Cheshire Chapter 5 (edited)

by fhwrege

Trials of the first days of a young breakthrough.

Aftermath

The attacks targeted seven cities around the world that openly showed support for the TWB (Teachers Without Borders) cultural exchange program. But even with 30 dead and 150 severely injured, Chicago suffered fewer losses than any other target, despite being hit by a force larger than those in the other cities combined. The toll could have easily been ten or even one hundred times or more higher if not for Cheshire.

The young lady has been credited with directly saving over 400 lives and indirectly assisting in saving hundreds more. Recordings of her actions at the new Buckingham fountain stayed in the top five most watched clips for a week. Not bad for someone on her second day after her breakthrough.

Terry Reinhold

Cheshire

I drifted to awareness at the touch of a warm breeze that was rustling grass and the sound of a brook happily burbling in it's banks. My head was on someone's lap and a gentle hand was stroking my forehead. Opening my eyes I could see the hand belonged to a beautiful Japanese or Chinese woman with long flowing hair.

"Greetings young lady, I am Kannon. Since you were resting I asked Kitsune to show you the way to this place so we could talk face to face."

I blinked, "Kannon? I have a friend named Hana that has talked about a Celestial Kami by that name."

She smiled down at me, "In answer to the question you haven't asked. Yes, I am that Kannon. If you are in China I am also Quan Yin." chuckle, "You can ask Astra about it after you wake up.

"Now, while you are here, what do you say to us getting to know each other better?"

Wide eyed, I spun up onto my knees to face her. A chance to talk with a very powerful resident of an Otherland? She smiled at the excitement in my voice as I answered, "Yes. Please! I would like that very much."

After that we spent the time asking each other questions. I asked her about her home and other "spirits" like her and she asked me about my studies and how, or even if, I was thinking of using my powers in the future. It was a little strange but I suppose with my breakthrough, strange was going to be par for the course.

It was a long time into our conversation when I noticed Kitsune had joined us as a seven tailed fox. I went to bump noses with him in thanks for bringing me here… and ended up tripping on my yukata. Why? First, I hadn't even realized I was wearing a yukata. Second, I suddenly had two left, and right, feet. Puzzled I rolled onto my back and held my paws/hands in front of my face as I switched back and forth between biped and quadruped. The transition was smooth and effortless. Had I "leveled up"? Or had my body just finally adapted?

I turned to ask Kannon if she knew and ended up with a petal from a cherry blossom on the end of my nose. A cherry tree stood where Kannon had been kneeling and petals were falling from the branches in a steady stream. My vision let me see that Kannon and the tree were one and the same so after rubbing my cheek against her trunk I went full cub/kitten and started trying to catch the petals as they fell. Her laughter floated on the breeze like an echo of the brook as she watched my antics.

I'd captured about a dozen when Kitsune nuzzled my shoulder and whispered, "All right Koneko. It is time to wake up. There are people here to see you."

I let out a wide yawn as I stretched before rubbing the sleep out of my eyes with my paws. Paws? A mixed chorus of Awws, giggles and chuckles broke out as I peeked between my paws to see Grandma, Astra, Shell, and Quin. I was just about to change to biped when I realized my gown was bunched up under the blanket. I let out a "Meep!" and ducked under cover to a burst of laughter.

I shifted my form under the blanket and had just gotten my head and arms through the appropriate holes when I felt Kitsune, above the covers, get up and thump to the floor. I shifted back to full size and peeked out in time to see him, in a very nice suit, walking around the end of my bed to join Astra.

I was double checking to make sure I was presentable before pulling the cover back and sitting up when a man in fatigues stepped around the corner. "Daddy?" His blue eyes smiled back at mine but the relief on his face reminded me why I was in a hospital bed. My ears went back and I started sobbing. "I-I'm s-sorry Daddy. Y-you and Grandm-ma Alice just got m-me back and I al-alm-most…"

He had me scooped up and held tight in his arms before I could finish. I didn't hear the others leave as Grandma Alice joined us and stroked my hair. "Shhh. It's okay my Rionnagh. You are safe now. Sigh. I won't pretend you didn't give your father and me a few new gray hairs but you did nothing wrong." She kissed me behind the ear as I continued to sob. "Oh my sweet little Rionnagh. It is not fair that such a hard choice fell to one so young. But you made that choice and you chose to save all of those people. And with a little help, that is what you did." Grandma Alice drew a ragged breath before continuing, "We are very proud of you."

After a few more minutes and several wet hiccups I took a deep breath, and sneezed... Repeatedly. "Sniffle." Holding my nose stopped the sneezing long enough for me to ask. "Daddy? What is that smell?"
He glanced at his left shoulder and rotated it with a wince. "I decided to get in on the activities yesterday and nearly had my shoulder cooked off by a pyrokinetic. The smell is probably the salve Dr. Beth put on the dressing."

I opened my mouth to ask how bad it was but closed it before saying anything. He'd been holding me tight but it hadn't looked like it was an effort for him. With my new strength and toughness it should have been. "H-how long? What class are you rated?... If, if you can tell me."

He smiled at me, "The shoulder will be fine within a week. My breakthrough though...that was almost three years ago. As far as my class goes I'm a B class Ajax with 'perks'. I can tell you more but it will have to wait until after your review meeting."

