B1 — 7. Changed

Rachel listened to the conversations around the base as Maria looked at her expectantly.  

“Give me a second to process this,” she muttered, still dealing with the frustration of letting Marcus and Daran escape.

She frowned as Scarlet stirred in the opposite room; the Vampire paused for a moment after sitting up, giving a troubled hum while staring their way.

Rachel’s tail stiffened as Scarlet vanished, and she did her best to hide her troubled mind with a smile, knowing what was coming next; Scarlet appeared from a shroud of shadows on the bed, a bright smile showing her fangs.

“Hey, Rachel.  What’s up with the snowflake next to you?”

Maria jumped, looking at Scarlet with panic as she caught sight of the girl’s black and red eyes.  “¿que demonios?”

[What the hell?]

Rachel sighed, scratching the side of her head.  “Hey, Scarlet, did you get enough sleep?”

“No,” she groaned, falling to the bed.  “There was a bunch of noise that woke me up.  There are so many people running around, and I sense a lot of emotion.  What’s goin’ on?”  She hummed, licking her black lips.

“Liebre blanca,” Maria snapped her fingers in front of Rachel’s face.  “Oye, who’s this chica demonio?”

[White Hare, hey, who’s this demon girl?]

Scarlet’s head tilted slightly.  “Oh, is she Hispanic?”

Pulling her hair to the front, Rachel sat against the wall with a groan, adjusting the end of her medical gown.  “Maria, the Unicorn, meet Scarlet, the Vampire.”

“Ah, okay, okay,” Scarlet nodded enthusiastically.  “I see, so, she’s Mythickin, like us.  Unicorn, huh?  Pretty cool, pretty cool.  But, uh—where’s her horn?”

“Mande?  This chica’s a Vampire?  En serio, a Vampiro?”

[What?  This girl’s a Vampire?  Seriously, Vampire?]

Rachel nodded.  “Yup, she’s a Vampire, and you know, I was wondering the same thing.  Do you have a horn, Maria?”

“Tch,” Maria huffed.  “It glows when I use my powers; it’s like a bright light that appears on my head, or some shit.”

Scarlet crossed her legs before sucking on her lower lip, left fang poking out.  “Cool.  You know, I wonder what Unicorns taste like...”

Maria recoiled.  “¿Qué dijiste?  ¡Aléjate de mí, demonio!”

[What did you say?  Get away from me, Demon!]

Giggling, Scarlet winked, eyes returning to normal.  “I’m only kidding with you, jeez!  Lighten up—besides, your blood doesn’t smell that appealing, to be honest.”

Rachel’s mood started to lift with Scarlet’s joking introduction, but her features fell to explain the situation.  “It doesn’t look so good, Scarlet.”

Lips tilting, Scarlet cocked her head.  “Oh—what happened?”

“My little hermano was kidnapped by some hijo de puta!”  Maria spat.

[hermona i.e., brother; son of a bitch]

“I see,” Scarlet’s tongue played with one of her fangs.  “This all happened while I was sleeping?”

Rachel grimaced, combing her hair out with her fingers; the fine locks slid through her fingers like water.  “Yeah, I pushed them into a corner, but they were able to get away.”

Scarlet nodded with an interested hum.  “Alright, I get it.  So—what’s the plan?”  She yawned.  “I’m still exhausted, by the way.”

Nodding, Rachel took a deep breath.  “Right,” she glanced over at Maria with pursed lips.

“What?”  She snapped.

“You aren’t going to like this … I think we should wait ‘till nightfall.”

“Mande?  You know my hermano is in the follando hands of those bastardos locos, and you want to espera hasta más tarde?”

[Say again?; my brother is in the freakin’ hands of those crazy bastards, and you want to wait until later?]

“Hear me out,” Rachel groaned.  “You always jump to conclusions!  Look, I need to test out how my powers are affected by sunlight.  Not only that, but Scarlet, a super-powerful Vampire,” she pointed as Scarlet grinned, waving at Maria, “can’t function during the day and is exhausted.  If we go into their base, that they think they’re basically invincible in, half-cocked, we’ll be eaten alive—you can’t even fight.”

