Even Superheroes Need a Vacation! As Shalis Torth stepped out of the Lost compound with her cohorts, she realized that Namie had been right: they needed a break. Marissa and Rancor were both fawning over people nobody had ever heard of, Lurker was starting to sleep in weird places (eg., tub, coat hangers, closets, kitchen counter), Namie was getting a little too comfortable with her skintight bodysuit, Alisti was PMS-ing (well, more so than usual), Mr. White was acting even creepier than usual over the loss of Kagemusha and Pale (whoever that was), and she herself was nearly ready to grow fungus on her body, she was so wrapped up in her work. Just stepping outside in the sun seemed to heal her, along with everybody else. "We're going to be stared at," she warned everyone as they stepped into the fresh air, "but we have to get out of there. Even I'm starting to get bored, and any more time spent locked in there with you all will drive me nuts." "Oh, but surely we're not all bad!" exclaimed Namie, grasping Shalis' artificial holographic arm. Outside of her body suit, she wore a nice rosy skirt and high heels, a long-sleeved white blouse, and gloves of course, along with a pretty hat with flowers in it. Nobody would mistake her for a dangerous girl who had been forced into isolation most of her life, but the others... "So tell us more about this girlfriend of yours," said Namie, looking aside to Rancor. Merry gave an awkward smile and scratched her neck. "Well, it's like this: I met her at that tournament that Riss and I went to, and we sort of hit it off. She saw the worst of what I can do and went along with me anyway. She was quite a find—and get this, she likes older women." CELEBRATE, snorted Alisti, or as close to a snort as she got. Rancor slapped her upside the head gently. "Oh, pipe down, she's great. We haven't scheduled a date yet or anything, but probably because we've both been so busy. She has her team and I have mine." YOURS? "Well I belong with you guys, right?" GIRLS! "Okay, sorry. Jeez, maybe people should call you Rancor." For that, Alisti glared forward, and blasted a tree into ash before everyone's eyes. Merry jumped back, and glared as she saw the unmistakable grin of malice on the young quadriplegic's face. "Grow up," sighed Shalis. CAN'T. "Oh yes, I forgot, your mind's in a perpetual state of childishness." BITCH. "And charm." Namie laughed and clung tighter; Shalis either didn't seem to mind or was too occupied with keeping her balance to notice. If she tipped over too far, Namie was right there to help her back—smiling with subtle warmth every time the older girl fell into her grasp—so perhaps her attachment was a blessing. Or maybe she just caused Torth to trip on purpose so she could catch her and have an excuse to hold her briefly; nobody could say. "What about you, kiddo?" asked Merry, ruffling Lurker's hair. Despite her appearance, lack of education, and often odd nature, Lurker quickly found her way into the hearts of her team members, charming them with her sweet innocence, her grating singing voice, her occasional yet adorable clumsiness, and loveable honesty. Sure, she was a monster, no doubt about that, but a good one. "Beekay!" she squealed happily. Rancor chuckled. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot, that mysterious girl you saw. What kind of a name is ‘Beekay' anyway?" "Name, name, what's in a name? Name, name, Beekay was her name." "That's all we'll get out of her," noted Shalis. "Clearly she's obsessed." "I think she just likes making friends who aren't afraid of what she looks like. Izznt that right!!" Merry and Lurker grinned at each other and wrestled playfully as they walked; Marissa sighed but couldn't contain her smile. They were both too cute to be annoyed at. CAREFUL! Alisti sputtered as the girls got too close, and gave a haunting shriek (from her own vocal chords, no less) as they bumped into her wheelchair. She didn't tip over, but a few trees felt her wrath, and were turned into ash as she braced herself. Merry and Lurker stared and quickly apologized for what they had done. CLUMSY! FOOL! CAREFUL! "Sorry, sorry." IMMATURE. WORSE! She indicated herself, meaning they were more childish than she was; they just stared at each other. "Are we really that bad?" "But bad feels good now." "Sorry, Alisti." "I apologize also." Lurker planted a kiss on the top of Disintegrator's head, but was shooed away with a wave of her frail hand. Shalis, not for the last time that day, rolled her eyes. "Like I said, any