A Change of Heart
By Morpheus
The traffic passed by on the street, as did the pedestrian traffic on the
sidewalk, though it seemed to be barely noticed by the woman. She wore loose
fitting clothes and had dark hair that was pulled back into a sort of pony
tail. She quietly watched her surroundings through a pair of glasses, then
paused suddenly.
The woman glanced around her with darting eyes for several seconds, almost
as if expecting something unpleasant at any moment. However, once she saw
that it was clear, she let out an embarrassed sigh, shifting her grocery bag
to the other hand and then continuing down the sidewalk towards her home.
She frowned, hurrying up slightly, noticeably weary as well as wary. It
had been an extremely busy day and she was eager to get back to the comfort
of her apartment. Back to where she could relax without worry. At least for
awhile.
"Damn I can't wait to get home." the woman sighed. "Bubble bath, here I
come."
Several minutes later, the woman smiled, knowing that she was almost home.
There were only 3 more blocks to go before she could relax in her bathtub.
Suddenly the loud sound of tires screeching filled the air, causing her to
snap around in surprise, only to see a car flying down the street out of
control, heading in her direction, but not directly at her.
"Look out!" she yelled in warning.
Then, the car smashed into the corner of a pickup, nearly knocking both
into the air with the explosive collision and sending the contents in the
truck's bed flying in all directions. Without warning, a large piece of the
shrapnel caught the woman in the head... nearly obliterating it with the raw
force. An instant later, the woman collapsed to the ground... dead.
---
George Atkins frowned as he stared at the front page of the newspaper.
Once again it was covered with pictures of those super freaks. Those people
who were called 'developed'. Heroes and villains... or at least that was
what the papers called them. George just called them trouble. Each and
every one of them. All they ever did was fight each other in public and
destroy things.
"Put normal people in danger." he snorted, wondering what could possibly
drive people to put on silly costumes and run around like lunatics the
moment they gained super powers.
Then, George set the paper down, closing his eyes and taking a deep
breath. He didn't want to get excited. He couldn't let himself. Not anymore.
With a sigh, George opened his eyes and reached over for the small bottle just
an arms length away. A moment later, he swallowed another one of the pills
that he had grown to hate.
"Damn heart." George muttered, standing up and moving to the window.
It was a congenital defect according to the doctors. Something wrong with
his heart that was only getting worse with time. At 37, George had already
had 3 heart attacks and knew that he was in line for worse. It was only a
matter of time, and not a large amount of time at that. The doctors had
said that if he didn't get a transplant and soon, he was highly unlikely to
reach 39 and would definitely not make it to 40.
After staring out the window for a moment, lost in his thoughts, George
went to the bathroom and relieved himself before finally returning to the
newspaper. He only glanced through the latest alien invasion story,
preferring to look at the sports section instead.
Some time later, George was just folding the paper when the phone started
ringing. With a grumble, he reached for it, hoping that it wasn't another
telemarketer. Then again, he had a whistle sitting right next to the phone,
just for such occasions.
"Hello." George answered.
For the next minute, George barely said a word as he listened numbly to
the person on the other side. When he finally hung the phone up, he just sat
there for several seconds, staring at the wall. He could barely even
remember anything that had been said except for 4 words. "We found a donor."
---
George leaned back in his recliner, glad to finally be home after all that
time he'd spend in the hospital. But fortunately, just that morning the
doctors had looked at him again and decided that he had recovered enough
from his transplant to go home.
"Home sweet home." George sighed, never having imagined that he'd be so
thankful to return to his small apartment. However, there was no doubt that
it was much better than that sanitized prison they called a hospital.
"Maybe now I can get some beer and decent food."
After flipping through the TV channels for a few minutes, George absently
rubbed at the tender spot on his chest. The sutures had already been
removed and it was healing up nicely, but it still felt a bit tender and
uncomfortable. But not quite as uncomfortable as the thought of someone
else's heart being in him now.
"Good old fucking Frankenstein." he muttered, wondering if that was how
the monster felt.
But at least he was still alive and with luck, would remain so for a good
long while. At least if his body didn't reject the new organ... though he
was taking plenty of medication still just to help prevent that. But it was
no guarantee. As George was well aware, there were no guarantees except for
death and taxes. Even if the doctor had told him just that morning that he
was healing remarkably well and had seemed pretty optimistic.
With a grunt, George climbed out of his chair, wincing at the discomfort
from his chest and started towards the bathroom to relieve himself. Once he
was done, he stood in front of the sink, staring at his reflection with a
frown.
George was pale and tired looking from his surgery. His dull brown hair
was rumpled and messy, receding slightly in the front and thinning a bit in
the back. He looked down at his gut, remembering what the doctor had said
about watching what he ate and wondering if it might not be a good time to
loose a few pounds. Then again, he'd already lost quite a few pounds in
just the time he'd been in the hospital.
Then, George sighed and splashed his face with cold water to help wake
himself up. He turned and left the bathroom, daydreaming about a nice gold
beer and a thick steak. The very thought made him nearly drool, though it
was on the doctors 'forbidden' list.
"What he doesn't know won't hurt him." George mumbled to himself.
Returning to the TV, George sat and watched the news for several minutes,
grimacing when it turned to a story between the Protectorate and the Evil
Eight in Chicago. Even more so when it showed Vigil punching some armored
man and knocking him straight through the side of a building.
"Damn punks." George snorted. "Bastards blow up buildings and then get
called heroes."
George glared at the TV but kept watching the story, knowing that he
shouldn't let it get to him but unable to help it. He had realized just how
harmful these so called heroes were years earlier when one of them destroyed
his car in a fight. And of course the damn insurance company didn't cover
acts of 'developed'.
Several minutes later, George had nearly forgotten about the news story as
he watched what was on the news at that moment. He scratched at his arm,
then looked down in surprise when he saw some of his arm hairs coming out.
"What the hell?" George mumbled, scratching again and finding more hairs
coming loose. "Must be stress from the operation." George told himself, "Or
a side effect from these drugs."
With a shrug, George turned, then caught sight of the picture sitting
nearby. The picture that filled him with conflicting emotions. He knew that
the very sight of it made his blood pressure skyrocket, but that didn't stop
him from reaching over to pick it up. To stare at it silently. The picture
had a woman and two kids in it. His kids. And his ex-wife as well, though
he hadn't seen any of them in nearly two years. Not since the bitch had
divorced him then moved to the other side of the country, taking the kids
with her.
"Bitch." George spat, sitting the picture back where he found it... face
down.