Maria’s nose twisted in disgust as she glared at the floor.  “You think I’m happy about that?  Tons of people get all sorts of strong powers, and I get a useless ability that can’t even stop my little harmeno from being kidnapped.  No—it’s the reason they targeted him, dammit!”  Her face flushed with frustration.  “I don’t want to rely on you—I don’t!”  She yelled.

Rachel frowned as her shout caught the attention of a few of the soldiers, but they ignored it as nothing followed.  “I hate it,” Maria whispered, “but I know I have to put my trust in you, chica.  Why couldn’t I get your kind of powers, huh?”  She muttered bitterly.

Scarlet’s cheeks brightened.  “Wait, does that mean you’re going to storm some kidnappers’ base tonight, and you want me to come?”

“I don’t want to put you in danger,” Rachel looked down, tone low.

“Mh-uh,” Scarlet shook her head.  “You know, ever since that ice-man, I’ve had this feeling in my chest ... I know it doesn’t sound flattering, but I felt so excited scaring him—and it helped me forget things.  Ever since I changed, all I’ve felt was scared, hungry, and depressed, but that feeling ... I want to feel that again!  I just want to feel something else,” she whispered, cheer dampening while rubbing her left arm.

A groan left Rachel’s throat as she leaned up against the wall.  “By the way, how old are all of you?  I’m nineteen; I was starting my third term of college when all this happened.”

“Oh,” Maria sniffed.  “A college girl, okay.  I’m twenty-two, I’m the leader of my block; make sure everyone’s fed and got enough to get by.”

Rachel smiled a little.  “I guess you aren’t so bad.”

Maria looked away.  “No necesito tu aprobación.”

[I don’t need your approval.]

Her vision shifted to Scarlet as the Vampire’s smile returned.  “I’m eighteen; no job after finishing high school.”

Rachel’s eyebrow rose at her statement.  Not ashamed in the least ... her parents are okay with that?  On that note, I don’t know much at all about her family.  I guess I shouldn’t push it if she isn’t talking about it, though.

“Who needs high school,” Maria huffed.  “Las instituciones están ahí para mantenerte deprimido.”

[Institutions are there to keep you down]

“Right,” Rachel breathed.  “Okay, so, here’s my thoughts; first, Scarlet and I need new clothes ... every time I move, I fear this gown’s going to rip right off me.”

She glanced down at her garments, muttering, “I’m just glad these new medical gowns are a lot more secure than the ones I’ve seen in the movies.  After that, we need to get quite a few blood bags for Scarlet.”

Scarlet’s eyes lit up.  “For real!  I like that part,” she nodded, licking her lips with anticipation.  “I wonder what it’ll be like with multiple people’s blood in me?”

Rachel breathed through her teeth.  “Yeah, that might be bad ... I didn’t think about that part.  Umm, we’ll have to test that out.  Next, I think we need rest...”

“And you could use a shower,” Scarlet said, holding her nose.  “That chemical bath did you no favors.”

Chuckling a little, Rachel nodded.  “Alright, that might be good.  We also need to get some food ... I’m feeling a bit famished right now.”

“Already ate,” Maria said, sitting back in a chair with a grunt.

“Okay, well, I think that’s a good start.  Once we get that done, then we can sneak out and rescue your little brother.  I’ve already heard a lot about his gang; I’m pretty sure I can locate his hideout.”

They both nodded, and Scarlet stretched.  “Wonderful.  I’ll go back and sleep then,” she winked at Rachel.  “Just put those blood bags under my bed, and I’ll feast when I wake-up.”  When she nodded, Scarlet vanished in shadows; she heard her appear in her previous room, throwing back the blankets to snuggle into bed.

“She can just do that whenever?”  Maria asked with an impressed expression, looking at the spot Scarlet had been.

Rachel shrugged.  “Not a clue; it certainly seems that way ... as long as she has the energy.”

“Well, damn.”  Maria was silent for a moment, studying Rachel.  “Why are you helping me?  We just met, and I know I’m not the most likable person.  Sé que puedo ser una perra.”

