The Priceof Power free porn video

THE PRICE OF POWER Near the middle part of the 21st century, several cosmic events occurred at the same time-a massive solar flare, an extra solar comet with a tail of unknown radiation passed near earth, and an experimental power source being developed in the pacific area went online. The results were unexplainable-almost seven million people (out of a population of seven billion) developed some sort of superhuman ability. Some of these were physical, others mental, others could only be described as magical. Some made physical changes of greater or lesser degree, most did not. Power levels varied greatly also. With millions of so-called 'enhanced humans' living on earth, obviously life became very different, both for the recipients of the change and for those who were not. Thirteen year old James Sullivan had left basketball practice at his middle school (he was in the eighth grade) and was walking home with his pretty cheerleader girlfriend, who had also just finished practice. James was one of the most athletic boys in the school, as well as one of the most popular. Jessica Davis was considered extremely lucky to have 'snagged' him and was the envy of almost every girl in the eighth grade (and the seventh!). Jimmy and Jess had known each other for years and had both become interested in the opposite sex at the same time and had set a school record in becoming a couple. While real dating was difficult at their age, they did go to movies, out for pizza, skating, and other easy activities fairly often, not to mention school dances. Jimmy had dark wavy hair, six pack abs, was tall and possessed piercing blue eyes. Jessica had long blond hair and had started developing in sixth grade. Neither one was conceited or mean. In other words, they were the perfect teen aged couple. They were both somewhat exhausted from their practice sessions, so conversation was minimal at that time. When they arrived at Jess' home, he walked her to the door, kissed her, and said goodbye. He then walked home himself and prepared to take a nap. That's when the event occurred. Jimmy received a zap and fell unconscious. When he woke up, he found his entire world had changed. His and millions of others. "What the hell was that? One minute I'm getting ready to rack out till dinner, the next I'm unconscious! Man, I feel really strange." As he stood up, he could feel a tickling on his neck, and a strange weight on his chest, causing him to be slightly unbalanced. What he saw was the second major shock of his day. "Holy crap-I've got boobs! And my hair is down to my shoulders. Please don't tell me I've somehow been changed into a girl! Please- not that!" He quickly pulled down his jeans to check out his most prized body part. "Ohmygod-just how the hell did THAT happen? And how the hell do I get switched back?" Just then, the announcer on his favorite music radio station broke in with the news. It seemed that the phenomena of people being knocked unconscious had been simultaneous all over the world, with millions affected. Moreover, many of those had experienced physical changes (not all pleasant!) and most had received some sort of super human ability. Some could fly, or turn invisible, exhibit great strength, were super intelligent, or even transmute or teleport matter. And other things. No one knew why, or how many, if it could be reversed, or if it was permanent. "Hmm," Jimmy thought, "gotta find out if I can do anything. And just how the hell am I going to explain this to Jessica-or even go out in public? And Oh God-my parents. They are absolutely going to freak." Jimmy (or whatever name he was going to be called by now) stayed in his room until long after his father got home from work. His mom was already home (she was a teacher in one of the elementary schools and usually got home right after him, she was used to him taking a nap after practice, so she didn't wake him.) when dinner was ready, however, she did knock on his door. "Jimmy, dinner time-get washed and come on down." "Oh crap, no help for it now. Maybe I should have shown mom first-she's a woman and maybe could have helped me out-well, she still will have to. If I'm really a girl, I'm going to have-oh my god! I know how Jess gets sometimes when that happens, and I can tell. Please God, not that!" he sort of prayed. He opened the door to his bathroom, washed up (he was grateful he didn't have to urinate, as he couldn't have handled that just yet) and walked down to the dining room, where his parents were waiting for him. "Young lady, just who are you, what are you doing here, and where is my son? Is Jimmy cheating on Jessica with you? And he knows that girls aren't allowed in his room!" "uh dad, mom? You heard the news reports, about millions of people getting zapped and changed? I'm one of them-I'm your son Jimmy." Both parents were in shock, but they did all manage to calm down and begin discussing Jimmy's problem. They decided that they would have to have to tell his school, but he could stay out for a few days, especially if the change was relatively permanent. "Jimmy," his mother finished up with, "two things. We're going to have to have a series of mother and daughter talks so you can handle your new body. And we are going to have to go shopping for you to get a few things that will fit, girl's jeans, sneakers and tops for now. Plus, some appropriate underthings-I can tell that you do need some support. I'll take tomorrow off so we can talk and make a quick trip out to Target or something." "Uh mom-I can't go out like this-I'm a GIRL, for Christmas sake! And just how am I going to explain this to Jessica?" "We'll invite her over tomorrow night after school so she can meet you. Winter ball date is probably off, however." "Very funny mom." "I thought so-but you have to try to keep a sense of humor-and remember, over half the human race is female, most like it, and it does have its advantages. You'll find out if this lasts. By the way, you need a name- Jimmy won't do. How about Jennifer? Unless you have a better idea. I don't know what the government is going to do about this, what everyone's legal gender or identity status is going to be, whether new or previous for those who had this happen. But we'll find out and go from there." "Uh, ok, Jennifer is fine, Jen for short. And I guess jeans are fine for now-please no skirts or dresses, I couldn't handle the embarrassment. Even if no one else knew, I would, and I'd just die! Same with makeup-I know Jess and the other girls wear it, but-not just yet. If it's forever, I guess I'll have to fit in, but-not just now, ok?" "And I hate to say it Jennifer-but we'll have to get you a purse, too, even for casual. There's a lot of things you're going to need to carry, including some personal feminine items. Assuming that you're