slightly stale taste or texture, and the case was well away from the others.

After that reassurance, and a quick look through the stock in concessions itself, she decided that there was no need to include it in her report. When the manager learned of her decision, he looked relieved.

When she started writing her report, she eCom'd her parents and let them know she was nearly done. They told her they were on their way. Her report was as thorough as ever, but relatively short and quickly done. There just wasn't all that much to say.

After she sent the copies, she let Mandy and the manager know she was done and thumbed out. When she got outside, her parents were pulling up in front of the theater. She commented on the timing, and they admitted that they had arrived a little earlier and parked the car where they could see inside the theater. When they saw her get ready to leave, they pulled out of the spot and drove to where she met them. They assured her that they had not waited long.

The Sunday brunch was buffet style, with certain dishes prepared to order and most simply available at will. They were shown to a table, and their waitress briefly explained procedures. Moments later, they were standing at the buffet, loading their plates.

Fresh from work, Angel was still half in inspection mode. She absently noted the levels of biological activity in various foods there, most well within safe levels.

Most.

She spotted something alarming, just in time to stop her father from reaching for it. One of the sauces - she didn't notice the name - was seething with activity. And not just some common food contamination. It hadn't grown there, or in any of the ingredients. It had been added. And recently.

Perhaps more alarmingly, it was not anything she recognized. She just knew that it was dangerously virulent.

Angel's father fetched the manager, and explained the situation. She immediately removed the sauce and started quietly questioning the serving staff. One of them brought out a new pot of the sauce, and it was uncontaminated. The manager invited Angel and her family to visit the kitchen, as though she was giving a VIP tour.

Angel had to give her credit, she thought quickly on her feet. Once they were in the kitchen, she asked to see Angel's ID. She nodded thoughtfully when she saw the theater card. She went on to explain that her brother in law worked for the chain, and had heard of Angel. And had discussed her, and a lot of other theater gossip, with the family.

Having ascertained Angel's identity, she asked if she would do a quick check of the kitchen, to see if there was any more contamination. Angel agreed, and while she was doing so the manager took pains to secure the tainted sauce. Angel's parents returned to their meal, for appearances sake.

As she expected, Angel found no signs of the contamination in any of the food preparation or storage areas. It was clear that the stuff was added at the buffet itself. Angel found two dirty plates with signs of the contaminant, but one of them seemed to have picked it up from the other. They were also secured as potential evidence.

At that point the police arrived. Showing, in Angel's opinion, more than usual tact, they arrived through the kitchen door rather than through the dining room.

The only other sign of the contamination she found was on the wrist of the manager, where a little of the sauce had landed when she handled it. Angel decontaminated that, before it would have a chance to enter the woman's body.

Angel learned that a nondescript man had been the last to serve himself from that sauce. About the time the sauce was being removed, he paid his bill and left. He paid in cash, leaving a small tip.

While clearly considering him a suspect, the cops decided to treat him as a possible victim. That gave them more room to act. They took Angel's statement, confirmed her ID, and thanked her.

The manager's thanks were more emphatic, and more concrete. Not only was brunch on the house for her family, but she gave Angel a business card with a note on the back. It essentially allowed her family to dine there free for the rest of her life.

While they were still a little shaken by the event, Angel and her family did their best to enjoy their food. And when they left, her father made it a point to leave a generous tip.

Between the early morning start, and the energy she had expended at the restaurant, Angel was asleep for most of the ride home.

Once they were home, she took off her work clothes and settled on her bed to resume her nap. As she drifted off to sleep, she realized that her old self would have just flopped on the bed in his good clothes. And wouldn't have cared.

She missed those days.

After waking up, she experienced something that had been surprisingly rare, lately.

Her parents told her no. And made it stick.

She had decided that it would be a great time for a swim. There was still time before she needed to get dressed for dinner, and summer was disappearing fast.

As far as her mother was concerned, Angel was thinking like a boy again. As a boy, she could have showered and dressed formally in less than half an hour. As a girl, or more to the point, a young woman, she would need much longer. In fact, her mother considered her to be behind schedule already.

Angel responded with all the dignity and grace of her sixteen years. "But Mooom! Daaaddy! Why? It isn't fair!"

The look her parents exchanged didn't help. It was their "we know something you don't know" look.

Angel was feeling put upon. This dinner was supposed to be an apology to her for causing an uncomfortable situation, not an occasion to raise discomfort to new heights. She could understand dressing fairly nicely, making sure her hair was combed and brushed, and maybe a tiny bit of makeup.

But this dinner was being more elaborately stage managed than the last show she was in. Her hair was not just clean and neat, it was styled. Her makeup, which her mother described as evening formal makeup, rivaled that first department store makeover. A special bra. She was a little surprised that her mother wasn't having her wear the formal dress. Or failing that, one of her work outfits.

Instead, she ended up in the more formal of her party dresses. Simple, but fairly formal.

After all that, there was the jewelry. Coordinating her earrings, necklace, bracelet, and ring to her mother's satisfaction took a lot more effort than she thought it was worth.

Finally, she was ready. She was annoyed to notice that she was more dressed up than her mother, and significantly more so than her father. Her mother pointed out that Angel was the central person, the reason for the meal. Angel didn't buy it. She figured it was another of her "lessons" in womanhood. At least it was probably the sort of lesson that a born girl her age might be as likely to go through.

She sighed, and was determined that she wouldn't let it spoil her evening.

The dinner was at a different restaurant this time. If anything, it seemed even fancier than the other one. Something told Angel this was going to be an occasion to act every inch the proper young lady, a role she seriously disliked. She took comfort in the knowledge that most of her friends had the same opinion of that role. She enjoyed a brief smile at the thought of the gregarious water sprite Flo having to do the same thing. And realized that she probably had to do just that, given her parents' careers.

Even though they were a little early, Doctor Baker and his companion were already there and seated. They rose as the family approached.

The woman was elegant. There was no other word for it. She carried herself with the unselfconscious grace of someone who had spent a lifetime in formal surroundings. She seemed perfectly comfortable in her own finery, and in the setting of that restaurant.

And she was looking at Angel. Not just looking... somehow, Angel was certain she was evaluating her, judging her. She felt like a mouse, pinned in the gaze of a hawk. The woman's smile deepened briefly after Angel had that thought.

*You're a telepath! Like Radar!* Angel kept her posture and her features in her best Formal Meeting With Important Adults style, even as she thought it.

*Miss Morgan and I are similar in that regard,* came the reply. She nodded slightly, in approval. *Congratulations. You are very observant. Now pay attention.*

They had reached the table, and the doctor was introducing the woman as Mrs. Tabor. He introduced Angel, and Angel introduced her parents. It was clear from her mother's reaction that she recognized the name, and was impressed.

It was also clear that Mrs. Tabor's presence was not a surprise to anyone but Angel. She had been set up. Again. But for what?

The woman smiled at Angel. *Nothing sinister, I assure you.* She turned to the doctor. "You were right, Thomas. She is a very special girl."

Angel didn't know what to think, but she trusted her parents. If they set her up for this, they must have had a good reason. Or at least, they must have thought they did.

After they ordered, the doctor spoke up.

"Angel, I really must apologize for bringing you to the unwanted attention of those people."

"No real harm done. She came, said a few unpleasant things, and left."

"That's very nice of you to say. I honestly believed that you are not covered by that agreement of theirs. I still do."

"I understand. Mr. Streight, our lawyer, is looking into the question for us."

"He is a good man," Mrs. Tabor commented. "I'm sure any advice he gives you will be sound."

"Still," the doctor continued, "I said some things, and implied some things, that her organization could interfere with. I consider what I said a promise, and I am very particular about keeping my promises."

"That is very admirable of you, Thomas, but the appetizers are arriving. I'm sure this young lady would like to eat something while you tell her your proposal."

*Thank you.* Angel thought to her. *It has been a while since we ate.*

*You are most welcome, my dear.*

"You're right. I seem to be saying I’m sorry a lot tonight, but I'm sorry to keep you from the food."

With that, they started enjoying the tantalizing tidbits in front of them. After a few minutes, the doctor spoke up again.

"I discussed the situation with a number of people," he saw Angel and her mother looking a little alarmed. "I didn't use your name, of course. Just the situation." He looked at his other guest, then continued.

"Mrs. Tabor is one of our more prominent angels." At an amused look from Angel, he hurried to explain. "She is one of our most active fund raisers for children’s' charities, and a major donor herself. And a prominent businesswoman in her own right. She owns and operates one of the most exclusive spas in the country."

*Is he always this nervous around you?* Angel wondered.

*Pretty much.* came the amused reply. *Poor dear. He has always had trouble with situations which are largely out of his hands.*

Oblivious to the exchange, the poor dear in question continued. "She came up with an idea that might accomplish what I had offered, if not quite in the way I described it. But before we could present the possibility, she had to meet you. Mrs. Tabor?" He looked a question at her.

She was about to respond when the ever observant wait staff saw that most of them were done with their appetizers and hurried in to collect the dishes. Angel speculated to herself that either the restaurant put a high priority on service, or she was in the presence of a known big tipper.

*Both, actually. You are bright.* Came the thought, in response. "Thomas and I are both well known here.*

Then, out loud, "Thomas' discussion of your situation presented an opportunity for me. For some time now, I have been trying to attract a bio elemental to become a part of my spa. I would be able to offer a range of exclusive services for my more demanding clients, and few, if any, other facilities would be able to match them."

"The most vexing problem turned out to be recruiting. The suitable prospects were firmly entrenched in careers of their choice, often at rates of pay that even I could not match. The others were simply unsuitable. Until now."

She paused as the salads arrived, letting her words sink in. She also used the time to unobtrusively monitor the reactions and concerns of Angel and her parents. She had not gotten where she was without making full use of the resources available to her. Their thoughts were largely as she had expected, and, for the most part, encouraging.

She liked Angel's sense of loyalty and honor. But her loyalty to her current employer could be a problem. Still, it wasn't unexpected. She had worked around much larger obstacles in her time. And once turned her way, that loyalty could be a formidable asset.

She was amused that Angel was enjoying her food while internally cursing the need to take "ladylike" bites. She had been taught the need for bites small enough to swallow on demand, enabling her to answer questions and conversation on demand. But it was obviously alien to her usual way of eating. The attempt spoke well of her self discipline.

The more she observed Angel, the more she liked the young woman. And the more she wanted to recruit her.

Over the entrees, she explained that she had researched the AMA agreement, or rather had paid experts to research it for her. It was clear that her plans would fall outside of that agreement and related laws and regulations. She had made sure of that before even trying to recruit anyone.

She had also determined that someone working for her in that capacity would be able to help the children, as Angel had done. The paperwork would simply describe it as a cosmetic process rather than a medical procedure.

By the time the plates were half empty, she had transitioned from informing to recruiting. The transition was so smooth that even the doctor missed it. Hardly surprising, from a woman who routinely dealt with heads of multinationals and other notables.

Angel envied the practiced ease with which the woman ate while keeping the conversation going. She hated the whole tiny bite at a time bit, even though she understood the reasons.

With her abilities, Mrs. Tabor was able to anticipate and address their reservations before they voiced them. Yes, she could work around school and theater commitments. She would be working by appointment only. She would still be able to do favors for friends and families, and for the doctor's children. And so on.

By the time they ordered dessert, she was wrapping up. "I won't lie to you. There are good aspects and bad aspects to this. On the good side, you can make a lot of money in good working conditions, and get to see and work with the rich, famous, and powerful. On the bad side, you work with the rich, famous, and powerful. Some of them are very nice people. But many of them are rude, demanding, high maintenance, snobs. Actually, most of them will be demanding, considering how much I will be charging them." She shared a laugh with the rest of the table.

She gave Angel a contract and a copy of the research, suggesting that she have their lawyer look them over. Angel gave them to her father.

Over dessert, Angel's mother remembered one of her projects. She described the alcohol tests to the doctor, and asked his advice. He suggested a home "drunk test" kit, which was inexpensive and could measure blood alcohol levels in near real time. It was not accurate enough for legal purposes, but it would be good enough for their tests.

He also recommended that they use very small doses, to begin with. In theory, giving her alcoholic beverages was illegal. In practice, they could probably convince a judge to drop any charges, even if they got overzealous police and prosecutors.

Dinner was soon over, and Angel was chagrined to realize that she had eaten all of it. Including the dessert. What would Lena think?

The doctor came to her rescue again, presenting her with one of Lena's favorite desserts, packaged to go. With final thank yous and farewells, they were soon on their ways.

On the way home, Angel suggested they try the test that night. There would be no school or work the next day, so she could sleep off any ill effects. Her parents vetoed the idea, citing the stresses and efforts of her day. For the second time in one day, they made it stick.

Angel was not sure she liked the trend.

When she got home, she "called" Lena.

*We'll be right over!* came the enthusiastic response.

*We?* angel asked. Lena didn't answer, though. She walked to the door, and quickly saw her answer. David had flown Lena door to door. She let them in, and gave Lena her goodies. They sat in the living room and talked for a while.

Angel described her day, including the events at brunch. Her friends were surprised and alarmed at the contamination - more so when they learned it was deliberate. They made plans to get together the next afternoon, and called Penny to invite her.

She accepted.

Angel's parents would be at work, but the friends were going to meet within walking distance anyway. Specifically, they chose the picnic location near Pope Hill. It seemed fitting, somehow.

After her friends left, Angel watched some shows with her folks. At what would all too soon be a necessary bedtime, she climbed the stairs and headed for bed.

Angel's sleep was troubled with dreams of assassins, hunters, police, doctors, teachers, giant microbiota, and others chasing her. As it reached a crescendo, her world was filled with the reverberating command of a goddess: "Wake up!"

She sat up in bed, looking around. Nobody was there, and the house was quiet. After her heartbeat settled a little, she understood the last part.

*That's better.* came Lena's familiar touch. *Your nightmares were getting loud enough to wake the brain blind.*

*Brain blind?*

*People who can't even receive telepathic stuff. Not necessarily shielded or anything, since we can often read them. Sorry... I get bitchy when someone else's bad dreams jolt me out of my good ones.*

*Good dreams?*

*You would not believe what David and I were doing in mid air* The undertones were unmistakable.

*Uh, o... k... I don't wanna know. Sorry to commit dreamus interruptus.*

With a short mental laugh, Lena wished her good night and apparently went back to sleep.

It took Angel somewhat longer, but she finally drifted off again.

Her alarm woke her up about the time she would have to be getting ready for school. If it was a school day. Muttering darkly about the hour, she threw on a robe and went down to the kitchen. After a bowl of breakfast, and wishing her parents a good day at work, she went back to her room and back to sleep.

When she woke up again, she wasn't sure whether she had dreamed about going downstairs. She shrugged, deciding it didn't really matter. She chose to enjoy the luxury of a day without work, school, appointments (other than meeting her friends), or dinner plans.

She took care of her morning routine, skipping the makeup, and dressed comfortably in jeans and one of her old shirts. Sneakers and socks, and she was ready to go.

Or not. She didn't really have anywhere to go. It was too early for the pool, which opened at noon. She realized that she had all but forgotten how to kick back and relax.

She made herself a snack, then turned on the tube. Nothing caught her interest, so she went up and used her computer to surf the web. Since she wasn't sure where she'd go or what she'd look at, she chose to use her old system rather than the tablet. No sense leaving a trail for the work auditors.

She read and answered some emails from her old friends and a few relatives, then wandered the net. She found herself attracted to morf sites, ranging from fantasy art to serious articles. She found references to some of the more prominent MORFS researchers. It didn't surprise her to see that most of them were obviously morfs, themselves.

Despite her ad hoc knowledge of microbiology and MORFS, she found she had a hard time following a lot of the papers. Obviously, they were aimed at people with a lot more formal education than she had.

After she finished reading a rather intense erotic story, in graphic novel form, she noticed that the pool would soon be open. After that reading, she decided she could use a cool down. She changed, and took off.

She was mildly surprised that Lena was not there. Sherry, Robin, Star Dawn, and a number of other familiar faces were there, though.

*Lena? You busy?*

*Kinda.* There was some amusement behind that reply. *What do you need?*

*Just wanted to see if you are up to some pool time. Most of the gang are here.*

*We want to... uh... get a few things done before going to the hill.* For some reason, Angel got a little embarrassed at that response. *Besides, David has problems with his wings when he swims.*

That answered who "we" were. And gave Angel far too many ideas about what Lena was doing.

She turned her attention to swimming and enjoying her other friends. Star Dawn had made progress on her "tricks", and had started testing her vision outside the visible spectrum. She especially liked the idea of seeing in the ultraviolet, which would be invisible to most night vision sets (and a lot of powers).

She was getting pretty sure that she could not see into the X ray or microwave bands, though. And she had a lot of work ahead as far as learning to interpret what she saw. But it was progress. And fun.

Sherry would have to leave the pool earlier than usual, to get to practice for the diving team. That didn't stop her from showing off on the board there, though.

The friends all agreed that they would miss the pool when it closed, after the upcoming holiday weekend. While Sherry complained about missing the swimming, the other girls laughingly mourned the loss of all those half naked guys.

It was an odd feeling for Angel, when she realized that she could no longer take it for granted that she would routinely see more naked boys than she cared to think about. And another, somewhat conflicted, feeling to realize how often she would be in among large numbers of naked girls.

Angel got Robin talking about what she would want from MORFS. After all the times it had come up, she had been giving the matter some thought. She knew some things she didn't want. She didn't want to be winged, like David. And she didn't want to be any visible sort of hybrid.

She wanted powers, but didn't want to go through the hell David woke up to. A corner of her mind called her petty and cowardly, but this was about what she wanted. She wanted to be able to become invisible and/or intangible at will. And if there were really no limits, she would want to be able to teleport herself and other people and things through space and time. She really liked stories about that.

When she told Angel and the others, she only mentioned a little of it. She mentioned that she'd rather not go through what Sherry and others had gone through, and continued to go through. She said she wouldn't mind getting a little bigger, stronger, and better built, but she would prefer to at least look fully human. It was a mark of their friendship that Sherry didn't even blink when she said that.

In fact, Sherry understood. She wasn't nearly as obvious as a lot of the hybrid morfs they knew, but she still caught shit from some of the more bigoted members of the community. She wouldn't wish a hybrid appearance on her worst enemy. Although she admitted to herself that she took a certain amount of enjoyment from the new plague sweeping through the Pures.

Angel privately concluded that Robin would make another good test subject, once they had the Pope Hill project going.

After stopping at home for a quick shower and change, Angel headed for the hill. On the way there, she ran into Penny. They talked about nothing in particular as they walked to the meeting place. When they got to the tables, Angel checked the screen, and saw that Lena had reserved the site.

Hearing a sound like a thousand quiet voices chanting, they turned and looked at the hill. As they approached, a vortex of golden light seemed to rise from the ground. They were filled with a sense of awe and wonder as it rose to form a glowing column. At the apex of the column they saw a brightly glowing winged figure. The figure circled the column, and it slowly sank back into the earth. When the column got low enough, it started to reveal another glowing figure. The glow was too bright to see many details, but they could make out long, flowing hair and an apparent lack of wings.

When the column disappeared entirely, the winged figure alighted next to the other. The glow increased, then suddenly went away. At the same time, the sounds were silenced, and the emotional overload lessened.

After a stunned moment, the two girls recognized the no longer glowing figures before them.

"You sure know how to make an entrance, David!" Penny laughed. Angel joined her as they walked toward their friends.

"I should have recognized your touch," Angel told Lena. "That awe and wonder bit came out of nowhere."

"Thought you'd like it." Lena laughed. "We had you two going for a moment, though."

"You two make a good team." Angel congratulated them, while silently adding "Damn it."

*I heard that. Still jealous?*

*Sometimes. It really stinks, but I can't help it.*

*I know. Remember, you haven't lost a friend. You've gained a virtual circus!*

That got a laugh from Angel. Lena picked up a cooler that had been sitting unnoticed, next to her, and they set off for the tables.

As they all relaxed and talked, David raised a point that had been bothering him. "Have you ever tried using your powers on yourself?"

"A little. I can change my skin tone, and somewhat change my features." She demonstrated, taking on her Afam persona. After giving them a good look, she changed back.

"Impressive." David acknowledged. "But what about something more substantial?"

"Substantial?"

"A fundamental change, like giving yourself more power or something."

"I don't know. Never tried it. Remember, it's all pretty new to me." Angel was intrigued. She agreed to give it a try, and see what happened. She went inside herself, asking her subconscious resources to put together the necessary patterns and make her aware of what she needed to know.

Then it all went wrong.

End Part 12

Angel's Tale: A MORFS Universe Story By Joreymay

Angel faces some limits, and some new beginnings. The Pope Hill Gang strikes again. And what is she doing that is so sensitive it has to be way off the books?

Part 13

As they all relaxed and talked, David raised a point that had been bothering him. "Have you ever tried using your powers on yourself?"

"A little. I can change my skin tone, and somewhat change my features." She demonstrated, taking on her Afam persona. After giving them a good look, she changed back.

"Impressive." David acknowledged. "But what about something more substantial?"

"Substantial?"

"A fundamental change, like giving yourself more power or something."

"I don't know. Never tried it. Remember, it's all pretty new to me." Angel was intrigued. She agreed to give it a try, and see what happened. She went inside herself, asking her subconscious resources to put together the necessary patterns and make her aware of what she needed to know.

Then it all went wrong.

Angel suddenly felt sick. Worse than anything in her life. Physically and mentally, she curled up into a little ball. She knew that she had gotten some information, but she was too sucked up into the maelstrom within her body to pay any attention.

To pay any attention to anything.

After an eternity or ten, a voice reached in and started calling her name. She latched on to it like a lifesaver, and allowed it to bring her back up out of herself. As she started to emerge, she recognized the mental voice as Lena's.

When she started noticing her surroundings again, she saw that the others were looking at her with worried expressions.

"Tha... that was interesting." She smiled weakly. The looks eased a little. A drink found its way into her hand, and she barely noticed what it was as she drank it. Her mind and body started to settle, and she found herself better able to think and talk.

"There are some limits I didn't know about."

"Limits?" David asked.

"Yeah. I can change things like skin color and fat distribution in myself, and even change the rate and color of my hair growth anywhere. I can heal myself, prevent or cure infections, and control my fertility." Angel stopped to draw a breath, then continued. "But I can't make my powers any stronger. They will grow a little as I age, and maybe with some exercises, but my range will never get beyond about two inches. I can't make myself bigger or smaller, or younger or older." Silently, she added *And I can't turn myself back into a boy.*

*I'm sorry. I know you miss it sometimes. But you really do make a good girl.*

*I don't want to think about it now.*

The mental exchange was very quick, so the others barely noticed a pause. When she started talking again, it was much like her earlier pauses. "I can't cure MORFS, in myself or others. If I catch it early enough, I might be able to keep an infection from triggering the changes, and I can create a virus to rewrite someone's genes and then trigger the change. But even that has limits. The first part of MORFS, the old terrorist weapon, is so thoroughly integrated into our bodies and genes that trying to remove it would kill the person. Or animal."

She looked around at the others. "In a way, it's a relief. They're not a matter of power, but something more fundamental. Even a powerful bio elemental, like that Wilson woman, would face the same limits. And the very fact of such limits makes the world seem a little safer. I might be able to seriously hurt or kill someone - heck, any one of us can do that. But I would have to work both hard and smart to cause any sort of widespread damage."

*Like AMORFS?* Lena asked, silently.

*That was working hard and smart. Just not consciously.*

They both let that drop.

While Angel recovered some more, they talked about the Pope Hill project. They had a variety of ideas for the "payoff", but rejected most of them in the end. They decided that it would be something they decided later, based on new circumstances. Penny brought up a good point, however.

"It will provide a good cover for some of the MORFS changes that Angel makes. I can see a significant danger otherwise, when the pattern of changes slews too much. Angel - all of us - could be on the receiving end of some very unpleasant attention without such a cover."

"Voice of Cassandra?" Angel asked.

"Voice of Cassandra." Penny confirmed.

That was good enough for them. They went into brainstorming the details. Of the four of them, Cassie would have the smallest of the critical roles. Once they had the necessary information about a candidate, she would let herself notice whether there were signs of trouble either way.

When the hill was "open for business", Lena and David would watch for approaching candidates. They would also check for hidden watchers, and Lena would watch for thoughts of electronic recording or transmission devices.

Angel would get a preliminary pattern on the candidate, preparing for the creation of the change agent. Lena would read hir intended request, and relay it to Angel. Angel would take that information and see whether she could create the change.

Lena would also expedite a quick discussion of the worthiness and risks of the candidate and hir goals. They wanted to screen out malice, world domination fantasies, and the like. With David, they set the precedent for allowing motives that were socially unacceptable but generally harmless.

They also wanted to screen out the really unstable types.

Lena and David would set the stage when the candidate approached the hill. Lena would read the final form of the desire, then send the image to David and the details to Angel. If Angel could accomplish it, and everything else checked out all right, David would create a small visual effect to cue the person that the change was a done deal.

Angel, looking different either because of her self induced changes or because she was cloaked by an illusion compliments of David, would make contact and transfer the "packet".

They would do things a little differently each time, to disrupt anyone trying to figure their pattern.

If the request was unacceptable or undoable, David and Lena would create an experience that made it clear that the request would not be granted. If the request was particularly malicious or the like, they might impose a punitive change.

Penny brought up the issue of when to make the Hill available. They didn't want to have the plan running every hour of every day and night, and they wanted to be able to schedule around it. They decided on at least twice a month, and no more than once a week, the pattern to be determined later.

David came up with a justification for randomizing the date somewhat. They could let it be known that the Source needed time to recharge, which varied depending on the strains the requests caused. But nobody would be sure what sorts of things caused more or less stress.

Angel suggested one or two more trial runs, and nominated Robin. She pointed out that they needed someone they could trust, someone who they could confide in later and could get feedback from. Robin fit those criteria, and was the only one of their inner circle who had not changed yet.

Penny nominated another candidate. Although the rest of them didn't know her, Penny knew and trusted her. Pat was about to be a sophomore at Penny's school, and was very much a boy inside. She couldn't afford the very expensive reassignment surgeries, and her parents were divided over the issue. And even if she could afford the surgeries, it would be years before she qualified.

Angel could certainly sympathize with a physical girl who was a boy inside. Her own inner boy was starting to slip away, but the torments of that dichotomy were still fresh in her mind. She suggested that Robin go first, and that they use the feedback from her to refine their approach for Pat. The others agreed, with the caveat that s/he had to go through the full screenings.

That left only the timing for the tests, and how to approach them. Angel suggested they approach Robin almost immediately, so she could go through the change over the holiday weekend.

David could let slip to Robin the part the Hill supposedly played in his own transformation. If necessary, Lena could amplify Robin's curiosity and desire. They wouldn't tell her about that part.

While they were talking about what they would tell, and to whom, they decided they would not tell their parents about the plot. But they could talk about the Pope Hill rumor all they wanted. Angel and David had already done so, and Cassie and Lena could easily work it into conversations.

In fact, Lena was sure she could arrange for various adults to "remember" the rumors as being from more than a decade before. And seemingly old and well known then.

When Angel got home, there was a message from her mother. She had some plans for them, so Angel didn't need to start dinner. But she did need to be at home and available when her mother got there.

Since she had gotten home a little later than she had planned on, it was a relief that she hadn't delayed dinner. That relief was tempered by speculations about her mother's mysterious plans.

Whatever the plans, she suspected she was underdressed. And after tramping around the State park, she decided a quick rinse off was a good idea.

As she rinsed off, she reflected on some of the trivia of her new life. Like shower caps. When she was a boy, he never saw the point of the things. Even when he styled longish hair, he didn't mind if a little got wet at the ends when he showered. Now she understood.

Since her mother hadn't said anything about appearance, she put on one of her plainer - and less daring - skirts and a polo shirt. She briefly debated about shoes, and bypassed her sneakers for a comfortable pair of flats.

By the time her mother got home, Angel was relaxing in front of the tube. Her mother took a quick look at her, and nodded her head. Soon, they were on their way.

"First, a little bit of shopping." Her mother said. They headed for the mall, and went right to the swap shop. Her mother quietly checked her balance, then they were off looking at clothes. Within minutes, Angel's mother had handed her two blouses and two skirts to try on. They were nicer than what she had on, but not too nice for school or somewhere special.

They didn't like the fit of one of the skirts, but the blouses were both fine. Angel got even more suspicious when her mother removed the price tags from the skirt and blouse she was wearing, grabbed her clothes and the other blouse, and all but dragged her to the register. Once Angel was in the process of thumbing for her clothes, her mother went to put the other skirt back.

Angel had seen her mother surreptitiously check her watch a couple of times. That, coupled with the unusually short shopping trip made Angel certain something was up. Angel carried the bag with her old clothes and her other new blouse as they power walked to the car.

Her mother drove for some time, finally arriving at a very fancy looking building. It seemed to exude an air of wealth and privilege. A valet took their car, and they briskly walked inside.

"All right, Mother. Where are we, and why?"

"I thought you might like to see the place you are considering working." Her mother had a twinkle in her eye. "And your prospective boss has offered us some complimentary services while you do so."

Her own mother. Taking advantage of her situation as shamelessly as Lena had. Or as Angel had done to Lena. Ah, well.

While the potential services didn't excite her the way they did her mother, Angel was interested to see the place.

As they approached the front desk, the receptionist rose and smiled at them. "Mrs. O'Connor. Miss O'Connor. Welcome." She gestured to one of the neatly dressed and groomed young ladies standing nearby. "Cindy will take care of you. If you have any questions, or need anything, be sure to let her know."

Cindy introduced herself, and told Angel that she hoped to have her working there soon. She seemed genuinely excited at the prospect.

At her mother's urging, Angel accepted a hair and nails styling, which her mother would also have. Then, while her mother enjoyed some of the other services on offer, Angel would tour the facility.

It was like something out of a movie. While everything was elegant - and spotlessly clean - different areas had different subtle themes. Angel walked by an area with hints of southwestern decor, another she interpreted as East Coast Old Money, and even an unmistakable, if subtle, California theme. Nothing garish or overt, just combinations of subdued colors and hints of architectural elements.

They were lead to a room with two fully equipped hair and nail stations, and left in the care of the operators, Gina and Leslie. The two young women were, of course, immaculately groomed and looked every inch the professionals. They invited Angel's mother to change into a robe in a small changing room, and settled Angel into one of the chairs.

Angel was surprised at what Gina asked. Instead of asking what look she wanted or the like, she just asked how important things like ease of care, flexibility, and formality were to her. Curious, Angel asked what she knew about her.

"I know you start tomorrow as a junior at Cherry Creek, and it is your first year there. You might be joining our happy little family here, as some kind of a specialist. You also work at a management level for one of the theater chains. You have some sort of morf derived power or powers that make you very useful. And that you're sixteen, and still finding yourself."

"As a more direct observation, you're an attractive, pleasant, and well behaved young woman who is not used to the trappings of wealth and privilege. You have nice coloring, and probably shampoo your hair a little too often. What else can I tell you?"

"How do you know all that?"

With a wink, she picked up a tablet and showed Angel the display. It had a picture of Angel, and a few paragraphs of information. She touched an icon, and saw an image of the corridor outside.

"We get such a briefing for each of our guests, and watch them on their way in for clues about what they want and what mood they're in. It saves time, and adds to the experience for them. Normally, we let it seem like magic. But you'll be doing the same thing yourself, soon. Trust me, you will like it here."

Angel gave a half smile at the assumptions, but let them pass. "So, what now?" she asked, as her mother settled into the other chair and started talking with Leslie.

Gina looked a Angel a moment, then replied "We will wash, treat, and condition your hair, to begin with. Then give you a low maintenance style which both compliments your appearance and allows you to fit in at school, on your other job, and here with minimal effort."

"All that from a haircut?" Angel grinned.

Gina smiled back. "All part of the magic. Wait till you try some of the other services here."

Gina fastened a protective cover over Angel's body, then tilted the chair back and rotated it a little. Angel noticed a quiet whirring sound as she was being moved, and found herself leaning the back of her head over a large, ornate sink.

As Gina was washing Angel's hair, two other girls came in and set up next to the chairs. Angel was startled to find her fingertips soaking in some sort of soothing liquid. Glancing at their mother without turning her head, she saw that her hand was similarly immersed in a bowl of liquid.

She felt her shoes and socks being removed, and her feet were lowered into a pleasantly warm soak.

While the hairstyling and manicure were broadly similar to the experience the one time she had gone to a salon, there was something a little more... she didn't know what, just more, about it this time.

Time drifted by, and she found herself styled, shod, and standing. Gina gave her some suggestions about washing her hair less often, and some products to help keep it clean and fresh without washing.

Cindy appeared, as though by magic. She took Angel on the promised tour of the facilities. There were a mind boggling array of services and facilities available, for women and men. Angel had to ask what some of them were for, and Cindy cheerfully explained each. In a few cases, she candidly said that the benefits of something were dubious at best, but that it was something some of the guests expected. And the place was all about service.

After showing Angel the women's facilities, and most of the men's, She took her up to the residential and social areas. As a full service spa, they had provisions for some of their clients to spend the night - or several nights - there. They also had meeting and recreation rooms for those residential clients.

Cindy took Angel back down to the employee area. While not as distinctively decorated as the customer areas, it was just as clean and unexpectedly large. In addition to smaller versions of most of the guest facilities, there were class rooms, locker rooms, and a service bar and cafeteria.

Cindy explained that the service bar prepared drinks for the guests, as well as herbal tonics and the like. Employees and contractors were emphatically not allowed to drink alcohol or other intoxicants on site, even when off shift. However, they could get soft drinks, smoothies, and non alcoholic herbals there.

Their versions of the facilities served double duty. They were used for training and certifying employees, and also used by the off duty (or on break) staff for their (real or imagined) benefits.

While they were walking around back there, Angel noticed several obvious morfs. Still... "What are the policies regarding morfs?"

"It gets a little complicated. There's no discrimination in terms of general hiring and promotion. Those of you with special abilities might get preferential hiring for specialized functions, but otherwise it's a wash. But we are sensitive to guest attitudes. Those who have an aversion will not get obviously changed operators, unless their ability is necessary for the service. Those who prefer morfs, get them if at all possible."

"Some people prefer morfs?"

"It's kind of an odd mix. A lot of the people who are morfs themselves like the idea of using other morfs. Some of the more bigoted non morfs actually like the idea of seeing morfs in what they think of as 'inferior' functions. And some people just have a fascination, or even a fetish, for morfs. We don't allow improprieties, but the fantasies are a part of the experience for some guests."

"Eew."

"Yeah. Some of the guests can be pretty creepy or abusive. Another of the things we have here for the employees is counseling and support services. Entire teams have been known to show up after some of our more... difficult guests. Remember that. You are never really alone here, and we all support each other."

"That part of the sales pitch?" Angel grinned.

"Actually, part of the new employee orientation. A lot of people start out with the attitude that using those services makes them look weak or unworthy. It doesn't last."

"How do you keep the morf guests separate from the bigots?"

"The only place there's any real chance of that is in the lobbies. We have people who do nothing but quietly direct traffic to keep guests from encountering each other. Even the group areas are choreographed. Each guest gets a feeling of having the whole place for hir own. But not abandoned. There is someone obviously nearby at all times."

"We have a whole system of what we call secret passages, so we can go from room to room without the guests seeing us. All part of the illusion."

"So that's how you magically appeared. I was wondering." Angel smiled.

Cindy took Angel back to the service bar and offered her a smoothie. She got one for herself as well, and they sat and talked some more. Cindy turned out to be a shift lead, and had been chosen as Angel's escort for the purpose of answering her questions. The only things she wouldn't discuss involved money. Most of the operators and specialists worked for a commission on their services and any tips they got. The regular and administrative employees got salaries, but she wouldn't discuss numbers. She also wouldn't discuss the prices guests paid for the services.

She noticed something on her pad, and got up. She guided Angel through some smaller corridors, and suddenly they were in the room they started from, watching her mother get up from the chair. They escorted her to a room with two small pools. One of the pools steamed and smelled vaguely of sulfur. The other... didn't.

"We get the water from a famous mineral spring in the mountains," Cindy told them, as Angel's mother discarded the bathrobe and slid into the steaming water. "State of the art systems keep the water clean and hot. Because of the heat, we have to limit the time you spend in the water at a time, and how much time overall."

As her mother luxuriated in the water, Angel followed Cindy to what appeared to be a small cupboard. Inside were Angel's half finished smoothie, and a murky green beverage. Cindy gave the latter to the soaking woman, explaining that it was a special herbal preparation. Angel's mother took a tentative sip, then a larger drink. Whatever it was, it apparently tasted good.

After what seemed like a few minutes, Cindy urged Angel's mother into the cool pool. As she cooled off in the clear water, Cindy asked whether she had any questions or reservations.

"What about Angel's age? Will that be an issue?"

"It shouldn't be for any of the staff. We have two operators here who look even younger, but are actually in their late twenties. We also have a number of other high school students here part time. If anyone here so much as thinks twice about her age, I'll be surprised." She thought a moment, then continued.

"It is possible that it will be an issue for some of the guests. If so, we will deal with the issue then." Her expression made it clear that she didn't consider it a problem.

As she eased back into the hot pool, she wistfully asked "Will I get to come back?"

