Chapter 14

The ringing phone woke her up. At first, Angel didn't remember where she was. Wherever it was, it was fancy and comfortable.

The spa.

She answered the phone. "H'lo?"

"This is your wake up call, Miss O'Connor. I am to remind you that you have school this morning. Would you like anything specific for breakfast?"

"Uh..."

"Shall we just prepare something from your usual preferences?"

"Ok."

"Your transportation will be waiting when you get downstairs. Feel free to call if you need anything."

"Ok. Uh, bye."

"Have a good morning, Miss O'Connor." Angel nodded, and hung up.

Now that she was awake, she became aware of certain needs. Increasingly urgent needs. She got out of the warm, comfortable bed and padded across the thick, soft carpet to the bathroom.

It was as impressive as the room. Even the toilet seat was padded and gently warmed. The large, deep bathtub looked inviting, but her time was limited. She contented herself with a hot, relaxing shower.

After drying off with the thickest, softest towels she had ever used, she put on the fluffy bathrobe and went back out to the room. She immediately noticed two things. There was a tray of food and drink on the table. And her clothes were not where she had dropped them the previous night.

She found both sets of skirts, blouses, and shoes in the closet, all freshly cleaned. A dresser drawer held her underwear, looking a little silly in the middle of all that empty space.

She decided to dress, then eat. After quickly climbing into her clothes, she settled in at the table. Lifting the cover, she saw that she had a ham, mushroom, and cheese omelet and toast. She also had milk and orange juice. And a pot of tea, with two cups. After the first delicious bite, there was a knock at the door.

It was Mrs. Tabor. "May I come in?"

"Of course." Angel opened the door wider, then stepped aside.

"Thank you. Please, go ahead and eat. I just wanted to tell you a few things before you left."

Angel returned to the table, and sat. She offered her guest some tea, which she accepted. After carefully pouring the tea, angel passed it to her benefactor.

"Thank you. I just wanted to thank you again, for what you did last night. Our client is very pleased with the results, and sends her thanks and those of her future husband."

"I'm glad. I hope things go well for her."

"I believe they will. And I believe they will go well for you, as well. You are an intelligent, well mannered young lady, no matter who you were a year ago."

"You know?"

"You and your parents thought about it within these walls. I caught bits and pieces, without trying to pry. Especially when I was asking you about handling genitals. But a lot of what I caught from them is that they're proud of you. You were a good boy when you were a boy, and you're a good girl now. That's a strong recommendation in my mind."

"But not everyone's."

"I suppose not. Nobody else here suspects, and few would care if they did know. Everyone here who has met you has been impressed. You will make a fine addition to our little family, for as long as you choose to stay."

"And speaking of that, I would like you to start here a week from this coming Monday. Any unpleasantness should be well past by then. You will receive a substantial signing bonus, to cover the delay and your exemplary service of last night."

"And on the subject of that service, there has always been a call for such regrowth. If you do not object, it would help the situation - and make us both a lot of money - if we were to offer such a service as a very expensive, very exclusive option. You would not need to cover your work in that way for most such cases. In fact, it would be useful to have your signature on such work in certain cases. Sooner or later, the opposition will want to check your known work. A strong energy residue will make it that much more convincing that you had nothing to do with what they think happened last night."

Angel smiled and nodded her understanding as she savored the last of her omelet.

"Well, I had best let you get ready for school. Thank you again." With that, she left.

When she went to gather her clothes, she noticed her sports bag on the closet shelf. She assumed that her mother had used it to bring her clothes the night before. She carefully packed the rest of her clothes, and gave a brief, covetous glance at the robe. Shaking her head, she checked her school materials. She had all the forms, and the homework she had done. She would have to do some work during lunch to finish the rest.

After confirming that she had everything, she took a quick look around the room, and left. It felt wrong to be leaving the dirty dishes and the like, but intellectually she knew it was the only practical choice.