going to need them at some point." "Oh God, please just shoot me now. Why did this have to happen to me? And I hope that doesn't, but with my luck, who knows? And we don't even know if I have any abilities yet, or what they are. During this discussion of his son (now daughter's) personal life, Mr. Sullivan just sat quietly and didn't say a word. Dealing with teen daughters was a wife's responsibility, and he knew next to nothing about how to help her get ready for her future. Depending on what other changes Jimmy/Jen had gone through, he would endeavor to treat her as he would have treated a natural born daughter (though Jimmy, with his masculine mind, would certainly resent restrictions of that type. Especially if he had some sort of powers). Eventually, the uncomfortable evening ended, and Jimmy went up to his room to watch TV, get changed and go to bed. "I am NOT borrowing a nightgown from mom, boxers and a t-shirt will be just fine. Lots of girls sleep like that!" The next day went just as his mother said it would-his father went to work, his mother called out on a personal day herself, and she called him in as absent to the school office. After he showered and ate breakfast (toast and a slice of melon!) he got dressed and they sat down for an initial talk on intimate female topics, which was one of the most embarrassing conversations he had ever had in his life. His mom then went shopping for a few basics-tops, shorts, jeans and a pair of sneakers in his size ("oh crap-pink and white?"). She also measured him with a tape measure and bought him a few three-packs of bras and panties ("You really need a bra sweetie-it's really going to hurt if you try to go without one. Plus some health reasons"). While Jimmy(Jennifer?) was starting to get his life together in this new reality, other events were transpiring a few miles away. Margot Talford, well known as the meanest girl in the local high school (she was 16 and a sophomore), had also been knocked unconscious the previous day. Physically, her appearance didn't change a bit-she was still of average size and weight, somewhat attractive but not what could be called pretty, with the same short black hair. What did change physically was her strength. She had always been a bully, and now, with the ability to lift over a ton and crash through walls, she was already contemplating a life of crime. "After all, who is there to stop me? And any other people with powers will understand, and probably be doing the same thing." Such was Margot's understanding of human nature-she assumed that everyone who developed an advantage would be as warped as she was. The Sullivan's dinner with Jessica went about as well as could be expected. Jess declared that while she liked Jimmy as a boyfriend, he was now a girl and she wasn't a lesbian-so dating was definitely OUT. "I kind of figured that Jess, but where does that leave us now? Mom can help with some stuff-but I'll need someone to help me learn to actually BE a teenaged girl. Can you help? Please?" "Of course-Jennifer. Feels strange to call you that-but sure. I know you want to stick with jeans for now, but eventually you'll have to go out in public. And start dressing like a girl. That means skirts and makeup. When you're ready, we can go shopping. Do you plan on letting everyone know, or is this just between us?" "According to the news, millions of people got zapped, so I don't think it'll be any big thing after a while. But for now, just us, ok?" "Sure, Jenn-looks like I have a new BFF (giggle)." That weekend, the Sullivans drove out to a secluded spot in the woods so they could try out Jenn's powers (if any actually existed). She had already determined that she had a degree of mind-reading ability, which was useful, but something a little more physical would be nice. After experimentation, she discovered she also could generate lightning, attract or repel metallic objects, could leap almost a hundred feet forward or thirty up, had a degree of physical toughness and enhanced strength. Neither of the last two were what could be referred to as 'super' levels, as several famous comic book heroes possessed, though they were considerably more than any human could match. A circus strongman couldn't come near her in ability. "hmm-all in all, not bad. A total of six diverse abilities. And all I had to give up was my maleness. To be real honest, I'm not sure it was such a great trade, but I don't think there's anything I can do about it. Superheroes are just in the comic books, but maybe there's still things I can do to help people, without flying around in a cape, catching criminals. Jeez, I hope no one with abilities decides to turn evil. Even with what I can do, they'd be a handful for the police or even the army." Margot's family was far from wealthy, and she had always envied those girls who could afford real jewelry (she wore mostly costume items from discount stores and such), so she decided that her first foray into crime would be to obtain some nice things for herself. She ventured in to the next town with a bandanna in her pocket and stopped in an alley outside a jewelry store, where she put the bandanna over the lower part of her face. She then crashed through the wall into the shop proper, and began smashing the display cases and taking what she wanted. Rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, watches, and whatever else caught her fancy-she took over a million dollars worth of jewelry. When the owner tried to stop her, she backhanded him, sending him against the wall and seriously injuring him. The other clerk meanwhile, was calling the police. The police arrived, thinking they would have no trouble dealing with a teenaged shoplifter. They were wrong. While there were four of them, Margot hit them with one blow each, killing one, crippling another, and knocking the other two unconscious. Margot was no longer a bully and shoplifter, she was an armed robber (probably, the law was vague on that) and a murderer. Currently, her identity was hidden, though that probably wouldn't last too long. Jennifer lived in the same town as she did and could read minds over a short distance. Jen had also been enrolled in the local 7-12 school as a transfer student. It was inevitable that they would cross paths. The worldwide 'zapping' and its effects was the main topic of conversation all over the world. Congress and other government bodies were considering laws requiring confinement, registration, testing of changes and other things, most of which were probably not constitutional in the United States, though might be in other parts of the world. The few situations such as Margot's robbery (though she wasn't known yet!) helped to spread the panic. Very few people considered that some of the victims could be either benevolent or at least neutral, they