"Meeting? They're waiting for me?" I asked.

Daddy nodded, "Yes sweetheart they are." He nodded to the pile of clothes on a chair next to the bathroom. "How long do you think it will take you to get ready?"

I thought for a moment, "If the water pressure is good, 15 minutes?"

He nodded, "We'll wait for you in the hall." Seeing my look he added, "Don't worry. There are chairs."

With another kiss and hug to both of them I went to get scrubbed down and changed. Feeling bashful, I wrapped the blanket around me for modesty and checked the clothes on the way to the shower. They were one of the sets Donna had done, a dark blue skort with liner, a blue blouse and the sandals with the decorative greaves for footwear. I frowned; the look would say grown up or professional. Pffft, maybe I could keep from fidgeting long enough to pull off the look... maybe.

I'd closed the door, hung the blanket on the hooks provided and was working on the gown when I caught sight of my tails in the mirror. Tails plural. Two of them. Whether Kabe knew it or not he'd been right, Neko kami, cat spirit. I tried merging and separating the tails to prove to myself I could. I didn't know whether to be puzzled or pleased that I could do one or two without effort but not none or three or more at all. I sighed and then shrugged and continued getting ready, I'd figure out what to do later.

I managed to shower in record time, but I ran into an issue with my Skort due to my tails. The base of my twin tails was just enough thicker to be uncomfortable. I growled softly, "Darn it. It couldn't wait until I'd had the clothing for a few weeks?" I huffed a bit before a thought struck me. "Wait-if my clothes adjust with me when I change size then maybe…" I merged my tails to one so the skort fit properly and then visualized the skort adjusting when I split them into two again and, "Yes! Perfect fit."

I tried it a few more times to be sure I had the method down, but left them merged before stepping out and rejoining my family. After grabbing a few more hugs to fortify myself I took their hands and followed Tim as he led us to the assembly room.

Tokki Kim

I watched as Rionnagh gaped a bit at the number of people as she was introduced. Blackstone, Chakra, Astra, Shell, Ozma and Quin were here. Along with Tommy Brannigan, Alex Chandler, Dr. Beth, Dr. Mendel, and Dr. Harte.

Once they were settled, Blackstone stood up to address them. "Thank you for joining us, young lady. On behalf of the Sentinels, the Guardians, and the city of Chicago I extend our gratitude to you and Tygeara for your aid in saving our city and our lives. Without the two of you, many if not all of the heroes in the city would have been injured or dead when the Kaiju reached the harbor, making them unopposed as they burned the city to the ground." His tone turned grim. "It would have made the events of six weeks ago look like a minor accident."
I shivered at the thought. Between the mini-tanks, arson drones and green man zombies Chicago had lost thousands. If the Kaiju had reached the city yesterday it could easily have ended up a crater.

Rionnagh interrupted, "But… but I didn't do that much. I just opened gates. How did that protect the heroes?"

Blackstone laughed, "Didn't do that much? My dear girl, you detected the Kaiju almost the moment they were portaled in and transported Tygeara within striking distance... Which kept them from reaching the city where stopping them would have done considerable damage. Then you portalled more than twenty vehicles and their passengers to safety, removing them from danger and thereby keeping the terrorists from using them as bait, enabling my teammates and the other guardians of the city to concentrate their efforts on shutting the attackers down. You finished up by catching an airbus with over 300 people on it and ghosting it in for a safe landing."

"True, you had help, but NONE of it could have been done without you. You and you alone were the difference that kept this from being a complete disaster."

By the time he finished Rionnagh's ears were flat against her head. She'd gone from embarrassed straight to scared. She managed to not stammer when she asked, "With all of the people recording what happened the leaders of the terrorists know that, don't they? Is my family in danger?" She paused, "Will, will I have to give up the cultural program?"

I felt for the kid. I could see she felt guilty asking about the program but I knew from looking at her records it was one of the few things that brought her stability over the last two years. According to Ms. Hunter, the school counselor, she'd had trouble making friends because of her mother's Humanity first affiliation. Students from both sides shunned her because, after an article damning the conviction of a "normal" vigilante, she'd made the mistake of asking, "If non-breakthroughs shouldn't be held accountable for an action, why should a breakthrough be punished for the same action?" Apparently neither side liked being reminded that no one was above the law.

I made a mental note to send Ms. Hunter a donation for her efforts. She'd helped to create a place that taught children that discourse, not arguing, was what helped solve problems. I brought my attention back to the room as they continued.

Blackstone's tone was grim when he answered, "It is likely they know, yes." Then a twinkle entered his eye as he continued. "But Dr. Harte tells us that N.U. Inc. is willing to hire your father on as an engineering consultant. And your grandmother is going to get that bakery she's dreamed about. Both will be well protected by the security already in place."

I watched as she turned those wide eyes of hers on her father, "Daddy? Y-you're staying? Really?"

I hid a grin as Colonel Mitchell explained that he was mustering out and then the whys and whats of the offer to her. As he talked Rionnagh's ears came up and her eyes just sparkled. Turning my attention to Alice I could see where she got them. As far as Alice's bakery went, I was glad I'd be able to spread out the consumption, because the samples she'd whipped up in the Sentinels kitchen last night to calm her nerves had been Goooood.