Cindy laughed pleasantly and assured her that arrangements could be made.

When she was finished with her soak, Cindy directed her to a small side room with a shower. She opened a closet and showed her that her clothes were there, cleaned and ready for her. Her purse was there as well. "All part of the service" Cindy assured her, with a wink at Angel.

On the way home from the spa, they picked up some take out chinese. When they arrived, Angel adopted an air of conscious virtue and went up to take care of her clothes before eating. Her parents were clearly unimpressed, but they did offer her indulgent smiles when she came back down.

After eating, Angel spent some time making sure she had everything ready for school. Including her outfit, down to the underwear. She checked her theater email, and read the routine messages there. Then, she wished her parents good night and got ready for bed.

Angel didn't recognize the classroom she was in. All but one of the desks was filled, so she sat there. She looked up, and the Board said Final Exam. She wasn't prepared. The teacher was somehow both Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. Tabor. She turned and addressed the class.

"I assume everyone has the required materials. Get out your composition book, Pencil, pen, and references. Do not open the question packets until I tell you to. Mister O'Connor, why don't you have your materials ready? And WHY ARE YOU NAKED?"

He was. His body, completely male again, was completely exposed. He was paralyzed, unable to cover himself. Or to flee.

"Well, Miss O'Connor, What do you have to say for yourself?"

Her breasts were back, and she couldn't tell for certain without moving her head to look, but she was pretty sure she was female down below as well. Either way, she was still stark naked. In front of everyone.

Someone threw a net over her, and she was tangled in it. She could move a little, and she struggled to get free. No matter what she did, she couldn't get free. As her struggles increased, the Voice of God intoned "Wake up!"

And she did. Her body was tangled in her covers. Her pillow was on the floor. And she was only physically alone.

*Damn. When you dream, you don't go half way.* The Voice of God was Lena, sounding a little groggy and annoyed. *I don't know about you, but I need my beauty sleep if I'm gonna knock 'em dead in school.*

*Sorry. I don't know what that was.*

*It's called a nightmare. And that one was a doozey. Bad enough that I had to share it, but I had to be you in the process! Ugh!*

*Yes, I know it was a nightmare. I just don't know what it means.*

*Just go back to sleep, and make sure you put some clothes on before you go to school.*

The rest of her night seemed dreamless. Or, at least, she didn't remember any more dreams.

In the morning, she showered with the water cooler than usual, to help wake her up. At least she had her clothes picked out. Per Lena's earlier advice, she was going with her longer denim skirt (the shorter one wouldn't pass the dress code) and a pale blue blouse. She dressed and carefully but quickly did her hair and minimal makeup.

As she was finishing, she recognized the smells of bacon and toast. Knowing her parents, it would be the typical First Day breakfast. Far too much food, with far too much fat and carbohydrates, and wonderful all around.

The breakfast was all about encouragement and preparation. She would do well, she would like her new school, which was a great school, she was ready... all the usual.

Her mother gave Lena and her a ride to the school. After a quick goodbye and a deep breath, she plunged into her first real day at her new school.

For the first couple of classes, everything went well. She had no trouble finding her locker or the classrooms, right where they had been before. She noticed that whenever she saw David, someone was calling him "Captain", "Cap'n", or "CP". Apparently, word spreads as quickly at this school as it had at her old school. Other friends were met with "Radar", "Otter", and so on.

First period was Spanish 2. It was immediately apparent that they handled language classes somewhat differently than at her old school. In this case, she thought the difference might work in her favor. Despite her heritage, and her pride in that heritage, she had unexpected difficulty with that language class. She also thought that the teacher suspected her former self of slacking off, and expected him to already have a significant background. This class would be hard work, but she was confident she could handle it.

Second period was an eye opener. Morfs Awareness, a State required class, was mostly full of freshmen. The other older students seemed, like her, to have come from out of state. The teacher, a tall, muscular man covered with rust colored fur similar to that of Angel's cousin, got everyone's attention with his first statement.

"Everyone in this room has MORFS. Everyone in this school has MORFS. To all intents and purposes, everyone in the world has MORFS."

After the reaction died down somewhat, he briefly sketched the two part nature of the condition, and the history of the first part - the terrorist bioweapon. By the end of class, she realized that she had been operating on some faulty assumptions. She had a slightly better idea what she had been doing, and figured that she would have a much better idea by the time she finished the semester.

Third period started out with a notice on the door that the class had been moved. To the other end of that building. The good news and the bad news were the same: it was just a couple of doors down from the class she had just come from.

After class, she witnessed a confrontation. She was headed toward the girls' room, when she saw a crowd around the door. A knot of Pures were confronting a young looking, vaguely ursine girl. They were telling her that the restroom was a "No Freak Zone", and suggesting that she go outside like the animal she was.

She was about to try and intervene when Lena stopped her. As she watched, the Pures were suddenly surrounded by a somewhat larger group of distinctly larger morfs.

"You got it backwards, 'pillar." a tall, furred and muscled girl said. She moved in, forcing a gap in front of the door. Another of the new arrivals ushered the frightened freshman into the restroom, while the tall one continued.

"It's 'pillars that belong in the bushes, until they can get their silk together and change. Maybe we should show you the way. Wouldn't want you getting lost."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Yeah? Why? Now that ole' Reverend Dick is one of us, how much power do 'pillars like you think you have any more?"

*Pillars?* Angel asked Lena.

*Short for caterpillars. They are calling them children, and implying that they were nothing more than morfs who haven't changed yet. Technically correct, but very rude.*

*Don't they get in trouble for the name calling?*

*When the school tries to act, they just point out that the Pures call themselves pillars of the community, and then claim that they were just throwing their own claim back. The school can't prove otherwise.*

Angel watched the Pures back down and slink away. *Don't the others get in trouble for calling morfs freaks?*

*Politics. While the Reverend was active, he could throw a ton of pressure and legal talent at the school if they tried to raise a fuss. Now, though... I don't know.*

As they headed toward their next class, Angel asked *Who were those morfs?*

*Morf supremacists. As bad as the Pures, but in the opposite direction. And a lot stronger, in terms of direct power. With a few key players on the Pures side out of the equation, it would seem that the MS's have the upper hand. For now.*

They settled in for their English class. Angel didn't think it was possible, but the teacher managed to bore her almost to sleep on the first day of class.

*It's a trick. Some students will drop their guard, and slack off on the homework. I can guarantee that class will be a lot more interesting in a couple of days, when she lowers the boom.*

The next period, they had lunch. They were joined by Robin and (much to Lena's delight) David. After getting what passed for food, they found an empty table near the middle of the room.

Angel noticed a familiar pattern. One corner was taken by the Pures. The opposite corner included some of the morfs from the bathroom incident, and a number of other obvious morfs. There were a few other theme tables, but she noticed that they weren't as exclusive as they had been at her school. What appeared to be the jocks table had a few apparent non-jocks, and she didn't see anyone turned away. Definitely different. Outside of the two polar groups, it seemed to be a matter of chosen association rather than cliquish territoriality.

Lena confirmed Angel's observation. There were a few such cliques, but they either had the other lunch period or ate off campus.

David commented that the militants had already tried to recruit him more than once. Unsuccessfully. He had no more use for them than he did for the Pures. Since they were still trying to get Lena, who had morf'd before most of them, to join, David doubted they would drop it any time soon.

Angel sniffed theatrically. "Why don't they want me?" she was unable to keep the edges of a smile out of her attempted pout.

"You don't look the part. They see my wings, or Lena's eyes, and start drooling. Plus, our powers are better known than yours. Even your high publicity stuff was anonymous."

As though to prove him wrong, a large, furry boy came over to their table and spoke to Angel.

"Are you Angel?" He asked. It seemed a simple question, with no obvious emotional overtones.

She looked briefly at Lena, who nodded. "That's me. And you are...?"

"Frank. Frank Donnelly. I hear you were the one who got rid of that SOB theater manager a couple of weeks ago."

"Where did you hear about that?"

"My sister works there. She wasn't there when it happened, but she saw you there later. Then she pointed you out. Thank you. You made her life a whole lot better."

"You're welcome. But I really didn't do all that much."

"That's not the way she tells it." He grinned. "You're welcome at the MLF table any time. These two," he indicated Lena and David, "already have their standing invites. Nice talking to you." He walked back over to his friends.

"That was... interesting." Angel said. "I noticed that he left someone out, though."

Robin nodded. "Probably deliberate, but not intentionally rude. Unlike some of the others, he's really not that much of a jerk."

Angel quirked a small smile. "Have you given more thought to coming over to the dark side?"

*Keep her talking. She's ready.* Lena advised.

"Yeah, for all the good it does me. No use wishing for something I can't get. With my luck, I'd get green hair and spend the rest of my life looking like a ten year old boy."

David got a sparkle in his eye. "If you could find a wishing well - one that really worked - what would you wish for?"

"Yeah, right. Still, it's fun to dream. I'd want to look human, so people couldn't tell. No offense."

"None taken. Go on. No limits at all. What would it be? Flying? A really cool zap? Mind powers, like my love?"

"Please, not while I'm eating!" Robin mimed gagging. "Anything? No offense, but I don't want to go through what you did when you woke up."

"I don't blame you." He shuddered at the memory. "But after a few days of hell, I got some really cool stuff."

"I'm not sure I could take it. Let's see... I'd like to be able to become invisible and/or intangible. And control it. So I could be visible and intangible, like one of your illusions. Or I could be invisible, but have my hands and feet solid. Like the Twonkeyville Ghost."

They all groaned at the reference to the briefly popular children's show.

"As long as I'm dreaming, I'd like to be able to teleport, through space and time. And to move other things and people the same way. That could be pretty useful."

"The joke potential alone would be world class." David grinned. He looked at the others, especially at Angel.

Angel had let the special parts of her mind process the conversation. The unwanted outcome would be trivially easy, but she ruthlessly cut it off. The other was more difficult, especially with the parameters she added. But she could do it. She nodded at David.

"We should tell her." He said to the others.

Angel looked at Lena. "Is anyone else listening?" Lena shook her head. "Then I guess it's ok."

Robin looked from one to another of them, suspiciously. "Tell me what?"

"Didn't you ever wonder how I got exactly the mix of powers I wanted?" David asked her.

"I didn't know you wanted that mix in the first place."

"Well, I did. And I got it. It isn't a wishing well, but it's a place." He looked around again, then dropped his voice. "Pope Hill."

"What? I don't believe it. I've been there plenty of times."

"It only works sometimes. I heard rumors going back to our parents' time and earlier. Lena and Angel felt something, and talked me into trying the rumor. And it worked."

Angel took up the narrative. "It seems to take some time to recharge or something, in between the days it works. Different times, it takes different amounts of time."

"I think it's also tied into something, like phases of the moon... something like that." Lena added. "Angel and I both notice something there, but it's something different for each of us."

"And by this afternoon," Angel continued, "it feels like it will be ready again."

Still not quite buying it, Robin asked "What would I have to do? Some embarrassing ritual or something?"

"I just walked up to the place they showed me, felt something wonderful, and thought hard about what I wanted. I felt something shift, and this little glowy thing appeared. It looked kinda like I look now, but small. It hung there for a moment, then came and merged into me." He looked directly at her. "And that was it. Later that day, Angel saw I was getting ready to go through MORFS. She told my folks, and the rest you know."

"How would I know it's going to work?"

"Well," Lena said, "if you don't feel anything special there, it's probably not ready. If you do, go for it."

"This afternoon?"

"An hour or so after school, it feels like. Unless someone else tries it before you."

"And this isn't one of the Captain's set ups?"

"I would do a lot of things for a laugh," David replied, "But this, I don't joke about."

"I suppose I could try it. It beats taking pot luck for when and what. What do I do?"

"We'll all go to the hill after school, and talk on the way."

Angel's final class of the day was a disappointment, in a way. The Athletic Challenge class did not dress out. The time was taken up with locker assignments, paper work, and a general orientation to the class, the equipment, and the procedures. All that build up and anticipation, and nobody so much as changed her blouse. The closest she got was two girls changing their shoes.

After school, the four of them met at the agreed on spot, and walked toward the park.

Angel told Robin "It's probably a good idea to go over what you want in your mind, so you have it clear by the time you get there."

Robin nodded, and they walked in companionable silence. Lena monitored Robin's thoughts, without intruding. When she briefly considered additional powers or aspects, Lena relayed the information to Angel.

In the end, Robin came full circle to her earlier description. Angel was relieved, because she was fairly sure the change could be timed to start Friday afternoon, and finish by the end of the long weekend. Robin should miss little, if any, school.

When Robin started feeling something unfamiliar, Lena and Angel stopped, looking toward the hill. David urged her forward, smiling encouragingly. As she moved closer to the hill, the feelings grew stronger. It was similar to the sense of awe she had felt on a family trip to Europe, when they visited an ornate cathedral. There was also what she could only call a sense of being welcomed.

As she reached the marker, she stopped and waited. She went over what she wanted from the change. After all the rehearsal, that was easy. She sensed some sort of approval, and had a feeling of something important happening. As the feeling grew, a small, translucent figure rose from the ground in front of her.

After it reached about chest height, it pulsed a little then formed a six inch, idealized image of her. The figure smiled, spread her arms, and floated toward Robin. As it reached her and started to sink into her, she had an impulse to hug it. Her arms came up and in, then met her chest.

Suddenly, it was all gone. The feelings, her miniature self, everything. She was left with a sense of something important having happened. After standing there for a moment longer, she turned and walked back to her friends.

"Well?" Angel asked, grinning.

"It was... interesting. It felt like something happened."

"Let's see." Angel grabbed her arm and turned her, so that neither of them was looking into the sun. The suddenness of the contact startled her, but she wasn't alarmed.

After a moment, Angel rendered her verdict. "Yep. You've got it."

"When? What? How?"

"I would guess you'll start showing symptoms sometime Friday afternoon. It's too early to tell what you will end up with. I don't know how. I've heard everything from a religious miracle to morfed prairie dogs."

"I'm scared."

"Of course you are," David soothed. "It's a big step, and you're just along for the ride. You tend to prefer to have some control over things. I won't tell you to relax and enjoy it - they have drugs for that these days."

Robin couldn't help it, she smiled.

"You have good people looking out for you. Us. Your parents. Your parents' money. Good people." David deadpanned.

She couldn't keep from laughing.

"Hey Captain... When do I get a sky ride?" She giggled, trying to change the subject.

David looked at Lena for a beat, then turned, grabbed Robin up in his arms, and took to the sky. She shrieked, half in laughter, half in startlement.

Angel and Lena laughed themselves silly, watching him give her an aerial roller coaster ride. They were just landing when Angel's eCom rang.

It was Mrs. Tabor. She kept the conversation simple, asking Angel to come to the spa that evening. She had something to discuss privately.

She suggested that Angel have her father take her, and then he could enjoy the men's services while they talked. Angel agreed, and told her friends she needed to get home.

Angel called her parents, and found out that they would be home on time. Angel used the time until then to snack and get most of her homework out of the way. She sighed, knowing that it was probably the smallest load of homework she would have for months to come.

Her mother got home first. Angel gave her the paperwork that needed to be signed, like the "If my kid gets hurt, I won't sue the school" disclaimer for Athletic Challenge. They signed in all the right places, then she put them away. By the time they were done, her father was home.

Angel decided that a quick shower and change would be a good idea, before they went.

When she arrived at the spa, freshly showered and neatly dressed, A male attendant appeared and escorted her father to the men's area. As soon as he was out of sight, Mrs. Tabor appeared by way of one of the hidden doors.

"Thank you for coming, my dear. If you would come with me...?"

"Sure."

Mrs. Tabor lead Angel to her well appointed office, and offered her a comfortable chair. Unsure of the nature and formality of the occasion, Angel perched on the edge and sat up with her best posture.

"I appreciate the gesture," Mrs. Tabor smiled gently, "But you might as well get comfortable. This discussion may get uncomfortable enough as it is." She waited, as Angel settled back into the chair.

"Before we begin, can I offer you something to drink?"

"I'm good, thank you." It was not really a pro forma response. She just wasn't thirsty.

The matron nodded, at the spoken and unspoken reactions, drew a deep breath, and began.

"I called you here to ask a very large favor of you. You are free to decline, and I will not think any the less of you. To be frank, I'm not even sure that what I will ask is possible. I need your honest reaction."

"Right now, it's nervous and curious. What is the favor?"

"There are a few parts to it, and I will need to give you some background first." Angel had never seen the woman so ill at ease. Had never imagined seeing her that way.

"One part of the favor is fairly simple. For reasons I will explain in a moment, I would need you to delay the start of your employment here for a week or longer. You will not lose money because of it, but the payment will be described differently. Are you with me so far?"

After Angel's uncertain nod, she continued. "Despite that, I have a request that I would ask you to undertake tonight or tomorrow." She looked at Angel again, briefly, then seemed to switch gears.

"How do you feel about handling the genitals of other girls and women?"

Angel knew her thoughts would be read, so she opted for honesty. "Mostly curious. I don't have anything against it."

Mrs. Tabor seemed to think for a moment, then nodded.

"As you may be aware, there are still people in this world who feel that wedding day virginity is very important. And among such cultures, it is especially important for dynastic weddings. In some places, it is enough that she hasn’t had children or STDs, but some take the older, less reliable approach."

"Her cherry." Angel blurted, then froze when she realized what she said.

"Indeed," the older woman nodded, with a slight smile. "And in cases like royalty and certain prominent families, they take it very seriously, indeed. And in these days of bio elementals and nanosurgery, they even go so far as to create and preserve records of the form of the hymen."

"That's so..."

"Yes, it is stupid and barbaric. But it is their way, and we need to respect it. Up to a point."

Angel pulled a face, thinking that she still didn't like the whole idea.

"I'm afraid that you will be faced with a number of things you don't like while working here. That is why we offer the counseling services Cindy described. However, just now we find ourselves faced with something we do not need to respect or accept. Sabotage."

Angel perked up.

"A young lady, a long time client and friend, is due to be married this week. There are those who oppose the marriage for political reasons, and some of them have acted. A doctor, who was paid off by some of the opposition, destroyed her hymen under the pretext of medical treatment of an infection. Even more barbaric, the infection was apparently induced deliberately, by way of contaminated sanitary supplies."

Angel shuddered, remembering what she had seen at one of the theaters.

"He has notified his co conspirators, and they are insisting on a thorough examination."

"Isn't there a record of what he did?"

"Yes, but it doesn't matter. As appalling as we might find the idea, such a medical procedure does not excuse the condition. Nor would the kinds of childhood accidents which are altogether too common."

"So you want me to regrow her che... hymen."

"Yes and no. And this is where it gets delicate, and perhaps impossible. These people are not isolated from the world. They are fully aware of elemental regeneration and nanosurgery. But they also know that such procedures create records and leave traces. In particular, bio elementals leave a sort of energy signature when they impose changes on bodies. The more energy they use, the stronger the signature. And the longer it lasts."

That matched some of the things Angel had read. "Ouch. So, what can we do?"

"We will get to that. Another aspect of the records is also a problem. There is clearly a record of her visits here, and there will be a record of your association with us when you begin that association."

"That's why you want me to wait. No records I was here yet."

"It may even work to our advantage in another way. Once they raise the issue - and they will - I will be able to claim that their doing so convinced me to recruit you. While they may be able to show that I considered such an association before now, there is no available evidence that I have acted on it."

"So, what can I do?"

"I was reminded of the help you gave that little patient of Thomas'. In particular, the way you were working hard to keep from drawing on her energies any more than necessary. Are you able to do the opposite?"

"Draw more heavily on their energy than mine? Yes. I tried it out recently. So, you think that by using her own energies to regrow her hymen, I wouldn't leave such a signature?"

"Or if you do, it would be faint and quickly fade." Mrs. Tabor looked thoughtful. "At least, that is what we hope. It may well be her only chance."

"What's to keep them from saying they see a trace when there isn't one?"

"There will be two elementals examining her, and neither has any stake in the outcome. The elementals will be monitored by similarly impartial telepaths." She allowed a slight, grim smile. "As I said, they take it very seriously."

They were both silent, thinking. Then Angel remembered something more from what she read. It might work.

"What is your idea?" While she could read Angel's mind, too many of her thoughts were references to things the older woman was unfamiliar with.

"First, I need to know a couple of things. When does this have to be done?"

"She is here tonight, along with her entourage. She will leave tomorrow afternoon."

"I wish I had more time."

"I'm afraid that is the one thing I can't provide. But anything, and anyone, here is at your disposal."

Knowing Mrs. Tabor would read it anyway, she plunged ahead. "Do you have anyone you can really trust, with a busted cherry, a bit of a taste for other girls, and a streak of exhibitionism?"

Mrs. Tabor raised her eyebrows, then allowed a smile to show. "I believe I know just the girl." She typed something on her keyboard, then returned her attention to Angel. "Would you elaborate?"

"I think I know a way to do this, but I'm not comfortable trying without some practice. I need three things for this to work: readily available materials, a strong flow of energy at or near the site, and another flow of energy to obliterate any traces I leave behind. If I understand it correctly, some research I read points to something that could provide all three. Masturbation."

She hurried on. "The arousal will bring a plentiful supply of blood and nutrients to the area, swelling her lips, clit, and hole." she winced at her own choice of words, but saw no reaction other than interest. She continued.

"I can get her body to use some of that to create the new tissues. The research also said that there is a significant concentration and flow of bio energy in that area when the woman is turned on like that, peaking at orgasm. I can draw that energy more easily, and use the burst when she cums to wipe out my traces. In theory. If I read it right."

"You're not sure?"

"Not really. I want to observe and try a few things with someone for whom, frankly, it won't matter much, before someone's whole future is literally in my hands."

"That would seem sensible. I take it you are willing to do this, then?"

"Of course. Hmmm. I'll need to talk to Lena a moment. About my parents."

"Do you want to call Miss Morgan from my phone?" An interesting look of irony crossed the older woman's face.

"Got it covered." Angel grinned. *Hey Lena! You busy?*

*Just doing homework for the rest of my life. What's up?*

*I've got something going on at the spa. Could you talk to Mrs. T. and relay some things to my folks?*

*Sounds interesting. Hang on.*

Mrs. Tabor made no effort to hide the conversation she had with Lena. She smiled and nodded. She opened her mouth to say something, when her screen pinged.

"Come in, my dear." She called to the door. An attractive young woman, who looked to be in her early twenties, stepped in with an air of coming to attention. Her boss smiled and invited her to take another of the comfortable chairs.

The young woman's eyes twinkled. "Oh, no. Not the comfy chair!" Angel got the feeling she was quoting something, something funny. But she didn't recognize the quote.

"I'm afraid so, my dear. We would like to ask you for... a rather unusual favor."

"Another kinky client?"

"Something much more serious, I'm afraid. And delicate."

"Delicate?"

"As your employer, it would violate several laws, and our own rules, for me to ask you to have anything to do with this. Something very important is happening, and this young lady is a part of it. I will only ask you to show her to room T 15, and make up your own mind about what she asks you to do." She typed something. "The monitors are off."

"O... k..." She got up, then smiled at Angel. "C'mon. I'll show you the way."

"She really likes you." Angel observed.

"It's mutual. I owe her more than my life, and she has always been good to me."

"You're not asking anything."

"Not here. You'll tell me what I need to know, when we get there. Then, I'll do what she said, and make up my own mind." She turned to Angel and grinned. "Besides, I bet it's gonna be something interesting."

"Probably." Angel returned an ironic smile.

The room was in the training area. Angel had assumed that was what the letter indicated. Inside was a table, which reminded her uncomfortably of a medical examination table. Also, some chairs, a small rolling table, a tiny sink and counter, and some cabinets.

"What is this room used for?"

"Sometimes, for minor medical examinations and procedures. It's also used to train for things we do in the similar client rooms. Everything from waxes and pubic trims, to piercings. We've even delivered a few babies, over the years."

Angel winced at the idea of piercings there. She had heard of such things, but the thought was just a little bit too unpleasant. Her guide closed and locked the door, then flipped a switch labeled "In Use".

"We're private now. Nobody can see or hear what's going on. So what do you need?"

"Well," Angel stammered. "I will need you to masturbate some, while I watch with my extra senses. Then I will ask you to stop, and I will try to regrow part of your hymen. Then, I will need you to bring yourself to orgasm." Angel's face was bright red, but it was from embarrassment, not excitement.

"Ok." she replied simply. "Anything else?"

Angel was surprised by the casual answer. But she thought a moment, then realized there was something she needed to try first. "Yes. Do you have any small scars or stretch marks you'd like to get rid of?"

"I have this one," she said, indicating a small pale mark on her arm.

"Perfect. Just a moment." Angel put her finger over the scar and convinced it to heal. Then she matched the coloring of the new area with the rest of the upper arm. She barely noticed the effort.

She stepped back for a moment, then looked at the arm with everything she had. She could see a discontinuity in the energies of the tissues there, and recognized it as her own. So that was what the signature looked like.

Nodding to herself, she turned and said "Ok, Let's begin."

Her subject carefully removed her skirt and panties, folding them neatly onto a chair. She opened a door in the table's pedestal, and pulled out a couple of white, fluffy towels and a small pillow. From another opening, she pulled a pair of OB stirrups, and attached them to the foot of the table. She was smiling as she did so, as though amused by the whole thing.

Finally, with an amused look of her own, Angel had to ask. "Ok, what?"

"Do you have any idea how long I've wanted to jill off in this place?" she laughed. "The only thing that would make it better would be doing so in one of the client rooms. So pull up a chair," she indicated the area between the stirrups, "and enjoy the show. Let me know when to stop, and if you need anything special."

With that, she dropped a small portion of the table, leaving two short arms leading to the stirrups, spread a towel over the end of the table nearest that spot, and climbed into place. With her legs up, she was positioned so that her vulva was right at the edge, in clear view and accessible.

The situation wasn't perfect. She was already somewhat aroused, so Angel couldn't get a complete idea of her rest state. But as she fingered herself, and her clit and labia engorged, Angel saw what she expected.

When she felt like there was enough of an energy flow, she said to stop. The heavily breathing girl complied, after a couple of last strokes. Angel asked her to spread her labia, and she did so. Angel reached up and put two fingers near the entrance to her vagina. She started pulling and moving the energy flows, being careful not to pump any of her own energy into her subject. She focused the flows, and got them to tease growth from a part of the minimal remnants of her hymen.

"Do you want it completely regrown?"

"No thanks. It was a pain to get rid of the first time. Fun, but a pain."

Angel nodded and made sure the growth would not interfere with anything. She found a clear cellular memory of the original form of the hymen, just as she hoped she would. She stopped, and pulled away. Looking carefully, she could see faint traces of her energy signature. "Go ahead and finish. Stop after one good cum, and we'll go from there."

For the next few minutes, Angel was little more than a voyeuristic spectator. She had to admit, seeing a girl - another girl - get herself off like that was turning her on. The disturbing part was that her fantasies involved someone - herself or a decidedly male someone - doing that to her own pussy.

The girl arched up for a moment, then collapsed. Angel took a close look. There was no sign of her energy. This could work.

"I'm done. Thank you." Angel grinned. "Feel free to continue, if you like."

"Please stay and watch. Somehow, I like it that way."

Angel nodded and sat there, fascinated. It didn't take long for the excitement to build again, and again. And again. Finally, she collapsed, with a big, tired smile on her face.

"Thanks. I needed that." she grinned. She staggered to her feet, and Angel helped her put things away. The towels and pillow went into a chute in the wall. The girl typed a simple message into her tablet: "We're done."

*Well?*

*It works. What now?*

*Rest for a little while, and I'll let you know when all is ready. You seem to have made a new friend.* Angel was about to respond, when she went on. *Your mother is bringing you a change of clothes and your school things for tomorrow. we'll put you up here for the night, when you're done.*

*Probably a good idea. From past experience, I'll be pretty wiped out by the time I'm done.*

The girl smiled at Angel. "Apparently, I need to take you to wardrobe, and then have a drink with you. And a snack, if you want."

"Sounds good." Angel smiled. "I just realized... I don't know your name."

"I know." she grinned, cheekily. "I'll tell you if and when you come to work for us."

Angel stuck her tongue out at her, then grinned. "So, what are we going to wardrobe for?"

"A lot of the time, the right clothes are a big part of the experience. A beautician's smock, a lab coat, even a uniform can be a part of setting the mood. Rather than making us buy and take care of all that, we have a whole wardrobe department. You will be getting a medical smock. They will also have a standard issue tablet for you."

Angel nodded. When they got there, she noticed that her companion thumbed for everything. Thinking about it, it made sense. Again, no records of her.

They went to the service bar and ordered. Angel got a shake, and her companion got an energy drink.

"How are you going to keep that figure, if you keep drinking things like that?"

"I'm a bio elemental. And I'm going to be using a lot of energy."

"You want some food? It's on the house."

"What's good?"

"Honestly, everything but the health food." A girl who was walking by stopped, stuck her tongue out at them, then continued on her way. "Just yanking her chain. How hungry are you, and for what kinds of stuff. They can do just about anything."

"I need a good bit of protein, preferably red meat, and some carbs."

"How does a steak sandwich and fries sound? They do a great one."

"Ooh, that does sound good."

Her companion put something in on her tablet. "Salad?"

"No thanks. I need raw materials rather than just filling space."

A moment later, their tablets pinged, and displayed a message saying "Soup's on."

They went to the end of the service bar, where a large plate was waiting. The sandwich was the fanciest, and one of the largest, steak sandwiches Angel had ever seen. And they didn't exactly skimp on the fries.

As they carried it back to the table, Angel offered "Wanna split it? It's more than I need, and it would be a shame to waste any."

"I thought you'd never ask." she grinned.

They ate and talked, mostly about what it was like to work there and what it was like to be a bio elemental. Even a weak one.

The next time the tablets pinged, they said "It's time." Angel's companion showed her to a "secret" door, wished her luck, and left.

Angel glanced at her tablet. There was more text than before. It said that her client had been briefed about the preparation, treatment, and post treatment necessities. Angel need only say "Phase 1" to have her start, "Phase 2" to have her stop, and expect Angel's ministrations, and "Phase 3" to complete the earlier process. Angel had a respect for the indirect nature of the language.

The room she stepped into was more elaborate than the training room. In addition to the fancier decor, there was a beauty chair in addition to the examination table. The sinks, counter, and so on were larger, as well. There was a closet, but no apparent door to the outside. Her subject was on the table, with her legs up in the stirrups and a warm, moist towel over her face. She could probably see a little from under the towel, so the smock made sense.

She couldn't help but notice that the woman was a morf - a powerful elemental, with other features, who looked completely non morf. She didn't want to pry, so she didn't try to notice anything more.

Angel sat as before, then said "Phase 1." The woman started exciting herself. It was interesting to see the differences in the ways her two subjects did effectively the same thing. This one was much less inventive, more businesslike than the other. All things considered, that was hardly surprising. It was also not surprising that it took her longer to get to the necessary level.

"Phase 2" The hand motion stopped. One hand was withdrawn, and the other reached down to spread her lips. Concentrating for all she was worth, Angel moved two fingers in as before, and carefully drew out and used the energy. After what seemed like hours, she was done. She was tired, but far from exhausted. Looking at her handiwork, she got an idea. She moved her fingers to the side, to the part of the left labia that would normally cover the vagina. Pulling on the other energy again, she created a small line of scar tissue, and a little, healed nick.

That done, she withdrew and looked. There was a little more of her signature, but still not much.

"Phase 3" She watched, as the fingers explored the new tissue, then got to work with renewed vigor. Angel had not only regrown the tissue (in the configuration it remembered), she had aged the new growth, so there was no sign that anything had been done.

When the client was fully involved with phase 3, Angel slipped away and pressed the icon on her tablet that said "Done".

"Turn in the wardrobe and tablet, and come to the office." That seemed clear enough.

At wardrobe, the woman behind the counter was shuffling some paperwork, and told her to just leave them on the counter. She didn't even look at Angel. Angel wondered whether that was part of the plan.

When she got back to the office, she was starting to feel her energy expenditure. And what she recognized as the beginnings of adrenalin crash. She stood in front of the desk, afraid that she might fall asleep in the chair.

She reported that all seemed to go well, but suggested another round of masturbation before the exam. If possible. She also described her little added touch. "It looks like a recently healed cut, about the same age as the destruction. Maybe some of them will believe he missed."

Mrs. Tabor seemed quite pleased with that notion.

She then told Angel that her things had arrived and were waiting in her room. She also assured her that she had the thanks of her subject, her subject's fiancé, and her boss-to-be.

Cindy appeared, and guided her to her room. It was the fanciest bedroom she had ever seen in person, outside of a museum. She barely noted that fact while she slipped out of her clothes and into bed.

End Part 13

Angel's Tale: A MORFS Universe Story By Joreymay

Angel gets a taste of luxury, then returns to her ordinary life. Pope Hill shifts from testing to operational mode. There's a new stud at Cassandra's school. And Robin surprises everyone - even Radar!

Part 14

The ringing phone woke her up. At first, Angel didn't remember where she was. Wherever it was, it was fancy and comfortable.

The spa.

She answered the phone. "H'lo?"

"This is your wake up call, Miss O'Connor. I am to remind you that you have school this morning. Would you like anything specific for breakfast?"

"Uh..."

"Shall we just prepare something from your usual preferences?"

"Ok."

"Your transportation will be waiting when you get downstairs. Feel free to call if you need anything."

"Ok. Uh, bye."

"Have a good morning, Miss O'Connor." Angel nodded, and hung up.

Now that she was awake, she became aware of certain needs. Increasingly urgent needs. She got out of the warm, comfortable bed and padded across the thick, soft carpet to the bathroom.

It was as impressive as the room. Even the toilet seat was padded and gently warmed. The large, deep bathtub looked inviting, but her time was limited. She contented herself with a hot, relaxing shower.

After drying off with the thickest, softest towels she had ever used, she put on the fluffy bathrobe and went back out to the room. She immediately noticed two things. There was a tray of food and drink on the table. And her clothes were not where she had dropped them the previous night.

She found both sets of skirts, blouses, and shoes in the closet, all freshly cleaned. A dresser drawer held her underwear, looking a little silly in the middle of all that empty space.

She decided to dress, then eat. After quickly climbing into her clothes, she settled in at the table. Lifting the cover, she saw that she had a ham, mushroom, and cheese omelet and toast. She also had milk and orange juice. And a pot of tea, with two cups. After the first delicious bite, there was a knock at the door.

It was Mrs. Tabor. "May I come in?"

"Of course." Angel opened the door wider, then stepped aside.

"Thank you. Please, go ahead and eat. I just wanted to tell you a few things before you left."

Angel returned to the table, and sat. She offered her guest some tea, which she accepted. After carefully pouring the tea, angel passed it to her benefactor.

"Thank you. I just wanted to thank you again, for what you did last night. Our client is very pleased with the results, and sends her thanks and those of her future husband."

"I'm glad. I hope things go well for her."

"I believe they will. And I believe they will go well for you, as well. You are an intelligent, well mannered young lady, no matter who you were a year ago."

"You know?"

"You and your parents thought about it within these walls. I caught bits and pieces, without trying to pry. Especially when I was asking you about handling genitals. But a lot of what I caught from them is that they're proud of you. You were a good boy when you were a boy, and you're a good girl now. That's a strong recommendation in my mind."

"But not everyone's."

"I suppose not. Nobody else here suspects, and few would care if they did know. Everyone here who has met you has been impressed. You will make a fine addition to our little family, for as long as you choose to stay."

"And speaking of that, I would like you to start here a week from this coming Monday. Any unpleasantness should be well past by then. You will receive a substantial signing bonus, to cover the delay and your exemplary service of last night."

"And on the subject of that service, there has always been a call for such regrowth. If you do not object, it would help the situation - and make us both a lot of money - if we were to offer such a service as a very expensive, very exclusive option. You would not need to cover your work in that way for most such cases. In fact, it would be useful to have your signature on such work in certain cases. Sooner or later, the opposition will want to check your known work. A strong energy residue will make it that much more convincing that you had nothing to do with what they think happened last night."

Angel smiled and nodded her understanding as she savored the last of her omelet.

"Well, I had best let you get ready for school. Thank you again." With that, she left.

When she went to gather her clothes, she noticed her sports bag on the closet shelf. She assumed that her mother had used it to bring her clothes the night before. She carefully packed the rest of her clothes, and gave a brief, covetous glance at the robe. Shaking her head, she checked her school materials. She had all the forms, and the homework she had done. She would have to do some work during lunch to finish the rest.

After confirming that she had everything, she took a quick look around the room, and left. It felt wrong to be leaving the dirty dishes and the like, but intellectually she knew it was the only practical choice.

On her way downstairs, she met Cindy, her guide from her first visit to the spa.

"Ready to go?" Cindy asked.

"You're my transportation?"

"Well, my car is. Unless you'd rather show up at school in a limo?" Cindy quirked a small smile.

"Not this early in the year. It looks too desperate." Angel laughed.

On the way there, they talked. When Angel mentioned the robe, Cindy agreed. "We can get them for ourselves, at cost." She told Angel. "The boss likes to keep us happy, but there is the bottom line to consider."

Soon, Angel was being dropped off at one of the less used doors, which happened to be very close to her locker. After saying goodbye to Cindy and thanking her for the ride, she went in.

