The man known only as the Gladiator walked up and down the line of his charges. It was an eclectic bunch standing in Training Town. The cat-like Tigress was on one end of the line. Next to her were the newest recruits, the twins Tempest and Terra Fire. Nemesis came next, and she paid far more attention to Archangel's large white wings than to anything Gladiator was saying. The largest person in line was Sapphire. The seven-foot tall blue-skinned amazon towered over everyone else. Last was the hyperactive Turbo, who tried to stand in place, but did more bouncing than anything.
"Today's drills are some simple one-on-one duels," the Gladiator announced. "Tigress gets Terra Fire. Archangel is with Tempest. Nemesis and Turbo against Sapphire. Remember these are just mock-battles to hone your skills."
"So, what are we supposed to do?", Terra Fire asked.
"Rookies," the Tigress mumbled with a smirk. The nimble heroine gave Terra Fire a slap on the arm and leaped away. "Catch me if you can!"
"Hey!" Jason turned and ran after the Tigress and both were soon lost from sight.
Archangel shot into the air, Tempest following closely behind. "Try and keep up this time," the winged mutant taunted.
"Don't worry about me, feathers!" The two were quickly out of sight.
Turbo ran around Sapphire in a blur, raining down blow after blow on the Azurian. If they even bothered Sapphire, she showed no sign of it. Sapphire stuck her arm out and Turbo ran headlong into it. The speedster was dazed and staggered around Sapphire before collapsing to the ground.
"He's got a headache this big!", Nemesis cheerfully blurted out.
"You may attack me when ready," Sapphire told the pink-clad Nemesis.
"Why?"
"It's part of this particular drill," Gladiator stated. He just somehow knew that Jennifer was going to be a very trying student. "To test your powers where no one will get hurt."
"But I thought that Sapphire was my friend?"
"I am, Jennifer."
"Then why should I attack her?" Nemesis seemed genuinely confused by all of this.
"It's just for pretend," Gladiator explained. "Make believe. You did play make believe before?"
"I-- I don't know," Jennifer stammered. She appeared very sincere in her confusion.
"You never played as a child?"
"Was I a child?" The comment from Nemesis forced Sapphire and Gladiator to exchange puzzled looks. It had to be the most serious thing ever stated by Jennifer.
"Of course you were," Gladiator said in a reassuring manner. "You just can't remember it right now. We'll take care of that."
That seemed to cheer Nemesis up once more. "Okie!"
"Great. Now do you think you could pretend to attack Sapphire?"
"I can, if you really want me to." Nemesis pointed her right hand at Sapphire and hit her with a blast of energy. The surprised Azurian giantess hit the ground some thirty-five feet away. "Now what?"
"Uhm...," Gladiator uttered, at a loss for words. He had a hard time ever recalling Sapphire going flying like that from an attack. "Perhaps that's enough make believe for today. Why don't you and Turbo go play?"
"Okie!" Nemesis flew over to Turbo, who was just getting to his feet. "Let's play a game!"
"Butyou'reagirl!EEWWW!!" Unexpectedly, Turbo tapped Nemesis on the hand. "Tag!You'reit!"
The whole exchange caught Nemesis off guard. "Hey, Leggo my Eggo!" Finally realizing what was going on, Jennifer flew after Turbo. "We'll be right back after these commercial messages!"
Gladiator watched them fade from view. He regarded the prone Sapphire as he approached. "I trust you are not injured?"
The giantess shook her head. "No, but I was not prepared for the power in her attack. It was-- impressive. Hard to believe that one so small could have such a large bite."
The Gladiator offered his hand and helped Sapphire to her feet. "We were afraid of that. Our normal training drills are not going to work very well with young Jennifer."
"I doubt any of the others could have withstood the attack so easily. It is fortunate that I am not human."
"Very."
Elsewhere in Training Town, Terra Fire was searching for the Tigress. The nimble feline was enjoying her taunting of the rookie. There was no way he could keep pace with her. She was always two steps ahead of him.
"Come on, TF, you're not even trying hard!" The Tigress leaped over Terra Fire once more, whacking him on the side of his head as she passed. A portion of the ground shot up in an attempt to counter attack, but the Tigress had long vacated the vicinity. Only her taunting laughter remained. "Try as you will, try as you may, you'll not catch me this day!"