Blackstone stepped back in, "As for the cultural program? Not only do you get to keep participating, but there is talk of making you a guest of honor at the opening ceremony for this weekend's conference."

There were smiles around the table as Rionnagh's eyes grew even wider. All she managed to squeak out was, "Me? Why?"

Blackstone smiled wryly. "Just something to do with saving the lives of three of the most influential supporters of the program. You may have heard their names, Fuji Ehara, James Anderson and Nicholas Hadid? Between them they brought a granddaughter and two nieces."

I could see Rionnagh's eyes misting up as she replied, "Elspeth and Marion were on that plane? Do, do they know it was me?"

Blackstone nodded, "I suspect they do by now. They do have suites adjoining Hana's at their hotel after all. You will get to see them if you want, but before that we have quite a tangle to sort out." He nodded to Legal Eagle and Mr. Chandler. "Gentlemen, if you would?"

I watched as Legal Eagle went over the labor laws and what they meant for Rionnagh. He emphasized that they were getting a pass on the events of yesterday only because she'd volunteered, and no one had known the extent of her ability. No one was in trouble but once Rionnagh's age came out critics were going to scream child endangerment and child labor very loudly anyway.

Then Chandler made his pitch. Since she'd been wearing her Astra inspired costume he offered her a position as Kid Mascot to the Sentinels. Brannigan and Chandler were pros and they'd have all of the i's dotted and t's crossed but I worried about how the publicity would affect her. I kept getting glimmers of a haunted look in Rionnagh's eyes. She hadn't been a breakthrough for two days yet but she was already set to be world famous.

Dr. Mendel must have seen something as well because she broke in to ask Rionnagh if she was alright.

Rionnagh gave a shaky smile, "Honestly? Part of me wants to hide away for a week or more and pretend none of this happened. But that won't solve anything and knowing that just makes it worse. I know I need to face everything but there is so much so fast." She pulled her feet up into her chair and hugged her knees to her chest as tears started to flow. "I n-need Ruth. I n-nne-eed."

A thunk behind us made me turn. Standing in the doorway was a tall woman with a military bearing releasing the strap of a bag that must have weighed more than a hundred kilos.

"I take it Ruth is the feline Kaiju that was with you last night?" the woman asked. "I might be only B-class but I think I should do." The woman smiled and opened her arms.

"Grandma G?" Rionnagh's voice came quietly. "GRANDMA G!" with that cry Rionnagh shrank to four feet tall and shot out of her chair and into the woman's arms.

I wasn't the only one that flinched at the very audible impact, but "Grandma G" didn't even budge. She just held on as her granddaughter clamped her arms and legs around her while hiding her face in her shoulder.

Colonel Mitchell held the chair still so the woman could sit with Rionnagh on her lap as the girl trembled with quiet sobs. It was no wonder she'd wanted Ruth. Judging by how her grip was compressing the woman's armored flight suit Rionnagh was holding on for all she was worth. Anyone with less than D class toughness would have been crushed.
I turned to her father as he stepped back and asked softly, "Grandma G?"
He smiled, "A grandmother on my ex-inlaw's side has the same first name as my mother so Stephan and Rionnagh started calling her General Grandma. She put her foot down and insisted on Grandma G."

Shaking my head, I just smiled and watched the reunion.

Cheshire

Grandma G held me until my breathing became deeper and smoother, "Thank you, Grandma. I really, really needed a solid anchor and with Ruth not here…"

Daddy Hmmphed behind us, "The salve on my shoulder wasn't that bad was it?"
Grandma G chuckled, "Now, Colonel Mitchell. Listening to you one would think you were jealous of your own mother."

"Possibly General Mitchell," Daddy answered in a dry tone. "Or I could just be getting over the shock of watching the non-breakthrough woman I had coffee with last week take a hit that would have flipped a HEMTT.

My ears went flat and I froze as panic shot through me. I'd completely forgotten about my strength and worse I'd forgotten that Daddy could have easily taken my grip. There'd been no reason to risk Grandma G.

"Easy, my little cat sidhe. I'm as relieved as you are to not have to hold back in our hugs." she assured me as she held me tighter. "That being said, cadet." she went on with one last squeeze. "Do I have your promise to honestly try to do better in the future?"

I nodded before relaxing my grip and leaning back so she could see my face. "Yes Ma'am. I promise." One more deep breath and I was able to give her an honest smile. Smiling back and taking my face in her hands to dry my tears the smile turned whistfull. She sighed and then chuckled, "You are going to turn me into one of 'those' grandmothers yet."

At my puzzled look she squished my cheeks forward and kissed my forehead. I couldn't help but play along and "cutesy" smiled with the tip of my tongue showing. Smiling she asked, "Better?"

I giggled and sighed, "Yes much better, thank you." Grandma G hugged me one more time before setting me down and walking to the chair Willis offered her next to Daddy and Grandma Alice. Meanwhile, I returned to my full height and turned back to Blackstone, Legal Eagle and Mr. Chandler, "I'm sorry about the interruption, Gentlemen. I'm ready to continue."

I blushed at all of the smiles directed at me as Legal Eagle went down the basic list in greater detail. The hug and laughter had done a lot to let me step back and process everything as it came in and I found myself putting mental notes behind some of the examples.