more time locked up with this group...ho, boy." Along the way, the group came across a lost young woman—lost, yes, but unlike any of them, she had merely gotten on the wrong path. Helping her was an immense chore, though, since the girl was apparently mute. Her facial expressions and body language only went so far; it took the group a few minutes to just learn her status. She had to write her name in the dirt; it was Skye. "I remember you now!" exclaimed Marissa. "You were in that tournament, weren't you? Against Siren?" Skye nodded; Marissa cupped her chin in her hand as she thought. "So you cannot speak, is that right?" Her head shook no. "Then maybe..." This will help? Skye nodded her head. "Good. Now we're getting somewhere. Please tell me how we can help." MYSELF, noted Alisti, tugging on Marissa's shirt. ALSO. "Oh yes, um...introductions. This is Alisti." She rounded off everyone's names, with hers as the last; Skye didn't look like she would remember them all. She stared at Alisti, nodded, and mentally spoke to her. So, do you understand me also? YES. It seems only telepathics can. The last civilized conversation I had was with a woman who had great psychic abilities. You both must have them if you can understand me. YES. Not very talkative, eh? She smiled to the group. I think you and I will understand each other easily. As for me, she added to Marissa, I got lost wandering out here. This forest is familiar; I'm trying to find my way around. I wanted to see if I could join those Battle Divas who were at the tournament. WASTE, sighed Alisti. POINTLESS. Why say that? STRONGER. She smiled cruelly. Skye blushed. Really? You seriously think I'd be stronger than any of them? But I was defeated so early in the tournament... FLUKE. You're too kind. But still, my mind's made up. Would any of you know where it is? "Actually, my friend over there knows somebody that works for the Divas, so I guess we're heading in that direction too so they can meet." "Whoa, wait, what's going on?" asked Merry. "You guys are so quiet, it's starting to bug me. And Alisti...oh, never mind. I was about to say you made no sense, but whenever is that a new thing?" SILENCE! CONVERSING! "Okay, okay." "Skye's looking for the Battle Divas so she can join them," Marissa informed her. "Personally, I think we may as well let her tag along. I mean, you did want to go there to see that girl, right?" "Uh, yeah..." Merry smiled weakly, probably embarrassed; Marissa turned and gave Skye a sweet smile. "Please, come with us. We'd love to have more company, and I'm sure you and Alisti could get along well." PERHAPS. There was an unmistakable smirk on Kreager's face. Skye bowed in thanks. She quickly immersed herself in the group, nodded to Namie and Shalis, and took hold of Alisti's wheelchair. They had said something to each other in that short time, but only Marissa heard it, and she knew better than to speak of such things. ...... It was unanimous: the Battle Divas would go to the beach for the day. They packed themselves inside their van (which was their second vehicle; the first was far superior in almost every fashion, except it held only a few people, and was impractical for road trips) and drove off, each of them in a good mood—all except for Siren. Mora, Sally, Xianq, and Kris had each tried to rouse her spirits, but it was no use. She had a woman on her mind, the wrong kind of woman, and there seemed no cure for it. Ultimately, everybody ignored her and focused on other things. "You know what?" said Xianq. "I think the Divas should make an exception. I think we should allow Steve into the group." "Who's Steve?" asked Sally. Bubblegum Black gave her an odd look. "You mean your partner never told you his name?" "Xianq, don't say it like that!" Kris slapped her gently—a tough blow from her—and Xianq turned red. "Oops. Uh, forget I said anything." "So Thunder-Claw's real name is Steve?" Everyone looked at Xianq and the cat she had let out of the bag, and once again she turned red. "Stevenson, actually. Stevenson McCray. I still can't believe you two never told each other." "We were into anonymity," she shrugged. "I never told him mine, but I guess I could. I mean, it's not like I don't trust him. Too bad he's not coming with us." "Are you kidding?" scoffed Mora. "He'd short-circuit!!" The girls had a good laugh, even the two closest to him; Father Jacob cleared his throat. "We could always call him and tell him where we're going. As for your suggestion, Xianq, I am not so sure. One man, aside from myself, amidst a cadre of women?" "Well, you are kinda the exception anyway, unless you want us calling you mommy." He cringed and turned several noticeable colors. "Mr. Pochanski, I trust him, and so does Xianq," vouched Sally. "It certainly wouldn't hurt, and you've seen how helpful he can be. And you are an exception, sir. