by Madam Marvelous ID#26130
The first day was a trial of combat. We each had to do our best to fight and win as many combats as possible. There were choices for how to do so. Fight each other in KOTM events, straight-up Battle challenges, or Fight Clubs. We could also go out on Patrols and hope to fight against thugs, dock pirates, and other seedy individuals we crossed paths with. New Amsterdam and Detroit were popular choices for many who chose this route.
I chose to stick close to home and do some good in my neighborhood in New Amsterdam. I didn’t want to go toe-to-toe with more experienced heroes yet. I spent a fair amount of time around this new inter-city Super Golf Course. In essence, my activities were all in a day’s work as I sought agents of the legion and, for some strange reason, golf balls. Going from location to location as opportunities opened up for me, I found bursts of Mad Speed almost everywhere.
At the end of the day, I went alongside Angelus to the scoreboard that showed the win numbers compiled by our BADGE communication devices and searched for my ranking. I started at the bottom of the list, fully expecting my score to be among the lowest.
“Well, Kitt’n, looky thar’,” Angelus said. “You’ve done good for a first-timer... Real good.”
I followed where his finger pointed. Out of all the people in my division, I PLACED SIXTH!! I drew in a deep breath and held it, thrilled at my score while at the same time doubting it. After exhaling, I tapped at the screen of my comm badge. “There… there has to be a mistake. I can’t have done that well. This has to be broken.”
“Horsefeathers,” Angelus scrolled his finger down the listing until he found his name at rank 12. “You done yer’ best. Some of these here fellers and ladies only show up to make it look like they are trying. To get what they can with the least amount of work. You put your back into it, girl. Be proud of yer’self. I darn tootin’ am.”
“Thanks, Angelus,” I said as I felt my cheeks warm. Even shapeshifters blush. “What do you think about tomorrow's event. Push-ups? I feel like I’m in gym class. I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep a straight face if Director Nova is down there on the field counting us off while wearing sweatpants and a whistle around his neck.”
“Now that would be a sight that could scare a blind man to see!” Angelus laughed. “Maybe we could have a bit of fun with that very thought?”
I couldn’t help but get a bit scared by his enthusiastic, yet devilish, grin on his face.
Isfet tapped him on the shoulder. “Methinks you’re getting ideas in your head that don’t belong there, love. Here, tilt your head lower so I can knock them out through your ear.”
MMMMMM
The next day, I joined Isfet and Angelus once again. The contestants were all lining up on the track around the arena field, waiting to get their assigned spot for doing their push-ups. The three of us waited in a dark hallway that lead beneath the stadium seats.
“OK. You know what Director Nova looks like. Change into him but wearing these clothes instead of his uniform.” Angelus said.
“No. No.” My face went hot. I couldn’t do what he wanted. I’d get kicked out for sure if they ever found out it was me. I held my hands up before me to push his offering of clothing away. “I could never do that?”
“Why not? You’re a shapeshifter, aren’t you?” Angelus asked.
“Our new playmate doesn’t want to play, love,” Isfet said. “The game isn’t any fun if people don’t want to play it.”
I nodded at her, pleased to have her support. Or what I thought was her support. Sometimes Isfet could be a bit hard to figure out.
“I’d die of embarrassment.”
Angelus seemed to deflate, his shoulders drooping and his head lowering to the ground. “I respect your integrity, Kitt’n, but it would have made a fair number of people smile. Seems like in a sad world like we live in every day, a bit of laughter would go a long way to making people feel better.”
I felt horrible. I liked Angelus and my new friendship with him. Shapeshifting into Nova wouldn’t be hard for me to do at all, so why shouldn’t I? My mouth opened to say yes but a bigger part of me restrained it. I wondered if my inner turmoil showed on my body as my insides struggled with deciding what to do.
“Give them to me,” Isfet said and a glistening, magical glamor surrounded her body. With a flare of light, she became Director Nova in a pair of tight shorts and a yellow shirt. “I care not what these others think but I would like to hear the lovely chimes of a chorus of laughter.”
With that, she walked out into the sunlight and waved at the assembled heroes.
"OK, you pathetic little babies, drop and give me a million!!!", called out the faux Nova.
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