Ultrahuman 01 - Ugly (4 page)

June smiled back. ‘Okay,’ she said.

~~~

It was almost midnight. There was a general atmosphere of anticipation which Penny could sense even through the slight alcohol haze she had developed. She could also sense the hand gently stroking her thigh and was doing nothing to discourage the young man whose hand it was. She considered that the height of impropriety, and she was loving it.

Her companion was no older than she was. Maybe a little; no more than twenty-five, she was sure of that. He was handsome, ruggedly so, with carefully tousled, black hair and blue eyes you could drown in. He worked out, possibly a little too much, but Penny was not worried about that right now. She was far more interested in the way his hand was moving and the way his eyes were watching her.

They had been chatting vaguely for thirty minutes after bumping into each other on the dance floor. Not literally. June had been right: Penny was elegant. June had nodded encouragingly when Penny had led him to a table to sit down, though Penny did not really feel like she needed the push. She was feeling hyper again, wound up, impulsive, and Jon was currently holding her attention with his stroking hand and his steamy eyes.

He leaned toward her. His breath was hot against her ear. ‘You’re incredible.’

‘Thank you.’

‘Maybe we could go back to my place after…’

Words came into her head and she said them before she could change her mind. ‘Why wait?’ She could not believe she had said it, but she had and she could not take it back now. ‘Maybe there’s somewhere we could go…?’

‘It’s almost midnight,’ he said, though he was definitely not saying no.

‘You can think of a better way to see in the New Year?’

He took her hand and stood up, leading the way toward the rear of the club as though he was afraid she
would
change her mind. He found a door and pushed it open; she saw a male symbol on the door suggesting this was the men’s toilets, but everyone was out in the club; the room was empty. A second or two later they were in one of the cubicles; she was pressed up against one of the walls, and his tongue was in her mouth.

She felt his hands pulling at the hem of her dress, while her own were at work on the belt of his designer slacks. His pants were definitely a little tighter than they should have been. She giggled softly as he pushed her thong down her thighs, pulled one sandaled leg from them as they fell around her ankles and put one foot up on the toilet seat. It was hardly a romantic setting, but she was not interested in romance. She wanted him in her, and he obliged as soon as he was able, pushing deep and then pausing at her gasp.

Their eyes locked for a second. Her hips shifted and he let out a groan. ‘Do it,’ she whispered.

His hips began to work against hers. She could feel every inch of him sliding within her and her head rolled back against the cubicle wall. She became dimly aware of the chanting from the club.

‘Ten…’ So close.

‘Nine… eight…’ It had been so long and this body seemed so responsive.

‘Seven… six… five…’ She could feel energy swelling within her, and it seemed as though he could feel it too.

‘Four… three…’ His thrusts grew faster. She could feel that energy she was exuding powering him onward.

‘Two… one…’ The cheers were drowned out by the rushing sound in her ears and she was lost to the sensations coursing through her body.

What a way to see in the New Year indeed…

1
^st
January 2013.

Penny slipped into the apartment through the window from the balcony, alone. Somewhere over in Uptown the Red Huntress was making sure that June celebrated the turn of another year in a manner similar to the way Penny had done.

She headed for the shower. She could still feel her midnight activities on her inner thighs and, while she did not regret anything, she did want the evidence to be less sticky. Starting the water running, she discarded her clothes and climbed into the tub, pulling the curtain around her. The water felt good. Being clean felt better.

Dry and warm, and feeling satisfied in a way she could not recall ever having felt before, she padded through into June’s room and looked at herself in the mirror there. Okay, so she did look amazing, and she
could
have any man she wanted. She was hardly a skilled lover, but Jon seemed to have gone away happy. The energy within her had had something to do with it, she was sure of that.

‘But,’ she said to her reflection, ‘you have to go. I’m pretty sure you
can
go too, and come back when I need you. What do I have to do? Is there a magic word? No, that’s silly. I think…’

She closed her eyes and concentrated, willing herself to change back into the Penny she usually was. There was a tingling sensation in her fingers and toes, which seemed encouraging, and she concentrated harder. The tingling spread, enveloping her body and becoming almost uncomfortable. There was a rushing sound in her ears and then…

Penny opened her eyes and looked at the blurred image in the mirror. She could not entirely see herself, but that in itself suggested it had worked. Where had she left her glasses?

It took five minutes of searching and one stubbed toe before she located the offending eyewear, and then she was back in front of the mirror. June had been right: her skin and eyes were the same, but the rest of her was back to the boyish, slightly chubby, Penny. She looked at the body she had always been resigned to and smiled. Okay, so she was the ugly duckling again and not the swan, but she was almost positive she could change back and this was the
perfect
disguise.
No one
was going to believe that Penny was the elegant, beautiful… She frowned and started for her own room. She was going to need a name.

Dressed in the oversized T-shirt and flannelette pants she wore to bed normally, she curled up on the sofa and put the TV on. There was still a buzz in her head from the alcohol and the sex, but she would find something to watch and try to come up with a name for her alternate persona. Her swan form. That made her giggle. Maybe some more wine was in order.