were all considered to be a threat. And Margot, even though no one knew she was a changee, certainly was. At least in the confines of her local high school. Some of the girls (the boys were mostly clueless in the matter) openly wondered how Margot, whose finances were well known, could afford such real jewelry as the diamonds and other gemstones she was now wearing on a regular basis. Those who wondered aloud generally received a punch or other physical admonishment from the aforementioned bully. Though she tried to be unobtrusive about her abilities, one day Jennifer had had enough. It happened when Margot turned her attention on Jessica Davis. Jen and Jess were standing with some other girls when Margot happened by, just as Jessica commented on Margot's beautiful necklace. Margot, being Margot thought she was being dissed and talked about for being rather poor and took it in her usual manner. She controlled her blow but did manage to propel poor Jessica across the hallway into the wall, where she was stunned and suffered a severe bruise. "That'll teach you bitches to talk about me. The next one of you who opens her mouth is gonna get it much worse! Do you understand me?" Margot screamed. Jen looked at the situation and said to herself "That's it. Her bullying ends here! Hey Margot-you want to try taking me on? Believe me, I can fight back!" "Back off, new girl, or I'll break your arm-or worse!" "Try me, Margot" Jen thought with her toughness, she could withstand anything the other girl could throw at her. She was wrong, at least partially. Margot started with a charge at her adversary, which Jen could see coming a mile away. She used her jumping ability to dive over the older girl's head and rolled out on the other side. "What's the matter, Margot? Can't you catch me?" words that only served to infuriate the bully further. With a roar, Margot turned and noticed that the other girl was standing a little too close to evade easily, so she launched a vicious slap (one that would have seriously injured or killed anyone else), knocking Jennifer ten feet down the hallway. Getting up rather slowly, the changee decided to use one of her other abilities, magnetism. She jumped up and grabbed a loose exit sign (pretending to do it physically) and threw it magnetically at the other girl. It made a loud 'bong' as it bounced off of Margot's head, but it did knock her unconscious. Margot had toughness, but she wasn't invulnerable. Needless to say, Margot was taken to the Nurses office, while Jen was escorted to the Principal's. She was in trouble for fighting, damaging school property, and possibly assault with a weapon (the sign). Naturally, her parents were called in. Fortunately, Margot was well known to be the school's foremost female bully, with a long history of assaulting those smaller and weaker than herself. Jen was actually the first girl who had ever stood up to her. When asked how she had managed to perform the leap and jump up to grab the sign, her parents covered for her, saying that in her old town, she had studied several years of gymnastics, and was one of the top students in the school. Unfortunately, an injury had ended her competitive career (an excuse which served to keep her off the school team, as she actually knew nothing about the sport), and several witnesses had seen Margot attempt to attack Jen first. She was merely defending herself, which state law allowed (her father pointed out the state law on self defense, which contradicted and superceded school regulations (much to the chagrin of the administrators involved)). As a result, Jen Sullivan was released and nothing was placed on her record. Margot received a suspension and another entry on hers. Jennifer Sullivan, however, had made an implacable enemy. It was inevitable that they would meet outside the confines of their school, in a more serious manner. In addition, Jen's telepathic ability had allowed her to discover that Margot was responsible for the vicious robbery in the next town, which explained how she could afford so much expensive jewelry. Unfortunately, there was no way Jennifer could inform the police without outing herself to others about her own abilities. Several jurisdictions had experienced what was being referred to as 'meta-crime', and were building special jails to hold those special criminals. Jen had no wish to be caught up in a wave of panic and wind up in one just for being a changee. "But I do have to watch this girl-she isn't finished, not by a long shot'. With her powers, Jen realized it would be grossly unfair for her to go out for any of the school sports teams, as she would have been a star player even on an NFL football team. She missed that, and thought about cheerleading or something like that, just to be involved. Jessica offered to help her learn the routines, but Jen still only rarely wore a skirt (when she absolutely had to!) and couldn't face the idea of being in front of several thousand people, shaking pom-poms and wearing an extremely short one. That idea was quickly shelved. She was having a lot of trouble with this 'girl thing', especially as it had now been two months since her change into a complete genetic female, with all that it physically implied. "That is something I'll seriously never get used to," she thought to herself. While her mother had taught her all she needed to know to take care of herself, it still embarrassed her, due to 13 years of being an alpha male. In addition, she had received several invitations from some of the cutest boys in the school asking her out to the movies or other young teen social events. "I am definitely NOT ready for that-I'd feel gay or something holding hands and kissing a former teammate." Jess told her that if she didn't want to get a reputation as a lesbian (nothing wrong with it, but middle schoolers can be cruel!), she better accept at least a few dates once in a while. She missed homecoming, of course, though Jessica did find another date much to Jen's chagrin, but she decided to go to the winter dance if she was asked. She was. Naturally, it was a former teammate from basketball who asked. Billy Rogers, one of her best friends from her previous life, came up to her in the hallway and shyly asked if she would go with him. Before she knew what had happened, she accepted and thanked him for the invitation. She knew that she absolutely had to talk to Jessica about this-she would need help shopping from both her and her mother. Not to mention getting ready- hair and nail salons and makeup? "Oh crap-what have I gotten myself into now?" she thought to herself. Jen, Jess and Jen's mom made a trip to the mall to help the new girl pick out a dress for the big event. Jess had already gotten hers, in her favorite brilliant red, which her blonde hair could easily pull off. Jen eventually, after