Then, getting up again, George turned off the TV and started towards the
bedroom. For some reason, he didn't feel like celebrating his new heart like
he had wanted. Instead, he yawned, deciding that maybe the doctors were
right. He really could use some more rest.
---
The morning after George's release from the hospital, he stepped out of
his shower and started to dry himself off. Then, he glanced down and saw the
shower drain.
"What the hell?" George gasped, bending down for a better look.
It was hair. The tub, especially the drain was covered with small hairs.
With a frown, he remembered the day before and looked at his arms. His eyes
went wide as he saw that there was noticeably less hair. Maybe half as
much. And a quick examination over the rest of his body revealed that it
wasn't just on his arms either. The hair on his legs and stomach had
started falling out as well, though he couldn't tell from his chest since it
had been shaved for the operation.
Shaking his head, George decided he'd ask the doctor about it when he went
in for his next follow-up. Then, he stepped onto the bathroom scale and was
surprised again. The scale said that he'd lost more weight. Five pounds
since the day before.
George blinked in confusion. "I can't have lost THAT much hair." However,
that was what the scale said.
For several seconds, George just stared at the scale and then he looked at
his stomach, thinking that it did look a little smaller. But since he knew
that there was no way he could have really lost so much weight, he shrugged,
deciding that the scale had to be off.
"Might as well get dressed." George mumbled. However he didn't really see
why since he wasn't going to do much except hang around the house and watch
TV. At least until he was ready to go back to work.
---
The next morning was much like the one before it. George woke to find his
bed-sheets liberally sprinkled with his body hairs, then after his shower,
the tub as well. However, his own body was nearly naked of the hairs that
had thoroughly covered it just a short time alone. All except for the hairs
on his head and his pubic area.
George was upset at the way his body hair had fallen out, but not nearly
as much as when he'd weighed himself on the scale, finding that he'd lost
weight yet again. This time he'd lost over 11 pounds from the day before,
much to his shock.
However, George tried not to think about it. Tried not to worry about the
sudden weight loss, but he couldn't bring himself to believe that it was
just the scale. Not again. Not with his visibly thinner waist and the way
his clothes were all a little loose on him.
There was no doubt in George's mind that something was wrong. He couldn't
help but fear that it was something wrong with the transplant. Or maybe he
had cancer. That thought made him choke up, even worse than before.
However, he grimaced, telling himself that it was nothing, even if he didn't
believe it.
Finally, by the end of the day, George couldn't take it any longer. His
fears had nagged at the back of his mind throughout the whole day. Thoughts
of cancer or his new heart being rejected were too strong to continue to
ignore. He had to see a doctor, and he had to see one soon.
---
George gulped and stared nervously at the doctor in front of him. Dr.
Shamus had been the doctor to take care of most of the surgery, and had been
working with George about his heart problem for some time. George didn't
like doctors, but if there was any doctor that he trusted at all, it was Dr.
Shamus.
"Hmmm." Dr. Shamus mused, "Your body hair falling out is probably the
result of the shock to your system." He paused, "That isn't anything to
worry about and I'm sure that it will grow back soon enough."
Frowning, George nodded, "But what about this?" He patted his stomach. "I
mean, I've lost over 25 pounds since I got out of here a couple days ago."
Then he grabbed at his shirt which was hanging a little loose on him, though
not as much as his pants, "This can't be right."
Dr. Shamus frowned. "You know that's not possible. Not in such a short
time." Then at the look on George's face, he asked, "Have you had diarrhea
or any vomiting problems?"
"No." George growled impatiently. Then, he gulped and nervously asked, "Is
it being rejected?" He gently tapped at his chest, trying to hide the
fearful look in his eyes.
"Let me take a look." Dr. Shamus told him, pulling out the stethoscope and
getting to the checkup that was the real reason George was there.
A minute later, George had undone his shirt so that Dr. Shamus could get
examine him. However, Dr. Shamus stared at his chest with a look of
amazement, then blinked before slowly touching the scar from the operation.
"This isn't possible." Dr. Shamus whispered.
"What?" George demanded, staring down where the doctor was examining him.
"What's wrong?"
Dr. Shamus didn't answer for a few seconds, and when he did, he just
whispered, "Your scar."
George snapped, "What about it?"
"It's... It's healed." Dr. Shamus looked George in the eyes, his own eyes
filled with questions. At George's blank look, Dr. Shamus stood back and
said, "The incision wound is scarred over."
"But isn't that good?" George asked, feeling nervous and confused at the
same time.
"Normally yes..." Dr. Shamus said quietly, "but this scar tissue looks
several years old. Not several weeks."
"What?" George gasped, staring down at the scar on his chest in amazement.
He even ran his finger over the long scar, gulping as he did so.
Dr. Shamus didn't waste any more time being surprised though as he took
his stethoscope and continued his examination. There was a determined but
curious expression as he went about it, checking George's heart rate and
blood pressure.
Several minutes later, Dr. Shamus stood back and stared at George oddly.
George frowned, "Well? Am I rejecting it?"
"No." Dr. Shamus responded slowly. "Your body doesn't show any signs of
rejecting it, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it won't." He took a
deep breath, then said, "However..."
"However what?" George demanded, putting his shirt back on.
"Your new heart sounds strong and your blood pressure is good." Dr. Shamus
paused, "In fact, too good. I've never seen anyone recover from a major
surgery so rapidly." He stared at George for a moment before adding,
"ANYONE."
George stared at Dr. Shamus for nearly a minute in stunned silence. He
didn't know what to think. First he was told that there weren't any problems
like he'd feared, now he was being told that the only thing odd was that he
was healing too fast and was in too good a shape. He wasn't sure what to
think of that.
"Um... thanks." George finally told Dr. Shamus. "And you don't know why
I'm losing weight too?"
Dr. Shamus shook his head. "All I can guess is that your metabolism has
sped up for some reason. That might explain both the rapid scarring as well
as the weight loss, but to be honest... I've never seen anything like it
before."
George nodded weakly before thanking Dr. Shamus again. And after Dr.
Shamus promised to look into it, George left the office, not sure whether to
feel worried or relieved at what he'd discovered. Especially when he still
wasn't sure just what it was that he had discovered.
---
The old stairs seemed to creak with each step as George slowly made his
way upstairs, towards his apartment. Each creak seemed slightly threatening and
ominous, hinting at the buildings age. However, George ignored the creaking
as he always did, knowing that it meant nothing.
When George reached the top level, something nagged at the back of his
mind though he couldn't quite place it. Frowning, he adjusted his belt which
still seemed too loose, in spite of pulling it several notches tighter, then
continued down the hall towards his apartment.
