Heart Like a Lion-1

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Heart like a Lion-1

by Lynceus

Cat didn't believe in superhumans or ancient gods; she lived in the real world, same as everyone else. She was doomed to grow up and have a boring life, same as everyone else. She couldn't have been more wrong!

Disclaimer: I make no claims to any character or image owned or under copyright by another party, nor do I intend on profiting in any way from their use. The Comics Retcon Universe concept is the creative property of Lilith Langtree.

Authors Note: This isn't a traditional TG story, as the changes are psychological as opposed to physical. If this isn't the kind of story you want to read, I do apologize in advance! -Lynceus


Death was afraid of him because he had the heart of a lion. -Arabian proverb

A lion sleeps in the heart of every brave man. -Turkish proverb

The Dream

All around me is wide open savannah. Tufts of tall grass and the occasional tree barely mar the flat land. The sun beats down on me, but it only feels warm. I'm naked, and it feels great to have the sun's heat on my bare skin. I feel, rather than hear, something behind me. I turn, and there is a proud male lion, in the prime of his strength. And my God, is he beautiful. His tawny fur glistens, as if someone had neatly brushed it out. There's an intelligence in his amber eyes.

He makes Aslan look like a mangy cur by comparison!

“Can you be the one? The one that was promised?”

I blink. No one expects to hear a lion speak! His voice is deep and powerfully masculine. It's the voice of a king, and it takes all my will to stand my ground; my legs tremble.

“I don't know who you are, but if you come any closer, you'll regret it!” I force myself to sound brave, even though I'm close to pissing myself in terror. He's so damn big!

The lion chuckles. It's a low, rumbling sound. Then he leaps towards me and I...

Morning

Woke up to my alarm clock. I didn't need to see it to know what time it was. Godawful o' clock in the morning. Bad enough that I have to wake up early each day for school; but having to do so on a Saturday was downright blasphemous!

I reach for the alarm clock, my eyes still bleary from lack of sleep. Instead, I accidentally knock over the two-pound meteorite perched on my headboard. “Fuck me!” What a way to start the day.

I sit up and get out of bed, slipping my feet into a pair of fuzzy slippers. I turn off the damn alarm clock, and put my glasses on. I'm severely myopic; I can't see clearly beyond a few feet. Past that point, and the world becomes blurred and indistinct.

Actually I've long believed that's what the world really looks like, and we've just fooled ourselves into thinking otherwise. I bend down and pick up the stone. It's reddish in color; as meteors go, Chondrite ones are fairly common. And yet, this one was special. My aunt Karen had found it in Egypt while excavating a Mithraea.

I know what you're thinking. What's a Mithraea? Well, for awhile, there was a Roman cult dedicated to the god Mithras. If you've never heard of him, don't feel bad. He got his start in Persian Zoroastrian teachings and...

You can really tell I was raised by an archeologist. Ok, the short form: my aunt found a temple devoted to some made-up religious figure in an unlikely place. Egypt, in this case. Not unheard of, but strange. Anyways, it turns out the temple had been re-purposed; it had originally been dedicated to an even more obscure deity. The lion-headed Egyptian war-god, Maahes.

And in this temple, they found a two-pound hunk of rock that fell from the sky, marked with both the name of Mithra in the Avestran language, and the male lion hieroglyph. It was an oddity, and aunt Karen had given it to me. Don't ask me why, archeology is her passion, not mine. It was all I could do not to use the dang thing as a doorstop!

But, well, I owe her. A lot. So I pretend to be excited about a hunk of space-rock bigger than my fist. Most people probably would be fascinated by something so old, that came from so far away. But I've come to the very cynical conclusion that life is a lot less interesting than people think it is.

We're kids for awhile, and we think the world is great. Then we grow up, and find out it really isn't. The end. I'm probably too young to be so jaded, but there it is.

So I guess it's time to introduce myself. My name is Catherine Ramis, and I'll be very honest with you; call me Catherine, or Cathy, and I will hurt you. Anyone with two brain cells to rub together calls me Cat. So should you.

So, ok, I'm 13 (barely) and in the ninth grade. School isn't really challenging, and I got skipped ahead a grade without even trying. As much as I dislike going to school, I never really felt motivated enough to hurry up and get it over with, which I'm sure I could do in a few years.

I'm 5' 3”, skinny, with no chest to speak of, barely any figure, and despite my best efforts, I haven't managed to put much muscle on my frame either. I have blonde hair, green eyes, and by all accounts, I'm attractive in a cute sort of way. If it sounds like I have a few hang-ups about my body, congratulations. You're the world's greatest detective!

It wouldn't be so bad if my best friend, whose only a year older than me, wasn't so damn gorgeous. I'd kill to have Elle's body; she has long red hair, these mysterious light grey eyes, the beginnings of a killer figure, and she already has B-cup breasts; in a few years, she's going to have to beat off the guys with a baseball bat!

Not that either of us has much use for boys just yet. I've come to the conclusion that teenaged boys are just that. Boys. If I ever get into a relationship, I think I'm going to need someone a bit more mature. Which means I'm pretty much out of luck until after I graduate from good old Claremont Prep.

Right, personal life. My legal guardian is my aunt Karen, who basically looks like an older version of myself. She claims that she and Mom were late bloomers; in her words, she was built like a stick until she got to college, then she swears, one day she woke up and none of her bras came close to fitting her!

I don't even bother to wear a bra most days, so I have a long way to go. My mom died when I was like, two and a half, I don't even remember her. She'd separated from my Dad before I was even a year old, and was having problems with the single mother thing.

She'd already had to move in with aunt Karen to make ends meet; when she died, Karen became my guardian. Which had to suck for her; she was working on her doctorate at the time. While she's never come out and said so, I gather Dad is rich. Mom didn't want his money, but Karen's more practical.

She was more than happy to extort him out of more than enough money to make sure I wanted for nothing. What can I say, Karen is my superhero. She hired a housekeeper who could keep an eye on me, Lisa, and got that doctorate. Granted, it was awhile before she could get out into the field, but she did get a pretty sweet job at the American Museum of Natural History here in New York.

Dad never expressed a desire to see me, so I don't feel guilty for living off his money. We have a nice apartment on Central Park West, and I go to a private school. Ok, I think that covers it.

So why am I stuck waking up so early, you ask? Well, remember that weird dream I just had? I've been having the same dream for a week now. It's driving me nuts, and I'm starting to think it has something to do with that damned rock.

And yet, for some reason, rather than get rid of it, I've been keeping it close to me. Even carrying it around in my backpack at school! I'm starting to think it's, I don't know, cursed or something.

Well, ok. I don't really believe in curses or magic. Like I said, the real world is too boring for anything cool like that to exist. Hell, I'd love to be cursed, if only because it would prove that I'm wrong, and that life can be awesome after all!

Which is why, against all logic, I asked Karen if I could go with her to work today. Her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Ed is going to be there. He was with Karen when she discovered my two-pound paperweight, and I was hoping to ask him if there was anything weird about it after all.

So I take a quick shower and get dressed; so we won't be late, I just grab a breakfast bar. I can always eat later at the museum food court. Karen tries to talk to me about something, but I keep nodding off, and I don't manage to stay awake until we get to the museum.

I practically grew up at the museum, what with Karen working here. And despite the fact that I've seen most of the exhibits a zillion times, I love the old place. You know it's bad when even the security guards know you on sight!

I hang out for a bit to see what Karen is working on, but I quickly excuse myself. I may enjoy the museum, but I draw the line at million year-old pottery fragments! Only someone like Karen could get excited by that stuff. Instead I wander down the hall to bug Ed.

I could find my way to his office in my sleep; the nameplate still reads Dr. F Dawson, after all this time. I knock on the door, and I hear a muffled voice inside. “Come in!”

I open the door and walk on in. “So Doc, what's the 'F' stand for?” It's an old joke between us.

“Hey Cat, long time no see! I think by this point, 'Frustrated' would be a good choice!”

I flop into a chair and grin at him. “Still can't get maintenance to change it?”

