By RPG (Again he did not get Raven right and Stitch was not a peeping tom.)<\/p>\n
Matt Doppler\u2019s Story
\nIn the world of \u2018normals\u2019, those not born with a genetic anomaly, it has long been assumed that the manifestation of a mutant generally occurred with the onset of puberty. That was not always the case.<\/p>\n
A huge, cold, wet, nose pressed against the child\u2019s mouth and sniffed, followed by an equally huge, slobbery tongue.
\nLittle Andy Doppler giggled as the family\u2019s Golden Retriever tried his best to remove all possible taste of baby food from his younger brother Matt\u2019s face. Tiny hands grabbed the dog\u2019s ears and held him in place and for a moment the toddler and dog locked eyes.
\n\u201cPUPPY!\u201d shrieked Andy just as his mother entered the room.
\nShe dropped the baby bottle and stared at the two dogs before her, one the seventy-five pound Carrot the other … about the size of an eleven-month-old toddler and wearing a diaper. If Matt\u2019s mother had thought keeping up with a toddler was hard, she quickly discovered keeping up with a toddler in the shape of a thirty-pound Golden Retriever was even harder.
\nThough both of his parents were taken aback by this sudden development, as could be expected, they managed without too much of a stumble.
\nFor the first couple of years, Matt\u2019s changes remained focused on the Golden Retriever as he was most familiar with the breed thanks to Carrot and this proved to be a good thing as no one in the family had considered the \u2018conservation of mass\u2019 inherent with shape shifting. That problem did not manifest until Matt was nine and weighed 75 pounds.
\nUntil that point, Matt had been satisfied with his dog as a model and it was very easy to hide this power from the neighbors by simply attributing any sightings of a Golden Retriever to Carrot, the new cat in neighborhood, however, turned into a problem.<\/p>\n
Nine year-old Matt lay in the shade beside Carrot, at that moment, in his own skin. The dog, content, flicked an ear and barely raised an eyebrow when a cat began a tightrope walk along the top of the fence. The movement, rather, caught Matt\u2019s attention. Sitting up the boy considered the cat.
\n\u201cThink I can be a cat, Carrot?\u201d he asked with a grin. \u201cYou could chase me around the yard!\u201d
\nPointed ears appeared first and rapidly spread down the length of his body, ending in a very long, slim tail. Though he lifted his head, Carrot\u2019s nose wasn\u2019t fooled and with a long-suffering doggy sigh he flopped back down.
\nCat Matt looked up at the fence, the cat was gone. Things felt very different, he decided. For one thing, he couldn\u2019t smell everything up wind of him, most things, sure, but not to the degree he\u2019d been able to as a dog.
\nAnother thing, his sight was different, and he could see some colors. Also, he squinted, the sun was much brighter. Coming up to all fours he stretched experimentally, arching his back and sinking claws into the turf of the lawn. That was new too. Claws. He flexed his \u2018hand\u2019s and inch and a half long claws popped out.
\nHe considered the fence a moment then easily vaulted to the top where he found the 2 x 4 top rail barely wide enough for his new paws. His neighbor was in her backyard and stood open-mouthed for a moment before she screamed and dashed into the house. Several people stepped out onto their back porches to see what the fuss was and just as quickly ducked back into the house, locking doors.
\n\u2018Uh-oh,\u2019 Matt said to himself, and dropped into his own yard hitting the ground as Matt.
\nGrabbing Carrot by the collar, he all but hauled the dog bodily into the house, plopped down in front of the TV, and tried to ignore the sounds of approaching sirens.<\/p>\n
On the TV news that night, reporters on all the local channels interview the nearly dozen people that had seen the cougar perched atop a fence, each absolutely sure it was a cougar. An orange tabby cougar.<\/p>\n
\u201cMatt,\u201d his father said, taking a seat on the couch beside him. \u201cYou have a new form, don\u2019t you?\u201d
\nThe boy looked sheepish and nodded.
\n\u201cI didn\u2019t mean to,\u201d he said. \u201cThat cat just got me thinking.\u201d
\n\u201cBut a cougar?\u201d His father scowled.
\nMatt shook his head.
