DISCLAIMER: I have been hearing that Gendermorphs is a bit insulting to more sensitive readers, namely about a bias against women. There is none, or at least none meant on purpose. If people can't see past that, they need to know that I, Jekkal, am female, and If I found it insulting, I wouldn't write it. That said, enjoy my story, and PLEASE don't flame my reviews with that kind of stuff without at least smiling at the good parts. It's supposed to be a comedy, after all.
Chapter 1
My name is Marco.
I'm a Gendermorph. That's the word Jake came up with for us. Cool, huh? Well, up until now we could only do our own bodies, and these female morphs that I swear are so hot... I wish I could be in both.
And that's how this new twitch started. See, I'm not too sure how, but I found this neutral morph. Not male, not female, just a mix of the two. I tried it for a few minutes, started 'looking it over', so to speak. After I finished, I got everybody over to my place.
Everybody means the three others — Jake, Toby, and Max. Jake has been with me since it started. He hasn't changed so much, except he's started trying to jump Toby ever since he found out Cassie was a Preppie.
Now, with Toby, you have to understand he...she's not in her original body anymore. He was a boy, like me, until some jerk trapped him in that seductive figure. Even I tend to drop for it a few times.
Max is our newest member. He's Alan's brother. An Eagle. So he already had the technology. And the same powers, if not better.
That's us, against a preppie invasion of cutthroats and snobs. Lucky to be on the right side, huh?
Anyway...
"Hold it." Jake said. "Are you saying you found a new morph? That's neutral? What'd it look like?"
"About ear length hair, smal headlights, and nothing else to see. Kinda about mid-height. " I said. "Really, it's a big nothin'. Heck, I could morph it in front of you guys."
"Well, if you're going to, make it quick. I've got an appointment." Toby said.
"With who?" Max asked.
"None of yo' beeswax." She snapped.
"Gyno?" I guessed.
"Shut up." Toby asked, trying to inch her way to the door.
"Aren't you a bit young for that?"
"I've got to check. I'm not too sure about what happened a month ago."
"Huh?" Jake asked.
"Jake, I was raped, remember? That's why I'm stuck like this? Anyway, I'm pretty sure any idiot stupid enough to boff me is also too stupid to use a condom. Plus," She winced,"I haven't met up with 'the visitior' yet."
"You don't think..." Max said.
"If I am, she'll say so." Toby sighed. "Hope I come out alright." She said, and then left us alone.
Chapter 2
I followed Toby up towards the office. About halfway there, I ducked into an alley and went into neutral morph. Actually, it seemed more like an imperfect female morph than anything else. But it did the job — nobody even questioned me.
I followed quickly behind, up right up to the maternity/midwife ward. I had gotten about two seconds in front of Toby. She didn't recognize me. But I recognized who was around the corner.
Pom-pom!
If she saw Toby, Toby was dead. See, she pulled quite a stunt during our last brush-up with Pom-pom. And exposed her physical identity and affiliation. Not exposed like flashed, I meant exposed like announced.
I turned sharply around the corner. And ran right into Pom-pom.
WHUMF!
"Cammy, you jerk! Watch where you're going next time!" She screamed. Her perfectly straight hair was jacked up now, and she was as mad as hell.
"Sorry." I said conscendingly. I got out of her way.
And she bumped me over again.
She ran towards the door to the gynocolegist's office. And waited there.
And waited.
And waited.
Just then, Toby burst out the door. She flipped beteen her fingers a small slip of paper. Perscription, I guess. Pom-pom swung an arm behind her and dragged her to the wall. Her cronies came in closer, to shield anyone else from seeing. I zoomed in, too.
"Well, Eagle," She crowed, "There's no escape this time. I doubt you've got another stink bomb in that purse of yours."
"Whatever you're trying to get, you won't." Toby sneered.
"Aw, Tobias baby, you don't have to act so tough. I know you're still your cuddly self under that false feminine hood. I never forget a face."
"Stella, please. This is a hospital. There are people watching."
"Relax. I've come to make a deal." She smirked.
"What kind of a deal?"
"I know a way that you can get your morphing powers back. I've used it myself. And it always works. All I want is your alligence to the Preppie Empire and submission to assimilation."
"And if I refuse?"
"You get to take a one-way trip to see Alan. That is, if you're not pregnant already. Then I'll just have to make sure you get stuck with the kid." She left it there, and casually slipped into Toby's fingers a sheet of paper. "Meet me here by tonight to inform me of your decision. Don't and I'll make sure you're expelled from school for a bomb threat."
They were gone.
Chapter 3
I sidled up beside her. "Toby, she's tossing total bull. If there was a way to get the powers twice, Max would've told us when we met him."
