“Not even a booty call. He went through, well, you helped to rescue him, so you know more about that than I do. We need to be there for our friends, so he’s staying here, and helping me with some magic.”

  “Ah! That’s the plan then? I didn’t know. I will do that as well then. Doug asked for me to invite you over for a threesome, soon? Well, he suggested a meal, but if I have you both there, I can’t see a reason not to do that.” She seemed hopeful, and while Hannah was a bit sad about having lost her fairly consistent booty call, she was pleased that her friends both had found someone.

  “We can talk about that? I mean, yes, let’s do that, but when is the real question. Tyler gets me in the evenings for the time being. We’re putting together a video game, one to teach and practice knife fighting. Hence wanting to chat up Loxly on it.”

  That prompt had a direct number being passed over, and a tentative date set up, for three days later. Doug was working as well, and wouldn’t be coming to visit, until then. He lived on the other coast, because that was where television shows were made, most of the time.

  Veronica did offer to come and have sex with her, which was nice to hear. They hadn’t really been going out, so hadn’t honestly broken up. She’d assumed that things had changed when Veronica had gotten a new boyfriend. Not that she didn’t have other friends as well. Doug knew that, too. After all, she kind of didn’t have a choice that way, having been genetically modified to have a sex drive that was almost insanely high.

  As a child. To make it easier for her father to abuse her.

  Hannah didn’t think about that one, but knew that she was probably going to murder the man, if she ever met him. Possibly even if that meant dying herself. She wasn’t some kind of hero, but there were simply things that good people didn’t let pass. From the sound of it, Doctor Pond did most of them. Daily.

  Instead of worrying over that, not having any way to stop the man at the moment, she called Robin Loxly up, not even really certain what it was she was planning to say to him.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi! This is Hannah de Peyser. We met a few months back? You were going to kill me, I think?”

  The man made a soft choking sound.

  “Well, that wasn’t the actual plan, really.”

  “Great. I was wondering if you’d like to help me on a project, then? It’s a knife fighting program, for VR, and we need someone really good for that, to do the mocap and make sure we aren’t leaving anything out? Also, who will work for free and be willing to slave away endlessly, to make sure it comes out properly?”

  The man laughed, at least.

  “I don’t know? I mean... I can get behind the idea... What would I need to do, really? I have work, during the day. I’m there now, in fact.” Where that was, she couldn’t tell from the sound.

  “In the evenings then? Tyler Yuan is heading this up, so we’re dealing with some high-level people here. At the same time, it’s a personal project for me. It’s mainly going to be so that I can train in fighting without getting too bored. You know, like ordinary people do?”

  She held her breath, if just for a moment.

  “How long will it take?”

  She had no clue that way, so took a shot in the dark.

  “Oh, a couple of months? This is really going to be about getting the animations right, especially for the attacker, which is the part you’ll be playing. We need to have that be for everything from I picked up a sharp thing just now, to I practice every day, just in case. And at least a few levels in between those, so that I can learn to get better as I go along.”

  The man said hmmm. Then, after a moment, went on.

  “I can do that. I might have to take time off on occasion? My other work can be unpredictable.”

  She grinned, and spoke gently.

  “That works. Especially if we can be told ahead of time at all. Neither Tyler or I are into that kind of thing, but we get the basic idea.”

  There was another laugh then.

  “You aren’t in on that kind of thing? I don’t know about your friend, but I heard you pretty much single handedly came up with a cure for Tri-D? Then, last night, I watched you going head-to-head with a superhuman, on a city street. That kind of thing gets around. Especially if you don’t wear a mask while you do it.”

  There was no mention of her having flashed the world, at least.

  “Well, you get the idea then. My knife work was horrible.”

  There was a sigh then. It actually sounded miserable.

  “Yes. That really wasn’t good. I’ll help. Let me know when and where? I’m in the city right now, but can travel on short notice, if need be. I have friends who can help that way.”