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to come along." "Besides," added Mora, "as nice as he may be, the only one he stands a chance with is Shou; the rest of us are homosexual, whether we admit it or not." She nudged Kris, who said nothing. Pochanski sighed. "It appears to be unanimous. Are there any opposed?" Nobody said anything—Kris didn't care, and Alyssa was still off in la-la land, so he accepted their proposal and, that very minute, loaned Sally his cell phone so she could give her friend the good news. "Tell him I said hi!" squealed Xianq in mid-conversation. Sal nodded. "Oh, and Beeg says hi." "Tell her I said hi too." She covered the phone. "He says he loves you and he looks forward to seeing you in a swimsuit." The other girls laughed, but poor Xianq blushed. Whether it was out of embarrassment or a futile hope, none could say. Circumstance saw to it that Thunder-Claw, now effectively Stevenson McCray since he had discarded his suit, met up with the girls a few minutes after they had settled in. Father Pochanski chose the beach closest to the temple, which was itself a few hours away. The temple, it seemed, was in a very inconvenient place, far from any civilization or even anything of interest. How anybody was expected to fight crime from that distance was a mystery; that they got anything done at all was implausible. And yet McCray was the last to arrive, though happy to be there at all. He was greeted warmly by Sally, who finally revealed her identity (it was the first time they both saw each other without their costumes), and also Alyssa and even Kris. Xianq glomped him. "So," she exclaimed happily, "ya like my threads?" She wore a black one-piece, as was her nature, and to say he stared was like saying the ocean was wet. She pried herself off and followed as he led her towards a taco stand; everyone else watched and gave individual remarks. "They do look kind of cute together," said Mora. "I think it's high time they evolved from friends into lovers," noted Alyssa. "I know em' both well enough to know they'd be good for each other," added Sally. "That is, if he can withstand her hyperactivity," concluded Kris. The girls agreed in unison and rested in the sun, sometimes venturing out to swim. Father Jacob had disappeared long ago, knowing he would just cramp his students' styles if he remained; the women were glad all the men and "straight girls" had left them alone. Now they could be a little more relaxed. Mora suddenly sat up as a sexy, dangerous-looking girl strolled past their way, giving a Come-Hither aura and glaring at those in her path. She gulped. "Uh...scuse' me!" And like that, she ran off to follow. Sally gave the others an inquisitive glance. "Probably gonna be another one-night stand," said Alyssa. "After the way I broke her heart, she's been delving into those a lot. Awful waste of a good woman." "You'd know more than any of us." Sally laid back down, her face to the sun, and squinted in spite of wearing shades. A dark shadow loomed over her suddenly, then a face that seemed vaguely familiar. She took off her glasses and tilted her head to see. "Hey, you're looking sexy. Didn't expect to see you here." "Merry?" She stumbled out of her chair, stood, and hugged the taller woman. Merry Lynn Weathers—who along with the rest of her team, had stumbled across that beach by sheer ridiculous coincidence—stifled as her blue-skinned girlfriend, wearing a rather enticing gold bikini, hugged her close. "Uh, whoa—heh. Good to see you too, Sal. Heh. Mind if the rest of the girls tag along? We were kinda going on a vacation too." "The rest?" Sally looked past her girlfriend and noticed six others, ranging from their teens to around Merry's age, all of them hanging back, whether shyly or politely. She waved. "Yup, my friends. I'll introduce you." And so the Battle Divas met the Lost, and as fate saw to it, BK Power met Lurker, which was quite a surprise. The dark-skinned beauty never expected to run into the green-skinned cutie, but here she was, happy and sweet as ever. Lurker even gave her a hug, which wasn't returned since Kris was too stunned to move. Ohmygod. She's hugging me. ...God, she smells