By lunch time, she was more than ready for it. It was clear that this school was not known for easing gently into the new semester. Out of four classes, she had three significant assignments and one set of "be prepared to discuss" questions. And she still had to finish her calculus worksheet before the end of lunch.

At least the worksheet was mostly review.

When Robin came to the table, she asked Angel to take another look at her. Between bites of lunch, she obliged. It was clear that she would start showing symptoms Friday afternoon, and that she would have the desired powers and a somewhat better physical appearance. Unlike David, there did not seem to be anything beyond the originally intended changes.

Angel couldn't resist. "I didn't realize you chose the green haired boy option. Pity." She paused, letting Robin react for a moment before going on. "You won't get that. Your looks will change a little, for the better, I think. And it looks like you'll have the powers you wanted."

Robin hit her on the arm for worrying her like that, but looked pleased. She told them that she had made a doctors appointment for after school on Friday, based on what Angel had said. The testing center would be closed for the holiday, but her folks were trying to get her an appointment for Tuesday. Apparently, the center took the request more seriously when they were told that Angel had predicted the onset.

Angel shrugged. Powerful friends and a good reputation in high places were all well and good, but she still had math to do. Somehow, she doubted it would help with any of her other classes, either.

Somehow, school seemed more "real world" to her than all the rest. She knew it was backwards, that school was the artificial world and her jobs and contacts were the stuff of reality, but it didn't feel that way.

Part of it was her peers. The jobs and friends in high places were part of the adult world. School was the world of people her age, give or take a year or two. Major parts of their years and lives revolved around it, for better or worse. They did more work related to school than most did for jobs and hobbies combined. They largely built their social lives around it, between the clubs, dances, and other activities, and the interactions with an artificially bounded group of peers. In large part, they even defined themselves in terms of their school and grade level.

It was an odd realization. Unlike her sudden girlhood, she had no trouble thinking of herself as a student - an integral part - of that school. Like she had in past moves and other schools, she would have to find her places in the school and its social order, have to define her niche. And however much her newly minted status as a girl and a morf might complicate defining that niche, her place as a part of the school ecology was assured.

Her friends were staring at her, quietly. Lena had a small smile, while the others looked concerned.

"What, am I drooling or something?" Angel wiped her (thankfully) dry chin.

"You stopped talking, and your eyes sort of glazed over. They were afraid you were going to repeat what happened out by the hill."

"What happened by the hill?" Robin asked.

"We got together to talk about some morf stuff," Lena explained. "The Captain had the bright idea that Angel should try to bootstrap her abilities. She went inside to see what she could find, and had problems. I had to go in and guide her back out."

"Keeping the 'pillars out?" Robin asked, a little hurt.

"Nothing like that," David assured her. "Sherry wasn't there, either. You both had things you were busy with, and it wasn't a big deal. You'll definitely be a part of the next one."

"Of course, by then I'll have shed the silk."

"I'm gonna have to remember that one." Angel commented. "And speaking of the hill, what did you think about all that?"

"That's gotta be the weirdest thing that's ever happened to me. As soon as we started feeling that stuff, I was off balance. And then it was all done. I think I would have freaked if you guys weren't there."

*Definitely not the time to tell her. We can ease into it later.* Lena warned Angel.

David didn't seem to take the hint. Or Lena hadn't warned him. "You think that's the reason more people haven't stumbled onto it? They get the feeling and leave right away?"

"Could be." She seemed to consider it seriously. "In the beginning, the feeling was just kind of weird. I bet a lot of people would just turn and go a different direction without even being aware they were doing it."

"Another piece of the puzzle." he nodded, looking at Lena.

"Aargh!" Angel complained, looking at the worksheet. "I can't get this one."

Robin looked at the sheet. "Well, move it around and you have a quadratic equation."

"Oh! Duh. I should have seen that. Thanks." After that, lunch conversation went along more conventional lines.

Angel was getting impatient through her next two classes. Calculus was more review. Whatever else had happened in the transformation, she hadn't lost any of his ability with math. Anything he already understood, she still understood. The real test would be when she started learning new things. She already had noticed that she learned a little differently than before.

Biology just fueled her impatience. She was disappointed about how long it would be before they got into studying microbes and the like. And they wouldn't be going anywhere near as deep as she would have liked.

Then it was time. She was a little nervous when she went in to change, but she was also running a little late, so she had to hurry through her changing. She wasn't really surprised that she didn't notice all that much.

The class itself would spend the next few days setting individual baselines. The teacher warned that she could tell when anyone was slacking, and would adjust things accordingly. A large part of how they did in the class would be based on how much improvement they showed over the course of the semester.

Angel wondered whether it was a bluff. Or maybe the teacher was another bio elemental? When she tried looking, she could tell she was some sort of morf, but not an elemental. She didn't have a chance to check more - the class really moved along.

The class itself was a mix of non morfs and morfs without significant physical enhancements. While the students would be competing against themselves rather than their classmates, it was decided (or discovered?) that mixing in people with morf enhanced speed, strength, and/or agility was too disruptive to the dynamics of the class. And there were other classes designed to challenge them.

Angel was drying off from her shower when she suddenly realized that she hadn't noticed anything. A whole room full of teenaged girls had stripped and showered with her, and were now dressing with her, and it was altogether normal. She noticed a few details, like what kinds of bras and panties some of them put on, and whether or how they were shaved, but it was in the same abstract way that she noticed that the locker next to hers was dented.

It was unfair! She was in the middle of years' worth of adolescent fantasies - of her former male self - and it wasn't even interesting. It was... routine. All that anticipation, and then nothing.

As she finished dressing, she wondered whether David was going through the same thing, yet. Probably not. At least he still had the right hormones and stuff. It would take a while for him to settle in with his ability to see anyone naked at any time, and to get bored with it.

And the most annoying part was that he never would completely lose that enjoyment. There would always be someone new or exotic for him to turn his voyeuristic attention toward. She had lost both sides. She really had no interest in seeing naked boys or men - it had been too routine for too many years. And now naked girls and women were equally routine.

Meh!

Angel went to the place they had agreed to meet, and walked toward the shortcut with her friends. Sherry had to stay after school for diving practice, so there were only the four of them. Once they were well into the State Park, and she could see that there was nobody within earshot, Robin asked her casual question.

"So Angel, how long have you been able to make people morf?"

Angel and Lena stood there, shocked into immobility. David just shook his head and smiled.

"What? How? I didn't...?" Angel had never seen Lena so flustered. Robin just smiled.

"You've never noticed that you couldn't always read me? Good... I'm doing it right. Telepaths were always a potential problem for my family, with all the business secrets and stuff. So I was taught how to shield some things. And how to do so in a way that was not especially noticeable. A particularly good or strong one, like you, could blow right through it if you knew it was there or knew what you were looking for. But the whole point is to make it so that you don't notice it." Robin shrugged.

"And," Angel coaxed, "you asked that about me because...?"

"I didn't put it together until after lunch. After David's question," Lena slapped David on the back of his head. "I started wondering how to recreate the experience. Then it all fell into place. Lena would do the emotions and, maybe, read the person's mind to get the desired changes. That only left one person, and one function. It didn't occur to me at first, but you could have been telling me a lie about the morf. It would have been pointless and out of character. In a few days, I would have known it was a lie. And it would have been too big of a coincidence for the change to be just what I wanted. You had to be creating the change."

"For what it's worth," David cut in, "they did the same to me, without the visual special effects."

"What I want to know is why?" Robin demanded. "Why trick me? Why all the elaborate charade?"

"First," Angel replied, "I want you to know that we would have told you soon, anyway."

"That's right." David added, trying to redeem himself. "They told me after a little bit."

"But why?"

"That's my fault," Angel admitted. "At first, I just wanted to see if we could put together a team and do something, like in the movies. Then it shifted. I can help so many people with this ability, but if most people learned about it, they would fear me, try to control me, or both. Hell, look at what has happened with just my limited healing power and what I can see. People want to own me, to use me for their own purposes. Just think what governments, terrorists, or even major corporations would do to be able to create custom made morfs! Kidnap my family? Threaten you guys? Hold the whole school hostage?"

"Ok, I get that you want to hide that power. But why all this?" Robin insisted.

"I still want to help. I want to be able to give my friends what they really want. To help people who are really hurting. I want to use my abilities without people knowing I was doing so. This seemed like a way to do so. Most people won't know the five of us are involved..."

"Five?"

"Cassandra, Penny, is a part of it, too. She checks for potential disasters before we do the change. She was the one who brought up the necessity of the camouflage. But as I was saying, Lena and David can do their parts from a distance, without the person knowing they are involved. I need to make contact, shortly before or after, but I can change my appearance somewhat, and David can wrap me in an illusion. I suspect you will be able to make me invisible with you, after you master your change, so that's another option. The central part will be the Hill, and there have been funny rumors about that place for years."

"That might work." Robin conceded. "Especially with people who don't know you guys that well. But how will you get them there?"

"The ones we want to send there will hear the renewed rumors about the hill. Then Lena or David, or someone we otherwise convince, will give them a gentle nudge in the right direction. Some others will hear the rumors and try the hill, and we will take them on a case by case basis. Some won't feel anything, and will go away disappointed. That is why the rumors talk about it not always working. Others will either get accepted and gain some or all of what they wanted, or will find out they are rejected. The rejects will either get nothing, or in extreme cases will get an unwanted change. That will also go into the rumors."

"How is all that decided?"

"Sort of a fast and loose consensus. We don't have anything formal. If Cassandra sees a bad outcome one way or another, we will try and avoid it. Our criteria so far are kind of broad. If someone wants powers for something malicious, they will be rejected or worse. If they want something that is socially unacceptable, but ultimately harmless, we will probably accept it. Like Captain Peeper here." She indicated David.

Lena stepped in. "And we are limited by what Angel can and can't do. Some changes are beyond her power, and some she just doesn't have enough information about."

"So what's my part in all this?"

"We weren't sure until you chose your changes. We wanted you to be a part of it, because you are our friend, one of our inner circle if you will." Angel added, earnestly. "I'm still not sure what role you will want to play. One thing you can do, like David, is learn to think about the events at the hill as real whenever you casually think about all this. That way, any wandering telepaths get the Party Line."

David stepped in again. "We can also act as points of contact. We went through the thing at the hill, and ended up with the changes we wanted. We can truthfully say that. We can honestly describe our experiences, even though a lot of people won't believe us. We won't stand on the street corner and shout about it, but we can bring it up when we think it is appropriate."

"You have already played an important role." Lena added. "We needed someone to help us test and refine the process. Someone we could trust, absolutely. Especially if something went wrong. David was the first. You are the second. Penny has nominated someone we don't know as the third test subject, and effectively the first active run. Unlike you, that person won't be told about all this. They'll spread the word to Smokey Hill, and start the operational phase, if you will, of this whole thing."

Robin nodded, and they started walking down the path again. She suggested that the glowing figure be less detailed, more of a hint than a picture. Then she asked the key question.

"Where are you going with all this? What is the goal, the payoff, the endgame?"

"We." Angel corrected. "You are completely one of us, now. Even without your upcoming change. And we don't know. I have a feeling that something is coming, something that will need our ability to act as a practiced group. No idea in the world what it is, though. You have any ideas?"

"About that mysterious event, or about the payoff?"

"Either. Both. Whatever."

"Ah..." Robin looked like she was going to say something profound and authoritative. "Nope. Not a clue." She grinned.

"We obviously need to watch more movies." David grinned. "Now, who do we know that can help us do that?"

"See what I mean?" Angel said to Robin. "Even my friends want to take advantage of me."

"Us." Lena corrected. "He wants to use my passes, too. Good thing he's so good looking."

Angel and Robin rolled their eyes.

David had one more bit of advice for Robin. "Start thinking of a good nickname now. You never know what they might stick you with, otherwise."

"Thus speaks Captain Peeper." Lena quipped.

"Why, thank you, Radar." he returned.

"Point taken." Robin laughed.

At the edge of the park, they separated and went their own ways. Angel and Lena headed toward their houses, talking about what had just happened. When they noticed that they were coming within range of other people, they switched to mental mode.

*That could have been a problem.* Angel thought, showcasing her talent for understatement.

*Luckily, she came to us before coming to her final conclusions. She gets a little delicate sometimes, and if she took it the wrong way...*

*Yeah. What's up with that? She's smart, attractive, accomplished, and her family has money. Even her personality seems strong. So what gives?* Angel asked.

*Critical family with high expectations. She comes from a long line of overachievers, and they had no patience with anything less. Wait a minute.* Lena held her hand up and listened.

"Shit!" Lena exclaimed. "Cassandragram. Can we meet at your house?"

"Sure. You calling in the troops?"

"Yep. Now hush, I'm talking to David."

"Don't forget Robin."

"Already done."

They picked up their pace, and got to Angel's house just in time to see David flying Robin into a landing on Angel's front lawn. By the time she got her door open, Penny was pulling up in her car.

After a quick glance at Robin, and a nod, Penny followed them inside. After the usual offers of food and drink, they got down to it.

"We need to move the schedule up." Penny proclaimed, making it clear that Cassandra was speaking. "Pat is getting suicidal. She can't face starting another school year as a girl. I hinted about the hill rumor, and she latched onto it like a lifeline." She turned to Robin.

"You're up to speed?"

"Yeah. Pat is supposed to be the first real subject and the last of the test subjects. Lena and David set the stage and handle the special effects. Lena gets the mental request. You all confer..."

"We all confer." Angel corrected.

"We all confer on what to do. David does a special effect to show what will happen, and Lena gives the appropriate feeling. Angel creates and delivers the genetic bomb, while looking like someone else. I just help spread rumors, for now."

"Sounds right. Are you guys ready to run it?"

"When?"

"Tonight would be good. Tomorrow would work, too. We need her to be changing, if not changed, by the start of school on Tuesday."

"Ok. I have the energy." Angel jumped in, playing leader. "David, you up to another one this soon?"

"No problem. My part is no big strain to begin with."

"Lena?"

Lena saluted. "Primed and ready, ma'm."

Angel returned the salute with a half smile. "All right. What do we need to tweak? Pat won't see David or Lena, and won't know me when she sees me. What else? Robin?"

"Don't overplay the visuals. If you keep the light thing, make it vague and suggestive. And don't fish for feedback. Otherwise... go for it."

"Penny?"

"Monitor her closely. She's fragile. Her folks are fighting over her sexual identity, and it's gotten nasty. And watch for her getting too deep."

"Ok. Lena?"

"It all seems good to me. How do we get her there?"

"I'll take care of that." Penny said. Her tone made it clear that she didn't want to volunteer any more details. "I'll let Lena know when."

"Good enough. David?"

"I'd like to try some images here, see what people think."

"Ok," Angel said. "That's a good idea. Penny, you want to do this, or would you rather get back to work on Pat?"

"I'll go. Thanks, guys. This would have been a bad one." With that, Penny left.

David tried a variety of images, until they found a look they all liked.

Angel pulled Robin aside, while David and Lena cuddled a bit on the sofa.

"My parents don't know about this ability. Outside of the five of us, two cousins of mine might suspect. The fewer people who know, the less chance of accidental exposure." Angel explained. "I appreciate your help."

"Believe me, I understand about secrets." Robin smiled, meaningfully.

The front door opened. "Another boy on my couch, I see."

"This one's a rerun. You remember David."

"Hello, David. I don't think I've seen you since you got your wings. Impressive."

"Thank you, Ma'm"

"We'd better get going," Lena said. Then she turned to Angel. "I'll let you know when."

"When what?" Angel's mother asked, as the others left.

"I have to do something later, something confidential. It won't take long."

"Angel, look at me." her mother demanded. When she complied, she continued.

"Is this something dangerous?"

"No. Not at all."

"Is it something I would prohibit, if I knew?"

"No." Angel sounded hurt.

"Don't play the sensitive little girl with me. What do you expect me to think with that announcement? You do secret things at the spa. The police come looking for you. That Wilson woman came after you. That horrible theater man hurt you so badly. You and your friends have all these little plans. I'm your mother. How am I supposed to deal with all that?"

"By trusting me?" Before she was even finished saying it, Angel knew it was the wrong thing. "I know it's been hard. It is hard. But I've been trusted with secrets that are not mine to tell. I can tell you that I'll be helping someone heal, but who and how is not mine to tell. Last night, I healed someone too. But bad things could happen to them if anyone found out. Even I don't really know who it was. Most of our plans are just for things like going to the movies or visiting someone. The theater thing was worse than I expected - worse than anyone expected - but I did have backup. I am careful. I'm more careful than the old Angel ever was. And I have powerful friends. Lena can get help to me with a thought. David is insanely powerful. His mom and dad are no slouches, themselves. Penny can see trouble coming. And that's not even counting the political and economic power of friends, parents of friends, and my employers."

She took a breath, and continued. "I know you worry. It's in the job description. But I'm really not doing things for you to worry about. And I'm not a little boy anymore."

"But you're still my child. My little girl. It's hard to see you so deeply involved in things I don't know enough about; to know there's nothing I can do to help if you have a problem." She opened her arms, and they hugged. "You're right. It's my job to worry, and your job to make your place in the world."

"Anything I should know about?" Angel's father asked, coming unexpectedly on that tableau.

"Mom doesn't like feeling like a mushroom." Angel answered, with a small smile. "And now, I've got to start working on my homework. I'll be going out briefly tonight, for a top secret mission. Ask Mom." She turned, grabbed her school stuff, and headed upstairs.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Magdalena made a family tradition - breakfast for dinner. Waffles, eggs, bacon and sausage, just ordinary breakfast foods. Angel liked those meals, and so did her parents. About halfway through her second batch of waffles, Angel got the call.

Muttering about the timing, she excused herself and headed for the door. After a brief conference with the others, she kept her normal appearance for her initial contact. While Lena fed her bits and pieces of the desired change, she went a little way into the park and waited for her first cue.

She got the word from Lena, and started walking out of the park as though she had been jogging there. Penny was parked across the street, a little way down the cross street. Angel saw the two of them get out of the car, and started absorbing what baseline information she could about Pat. She extended her observation time a little by bending down to re-tie her shoe while they crossed the street toward her. By the time they passed her and headed down the trail, she had all she needed. She trotted home for a quick change, getting more details from Lena as she went.

She was soon her Afam identity, with a different shirt.

Pat was about 5' 3", with a slight build, dishwater blonde hair, hazel eyes, and average sized breasts. Her overall appearance was nondescript. She wanted to be over 6' tall, muscular, with a sculpted, athletic build, light blonde hair, blue eyes, and an impressive but not excessive package. As far as powers, she wanted a defensive zap of some sort, and the ability to make girls almost slavishly attracted to him - even beyond the effect of his appearance.

Angel had her work cut out for her. She quickly found out that the physical aspects were relatively easy. She had a choice of zaps, without going elemental. They included Jerry's neural zap, a regular bioelectric discharge, a sort of telekinetic blast, and some sort of packet discharge she had read from one of the morfs she had read at the mall near her cousins' home.

After a brief mental consultation with the others, she went with the neural zap. Pat went to the same school as Jerry, and the two of them getting the same power would not seem as odd.

The last part was relatively easy. An ability to subconsciously control his pheromone output and tailor it to a given person. With practice, the effect would be significant. But it wouldn't come up to the level of mind control.

The discussion of motivations was pretty clearcut. There was, perhaps, a tinge of malice in the pheromone part - possible payback for past humiliations. Nothing really bad, though. The zap was defensive, after some bad things that happened to her. The rest was her ideal of the man she wanted to be. With the information from Angel that Pat would have to learn to control the pheromone thing before he could use it effectively, they all agreed it was a go.

Angel got the feeling the "packet" was ready for her to deliver, she started walking toward the hill. About a third of the way in, she met Penny and Pat. She stumbled, steadying herself on Pat and delivering the packet. She apologized, then walked on.

Lena told her she was in the clear, and that nobody was watching her. Angel reverted to her usual self, then turned and walked home.

After the brief exercise and energy use, she was hungry again. Her mother had kept her half eaten seconds warm, and added a cold glass of milk. Angel thanked her, then went to work on them.

Angel got a brief bulletin from Lena, saying everything seemed to be going as planned. It came just as Angel's mother asked how the secret mission went. Without details, Angel replied that it went well. Their talk moved to homework (not finished yet, but close) and school in general.

When Angel was finished eating, she went up to finish her homework. She made it a point to double check her English homework, after Lena's warning the day before.

That done, she went down and watched the tube for a bit with her parents. It was things like that, ordinary family activities, that helped keep her centered. The day ended like that, with her going to bed at what, a few weeks earlier, would have seemed an unreasonably early hour.

She woke with the thought that all she had scheduled was an ordinary day. Then she laughed. An ordinary day of being a girl who goes to a new high school. An ordinary day of being an elemental, seeing things few others could see. An ordinary day of hanging around with a telepath, whose boyfriend is a flying, transmuting, illusion generating voyeur. An ordinary day of being an at large executive of a theater chain.

An ordinary day.

And she seemed to be largely right. Nothing at all unusual seemed to happen in her first few classes. But English was a little unusual. Not totally unexpected, due to Lena's earlier warning, but unusual.

The class started out as most people expected. She had them pass their homework forward, then started them on an in class assignment. While they were working on that, she quickly went through the homework papers, sorting them into a fairly small stack and a much larger one. Then she called for the class's attention.

And read them the riot act. With two exceptions, both of whom had missed the first two days of class (and school in general), She all but threatened to throw the people who did not turn in the assignment out of the class. She indicated the larger pile, and said that most of them were probably F's. Then she went on to say that certain arbitrarily chosen assignments would count as much as ten times their usual value in determining their semester grade. The students would never know, when they were working on an assignment, whether it was one of the ordinary ones or one of the chosen ones. She proclaimed that she considered sloppy, half hearted work an insult to her, to the class, and to the whole school.

She invited anyone who was not willing to work hard and long to transfer to another, less rigorous class.

By the end of the class, four girls were openly crying, and several students were looking pale and shocky. Nobody left the class with the bored, confident look that many had sported the day before.

Angel and her friends went off campus for lunch, having called ahead to place their orders. Between bites of her gyros, Angel asked Lena how the teacher got away with that. Lena explained that it was one of a group of experiental lessons about college.

At Angel's blank look, she went on to explain that AP classes were supposed to be an approximation of college level classes. But the level of the material and expectations were not the only difference between high school and college classes. And there was a significant philosophical difference between the two levels of school. High school was required in most cases. The schools worked hard to make sure every student possible actually graduated.

Many colleges actually expected - even needed - a large part of the freshman class to leave the school before graduation. And the philosophy carried through to some of the classes, as well. They would put some extreme and often unexpected pressure on the students in the first few days, to weed out the slackers and the unprepared.

Some would ambush them, as Mrs. Veng had. Others would give an unexpectedly difficult test, or a complex, burdensome assignment the first week of class. Or some other stress inducing approach. Lena commented that they thought of it as a sort of academic Darwinism.

Angel supposed she understood that on an intellectual level, but she really didn't like it.

The rest of Angel's ordinary day at school was pretty much as expected. Including, unfortunately, Athletic Challenge. She still felt somehow cheated by her own lack of response to the long anticipated locker room activities. All those years of fantasies, right down the tubes.

When Angel got home, there was a message from her mother, saying that their lawyer would be over before dinner to go over the contracts and his research about the AMA agreement. That reminded her that she needed to visit a theater or two, to earn her salary and other goodies from the chain.

She called her mother, who agreed to take her to the Chinese after dinner. And to allow her to stay for a movie, as long as she finished her homework and got to bed at a reasonable hour.

Mothers.

Remembering a recent promise, Angel called Flo. The invitation would work out well, since the theater was relatively close to Flo's house. They set a time to meet, and chose a movie.

Angel was so involved with her homework that she didn't hear her mother arrive. She was startled by a knock at her bedroom door.

"Mr. Streight will be here soon. How are you coming with all that?" her mother indicated the homework.

"Most of it's done. If necessary, I can finish the Calc and Bio at lunch tomorrow."

"I'm just afraid of you falling behind. With everything else, you don't have the time to make up missed work."

"Yes, mother. I know." Angel didn't really mean the prickly tone. It just sort of came out that way. "Now, I'd like to finish this. Let me know when he gets here."

Her mother stiffened at the high handed dismissal, but then she nodded and left.

Eight problems later, Angel's father called her downstairs.

The meeting was relatively short, but useful. Regarding the agreement, he told her that as long as she did not portray herself as a "medical" bio elemental, and left medical decisions in the appropriate hands, she was not covered. Mrs. Wilson's recorded statement that Angel doesn't qualify as a medical bio elemental would work in their favor, as well.

She could continue to help friends and family, and to work at the spa, without running afoul of the agreement. He left her a more detailed report, for her to refer to as needed.

On the contract, he started out by saying that Mrs. Tabor was an honest businesswoman, but was a businesswoman, nonetheless. There were no hidden tricks in the contract, but there were things Angel needed to be aware of. Angel could quit at any time, and she could be dismissed at any time. Neither side would need to show cause. The spa would not be liable for anything she did outside of her on-duty time there. And so on. The big one was that Angel was agreeing that if she left the spa, voluntarily or not, she would not operate or work for a competing business for at least two years.

He went through the contract, paragraph by paragraph, summarizing each part and answering her questions. Except the last one.

"Do you think I should do it?"

"That is not for me to say. There are no tricks or hidden traps. The decision is between you and your parents. Is what you will be getting out of the agreement worth what you are agreeing to? Answer that, and you answer your own question."

He indicated that he would be billing them as agreed, and wished them a good evening. He caught sight of the necklace Angel was wearing, and smiled as he left.

Angel's mother announced that dinner was ready, and they adjourned to the kitchen to serve themselves. Angel suspected that her father had set the table while her mother had finished preparing dinner.

Over dinner, she asked them whether they thought she should sign the contract. They both dropped it back on her. They reminded her that it would have a negative impact on her recreation time and choices. They also reminded her that it could go a long way toward paying her college expenses. Then they proclaimed their willingness to support whatever decision she came to.

After dinner, she cleared the table before grabbing her eCom and tablet for her trip to the theater. The atmosphere in the car was relaxed, but there wasn't much conversation. Her mother asked her to call when she needed to be picked up.

After thumbing in at the theater and greeting the manager, she went to work. The first things she checked were the food supplies. She didn't find any problems, but was puzzled for a moment by one impression. Among the refrigerated supplies, she found a box of a biologically active mixture. When she looked more closely at the labeling, she learned it was an "active culture" yogurt mix for one of the new frozen offerings. Her impressions were consistent with that.

A quick check of other potential problem spots turned up a similar lack of problems. She gave a quick summary to the manager, wrote a brief report, and was done. She thumbed out and went up front to meet her guest.

Flo introduced the woman standing next to her as her mother. They exchanged greetings, and her mother verified arrangements with Angel. They offered to drive Angel home after the movie, which she accepted. Angel called her mother and told her about the arrangements, then went to pick up the tickets.

Flo could hardly believe the invitation to choose whatever she wanted from concessions, and got a good laugh from the way they were greeted.

"She's Baaaack. More undercover work?" With an exaggerated wink and waggle of the eyebrows.

Angel laughed, and nodded. She introduced the two girls, and then ordered the yogurt concoction and a drink. Flo went for some popcorn, light on the "butter", and a diet drink.

The movie, a teen themed comedy, was funny but not particularly memorable. Still, they had a good time. On the ride to Angel's house, they kept repeating partial quotes and laughing. Their biggest laugh came when Flo's mother asked what the movie was about, and they realized they couldn't give an easy answer. They settled on "teens getting in and out of trouble."

When they arrived at her house, Angel invited them inside. They politely declined, and exchanged goodbyes. They waited until she stepped inside her door before they drove away.

After a brief exchange with her parents about the movie and inspection, she went up to get ready for bed. Once she was washed and dressed for bed, she took a little time to finish the last few problems on her calc worksheet, then climbed into bed.

She had no trouble getting to sleep.

She was glad for the good night's sleep the next day. Her other three AP classes all had surprise quizzes. Hard ones. She knew for a fact that she didn't ace the history test, and she wasn't sure how she did in bio and calc. After what she was told, Angel was not completely surprised. And she refused to be discouraged.

It was still a hell of a way to end the first week of school. Even Athletic Challenge was more intense than usual. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the shower afterward. Angel wondered how long she would feel disappointed about that.

She learned that Robin went home a little early, feeling feverish and nauseous. She had an afternoon appointment to be checked for MORFS, anyway, so it was hardly surprising.

Angel had no idea what effect her part in getting that appointment would play in later events. Even Cassandra had no inkling.

While she was waiting for her parents to get home, and trying to get a jump on the weekend's homework, her eCom rang. It was Robin's mother, confirming the diagnosis of MORFS and thanking Angel for the advance notice. She asked what Angel could tell her about the outcome, and Angel repeated what she had told Robin: she would get teleportation and limited time travel powers, along with controllable invisibility and intangibility. Her physical changes would be minimal, mostly enhancing her existing features. And she should be done by sometime Monday, although Angel was not as good at predicting that part.

After repeating her thanks, Robin's mother ended the call.

When Angel's father got home, he had a surprise for her. After their earlier discussions, he had taken the doctor's advice and bought the home testing unit. Her parents had decided that this would be a good time for the test. It was the Friday of a long weekend, so she would have plenty of time to recover. She didn't have work until the next afternoon, and even that would be a routine visit.

They didn't have to sell her. She had been wanting to try it since the idea first came up.

The first test seemed simple enough. They set the monitor on her, she would take a moment to prepare, then she would drink a shot of whiskey. She would try to use her powers to keep the alcohol from entering her bloodstream.

Simple.

And for a change, it all went as planned. The monitor gave a baseline reading, which they used for calibration. After going inside, she knew she could and would do it. She hated the taste of the whiskey, but her body did not absorb it. They took another reading, waited five minutes, then took yet another. No change.

She had an urgent need to go to the bathroom. She hadn't thought about how her body would dispose of the toxin, so it made sense. The experience was unpleasantly like diarrhea, and after she was done, the room smelled of alcohol. She finished up, then went back to the living room. A half hour after the first test reading, they took another. Still no sign.

She seemed to know that she had another option for disposing of the alcohol, but having it come back up again struck her as more than a little gross,

They had some dinner, then waited a bit for the next part. She would allow some of the alcohol to enter her system, then eliminate it. Otherwise, it was the same setup as before.

This time, she got a little sick as, unprotected by her powers, she started absorbing the alcohol. When the meter started registering a detectable level, she tried getting rid of the alcohol and anything it broke down to. While she was not really drunk, she couldn't focus quite as well as she usually did. Luckily, it didn't matter.

After a moment of purging the toxin, she suddenly had to sneeze. Deciding not to fight it, she let loose. The air smelled of alcohol after that. The sneeze also seemed to trigger another urge to go to the bathroom. When she was done, the alcohol smell was not as strong as before.

The scanner registered that she was back at baseline.

Her parents found the test reassuring. While Angel was a powerful elemental (by non elemental standards), and a good girl, they worried about someone slipping her a drink or three, and then taking advantage of her.

It's a parent thing.

Now, her system could recognize and isolate the alcohol, and presumably other dangerous substances, and keep them from affecting her. That was a relief to them. So was the fact that she could let legitimate medicines or the like bypass that protection.

Not that she was going to need medicines any more. They hoped.

Angel noticed that the second test took more energy than the first, and that she was hungry again. Not ravenous, but hungry.

Together with her parents, she decided to try one more test. They had an over the counter, fast acting, inhaled sleep aid. It was not as strong as most of the knockout preparations she might be attacked with, but it would be a good test. And if she failed, she could just sleep it off.

Just in case, she got ready for bed before trying the tests. They tried both ways again. First, with her forewarned and forearmed, she resisted any entering her system. After blowing out a mist, and waiting about fifteen minutes for any effects, they declared the first test a success.

The second test was going to be a little more extreme. She made it a point to drop her defenses, then asked her parents what to do next. They talked about a variety of things then, just as she was drawing a breath, her father sprayed the drug in her mouth.

Startled, she gasped. That drew even more of the drug into her lungs. In a near panic, she practically screamed the thought that her body needed to isolate and remove the contamination. She was starting to feel a little drowsy, then suddenly she was wide awake again. And huffing out a refined mist.

*Angel! What the hell was that?* Came the urgent question.

*Sorry, Lena. We were testing my ability to rid my body of drugs, and one of the tests nearly got away from me.*

*Geez. Warn a girl when you're going to do something like that! I take it I succeeded?*

*Yep.* Angel replied, proudly. *Hey, I've got an inspection tomorrow. Wanna catch a movie?*

*Might as well. David's visiting some relatives tomorrow, to show off his wings and stuff. I'm not invited.* Angel could almost hear the theatrical sniff after that last bit.

*If it makes any difference, we're going to Andy's theater. In part, to check his progress*.

*So I'm working for my show?*

*I hadn't thought of that. You don't need to actively do anything. But let me know if you notice anything we should know about, and I'll pass it along.*

They discussed arrangements for a little bit, exchanged some gossip, then turned their attentions to things in their own vicinities.

"And how is Lena doing, dear?" Angel's mother asked, with a smile. Angel realized that her entire conversation had taken place with her parents standing there, watching her.

"Um, fine. Bummed. David's going somewhere tomorrow without her, so I invited her to join me at the theater. My inspection shouldn't take too long, and we can catch a movie after I'm done."

"Which theater are you going to?" her father asked.

"The bad one. I need to check Andy's progress with the rehab." Her father looked a little puzzled, but her mother shuddered.

"The theater where she was attacked, dear." her mother prompted, in a slightly unsteady voice. "I assume Andy is the temporary manager they sent in?"

"That's right," Angel replied. "He was an assistant manager at the Chinese, but they thought he was up to the challenge. A real trial by fire, I'd say. He wants to get it finished before he goes back to college."

They shifted gears, and decided that enough time had passed to declare the second test a success. Even taken by surprise, she could quickly expel a drug and undo its effects.

Everyone was happy with that.

Knowing that she was unlikely to have any adverse effects, she contacted Lena again. Her inspection the next day was not strictly scheduled. In fact, it was supposed to be a semi surprise inspection. So she could schedule their movie for an early matinee and they would have the rest of the day free. And since the matinees weren't all that early in the morning, they could still sleep in.

Lena suggested they spend part of the afternoon at the pool, since it would be closed after the long weekend. Angel agreed.

Angel woke up mildly confused. She looked at the clock, and she was late - not enough time to get ready for school. Then she realized what day it was. With a self indulgent smile, she settled back into her pillow and savored the soft warmth of her bed.

An hour later she came awake more gently, to the smell of frying bacon. She got up and took care of her morning business. Wrapping herself in her bathrobe, she drifted down to the kitchen.

Over breakfast, her father volunteered to drive them to the theater and back. Something about the way he did so struck a chord with her. He was concerned. She wasn't quite sure why, but he was. It seemed easier to let him do so, so she accepted.

Besides, it was better than some of the alternatives.

After breakfast, she showered and dressed in one of her power suits. With her gold badge in place, her chain ID and drivers permit neatly tucked in a small jacket pocket, her eCom clipped in place, and her tablet in hand, she was ready to go.

Lena appeared at the door, smiling and munching the last of a piece of toast. They got into the car, and enjoyed most of the ride to the theater.

Most of the ride.

As they approached the theater, Lena had let her mind listen in on what was happening there. The first thing she noticed was the "noise" of the moviegoers. That was easy to ignore, and she focused on finding and reading the employees. Most were concerned with the routine of the job, interspersed with observations about the customers, coworkers, and management. And memories of recent recreational activities.

Two had a different focus.

*Angel!* Lena thought, not wanting to upset their driver or lose the threads of the thoughts. *You're being set up.*

End Part 14

Angel's Tale: A MORFS Universe Story By Joreymay

Angel confronts a dangerous plot at a theater. Later, she gets a secret girl lesson. In her "spare time", she learns a couple of new tricks with her powers. And why does Lena call her an "Evil Temptress"?

Part 15

*Angel!* Lena thought, not wanting to upset their driver or lose the threads of the thoughts. *You're being set up. Two of the old manager's toadies have set some sort of a trap. They think it will discredit you and Andy, and maybe, somehow, bring back the way things were. Especially the old policies about morfs.*

*Any details?*

*Not much, yet. I'll keep trying.*

*Do they think you're coming?* Angel wondered whether their thoughts could be a deliberate ruse.

*No. They know my part's finished, and are insultingly glad that I won't be there.*

Angel understood, and let Lena get on with her "listening."

Angel had her father drop them off toward the back of the parking lot. She explained that she didn't want to block the parents who were dropping off carloads of customers in front of the box office. He didn't really buy it, but did as she asked. After reminding her to call when she wanted him to come get her, he drove away.

Angel called Andy. "Hey, Andy. Have you been keeping an eye on Pete and Repeat?" While the second guy was actually named Reinhardt, Angel, Lena, and Andy had taken to calling them that due to their similarity of unpleasant views and their tendency to stick together.

"As much as I can. Why?"

"They're up to something. Lena caught a stray thought about some sort of a trap, designed to discredit you and me. Any ideas what it might be?"

"A few. Is Radar coming in with you?"

"She's here. Why?"

"It might work out better if she monitors from outside for a little. If they see you come in alone, they might get careless. Especially when you start to approach whatever they've set up."

"You're devious. I like that in a man...ager." Angel grinned. "I'll be right in."