\n\u201cNo, the orange cat, not a cougar.\u201d
\n\u201cThat was a mighty big house cat by reports,\u201d his dad said. \u201cYou better stick to Carrot, okay?\u201d
\nMatt nodded again. \u201cI will.\u201d<\/p>\n
I touched the holographic screen and it vanished.
\n\u201cYou look like a cat that swallows a cannery,\u201d Raven said watching my reflection in the bay window over my desk.
\n\u201cCanary, little elf,\u201d I pushed back the chair. \u201cI need to make a run up to Detroit.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat is it?\u201d She was concerned, as always.
\n\u201cNothing serious,\u201d I told her. \u201cI think we have a new manifestation, a shape-shifter.\u201d
\n\u201cWhy do you think so?\u201d she asked, insinuating her way into my arms. The top of her head barely reached my chest.
\n\u201cBecause there are no orange tabby pumas in Michigan,\u201d I explained.
\n\u201cWhere ARE orange tabby pumas?\u201d She looked up at me out of the tops of her eyes.
\nI smiled.
\n\u201cWe don\u2019t make pumas in orange tabby versions,\u201d I said. \u201cThey are usually a tawny buff with a white chest and a black mask. Also, Michigan is more lynx country.\u201d
\n\u201cSo it must be a cat person?\u201d
\n\u201cOr a shape-shifter,\u201d I agreed.
\nTwo hours later, Matthew Doppler, age nine, was on my RADAR.<\/p>\n
Thirteen year-old Matt sat between his mother and sister watching the movie. He really had not wanted to go. He would rather have been watching Animal Planet but his mother had insisted. Slouched down in the seat, he munched popcorn and glared at the screen.
\nIdly, as he watched the blue koala like creature seemingly suck into his body an extra pair of arms, Matt wondered if he could duplicate the appearance of a cartoon creature. Probably not.
\nHis sister leaned over and grabbed a handful of popcorn.
\n\u201cWhy don\u2019t you do Stitch?\u201d she asked in a whisper.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s a cartoon!\u201d he said. \u201cIt ain\u2019t real.\u201d
\nThus began his sister Hannelore\u2019s campaign for Stitch. She was unmerciful. At first, the occasional \u2018please\u2019 then a little begging, followed by puppy dog eyes then tears. Finally, she threw a fit, right in the living room, while both parents were out. It was amazing how much noise a single ten year-old girl could make and Matt could imagine what it must sound like to the neighbors, like she was getting murdered! He gave in.
\n\u201cOKAY!\u201d he shouted. \u201cI\u2019ll TRY!\u201d
\nShe thrust a stuffed Stitch doll at him.
\n\u201cJust like this one!\u201d she demanded.
\nMatt heaved a long-suffering sigh and took the doll, staring at every detail then closed his eyes. He could feel his body shift. It was like melting.
\n\u201cNo,\u201d Hanner\u2019s said when the melting stopped. \u201cYou\u2019re TOO big!\u201d
\nSure enough, Stitch Matt was just as tall as always but … he had Stitch feet … and hands. Excited he bounded over to the mirror and promptly knocked over a table, the lamp smashing on impact. He never noticed.
\nMatt brought a hand (paw) up to his nose, his black button nose. He felt the huge ears and wiggled them, bringing a spate of giggles from his sister.
\n\u201cYou gotta be smaller!\u201d she demanded. \u201cThis tall!\u201d
\nShe held up a hand to indicate her requirements. It was about fourteen inches off the floor.
\n\u201cI can\u2019t shrink that small,\u201d he complained.
\n\u201cEver try?\u201d Hanner\u2019s said.
\nMatt thought about it.
\n\u201cWell, no … \u201c
\n\u201cThen this tall,\u201d she made an imperious gesture with her hand at the proper height.
\nMatt sighed and closed his eyes.
\nAgain he felt the melt and he seemed to \u2018compress\u2019.
\n\u201cYEAH!\u201d Hanner\u2019s tackled him, or tried to.
\nIt was like hitting a fireplug. She sorta bounced off him.
\n\u201cHey!\u201d she climbed to her feet and rubbed her shoulder. \u201cYou\u2019re too heavy! How am I gonna pick you up and cuddle you if you weight a ton?!\u201d
\n\u201cI am the height YOU wanted,\u201d he snapped.
