Rachel donned the newly washed white slim-fit Racerback tank-top and black mid-rise yoga pants she’d gotten from Montana, and Scarlet finished flipping her hair out of a maroon slim-fit long-sleeve shirt before attempting to adjust her faded light-blue skinny jeans she’s taken from her parents’ house.

A hum partway between annoyance and interest caught Rachel’s attention as Scarlet twisted the pants around her waist, trying to pull them up more. “Have you noticed how much our figures changed? My butt’s bigger … these used to fit perfectly, but now it’s tight.”

“Yeah,” Rachel chuckled, pinching the fabric at her rear before shifting it to the right, better accommodating the pressure on her tail. “My butt has a bit more fat on it, too. Makes you wonder why The Oscillation cared so much about our figure, huh?”

“Right? Not that I’m complaining, though,” she giggled. “I was a bit self-conscious about that before. I don’t know; what do you think?” She asked, turning around in a circle. “Am I a cute vampire? Sexy? Oh, alluring?” She winked, but her flushed cheeks made it clear that her answer would carry weight.

“Hmm,” Rachel’s eyes narrowed slightly while wearing a half-smile. “Depends on the Scarlet, to be honest.”

“Huh?” Scarlet’s eyes darted to the ground. “Wait … what’s that mean? Like … when I’m on different blood?”

Stretching to the left and right, Rachel pulled back on her elbows, ears following her motions. “Emotionally vulnerable Scarlet? Super cute.” Her smile brightened. “You’d have boys tripping over themselves trying to comfort you. Please, Scarlet, bite my neck! Please, just don’t cry.” She snickered.

“Oh…” A lump dropped down Scarlet’s throat as she scratched the side of her neck with her black fingernails, averting eye contact while smiling. “You make it sound kind of … oh, nevermind.”

“Kinky?” Rachel smirked.

Scarlet winced, but her smile didn’t falter. “Not exactly the cleanest word I was searching for, but yeah … I can’t say my mind didn’t go there.”

“Hmm?” Rachel pressed. “Fiona would probably be teasing you about a certain incident. Something about boundaries?”

“One time,” Scarlet mumbled, rubbing her left shoulder while glaring at the washing machine. “I didn’t think it would mark me as a pervert for all time.” She mumbled, glancing back at the door with a worried expression.

“Maria would disagree with it being one time,” Rachel teased. “Oh, and what about the time when all those soldiers were in the hotels, and you were … ahem, scanning to find a room we could use.”

Scarlet’s pointed ears turned red. “What … how … oh, you devilish hare!” She growled, folding her arms under her chest while turning away with puffed-out cheeks. “You’re fishing. That never happened.”

“Never happened, huh?” Rachel repeated, walking over to bump her with her hips while walking out. “You’ll swear in front of Maria?”

“I—I don’t need to! Because it never happened, and—even if there were accidents,” she mumbled softly while following, “then it would be completely outside of my control.”

“Alright, let’s play a game, then,” Rachel said while walking toward the front door.

Rachel turned to smirk at Scarlet’s forced smile. “I’m not liking where this is going, Rachel. Can we please leave Shame Scarlet out of this? I get enough guilt from my own mind.”

“Shame?” Rachel flipped around, head tilting with a curious smile. “Weren’t we just talking about the marvels of the male physique?”

“Is that what we were doing,” Scarlet asked, releasing an unconvincing laugh. “Kyle’s abs were pretty tone, and his…” Her eyes popped while darting up to stare into Rachel’s innocent eyes. “It’s a trap; I knew it!” She seethed with a low growl, but she was wearing a shy smile. “You’re an evil hare!”

Rachel licked her full lips, flipping back around as they reached the hallway to the front door. “An abs girl, huh? I’m more into the chest myself,” she shrugged, ears tilting to the right. “Of course, it’s not necessarily the mass, but the shape and the hands … surprisingly, I think I’ve got a bit of a hand fetish. Oh, and don’t think I missed that part you cut off,” she added, turning to give Scarlet a wink.