[I know I can be a bitch]

Cracking her neck, Rachel hummed lowly before pressing a hand against her chest, reflecting on her recent decisions.  “Honestly, I don’t know; I have this feeling in my chest.  How do I explain it?  Maybe it has to do with my change, but I feel different—it’s like a sense of pride, I think.  When did it start?”

The answer came instantly from the strange knowledge she’d experienced before, downloading into her mind.  “Since I first changed … I mean, I didn’t feel it was that strong until I saw Scarlet subdue that guy with the ice powers ... when she passed out, it grew a little while protecting her.

“It was like … I felt the drive to measure up to her—her casual ease at dominating a situation—now,” she sighed.  “I found out she wasn’t serious about life before becoming a Vampire—I was always serious … always.”

Maybe it’s because I’ve always been trying to measure up to Nam.

“It was the strongest right after Daran and Marcus escaped ... frustration…”

For some reason, she couldn’t say failure; her tongue locked for a moment, and she felt like she’d rather bite her own tongue off than admit to someone that she’d lost.

Everything I’ve felt from my family just exploded in me—now that I think back.

“I guess I’m just pissed they got away ... I don’t know how to feel about that—about myself.”

She was a little surprised to find Maria’s smile growing as she explained.  “I can accept that—I’m pissed too.  Don’t overthink it.  Joder a esos bastardos; el karma es una perra.”  Stretching, she frowned.  “Know what my gang’s doing?”

[Screw those bastards; karma’s a bitch]

Listening for a moment, Rachel lifted to her feet.  “Still don’t understand Spanish, by the way.”

“Shit … eh, it’s just a habit,” she growled, running her fingers through her hair while spreading it out across her back.

“It’s cool,” Rachel shrugged, “just sayin’.  Eh, your gang?  Most of them are still knocked out; some staff found them and are trying to treat their injuries.”

“They’re hurt,” she said with a deep frown.  “Shit … I guess I’ll go over and heal them.”  

She huffed, looking back as she reached the door.  “And, uh—thanks, Rachel,” she muttered, eyes locked on the door.  “Dammit … fine, I’ll try and help out a bit with the injured ... but I’m not goin’ to strain myself.”  She growled before walking off.

Well, not like I really mind either way, now, but okay.  I suppose it would help us get a more positive image.

“Ma’am,” one of the soldiers said, running after her.  “I’ll be escorting you around the facility.”

“¡Chale!  I said I wouldn’t run off—fine, bastardos molestos.”

[Chale i.e., a term used to show disagreement or disapproval of something or some idea. Means the same thing as 'hell no' or 'hell na. '; pesky bastards]

Brushing her hair back over her shoulders, Rachel eased the tension in her neck, pondering her shifting attitude.

I don’t feel bad at all about nearly killing Marcus ... I’m actually pissed I didn’t kill him.  It does have something to do with my change—it told me itself, but I can’t be certain I wouldn’t feel the same way before if something like that happened.  Somehow, I’m doubting my own mind before The Oscillation ... this is some kind of Lunar Hare pride that’s swelling within me.  I want a rematch ... I want to win, but I’ve always been like that.

“Hmm…”  Stretching out her back and chest, Rachel got into her Muay Thai stance, springing on her lead and back foot while keeping her back heel up.

She alternated, pushing the air from her lungs in sharp hisses, swapping to a knee, roundhouse kick, block, back elbow, block, uppercut, jab. The force of her attacks shifted the air around the room, utensils and paper shifting softly around the space; it wasn’t nearly as strong as when she’d gone for the kill on Marcus and Daran, but still powerful.

Roger peeked into the room as Rachel slowed down, taking a deep breath as she flexed her fingers.  He chuckled, leaning against the wall, lips saying he was impressed.  “That’s quite somethin’; you move faster than any fighter I’ve ever seen.  It’s like I was watching a hurricane just now.”

Rachel sighed before rotating her arm.  “My body feels a little strained, to be honest ... I was afraid of that.”

“Huh,” Roger clicked his tongue.  “What do you mean?”