\n\u201cGet lighter!\u201d she demanded. \u201cI gotta be able to pick you up!\u201d
\nMatt snorted.
\n\u201cI can\u2019t get lighter,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat do I do, think I am a balloon?\u201d
\nHe imagined Stitch as a balloon and he expanded like one, a large void of air forming inside of him as his body thinned out in places.
\n\u201cNot bigger!\u201d Hannelore complained.
\nThen something clicked<\/p>\n
Being carried around by a girl all day, cuddled and cooed over, might be a great thing, Matt figured. IF the girl wasn\u2019t your annoying sister.<\/p>\n
Stitch clung to the overhead piping like a monkey and stared down at the myriad of girls in various states of undress. He had only been hoping for a peek into the girls shower room and had never expected to find the open window so high up. For the fourteen year old, it was like dying and going to Heaven. Everywhere he looked, girls. Then the insulation covering the pipe he clung to gave way and he landed hard on his back.
\nFor an instant, there was the expected female reaction, a few screams, a lot of bodies disappearing behind towels, and then everything froze.
\n\u201cIt that Stitch?\u201d a girl said, stepping closer.
\nMatt took the hint and sat up, rubbing his head.
\n\u201cThat HURT,\u201d he said in his best Stitchy voice.
\nBlinking, as if suddenly aware of his surroundings he came to all fours and growled at the girls like a little dog. Not one believed he was going to attack. They\u2019d seen the movie.
\n\u201cBark, bark,\u201d he said.
\nOne girl, probably a senior, stepped closer and put her hands on her hips.
\n\u201cYou\u2019re not scaring anyone,\u201d she told him.
\n\u201cUh-oh,\u201d he said looking around the circle of girls as if seeking escape.
\nHe jumped to the bench that ran between the rows of lockers, doing his stiff-legged Stitch impression, and growled. From there he made a leap at the top of the lockers but just \u2018missed\u2019 and found his hind legs scrambling to get purchase and pull himself up.
\nNervous laughter made him look back over his shoulder, dangling by his front claws. Not one of the girls seemed on the verge of panic or calling for help. He made a last effort and pulled himself to the top, then propped down on his butt and scanned the group, his head lowered between his shoulders, his attitude dejected.
\n\u201cRats,\u201d he Stitched.
\nHe had waited to attempt his infiltration until after school, after the girl\u2019s volleyball team had finished practice. He figured no one would be in a huge hurry to get to their next class and he\u2019d been right. All ten of the girls on the team were captivated by the little blue ball of fuzz.
\nHeaving a heavy Stitchy sigh, he weaved a paw in front of them.
\n\u201cYou saw nothing!\u201d he Stitched.
\nEveryone giggled.
\n\u201cYour Jedi mind tricks don\u2019t work on us,\u201d one girl said.
\nMatt groaned dramatically and flopped over on his back, purposely banging his head on the locker top. Coming up onto one elbow, he rubbed his head.
\n\u201cOuch!\u201d
\n\u201cAre you really a Stitch?\u201d a girl asked, pulling on a pair of glasses and peering at him.
\n\u201cIt could be an evil paranormal,\u201d another said.
\n\u201cOh, what, invading a girls locker room for our secret volleyball plans?\u201d
\n\u201cMore like to get a look at us naked!\u201d
\n\u201cIt\u2019s a BLUE koala,\u201d one declared. \u201cJust how excited is it gonna get watching a bunch of naked human girls?\u201d
\n\u201cMaybe it\u2019s an alien come to take over the world,\u201d a voice suggested. \u201cLike in the movie.\u201d
\n\u201cYeah, it\u2019s SO powerful it can\u2019t jump to the top of the lockers!\u201d
\nGiggles.
\n\u201cThink it would bite if I pet it?\u201d one dared, stepping closer.
\nStitch sat up and stared at her balefully, actually shrinking back as she approached.
\n\u201cYou\u2019re scaring it!\u201d one said.
\n\u201cThere, you see, NOT an invading alien!\u201d
\nThe closest one slowly reached out a hand as if to let him sniff it. He came to all fours and obliged. She smelled like soap. He sneezed.