~~~

June arrived back at the apartment just before midday with a dreamy smile on her face. She looked vaguely confused for a second when she saw Penny curled on the sofa looking happy.

‘You’re back to normal,’ June said, stating the obvious.

‘Uh-huh. In a bit we can see whether I can turn back. For now I’m happy being normal me. I take it you had a good night?’

June fell onto the couch, beaming. ‘Oh God yes! She’s
amazing!
We were up until sunrise and she gave me a fantastic wake-up call.’ Her eyes narrowed. ‘Where were you at midnight? I looked for you…’

Penny felt her cheeks flaring hot. ‘I was in the men’s restroom, pinned up against a cubicle wall.’ Now that she was Penny again, and not drunk, the whole experience seemed a little sordid.

June’s eyes widened. ‘Penny Worthington! You didn’t!’

‘I so did.’ Penny broke into a fit of giggles at the look on June’s face.

‘Well fuck me sideways. You don’t believe in doing things by halves. Did you even get his name?’

‘Jon. Don’t know the rest. He didn’t get mine.’ She paused, one hand lifting to touch a reddened cheek. ‘Kind of slutty, really, but it felt like… I just wanted to and I’ve never been the kind of girl who could…’

‘I think, as long as you’re not planning to make a habit of it, you’re allowed to go crazy once.’

‘Well, I don’t plan to. On the other hand I was getting kind of fixated. I think the other me might be a bit of a letch. I’ll have to watch that. Maybe it’ll be less pronounced when I’m used to it.’ She grinned. ‘So the Red Huntress
is
into girls. There were rumours…’

June grinned back. ‘She’s into girls.’ She shuddered. ‘She’s
so
into girls.’