“No,” Scarlet protested, waving her hands dismissively. “It’s not what you’re thinking!”

“Oh, what am I thinking?” Rachel asked, opening the front door and gesturing for Scarlet to proceed.

The Vespertine Reaper slowed to a halt, glaring at her. “You were … I’m beginning to think this is another trap.”

“Maybe,” Rachel gave her a naive grin as Scarlet walked outside. “Why don’t you illuminate me?”

Scarlet scratched her nose, blue eyes darting to the left of the lawn, studying the fence. “Umm—I don’t know, his torso, but—but not that … per se…”

“Per se,” Rachel nodded matter of factly. “I completely understand!” She said while closing the door. “Oh, and I noticed him eyeing certain parts of you, but … mmh, we don’t want to be crude, right? We also have places to be … ah, the moon’s out.” She breathed a relieved sigh as she passed Scarlet on her way to the street, giving her friend a mischievous grin.

‘No, I…” She cut herself off, and Rachel caught Scarlet’s left fang poke out, clearly interested in that juicy remark with how she bit her lower lip. “What parts of me? Rachel? Oh, c’mon…” She groaned as Rachel hopped over the fence in one bound and burst into a sprint.

Rachel’s ears shifted back as the cool night breeze pressed past her skin and clothes, glowing red eyes penetrating the darkness with ease. The running shoes she’d taken from the store were decent, but she knew they could only take so much abuse, so she kept her speed below sixty miles an hour.

Scarlet soon caught up with her, hopping through shadows, but Rachel noticed the dirty glares she shot her way every so often. She’s totally hooked; maybe she’ll come out of her shell sooner than I thought if this keeps up.

She ran down the nighttime streets of Miami; there was more than one set of eyes following her as she darted past cars and pedestrians, and she noticed a few Beastkin along the way, usually in groups of humans that seemed like moral support friends. The wide scene her expanded vision gave was slowed with the reactive activation of Mental Acceleration, giving her the chance to dodge obstacles and observe the night crowd.

It’s almost like The Oscillation never disrupted things at all, but I’m sure laws about where abilities can be used will start becoming the hot topic among the news and government. President Capell seems fairly open to the change and willing to take advice from a nineteen-year-old girl who experienced it.

Still, I’m sure there will be a call for tighter regulations and criminalization of ability users. The Demi are seen with fear, envy, awe, and probably even pity by some. I should expect more conflicts to arise in the future that won’t be able to be solved with just my fists. Mythickin and Legendkin seem to be where a lot of the conversations lead, but Aberationkin and Champions are starting to take the front.

If Champions can’t be identified, how can you be sure one doesn’t get on a plane and blow it up. People are scared to ride buses, planes … uber’s gone pretty far. They can demand Demi release personal information about their abilities, but who’s honestly going to follow that guideline? Still, most of the intense tension has subsided, for now, at least. Everyone’s just moving along their lives … the world keeps spinning.

Rachel slowed to a stop as she reached Downtown Miami, transferring to the sidewalk while dancing around packs of people; the gusts of wind left by her drag caused several people to stumble, and she made a mental note to be more careful. Her long furry white ears shot up, and she slowly turned her head, filtering through sounds to find every voice within her max radius, and to her shock, she discovered it had increased from two miles to three.

What … my Base Hearing Level and Grade … I’ve broken ten. Cluster Set, Level Ten, Rookie Grade, Rank Nine.

Filter is Level Five, Rookie Grade, Rank Zero.

Volume is Level Six, Rookie Grade, Rank Three.

Range is Level Six, Rookie Grade, Rank One, and it now has a Proficiency Skill … an Active Skill, Focus Array. I can lower my range behind me to slightly amplify the distance I’m facing.

Scarlet appeared beside her from the shadows; lips pursed, and hands on her hips, she scanned the area with her vampiric vision. “Umm, aren’t we going to Maria’s place, and—isn’t that further northwest?”