On her way downstairs, she met Cindy, her guide from her first visit to the spa.

"Ready to go?" Cindy asked.

"You're my transportation?"

"Well, my car is. Unless you'd rather show up at school in a limo?" Cindy quirked a small smile.

"Not this early in the year. It looks too desperate." Angel laughed.

On the way there, they talked. When Angel mentioned the robe, Cindy agreed. "We can get them for ourselves, at cost." She told Angel. "The boss likes to keep us happy, but there is the bottom line to consider."

Soon, Angel was being dropped off at one of the less used doors, which happened to be very close to her locker. After saying goodbye to Cindy and thanking her for the ride, she went in.

By lunch time, she was more than ready for it. It was clear that this school was not known for easing gently into the new semester. Out of four classes, she had three significant assignments and one set of "be prepared to discuss" questions. And she still had to finish her calculus worksheet before the end of lunch.

At least the worksheet was mostly review.

When Robin came to the table, she asked Angel to take another look at her. Between bites of lunch, she obliged. It was clear that she would start showing symptoms Friday afternoon, and that she would have the desired powers and a somewhat better physical appearance. Unlike David, there did not seem to be anything beyond the originally intended changes.

Angel couldn't resist. "I didn't realize you chose the green haired boy option. Pity." She paused, letting Robin react for a moment before going on. "You won't get that. Your looks will change a little, for the better, I think. And it looks like you'll have the powers you wanted."

Robin hit her on the arm for worrying her like that, but looked pleased. She told them that she had made a doctors appointment for after school on Friday, based on what Angel had said. The testing center would be closed for the holiday, but her folks were trying to get her an appointment for Tuesday. Apparently, the center took the request more seriously when they were told that Angel had predicted the onset.

Angel shrugged. Powerful friends and a good reputation in high places were all well and good, but she still had math to do. Somehow, she doubted it would help with any of her other classes, either.

Somehow, school seemed more "real world" to her than all the rest. She knew it was backwards, that school was the artificial world and her jobs and contacts were the stuff of reality, but it didn't feel that way.

Part of it was her peers. The jobs and friends in high places were part of the adult world. School was the world of people her age, give or take a year or two. Major parts of their years and lives revolved around it, for better or worse. They did more work related to school than most did for jobs and hobbies combined. They largely built their social lives around it, between the clubs, dances, and other activities, and the interactions with an artificially bounded group of peers. In large part, they even defined themselves in terms of their school and grade level.

It was an odd realization. Unlike her sudden girlhood, she had no trouble thinking of herself as a student - an integral part - of that school. Like she had in past moves and other schools, she would have to find her places in the school and its social order, have to define her niche. And however much her newly minted status as a girl and a morf might complicate defining that niche, her place as a part of the school ecology was assured.

Her friends were staring at her, quietly. Lena had a small smile, while the others looked concerned.

"What, am I drooling or something?" Angel wiped her (thankfully) dry chin.

"You stopped talking, and your eyes sort of glazed over. They were afraid you were going to repeat what happened out by the hill."

"What happened by the hill?" Robin asked.

"We got together to talk about some morf stuff," Lena explained. "The Captain had the bright idea that Angel should try to bootstrap her abilities. She went inside to see what she could find, and had problems. I had to go in and guide her back out."

"Keeping the 'pillars out?" Robin asked, a little hurt.

"Nothing like that," David assured her. "Sherry wasn't there, either. You both had things you were busy with, and it wasn't a big deal. You'll definitely be a part of the next one."

"Of course, by then I'll have shed the silk."

"I'm gonna have to remember that one." Angel commented. "And speaking of the hill, what did you think about all that?"

"That's gotta be the weirdest thing that's ever happened to me. As soon as we started feeling that stuff, I was off balance. And then it was all done. I think I would have freaked if you guys weren't there."

Definitely not the time to tell her. We can ease into it later. Lena warned Angel.