Until I was sixteen I could only work from 7am to 7pm (9pm during the summer) and I was limited to 3 hrs a day during school days, 8 hrs non school days and 24 hrs (40 during the summer) per week. It could also not be shown that any work I did interfered with my education. ("Keep my grades up. Got it.")

I was currently limited to Acting (Publicity shoots, PR events, or actual acting. "Scary, but maybe fun."), Delivery (newspapers, baked goods and other 'light' items), and yard work (raking leaves, shoveling snow, "getting kittys out of trees").

At twelve I could work in agricultural jobs such as the orchards in New Underland.

At fourteen, the jobs I could do expanded to things like clerical workers("Yawn"), cashiers("Meh"), cook (in limited capacities)("Baking is fun"), cleaners("ick"), kitchen workers("Dishes? Bleh."), artists, creatives,("Those are kind of the same aren't they?")or intellectuals("Thank you for inviting me to speak today. Hmmm maybe.")

At sixteen I could participate in CAI activities that involved dangerous situations. Fires, Floods, Landslides, Earthquakes, etc., and I could work in manufacturing, mining, or construction("Maybe I could work with groups like The Crew as a mover.").

I had to be eighteen before I could be knowingly deployed into a hostile situation where there was a real chance of injury or death. ("I might talk to SaFire about this. Websites say she's an EMT.")

Legal Eagle looked up from his notes. "Now, Ms. Mitchell, I stress that this isn't an exhaustive

list but does cover most of the points. Do you have any questions?"
I thought back through the information to what I could legally do now and a light went on. "Mr.

Brannigan, do the laws prohibit using breakthrough powers to make deliveries?"

I could see Quin's and Dr. Harte's eyes light up as Legal Eagle answered. "The only guidelines in place state the youth doing the delivery must be able to carry the item or items to be delivered. A bicycle or cart is an acceptable aid and..." He smiled as he realized, "Why you clever little kitten." He turned to Dr. Beth. "Dr. Beth could you give us a quick rundown of Cheshire's abilities? Just how strong is she?"

Dr. Beth gave a wry smile. "Her lift capability is low C, about a medium or large moving van. Given her age it is quite probable that it will increase to solidly, or even maximum, C. Flight and toughness are solidly C. Senses are a variant of Atlas. Hearing, smell, and visual acuity are the same, but instead of seeing a broader spectrum, Ozma has informed me that Cheshire can see, smell and hear magic. Which means she senses it more acutely than Astra could during the Villains, Inc. incident. Given that she has displayed two alternate physical forms and can change her size I'd say she has C possibly B class Metamorph capabilities. Finally, as a Jumper she has displayed more raw capability than I've ever seen. Definitely A class. The two things we don't know is if she actually needs what Ozma calls 'sympathetic gates' and what her range is when she isn't catching a plane to get there." Dr. Beth's dry humor elicited smiles and chuckles around the table.

I just smiled and gave a bashful shrug before we continued. I was much more confident now that I had an idea of the limits I needed to work within, and enjoyed going over the options with Quin and Mr. Chandler. By the time they called a stop, we had drawn up a schedule of training and testing for the next two weeks, including three or four public appearances and interviews. I was going to argue for continuing, but my stomach reminded me I hadn't eaten since last night before the attack and it was almost eleven now. I did pause at that, as I was hungry but not the "hungry" that I'd been since my breakthrough. After yesterday I'd've thought my stomach would've been roaring but I was just getting grumbling of the "You missed breakfast," kind.

I thanked them for their time before we left to go to the Young Sentinels common room where Willis had a buffet ready. Despite all of the greetings and congratulations I received, I managed to get my food and begin eating. In the background coverage, of yesterday and the aftermath played on the big screen.

I was just finishing my second helping when they began to replay clips of Tygeara's fights. I left my last bites on my plate as my fork fell from my trembling fingers. I'd been too tired. I hadn't seen how badly she was hurt last night. Her fight against the last Kaiju hadn't gone well. It was half again taller than her and while she was fighting it the submarine had ambushed her with missiles, hitting her in the arm, her side, and leg.

After we watched her check on me and vanish, I rose to my feet and stumbled to my room, not hearing the questions and calls of concern. Barely remembering to be careful, I fumbled my epad on and logged into my accounts. I held my breath as I found and opened a new message from Ruth. Her tired human face greeted me as the message started playing. "Hey, Cachorra, I hope this message finds you well. I can't hold this form long yet so I'll have to be quick. I've healed most of the damage from my fight but it completely drained my reserves. I still have about a day to go before I'll be fit for 'civilized' company, despite consuming my larder as fast as it can renew itself. I'll find out from Tokki where you are when I'm ready. Until then be good and say hola to Danilo for me. I love you, Lucecita. Take care."

I sagged in relief and rested my head on my arms for a few breaths before drying my face, recording my response letting her know I was okay, and sending it. I checked my other messages and answered texts from my exchange partners using the new avatar Shell had made for me, my star and disappearing eyes on a dark blue background. Passing my fingers over it I looked at it in a new light. Even if I couldn't go to active zones until I was sixteen I could still do a lot of good. The rear assembly areas should be secure enough for me to volunteer for "nonprofit" reasons.