He shook his head. Ed's a big guy, and he used to play football in college. How he became an archeologist, I'll never understand. “I'm thinking of just changing my name. How does Frank sound?”

“Terrible.” I make a face.

He laughs. “So what brings you by? Your aunt still mad at me?”

“Oh probably. I've actually lost track; what did you do this time?”

He frowned. “It's that meteorite we found in Egypt. I wanted to study it further, but she insisted it was just a curiousity. You know how stubborn she can be.”

I shook my head. “And you just had to push her? When will you learn?”

He sighed. “Never, most likely.”

“Well cheer up, Ed my man.” I reached into my backpack and pulled out the stone in question, and set it on his desk. “I'm curious about it too.”

His eyes lit up when he saw it, and he reached for the stone. “She gave it to you?”

“Yeah, weird, I know. I tried not to be disappointed, but seriously? She went to Egypt and brings me back a rock?”

He chuckled. “That's our Karen. So why did you bring it to me? Keep tripping over it?”

“Well yeah, actually, but, well...I just want to know if there's anything weird about it.”

“I thought you didn't believe in weird stuff anymore?” He turned over the meteorite in his hands.

“I don't...but I wouldn't mind being proved wrong.”

He stood up. “Well, let's go run a few tests, shall we?”

-

We left the thing in the mass spectrometer and Ed treated me to lunch. Karen came looking for me after awhile, and she frowned when she saw me with Ed.

“Hello Ed. I see your girlfriends keep getting younger and younger.”

“Yeah, at this rate, he'll be looking for dates in the nursery ward!” I joked.

Ed shook his head. “Come on, Karen, don't be mean. I was just treating Cat to lunch.”

Karen sighed. “Sorry. I guess I'm a little bitchy today. Carson just cancelled our funding for next year's dig.” She sat down wearily.

I blinked. “What?! Why? You did great this year!”

She shrugged. “The Smithsonian wants to send their own team, and they have more money to throw at the site. Carson thinks there's no way I could find anything they couldn't, so...”

“That's bullshit, Karen. I shudder to ask, but...who's getting the money instead?” Ed didn't seem happy either.

“Oh, you'll love this. Jensen!” Karen practically growled.

“That hack?! Why on Earth..?”

I wisely focused on my burger while they talked.

“Oh you'll love this! You know how every few years, people get excited about supernatural stuff?”

Ed groaned. “Don't tell me he pulled out all that von Daniken crap again!”

“Yes, and Carson approved it!” Karen looked really upset. It's hard being a woman in her field!

“Oh God, what is it this time? The sphinx again?”

“I wish! Actually, that's one avenue of research I wouldn't mind being looked into, even by an incompetent baboon like Jensen. No, it's Atlantis.”

Ed choked. “Atlantis?! Carson needs to have his head examined. I'm sorry Kay.”

My eyebrow shot up. That was Ed's pet name for Karen, and she only let him call him that when they were dating!

But rather than yell at him, she slumped a little. “It's not your fault, Ed. Who knows, maybe Jensen will want some real scientists along, and he'll ask me?”

That's my aunt, you could say you were looking for UFO temples in the Bermuda Triangle, and she'd come along, just on the off chance there's something to be found! I get up and give her a hug, and she holds me close.

“Thanks, Cat.” She smiled and kissed my forehead. “You're still the greatest treasure in my life.”

I blushed a bit. “Aw jeez, Karen...”

She laughed and ruffled my hair. “Sorry to embarrass you.”

“It's ok.”

Ed's watch beeped. “Ah, mass spec is done!”

I jumped up. “Sweet!”

Karen looked at both of us. “What are you two evil geniuses up to?”

Oh shit! “Uh...nothing?”

She gave me her patented 'I so don't believe that' look. Even if she's not really my mother, Karen has developed quite an impressive array of 'Mom' powers! “It's the meteorite, isn't it?”

I bit my lower lip sheepishly. “Uh...yeah.”

She looked upward. “I might as well see this for myself, then.” She glared at Ed. “You better not have put her up to this!”

He held up his hands defensively. “I didn't even know she had the Mithra stone until today!”

“Ed. Please. Let's not have this argument again. That's just superstitious folklore at best.”

“Hi, uneducated teenager here. What's a Mithra stone? I mean, I know who Mithra was, the Zoroastrian God, right?”

Ed laughed. “You really have been corrupted. How many kids your age could even pronounce 'Zoroastrian'?”

I frowned. “Don't remind me.”

Ed looked to Karen, who threw up her hands and stood up. “Go ahead, tell her the story. At least Cat has the good sense not to believe in it.”

“Well, the story goes that there was a sacred stone, bearing the name of Mithra, that contained the strength of a lion; this has some connection to the Leontocephaline, a sacred image to the Zoroastrian faith. Basically, it's a lion-headed man with a snake wrapped around him, binding him.”

You ever have a moment when you feel like you almost remembered something, but your brain didn't quite make the connection? I had that feeling just then.

“Legend has it that Mithra slew a bull or Bull-deity, in an act known as the tauroctony, proving his power. The story claims he did this with the captured power of the lion, contained in the stone.”

“So you think that the meteorite is that stone?”

“Legends are, as any good archeologist will tell you, based on some fact. Why not? I doubt it really grants superhuman powers, but if there's something unusual about it, then we can attempt to deduce the truth of the legend.”

“Huh.” I thought about that. “So why the Egyptian symbol? Was there an Egyptian lion-god?”

Karen spoke up. “A few. The Egyptian mythos was constantly changing, since each Pharaoh was allowed to dictate the beliefs of his people, as the living link to their gods. At one point, the Egyptians conquered the Meroitic peoples, and one of the gods they may have 'acquired' is Apedemak. Who later became known as...”

“Maahes.” The name just came out of my mouth.

“That's right! Have you been doing some research?”

“Uh...yeah.” Actually I had never heard the name before in my life!

“That's my girl.” She hugged me with one arm as we walked.

Then I heard a crashing noise, and noticed the door to the mass spectrometer room was open. “Hey, what's going on?”

Ed rushed ahead and entered the room. “Who are you people, what do you..?

There was the sound of a gunshot and I heard Ed cry out in pain!

“Oh God, get behind me, Cat!” Karen stepped in front of me.

A man armed with an automatic pistol, an Ingram, I think, stepped out into the hall. “Come here, both of you, or you will die.” He had a Middle Eastern accent that I couldn't place.

Karen grabbed my hand and led me into the room. She gasped when she saw Ed, laying in a rapidly spreading pool of blood, lifeless on the floor.

“You will open the machine, and give us the Stone, Dr. Ramis.” The man gestured to the mass spectrometer with his gun.

“Alright...just don't hurt the girl.” Karen walked up to the mass spec, and put in her code, unlocking it. I swear, as she pulled out the stone, it seemed to glow from within, but neither she nor the gunman seemed to notice.

He looked to me. “Girl, go and get the Stone, and bring it to me.”

I walked over and took the meteorite from Karen, who was shaking with fright. For some reason, though, I wasn't afraid. I was angry. I turned and walked up to the man. Just as he reached for the stone, he yelled out in pain!

I looked down, only to see Ed, still alive, who had just stabbed the gunman with a pocketknife!

“Cat, run!” Karen yelled out. So I did, rushing out the door.

As I ran down the hall, looking for security, I heard two shots ring out. Oh God! Oh God! I felt tears in my eyes. Not Karen! I couldn't imagine life without her!

I wanted to curl up in a ball somewhere and weep, but the anger built up inside me, giving me strength.

They will pay, cub. This I promise.” I thought I heard a deep voice. I must be going crazy!

I know the museum like the back of my hand. I pulled the fire alarm as I passed it, and rounded the corner, nearly colliding with Drew, one of the security guards!

“Drew! Oh God, there's a man with a gun, and he shot Ed and my aunt!”

Drew nodded. “Ok, I'll take care of...” Whatever else he was going to say was lost when two shots rang out. Drew collapsed to his knees, and fell. I turned and saw the gunman. How had he caught up to me so fast?!