“I met someone that helped me understand a bit more about my abilities; a cat Beastkin.  I’m agility based; I have massive burst potential, but my stamina won’t last long.”  She hummed.  “I need to train; although, Muay Thai’s good for that.”

She smiled, throwing a sharp jab.  “I don’t think I can train with someone, though; going at a human’s pace, I could last forever.  I’ll have to think of somethin’; who knows, maybe my coach could still whip my ass,” she giggled, thinking back on her time spent with Rock.

“I see,” Roger muttered.  “So, you do practice a martial art.  No wonder you can pack so much punch; you know the techniques to maximize your power.”

She heard Richard and Julia exit the room, studying the scene in silence; it seemed as if they’d stayed inside until the soldiers told them it was safe to come out.  “Thanks for the support,” Rachel said, passing Roger.

“Of course,” he muttered, looking after her as she went to join the scientists.

“Richard,” Julia said, studying the mess of papers and medical supplies lying all across the floor.  “All of this happened in like seconds, right?”

Richard nodded.  “Indeed—oh, Ms. Park.  Thank you for repelling those terrorists.  I heard that they ended up kidnapping the poor brother of Ms. Espinar.  Are you okay?”

Grimacing at the mess her whirlwind had created, she nodded.  “Yeah, they’re trying to question her right now about the gang to better understand what they’re dealing with.  She’s cooperating now, and I think I’m okay.  My body is starting to feel a little strained, but nothing I’m not used to.”

She added an innocent smile.  “I actually had some thoughts I wanted to run by you.  Mind sitting down with me?”

They both glanced at each other.  “Umm, sure!”  Julia’s attitude brightened.  “It’s what we’re here for, anyway.”

“Great,” Rachel returned, nodding toward the junction.  “Why don’t we go into one of these other rooms down the hall.”

They followed her to a room, and she shut the door to minimize the chance their conversation would be overheard.  They sat before Rachel began, shifting her hair over her shoulder.  “I’d like to test a few things and run some thoughts by you.”

“Okay,” Richard hummed, taking out his tablet PC.  “Shoot.”

“I think it would be a good idea to gather quite a few blood bags for Scarlet to test her personality changes.”

“What do you mean?”  Julia asked, leaning forward.

Richard cleared his throat.  “Can I deviate a little?”  Sitting back, Rachel’s brow furrowed, but she nodded.  “Wonderful.”  He paused for a moment.  “Rachel, how are you feeling?”

“Excuse me?  I—don’t know what you mean by that.”

“I mean, after the confrontation.  I heard that one of the terrorists had some kind of shielding ability and that you smashed it, and just before almost crushing him, his brother teleported them away.  How are you feeling after that incident?”

“I see,” she muttered, glancing down to show she was reflecting.

This is a probe into my psyche.  He’s wondering about my mental state after committing to the kill.  He is an MD at psychiatry; he must be tasked with figuring out our state of mind to determine if we’re a threat like other Mythickin.  Should I be truthful about my feelings?

He’s probably well trained in detecting lies, but this could be a good test at my own ability to redirect while being truthful.  It’s all about framing.  Painting myself as a cold blooded killer, not that I am, wouldn’t give me the best image.  I need to be careful how I proceed, for my family and my sake.

Her features gradually became more relaxed.  “Oh, I think I understand where you’re going!  Umm—I’ve trained in Muay Thai since I was in eighth grade; I’m no stranger to confrontations, but I was a little surprised that I didn’t hesitate to rescue Felix, even by deadly force.  Sometimes I would lie in bed, thinking how I’d react if someone pulled a gun on me, and I guess I know now,” she chuckled.

“I heard quite a few things about them from Military transmissions, too.  They were terrorists and killed a lot of people; I didn’t want that to happen to someone right in front of me.  Since becoming a Lunar Hare, I have noticed a change in my personality.  I’m calmer—a girl I know said I was more composed, if that makes sense.

“I think it’s connected to my Muay Thai training, as well … decide, commit, act, succeed, repeat.  There might be a link with how I’ve lived my life, but it was an action I took in the heat of the moment.”  It wasn’t the full truth but wasn’t a lie.

