Standard Disclaimer: All rights belong to those whose rights they belong to, primarily Marvel, though quite namely not me. Don't own a thing aside from my OCs.
Camp Shawnee. Appalachian Mountains, West Virginia.
Caitlin Brown was in Hell. She wasn't one for drama usually, but this current endeavour was pure, unadulterated Hell.
"I just don't get it!" she complained despairingly. "Anything physical, I can handle just fine. Swimming, hiking, obstacle courses-"
"Yeah, you set a new camp record for that one!" Lisa interjected cheerfully from her seat next to her.
"-but this? This is impossible!" She held up in her hands what was supposed to be a crocheted sock. It instead resembled a lumpy cloth potato.
The other girls around the table snickered quietly. "What pisses me off is that the boys don't have to do this," a redheaded girl named Jolene complained from across the narrow table.
"I know, right?" replied Julie, a tall blonde sitting on the other side of Caitlin. "What do they get to do while we suffer through this shit?"
"Workshop," came the disgruntled chorus from around the table.
"Solidarity, sistahs!" cheered a petite but fiery dark-skinned woman who went by the name Jezebel, though her door read 'Beatrice'.
Caitlin snickered, her mood improved somewhat. So is this what being a normal teenaged girl is like, hanging out with other girls?
/Wish I could tell you, Cat. I... don't really know for sure, I never saw my girls grow into teens./
Oh, Chris, I'm sorry, I didn't mean... She sobered immediately, considering the fact that Chris still didn't know the fate of his family. He'd disappeared out of their lives over five years ago and she'd had no chance to check up on them. We'll find out about them as soon as we can, alright? Maybe when our time here is finished?
/It's okay. Whenever we can./
She exhaled with a huff of irritation at herself. She'd allowed herself to get so caught up in acting, well, normal here at the camp over the past two weeks that she'd forgotten what she was. A vessel for other personalities who had needs as well. As she fumbled with her overly large and clumsy needles, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. When was the last time we heard from Kyle?
*It's been a few days, actually. I don't think we should worry yet.*
If you say so, Eric...
"Hey, are you okay Cat?" Lisa asked worriedly. She brushed her dark hair over her shoulder as she leaned in, the purple tips flashing in the sunlight. "You're not really letting this get to you, are you?"
"No, it's alright Lisa," Caitlin reassured her. She was touched, really, by the girl's concern. Her buddy took her duties very seriously and was always attentive to her feelings and moods, which were often difficult to explain when they were sometimes influenced by internal conversations with people Lisa couldn't hear.
"Oh, good," the Asian girl replied brightly. "You know, I hear they were thinking about doing away with this whole silly crocheting thing anyways, maybe we should try complaining again to the staff, not that they really listen to us anyways, I mean why should they, right?"
"Oh, for fuck's sake, will you puh-leaze shut up Chatterbox!" exclaimed a girl with curly blond hair and an obnoxiously nasal voice.
Caitlin frowned. "Leave her alone, Betty."
"Oh, and what are you gonna do, huh?" Betty threw her needles down and stood up with her fists on her hips. "Are ya gonna fight me? You gonna defend your little girlfriend?"
The brunette girl growled softly at the back of her throat, fed up with the snotty blonde's constant needling and complaining. She began to rise up from the bench when Lisa grabbed her arm.
"No, please don't, Cat," her friend whispered frantically. "It's not worth it, don't get into a fight..."
/Listen to her, Cat, you don't need to get in trouble here, remember we're trying to get through these six weeks without incidents.../
I'm going to have an incident all over her face. Repeatedly, if she doesn't shut her big fat mouth.
She was saved from further assaults upon her self-control by the ringing of the camp bell, signalling the end of the afternoon's activities. Betty shot her a smug look and flung her long hair over her shoulders, prancing out at the head of three other carbon copies.
"God, will that bitch never shut up?" Julie muttered as she cleaned up her area.
"I don't think there's a force known to mankind that could make that whore shut her pie-hole," Jolene snickered.
Whore?
/Um. Someone who engages in a lot of sexual activity. Usually a girl. It's decidedly uncomplimentary, but not often literal./
Humans are so weird.
*Preach it, sistah.*
Really, Eric?
*Just getting with the swing of things.*
Caitlin and Lisa were joined by Julie, Jolene, and Jezebel as they made their way back to the cabin. The brunette often snickered to herself at the J's who looked so dissimilar and yet were tighter than actual sisters. They met up with the fourth J at the edge of the pavilion they were leaving. Jenny was a slight, willowy girl with long light brown hair and thick glasses. She was usually quiet as a mouse and followed the others meekly, though the group often tried to coax her out of her shell to little avail.
"Anyone want to play cards in my room?" Jezebel asked breezily.
Julie shook her head. "Not in the mood, no, but I'll sit and watch."
The six girls headed towards the dark-skinned girl's room but were blocked from entering the cabin by their stuck-up blonde nemesis and her coterie, this time joined by their boyfriends. All four of the male campers were big, brawny and clueless. Apparently 'dumb jock' was a job requirement.