David didn't seem to take the hint. Or Lena hadn't warned him. "You think that's the reason more people haven't stumbled onto it? They get the feeling and leave right away?"

"Could be." She seemed to consider it seriously. "In the beginning, the feeling was just kind of weird. I bet a lot of people would just turn and go a different direction without even being aware they were doing it."

"Another piece of the puzzle." he nodded, looking at Lena.

"Aargh!" Angel complained, looking at the worksheet. "I can't get this one."

Robin looked at the sheet. "Well, move it around and you have a quadratic equation."

"Oh! Duh. I should have seen that. Thanks." After that, lunch conversation went along more conventional lines.

Angel was getting impatient through her next two classes. Calculus was more review. Whatever else had happened in the transformation, she hadn't lost any of his ability with math. Anything he already understood, she still understood. The real test would be when she started learning new things. She already had noticed that she learned a little differently than before.

Biology just fueled her impatience. She was disappointed about how long it would be before they got into studying microbes and the like. And they wouldn't be going anywhere near as deep as she would have liked.

Then it was time. She was a little nervous when she went in to change, but she was also running a little late, so she had to hurry through her changing. She wasn't really surprised that she didn't notice all that much.

The class itself would spend the next few days setting individual baselines. The teacher warned that she could tell when anyone was slacking, and would adjust things accordingly. A large part of how they did in the class would be based on how much improvement they showed over the course of the semester.

Angel wondered whether it was a bluff. Or maybe the teacher was another bio elemental? When she tried looking, she could tell she was some sort of morf, but not an elemental. She didn't have a chance to check more - the class really moved along.

The class itself was a mix of non morfs and morfs without significant physical enhancements. While the students would be competing against themselves rather than their classmates, it was decided (or discovered?) that mixing in people with morf enhanced speed, strength, and/or agility was too disruptive to the dynamics of the class. And there were other classes designed to challenge them.

Angel was drying off from her shower when she suddenly realized that she hadn't noticed anything. A whole room full of teenaged girls had stripped and showered with her, and were now dressing with her, and it was altogether normal. She noticed a few details, like what kinds of bras and panties some of them put on, and whether or how they were shaved, but it was in the same abstract way that she noticed that the locker next to hers was dented.

It was unfair! She was in the middle of years' worth of adolescent fantasies - of her former male self - and it wasn't even interesting. It was ... routine. All that anticipation, and then nothing.

As she finished dressing, she wondered whether David was going through the same thing, yet. Probably not. At least he still had the right hormones and stuff. It would take a while for him to settle in with his ability to see anyone naked at any time, and to get bored with it.

And the most annoying part was that he never would completely lose that enjoyment. There would always be someone new or exotic for him to turn his voyeuristic attention toward. She had lost both sides. She really had no interest in seeing naked boys or men - it had been too routine for too many years. And now naked girls and women were equally routine.

Meh!

Angel went to the place they had agreed to meet, and walked toward the shortcut with her friends. Sherry had to stay after school for diving practice, so there were only the four of them. Once they were well into the State Park, and she could see that there was nobody within earshot, Robin asked her casual question.

"So Angel, how long have you been able to make people morf?"

Angel and Lena stood there, shocked into immobility. David just shook his head and smiled.

"What? How? I didn't... ?" Angel had never seen Lena so flustered. Robin just smiled.

"You've never noticed that you couldn't always read me? Good ... I'm doing it right. Telepaths were always a potential problem for my family, with all the business secrets and stuff. So I was taught how to shield some things. And how to do so in a way that was not especially noticeable. A particularly good or strong one, like you, could blow right through it if you knew it was there or knew what you were looking for. But the whole point is to make it so that you don't notice it." Robin shrugged.

"And," Angel coaxed, "you asked that about me because... ?"

