Chapter Four

"Classic Back-story"

The two figures leaned against the brick wall that blocked in Washington's local ice cream parlor; two large highly stacked cones rested in the hands of the two friends- a well deserved afternoon treat. Old Cosgrove turned to his young hang out buddy Freakazoid with a dry expression that hid the pleasure he was taking in devouring his real strawberry ice cream. Freakazoid tilted his head in Cosgrove's direction while he spoke.

"This is classic buddy stuff", he wiped his hand across the air, palm down as he spoke in a smooth jazz kind of way. "Just a blue superhero, his cop companion and…ice cream"

"Yeah, it's good", Cosgrove commented; he paused and recalled the day's events. "You know that was good work you did back there today, beating up Longhorn"

"It was quite a battle!"

Freakazoid starred at his ice cream and wondered if Dexter could taste it. But as he focused inward there was no Dexter to ask such a question. He had opted to seclude himself in his half of the mind, closed and locked his door to keep any wandering eyes and ears out. It was a lot to be absorbed he suspected, discovering that you weren't quite as plain as you had always been told you were. He had Freaked out rather quickly in place of going over further details with Roddy.

A crackle came from Cosgrove's old police car and the radio sprung to life- voices called out alerting the nearest car to a break in on Tenth Street. Freakazoid peered over at the car and then Cosgrove and then the car; it appeared that his friend could not hear the broadcast. It didn't seem to be too important anyway as the crooks had managed to escape authorities.

…

A car pulled into a back alley, engine dying to a soft putter before going to sleep. Two silhouettes sat in the front seats, one tense and fidgeting and the other calm and relaxed. Audrey was used to the rush of villainy and soaked it in as a gleeful norm while Doctor Warner had never gotten his hands dirty in his life and sat with a death grip on the wheel awaiting a hoard of authorities to rush in at any moment. As he panicked Audrey lifted an unmarked jar from the top dashboard and applied the cream delicately to every exposed surface of her skin.

"You left it sitting on the dash", he told her plainly, trying to hint at her folly in using it.

"A little sun won't spoil it. Mind your own business doctor", Audrey commented idly as she rubbed the cream in, smiling as her skin seemed to excrete a youthful glow.

"We could be tracked if authorities acquired a sample. Nobody has that mixture in their possession but you-" he barely finished his thought before Audrey struck her fist out an punched his shoulder, her arm recoiling like a wounded snake.

"Quiet you" she hissed. "We're almost done anyway" she shook her dainty head, which appeared younger than it had just a few days earlier. "Now hurry up, let's wrap this thing up before our little blue friend shows up if you're so worried about us being tracked!"

The car door slammed as she headed for the entrance to Warner's hideout. The trembling scientist was slow to react and follow after her. Once he was locked inside his lab he felt a little better. He took refuge in his contraptions and chemical compounds; Audrey tried her best to avoid the doctor when he was working. She could care less what he was making as long as he could produce what he had promised her.

She had lived as a petty thief long enough; sure, Warner's technology and knowledge of Apex industries did come in handy and had bumped her up a few notches, but she was still just a thief. Still just a petty crook in the eyes of Washington's larger than life villains. Well, if she was going to be a crook she was damned if she wasn't going to be the queen of crooks.

That's where Warner came in.

The doctor was brilliant and had a history of depression- she knew this because she had stolen a folder of ex Apex employees. David was the perfect accomplice, desperate and naïve; he wanted power as much as any nerdy outcast did, but the difference was that he had the ability to make those ambitions come true.

He just needed a little push was all.

"Audrey dear, would you come in here?" the doctor called meekly. "I require your assistance please!"

Loud crashing noises accompanied the doctor's squeaky cry of despair. She reached behind her back for her pistol as she rushed to the lab entrance, fearing the worst had been realized. Was Freakazoid here? Leaning in through the door Audrey found herself instinctually pulling on the trigger as a flash of fur leapt out at her. In the moment of panic she missed, but the creature stilled itself from the noise and backed away from the enraged woman.

It was the dog he had been keeping in the lab, a mutt if she ever saw one; the ragged thing was scraggly and had dirty brown fur, large teeth and a bad attitude. He'd been experimenting on it and so far Audrey didn't exactly agree with the results. She fired at the ground to herd it back towards the reinforced steel cage Warner had built to contain it. Why he would ever open the door she'd never understand. Once it was secured inside she turned to the trembling scientist for answers.

"Why would you let it out of the cage!" she screamed, holding the gun to Warner's head. "That thing is riddled with disease and doesn't listen to sense!"

"I-I'm sorry my dear…" he fumbled over his words as the cold hard steel threatened to leave an indentation against his fragile skin. "Please…please holster your weapon, I apologize. Really…I meant to only test the compound on him"

Withdrawing her hand, clicking the safety back on and stuffing the pistol into her back pocket Audrey instead threatened the petrified scientist with her fist. His eyes were open wide with fear. She gripped the collar of his shirt and pulled him close.

"We had an agreement doctor", she whispered harshly. "Nowhere in our deal did we agree on handling rabid mongrel mutts! If that thing gets out again that's his third strike- I'm going to blow his face off and turn around and pop one in you too, understand? You can work just fine with only one leg"

He shook slightly, nodding his head hesitantly. "Yes…I understand"

A sly smile spread across Audrey's face; she leaned in just to see him jump. The last inch from his face was closed and quick as a strike she pecked him on the forehead. Fear was not the only thing putting the doctor in a daze- he thought Audrey was quite beautiful. As she stood there eyeing him he tried his best to hide the embarrassment, turning for a false cough and pretending he absolutely had to get back to work. Seeing him engaged Audrey took the opening to vacate the premises.