Lena had caught the conversation, and remained out of sight for the moment.

Angel went in as usual, and thumbed in. On the way, she started thinking about what she hadn't checked and wouldn't be likely to check. They knew that she would see any contamination in the concessions area, storage areas, and theaters. And anything she found would be cleaned and disinfected right away.

Cleaned and disinfected. The cleaning supplies.

*Bingo!* Lena confirmed. *The spray bottle Sally is about to use. Stop her - she doesn't know!*

*Get Andy!*

*On his way, up to speed.*

"Sally! Put that down, and come over here, please." Sally seemed to hesitate, and Angel tapped her gold badge. That reminder that Angel was a full manager in her own right, outranking even Andy, was enough to make up her mind.

Angel looked at Sally's hands. There were areas of contamination there, from handling the bottle. The contamination was an unnatural combination of e coli and salmonella.

She pretended to be dissatisfied with some part of the confused girl's uniform, and sent her off to the break room. She turned to the conspirators. Their hands and clothes showed signs of the same contamination. She approached them, timing her steps so that she would arrive at the same time that Andy came up behind them. En route, she called Lena in.

"Your hands and clothes are unsanitary," she said without preamble. "Not at all up to company standards." They started to turn, when hands fell on their shoulders.

"Gentlemen. We need to talk. In my office. Now!" Andy was quiet but forceful.

Pete tried to brazen it out. "What did we do?" He was about to say more, when he turned his head to follow Angel's gaze. He recognized Lena as the telepath from the earlier interviews. He got a calculating look in his eyes, but said nothing more.

As they allowed Andy to lead them off to his office, followed by Lena, Angel quickly checked the hands of the other two girls in concessions. Thankfully, they were "clean", although one could use a good session with a nail brush. With an apologetic tone, she instructed them to "hold the fort", then dashed off to the break room.

"No time to explain right now." she told the frightened girl, "You are not in trouble, but you are in a little danger. That spray cleaner was contaminated." Angel gestured toward the sink, indicating that the girl should wash her hands.

In the meantime, she was using her other hand to speed dial Mandy with her eCom. When she got an answer, she quickly said that there was another situation, and Andy could use some backup. Yesterday.

Angel turned back to Sally. Her hands were red from scrubbing under hot water, but were not completely free of contamination. Angel took her hands reassuringly, then ran a hand over each, eliminating the remaining taint. With an apology, she sent the still distraught girl out to help with concessions.

She called Mandy again, to fill her in. Mandy told her that Andy was on another line to the office, getting witnesses to - and a recording of - his interview with the two conspirators. Mandy herself was en route to the theater. And a police car would be arriving shortly.

From what Mandy told her, Angel almost wished she had gone up with Andy and Lena. But the next comment from Mandy made her glad she hadn't.

"Have you secured all the contaminated cleaning supplies?"

"Damn it!" escaped before Angel could stop herself. "No. I'll do that now." She was angry with herself. How could she have forgotten something that important?

She grabbed a couple of fresh trash bags and went to work. Carefully using the bag as both glove and container, she removed the contaminated products and cloths from under the counter. She went to the supply closet, and found one other. She slipped that into another bag. Then she went to the locker room and checked the lockers. The lockers were clean, but there was a patch of contamination on a nearby bench.

On the general theory that safety was more important than evidence, she sterilized the patch.

Angel took the bags out with her and stored them under a counter for the moment. Then she stepped out on the floor to become a visible managerial presence. She silently prayed that nothing would come up.

Of course, life is rarely that obliging. Luckily, everything that did come up was fairly routine. She had little training or guidance from the company for such things, but she had been going to theaters most of her life, and seen a lot of things. Mostly, it was situations which called for approval of standard actions. Even if she got it wrong, it was nothing earthshaking. She placated angry or upset customers, authorized refunds and replacements, and generally played manager.

Mandy arrived, with two men from headquarters. The men went upstairs, and Mandy went to Angel. She quietly watched Angel handle a couple of minor crises, before pulling her away for a quiet talk in the break room.

Angel learned what had been going on upstairs. When Andy took the conspirators upstairs, Lena used his phone to call the corporate office and establish a video link. That done, Andy asked them if they knew why he brought them upstairs. They tried to brazen it out, claiming it was an unjustified accusation of dirty hands.

When he brought up their connection with the contaminated cleaning supplies, they didn't blink. Pete, clearly the ringleader, arrogantly reminded Andy that he couldn't use anything he got from a telepath - especially from a telepath "reading" an unknowing or unwilling subject.

Andy reminded them there was a major exception. They didn't seem to get it, so he spelled it out.

Terrorism.

Their attempted use of biological weapons fell under the legal definition of terrorism. He could use Lena's testimony to establish Probable Cause, allowing the Federal authorities to search their homes, cars, etc. In fact, Angel's observations alone would be enough to do so.

After that, the two lost a lot of their arrogance. They denied any terrorist intentions, but finally understood that their denials carried no legal weight.

They were offered a similar deal to that of their former mentor. They would dictate and affirm a complete confession, which the theater chain would keep. They would immediately resign, and renounce any and all claims against the chain. They would never work for a theater again. For a period of five years, they would not say or do anything against the chain, its theaters, or anyone past, present, or future employed by the chain. They would also keep out of legal trouble.

If they violated any of those terms, the confessions and all of the evidence would be turned over to the authorities. If they kept to the terms, the theater chain would take no further action against them.

They knew they were beaten. They accepted the terms, and did what they had to. After dealing with the confessions and turning in their theater IDs, they were escorted off the premises.

Once Andy was done with them and came downstairs, Angel went back to her inspection. She found and neutralized the places that the girl had "cleaned" before the discovery. The rest of her inspection was routine, much to her relief.

Angel, Lena, and Andy wrote their reports. When Angel and Lena finished with theirs, they demonstrated their confidence by getting snacks from Concessions and then taking in a movie.

By the time Angel called her father, the police car and company van were gone. On the way home, they talked about the movie. When he asked about the inspection, she sadly realized that she could honestly say "same-same" and describe the lack of disasters.

She hated even the hint of deceiving him like that, but his look of relief made it worthwhile.

Soon she was relaxing by the pool, enjoying the company of her friends. For once, there were no plans, no dangers, nothing she had to deal with. She was just a teen, enjoying the pool with her friends.

Well, most of her friends. Robin was down with MORFS, but there was nothing any of them could do for her but wait it out. Then they could welcome her to the world in her new form.

But for now, she could just enjoy swimming, watching Sherry show off her dives and aquabatics, watching Star Dawn show off her light effects, and everyone having a good time. At one point, Lena was complaining about David's family trip. Apparently, she had him willing to use his wings to fan and shade her as she lounged poolside.

"Oh, my dear," Lena said, in a mock Eastern Old Money accent, "you just haven't lived until you've lounged poolside with those beautiful wings wafting a gentle zephyr over your body."

"Oh, my," Angel replied, with an equally bad Southern Belle accent, as she fanned herself with her hand. "You do paint a vivid image."

The four of them cracked up.

After a while, Penny joined them. She verified that Pat was diagnosed and dosed, and happily changing sex. Then she declared Cassandra off duty for the afternoon, and dove in the pool.

Miles away, someone was not enjoying the Saturday sun. The sign on the door said "S. Miller, Elementologist.", but just then Dr. Miller was not seeing a patient. She was in charge of the Elementals database, a filtered subset of the International MORFS Registry. And there had been a security breach of that database.

It was apparent that records had not been altered, but had merely been subject to unauthorized access.

Dr. Miller was not a happy camper.

She patched the security hole, and copied the affected records to another place for later examination.

Meanwhile, back at the pool, Angel decided it was time to get home. It would soon be dinner time, and she decided she should help. It wasn't really a girl thing. More like a family thing.

With all day to cook, her mother had outdone herself. By the time Angel was rinsed, changed, and in the kitchen, all that remained was chopping a few of the things for the salad.

Angel was surprised to learn they were having furglox linguini. Not that she particularly objected, but that was the sort of dish she would have expected at one of the restaurants the Doctor took them to. Or at the spa. The meat was fairly expensive, outside of their usual budget.

"Getting a taste for the good life, Mom?" Angel smiled.

"I never knew how good it was, until that dinner with the Doctor. So when it went on sale, I decided to try my hand at it. Here... taste." She held a spoon out with a little of the meat laced cream sauce, for Angel to taste.

Angel had to admit that it was nice. But she always had liked her mother's sauces.

"Besides," her mother continued, dropping the spoon in the sink, "This way we don't use all that much of it. And it's good for you."

Angel was a little puzzled by the way her mother said that last part, but let it slide. She noticed that her parents had wine glasses by their plates, which was also a little unusual. Obviously, there was going to be some kind of celebration.

Her mother was tight lipped when Angel hinted that she'd like to know what it was all about. Instead, she had Angel call her father down for dinner.

Angel was relieved to see her father dressed in the same casual clothes he had worn to drive her to and from the theater. Now that she thought about it, her mother was dressed for a casual Saturday as well.

They sat, said grace, and filled their plates. Her father poured some wine for her mother and himself, then asked whether Angel wanted some. After the experiment, it was one less thing for them to be worried about. Angel declined, opting for a glass of milk.

"Oh, I nearly forgot." her mother said, getting up and then returning almost immediately. She handed an envelope to Angel. "This came for you, in today's mail." Angel recognized it as her paycheck from the theater.

"Your first full paycheck." Her mother gushed. "Congratulations, Angel."

"We're proud of you." Her smiling father said, simply. Then he went back to eating.

Angel was able to enjoy the food, even though she spent the rest of dinner waiting for the other shoe to drop. Bit it didn't. The rest of their dinner conversation was just the usual family chatter.

After dinner, Angel cleared the table then relaxed in front of the tube for a bit. She noticed her parents cuddling on the couch as they watched, then studiously ignored it. It was nice that they were still close, after all those years, but they were her parents. She was feeling too good to deal with such conflicts.

She went upstairs to get ready for bed, and to play on her computer a bit. As she undressed, she wondered what Lena was up to. At the pool, she had said something about getting together with David if he got back from his visit in time.

Angel felt a pleasant warmth spread through her body, especially between her legs. She found herself thinking about what Lena and David might be doing, wondering what it would be like to be naked and wrapped in those strong arms and those soft wings. She could almost feel his hands stroking her back, his lips gently pressed to hers.

She was barely aware of stretching out on her bed, or running her hands over her body in unconscious imitation of his imagined hands. At first, they just ran down her sides and up her belly. When they reached her breasts, they got a little more active, gently kneading them and teasing her nipples. After a bit, they moved downward again. Down past her navel, past her mound, and down between her legs.

She steered clear of her clit for a while, playing along her lips instead. As the scene played out in her head, she gently spread her lips, using part of her palm to lightly stimulate the neglected hotspot. She could almost swear she felt herself being entered, slowly and lovingly. It seemed so right, so special. Her excitement climbed, as the phantom intruder started moving within her and she moved her hips and her hand. Finally, her building tension reached a peak, then released.

She settled back into her bed, in a pleasantly drowsy state. She seemed to be wrapped in a soft, feathery warmth, smelling slightly of boy sweat and passion. She barely noticed the footsteps moving past her door and down the hall as she drifted softly to sleep.

Sometime later, she roused herself enough to pull on an oversized shirt, and consider wishing her parents goodnight. As she stepped out into the hall to do so, she heard some muffled sounds through her parents' door. She just smiled, and went back to her room. And her nice, soft, bed.

She woke up early Sunday morning, from an intensely pleasant dream that she couldn't remember. Responding to a familiar feeling, she reached down to adjust her morning wood. Then she realized it wasn't there. But the familiar feeling was there, along with a vaguely unpleasant stickiness. She gave her now familiar anatomy a brief, friendly rub, then got up to go take care of her morning.

After her shower, she looked at her bedside clock. She couldn't believe she was this awake, and well rested, that early. Since she didn't want to go back to sleep, she went for the next priority in any teenager's life - food.

She went down to the kitchen, in her bathrobe and slippers, and set to work. Since it had been a few weeks since she had made them, she decided to go for her quick snack pancakes. As busy as she was going to be over the next few days, they seemed like a good idea. After a few stacks were done and keeping warm, she started some bacon frying. She decided she would save the eggs until people were ready to eat.

A glance at the clock showed that it had gone from obscenely early to a little later than she would normally get up for school. She decided to take a chance.

*Oh, Lena! You awake?*

*No. I'm asleep and dreaming of my boyfriend. And a nosy neighbor.*

*Oh. Too bad. I made my special pancakes, and some bacon, and I'm about to make some eggs. But I guess you're too deeply asleep to enjoy them. Such a pity. Whatever will I do with all these tasty leftovers.*

*Evil temptress! You're worse than my mother. Ok, I give. I'll be over shortly. Uh... don't call your folks just yet.*

*Again? What's gotten into them?*

*Well, in your mother's case...* Angel caught the overtones of a dirty joke.

*Don't finish that thought! Eeew! They're my parents, for crying out loud!*

*They're people. People who love each other and still lust after each other after all that time. I think it's romantic. And I wish I could follow their example!*

Lena's last comment triggered some memories, and a sneaking suspicion. *Like you were yesterday? With David?*

*What?! How did you know about that?*

*I thought so! You leaked!*

*I what?*

*You leaked. Telepathically. At first, I thought it was some fantasy or something. But it wasn't like any I'd had before. I felt his kisses, his caresses...*

*You've had those feelings before.*

*But then I felt him enter me. Then pause. Then start stroking. It wasn't like being there, and having it really happen. It was more like the ghost of the feelings, like a vivid, recent tactile memory. And the emotional content was so unlike my normal responses to such images. And then, after the release, drifting down into the bed, wrapped in a warm, feathery embrace. Are you going to tell me that didn't happen?*

*Oh, it happened. And it was wonderful. But I didn't know it was possible to share it that way. At least, not without conscious effort.*

They chatted some more, while Angel finished the bacon and the current batch of pancakes, then set the meat to drain and started another batch of pancakes.

*Now come answer your door.*

Angel's parents were drifting down the stairs, hand in hand, and smiling at each other as Angel opened the front door for Lena. Lena took in the sight of the happy couple, and of her good friend, and smiled as well.

Angel rushed back to the kitchen, asking people what kinds of eggs they wanted. Her parents chose fried, and Lena asked for scrambled, with a little of the bacon mixed in. Angel got to work as they drifted in. Lena helped Angel's parents set the table while Angel finished making breakfast.

Angel was amused that her parents had so little reaction to Lena showing up for breakfast. All in all, she hadn't done it very often. But she was simply accepted as a part of the extended family. Sort of an honorary sister to Angel.

And she acted the part, helping set and clear the table, fetching things when she was closest, etc...generally acting like family rather than a guest. Angel liked that.

Angel invited Lena to come to the theater with her for another movie, but she declined the invitation. She had mysterious plans, which, Angel suspected, included David. She did offer to meet Angel at the pool in the afternoon, though.

Once again, Angel's father volunteered to drive. And Angel accepted. She offered to treat him to a movie, and this time he accepted. Angel suspected he was curious about her inspections, as well.

With all that settled, and the table cleared, Lena went home and the others went upstairs to take care of getting dressed. Angel would be inspecting a theater with a woman manager this time, so she wore the newer suit and was particularly careful with her hair and makeup.

At the theater, Angel noticed an early showing of a cybercrime thriller that her dad had expressed an interest in. She got him a ticket to a showing which would start in about half an hour - just long enough for him to see how boring her inspections generally were.

And for once, that was how it turned out. No hidden menaces, no fiendish plots, just looking at a lot of things and places that were pretty much the way they were supposed to be. The closest thing to interesting that day was the manager's request that Angel check the projection booths.

Angel had never really seen one before. She had some romantic notions about them from some old films she had seen, but they had virtually nothing to do with the modern reality. It was all meticulously clean, gleaming electronics and optics. Everything was automated, and efficient. There was still a technician on duty, to fix unexpected problems and handle the odd change of schedule, but one person could handle twelve shows easily.

For all the novelty of unexplored territory, her inspection turned up nothing worth reporting. One waste basket could stand to be cleaned a little better - some food residue had become active, producing a very slight smell - but that was it.

The worst part was writing the report. A part of her just wanted to say "I got here, it was all good, and I left." Somehow, she didn't think the office would find it amusing. Hour for hour, they were paying her a lot for those inspections. Most of it was like the projection technician - spotting and fixing things before they go badly wrong. But the reports themselves were apparently important, as well.

She was done with the report well before the end of her dad's movie. She knew where he was sitting, since she had spotted him when she checked that theater as part of her rounds. After talking with the manager and thumbing out, she went in and joined him. The theater was not very full, and there was nobody sitting between him and the aisle, so she had no qualms about scooting right in to sit beside him.

They enjoyed the rest of the movie, then left.

Later that day, she was sitting at the pool with her friends, talking about school and the like. She noticed something she wasn't too thrilled about. When talking about school, or about people in the context of school, she felt and seemed younger, somehow. So did the others. When she was working - at the theater or the spa - or dealing with a variety of her summer experiences, she had been treated like an adult. A young adult, to be sure, but an adult. And she had felt like one.

She noticed similar things about Lena and the others. But now that they were back in school, it was like they shrank and got younger. Herself included. When they talked about school, teachers, other students, etc., they sounded little older than Flo. And it seemed to her that her thoughts and actions were as bad as her words.

*Relax.* Lena counseled her. *It's natural. People our age are on that unstable edge between being kids and adults, and we tend to jump back and forth anyway. Enjoy it. All too soon, the last of your childhood will be gone.*

Angel stuck her tongue out at Lena, grinned, and dove into the pool. For the next few minutes, at least, she reveled in the freedom to be a kid.

When she got out, she saw her other friends gathered around a familiar figure. A familiar figure who should not have been there.

Robin.

The new and improved Robin, finished with her changes and seeming fully recovered. When a startled Angel took a closer look, she got even more confused. Her perception was telling her that Robin had finished the changes almost a week before. Something was very odd.

"What are you doing here?" Angel asked, smiling.

"I wanted to go swimming before the pool closed. But I was in bed, so I couldn't then. Now I can." She smiled.

When Robin excused herself and dove into the pool, Lena explained. "She traveled back a week or so, testing her new power. That was as far as she could go, so she decided to take advantage of it. In her mind, she's already proven she can safely be in two places at the same time, within reason. On Tuesday, she'll come back to school like nothing's happened, with a clearance form that seems postdated a few hours. At the same time, she'll be waiting for that checkup and then spending half a day in training. That evening, she'll pop back and come to school that morning. At the end of the school day, she'll pop back to just after she left."

"Well. That's confusing." Angel replied.

"It works better with a drawing. Anyhow, she'll do kind of the same thing the next day. She'll sleep in, because the training and the double length day will wear her down a bit. Then she'll get ready for school, make sure all her homework is done, then pop back to school at the beginning of the day."

"Damn. That sounds handy." Angel grinned.

"It comes at a price. Subjective time keeps flowing for her, so she'll age three days after only two have elapsed. And it does take energy to do."

"Is she happy with it?"

"So far. The future is Cassandra's thing." Lena grinned.

After a little more than an hour in the pool, Robin came out and dried herself off. She told her friends that she had to go home, with a little extra emphasis on the last word. Angel assumed she meant it was time to return to the future, such as it was.

Angel and Lena escorted her into the ladies room, and they looked around for others. One girl was washing her hands, and nobody else was there. Robin quietly thanked them for being there when she woke up, and grinned as she told them the exact time. Then she turned and went into a stall, as though she was going to make the usual use of it, and... wasn't there.

Angel was a little disappointed. There were no special effects; no flash of light, no distinctive sound, no puff of smoke, nothing. Lena just nodded, and pushed the door open to show an empty stall.

After they rejoined their friends, they enjoyed the pool a little longer and headed for home. They joked about Robin's future study habits, among other things.

It was early yet, so Angel grabbed a couple of leftover pancakes for a snack. Then she went up to her room and tackled her homework.

As she was getting ready for bed that night, she glanced at her calendar and winced. She made it a point to take some extra precautions, then finished getting ready. Some parts of being a girl were definitely getting old.

The next morning was a chance to sleep in, and she took full advantage of it.

The day was mostly filled with typical Labor Day celebration, such as plentiful grilled meats, barbecued corn on the cob, potato salad, swimming (joined, for the first time that summer, by her parents), and general relaxing.

The only unseasonable activity was a visit to Robin's house to attend her Grand Awakening. It was a little odd seeing her there in bed, when she had been at the pool only minutes before. Of course, that was a future Robin again.

Time travel issues gave Angel a headache.

After visiting for a while, and welcoming her to the butterflies, Angel and Lena headed back to the pool.

Angel had thought of a question during the visit, and decided to ask the future Robin.

"When you teleport, how can you make sure you don't appear in a wall, or in front of a bunch of people or something?"

"I can't appear inside something solid. At least, not without trying. It feels like something is pushing back, really hard, if I try."

"The rest is a trick they taught me, using my, ahem, special combination of abilities. At the end of a 'port, I come in invisible and intangible. Then I look around, make sure it's safe, and appear. Ta daa! Magic." she grinned.

Angel laughed, then agreed that it was a great approach.

Penny joined the group, telling them that Pat had finished his change as well. He was adjusting better than his parents were, but it was clear that they would accept it in time. He hadn't manifested the zap yet, but that commonly didn't happen until the person felt threatened. And it was hard to tell whether he had manifested the pheromone. Penny had to admit he was an absolute hunk.

After having Lena make sure nobody inappropriate was listening, she told Angel "My God. You do good work, girl!"

Angel and the others laughed. But then they looked thoughtful. Then Lena looked at David and smiled.

They all stayed until the last minute that the pool was open, then went their separate ways. Lena and her parents walked with Angel and her parents, bemoaning the fact that David had to fly off home for some family thing... without her.

Everyone was sure that David's parents liked Lena, and approved of her relationship with their son. In fact, Lena had read as much from their minds - repeatedly. But she still hated it when they took him away for something she couldn't be a part of.

*Oooh, you got it bad, girl!* Angel teased, silently. Lena punched her on the arm, but nodded. The two families stayed together, going to Lena's back yard for a little more Grilled Meats and Celebration, before walking the terribly long distance to their own house, next door.

Before going to bed, Angel picked out an outfit for school. Her old self used to laugh about such things, wondering what the big deal was when his mother tried to get him to do so.

She wasn't laughing any more.

After a long weekend, it was always an adjustment going back to school. According to her parents, the same was true with work. But she had only been to school for four days, and this was her first year at the school. And her first year as a girl.

Another unwelcome novelty intruded on her consciousness. It was her first time dealing with that in school, too. She made sure to have spare supplies in her lockers (book and gym) and her bag.

Even though she was prepared, Angel found it a bit startling to see Robin there. Robin just gave her a wink and went on as though nothing had happened. Angel tried to get it straight in her mind - this was the Robin of that night, who was not yet the Robin of yesterday and the day before at the pool. She would remember waking up, but not swimming or talking. Yeah, that was it.

Angel hated starting Spanish with a headache. And she made it worse by trying to figure out how all that time stuff would be expressed in Spanish. She quickly gave it up as a bad idea.

She noticed that a few of her AP classes were a little emptier that day. There were no announcements or anything, so she wasn't really sure whether the missing students were gone for good, or just recovering from too much weekend.

After school, Angel realized that she again faced a rare, uncommitted evening. She finished her homework, checked and answered her email, and then did some time on the web.

Aside from a brief conversation with Lena, suggesting another meeting of the Pope Hill Project, it was an uneventful evening.

On the other hand, Dr. Miller was not having a routine day. The attempts to trace back the security breach to its source had failed. Whoever it was, they were good at covering their tracks. Almost as disturbing was the nature of the compromised records. Someone, some group, had taken copies of the records of every bio elemental who had lived in the US for any part of the last year.

In a way, it was to be expected that the intruders would be interested in one or two specific kinds of elementals. But she had been getting other reports about bio elementals. Three had gone missing, including the head of a major organization.

And then there was the kid. She had been getting reports and inquiries about a young, recently changed girl who was doing unprecedented things, despite being one of the weaker bio elementals on record. Things like accurately predicting the timing and nature of an impending MORFS case, and reading a morf better than the usual screeners.

Something told her that the stolen records, the missing elementals, and the kid were all connected. She had received a copy of a report that the kid had been visited by the missing organization head shortly before she disappeared, and had been questioned about the disappearance by police.

Dr. Miller also wondered whether all those events were tied in to the other repeated inquiries, asking her whether a bio elemental could have caused AMORFS. And if so, how? And how powerful would the elemental have to be to spread the outbreak so quickly, among such a targeted group.

She shook her head. Too many questions, too few answers. She reached for the phone, and called some people who specialized in answers.

At breakfast the next morning, Angel asked permission to host a meeting after school. It would just be a few people, and the only boy would be David. After some negotiation, her parents agreed. Angel made it a point to arrange snacks other than her stash of pancakes.

At lunch that day, they went off campus again. As they sat around chomping their pan ethnic fast food, Angel became aware of an annoying buzzing sound. Looking around for the source, she saw them.

Yellowjackets.

A number of them were swarming some leftovers abandoned by earlier diners. One of them flew past her face, and she nearly jumped up and ran. When she was a young boy, she had been stung by a bee and a yellowjacket within a week of each other. That pain still haunted her.

She went inside to analyze the insects, then shifted her body to produce a natural repellant.

As they finished their meals, she talked to Lena about stings and shots. Thinking about the alcohol experiments, she wondered whether she could learn to automatically invoke that process any time her skin was punctured.

Lena was reasonably sure she could help her out, and offered to do so after their meeting.

The rest of the day dragged by, but finally it was time to go home. Since they were all going to Angel's house, the Creek contingent of the Pope Hill Project all walked together. Well, almost all.

"Oh, man... I've just gotta let loose!" David extended his wings and took to the sky. The girls just shook their heads and kept walking. After a number of loops and dives, he rejoined them.

"Got that out of your system, now?" Lena grinned.

"For now. God! I hate being cooped up in classrooms all day. At least I get to do some stuff in morf gym... sometimes."

"Morf gym?" Angel asked.

"Special PE class for us super human physical types." He tried to look superior, but the effect was spoiled when he tripped over a rock he hadn't noticed.

He waited for their laughter to die down, then went on in a more normal voice. "Actually, that's not far from the truth. It's a special class to challenge those of us with morfs enhanced strength, speed, agility, and/or physical powers. Like flying." He grinned and flexed his wings.

He looked around, then looked pointedly at Lena. Lena paused a moment, then nodded. He went on. "You gave me a significant boost in strength, just to handle my wings. That would have been enough even without the flight." he looked disgusted. "But the coach has us doing things without our primary enhancements. For me, that means no flying. At least I can still use my extra strength." He shook his head.

When they got to Angel's house, her guests settled in the living room. She went into the kitchen to put together the "gringo nachos" she planned for the snacks. Robin wandered in and offered to help. Angel set her to dealing with drinks while she put together the ingredients she had set up that morning and slid them in the cooker to zap them.

All there was to heat were tortilla chips, some seasoned, precooked meat, refried beans, and a whole lot of cheese. While that was heating, she uncovered the condiments and put them on a tray. Which promptly vanished.

Robin grinned. "I need the practice." she said, with nothing resembling a straight face. Angel noticed that the large bottle of soda and the glasses were gone, but the open pitcher of ice tea was still there.

The bell rang, and Robin asked "Ready to go out?" when Angel nodded, Robin walked out into the living room. A moment later, the nachos vanished from the cooker. Angel shrugged and carried the pitcher back into the living room.

"Penny's here" Lena announced. Angel set the pitcher down and went to the door. Penny was halfway up the walkway.

"Have I missed anything?" She asked, as she reached the door.

"Not unless David has scarfed all the nachos." Angel answered, with a grin.

Soon they were all settled and ready to talk. As hostess, Angel sort of fell into the role of leading the meeting.

"What's the situation with Pat?" Angel asked Penny.

"She... he is thrilled. He got everything he wanted, although the only sign of his zap was an observation by the prober at the center. He doesn't seem to need the pheromone boost. Most of the girls consider him a hunk and a half as it is. The only ground he's lost in that way is among the militant lesbians." She laughed.

"His parents are still trying to cope. His father is afraid he'll turn out to be gay, and already misses Daddy's Little Girl. Pat's mother is glad that he is healthy again, but is mourning the loss of her daughter. They're both afraid of the backlash. Not only what could happen to him, but what could happen to their standing in the community."

"That's messed up! And that comes from an expert." Robin growled.

Angel arched her eyebrow, but didn't press.

Penny went on. "Yes, it is. But it could have been a lot worse. I'm pretty sure things will settle. He faces some hostility from a couple of more distant relatives, but he was already on their bad side."

"So," Angel asked, "do you see anything else we need to do in his case?"

"Not really. I'll keep an ear to the ground for any problems, but he seems able to cope with the existing ones. And he is really happy with what he got."

"Anyone else have questions? Comments?" Angel asked, looking around. After the others shook their heads, she addressed Penny again. "So, would you call him a success?"

"Absolutely." Penny replied, with confidence.

"Does that mean that the Pope Hill Project is now operational?" Angel looked around again, at the thoughtful faces of her friends.

"I guess so." Lena finally said, nodding. The others nodded their agreement.

Angel grinned. "Any candidates for our next victim?" She said in her worst imitation of a movie villain.

"We should probably let it stew for a while." Robin suggested. "Give the rumor time to spread a little." She looked at Penny. "What is Pat saying about it?"

"He's quietly telling a few friends, cautioning them to treat it as Need To Know." Penny grinned. "Which means it should be all over school by the weekend. Mostly, he's saying he got what he wanted, it only works sometimes, and I know more about it than he does."

They talked over the plans and ideas for finding good candidates. Mostly it came down to spreading the rumor and keeping their eyes open.

After finishing the food and drinks, Penny, Robin, and a reluctant David left. Lena turned to Angel, looking serious.

"You still want to work on stings and shots?" Lena asked.

When Angel nodded, Lena's hand whipped out and stuck Angel on the arm with a pin.

"OW! What was that for?"

"Focus on it. Isolate and expel anything that came in with it." Lena demanded.

Angel did so, then healed the tiny wound. After that, Lena took her through a series of visualizations and exercises, making that reaction faster and more automatic. She did not need to stick her with the pin again.

When she was satisfied, she asked Angel something that had started bothering her.

"What can you do with nerves?"

"What do you mean?"

"We know you can take away pain, but what else can you do? Can you make a patch of skin numb? Can you make them feel something specific, like heat or pressure? Can you make someone hurt, and keep hurting, just by messing with the nerves in their skin?"

"I dunno. Never tried it. Why?"

"The pain would make a hell of a defensive weapon. The numbness could help with first aid. That kind of thing."

Angel decided she was right. There was no point trying any of it on herself. What she could do within her own body far exceeded anything she could do outside. She took Lena's arm, and had her give her telepathic feedback. First, she made the skin feel warm, then hot, then painfully hot. She damped it down after that, but convinced the nerves to keep "feeling" hot. When she pulled her hand away, the feeling remained.

They waited a few minutes, but it didn't fade. Angel took the arm again and released the effect. The feeling went away. She tried it again with pressure, with the same results. She numbed the spot on the arm while she quietly stole the pin from Lena.

She sterilized the pin with a thought, then stabbed the spot on Lena's arm. The pressure of the impact spread beyond the numb area, so Lena felt it.

"What did you do?" Lena demanded. She didn't need to wait for an answer - it came right to the front of Angel's mind. "Oh. It worked. I felt the impact, but no pain or anything."

Angel healed the wound and released the numbing effect. "Just one more thing to try." She said, hesitantly.

Lena gulped, then nodded. "Be gentle," she asked, quietly.

"Been a long time since a girl said that to me." Angel cracked, lightening the tension. Then when Lena relaxed a little, Angel struck. She just used a small patch around one finger tip, and made it mild but enough to notice.

Lena noticed. She compared the pain to a stone bruise, a few minutes after the injury. Again, the pain lingered until Angel released it.

By then, Angel's parents were home, and had been for a while. Her mother invited Lena to stay for dinner, but she declined. She had homework to do, and planned some phone time with her boyfriend. Angel's mother just smiled and asked her to say hello to David for her.

Angel wasn't sure, but she thought she saw her mother "say" something mentally to Lena.

She was right.

Her mother had silently thanked Lena for her help with staging an experience for Angel. She was still concerned with her daughter coming to accept her sex and sexuality, and had come up with the idea. Angel wasn't the only one in the family with an eye for unusual uses of people's talents.

After the silent thanks, she turned to Angel and told her to get ready for dinner.

Over dinner, Angel's mother mentioned a problem she had at work. Someone, someone very good, had gotten unauthorized access to some of the student records at the district office, and at one or more of the schools. Whoever it was had covered their tracks very well, and they were unable to track the source of the access. They did fix the vulnerability that the intruder had exploited. And they were pleased to note that the software that monitored all access to the data had worked well, alerting them to the intrusion before any more harm could be done. No records had been altered - they verified them against the backups.

What she didn't say was the part that disturbed her the most. One of the compromised records was Angel's. And some of the others were her friends.

Angel's father commiserated with his wife about the intrusion, since that was the sort of thing he was constantly working to guard against at his own job.

After dinner, Angel spent her evening on homework, email, and entertainment - the usual.

The next morning, before class, Lena pointed a couple of flyers out to Angel. One said that the Spectrum Club would be meeting after school that day. Lena reminded Angel that she had committed to checking the club out. She added that it might be a good source of Pope Hill candidates.

Angel agreed to go.

The other flyer announced auditions for, and a mini concert of, The Cherry Creek Changelings. It was a choir of sorts, made up primarily of morfs. It had started as a joke, with music students who were morfs poking fun at the whole social dynamic surrounding morfs. It gained momentum when an anti-morf choir director eliminated most of the obvious morfs from the Concert Choir. That director was gone the next year, and his replacement became the faculty sponsor of the Changelings. He also signed them up for several competitions.

In the years since, they had won a number of those competitions. With their combination of technical excellence and irreverent humor, they also got a number of invitations to perform at everything from company parties to inaugural galas.

None of that particularly surprised Angel. Neither did Lena encouraging her to try out. What did surprise her was that Lena and David were long time members (even though David hadn't been a morf). It was just something that hadn't come up in conversation.

When they talked about the time commitments, Angel realized that she probably couldn't join. As fun as it sounded - and it did - she couldn't commit to the rehearsals and performances without coordinating them with her employers.

They left it at that as they headed off to class.

In Morf Awareness class, there was a new student. Angel recognized her as the aptly named Barb Harriman, the preacher's daughter from the mall. And it was clear, from her poisonous look, that Barb recognized Angel, as well. Angel took her usual seat, thankfully well away from the angry girl, and got ready for class.

Aside from a couple of hostile comments, for which she was rebuked, Barb didn't seem interested in participating in class. Angel was relieved when the bell rang, letting her escape the tension of the room.

On her way to History, Angel noticed a hand lettered sign on the door to the girls restroom, declaring it out of order. She didn't think anything of it until she started walking by and found herself being pushed through that door, and grabbed.

End Part 15

Angel's Tale: A MORFS Universe Story By Joreymay

Angel is attacked, and framed, then abused by a "Pure" school official. Tables are turned. David and Robin work on a new trick, while Lena keeps a close eye on them.

Part 16

On her way to History, Angel noticed a hand lettered sign on the door to the girls restroom, declaring it out of order. She didn't think anything of it until she started walking by and found herself being pushed through that door, and grabbed.

She fought down an urge to unleash a biological attack on the two girls holding her, and to overcome her momentary surge of panic. After a moment, she stopped her physical struggle to get out of their grasp, and formed a quick plan.

"You don't want to do that." She said, in her closest approximation to the deadly serious tone she had learned to use when she was a boy. "Let go of me now, if want to keep the use of your hands."

"Shut up!" snapped one of her captors, a girl Angel recognized as one of the other girls from the mall incident. As she saw the bathroom door start to open, she used the trick Lena had helped her learn. She made the nerves in the two girls' hands lock into a state of maximum pain and sensations of heat.

They screamed and let go. She bolted through the exit door, past the startled Barb. The hallway was too crowded for a clean getaway. Although she was reasonably sure they wouldn't try anything that public, she went for some insurance - right out of playground 101.

"Fight! Fight!" She called out, pointing toward the restroom door. Combined with the sounds of pain from inside, it drew attention to that door like a magnet. A crowd surged into the room, to find the three girls seemingly struggling.

The problem with that tactic is that it's hard to get away with it. Angel made it all the way through History, but partway through English, a runner came to the room and handed Mrs. Veng a note. She looked at it, then handed it to Angel without comment. There was a quiet "ooh" from the class, the universal acknowledgement that somebody was in trouble.

The note itself was short and to the point. At the end of class, she was to report to the Dean's office. As Angel had learned in the orientation, that could only mean trouble. At the schools in the area, there were three top layers of administration. The Principal and Vice Principals handled administrative details, finance, and the other details of running a large school. The Deans handled student discipline and student complaints. She hadn't filed any complaints, so it had to be a matter of discipline.

With more than a little dread, she made her way to his office. After a brief wait, she was ushered inside.

He gestured her to a chair in front of his desk, but she just stood there with a deer in the headlights expression. He wasn't impressed.

"Sit." he commanded. Her resentment at the tone of that command broke her paralysis, and she sat.

