(Nine)

Kimble came out of his stupor, feeling miserable. His belly ached and he was thirsty all over again. He sat up and rubbed his face with his hands. He felt like garbage. What was happening to him? He didn't even know what day it was. He stood up on rubbery legs and shuffled over to the sink. He drank some more water, but it didn't really help him like before. He looked around him, he was alone and felt suddenly scared. He walked briskly to the nearest window, hoping to just jump out and leave, but he was grabbed from behind. "Where do you think yer goin'?" Zander growled sharply. "This party's only juststarted ta git interestin'."

Kimble shrieked and woke up in a strange bed. It was dark now, night time. In his second plasma induced stupor, he had lost another whole day. He stood up too quickly in response to his dream and swayed as a spell of vertigo rocked him. Gentle hands steadied him. "Easy, son. Where are you going?"

Kimble fell back against Kyle. "I gots ta go home. I cain't stays here."

"You're safe here, no one will harm you."

"They don' know where I'm at. Fallen's gonna worry 'bout me."

"Who's Fallen?"

"My Mistress. She takes care a me."

Mistress? That was an odd word, Kyle couldn't help but think. "I'm sure she's fine."

"You gots a phone I kin use? Aw, man...I don' even know the number fer the house!"

Kyle did but he wasn't about to offer it. Instead, he asked, "Do you want to go someplace with me?"

Kimble looked up at him. "What kinda place?"

"Someplace fun."

Kimble frowned. "I dunno if I'm up to it."

"There's girls there," Kyle whispered suggestively.

"What kinda girls?"

"Girls who like to play."

Kimble suddenly felt better. "Really?"

Kyle led the pilot to the bathroom and helped him clean up a little. After a nice warm shower, Kimble felt much better, refreshed. He wasn't dizzy anymore. He could tell the plasma had changed him somehow, but wasn't afraid. He had gone through this with the Ristle overload and he had survived that, too. If anything, that change had made him stronger. Maybe this would as well. Kyle rummaged through his closet and tried to find some loose clothes that weren't too big.

Kimble saw his efforts and tried his best to help. He closed his eyes and concentrated, willing his legs to straighten and his wings to retract inside of him. Nothing happened.

"What?" Kyle asked when he saw Kimble's perplexed look.

"I kin pull my wings in. I mean, I useta be able ta do that. Nuthin's happenin'."

Kimble concentrated again, squinting. Again, nothing happened. Feeling a little scared now, Kimble tried to shift skins into his woman skin. Nothing. Feeling a little panicked, Kimble stepped back and shook his head. "Naw...don' tell me!"

"Relax, Kimble. What's wrong?"

"My skins ain't workin'!"

"What do you mean by your 'skins'?"

Kimble shook his hands. "This. My skin. What I looks like. Fallen made me this way. I gots three skins. A girl skin, a human skin and me. This is the only one workin' now. Them files gots corrupted or sumpthin'."

Leon had been loitering in the kitchen, but he now came in, drawn by Kimble's racket. He had heard the whole exchange and couldn't make sense of any of it. "I don't get it. What's he talking about?"

"Later," Kyle said to Leon impatiently. He remembered how Kimble had looked human before and understood now what was going on. He could deal with Kimble, but not with Leon around. He tossed Kimble some underwear and a pair of black thermal pajama pants, they were the only thing he could find on such short notice that would be able to wrap around Kimble's cat like legs. He gave him a shirt as well, but had his doubts, Kimble probably wasn't going to be able to wear it because of his wings, not without hacking it to pieces first anyway. He turned to Leon and said, "We're going to the Club. I'm going to fly Kimble there."

"What about me?" Leon whined.

"I need you to run an errand for me," Kyle lied, just wanting Leon gone. He herded the boy towards a window and a wrought iron fire escape with a small catwalk balcony. "I'll drop you off outside."

Leon nodded with a pout and let Kyle drop him down to the street. Kyle made up something quick for Leon to do and sent him on his way.

Kimble dressed as best he could and waited upstairs, trying to fight down his panic. Clearly he hadn't escaped his melting unscathed. It could be worse, he tried to console himself. At least he was trapped in the skin he favored the most. Heck, he could have been stuck fully clothed. What a horror that would have been. No lovemaking for him then. Being a Siskan Courtesan demanded he would think in those terms.

He gave up on the shirt and climbed out on the black metal fire escape, looking up at the stars. It was so beautiful up there and he missed Fallen terribly. He turned when he heard Kyle return.

"What's wrong, Kimble? Explain to me about the skins," Kyle asked, just wanting to get Kimble to talk and calm down. He hadn't liked the forlorn look on his face.

"I ain't real like I tol' you. I gots more'n one way of lookin'. At least I did. Leon fucked me up or sumpthin'. I'm stuck like this."

Kyle understood some of that. He knew what skins were, he had used a computer before and played his share of games. Skins were used to change the appearance of gaming characters. Somehow Kimble perceived himself as the same. Shape shifters were valuable and the suggestion that Kimble had this ability made him that much more appealing. "Maybe it's just temporary. I know some people who might be able to help you," he soothed.

"Fallen kin fix it," Kimble said, not really sure. He figured if she had made the pilot skin in the first place, she could repair this.

"Who's Fallen?"