trying on almost everything in the formal shop (embarrassed the entire time) chose one in a royal blue, and it covered up as much of her young body as she dared-Jen wasn't ready to be all-out middle school sexy just yet. If ever. Then on to the Clinique counter for a makeover, which for a formal event like this she would have to wear. An attractive young woman named Lindsay, who seemed to know what she was doing spent almost 45 minutes on Jennifer, who really seemed uncomfortable and embarrassed by the whole thing. She was daubed, powdered, painted and lined till she almost couldn't recognize herself, and almost audibly groaned when her mother bought her one of each item that Lindsay had used on her, plus a few more tubes of lipstick 'just for later'. "and when am I gonna wear all this stuff" she thought to herself. "I really hate this girl thing," Jennifer continued on. Having to sit almost perfectly still while her nails were lengthened and painted was just as bad, especially when her mom bought several bottles of polish and one of remover 'also for later'. Jennifer was really missing her former life by this point. "ohmigod-and what if Billy tries to kiss me"? The night of the dance came-though Jennifer was hoping for another catastrophic event. No such luck. Her mom helped her get ready, which took a whole lot longer than Jimmy's shower, shave and jump into a suit would have. After almost two hours of what she considered torture, her mom pronounced her ready to dazzle her date. "just what I always dreamed of-to get some boy all hot and bothered at a formal dance. I gotta say- this really kind of sucks. I seriously don't think having my powers are worth all of this." Billy, driven by his father, came to pick her up, of course. Mrs. Sullivan insisted on the obligatory picture session that all mothers did before their daughters went to a formal occasion, another thing that irked Jennifer no end ("Oh God-this is going to be recorded forever, even if I ever do get my maleness back? Please, please please just shoot me now and put me out of my misery") she thought to herself. They got to the dance and found their table, naturally with Jessica and another athlete as her date, plus two other couples, all known to Jimmy from his male days. No one but Jess knew who he was now though. And he wanted to keep it that way. The dance went as planned-soda/mixer hour, followed by a buffer supper (called by tables. Jess had to remind him/her not to take too much, as girls just didn't do that.) After eating, the girls formed lines at the ladies rooms that had been opened, which was more than the number of boys lavs left open. Jess reminded Jenn to fix her lipstick and blush after she washed her hands, just as every other girl in the room was doing. She was reminded that she would stick out like a sore thumb if she didn't- tomboy was one thing, but not dressed and primped like she was. She danced with Billy, mostly fast dances, but a few slow ones in his arms also-another embarrassing situation she found herself in. She did try to relax, and while uncomfortable, eventually started to enjoy herself. Wasn't much else she could do. And she was right-when Billy walked her to her door just before eleven pm (the dance got over at ten, then the ride home), he did lean over to give her a kiss goodnight. Jenn bowed to the inevitable, put her arms around his neck, and returned the kiss. "Only one Billy, this is only our first date, and I'm really not going to get a reputation for being easy. But it was fun, thank you for taking me, and I really enjoyed it. See you in school Monday, ok." They separated, smiling, and she went in her house. "Yeah mom and dad, we danced together, he held my hand and he did kiss me goodnight. I said he could ask me out again if he wanted to, and you approved. And yes, I do have to talk things over with Jessica-I really need some advice from another teen girl about social things. Anyway, let me get out of all this and ready for bed. Night" The next day was Saturday, so Jenn went to the glade for some powers practice. She was leaping and throwing objects and using her lightning ability to try to hit specific points, with the distance getting greater and more accurate as time went on. She could now pinpoint a target up to 25 meters away most of the time, and also control the amount of voltage she put into the bolt. It was a good thing she practiced, she was going to need her powers very soon. After several hours she went home for a shower and some lunch. Right after that, her phone rang-it was Jessica, surprisingly (she had already talked to her that morning about the dance and how she had reacted to Billy's kiss). "Jen, you better turn on the tv-Margot is going crazy at the mall. She's going into store after store, taking what she wants and destroying what she doesn't. She's hurt several people and the police are there. They tried to stop her, but no luck. Can you do something?" "Jess, what? She's stronger than I am, and I don't want to reveal myself either." "Change into that blue leotard and tights set I gave you, bring a change of clothes and give them to me. Try to stop her, then escape, change into street clothes and blend into the crowd. Jen, someone has to do something! Meet me in front of Aeropostale.." "Oh crap-now I have to dress up like a ballerina, just to keep myself hidden? But yeah, somebody has to stop that maniacal bitch, and since the cops can't do anything, looks like I'm elected." She threw a pair of jeans, a top and a pair of sneakers into a large tote bag and took off for the mall, after changing into her leotard and covering it with a windbreaker. She saw people leaving in a hurry, and even heard crashing sounds coming from inside. "God, I hope Jess is all right in there, waiting for me." She ran in and found the meeting place, saw Jess and handed her the bag and her jacket, also putting on a small blue Halloween mask to cover her eyes, to hopefully disguise herself. "Here goes nothing!" "Knock it off you maniac, or I'm going to have to hurt you. I guess there aren't too many people around here who can do it, or even want to stand up to you. But guess what? Here I am!." Margot looked at her and sneered "Dressed all in blue? All you need is the red miniskirt and cape and you'd look like you came right out of a comic book. Come to think of it girlie, you do anyway. Tights and a leotard? Just come from dance class? No ballet slippers? Bring it on." The two girls closed with each other, Margot breaking into a run with her fist clenched and her arm raised-she planned on pulverizing Jen and finishing things with the first shot. Luckily, Jen could read her thoughts and stopped about ten feet away from Margot and launched a half strength lightning bolt squarely at her torso. While it stunned her larger opponent