"I didn't put it together until after lunch. After David's question," Lena slapped David on the back of his head. "I started wondering how to recreate the experience. Then it all fell into place. Lena would do the emotions and, maybe, read the person's mind to get the desired changes. That only left one person, and one function. It didn't occur to me at first, but you could have been telling me a lie about the morf. It would have been pointless and out of character. In a few days, I would have known it was a lie. And it would have been too big of a coincidence for the change to be just what I wanted. You had to be creating the change."

"For what it's worth," David cut in, "they did the same to me, without the visual special effects."

"What I want to know is why?" Robin demanded. "Why trick me? Why all the elaborate charade?"

"First," Angel replied, "I want you to know that we would have told you soon, anyway."

"That's right." David added, trying to redeem himself. "They told me after a little bit."

"But why?"

"That's my fault," Angel admitted. "At first, I just wanted to see if we could put together a team and do something, like in the movies. Then it shifted. I can help so many people with this ability, but if most people learned about it, they would fear me, try to control me, or both. Hell, look at what has happened with just my limited healing power and what I can see. People want to own me, to use me for their own purposes. Just think what governments, terrorists, or even major corporations would do to be able to create custom made morfs! Kidnap my family? Threaten you guys? Hold the whole school hostage?"

"Ok, I get that you want to hide that power. But why all this?" Robin insisted.

"I still want to help. I want to be able to give my friends what they really want. To help people who are really hurting. I want to use my abilities without people knowing I was doing so. This seemed like a way to do so. Most people won't know the five of us are involved..."

"Five?"

"Cassandra, Penny, is a part of it, too. She checks for potential disasters before we do the change. She was the one who brought up the necessity of the camouflage. But as I was saying, Lena and David can do their parts from a distance, without the person knowing they are involved. I need to make contact, shortly before or after, but I can change my appearance somewhat, and David can wrap me in an illusion. I suspect you will be able to make me invisible with you, after you master your change, so that's another option. The central part will be the Hill, and there have been funny rumors about that place for years."

"That might work." Robin conceded. "Especially with people who don't know you guys that well. But how will you get them there?"

"The ones we want to send there will hear the renewed rumors about the hill. Then Lena or David, or someone we otherwise convince, will give them a gentle nudge in the right direction. Some others will hear the rumors and try the hill, and we will take them on a case by case basis. Some won't feel anything, and will go away disappointed. That is why the rumors talk about it not always working. Others will either get accepted and gain some or all of what they wanted, or will find out they are rejected. The rejects will either get nothing, or in extreme cases will get an unwanted change. That will also go into the rumors."

"How is all that decided?"

"Sort of a fast and loose consensus. We don't have anything formal. If Cassandra sees a bad outcome one way or another, we will try and avoid it. Our criteria so far are kind of broad. If someone wants powers for something malicious, they will be rejected or worse. If they want something that is socially unacceptable, but ultimately harmless, we will probably accept it. Like Captain Peeper here." She indicated David.

Lena stepped in. "And we are limited by what Angel can and can't do. Some changes are beyond her power, and some she just doesn't have enough information about."

"So what's my part in all this?"

"We weren't sure until you chose your changes. We wanted you to be a part of it, because you are our friend, one of our inner circle if you will." Angel added, earnestly. "I'm still not sure what role you will want to play. One thing you can do, like David, is learn to think about the events at the hill as real whenever you casually think about all this. That way, any wandering telepaths get the Party Line."

David stepped in again. "We can also act as points of contact. We went through the thing at the hill, and ended up with the changes we wanted. We can truthfully say that. We can honestly describe our experiences, even though a lot of people won't believe us. We won't stand on the street corner and shout about it, but we can bring it up when we think it is appropriate."

"You have already played an important role." Lena added. "We needed someone to help us test and refine the process. Someone we could trust, absolutely. Especially if something went wrong. David was the first. You are the second. Penny has nominated someone we don't know as the third test subject, and effectively the first active run. Unlike you, that person won't be told about all this. They'll spread the word to Smokey Hill, and start the operational phase, if you will, of this whole thing."