He stood behind his desk and continued. "You know why you're here." It wasn't a question.

Angel recognized his dominance ploys. She had seen them plenty of times before. While they didn't really have the desired effects on her, she continued her not quite conscious imitation of a frightened animal. She shook her head to indicate she didn't know. And it was true. She wasn't sure what he knew or thought he knew.

"Come now, Miss O'Connor. We have four witnesses who saw you using your elemental powers to try and start a fire in the restroom. Two of them ended up with seriously burned hands when they tried to stop you. These are serious charges."

In spite of herself, Angel laughed.

He looked very serious, and was starting to look angry. "I can assure you, this is no laughing matter."

She gasped for breath. "It's impossible." she chortled.

"Do you deny that you are a powerful elemental?" he demanded.

"Yes. I'm an elemental. A BIO elemental. And a weak one, from what they tell me. I couldn't light a match with my powers. They made up a story and you fell for it!" Angel realized that she had gone a little too far with that, and her laughter died down.

The Dean sat behind his desk and started pounding his keyboard. Literally. Angel wondered whether he was going to break it. He looked at the screen, and seemed puzzled. But he was far from satisfied.

"All right. Suppose you tell me exactly what happened."

"When?"

"Don't get smart with me, young lady."

"I wasn't. I really need to know the time frame."

"How about we take it from when you walked into the restroom."

"I didn't."

"What do you mean, you didn't?"

"I didn't walk in. The door had an Out of Order sign on it, and as I was walking by, someone pushed me in."

"Who?"

"I didn't see. I don't even know if it was a boy or a girl. I just felt a shove, and I was through the door. Then the girls grabbed me."

"Which girls?"

"I don't know their names. They hang around with Barb Harriman and the other morf haters."

He looked like he had swallowed something sour, but motioned for her to continue.

"I warned them to let go of me. They were hurting my arms. When they refused, I made their hands hurt."

"What do you mean, made their hands hurt?"

"I stimulated their nerves anywhere they had contact with my body. It made them feel pain and heat, but that was just a neural illusion. They screamed and let go, and I ran out of the restroom. Right past Barb, who was on her way into the restroom. That was it."

"And the rest?"

"What rest?"

"The disturbance in the hallway."

"Oh. That. I was afraid they'd chase me or something. They were angry with me because Barb got arrested for assaulting two little girls in the mall, and I think they were out for revenge of some sort."

*You're right.* came a familiar mental touch. *Watch out. He's a member of their congregation.*

He continued talking, not noticing her momentary distraction. "And the burn marks?"

"What burn marks?"

"On the paper trash and the girls' hands."

"There weren't any when I left. If I had to guess, I would say they were a crude attempt to frame me. Are there really burn marks on their hands?"

"They were red and swollen. They said they were burns."

"I'm sure any competent doctors will say otherwise. Unless the same people who burned the trash also burned their hands."

"Why should I believe you, over the word of four other girls?"

"Because it's the truth. And because what they claimed was impossible."

The phone rang, and he looked at the display. With a scowl, he answered it.

*They found the sign. It was one of the things in the trash that started to burn. And they found witnesses who saw you getting shoved into the restroom. He doesn't want to believe them.*

He got off the phone, then addressed her again. "I will investigate further, and notify you about my decision. I will also be contacting your parents about your involvement in this altercation. You may go now."

Angel was furious. He knew she was innocent. He knew it! And he was going to do what he could to punish her anyhow.

*You have two strikes against you, in his eyes. You're a morf. And you made a fool of him. He counts both as personal affronts.*

*But I...*

*I know. But that is how he sees it. Come to the Admin office, and we'll do something about it.*

*He was as bad as the rest of those Pures hypocrites. Worse! He should find himself on the other side, and not able to pass his shit on to kids.* Angel was so involved with her internal rant that she didn't notice what was happening in her body or in the room.

The Dean came around the desk and stood over Angel. "Miss O'Connor, I said you may go. Please leave my office." When Angel didn't budge, he took hold of her arm and lifted her to her feet. Angel was tempted to demonstrate what she did to the girls, but she didn't.

She was too disturbed by the feeling in her arm where he held her. An altogether too familiar feeling of release. She let him guide her out of his office, almost in a state of shock.

*Angel!* Lena's thoughts broke through her mental fog. *What have you done?!*

Angel got her thoughts together. *I... I think I gave him something. He grabbed me, and I released something. Like the virus packets or something.*

*Couldn't have happened to a nicer man.* Lena's sarcasm came through clearly. *Don't sweat it. You didn't kill him or leave him writhing on the floor. Your power responds to your values. You probably just gave him AMORFS or something. Whatever it is will take a while to manifest. So let's deal with the immediate problem - keeping him from railroading you.*

Realizing that was a good idea, Angel made her way to the office. They met with a woman Lena introduced as a Vice Principal - and the Dean's boss. She listened to their story, including the reactions of the Dean. When they were done, she had some questions. Including one she considered very important.

"This thing that you did to their hands. How badly does it damage them?"

"Not really at all." Angel answered. "It hurts like he... anything, but doesn't damage any tissues."

"And how long will it last?"

"As far as I can tell, until someone stops it."

"Someone?"

"A bio elemental, like me. Or a healer. Or anyone else who can manipulate nerves directly."

"Why did you limit the effect to those parts of their hands?"

"My field of effect is only about a quarter inch from my skin. I pretty much have to touch someone to do anything, and the effects are literally only skin deep."

"So to all intents and purposes, it's purely defensive when you do it that way."

"Yes. Not too good for attacking anyone."

The Vice Principal was already aware of the other witnesses, the ones who saw Angel being pushed into the supposedly out of order restroom. She was also aware of the disciplinary records of the girls - and the Dean.

In the end, she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt until he acted. Then she would evaluate his actions and take the appropriate steps. Knowing that Lena was aware of it as soon as she thought it, she confided that the Dean had been protected by the political situation. And that the situation had changed when the preacher changed.

But he was aware of those facts as well. And he was not a stupid man. So she would wait and see what he did. If he did the smart thing, and handled things appropriately, that would be the end of it. But if he tried to turn it unjustly against Angel, there would be consequences.

On the subject of consequences, there would likely be further consequences for her attackers, although their pain would be taken into account. Their actions were premeditated, and serious.

On the other hand, self defense or not, Angel had permanently injured two students. There could also be consequences for that. If she reversed the damage, that would be taken into account. And if they were to recant their earlier stories, and admit to the conspiracy and assault, while they were there for such treatment... well, that would be taken into account as well.

By this time, Angel and Lena were late for class. The Vice Principal wrote them passes, and sent them on their way.

Since she had missed lunch, and been through a lot that day, Angel stopped at a vending machine and got an energy bar to wolf down on her way to class.

Angel's Calculus teacher glared at her late entrance, but waved her to her seat and continued the lecture. At the end of class, she handed in the slip and the previous day's homework.

After school, Angel was not particularly surprised to find a lot of morfs at the Spectrum Club meeting. Over the last half century, MORFS had done a lot to redefine sexuality. Was a boy, who became a girl and was then attracted mostly to boys, gay? Was someone who became fully functionally both male and female bisexual by definition? What does it mean when someone is primarily attracted to such hermaphrodites? It was confusing.

Angel was reluctantly settling into the role of a heterosexual girl, with the advantage of having very few people know she was ever a boy. It was still uncomfortable.

Most of the meeting was organizational, signing people up, answering questions, laying out the scheduled events, and naming committees. They gave out some informational bleeps, and generally got things started. Before anything of substance could be discussed, meeting time was over.

Angel went over to the music room, where Lena and David were rehearsing for the show with the Changelings. The sound was a little muffled as she approached, but the song they were practicing had a gospel sound to it. It ended with a solo by someone with a surprisingly deep, rich voice, then a final chord by the group.

Somebody said something Angel couldn't make out, and the room was filled with a rumble of voices and footsteps. The doors opened, and a small river of people gushed out. Some were obvious morfs, but others weren't so obvious. On the other hand, the average stranger wouldn't have known she was a morf, either.

Angel spotted Lena and David, and moved to join them. As they moved through the door and headed toward the shortcut, Robin appeared behind them. Angel wasn't sure whether she simply hadn't noticed her approach, or had been fooled by Robin's powers. She couldn't resist asking.

"When are you from?" Angel got a couple of odd looks from people walking by for that one.

"Just the here and now, I'm afraid." Robin replied, shaking her head.

Angel had questions, but waited until they were on the shortcut to ask them. "How does that work? I mean, do you have some sense of a "normal" time that you go back and forth from?"

"Kinda. There's a moving time that it is easiest for me to jump to and from. I can go back about a week from there... then... whatever. I'm still working on how to say it. I can sometimes jump a couple of days ahead from there, but it's a lot harder. They tell me there's more to it than that, but I sorta got lost in the transdimensional physics."

Robin was not an airhead by any stretch of the imagination. So if it was too much for her, Angel was content to leave it at that.

"If you change the past, do you go back to a changed present?" David asked.

"Yes. I tried some harmless stuff, like moving some things in my room. When I got back, they were in the new places." Robin shrugged. "I didn't try anything major."

Lena got into the spirit of the conversation. "What about space? Do you have a place it's easier to go to and from?"

"Again, yes and no. It's easiest for me to go to and from places I really know. And when I shift in time, it's easiest for me to come back to the same place I went back in time from. I can go other places, but it's just not as easy."

Angel grinned, thinking about the times she had noticed Robin's love of hearing herself talk. And here they were, feeding it.

Angel found herself agreeing with Sherry and Robin, in their earlier comments about the pool. It was a perfect day to spend some time there, but it was closed for the season.

When her mother got home, she had a serious look on her face. She told Angel that once her father got home, they would have to have a talk. She wouldn't say anything more until then. She just went upstairs to change.

Angel had a pretty good idea what was happening, and learned that she was right. When her father got home, she was confronted with the story the Dean had told her mother. At work. And it bore little resemblance to what had happened.

In his version, she had gotten into a fight with one of the girls and, when the other tried to separate them, Angel used her powers to cause massive, apparently permanent, nerve damage to the two of them. Then, when confronted with her actions, she had tried to lie her way out of it. She was facing anything from an extended suspension to outright expulsion.

In his version.

Angel told her grim audience what really happened, including her interviews with the Dean and the Vice Principal. She forgot to mention the part where she might have infected the Dean, but the rest was detailed.

"That does sound more in character for you," her father conceded. "But the fact remains that you used your powers to hurt those girls."

"Only in self defense! And there is no real damage. Just some overactive nerves. I could fix it in seconds."

"And you will." her mother added emphatically. "But you should have found some other way. Those two are in terrible pain, by your own admission."

"And if they had their way, I would have been. I can heal myself, but they didn't know that. Lena confirmed that they were out for blood. And even after that, they tried to frame me for elemental arson."

Her parents seemed satisfied for the moment. Not happy, but satisfied. They would be talking with the Vice Principal, and would put off any response until then.

After dinner that night, she was watching the tube with her folks. On the news, there was a report about an upcoming Royal Wedding that almost wasn't. The talking head was dancing around it, but the upshot was that a political faction claimed the princess was not a virgin, but a thorough medical examination had shown them to be wrong. As a side note, the report mentioned that one of the Royal Physicians involved did not make it to the press conference. Apparently, he was severely injured in a traffic accident, and later died of his injuries.

For Angel, that settled it - it must have been her client. And despite what he had tried to do, she felt a guilty responsibility for his death. She couldn't help wondering whether the "accident" was arranged by his co conspirators or was a suicidal attempt to stay out of their hands. Either way, his death seemed a direct consequence of what she did for her client.

After the news, Angel went to her room. She went through the exercises Lena had taught her, isolating the news report from any thoughts of the spa, or her client. And isolating thoughts of the spa from any thoughts of her client or the special arrangements. After the Doctor's demise, and Mrs. Tabor's warnings, it seemed important to do so.

Since a distraction was a necessary part of Lena's exercises, Angel dove into her remaining homework. She caught herself mentally whining that it was not fair to have that much homework that early in the school year. It was almost like each teacher thought he or she was the only one assigning homework.

Then she laughed at the childishness of the thought.

The next morning, she realized she had one less thing to worry about for a while. Still, she took the usual precautions as she got ready for school.

As they walked to school together, Robin got annoyed with herself.

"Damn! I must have left it in my room!"

"What?" Angel asked.

"My French homework. Merde! I'll have to go back for it." She looked around, and then got a little gleam in her eye. "I'll catch up." She said.

And vanished.

A moment later, she reappeared beside them, a noticeably heavier bag over her shoulder.

Looking at the bag, Angel asked "How much can you carry?"

"I dunno. I've lifted a 50 pound bag of... gardening stuff, but I only carried it a few feet."

"No, I mean when you do your thing. How much can you move? Or vanish?"

"Oh. I can bring another person to me, or take myself and someone else somewhere else. That's about it. Why?"

"Just wondering. David," Angel turned to him. "How long does it take you to create a people sized illusion somewhere else?"

"Depends on how much refining I have to do. Someone I have a good image of, pretty much instantly. Why?"

"Her jump got me thinking. What if you two could coordinate, move someone away from somewhere and leave an illusion of that person behind? That could be pretty cool."

"We could try."

"No time now, my Captain." Lena reminded him, with a laugh. "Class awaits!"

"What about after school?" Robin asked.

"We have the Changelings thing." Lena replied. "How about after that?"

They all agreed. And since it was Angel's idea, the others declared that it had to be at her house. A little reluctantly, Angel agreed.

When they got to the school, Lena got a quiet communication. Angel and Lena were to report to the Vice Principal's office. When they got there, Lena was asked to wait outside the door, and Angel was told to go in to the conference room.

*I'll monitor, and keep in touch." Lena offered.

*Thanks!* Angel squared her shoulders and knocked on the door. The door opened, and she saw that the room was fairly full. In addition to the Vice Principal, the room held the Dean, the two girls whose hands she had done the nerve trick to, two women and a man who were clearly the parents of those girls, and another man Angel didn't recognize. The mystery man was standing next to the VP.

*He's from the School District. There are interesting things at stake here.*

*Lena? Can you project an illusion of feeling something? Not emotion, pain?* As she thought that, she moved toward the chair indicated by the VP.

*Probably. Why?*

*I want to run a bluff. Have the girls told their parents the truth about what happened?*

*Not even close. And they're aware their fabrication is falling apart.*

*Good. When I take away the pain in one hand, try to make her think she feels it again right away.*

"Before we begin the meeting," the VP announced, "We have two students in a lot of pain, and another who may have the ability to relieve that pain. Miss O'Connor?"

Angel shrugged and gestured to the nearest girl, indicating that she should give Angel her nearer hand. The girl hesitated, then extended the hand. Her palm was red and a little swollen. Angel held the hand with her left hand, and ran her right hand slowly over the fingers and palm of the "injured" hand. *Lena! Now!*

The girl had started to look relieved, then jerked her hand away with a cry. The hand looked pink and healthy, but she acted like it still hurt.

"That's weird." Angel commented. "It's like some part of her doesn't want her to be healed. The only other time I've seen something like that was a guy who was in the middle of a big con. Part of him would not let him let go of the pain until he admitted his lies. The more we healed him, the worse his mind made the pain. Are you hiding something from these people? Or from me?"

The girl started to answer, but her mother cut her off. "That's none of your business, you little freak!" She snarled. "Just get on with fixing the damage you've done, before we have you thrown in jail for that attack!"

*When I reach for her hand, make the pain worse.*

"I'm sorry, Ma'm, but I'd be afraid to try. If she's like that man, anything I do to relieve the pain will only make her body work harder to counter it."

"Bullshit!" The woman's shout startled Angel, and shocked her a little. A parent, talking like that in front of her daughter? In school? In front of school officials? The woman continued her rant.

"Just do it! Now!"

"Very well, I'll try." Angel shrugged, and reached for the girl's other hand. The girl started to hold it out, then screamed and pulled away.

"Stop that!" the mother screamed, backhanding Angel across the face.

Angel rocked back in her chair, as the other adults grappled with the woman. "I didn't do anything!" Angel shouted. "I couldn't! My field doesn't go that far."

"She's telling the truth." The VP told the woman, once the others had forced her back into her chair. "And if you try anything like that again, you will be the one spending a long time in prison - for felonious assault on a minor."

Angel allowed the bruise to form naturally on her face, neither augmenting it nor limiting it. She turned to the girl. "The only way you, or your friend, will make the pain stop is to tell the whole truth. All of it. Why were you two waiting in the restroom?"

The girl looked around wildly, and everyone was watching her. She started to get a stubborn look on her face, then screamed again. She cracked like a dozen eggs in a washing machine. When she got her breath back again, she started crying. And answering.

"We... we were going to teach you freaks a lesson for getting us busted at the mall. And for getting in our way when we were dealing with those other little freaks."

Angel was a little surprised by the reaction in the room. Or lack of it. Nobody seemed at all shocked by the admission. Angel pressed on.

"What were you going to do?"

"Barb was going to mess you up, and make sure you knew your place."

"Mess me up how?"

She shouted in her pain. "She was going to beat you up! And tear your clothes and stuff. Is that clear enough?"

Angel just shrugged. "Your mind is the one to judge that. How did I end up in the restroom?"

"Trina came from behind you and shoved you in. Then she was going to stand guard at the door."

*Reduce the pain a little, please.*

“What happened after she shoved me in there?”

“We grabbed your arms, so you couldn’t fight back.”

“Then?”

“Then you burned our hands! And they still hurt like hell!” she sobbed.

“Then what?”

“You ran out while Barb was coming in. She said you must be some kind of fire elemental, and we should make it look like you went out of control.”

“Whose idea was the story about me attacking you and trying to set fire to the room?”

“Barb’s. All of ours. She started it out, and we all filled in details. The evidence would back us up.”

“How did the out of order sign get on the door?”

“I put it there, before I went in.”

*Reduce it some more, please.*

*I’m almost out of there as it is. She just hasn’t noticed. But the other hand is still active, from your nerve thing.*

“Who made the sign?”

“Barb.” she sniffed.

*Drop it entirely, please. Is she holding anything important back?*

*Yes. But I can’t read it through all the chaos.*

“What else? What are you holding back?”

“I... I lied to my parents. I lied to the Dean, and everyone here. And to the cops.”

“And?”

“And we poured stuff in your locker after you left school yesterday.”

“Is that it?”

“I think so.”

“How is that hand?” Angel indicated the healed hand.

The girl looked surprised. “It’s better. But the other one...!”

Angel held out her hand, and the crying girl hesitated, then gave her the other hand. As she relieved that hand, Angel noticed the VP using her eCom almost covertly.

*She’s calling in the Resource Officers.*

*Who?*

*The real cops stationed on campus for legal stuff.*

When Angel was finished with the hand, the girl looked relieved but afraid. Her mother still looked angry.

Angel turned to the other girl. “Do you have anything to say, before we start?”

The girl looked afraid, then blurted out “What she said was true! All of it! And we helped spread it all over school about you attacking us and burning the restroom and stuff. And other Real Humans have talked about taking matters into their own hands.”

“Shit,” Angel sighed. Then her eyes widened, as she remembered her audience. Rather than try to say anything more, she held out her hand for the second girl’s hand.

After Angel soothed those hands, the girl fainted. Angel saw that it was a real faint, and that the girl was otherwise ok... physically. She reassured the adults on that point.

The VP handed Angel two hall passes, then dismissed her. The first girl’s mother looked like she was going to object, but she was quelled by the looks she got from the others.

On the way out the door, Angel noticed that one of the passes was for Lena. Then she noticed the two police officers heading for the conference room door. The girls went to the lockers. Angel saw a custodian in front of hers.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“Shouldn’t you kids be in class?” he countered.

“We just got out of a meeting.” Angel replied, flashing her hall pass, “And that’s my locker.”

“Oh. Well, I imagine you’ll be assigned another one. Nobody will be using this one for a while. Did you have anything valuable in there?”

“Just my books and stuff. And my emergency supplies.”

“Anything you can’t replace?”

“No, not really.”

“Talk to the office about it during your free period. Those things are history.”

Angel got to Spanish without her book or her homework. She handed the pass to the teacher, then slid into her seat. The class was more than half over, and she had trouble trying to follow what was being said. At the end of class, the teacher asked her to wait, and speak with him.

She explained about her locker, the book, and her homework. He looked skeptical, but let it slide for the moment. He told her that she would have to make up the work.

Angel briefly thought about how unfair that seemed. It wasn’t her fault. But after a little more thought she accepted it.

By lunch, she was more than ready to get away from her fellow students. She was prepared for the poisonous looks she got from the friends of the Pures, but she was shaken by the congratulations and grins she got from the Morfs Supremists and their friends. They had heard the same rumors, and approved.

Before she could go get lunch, Angel had to stop by the office. They assigned her a new locker, and had her review a list of the damaged items from her old one. She initialed the list, and they said they would try to have replacement books by the end of the day.

More than half her books and papers were unharmed, simply because she had taken them home with her the night before. She groaned at the remembered weight.

When she joined Lena, Robin, and David for lunch, they had her food waiting (courtesy of Lena’s knowledge of where she was and when she would get there.), and it was still hot.

While they ate, she told Robin about an idea for a use of her powers. She could leave her books and papers at home, then call them to her hand as needed. It would save a whole lot of wear and tear on her back and book bag.

Everyone liked the idea.

At the end of one of her least favorite school days, Angel went to the Changelings audition. She picked up a copy of the schedule on the way in, and her face fell. With her two jobs and everything, there was no way she could do it. Still, she stayed to watch the demo.

Her favorite song that the group did was an old gospel song that Angel had heard before, with a few changes.

They sang the first part of the song with the traditional words:

Lord, I know I've been changed
Lord, I know I've been changed
Lord, I know I've been changed
The Angels in the Heaven done signed my name.

Went down to the river of Jordan,
The water was chilly and cold,
The water chilled my body,
But the water didn't touch my soul

On the repeat, they had new words:

Lord, I know I've been changed
Lord, I know I've been changed
Lord, I know I've been changed
The clerks down at the database entered my name.

Went down to the doctor's office,
I thought I had the flu or a cold,
That virus changed my body,
But the virus didn't touch my soul

That line was sung by a soloist, with one of the deepest, richest voices she had ever heard. She was startled to realize that the voice came from a petite girl, who barely looked old enough to be a freshman.

The choir finished the song with a repeat of the chorus. All the listeners applauded enthusiastically. The group members got down from the risers and moved among the listeners and would be members, talking and answering their questions. Lena stopped to talk briefly with a couple of students, then came over to Angel.

“What did you think?”

“It was wonderful! I liked that last soloist.” Angel smiled.

“Yeah, she got an interesting change. Aside from the voice she ages very slowly. That’s pretty much how she looked five years ago, before she changed. Are you going to audition?”

“I can’t. Well, I could audition, but I can’t do the group. Too many conflicts with jobs and things.”

Lena was disappointed, but understanding. But she did insist that Angel wait until her friends could leave with her. Angel agreed.

While she was waiting, Angel went to the office and collected her new books. She put some in her bag, and some in her locker, and went back to the auditions.

When they got to Angel's house, she got out the snacks and fed her guests. She kept one apple aside, however, for another use. After their eating slowed down, she reminded them of the substitution trick she had suggested. They used the apple at first, because of its relatively simple appearance.

The first time, the apple seemed to disappear, then reappear a moment later. The second try went largely the same, with a smaller gap. On the third try, the apple looked funny for a moment, then returned to its previous appearance and faded slowly away.

David explained that he still got it wrong. This time, he started too early and didn't get the image completely aligned with the apple. When the original vanished, the image went back to looking normal. Robin suggested that they work from there. David could create a substitute illusion, then align it with the object. Once it was in place, Robin could 'port the original.

David loved the idea. Once the substitute was in place, and the original removed, he could animate the illusion. To him, it had tremendous humor potential. Something on the Dean's desk suddenly comes alive, but when he reaches for it, it falls over and is real.

"Or," Robin added, with growing excitement, "we could have a secret meeting with one or more of us sitting in class or some other public place. The ultimate alibi."

They promised to work on it, and Lena rather pointedly offered to help coordinate the attempts.

*Jealous much?* Angel grinned.

*Friend or not, she can't have him.* Lena affected the face of a possessive little girl. *He's mine!* Lena stuck her tongue out at the giggling Angel for good measure.

They were just getting ready to leave when Angel's mother arrived. They said their hellos and goodbyes on the way out.

Halfway across the country from that peaceful domestic scene, a rare event was underway. Orders were being questioned, and the questioning was being accepted. In that group, that was close to heresy.

"Why bother with the child? Her power is negligible, and she could not have had anything to do with the abomination."

"Why do you say that?"

"The information we extracted from the Wilson woman and the records we obtained would seem to show that she had not even changed when the infections began, and was miles away and still changing when the abomination broke out at the rally. She had neither the power nor the experience that would have been required. Even the Wilson woman would have been hard pressed to produce such a widespread result."

"Records can be falsified."

"True. But her family did not have the money or connections to do so."

"Correct. While we cannot conclusively rule out her participation in the abomination, it is vanishingly unlikely."

"So why...?"

"You have been too narrow in your reading, brother."

"Forgive me. What have I missed?"

"Even in her weakness, she has developed an ability unheard of among her misbegotten kind. She can recognize the plague in its earliest stages, even before the victim starts to feel sick. And she can predict what form the degradation will take, and when it will happen. There are also indications that she can look at a person and tell whether they have been touched by the plague, and what the changes were. Do you now understand?"

"Forgive me. You are correct, as the Lord intended. Once she has become obedient to the will of the Lord, she can sniff out the damned and the would be assassins who pass unnoticed among the flocks."

"Indeed. And she can warn us when one of the righteous falls victim to the plague, in time for us to save his immortal soul. It is God's will that this degraded one become the instrument of our victory."

"I will leave immediately."

"Contact this man." The older man passed over a file folder. "He is not one of ours, but with this information, he may be convinced to be of help."

For Angel, the next day started like any other school Friday. End of week quizzes and weekend homework, and classes that seemed to drag on forever. The news she got from Lena at lunch time made the day a little more interesting.

The two girls from the restroom were suspended, pending an expulsion hearing, for assault, arson, and making a false report. They had also been ticketed for the arson, and would have to appear in court.

The mother who had hit Angel had been ticketed as well - for disturbing the peace - and was banned from the campus for the rest of the school year. She was also warned that she was subject to arrest on the assault charges if she attempted to harm or harass any of the students of the school.

Barb was suspended for 30 days, and ticketed for arson. She was also subtly reminded that she already faced another date with the judge, and that any more trouble would undoubtedly make things that much harder on her. And that her father was no longer in a position to protect her from the consequences of her actions.

The Dean was on unpaid leave, pending a disciplinary hearing. He had been advised to apologize to Angel and her parents, but had refused in rather colorful terms. According to Lena, he was seriously considering resigning.

Angel was in a much better mood for the rest of the school day. So what Lena told her after school hit her that much harder.

Angel was in danger.

End Part 16

Angel's Tale: A MORFS Universe Story By Joreymay

Life gets exciting for Angel and her friends. Angel gets burned protecting her friends. Armed men break into her house. And who is this mysterious Dr. Miller, and what does she really know about the Pope Hill gang?

Part 17

Angel was in danger.

During an afternoon class, Lena had gotten an urgent Cassandragram. She needed to use her powers to "listen in" on Officer John - the one who had been so hard on Angel when asking about Ms. Wilson.

What she discovered was disturbing on many levels. The two men talking to him were expertly and heavily shielded. Lena could hardly sense them at all, except by way of their effect on the officer.

They played on his self image as a cowboy among cops - a man who did things his way and left the constraints of "procedure" to his more timid coworkers. They also played heavily on his suspicions about Angel, bringing him to believe that they had evidence she was involved in the Wilson disappearance, and that they were from a Federal agency which was preparing to do something about it. They hinted at official recognition if he helped keep the department out of it when they were ready to move.

By the time they left, he was feeling very full of himself. And very well disposed toward the Feds, as he thought of them.

Lena had acted quickly. She fed him doubt, and a suspicion that they knew a little too much about the Wilson disappearance. She also played on his image of the FBI and other agencies, as glory thieves, who come in and interfere with local matters for their own purposes, then take all the credit for what the locals had done. It had already happened to him. Twice.

The bottom dropped out of his good mood. They had played him. Even if they were legitimate Feds, which he now doubted, they would just end up screwing him over again. He couldn't trust them. Or their organization.

Lena would have done more with him, but the bell rang and she had to go to her next class. She had gotten a significant look from her teacher, with the thought that it had better have been important, and she would do well to get class notes and the assignment from a classmate.

"What do you think they're going to do?" Angel asked.

David answered. "It seems obvious. They're gonna make you disappear, like Ms. Wilson and the other bio elementals you told us about. After that... who knows?"

The girls shuddered at the thought, but agreed it seemed all too likely.

Angel was faced with a dilemma. Who should she tell? Who should she avoid telling? She put off the issue of telling her parents, and went for more practical concerns.

"Lena, can you contact Mrs. Tabor? I start work at the spa on Monday, and I don't want this thing to catch her unaware."

"What do I tell her?"

"All we know. Or whatever the two of you decide."

Angel turned to Robin. "How much energy does your time travel take?"

"It depends. I can go backwards my limit and come back without being too tired. Why?"

"I want you to be our alarm system. When it happens, whatever it is, I want you to find out what, where, and when it is and then warn us well in advance. If you don't know about it happening right away, you may have to make some shorter hops in time and space to find out, and then go back to warn us. Can you do that, and then be able to act? My life may literally be in your hands."

If Robin had any doubts about her place in the group, or her value, that last statement eliminated them. She would do anything and everything she could to keep from letting them down.

Lena told Angel that she would be picked up after school on Monday. The driver would be someone Angel knew, and would check in with Lena before Angel would get in. She would then be taken directly to the spa.

That settled one thing. She would have to tell her parents about those arrangements.

David would get his chance to play spy. Once they knew when and where, he would be able to look around to see who, and track them. He and Robin could do the switch and snatch with her to get her out of the bad guys' hands.

The rest they would play by ear.

They discussed their strategies all the way to Angel's house, and on inside. Lena would coordinate their actions, and would be the point of contact for Future Robin.

"I gotta get a good name," Robin grumbled, after that last description.

They arrived at Angel's house, and went inside to continue the conversation.

Robin and Lena established some code words, to quickly convey status and trigger actions.

They all agreed that they would need to seem to be going about their normal business, and not alert the bad guys to their suspicions. They also agreed that they would probably not do anything until after the weekend, as long as Angel wasn't alone.

David brought up another possibility, and immediately wished he hadn't.

"What if they try to take one of your parents, for leverage?"

Angel agreed that she would have to tell them about the potential danger, and they would have to keep watch on her parents as well as herself.

David revisited an earlier statement. "Maybe we've seen too many of those movies. I never thought I'd say that."

The girls reassured him that it was better to think of such possibilities than to be caught flat footed when they came up.

"Besides," Robin concluded, "there will be more than enough unexpected bits no matter how much we anticipate."

With that cheery thought, they split up. Robin announced her intention to go swimming, then 'ported home. David and Lena headed for Lena's house.

When Angel's mother got home, she mentioned that the school had contacted her about Angel's exoneration, and that she had seen the records concerning the punishments of the Dean and the three girls. And a note about one of the mothers being banned from the campus.

Angel told her about the girls' confessions, and about the mother hitting her. Angel had healed the injury right after leaving the conference room, barely giving it a thought. She also told her that there was something she needed to talk to both of them about, when her father got home.

With a concerned look, her mother went up to change. By the time Angel's father came home, her mother was in the kitchen heating up dinner.

Angel barely noticed her food, which would have been an insult to her mother if it hadn't been for the way her mother was picking at it as well.

The after dinner conversation was not entertaining. The worst part was the fact that all three knew there was nothing more they could do. The police were potentially compromised, so no reliable help. And contacting them would almost certainly tip off the bad guys. They couldn't stand and fight. The bad guys were an unknown quantity, but were sure to be dangerous. And they had already kidnapped a far more powerful bio elemental than Angel was. Possibly more than one.

Angel got her parents to promise they would mentally shout for Lena if there was any sign of trouble. She would be listening for them, and in touch with the others. Angel assured them that she would do the same.

With the major issues up in the air like that, Angel took refuge in the familiar. She finished her homework, then snuggled in on the couch to watch shows with her parents. She couldn't stay up too late, because she had a theater inspection the next morning.

As before, Mandy would be picking her up. Lena would be checking Mandy for distress, duress, or bad intentions before Angel got in the car.

She laid out her clothes for the inspection, then got ready for bed.

Her sleep was troubled, with dreams of mysterious figures, movie style chases, and medieval dungeons interrupting her rest. When her alarm woke her in the morning, she wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or relieved.

The inspection was in a place called Louisville, between Denver and Boulder. Angel learned early on that it was not pronounced like the place in Kentucky, after hearing another recent transplant making that mistake.

The inspection itself turned out to be routine. But there was a little bit of tension as she was moving from one place to another. She noticed two men, in their early to mid twenties, watching her and acting suspiciously. With all that had happened, her paranoia quotient was high. She kept an eye on them, and used her eCom to take pictures and holos of them in case she needed to identify them later.

After they saw that she was remaining in plain sight, they went to concessions and bought some popcorn and soda.

She went into a storage room and peeked at them through the gap in the doorway. She was fairly sure they would not see her. And she apparently was right. After watching her go into the room, they looked around and then furtively ducked into one of the theaters.

She suddenly realized what was going on. The theater they ducked into was in a different direction than they had come from. They were nothing more than nervous house hoppers.

The chain allowed individual theaters to set their own policies about the practice. In general, they had done the right thing to be tolerated. The theater made more profit from the concessions than from the tickets. A large part of the ticket revenue went right back to the studios.

She went to the office and quietly checked with the manager. With some exceptions, such as making sure ratings restrictions were honored, he tended to let it pass when they bought concessions.

She saw no reason to put anything about it in her report. She had time for a "quality check" of a couple of things from concessions while she finished her report and waited for Mandy to finish her audit.

On the way back from the theater, her suspicions kicked in again. She noticed a dark blue van which seemed to be following them. Not quite the unmarked black vans of the movies, but disturbing. It was even more disturbing when they got off the freeway to get some lunch, and the van followed. But when they pulled in and stopped at the sandwich shop, the van simply drove by.

That might have been the end of it, but when they got back on the road a suspiciously similar van followed them onto the freeway. Angel used her eCom to document it, but didn't say anything to Mandy.

She got home with no problems, so she dismissed the event. If it was them, they were just scouting her out. But it could have just been an innocent coincidence.

That night, she got a call from a doctor in Sun City. The doctor didn't say much, other than that she was an elementologist and she wanted to talk to Angel about some interesting questions. She would be in the area the next day, to interview a couple of other young morfs, and asked whether she could stop by for a brief chat.

After consulting with her parents, and learning that the other morfs were David and Robin, Angel nervously accepted.

Angel told Lena about the van, but she wasn't able to find out anything more about it than Angel had.

That night and the next morning, Angel spent some time on the net looking up anything she could find about that Dr. Miller. She found a number of research papers, and other references that appeared to support her legitimacy. She also found out that she was the administrator of the Elementals registry database.

She was pondering that discovery when Lena interrupted her thoughts.

*You got company.* Lena announced. *Apparently your Dr. Miller. She's fairly well shielded, but her emotions seem about right.*

*Thanks!* Angel replied, then headed down to the door.

On the way, she called out to her parents that their visitor had arrived, then opened the door.

Unfortunately, she opened her mouth as well. "What the hell ARE you?" she practically shouted.

After a moment of shocked silence, in which she realized she had said that out loud, Angel blurted out "OhmygodI'msosorryIdidn'tmeanitthatway!" It hadn't been the doctor's striking appearance that had startled Angel. She had seen pictures of the cat woman hybrid while doing her research. It was something else. Something she sensed.

"I mean, you're an elemental. A really strong one. But you're not any kind of elemental I've ever seen before. And I thought I had seen them all." Angel explained, apologetically.

The woman smiled a little, and nodded an acknowledgement of the apology.

"Oh, God." Angel exclaimed. "I'm doing it again. Come in, come in." She held the door open for her visitor. As she entered, Angel's parents came and introduced themselves. She returned the favor, inviting them to call her Sanura, and was invited to sit.

After offering refreshments, which were politely declined, her parents retired to the kitchen to give them some semblance of privacy. They knew Lena would monitor the situation, and alert them if they were needed. Angel was aware of that as well.

"From what I've heard," the doctor started out, "you have some remarkable skills. I have never heard of a bio elemental who can read morfs better than screening telepaths, or recognize and predict the onset and nature of a case. Yet you, a young and - forgive me - supposedly underpowered morf, can apparently do so. In fact, several very reliable sources have verified those abilities."

"Well," Angel replied deferentially, "there is no supposedly about the underpowered part. Except for my own body, I can only extend my elemental power about a quarter inch from my skin."

Dr. Miller opened her briefcase, and removed some kind of electronic device. "May I?" she asked, indicating the device. Angel nodded, and she aimed it at her and looked at the display screen.

"Well," the doctor continued, "Your readings are certainly consistent with that. Which makes those abilities all the more remarkable. How did you develop them?" Angel was amused to notice that the doctor had put the device on the table, and it was still pointing at her. It didn't matter - she wasn't hiding anything about her elemental energy.