and knocked her down, it didn't knock her out. Margot got to her feet and continued her charge, now angrier than ever. She seriously planned on killing this fool who was stupid enough to face her. Jen did another one of her leaps over Margot's head, and immediately realized that it had been a mistake. "Wait a minute-that new girl in school did the same thing when we fought. You're what's her name-Jennifer Sullivan, right? You come waltzing in here and right away grab one of the Rogers boys for the dance, and I didn't get noticed by anyone, let alone Billy's older brothers! Bitch-I'm going to kill you-slowly!" Margot wasn't unattractive, but due to her abrasive personality (obvious to all by now), she wasn't considered a dateable girl by any of the boys in the school by any means. They avoided her whenever they could. She, of course thought it was because she was poor, and resented anyone who was financially better off than she was. "I don't think a half strength bolt is going to stop her-but a full strength might kill her-and I don't want to get busted for murder myself. Let's try about three quarters." The bolt went out, seriously staggering Margot, and almost, but not quite knocking her out. She used the last of her tremendous toughness to get close to Jenn and launch the hardest punch she had left. It hit, and it hurt! But due to Margot's weakened state, it didn't kill Jenn, or even seriously hurt her. Since Jenn also had heightened strength (though not in Margot's class), she fired off a vicious punch of her own, catching the other girl at the point of her chin, and knocking her totally out. Jenn only had a short time to find a way to restrain her opponent, so she ran into the hardware store and grabbed a few lengths of the heaviest chain they had, plus a few padlocks. She trussed Margot up quickly and chained her to one of the giant steel pillars holding up the second and third stories of the mall in a way that prevented her from gaining any leverage. With the police charging back in, she needed to disappear. She and Jess ran into the closest clothing store, Jenn grabbed her clothes and quick changed in the dressing room-the two could say they were hiding from the chaos. They took a quick look, saw the firedoor and ran outside to hide in the crowd, though it did set off an alarm. However, since they hadn't stolen anything, even if they were searched, nothing would be found by store security. They hoped. "God, Jennifer, that was fantastic! You really should consider doing this all the time-being a teenaged superhero-you're a natural" Jessica gushed. "No way-after this, anyone who was changed, especially if they have any sort of high power level is going to have a target on his or her back. While I'm sure most of us just want to live our lives and be left alone, the government, being as paranoid as they are, isn't going to think that way. If I get caught, I'll be in a lab or prison cell before I can say goodbye. I'm going to try to settle down and just be a normal teen girl as much as I can-doesn't look like I'm changing back any time soon, damn it." "Jenn, what's wrong with being a girl? I've been one all my life, and I love it. I'm sure you will too-just give it time." "I don't think so Jess-a lot of it is a pain in the ass, especially having to have periods. I know you've had them for a couple of years now, but it's only been two months for me, and I think it sucks. I really want my Y chromosome back. I mean, I know I'm not really a target for any kind of assault, and with my telepathy power I can go pretty far in life, but I still really don't like it." The conversation between the two friends continued until they got to Jessica's house, where they went inside and listened to some music and watched a movie. Around five PM Jenn went back to her house to explain the whole adventure to her family. The state the three girls lived in was one of those that had begun constructing special jails for enhanced criminals. Margot, being sixteen was considered an adult, and could be incarcerated in an adult prison. Because of her strength, she could probably break out of any sort of normal cell, so a special one was constructed for her. It was twenty feet underground, with steel walls a foot thick. There was only one way in, a single ladder that was withdrawn once she was safely confined, and the door itself was a foot thick. There was a single overhead window for observation, and a slot so that food and other items could be passed to her, and then withdrawn as necessary. She had access to a computer, but not the internet, plus music and books. She could talk to her family by telephone, and they could visit, (but not touch her) every Saturday. The authorities were taking no chances on her or any other enhanced criminal escaping-they were too dangerous. And with her convictions for murder, robbery and assault, they planned on keeping her in the cell for a long time. Of course, other people had plans, too. Including some other antisocial changees with various gifts, who decided that Margot's great strength was just what they needed, so they decided to stage an escape. One particular group of enhanced would be criminals had several members with minor abilities, that were helpful but not necessarily overwhelming to others. Three members, however, were exceptionally dangerous. One had the ability to turn immaterial and pass through anything[s1], along with anything she was holding or wearing. Another had speed powers, almost equal to a famous comic hero (other people would seem to be standing still while he was seemingly invisible) and another could change his form to almost any human of approximately the same size, with clothing changing to match. He couldn't duplicate powers, but disguise was dangerous enough. He had already committed several robberies and then simply disappeared by changing his form, while the girl naming herself whimsically as 'Ghost' was becoming rather wealthy due to a series of bank vault burglaries. The three had connected with the intention of freeing Margot and achieving some sort of vaguely defined world power-after all, there weren't many people who could stop them, even most of the changees didn't really want to try. Except maybe for young Jennifer Sullivan, for whom life was becoming one big adventure. She had rather unwillingly decided that since she did have powers, she might as well use them to help people as best she could. But she couldn't face an entire group of other enhanced people, if it came to open battle, she'd need help. She was, however, beginning to work more openly as a crime-stopper, not necessarily against other enhanced individuals, but in general. She still wore the leotard and mask when she appeared, but she and Jessica were seriously trying to think of something more appropriate. Jen wasn't, after