"God damn weirdness." George grumbled, wondering at the same time why he
was complaining about losing weight. However, it seemed the right thing to
do, not to mention being an old and comforting habit.
Just as George started opening his door, the door across the hall opened
up and someone else stepped out into the hall and stared at him for a moment.
George just glanced over at his neighbor, the 19 year old girl Kelly. She
was about 5 foot 8 with a slender body and near shoulder length red hair.
Rather cute, he thought, though she was almost young enough to be his
daughter.
"Hey," Kelly greeted George, "I heard you were in the hospital. Are you
all right?" She actually sounded concerned, which left George a little
surprised since they barely even knew each other.
"I'm fine." George told her shortly, thinking that it was none of her
business. However, as he was about to go inside his apartment, he felt a
faint twinge from the manners that his mother had tried instilling in him.
After all, Kelly had only tried being nice. George looked back at her with
a scowl and forced himself to be nice back, "I had a heart transplant, but
the doctor says I'm healing fine."
Kelly winced. "Ouch. That's gotta hurt."
George nodded, feeling uncomfortable talking with the near stranger, "It
did. A lot."
"At least you're healing all right." Kelly responded, moving closer. "I'll
bet your family is pretty relieved."
George froze at that and glared at Kelly. Kelly gulped and stepped back,
"What's wrong?"
For a moment, George just stood there shaking as memories of his ex-wife
Angie filled him. Not all pleasant ones either. Finally, he spat out, "None
of your damn business." Then he went inside and slammed the door behind him,
still cursing the woman, though he wasn't quite sure which of the two he
meant.
---
It was late evening, nearly time for bed and George stood at his window,
staring out at the building across the street, though it was faintly
illuminated by the street lights and the lights from the windows. He frowned
as he looked at the corner of the building which was shattered and ruined,
the remnants of some super freak the week before.
With a sigh, George closed the curtains and absently scratched at his
chest for a moment. Then he tugged at his loose shirt, frowning as he thought
about what Dr. Shamus had told him earlier that day.
"He's a quack." George grumbled, making his way to the bathroom to get
ready for bed.
After George had relieved himself, he reached for his toothbrush then
glanced in the mirror, blinking several times as he realized that something
seemed odd. It took him several seconds though to realize what it was.
"My hair." George whispered, reaching up and gently tugging on it. His
hair was no longer receding quite as bad in front. And when he checked, he found
that it wasn't quite as thin in the back either. "My God. Did someone slip
me some Rogain or something?"
George continued to stare at his hair in the mirror for several minutes,
smiling in spite of himself. His thinning hair had been a mark of
embarrassment for some time, just as his thickening stomach had been. Now,
for some strange reason, both problems were going away on their own.
"I'll be damned." George muttered.
Several minutes later, George finished brushing his teeth and made his way
to bed. He went to sleep with a smile for the first time in as long as he
could remember. Maybe things really were going his way for a change.
---
George ran his fingers through his hair as he stood in front of the
mirror, feeling a little smug. There was no doubt in his mind that his hair was
a little fuller than the day before, not to mention longer by about an inch.
And as he examined his reflection, he could have sworn that his hair was
just a tiny bit darker as well.
"Not bad." George told himself, feeling rather proud. He patted his almost
flat stomach at that, glancing over the rest of his body which was also
noticeably thinner. "Who says you need to exercise to lose weight." He
chuckled at that.
With a chuckle, George reached for his razor and then paused, running a
hand across his jaw. There was a little stubble there, but not nearly as
much as there usually was. After a moment, he decided that it wasn't even
worth the effort of a shave. However, he continued to stare at his
reflection in the mirror, feeling rather satisfied that he no longer looked
pasty and unhealthy like he had.
Then, as George was looking at the fading scar on his chest, he froze,
noticing something odd. Pausing for a moment, he gently pushed at his chest
which had been itchy for the last day, only to find that his chest was
puffy.
"Oh shit." George gasped, suddenly fearing the worse. That he was infected
from the surgery, then he paused for a moment and realized that a little
swelling shouldn't be too unusual.
For a moment George just continued to touch his chest in the puffy spots,
then he shrugged, deciding that it probably wasn't anything to be worried
about. After all, the cut itself was scarred and looking fine, not to
mention the fact that Dr. Shamus had told him that he was fine.
Still, George couldn't resist muttering, "Those quacks never know what
they're talking about."
With a half hearted snort, George turned and started to get dressed. As he
did so, he couldn't help thinking about how good he felt for having a
surgery so recently. In fact, he actually felt better than he had in years,
no doubt due to the weight loss, not to mention the new heart. Either way,
George felt healthy enough to run several miles, though he had absolutely no
intention of doing so.
"I bet I could go back to work today." George exclaimed aloud, though he
had no intention of doing that either. Not when he still had several weeks
of medical time off.
Once he was finished dressing, George tugged at his shirt and frowned. It
was too loose on his shoulders now as well, though not nearly as loose as
his pants had become. Even the ends of the legs were beginning to drag on
the ground. Strange, but George didn't really think about it since it was
just one more thing among many.
For the rest of the day, George went to the theater to watch a movie,
which was a rarity for him. Then after grocery shopping, he stopped at a bar for
beer and dinner. Throughout it all, he kept absently scratching at his
chest through his shirt and adjusting his clothes. He suspected that
something was wrong but refused to think about it, telling himself it was
just side effects from the surgery and medication. Instead, he kept trying
to distract himself.
That evening, George finally made his way home. As he stopped to check his
mail in the lobby mailbox, he was somewhat startled to see Kelly already
there checking her own. For a moment, George paused, half tempted to
apologize to her for his comments the night before, then he decided to just
ignore her. It was certainly much easier.
"Um..." Kelly started, staring at George with an odd look. "Are you all
right Mr. Atkins?" She paused, "You looked... I don't know..."
"What?" George demanded with a snort.
Kelly suddenly brightened. "Oh, you did your hair." She seemed pleased for
a moment, but quickly frowned, "No, there's more. You just look different
somehow."
George gave Kelly an annoyed look. "I didn't do anything so you must be
imagining it." However, even as George said this, he wasn't so sure.
"That's okay." Kelly responded, "No offense though, but you do look a
little better than usual. Maybe it's just your transplant and all."
With a snort, George finished with his mailbox and started up the stairs
to his apartment. Kelly followed close behind, cheerfully talking with George
though it was nearly all a one sided conversation except for the occasional
grunt. That didn't seem to bother her though.
When George finally reached his apartment door a short while later and
Kelly called out, "Talk to you later Mr. Atkins. Hope you have a nice
night."