A blinking message from Shell caught my attention. "Hey you doing alright?"

The icon indicated she was live so I turned the audio on. "I'm okay; I was just really worried about Tygeara. Thank you for asking and thank you for the avatar. I'll be right out." I took my epad with me, pulling up the page for the conference this weekend as I left my room. The opening ceremony was actually tomorrow night.

"Well, hello there." The cheery voice startled me enough to make me jump. The big screen had been switched to a video conference and a blonde woman with a mischievous twinkle in her eye was looking at me. "You must be General Gun's grand daughter."

I blinked "General Gun? Oh. Wait. Grandma G used to be a firearms and tactical weapons instructor before she was a general." Grandma G was standing by Astra rolling her eyes. "Umm, I guess I am? Given her expression I take it she's had repeated exposure to you?"

The woman, Astra and Shell broke out laughing and another woman appeared in the background to see what the mirth was about.

Grandma's tone was wry when she answered, "You could say that. May I introduce Staci Jones, aka Wifflebat and her partner Pinky. I oversaw the training of tactical support units both before and after her breakthrough. I kept in touch with her after she mustered out and joined Boeing's BASAR team...If only to see what trouble she'd gotten into with her friends." On screen the two women stuck their tongues out at her. Turning to me she asked, "How is your new friend doing?"

"She looked really tired but seems to be doing fine." I shrugged, "She's an A plus Ajax so I don't think she's bending the truth too much." The sound of someone entering the common room made me turn in time to see a man with a shaved head and wearing a duster coat walk in carrying a pair of beers, one of which he handed to Grandma G.

"Here you go Señora, best in the house. Complements of Watchman." he said as he raised his to her in a toast. "Something about interesting stories to tell?"

Grandma G laughed. "You could say that. For someone so serious he could certainly get up to mischief...not that I discouraged it often." She carefully opened her bottle and took a drink. "Seriously though, the men and women he helped train have saved a lot of lives, both soldiers and civilians. Give him my thanks."
I looked at the man that had to be Riptide. The fan sites had his name as Danny Lanza but maybe... "Señor Riptide?"
He turned his attention to me, "Sí Gatita. You have a question?"

I blushed a bit but continued, "Sí. Is your first name actually Danilo?"

He looked at me suspiciously, "It is. Who told you that?"

My ears twitched in apology, "Tygeara just wanted to tell you hola. I hope it's okay."

"Sí , it's fine but why would a gata grandisima Kaiju want you to tell me that?" he asked before taking a drink from his bottle.

"I'm not sure but... did you know a Ruth Botes back in LA?" I asked. My question caught him before he finished and he almost choked on his beer.
Coughing he asked me, "Ruth Botes? Ruthelma Botes?" My ears lowering I nodded yes. Riptide shook his head and crossed himself. "Madre de Diós. Those big lizards didn't have a chance." In response to our questioning looks he continued. "I knew her years ago. She was a good chica as long as you didn't cross her. Honest and hard working. Her height and being built like a brick wall meant she escaped a lot of things." He snorted. " After all. No hombre wants it known a woman handed him his ass.

Riptides tone darkened as he continued. "She mostly kept to herself, but about four years ago two gangs threw down a few blocks from her little sister Lucía's school. Lucía and José were playing in the yard outside." he paused and his voice lowered. "Both of them were killed by stray shots from the fight."
"Now José was the brother of a fellow Surfdog and my brothers started planning for payback, but, before they could make a move, members of both gangs started turning up beaten within an inch of their lives or dead. Mostly minions but several so called paragons and even a handful of D class." He smirked as he paused. "Witnesses described the attacker as a 'muscular male' between six-four and six-eight in sweats and a hoodie. The cops came around searching for 'him' but never found him. Whoever it was did enough damage that the Dogs didn't have to lift a finger. With most of their minions dead or in the hospital, the rest of the pajeros involved on both sides were dead within a month from 'attrition'."

"Lucía was the last of Ruth's family, so there was nothing to hold her there when the tryouts for the MMA came through." He grinned, "She dominated the local circuit within a month. Within a year 'Raging' Ruth Botes was a global terror. The most dangerous non-breakthrough fighter in the league. She's held the champion's title for the last two years. No losses but several 'draws' where her opponent broke through during the match… and no less than three matches that should have been a draw where she beat down D class breakthroughs for the win."
My ears were flat to my head as I asked, "Are... are you saying that she...?"

Riptide grinned at me, "I'm not saying anything chica. Astra's friend Fisher would call it anecdotal evidence. Nothing to worry about." He reached out and ruffled the hair between my ears. "If you want to keep Ruth safe you'll just have to kick the ass of anyone that threatens you before she has to." Lightly chucking me under my chin he gave me a wink as he walked off. "Take it easy Gatita."

I sighed and leaned into Grandma G's shoulder. She put her arm around me and leaned her forehead against mine. Stroking my temple her hand found and traced the nearly faded scar. Taking a deep breath I looked around and blinked. "Where are Daddy and Grandma Alice? And why wasn't Stephan here?"