terrific... "Beekay!" she squealed. "Miss, miss, I missed the miss from the missus place-us. Place us here on the beach, each, to her own place! Beach to her own, place on a beach, and Beekay looks pretty!" "Uh...thanks! You...wow, you look great." "I was given new outfit by friends," she explained, pointing specifically to Namie, who had acted like a mother figure to the strange creature. "Lady-friend Namie says she knows how to dress I so I look pretty, but I still say Beekay is much prettier." "Uh...thanks again!" Lurker beamed innocently, making more than a few people coo in delight. Shalis coughed. "Um, okay, before I die from tooth decay, I think I ought to lie down. Just don't get me in the water." "I think I'll pass too, unless this is a nude beach," said Namie. She said it so seriously that nobody thought she was kidding, so the two meandered over, found a quiet spot, and laid down together, apparently content with each other's company. Sally gave her girlfriend an inquisitive look. "Are they...?" "I guess so. I don't really know for sure. They seem right for each other, but Shalis is, pardon my bad pun, so freaking mechanical. Namie adores her, for reasons I'll never comprehend. To each her own, I guess." She shrugged and joined the others, regretting not bringing a swimsuit. Marissa, having pale skin, chose a place in the shade and sat quietly; Alisti snorted and asked Skye to take her somewhere away from everyone else, which the other girl was more than happy to do. Sally noticed them going off and looked at Merry again. "And them?" "Just met. They're both pretty quiet people, so I guess anything's possible. I'm just concerned about us." She grinned and scooted a little closer, making Sally blush. Kris and Lurker had gone off by themselves to play in the water, and Alyssa had went out to get some food so the two of them were all alone, and rather enjoying it. ...... Steve and Xianq sat down with their lunch and dug right in. He knew his longtime friend had a crazy obsession with tacos, and the only cure was for her to consume a whole lot of them. She also drank sodas and ate tons of sweet foods, but not because she necessarily had a sweet tooth. Xianq explained that because her gum-wad powers required sugar to make them strong, she needed to ingest a lot of caffeine and sweets every day, or else risk bodily defects—or even total a shut-down of her system. She ate more than her fair share of healthy foods to balance out the junk, and trained hard every day to keep herself in shape, but the cycle was becoming vicious. "I'll either explode from too much sugar, have all my teeth rot out, or shrivel up and blow away. Not a very happy fate." "Come on, I'm sure you'll be fine." "What do you know!" she exclaimed, giving a little burp as she finished her third soda. "These three possible scenarios are the only things I have to look forward to! I know better than to believe I'll last much longer at this rate." "Xianq," he said, taking her hands, "first, you won't blow up. You may have some diabetic problems later, but you're showing good responsibility by eating healthy foods. And you just told me that fruit does just as good a job as chocolate. I think that's the way you should go." "Yeah, well..." "You just don't want to give up cakes!" he exclaimed. "Hey, don't tease me or I'll smother you in my gum!" "I know you won't do that." She stuck her tongue out and drank a fourth soda, finishing it off with a mighty belch and a shy "excuse me". Once the food was gone, she stood up and took his hand. "Okay, energy consumption complete! Body is at 100 again! Let's test our newfound abilities in the ocean!" "Xianq—wait!" he screamed. "We're not supposed to...swim after a meal! We'll get cramps!" "Oh, you worry too much!" He knew she was right; he was starting to get sick. And poor Thunder-Claw always felt ill when he worried more than necessary. But at least he was with Xianq, and that seemed to make things a little better. Marissa laughed as Merry and Sally joined the others in the water, wrestling and playing like kids. Despite Miss Weathers being twenty-five years old, she usually acted half her age, and probably could've passed off as a really, really tall kid if somebody didn't know her well. She and Sally seemed good for each other too, even though Marissa had just met the blue-skinned girl. Lurker and "Beekay" (which was actually short for BK Power) had left their shy inhibitions behind and were playing along with them. The four were too cute for their own good, so