“You run swiftly, girl, but not enough. There is an old proverb that I wish I had the time to share with you in full. Suffice to say, each day, the gazelle must outrun the fastest lion or perish. Each day, the lion must outrun the slowest gazelle or perish. Today, you are the gazelle, and I am the lion.”

He didn't even ask me for the stone, he took aim and fired. Somehow, I held up the stone, and the bullet struck it! It shook in my hands from the impact, and they felt numb. But I didn't drop it! I turn and ran, as fast as I could.

The gunman didn't fire, and I realized he must have had to reload! I found the emergency exit to the fire escape and didn't even slow down, running into the door. It was cold and raining outside, and I didn't even have my hoodie on. Chilled to the bone, I dashed down the slick stairs.

I thought I might make it. I was wrong.

“It ends now, little gazelle!” I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder, which spun me around, before my ears could register the shot. I slipped and fell off the staircase.

The last thing I saw was the street below, rushing up to...

Second Life

I awoke in a hospital room. When I was ten, I'd tried a stupid stunt on my skateboard, and fell. I'd fractured my arm and gotten a concussion. I remembered waking up in a hospital just like this. Even though it was dark, my senses seemed unusually sharp. I was hooked up to a heart monitor and had an IV in my arm.

My body was bandaged in several places as well. Oddly though, I didn't feel any pain when I attempted to sit up. Outside my room, a police officer was seated. I had a police guard? Why?

I hit the button and called for a nurse. Almost at once, the door opened, and a young nurse gasped. “You're awake! Oh honey, you shouldn't be moving!”

I frowned. “I feel fine...what happened?”

Rather than answer, she forced me to lay back down. The cop poked his head in the door. He was a fairly handsome African American with kind eyes. “Is she going to be ok?”

“I...please, get the doctor in here!”

With a nod, the cop left the room. The nurse rose, but I grabbed her arm. She gasped. “You..you're hurting me!”

“My aunt, what happened to her?”

She tried to break my grip, but couldn't. “Please..I'm sorry, she's dead!”

I let go. Suddenly, I didn't want to live anymore. Karen? Dead? I slipped back into unconsciousness...

-

“Cat? Cat?” I heard a familiar voice. I opened my eyes and saw a familiar red-haired girl staring down at me. It was Elle, and she looked like she'd been crying.

“Elle, hey.”

“Oh Goddess!” She pulled me into her arms and started crying. “I thought...I thought I'd lost you!”

Her crying made me remember that Karen was dead, and I started bawling like a little kid. Elle held me tightly the whole time, stroking my hair. “I'm sorry Cat, I'm so sorry.”

I'm not sure how long we clung to each other when I heard a man clearing his throat. “Ah, excuse me, could you young ladies perhaps convince the woman to let me in?”

I looked up to see Elle's shadow blocking the doorway. Agatha Harkness. The name evokes the image of some old spinster, but Agatha is anything but; she's a svelte, raven-haired young woman who knows a dozen different ways to kill somebody.

We call her “Aunt Aggro”, but never to her face. Like me, Elle is an orphan, having lost her parents some years back. She's the heir to some massive fortune, and the executor of her family estate hired Agatha to be a sort of all-purpose watchdog for Elle. She cooks, cleans, drives, and is very protective of Elle.

I've only rarely seen Agatha smile, but I know her and Elle are close. Apparently, I'm the only friend Agatha approves of, and I'm definitely the only one to have actually seen the inside of Elle's apartment (which is even fancier than mine!).

“It's only the doctor, Agatha.” Elle shook her head.

Agatha stepped back. “Just because he looks like a doctor doesn't mean he can be trusted.”

Reluctantly, Elle let me go and stood up. “I think we can trust him. My apologies, doctor.”

“No no, it's quite alright. There's a reason the police sent someone to keep watch over her.” He stepped closer. “You don't remember me, Miss Ramis, but I removed a bullet from your shoulder. I'm Dr. Strange. But please, call me Stephen.”

I rose an eyebrow. “Dr. Strange?”

He chuckled. “Yes, I get teased about it quite a bit. Do you mind if I take a look at you?”

“I guess not.” I trusted something about the man, he was tall and slender, with dark hair and a well-groomed mustache and beard. He frowned intently as he poked and prodded me. Normally, I'd be a little weirded out by letting a man touch me like this, but he did save my life, after all.

“Incredible. I'm going to want X-rays, but it seems you've made a full recovery from your injuries.”

“Wow, so other than being shot, the fall didn't hurt me that much?”

He turned to Agatha. “Could you close the door please?”

She did so with a nod, and then he turned back to me. “Actually, your injuries were quite severe. I wasn't certain you were going to make it.”

I blinked. “Wait...what?”

“Indeed. You're a medical miracle, even your shoulder seems completely healed.”

“But..that's impossible...” I felt like the room was spinning.

“I don't believe in the impossible, but it is highly improbable. There will be people who are very interested in you as a result. However, the last thing you need is to be poked and prodded, or bothered by the press. So once I have some test results, and your x-rays, if you really are in perfect health, I'm going to have you quietly released.”

“But what about the police?”

He looked over his shoulder. “If your friends here would see fit to take care of you for awhile, the young woman seems more than capable of protecting you.”

Agatha actually grinned. “Smart man.”

“Why does anyone want to kill me?” I looked down at my hands, noticing for the first time that they looked larger than before. Almost like a boy's hands!

“That, I'm afraid, I don't know. You didn't have anything valuable on you when the police found you, just some shards from a broken rock.”

I looked up. “The meteorite? It broke?”

“Apparently so. That was what the gunman was after?”

I nodded. “I just don't understand...why...why did Karen have to...” I started crying again. Elle sat with me, and Stephen quietly left.

-

As it happens, I had made a full recovery, but Stephen claimed that he wanted to make a housecall in a few days, to check on me. So Elle and Agatha brought me home to her apartment. I'd stayed there before; the guest room was bigger than my room at home.

Or what used to be home. I used to think life was boring. Now I knew better. “I wish...I could go back to being bored.”

“I had your things brought here to your room, Cat.” I turned to face Agatha.

“Thanks Agatha.”

She sighed and to my amazement, she put her arms around me. “You have to be strong, Cat. I know it hurts inside, but you can't let them beat you. These people need to pay. Take it from your Aunt Aggro.”

I looked up at her, a little sheepish. “You know about that?”

She winked. “I know everything, Cat. It's my job.”

I forced a smile on my face, but I didn't feel it. How bad off were things, when even a stone cold bodyguard feels sorry for me?

-

I couldn't sleep in the guest room, so I went to Elle's door and knocked on it. A few minutes later, it opened. “Can't sleep?”

I shook my head. “I know it sounds weird, but can I...?” When we were younger, we used to sleep in her bed when I stayed over. I needed someone near me.

She smiled softly. “Of course.” She led me to her bed and pulled the covers back, letting me slip under them. Then she lay down next to me, and took my hand. “I'll be here the whole night.”

I nodded, and soon, I was asleep.

The Dream

The savannah was dark, and I shivered, my naked body chilled by the cool night air. I felt someone come up from behind me, but I wasn't afraid. Strong, gentle hands placed a fur cloak on my shoulders. I turned, and found a powerfully-built man standing there. He had the head of a lion, the same lion from my dreams. “Maahes.”

He nodded. “Yes, it is I, young one. Trapped in stone as I was, I hadn't realized you were a she-cub. And yet, you called out to me.”

“Is that a problem? Me being a girl?”

He shrugged. “It will be different. No longer am I trapped in the stone, now I live within you. We are as one. But I am a man, and you are not.”

“What does that mean?” I held up my hands. “Am I turning into a boy?”

He shook his great maned head. “No, but you are changing. You have the blood of Gods in your veins, it reacts to my presence, awakening the power inside you.”

“That's...impossible.”

He chuckled. “You are quick to speak of things being impossible. Though you are alone now, others who share your blood will awaken soon. You will walk among new Gods, and see many things you once thought beyond belief. And I will walk with you.”