George grunted, feeling relieved but at the same time
rather... disappointed. He had to admit to himself that she was a rather
cute girl, and she did mean well. In fact, she was one of the few people
that even bothered to talk with him anymore. But she seemed just a bit to
much like a Pollyanna at times, which annoyed him at the same time.
Then, remembering Kelly's comments, George went to look in the mirror,
gasping when he did so. The reflection was still his own, but not the same
him that was there that morning. There was no doubt that his hair was
longer, by at least another inch, perhaps more. But it was darker as well.
And so was his skin, though not by very much at all. Still, it was a
noticeably difference from the pasty color from not long before. At the
same time, his whole face seemed somehow... smoother. Softer.
"What the hell kind of disease is this?" George grumbled, tugging at his
clothes.
Even George's shoes were loose, almost as if they'd grown at least a size
during the day. A minute later, George undressed and stared at himself
intently, carefully noting all of the changes, subtle as they might be. He
didn't know what was happening, but he knew that it wasn't normal. Nobody
had this happen to them, even after something like a heart transplant.
George had lost almost all of his bodyfat and his stomach was very
slender, even showing hints of his abdominal muscles. His arms and legs, now all
smooth and hairless, were thinner but firm and healthy looking.
However, George gasped at two of the most noticeably changes. The swelling
on his chest had gotten even worse, almost looking like some 12 year old
girl's breasts. Even his nipples seemed larger, which confused George.
"What the hell is wrong with me?" he demanded, beginning to grow even more
terrified. It only grew worse though as he looked further down. "My dick!"
He frantically grabbed at his cock, which was only half the size of normal,
as were his testicles. "My balls..."
For the next fifteen minutes, George held his cock and balls tightly, as
if they would shrink more or vanish the instant that he let go. He'd never felt
more confused in his life, or afraid. Finally though, he slowly pulled his
hands away and took another long look at his body, gulping fearfully as he
did so.
Taking a deep breath, George whispered, "I'm going to have to talk to that
damn quack again." He shivered slightly, promising himself to do that first
thing in the morning since he knew that it was too late at the moment.
Still, he was half tempted to go to the hospital emergency room anyway, even
though he hated hospitals. "Tomorrow." He promised.
With that, George started for his bed, trying unsuccessfully to ignore the
strangeness of what was happening. However, he knew that the sooner he got
to sleep, the sooner he'd be able to see Dr. Shamus. And hopefully find out
what was happening to him.
---
George stood, staring down at his phone nervously... nearly shaking as he
did so. He knew that he had to call Dr. Shamus and he wanted to call Dr.
Shamus, but he was afraid to do so. Afraid of what he might find out.
Taking a deep breath, George gulped and looked down at his naked body,
almost wishing that he hadn't woken up that morning. The changes, which were
so visible the night before, were even more so now. He'd nearly screamed
when he woke up and had to face them.
With that, George hesitantly touched the swellings on his chest, no longer
having any doubt what they were. "Tits." he growled, "I have tits." They
were small, but there was no doubt that he had a pair of women's breasts
now.
Then, George looked down at the rest of his body and grimaced. The breasts
weren't the only changes. His whole body was a little smaller... and firmer.
There was even muscle tone showing now. However, with the way his hips had
widened and the swellings on his chest, he knew that he was beginning to
look like a girl. And the fact that his cock and balls had shrunk further
only made him wince more.
"No." George whispered, reaching back and running a hand through his hair.
His hair that was several inches longer than the night before... and darker
still.
Even George's face had changed, surprising him when he first looked into
the mirror after waking up. Everything was subtly altered, making him look
like a stranger. Almost... like a girl. And younger at that. His eyes,
normally a dull gray, were now a very dark brown. His face was smooth, with
no sign of stubble. George's teeth had even gotten in on the act, becoming
straighter and growing a new tooth to fill in one gap.
Finally, George shook himself off and reached for the phone, taking a deep
breath before he dialed. Once George was past the secretary and passed to
Dr. Shamus, he started, "Hello..."
"And who is this?" Dr. Shamus asked cautiously.
George grimaced, realizing that even his voice was changing. After
clearing his throat, he said, "It's George Atkins." Pausing for a moment,
George started, "You remember those that stuff you were gonna look up..."
Several seconds later, Dr. Shamus answered, "I'm did some research on your
symptoms but was unable to find anything." After George let out a groan,
Dr. Shamus continued, "Why? Have there been more problems?"
"Well..." George started, clearing his throat again to little effect.
"If so," Dr. Shamus told him, "just come on in and I'll get some more
tests started on you."
George froze at that, groaning. More tests. As if he hadn't been given
enough the last time with the blood sample and everything. It was obvious
that Dr. Shamus didn't have a clue, and George grimaced to realize that
there was nothing the doctor could to. After all, he knew that his symptoms
were strange and doubted that any doctor could deal with them.
"No..." George told him quickly, "I'm fine." Then as George quickly hung
up the phone, he exclaimed, "Damn quack!"
With a shudder, George turned away from the phone, thinking of what would
happen if he let that quack go at him again. He'd end up in some sort of
freak ward being poked and prodded as if he was some sort of alien. That
was the last thing that George wanted, hating hospitals enough as it was.
Pausing next to his window, George stared out at the street below, trying
to think of what he could do. He certainly hoped that whatever was
happening to him was only temporary, but he was too big a believer in
Murphy's Law to be very hopeful.
Suddenly, George noticed something outside on the other side of the
street. He stared at a figure that was dressed all in some kind of dark blue
trenchcoat and hat, standing off to the side and seeming to look directly at
him. George couldn't make out any details, but he thought he saw some sort
of gleam of light reflected from the figures face.
"What the fuck?" George growled, stepping back and looking around for the
baseball bat that he kept handy. However, he felt foolish since the figure
was below and glanced out the window again, only to find that the blue clad
figure was gone. "Damn it."
After taking several deep breaths, George went and got dressed, though all
of his clothes were too large, including his shoes. Still, that was all he
had until he could get some more. He cursed the entire time he put on his
clothes then started for the door, silently promising that he was going to
kick the ass of whomever was responsible for doing that to him... then sue
the quacks at the hospital for every cent they were worth. After all, George
was sure that they were behind it... somehow.
"Talk about malpractice." George muttered as he left his apartment.
However, as soon as George stepped out the door, he knew that he had made
a mistake. That he should have waited several minutes or at least have looked
out first. Standing just across the hall, going into her own apartment was
Kelly.