He nodded, writing down what she’d said.  “How do you feel about almost killing him, though?”

Rachel kept her features reflective.  “Honestly, I don’t know what to think of it—I’m surprised by my transformation.  I wasn’t thinking about it at that moment.  I do remember the slap that Daran gave Felix; that was the moment that triggered me to act,” she whispered, scratching the base of her left ear; the sensation was relieving.  “I didn’t want him to get hurt anymore—and seeing Maria’s desperation, too…”  She trailed off.

“Alright,” Richard said with a frown.  “I—Rachel, don’t take this the wrong way, but something’s bugging me.”

“Hmm?”  Her head tilted.  “What’s that?”

“Your composure—it’s true.  The way you talk—it’s hard to read ... especially your eyes—which are unique, for sure, but—there’s something else there, but it’s just out of reach.  I’ve sat with a great many people, but there’s something—unnerving in you.  Not necessarily in a bad way, but something burning underneath.  I want to say there’s rage, but I don’t see it.”

“Hmm,” Rachel sucked in her lower lip, glancing at Julia as she watched with interest.  “I—was angry at Daran and Marcus.  Is that what you see?  They were saying and doing some pretty messed-up things.”

“See,” Richard muttered.  “Right there ... you say that, but I don’t see it—yet I can feel something.  I’ve never experienced this before.  It’s just perplexing,” he sighed.

It would be best to deflect the conversation, but how to do it inconspicuously?  I do feel rage; now that he mentions it.  I feel like I should have been able to do better; I failed, and that eats at me.

The silence stretched for several uncomfortable seconds as Richard studied her.

She had to focus to keep up the mask.  “Umm, Richard, Julia,” she gave them a nervous laugh, trying to draw their attention to her clothes.  “Now, with you looking at me … I know you probably have a lot of questions—but, umm—I’m really starting to feel like this medical gown ... just won’t do.”  She mumbled, plucking the hem.  “You know … after everything.”

Richard’s frown deepened.  “What do you mean?”

“Oh, my…” Julia’s face dawned with understanding.  “You’ve had to fight in it twice within such a short time ... you don’t even have any undergarments, do you?”  She whispered.  

“I’m so sorry!”  She briskly rose to her feet, “Why don’t we go look at the clothing some of the churches and relief parties have brought.”

“Ah,” Richard breathed a long sigh, sitting back.  “That’s what you meant, huh?  I can certainly see why you would feel uncomfortable after all of that—tense, being so exposed.  It just struck you, though … huh.  You wanted to talk about Scarlet and a few tests, though?”

Rachel nodded as she lifted from her chair, knowing he still felt something was off.  “Yes,” she flushed a little, trying to think of embarrassing things to keep up the mask.  “Scarlet also mentioned that I—uh, I smelled of chemicals—she suggested I take a shower.”

“Of course,” Julia nodded with an understanding smile.

“Right,” Richard mumbled.

“For the tests,” Rachel continued.  “I think I’d like to see how my strength compares in sunlight, in comparison to the moonlight and without sun or moonlight.”

He slowly nodded.  “That’s—a good question to consider.  Okay,” he rose.  “You go get freshened up, and we can begin some tests; we can discuss your thoughts on bringing multiple blood packs for Scarlet during that time, as well.”

“Thank you,” Rachel said, an innocent smile returning before following Julia, beckoning her with an enthusiastic shine.

“Let’s see what clothes we can find to match you!”  Julia hummed, studying her with a critical eye.  “I wish we could find a Japanese sailor outfit for you—oh, with a red tie!  You’d look so cute,” she fantasized.

Rachel giggled a little as she followed.  “As long as it fits me.”

I really have changed a lot ... I’m manipulating them to get what I want, but I don’t care.  It’s not like I’m hurting them or anyone else—that matters, but I know that they’ll try to stop me if they heard my plan.  They’d be a lot more cautious of me if I let them know how I really feel ... I can’t let it go.  I didn’t start this fight, but I will finish it.