"Marco... I know it sounds weird, but she's telling the truth. She's got the same body type I do. And we know she still morphs."
"Toby, I've been meaning to ask you... how'd you come out?"
"Good news is I'm not pregnant. I'm underweight, though, which is why I didn't see anything to say otherwise. Bad news is I caught crabs. But I just need to pick up some medication to take care of them." She faltered. "Marco, what do I DO?! If I don't turn prep, I'm dead! You saw what she did to Alan!"
"He was weak." I said simply.
"She still killed him." She said just as simply.
"I hate it when this happens. I'll gather the boys at The Center, you go pick up that perscription and meet us there."
"See you later." She said, and we turned opposite corners to drop the conversation.
I headed on down to The Center. It was a bit of a walk down Main Street, but at least the sidewalk wasn't crammed. As soon as I got there, I popped in my game card and phoned up Jake and Max.
The Center is a physical internet. There are lots of stores there that have downloads, sell fonts and clip art, programs, CDs, upgrades, etc. The only two things you needed were a zip disk and a game card. Basically, your game card was your digital life. It held your Center affiliation/ID, e-money, and any offenses/limitations, like 'flames often' or 'PG-13 or lower'.
I waited down by the pinball machines for Jake and Max. Toby came there when we left the game room and found a table. One of the floppy-style tables. I slid my zip into the niche at my place. Then Toby explained the assault at the gynocologist.
"Pom-pom wants you to what?" Max said, in disbelief.
"She says if I join her, I can have my powers back."
"Bull. I've been in DCMS longer than even you have. If there was a way, we would've found it."
"Well, she seemed pretty convincing. I mean..."
"You think..." Jake started, than laughed. "Toby! I admit, we never saw it happen, but that girl has been growing herself like that ever since she started going to the school! The only way that could have been a morph is if she was stuck in it before she was twelve!"
"What's to say she hasn't been gendermorphing the whole time? There's no two hour time limit, remember? She could spend a whole week like that if she wanted."
"You think Pom-pom is a trapped male morph?" He piqued.
"Big time."
He stared at Max for two seconds, and then they both burst out in laughter. Toby stormed off.
Chapter 4
I trailed her again. Unfortunately, she noticed this time. She ran through the alleyways and dense parts of the park. I swung through the trees and clambered the fences as well as I could, but I lost her.
I'd only have one more chance. Pom-pom had already mistaken me for Cammy, whoever she was, so I could sneak in on her side. I'd probably be able to react to whatever happened, as long as I stayed close enough to the action.
I had seen the address Pom-pom had given Toby. All I had to do was show up there at the right time, and it'd go without a hitch.
Night fell. The skyline erupted with the flashes of sunset , the only objects that had darkness before the ground. In the dusk, I scurried over to what was an abandoned boutique. It stood in it's own special building, and it looked like it should be due to be demolished. But I didn't see any notice or spray-painted symbol.
I slid away a rag off the side of the door. It revealed a keypad. I didn't have too much clue what the code was, or even how long it was. I stood there, by the door, waiting.
A few other preppies got there within a few minutes of each other. They leaned up against the front wall, just as I did, waiting.
Then she showed up.
We all just stood there, as she casually lifted the rag I had replaced over the keypad. After five seconds of tapping, a click could be heard. She opened the door and headed in. I followed, the preppies right behind me.
The boutique wasn't half as bad on the inside. It still had the wallpaper up, the shelving, the register bar, everything was there except the racks upon racks of clothing. In their places were tables and chairs. A few decorations could still be seen, like casbah curtain beads and a few flashes of veils. But scarcely.
Someone flipped the lights. The florescent bulbs began to glow, blocked by a filtered black UV glass. A few of the tables lit up, having strings along the edges. A few slow moving glow decorations and mini light-up balls gave the place an edge, like there was going to be a party. But this was just a flashy atmosphere. None of the preppies seemed to notice the changes that much, barely giving a smile from their mouths.
I could hear footsteps on the stoop. Toby opened the door, eyes sweeping the room for any sign of us. We were hidden in an unlit corner of the botique, lit ocasionally by the flashes of lightball.
"Okay," Toby said. "Where are you?"
"Right here." Pom-pom hissed. She stepped away from us, placing herself in the ligh of a lamp, her black silhouette showing up against the almost-as-black light. "have you made your decision?"
"Yes." Toby said, her voice lithe and soft, yet heavy with guilt. "I submit to assimilation."