I ran my tongue along my teeth. They felt sharper than before. “I want vengeance. And blood.”

“And you shall have these things. Trust the Healer, he will not understand the changes to your body, but he can help you adapt. You are safe where you are, but as we share the same heart, I know you will soon desire to run free. Just remember where your Den is, and who your pride-mates are.”

Morning

“Hey, Cat. Are you ok?”

I awoke to find Elle there, looking at me with concern. “Yeah, just weird dreams.”

“Come on, let's get breakfast. I managed to talk Agatha into letting me play hookey from school today.”

I managed a smile. “She's really a softie, huh?”

Elle cocked her head to the side, thinking about it. “She doesn't like to show it much. Bad for her reputation, she says. But yes. She told me a long time ago that it wasn't about the money anymore. She promised to stay with me forever.”

I had to blink away tears. “...Karen told me the same thing.”

“Oh Cat, I...I didn't mean...”

I shook my head. “She protected me to the very end. She gave up her life for me. That woman was my mother. Even if she didn't give birth to me, even if she didn't carry me inside of her. She was my mother, and I...I just wish I could call her Mom. Just once.” I looked to Elle. “Don't make the same mistake, Elle.”

She nodded. “I won't. I...made arrangements. For Karen. Do you want to go?”

I nodded. “The wake is tonight?”

“Yes. You're her only relative, but her friends will be there.”

I took her hand and squeezed it. “Elle, you're so important to me. Like..I don't know, a sister.”

She got a strange look on her face, then she smiled. “I'd be honored to be your sister, Cat.”

We hugged, and I went to my room to get some clothes.

-

In the bathroom, I stripped, and began to notice something was off. My hands had gotten a little bigger; they really did look like a boy's hands now. The nails seemed longer and thicker, the tips sharp to the touch. My feet were bigger as well, and my toenails were also changed. My hips seemed thicker, and my chest...I didn't believe it at first, but there was no doubt. My boobs were bigger!

I remembered the dream. Either that was real, or I was going crazy! Opening my mouth, my eyeteeth seemed a bit longer, and I noticed bumps on my tongue. Touching it, it felt rough, like sandpaper...or a cat's tongue!

My eyes looked bigger as well, and my ears had elongated just a bit. Not weird-looking, just more elfin. I touched the gently rounded tip and my ear twitched in response! I know some people can make their ears twitch, but I was never one of them before!

My hair seemed a darker color, and I noticed it was a bit longer as well. “What am I turning into?”

I was a little scared, but at the same time, I felt a sense of wonder. I was changing! I felt the muscles of my arm, and they were more toned. I smiled. Whatever I was becoming, it was something stronger. More powerful.

-

The day flew by, and we went to the wake. My feet hurt, my shoes no longer fitting right. I decided to wear a bra, and a good thing too! I swear my boobs had grown a bit larger by the time we got home. I didn't cry as much at the wake; everyone else was crying, but I just felt that anger in the back of my mind.

I slept with Elle again. It just felt right to do so, and the scent of her relaxed me and helped my mind to drift off. I didn't have the dream, and I woke feeling rested. Elle had turned in her sleep, and was laying with her face next to me, on her belly, one arm thrown over my chest.

She was so cute when she slept! I was careful not to wake her as I got up and padded to the bathroom to see if I'd continued to change. My nightgown didn't fit right, and the arms and legs seemed longer.

I stripped in the bathroom, and...holy crap! My boobs had swelled again, they were as big as Elle's now! My eyes had taken on this dark amber color, and my nails had turned black. They were definitely longer than before, and I knew there was no way I was going to be able to wear shoes!

My hair was longer, and had this nice tawny color to it, while my skin, paradoxically, had become smooth and hairless. It felt thicker somehow as well. I'd gained some muscle mass as well; I didn't look freakish, but you could tell it was there. And when I flexed, I could see the muscles ripple fluidly.

All of my senses seemed sharper, although my vision was still a bit blurry without my glasses. I could probably do without them, save for reading. The bumps on my tongue were like tiny barbs, and I remembered reading something about a lion's tongue helping them to strip meat off of bones.

I giggled “I better be careful if I kiss someone!” I licked my arm experimentally; it didn't damage my skin, and in fact, it felt kind of pleasant! I shivered. “Oh man, is this how cats feel when they lick themselves?”

The shower felt fantastic as well, and I didn't leave until the water actually began to cool. After I dried myself off and ran a brush through my hair, I changed into my outfit for the day.

And sure enough, it didn't fit right, even though I'd worn it before. The hem of my jeans came down to my toes, and my sleeves hung lower as well. There was no doubt about it, I had shrunk!

There was no reason to hide it, so I went to Elle's room and waited for her to come back from her own shower.

-

She entered the room. “Oh hey Cat. Something must be wrong with the water heater, I almost didn't have enough water for my shower!”

“That's my fault, I took a really long shower. Uh, Elle...when is Dr. Strange coming by?”

“I think he wanted to see you this afternoon. I wasn't sure though, the funeral is today.”

“No, I better see him. Something weird is going on.” I stood up and walked to her. And got my proof.

She frowned. “Like what?”

“Well, for starters, you're taller than me.”

She blinked. “What? No I'm not...” Her voice trailed off as she realized she could look over my head.

“See? My clothes don't fit right either. And that's not all, check this out!” I took her hands and placed them on my chest.

Her face turned an interesting shade of pink as she gently squeezed my breasts. Which felt really good, I might add.

“They..they're real! But...”

“Oh, there's more. But you better sit down.”

She did, and I started to explain. When I mentioned my eyes, she just stared at them, surprised she hadn't noticed. But really, even though we look at other people's eyes a lot, many people have a hard time remembering eye color.

“They look like...a lion's eyes!”

“Mhm. Let me tell you about my dream, and you can decide if I'm crazy or not.”

So I did.

-

Elle sat in her computer chair, idly tapping her chin with her forefinger. “Cat, you trust me, right?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Like, duh, of course I do.”

She sighed. “I believe you. I think I even understand what's going on. But...the part where you have to trust me, is to not ask why. There are some things about me that I've never told you.”

“Does this have to do with that stash of New Age books you keep in your closet?” I grinned at her.

“Sort of..hey! Why were you snooping around in my closet?!”

I laughed. “Checking out your wardrobe, of course. Wishing like hell I had the body to even try to borrow something.”

She shook her head. “You might be getting your wish.”

I walked up to her mirror. “Uh, do my breasts look bigger to you? Fuck, how huge are they going to get?” Seriously, they looked like they were heading into C-cup territory!

“Not much. It's almost complete.” She walked up behind me. I was weird realizing that Elle was taller than me; she's only 5' 2”, after all.

“Jeez, how tall am I now?”

“Let's find out.” She took a marker and made a mark on the wall next to the mirror. Then she got out a cloth ruler. “Four foot, ten inches.”

“Gah, I'm a midget!”

“Don't worry hon, you still have a few years to grow. In your case, mass has to come from somewhere. You can't just add muscle and bone out of nowhere. Well some can, but not you.”

I put my hands on my chest. “And these?”

“They won't get bigger. I'm sure you'll grow into them, Cat.”

“...you really can't tell me how you know all this?” I made sure she couldn't see my eyes. It hurt a little that she was keeping secrets from me, I won't lie.

She slid her arms around my waist. “I'm so sorry, Cat. If it helps any, I'm only protecting you.”

“But I'm stronger now, why can't I protect you?” God, I sounded so whiny!

She ran her fingers through my hair. “We need to get your hair re-styled.” She paused. “It means a lot to me that you want to protect me, Cat. It does. But you're not ready for that. You have your own troubles now. And you're trying to be strong, but we both know that's not the truth. You're hurting inside so badly. Karen wasn't just your aunt, she was your mother. And you can never get her back.”

She held me tighter as I started to weep. My legs felt weak, and she helped me to the bed. I lay down, and she lay next to me, holding me close while I cried my heart out.