\n\u201cHe\u2019s allergic to you, Ally!\u201d
\nEveryone laughed. With a sigh of defeat, Matt sat on his haunches and hung his head. He tried to look VERY pitiful and by the \u2018ahhs\u2019 coming from the group, it was working.
\n\u201cWhere are you from?\u201d someone asked.
\nHe rolled his eyes toward the ceiling.
\n\u201cUp there,\u201d he Stitched, which was technically true if you meant the pipes in the overhead.
\nThe nearest stepped up and lifted him off the locker top, cradling him in her arms like an infant.
\n\u201cPoor thing,\u201d she cooed.
\nThat was all it took. They ALL wanted to hold him.<\/p>\n
Ten minutes later the coach came in, wondering what was taking so long and found the girls gathering their equipment bags and whispering.
\n\u201cLet\u2019s go LADIES,\u201d the coach yelled. \u201cWe should have been out of here fifteen minutes ago!\u201d
\nAs the girls filed past the other woman failed to note the weighty bag her tallest player had slung over her shoulder. Outside, the team scattered, disappearing in various directions as normal. This time, once the coach drove off, they returned and gathered near the only small stand of trees on school grounds.
\nStitch popped out of the bag and disentangled himself from sweaty girl things then stood on his hind legs and peered around.
\n\u201cCity,\u201d he muttered then sneezed.
\n\u201cYou gonna be okay,\u201d one girl asked.
\n\u201cOkay!\u201d he repeated scanning the group surrounding him.
\n\u201cWhere will you go,\u201d someone asked.
\n\u201cSomewhere,\u201d he Stitched then ducked between legs and scampered up into the trees.<\/p>\n
That night Matt lay on his bed with his hands clasped behind his head and stared at the ceiling. This was going to be fun.<\/p>\n
To come at a problem when not in crisis mode was something of an abnormality for me. Over the past few weeks I\u2019d been racing Genocide to save the targets of their current campaign, usually getting there just in time for clean up. Fortunately Spock and I are very fast and without exception my team and I had managed to snatch nearly a dozen newly emergent mutants from beneath the claws of one Minuteman robot after another. The most difficult thing about it wasn\u2019t being the last to arrive; it was convincing the target\u2019s parents to allow their child to attend the new Academy. My target for that day wasn\u2019t in response to a Genocide attack, or even a perceived attack, it was a preemptive strike.<\/p>\n
Matt dropped his legs off the back of the couch and grumbled as he trudged to the front door. It was Saturday and his parents had taken Hanners to Wal-Mart with them for the weekly shopping. His older brother, Andy, has enlisted in the Navy and was currently slogging through boot camp so he had the house to himself for a couple hours and planned to spend it lounging around watching TV.
\nThe first couple of buzzes from the doorbell he could ignore, but at the final, sustained noise at last irritated him into movement. As he headed for the door from the living room he used his angle of approach to catch a glimpse of his uninvited and unwelcomed visitor. It made him stop.
\nA hard-looking man of about thirty with shaggy black hair dressed in a dark gray business suit made Matt think \u2018cop\u2019 and he hurriedly thought back on the last few days, seeking an instance where he might have drawn unwanted attention. Maybe one of the girls, probably that new one on the soccer team, had reported the strange little blue Stitch that had been hanging around their locker room for the last few months. What if one had followed him and seen him change?
\n\u201cCrap,\u201d he muttered and shifted into a huge Rottweiler.
\nRetreating from a new spate of chimes from the doorbell, he ducked out of the doggie door into the backyard. Carrot raised his head and sniffed but satisfied with the identity of the new dog, settled his chin back on his crossed paws and returned to doggie dreams. Rottweiler Matt circled the house, easily clearing the six-foot privacy fence at the side of the yard. Peeking around the corner of the house he saw the front porch was empty and relaxed.
\n\u201cWhat a beautiful Rottweiler,\u201d the man\u2019s voice made him jump and turn with teeth bared, ready to fight.
\nGreen eyes regarded him without flinching. Matt instinctively dropped his eyes.
\n\u201cOne hundred sixty pounds is huge even for a Rottweiler,\u201d the man said. \u201cConservation of mass, I surmise.\u201d
\nWhat the hell was this guy talking about? Matt growled.