Angel recounted her grandmother's advice, and described her different kinds of observational training. She left out the part about modifying the microbiota, but sketched in the rest.

Dr. Miller was impressed. "How do you explain the fact that other, more powerful, bio elementals don't have these abilities?"

"I don't. Explain it, that is. I would imagine that they have the potential, but haven't bothered to train that part. They can do all those other, more impressive things that I can't. If I had their power, I probably wouldn't have done so either. It was just my need to leverage what little power I had that moved me to work on that."

"What else have you been able to do within those limitations?"

"I've been able to do some cosmetic stuff, like eliminate superficial scars and stretch marks. There was one little girl, an accident victim. She had a lot of surgery, and the insurance wouldn't cover treatments to eliminate the scars. Her doctor convinced me to do what I could for her. She still has some internal things they are working on, but she doesn't look like a rag doll any more." She stopped to think a moment.

"I've given some friends tans, even in tattoo like shapes. I've used my ability to see infectious stuff and destroy it in my job at the theater chain. Oh yeah, and I've made my mom and my friend's dad look better, by rejuvenating their skin. That kind of thing."

"I see." She made a couple of notes on her tablet, then changed the subject. "As I mentioned to your mother, I'm also here to find out about a couple of students at your school. Do you know David Streight or Robin Brown?" She looked at Angel expectantly.

"Sure. They're both friends of mine. And David's going out with my best friend Lena."

"What do you know about their post MORFS capabilities?"

"I know what they are, and I perceived them just before they started changing. Why?"

"An odd coincidence. And I don't like coincidences. They both got exceptional combinations of abilities, combinations which had not been seen before." She looked pointedly at Angel. "Do you know anything about that?"

Angel looked embarrassed. This was going to be the acid test for Pope Hill. If she didn't blow it.

"Kinda. I know some things they told me, but I'm not sure I believe them."

"What sort of things?"

"Well, you see... there's this story going around, about strange things happening at Pope Hill."

"Pope Hill?"

"Over in the State Park." Angel waved her hand in the general direction. "There's some story about a Pope, who was later made into a Saint, doing something there. There's even a marker there, from some historical group." Angel shrugged.

"He was supposed to have done something major there, so the place is special or something." Angel paused, fishing for the right words. "Anyhow, there have been rumors about strange things happening there, going back at least a few decades. From a couple of people, we even heard about wishes being granted or something."

"Then, a little while after we moved here, I was walking near there with a couple of friends and we felt something. It was coming from the hill. It registered on my elemental sense in a way I hadn't encountered before. And Lena sensed something different."

"Lena?"

"My next door neighbor, and best friend. She’s a telepath and an empath, and she sensed something weird too. We kinda put that together with the stories, and thought maybe there was something to them after all. Over the next few days, the odd stuff came and went."

"And?" Dr. Miller looked like she didn't believe a word of it.

"Well," Angel looked down, like she was a little ashamed. "We kinda talked David into trying out the stories."

"How?" The monosyllable replies were starting to get on Angel's nerves.

"Like a lot of teens, David had spent some time dreaming about what the best possible outcome of MORFS would be for him. What he'd look like, what powers he'd have, that kind of thing. We had him go to the hill when the odd stuff was strong, and think hard about what he wanted."

"And...?" The doctor acted like she was pulling teeth.

"And later that day, I sensed he had some kind of infection. It was the kind that triggers MORFS, but there was something different about it. Like it was changing him first, then triggering the MORFS. The next day, I could make out where it was going, and I saw all those powers. The timeline looked clear enough, so we warned his folks. When we convinced them, they made appointments for him. Then nature - or MORFS - took its course."

"I see." Two syllables that time. Was it progress? She still didn't look convinced.

"Look, it's weird stuff, and I don't understand it myself. And I'm not explaining it very well. But it worked the same way for the others, so something is happening there."

"Others?"

"Robin did the same thing, and got what she wanted. And some guy from Smokey Hills... well, he's a guy now. And he's saying the same thing happened to him. I never met him, so I can't say what the timing was. But he says he went there, and he got what he wanted."

"And his name is...?"

"I don't know. I heard about him from Cassandra."

"Cassandra?"

"Penny Johnson. She goes to Smokey Hills, and she probably knows his name." Angel felt like she was babbling. And it was clear that the doctor wasn't buying it.

"And how do you explain all that?"

"I don't. The rumors have gone all the way from Divine Intervention because of the Pope to indian spirits to morfed prairie dogs."

"Prairie dogs?"

"Burrowing animals, about this big." Angel held her hands a little way apart. "There are a bunch of them around the area."

"I know what they are. How would they explain what happened to your friends?"

"Well, a whole bunch of them live together in a system of tunnels. I think it's called a town. Anyhow, it's like maybe some of them got powers, and they can work together to make it happen or something." Angel knew she was running off at the mouth, but couldn't stop herself.

"And you think that's what is happening?"

"Not really. I really don't know what it is. I don't really think it's the prairie dogs, because it feels like one thing rather than a bunch of them. And it doesn't feel like them, or like bunnies."

"What do you mean?"

"I can sort of sense living things. I know what things like them feel like because I have seen them where I felt their nature. I couldn't do that with whatever it is at the hill."

"But you're not sure?"

"Hey, gimme a break. I've only been... like this for a few months."

"I understand. I was a boy before I changed, too."

"What? How did you...?"

"I am in charge of the Elemental Database. I have access to all the information in the central registry." She mentally added "Including the parts that weren't in the stolen records."

*We need to talk. After she leaves.* Lena told Angel.

Angel hoped her reaction to Lena's comment would be interpreted as a reaction to finding out that the doctor knew her secret. That secret, anyway. The one about having been a boy.

Seeming to change subjects, she asked Angel "How are you doing with that change? Any problems?"

Angel described her struggles with defining her sexuality, and Lena's help in resolving parts of it. She also reiterated and expanded a little on her description of the Girl Boot Camp her relatives put her through. She also mentioned the advantage of having moved to a new place after all that, where she was only known as a girl.

The doctor asked her some general medical questions, and seemed satisfied with her answers. She thanked Angel and her parents for their time and cooperation, and left her card. Then she left.

*She's on her way to interview David.* Lena told her.

*Let him know I told her the cover story about him and Pope Hill.*

*Already did. Robin, too.*

*What did you want to talk about, before?*

*There was more to the visit than she was saying. Someone got into the database she administers, and copied all the files about bio elementals. It didn't have the part about your past, but it did have your current information.*

*Ouch! Does she have any idea who or why?*

*Not that she thought about. In fact, she was fishing for clues while she was there.*

*O... k. Nothing there to tell, as far as I know.*

Other than a few brief flashes of paranoia, and descriptions of the doctor's interviews with David and Robin, the afternoon passed fairly normally.

The next morning, she reminded her parents that she would be going directly from school to the spa. She reminded them that Lena would check in with them periodically, and that they should give her a mental shout if anything at all suspicious was happening. She wasn't sure how seriously they took her.

It couldn't last. Angel was clear about that. All that preparedness and precaution would wear them down. Especially Lena, who was a vital link in the whole thing. But this was the first weekday after the threat became apparent, and they were all on edge. If nothing happened that day, they would cut back to their more sustainable reactive plan.

When something did happen, it had nothing to do with her problems. Robin had popped out to pick up their lunches, and after she returned they were eating at the school on the theory that it would be safer. A sophomore morf approached the supers table with his lunch and tried to sit down. While he did have a power, it wasn't all that impressive - his skin could change colors, and mildly glow in the dark.

Some of the supers objected, in no uncertain terms. Others took the position that a morf was a morf, and powers were powers. A would be peacekeeper invited him to sit with her friends at one of the neutrals' tables, and he snarled that he didn't need her pity. Some of those present, both super and neutral, took exception to that. Pretty soon fists were flying. Worse, zaps and projectiles were flying.

Angel and her friends started to duck under their table, but David was having trouble because of his size and wings. She moved to help him, then she saw it. A ball of light was moving directly toward him at a pretty good clip. Without thinking, she threw her body in the way. The next thing she knew was an explosion of pain and shock. She heard Lena telling Robin "Get her to..." before the blackness closed in.

She woke up in the nurse's office, in severe pain. She used her powers to kill the pain, then evaluated the damage. While she did so, she became aware of a number of groans and whimpers around her. Apparently, she was not the only casualty.

A large part of her upper back had second and third degree burns. Melted remnants of her blouse were stuck to parts of it, as well. She knew what she had to do, from the accident at the party.

While she was working on that, she became aware of someone pressing a bottle into her hand. Looking up, she saw it was David. He had given her a bottle of sports drink, and was holding out a high protein energy bar. Angel nodded her thanks, and took the bar as well.

"Thanks for the save." David said, quietly. "I hate to think what that would have done to my wings."

"Others...?" She replied, shakily.

"Robin and Radar are fine. After bringing you here, Robin got Radar out. By the time she came back for me, it was all over. Nothing else hit me, either."

"Else?"

"You took the brunt of it, but I got a little around the edges. Nothing serious, just a sunburn and some lost hair."

"Sorry." She was starting to feel a little better, after the healing she was directing at her back and the food (such as it was) and drink David gave her. But her need for concentration and her residual reaction to the shock reduced her to one word responses.

"Sorry for what? Saving my butt? Getting yourself hurt in the process? Being there for me? For us? What do you have to be sorry for?"

"Lower your voice, Mr. Streight," a woman's voice reprimanded him. Angel assumed it was the nurse.

"Sorry," he replied. "I guess I'm still a little shaken up by what happened." He turned back to Angel. "Are you going to be ok?"

"Yeah." She replied. "Healing." Progress - a two word reply.

"If you don't need me, I'd better get to class." He apologized.

"Go."

It took her almost another half hour to finish healing herself. During that time, she had Lena reassure her mother, who had been called by the school. She also asked her to get her PE shirt and sports bra from her gym locker. A quick glance in the mirror had shown her that her blouse was backless, and not in a good way. And her bra was similarly strapless.

By the time she was ready to leave, she had missed Calculus entirely. She asked Robin to meet her after Biology, to take her home for some replacement clothes. Robin agreed.

When they met, they ducked into a restroom stall and vanished from there. Out of habit, Robin had them invisible and intangible when they arrived. That was a good thing, because they were not alone.

There was a man in Angel's bedroom.

Reflexively, Robin ported them back to the restroom. She told the now visible Angel to wait there while she checked it out, then vanished again. A few seconds later, she was outside the stall, asking whether Angel was about done. Angel figured Robin had found the restroom too crowded to have them step out together inconspicuously.

Angel flushed the toilet, then opened the door and walked out. As she went to wash her hands, Lena relayed Robin's findings.

The men first arrived in a van at about the middle of Angel's first class. The van had a sign on the door saying "Virtue Home Electronics", but otherwise the image Lena relayed was the same as the van that had followed her before. They acted like they were waiting for someone to answer the door, while they put some device over the locks. After a moment, they made a show of giving up, making a cell call, and leaving.

They arrived again near the end of Angel's lunch period. This time, they had keys and used them to open the door. They acted like they were speaking to someone inside, who had seemingly answered the door, then they went inside.

Inside, they were putting what looked like tiny spy eyes all around the house. They were still there and still doing so. David was keeping an eye on them.

Angel thought she had two basic approaches available. She could call the police, preferably just after they broke in, and report the break in. Or she could leave them in place, to keep them from knowing they were compromised, and use the bugs to feed them misinformation.

Those options collapsed almost immediately.

*David says the things they're putting in now aren't just bugs. They look like little bombs.*

*Damn! Tell Mom. Have Robin take her back in time, and to your house in space, to make the call. Her reason can be my need for clothes. Do they have the license number of the van?*

*Yes.*

*After she takes Mom back, can she take David back, too? He could disable the van, to keep them from getting away or calling in reinforcements before the cops arrive.*

*I like the way you think. It's done.*

The police response was quick and efficient. The questionable officer was off duty, so he was not in any position to help or hurt the process. The van was mysteriously inert, and the bad guys' communications went dead. And the back door and windows seemed welded shut. The front door, on the other hand, gave the police easy access. And Angel's mother was somehow able to say exactly how many were inside, and where they probably were.

Once the police cleared the house of the intruders, and carted them away, Angel's mother walked up to them and gave her statement. While she was doing so, she checked the house for damage and the like. She also picked up a blouse and a bra for Angel. When the police were done with her, she went next door to where Robin was resting.

Robin made two short time jumps to get them to when and where they needed to be. David let himself catch up with the time he left, and returned to school cloaked in illusion.

Lena and David monitored what happened with the bad guys. They claimed to be working for Homeland Security, and presented seemingly authentic identification. They also named their supposed superior, for verification. Unfortunately for them, even that cover wouldn't excuse some of the things they were caught with (and doing). They were being held on local and State charges, but their Federal charges were delayed pending clarification.

Robin brought Angel the clothes, which she took into the locker room with her. Everything had happened so quickly, and been so compressed by Robin's time travel, that Angel's part was done in plenty of time for her to get changed out for Challenge.

As she was showering after class, Lena let her know that her ride was waiting, and her driver showed no signs of coercion or other inappropriate states. Angel thanked her, and finished dressing. She quickly grabbed her school things, then headed for the car.

She was amused to learn that her driver was her nameless experimental subject, and erotic entertainer, from the special request at the spa. Dressed in a chauffeur's uniform.

With full formality, her driver opened the back door for her. Angel nodded and smiled as she got in. When the door closed, it sounded a little wrong to Angel. Once they were buckled and underway, she asked about it.

"This thing is armored. An anti tank round, or a small nuke could take it out, but anything less will do little more than mess up the paint." her driver grinned.

"You just happen to drive a heavily armored car?"

"It belongs to the spa. You'd be surprised how many clients are afraid of assassination attempts. And how often those fears are well founded."

"Maybe not all that surprised." Angel commented wryly.

That reminded her. *Lena!*

*Yes?*

*Did you bring Mrs. T. up to date?*

*Not yet. I'll do so now.*

"Who's the telepath?" her driver asked.

"My friend Lena. Also known as Radar."

"Oh, yeah. The boss lady knows her pretty well."

"So I understand. Say," Angel realized. "I still don't know your name."

"That's right." she grinned.

"And now I'm coming to work at the spa." Angel remembered the terms the other girl had set. "So spill."

"Call me Donna." she replied with a grin.

"Ok, Donna. Now what's your name?" Angel grinned back.

Donna looked a little nervous. "Donna is short for Madonna." she conceded. "My mother was an optimist."

"You're talking to someone named Angel." she reminded Donna. "I know all about optimistic parents." Then she got an evil glint in her eye. "And if you really want to let her know what she did, come to me when you're about ready to give birth. I can finish what I started."

Donna shuddered. "I don't think so."

"So," Angel changed the subject. "What's on the schedule this evening?"

"First, the worst horror of all. Paperwork." Donna grinned. "If you live through that, you get your toys and then it's trial by fire. You already got the tour and most of the orientation. The biggest thing is customer service. The second biggest is supporting each other and the spa. We are not in competition with each other, so don't be afraid to ask anyone for help or advice. The boss is approachable, but busy. Come to your lead, or to me or someone first. We can usually get you what you need."

There was a beep from the dashboard, and Donna was silent for a few moments. She seemed a little shaken. "Do you have your eCom with you?"

"Sure. Let me make sure it's on. Why?" She had it on, but silenced. And she had an incoming call. "Oh."

She answered the call. It was Mrs. Tabor, looking very concerned. Angel assured her that she was ok, and would be able to work.

"I would very much appreciate it if, in future, you avoid life threatening injuries on the days you are going to be working here."

Despite the stern tone, Angel could hear the touch of concern. "Yes, Ma'm. I will do my best."

"See that you do. How badly are you drained?"

"Maybe by a third to a half. I can't top a sundae tonight, but I should be able to do just about anything else we discussed." Angel was aware that their calls were not completely secure.

"That's not on the menu tonight, anyway. See me when you arrive."

After the call, Donna appeared shaken. "How bad was it? The thing at the school?"

"I wouldn't recommend it as a recreational activity." Angel replied dryly. "Most of the people who caught things full on like I did were pretty tough, even for supers. The thing that hit me overloaded my nervous system, knocking me out. I woke up with blinding pain and second and third degree burns all over my back, and a newly backless blouse." Angel got a little catch in her voice. "Damn it. I really liked that blouse!"

"With what you make tonight, you can probably buy several more like it." Donna said gently. "How long will it take you to heal?"

"It took me half an hour or so, not counting what my body did on automatic while I was out."

"I thought you could only do skin and a little bit beyond."

"On other people. On myself, I can reach everywhere. Still takes energy and time, though."

"Oh. Didn't that drain you?"

"Mrs. Tabor asked pretty much the same thing. Yes, it took a lot out of me. But I've rested a little, and had stuff to eat and drink, so I've recovered some. I'm about half to two thirds my normal power already."

A few minutes later, they were driving into an unmarked garage entrance a half block from the spa. Donna answered the question in the look Angel gave her.

"Privacy issues. Some of our clients don't want to be seen coming or going. It also affords extra security for the justly paranoid."

Donna walked Angel to Mrs. Tabor's office, but didn't go in when Angel was invited in.

Angel handed Mrs. Tabor the signed and witnessed contract, and the other paperwork she had filled out. She offered Angel a seat, then briefly glanced over the papers. Seeing that everything seemed to be in order, she set them aside.

"I've spoken to your parents. You will be spending the night here again." It was not a question. And it was clear that it was not open to discussion. "I have a lot of work for you, and I have no doubt that you will be in unfit condition to travel by the time you are done. In addition, I will need your services tomorrow." Angel drew a breath to say something, but her employer continued.

"I am aware of your meeting. We will provide transportation to and from it, when the time comes. Your arrival comes at an opportune time. That incident at your school caused a lot of superficial damage to a number of children of very well to do members of the community. Their pet doctors can handle the real injuries, but these are people to whom appearance is often more important than reality. Your ability to address those appearances, coupled with our excellent stylists and other artists, have them flocking in."

At Angel's look of concern, she reassured her on one point. "They don't know who you are. Just what you can do. Or rather, what services your powers allow us to offer. We will be spreading them out as much as we can, to allow you to rest and refresh yourself in between appointments. And get your homework done. However, it will be a long couple of evenings, and sleeping here both nights will allow you to be on call for emergencies."

Again, it was clear that none of it was up for discussion. Angel wondered how much of it was for the reasons given, and how much had to do with the people who broke in to her house.

"I won't deny that the threat to you played a part in this. But we both know you will not be able to run from them forever. It is likely that it will take them a day or two to bring in new people for whatever it is they're planning. In the meantime..." She turned around a thumb pad, indicating that Angel should thumb in on it. After she did so, Mrs. Tabor continued.

"Go down to Wardrobe and sign out your tablet, locker, and uniform. And Angel," she got a very serious look on her face. "This is important. If there's anything you need, or that would make it easier to do your job, let someone know right away. You are not a student here. You are a full member of a team. Our team. And no false heroics. If you are getting too tired or your elemental energy is running too low, say so. I would rather reschedule an appointment than deal with a mishap caused by some misplaced attempt to tough it out."

Angel understood that the team thing worked both ways. If one of the others needed her help, she would be expected to give it to the extent that it is practical. She also understood that it was time to go do as she had been told. She stood, nodded a silent goodbye to her employer and - she was becoming sure - friend, and left.

Donna was waiting outside to show her the quickest way to Wardrobe. After they reached it, she excused herself and went to do an assignment of her own. Angel found that everything was ready and waiting for her. Her locker would open to her thumb, so she didn't need to memorize any combination. She took her uniform, went into the women's locker room, found her locker, and changed. Her tablet had a schedule of her appointments and other scheduled activities.

She noticed that one thing she would be doing would be growing hair. Lots of times. She thought about the party, and the gelatin drinks. She sat down and pressed the Page Lead icon. A box popped up asking for the nature of the call. She entered "a way to make some of my appointments easier and better."

After she hit return, a familiar face popped up. "I'll be right there." Cindy told her.

When she arrived, Angel explained about the drinks and the raw materials. Cindy nodded, and typed something on her tablet. Then they went to the service bar. They explained the situation to the lead there, and he promised to take care of it. While they were there, Cindy also ordered an herbal drink for Angel, explaining that it would help keep her energy up.

Angel tasted it, and found it surprisingly good. While she drank it, Cindy suggested that she check her schedule for any special requirements, such as wardrobe changes.

Angel noticed that she had almost an hour before her first appointment, and was about to say goodbye to Cindy and go get her homework when a thought struck her.

"How much do you know about my current situation?" She asked Cindy.

"Other than the fact that you're overbooked for the next two days, and spending the night here, not much. Why?"

"I need to talk with Mrs. Tabor when she has a moment. About tomorrow night."

Cindy used her tablet to send a message. Angel got a response from Mrs. Tabor almost immediately, suggesting she send a note about it. Angel thanked Cindy, then input the message. In it, she suggested she could arrange very quick, secure transport to and from the school and the meeting. But they would have to offer something. Something nice.

The answer was a little unexpected. "Miss Brown is an occasional customer. Invite her to come talk to me."

Angel got out her eCom, and made the call. It didn't take much convincing.

That taken care of, Angel looked at her next couple of appointments. She would need a beautician's smock, so she went back to Wardrobe for one. Both clients were students at the school, but she didn't know either one. They would need cosmetic skin restoration and hair regrowth. And both were morfs.

The first was a sophomore, who she had seen around school but didn't know. She had bright green hair, pointed ears, and pale skin. Some of the damage to her hair was being handled by restyling to a somewhat shorter cut, but there were a few patches that would need regrowth. The notes showed where her skin needed work, and where the hair work was needed. It also commented that she was very concerned with the appearance of her hair.

Angel appeared in the designated room, nodded to her coworkers, and silently got to work. The skin damage was superficial - little more than a sunburn and some associated drying. Angel took care of that first, to get it out of the way. Angel had to work a little harder on the hair. There were a couple of patches where she had to recreate hair follicles, making sure they would match those of adjacent hair. Then there was the whole effort of stimulating the hair growth.

Knowing it would be a long evening, Angel drew heavily on the girl's energy and resources. The gelatin drink had done its job, and there were plenty of materials to work with.

The girl spent the entire time with her eyes closed, so Angel wasn't sure that she had even seen her. She wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

When the hair was the right length, as indicated by her coworkers, Angel made sure the growth rate returned to normal. Then, with another nod to her coworkers, Angel disappeared through the "secret door".

By the end of the night, Angel had worked on eight people - three of them boys. She fixed burns, abrasions, hair, scales, and claws. She even did one tan. She was surprised to learn that she had earned more than $500 in tips, on top of her commissions.

And in between all the appointments, she had eaten and gotten most of her homework done. She had also learned that certain of her coworkers were good resources for help with that homework. Including the calculus.

It had been a full day, and she was glad when it was done. She got to her room and barely got undressed before she fell into bed.

End Part 17

Angel's Tale: A MORFS Universe Story By Joreymay

Angel gets some recognition. Unfortunately, she also gets drugged in a kidnapping attempt. Robin gets her favorite breakfast, and almost gets an unfortunate code name. We learn more about the mysterious attackers.

Part 18

Everything was wrong. The alarm sounded like a ringing phone. The bed was, well, too nice. The subtle sounds of morning in the house and the neighborhood were missing. But there was something familiar about it, at the same time.

The spa. She spent the night at the spa again.

She answered the phone, and thanked the woman for the wake up call. When she got back from the shower, she was not surprised to find her clothes from the day before, or the other set of her clothes that had arrived from home. She was surprised to find new duplicates of the blouse and bra that had been destroyed the day before. And the old ones vacuum sealed in a plastic bag marked "Evidence".

She was also surprised to find two breakfasts. In addition to hers, which was prepared exactly as she liked it, there was a serving of something like Eggs Benedict, with the sauce a sort of off pink. There was a knock on her door, so she put the lid back on the eggs and went to answer it.

Yet another surprise, although it shouldn't have been. Robin wrapped her in a big hug, then invited herself in. When she flopped down in the guest chair and lifted the cover on the eggs, her eyes lit up even more.

"They remembered!" she all but squealed, grabbing a fork before the bemused Angel got back to the table. She took a bite, and a look of pure bliss crossed her face.

"I take it breakfast was part of the deal?" Angel asked, amused.

"Oh, yeah! This is the only place I've ever seen this."

"What's with the sauce?"

"Oh, the color? Sun dried tomato and a little different spicing." After another bite, she looked around the room. "This is really nice. I've never had a room here. We're well off, but not that rich."

"How much is it?"

"You don't want to know. Just enjoy it while you can." Robin laughed.

"I've been told that this is not even one of the high end rooms."

"I believe it. I visited someone in one of the suites, once. Wow!"

"Wait 'till you see the bathroom." Angel laughed. "It's a whole experience itself."

They finished their breakfasts, and Angel finished getting ready to go. Robin made an excuse to go into the bathroom, and came out looking impressed. Angel decided to leave her previous day's clothes and the blouse from home there, so all she really had to do was grab her books.

She expected them to teleport out from the room, but Robin just smiled and shook her head. "In polite society," she intoned, "There are appropriate ways of doing things." Angel got the impression that Robin was imitating a female relative.

They went down and almost to the lobby, when Robin opened a door Angel hadn't noticed. There was a symbol on the door, an oval with a starburst above it. They went inside, to find a short corridor with four rooms off of it. Robin looked at the first one on the right, then opened it.

Inside was a small, fairly plain room with a circle on the floor and a mural on one wall. They stood inside the circle, Robin hugged Angel, and...

They were in a restroom stall. A familiar restroom stall. Even though she couldn't see her, she got an impression of Robin leaving through the door of the stall. Then the door opened fully, and a smiling Robin gestured for her to come out.

"You know," Angel quipped, "If you don't start finding a better place to do that, people are going to start calling you TG."

"TG?"

Angel looked around, to make sure nobody was listening, then lowered her voice a little.

"Toilet Ghost."

Robin groaned. "I gotta get a good name!"

Angel grinned, and agreed. Robin wouldn't tell her what she was getting, other than that breakfast, for helping her. But it was clearly a good deal.

"I've got to start doing more stuff for you." Robin joked. "You're a good friend, but the perks are terrific!"

Angel laughed at that, and the speculative looks Robin's comment had caused. A couple of girls from the Spectrum meeting happened to overhear it. She could just imagine what they were making of the comment.

Those were not the only looks she got, and certainly not the worst. She was getting disturbing looks from a number of the Pures and even their less radical friends. Almost as disturbing were some of the congratulatory looks from some of the Supers and their friends. And a lot of people looked puzzled and conflicted.

Angel wasn't sure what to make of that, until a sophomore girl she barely recognized came up to her.

"I saw what you did for your winged friend, yesterday. That was very brave."

"Thank you." Angel was still a little puzzled by the girl's apparent attitude.

"But how could you get burned? Aren't you an elemental?"

Now it made sense. At least some sense. The rumors Barb and her friends spread were taking hold.

"I'm a bio elemental. And not a very strong one."

"But everyone's been saying..."

"I know. The girls who got kicked out for attacking me were spreading false rumors about me. They jumped to the conclusion that I was a fire elemental or the like, and started the rumor based on that."

"Then... you could have been killed."

"Believe me, when I woke up that thought occurred to me. And I wasn't sure I wouldn't have preferred it. But at the time, I didn't think about anything like that. I just reacted."

"Because he was your friend?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I like to think I would've done the same thing for anyone, but unless it ever comes up, I won't really know."

"I like that. Oops! Gotta go." the girl hurried off. Angel went to her new locker, and was about to open it when Robin got a case of the cautions. She used her powers to look around inside, then declared it safe.

Angel got out her stuff for Spanish and MA, and then headed for class. On the way, she ran into David and Lena. They asked about her evening, and anything they should know about. She didn't gossip about the classmates - and one faculty member - she had worked on that evening and night, but she did generally describe some of the kinds of things she did. Luckily, she didn't have time to go into any detail before it was time to get to class.

Much of the day went like that. One freshman boy, who was known as a sort of morf groupie, asked her specifically about what she had done to the girls. He seemed fascinated by the idea of the nerve manipulations when she briefly explained it.

At lunch, they ate on campus again, with Robin doing delivery duty. This time there was no comparable entertainment. Angel noticed some familiar faces from the night before, but kept her observations to herself. Or tried to. The grin Lena gave her told her she hadn't been completely successful.

While Angel was showering after her last class, she got a mental call from Lena. She needed to go to the office again, before she went to work.

When she got there, she was directed to the Vice Principal's office. Lena wasn't there, and hadn't warned her about anything, so Angel figured it probably wasn't something bad. She knocked, and went in when invited.

She was not surprised to see the VP in her own office, but she was surprised to see her mother there. She and her mother hugged, then were invited to sit. In the first part of the interview, they were told that the school had reviewed the restroom incident, and found that she had acted purely in self defense. But the response was considered somewhat excessive. She would be expected to keep the pain levels less extreme and, if possible, less permanent if she defended herself in that manner in the future. Her record would only contain the self defense conclusion. The Dean's initial report was removed.

The VP went on to commend Angel for her actions in the cafeteria fight. In particular, the fact that she risked serious injury in order to protect another student. The morf who threw that power packet was being disciplined, and as part of that would reimburse her for the costs of her damaged garments. On the other hand, the VP reminded Angel that the school frowned on students putting themselves in unnecessary danger.

Angel had a brief mental image of the VP as one of those Hindu goddesses she had seen paintings of, with all the "other hands" that were coming up in that conversation.

The VP invited them to take a few minutes to visit, and left the office to give them some privacy.

They hugged again. Angel noticed she was doing more of that since the change. Her mother told her she was proud of the recognition Angel would be getting at the meeting that evening. She also mentioned that she missed having her daughter around. Finally, she admitted that she was afraid for Angel, with all the talk of kidnappings and attacks.

Angel responded that she was afraid for her parents as well. She promised to be very careful as long as her parents would make the same promise. That agreed, they exchanged a final hug and left the office. Robin was waiting outside and, after Angel's mother left, the two girls ducked around a corner and vanished.

The room had a different mural, but otherwise seemed the same as the one they had used that morning. Even the circle on the floor looked the same. Robin remained in the room as Angel left and went to get changed.

Angel had two clients scheduled for before the meeting, and three for after. The first was fairly easy, a girl with superficial burns and a need to even out her tan over the affected areas. The second was not so easy. His burns were equally shallow but more intense, and he had lost patches of hair ranging from his scalp to his pubic mound. And his hair was not a uniform color. Working on him took the better part of an hour.

When she was done with him, Angel went to the service bar and got one of the herbal energy drinks. Then she changed into her manager clothes. Her tablet told her where to meet Robin, for her jump to the meeting.

At the meeting itself, Angel got a chip of documents to review. Most of them had nothing directly to do with her - they were for all the managers. She slipped the chip into her theater tablet, and glanced through them while she waited for her food.

The meeting started shortly after the food arrived. The regional vice president chaired the meeting, and announced a departure from the usual agenda. "For the first time I can remember, two of the people we are here to discuss and honor have to go to school in the morning." That got a laugh.

First to be honored was Andy, for his job in stepping in and handling the mess at the morf hater's theater (as Angel still thought of it). He had started classes that week, and would only be working as a floating manager on weekends. He was given an ovation, which Angel enthusiastically joined, a promotion to full manager, and a bonus check.

Angel was next. It took a while for them to go through all her accomplishments in her brief time there. They also discussed the effort to obfuscate her identity in the press releases about the bad chips. She also would only be working occasionally, but he let there be no doubts about those few hours being worth the salary and title of a full time manager. She also got an ovation and a bonus check.

The next honoree was given full credit for the first two. Mr. Moore was the one who had recognized their potential value to the chain, and had acted so effectively in the crisis situations. He was given a promotion as well, but not a title change. He would be dividing his time between the theater and the regional office, consulting on various issues. He also got an ovation and a bonus check.

Angel got a laugh when she turned to him and said "Darn! Now it's going to take me longer to become your boss." But a few of the other managers had a slightly worried look behind the laughter. Mr. Moore explained the joke, and some - but not all - of the worry went away.

The rest of the meeting was more routine, discussing plans for upcoming promotions and seasonal releases, discussing observations and suggestions from the individual theaters, and general business discussions. Andy and Angel stayed long enough to finish their desserts, then quietly left.

Back at the spa, the rest of Angel's clients were more routine. One wasn't even fallout from the fight. An older woman, maybe her mother's age, with hints of the same elegant bearing of Mrs. Tabor, wanted her eyebrows permanently reshaped, with the other hairs in the vicinity permanently eliminated. Eliminating the unwanted hairs was trivially easy. Changing the roots to grow in darker was also trivial. Adding the new hairs was more difficult. And growing in the new hair was energy consuming. The really hard part was getting the shape just right. This was a woman who routinely expected perfection.

Angel found herself hoping that the woman was charged a lot for the service, even though she suspected she would take some perverse pride in the extravagance. She suspected it wasn't exactly cheap, when she ended up with a $200 tip.

In addition to clients and homework, Angel helped her coworkers. No matter how experienced and professional they are, people working with hot things, sharp things, and corrosive substances are going to hurt themselves from time to time. She handled three burns, two cuts, and a skinned elbow. But she didn't have to play a role while doing so, and she had thankful clients. She was able to literally cure a burn while discussing a homework problem with someone else.

While she rested between clients, she alternated between studying her upcoming clients and doing her homework. As before, she had no problem getting help with the homework. She suddenly realized that it was a little too easy. Someone, probably someone assigned by Mrs. Tabor, was making sure she was getting the homework done. It made sense. If she started getting behind in her homework, she would not be as available for clients. Her parents would see to that. Besides, Mrs. Tabor was a benevolent employer. Angel had seen and heard about a number of instances where she had acted in support of her people.

She went to bed satisfied with her night's work. Between the bonus, her tips, and her commissions, she had made more money than she knew. But it wasn't real - it wasn't all that important. It was nice, but not all that important.

What was real and important was that two sets of people had recognized her. They had said that she was valuable and a good person, and they had done so honestly. And some of them actually liked her. It was like something she sometimes heard and read - they validated her. That was what sent her to bed happy.

Glancing toward the bathroom, she decided to act on an earlier decision. She used her tablet to order robes for herself, her mother, and Lena. She shuddered at the price, even at the employee rate, but smiled at the notion that they would be embroidered with their names.

Before she went to sleep, she called home. Mostly, it was just to say goodnight to her parents and remind them that she would be home the next day. But she also told them about her meeting, and some of her encounters with coworkers. It was one of the nicest brief conversations she had with them in a long time.

The next morning, she had no trouble recognizing where she was. She answered the phone in a well rested voice, and thanked the caller. She carefully packed all but one set of her cleaned and pressed clothes, and the new robes, then went in to take her shower. She smiled when she came out to see two breakfasts waiting again. Robin cut it closer this time, getting there before she could get dressed. Angel joined her friend, eating in her spa provided robe.

Robin demonstrated a new trick she had learned. she sort of poked the air for a moment, then a bacon crumble disappeared from her plate. She had Angel cut open her omelet at a point near the center, where the fold had created a small gap, and there was the bacon bit.

Angel applauded her friend's effort.

They joked about Angel going to school in the robe, but in the end she got changed. While she was dressing, she had Robin send her bag to her own living room, back home. Robin had been there enough to target it easily.

It no longer surprised Angel that they didn't see anyone else while they walked and rode to the 'port rooms. She understood how the magic was done.

Before school, there was a small meeting of the Pope Hill Gang. They agreed that Angel should go back to her normal activities. They also reiterated the plan, such as it was, for a response to any attempts against her (or any of them).

It seemed that the other students had moved on somewhat. She still got the bad reactions from some and the good reactions from others, but they were somewhat muted by comparison. The worst thing that happened before lunch was a poor grade on a vocabulary quiz in Spanish.

At lunch time, they got the alert. While Robin was getting the food, she suddenly walked up to the table and told them there would be an attempt after school. She told them when and where, and that Angel would fall over and be picked up by a man and carried to a car.

Having said that, Robin left. When she returned with the food, Angel noticed that she did not have a small stain on her blouse. A moment before, it had been there. Obviously, their informant had been Future Robin. They did not discuss the visit from the other Robin, since there were potential problems with paradox if they told Present Robin what Future Robin said.

Despite a minor loss of appetite, from the news and her contemplation of time travel issues, Angel made sure to finish her lunch. She would need the resources later. She was amused to watch Robin drop some sauce from her sandwich on a familiar part of her blouse, however.

The last few classes dragged. They had their own demands, mental and physical, but they paled beside her knowledge of what was happening after school.

She doubted that the timing was accidental. Lena, David, and Robin would have a rehearsal for Changelings after school, so Angel would be expected to walk home alone. Depending on what time she left, there would be very little time when she would not be within eyeshot, and shouting distance, of other students. The place Robin mentioned would have a very narrow window of unobserved time.

Of course, the three of her friends wouldn't be at rehearsal. They would be at their "action stations". Robin was following Angel a short distance behind, invisible and mostly intangible. Lena and David had gone ahead to Lena's basement, courtesy of Robin's powers.