  She did too, as it turned out.

  “We’re all in New York then? That will make it easier. We can send a car for you.”

  They didn’t talk forever, but did enough that the man started to flirt with her a bit. That was always nice, really. Plus, the man wasn’t ugly or anything, and she didn’t exactly have a boyfriend, at the moment...

  Or, really, any actual prospects for one.

  Still, she got to call Tyler back, the man sounding a bit more chipper, this time.

  “Tyler here.”

  “Hannah. I have Robin Loxley set up for that knife fighting mocap. That and making sure we know what’s needed for all of that? I told him we’d need him on tap for a few months? I don’t know what’s required for motion capture, so... Is that enough?”

  “Oh, sure. I’ve heard the name. Outside of Robinhood, I mean. He’s really talented. Famous, in a minor way. How much are we paying him?”

  “Nothing? That’s what we agreed to, so far.”

  Tyler made a noise, then was silent, for a long time.

  “If this works, we might actually put it on the market? It’s a niche project, but this kind of training scenario has a lot of replay value. In that case, we should share the profits? That, we’ll want real contracts for that, but I don’t want lawyers in this. They cost too much.”

  She normally wouldn’t have even considered that idea, but she thought for a second, about how she would have handled that kind of thing, if she didn’t have any money.

  “Ask Kate to go over the idea? She knows more about that kind of thing than I do. Plus, she isn’t a lawyer, so we won’t have to pay her. Not just for this. I don’t know if her knife fighting skills are enough to bother with, either...”

  That was actually true. The woman had superpowers, and could clearly fight, when she was in costume, but none of that had ever involved a knife, or a gun. Kate could clean one of those, because Hannah had shown her how to do it. If there was more fighting skill in there, she hadn’t bothered to tell her best friend about it.

  Then, Wisp hadn’t exactly ever been mentioned before four months before, really. Nearly five, Hannah thought.

  Tyler interrupted her thinking, doing that talking thing he did.

  “I’ll work that end... You know, being that she’s my girlfriend? Oh, by the way, did you know I have a girlfriend? That’s pretty amazing, isn’t it?”

  Copying Veronica, she played with him a bit.

  “Meh? No-one who knows you is all that amazed, really, to be honest. You’re pretty awesome. Now, do you think you need me tonight? For the program, I mean. If you need me in some other way, you’re going to have to work on Kate a lot first. That is not a woman who is easily being talked into a three way. Well, maybe if you’re good with there being two dudes involved? Otherwise... Not so much.”

  Probably not that way, either, but the odds were slightly better.

  Tyler just laughed, as if it had been a real joke.

  “Like I’d make a mistake like that? As it is, I’ve seriously considered working out regularly, so she doesn’t leave me for being too dumpy. If I’m not good enough it should be for my surly personality, don’t you think?”

  “That sounds like a plan, actually. Not the getting dumped part, but the working out one. Kate and I already meet each day for an hour and a half, to exercise. Work in with us? I can show you how to walk funny and some other fun things?”

  The Asian guy grumped at her then. A thing that she hadn’t even known was a verb, before that moment.

  “So, you think that me whining like a little bitch will impress her? I’m not in shape. Maybe I should... I don’t know, join a regular gym, first? Exercise in secret?”

  “Um, no? I mean, clearly, don’t whine. That isn’t sexy, but if you hide working out, you won’t feel beholden to do it. If you come with me, you’ll know that I’ll call up and berate you if you miss too many days in a row. You know... We should get a few more people in as well. Then you won’t be the only newb.”

  “All your other fat friends? Do you even know anyone like that?”

  She did, though she didn’t think of them that way.

  “I was thinking Terry Lamond? She’s been sober since the shoot, more or less, so working out seems like the next step, doesn’t it? I’ll ask. I’m taking today off, but we can meet up tomorrow, or the next day?”

