Sequel to Living with a Hero

There were worse things than overprotective sisters. Nick reminded himself while Maggie chewed him out for trying to get out of bed. He could be at his parents’ house, trying to hide the life threatening injury he’d received from the supervillain Dr. Dire. At least Maggie knew he was a superhero. He’d probably be dead or exposed as a hero if she didn’t. Death or exposure were definitely worse than his older sister’s angry coddling.

Nick kicked off the covers. The room was stuffy. He had unbelievable cabin fever from being trapped in his room for the past week. Maggie was finally out. Nick had been telling her to go back to her college classes for days and it seemed like she’d finally listened. Now was his chance to get out of the apartment. Nick grimaced as he got out of bed, feeling his stitches pull but not break. It was a real possibility. Maggie was his only access to medical care. She did the best she could but she was only trained in basic first aid and some impressive sewing skills. He was going to have a scar. He hoped Lila liked scars.

The thought of Lila got him moving again. His girlfriend had no idea that Nick was alright. Nick had met her as his alter ego, Comet. Though she knew his first name and the face under the mask, Lila had no idea how to find him. She didn’t have a cell phone he could call because service was garbage in the sewers. If Lila had seen the news, she would know that the Comet was stabbed, but she’d have no idea if he was alive or dead. It was the same question that the media had been debating every day.

Nick moved to the window and looked down. He frowned. It might be easier to fly down but he shouldn’t risk it. They couldn’t afford the attention. Nick sighed and moved slowly to the door. He felt awful but he needed to see Lila. He had to tell her that he was okay. Nick made it out of the apartment and leaned on the call button for the elevator. How was he going to get down into the sewers like this? Could he even remove the manhole cover? The elevator dinged its arrival. Nick pushed himself off the wall as the door slide open… revealing his older sister. Nick froze.

“Where do you think you’re going, Nicky?” Maggie asked dangerously. She advanced on Nick. He stepped back. Nick opened his mouth to respond, though he had no idea what he was going to say. His mind was completely blank. Then Nick noticed a girl step out of the elevator beside Maggie. Hood up, hands in her pockets, a scarf obscured most of her face: her eyes, with slit-like pupils, flicked from his face to his stomach and back. Nick wordlessly opened his arms and Lila stepped forward. She hugged him gently but as if she would never let go. Nick buried his face into the top of her hoodie, ignoring the lingering scent of the sewer.

He turned his head to Maggie. Nick had never told his sister about Lila. In part because Lila asked him not to tell anyone about her and her friends, and in part because he wasn’t sure how Maggie would react to him dating a mutant. “How did you know?”

Maggie snorted. “You’re joking, right? The hard part was finding her.” She flicked Nick’s ear, hard. “I’m going to assume that you aren’t actually dumb enough to go to the sewers to get an infection; and I’m going to go down to get matzaball soup. You two,” She flicked her finger in a combination of a ‘shoo’ and a point towards the apartment. “Inside now.” Maggie stepped back on the elevator, the doors closed with Maggie pointing threateningly at the apartment door and mouthing the word “Now!”

Nick and Lila separated just enough for him to turn and lean heavily on his girlfriend while they walked back to the apartment. “Your sister rocks.” Lila remarked as they closed the door. Lila removed her hood, revealing large slightly furry ears.

“Yeah,” Nick agreed, lowering himself on the couch and grinning at Lila. “She’s super.”

It was hard being a stowaway on a spaceship. Even air was precious, so unused rooms and closets were often decompressed to save air. It was better to not think about how many stowaways might have died that way without thinking it though. You had to be smart to be a spaceship stowaway. Fortunately, I had a lot of experience. I’d hopped so many spaceships for such a long time I wasn’t even sure which galactic neighborhood I was from, let alone what planet. I knew spaceships better than their engineers. Finding a hiding place and manipulating the ship was easy for me. What was harder was the time… Spaceships often travels for weeks or months at a time. I had nothing to do what survive. So, I developed a hobby. I watched the crew.

The crew of the Celestial was becoming a personal favorite of mine. It started with the engineer. I always start with the engineer. They are the people most likely to discover me. The chief engineer on the Celestial was a gruff middle-aged woman by the name of Gins. She was hard as nails. Yet when her people needed her, she was always there for them, with a sympathetic ear and a stiff shot of the hard stuff, provided they were off shift. Gins was also irritatingly competent. No engineer had ever been able to identify and undo my handy work so quickly before. She forced me to improvise new ways of redirecting air, water, food and heat… I’m still not sure if I’m grateful for that or irritated. It certainly kept me occupied and taught me a thing or two, which almost never happens anymore.