“Yeah,” Rachel mumbled as several groups paused to stare at them. “I want to see if I can pinpoint this Calístrato Ballesteros thug before going to check-up on her. I’m guessing he works near here, and it’s prime club-time.”

A nervous smile lifted Scarlet’s cheeks as her blue irises returned, and she glanced around at everyone staring at them while waving. “How long do you think we’ll be crowd stoppers?”

“You?” Rachel smirked. “Always.”

“I swear,” Scarlet sighed, shaking her head. “Oh, and you, umm—you mentioned something before,” she mumbled, shifting her feet. “What were you going to say before you took off?”

“Hmm? I don’t know what … oh, wait, are you talking about my Kyle comment?”

“What else?” Scarlet mumbled, plucking at her left sleeve to stretch it up to her wrist. “No, you’re just playing with me … nevermind.”

“But I said it, didn’t I?” Rachel asked, brow furrowing as she turned to face her.

Scarlet’s tongue slid across her black lips before her gaze darted to the concrete. “Did you? I don’t remember … you said that he was eyeing certain parts of my body.”

“Oh, he was,” she winked. “I’m surprised you didn’t notice, but … I suppose you were distracted by his … ahem, abs,” she snickered.

“Nope, not blushing,” Scarlet huffed, turning away to hide her face. “I am beyond such jabs now.”

“You know I can sense muscle movement,” Rachel mused, returning to her search as the crowd slowly went on their way.

“Y-Yes, but that doesn’t mean anything.”

“Mhm…”

“Really, Rachel,” she moaned, head dropping back to stare at the sky. “What part of me…”

“It shouldn’t matter, right?”

“It was my boobs, wasn’t it! Every guy likes boobs,” she mumbled, keeping her voice low and hugging below her chest while lifting up slightly. “Maria’s is so much bigger, though … and they’re tight … not flabby at all. Wait, my butt, right? I mean, it’s pretty shapely now … is that even a word?”

Rachel’s smirk grew as she caught Calístrato’s name mentioned, and upon further investigation of the area he was in, she determined it had to be him. While she studied the conversation, voices, and tones, Rachel continued to talk with Scarlet.

“You’re going deep with this analysis, and I suppose you would know the details about Maria’s … curves,” she giggled.

“Honestly, yes, okay, I admit—gah…” Scarlet sniffed before puffing out a long sigh, going silent more a moment as a group of teenage girls walked past them, and she kicked a small rock into the street. Once the girls drew beyond earshot, Scarlet released a low growl, saying. “I was curious … and a little intimidated, to be honest. Maria’s so eye-catching..”

“She has five years on you, remember?” Rachel pointed out. “She’s twenty-three; you’re eighteen.”

Scarlet shrugged weakly, shoulders drooping. “It doesn’t matter; it’s not like my body’s going to fill out more. I mean, I know I have decent curves … but I don’t have Maria curves.”

“Nobody has Maria curves,” Rachel chuckled. “She’s in a class of her own, but you know not all guys like that. He had his eyes on you, not Maria.”

“No way,” Scarlet huffed, turning away to stare at a brightly lit Mexican restaurant. “You’re just trying to make me feel better.”

“I don’t know … was it your thighs he was interested in?” She asked, turning to watch her muscles stiffen and cheeks flush. “Hmm, I’m having trouble remembering. I mean, he did look at your feet for a bit; maybe he has a foot fetish! Wouldn’t that be funny?” She laughed.

“C’mon,” Scarlet’s lips turned into a line as she moaned. “Stop teasing me! What did he really like?”

Rachel turned and leaned in close, staring right into her blue eyes. “Take a guess; where am I looking?”

“My face?”

“A deep, crystal blue ocean.” Scarlet’s mouth dropped open, but she seemed at a loss for words, and Rachel leaned back, nudging her head toward Little Havana. “Well, let’s go meet Zoe.”

Before she took two steps, Scarlet cleared her throat, voice turning timid. “You’re not playing with me?”