  “Fine. Fine. Under protest though. I’ll start on the environment and basic models for the game. That... Won’t take long. I actually think I have almost everything we need to get started. I’ll have to do some actual artwork, but... I can buy some of that, I think. Realistic looking models, for the attacker. Full body for the player... Male, female... Yeah. I’ll...”

  The phone clicked again.

  Hannah smiled at the thing, looking at it with the side of her eye. Then she called Terry up.

  “Um, hey?” Her friend sounded miserable, for some reason. Sad, not sick.

  “Hey T! It’s Hannah. I just wanted to let you know that we have your new workout program ready. Noon each weekday, at Kate’s gym. You know where that is?”

  “Yes? I didn’t know I was supposed to be doing anything. I really haven’t had a lot to do, lately. I can’t hang out with most of my old friends. They told me that in rehab. You and Kate are going to be there? Who else?”

  “Tyler Yuan. None of us do drugs or drink, so that works, right? Outside of that... Have you tried calling my brother for a date? He’s still single, I think.” She honestly hadn’t asked, lately. “If not, I am, so you know, that forbidden girl love you always wanted? Hmmm?”

  That got an honest giggle, at least.

  “Okay. It’s something to do. I’ve been thinking about that, getting in shape. Also, about seeing if Nate wanted to do anything. I’m not that fun right now. Should I really... I... We used to date, about forever ago. I never mentioned it to you, because, you know, you’re his sister.”

  She hadn’t known that at all. Dating sounded a little more advanced than hooking up once or twice as well. They weren’t that far apart, age wise, so Hannah wasn’t going to make a big deal about it. Not that she would have. They were both adults after all.

  “Then ask him out? Wait a bit, though. He’s out grocery shopping, right now. I asked him to pick up some baked goods and candy for some kids I know.” She nearly didn’t mention the whole thing, but Terry was actually a friend of hers. A real one. The kind that, if she started going out with her brother, Hannah was going to have to increase her meditation over.

  To keep it from damaging her poor little brain.

  “I’m actually going over to a different reality, later. Do you want to come with? It probably won’t be that big of a deal, but you can help me carry things? A few others are going. Not Nate, but we can meet up here and you can hit on him before we head over?”

  Hannah waited, to see if there would be laughter, doubt or sudden hatred of her for being strange. Instead, Terry Lamond, former drugged out party girl, just spoke.

  “That sounds different. When should I be there?”

  “I don’t know yet? I need to call first and make certain adding all of the people I have won’t be an issue. Veronica is going, possibly. From the show? Debbie and Lashondra, too, as well as John Fawks? Maybe some people I don’t know, as well.”

  “Neat. Let me know when?” That last was almost plaintive sounding.

  As if she truly felt like she had no-one in the whole world.

  “I’ll make the calls now. It might be tomorrow, or later today, so, you know, pack a bag? And by that, I mean your hiking backpack from the show, if you still have it? It’s a day trip, but pretty wild where we’re heading, so, you know, bring your A game with you and be prepared.”

  Instead of laughing, Terry simply sounded considering.

  It wasn’t like her at all.

  “Okay. I’ll be ready. I have some stuff for that, actually. Camping gear and all that? Just in case. I didn’t have anything else to do, so, you know, went shopping.”

  Hannah could see that one, really.

  Without drugs and partying, that had probably seemed like all the girl had left in the world.

  Chapter four

  It took most of the day to get everything together for the trip to the Never. When they met up, it was at a hospital, as well, since one of the people who was possibly going to change into a wolf had been so bitten up and maimed that asking them to walk even a few hundred feet away was just mean. Even a wheelchair was out of the question, since the man couldn’t really sit without being in a lot of pain. He wasn’t ancient, but the thirty-something guy was missing half his face, and large amounts of skin down his back. Part of his right leg was simply gone, as well.

  At least that was what Hannah had been told.

