New Markets - 02 (66 page)

Seriously?  How about you undo the restraints before being all nice.
  "Sure, can I have the bonds taken off?"

"In a moment.  You'll understand after we speak, I hope."

"Fine then."  I slammed my head back against the pillow, causing a very loud thump sound as I bent the metal of the bed I was on. 
Oh yeah, I'm really strong now.  What's that guy's name again ... Nick, yeah, he mentioned that.  He was about the size of a tank, though, kind of hard to take someone like that at face value.

I mumbled, "Sorry."

The Captain left the room for a minute.  While he was gone I rubbed my fingers together, and then my lips.  I felt the metal that apparently was now my skin, but it felt pliable to me - like normal skin apart from the texture.

I didn't notice any metallic taste as I licked my teeth and lips, although chomping my teeth down did give a slight metallic sound.

I asked, "What color are my teeth?"  I smiled widely for the guy to my left.

He said, "They look normal.  Are they metal too?"

"I think so."  I noticed that the sheets felt slightly different to me than what I was used to.  I hoped it simply meant that they used poor fabric here.

Goldilocks was stirring by the time the Captain returned.  Before she opened her eyes fully or sat upright I noticed she swiped her hand in the air a few times.  I almost thought she was waving to me but for her expression.

She blinked and sat upright as the Captain set a glass down on the table to my left.

He said, "Excellent.  Psystar is awake."  He knelt down in front of her and asked, "Are you feeling alright?"

She answered, "I'm fine.  Sometimes leaving a mindview is really rough on me, and using mindfire seems to pack a punch as well."

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah, I'm back up and running."

"Oh, Selina, this is Psystar, she's a member of H.E.R.O.  You can thank her for, well, freeing your mind today."

What the hell does that mean?

He continued, "Those men that kidnapped you weren't S.W.A.T. - they were mercenaries working for a group that was trying to sell supers in some kind of slave trade.  Thanks to Psystar, Gatecrasher, Hellshock, Black Tiger and Firebane you and other supers were freed from them."

"So why am I restrained if I was kidnapped?"

"Because they had a telepath who controlled you, and made you fight them."

"I ...
what
?"  I looked down at myself, but most of me was hidden under the sheets.  I couldn't see any signs of fighting on my metal arms.

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"I got out of the hospital, my friend Jane brought me home.  I was walking up to the house when the S.W.A.T. - or what looked like them - shot me.  I don't remember anything after that; I just woke up here."

Psystar said, "That's all she remembers - I told you it'd be the same as with Spartan."

He looked at her, "We need to be sure."

"I'm one hundred percent certain of it."  She made a 'come hither' motion and the golden backglow to the whites of her eyes grew in intensity, she waved dismissively after a few seconds and they dimmed.

He glanced toward her, nodded as though answering an unspoken question, and looked back toward me. 
Obviously something's going on here....

"Excellent then.  I'm going to release you."

About damn time.

He unlocked the arm and leg restraints and motioned to the drink.  "Don't forget your drink."

Psystar said, "Chrome, would you like me to fly you home?"

"Chrome?"

"Yeah, you're Chrome.  Oh, wait.  Sorry about that, I'm hearing a friend think about you as Chrome so often that I thought it was your name."

"No, it's Selina.  Chrome's kind of a cool name though, it certainly fits.  How do I know this friend?"

"Ah, I'm not sure you do.  He just came across you in the hospital when you first arrived, again when you both were captives, and again later on in the big fight."

"Oh.  Okay then.  So ... you can fly?"

"Yeah.  I'd be happy to carry you home.  You've been in enough rough spots for a week, I think."

"Is it safe?  I mean, there's nothing holding you up, right?"

"I apparently float even if I'm unconscious, so yeah, I'd say it's safe enough.  Besides, you're a brick, I'm pretty sure a big fall wouldn't even hurt you."

"How do I know?"

"Try it.  Jump off a roof or something small first."

I drank some of the beverage, turned and sat up. 
Strange, my wrists and ankles don't even feel chafed.
  I looked down at myself, I wore a black sports bra and boy shorts. 
Who dressed me?

Psystar said, "You were wearing those yesterday at the big fight.  We didn't know they weren't yours."

I looked back down at myself.  It was harder to see my physique, being shiny metal colored, but I was ripped now - I could see every abdominal muscle, at least when some reflection didn’t make it hard to even get a fix on my skin with my eyes.

I looked back up at Psystar.  "Sure, I'll go with you."

"Great."  She smiled and motioned to the door.

"Hold up a minute."  I walked into the room's bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror.  I hadn't imagined anything - my skin was still a chrome metallic color and texture.  It even sounded metallic when I tapped my fingers against my arm.  My eyes appeared normal, although set against the metal eyelids and face they looked odd, almost alien.  My eyes were green, and my hair a very dark brown.  It hung straight and to my shoulders.  I'd grown to about 6' tall, and my muscles now bulged like I was a pro woman athlete - not quite like a bodybuilder, but more than I liked.  I didn't appear to have any body fat apart from my chest.  Those barely moved when touched either.