Jason cursed loudly. He looked around, but the Tigress was out of sight once more. Terra Fire was little better than a sitting duck for her attack runs. She'd come in fast, strike, and then bound off before he knew what was going on. The Tigress was getting under his skin in a bad way. "Laugh now, fleabag, but one good hit will put the cat out!"
"In your dreams, Mole Boy!", came the Tigress' response from somewhere in Training Town.
Jason sighed. The Tigress might be right on that account. He moved to the middle of the street, stood still, and closed his eyes. As strange as it might sound, Jason was semi-aware of what was going on around him. By closing his eyes, he turned off one sense in order to concentrate on another.
A whole new world came into focus in Jason's mind. He was aware of the earth in the immediate area. All of it-- in front or behind. And he was aware of those in direct contact with the earth.
There was Gladiator off in the distance, watching the practice sessions unfold with Sapphire. Dr. Brinton was there as well. He could sense Turbo, but no one else in the immediate area. The others must be airborne, Jason reasoned, and beyond his ability to detect.
After a time he could sense the Tigress. She landed on the ground some twenty feet from him in virtual silence. No doubt she was confused as to what Terra Fire was up to. Jason continued to stand still, eyes closed.
The Tigress took two tentative steps in his direction as if expecting something to happen, but not quite sure what.
Jason smiled and acted. He caused two hands to emerge from the ground directly behind the Tigress. They shot forward and grasped her ankles. The Tigress hissed in surprise and fell to the ground. She turned and twisted trying to get herself free from Terra Fire's earthen grasp.
More hands erupted from the ground. They latched on to her knees, her arms, her waist, and her chest.
Jason's eyes shot open in surprise. He could feel what his earthen hands could feel and he was certainly surprised to be feeling that!
"You little maggot!" The Tigress was just as astonished as Jason. "You copped a feel! I'll rip you apart for that!" The hands suddenly let loose of the heroine, and she spun up to her feet.
Jason dared a look at his teammate. "Sorry... It was an accident. Honest!"
The Tigress didn't buy it and leaped at him. More by instinct than intent, Jason's body suddenly sank into the ground to escape his teammate's wrath.
The Tigress landed on the ground a split second after Jason disappeared. She furiously began to claw and dig. "You can't get away from me that easily, Mole Boy!"
Several miles from the island, Tempest had pulled alongside of Archangel as he soared through the skies.
"You're getting better at flying," Archangel observed of his teammate. She was certainly a lot easier on the eyes then his old aerial training partner. Starbolt had been much too full of himself for Archangel's tastes. At least now he didn't have to worry about getting his feathers burned anymore.
"Thanks. It just feels so-- natural."
"I know what you mean. The sky feels like home."
"I feel faster now, than I was before," Tempest mused. "I could probably outpace you if I had to."
"Possibly, but it will take you years to be as good a flyer as I am."
"Oh, bragging now are we?"
"No," Archangel responded. "Just stating the facts. You've been flying for only a few days now. I've been flying all my life. I was born with my wings. They're just as normal to me as arms are to you."
"I can see your point." Jess had been wondering what it was like to have large wings like that. She was thankful that she didn't have any obvious physical changes, like gills or feathers. Jessica couldn't imagine having wings like Archangel. And it appeared that he couldn't imagine not having them. "So, are we going to fly around and just shoot the bull all day."
"Nope!" Unexpectedly, Archangel's wing clipped Tempest in her side. The young heroine was not injured, but did begin to spiral out of control. It took several seconds for her to regain control.
"That was a dirty trick!" Tempest pointed her hands at the now distant Archangel and launched a water blast at him. It wasn't even close to him.
"You expect a enemy to fight fair?" Archangel circled back to the hovering Tempest. "And speed is not everything in an aerial battle!"
Tempest tried to fire again, but nothing happened this time. "Oh, great! Now I'm shooting blanks!"
Archangel dove at Jessica, but appeared to veer off at the last instant. However, this was a deception as once more his wing lashed out and took Tempest's feet out from under her. Since she had been hovering, Jessica began to spin through the sky. Once more it took her a few seconds to regain control and overcome the disorientation.
By the time she did, Archangel had flown in from behind and wrapped his arms around the heroine, pinning her arms to her sides. "I could have taken you out right then and there, Tempest."
"I get the point," Tempest growled. "Okay, so I don't know squat about being in a fight. Now get your hands off of me."
"Oh, I don't know. This is rather cozy and you know how romantic we Frenchmen are."
"Personally, I think you're all wet!" Jessica's body shimmered and unexpectedly changed into water. With ease, she flowed free of Archangel's grasp.