"They didn't get much sleep last night so the Sentinels offered them a chance to rest in a spare room, they promised to be out in an hour or two. They also said Stephan came by last night to check on you before going back out to help where he could with clean up." After giving me a squeeze she grasped my chin and raised my eyes to hers. "Hey, their dark and brooding barista of the night mentioned a creation involving dark cocoa and dulce de leche. Would you be interested?" I threw my arms around her in a hug. "I'll take that as a yes." She chuckled as she hugged me back. Kissing my forehead she gave my shoulders one last squeeze before directing me to the kitchen where Artemis was waiting.

As I picked up my epad on my way over, I heard Wifflebat complain, "Dammit ma'am. Did you have to say it that loud? She's absolutely ruined the coffee shops up here for us. The only ones that compare charge forty bucks a cup and even with my job I'm not paying that."

"Forty bucks?!" Artemis caught my thoughtful look as I walked into the kitchen and sat at the counter taking glances at the screen.

"All right you fuzzy ray of sunshine, out with it." She ordered as she leaned on the counter and looked at me. "You look like someone that's up to something."

"Artemis? Where are they right now?" I asked her as I glanced behind the women to their kitchenette where I could see two cups sitting in front of a propped up epad.

"Shell said Boeing's Skyreach station. It's on the outer edge of LEO (low earth orbit) about 1200 miles up. Why?" She asked. Her mouth twitched in what could have been a smile when she noticed where I was glancing. Handing me a stand for my epad, she moved to ready more ingredients.

Typing away I pulled up Boeing's website and went to the page for the station. Their PR department had helpfully provided a locator that depicted the stations general location from the user. "Just curious. I'm always wondering what it would be like to see the world from another person's point of view." "Okay I'm here and they're about there. Deep breath and feel for an area that 'looks' like where they are and..." I froze as a man walked into view, glanced at me, and set his cup on the counter before standing behind the two women and giving me a wink over their shoulders.

"Seeing it from a physical as well as a cultural point is an exercise Ms. Hunter would encourage to promote discourse and understanding." I finished as I handed her the three cups. Keeping an ear on the conversation at the screen (the man was introduced as Daedalus) I pulled my feet up on the stool and rested my chin on my knees as I watched Artemis' performance; it was like watching an artist create a masterpiece.

"This Ms. Hunter sounds like a wise woman." Artemis commented as she mixed the drinks. Three mochas(one extra spicy with cinnamon and a dash of cayenne) and a hot chocolate. "I'd like to meet her some day."

I took the three mochas she handed me and silently put them on the counter where I'd found the empty cups before tapping my screen to bring up the conference page. "If you have time this weekend you may have a chance. She's supposed to be part of Saturday's panel to promote the exchange program here in Chicago." I accepted my cup and took a sip. "Mrrrrrrrrrrrr." It was rich but not overly sweet. I purred as my tails unfurled and started flicking back and forth together. It was like sipping a caramel oreo dipped in cream. One tail just wasn't enough to show my appreciation. "Thank you Artemis. This is wonderful."

Artemis laughed, "You're welcome, 'Cheshire'. But in private or out of uniform it's Jacky, or Aunt Jacky if you want to be formal." She booped my nose with her finger. "Got that, Fuzzy Ray?"

I set my cup on the counter and threw my arms around her shoulders. "Yes Jacky. I got it. Thank you."

She hugged me back hard enough to squeeze air from my lungs before letting me go. "Alright you, enough. I have a rep to maintain." She reached up and gently tweaked my ear as I retrieved my cup before I went back into the common area. Another sip and I resumed my purring.

As Daedalus quietly retrieved his cup behind them, Wifflebat gave my drink a wistful look. "That looks so good I can almost smell it." Then she sighed, "So Cheshire, what do you plan to do now?"

"Well school of course, there are so many things to learn… But if I want to use my abilities my age kind of limits my options. Outside of supervised non-profit volunteer work, I'm basically limited to acting, getting kitties out of trees, and deliveries." I sipped my drink as I paused, glancing at Daedalus where he was leaning against the counter and savoring his. "Quin and Mr. Chandler are working on ideas for the first two, but I was thinking of trying a delivery service and was wondering if you had any advice for me."

Wifflebat looked surprised, "I'm not sure we'll be much help. What do you need to know?"

I shrugged, "I assume it's based on range, frequency and load capacity, but there isn't much information on what the going rate for a jumper is. I was wondering if you were allowed to tell me."
His eyes twinkling Daedalus finally spoke up from behind them. "Before you two get into it you might want to grab your drinks before they get cold." His voice started at a low baritone and dropped into a base that almost purred.

I sipped my drink with studied interest as Wifflebat and Pinky spun around and stared at their cups sitting on the counter with vapor rising up from their contents, and Astra turned to give Jacky a disbelieving look. Ozma just gave me a wink and a barely perceptible nod from where she sat sipping tea.

Grandma G hugged me and stood grinning as she watched the women cautiously pick up their cups like they were handling unstable ordinance and take a sip. Wifflebat looked up from hers and, after giving Daedalus a jab to his ribs, fixed her gaze on me. "Okay, you adorable scamp, you have our attention, but we need a few more details." She counted them out on her fingers as she listed them. "How did it feel opening the gate, maintaining it, and making the transfer? Do you know of any obvious limitations to your ability?"

