“Yeah, my hair all fell out and regrew this almost metallic gold color. My eyes changed. I added muscle all over, though I wasn't skinny before, just toned. Now it looks like I do more weight lifting, though I can lift hundreds of pounds pretty easily. I don't seem to need support any more. Why do you ask?”
“I don't know, I've just never had the chance to actually talk to a meta. Stumbling across one, ah, nude was unexpected.”
“Great, so I'm just a 'meta' to you? Plus, I had undies, boots and facemask on.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh, right, that’s fully dressed then, is it? But no, I guess you aren't 'just' a meta to me. Sorry. I suppose if I met a sports star or actress I'd ask questions too. I don’t mean to sound snoopy.”
I like that comparison.
I grinned at her. “You do realize that I still have a 'real life' so to speak? I go to college, have friends, eat, date, etc. We 'metas' live our lives, too.” I looked at myself in the mirror.
Wow. I’m a super. Dad told me I’d become one some day, but to look at myself, standing here in a costume….
Wait, did I just say date? I'm feeling a little delirious, probably from the blood loss. Hmm, are Rael and I dating now? Sheesh, how could I date a normal guy now? I'd know everything he was thinking, and could beat him in arm wrestling to boot. Not a good way to start off a relationship.
I shook my head and walked to the door. The mindviews of the two men showed me that they were still discussing my ... attributes. I opened the door, and all audible discussion stopped, but their gazes started at my chest this time. If I weren't feeling a little light-headed I might have gotten on their case about it, instead I decided to have fun with them.
I hooked each of my arms in one of theirs and walked toward the stairs. Both of them smiled, then I mentioned, “Guys, has anyone mentioned to you why I'm here?”
Baracco said, “I was called in because you were shot down, so no idea.”
Officer Klinger said, “The guys downstairs were mentioning that you butted in here, and weren’t supposed to help until we nabbed the guy. So I’m not sure either.”
I smiled, “I'm a telepath, a mind reader.”
My smile grew into a grin and I looked at each of their faces while the thought sank in. When they both wondered if I'd heard what they had been thinking I continued, “Yeah, I heard and saw everything you two were just thinking about me....”
Both of them flushed bright red, which kept my grin wide. “Don't worry; I'm used to being stared at, just not, ah, nude.”
They both stammered out apologies. I said, “Oh, stop worrying, I'm not mad at you.” I stopped for a moment and rubbed my face with one hand. I felt almost drunk, very giddy. Either bleeding all over or perhaps my body healing was really affecting me oddly. “Do either of you have anything to eat? I'm feeling kind of lightheaded.”
Baracco said, “I have some energy bars in the ambulance. Would you like them? You're probably feeling the blood loss, but I don't know what to do in the case of a super.”
I smiled at him and said, “You're sweet, thank you.”
We arrived at the elevator and the four of us went down. The guys turned us around once we entered it, but Katherine stopped and simply stared me in the eye while we went down. I smiled at her. She wondered what would cause my eyes to be amethyst, and have a very slight back glow to the sclera.
Are my eyes even more backlit now than in the bathroom? No, it must just be darker in here.
She looked perplexed for a moment, then said, “What ... what is that smell? She stepped closer to me and sniffed.” She hadn't gotten close enough in the bathroom to have my normal scent affect her much. She stepped almost nose to nose and sniffed again. “Oh, wow, that's you! Damn you smell good!”
Both of the guys gave her a strange look, and then they leaned closer to me and sniffed. I closed my eyes and sensed through their mindviews. Having three people very close while smelling my new pheromone enhanced fragrance was almost as good as having Rael's super olfactory sense do the same. Possibly even more, since all three of them enjoyed it, and I felt three waves of enjoyment coming at me.
Perhaps being lightheaded added to it, but I let my head roll to the side slightly and sighed, enjoying the sensation.
Baracco asked, “Do you have perfume on?”
Katherine answered for me, “She just washed herself completely off, she can't have perfume on.” She had been inches away when I sighed; she smelled the pleasant fragrance from my mouth where it was even stronger.
I still wonder how I can have the smell from my mouth, but the pheromones must work from my saliva as well. Hey, Rael and I can test that one.
The elevator dinged and the door opened just before Katherine kissed me, saving her from the embarrassment. That would have felt better than the mild pain I still felt from the bunch of welts on my body. That gave me the idea, and I leaned forward and kissed her instead. We stood there a moment, my arms entwined with the two men, and Katherine and I kissing until we heard a cough from outside the elevator.
Katherine jumped and quickly shifted off to the side. I could feel her embarrassment from her mindview. The new person's mindview focused on me, with my eyes closed and mouth still slightly open. I had been right, the enjoyment Katherine and I both had from the kiss doubled up on me and helped tune out much of the pain.
The thoughts of the new person immediately wondered if I were a lesbian, and I giggled, then grinned. I opened my eyes. “No, I'm not a lesbian. I hoped the kiss would help offset some of the pain from the bullet wounds.”
It was an F.B.I. agent. Agent Dostal per the tag on his chest. Not that I needed a name tag to pull someone's name where I had their mindview so handy. Agent Dostal was a massive, hairy man. He had light blue eyes and light brown hair, and was impeccably dressed.