"Not so fast there, skanks. Where do you think you're all going?" Betty sneered, obviously pushing for a confrontation.
Caitlin looked around. There were no staff members in sight as it was free time, most of them would congregate in their cabin to socialize or discuss the day's next activity. Perfect.
/Caitlin.../
No, I'm tired of this shit Chris. I'm taking care of it.
Chris gave a sigh. /You're right, I suppose, she's going to keep pushing. Just... no serious injuries, please./
Smirking, the lithe brunette moved around her milling friends and stood in front of Betty. The blonde's superior grin faltered as she realized that the shorter girl was far from cowed. In fact her pale green eyes were glittering dangerously.
"You need to move. Now," Caitlin growled.
"Teddy, this bitch is in my face. Remove her," Betty said airily, her nose stuck in the air.
Her well-muscled boyfriend grinned under the heavy slope of his forehead and reached out to clamp his massive paw over Caitlin's head. She intercepted his hand first and bent the thumb back, painfully, almost to the point of breaking it.
He howled and dropped to his knees to try and relieve the pressure, as the others blocking her path looked at her with bugged-out eyes.
"Now, listen closely, bitch," Caitlin said in a quiet but deadly voice which carried clearly over Teddy's whimperings. "I'm not going to say this again. You're all going to move, now. You're going to stop harassing us. If you don't it's going to get uglier than your skanky face."
*Skanky face, nice touch.*
I've picked a few things up from the other girls.
Betty's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water until she spun on her heels and snapped her fingers imperiously. The others followed her lead, including Teddy after Caitlin released him.
"Wow, Cat, that was... Wow," Lisa gushed breathlessly.
Caitlin snickered. "She's just a bully, not used to having people stand up to her."
/You handled that really well, Cat./
Well, I used your memories, Chris, from those classes you used to teach.
/So you did. Still, I'm proud of you./
*Aw, shucks, do you two need a moment?*
Both Caitlin and Chris pointedly ignored Eric as the girls all entered the cabin. Caitlin decided to beg off of the card game as she wasn't really in the mood anymore and decided to go to her own room instead.
"Hey, Cat, can I talk to you for a sec?" Lisa whispered before she could close her door.
"Sure, Lisa, what's up?" Caitlin asked curiously as she let her friend inside, closing the door behind her.
"I just... what you did back there... it was so..." Lisa stammered, wringing her hands. In a quick motion that took Caitlin completely by surprise, the dark-haired girl lunged forward, wrapping her arms around her neck and sealing her lips over her own.
Caitlin's mind went completely blank. As in, no thoughts and no voices, just... just the kiss and nothing else. She closed her eyes and leaned into it, her head tilted back and wrapping her own arms around Lisa, trying to emulate what she was doing.
So this is kissing? It's... kinda nice... She moaned slightly, which Lisa took to be encouragement to slip her tongue into her mouth, eliciting another, louder moan. Okay, now THIS is nice... holy shit this is nice...
The slightly taller raven-haired girl was molding her body up against Caitlin, pulling her into her own warmth, and she was lost in the sensation, between her lips and tongue and roaming hands... And then she noticed a funny feeling beginning at her abdomen and starting to spread downwards to between her legs. It was a warm and tingly sort of nebulous effect that slowly spread through her body, making her feel lightheaded, and she began to feel slightly damp in between her legs, which shocked her back into reality. What the hell?
She broke off from the kiss, her eyes wide and breathing heavily. Lisa was panting as well but with a wide smile on her face. "God, I've wanted to do that for so long, since the first day I saw you really, but I didn't know if you were into girls, or would be into me, and was that okay? It's been a really long time for me, so I don't know-"
Caitlin stood up on her toes and gave her another kiss to cut her words off, gentle and soft. "I think it was... perfect," she murmured when she leaned back down again. "Especially for my first."
Lisa's mouth dropped open. "Shut. Up. That was... I was your first kiss?" Caitlin nodded, smiling. "Soooo..." the Asian girl said softly, running her hands up the brunette's sides. "I don't suppose you've ever done... anything else?"
Caitlin shook her head slightly, still smiling. "I wouldn't mind trying, though."
Her friend sighed and chewed on her bottom lip. "Much as I'd like to hop right into the sack... I haven't either, and I kinda want to take my time with that. You don't mind, do you?" she asked hopefully.
She grinned at the raven-haired girl. "Not at all," she replied softly. "But... we could still do the kissing part, right?"
"Right," Lisa grinned back, pulling Caitlin towards her again but stepping back so that they both fell, giggling, onto her bed before continuing their exploration.
That evening, after Caitlin bade Lisa goodnight and entered her own room again, she plopped onto her bed with a happy sigh.
/So. That seemed to go well./
I'm sorry if I embarrassed you guys with all that, she thought hesitantly. It didn't, like, freak you out or anything, did it?