I collected my thoughts before I answered. "Once I used the stations webpage to get a general location I reached out and 'looked' for a space that 'felt' like what I was looking at on the screen." I said pointing at the one she was displayed on. "Kind of like being in a dimly lit room where you can make out the general size and shape of an item but have to touch it to confirm details. After I opened it I guess it felt like walking down an uneven sidewalk? Or maybe the top of a wall just wide enough to walk on comfortably if you paid full attention? As far as the transfer went it was next to no effort. If what I did yesterday is any example I might be able to do twenty tons or more per jump before I start to 'feel' it.

"As far as limitations? Ozma thinks I may need a sympathetic portal, Epad to epad in this case. Door to door, mirror to mirror, archway to archway, water to water. I need to experiment but I get the feeling that any two things that could be considered entryways might work as long as they are of the same type and a similar size to each other."

Pinky looked up from her epad. "Let me make sure I have this right. Did you just say that opening a bridge to a location over nine thousand miles away was only 'starting' to get difficult?"

Despite myself that took me a moment. "Umm I guess?" I shook myself. "Sorry. Hearing someone else give the number kind of brought it home. Am I going to have to go into hiding?" I set my cup on the table so I wouldn't crush it and took Grandma G's hand as I waited for the answer.

Astra was wary as she answered, "If you didn't need someone to have 'been' there before you? Quite possibly." She turned to Shell. "What do Quin and Blackstone say?"

Shell wasn't laughing as she answered. "To not mention ANYTHING about Cheshire being able to bridge any further than she demonstrated yesterday. Safe responses are, 'For legal reasons due to her age we cannot discuss the details of her power set.' or the old standby, 'No comment."

She turned and looked at Wifflebat and Pinky, "He told me to assure you that you two will be credited with the recruitment but asks that you use the same responses if questioned."

Wifflebat nodded. Looking at my flattened ears she explained. "Even with your limitation you're in the top one percent of jumpers, maybe even the top tenth of one percent. Sorry, munchkin." She looked at Grandma G. "You'll keep her safe Ma'am?"

Hugging me close Grandma G smiled, "As if you had to ask. And Staci? I met my replacement months ago. They're as in touch with the needs of the modern military as I am and far more suited to the administrative duties. Daniel and I will be keeping a close eye on her."

Wifflebat nodded, "Then we'll sign off so you can get to it. We'll do what we can from here and contact you tomorrow." Pinky and Daedalus nodded from over her shoulder. "God speed." They cut the connection there.

I sat down on a chair and sipped my drink while doing breathing exercises. After moving to California, Mother had "shopped around" for a new agey yoga/exercise instructor. The woman Mother settled on, Mara Lynne, was a longtime friend of Aunt Laura. One night when I'd had a bad week at school, and after mother had dropped me off to go to a Humanity First meeting, Aunt Laura had asked Mara to come over to talk to me. Mara'd walked me through some exercises to help me focus and "let go" of tension or worries. She'd also revealed she was a "soft" breakthrough and I'd secretly revelled in that fact since.

All I needed was something to focus on and Jacky's creation worked very well. Inhale. Sip. Focus on how the bitterness of the dark cocoa was conterpointed by the dulce de leche. Exhale. Let the discordant notes of tension and troubles to fall away. Inhale. Sip. Observe how the heat of the drink allowed the richness of the cream to balance everything into its appealing whole. Exhale. Feel the warmth of the love and care of those around you, and let it fill you with its light. Repeat.

After the third time through I was starting to purr at the flavors again. I opened my eyes to see everyone staring at me in bemusement, including Chakra, who was standing in the doorway watching me.

Chakra spoke first, "Well, young lady. Blackstone sent me down to see how you were holding up. I must say I'm impressed at how well you executed that technique. Though I've never seen it done with hot chocolate before."

"Any drink made with care by a proper artist is a symphony." I quoted. Purring, I finished my cup and set it on the table. My tails swayed lazily back and forth as I continued. "Mara used tea most often because it was the simplest for casual students to get right on their own but she had a... 'knack' for adapting her techniques so they worked for those that had access to higher skills.

"She never had me try coffee, or alcohol obviously, but when she wasn't teaching meditation she gave classes on mixology. Her students work at or own over half the cafes and bars in California.

"FYI, we are not going to do a competition between her and Jacky. Not without the judges signing a consent form." I received confused looks, "Well, we shouldn't be held liable if they expire of bliss should we? Or suffer withdrawals?"

I took a deep breath and released it as I waited for the laughter to die down. I knew the danger hadn't gone away but looking around I knew I had people I could trust to help me face it.

Chakra stayed until Daddy and Grandma Alice rejoined us, and then handed us over to Quin before giving me a quick hug and excusing herself. Now that the parental and Grand parentals were together Quin wanted to discuss options for going forward; everything from possible public appearances and the procedure manuals that went with it; my current effective education level and where I wanted to go with it; to physical training so I could safely interact with the public and my environment when I could bench press a mid-sized moving van.

Partway through we found out that Amalgam, the new cape that aided Daddy, was Stephan! He'd broken through during the attack as a Mimic Morph and had been helping with the cleanup since.