"She's my Mistress. At least she used ta be when she wanted me around. I miss my Fallen. I thinks of her when I see the stars."

"Why?"

Kimble smiled. "Cuz we fly up in space," he replied simply.

Kyle laughed. "Um, sure. Okay. You ever really fly yourself?" He had seen Kimble flying haphazardly about during the fight at the bar and wondered just what this new find was capable of.

"Naw. I mean, I kin do it but I suck at it. I cain't fly like Fallen can."

"It's not an easy thing to fly. It takes lots of practice." He walked up to Kimble and stood behind him. He negotiated around Kimble's wings and put his hands on Kimble's waist. He startled when Kimble giggled and twisted a little, playing around. Kimble was ticklish and his laughter was infectious. Kyle cocked his head and snickered, amused by his childishness. "Silly. Hold still. Put your arms up."

Kimble did as he was told. He breathed in the night air and closed his eyes.

"Good. The trick is to relax. Feel yourself in the air."

Kimble took another deep breath, and then gasped as Kyle put his hands back on him and lifted him up. They were flying up in into the night.

"Keep your eyes closed," Kyle whispered. "Just feel it."

Kimble relaxed and lay his head back, his arms still out. This was so wonderful, being flown like this. He had forgotten that Kyle could fly and this was a wonderful surprise. He was learning quickly that the only thing better than flying, was flying with someone else. They glided through the air like two strange long legged birds and Kimble was thrilled.

He started to laugh with joy and Kyle laughed with him. Kimble whooped and hollered, enjoying himself immensely. Kyle couldn't help but smile. It had been a long time since he had flown anyone with such a zest for life and no shyness about enjoying it. He found his own spirits being lifted and he dragged out their flight even though the Club wasn't that far. He flew Kimble up high and pointed out some of the sights of the City, much to Kimble's delight. He saw the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge all lit up and beautiful. Kyle laughed, happy he had pleased the pilot. He enjoyed Kimble's company the longer they were together. With all the serious company that he kept, Kyle didn't have many around him that could make him laugh. Kimble's innocence and quick laughter warmed him. Maybe having a childish Kimble around wasn't going to be as bad as he thought.

Kyle landed with Kimble on the penthouse patio, just as Gambit had predicted he might. The lights were all on, but Cameron would be down in the Club, a few floors below. They passed through the house quickly, Kyle herding Kimble along. The house was filled with rich and lavish things, much more expensive than the antique trappings of the Xavier Mansion. Kimble kept wanting to touch all the pretty things as he passed, but Kyle wasn't ready to make excuses to Cameron if his new charge broke anything. They made their way to an elevator and came out on one of the Club floors that was exclusive to Cameron's Freedom Kings. There was a large dance floor and a hallway leading off to some unseen area.

Kyle gave Kimble a gentle shove towards the bar where a crowd of people were dancing. "We have a couple hours before Cameron wants to see us. Walk around, visit some of the rooms. Have fun."

"What do I do?" Kimble asked. He felt awkward being left like this.

"Whatever you want. I want to talk to Cameron before I bring you to see him. Don't worry, I'll come get you after. See that woman over there?" He was pointing to a trim, pretty blond in a skimpy black evening dress. "That's Melany. She's a hostess and she'll get you settled."

"Where are ya goin'?"

"I told you, to speak with Cameron for a minute. Don't worry. Relax. I'll find you." Kyle didn't allow further argument, but walked away and left Kimble on his own.

Kimble made his way towards a small crowd of people on the dance floor. He was the only one alone and he felt out of place. He went to the back wall where it was dark and leaned against it, watching the dancers. He had missed where Melany had gone and was now a little lost and disoriented. He was dressed only in the thermal pajama pants that Kyle had given him and he stuck out like a sore thumb here. Everyone else either had a black uniform on like Kyle's or wore evening dress clothes.

He didn't notice when Melany came up behind him. She had spotted him quickly as a newbie and came right over. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "You must be new here."

Kimble startled a little at her touch and grinned sheepishly. "That obvious, huh?"

She laughed. "Yes. My name is Melany. Let me help you." She took his hand and led him towards the hallway in the back. He now saw it had many doors with strange symbols on them. "This is a very special place and we have a lot to offer. So what are you?"

"I'm a pilot," he answered for lack of a better response.

"No, silly! What is your sexual preference?"

Kimble laughed. This he had not expected. Apparently this was some kind of sex club...or at least he was hoping so now. "I dunno. I likes evrathin', I guess."

"Ah, the adventurous type," she teased. She took him to a purple door with a strange and elaborate symbol on it. "This'll do."

Melany opened the door and Kimble's eyes opened wide. A pile of twenty or more people lay writhing on the floor, tangled and wrapped up in each other as they played their sexual games. All genders, all possible combinations were romping around. Kimble flushed and almost lost his breath, he hadn't seen this sort of thing since Siska. He stepped inside the room, never hearing Melany chuckle and shut the door behind him. Two women came to him. They undressed him and took him down into the pile, not the least bit put off by his pilot's body. In fact, he could see there were others here that could never be considered truly human.

He felt a little strange here in this room because this time he was the client instead of the server. It didn't last. He found his groove quickly and soon fell back into his old rhythms. He laughed and spilled a fine looking blonde woman into his arms. He kissed her and lost himself in play, forgetting everything and everyone else.