-

The weather was terrible for Karen's funeral. I'd missed Ed's funeral, which made me feel guilty as hell. But his brother was there, and when I apologized to him, he just held me. “Don't blame yourself, Catherine. He wouldn't want that, he kept hoping that one day he could be a father to you. I don't even think you should be here, as badly as you're hurting.”

It shows you how bad I was feeling that I let him call me Catherine.

I don't know where Elle got the new outfit for me, which hid the changes to my body fairly well. Or the shoes, for that matter. They were big and I felt like I was wearing clown shoes. Even then, my toes hurt, and I knew this would be the last time I wore a pair of shoes. I might be able to do sandals, but those long nails would get attention.

As if puberty wasn't bad enough on a girl!

-

“This goes beyond a mere mutation. Your body has restructured itself right down to the cellular level. I can't understand how or why. I mean, I'm a surgeon and a physician, so this isn't my field, but...”

Stephen Strange shook his head. “Well let me give you the good news. All things considered, you're in perfect health. Most doctors wouldn't agree, given your heart rate, but it's obvious to me that your metabolic rate is much higher than a normal human's. You're going to have to eat a lot of food to maintain that metabolism as well. I'm no dietician, but I think you should eat more meat as well. Regular exercise is a must.”

I nodded. “So does this mean...I'm superhuman?”

He nodded. “In a lot of ways, yes. And I don't understand it. There has to be others like you, however. I refuse to believe you're the only one of your kind, no matter how rare. So I suggest you keep your eyes open, I know I will. While you still appear human, I don't know if it's a good idea for you to go back to school. Close scrutiny will reveal your differences.”

I frowned. “Not that I'll miss it much, but I do need an education, Doc.”

“Even though you've been seen in public, given the severity of what happened to you, I can fabricate all sorts of reasons to keep you out of classes. You may end up having to get your GED online or try some sort of home schooling. And I agree, you're not going to be comfortable wearing shoes. I'm not even sure sandals are a good idea. You've naturally been putting more weight on the balls of your feet when you walk, and the skin of your soles has thickened considerably.”

He paused for a moment. “This isn't mutation. This is deliberate. The majority of these changes serve a purpose, that's the sort of thing that generally results from evolution over long periods of time. Accelerated evolution...just amazing.”

“I'm a freak, you mean.” I'd been trying to deny it, but it was true. I wasn't human anymore.

To my amazement, he laughed. “Nothing of the sort! Cat, you've become something better than human. Not a freak, but something incredible. And it's going to happen. I'm sure of it. One day soon, you'll be able to walk openly. Sure, there will always be fear and prejudice, but the world will understand what you are.”

-

I hadn't seen Lisa in a week, and she immediately saw that I'd changed. I told her the whole story, expecting her to freak out, but instead, she held me close and told me she'd always be there for me. I still ached from the loss of Karen, but it helped to know that there were people who still cared.

We'd gone back to the apartment to pack; I'd moved into Elle's place fully, but there was still a lot of stuff that would have to be put into storage. It was slow going; the memories were thick here. Even the smallest thing would get me crying again.

In Karen's room, I found some old pictures of her and Mom, back when they were teenagers. They were so young and happy! I fell to my knees, paralyzed by grief. Why did I have to lose them both!

It felt like I was at the bottom of a deep, black pit. There was no light, only pain. But I was tired of crying. Two glittering eyes appeared in the darkness, and I realized I was not alone. I found something there, beyond the grief and despair.

I found rage. Anger. A need for vengeance. I bit my tongue and tasted blood. The man who took my family from me was out there. He'd wanted the Stone. He'd wanted the power. One way or another, he was going to get it. In spades.

-

“Who are you?” I heard Lisa in the living room. I got up and went to the door to see who she was talking to. A tall man wearing a dark green suit was standing at the doorway. He had dark hair with noticeably graying sideburns.

“The name's Hunt. I work for Mr. Blake. I'm here for the girl.”

“She's not here. Now get out, you don't have any right to be here!” Lisa stood her ground. Who the heck was Mr. Blake?

“How do you think I got in? Who do you think pays for this apartment? Get out of my way!” He went to take a step past Lisa, who got in his way. With a violent shove, he knocked her to the floor.

I actually growled. And you know, it sounded pretty damned scary! I sprinted forward so quickly that my peripheral vision was just a blur. I pounced on the jerk, who was reaching into his coat for a gun. I may not weigh a lot, but I had momentum on my side, plus the increased strength of my compact frame. He hit the floor hard, and I put my claws to his throat.

His eyes got really wide. “...holy...”

“Who the hell are you?”

“...Gerald Hunt, I work for your father!”

“I don't have a father. He wanted nothing to do with me, and I want nothing to do with him. You tell him that. Now get out!” I grabbed his gun and rose.

He wisely decided to get the hell out of the apartment as fast as he could. I turned to offer Lisa a hand up, but she was just staring at me in shock.

“Lisa..?”

She shook her head and took my hand, and I easily lifted her to her feet. “I'm sorry Cat, I know it's you, it's just..”

I sighed. “I know. I'm some kind of monster.”

“Oh honey, don't say that. I don't know why this has happened to you, but you're not a monster.” She pulled me into a hug.

But holding the gun in my hand, I sure felt like a monster.

-

Lisa dropped me off at Elle's place. I asked her if she thought she'd be ok, I mean, what if that Hunt guy came back? But she insisted she'd be fine. I sure hoped she was right.

I kept the gun, though. I shouldn't have, but until Agatha and Elle got back, I felt pretty exposed. I sat down and tried to relax on the couch. I fell asleep a few minutes later.

The next thing I knew, Elle was shaking me awake. “Cat? What's wrong? Why do you have a gun?”

Agatha was holding said weapon. “Not a bad choice, .45 ACP.”

I told them what had happened. Only now did I start trembling. What if he'd shot me? Or Lisa?

Elle pulled me into a hug, and I held onto her like a damn life preserver. Like I was drowning. What was happening to me?

Agatha sat down on the coffee table facing me. “Your father is Thomas Blake. I did some research when you first started hanging around Elle.”

I sighed. Typical Agatha.

Elle glared at her bodyguard/governess. “Seriously, Agatha?! She was ten, how dangerous could she be?”

Agatha shrugged. “There's a reason I don't talk about my childhood, Elle. I might not be the best person to tell this story, but since Karen...” She fell silent.

I nodded. “Go ahead, please. I guess I should have tried to find out a long time ago.”

“I don't blame you for feeling rejected. Thomas Sr., your grandfather, was, by all accounts, a right bastard. He was the one who forced your parents apart, using every dirty trick in the book. Your mother, apparently, wasn't good enough to be married to a Blake.”

I frowned, but kept my mouth shut.

“Anyways, your father agreed to break off the marriage, if your grandfather agreed to make sure you'd want for nothing. Gramps controlled all the money, you understand. He also was lying through his teeth, he didn't give your Mom so much as a dime.”

I heard a low growl come from somewhere. Elle shivered, and I realized the growl had come from me! “Sorry..go on, please.”

“Well, Thomas soon became a complete embarrassment to your grandfather. He partied, got drunk, did drugs, and then one day vanished. It wasn't until a few years later, after your mother and Tom Sr. had both died that he showed up again. That's about the same time your aunt started receiving money from the Blake Corporation.”

I didn't care. At least, that's what I wanted to say. “Where was he?”

“Africa. I guess he'd joined some safari on a lark. Things went from bad to worse, and he ended up having to survive by himself, with almost nothing for two years. The story goes that when they found him, he was living with a pride of lions, if you can believe that.”

Oddly enough, I could. I mean, with all the weird in my life, my dad being Ka-Zar didn't really surprise me!

Agatha continued. “He hired some people to run the company for him, made sure a huge chunk of cash was left in a trust fund for you, and then went back to hunting. He's supposed to be one of the best big-game hunters in the world.”

I snorted. “Well, how hard is it to shoot something down?”

Agatha smirked. “Who says he uses a gun?”