/Actually, it seems to be that when you're extremely emotional like that, we just sort of... slide aside. Maybe it's because you're more absorbed in the feeling and the moment, but it's easier for us to just ignore it and leave you with your privacy./
*Not me. I enjoyed the whole thing.*
Eric...
*Kidding, I'm kidding. We all took sort of a nap. It was nice, actually, unlike when you shift or sleep as yourself when we just blank out, this time we seemed to drift for awhile until your attention was distracted again.*
/That about sounds right. So, you've got a girlfriend now, eh?/
Caitlin grinned to herself. I suppose I do. Not sure what I'm doing, but I feel... happy?
/Happy is good, sweetie,/ Chris said gently. /Just don't get too involved, too fast, alright?/
Caitlin rolled her eyes as she peeled her shorts and tee shirt off. Yes, Dad.
Curled up on her bed as a feline again, she considered whether or not to ever tell Lisa about her powers. Maybe not yet, Caitlin the cat thought sleepily. But someday.
The next few weeks seemed to fly by. Surprisingly enough, the others in the camp didn't seem to mind in the slightest about their relationship. Chris had warned her that, at least as of five years ago, there were some who reacted negatively to same-sex couples, but that didn't seem to be the case here. The only people who had a problem at all were Betty and her clique, but they were generally just unhappy with Caitlin in general. Word of her stand against the blonde alpha bitch had spread and her status suffered as a result.
Caitlin kept her eyes metaphorically open at all times just as a general rule, but she took particular care in making sure she was able to see Betty anytime she was in visual range. She made it a habit to always keep tabs on what she was up to, a fact that became apparent as she foiled a couple of very juvenile attempts to get back at her or her group of friends.
The end of the fourth week that she was at the camp both Jezebel and Julie returned home as their time was up, splitting up the four J's. The former returned to Chicago with some amount of resignation, claiming she was sure she'd be back within the month, while the latter was looking forward to her reunion with her mother and stepfather in Columbus with only a little bit of trepidation. They both made sure the others had their email addresses to keep in touch with them.
"Lisa," Caitlin began thoughtfully as she stared at the piece of paper in her hand. "What's an email address?"
"Oh, sweetie," Lisa laughed, taking her hand and walking next to her on the way to dinner. "Don't tell me you're a technophobe as well?"
"Um, I'm not sure. What's a technophobe?"
Caitlin had noticed during her time there that most of her friends didn't really talk about the problems that landed them at the camp. A few alluded to them, like how Lisa casually mentioned that her motor-mouth was in reality a result of her being so nervous around girls whereas she was often close-mouthed and shy around boys. She hinted that her own parents were uncomfortable with her sexuality and had hoped that the camp might encourage her otherwise. "Though I don't know how they figured on that when I'm living in a girl's cabin!" she laughed, perhaps a little too loudly. Chris conveyed that it was likely a point of contention for her and not something she should pry into further.
In all the time she'd spent there she never did figure out who the other metahumans were. They were all very careful to keep their identities a secret. For her part, she made sure to only transform behind her locked door and tried very hard not to obviously outperform everyone else in the physical events.
She had no such concerns with crocheting, but all her abilities afforded her no advantage whatsoever. The daily activity was simply a nefarious torture set down on the planet by some sort of evil demon, and there was no telling her differently even after four weeks of practice.
One evening in the middle of her fifth week Caitlin, Lisa, Jolene, and Jenny were gathered in Caitlin's room to socialize before bedtime. The redhead was happily reminiscing about her family that she'd get to see at the end of the week, having missed her sisters and brother tremendously, while she absent-mindedly shuffled a pack of cards.
Eventually the other three girls managed to get the shy Jenny to open up a little about her family. As it turned out she had a fairly normal one, no siblings but stable and loving parents. She wouldn't divulge what had caused her to end up there, but the others decided not to push the recalcitrant girl.
Lisa excused herself to use the restroom while Jolene taught Caitlin how to play double-solitaire. They were at it for some time, with Jenny quietly pointing out helpful moves to the brunette, when there was a sound at the door. Caitlin's head whipped around to spy a folded piece of paper there on the floor and she heard the patter of feet as someone retreated back down the hall.
"What's that?" Jolene asked curiously.
"Not sure," Caitlin mused as she bent down and picked the paper up. She unfolded it, and then her vision narrowed as an intense rage filled her.
"Cat?" the redhead asked, getting up from the bed to stand next to her. "Hey, what's... Oh, no. They didn't..."
Written on the paper in neat cursive were the words, "If you want your skank girlfriend back, come to the boathouse alone."
"That's it," Caitlin growled. "That is fucking it. They went too far this time. I am seriously done with this shit."
/Cat, hold up, don't-/
Chris, I'm done with these bitches. Kyle? We've got work to do.
[I'm with you, girl. Let's kick some ass.]
She didn't comment at all on either Kyle's apparent clarity, nor the fact that she'd not heard from him in several weeks. The brunette turned to the other two girls, her pale green eyes flashing angrily in the dim light. "Go to your rooms and lock your doors." Turning, she kicked her shoes off and ran barefoot out the door towards the boathouse by the lake.