\n\u201cStop that!\u201d the man snapped.
\nMatt did, more than a little surprise by the man\u2019s immunity to being confronted by a huge, mean-looking dog.
\n\u201cWhy don\u2019t we take this into the house,\u201d the man said unhooking the gate and pushing it open. \u201cOr at least the backyard.\u201d
\nThis time Carrot did come to his feet and approached the intruder wearily. The man squatted and held out a hand to the Golden Retriever. Rottweiler Matt circled around behind Carrot to face the man. The spring on the gate slammed it closed.
\n\u201cIts okay, fella,\u201d the man said to the dog. \u201cI\u2019m here to help not hurt.\u201d
\nThe traitor, Carrot, sniffed the outstretched hand then moved in for a thorough ear-scratching ending up on his back for a belly rub. The man eyed the Rottweiler.
\n\u201cDon\u2019t expect me to do the same for you, Matt,\u201d he said.
\nMatt blinked, taken-aback.
\n\u201cYes, I know what you are,\u201d the man said patting Carrot a final time before standing. \u201cWe need to talk and there is little chance of getting a response from you in a form with improper vocal cords. Why don\u2019t you change back to human?\u201d<\/p>\n
I remained silent as the boy in the form of a dog digested what I had said. He sank to his haunches and watched me for a long minute before shifting into a lanky fifteen year-old boy with a shock of wild hair the color of walnut. I was surprised to see he was fully dressed.
\n\u201cWho are you?\u201d the boy demanded.
\n\u201cGhost Archer,\u201d I replied.
\n\u201cWhat do you want from me,\u201d Matt demanded.
\n\u201cNothing,\u201d Ghost Archer replied. \u201cI am here to offer you a place at a very exclusive private school.\u201d
\n\u201cWhy?\u201d
\nOf course Matt had heard of Ghost Archer, everyone on the planet had, but what was he doing so far from San Francisco? And how did he know who and what Matt was?
\n\u201cRecent events have forced me to take rather drastic action to protect young people like your self, and their families,\u201d he said. \u201cUntil now, I have always been behind in such invitations and it has cost several lives. I can no longer be reactive so I\u2019ve gone proactive.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d Matt hooked an arm around Carrot as the dog came over to lean against him.
\n\u201cFor the last few weeks an organization called Genocide has been systematically targeting young, emergent mutants like you,\u201d he said. \u201cThey have been sending their Minuteman robots out to capture or kill every mutant they can identify. You are on that list.\u201d
\n\u201cBut why?\u201d Matt was suddenly chilled and Carrot sensed his mood.
\n\u201cBecause we are different,\u201d Archer said.<\/p>\n
A chill ran down my spine and all thoughts of the boy vanished except in a peripheral sense. Something was coming.
\nWithout a word of warning, I pulled my combat gear from its \u2018stored state\u2019, the bow coming to my left hand. Stepping to the boy I jerked him to his feet by the collar, his face registering fear and shock. He stayed on his feet when I released my hold so grabbing him around the waist was easy and in seconds we were airborne.<\/p>\n
Matt had no idea what was happening when the man was suddenly clad in leather with a bow in one hand and he had no time to react when he was yanked to his feet. Then they were flying.<\/p>\n
\u201cTen miles out from target.\u201d Reported the first.
\n\u201cAttack plan Theta,\u201d replied the distant controller.
\nInstantly the trio separated by fifty meters to form a line abreast allowing them to sweep a wider front.
\n\u201cControl, be advised a second target has appeared,\u201d the center figure reported.
\n\u201cWhat do you mean \u2018appeared\u2019?\u201d came the response.
\n\u201cAppeared, literally,\u201d replied the center figure.
\n\u201cAttack plan Omega, Team Three,\u201d the controller commanded.
\n\u201cWilco,\u201d returned the team leader.
\nThree miles out the targets became airborne.<\/p>\n
\u201cKid,\u201d I said. \u201cCan you become something that can hold on tight to me so I can use both hands?\u201d
\nMatt\u2019s eyes where huge as we soared away.