all a super-powered ballet dancer, which was kind of ludicrous. What she wore was comfortable and held up enough for what she was doing, but she really needed something a little more serious. "Oh well, that will come in time. I don't plan on doing this forever-I really don't even want to be a girl forever. I really hope science or magic or whatever can find a way to reverse this. It's still really embarrassing, especially when I have to wear a skirt!" Jen thought to herself. One problem Jennifer took upon herself was solving a series of nighttime assaults on women, mostly younger attractive ones, who were foolish enough to venture out alone after dark. She reasoned "first, I can read thoughts of anyone I come near, second, I can certainly defend myself using my strength and agility. Too many girls have been attacked, and since I'm currently stuck as a girl, I kind of have to take that personally. It's going to stop, and it looks like I'm going to have to be the one to do it. The leotard isn't going to cut it, though," she thought to herself. She decided to go out that night (ok, so her parents wouldn't approve, but they really couldn't stop her. She wasn't even going to tell Jessica until it was all over). She decided to make herself as attractive, sexy and vulnerable looking as possible. That meant her black miniskirt, a tight top and heels (yuck-I hate those things!") she thought, and way too much slutty makeup. Around midnight she slipped out of her room (she could be very quiet when she wanted to be) and held her shoes in her hand while she ran to the area of town where the attacks had occurred. That didn't take long with her powers. She slipped her shoes on and began to walk down the street making a target of herself. She got a lot of looks from some unsavory appearing individuals, but her telepathic abilities let her know that while they might look and think about things, they weren't going to attack her. What she heard them thinking, however, made her skin crawl. "Oh God-is every male in the world only thinking of one thing? I was never like that with Jessica-ok, I liked to look and fantasized some when I was alone, but I was never that gross. Was I?" This put a new slant on a lot of things and was definitely something to think about. Then she picked up a thought after about 45 minutes of walking. The thought was pure evil, and was definitely targeting her, while comparing her attributes to others he had assaulted, and deciding how easy a target she was. "Not hardly, pervert," Jen said to herself. She deliberately passed close to the alleyway where the criminal was lurking, the better for him to grab her, and pull her into the secluded area. That was his mistake. Jen was going to capture him, that was certain. But he was going to hurt first. As he grabbed her with his arm around her neck and heading towards her mouth to silence her, she grabbed back, with both hands. She bent his arm into an extremely unnatural angle, causing it to fracture in two places. A stomp to the side of his knee shattered the joint, causing a permanent limp. A medium strength lightning bolt finished him off for the night, driving him mercifully into unconsciousness. Disappearing into the darkness where he had meant to drag her, she pulled out her phone (incongruous for a superhero, but what teen girl doesn't carry one at all times?). She made a quick call to the police, identifying herself as the enhanced girl who had captured Margot at the mall, and explained that she had just been attacked by the rapist who had been operating in their town. Since she had been attacked first, she was just defending herself, which explained the scum's injuries. They could come and arrest him any time, he wasn't going anywhere. "Oh-and don't think you can track me by my cell number-it's not on my family's plan. I bought a throwaway at Walmart just so you can't. But whenever I help out, I'll use this phone so you know it's me. Bye for now, Sergeant." She hung up and used her powers to run back home and sneak back in through the window. Luckily, this time her parents were still sound asleep. She didn't get caught, but that probably wouldn't always be the case. She washed and changed into her sleepwear and went to bed, falling asleep almost immediately. "Jennifer-was this you?" her father asked her sternly at breakfast. "Was what me, daddy? I haven't read the paper yet, so I don't know what you're talking about," the girl replied. "Don't play cute with me, young lady, the rapist operating downtown was severely beaten and shocked last night by a young girl as he tried to attack her. The police report said that they received a phone call from the supposed victim, who identified herself as the one who caught Margot at the mall. And I think that was you, wasn't it?." "Well, I won't lie to you-it was me. Look at what he's been doing to women for the last several months, and the police couldn't stop him, or even find him. With my mind reading ability, I decided I could be absolutely sure of who the person was, and then when he jumped me, I simply acted in self defense. His career is done, and he's safely in jail. I knew I was safe from any ordinary criminal, I even took out Margot with all her strength, remember?." "Jennifer-I haven't forbidden you from doing things like that, so I can't punish you. But even with your powers, you aren't indestructible, you can be hurt. I do NOT want you acting like a comic book superhero any more, do you understand young lady?" her father sternly admonished her. "Yes daddy, I do-but I was given these powers for a reason. No one else could have stopped Margot, she was already a killer, remember? And the police couldn't find the rapist, only my telepathy managed to identify him. I promise to be careful and stay hidden. I'll only solve low-level problems, but I really need to be useful. I can't do sports, I lost my maleness, I need something. This has to be it. Please?" Jennifer pleaded. "Alright-we'll try it out-but only with specific permission, you understand? Before you go into action, you ask me or your mother, every time." "thank you daddy-and I will." So officially began Jennifer Sullivan's official career as a super-hero (or whatever the non comic name for whatever she was should really be). In the meantime, Ghost, Speed Demon, and Presto (from Presto Chango, a play on words) hadn't forgotten Margot Talford still sitting in her special cell. They were formulating a plan that would get them inside, probably using Presto to impersonate one of the prison officials to open a door and leave it unguarded, with Speed Demon knocking out all of the guards and disabling all of the security cameras. Ghost could get inside the control room and unlock Margot's cell and automatically lower the ladder, then the group would make their escape. The group