  So, as everyone stared at Terry, seeming as if they were wondering why she was there at all, Wisp stole the man from his room, and left him floating over the ground. With his I.V. left in, floating next to him. Functionally kidnapping him. Sure, for his own good, but Hannah wasn’t wild about the way it had been done. Then, she wasn’t going to be, if kidnapping was involved.

  Rather than fight her entire group on that one, the three other people who needed help were brought along with them, seeming scared, even before the rip in the air appeared.

  Until one of the women realized that not only was Terry there, a woman from a television show, but so was Hannah.

  “Um... I’m not certain what’s going on? I got a call, saying I had to be here, so I wouldn’t turn into a werewolf? I...” The woman, who was probably five years younger than Hannah was, making her right around twenty, was kind of heavyset, in a way that spoke of still giving a damn, but also not being obsessed with her looks. A size ten or twelve, or so.

  It actually didn’t look bad on her, really. Her hair was bottle brown, with blonde roots showing, but not with enough force to make her look strange, as of yet. Normally, natural blondes with dark hair looked funny, but this lady, who wasn’t that great looking, was kind of pulling it off.

  The big detraction to that was all the bandages she was wearing. It was clear that she’d been mauled a lot worse than Hannah had.

  When she went on, her voice honestly shook.

  “Is... Do we have to commit suicide to stop it?”

  That question got different responses from the various people there. Wisp gasped, even as he held the most injured man floating above the ground like he was. Lashondra tightened a bit, as if thinking there was about to be a very hard and unpleasant conversation, and John...

  Smiled at the woman.

  “Nothing like that love! We have a treatment that will work, a hundred percent of the time, now. The trick is that we have to be in a different magical dimension for it to be effective. Not the scary kind of magic, though. The rainbows and bunnies kind. You lot saw that horrible Life of Kate show?”

  Two of them had, though the second woman, who was older and not as marked up as the others was the one to speak on the subject.

  “I did notice that you have people from that show here. Is this a trick? It’s a bit much, having us injured for a show, isn’t it?”

  Even John was at a loss for words, suddenly, so Hannah sniggered a bit.

  “Oh, that really would be. Totally unrelated, but I managed to catch some claws to the back yesterday, so Terry got with our other friends here, to put this together. Well, with Debbie and Lashondra. Um... We’re all going to have to work together and chant, to open the portal and that part might not work. We really should have about ten more people for this.” She was pulling things from her behind, but Debbie was a private citizen and outing her as a superhero wasn’t a great idea.

  At least that was what Hannah was working off of.

  Lying like that had John suddenly going serious, since things were back in his normal wheelhouse. He was clearly, at least sixty percent conman, in his daily life.

  “Right. For this we need to form a line, and the people on the ends will need to act as anchors. We’ll need to use blood ties for this, so... Do you have the blade?”

  He looked at the group, and Hannah nearly got one of her two folding blades out, when Lashondra bowed. Then she reached inside of her Chinese peasant shirt and pulled out a nicely ornate looking blade that was about nine inches long. It had gold in a flowing pattern on the outside of the scabbard, the portion under that being a dark brown color.

  Then Lash looked almost mean and took a very deep breath. It shuddered a bit.

  “I do. There is a cost, to magic. The price for this action could be the final one, if anything goes wrong. Who will risk their life force to open this portal?”

  She glanced as Hannah, and then John, but as she moved forward, knowing she was going to be cut for her scam, Terry did the same. Nervously, but the tiny heiress didn’t hold back or wait for someone else to take the risk.

  Even thinking she might die, if something went wrong.

  Three of the people there suddenly went on alert, seeing that. Given the covert staring, they were focused on Terry, not her at all. She got that. It did seem a bit braver than she would have ever figured the woman as being.

  Lashondra was clearly fighting a smile from her lips. It seemed... Proud.

  “Present your left arms, please?”

  They both did that, wearing short sleeves at the moment, though that was under a warm jacket for both of them. Lash, making up her ceremony, explained the idea.

 

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