Rachel turned to give her a soft smile. “Well, that’s not completely honest, your blushed cheeks were a close second, third, definitely your fangs, and yes, your bust did get a few glances,” she grinned. “Now, Anthony, his eyes are pretty trained,” she hummed. “He’s a slippery one; I couldn’t tell if he wanted me to notice him checking me out or not … but I lean toward the yes.”

Scarlet’s eyes fell to the street’s black pavement, lips slightly curved into a smile, and after a second, she flashed her fangs. “You’re always so cool,” she mumbled. “Thanks, Rachel. Okay, let’s go!”

* * *

Elena reached back and flipped her long mane of hair behind the plastic chair as she slouched, groaning while lazily scanning the street. “Yo, girl, when’s this bad-a friend showin’ up? It’s like nine … I need to sleep soon, chica.”

Her amber irises slid to the Cat Beastkin sitting across from her; the cat had grown more relaxed as the day went on, but her muscles were beginning to tighten again once the sun dropped below the horizon.

Felix yawned, stretching out his arms while blinking a few times. “Chill, she said after night came, right?”

Elena gestured to the sky. “It’s night, fool! Where is she?”

“Give her a bit of time,” Zoe chuckled nervously. “She’s a Lunar Hare, so it makes sense that she’d want to travel at night.”

“Moon’s up durin’ the day, too?” Elena groaned, popping her wrists before scratching her twitching ears.

“True,” Zoe mumbled, clearly unable to think up a good comeback.

Elena rolled her eyes, listening to her mother shifting in bed within the house; she usually went to bed around nine and got between six and seven hours of sleep. Every morning her mother needed her to bring another ice pack to ease the pain the metal plate in her lower back caused.

Her nose twisted while she flicked her tail to the side, shifting in the chair to a more comfortable position. “Whatever, wake me up when this girl gets here.”

If she was being honest with herself, she was a bit nervous; The Queen didn’t approve of just anyone, and with the things Felix mentioned, this Rachel was no punk, she was the real deal. She’d grown up around gangsters, thugs, and killers, and she knew what to look out for, but still took it too far from time to time.

She knew that if it hadn’t been for some of the connections her family had with TNS, and her godfather Miguel, that she’d probably be dead by now, but that’s what it meant to have a family, they had your back no matter what, and even if they were annoyingly doting, she loved them. Maria and Miguel had some kind of past, and somehow got her mom a place on her block when she was five; she didn’t remember her dad’s face that well from memory, but she had a few pictures and videos.

Javier loved her, but he was one of the few that didn’t fawn over her attitude, and she just enjoyed butting heads with him. She liked the old gangsters, though; the new thugs on the street were just posers and weren’t crap to hang around.

She cracked open an eye as the silence stretched; Felix looked just as uncomfortable as Zoe, and she snorted, leaning her head back again.

“What?” Felix asked.

“What, you like her?” Elena asked with a smirk, eyes still closed.

His chair creaked as he stiffened. “W-What’s up with that?”

She shrugged. “You’re all quiet and stuff, dang, just go make out in back, okay? I don’t want to see that crap.”

“Elena, the heck? It ain’t like that! Yo, you’re bein’ rude, too; what’s got you so agitated, girl? Chill.”

Elena’s grin grew as she caught the sounds of Zoe shifting nervously in her chair; she’d known Felix for years and saw herself as his little sister. “What ya talkin’ ‘bout? I’m ice, dude. You’re the two that’s all red-faced, ya know; look at her ears! I bet her ears are twitchin’, eh?” She chuckled. “What about her tail? You lookin’ … dang, you got a fetish, brother.”

Felix popped his tongue, and Elena could tell his nose was twisted with rage as he shot to his feet. “Hey, Zoe, we can wait at my sister’s place if you want.”

A short pause followed, and Elena giggled, hands resting on her bare stomach as Zoe stammered, “I—I don’t want to cause any problems.”

“Girl, you’re hilarious!” Elena laughed. “How self-conscious are ya?”