He nodded slowly at me in an obvious show of disbelief.
Officer Lewis von Klinger coughed and said, “Shall we get you out to the perp?”
I leaned my head back and looked him in the eye. “I believe so.”
We walked outside. Baracco went to his vehicle for the energy bars, I hoped.
The F.B.I. agents had taken over the scene outside now that the tactical situation had been resolved. I squeezed the arm of Officer Klinger, slid my arm out of his and walked over to the group in charge.
They watched me approach them. Unfortunately, I wasn’t walking the straightest path. I tried to walk a straight line, but my legs didn’t cooperate.
John, the police tactical leader’s voice practically dripped with venom, “Thanks for not getting any of my people hurt with your rash leap into the scene.”
I replied, “Was that sarcasm?” He thought it was indeed. “Listen, I’m the only one who got injured, barring the kidnapper. So can you step off a little?”
“This time I will. Next time you might get others injured or killed.”
“So noted. Listen, we’ve got a kid being held, can we try to work together here?”
“You’re going to try to get him to talk? Hoping he’ll tell you where the kid is or something?”
I squeezed my fist. “No, I’m going to rip the information out of his mind, unless he cooperates nicely. I doubt he will.”
“You’re a psychic super? I’ve never heard of one who is a melee combatant.”
“You mean my rush at him up there? No, I’m obviously not a good hand to hand fighter. I’m just tired and grumpy. My partners specialize in combat.”
“Oh yeah? Who are they?”
I rubbed my eyes and face. I was tired, lightheaded, and still in pain. “Spartan and Black Tiger. We’re based in Metrocity.”
The F.B.I. Agent in command, Tim Danst said, “Hmm, I read something about Spartan in the paper yesterday. He put an entire derailed train back on the tracks?”
“Yeah, I wasn’t with him when he did.”
“The article mentioned he was a brick, unbelievably strong. He would have been useful upstairs.”
“Yeah, don’t remind me. I’m the one who got shot, remember?”
One of the tactical men standing behind me thought ‘
Bet Spartan doesn’t have an ass like yours though, lady.
’ I looked back at him and smiled. “Thanks. He’s got a great butt for a guy in that spandex suit though, or whatever this stuff is.”
Everyone turned to look at the poor guy. He looked surprised and embarrassed at being outed.
I said, “Guys, while I enjoy picking on you for thinking naughty thoughts, I’d really like to interrogate the kidnapper….”
Agent Danst said, “We’ve got him being looked at over at the ambulance. Shall we, miss?”
“Psystar. Yep.”
Baracco stopped me on the way to the second ambulance and handed me the energy bars. I gave him a quick hug and thanked him, then proceeded to open the package and scarf down the bar. Agent Danst found it interesting that I was so hungry.
Baracco noticed his look and said, “She lost a
lot
of blood. Some sugar in the system will help, I hope.” Both of them watched me very closely, almost as if I weren’t human, and they were attempting to figure out what the alien liked.
I had the second energy bar down before we reached the ambulance. The kidnapper lay on a stretcher, handcuffed to the rails on each side. His right hand was wrapped in bandages.
He looked up at us and spit, then said, “My rights are bein’ violated, pigs. I get med help before having to put up with your shit. I’m in a lot of pain, too. Where are the painkillers?”
The line reminded me of my interrogation of the mutant in Metrocity Jail yesterday. I ended up having a mental fight in his mind, and threw him into his own emotional fear center. The last we’d seen of him he screamed and screamed in terror until he passed out.
Hmm, I could do that to this guy, I suppose. Teach him what pain and fear are all about.
He stared at me, and wondered how in the world I was back on my feet after being shot so many times. Only twenty minutes before I had been bleeding profusely and unconscious.
I smiled grimly and said, “You should have shot someone who would stay hurt. Now you’ve just made me mad.”
And lightheaded. Wow, now would be a great time to go drinking if I were legal, I’d be all happy and dancing on tables and stuff.
I stretched my neck by twisting my head from side to side. I walked around behind his head and knelt down.
He said, “What the hell? Screw this, get away from me! I demand a lawyer!”
I leaned my head down close to his. His mindview became huge to me as I almost touched my forehead to his. He was afraid of what I was going to do to him, and yet so angry at not being able to capture me.
Yes, fear will do.
I focused on spreading fear. I wanted him to cower before me. He could learn the hard way not to shoot me.
The almost familiar tingling sensation spread across my skin as I focused on making him fear me. The tingling continued much longer than normal, and a rush went down my spine. Someone nearby screamed and ran away from me. The kidnapper’s mindview had changed my appearance to be backlit. My skin somehow darkened and glowed from behind, giving me an otherworldly look. My golden hair floated in the air, glowing from that aura. My eyes had a strange, frightening look to them. They were backlit golden, with the amethyst iris appearing dark and unnatural.
Yeah, I like this.
I concentrated on pouring this sense outward. I wasn’t in the mood for a mental fight, softening him up seemed like a better idea. Nearby mental voices sounded very afraid, and disappeared as they moved out of my mental range. The kidnapper was paralyzed with fear as he stared up at my frightening visage.