had plans for the psychotic sixteen year old, but what they didn't know was that she had plans of her own. Plans that included the demise of a certain teenaged girl who had put her in the cell and thwarted her ambitions to be rich and powerful, as Margot felt that she had a right to be due to her strength. The two were most assuredly destined to meet again, and Margot was determined that her nemesis would be dead at the end of the encounter. Hopefully after a lot of pain. Time passed as usual for the group of teens, Jennifer and Jessica stayed best friends, they both went on dates with admiring boyfriends (Jennifer mostly with Billy, it was easier than jumping from boy to boy), Margot seethed in her cell, and the criminal gang committed crimes and plotted more. Most other enhanced individuals did their best to remain hidden, though some did venture into the do-gooder role, depending on their powers. There seemed to be a lot more powerful criminals than heroes though, so Jen and a few others were kept busy, though there was no formal association between them. Then, during the summer after eighth grade, Jennifer and a few others received unexpected telephone calls, Jen's coming over her throwaway cell phone. It seemed that the government had finally realized that they were being aided by some of the changees, both in stopping normal crimes, and against enhanced criminals. They wanted to formalize the relationship with the good ones, especially the most powerful among them, and give them what aid they could, in return for the group accepting specific tasks when asked to. Jen sat down with her parents to discuss the proposal, pointing out that it would legitimize her status, both as a changee and as a law enforcement official. Their final decision was that they would try it, hopefully without revealing her true identity to the government, though her teammates might have to know it. The date for the meeting was set for a day in August in Washington DC. Jen wanted to know if they would be assigned or have to choose code names, or could they remain anonymous. That hadn't been decided yet, she was told. As far as what to wear, her blue leotard, tights and flats would work just fine, at least at first. Possibly uniforms would be designed and issued later, but that hadn't been decided upon yet either. All the government knew was that it needed help from the so called 'supers', and they needed it fast. This became quite plain when the aforementioned plan to help Margot Talford escape was put into action, quite successfully for the criminals. Unfortunately, several guards and other staff members were killed in the execution, all but one of them by an enraged and definitely psychotic Margot, now going by the code name 'Herculia', for her prodigious strength. So now there was already in existence a group of enhanced criminals, with varied powers- Ghost, Speed Demon, Presto and of course Margot/Herculia. The new group of 'good guys' was needed urgently, and soon. Among the heroes who answered the government's call was a young girl who had the power to track anyone or anything over any distance, a man with the power turn his body into some kind of plastic or rubber, with stretching abilities to match, a pair of mixed twins with opposite powers- she could create extreme cold and ice, her brother could create an extremely hot fire. Another girl had a limited ability to foretell the future for approximately twenty four hours. She could have become rich on the lottery or other gambling events, but her own personal code of honor refused to allow it, though many people would have liked to kidnap her and force her to use her powers. Joining the group provided her with a measure of safety. Just for fun, the group chose to style themselves 'The Protectors', though mostly in private-they had no wish to be a joke from a comic book, this undertaking was deadly serious, especially with the four dedicated criminals on the loose. They did hope, however that others would choose to join them as time went on. They could use the help against what they were facing. Their first venture out as an organized team occurred when 'Gypsy' (the code name for their seer) foresaw a robbery by Speed Demon, who would be very difficult to stop due to his super-enhanced speed powers. Jen and the tracker girl responded to the area where the crime was to take place, which for Jen's teammate wasn't difficult. Jen had a bag on her belt with a very important item-a bag of one inch steel balls. When they arrived at the crime scene, with their adversary still there, the plan was to trap him somehow, and Jen would roll the balls at him-or launch them with her magnetic powers. One way or the other, he would either be knocked out or be unable to keep his footing on the steel balls. When he saw them, he instantly knew who Jen was (the leotard gave it away) and began to run with the loot he had already collected-which did him no good. Gypsy had seen which way he would run, and that's where Jen (who needed some kind of nickname) launched her weapons. One caught the speedster square in the temple, rendering him unconscious, though not seriously hurting him. Jen's partner took out a pair of plastic restraints and placed one around his wrists (behind his back, of course) and another around his ankles. They then turned him over to the local police who were now on the scene and forewarned of the girl's status. They were thanked for their help, and were then picked up by FBI helicopter, whose pilot was one of those permanently assigned to the team as assets. First mission accomplished for the Protectors! In the meantime, Jennifer, and some of the others were still teenagers, with other obligations and of course, lives. She still needed to attend school, though the government decided to provide tutors to the underaged members of the group. But they still had personal lives as high school students that they didn't want to lose. Jennifer Sullivan was finally being acclimated to being a girl, since it appeared that she wasn't changing back any time soon, if ever. She and Billy had been steadily dating for several months, though at age fourteen, they were absolutely NOT about to become intimate in any way more than a passionate hug and kiss, with her occasionally allowing Billy a short touch on her fully covered breast. She still wasn't ready for anything more, due to her background and age. She'd gotten used to wearing skirts more often and had become more skilled at applying makeup and doing her hair (simple ponytails were becoming boring). She still felt kind of weird but had come to the conclusion that fitting in as an attractive high school girl was important. Jessica was still her best friend, and the two spent hours together whenever they could, as well as double dating when possible. Jessica was also