I blinked. “Oh.” Great, my old man is a psychotic badass! I looked to Elle. “Do you think I should...talk to him?”

Elle sighed. “What choice do you have? He's your only living relative, and he has a lot of money. Cat, you know I'll do anything to protect you. But I've lived on the run for too long...and that's not a life I'd want for you.”

I gave her a look. “I really wish you could tell me what's going on, Elle, but..ok. I guess I'll meet him. On my terms.” I sighed. “But for now, I'm beat.”

Elle kissed me on the cheek. “Get some sleep, honey, I have studying to do.”

-

Except I couldn't sleep. I mean, I did for a little while, but then I woke up, staring at the ceiling. I went to the door and opened it, only to hear Agatha and Elle talking. I was curious, so as quietly as I could, I crept down the hall.

“...you should tell her.”

“You know why I can't, Agatha! It would put her in so much danger!”

“She's sleeping in your bed. How much more in danger could she get? We both know what's happening to her. She needs to know. You've already let enough drop that she knows you aren't normal.”

“I..I just don't want her to..”

“Hate you? I don't think that's possible. Look, I'm just here to protect you. I really shouldn't be offering any advice. But at least think about it, ok?”

I made my way back to bed. What was Elle hiding?

-

The next day, when Elle went to school, I went to the mall. I figured I'd be safer around a lot of people. I didn't bring the gun though. As weird as it sounds, I figured if Dad didn't need guns, why did I? I wanted to slap myself silly. He wasn't my Dad. He didn't fight for me. Or Mom.

He was nothing to me.

Yeah, right.

As I walked along the mall (nobody seemed to pay much attention to the fact I wasn't wearing any shoes), I became more aware of the women around me. I actually caught myself checking them out! What the hell? When did I become a lesbian?

I tried not to, but it was too hard to resist. God, there were some pretty ones, too. I licked my lips, and I felt a warmth between my legs. I practically ran into the bathroom to splash cold water into my face. What the fuck was going on?

An older teen girl came into the bathroom and washed her hands. She was really hot, with long blonde hair (never mind the brown roots). I just wanted to rip her clothes right off her body!

She turned to look at me, and she smiled. “Hey honey, what's your name?”

“Cat.”

“Cat...that's a pretty name.” Her eyes seemed to shine. “Is it...warm in here?” She undid the top few buttons of her blouse. I became suddenly aware that she was sexually aroused. It was a combination of factors, really. I could hear her heartbeat quicken. See her nipples harden. I felt warmth coming off her body in waves as she moved closer to me. Smell the pheromones coming off her body...

Pheromones? My eyes widened and I got the hell out of there.

-

I walked into Doc Strange's office, and I saw his receptionist perk up instantly. She had an odd look on her face. I gulped, thankful no one else was there. “Uh, yeah, Cat Ramis, I need to see Dr. Strange?”

She didn't even ask if I had an appointment, she just nodded and told me she'd take care of me. Oh man!

Thankfully, Stephen came out quickly, and ushered me into his examination room. “What's going on, Cat, you look scared half to death.”

“...uh...Doc..it's hard to explain.”

He handed me a glass of water. “Drink this slowly, then do your best. Start from the beginning.”

Somehow, I managed to get my story out. He didn't say anything at first, as if gathering his thoughts.

“Doc?” Jeez, I sounded like a kid, but this really scared me. What the hell was I?

“Easy, Cat, stay calm.” He put his hand on my shoulder. “It's strange, I don't seem to be affected, but I did notice Virginia was watching you pretty closely. And you've never felt any attraction to other girls before now?”

I shook my head. “Not really. I mean, sure, I could tell you if a girl is hot or not, but I never wanted to date one or anything!”

“What about boys?”

I shrugged. “I'm 13, Doc. Guys my age are...well you know.”

He chuckled. “I do sort of vaguely remember. Alright, well, how do you feel about Elle?”

My cheeks felt like they were burning. Mixed emotions like you wouldn't believe. “Oh man...I better start sleeping in another room.”

“Hm. I can accept a hormonal change, that's not uncommon for a girl your age, and plus, well, your biochemistry isn't normal in either case. But it's affecting your core value judgments. Almost as if you're being influenced somehow.”

Oh. Now it made sense. “Say Doc, could you...I don't know, give me something that would put me to sleep?”

He raised an eyebrow. “I could, but why?”

“Well, sometimes when I dream, there's this man in my dreams. Well not really a man...this is going to make me sound crazy, but..he's a God. A lion-God, actually. Maahes. He talks to me.”

Stephen leaned back in his chair. “You're right, that does sound crazy.”

I looked away. “Great. Well get the straitjacket ready for me, then.”

“Give me some credit, Cat. I know you're not crazy. Frightened? Confused? Yes, but not crazy. To be honest, all the tests I've run on you so far have led me to the conclusion that something definitely strange is going on with your body. Something medicine can't explain. Barring any other explanation, the idea that you're somehow being influenced by a God, well..I have to at least accept the possibility, even though it goes beyond the scope of my training.”

“Doc, you're the best.”

He chuckled. “Or maybe we're both crazy? Cat, do you trust me?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I do.”

“I'm going to try hypnosis. I'm not licensed as a psychiatrist, but I'm familiar with the techniques.”

“Do it.”

So that's how I ended up on the couch in his private office, as he gave me a few pills and had me wash them down with a glass of water. He had a metronome on this desk that he set to moving, and he started to talk to me in a calm, caring voice.

And before I knew it...

The Dream

Things were different this time. Instead of the savannah, I was in what looked like a temple. I wasn't naked this time either, but still wearing my clothes. It seemed more real than before, there was a less of a dream-like quality about the experience. I whirled to find Maahes behind me. Jesus, he's tall, like 6' 8”. A giant compared to me.

“Don't be afraid. I'm glad you finally came.”

“Afraid?! What's happening to me!?”

“I told you. You have the blood of Gods in your veins. It changes you, gives you power.”

“It's you that's doing it!”

He shrugged. “I am influencing your transformation, I cannot help that. You are my vessel.”

“Vessel? Because of you I'm looking at other girls like they're sides of beef!”

“You have a strong animus, and I am, after all, a Man.”

I was really trying not to look at the proof of that statement! “So now I'm a lesbian. Great. And the fact that my scent makes any woman near me want to jump my bones?”

“Only those females that you are attracted to. That are right and proper to lay with you.”

I blinked. “Huh?”

“If you have no interest in a woman, or if she is not a proper mate, she will be unaffected.”

“What do you mean, proper mate? I can't mate with a girl, that's basic biology!”

He chuckled. “Be that as it may, your senses will tell you if a woman is healthy and compatible with you. You've seen that already.”

“...crap. What about Elle?”

“She already cares for you deeply, it would be a good match, despite her ancestry.”

“...a good match?! She's like my sister!”

“I don't see how that matters.”

“Ooh, you moron! Get out of my head!”

“If I could, for you, I would. But my powers are weak, and I cannot leave.”

I started crying. “I'll lose her! She'll freak out! Agatha will shoot me! I don't want...”

He knelt down and pulled me into his arms. His lion-head changed, becoming a human face. He was pretty handsome, although I felt no attraction. He was male, after all. Oh God, what was I thinking?

“Cub, life is change. You cannot stop the cycle simply because growing up frightens you. I could freeze your time, keep you the way you are now forever. But you will still experience new things, and change inside, even if your body did not.”

I sighed. “I wish I could go back to being a kid again. To have Karen alive. Or even Mom...”

“I know, and if I had the power, I would do these things for you. Cub, fate brought us to one another. I will care for you as if you were my own whelp. But I cannot keep you safe from all pain.”

“...I'm too young to be thinking about sex, Maahes.”

He chuckled. “There are some who would disagree. Why, when I was still known as a God, there would be priestesses of my Dam, Bast, younger than you, who...”

“Stop right there. I don't need to know about ancient Egyptian pedophiles, thank you very much.”

“You can control this part of yourself. The lion only breeds when it is time to. It is man who breeds when he pleases, and solely for the pleasure of it. Learn to center yourself, and you will be fine.”