The person who bothered Gins the most was Lieutenant James Kion. Lieutenant Kion was always calling down and demanding more power, increased speed, diverting resources, etc. His calls often prompted a stream of what I assume was profanity from Gins that her communicator didn’t translate. He made me interested in the bridge crew, and I was glad in the shift. Engineering was run by Gins and reflected her. It was cluttered yet somehow organized in both the personnel and the environment. The rest of the ship was neat and orderly, the way a military ship tended to be, but with a delightful undercurrent that was easy to pick up on. Lieutenant Kion ran the in ship communications on the bridge. He was also a hopeless romantic. I don’t know how many times I caught him sending little messages to a girl (or the occasional boy) while it was slow. I don’t know what he was thinking when he went after the security officer, Lieutenant Reya Post. That girl could seriously injure him! I don’t know why she didn’t after Kion dumped her for the scientist on B Deck. It was probably because Kion knew better than to spar with her. Reya was an impressive combination of sociable and aggressive. It was almost as if she had a switch that she was in perfect control of. One that she only turned on during combat.

But my favorite people on the bridge were the captain and first officer. The first officer, Commander Leena, was some kind of species that looked like a humanoid version of a fluffy pet, complete with claws. She made an effort with the entire crew, dealt with almost all of the internal matters, and stopped at least one attempt on Kion’s life without ending in a court martial. The ship wouldn’t run half as smoothly without her. Commander Leena eased the friction between the different command styles of Gins and the captain. Captain Jeno Ion was clearly a military man. He was shrewd and calculating. I distinctly remember the first time the Celestial entered real combat. The ship was heavily outmatched. I’m sure that half the crew was as positive that we were going to die as I was. That half of the crew had never served with Captain Ion before.

Captain Ion had the computer technician spoof the enemy ships’ sensors into detecting more ships. (Lucky Lionel was manning the computer that day. If it were Evans we’d have all been space dust!) While the enemy ships were firing at the phantoms that Lionel created, Captain Ion issued a bunch of orders that I didn’t really follow and we won! Or we escaped… I didn’t completely follow that either. I was busy fixing the computers before they blew, buying us as much time with those fake ships as I could. I even heard Commander Leena congratulate Lionel on how long the computers lasted while maintaining the illusion! I helped! Not that they knew that but it still felt pretty good!

I really like this crew. Usually I get sick of a crew after a while but after a few weeks on board the Celestial I don’t really feel like leaving. I understand how people can be members of a crew for so long. I’d even like to be a part of the crew… I know that will never happen. I’m a stowaway. I don’t belong as a member of a crew… Still, I don’t look forward to leaving them.

Sequel to Cause and Effect.

Jessica hated time travel. She never told anyone. Being a time traveler had been Jessica’s destiny since before she was born, and her family never let her forget it. Jessica could never make her own choices.

“Now remember,” Sam reminded Jessica. “Yell ‘Get down!’ the second Daisy takes out the prototype.”

“I’ve got it, Uncle Sam.” Jessica tried very hard to keep from rolling her eyes. They’d been over this a dozen times today.

“This is serious.” Kevin said sternly. A large scar ran from his temple to the bridge of his nose. “The explosion goes off right after Daisy takes out the prototype.”

“Dad, I’ve got it!” Jessica snapped impatiently. Kevin straightened her vest.

“If you don’t-” He began again.

“Dude, she knows what she’s doing.” Mark interjected. Jessica shot him a grateful look. He was the most laid back in her family, and clearly he was getting as bored with the current conversation as she was. Sam and Kevin just looked at each other and shook their heads. They never took him very seriously.

“This is important, Mark.” Sam sighed, while Kevin checked over his daughter’s vest again.

“She can handle it.” Mark ate a handful of popcorn. “If she couldn’t,” he mumbled through a full mouth. “We wouldn’t be here.”

Mark had a point. From their point of view, Jessica had technically already completed this mission. They had told her about this, and her other trips to the past, time and time again. She went back in time to help them on multiple occasions, and they made sure she knew the details to each and every one.

This mission was just like every other one. Jessica was sent into the past, a few years before she was born. From the moment she arrived in the past it was as if she were living out a story she knew by heart; go there, do this, stop the bad guy from killing Sam. Mark, her uncle Mark that is, had once told Jessica she seemed like a superhuman because she always knew exactly what to do to save the day. It was only because Jessica had been told what was going to happen. Jessica often wondered how she would act if she didn’t know; if she weren’t trapped with her destiny as a time traveler. Could she still be a hero? Would she be? Jessica wanted to know.

When Daisy brought out the prototype, Jessica shouted “Get down!” She saw her father, though a much younger version of her father, standing in front of the window. Jessica managed to tackle Kevin to the ground an instant before the explosion. A flying shard of glass sliced her shoulder as they went down. Jessica patched herself up and continued her mission.