"Not bad, mon cheri. Not bad at all." Tempest flew off and didn't look back. Reluctantly, Archangel winged his way after his teammate.
A most unusual sight greeted Tempest and Archangel upon their return to Sanctuary Island. The Tigress was digging a hole! Jessica sat down close by.
"Gee, you mean you have to bury it like a cat, too?" Tempest sincerely hoped that the Tigress did not answer her question.
"Your brother copped a feel!", was the Tigress' response and she threw more dirt out of the way. "He's down here somewhere.... And when I get my claws on him, I'll--!"
"You will do nothing." The Gladiator's commanding voice interrupted the scene. Turning, Tigress and Tempest saw Gladiator approaching, Sapphire by his side. "It was an accident and based on the lad's reaction, he's more upset by this than you are."
Tempest finally processed all that she had been hearing. "Are you telling me that my brother--? That he--? With you--?" Not being able to contain herself any longer, Jessica broke out laughing.
Archangel likewise began to chuckle. "Way to go, Jason! I didn't know he was that brave!"
The Tigress shot the pair a look of great annoyance. "You find this funny?"
"Oh, no...", Archangel answered, but couldn't hold his own laughter in check.
"My brother is so shy, that's he's probably embarrassed beyond words," Tempest explained. "He used to go to pieces just talking to a pretty girl."
"Indeed," Gladiator noted. "The incident is best forgotten. And, Tigress, you need to control yourself more. Losing your focus in a battle could be fatal."
"Yeah, yeah," the Tigress muttered as she stalked off in the direction of her quarters.
"I think that's enough for today," Gladiator stated. "Same time tomorrow. I assume that you all have chores to do?"
The group began to break up. Sapphire headed towards the Security Compound, Tempest and Archangel to their individual quarters. The Gladiator continued through Training Town until he located Turbo and Nemesis, still playing their game of tag.
"That's enough play for today, children."
"AWWW!!", the two said almost in unison.
"They really are children," Gladiator thought to himself. Both of them looked to be in their late teens, perhaps early twenties, but in their minds they were children. Children with super powers, to make matters worse.
"Butwewerehavingfun!", Turbo protested.
"Tommy? You here, boy?" In a blur, a man raced towards the group at super speed and came to a sliding halt.
"Who is that?", Nemesis wondered out loud.
The new arrival was a thin black man, easily in his sixties. His short cropped hair was salt-n-pepper in color. He wore work overalls, a t-shirt, and an old ball cap.
"Jennifer, this is Rush." Gladiator shook the man's hand and gestured towards Jennifer. "Rush, this is Jennifer."
"Hiya! Are you are a farmer?"
Turbo raced to Rush's side, happy to see him. "No,youstupidgirl!", Turbo yelled at Jennifer.
"Tommy Wilson!", Rush scolded, taking Tommy's hand. "You be nice to the young lady!"
"Yessir," Turbo said, but stuck his tongue out anyway.
"Rush is our maintenance man," Gladiator explained to Jennifer. "Since he also has super speed, he makes the perfect companion for Turbo." Gladiator reached out and took Jennifer's hand. "Let us get out of their way."
Gladiator led Nemesis out of Training Town. Behind them, the two speedsters quickly straightened up the area. Training Town was often reserved during the afternoons and evenings, leaving the Young Champions the mornings to use it for practice. The rest of the island would be cleaned up in a matter of minutes thanks to the super-fast maintenance staff.
"Uhm, now what do I do?", Jennifer asked. "Don't I have to work like the others?"
As partial compensation for their training, the Young Champions helped out around Sanctuary. Sapphire worked as part of the security force. Turbo helped Rush with maintenance. Archangel was given tasks where his power of flight was a boon. The Tigress did a little bit of everything, going wherever needed. Jason had a knack for motors and was assigned the task of doing repairs in the motor pool. Tempest had the easiest job of all; she worked as a lifeguard on the beach.
The Gladiator considered his words before speaking. "Normally, yes, but you are a special case, Jennifer."
"Well, isn't that special?" That brought a smile to the Gladiator's face.
"I think you've been watching too much television. We want to learn more about you before assigning you tasks. Right now, I'm taking you to meet someone. She's a nice lady who may be able to help you."
"Okie! I like meeting people."
The pair reached the medical center in short order. The nurses were expecting them, and showed them into Dr. Marin's office. In addition to Dr. Marin, another woman was present. She was casually dressed in a tank top and shorts, with her long black hair done up in a ponytail.