It only took her a handful of seconds as she didn't hold back. Her feet hardly made a noise as she flew along the grass before coming to a halt in the shadows by the large boathouse. She listened intently and could tell there were a few new voices, all male, from Betty's usual hangers-on.
Covert or direct assault?
[May as well go in the front, we're making a statement, yes? Let's go make one.]
Caitlin grinned ferally. Glad you're here with me, Kyle.
[Purpose builds clarity. Go.]
She stalked around the house towards the main set of doors which were sheltered from the view of the rest of the camp. Rearing her foot up towards her chest, she slammed it into the middle, causing both doors to fly back and crash against the walls, creating a satisfyingly loud entrance.
Caitlin walked confidently into the room, her head on a swivel and taking the scene in before her.
Betty and her three clones were clustered around the kneeling and bound form of Lisa. Her girlfriend had a black eye and a bloody gash on her forehead, the sight of which caused her blood to boil further. The raven-haired girl's mouth was gagged, but her eyes widened at the sight of Caitlin, and she shook her head frantically in warning.
The danger was apparent in the eight muscular boys who arranged themselves in a semicircle around the lithe brunette. They sneered at her menacingly, but Teddy was the first to step forward. "I'm gonna enjoy fucking you up, bitch." He cracked his knuckles. "I'm gonna take my time, make it nice and slow."
Caitlin tilted her head and looked up at him consideringly. "No, I don't think so," she said, more calmly than she felt. With that she leapt straight up and spun, her foot connecting with his forehead. He stumbled back in a circle and his eyes rolled up into his head before he flopped onto his back, out cold.
The others looked between the slight girl and their fallen friend, mouths agape.
"Next?" she asked nonchalantly.
"You really think you can take all of us on at once?" one of the other boys snarled.
"She's not alone," a voice spoke up from behind her. Caitlin spun to see Jolene and Jenny standing there, both with confident smirks on their faces.
"What are you doing?" Caitlin hissed.
"The thing is, we both came to help, but we figured out at the same time that we're more alike than we realized," Jenny answered softly.
"As are you," Jolene laughed. She held her arms up and snapped her fingers. Instantly the redhead's hands were encased in ice-like boxing gloves. "So let's do this, huh?"
"Oh yes, let's," Jenny grinned. She gave Caitlin a wink before vanishing out of sight.
The brunette grinned widely as Jolene moved up next to her. "I can still take these guys," she murmured.
"Well, how about I make a hole and rescue your girlfriend?" Jolene snarked.
"Sounds like a plan." With that, Caitlin leapt forward, snarling, straight at the largest of the boys arrayed before her. Her hands hit the ground first and she pushed up in a somersault so that her feet planted solidly into his face, knocking him backwards. She flipped around quickly and blocked a clumsy swing from the next boy over, using his momentum to fling him towards a stack of canoes. As he hit, they toppled over and noisily buried him.
One of the boys made a snatch for her which she easily evaded, instead grabbing both of his arms and flinging him over her head to land with a sickening crunch on top of the fallen boy at her feet, knocking them both out of the fight.
She spun and readied herself for further opponents. She saw over the next two boys' shoulders that Jolene had made good on her word and had clubbed two of the thugs into unconsciousness before headed towards the panicked blondes. Betty and her friends let out shrieks of terror and tried running away, only to trip and fall flat on their faces from some unseen force, likely Jenny. Betty seemed to have an invisible foot planted on the back of her head for good measure as she flailed about ineffectually.
There were only the two boys in front of Caitlin remaining. The first lunged at her with his arms spread wide, trying to grapple with her. She ducked under and brought her knee up, hard, right between his legs. He collapsed to the floor, wheezing in pain.
She glanced over at the last boy, one she hadn't noticed hanging around Betty before. Oddly enough he seemed to be smiling anticipatorily. "Ready to give up?" she asked.
In response he simply crouched into a combat position and moved forward on confident feet.
/Cat, watch this one, he moves like a fighter and not like the others-/
Chris' words were interrupted as the boy's fist shot out, quick as a snake, to slam against her sternum. She never even saw it coming.
Caitlin flew backwards and out through the open doors to land on her back, stunned.
/-annnd he's a metahuman./
[Get up get up NOW he's coming...]
She sprang to her feet nimbly, just in time to avoid his rush. She slipped away from the initial charge and barely ducked his follow up swing. Now that she had his measure she found it a little easier to anticipate his moves. In fact, she started to grin to herself as she realized she could really cut loose here.
/Keep your claws sheathed though, we don't want a fatality!/
Fair enough. We'll do it the hard way, it'll be more enjoyable, right Kyle?
[Oh yes, here a combo you can try...]
She launched herself into a spin-kick which the metahuman easily dodged. Instead of completing the spin, however, she lashed out with her other foot, connecting with his jaw.
He barely even stumbled.
Hmm, tough too. Time for a more direct approach.