Robin nodded, and they started walking down the path again. She suggested that the glowing figure be less detailed, more of a hint than a picture. Then she asked the key question.

"Where are you going with all this? What is the goal, the payoff, the endgame?"

"We." Angel corrected. "You are completely one of us, now. Even without your upcoming change. And we don't know. I have a feeling that something is coming, something that will need our ability to act as a practiced group. No idea in the world what it is, though. You have any ideas?"

"About that mysterious event, or about the payoff?"

"Either. Both. Whatever."

"Ah..." Robin looked like she was going to say something profound and authoritative. "Nope. Not a clue." She grinned.

"We obviously need to watch more movies." David grinned. "Now, who do we know that can help us do that?"

"See what I mean?" Angel said to Robin. "Even my friends want to take advantage of me."

"Us." Lena corrected. "He wants to use my passes, too. Good thing he's so good looking."

Angel and Robin rolled their eyes.

David had one more bit of advice for Robin. "Start thinking of a good nickname now. You never know what they might stick you with, otherwise."

"Thus speaks Captain Peeper." Lena quipped.

"Why, thank you, Radar." he returned.

"Point taken." Robin laughed.

At the edge of the park, they separated and went their own ways. Angel and Lena headed toward their houses, talking about what had just happened. When they noticed that they were coming within range of other people, they switched to mental mode.

That could have been a problem. Angel thought, showcasing her talent for understatement.

Luckily, she came to us before coming to her final conclusions. She gets a little delicate sometimes, and if she took it the wrong way...

Yeah. What's up with that? She's smart, attractive, accomplished, and her family has money. Even her personality seems strong. So what gives? Angel asked.

Critical family with high expectations. She comes from a long line of overachievers, and they had no patience with anything less. Wait a minute. Lena held her hand up and listened.

"Shit!" Lena exclaimed. "Cassandragram. Can we meet at your house?"

"Sure. You calling in the troops?"

"Yep. Now hush, I'm talking to David."

"Don't forget Robin."

"Already done."

They picked up their pace, and got to Angel's house just in time to see David flying Robin into a landing on Angel's front lawn. By the time she got her door open, Penny was pulling up in her car.

After a quick glance at Robin, and a nod, Penny followed them inside. After the usual offers of food and drink, they got down to it.

"We need to move the schedule up." Penny proclaimed, making it clear that Cassandra was speaking. "Pat is getting suicidal. She can't face starting another school year as a girl. I hinted about the hill rumor, and she latched onto it like a lifeline." She turned to Robin.

"You're up to speed?"

"Yeah. Pat is supposed to be the first real subject and the last of the test subjects. Lena and David set the stage and handle the special effects. Lena gets the mental request. You all confer..."

"We all confer." Angel corrected.

"We all confer on what to do. David does a special effect to show what will happen, and Lena gives the appropriate feeling. Angel creates and delivers the genetic bomb, while looking like someone else. I just help spread rumors, for now."

"Sounds right. Are you guys ready to run it?"

"When?"

"Tonight would be good. Tomorrow would work, too. We need her to be changing, if not changed, by the start of school on Tuesday."

"Ok. I have the energy." Angel jumped in, playing leader. "David, you up to another one this soon?"

"No problem. My part is no big strain to begin with."

"Lena?"

Lena saluted. "Primed and ready, ma'm."

Angel returned the salute with a half smile. "All right. What do we need to tweak? Pat won't see David or Lena, and won't know me when she sees me. What else? Robin?"

"Don't overplay the visuals. If you keep the light thing, make it vague and suggestive. And don't fish for feedback. Otherwise ... go for it."

"Penny?"

"Monitor her closely. She's fragile. Her folks are fighting over her sexual identity, and it's gotten nasty. And watch for her getting too deep."

"Ok. Lena?"

"It all seems good to me. How do we get her there?"