"Hello, Jennifer," Dr. Marin replied. "I hope you are well today."
"I'm a Pepper, you're a Pepper, wouldn't you like to be a Pepper too?"
Dr. Marin and her guest exchanged glances. "I did say it was going to be a challenge, Chris."
"That you did." The woman rose and walked up to Nemesis. "Hello, Jennifer, my name is Christina. Dr. Marin has told me much about you."
"Hiya!", Jennifer answered with a cheerful wave.
"And most of it appears to be true," Christina finished. Much to Chris' dismay, she had the feeling that Dr. Marin's claims about Jennifer were not exaggerations. "I hear you are a special young lady who happens to have amnesia. I may be able to help you. Would you like that?"
"You can help me remember?"
"Possibly, but I need your consent."
"It's okay, Jennifer," Dr. Marin said. "I have the feeling that this is going to be more dangerous for Chris than for you."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Angelique." Christina took Jennifer's hand and escorted her to the couch. "I am going to attempt to probe your mind. You won't feel any pain, no discomfort. I am not going to hurt you. Do you understand?"
Nemesis shrugged. "I guess so."
"Just relax and clear your mind," Christina said. She didn't think that would take much effort on Jennifer's part, but she said it just to be on the safe side. Chris closed her eyes and began to concentrate. Normally, a telepathic probe like this would be a piece of cake. However, her experience with the experimental drug Psychnocaine a few weeks ago no longer made using any of her powers a sure thing. It was this that caused Christina Blackledge, better known to the world as Nightingale, to go on a leave of absence from the Avengers. (Editor's Note: As seen in Avengers #11)
Since then, Dr. Blackledge had been recovering on Sanctuary trying to get the drug completely out of her system, and also discover what had gone wrong. It was Dr. Marin's tales of Jennifer which suggested that Nightingale might be able to find out the source of the girl's amnesia. The heroine's trademark, the soft sound of birds singing, filled the room.
Chris closed her eyes and concentrated. Her mind made contact with Jennifer's. There was resistance, but Nightingale could push her way through it, if need be. "Don't fight me, Jennifer. I'm trying to help you."
"Sorry," Jennifer said.
Dr. Marin and Gladiator watched from the other side of the room. They wanted to stay far enough way so as to not interfere with Nightingale's probe.
"I'm inside," Nightingale announced, her eyes still shut. "That's it, Jennifer-- just relax. This won't hurt one little bit. Yes, I am getting somewhere-- Oh my! I would not have guessed; I couldn't have imagined!"
Unexpectedly, Nightingale opened her eyes and screamed! Dr. Marin and Gladiator exchanged looks before advancing on the pair. Just as quickly as it had started, the screaming ended and Chris fell back into the couch.
Gladiator checked on Nemesis. "Are you alright, Jennifer?"
"Uhm, sure? Is that it?"
"Chris is out cold," Dr. Marin announced. "Help me get her to the examination room." Gladiator scooped up Nightingale in his arms, and carried her into the adjacent room where he laid her out on the cushioned examination table.
"Is she going to be alright?"
"I don't know, Gladiator," Dr. Marin said as she gathered equipment. "Chalk it up to more weirdness from Jennifer..."
Jennifer watched from the doorway, puzzled by what had transpired. "Did I do a bad thing?", she asked in a tiny voice.
Gladiator moved to comfort the girl. "It's too early to tell."
The Tigress was still fuming that afternoon when Sapphire returned to their bungalow. "The nerve of that little twerp!"
"Are you still upset about this afternoon, comrade?" The azure giantess tried to give a concerned, almost motherly look, but didn't quite succeed. "I am puzzled by your attitude. After all, he did defeat you in battle."
That was not the kind of thing the Tigress wanted to hear. "What are you talking about? He didn't beat me! He-- you know what he did."
"He performed a maneuver you did not expect. Sound battle tactics that placed an enemy at a disadvantage. Were you of my race, he would have the right to choose you as a mate."
"WHAT?!"
Seeing the obvious confusion, but not quite aware of the hostility coming from the young mutant, Sapphire continued her explanation. "Among my people, we hold a yearly tournament for those desiring a mate. The females battle the females, the males the males. Upon the completion of those contests, the top female battles the top male. The winner gets to choose the defeated as his or her mate."
"Let me get this straight, you choose a husband by having a giant rumble?"