As she landed she rolled forward and got right into his space. He tried to slam a fist downward but she was able to deflect the blow with one hand while hammering at his ribcage with the other, then alternating hands until he began to stumble back from the rapid assault. She knew by this point that her knuckles were raw and bloody from the beating, but she ignored the pain for now.
Lashing out with her foot she stomped down on his instep, causing him to fall to one knee. She jumped up and whipped her other foot out, smashing into his nose and breaking the cartilage.
Finally he slumped to the ground, out cold.
Caitlin stood over him, panting from the exertion but grinning triumphantly. She glanced around and spied her three friends standing nearby with stunned expressions on their faces.
"Holy shit, girl!" Jolene exclaimed. "You're not just metahuman, that's like super-hero level! Who the fuck are you?"
"Just who I said I was," Caitlin replied wearily, cradling her hands together. They were beginning to really sting now, she needed to transform soon to heal them.
"Guys, we need to split," Jolene urged. "The staff will be here soon and we don't want to be around when they are."
"Right, let's get- Oh, sweetie, your hands!" Lisa blurted out.
"I'll be fine, really, but Jolene's right. Let's get back to the cabin, okay?"
They quickly flitted through the shadows and ducked into the cabin just as shouts were beginning to echo throughout the camp. They quickly split up to return to their own rooms, all except for Lisa and Caitlin who made a stop in the restroom first. The somewhat battered brunette carefully cleaned off her raven-haired girlfriend's face, wiping away the blood and tears. The gash itself was rather small and had already closed up, but her black eye was quite prominent. She winced as the water got into her knuckles but quickly dried herself off and hustled the two of them into her room.
"You've got to see to those hands!" the raven-haired girl whispered harshly, her purple highlights swinging as she shook her head in frustration. "Jesus, I think you might have broken some of your fingers! What were you thinking?"
"Well, I was thinking about kicking his ass," Caitlin smirked as she closed the door and locked it, wincing at the effort. She put her back up against the door and sighed. "Okay, look, so you know now that I'm not... normal, right?"
"No, you're not," her girlfriend agreed. "You're extraordinary."
"Oh. Well." Caitlin glanced down at her bare and dirty feet, blushing slightly at the compliment. "Anyway, I have other stuff I can do, but I don't want to freak you out any..."
"You won't," Lisa whispered as she folded her legs across each other on Caitlin's bed. "Show me, please?"
Caitlin sighed again. "Okay." She twitched her pert nose and collapsed into her clothes. From under the pile emerged a short-haired black cat, meowing softly.
"Omigod you are so cute!" Lisa squealed enthusiastically.
Caitlin the cat hopped up onto Lisa's lap and purred loudly, rubbing up against her. In turn Lisa lavished affection upon the feline, rubbing her hands along her fur and cooing at her happily.
It was a feeling unlike any other. Being a cat, and having your fur petted just right... If there was a heaven on earth, this was surely it. She rolled onto her back and continued to purr enthusiastically as Lisa ran her fingers across her furry belly.
Eventually though she gave herself a shake and Lisa's fingers a lick. With a flick of her tail she hopped off towards the other side of the bed and transformed back again. She crouched there, grinning, and held up her now healed hands. "See, all better now!"
Lisa stared back at her open-mouthed. Frowning, Caitlin wiggled her fingers in front of her face. "Lisa? Hello?"
"Um," the raven-haired girl blushed. "You're naked."
Caitlin looked down at herself, nonplussed. "Well, yeah, my clothes don't transform with me..."
/Cat. You are naked in bed and in front of your girlfriend, who is right now having very naughty thoughts about you by the look on her face./
Naughty? I don't understand...
/As in sex./
Caitlin blinked and looked back up at Lisa with a grin. Oh, so does she want to have sex now?
/You know what? I'm done here. You ask her yourself./
"So, Lisa," she said hesitantly. "Did you want to-"
Her words were cut off as Lisa flung herself bodily upon the brunette, kissing her enthusiastically.
That would be a yes, then...
Later, as Caitlin the cat curled herself up in a ball against Lisa's warm and naked chest, she couldn't keep from purring like a motorboat.
I was wrong before. This, this right here is heaven on earth.
"Was it okay for you, Cat?" Lisa asked sleepily as she wrapped an arm around her furry body.
In reply she gave Lisa's face an enthusiastic licking which made her lover giggle in protest.
The inquisition the next morning was far-ranging. Lisa made Caitlin, Jenny, and Jolene all swear not to reveal their involvement. The raven-haired girl did come forth to reveal that she was assaulted by Betty and her crew, since her bruised eye pretty much indicated her involvement in some way. As it turned out, the metahuman in Betty's group, James, was the one who clubbed her, and he was immediately expelled for violence against other campers. No amount of pressure from the staff would get Lisa to admit who her rescuer was, and the kidnappers were unwilling to incriminate themselves any further. In fact they seemed perfectly happy to throw James under the bus, as it were, and let him take the fall for the whole thing. Still, there was enough suspicion at their feet that they were confined to their rooms for the next day, those who weren't relegated to the infirmary at least.