Angel took a deep, cleansing breath, released it slowly, and set off for home. She was so concerned with making her actions look normal that it took her a second to notice the impact of the injection round in her shoulder. She "knew" that her recently created reflex was isolating the injected material and keeping it, and the infection from the not quite sterile needles, from spreading to any part of her body. Her body also clogged the needle, so no more of the stuff entered her body. She collapsed like a rag doll, on the assumption that the round was either poison or a knockout drug of some sort. The latter, she hoped.

She allowed the isolated fluid to drip to the ground in a small cascade of spit.

*I've been hit! Everyone in place?*

*Yes. You ok?*

*No problem so far. My powers isolated the stuff. When I'm gone, have David analyze it.*

Angel felt herself being lifted into a fireman's carry, then felt the man carrying her break out into a trot.

While Angel wasn't aware of it, Robin chose the moment after she had notified Lena of the location of the car to go back in time to lunch and warn her friends.

The conversation in the car wasn't what Angel expected. One of the other men said to the driver "Let's get her to Med, fast. We don't know what they hit her with." The driver agreed, and they were off.

She relayed that tidbit to Lena, who acknowledged seeing what could be another group of people involved in the action. Between David and Lena, they kept track of the two groups. With their attention on them, neither of them noticed yet another car. The two men in that car were following the car that did not have Angel.

Unseen by all three groups, a dark figure slid deeper into the shadows of some trees.

Angel waited until she got the word that her friends were in place, then gave the signal. To the people in the car, she moved a little bit in apparent response to the motions of the car. After a few tense moments, she found herself in Lena's basement.

The next step would take even more concentration on David's part. He would drop the illusion of Angel in the car, and create an illusion of three impressive, heavily armed men forming a triangle, with their weapons pointed toward the center in such a way that the other two were not in any one's line of fire, and the kids were not in any apparent line of fire.

As soon as the illusion was in place, Robin transported the man from the back seat to the center of the triangle. Angel stood where he could see her, but could not get a clear shot at her. As soon as he appeared, Robin stripped him of every concealed weapon and tool on his body. Including something hidden in a fake tooth. In a mood to show off, she even relieved him of his briefs, without disturbing his pants.

They noticed that he was wearing a smart camo outfit, which explained why Angel hadn't noticed him before she was hit.

After an initial probe, Lena used her reinforced Command Voice to demand that he drop his shields instantly. When he didn't, the gunmen adjusted their aim. She added that she had two more sources of information to choose from - the other two men in the car. She played his emotions with all the virtuosity of her years of experience.

He looked at Angel and trusted her implicitly. He proclaimed that he was one of the good guys, not one of the ones who shot her. After looking at her impassive face, he briefly dropped his shields.

Lena had heard of the ASA, but not much. It seemed very likely that he was telling the truth. He certainly seemed to think so. At a gesture from her, the "men" withdrew and then vanished.

A quick conversation followed, while David found, and continued tracking, the other group. The man was part of a squad assigned to watch Angel. He didn't know why. He did know that the plan did not call for her to catch a bullet or a tranq dart, so when she went down he reacted. Yes, he had been aware of the other group stalking her. No, he didn't know who they were. The other part of his squad - the ones who hadn't been transporting Angel - were following that other group.

Lena caught that he actually had two sets of orders, which came down through channels from two different sources. The other set explicitly called for his squad to protect Angel, without letting her - or anyone else - know that was part of their orders.

He jumped when Robin asked "What is the smallest tracking beacon you guys have with you?" He indicated that he had, among his things, a small bottle with some rice grain sized devices. Another small device would activate them and track them.

She gave him back his gadgets, and had him activate five of the trackers. Then one by one, they vanished. She suggested he call his by now puzzled and worried friends, and have them track the devices. He asked where they went, and she just said that she planted them on the men in the other group, in a way they were not likely to be able (or willing) to get rid of them.

*She put them in their scrotums.* Lena told Angel and David. They both turned a little green at the thought.

Lena told him about the possibly suborned police officer, and the group jailed after being caught trying to bug Angel's house. He told them that his people would take care of things, and that they should keep their heads down and let the professionals handle it.

They assured him that they would, then Robin sent him back to the car. After he was gone, she saw that she had forgotten to return something. She wondered what Lena's mother would think of the garment. The ASA agent had a much larger build than Lena's father.

The team contacted Angel's mother and father. After giving them a chance to make excuses, Robin transported them to the basement as well. Once everyone was assured that they were all right, they went upstairs. While David kept an eye on the real attackers, Robin went next door to check out the place. A quick skim back through time showed no signs of entry from the time Angels parents left to the present. Back in the present, she brought the parents over one by one.

Lena relayed the information that Angel would remain next door for a while, in case a bug or two was missed. She assured them that arrangements would be made for their cars.

Angel called the ASA man, and asked him to have the two cars checked for tampering, then delivered to her house. She was mildly surprised with how readily he agreed.

Angel caught some motion out of the corner of her eye, and saw the now visible Robin slump to the sofa. She had exhausted herself with all her efforts. Within moments, she was snoring softly.

"Do I really snore like that?" Angel jumped at the voice behind her. It was Robin, fully rested and wearing different clothes. "I recovered for the rest of the day and night, and now I'm ready to go. But first..." She vanished, then her sofa self vanished. The newer version returned.

"I always sleep better in my own bed. Besides, I like what Mom made for dinner." she grinned. "I had seconds."

"It sure seems useful," Angel commented, "for you to be able to flit around like that."

"That's not a bad idea." Robin replied, somewhat incongruously. "What do you think of Flit for a name?"

"Clit?" David half smirked, distractedly.

"No, Flit! You twit!" Robin replied.

"Works for me." Angel smiled.

"Why not?" Lena gave a wry half smile. "It's no more hackneyed than Radar."

"It's better than Captain Peeper." David commented absently. His attention was still mostly elsewhere. Literally. Then he went on.

"Radar," he sounded concerned, "what would they be doing at the police station?"

"Giving themselves up?" Angel quipped.

Robin smiled, but Lena joined David in looking distracted. Angel and Robin decided to leave them to it.

It wasn't until later that they learned what had been happening at the police station.

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

The apparent leader of the group walked in and found the Police Chief. He handed him a document, which the Chief did not like one little bit. He tried protesting, but was rebuffed.

"Sorry, but the federal charges supersede your local case. And the judge agrees. This is a matter for Homeland Security and the Federal courts now. So please produce our prisoners, and let us get on with it."

It was not quite that easy. The Chief checked with their named superior, his own liaison, and the judge's office. All three verified the authenticity of the documents and agents. The Chief reluctantly exchanged the prisoners for a signed receipt.

The attackers and their manacled prisoners got into a van with Federal plates, and left. They said nothing en route to the Federal Center, which seemed in keeping with their apparent roles. Once inside the building, however, that changed somewhat. They went to a part of the complex which was devoted to HS, and through a special, locked door.

The prisoners were released from their shackles, and silently disrobed. So did the attackers. Their clothes were sent down a chute, and they went through what David recognized as a decontamination shower. It did not look pleasant. David thought that the next step, the enemas that the prisoners endured, were a bit of overkill... until an alert tone drew their attention to a screen. They had flushed out two tracking devices in that way, in addition to the others which had been on their clothes and in their hair.

The devices were not apparently as small or sophisticated as their ASA counterparts, which remained undetected.

They moved to the next room, and put on jump suits provided there. They also started discussing what went wrong.

"Your identities are hopelessly compromised. We will have to produce new ones. In the mean time, you will remain out of sight. How did you come to be captured?"

"The creature's mother came home. Apparently, there was some sort of incident at the school, and the girl needed new clothes. The mother arrived in time to see us enter the house, and called the police. Our comm units went dead, so we were not able to get any warning about their arrival. And the rear doors and windows seemed to be welded shut. They knew how many of us there were, and where we were."

"Unfortunate. What about our contacts in the department?"

"They were unavailable, and unable to intervene."

"Worthless. Well, for the moment you can fill your time producing a detailed report. The Elders will want a full accounting."

The prisoners were shown to a small office, where they collaborated on a report.

The others changed back into their thoroughly inspected clothes, and dispersed. Their apparent leader went to what appeared to be an office set aside for his use, and sent a brief, heavily encrypted report to a department superior. He then summoned Tele Taxi, which took him to D.C. in a few brief jumps. He went to the office of a major functionary in Homeland Security, but when David tried to move his point of view inside, he was blocked.

In fact, he found himself back in his own body. And a little nauseous. And hungry and thirsty. David hadn't made much of a deal of it, because it was a sore point with his girlfriend, but the range of his power was worldwide and as far out as the moon. Lena's was much more limited. As was Robin's teleportation. The distance didn't seem to affect how much energy it took, either. But there were limits to how long he could keep his telesense relocated.

But that didn't account for what he experienced. His best guess was that he ran into some kind of a shield, specifically designed to stop people like him. Probably people like Lena, as well.

He contacted the ASA agent, and relayed his observations to that point. They were still tracking the attackers, and advised him to get some rest. No matter how polite their words, their message was clear: Butt out!

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

David and an equally tired Lena went up to her bedroom, cuddled for a few moments, then fell asleep in each other's arms.

Lena's mother was surprised to see Angel and Robin in the living room when she got home, but not unduly so. When she asked about Lena, Angel told her she was upstairs, sleeping with David. She looked amused, but went up to check on them anyway. She was reassured when she saw them fully clothed.

She invited the girls to stay for dinner, but they declined. Robin flitted next door, to check the situation, then returned and sent Angel home. Then she went home, herself.

As Angel and her family went through their evening routine, happy to be together again, they were unaware of the figure watching their house from the shadows. And that watcher was equally ignorant of his own watchers. All told, it was a very boring watch.

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

Nearby, a meeting was taking place. The ASA man the friends had captured, dressed in his more customary black suit, was briefing an important visitor. "It seems clear that the group that attacked the O'Connor girl is the same organization that compromised your database. They are partly an organization in their own right, and partly a rogue element within Homeland Security. The two parts are coordinated by a regional HS director, who apparently reports to someone else."

"Their party line is the usual Purist screed, but they seem to have been energized by the outbreak of AMORFS. They are almost certainly behind the Wilson disappearance, as well as others."

"But their pattern is not quite the same as other groups. They have ignored obvious opportunities, and put disproportionate resources into seemingly low value actions, like this one. The lower echelons are the usual kneejerk zealots. We suspect that the higher levels of the organization have some other agenda."

"How so?"

"Timing, for one thing. Last year, when there was that debate about reducing the domestic activities of Homeland Security, there was a series of particularly public attacks. A different group took the blame, after apparently taking public credit for them. But we have reason to suspect that they were set up by this group. The end result predictably benefited the HS contingent of the group, and their immediate superior. There have been other, similarly suspicious incidents."

"How many members are there?"

"There seem to be about 65 of them, total. The low level agents think there are a lot more, but that seems to be a function of the secrecy and isolation. And possibly deliberate deception on the part of their superiors."

"In addition, they have a network of sympathizers, recruited in much the same way as they approached that local cop. There may be a few dozen of them."

"Are you going to move against them?"

"Yes. They are a clear threat. But we are hoping to develop more reliable information about them first."

"What do you know about that Homeland Security director?"

"Career man, clean background. Good at departmental politics, but not spectacular. No real sign of a patron. Only two real anomalies. He sends coded email messages to an unused account. There are no records of the messages being read, which indicates the intended recipient has a high enough access to get the messages without leaving the usual trail. We have been able to break the primary encryption, but the messages themselves employ some sort of large key encryption."

"And the other anomaly?"

"An apparent taste for old science fiction. He has a number of such books in his office. The most heavily used one is something called 'Foundation and Empire', the second book of a trilogy. Does that mean anything to you?"

"Not really. Anything else?"

"They have a man watching the O'Connor house. We have a team watching him."

"Thank you. My regards to the monochrome trio, if you see them." She got up to leave, then turned for one last comment. "I'll be in the area, with mysteries of my own. Let me know if you need me."

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

The next morning included a breakthrough in temporal mechanics. Robin got (somewhat indirectly) information from her future self, and the universe didn't implode. It didn't even burp.

At the beginning of the school day, Lena got two messages about the same thing. The first was from Cassandra, warning of an impending attack against Angel that day, after school. The other was from Later-That-Day Robin, describing the place and nature of the attack.

It seemed like the only people not involved would be the people who attacked her the day before. Although Robin wasn't clear about the details, there were two opposed groups of Pures, and a group of Supers. There were also some ASA people, police, and Park Rangers. After the first group confronts and assaults her, the fight quickly escalates to a near riot. Angel isn't hurt beyond her ability to heal, but several others are.

When The group were discussing the issue, they didn't notice Robin coming up to them. It seemed that her stealth powers had spurred her to develop her more natural skills as well. She had gotten to the point where if you weren't watching for her, you generally wouldn't notice her approach or arrival.

She seamlessly joined in the brainstorming, adding some really creative ideas and insights. Just before they all split up to go to their first period classes, Angel realized what had happened.

"Crap! Robin, when are you from?"

"Now. Why?"

"We just passed on information from your future self."

"Oh. I guess the world won't end, after all." She grinned, then turned and sprinted for class.

Angel shrugged and took off on her own sprint. The halls resounded with "No running!" in an asynchronous chorus of adult voices.

Strangely enough, that day's Morf Awareness class was about, well, morf awareness. More specifically, about the additional perceptual abilities of some morfs. He started with some of the more common things, like extended vision, hearing and smell. He then went into the opposites, like loss of color vision, near/far sightedness, blindness, deafness, loss of tactile sensitivity, and so on. Then he touched briefly on extrasensory perceptions, like telepathy, telempathy, and telesense. He said that they would cover those in more detail in a later class. The rest of class was devoted to the special perceptual abilities of elementals. She got thoughtful looks from some of her classmates as they streamed out of the room to go to their next class.

Through the day, Angel started to get a feel for what was happening - with a little help from Lena. The Pures were splitting into two camps. Apparently, a large part of the Pures community was not all that fond of Barb in the first place. The authority of her father had gone a long way toward holding the group together. With him gone, they were polarized by Barb's abrasive personality and childish tantrums. The final blow came when her ill conceived attempt to frame Angel backfired, costing the Dean his career and bringing shame to the community in general.

Her supporters were mostly the lunatic fringe of the Pures, her handful of personal followers, and some with close relationships with those followers. The others, the ones who considered themselves good, moral people and considered morfs to be de facto neither moral nor people, were distressed and somewhat disgusted by the criminal activities and high handed, antisocial behaviors of Barb and her closest followers. To them, she was human, but morally suspect at the very least.

The Supers were getting angry at the attempts to frame and defame a fellow morf, and the way Barb's remaining followers were more or less openly plotting another attack on Angel. They decided they wouldn't strike first, but if they saw Angel, or any other morf, being physically attacked or threatened, they would act. And in the mean time, they would keep an eye on Barb's fan club.

Angel didn't know it, but one of the final pieces happened while she was out for Athletic Challenge. One of the fence sitters among the Pures made up her mind. She could not, in good conscience, support the followers' plan. She used one of the school computers, and a "borrowed" login, to email a report of the planned attack to the police, with a copy to the State Park rangers.

The ASA team would be watching Angel for the same reasons they already had been watching her.

After school, Angel was seen walking down the shortcut path as usual. For some reason, none of her friends seemed to be with her. But there were groups of students ahead of her and behind her on the path, so it would have seemed relatively safe. The group behind her seemed to be in a little bit of a hurry, and were slowly catching up to her.

To the lurker in the shadows, and the police and rangers watching from a slight distance, she didn't seem concerned about the other people as she rounded the curve to the place where she was attacked the day before. Not even when the group ahead of her turned and started advancing on her and the group behind her moved to catch up.

Both groups - actually parts of the same group - looked angry. This was the part that both Cassandra and Robin agreed was the flash point. The wrong move at that point would touch off the predicted riot. Angel seemed to ignore all that, and kept walking.

The watchers noted, with varying degrees of interest, that the boy at the forefront of the group in front of her - a large, second string football player - was wearing leather welding gauntlets. There was no indication that Angel noticed or cared.

There was no real avenue of escape, anyway. The group behind her was at least as strong and angry as those in front of her, and each group had started spreading out to prevent an escape to one side or the other. She seemed oblivious to that as well.

When she reached the group blocking her way, the boy snarled, and reached his gauntleted hands out to grab her.

End Part 18

Angel's Tale: A MORFS Universe Story
By Joreymay

Angel and the gang defuse a confrontation. Sanura checks out the Spa. David's family is attacked. Angel is attacked. Mrs. Tabor takes extreme action. Pope Hill takes adverse action. What pieces of the puzzle have Angel's father and Dr. Miller figured out?

Part 19

When she reached the group blocking her way, the boy snarled, and reached his gauntleted hands out to grab her.

She walked right through him.

A few feet beyond them, she turned, sighed, and shook her head as though she was sorry for them. Then David let the illusion fade slowly away.

They stood there dumfounded. With all the things they had been rehearsing in their heads, from mayhem to martyrdom, they simply had not considered the possibility of that happening. They stood around silently, digesting this new development, until the next wave of people - the newly opposed Pures - arrived. When asked about Angel, the would be attackers just waved mutely down the path. The new group saw that there were no signs of a struggle, and moved to follow the path in the same direction.

Their movement brought the others out of their shock enough to start moving as well. They dispersed, as they had planned to after the attack. But they simply walked in their various directions, rather than running as previously planned.

In the shadows of the nearby trees, a dark, virtually invisible figure chuckled.

Safely at home, thanks to Robin, Angel shook her head. Lena, Penny, and Robin (or a lack of additional Robins) all confirmed that they seemed to have defused the situation for the time being.

There was a call from the spa, asking whether she could take three appointments that evening. She knew it wasn't urgent, since they had her eCom number and hadn't used it. She called her mother to clear it, and then called the spa back to confirm. She would eat dinner there. She called Robin and asked for some transport, "just in case." She touched bases with Lena, who was in a position to immediately tell David, then went to her room to get ready.

When they arrived at the spa, Angel was surprised to see Robin follow her in and thumb in. Robin grinned, and explained that she was now one of several 'porters under contract to the spa. She got standard employee benefits, and a generous fee for each flit. Not anywhere near as much as Angel got for her work, but generous.

She also told Angel that there was a sort of union for business teleporters, like the one for medical bio elementals. Hers was bigger, but not as pushy. They did have enough clout that certain parts of her contract were less restrictive than their counterparts in Angel's. Especially the no-compete clause, which was effectively missing. Not only could she work for other, similar businesses after her relationship with the spa was terminated, she could work for them while she was working for the spa. As long as the duties didn't interfere with each other.

In case of conflict, the spa would have the priority claim on her services. Not that it mattered at the moment, since it was her only customer just then.

She also told Angel that Mrs. Tabor was somehow aware of the other aspects of her abilities. From the way she said it, it seemed apparent to Angel that her friend didn't know about Mrs. Tabor's abilities.

*That's correct, my dear.* came a familiar voice in her head. *And I would greatly appreciate it if you treated that knowledge as a very important trade secret. Which it is.*

They fetched their tablets, and checked their schedules. Robin had one other pick up that evening, and was scheduled to take Angel home after her shift. Angel's appointments were all students, with remaining damage from the cafeteria battle.

The unusual part was the mixture. Two boys and a girl.

Since they both had time, the girls decided to eat dinner in their street clothes and then change into their working clothes.

She was not surprised that the boys were both morfs, with the usual range of superficial battle damage. The girl, however, was a bit of a surprise. She was a prominent member of a group related to the Pures. Unlike the Pures, they accepted - even appreciated - morf induced "powers". However, they drew a very firm line at hybrids. Especially those with a distinctly non human appearance.

Angel recognized her from that afternoon. She had been among the second wave of people coming down the path. Or the third, if you counted the second half of those who were there to trap her as a separate wave. She was from the group that seemed intent on rescuing Angel from the Pures and Pure Sympathizers who had surrounded her. Or, at least, her image.

Angel took extra care with her, making sure skin tones blended and so on.

In the end, Angel ended up with about $200 in tips. And Robin got a $50 tip, much to her amusement.

"I could get to like this," she cracked, when they were alone together.

Angel learned that Robin was in the same Homework club as her. They both knew they were expected to work on it in their free time between clients. And they both knew that help was readily available.

They made the trip home in their school clothes. Angel got home in plenty of time to watch the news with her family, before getting ready for bed.

One of the local items caught her eye. A recently unemployed man in their area had a particularly odd reaction to a version of one of the AMORFS virus triad. While it was not entirely uncommon for MORFS to turn a young adult into a teenager, or even a much younger child, this was a middle aged man who was restarting puberty. The nightmare aspect came from the fact that it had not turned him into a teenager. He was a middle aged man going through an almost unprecedented second puberty.

Various medical authorities speculated about what the unidentified man could expect to experience. Growth spurts, hormone spikes, even acne were discussed. One thing they all reluctantly agreed on was that he was vulnerable to MORFS again. And he was showing early signs of stage 1. Given the unknowns involved in someone that age going through MORFS, he would spend the critical stages under intense medical observation.

There was a little commentary at the end to the effect that he was a member of a group with a particularly high statistical incidence of AMORFS, so authorities did not consider the new variant to be any more of a threat to the general public than the original triad was.

Angel shuddered, having altogether too good an idea who that man was. And what his former job had been. The last she had heard, he was on unpaid leave and only contemplating resigning. But that could have changed. Or the news could have gotten it a little wrong.

Her father noticed her reaction, and grew thoughtful. He had seen it before. Daughter or son, Angel had always had a sense of social responsibility and empathy. But this was something else. Something personal. Sometimes, when they saw news reports of such infections, she took it personally. Other times, she just reacted to the unfortunate circumstances of the victims.

The only thing that would seem to explain it was that she somehow felt responsible for the infections. She had a good head on her shoulders, and one thing she did not have was an overdeveloped sense of guilt. Was it possible that she really was responsible? Or that she had some reason to believe she was?

He didn't know enough about her powers to know whether it was possible or not. But if it was at all possible, he had no doubt that she would have found a way to do it. It was not in her nature to use her powers maliciously. Even when she was a boy, he never used his strength or abilities that way.

But morfs, especially relatively new morfs, sometimes lose control. Especially under stress. If the man in the news report was the Dean, she could well have slipped when he was unjustly attacking her.

And it could work both ways. Those friends of hers, with the rare combinations of morf abilities. Could she have done that, too?

In the end, it didn't matter. He would be there for her, to support her and let her have the time she needed to work things out. And protect her if and when she needed protecting.

The only real question was whether his wife knew. Or suspected. And there was only one reasonably safe way that he could think of.

After she went up to bed, he thought *Lena? Can you hear me?*

*Sure, Mr. O'Connor. What can I do for you?*

*Does my wife know about that aspect of Angel's powers?*

*Not that I can tell.*

*Does she suspect?*

*Not really. She has had some passing thoughts, but that's about it.*

*Please don't tell Angel that I know. If and when she wants to tell me about it, I will be available to her. I assume she feels she has good reasons to keep it between the two of you. Thank you for being there for her.*

*You're welcome. Good night.* Lena didn't have the heart to tell him about the others who knew.

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

Dr. Miller had a lot of questions, and far too few answers. She decided that the next day, while Angel and her friends were at school, would be a good time to check out the spa where she worked. She had heard of the place, with its reputation for impeccable service and haute cuisine, but had never been there.

It catered to a fairly exclusive crowd, but her name opened a lot of doors. She called and made a reservation for a late morning massage. Once she gave her name, she was given a slot without further question.

As the lights in Angel's house went out, the watcher - and his watchers - settled in for a long night.

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

*Angel! Wake up and throw some clothes on! David and his family are in danger, and we might need you!*

Angel was wide awake and moving. *What's the situation?*

*Cassandragram. Someone with a grudge against his dad is about to bomb their house.*

*Are they out?*

*Not yet.*

*Get Robin to take them to her house, top priority. Even if they're naked, the empty house frees us to act!*

A few seconds later, while Angel was putting a t shirt on, Lena got back to her. *Done.*

*Can you read the bomber?*

*Yes. But he's hired muscle. He doesn't know who hired him, and he knows that his bombs are not the only part of the attack. The bombs are detonated by remote.*

*Damn! Time left?*

*About ten minutes. Start out back. Oops!* There was a short delay, and the now dressed Angel ran to wake her parents. *Sorry.* Lena came back. *That was for David. He's searching the house for other bombs.*

*Ask Robin whether she can sense other teleporters or aporters in action.*

*Yes.*

*Can she block them?*

*She thinks so.*

*Get her there.*

*Already there. She'll send the bombs to the reservoir when they get planted.*

"Mom, Dad! Get up! There's an emergency at David's house." Angel called through their door, after she opened it. Then, to Lena, *Is she intangible?*

*Not yet... Yes.*

*What else did Cassie know?*

*Multiple attackers. Guy behind them has a solid alibi. Without intervention, David's family would be dead and the guy behind it would get away with it.*

*Shit!*

*Really. Wait...*

*David dropped the bomber.*

*How?*

*Made some of his blood into the stuff from your tranq dart.*

*Ouch! *

*What does Cassie think now?*

*David and family seem safe. House still in danger.*

*Robin?*

*Safe, as far as she sees.*

The clock was still running, and they still had an explosion to avert. What made big explosions?

*Do they have any explosives in the house?*

*No. Wait... Got it!*

David came up with the vital link. Gas. He used his power to block the gas line well away from the house. They had Robin open windows and doors. Cassandra gave the ok.

It was well thought out. The leaking gas would have kept them unconscious, until the relatively small explosions from the bombs would set off the huge gas explosion - destroying the house and the people inside.

With the immediate danger defused, they had time for subtlety. David crippled one of the bombs in a way that made it look defective. Robin 'ported the bomb back into the hands of the unconscious would-be bomber. She then jumped to Angel's house, and carried her invisibly to his side. With all but one finger intangible, Angel was able to simulate a partly healed penetration wound on his neck. It was all but identical to the one she got in the attack on the path.

Robin spent a busy night. Once the remaining bombs exploded at the reservoir, and nothing happened to the house, she returned David and his family to the house. They called the police, reporting the unconscious man with the bomb. Robin short-hopped back through time and through space, invisibly following the bomber backward to the time and place he got his instructions.

Once she found that, she returned to the present for Lena and a vidcam. She took them back, and recorded the exchange between the bomber and the man who hired him while the invisible (thanks to Robin) Lena fished through their minds. They returned to the present, and copied the video to a chip. Robin planted the chip on the bomber before the police arrived.

Her part done, Angel and her parents went back to bed. As their parts in the proceedings ended, the others did likewise.

The next morning, as the friends dragged their sleep deprived bodies to school, Angel found out the rest. For a change, it had nothing to do with morfs. The person who set it all up was a businessman, who was very upset about a legal matter in which David's father represented the other side. He had plans for avenging himself on the clients as well, but their lawyer was his first target.

If the police hadn't found the incriminating chip, they wouldn't have caught him with the transmitter. He might have gotten away with it.

But they did, and he didn't.

The only one of the group who looked well rested was Robin. But to her, it was almost mid afternoon. The others shot her dirty looks.

While they plodded through their classes, Dr Miller was investigating the spa. Her information only served to confirm that it was what it seemed to be, an exclusive, expensive, well run spa. The owner and her deceased husband both came from old money. Their children were grown and successful. The spa employed top notch people, and paid them well. There had been a few scattered accidents over the years, but their record was better than most comparable facilities.

She arrived early for her appointment, and requested a tour. Apparently, from the young lady's reaction, it was not an uncommon request. She was impressed with the facilities, but a few things caught her eye. There were hidden cameras in the halls and many, if not all, of the rooms. Every staff member she saw carried a fairly high end tablet. And the only rooms she was shown, other than the dining facilities, were empty.

The staff was friendly without being familiar, and attentive without being intrusive. In short, they were clearly well trained.

As she relaxed and enjoyed her massage, her mind drifted over what she had been told about the would-be kidnappers. In particular, she wondered about the meaning of the well thumbed copy of "Foundation and Empire".

Sitting in her office, Mrs. Tabor caught that thought, and its context. She shook her head a little sadly, having a good idea about the relevance of the book. She typed a few things into her system, making arrangements for an evening trip.

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

At lunch, David was muttering something about needing more vowels. While it reminded Angel of a board game with letter tiles and a game show that was on something like its tenth resurrection, she couldn't figure out what he was talking about. She looked a question at Lena, who only rolled her eyes and gestured an invitation for Angel to ask him.

"Ok," Angel asked, "Who needs more vowels, and why?"

"Our group does." He replied, as though it was obvious. "Making an acronym from our names, the best I can come up with is 'FARCC' - maybe the 'FARCC Force' or something. But you know everyone is going to say it like 'farce'."

"What does it stand for?" Angel asked, feeling a little slow.

"Flit, Angel, Radar, Cassandra, and the Captain." He announced, with a satisfied grin.

"We can recruit Otter," Robin suggested.

Everyone agreed that she was a good friend, but they didn't have a good idea how she would fit in with the project. Maybe there would be times when they needed some muscle or something.

In the end, nothing came of the discussion. Almost nothing. It became apparent that all of them really did consider their little group a team of sorts.

After school, Angel learned that she had a couple of late afternoon clients at the spa. The work would be purely cosmetic, and not too difficult. Robin also had some work, including transporting Angel.

When Angel thumbed in, she was directed to Mrs. Tabor's office. When she got there, her employer was welcoming but uncharacteristically reserved. She seemed to have things on her mind - more than the subject of the meeting. Once Angel was seated, she began.

"We have another client for you, if you're up to it. A young woman who is getting married tomorrow, into a somewhat prominent family of Central American descent. Some of her soon to be in laws, who were not expected to attend the wedding, have arrived. If you are up to it, she would very much like you to regrow something long lost."

"I'm at full strength, and the other client requests are pretty trivial for me. It shouldn't be a problem. How... uh... discrete would I need to be?"

"This isn't a matter of state. Feel free to leave your signature. In fact, I would encourage it. It seems that some of those relatives may have indirect ties to some of the foes of your one time royal client."

"No problem, then." Angel smiled.

"Let someone know if you need anything." Angel recognized the polite dismissal, and smiled as she stood up and left.

When she got back to the employee area, she called her mother and told her about working late. She said that the spa would contact her if the shift took long enough that an overnight stay was required, and that she would be having dinner at the spa.

Both of Angel's early clients had dates that night (or "social engagements" as her briefings put it), and were getting a variety of procedures done by other staff members. Her parts were fairly superficial. One needed a tan evened out, and a little cosmetic work on the face. The other had a tattoo she wanted to be rid of, and a couple of small scars to be removed.

She had time for dinner and some homework before she needed to get ready for her more challenging client. Robin was busy with some other work, so she ate with a couple of the other employees she had met.

When she started studying her notes for the bride, she saw that she was not much older than Angel. Less than two years, in fact, although she looked younger than that. Her "cover story" was the fact that she was there to get ready for the next day. She would be getting a soak of some sort, a massage, and all sorts of beauty procedures. Her hair, finger and toe nails, and so on would be done to perfection. Her bridal shower would be in an event room at the spa later that night. In addition to the main procedure, Angel would be fixing a few facial blemishes.

When her cue came, she "appeared" and started with the face. Then she moved down to where an operator had just finished removing most of her pubic hair and styling the rest. As the operator moved out of the way, Angel stepped in and got to work.

Without the need for stealth, Angel found the process much easier. She used a balance of her own energies and the bride's, and let it find its own pattern. While she no longer got any thrill from the idea - much less the reality - of having her fingers in another girl's vagina for a couple of hours, her focus on the process kept her from thinking about that aspect. In the end, she was a little tired but nowhere near exhausted. And she felt a certain pride in a job well done.

When she had changed back into her own clothes and gotten ready to leave, Robin showed up to take her home. Angel noticed that Robin looked even more tired than her, and got an impression of her being a little out of phase. Like she had time traveled and wasn't quite back to her "home" time.

They both agreed that they could not talk about what they had done, and that a quick snack and then a flit home would do them both a world of good. As they were munching, Angel learned that she had gotten a tip from the bride. A thousand dollar tip. Either she was incredibly grateful, or the procedure was billed at a whole lot more than anything else Angel did there. Or maybe a little of both. She would eventually find out how much her commission from the procedure was, and she made a mental wager that it would be a lot.

After the snack, and the usual business of getting ready to leave, the trip home was quick and welcome. Robin barely said hello to Angel's parents before flitting home. After exchanging some vague pleasantries with her parents, mostly about "how it went", Angel dragged herself up to her room, quickly got ready, and flopped into bed.

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

The number two man in Homeland Security was working late. As usual. He found it useful to do some things when he would be free of interruptions. So he did not exactly welcome this interruption, in the form of his door opening. His locked, electronically controlled door.

He was even less happy to recognize the woman who walked in. Moved by a lifelong impulse, he stood to greet her.

"What are you doing here, after hours?" He kept his tone civil, but disapproving.

"You have been a very bad boy, Johnathan. You've used your little group of bigots to push you up the career ladder, and to take your petty revenge on some people. And all that time, you were the very thing you encouraged them to hate and fear."

He worked hard to keep from showing how badly her words rattled him. "What are you talking about?" He asked, with feigned indignity. "More importantly, how did you get in here?"

"Kidnapping, killing, framing other groups of bigots for your activities. Shameful."

He didn't have to take this. She would feel better about him, would respect and approve of his power and position. She would...

"Oh, Johnathan." she shook her head. "Such a feeble attempt to misuse your abilities once more."

He was shocked. She shouldn't have been able to shake off his projected empathy. Especially not so easily. In fact, she should not have been able to do anything with her own abilities. Not in the suppression field flooding his office. It was carefully tailored to allow only his powers of perceptive and projective empathy to operate.

Her look was sad, like a disappointed mother confronting her errant child. "You never did understand the nature or extent of my abilities. Even then, so long ago, you thought I was just a silly girl who could sometimes read minds."

"And your sad little ego games. Really, Johnathan, styling yourself after The Mule? Using that book for your secondary code? Did you really think nobody would put it all together?"

He sat there silently, beginning to comprehend his situation.

"What will they think, those people of yours? Who would believe it? You, of all people... an illegally unregistered morf."

"You..." He began.

"Oh, no. I have all the paperwork proving that I registered. It was not my fault that the record was lost in that system conversion all those years ago. And of course, I would not have any way of knowing that had happened. You, on the other hand, just hid your status, That was naughty, Johnathan."

She went on. "But you have been naughty in so many ways. So very many ways. The guilt is weighing you down."

He started to become genuinely afraid, as he became aware of the waves of guilt washing through him.

"Oh, yes. You have reason to be afraid. What will they think when they find out? All those small minded people you used, what will they do? And your peers and superiors in the government?"

She let that sink in for a moment, then went on. "There really only seems to be one way out, But you cannot take that step. Not yet. You are not certain what lies beyond, but one thing is clear. If you carry all those secrets and deceits with you, you will never find peace. You will feel so much better when you finish unburdening yourself."

A sense of certainty filled him, as he thought about that. He was startled to notice his hands moving, almost of their own volition. Opening the hidden files, typing out a confession of his status and clandestine activities, laying everything out in detail. It was the most important thing in the world. And it helped him keep from thinking about what was next.

Finally, after working under her patient and strangely benevolent gaze, he copied everything to a datachip. He ejected the chip, and sent a copy of the information to his superior - attached to his resignation. As he handed her the chip, he did feel a sense of relief, of a tremendous burden lost.

But it wasn't complete. And she reminded him about the rest.

"There is really only one thing left to do. You do not want to face those who followed you. Not when they know how you deceived and betrayed them. And your friends and colleagues? You have nothing left to tell them. There is really only the one way. I will let you have some privacy now. Find peace, Johnathan."

With that sad goodbye, she stood and left the room. After the door closed behind her, she sighed at the barely heard sound that made its way through all that insulation. She was sure that the gunshot made a terrible mess of the office. In a matter of seconds, there was another kind of silence. She truly hoped he found some measure of peace.

Downstairs, as she prepared to leave the building, she silently handed the chip to a black dressed woman of her acquaintance. She nodded, smiling mirthlessly at the notion of such a person officially being known as a color. At least, as far as she was officially known at all.

They went their separate ways, without further comment. The woman met up with a teenaged girl, and they walked to a nearby coffee shop. Once inside, they headed toward the restroom and then vanished.

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

Angel woke up slowly, enjoying the luxury of a late morning. She had a theater inspection that day, at her convenience, and a couple of late afternoon clients at the spa. Otherwise, the day was hers.

*That's what you think.* Snickered a familiar mental voice. "You up for running the Hill this afternoon?*

*I guess. I have a couple of clients at the spa, later. Will it be before or after?*

*Before, I think. And it should be an easy one for you. Most likely, she will either be rejected or punished.*

*How come?*

*She's from a different, sort of anti morf, group.*

*Sort of?*

*They accept people like us, who look completely human and have powers. They also accept those who look human but did not get any powers. But they completely reject absolute hybrids, or even those with significant non human features.*

*Like David?*

*They're not as clear on people like David. Some call him an angel, ironically enough. Some think of his wings as a power rather than an animal characteristic. But others consider him a part animal because of them, and reject him. She's one of those.*

*Why bother with her at all?*

*We want the down side to be known. The idea that the Spirit of Pope Hill has its standards, and if you don't measure up you don't get what you want. And if you really piss off the Hill, you get something you don't want.*

*What does she want?*

*Power. She changes her mind a lot, but she wants to be some kind of elemental or converter, so she can use her power to "put those animals in their places." Not a nice person, inside that pretty little head.*

*A good candidate for a turn down. Anything else and I would want strong assurances. I don't want another suicide on my conscience.* Angel was adamant about that.