"Of course. What better way to find the ideal mate?"
The Tigress couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What about love? What about romance?"
"What could be better in a mate than a superb combatant?"
"What if you don't like the guy you end up with?"
"I would not choose a mate I could not get along with," Sapphire stated.
"What if he beat you? It would be his choice would it not?"
"That would not be possible. I would not lose."
"Oh brother!" The idea of a culture that revolved around combat seemed very odd to Erica. "Boy, am I glad that we simple humans are more practical."
That seemed to pique Sapphire's interest. "I find human mating rituals to be confusing. I have seen many couples exchanging breath on the island, but I have yet to understand the significance of this act."
"'Exchanging breath'? Oh, you mean kissing."
"Yes, I believe that is the word."
"Well, Big Blue, all I can say is: don't knock it until you try it."
"Indeed. Perhaps we can continue this conversation at a later time? I am about to enter my sleep cycle." The blue amazon stretched and yawned.
"Thanks for the warning. Pleasant dreams, Saph." The Tigress departed the bungalow, knowing that she didn't want to be around to hear her roommate's incredible snoring. As an Azurian, Sapphire's body worked on a 42 hour day cycle, which didn't quite mesh with earth time. She would sleep nearly twelve hours every day and a half and the sounds emanating from her bedchamber were, well, unearthly.
The Tigress stood in front of the bungalow and worked the kinks out of her body. She could hear Sapphire's snoring already. "Sounds like a bloody outboard motor!" Erica considered what to do next. It was late afternoon and she basically needed to stay clear of the bungalow until tomorrow morning. A mischievous grin came to her face and she bounded off.
Jason was now in his element within the confines of the motor pool. He had heard that the area was all that remained of Dr. Destroyer's Villa back from the time he made his first bid for world domination some ten years ago. The large area was divided into two bays. One was the main motor pool that held several golf carts, land rovers, and construction equipment dating back to when work on Sanctuary Island first began. Guest vehicles were stored here as well.
An equally large garage filled the other bay, including a repair shop. Given the nature of the guests at Sanctuary, it was almost normal for equipment to break down regularly. Jason's skills with motors had landed him an almost full time job.
He was taking apart a jet ski when he felt something. Jason couldn't quite explain the feeling he was getting. It was similar to the one he had while fighting Tigress this morning. As he worked, his mind focused on his task, but his other senses began to feed him information. He really hadn't noticed it until he felt the presence of someone else.
Jason stood up and looked around, but couldn't see anyone. "Hello? Is there someone here?"
There was no answer, but a portion of the nearby wall shimmered and the figure of a man began to take form. At first it was just a silhouette that had blended in with the wall behind him. He took on more distinguishing features as he approached. It was man with long, brown hair wearing a light gray body suit.
"Who are you?"
"A friend," the man stated calmly. "I've come to let you know that you do have other options."
Jason eyed the man warily, having no clue to his identity. "I don't understand. What do you mean by other options?"
"I'm talking about the opportunity to work with others of your own kind towards a greater goal. Sanctuary isn't the only place that takes in young mutants and trains them." The man circled Jason in a non-threatening manner. "Just look at yourself, reduced to mere hired help. And for what? So that you can be ridden by an uncaring mentor?"
"I don't feel like hired help," Jason protested.
"Of course not, they made you feel like you owed it to them. They're devious, Jason. You should not trust them so blindly."
Jason really didn't like this man much, but decided to play along to find out what he could. "So what do you have to offer me?"
"Now you're thinking, lad! I'm a recruit for an organization that caters exclusively to mutants. We are all mutants united under the single goal of making the world a better place for our kind. We'll train you to fight and--"
The man never finished as he was suddenly struck by a flying Tigress! The nimble heroine landed feet first on his chest and kicked him hard, back into the wall. The man bounced off the wall and fell to his knees, his breath knocked from him. The Tigress tumbled in mid-air and landed on her feet, crouched for battle.
"I thought I smelled something rotten in here," the Tigress hissed.
"Tigress?!", Jason uttered, recovering from the unexpected assault. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Taking out the trash, Mole Boy!" The Tigress leaped again and performed a flying kick to the man's face, sending him backwards, sliding across the garage floor. He didn't rise after that.
"What do you mean? Who is he?"
"He's called Proteus and he's a recruiter for IMAGE!" The Tigress cautiously approached the prone figure and made sure he was unconscious.