"Hey Mr..." she froze and her eyes went wide as she saw him, "Sorry, I
thought you were..." Then she stopped and stared at him in disbelief. "It
can't be..."
George gulped, feeling suddenly humiliated at being seen like that, but he
quickly shoved that emotion away and growled, "Leave me alone."
"Mr. Atkins!" Kelly gasped, staring at him in shock, "It is you."
For a moment, all George could do was glare at her, covering his
insecurities with anger. He stepped forward, unable to miss the fact that
Kelly looked much taller to him. Almost looking him in the eye.
"I can't believe it..." Kelly gasped, staring intently at George, the easy
grin on her face replaced with a serious expression. "What happened to
you?"
"Fuck off!" George growled, turning around to leave. However, a pang of
guilt hit him for being rude, so he slowly turned back to Kelly who was
watching him silently. "I... I just started changing after my transplant."
he explained.
Kelly whispered, "Oh." Her eyes were filled with questions.
"I..." George gulped, then gestured down at himself with a grimace, "I was
going to get some new clothes." He felt embarrassed to admit as much, but it
felt good to let it out. To finally tell someone other than those quacks.
"Oh my." Kelly gasped, "I don't know what to say." She stared at George
for a moment longer before asking, "Does it like... hurt?"
Nodding his head, George started walking away but Kelly followed beside
him, obviously wanting to know and not letting him get away. "Please?"
"It doesn't hurt." George grumbled, slipping back into his normal grumpy
mode, "Maybe I'll talk to you about it later. Like I said kid, I've got to
get some new clothes."
Kelly snorted at that, continuing along with George. "Yeah, but I don't
think you have a lot of experience dressing in women's clothes and it looks
like that's what you're going to need."
"No way in hell!" George growled, "I ain't wearing no woman's clothes. I
ain't no damn woman." However, he silently added, "Yet." From what little
was left, he knew that it wouldn't be much longer at all before he was
officially a woman.
Kelly just snorted again at George's response. "Well, you'd look kind of
funny dressed in guy's clothes right now." Then, smiling gently, she said,
"If you tell me more about it, I'll help you shop for clothes. I know you
big macho men aren't very good at that." She laughed as she finished.
Taking a deep breath, George looked at her, secretly relieved to have
someone to talk to. To share his problems with. Then he nodded. As they
continued on their way together, George started to slowly tell Kelly
everything.
George and Kelly returned to the apartment building after two hours of
clothes shopping. Two hours that seemed nearly an eternity for George as he
suffered through the women's clothing and Kelly's constant chatter. She was
rather annoying with her constant cheerfulness, but he had to admit, she was
very friendly as well. Not to mention good at distracting him from his
greater problems.
However, after all that shopping, George only left with a few clothes,
suspecting that he was going to keep changing. At least for a little longer.
In the end, he only bought several jogging suits, his current size and a
little smaller, and two pairs of tennis shoes, one his current size and one
a little smaller.
They stopped in the hall outside of their respective apartments, standing
in an uncomfortable silence.
"You want me to come in and help you?" Kelly asked. She smiled as she
quickly added, "I can teach you how to put on makeup and..."
George winced, "No thanks." He prayed that he never changed enough that
he'd want to put that stuff on. However, he knew that if for some insane
reason he did, then he'd have his teacher right next door. "I just want to
rest."
Kelly nodded, "All right. See ya later then."
A minute later, George was back inside of his apartment, sighing in
relief. It had been interesting to talk with Kelly, not to mention educational,
but he was glad to be on his own again. At least for the moment, though he
knew that he'd talk to her again. It was a relief to have someone he could
talk to. Someone to listen.
"Home sweet home." George sighed, reaching up to scratch at his chin.
"Ouch!" He winced as his fingernails painfully scratched at his chin and
yanked his hand away, staring at it in shock. "Oh shit."
George's fingernails had grown longer... and sharper looking. They looked
almost like claws and had drops of blood along several of their tips.
George gulped and ran his fingers against his cheek, pulling them away to
see a little more blood.
"Damn." George whispered, rubbing the blood away with the back of his hand
and hoping that it wasn't too bad. "Better get a band-aid."
However, instead of going straight to the bathroom, George turned around
the corner into his living room to leave his shopping bag, then suddenly
froze in surprise as he saw that someone else was already there. Sitting on
the other side, in his recliner. It was a man, dressed in a dark blue
trenchcoat and with a matching colored wide brimmed hat. However, what
drew George's eyes the most was the gold metal mask that covered his entire
face. The face was blank and featureless, much like a mannequin's, with only
the two eye slits to reveal any humanity beneath.
"What the hell?" George gasped, dropping his bag and stepping forward with
his fists clenched, wishing that he'd grabbed the baseball bat from the
corner. "After I kick your ass, I'll have the cops take you away." George
bluffed, trying to hide his fear of the intruder.
"Please relax," the intruder said, standing up and holding his hands out.
Both were covered with dark blue cloves. "I mean you no harm Mr. Atkins."
George watched the man warily, burning with curiosity at who this stranger
was, not to mention anger at his breaking in. Taking a deep breath, George
forced himself to remain calm, or at least look like it. However, he
couldn't resist glancing towards the corner where his baseball bat rested.
He was sure that he could get to it before the stranger came at him. If the
guy didn't have a gun hidden on him that was.
"Who are you?" George demanded nervously, "What do you want?" Then feeling
stupid, he gasped, "I don't have any money, but you can take my TV..."
"I'm not a burglar." the man responded, sounding offended though George
couldn't see his face to be sure. "Actually, I might be able to help you."
"Me?" George was confused.
The man nodded. "I am called the Face." the man stated, then chuckled
slightly. "Ironic I know since mine is covered, but irony is what drives
many of us."
"What do you mean?" George asked, feeling even more confused... and less
threatened. The stranger... the Face didn't seem to really mean George any
harm.
The Face slowly removed his hat, revealing the black hair beneath it. "I
was once rather vain about my looks," he explained, "but now I am cursed to
wear this mask as it is all that holds me within this physical plane."
George blinked, not feeling any more enlightened by the Face's
explanation. Instead, he just wondered what kind of insane burglar had broken
into his apartment.
"I apologize for coming in unannounced." the Face said, sounding
embarrassed, "But I had to speak with you." At George's curious look, he
added, "I know what has happened to you... and why."
"WHAT?" George gasped, looking down at himself with a grimace then back at
the stranger.
"I only found out this morning." the Face said sadly, seeming to be
staring straight at George. "It's... spooky. Like looking at a ghost."
Gulping, George repeated, "A ghost?"
The face nodded. "It was your transplant." His voice choked slightly.