“Ugh, I don't need this.”

“One day, you may disagree.”

“What possible use could I have for making women want me?”

He laughed. “If you were a boy, you would not ask that question!”

“Ew! Guys are so disgusting!”

“Women are no strangers to lust either.”

I blushed at that. “Well, maybe, but...”

“It is time for you to return to the Waking Land. All I can offer is this; be honest with those you care about, and let them decide.”

-

I woke up. “Gah!”

“Easy, you're alright.” Stephen handed me more water, and I downed it greedily.

“Oh man, that was messed up.”

“Agreed.”

I looked at him. “Huh?”

He held up a micro-cassette recorder. “I got it all on tape. Both of you.”

My eyes widened. “You can hear him?”

He nodded. “You spoke, but that wasn't your voice. I...I have to admit, he's real, whatever he is. Some would argue that he could be another persona...but I doubt it.”

“Can I trust him?”

He frowned. “I can't offer you an expert opinion, Cat. Only what my gut tells me.”

“I trust your gut, Doc. Even though I think you should eat more.”

He laughed. “Who's the doctor here?”

I grinned at him.

He sobered some. “I think you can trust him, Cat.”

“Thanks, Doc.”

-

And you know what? When I left the office, Virginia only had eyes for the Doc. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all!

-

The minute Elle came home, that idea went right out the window. I perked up the instant I heard the doorknob turn, and I realized I'd been sitting on the couch, impatiently waiting, for some time. She looked tired as she stepped in.

But to me, she was a Goddess. She sniffed the air lightly, and when she saw me, her eyes widened. She dropped her bookbag and moved quickly to my side, sitting on the couch. She touched my hair lightly, stroking it.

“You look so pretty tonight, Cat.”

I gulped. “Uh...” Oh man!

Agatha was no help. She took one look at us and snorted. She picked up the fallen backpack and headed for another room. Traitor!

Before I knew it, Elle was holding my hand, a goofy smile on her face. Oh man, what was I going to do?

-

We ended up watching a movie while Agatha made dinner. I was very aware of Elle slowly moving closer to me, until she was practically leaning against me. She smelled so nice, I just wanted to taste her skin and...

Gah! Bad thoughts! Wrong thoughts!

Agatha saved the day by announcing dinner was ready. The whole time we were eating, Elle just kept staring at me, that goofy grin plastered on her face. Agatha just seemed amused, the bitch.

After dinner, Elle said she was going to take a shower, and I took that opportunity to beg Agatha for help.

“Agatha, you have to help me. Elle isn't in her right mind!”

She raised an eyebrow. “Oh I don't know, I think it's about time, to be honest.”

“It's not like that! She's practically my sister!”

Agatha shrugged. “You've been inseparable for years now. I thought this was inevitable, personally.”

“...come on! She's not a lesbian!”

“Oh? Name some boys she's interested in.”

I snorted. “None, of course. Guys our age are useless.”

Agatha nodded. “Most of the older ones aren't much better. Honestly though, I always thought the reason you seemed so clueless was because you were younger. She loves you.”

“I know, I love her too, we're good friends.”

She shook her head. “It didn't seem weird to you that she's always hugging you? Or that she wants you to sleep next to her?”

“...you're making it sound perverted. It's not like that!”

“Ask her.”

I frowned. “Not now. Look, I know this sounds weird, but I'm apparently kicking out some weird pheromones that drive women nuts.”

“I noticed.”

I blinked. “What?”

“I'm just glad that I'm not the target of your affections. Not that I don't think it would be enjoyable, but I'm a bit too aggressive for you. Plus, it would make things difficult if Elle was jealous of me for stealing her girl.”

There were so many things wrong with that statement that I wandered away. Agatha was obviously no help!

-

I was sitting on the couch when I caught the scent of clean girl. I licked my lips without meaning to. And then Elle sat next to me, her body warm and her hair damp. She was only wearing a nightgown, and I was painfully aware of the fact she was naked underneath it. Only a little scrap of cloth separated her lush young body from my eyes.

I wanted her so badly! But no, this wasn't right. We were still too young!

And then she put her hand on my thigh and leaned close, her mouth next to my ear. “Cat, I want to kiss you so badly.”

I jumped back. “Elle, stop, this isn't you, you're not thinking clearly!”

She crawled towards me, which looked sexy as all hell. “I've never been clearer. I want you so badly. I've wanted you for a long time now.”

“That's not you talking. I'm making you feel this way!”

She blinked. “What?”

I quickly explained.

She frowned afterward, and I saw doubt on her features. “But...no, this is real, it has to be!”

I stood up. “I can't stay here. You mean too much to me, Elle. You're family to me, if I took advantage of you...no, I won't lose our friendship like that!” I rushed into my room and locked the door.

She knocked. “Cat, let me in. Please. We can talk about this.”

“No, we can't! It's not happening, I refuse!”

“...please Cat, please don't push me away.”

“I can't, I'm sorry!”

I thought I heard her sob as she walked away from my door. I'd hurt her. Kill me now.

-

Somehow, I fell asleep. But then I started having dreams that I was with Elle, that she was laying naked next to me. God, the sight of her...I just wanted to touch her soft skin. I reached out and encountered something that felt like a breast.

“Mm...that feels good.”

I opened my eyes and found out I hadn't been dreaming. “Gah!” I took my hand off her breast. I tried to get out of bed, but she grabbed my arm.

“Cat, stop.”

“How did you get in here?”

“It's my apartment, I have keys to every room.” Her eyes seemed to glow in the darkness. No, wait, they were glowing, with soft white light!

“Your eyes...”

She nodded. “This is what they really look like. Before I always wore contacts around you. The time for hiding is over. You hurt me, Cat, but I realized it was my fault, not yours. I haven't been honest with you.”

“...I'm sorry...I just...”

She reached out and touched my cheek. “Shh, baby. Let me talk now.”

I nodded.

“Very soon now, the world will know the truth. So I'll start. The fact is, I'm not human. Not completely. My mother was human, but my father...is something entirely different. That's why my eyes glow, among other things. He's an evil man, and powerful. My mother thought she loved him, but when she found out what he was really like, she gave me to Agatha, to protect me from my father.”

“Your father is like me?”

She sighed. “No, he's something else again. Once he was human, I think, but now he's a demon.”

I blinked. A demon? Wait, what was it Maahes had said about her ancestry...?

“I know you can't believe that, but...”

“You wouldn't lie to me. Besides, if God are real, then...”

She smiled at me. She took my hand in hers and squeezed gently. “I should have told you the truth.”

“No...I wouldn't have believed it before. So you have powers?”

She frowned. “Right now, my magic is pretty weak. That will change soon. The new Age is upon us. The Tenth Age of Magic. Or the Fifth, depending on how you count them.”

“Uh...what?”

“It's a long story. The world as we know it is about to change. Magic is going to be revealed. Normal people are going to gain powers like Gods...or comic book characters. You're one of the first, but soon there will be more.”

I thought about what Stephen had said. That I couldn't be the only one. “So you understand what's happening to me.”

She nodded. “I think it's partially my fault. Even though I'm not strong yet, my nature has made your more receptive to the supernatural. So when you came into contact with the Stone, you could hear Maahes. A connection formed between you. When the Stone was shattered, you were the only place he could go. His anima merged with your own, and through him, you began to tap into The Red.”

“The Red?”

“The morphogenetic field that ties all animal life together. It fills you, gives you the strength and power of the lion, even as your body changes due to your own buried nature.”

“I..”

She put her finger on my lips. “It's not important now. I can teach you all of this later. Right now, the important thing for you to know is that I love you. I've always loved you.”

“The pheromones are affecting your brain.”

She laughed. “No, what they're doing is making me very horny. But they can't make someone love you. Once Agatha explained, I was able to block out their influence. More or less.”

“...I don't know if I can...”

“Be my lover?” She put my hand on her breast. It was so warm, and her nipple was erect. I gasped as pressure built up in my groin. Oh how I wanted her!