When Jessica returned to the future, a much older Daisy frowned at her from the controls. “Were you hurt?”

“Just a scratch.” Jessica assured her. She had been hurt worse than that training.

“Odd…” Daisy looked at her curiously.

“I guess it went well, kiddo?” Kevin called from the next room.

“What do you think?” Jessica asked with a laugh.

“Don’t get cocky.” Kevin walked into the room. Jessica’s jaw dropped in shock. The scar that had graced her father’s face for as long as she could remember was gone. “We’ve got a lot of training to do.” Kevin continued with a grin, oblivious to his daughter’s shock.

“S- sure.” Jessica tried to recover. “Sounds good.” She continued to stare at her father’s face. It was as if the scar had never existed. Maybe… Jessica touched her wound. Maybe it hadn’t.

Maybe she could control her own destiny after all…

Sometimes it hurts to dream.
Very little is what it might seem.
Could that be a wolf in the wood?
Waiting for a little red hood?

Is grandmother in her bed?
Or is it someone else instead?
Maybe it is best to run.
Sound advice for anyone.

If you find a house, beware.
It may be home to a bear.
Home to a family of three.
When they return, it's time to flee.

Fear the witch's clever ploy.
Her bait is candy or a shiny toy.
You'll perish in her hot oven.
Unless you can push her in.

Find the winding path to home.
Or in the wood you're condemned to roam.
Until you awaken from your dreams,
And try to pretend all's what it seems



Artist Trading Card: Spirit in the Woods

The sequel to Why a Witch? The second installment in the Princess' Path.

Caroline sighed as she let go of the old man's withered fingers. She smiled prettily at him while he fervently thanked her. She was utterly exhausted. Caroline raised her hand, and Hans helped her up. She thanked him as she leaned heavily into his strong shoulder. Hans supported her without comment or complaint and they left the building. He'd seemed distant of late. Caroline tried not to let it worry her. After all, he was entitled to his own life. Hans wasn't just her prince. He had talents, interests, and friends, just like she did, and Caroline respected that. Still... It concerned her sometimes. It was only natural for her to worry. He was her prince as much as she was his princess. His need to protect her when she was in danger was as powerful as her need to heal him when he was hurt.

Caroline worried that Myriah had done something to him, that dreadful witch. It frightened her to think about. Caroline knew that Myriah was up to something, something important. Myriah had collected Caroline's blood the last time they'd crossed paths, and her tears the time before that. It suggested powerful magic, the type of magic that could harm even a prince. Caroline had no idea why Myriah targeted her specifically when there were a dozen other princesses in the world, but she knew that the witch was dangerous. Caroline was so concerned about Myriah she was completely blindsided by the real threat.

Caroline could only scream as the vampiress Natalia spirited Hans away into the night. What was Caroline to do? She had to find away to reach Hans and heal him before he was turned, but how? She was a princess, not a knight. Caroline was about to call on several knights who owed her a favor, and the princess Gwendolyn to enlist the aid of her prince Cedric, when she blacked out and woke in one of Myriah's shadowy lairs. Caroline began to fight as soon as she came to. Myriah was surprised by Caroline's veracity. The princess was usually quite docile while she awaited rescue, other than the occasional tongue lashing.

Caroline foolishly revealed to Myriah her prince's fate. Myriah's interest was peaked, and she proposed a temporary alliance. She needed something from the vampiress Natalia, though she refused to divulge specifics. Myriah knew a way into the castle, but she needed Caroline's help to use it. There wasn't enough time for Caroline to find the knights who could help her thanks to the hateful witch. After Myriah revealed a few colorful details about Natalia's "collection" of princes, Caroline grudgingly consented. 

How did she let him talk her into this? Kelly glared at Marvin. He blinked at her. "What?" The shuttle began rumbling in answer. The engine kicked in, lifting them off the ground. Though she tried to fight it, Kelly screamed all the way through the atmosphere, and into orbit.

Kelly did not want to be in space. She told Marvin that she didn't want to go to space. She begged Marvin not to make her go into space. Yet... Here she was, drifting in zero gravity and trying to ignore the fact that her organs seemed to have rearranged themselves when they left the planet. "I hate you so much." She muttered, turning glazed eyes on Marvin. Marvin frowned. He didn't understand why Kelly was having such a hard time. She was an alien after all. It's not like this was her first time in space.

"You can't hate me that much. You got on this shuttle with me." He pointed out smugly. Kelly groaned. She unbuckled her belt and pushed herself towards the computer. She began fussing with it. Marvin grinned, and activated the communication array. "Shuttle to ground. We are currently in orbit." Kelly groaned again, while the computer whirred and beeped.