"It's turning you into the person it came from."
Then the Face gestured with his hands and his whole appearance suddenly
shifted. His trenchcoat and all of his other clothes turned to a dark gray.
While at the same time, the hair and skin revealed behind the mask
suddenly vanished, leaving the mask hovering in what seemed to be mid air.
The ball of light expanded in an instant and was suddenly the image of a
woman, looking slightly transparent. While at the same time, the Face had
returned to his previous appearance. George however stared at the image of
the woman in awe, recognizing the features as similar to what he saw in the
mirror. That was what he was turning into. Who he was turning into.
She was dressed in loose clothes that made her look a little frumpy. She
was just a little bit shorter than George currently was and had extremely
dark hair, almost black though with highlights of brown, all swept back and
pulled into a sort of loose pony tail. Her dark eyes were covered by a pair
of glasses that added to her frumpy image. Her skin was tanned, revealing
her non-Caucasian heritage. George guessed that she was at least part
Hispanic or Pacific Islander, though it was only a vague guess.
"Her name is... was Melissa James." the Face said quietly... sadly.
Suddenly the image changed. It was the same woman, but dressed nothing
like before. Her hair was free, revealing the pointed ears and the glasses
were gone entirely. She wore a tan spandex costume from her neck down,
though there were no sleeves, revealing her well muscled arms, though they
were wrapped with partial crimson bandages. There was a red sash that hung
loosely from her waist and a pair of sais strapped to her lower legs with
some sort of red harnesses.
"But I knew her better as Wildcat." the Face finished.
George just gasped, not sure that he could take another surprise. He
stared at the woman, who was obviously one of those super freaks. Just like
the Face obviously was.
"But..." George started, not sure what to ask as his mind was filled with
questions. He couldn't believe that he had some sort of super freak's
heart, then glanced down and quickly looked for the scar, seeing that even
that was almost gone. "But I..."
"We are... were teammates in Faction Zero... and friends." he choked at
the last. "She was almost impossible to kill." he whispered. "She healed
unbelievably fast. But then..." he gulped, "she was in a freak accident and
killed."
"I'm... I'm sorry." George said quietly, feeling horrible for the woman's
death, but at the same time unable to at least be thankful that he had a
donor. The mixed feelings swirled inside of him while the Face continued.
"We didn't know." he said quietly. "When she disappeared, we didn't think
anything about it. She's done it before on private missions. We all have.
It comes with the territory."
The Face was quiet for a moment. "After I found out... I was sure that
she'd come back. Her powers..." He paused again, adding, "Even Ms. Miracle
came back..."
George felt a pang of guilt, almost as if he was responsible for killing
this Wildcat woman. Then he asked, "But why the hell did this happen to me?"
he gestured down.
Snapping out of his distraction, the Face looked at George. "Because of
her powers. Her ability to heal from nearly any injury was in her cells. And
when you received her heart, that very power started to go to work. But it
was based on her body and DNA so it just continued to repair what it saw as
an error. Your body."
"Oh shit." George whispered. Then something dawned on him. "If her heart
did this to me... then what about other people who got transplants?" He was
horrified to realize that he probably wasn't the only one. There might be
others, all turning into clones of the same woman.
"No need to worry." the Face said quietly. "The kidneys and liver don't
pump blood throughout the body in the same way as a heart so they wouldn't
have anywhere near as rapid a reaction as you... if any." He paused a
moment, then added, "And I used a spell to remove that possibility
entirely."
"Remove..." George paused and looked down at himself, his mind quickly
scrambling. As hope started to dawn, he gasped, "Then you can change me
back to normal."
The Face shook his head. "If I had gotten to you soon enough... yes. But
it is too late now. You're almost all the way through and Wildcat's powers
have taken hold." He moved closer and ran a finger over George's cheek
where he'd scratched it earlier, "Healed. And those very healing abilities
would resist my changes. I am afraid that it is too late."
George gasped, staring down at himself once again before gasping, "Damn I
need a drink. A stiff one." He sighed and sat down, staring up at the Face
who no longer seemed intimidating.
After several minutes of silence, the Face said, "I suppose you will need
some new clothes." At George's reluctant nod, he continued, "I kept
Melissa's in case she came back, but now I see she isn't. You can have
those since they will fit you soon."
Once George had thought about it for a few seconds, not liking the idea of
hand-me-downs from the dead, but then admitting that it would make sense.
Not only would it save him money that he didn't have, but it certainly
couldn't be any worse than a hand-me-down heart.
"All right all ready." George grumbled, shaken but trying to act
confident. "Let's get going then."
But instead of heading for the door, the Face gestured his hand and
repeated the process of his coat turning gray while his flesh turned
invisible. Again, it only lasted a moment while he cast the spell,
explaining that the act of casting spells drained some of the energy needed
to remain stable in reality. When he was done, there was a glowing red door
in the middle of the floor that they both went through.
George looked around the new apartment he found himself in, feeling
uncomfortable. It was obviously a woman's. But at the same time, it did
seem a lot more empty than he would have expected. Not nearly as many
decorations or personal possessions.
"This was her home." the Face said sadly. "But I do not think that Melissa
would mind you having her clothes."
With that, the Face started for the bedroom and started packing clothes.
However, George made sure that he didn't pack any bras or panties since
wearing her underwear was definitely going to far.
Once several bags of clothes were pack, the Face reached into the closet
and pulled another box out. This one he opened slowly, almost reverently,
revealing the folded costume and sais that were inside.
"Her costume." he told George needlessly. "I'll keep this."
Then the Face paused for a minute before slowly turning towards George,
making him feel extremely uncomfortable. Almost as if he was looking into
George's soul.
"You possess her form... or at least will by the morning." the Face said
quietly. "And you have her powers."
"Powers?" George asked, gulping uncomfortably. The Face had mentioned
being able to heal quickly, but George hadn't really thought about it until
that moment. "Shit." he spat, "Me... a super freak?"
"Wildcat had several abilities which you shall soon possess as well." the
Face told George in a serious tone. "She could heal from nearly any
injury... so long as she yet lived." He choked at that. "She was fast,
agile and strong. To the best of human ability. Her senses were all
perfect, especially her vision. She could see in nearly pitch black as
clearly as if it was day."
George gulped. "Is that all?" He didn't know what to think about that. The
thought seemed... horrifying. He didn't want to be some kind of freak.
"No." the Face responded, reaching down for George's hand. "She had claws
as well... though she rarely used them, preferring to use her sais instead."
He paused for a moment, adding in a lighter tone, "She was a great fighter,
a martial artist, a courageous hero and... one hell of a dancer. But I don't
think that those come along with her face."