her most important mentor in how to be a girl. She had also resigned herself to her monthly visitor, like every other female on the planet. It wasn't something she had ever expected to happen before the zapping, obviously, but there wasn't much she could do about it so she just made the best of things. As time went on, the other members of the enhanced criminal gang were neutralized. Through trial and error (or a lucky break!) it was discovered that Ghost couldn't phase through a wall that was electrically charged, and that even in her ghost form, she was vulnerable to the elements, such as fire and extreme cold. The twins were dispatched to apprehend her. They managed to chase her into a metal vault that had been fitted with an electric generator. When she tried to escape after the door was slammed, she not only failed but was rendered unconscious in addition. This made her capture and incarceration a relatively simple matter. She was placed in a special cell that had multiple separate generators wired to it-and a separate double door that could be closed before the inner one was opened so that food and other necessities could be supplied. After Margot's escape, the authorities were taking no chances with any other powered criminals they managed to capture (though it took the aid of Jennifer and the other volunteers to do it in most cases. It turned out that these four weren't the only enhanced felons in the United States, a few dozen others who were more or less powerful had also decided to become criminals). Jen, Tracker and the Elemental Twins were given the mission of recapturing Margot, as she was becoming the most dangerous person in the country, even though she was only seventeen. Tracker found her in a remote cabin in the Rocky Mountains, and the four were transported by helicopter to the area. The plan was that the twins would attempt to fence her in with their powers from two directions. When she was trapped, and realized it, Jen would be sent in to make the final capture. Unfortunately, Margot decided to run. She suffered some burns running through the flames from Jen's teammate's powers, but did manage to escape into the forest, though not before punching him in passing, causing a serious injury. His sister stayed behind to aid him, while Tracker and Jen followed. Jen held the other girl in her arms while she made her long jumps, while she was told in what direction to go in order to intercept her old nemesis. Eventually, they caught up to her. Now it was all up to fifteen year old Jennifer Sullivan to stop an unbelievably strong sociopathic maniac. Again. "You again?" growled Margot. I should have killed you back in school the first time you got in my way, you bitch! "What did you expect, Margot? You almost killed my best friend just for saying how pretty your necklace was-she wasn't insulting you." "So how did I know that? You rich stuck up snots were always insulting me, just cause my parents didn't have money, it was my turn to get back at you." "Margot, I never made fun of you or insulted you, did I? We weren't exactly friends, but I never gave you a hard time. Why do you hate me so much?" "Cause you're just like them-and you hung around with that stuck up cheerleader slut Jessica. Her boyfriend moves away, and she has no trouble getting another one. I never had a boyfriend-nobody wanted to go out with the girl from the trailer park who wore hand me downs. Well, now I can show you all-and I have. Enough talk-lets finish this now!" The two girls closed with each other. Jen let off a lightning bolt calculated to take the other girl down, but Margot was in such a rage that it barely affected her. The older girl swung so hard and fast that Jen could barely dodge with her leaping ability. Even so, she did get caught with a glancing blow, still hard enough to daze her. She rolled out a few yards away and prepared to resume the fight. Margot charged, but Jen was ready-she launched a side-kick (remembered from her younger days as a boy studying karate for a while) powered by her own enhanced strength. The result was satisfying-she heard several of Margot's ribs crack (which would slow her down and make fighting more difficult, Jen hoped). After a few more exchanges, Jen saw her opening again-she let loose with a full strength spinning back kick (leading with her heel) to Margot's head-which landed, hard. Margot went down, poleaxed. With no way to secure her enemy, Jen had to work fast. She called for the chopper, which was carrying a special cage-suspended from the skids. Once they were in the air, Margot couldn't escape without falling several hundred feet and killing herself. They ferried her back to the prison she had escaped from (now with some added safeguards) and reincarcerated her. That left three out of the four most dangerous criminals in the country captured by the Protectors. The only one left was Presto, and special precautions were taken to thwart him. The police had started patrolling only in pairs, who were well acquainted with each other, with code words memorized so they could check each other's identities. The same went for the prisons where the enhanced criminals were kept (not only the three Jen and her friends had caught, but others also). Finally, Presto decided to call it quits-he changed to a nondescript form and managed to acquire forged identification papers, such as birth certificate, social security card, college and high school graduation diplomas and a driver's license. He disappeared from the government's radar after that. While they would have preferred to capture him and make him accountable for his crimes, neutralizing him worked just as well. The Protectors continued to do their jobs for a time, with new members drifting in and older ones taking a more limited role. As the number of enhanced criminals dropped, they found that they weren't as necessary, and that the government was developing methods of dealing with most of them. They were only called in when an extremely powerful individual was encountered. In the meantime, they lived their normal lives, which for Jennifer, meant High School and then college, and of course, marriage and a family eventually. Her romance with Billy, begun in eighth grade didn't last, of course. She actually wound up dating, falling in love with and eventually marrying one of her teammates, Fireball (one of the twins). Jessica was her Maid of Honor (and she was Jess's), and the other girls on the team were her bridesmaids. By this time, changees all over the world were marrying and having children, none of whom ever demonstrated enhanced powers. So, Earth's brief flirtation with real life super heroes and villains ended in approximately eighty years, as the last of them finally passed away. Unless of course, one or more had eternal life as a power? Who knows?