Lena understood. She remembered Angel's anguish when she heard about the AMORFS inspired suicides.

Angel had another thought. *What about the timing? I can do my theater later this morning, and maybe even take in a movie. But the appointments at the spa are pretty fixed.*

*Worst comes to worst, Robin can flit you forward or back in time to make things work.*

*Ok. Gotta go... I smell breakfast!* Angel was already up and moving, wrapped in her old bathrobe. Ok, not so old, she realized. Just not as nice as the new one she would soon be able to wear.

The theater inspection went routinely. She was mostly inspecting recent shipments of snacks and looking for potential hotspots in the concession area. The manager congratulated her on her accolades at the meeting, and left her to it.

It was a little windy as she left the theater. Suddenly, some people were looking above her head and a couple were screaming. She looked up just in time to see some kind of translucent black shield deflect some falling chunks of the building. About the time they struck the shield, she heard the sort of ping and whistle that movies used for ricocheting billets.

As quickly as the shield had appeared, it was gone. Angel ran back into the theater, and got the manager. He sent his assistant out to block off the area and preserve the scene, then called the police. Angel called the office, to let them know as well.

When the police got there, they quickly ruled out accident. It was clear that the masonry had been deliberately broken. It was clearly an attack. The only question was whether it was aimed at Angel personally, or at the theater. Even that seemed to be cleared up fairly quickly, when the police found the remnants of a vanisher bullet. It was clearly an attempt to kill her, and make it appear superficially like an accident.

While an officer was taking her statement, he got a call and let her know that the person who dropped the masonry, and fired the shot, was in custody. He finished taking her statement, then moved on to other witnesses.

Angel was more puzzled than anything. She figured that she was probably in shock or something, but she was spending more time and effort wondering about the shield than about what it averted. What was it? And Where did it come from?

*From your Dr. Miller. She's been watching you.*

*Lena! I thought you couldn't read her.*

*It comes and goes. She has a shield, but she doesn't always have it up.*

*Not that I'm not grateful for the save, but why is she watching me?*

*She's suspicious. She doesn't believe the Pope Hill story, and doesn't believe that David and Robin are coincidences.*

*What does she know?*

*No idea. I only had a few seconds to get what I did.*

*Damn. Are we still doing the Hill thing today?*

*She's on her way. Are you ready to leave?*

*Give me a minute.*

Angel went and checked with the manager. The police had her contact information, and he had things well in hand. She was already thumbed out, so she told Lena she was good to go. Lena told her that Robin would teleport her, and had her get to somewhere she wouldn't be noticed.

She checked the break room, and it was empty for the moment.

*Ready for transport.* She grinned, using the words from an ancient vid.

A moment later, she found herself in Robin's living room. It was apparently functioning as Pope Hill Mission Central, from the look of things. There were snacks and drinks on the table, and David and Lena were standing facing each other, with Penny just to the side. They murmured things to each other, apparently reinforcing telepathic statements.

Robin took Angel aside, and explained what she had missed.

"Our subject is on her way there. We have time for a brief experiment we wanted to do." She waved her hand to indicate a potted plant on the table. "We want to see whether you can scan someone while I have you invisible and intangible. We'll use the plant for the test. Ready?"

Angel nodded. Robin hugged her, and vanished. Angel looked at the plant, and chose to understand it's biological nature. She got the feeling she had done so, even to the point of knowing where there were small areas of damage that she had not seen. "Got it."

"Now try to do something to it."

Angel accelerated the growth of one leaf, then stopped it a moment later. Even invisible and intangible, she could use her elemental field.

"Ok," Robin said. "Now give it a virus."

Angel had to stop and think for a moment. She had encountered plant virii before, but it had been a while. Then she got one, and her powers created it and prepared it for delivery. But when she tried to pass it to the plant, nothing happened.

"Doesn't work. I can prepare it, but I can't give it to the plant."

"I was afraid of that." She seemed to adjust something, and Angel noticed a slight breeze on her fingertip. "Try it now."

Angel reached the finger over and touched a leaf, expecting the transfer. This time, she felt the familiar jolt. Looking at the leaf, she could see the slow spread of the virus.

"It worked." She announced. Robin appeared, and grinned.

"I made your finger, well... part of it anyway, tangible but still invisible. That will work." Robin went on to explain their plan. Robin would take Angel to the park, and they would invisibly and intangibly follow their subject. When Angel had enough information, she would "tell" Lena, who would "tell" Robin. Robin would teleport them back to the house. When they had decided what to do, Angel could deliver the packet - if any - with her invisible finger at the same time that the illusion touched the girl's chest.

Angel had a worrisome thought. "Where's Dr Miller?"

"With the police. She's the one who captured the guy who tried to shoot you."

Angel shuddered at that. Until that moment, she had not really accepted that the sound was a shot. Much less one aimed at her. Seeing her distress, Robin hugged her and they sat on the sofa for a few minutes. Angel found the contact comforting.

"She's at the park." Lena announced. It was clear that she was describing the subject, not Dr. Miller.

Robin looked a question at Angel, who nodded. They stood up, and then they were at the park watching a girl park at a nearby picnic area. She just sat in the car for a few minutes, as though she was debating her plan or getting her "wish" together. Angel made use of that time, gathering the necessary impressions through the open car window. When she was ready, she let Lena know, then found herself back at the house. In the arms of a visible, grinning Robin.

What followed was a quick, intense conference. Apparently, the girl's thoughts made it clear that she wanted powers to "smite" the "subhuman" hybrids. She even had some ideas - some very ugly ideas - about what she would do.

They agreed that it was fitting, if somewhat regrettable, to make her a furry hybrid. David suggested a prairie dog hybrid, and Angel found that she could do it. Down to the short, black tipped tail. They quickly refined the plan, with Penny predicting that suicide would not be a problem as long as they left her the ability to speak.

The time came and, with a final check on the status of Dr. Miller, Angel and Robin went to do the deed. The girl had the look of a mouse facing a snake as the image moved toward her, but she didn't move.

At least, she didn't move until Angel touched her. Then she collapsed on the ground, in a heap.

Back at the house, they watched as Lena and David kept tabs on her. Angel and Robin both reached for the refreshments, to rebuild their expended energies. Angel hadn't used all that much, but she still had the appointments at the spa.

With that thought, she asked Robin whether she would be flitting her to the spa. She said that she would.

A few moments later, the others joined them. The consensus was that everything had gone well. Word would go out that the Hill still worked, and that it punished certain kinds of malicious requests. And none of them had apparently been anywhere near the girl before, during, or after the event at the Hill.

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

Some miles away, an eCom signaled a call. It's owner smiled as she watched the data flow on the screen. The three dimensional chart it displayed told her just what she expected to find. A police officer standing nearby shuddered at the sight of her needle sharp teeth.

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

Later, at the spa, Angel was studying her client backgrounds. While both were cosmetic, the second was not quite the usual thing. It was an all over body thing, but instead of a tan, she wanted her tan removed. She wanted her body and face to be the color of the skin near her pubic mound, and her breasts the same pale, creamy color all over that they were on the protected underside. She also wanted a few stretch marks eliminated.

Angel understood when she actually saw her client. She recognized her as a well known actress, who was supposed to be receiving some sort of award that evening. Angel didn't remember whether the ceremony was supposed to be in New York or California, but she guessed it really didn't matter. She wondered whether Robin would be doing the transport duties.

Angel felt a small twinge of remembered reaction, from all the times her former self had imagined the scene before her: the actress, completely naked and on display, waiting for her special caress. Of course, when she had those fantasies she was a teenaged boy.

Angel saw that while she was working on the skin, others would be working on her hair and fingernails. Her toe nails and pubic hair had been done.

Noting the neatly trimmed and shaped pubic hair, Angel set to work. She took in the basic information she needed, then paid particular attention to the areas that were to provide color for the results. She found the stretch marks, and eliminated them first. Then, starting from her left foot, Angel worked her way up her body. She was careful to reach places like between her elaborately pedicured toes.

When she was up to the woman's navel, she was startled to hear herself addressed.

"Can I ask you a question?" The actress inquired, politely.

"Of course." Angel kept her tone professional, with pleasant overtones. Just as she had heard the others do.

"Why do you have to touch every part you change?"

All in all, a reasonable question. And the answer was no secret. "I am a bio elemental, but not a powerful one. My field only extends about a quarter inch from my skin. And I need some of that quarter inch to get deeply enough into your skin to get the effect you want. I am very sorry if you find the contact unpleasant."

The woman was quick to respond. "No, the contact is not unpleasant. The feeling was a little odd when you removed the marks, but the rest has been like a gentle caress. If anything, it is very pleasant." She closed her eyes, and relaxed.

Angel had continued her actions while they spoke, and had started working her way around her well formed breasts by then. She was saving those for last, since their color would be a little different. Well, last on the front side, anyway.

As she worked her way up the woman's neck, she noticed that she was wearing no makeup. She also noticed two of the better makeup technicians were in there making preparations. Angel understood that the desired effect was somewhat unusual, since such preparations usually took place behind the scenes. And because every now and then the technicians would show the client something for her feedback.

The woman was no fool. She asked whether Angel could undo anything she did. Angel thought she understood where that was leading, and said that she could certainly do so with skin color, and could probably do so with some of the scars.

The woman asked that Angel temporarily change the hands of the technicians, one hand of each, to match her own new skin tone. That way, she could better see what they proposed. After getting nods from her two coworkers, Angel did so. She would have to stay at the spa until they were finished with her, so she could change them back.

Once she was done with her client's face, she did her breasts and then had her turn over so she could get her back. There was no question where her work stopped and started. Even relatively protected areas showed some color difference.

Her back went more quickly, since it was less complex in shape and there was less territory to cover. But Angel was every bit as thorough as before. The instant she was done, she stepped back and the makeup and hair people asked their client to turn over again. As she did so, Angel waited until her back was to her and then stepped through the hidden door.

Angel was done for the afternoon, other than restoring her coworkers' hands. She got her eCom from her locker and called home. She told them that she might be a little later than expected getting home, but should be there in time for a slightly late dinner. By way of compensation, she offered to bring home dinner from the spa. Her mother commented that the stew she was making would taste better if it sat overnight, anyway, and accepted the offer.

She contacted Robin to get an idea of when she would be ready to go home, then ordered the meals. Robin came and found her, and they decided to get a snack together. They got the herbal drinks from the service bar, and a sampler platter from the kitchen. Angel wasn't even sure what some of the things there were, but tried most of them and found them delicious.

They had just started in on the snacks when the makeup technicians stopped by. Angel restored the color of their hands and, while she was at it, healed a number of scars on both sets of hands. The women commented that no matter how careful you are, working with the things they did inevitably marked you sooner or later. They thanked Angel and, after a brief consultation, went to get their own sampler platter.

As they were settling in to talk and eat, a hand snaked in and grabbed one of the goodies. A familiar hand.

"Donna!" Angel smiled. "Pull up a chair and join us!" Angel introduced the two of them. Donna recognized Robin's name as one of the teleporters.

"Say," Angel asked, curious. "What was that you just ate?" It was a smallish disk of some sort of red meat, battered and fried. Angel recognized it as some sort of organ meat, but the cooking had rendered it too far from its living state for her to gather any information.

"Some people call them home fries."

"But they're meat, not potatoes." Robin joined in.

"That's right. They're Rocky Mountain Oysters, sliced, dipped, and fried." Donna grinned, reaching for a fried mushroom.

"Oysters?" Angel asked. She had eaten fried oysters (and clams) any number of times, and liked them. But these tasted nothing like them. She noticed Robin's rather strong negative reaction to the description, but could see that her friend was not sick or anything.

"Not the seafood kind." Donna replied, holding up a round of fried calamari as though to illustrate.

Much to Angel's frustration, neither girl would elaborate. She did notice that Robin gave her a funny look when she took another one to eat. And that Robin kept well clear of the few remaining ones.

She decided she was going to look them up, the first chance she got.

They sat there, talking and eating, until the reminder tone on Robin's tablet chimed. She grabbed the last potato skin, grinned, and left. Angel went to change, and Donna kept her company. On the way, Angel noticed that her tablet had some new information. The actress had given her a very generous tip. Out of curiosity, she opened a table that showed her recent earnings.

She stopped dead in her tracks. In a little over one work week, she had earned more than $50,000, including the tips. At that rate, she would make more in two weeks than her mother made in a year.

Donna saw her reaction, and what caused it. She knew it was from the "specials" of Angel's powers, but she was still impressed. "Just remember," she warned Angel, "some weeks will be busier than others. You are a premium commodity, and even the rich ones will tend to only use you for special occasions. Don't go too crazy with the spending sprees."

Her grin took the sting out of the final remark. Angel, still somewhat in shock, replied "Don't worry. Most of it goes right into my college fund."

"Planning to buy a college?" Donna quipped.

Angel laughed. "Who knows? If I can keep this up, maybe I could afford to." She closed the table on the tablet and went in to change.

While she was changing, her tablet pinged. By the time she looked, a few seconds later, she had four messages from coworkers. Each was asking for some healing, mostly of work related injuries.

Angel acknowledged the requests, then asked Donna how to get one of the training rooms for a little bit. Donna took her through the process, and they ended up with the same one they had used that first day. Donna grinned at that. "Our special place." she commented.

Angel messaged the others, asking them to meet her there. Donna's tablet pinged, sending her on some mission of her own. Angel was left to handle the crowd on her own.

The problems were surprisingly minor. Two burns, a cut (which was a little bit nasty), and a more interesting problem. A spilled container of dye had gotten on him. Most of it just hit his uniform and his disposable gloves. But there were areas on his wrists and face that were splattered. Worse, the dye had burned him there.

Working carefully, Angel took the face first. She carefully wiped off what little of the dye was still on the surface, then convinced his tissues to push out the remaining dye and heal the burns. She wiped off the dead skin and dye as it came loose. While she was at it, she asked his permission, then healed a few other scars on his face.

His wrists were somewhat easier, since the area of damage was so limited. She took the same approach, and was quickly done. He was followed by a man with a request for an almost-all-over tan. Or rather, to have his existing tan evened out and a few tan lines erased. He changed discretely into a thong swimsuit, then moved to the table. It took Angel relatively little time and effort to complete the work.

He thanked her, and invited her to call him any time she needed something. Or one of the men in her life did. He specialized in deep tissue massage and acupressure, but was certified in other spa specialties as well.

He helped her police the room (the real cleaning would be handled by the cleaning staff), then left. She logged out of the room, and shut the door.

After all that, she got another energy drink. She was far from exhausted, but she had done a fair amount of work in a short time.

Besides, she liked the drinks.

She was about halfway through it when she got two notices on her tablet. Robin was back, and her food was ready. She put away her tablet, then went to get the food. Robin met her on the way, looking a little ragged.

"Don't ask." was all Robin would say, rolling her eyes.

Moments later, Angel was home. It was hard to believe it was still evening, and the sun was still up. While the family gathered around the table and ate, Angel told them about her earnings. She repeated what Donna had said about differing weeks, but she was still impressed. Her father reminded her that part of that was her so called "signing bonus", which was a one time thing.

That said, he congratulated her, and acknowledged that she was making quite a lot of money. Both parents were happy to hear that she still planned on putting the bulk of it in her college fund. At that rate, she should be able to afford any school in the country, if she chose to do so out of her own pocket.

The news relieved her mother in another way. She had seen too many other kids and young adults - family members and children of friends - who had come into a little money and let it go to their heads. So far, Angel seemed to show no signs of following their bad example.

Later that evening, as Angel watched the news with her parents, she was excited by the news about the raids leading to the breaking of a ring of criminals operating as an anti morf militia. And that some of those arrested worked for Homeland Security, including one Regional Director. In particular, Angel was happy to hear of the rescues of Ms. Wilson and two other bio elementals the group had been holding prisoner. A few members were still at large, but the authorities expected to have them in hand soon.

As she discussed it with her family, they all but missed the more routine, if sad, report about the death of a high government official. Their attention was caught with the report that he had resigned, admitting that he was an illegally unregistered morf, the day before he died of a brain hemorrhage.

They had no way of knowing what the report didn't say - that the hemorrhage was caused by a small, high velocity piece of metal traveling through that organ. Or that the details in the admission had helped open the way for the raids mentioned in the earlier report.

Nor did they connect any of that with the apparently accidental death of a local police officer. They learned that he was killed in a shootout that afternoon, apparently a victim of friendly fire. When his picture was shown, they recognized him as the unpleasant Officer John, the one who had all but accused Angel of kidnapping and killing Ms. Wilson..

Angel smiled when the news turned to a lighter tone, announcing the winners at a gala event in Hollywood. Her client won not one, but three awards. And she felt a certain pride when she heard comments about how striking she had looked, with her unseasonably light skin and her breathtaking, if somewhat daring, gown. Apparently, it was made in such a way that you could glimpse most of her skin (other than her nipples and privates) through the fabric in person, but not through any video lens. Even the cameras could catch the large expanse of her back revealed by the backless gown, and the décolletage framed by the low neckline. They also commented on her spectacular hair and makeup.

Before getting ready to go to bed, Angel checked her eCom. She found a somewhat odd and ominous message from Dr. Miller, instructing her and her friends to meet her at the picnic tables near Pope hill Sunday afternoon.

*Lena?*

*I got it, too. So did David and Robin. Somehow, she seems to have missed Penny. I think she knows, somehow.*

*How? She was busy when we did the last one, and wasn't around for the others.*

*Dunno. I can't read her thoughts, but her emotions about the time she sent those read as a sort of satisfied certainty.*

*What do we do?*

*Meet with her. If she wanted to make trouble, she wouldn't need to go through all this.*

*What do the others think?*

*Robin is kinda tired, and says she's too tired to think anything. She'll be there.*

*David?*

*David will be there. But he is wondering whether he should bring his father.*

*Probably not a good idea. Yet. If we need him, we can get him pretty much on a moment's notice - fully up to speed.*

*Pretty much what I told David. Still, he's gonna check out the area before we go.*

*Sounds good. 'Night, Lena.*

*G'night Angel. Pleasant dreams.*

End Part 19

Angel's Tale: A MORFS Universe Story
By Joreymay

Busted! Angel tells her parents things she had avoided admitting to them. The powerful and mysterious Dr. Miller confronts the Pope Hill gang with what she knows. A less than satisfied "customer" tries to take it out on the hill itself. Is this the end of Pope Hill and the Pope Hill gang?

Part 20

When she got up in the morning, Angel realized that she hadn't told her parents about the meeting. In fact, she hadn't figured out what to tell them about the meeting.

In fact, there were a lot of things she needed to tell them. And despite Lena's reasoning, it could still come back to haunt her. Still... it was time.

Putting the conversation off, she showered and dressed before going downstairs. When she thought about doing her makeup and hair, she faced the fact that she was just delaying the inevitable.

Her parents were down in the living room, relaxing and reading the paper, when she went down. Before she could get past a "good morning," her mother told her that her breakfast was in the kitchen, staying warm for her.

It was tempting. So tempting to delay things that much more.

Not this time. "Could we talk, all of us, while I eat?"

They both looked up at her tone, and agreed. They got coffee, while she got out her pancakes and sausages. Her mother poured her a glass of milk, then they all gathered around the table. Stalling one last time, Angel took a bite of pancake and sausage together, chewed slowly, and washed it down with a swallow of milk. But she was too aware of two sets of eyes watching her, two people who were very important to her, waiting for her to speak.

"I, uh, have a meeting this afternoon, over at the State Park, with some of my friends." She saw that her parents were still waiting. "And Dr. Miller."

That got a reaction. Not a big one, but their attitude shifted from patience to concern.

"What is it about?" her mother asked.

"That's just it - we're not sure. But the fact that she is meeting us where we've been doing some things," seeing their reaction, she hurried to add "good things for people, it... well, it makes us think she knows some things about us."

Her father looked puzzled. "Can't Lena find out?"

"No, Dr. Miller is too well shielded. We don't think she means us harm or trouble. She has enough pull to do something like that without even talking to us. But she might know some things, and some of it is stuff you don't know yet."

Angel was a little surprised to see her father nod reflexively, as though he knew what she was talking about. Her mother just seemed concerned.

"Some of us have powers you don't know about. Including me. It's not my place to tell you about theirs, but you need to know the rest about mine." She took a drink of milk, then continued.

"You know that I can perceive and kinda control microbes and stuff, and that I can tell what MORFS will do or has done to people. But it goes beyond that. I can trigger MORFS in people, and make it do what I want it to." Her mother's eyebrows shot up, but her father seemed unsurprised.

"You knew?" she accused him.

"Let's just say I strongly suspected, from the things you were and weren't saying. Especially about AMORFS."

Her mother jumped in at that. "You started AMORFS?"

"I think so. I did something, at the rally, and we had been talking about how fitting it would be if something like that happened to all those bigots, so I think I might have started it."

"But you're not sure?" her mother prompted.

"I didn't even know I could do something like that, back then. And I didn't actually intend to do it then. It just seemed to happen."

"Who was this 'we'?" her father asked.

"The cousins and me. Janey and David. And none of us were serious. It was just one of those 'wouldn't it be great' things."

"That explains a lot." her mother nodded. "Especially your reactions to some things." Then her eyes widened as she thought it through. "David and Robin! Those powers of theirs didn't just happen, did they?"

"That was me." Angel squeaked, her voice small.

"And that whole thing you were trying to feed Dr. Miller about Pope Hill?"

"We think she found out, somehow. That was really all of us. Some of the stories were already there, so we just sort of used them as a pattern. Lena reads their minds, finding out what they want and how they intend to use it. Penny checks to see if doing it would cause a disaster, David makes an illusion of the spirit thing, and I make the virus and give it to them. And Robin makes me invisible while I deliver the virus. They don't know us, or that we're involved."

"They?"

"After David and Robin, there have been two. Both from Smokey Hills."

Her father remembered another reaction, and changed the subject. "Was the AMORFS thing your only accident?"

"Uh... maybe not. I think, maybe, I kinda accidentally zapped the Dean when he grabbed my arm to throw me out of his office."

"What do you mean, you think?" Her mother asked, sharply. It was a reflex, when faced with a partial admission by her child.

Angel flinched. "I didn't mean to do it! And I was not sure I even did anything. I was so upset that he was yelling at me for things he already knew I didn't do, that I barely noticed the feeling I get when releasing something like that. I wasn't even sure I did it."

"But when you saw the news report...?" her father prompted.

"The guy with the second adolescence. They said it was an AMORFS variant, and he was the right age, and just lost his job, and I might have been wishing he could be on the other end of what he was doing, and..."

"And you think it all came together." her father finished for her.

Head lowered, she squeaked out. "Yes."

"What will happen to him?"

"Um... if it's what I think, he'll probably be kinda like the twins. A furry young girl. And no powers."

"How young?" her mother asked, gently.

"Like, maybe, 12 or 13. Middle school age. Early middle school."

"Why that age?"

"I thought about him facing an unfair Dean, as a young and helpless girl. No Deans in elementary school."

"I guess that makes sense." she conceded. "You think Dr. Miller knows all that?"

"Maybe not about the Dean. But the Pope Hill thing, we think so. She must have found out something when we did it yesterday."

"Yesterday?" her mother asked, in her patented Disappointed voice. "When you knew she was still around?"

"We checked. She was still busy with the police, after she caught the guy who tried to shoot me."

"WHAT?!" Her mother's reaction reminded her that she had forgotten to mention the incident at the theater.

Angel tried making light of it. "Oh, didn't I mention that?" She immediately saw that had been a big mistake.

"No, you most certainly did not mention that."

"It's ok. She caught him. She's some kind of super powerful elemental herself. Something I've never seen."

"And how many times have you been shot at, that you haven't told us about?" her mother demanded.

"The other time doesn't count. It was just a tranq dart and..." she trailed off as she saw her parents' faces. Where was a mad bomber when you needed one?

"Um... that group they captured yesterday, the ones on the news? They were the same ones that tried to grab me a couple of days ago. The people we were talking about being a kidnapping threat, remember? Our team and the ASA guys..."

"Wait a minute. ASA guys?" her father interrupted.

"Lena says they're some sort of secret international agency or something. Kind of like Interpol I guess. Anyhow, the ASA guys saw me go down after I was hit..."

"You were HIT?!" her mother practically shouted.

"Let her finish, dear."

"I don't know how much more I can take."

"She's here, safe and sound. Keep that in mind while we listen. Go ahead, Angel."

"Um, when the tranq dart hit me, I did the bee sting thing and kept anything from affecting me. but I went down, like it had. The ASA guy was a few steps away, in smart camo. When he saw me go down, he grabbed me..." her mother took a breath, as though to interrupt again, but her father held up his hand, then gestured for Angel to continue.

After she finished describing the events, the table was silent. She suddenly remembered the food in front of her, and tried to fill the awkward silence with bites of her now cold food and drinks of somewhat warm milk.

Her father got up, refilled his coffee cup and his wife's, then took them into the living room. A moment later, he walked back in and handed one to Angel's stricken mother. A sip of the coffee seemed to bring her back to life.

"And..." she began, "And that thing at the Streights' house?"

"Totally unrelated." Angel assured them. "Just some guy mad at Mr. Streight for a legal thing."

They nodded at that. Then her father asked "Anything else you haven't told us?"

"Yes. But nothing dangerous or anything. At least, I don't think so. The rest is stuff that is secret because of other people. It's not my stuff to tell. Anyone."

"So..." Her father switched gears. "Who else knows about this power of yours?"

"Our team, obviously. Maybe Dr. Miller. Mrs. Tabor found out accidentally."

"How?"

"I can't say. One of those Other Peoples' Secrets things. Let's see... um... you two, and I think that's it. Oh, Janey and David might have guessed."

After another moment of near silence, filled with Angel eating cold breakfast and her parents drinking flammable coffee, her mother said "I think we should go to that meeting with you."

"I don't think that's a good idea. When we talked about it, David had the same idea about his father. We decided it would be easier without. And if you are needed, Robin can flit you there in an instant."

Her mother concentrated for a moment. "Lena says the same thing. And that she can fill us in, if necessary."

After another interminable pause, her mother asked "Why didn't you tell us all this before?"

"You were already so worried, and there was so much going on, and there were the things I can't talk about... it just seemed like the right thing to do. I'm sorry." she ended, miserably.

She found herself engulfed in hugs from both sides.

"We just worry, Angel. As I said before, it's in the job description. I understand there are things you can't tell us, about the spa and the theater, and maybe some other things. But I don't want you to hesitate to tell us the other things." She gave a little laugh. "Ok, there will always be things you don't want to share with your poor old parents, but I mean the important things. I would really rather find out about something dangerous from you than see it on the tube. Or hear about it around the office."

They put the dishes in the sink, and moved into the living room. Angel's father wordlessly handed her the comics and the sports section, her traditional Sunday favorites. She asked for the news section, and got it as well.

The paper didn't say much more than the news had about the busted ring. Or the death of Officer John. After going through the section, she settled in with the comics.

David gave them the all clear. Dr. Miller was alone, and there weren't any traps he could see. Lena agreed, saying that the Doctor was the only one in the area she couldn't read, and nobody else was paying attention to the picnic area.

Robin decided to conserve her energy, in case of some necessary action, so the four of them walked up to the tables from their nearby hiding place, while Penny remained behind. The doctor's greeting was friendly, if a little smug. She offered them some pizza and soft drinks, which Angel pronounced safe.

Then they got down to business. Dr. Miller had her equipment project a complex, three dimensional graph. "Do any of you know what this is?"

Fighting down urges toward wise ass remarks, they silently shook their heads.

"Each of you, when you use your powers, has a unique signature. An energy fingerprint." She picked up a familiar box, and casually pointed it toward Lena as she spoke. "When I spoke with each of you, this recorded that energy fingerprint for each of you." She glanced at the box. Then at Lena. "Everyone but you. This graph shows matches for all four of you, including the pattern I just got from you." she indicated Lena. "According to this, you were all using your powers yesterday, focused on an area near here. In fact, right by the Pope Hill marker."

"But you were..." David caught himself. "How far does that thing reach?"

"Not this one. I planted some sensors, suitably hidden, around the area a couple of days ago. This graph is from their data, recorded at a time when I was busy with the police." She looked pleased with herself, her ears erect and looking perky, somehow.

"You didn't really think I would fall for that ghost story you all told, did you? You told it well, if maybe a little too consistently. And that other person was close, but different enough to make your stories stand out."

The whole team looked embarrassed about that. And they were.

"I assume that yesterday's person would tell us much the same thing."

"Er... maybe not." Angel started. She had pretty much memorized the top down view of her own torso that day.

Lena interrupted the shame fest. "Speaking of yesterday's guest, we have a problem. She's on her way back here with some friends."

"Why is that a problem?" Dr. Miller asked.

"They have explosives."

They quickly outlined the previous day's event, and the nature of their target and her group. David took a look at them, then projected an illusion of them for the Doctor. He showed her where the explosives were, and where their car was. With that information, she called the rangers and reported seeing teens with explosives on the road to Pope Hill. She described the car, the teens, and the explosives. Then she described their location.

David warned them that the girls were about to come into view. He put up an illusion at the front of the picnic shelter, making it look empty but allowing them to see out. At a question from the doctor, he commented that as long as he wasn't hit or anything, shooting or throwing something through the illusion wouldn't disrupt it.

The teens, two boys and two girls, pulled their car off of the road at the place it was closest to the hill, then headed off on foot. David moved his point of view over to them, and then inside the explosive bundles. They were agricultural grade explosives with a common electronic detonator.

The detonator was a standard design, widely used for safety. It had a timer, which would arm the detonator when it counted down, and a radio controlled switch. The switch, which required a specific, digitally encoded signal, would cause detonation. The idea was that the timer would give the handler time to get away before the charge was armed, so an accidental signal wouldn't have unfortunate consequences.

David knew he could disarm the charges easily enough, but he would have to drop the illusion to do so. He was still somewhat limited as to the things he could do at the same time. Just in case it was needed, he got ready.

It turned out that it wasn't. The ranger vehicle pulled in behind the teens' car, and two rangers got out. As they started toward the teens, one of the boys spotted them and gave the alarm. They turned to run, but found themselves having problems.

The girl from the previous day found herself frozen with conflicting reactions, literally unable to move. The boy who gave the alarm tried to run, but his sandals fell apart, tripping him. The other boy got a running start, but found himself knocked over by a small black sphere. Which promptly vanished. The second girl got just two steps away before she tripped over an unseen obstacle.

The rangers had no trouble rounding them up. They found the detonator in the teens' car, and carefully disarmed and bagged the bundles. While they were doing so, two State Police cars pulled up behind the rangers' vehicle. The rangers turned the prisoners over to the others for transport, took a last look around the area, then left.

David dropped the illusion.

Dr Miller was mildly impressed. "You kids work well together. And you can think on your feet. That's useful."

"Uh... thank you." Angel said, speaking for the group.

"Now the question is, what to do with you." The doctor gave them a stern look. She seemed to think the issue over. After letting them sweat for a moment, she continued.

"I would like to know why you are going through this elaborate charade, before I make my decision."

"I want to be able to help some people with my ability to induce custom MORFS. But if word got out about my ability, I wouldn't last ten minutes. If I wasn't killed by hysterical morf haters, I would end up strapped down in some government lab or something, right next to my friends."

Dr. Miller shuddered, her ears drooping to the sides, and Lena got brief flashes of scenes in some sort of horrific medical lab and a sinister pale man. Then the doctor recovered, and looked around at the four.

"I understand your concern. But why all this?"

"It was a bunch of things coming together. The old stories were already around. We had been having a good time doing things together, even before David and Robin got their powers. And, uh... we probably watched a few too many of those movies where a group of specialists get together and do something incredible. It just seemed like a good idea." Angel fell silent, watching the doctor.

Lena was uncomfortable for another reason. Without apparently thinking about it, the doctor had shielded herself so thoroughly that even her emotions were not leaking out. If she didn't see her there, she wouldn't know she even existed.

Finally, Dr. Miller looked around at them. "I should probably stop you, before you do something we all regret." Then she smiled. "But as it is, you are a useful resource. I will keep an eye on you. So will the ASA. And maybe, just maybe, I may tell someone about this strange place called Pope Hill, and the things that sometimes happen there. Someone with a real need." She winked.

She turned to David. "I know some people who can help train you to use your abilities more effectively. When you're ready, call me and I'll put you in touch with them." She handed him a card.

Then she turned to Robin. "You have abilities you haven't told me about, and that's fine. But I would also encourage you to think about talking with those people." She handed her card to her, as well.

Then she turned to Angel. "We need to talk some more, I think. And we should probably include your parents." Angel couldn't quite read her tone of voice. It seemed serious, but not trouble-serious. More like "this could affect your whole life, for better or worse" serious.

Lena spoke up. "That sounds like an exit cue to me. Let's take the leftovers to my place."

They policed the area, throwing out the trash and gathering the leftovers. David gathered Lena into his arms, and they flew away. Robin picked up the leftovers, and vanished.

"I'll take you home." She stepped up to Angel, and a translucent black sphere formed around them. They lifted into the air, and quickly flew to the house. For form's sake, Angel invited her inside.

After exchanging greetings with Angel's parents, Dr. Miller took an instrument out of her briefcase and briefly waved it around the room.

"All right... the rest of you OUT! Angel and her parents can tell you about it later!"

At a questioning look from Angel's mother, she explained. "Three of Angel's friends, Miss Brown, Miss Morgan, and Mr. Streight, are spying on us. Miss Brown," she gestured, and a somewhat larger than Robin sized, opaque black ovoid appeared across the room. "It's rude to come into someone else's house unannounced and uninvited, to eavesdrop on a private conversation. I suggest you leave, before you embarrass yourself and your friends any more."

Robin found herself literally in the dark. And after that last comment from Dr. Miller, she found she couldn't hear anything, either. With a pout, she gave up and flitted back to Lena's house.

After removing the now-empty ovoid, Dr. Miller addressed an empty space in front of her. "And now you, Mr. Streight. I do not think your parents would approve of this abuse of your abilities. Particularly your father. Shall I call and find out?" She indicated her eCom. A moment later, she nodded and put it down.

She seemed to concentrate for a moment, and then she smiled. "Now that we have a little privacy, we need to talk. Usually, when someone tells a girl and her parents that the girl has a lot of potential, it is either followed by a recruiting speech or an expression of disappointment about the girl's achievements. This is neither."

"Your daughter is an incredible resource. And an incredible danger. If some of her abilities become known, the world will become a very dangerous place for her. Some people and groups would want to kill her outright. Others would want to control her, use her for their own ends. Some would go after her directly, others by going after her family and friends."

"On the other hand, she has made some very powerful friends. Some in terms of political and economic power, some in terms of more direct forms of power, and some both. That presents its own sets of dangers and benefits."

"For most girls her age... your age," she turned to Angel. "It is important to start thinking about the future. Especially about careers and other life choices. With the better known parts of your abilities, you can build careers that make your theater and spa activities look like typical summer jobs. You can also make a significant difference in the world."

"You might even be able to do both." She grinned. "But there are some options I would like you to consider. In the short term, there are some people I know who can help you learn to control your abilities and, perhaps more importantly, can teach you how to better defend yourself and those you care about. There is a price for that help, but you will know it going in."

"In the longer term, I would ask that you consider a career in MORFS research and treatment. Your special skills would be invaluable in that field, and could lead to significant breakthroughs."

"My grades..." Angel began.

"Your grades are not spectacular, but they're not all that bad. If you keep them up, or improve on them, you should find a number of schools interested in having you attend. Particularly in those programs. In addition to some of your own acquaintances, I know some people who might be able to help you with any problems with admissions or scholarships. In particular, I know a couple of researchers, a husband and wife team, who would pull pianos worth of strings to get you into one of the top schools in the country."

With the mention of a husband and wife team, Angel had a strong suspicion. "They wouldn't happen to be almost as feline as you, would they?" she asked, with a cheeky grin.

"Why," Dr. Miller replied, humor heavy in her voice, "now that you mention it, I do seem to recall a certain attractiveness in their family."

Angel's parents looked lost, so she explained. "The two Dr. Martins - and I don't mean the shoes - are probably the most prominent MORFS researchers in the country. If not the world. They are also suspected, in some quarters, of having something to do with AMORFS. They have published tons of scientific papers, most of which are way over my head. They pretty much wrote the book on MORFS - literally."

The conversation went on for some time. Angel was thrilled when Dr. Miller said she would try to arrange a meeting with a Dr. Martin or both of them. She promised to give serious thought to what Dr. Miller had advised, and to keep in touch.

When the doctor left, Angel had a talk with her parents about the whole thing. They assured her that they would support virtually any choice she made. They also reminded her that they put a high value on education, no matter what path she chose.

After that, Angel went next door and filled her friends in. They talked for a while, and generally hung out, but they had school in the morning and dinner waiting at their respective homes.

When Angel went to bed that night, her thoughts were full of the possibilities. Even after she fell asleep, she dreamed about the lives she might lead, and the choices she might make.

End

More MORFS stories can be found at http://morfs.nowhere2go.org/ along with more information about the MORFS universe. The (first) sequel to Angel's Tale will be posted here in the near future, and is posted there (not yet complete).