David sighed as he was left to his thoughts. Leaning his back against his counter he wandered his eyes over to the rabid mutt in the cage that had nearly mauled him if not for Audrey. It was eating the food he had given him- good. By morning he'd know if the formula worked or not.

…

But morning never came. Roddy had tracked the two thief's down and emailed freakazoid the good doctor's address himself. Freakazoid arrived around seven, just after dinner. He had told Cosgrove where to meet him, but of course the super teen had gotten there first. Audrey was going to learn that when you blow people out of buildings it comes back to bite you in the ass sometimes. Like today for example, he was going to send her to jail.

"Not tricking me this time", he grumbled with a grin, cracking his knuckles. "Nu-uh"

"You've got to be kidding me!" her rage was off the charts; the nerve of this boy to just wander into her new lair and abolish any hopes of her plans coming to fruition. "No. No! No! No! No!" she stomped the ground in a temper fit for a five year old.

"Wow", Freak chuckled his face alight with amusement as he watched the older woman's complexion turn a red similar to the shade of his costume. "I expected you to shoot me or something…I like this better! It's funny"

Audrey froze hands clenched; mouth agape, her trigger finger itching to pop one right in between his eyes. That was all she wanted in life was to be rid of him. Amidst her temper Audrey scrambled to the cage where Warner kept his test dog. Freakazoid perked up like a curious child at the sight of the rabid creature; clearly he did not see the ornery beast Audrey did because he smiled. Smiled!

"Oooo!" he hopped up and down giddily. "You guys have a puppy? Can I play with it?"

"Yeah!" Audrey snapped and in a quick jerking motion grabbed one of the beast's treats, a rotting steak, and threw it at Freakazoid. "Knock yourself out kid!"

It leapt at Freak and latched onto him, fur and teeth flailing in a frenzy of superfluous rage. Assuming the puppy was playing Freak nervously laughed and tried to get him off, but boy was the puppy's jaw strong! Warner nervously held the gun at Freakazoid, but he wasn't sure if the compound would work, he needed the dog who had been slowly weaned to survive the drastic change unharmed. Audrey didn't agree. She wanted them both dead.

"Just give it to me!"

She snatched the gun from Warner, and in one fluid motion snapped her wrist into place, aimed and fired at Freakazoid. The startled youth dodged the bullet but as he moved out of the way was unable to hold onto the squirming hound in his arms; the dog wiggled free and went straight for Audrey. She managed to scrape its shoulder, but that didn't stop it, instead fueled the mangled mutt's rage. It leapt up into the air and onto Audrey. Her next few shots misfired, one of the bullets exploding the processing chemicals.

"NUTBUNNIES!"

Freakazoid leapt out of the way, taking cover by ducking behind a desk. The strangled cry from Audrey and Warner made the hero cringe and think happy thoughts. He peered over the desk as a hand slammed down on its top. It was slender, gripping the wood, clawing at it for support as what was attached attempted to rise.

Audrey was shivering uncontrollably, her eyes wide and appearing distant and yellow. Her irises shrunk, were small and inhuman. They pleaded for him to help her but when Freak reached out for her, to gently to grab onto her arm he repulsed when her skin simply peeled off with the slightest pressure like it had been sun burnt. But, the peelings were thicker than usual, hardly see through and leaving the flesh beneath smooth and nearly gray.

"Oh god!" she shrieked inhumanly so as she swung at the boy trying only to help, her nails scraping against his chest leaving razor clean gashes. "My skin! What have you made me do!"

Freakazoid couldn't help the surprised look that sprung onto his face, disbelieving that she really blamed him for her firing the gun all willy-nilly. She ground her teeth, which now appeared sharper than Freakazoid recalled them being just a moment ago and as she took a heavy step forwards parted her lips in a stricken style; she convulsed and expelled everything in her stomach. The goo bubbled on the floor a mixture of blood and acid.

"Audrey…" Freakazoid sounded tender as he cautiously approached her, his hands out in the open. "let me help you…c'mere"

It was just a flicker of hope that crossed her face, her hand half out to him when she felt an immeasurable pain in her stomach. Instead of her hand Freakazoid received green, burning goop; the teen pulled away, taking a sharp intake of breath as his hand began to smoke. Fear cried out in her face as she withdrew into herself and ran.

"Wait!" his brows pinched in regretful defeat as she disappeared. "…ow, lefty"

Cradling the appendage Freak found himself not as grossed out as distracted by the burning sensation. Then something startled him, a thing latching onto his ankle with fearful force. Warner had crawled to him; Freakazoid could see the unknowing fear in his drained face. His grip seemed to be weakening as the blue teen watched the man before him pale to a color akin to sheet paper. As he lifted him into his arms Freakazoid felt the familiar weight of death in his foe.

"Not today", Freakazoid was determined; he wasn't going to let anyone die today. "C'mon doc"

Outside Freakazoid briskly approached the blockade and handed Warner over. He was told that Audrey had gotten away, into the sewer of all things. Freakazoid was given the option to follow after her- his response to authorities was 'ew…poo gas'. The doctor was carried off in the ambulance looking worse with every passing moment.

"Well…that could have gone better…" he drooped in regret, knowing that he was going to be scolded whenever Dexter decided to rejoin him in their conscious. "…aw nutbunnies…"

((Author's Notes))

I hope this didn't get too serious, i'm really trying to keep from it getting angsty. Was a lot of fun to write though and the next chapter is even more fun as I take another inside look at Freakazoid, plus the love triangle begins! Get ready to see the new Steff- now with more muchness!

**Fun fact, while I originally wrote this I had begun peeling from a nasty sunburn...i'm still peeling. TMI**