\n\u201cYeah,\u201d he said. \u201cYeah, I can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stitch clung to the man like a limpet and used the strap of the quiver across the guy\u2019s back to climb around. Once situated, claws gripping the rigid leather with arrow fletching tickling his nose, Matt had time to look around.
\nA trio of flying figures passed over his house. They were heading straight for them. Three against one. Time to run. Matt was horrified when Ghost Archer stopped.<\/p>\n
The little blue thing Matt had become clung to my quiver and freed my right hand for combat. Coming to a hover, I turned to face the oncoming. To my amazement it wasn\u2019t three of the gigantic Minutemen robots but a trio of Cyborg implanted humans, Genocide Rooks. It had been years since one had been fielded by the mutant hunters. I had assumed they had all been killed. Apparently the Black King had reinstituted the program.<\/p>\n
In the early days of Genocide, their masterminds understood it would be impossible to send \u2018normal\u2019 human beings up against the vastly more powerful paranormals and had to chosen utilize robots instead. The main problem with robots was expense. The secondary problem was some of their personnel wanted to battle the evil mutants personally, hence the Rook\/Knight programs.
\nVolunteers faced painful surgery in return for becoming nearly as powerful as their enemies. The program turned out to be one of Genocide\u2019s biggest recruitment points. Normals with the power of paranormals AND they got to hunt evil things. There were initial problems, mainly rejection of the bionic implants by the host body, but it never deterred the determined. Within a year, Knights and Rooks had become a mainstay of the Genocide forces. Most ended up dead or, after being captured and having the implants removed, crippled. The program faded after the capture of the scientists and doctors responsible, leaving only three survivors, one Rook and two Knights.<\/p>\n
Cognizant of our position, several thousand feet above Detroit, I headed north toward Lake Michigan, keeping my speed low to lure my three followers. Matt, in the form of a blue koala, clung to my back without a word. I was surprised by his composure. Not what I expected from a 15 year-old.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere we going?\u201d Matt had to raise his voice to be heard over the wind.
\nBelow he could see the lake shore approaching but as he looked back over his shoulder, he could also tell the three flying men were gaining.
\n\u201cSome place falling Genocide agents won\u2019t land on an innocent family having a picnic,\u201d Archer replied.
\nMatt nodded to himself. It was a good idea since they were moving away from his house and soon to be returning family.
\n\u201cThen what?\u201d Matt asked.
\n\u201cThen you hold on and I take them out,\u201d Archer said in an emotionless tone.
\n\u201cTake them out?\u201d Matt gulped.<\/p>\n
\u201cTarget Two identified as Ghost Archer,\u201d the leader of the team announced.
\n\u201cGHOST ARCHER!\u201d
\nIt was amazing how clearly the Southern accent came across the airwaves in just two words.
\n\u201cThis is the Black King,\u201d the voice continued. \u201cYou will kill that son of a bitch or die tryin\u2019!\u201d
\nThe team exchanged glances. This was why they had suffered the pain of conversion to cyborgs, to kill mutants like Ghost Archer, and whoever was with him.
\n\u201cWilco!\u201d the leader responded.
\n\u201cGive me visual and keep your mic open!\u201d the Black king commanded.
\n\u201cWilco!\u201d
\nSomewhere a 60\u201d plasma screen came to life, the picture centered on a distant figure.
\nThe Black King growled at the man on the monitor.<\/p>\n
The lakeshore had vanished over the horizon before Matt felt a change in Archer\u2019s speed. For a few moments he forgot to breathe as forward flight became a sudden elevator drop.
\n\u201cHHHHEEEEYYY!\u201d Matt screamed, not quite like a little girl.
\nArcher slowed to a stop several hundred feet above the lake\u2019s surface and turned to face the oncoming figures.
\n\u201cIf you fall, turn into a dolphin or something,\u201d he warned. \u201cOr a bird if you can.\u201d
\nA dolphin? A bird? Matt hadn\u2019t considered those as possible forms to take. He had to restrain himself from trying them out immediately. Instead he watched the approaching enemy over Archer\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n
Judging by the implants and armor, I was facing three Knights, the multi-purpose version of the cyborgs. They would be faster with long-range weapons rather than the up-close in your face power of the Rooks. Well, it wasn\u2019t like I was a novice at fighting from a distance. I drew a stun arrow from the quiver rather than one of the lethal rocket propelled versions. They were rabid anti-mutant killers, yes, but that didn\u2019t mean I had stoop to their tactics. I\u2019d try to put them out of commission first.
