Chapter 11: Chimera

The lab was oddly loud. It was easy to tell why. The chemists had solved a major problem with the serum and everyone was delighted. That meant we could move on to testing it on mice and, hopefully, from there, to humans. The chemists had clocked out a few hours before for a decent night's sleep for the first time in weeks and the rest of us were happily chatting about the development. A second wind had been blown into the project.

I erased a section of my chalkboard and substituted some values, working through the problem and checking them. I scowled at the result. It still wasn't working and I was not looking forward to our next status report. I hadn't accomplished much in the past few days and Worth and Campbell would undoubtedly lay into me for it.

I groaned and buried my face in my hands.

This was no good. I was distracted, far too distracted. It was time to just start trying things. I moved towards one of the lab tables, picking up a pair of safety goggles as I went. I put myself in a meditative state as I mixed chemicals, observing outcomes and hoping for something that would spark an idea.

I mixed one combination and carried it over to the station where a large black light hung, not really thinking as I flicked the light on and placed a test tube stand inside. I was adjusting the tube in the stand when I heard someone yell.

"Holy shit!"

I stood up sharply and looked around, wondering what had just happened. A pair of grad students were standing not too far away, both of them staring at me in disbelief.

"What?" I asked blankly, looking down to see if I had something on me. The black light illuminated me from the side, falling on my exposed hands. I rolled my eyes. "Oh, that."

The two grad students hustled over to me, looking fascinated. Several others from around the lab who had heard the shout drifted over as well, curious.

"I didn't imagine that, right?" asked one of them, a black-haired boy with an oversized nose. His name was James and his friend was named, of all things, Orion.

"No, you didn't," I sighed and thrust my hand back under the black light. They clustered around me on either side, looking at my hands in interest.

"Come here, Knightley, you've gotta see this!" Orion called over his shoulder, gesturing to one of the other chemists. The others took that as their cue, closing in around me from all sides. I shucked my lab coat, revealing my bare arms. It was hot and I was in short sleeves for the day. I handed the coat off and thrust out my arms.

The scientists around me exclaimed in surprise and looked in interest as I turned my hands this way and that under the light, letting them get a good look.

"What's going on over here?" It was Erskine come to see what had half his staff gathered around under the black light. The men around me parted like the Red Sea as he approached. His eyes widened when he saw my arms and he looked up at me sharply.

"Blaschko's lines," he murmured. "You're a chimera!"

The faint lines on my skin were revealed under UV light like the kind that came from a black light. That's what had surprised the grad students and that's what had attracted everyone else's curiosity. It wasn't often that you saw a chimera, and rarely did you get one under a black light.

A chimera, simply put, was a single person who had the cells of two different people making up their bodies. It didn't happen very often in humans. But when placed under black light, patterns became visible on the skin of some chimera. They followed Blaschko's lines across the body and, in some cases, they looked like tiger stripes. That's how I ended up with the nickname Tigress as a child.

"Well this explains your interest in human mutation," Erskine said, attracting a couple of laughs from the other scientists. He waved his hands at them. "Go on, back to work."

AS they dispersed, I pulled my lab coat back on. Erskine peered around me to look at my test tube. He frowned when he saw the contents. "What were you trying to accomplish over here?" he asked curiously.

I shrugged helplessly. "Something? I don't know, I just can't make the formulae work the way I want them to. I was hoping something would hit me if I just… fiddled."

Erskine shook his head. "Never just fiddle," he chided. "You're burning yourself out – you're usually here later than most everyone else is. Take a couple of hours off," he recommended. "Clear your mind and come back with a clean slate."

I shook my head immediately. "No, I want to stay and-"

"If you stay, you'll keep fiddling with your formulae until they don't make any sense anymore," Erskine said nodding at my chalkboard. I had to admit that he had a point there. If I stayed I'd just keep erasing and plugging values in at random and hoping for the best. That wouldn't do anything for anyone.

"Maybe you're right," I allowed, shucking my lab coat once more. I smiled at Erskine. "Thank you, Abraham."

Erskine held up his hands innocently. "I did nothing."

I smirked slightly. "Of course."

Erskine winked at me. "Go. Enjoy some free time."

"Thank you, sir," I said, inclining my head to him as I passed and headed for the door. I saw Worth shoot me an unimpressed look as I left the lab, but I ignored him. I didn't need him in my head.

I glanced down at my watch. The timing was perfect. I hustled through camp to my quarters and shucked my normal clothes, putting on looser clothes that I could move in and trading my skirt and heels for pants and sneakers. Keeping to the gaps between buildings so as not to attract much attention I made my way back through the camp and slid into a building.

I breathed a sigh of relief. The gym where Peggy and I had our spar so long ago was empty, just as I'd hoped it would be. There was a large boxing ring in the middle and scattered around it were weights and medicine balls for training. I was far more interested in the punching bags hanging in one corner of the room.