"Thank Heaven for small favors." George grumbled. Then he asked, "Can you
take me home now? I don't feel comfortable being here."
The Face nodded and once again did his gesturing. A minute later, George
had gone through the glowing red doorway and was back in his own apartment.
The Face barely said "Farewell." before he left through yet another magic
door, leaving George home alone... with a lot to think about.
---
George sat on the edge of his bed, staring down at himself as he did for
the last five minutes. Ever since he had woken up, knowing that his body had
changed more during the night. And as he stared down at himself, he was
sure that the changes had finally stopped.
Silently, George starred down at his smooth, feminine skin. It was several
shades darker than normal, but nowhere near dark enough to be considered
'black'. His muscles were all very firm, giving him an extremely athletic
appearance, though not quite that of a female bodybuilder. However, it was
very close. He held out his hands and stared at the fingernails that were
much more clawlike than before, sharp and hard.
Gulping, George gently cupped his breasts, guessing that they were about a
C-cup, though he was no expert. At the moment though, he absently wished
that he had taken one of the bras from Melissa's apartment. Then he would
know for sure.
Finally he turned his attention to the area between his legs, feeling
oddly calm. But then again, it was what he expected. What he knew would
eventually happen when he first realized that he was turning into a woman.
In fact, George felt almost... relieved. Relieved that it was finally over.
"Damn." George whispered, rubbing hesitantly at the feminine slit between
his legs. "I've got a fucking pussy." Then he chuckled slightly as he
realized what he'd just said.
It was sensitive though, and in spite of himself, George had to admit that
he was beginning to get turned on. His crotch began to get wet while at the
same time, his nipples started to harden, feeling almost like a pair of tiny
dicks with erections.
Taking a deep breath, George muttered, "Damn this is weird."
Then, feeling extremely curious, George stood up, frowning slightly at the
weight on his chest, not to mention his new balance. However, it wasn't
quite as noticeable as it would have been if he hadn't already started
slowly getting used to the changes over the last few days.
A minute later, George stood in the bathroom in front of the mirror,
blinking several times to make sure that he wasn't imagining it. It was a
beautiful, but strong looking face. The reflection was that of the same
woman the Face had shown him, though that was what he expected. Still, to
see it with his own eyes...
"Damn I look hot." George exclaimed in surprise.
After looking his body over closely in the mirror, George gently flicked
his now pointed ears, muttering about being a Vulcan. Then he opened his
mouth wide and looked at his teeth, noticing that they too had finished
changing. His canines were even slightly sharp and pointed, almost
fanglike.
George just stood there for some time, taking turns between staring at
himself in the mirror and staring down at his transformed body. It felt
extremely strange to think of this as himself, even if it had been building
up to it for several days.
"I can't believe this." George muttered. "I can't be no damn super freak."
With that, George remembered what the Face had said about powers, gulping
as he did so. Did he really have them? Did he want them? George didn't
know. But he knew that he had to find out for sure, just to satisfy his own
curiosity if nothing else.
For one thing, George realized that he felt extremely good. Or at least
extremely healthy. He didn't remember ever feeling so awake and energetic
early in the morning. Almost like he could take on the whole world. And at
the same time, felt extremely light on his feet and oddly graceful. Neither
'light' or 'graceful' had ever described him before. And as he flexed a
bicep, he realized that he felt strong as well.
Then, after hesitating for a moment more, George reached over and turned
off the bathroom light. And almost to his surprise, he could still see as
if the light was on. Even his reflection in the mirror, though everything
had a strange look to it. The colors were slightly off and just a bit
darker, but he could still see with ease.
Letting out a whistle, George exclaimed, "Wow." The Face was right, he
actually could see in the dark.
George turned the light back on and blinked a few times as everything
changed colors again, wondering about the other powers that he supposedly
inherited. He definitely didn't want to test the healing ability, then
reminded himself that it was already tested. There was no more sign of the
cut on his cheek from the day before than there was of the scar on his
chest.
It was then that George realized that Mother Nature was calling. He
grimaced and forced himself to sit down in the toilet, suspecting that this
was going to be messy. To his relief, he was able to pee just as easily as
before, though it did feel a little different coming out. But at least he
had the same relief as before. He even remembered to wipe afterwards.
"Damn super freaks." George growled, not liking the idea that he was one
of them now. At least he knew better than to put on spandex and do something
stupid.
Finally, George shook his head and took one more look in the mirror before
heading back to his bedroom to get dressed in the clothes that had belonged
to real person who's face he wore. He didn't particularly like the idea of
wearing them, but it was more than obvious that his own clothes were
completely out of the question.
After George was dressed, he was relieved that most of the clothes were
loose. The pants he was wearing and the large sweater did much to hide his
new feminine figure. However, he grimaced uncomfortably, reminding himself
to get some new underwear... or at least panties since they would probably
fit him better at the moment.
Several minutes later, George hesitantly left his apartment. He stopped in
the hall for a moment, staring at Kelly's door. It was almost on impulse
that he knocked, telling himself though that he needed an experts help in
shopping for women's undergarments.
The door opened up a short while later and Kelly stuck her head out,
yawning for a moment then blinking when she saw George standing there. Her
eyes immediately shot wide and she threw the door open.
"Mr. Atkins?" she gasped, blinking several times. "I mean, that is you
isn't it?" At George's embarrassed nod, Kelly continued, "I mean, you look
sorta like what you did yesterday, just..."
"I know." George sighed, looking down at his feet in embarrassment. "I...
I finished changing."
Kelly blinked again, gesturing for George to come in, "Finished?"
"All the way." George admitted quietly, gesturing down at himself. "I also
found out why this happened to me." At Kelly's look of interest, George
smiled faintly, "I'll tell you about it later though. I was going shopping
for clothes and hoped that you'd come with me."
With another yawn, Kelly sighed, "Sorry, I worked late last night." Then
she shrugged, "Sure, why not. Just let me get showered and dressed. Make
yourself at home." She gestured to her couch as she left the room, a lot
less energetic than any other time that George had seen her.
George waited impatiently on the couch, staring at himself and peaking
down his shirt the entire time. He still couldn't believe that it was his body,
even if it did look like that Wildcat woman's instead. At that though, he
felt a pang of guilt at her death though he knew that it was foolish. He
certainly had nothing to do with it. Even if he was alive because of it.
Eventually Kelly came back out, dressed in her robe. "Glad to see you
didn't run away on me." Kelly told George. She seemed a little more awake
and cheerful than before her shower.