\nAs expected the trio began to separate in a typical pincer movement with the one on the left going high while the one on the right dropped toward the lake. The center one bore in like a heat-seeking missile. Fine, then he could go first.
\nThe arrow hit the bow and was nocked in a single fluid motion, a motion as natural to me as breathing. The bow came up and the two fingers I used to hold the string touched my right ear. A quick shift in targeting to compensate for the onshore breeze and … *thrum*<\/p>\n
The arrow just disappeared from the bow, drawn and shot so quickly Matt would have missed it if he had blinked. An instant later he saw the distant figure try to roll to the right. It was too little, too late.
\nBlue electricity sparked over the man and he faltered.
\n\u201cWOO-WHOO!\u201d Matt shouted, loosening his grip long enough to pump a Stitchy fist.
\nThe center figure plummeted toward the lake below but was conscious judging by the feeble movement of arms and legs.
\n\u201cHold still,\u201d Archer commanded as he drew another arrow from the quiver.
\nRather than watch the bowman\u2019s new target, the one coming in high, Matt turned his head and located the one below them. It was coming faster then he had expected, probably faster than Archer expected.
\n\u201cUm\u2026\u201d Matt Stitched.
\nHe heard the twang of the bowstring release followed by a sudden acceleration straight up. From Matt\u2019s point of view the approaching attacker would past directly below then and he had a sudden thought.<\/p>\n
\u201cDamnit,\u201d I swore softly as the weight on my back disappeared.
\nThe sudden upward maneuver had effectively dodged the third Knight but also dislodged my passenger. Turning to face the oncoming attack I was amazed to see a blue furry body riding the Cyborg like a cowboy. A short arm came up and slashed the Knight\u2019s back and I saw him falter. Again and again the clawed blue paw came up ripping away \u2018borg components as the Cyborg began to lose altitude and speed. I dove for the falling Genocide agent.<\/p>\n
Matt howled in delight as his Stitchy claws tore into the man\u2019s cybernetic implants. Curses changed to screams of pain as one particularly large piece was ripped free and discarded into the lake below. The Cyborg began to fall from the sky.
\n\u201cCrap,\u201d Matt said in his own voice. The lake was coming up fast and it looked cold … and deep … and a long way from shore.
\nHands caught him under the arms and jerked his hold free hard enough to bring a jolt of pain to his shoulder. Then they were away, the last of the Cyborg men splashing into the water just fifty feet below.
\n\u201cHome, Spock,\u201d the archer said. In seconds they stood in the center of a huge room with grey walls and white lines marking it off in a grid pattern, floor, ceiling and walls. On opposite walls where identical metal doors.
\n\u201cThis way,\u201d Archer gestured to one of the doors and Matt headed for it, not bothering to shift back to human.
\n\u201cWhere are we,\u201d he Stitched.
\n\u201cThe Valley,\u201d Archer replied. \u201cYou will be attending school here along with others like you.\u201d
\n\u201cLike me?\u201d Stitch Matt tilted his head.
\n\u201cNot exactly like you, but the entire school is for meta-humans, taught by meta-humans,\u201d the bowman replied.
\n\u201cMeta-human?\u201d
\n\u201cIn the news they call us mutants.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By RPG (Again he did not get Raven right and Stitch was not a peeping tom.) Matt Doppler\u2019s Story In the world of \u2018normals\u2019, those not born with a genetic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2282","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hero-games"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ravensplayland.com\/wpRAVEN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2282","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ravensplayland.com\/wpRAVEN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ravensplayland.com\/wpRAVEN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ravensplayland.com\/wpRAVEN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ravensplayland.com\/wpRAVEN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2282"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/ravensplayland.com\/wpRAVEN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2282\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2285,"href":"https:\/\/ravensplayland.com\/wpRAVEN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2282\/revisions\/2285"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ravensplayland.com\/wpRAVEN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ravensplayland.com\/wpRAVEN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ravensplayland.com\/wpRAVEN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}