"IMAGE?" Jason had vaguely heard the name before, but couldn't quite place it. As a normal teenager he didn't really pay all that much attention to the participants in the superbeing world.
"It stands for Idiotic Mutants Against Good--- Pizza or something like that. Jason, they're basically Mutant Nazis! You know, into that mutant-superiority and all-others-should-serve-them trip."
"I didn't know," Jason said, genuinely shocked. "I thought there was something suspicious about him, but never imagined that!"
"This clown has been kicked out of Sanctuary before. He's not allowed here."
Jason smiled. "Well, in that case I better make sure he doesn't get away." He concentrated and the floor of the garage did his bidding, rising to imprison the unconscious mutant fascist. Jason turned back to the Tigress. "Thanks, I appreciate it. And I'm really sorry about what happened earlier."
"Oh, I guess I'll let you live," the heroine conceded. "Pounding Proteus worked out most of my frustrations. Just don't let it happen again, understand?"
"Perfectly!", Jason said in relief. The idea of being on the business end of the Tigress' claws was not a pleasant thought.
The Tigress alerted island security. Charcoal arrived to pick up the IMAGE Recruiter. "And just what do you think you're doing back here, dirt bag?" Once released from his earthen prison, Charcoal picked up Proteus by the scruff of his neck. Her great strength more than up to the task of controlling the IMAGE Operative.
"You're all making a big mistake," Proteus shouted as he was being carried off. "We are the future! Either join us or fall before us! You'll regret this---!!!"
"What an eccentric performance," Jason said as he watched. Once Charcoal and her burden were out of sight, he turned back to the jet ski he was trying to repair. He noticed that the Tigress was crouched on top of a nearby work bench, observing. "Something I can do for you?"
"Just watching, Mole Boy. So, you never had much luck with girls before, huh?"
Jason groaned, and rolled his eyes, mortally embarrassed. "My sister has a big mouth. So what if I did?"
"I just find it odd. I mean, it's not like you're hideous or anything. Pretty well built too. Of course, I've never been shy myself."
"So I noticed," Jason responded. He straightened up and looked at his reflection in a small mirror hanging on the wall. "Well, until a few days ago, I didn't look like this. I was shorter, heavy set, and nowhere near as strong as I am now."
"I guess that explains it."
"Can you imagine what it's like?" Jason continued to stare at his image. "To wake up one day and see a stranger in the mirror? This has all been like some bizarre dream. I'm still not quite sure that it's real."
The Tigress leaped to the ground and moved alongside Jason and peered into the same mirror. "I have a very good idea what you're feeling, Jason. I didn't always have cat's eyes, you know."
Jason looked into those eyes, finding them oddly fascinating. "You mean you were changed like I was?"
"Not exactly. I used to be a fairly normal teenager living in San Diego. I went to school, dated, and hung out at the beach. But one day, I was kidnapped by a bunch of GENOCIDE agents. Turns out that they had detected that I was what they called a 'latent mutant'. Meaning I had the potential to mutate inside me, but it had not occurred yet."
"I'm sorry, I didn't know--. I guess I thought my problems were unique."
"Everyone does, Mole Boy. They poked and prodded me for a few days. Talked about triggering my mutation so that they could 'cure' me. I know, it sounds nutty to me to this day. Some quack named Mendelson ran the show."
"But you escaped?", Jason asked, growing more interested in the Tigress' tale.
"Rescued, actually. The Protectors got wind of their plans and raided the GENOCIDE lab. And there I was finding myself with cat-like eyes and abilities. So, you can see, I can definitely relate to what happened to you. I also found a stranger looking back in the mirror."
An uncomfortable silence fell over the room. Jason broke the ice first. "I guess I better get back to work on this Jet Ski."
"Yeah, don't let me interrupt you."
"You're not bothering me. We could talk some more if you want?", Jason offered.
The Tigress considered for a moment. "I think I'd like that."
Epilogue:
Night had fallen on Sanctuary Island. The Saturday Night ritual of a bonfire party on the beach had attracted most of the guests to the island's northern shore. All was quiet in the Medical Complex. The nurse on duty looked up as a man holding a flute and a woman in a dark green body stocking entered.
"Can I help you?", Nurse Compton inquired.
The woman smiled malevolently. "Yes, you most assuredly can..." Dominance concentrated and the will of the nurse disappeared. "We want the test results for your new recruits. Give them to me."
The Nurse rose from her chair stiffly, a blank look on her face. "As you command..."