"I'll take care of that." Penny said. Her tone made it clear that she didn't want to volunteer any more details. "I'll let Lena know when."

"Good enough. David?"

"I'd like to try some images here, see what people think."

"Ok," Angel said. "That's a good idea. Penny, you want to do this, or would you rather get back to work on Pat?"

"I'll go. Thanks, guys. This would have been a bad one." With that, Penny left.

David tried a variety of images, until they found a look they all liked.

Angel pulled Robin aside, while David and Lena cuddled a bit on the sofa.

"My parents don't know about this ability. Outside of the five of us, two cousins of mine might suspect. The fewer people who know, the less chance of accidental exposure." Angel explained. "I appreciate your help."

"Believe me, I understand about secrets." Robin smiled, meaningfully.

The front door opened. "Another boy on my couch, I see."

"This one's a rerun. You remember David."

"Hello, David. I don't think I've seen you since you got your wings. Impressive."

"Thank you, Ma'm"

"We'd better get going," Lena said. Then she turned to Angel. "I'll let you know when."

"When what?" Angel's mother asked, as the others left.

"I have to do something later, something confidential. It won't take long."

"Angel, look at me." her mother demanded. When she complied, she continued.

"Is this something dangerous?"

"No. Not at all."

"Is it something I would prohibit, if I knew?"

"No." Angel sounded hurt.

"Don't play the sensitive little girl with me. What do you expect me to think with that announcement? You do secret things at the spa. The police come looking for you. That Wilson woman came after you. That horrible theater man hurt you so badly. You and your friends have all these little plans. I'm your mother. How am I supposed to deal with all that?"

"By trusting me?" Before she was even finished saying it, Angel knew it was the wrong thing. "I know it's been hard. It is hard. But I've been trusted with secrets that are not mine to tell. I can tell you that I'll be helping someone heal, but who and how is not mine to tell. Last night, I healed someone too. But bad things could happen to them if anyone found out. Even I don't really know who it was. Most of our plans are just for things like going to the movies or visiting someone. The theater thing was worse than I expected - worse than anyone expected - but I did have backup. I am careful. I'm more careful than the old Angel ever was. And I have powerful friends. Lena can get help to me with a thought. David is insanely powerful. His mom and dad are no slouches, themselves. Penny can see trouble coming. And that's not even counting the political and economic power of friends, parents of friends, and my employers."

She took a breath, and continued. "I know you worry. It's in the job description. But I'm really not doing things for you to worry about. And I'm not a little boy anymore."

"But you're still my child. My little girl. It's hard to see you so deeply involved in things I don't know enough about; to know there's nothing I can do to help if you have a problem." She opened her arms, and they hugged. "You're right. It's my job to worry, and your job to make your place in the world."

"Anything I should know about?" Angel's father asked, coming unexpectedly on that tableau.

"Mom doesn't like feeling like a mushroom." Angel answered, with a small smile. "And now, I've got to start working on my homework. I'll be going out briefly tonight, for a top secret mission. Ask Mom." She turned, grabbed her school stuff, and headed upstairs.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Magdalena made a family tradition - breakfast for dinner. Waffles, eggs, bacon and sausage, just ordinary breakfast foods. Angel liked those meals, and so did her parents. About halfway through her second batch of waffles, Angel got the call.

Muttering about the timing, she excused herself and headed for the door. After a brief conference with the others, she kept her normal appearance for her initial contact. While Lena fed her bits and pieces of the desired change, she went a little way into the park and waited for her first cue.

She got the word from Lena, and started walking out of the park as though she had been jogging there. Penny was parked across the street, a little way down the cross street. Angel saw the two of them get out of the car, and started absorbing what baseline information she could about Pat. She extended her observation time a little by bending down to re-tie her shoe while they crossed the street toward her. By the time they passed her and headed down the trail, she had all she needed. She trotted home for a quick change, getting more details from Lena as she went.