I approached one, pulling tape from within the pockets of my pants. Moving slowly and carefully I taped over my knuckles and my fingers to protect them.

Hands safe, I approached one of the punching bags and took a stance, raising my hands in front of my face protectively. I jabbed with my right, then with my left, then twice again with my right. I lost myself in the pounding of my fists on the bag as I worked out every bit of tension and worry I had in me.

Missing Granny Nevade? A couple of right hooks.

Annoyed at my step-mother? Some quick snap kicks.

Worried about Yori? Some punches and a few elbow-strikes.

My father took more effort, a flurry of jumping kicks with a few spins thrown in for flair.

The serum was a series of spinning kicks that left my legs looking like a propeller.

Bucky?

My rhythm stuttered. Bucky… I didn't want to think of him over there. But he was leaving soon, and then he'd be off to the European Theater, and after that… who knew what would happen to him?

With a wild cry, I swung my right hand at the punching bag, forcing every bit of energy I could down my arm. A gush of sand poured out of the bag and gathered around my shoes as I panted. The bag swung sadly as the last few bits of sand poured out of four long rents in the canvas.

I sagged, feeling pleasantly wrung out a weary as I stared at the tattered remains of the canvas punching bag. I looked down at my right hand, flexing and curling my fingers. The tape on that hand was shredded, strips hanging down from the rest. I smiled humorlessly.

I was a chimera. If only that were all.

()()()()()()()()()

"Belle!"

I whipped around, torn between happiness and sadness as I saw Bucky jogging closer to me. It was his last day on base. I couldn't help but be a little sad. I knew that I would likely see him the next time I went to Brooklyn, but I knew I would miss hearing someone shout "Belle!" and look up to see Bucky wave as he jogged past with a bunch of recruits. I'd miss him letting me rant for a while about Worth while he just sat and listened. I'd miss him falling into step next to me when I walked back from the lab to my barracks at night. I'd miss a lot.

"Bucky."

For once he wasn't in his uniform. He was wearing a pair of slacks, a button-front blue shirt that made his eyes sparkle and a thin, dark tie that rested crookedly. He had a duffel bag thrown over his shoulder, but he dumped it by his feet as he came to a stop barely a foot from me. I was tall, but I had to look up to see his face with him this close.

"You're leaving," I said bluntly, but even I could hear the twinge of sadness in my voice.

"Yeah," Bucky said awkwardly, shoving his hands in his pockets. "But you know where to find me. You'd better look me up on one of your secret missions to Brooklyn."

I smiled. "I'll see what I can do."

"And Belle? Would you… mind if I wrote you?"

I blinked. I wanted to say yes immediately, but I shouldn't. I knew I shouldn't, but I didn't want to give up whatever it was I had with Bucky. I looked up at him and saw his smile fading with every second I stayed silent, worry starting to cloud his face.

I steeled myself. Whatever happened, it was worth it.

I gave Bucky my brightest smile and nodded happily. Bucky grinned back at me and I tried to ignore the flip in my stomach.

"Good," he breathed, looking relieved. "That'll definitely brighten up my day."

"Mine too," I agreed, smile softening.

"Belle, I'm glad I met you." Bucky took a step closer. He was now nearly chest to chest with me. I tilted my head back, holding his gaze. I smiled at him shyly.

"I have to say I enjoyed meeting you as well," I admitted. Bucky smiled.

"Good." Then, quick as a flash, he bent down and placed a quick kiss on my forehead. I went stock still, my eyes popping wide and my jaw loosening. My heart started pounding and my stomach was doing a gymnastic routine. Bucky pulled back and seemed pleased by the stunned look on my face. He stepped back, picked up his bag, and tossed it over his shoulder.

"I'll see you around, Belle!" he called.

I came out of my stunned shock enough to smile and wave at his back as he walked away. Mentally I made a note to ask Erskine if I could go to Brooklyn soon.

"Well that was interesting."

I jerked around and saw Phillips and Peggy standing not too far away, a clipboard held between the pair of them. Both of them were staring at me though.

"Peggy, er, Colonel Phillips," I floundered, embarrassment making my cheeks bright red.

Peggy raised an eyebrow at me. "Just a recruit," she said pointedly.

"Are you going to be daydreaming instead of working now that you've got a fella?" Phillips asked sternly.

I groaned. "Please don't. He's not my fella, he's just a… a friend."

Phillips turned to Peggy. "I don't usually kiss my friends, what about you, Carter?"

"I don't believe I do either, sir."

I groaned louder and buried my face in my hands.

Explanation: This is kind of what sparked this story - wondering how other mutations would interact with Marvel mutations. Hence Josie's chimerism. And I'm not a geneticist, so anything that's not correct - put it down to comic book logic, m'kay?