He'd finally come in for official testing when cape fans had started stalking him as he was helping. When Shell showed us why I didn't know if Astra or I blushed more. The fansites were "shipping" Amalgam with most of the female capes in the city. Being a few grades ahead I'd been taking "societal education" classes. Those, and conversations I'd overheard around school, meant I understood enough to feel like my fur was going to catch fire from embarrassment. He wasn't supposed to be a heartthrob. He was Stephan, the brother that had played board games with me when I was younger and had carried me on his shoulders so I could see a parade better. Now, after watching the footage (and the comments that went with it) of him carrying Bluefire from fire to fire to put them out I didn't know if I'd ever be able to work up the courage to ask for a piggyback ride from him again.

Thankfully it wasn't long before we "got back to business" and finished hammering out most of the details for the next two weeks.

After the last 48 hours the rest of the day and most of the next were relatively uneventful. The resistance training, self defense evaluation, exhaustive scholastic placement tests, interview with Dr. Mendel, and protocol and procedure manuals filled in the time between the press conference, the interview with Terry Reinhold, and dinners with my friends in the exchange program. A private one hosted by Hana's Grandmother, the first night and the donors' dinner after the opening ceremony the day after.

Before attending the press conference with Astra and Quin, we decided that, publicly, my height would be five feet tall since that had been my height before I broke through. The fanfic written the first day had convinced Quin and Chakra that we needed to do something to reinforce the fact that, physically, I was a child. Watching the footage later, Shell quipped that finally someone made Astra look like an adult. Turns out I could reach Shell to tickle her when she was piloting a Galatea (Astra kept her from escaping). And after reviewing things with Hana's grandmother, it was decided that I needed to keep my tails merged into one in public as well.

There were at least two different kinds of neko Yokai in Japan, Bakeneko and Nekomata. Both were trouble if you ended up on their bad side but Nekomata, the one with two tails, didn't have a good side to get on, and since Villain culture here in the states and the Dark side of Ronin power Otaku in Japan didn't appeal to me at all, I accepted the slight niggling discomfort I felt at not being my natural size and shape.

For the cultural exchange opening ceremony and dinner, Andrew had made me a fancy version of my Astra based costume in a beautiful sky blue that included a full skirt and an opalescent white sash fastened by a clasp, with my crest in glittering crystal on a dark blue background that gathered it at my waist. It was so beautiful I was terrified to wear it. Quin assured me that, despite its feel, I could spill old motor oil on it and it would wipe completely clean. A little food and drink wouldn't be a problem.

Quin and Astra also worked with me on my expressions, getting me to cooperate with my ears instead of fighting them. So I at least managed to make it through the ceremony with reasonable poise. Daddy and Grandma G (in their dress blues) and Grandma Alice looked more at ease than I expected as they joined me at the table with the families of the other students in my group. All together we made a colorful group. Hana and her grandmother Fuji Ehara were wearing green and gold, Elspeth was dressed in red with a tartan sash, and Marion was dressed in silver and green. Their uncles Father James Anderson and Father Nicolas Hadid were nice counterpoints in their clerical black and collars.

Through the meal the four of us mostly exchanged looks or answered questions from one of the adults when their discussion was directed at us. However, after the dessert course each of us was handed a case by our parentals. Each one contained three charms and a necklace braided from nine different chains. Each charm had a crystal vial with seven strands of our hair braided into a flat ribbon with a half twist joined at the end and then folded to resemble a fan.
Once each of us had ours, we presented the charms to the other three. Mine were smaller versions of the clasp on my belt. Elspeth's resembled a shield with crossed weapons on it as well as mechanical engineering symbols in the quadrants made by the crossed weapons. Marion's was a disk with symbols for fire, water, wood, stone, and metal arranged around the edge and a prism in the center. I started a bit when Hana handed out hers. They were faced with a cherry tree on the peak of a hill and backed by a very detailed bust of Kannon.

I had just finished placing the charms on the necklace when Kitsune asked from behind my shoulder. "Why that particular order, Koneko-chan?"

I'd put Hana's in the center with Marion's to the right and Elspeth's to the left. I put the completed necklace on as I answered and held my hands on the charms. "Ever since I was introduced to them all this is how I've seen them. Hana was my first contact in the exchange program, and when I look east to her home on Hokkaido, Marion's home is to the right and Elspeth's is to the left. That... that way when I watched a sunrise it reminded me of the light they brought into my life when I needed it.

"Mara Lynne, Aunt Laura and Ms. Hunter could shelter me from time to time but I still had to go back out into the dark alone." I took a shuddering breath and dabbed away my tears. "I'm sorry. That world can chase me all it wants, it is behind me now."

Elspeth, Hana and Marion solemnly put their necklaces on. I almost started crying again when I saw the placement. My three friends, no, my sisters had placed my charm at the center of their arrangements.

Marion held up her hand between us, "We will be the light to banish the darkness and reveal the divides separating people."

Elspeth added her hand, "We will be the engineers that bridge those divides and connect people of all worlds"

Hana added her hand, "We will nourish understanding between people and cultures, providing gateways to a future where all may flourish and grow."

Finally I added my hand, "We will join other champions in defending these gateways against all who would tear them down and return us to darkness."

We finished together, "We shall stand by the side with each other, and those who join us as long as we draw breath, to uphold this concordance for this generation and all that follow. This do we so swear."

None of us heard the crack as Astra broke the stem on her glass.