Caitlin was called into the headmaster's office but glibly disavowed any knowledge of the affair.
By the end of the week the whole mess was shuffled to the side as the next round of campers left to be replaced by new faces. Caitlin stood outside Lisa's room, watching her lover pack up with a sort of befuddled expression on her face.
Chris, I feel like crying and I don't know why.
/Cat, that's perfectly normal. You and Lisa became very close and you're going to miss her. Who knows when you will see her again, right? So it's okay to be sad./
It doesn't make sense.
/No, love never does./
She screwed her face up thoughtfully. Is that what this is? Am I in love with her?
/From everything you've been feeling and thinking over the last few weeks, all signs point to that, yes./
Lisa had finished packing but stood in front of her bed, her arms crossed and her back turned to Caitlin. "Say something," the raven-haired girl said, her voice muffled.
"Lisa, I..." She paused for a second to really consider her feelings. It was difficult to evaluate what she didn't know or have any direct experience with, but Chris' words rang true from his own experiences. "Lisa, I think I love you," she finally whispered.
The other girl whipped her head around, flinging the purple-tipped hair across her shoulder as she turned her tear-streaked face towards her. "Yeah?"
Caitlin nodded gently, more sure of herself now. "Yeah. I do. I love you."
"Well, okay then," Lisa sobbed. "Because I love you too, and I'm going to miss you, and this is gonna suck so much, why do we have to be a whole country apart? Why do plane tickets have to be so expensive? Am I ever gonna get to see you again? You don't even have a computer, how are you gonna-"
The brunette took a quick step forward and enveloped her girlfriend in a tight hug. "I'll find a way, okay?"
Lisa sniffled against the top of Caitlin's head. "I'm gonna have to get a cat now just to be able to sleep at night," she said in a small voice.
That started Caitlin giggling, and Lisa joined her after a while until they both dissolved into tears while holding each other close.
Before long Caitlin was standing near the entrance of the camp and waving goodbye to Lisa, Jenny, and Jolene as their bus pulled away. She had more email addresses, as well as Lisa's physical address just in case she ever made it to San Francisco. Betty's face sneered at her from a rear window, and she cheerfully bade the blonde goodbye with an upraised finger.
After the bus had passed beyond her sight, she stared down at the piece of paper in her hand, titled Lisa Lee. I feel empty. Why is that?
/Look, I can't sugar-coat this for you. It's going to hurt for awhile, but it'll get better. Keep yourself busy, and after a week you'll hopefully have a new environment and can access a computer./
Busy. Yeah I can try crocheting again, the pure unadulterated rage from that will keep me occupied.
*Now you're just being masochistic.*
She was paired up with a new girl the next day, a young teen girl by the name of Samantha who was obsessed with superheroes. It was a little amusing for Caitlin as Sam was convinced that there were children of famous superheroes at the camp, and she was determined to find them out. Caitlin kept her powers private this time.
She decided to use her time to get back into the mindset of training. She pushed her body to its physical limits, usually late at night while jogging around the lake, away from prying eyes. Though she got along well enough with her new buddy and several of the other new campers she kept herself aloof from them, unwilling to grow close to them emotionally when she would be leaving soon enough.
The day before she was scheduled to leave she was in her room, naked and doing pull-ups on the closet bar, when there was a knock on her door. She dropped her feet back to the floor and padded over to the door. "Yes?" she called out, pulling her tee shirt back on.
"Caitlin, you have visitors up front," one of the counselors said from the hallway.
"Okay, thanks, I'll be right there!" she replied, wiggling into her drawstring shorts. She didn't bother with shoes, just took off at a quick jog up to the entrance of the camp.
Once there she was ushered into the headmaster's office. Instead of the headmaster himself, however, there was a woman seated behind the desk. She had short red hair, a brighter shade than Jean Grey's had been, and wore a brown leather jacket over a black tee shirt as she perused a file folder. Standing behind her was a medium-sized but well-muscled blond man dressed in a sleeveless black shirt and jeans with a combat holster and automatic pistol at his side. He had his arms crossed in front of him and an unreadable expression on his face, though his piercing eyes regarded her intently.
The woman glanced up at Caitlin's entrance and speared her with an intense look. "Sit," she stated brusquely before returning to the file.
Caitlin complied unhesitatingly. Something tells me I shouldn't be messing around with these people.
/I read that as well, be very careful here, Cat./
Don't worry, I can tell they're dangerous enough. Are they from the lab, do you think?
/Just wait and see, I don't think they're going to answer questions until they're good and ready./
*But keep your exit open, just to be on the safe side.*
The lithe brunette stirred a little anxiously in her chair but did not move from it or open her mouth until the redhead was done reading. She closed the folder and sat back with her arms crossed, mirroring her partner.
"Well then, Caitlin Brown. You've had an eventful six weeks here. Even more of an eventful short life before that. What did you think of your time at the camp?"
She glanced between the woman and her silent partner worriedly. "Um, it was good. I learned a few things. Mostly that I hate crocheting with a passion." She could have sworn the blonde almost broke into a grin but it was gone before she could catch it.