‘I guess we both had a good evening then,’ Penny said, smiling happily.

~~~

‘So what’s with the ratty T-shirt and panties?’ June was watching Penny from the doorway of her bedroom. Penny had requested that she keep a safe distance and given that they did not know what might happen, June was happy to oblige.

‘Last time my clothes got turned into scraps and the strap on my bag was obliterated,’ Penny replied. ‘I want to know if that happens every time.’

‘Good idea. You can’t go around wearing a costume under your clothes if it’s going to disintegrate when you change.’

Penny giggled. ‘I wasn’t planning to anyway, but I do want to know if I need to strip before changing.’ She took a deep breath. ‘Here goes…’ She closed her eyes and concentrated.

To June it seemed as though nothing was happening. Penny was just standing there with a constipated look on her face. No changes, no flashes of light, no… There was an odd sort of buzzing noise and Penny’s features seemed to blur. Her legs stretched suddenly, pulling out like taffy. Her breasts swelled under the T-shirt as her body began to lengthen. The buzzing grew louder and was joined by a sudden burst of sound like ripping fabric, and Penny’s clothes were floating to the carpet in fragments.

Penny opened her eyes, blinking at June. ‘It worked.’

‘Uh-huh, and you did end up naked again.’

‘Sorry.’

‘Don’t apologise. After last night your boobs are less distracting than they were.’

Penny giggled again and picked up the wrap she had bought along with the dress for New Year. Short and silky, it fitted her new persona as well as her new body. ‘So, it takes a few seconds, but I can swap between the two without too much difficulty. So I guess I have a choice to make.’

‘Do good or do nothing?’

‘Basically. Not every Ultra goes out and fights crime. Some of them, especially the less powerful ones, lead normal lives.’

June stepped aside as Penny walked out of the room. There was a noticeable swing to the woman’s hips which was not there when she was in her normal form. Watching the hem of the wrap twitching from side to side, June swallowed and said, ‘But you said you had this… urge to do something.’

‘And I didn’t when I was me, and now it’s back again.’ Settling onto the couch with her legs crossed in front of her, Penny turned the TV on and found the Discovery Channel.

‘Then unless you’re going to stay as Penny, I think you’re going to have to learn how to be a proper Ultra.’

‘Well I could. Stay as the old me, I mean. I don’t have to be this.’

‘Maybe you should try it for a while. A few days at least. See how that works out before you decide.’

‘Good plan. It’s back to work tomorrow anyway. I’ll give it until Saturday and see how things are going then.’

June grinned. ‘That sounds like a plan. What are you going to do about Sean?’

‘Nothing,’ Penny said, her tone bland. ‘Major.’

2
^nd
January.

‘Uh… Penny… hi.’

Penny looked up at the doorway of the office they kept her in to answer the phones. Sean was standing there, all carefully groomed, blonde hair and immaculate suit. He was an accountant, like many of the people at Leighton and Thorpe, but he was one of the ones who actually went out to visit clients, hence the suit. Penny said nothing, just looked at him and smiled. The sight of him made her want to throw something and there was an odd whispering sound in her ears, but she was determined not to show how much he had hurt her.

‘I… missed you at the party,’ he said to break the silence.

‘I didn’t miss you,’ Penny replied, still smiling, ‘and you didn’t seem to be missing Tina. Hitting with every stroke, I’d say.’

‘Uh… right.’ He looked decidedly uncomfortable, which suited Penny just fine.

‘Don’t worry about it, Sean. I don’t mind. I got very expertly laid a couple of days ago so I don’t really need you anymore.’

‘You’re dumping me?’ Sean said, his eyes widening. ‘
You
are dumping
me?
’

‘Let’s call it an amicable separation.’

She saw his fists clench, and then he turned and left without a word. Penny grinned at the space left by his departure. And then she heard something, like a voice in the distance behind her. She turned her head to look, but there was nothing there but the wall of her office.

~~~

‘Sean’s been telling people he broke up with you,’ June said as they walked toward the subway.

‘I kind of expected that,’ Penny replied.

‘Supposedly you confessed to sleeping with someone else over the holiday.’

‘I suppose I did. Confess, I mean.’

‘Very honest of you.’

Penny giggled. ‘I was rubbing his nose in it, actually.’

June returned the giggle. ‘Everyone knows about Tina, so most of the girls aren’t buying his story. They are a bit surprised at your reaction though.’

‘Oh?’

‘Yeah. You’re taking it too calmly. I think they’re worried you might go all Bunny Boiler on him.’

‘Haven’t they been paying attention? I take everything calmly.’ Her head snapped around at a voice from behind her, but there was no one there. Again.

‘You okay?’

‘Yeah. I’m not sure. Probably. I keep hearing voices.’

‘Are they telling you to cook family pets?’

‘They aren’t telling me anything. I hear what sounds like a voice, but I can’t really hear it, y’know?’

‘Not really, but… You don’t think it’s something to do with…?’

‘If it was, wouldn’t I have been hearing it all week?’

June shrugged. ‘We don’t really know enough about it. Maybe there’s some of it that hangs around even when you’re you.’

‘If it does, it would have been nice if it’d fixed my eyesight.’

~~~

‘Ow! Damn!’ Penny lifted her thumb to her mouth and sucked. ‘Also,’ she mumbled around her thumb, ‘it’d have been nice if it’d fixed my ham-fistedness.’

‘Cut yourself?’ June asked, heading for the drawer where they kept the band aids. Penny cut herself with a kitchen knife, on average, about once a week.

‘Uh-huh. Maybe I should shift when I’m home. We’d save a fortune on medical products.’ She held out her bleeding thumb so that June could wrap a blue sticking plaster over the wound.