perhaps it was a good thing that Marissa hadn't joined them. Plus, that sun... Squinting, she looked around and noticed Alisti and Skye sitting together inside a large hut, supposedly having a mental conversation. She knew better than to "eavesdrop", but had to wonder if the beginnings of another friendship was there. Poor Alisti didn't seem to have anybody who really cared for her, let alone understand her, not even in a group that consisted of "freaks". If she could strike a friendship with Skye, all the better. Another figure blocked Marissa's view, and it came closer and closer until it sat down next to her. She smiled weakly as she recognized it to be Sanaa, of all people. "Want some?" she said, offering suntan lotion. "No thanks. I'll just stay under the shade." "Suit yourself." The cold woman sighed and lowered the straps of her swimsuit, shamelessly exposing silky golden-brown shoulders that Marissa couldn't help but stare at. As she applied the white cream to her skin, Wainright cleared her throat and braved a conversation. "So what brings you here?" "Can a woman not come to the shores and relax?" "Well...it just seems odd seeing you here. And last time I saw you, you wanted nothing to do with me. Now you're sitting right next to me." "Should I leave?" "No, no, not at all! Um...sorry, I'm no good talking to strangers. All the people I'm comfortable with are close friends." "So I make you uncomfortable?" "Uh, no, of course not!" She groaned in agony, "See what I mean?" Sanaa nodded her head, offering the slightest ghost of a smile. "If you want to know why I came over here, it's because...well, I don't really know. Something told me to." "Told you?" "That's right. Something told me. My intuition, I guess. I have a feeling about you. And I want to apologize for my rudeness the other day. I was not in a good mood. I'm much better today." "Why's that?" "I read about a very wicked person I knew being horribly killed," she said with some happiness, "and I felt better. I always like it when the wrong are put to judgment, and the right are rewarded. Sounds romantic, no?" "A little grim is more like it." This time, Sanaa smiled in full, making Marissa blush. "Well, you are honest, and you are loosening up. You sure you don't want some? You look like you need a tan." "Oh, uh, I'm naturally pale. Born this way. I think." "I'm not sure how I was born," she replied offhand. The woman became very quiet and grave suddenly, and drew her legs in. "I shouldn't have said that. I don't know you well enough to open up like this. Actually, I should leave." "Wait." She reached for her, brushing past the silky spandex of Sanaa's swimsuit—oh, shudders!—but the dark-skinned woman only stopped to face Marissa. "Look, I don't know why I came over here. I don't know anything. Every moment of my life confuses me. I don't even know why I'm telling you this—even though I do feel a bit more comfortable when I look at you. But even comfort scares me. I'd like to be alone now." "O-okay." Marissa felt like she was going to be sick as Sanaa left her. Just like that she had came, and just like that she had left. Was it something she had said, or done, or not said or done? Or was Sanaa just as confused as she claimed? What a strange girl—but Marissa had to admit, she was drawn to her. Just like Alyssa was drawn to Pandora. "Good God, I'm a hypocrite," she remarked dryly. She just had to laugh at herself for that. ...... Merry Lynn Weathers shivered with subtle excitement as her bikini-clad girlfriend locked her arms around her taut stomach, hugged her tight from behind, and kissed her neck and ears. Spending the entire day together drew them close and made them realize how much they really liked each other; watching the sun gradually fall into the horizon together cemented their bond further. There was no need for either of them to speak, because at moments like that, a crude thing like language was useless. They just had each other, and the connection between them—skin against skin, hair meshing gently, lips upon flesh or cloth or... Or, as Merry turned around slowly, other lips, as the two shared their very first kiss together. It was the moment they had wanted, the peace they had deserved, the love they had been seeking, finally bestowed at last. The sun disappeared and was gone for another day; their kiss faded too, but like the morning star, it would return, and would shine brightly when it did. The End of Part Three --ENTR'ACTE--
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