“For real, Elena … Zoe, is somethin’ up?”

Elena’s lips dropped as she opened her eyes, hoisting herself up to scan the street; her ears twitched as the sound of rushing wind met them. Somethin’s comin’, and she heard it before I did; can’t tell what it is, though … probably a car. “Huh…” She stood up, feeling her chest press against her sports-bra as she raised her arms high into the air with a groan.

“What’s goin’ on?” Felix asked, glancing between them.

Releasing a soft sigh, she cracked her neck. “A car’s comin’, I think. Could be her.”

She walked to the side of the patio and leaned against the metal railing; the night wasn’t as clear as daytime, but she could see easily enough. Her eyes widened, and muscles stiffened as a pretty black-haired girl with pointed ears appeared on the lawn from a mass of blackness.

Elena’s focus quickly moved down her frame, pausing on her black lipstick and fingernail polish. Some goth girl? Isn’t Rachel supposed to have white hair or something like that?

The girl smiled between them, giving a V-symbol before frowning, glancing at her hand, and changing it to a peace-symbol. “Hey—umm, peace! Man, I really wanted to do that to the aliens,” she whispered almost too softly for Elena to hear. “You must be Zoe?” She asked, clapping her hands as a bunny-girl came darting around the closest side street at a mind-numbing speed, stopped gracefully beside the black-haired girl.

“I beat you,” the black-haired girl said with a smirk.

The hare-girl returned the smirk. “Teleportation is kind of cheap.”

Elena’s lips fell further as she glanced to her right; Zoe was smiling, hand pressed to her left breast while breathing a sigh of relief. “Rachel … you look really well. Are you okay?”

This is the girl, then … well, she’s fast, I’ll give her that, but how can she be as strong as the rumors surrounding her? She’s got no muscle … sure, she’s got a figure, and those looks, but seriously? She’s not some muscled out chick on roids?

“Who’s your friend?” Zoe asked, rubbing her left arm as Felix and her walked off the patio to join them.

Felix chuckled softly, extending his hand while closing the distance. “Scarlet! I didn’t expect you’d be here; thanks for saving me, by the way.”

“Oh, don’t mention it!” The black-haired girl bounced forward, extending a hand to shake Felix’s. “I’m glad everything turned out okay!” She quickly turned to face Zoe. “Oh, and my name’s Scarlet; I’m friends with Rachel.”

Elena’s brow furrowed as she caught Scarlet’s fangs. What is she? She doesn’t seem like a Beastkin. If she’s one of the three that saved Felix, then she’d need to be a Mythickin … both right here?

Rachel looked down at her with a charming smile. “Are you that Honey Badger Beastkin Maria told us about? I think she said your name was Elena?”

Scarlet’s bright blue eyes widened. “Oh, you’re right! She does kind of have that Honey Badger vibe,” she giggled. “My mind keeps going back to the meme pictures.”

Elena closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out before giving the two Mythickin a toothy grin. “Yeah, that’s me. Yo, what do you say about a fight, huh?” Her smile lifted further as Scarlet’s features twisted with concern.

“Umm, why? I don’t want to fight you, and you’re feeling a little nervous right now. Did I do something to upset you?”

Felix sucked in his lower lip, turning to give her a dirty look, but she ignored him. “What, are you scared a Mythickin will lose to a Beastkin? Was everything I heard all hype? Felix told me they had to clean up the streets with a firehose. All talk, huh? What…” Her brow creased as Rachel began to chuckle softly, gripping her abdomen. “What are you laughin’ about, bunny-girl?”

Scarlet pursed her cheeks to the side, glancing between them. “Rachel … Zoe’s feeling scared.”

“I know; I can smell it,” Rachel sighed, but her smile stuck. “Isn’t it a bit nostalgic, Scarlet?”

“Hmm?”

“Hearing someone mix Spanish with English while they’re talking.”

“Ah,” Scarlet nodded, brow still creased. “Yeah, it does remind me of Maria, but even she didn’t just come out and try to fight you.”