I stood up and walked with her out of the building.  My feet made a metallic clicking sound as they touched the ground.  Psystar was really short next to me.

I asked her, "How tall are you?"

"I'm 5'3", why do you ask?"

"Hmm, I think I grew.  I used to be 5'9" and didn't feel this tall."

"You probably did grow.  I'd say you are about 6' tall now.  My friend Spartan grew a few inches when he changed into a brick."

Once outside she asked, "You ready?"

"Yes.  What do I need to do?"

"Just let me hold you, I'll do the work.  Oh, and please don’t hug me tight, you’re too strong to do that, let me hold you."

She stepped up against me and wrapped her arm around my waist.  It was odd being this close to another woman, especially with her practically putting her face against my chest.  I put my left arm around her and lightly held her left shoulder for something to do.

She seemed to just step up into the air and we began floating up.  She did this a few times and we sped up somewhat as we glided upwards.

"You ready for the speed?"

"Sure."

She jabbed her knee into the air and we shot up at high speed.  I grabbed onto her shoulder for support and heard and odd crunching noise.  She made an odd gurgling sound and her face was tight with pain.

"Oh, my.  I apologize."

She grunted, "It's okay, ugh.  You're really strong."

I bit my lip as she altered direction and flew toward my house.  I tried to hold her as little as possible out of fear I'd hurt her again.  I noticed that her shoulder turned purple as we flew.

The flight was exceptional.  I didn't feel any wind at all, although my hair blew back slightly, so there must have been at least some.  Had I not been worried about hurting Psystar I'd have enjoyed the flight a lot more.

She stepped down a few times and we slowed our descent speed.  The landing was more gentle than I expected.

When we were on the ground she stepped back, I saw the tears in her eyes and the way she stood to avoid moving the shoulder.

I grimaced, "Can I do anything?"

"No, I'll heal.  All of us supers heal very fast.  You're just luckier than most, you won't get hurt plus you heal up fast.  Double bonus."

"Nice to know.  Do I need to worry about any more kidnappers running around?"

"No, I don't believe so.  We captured their telepath too, so they can't control anyone else."

"Good, good.  Would you like anything while you are here?  I’m sorry about the shoulder."

"No, I need to get to the University in time for class, though.  Be safe, okay?"

"You too, Psystar."

"Have a good one, Chrome."

I opened my mouth to refute the name, but realized it fit.

"Thanks for the flight; it was really interesting seeing the city from above."

"My pleasure."  She stepped up to me and hugged me with her good arm, stepped back and flew up into the sky.

I waved to her and watched her fly away.  Her golden hair shined in the morning light, creating a beautiful effect.  If she had white wings she'd have looked a lot like an angel.

I turned and walked up to the house, found the spare key and opened the door.  I turned the handle a few extra times, just feeling the difference of my metal hand against the knob versus what I remembered from before.  My hand had a very poor grip now, it tended to slid around the knob, and I dented the handle slightly when I grabbed it even a little hard.

I grit my teeth and walked in.  On the carpet floors of the house I heard the floor creak far more than I ever had from anyone else walking on it.  Apparently I weighed a lot more now as well.  I thought I'd find out and stepped on my scale.  The plastic snapped and the pointer went off the high end.  I sighed.

I glanced around the house, but really didn't expect Sam, my husband, home early in the morning.  He would be off to work.

I spent some time going through my closet.  Most clothes no longer fit - not a huge deal, I made a lot of my own clothes; I'd just sew some new ones.  As I pulled my favorite oversized shirt over my head I tore it as I caught my thumb in the fabric.  Normally it would have given enough resistance to know to stop, but I didn't even feel it until it gave a tearing sound and was shredded.  I took my time with the rest of the clothes to make sure I didn't damage anything else.

It did feel good to wear normal clothes again though.  It was odd that the girls no longer bounced, or barely moved for that matter.  I was shapely, but just seemed so ... hard.  I knocked my knuckles on my own skin a few times to hear the metal ring.

I decided to spend the next few hours working.  I made custom jewelry on special order for people out of my home.  It was a good business, and I much enjoyed the creative aspect of it.

Unfortunately, when I sat down the chair snapped in half and dumped me on the floor.  The wooden board under the carpeting cracked as my butt struck it as well. 
Great, I can't use plastic office chairs any more?
  When I grabbed a chair from another room I snapped the arm rest as I grabbed the chair.  It stayed together when I put my butt in it, though.

I picked up my finishing tools and the ring I'd been working on.  I realized I'd squished the ring between my fingers.  I hadn't even tried to put pressure on it.