"Yes. Also gained a girlfriend and a lover. How did that go?" The redhead kept her unwavering gaze on Caitlin.
Well, that's getting a little personal there.
/Think for a second. They have sources and spies within the camp to have kept that close an eye on you. Be truthful and blunt, but first figure out who they are. Go on the offensive now./
Caitlin gave the woman a sweet smile. "It was lovely, really, especially for my first time. So who are you, exactly? Because unless you start giving me some sort of identification it's going to get ugly in here."
This time the blonde didn't bother to conceal his grin. "She's a real firecracker, isn't she."
The redheaded woman didn't seem as amused. "We're the ones asking questions."
"And I'm not answering any more until I know who you are and where you came from."
Their gazes locked in a contest of wills until the man gave a sigh. "She's worried we're from the lab that she escaped from. We're not, Caitlin. We're the good guys."
"That remains to be seen," Caitlin growled.
The blonde man chuckled at that. "Okay, I like this one, Tasha."
"You're not helping, Clint," the redhead muttered. She sighed and nodded. "Alright, kid. We're from S.H.I.E.L.D. and we're your ride out. We just needed to check on a few things first to see where we go from here."
"Understand this isn't our usual thing," Clint interjected. "We're more of the direct assault type of people, less the interview potential candidates type. But we were specifically asked to take a look at you."
Caitlin blinked her eyes uncertainly, relaxing her guard somewhat. "Um. Candidate for what?"
The redheaded woman, Tasha, pushed the folder away from her. "You have an interesting set of abilities, Caitlin. But they're far too powerful for you to be out on your own. For your protection, as well as that of the general populace, you're being recruited into the S.H.I.E.L.D. program."
"I'm being... recruited?" She still wasn't sure where this was going. "Like, what, exactly?"
"As in recruited to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent, eventually," the woman smiled slightly. "My name is Agent Natasha Romanov. My partner here is Agent Clint Barton."
Though she was peering into Caitlin's eyes for some reaction, the girl just nodded in reply. "Okay, nice to meet you. Um, you can call me Caitlin if you like, but I also go by Cat. So, we can leave now?"
Clint chuckled. "Sure thing, Cat. Go pack your gear and meet us at the entrance."
It was quite possible she set a new record for packing, much less with a round trip to the cabin and back. The pair of agents had just stepped out of the main office when Caitlin returned, panting and with her one hand clutching the original shopping bags from the trip up with Jessica Jones and hopping on one foot as she pulled her athletic shoes on with the other hand.
"What, no duffle bag?" Clint asked curiously.
She shook her head. "No, sorry, just this. Is it okay?"
Natasha sighed. "It's fine. We'll do something about that later, so you don't look like a bag lady. Let's go." The brunette could now tell that the woman wore dual holsters with automatic pistols in them as well, smaller than Clint's but no less deadly-looking.
As they strode through the gates, Caitlin looked down at her bags uncertainly.
I don't get it. I'm carrying shopping bags. Why am I a bag lady?
After a few seconds of explaining from Chris her eyes widened in understanding. "I would like a duffel bag at some point, please," she announced.
Clint glanced over his shoulder at her curiously. "Okay, we'll take care of it. Might have one aboard you can use."
"Aboard what?" Caitlin asked. "How did you get here, I don't see a car..."
As they walked through the woods they came upon a clearing. Clint held out a small box and pressed a button, causing a small but advanced-looking aircraft to materialize in front of them.
"This is a quinjet," he explained as the ramp lowered. "It has a stealth mode."
"Neat," Caitlin commented.
"'Neat', she says," he grumbled as he walked forward and closed the ramp behind them. "Betcha she says more than 'neat' when we get to our destination."
"No bet," Natasha laughed as she strapped herself into the pilot's seat and started up the ignition. While she ran through the flight checklist, Clint rummaged around in a locker and Caitlin sat on one of the seats lining the walls and facing the interior.
"Here you go," he said finally, yanking out a partially-filled dark blue duffel bag with a S.H.I.E.L.D. logo on it. "Take out the contents and use it for yourself."
"Thank you, Agent Barton," Caitlin replied politely. She pulled out a couple pairs of mechanic's coveralls and set them aside before stuffing the bag with her belongings. "Would it be alright if I sat where I could see out the front?"
"We can see well enough back here," Cling replied dryly. "Why do you need to see, do you get airsick?"
"Oh, well, I don't actually know," she replied, frowning slightly. "It's just that I've never flown before."
Clint grunted thoughtfully. "No, I suppose not."
The quinjet gave a lurch as Natasha brought them airborne. Caitlin grabbed ahold of her harness as the jet swayed slightly before gaining altitude. "Maybe I'm okay back here," the brunette girl conceded.
The blonde man chuckled lightly and sat back in his seat. "So, Cat. I understand there was a bit of an altercation last week at the camp. One that involved your girlfriend, Lisa Lee. You know anything about that?"