"Not yet." George told her with a faint smile. He didn't admit that he had
been tempted to though.
George kicked his shoes aside, having removed them while he was waiting,
then he moved towards Kelly. Then he stopped just several feet away,
blinking in surprise as he realized that she was taller than him now by
about an inch. That meant that he was about 5 foot 7 now.
"Damn." George grumbled, "Now I'm feeling short." He snorted, stepping
back and remembering what the Face had said. He was stuck like that and going to
have to get used to it.
Kelly giggled, "Could be worse you know."
"I know." George admitted reluctantly, silently adding 'but not much'. At
least he was healthy he reminded himself, which was a BIG plus for someone
with his old heart problems. That thought cheered him up immensely.
A short while later, Kelly was all dressed and gesturing for George to go
into her bedroom. "Come on, I'll show you how to put makeup on." she
giggled slightly, then added, "And you could probably use a little too."
George groaned, about to refuse, however he saw the look on Kelly's face
and suspected that if he didn't let her 'help' give him makeup lessons, then
she wasn't going to help with the clothes either. With a sigh, he followed.
The lessons went by less painfully than George would have suspected,
though he still would have rather forgone them entirely. First Kelly did her own
makeup, explaining to George what she was doing each step of the way, then
she went and put his on, repeating the process, much to his impatience.
When it was finished, George stared in the mirror, admitting that it looked
good, though that didn't make him any less comfortable. He felt like a
clown and said as much.
Kelly laughed, "It's not that bad. You get used to it too." George
snorted, having no intention of doing that. However, Kelly went on, "But
your clothes need work too. I mean, those are all right if you're trying to
be real casual or keep anyone from noticing your body, but they're really
not all that flattering."
"I've got other stuff too." George admitted, knowing that if he didn't,
then Kelly would insist on buying more. "But I'm fine like this."
Kelly gave him a doubtful look, but after noticing George's expression,
decided that it would be better not to say anything more about it. At least
not yet. Instead, she changed the subject, "Well, let's get going then."
It was several hours later when George returned home, saying goodbye to
Kelly again as he returned to his own apartment. He was even smiling as
they separated, deciding that she might be a bit annoying at times, but
Kelly was beginning to grow on him. In spite of himself, George was
starting to like her.
"Well, I'm glad that's done though." George muttered, looking at the bag
of lingerie in his hands, hardly able to believe that it was his. Or worse,
that it actually fit him.
Then, George smiled faintly, wondering if perhaps he should surprise Kelly
and change into something a little more feminine when they met later on for
dinner. However, George quickly decided against it, silently cursing himself
for even considering the idea.
"I'm a man, damnit." he snorted. However, even as he said it, he looked
down and knew that he certainly didn't look it. Not anymore and probably
not ever.
Suddenly George froze, feeling that something was wrong though he couldn't
place what. He dropped the shopping bag and slowly started forward, sensing
that he wasn't alone. Whether it was a subtle smell or a faint sound,
George wasn't sure, but he knew it for a fact.
"Who's there?" he growled in a low voice.
At that, a figure shimmered into view further down the hallway. A figure
that George immediately recognized as the Face.
"I apologize for entering uninvited again," the Face said, taking off his
hat and nodding, "but after I left yesterday, I realized that we should
probably speak again."
George blinked, relaxing slightly though still being wary. "Why?"
"For one," the Face announced, sounding almost smug, "you are going to
need assistance with legal paperwork. I doubt that your drivers license will be
of much use. People with doubt, if not outright refuse to admit that you
are who you claim to be otherwise. You will need a new identity I am
afraid."
For a moment, George just stared at the man, then he gulped, realizing
that he was right. There was no way that anyone would believe that he was George
Atkins anymore. And Heaven help him if he got pulled over by a cop and
handed over his current drivers license.
"Secondly," the Face continued, "I have some friends whom I'd like you to
meet." George just stared at him, feeling a bit uncertain but the Face
said, "Please."
Finally, George nodded hesitantly, wondering what it could hurt. "All
right."
With a nod of his head, the Face turned and gestured with his hands,
making another glowing red doorway appear off to the side. George only hesitated
a moment more before following the strange man through it.
A moment later, George found himself standing in a large room that almost
looked like some sort of gymnasium. However, there were no basketball hoops
on the ends, nor any bleachers. Only targets on the walls, dummies, short
walls and pillars. He looked around curiously, wondering where the Face had
brought him.
The Face just stood there, almost as if waiting for something, making
George more apprehensive than before. He wasn't really sure that he trusted
the strange man yet, even if he did seem all right.
Then a man stepped into the room through a large doorway and stopped,
staring at them both for a moment. The man was around 6 feet tall and
dressed in a costume of white with dark blue. There was a white hood that
came up over his head from behind and a dark blue bandanna over the lower
part of his face, covering the mouth and nose.
"Face." the man commented, holding his hand out. It was only then that
George noticed a white compound bow in that hand, then two quivers of arrows
on his back. "You found Wildcat..."
At that, several other people in costumes came in behind this man, all of
them stopping to stare at George and the Face. The looks on their faces were
mixed, though George knew that he felt extremely uncomfortable. They were
all super freaks.
"No." the Face announced, "This is the man I told you about." Most of them
looked disappointed at that though several looked grim. "I brought him here
to meet you all. I'm afraid that he is all that is left of Melissa."
The man George had first seen come in slowly moved towards him, the bow
being held at his side in a non-threatening manner. He stared at George for
a minute, not saying a word, then looked up at the Face for second before
returning his attention to George.
"I'm sorry." the man said quietly. "I know that this has to be hard for
you. And probably pretty damn strange."
"You have no idea." George grumbled, looking up at the man and realizing
once again how much smaller he was than normal. Normally he probably would
have been looking that man in the eyes, if not looking up only an inch or
so.
The Face gestured to the man with the bow and said, "This is Shiver." The
man... Shiver bowed in an exaggerated manner, "And these..." he gestured
towards the remaining three, "are the rest of Faction Zero. Wildcat was one
of us so I thought that it was appropriate for you to meet us all."
Shiver nodded, then quickly pulled an arrow to his bow and just as he was
about to fire it, the arrow itself turned into a glowing white energy. A
moment later, the glowing white arrow hit a wall on the other side of the
gym, instantly covering it with ice.
"Shit." George exclaimed, glancing nervously towards Shiver.
"Shiver converts matter into a cryogenic energy." the Face explained.
Shiver snorted. "I can flash freeze anything I hit." He quickly pulled
another arrow and fired it at the wall again, this time without making it
glow. As soon as the arrow hit the frost c