Chapter 5
Many of the preppies erupted from our corner, surrounding Toby and tying her down to a chair. another ran behind me and lit a stagelight, bathing Pom-pom in the almost radioactive light. Everyoine's faces reflected some of the light on their faces. Most smirking with victory, and only Toby and I with any signs of fear.
"You want morphing capability? There's only one way to get it... and you're not going to."
"But–but–You said I could get my powers back!"
"The only thing you're getting is this!" Pom-pom struck, plunging a needle into Toby. "I've wanted revenge for what you did, and I'm getting it now! I don't care what happened before to you or what you want to happen– you'll be the only good kind of nemesis when I'm through– a dead one!" She howled. "Now, girls– make it look good. Those police are going to find a murder victim in downtown, may as well make it look like some pervert did it."
"Uh... your not-so-cheer leader? Isn't that going to entail-" One of the dips commented.
"I'm not asking for her to be raped. Just do it!" With that, the girls tore her out of the chair, and instantly... well, fill in your favorite PG-13 harrassment terms here. Long story short– I was glad it was dark in that room. I heard way too many rips.
"Come on! Drag her out to the CMS stadium! I want her blood to stain the steps her warriorhood was born on!" Pom-pom screamed. They tied Toby's body up and began to take her out the door.
"OW! Someone knacked my leg!"
"EEEEYUCK! Someone just-"
"Quit pulling my hair!"
WHUMP! Toby fell, unconscious, as the girls fussed about my 'diversions'. I grabbed Toby, flung her over my shoulder, and felt what no straight-minded male should feel until their honeymoon.
She's going to hate me for this, I thought, as I tore out the back door and took the shortcut home.
Chapter 6
I ran through an old construction site as I made my way home. A place with lots of half-finished buildings, cinder blocks, and pits filled with water.
"EEEE!"
SPUH-LOOSH!
I tripped over a piece of debris as I ran through. Toby landed in a shallow puddle. And worse– a lamppost shone right on it.
"Ugh... who got the number of that ARTS [Annapolis Rapid Transportation System] bus?" moaned a voice I hadn't heard in over a month.
"Tobias... Tobias! You're back!" I cried as soon as I saw my proof.
"PERVERT!" He slapped me, and then promptly covered his top.
"Tobias... you don't understand... Look! You're male again!" I choked out.
He stood up in the lamplight, nude, and then looked down. "It's a relief to see that again." he said. "But what happened? I thought Pom-pom was going to-"
"I don't know, but let's boogie!" I said, as I demorphed, and then took off my top so Tobias would have something covering his tooshie. Then we beat feet back to his house. We went in through the back door. I grabbed a facecloth as Tobias took a hot shower to wash off the sludge he picked up in that puddle.
"Uh, Marco?" Tobias asked me. "You may wanna step outta the room."
"We're both the same gender again. It doesn't matter."
"That's not what I've meant... You've looked over your female morph a few times, so you know what to expect, right?"
"What are you getting at? That morph was only temporary?" I said.
"Well..." She spoke as a feminine head poked from the curtain. " I think I know what happened. Check this, will you?"
She turned the tap over to cold water, and within a few seconds I could see her face change back to the real Tobias's again. "Okay, this sucks. I'm like Ranma 1/2 here. Cold water makes me morph, hot water makes me demorph. I obviously can't get a neutral morph. And I'm a time bomb. What if, at school, some moron gets me with a Super Soaker? I'D BE A BOY IN GIRL'S CLOTHING! And quite frankly, I don't want to have to explain that."
"I guess we'll need to take your chances."
Chapter 7
"So," Jake said as we met up for a meeting at The Center, "Pom-pom did end up keepin' her word after all?"
"Not as she planned, thank God." I said. "Unfortunately, there's no way for Tobias to control it. He/she could morph at any instant."
"Better than being trapped in girl's morph all the time. I explained it to Dad, and frankly, he was estatic."
"Think we could convince Pom-pom's daddy?" Max asked. Pom-pom's Dad was the police chief of Annapolis. If we could convince him, Pom-pom and the Klubz would be shut down– permenantly.
"No chance. Dad is positive that Chief Miller still thinks he's a kook. And a blind kook, at that. No way he'll listen to him again." Toby said, as she shifted from one arm to the other.
"Well, we sure didn't put a crimp into Pom-pom's style. but at least Toby's a full member again. Maybe not a boy, but a full member again." Jake sighed.
"And a bit more than that," Toby remarked. "I managed to get the code and location of that hideout." She said, downloading the file into all our disks. "Pom-pom has to have a lot of her stuff hidden there, I know it. Plus," She smirked, "Now I've got a bit more than a vengence for Pom-pom than what she did to Alan. I've got a score of my own. And next time.... I won't be tricked again."