Caitlin took a deep breath as she finished packing her new bag. "Yes, I do," she replied quietly.
I think I need to start coming clean about things, guys. If they're going to help me, and take me in...
/No, you're right. It's the best course of action for you right now./
*Not everything, though. Keep some of your abilities back, especially the transformative ones.*
[Don't trust, not yet. Let them prove themselves first.]
She blinked her eyes but bit back her grin. I'm glad you're still with me, Kyle, and thanks for the input everyone. Okay, here goes.
She looked up at the agent, seeing that he had an expectant look on his face, and proceeded to relate the full details of that evening. She gave a little bit of background first on Betty's continual harassment.
After she'd finished he sat there for a minute, chewing on his lip thoughtfully. "Offhand, I'd say you handled the situation well enough, if maybe a little rashly," he finally observed, though he shot her a grin. "Personally, I like the rash approach, though."
"We're still not discussing Istanbul," the redhead commented from the pilot's seat.
"Did I mention Istanbul?" he replied defensively. "No, I didn't say a thing about Istanbul. You brought it up this time."
She barked out a laugh and said something in a language Caitlin couldn't quite recognize.
"What was that she said?" she asked quietly.
"It was Russian," he explained cheerfully. "Her native tongue. She likes to call me names in that language, forgetting that I know most of them by now."
"Who said I forgot?" Natasha snarked.
Clint shook his head humorously before leaning forward on his knees. "Okay, Cat, let's talk about what's going to happen next. We're heading for one of our operational centers now. When we get there you'll be processed in as a recruit. We have some evaluations set up for you over the next couple of days, physical as well as mental. The latter will be done by someone you've already met, Dr. Jean Grey."
Her eyes brightened at the mention of the mutant's name. "Oh, good. Is she part of S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
The blonde chuckled and shook his head. "No, she's an outside consultant, but she's asked to work with your case. She can be very persuasive."
"Psychics often are," Natasha commented dryly.
Clint shot her a humorous look but didn't respond. "For the time being you'll be confined to the facility. In between evaluations and training you'll have some free time, but we have plenty for you to keep yourself occupied." He sat back in his seat. "Any questions?"
"A few, yes," Caitlin replied slowly. She and the others had been compiling a list as Clint spoke. "For starters, I still don't have any sort of documentation. Legally I don't really exist, much less have a last name. I just picked out the one I have now. Is that a problem?"
Natasha chuckled from her seat in the front. "Identification is never a problem. We'll sort you out."
"Right, okay," she replied uncertainly, deciding to let that drop. "Next, are there any other recruits like me? I mean, near my apparent age, or... well, you know..."
"Enhanced?" Clint asked perceptively. "No, actually. It's a rarity in our organization for both cases. You're kind of unique with your age, but that will only last a couple of years as you mature."
"Hmm," Caitlin mused. "Alright, I guess I'll just take things as they come. I have one more, well, request really."
Clint laughed easily. "Sure, why not, I don't know if we can do anything, but shoot."
Caitlin cleared her throat nervously. "Is there any way I can access a computer of some sort? I have email addresses for friends from camp, but I've never used email before..." She trailed off, embarrassed at her lack of contemporary knowledge.
"I think perhaps we can accommodate that," Clint replied seriously. "Laptops are usually only issued to new agents, but like I said, your situation is a bit unique. I'll see what I can do."
She smiled gratefully. "Thank you Agent Barton, I really do appreciate it."
"Approaching destination," Natasha called out. She began to murmur into her headset, communicating with someone about landing clearances.
Clint grinned widely. "Alright, Cat, now let's move up. I want you to see this."
The lithe brunette eagerly slipped forward to sit in the copilot's seat. She craned her neck to look down. "We're still pretty high up... but I don't see anything..."
"Not there," Clint said, chuckling. He reached over and tilted her chin up. "There."
Hovering in the air just above them was an aircraft carrier with four giant turbines keeping it aloft.
Caitlin stared at it, wide-eyed and unbelieving. Both Natasha and Clint smiled at her reaction.
Finally she was able to open her mouth.
"Holy fucking shit."
Clint laughed uproariously as he headed back to his seat. "Well, that beats 'neat'!" he said merrily.
A/N: And that takes us to S.H.I.E.L.D. and the helicarrier! Couple of notes from the chapter. Firstly, I've never been to overnight camp that wasn't scouts, but my daughters have, so I'm kind of going off of the memories from their experiences for what it might have been like. The goal, really, was to show Caitlin beginning to grow as a person and developing relationships, friendly and otherwise. Next, I honestly didn't think the whole camp bit would take an entire chapter. Once I start writing, some things just tend to get away from me. Lastly, I didn't start out writing someone as adorable as Lisa Lee, but she just kind of evolved. Don't worry, we haven't seen the last of Chatterbox, and she can be pretty kickass in her own right.
If you get the chance, please drop me a review and let me know what you think, even if it's just a short one! And thanks for reading! I hope to have the next chapter ready by this weekend, but the release pace might slow down a little after that.