“Mmh,” Rachel tilted her head with an amused grin. “When we first met, I’d say it was a coin toss, and no, Elena,” she said in a taunting tone. “Scarlet is not afraid to lose; she’s afraid of killing you if you did fight her.”

Elena’s smile fell. “What was that? That’s some serious confidence ya got!” She licked her lips, and if she was being honest with her instincts, she knew this was a bad fight, but could hardly be brought to care; she was conflicted between testing these rumors and offending The Queen if these were really her friends.

“Rachel?” Zoe whispered, and Scarlet’s worry seemed to go up a level.

“Is it something you’re being compelled to do? What am I saying?” Scarlet sighed, rubbing her neck. “Of course, it’s that…”

A low groan left Rachel’s throat as she pulled her arm over her head, stretching her elbows. “Okay, Elena, I could use a light pre-workout before I deal with Ballesteros and his goons.”

Elena popped her tongue before pressing it against her lower lip, and after a moment, flicked it back into her mouth. She sucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, making a clicking sound, slowly descending the patio while cracking her neck. “Okay, heh, light—pre-workout. That’s it, huh? All I’m worth to you?”

Rachel bent down, showing off her extreme flexibility as she stretched before slowly rising to give her an infuriating leer, smile mocking her advance. “You’re just a little girl; be honest with yourself.”

“Woah, woah,” Felix jumped between them, arms stretched out. “C’mon, chill, girls; crap, Elena, this ain’t what my sister would want!”

Rachel’s long ears shifted to the left as she cocked her head, giving her a testing grin with a short shrug. “He’s right; she wouldn’t want me to smear your face across the street.”

All hesitation left her; Elena rushed forward, thick fur sprouting out of her arms, legs, abdomen, and back. She threw Felix to the side as she accelerated, claws extending, but the hare was gone. Where…

She felt something heavy strike her in her stomach, making her abs tighten. Elena glanced to her left; somehow, Rachel had moved around Felix without her noticing, but the punch was nothing.

“Hmh,” Rachel smiled.

Elena flipped her hand around to slash at the cocky Mythickin’s face. “You call…”

“Going up,” Rachel chuckled, fist easing to press her palm against Elena’s stomach; Elena’s words died in her throat as the air rushed out of her lungs, and vertigo hit her stomach. She blinked, and suddenly she was over twenty feet in the air. She coughed, gasping to fill her lungs as her momentum slowed, and she began to fall.

That’s … how did she throw me up so high? Dang it! She’s making a fool of … why’s she standing under me?

Elena’s jaw set, trying to ease her heart while bracing to pounce on the hare as she fell, but Rachel just directed a vexing smile up at her and waited. Once she reached a meter away, the myth blurred into action, left leg coming up while her right balanced on the ground, doing vertical splits; Elena’s vision swam as all the air rushed out of her lungs again, mass generated by her fall focused against her abdomen.

She gagged as Rachel balanced her in the air before shifting her right foot to launch her twenty feet across the yard and into the street. She tumbled across the pavement, heaving for air; her ringing ears made it impossible to understand Rachel’s words.

The next moment, she was flying through space again, landing hard on the ground; Rachel wasn’t letting her breathe, and after a moment, everything began to come clear as she was finally allowed a moment to rest. Rachel was spinning in front of her, blurred by involuntary tears.

A soft puff of air brushed against Elena’s face; she could smell curry. “Don’t get me wrong; you’re tough, sure, but you can’t fight if you can’t breathe. Fighting one-o-one.”

Elena coughed a few times; her throat felt like it was blistered. Spitting, she glared at the woman belittling her. “T-That it? Ain’t—nothin’…”

Rachel rolled her eyes. “You remind me of my cousin.”

Elena struggled to defend herself, but she felt so sluggish as Rachel gave her an innocent smile while pulling back her fist. “I wish this were more enjoyable, but grit your teeth!”

Everything went black.