“But this isn't me...this isn't us! I don't want things to change!”

“Oh Cat, I realize you're still young. It's not fair that you have to deal with this now; I wanted to give you more time. But I can't lie to you any longer. This is what I want.”

I shuddered, trying to control myself. The signs had been there all along. No, this didn't surprise me. What surprised me was the realization that I felt the same way about her. “I'm scared.”

“I know. I'm a little scared too. But..I need you so much.”

“Okay. Um..I don't really know what to do.”

She smiled. “I'm sure we'll be fine.” She brought her lips to mine, and kissed me. I felt a tingle run down my spine, it was almost electric. And then I realized I knew exactly how to please a woman. I let a grin form on my face.

“Cat? Why are you...oh!”

The time for talking was over.

-

We lay twined together on the bed, exhausted from our lovemaking. I'd pretty much done all the work. I could still feel the taste of her on my lips. Just a few days ago, if you'd asked me if I'd ever considered going down on another girl, I'd have probably been grossed out. Now? It was the most natural thing in the world.

I had to be careful not to hurt her, of course, the barbs on my tongue could scrape skin badly. But I guess being half demon made her tougher than normal, inside and out, because she didn't complain about the roughness of my tongue; actually, she didn't complain about anything.

I ran my fingers along her skin, feeling the sweat of her body. I had tasted her, and I liked it. She shuddered and held me close.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Elle. Rest now.”

“No.”

“No?”

She smiled at me in the dark. “My turn.”

-

I must have passed out at some point. I woke to find myself half-sprawled across Elle's naked body. For a moment, I couldn't remember what had happened. Oh shit, what had we done?

Then I did remember, and God, had it felt amazing! I put my hand on her breast and took her nipple into my mouth, sucking gently.

She woke up pretty quickly. She didn't stop me, just ran her fingers through my hair, gently encouraging me to continue. I didn't disappoint.

-

Needless to say, Elle didn't go to school that day. When we finally came out of my room, we both stank of sweat and sex. It wasn't unpleasant, but I felt pretty sticky, so we showered together. A fascinating procedure in of itself.

When we finally came out into the living room, Agatha actually clapped. “About time, you two.”

We shared a blush, and Agatha ushered us into the kitchen to eat. I sat next to Elle the whole time, and we held hands.

-

“Elle isn't my real name.”

I blinked. “Huh?” That had come out of left field.

“If I speak my name, my father can find me. It's a magic thing. But I hate you not knowing.”

“Let me guess, if I say it, it's as bad?”

“Only because you're near me. If you dropped it in conversation, away from me, it wouldn't matter.”

“Huh. Well, let's not risk it. I know who you are.”

“Oh?”

I smiled at her. “You're the girl I'm in love with.”

We kissed and Agatha excused herself. I don't think we even noticed.

-

Elle stopped going to school entirely. Maybe not the best idea, but something was happening, we could feel it. We spent all of our time together, waiting. And finally, a month later, it happened.

We somehow knew which channel to turn to. And sure enough, we got our first look at Jade, the Green Lantern, as she told the world about herself, and her powers. And the metahumans that would follow her.

Finally, I had a name for what I was. Metahuman.

It was time to meet my father.


To be continued...

Authors Notes: there are a lot of names dropped in this story, most of whom are such obscure references that I'll just hit the high points:

Ed Dawson was the original Lion-Mane, a Hawkman enemy who possessed the power of the Lion-God (the enemy of the Hawk-God), granted by the Mithra Stone.

Karen Ramis also become the host of the Lion-God, sharing it's power with Ed.

Cat herself is a retcon of Cathy, the UK comics Cat-Girl, although rather than get her powers from a costume (like Maid Joy's Catwoman), she is a metahuman and an Avatar of Maahes.

Agatha Harkness is a character from Marvel Comics; the original is an older woman, but she appears more like her Ultimate version, a young dark-haired woman.

Elle is..also a retcon, but I won't spoil her identity just yet.

Dr. Stephen Strange is, in another world, Earth's Sorcerer Supreme. Here, however, he recovered from his cycle of self-destruction before the fatal accident damaged his hands; he remained a surgeon and expanded to becoming a physician as well, to become closer to his patients. He has no powers, but does retain a very open mind when it comes to the supernatural.

Thomas Blake is better known as DC's Cat-Man; we'll see more of him next chapter.

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Comments

Interesting.

The pity though is that there is no chart handy to who is related to whom and who did what to whom. I'm more than a little confused over the family relations and over who sent the murderer.

Faraway


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Faraway


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Let me see if I can't clear this up some

Thomas Blake is Cat's father. Karen is Cat's aunt (her mother's older sister) and Ed is Karen's boyfriend (on and off). Lisa is the housekeeper Karen hired to help keep an eye on Cat when she was off doing the Indiana Jones bit.

Agatha Harkness is Elle's bodyguard/nanny, they live alone.

Gerald Hunt works for Thomas; his attempt to 'collect' Cat went rather badly.

The mysterious gunman was sent by an unknown party that wanted the power of Maahes for themselves; that plotline will re-enter the story next chapter.

If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me. Thanks!

People assume that time is a strict progression of cause-of-effect...but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly...timey-wimey...stuff.

Hey, thanks!

This really did put me straight! :)

Faraway


On rights of free advertisement:
Big Closet Top Shelf

Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!

Faraway


On rights of free advertisement:
Big Closet Top Shelf

Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!

Maybe it's a recognition

Maybe it's a recognition thing. I knew who most of the people were, with a few exceptions. It made it fairly easy to follow. And I have a reallllllly good idea about Elle's identity. I'm kind of surprised nobody has blurted it out as of yet; her backstory was a major clue... well, that and the eyes.

Good stuff. Even though it was a little dialog heavy, I thought it was handled well. So, it wasn't a deterrent in the enjoyment of the story.

~Lili

Blog: http://lilithlangtree.tglibrary.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lilith_langtree

~Lili

Write the story that you most desperately want to read.

Another most interesting

Another most interesting story. Cat and 'Elle', along with Agatha seem to be set on becoming a team and possibly wind up working with Jade and her associates. Jan

Great!

This was an excellent story!
Is she a Tigra Retcon?
Nifty either way. :D

It doesn't seem to matter

It doesn't seem to matter what story, or series I m reading in the "Comics Retcon Universe" I enjoy them all and find them to be quite well written.

The next goal is for some one (with far more time and patience than I) to put together a list or general timeline as to how these stories fit together, unless someone has already done it and I am missing it.

This sounds like a very good story, I like it...if you couldn't tell from the first statement. good read ty.

Heart like a Lion

This story has a unique place in the storyline in that it actually begins before the others; until now, people have at least heard of metahumans, thanks to Jade. I thought it might be fun to write about someone who had no idea what they had become!

It makes Elle's understanding just that more ominous...

Hopefully I'll have the next chapter out soon, been having a bit of a creative slump, but I already know what's going to happen. I just need to get the motivation to type it out.

People assume that time is a strict progression of cause-of-effect...but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly...timey-wimey...stuff.

Thanks Lilith

and Lynceus, great timing I think. Where you placed the story was definitely very well done. I am actually very curious if these two will stay on the outside looking in at what happens to the "Metahumans."

Well...

I do want to tell stories about people who aren't directly involved with the big events, I feel that "get powers, meet Jade, go to space and get a magic ring" is not only a trope; it's starting to become a cliche! Not that it's a bad thing, mind you, but Jade's army is starting to get pretty big, even with the subdivisions.

However, Jade is very very good at finding new metahumans, a few of the stories have her dropping in out of the clear blue sky, showing that the resources of her ring are damn scary. While Janice/Janus managed to keep a fairly low profile (and thus, stay off the 'Jadar'), I know that Cat is going to make a big splash sooner or later.

Which makes her place in the timeline problematic; how long could she reasonably avoid Jade? As soon as I stop slacking off and get to writing, I guess we'll find out!

People assume that time is a strict progression of cause-of-effect...but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly...timey-wimey...stuff.