The future Bobbi gave her younger self a wry grin. Her entire body from top to bottom seemed to be covered in dirt and oil, and she looked thirty years older instead of fifteen, and her nose must have been broken a dozen times as terrible as it looked, but young Bobbi could not doubt she was looking at the future reflection of herself.

“I just can’t believe it. It’s like looking in to some kind of funhouse mirror.” She walked towards her future self and reached out a hand to touch her face…

Future Bobbi stepped back and away. “I would prefer you didn’t do that. It’s dangerous enough that we’re in the same room like this. I don’t want to think what kind of time paradox might occur if we were to touch.”

Bobbi pulled her hand away. “Oh, yeah sure.”

Psalm stepped between the two Bobbis. “This reunion is lovely and all, if incredibly creepy, but we need to be getting back, don’t we?”

Future Bobbi nodded. “You are right, of course. I’ve just been working on the final touches to the machine.”

Bobbi looked across the massive device that seemed to fill the room. Gouts of steam shot from various pipes and joints all along the roof of the basement, and the device seemed to descend to the floor in random patterns along the basement floor. The air smelled not just of grease and oil, but sulphurous. The heat was almost unbearable and the air was even thicker than that outside. But Bobbi couldn’t help but reflect on the amazing device in front of her. A time machine, an honest to God time machine.

“I have so many questions,” young Bobbi said. “I don’t even know when to start.”

“That’s okay, I probably can’t answer that many of them anyway.” Future Bobbi picked up a wrench as she spoke. She went to work on what looked like the main set of gaskets, where an old laptop sat in the middle of the pipes and electronics. “Instead let me just say a few things to you.”

“Sure, okay.”

“I know you’re in a strange place, right now. I remember it vividly. Despite everything that has happened since I was your age, I still remember the doubt and confusion in joining Epsilon for the first time. I remember being frightened out of my mind. And it was all because of something as silly as a name. A codename for Pete’s sake!”

“Mindset,” the younger Bobbi said.

“Exactly. I know it isn’t easy. You’re being asked to fill some big shoes. The first Mindset was an amazing woman. She helped raise you and all the other kids at the Academy, shaped you in to the young woman you are today. It’s quite the legacy, but remember, it’s not a perfect one. We both know how it ended. It’s up to you to redeem the name and so you shouldn’t be afraid of it. Carry it proudly.”

Young Bobbi only nodded.

The next few words came straight in to Bobbi’s skull. “I also want you to realize that you’re a far greater telepath than you give yourself credit for. You have the potential to surpass everyone who came before you. You will find ways to use your powers in ways other psychics never imagined, but only if you overcome your fear. Don’t let the fear shroud you and obscure your need to become everything you can be. You are a strong, proud young woman. Let it show.”

The elder Bobbi looked up at Psalm “Finally, I want you both to know that though we’ve put so much faith in both your abilities, we understand that you’re both only human. Despite all your powers, we don’t expect you to be perfect. We hope you can bring change to this world, to bring a better future to degen, meta, and norm alike. But if that’s not possible, no one blames you. We brought this future on ourselves, and we know it.”

Psalm nodded, while young Bobbi spoke. “I will do my best. I want to make you proud and I promise I will do everything in my power to succeed, to stop this Nephthys from rising. Or my name isn’t Mindset.”

The elder woman smiled. “You’re learning, youngster. Now I have one last gift to give you. Hold still.” She stopped adjusting several bolts and looked up at her younger self.

Bobbi felt the sudden surge of knowledge hit her brain. Every synapse seemed to fire at once. Suddenly she could feel memories she had never know before, thoughts she had never thought.

“It’s everything you will need to know to stop Nephthys.” The lights suddenly turned from dim white to flashing red in the room.

“They’re here,” the older Bobbi said. “We don’t have much time. We need to get you back to your time before it’s too late.” She ran off to throw a lever on another part of the time machine. She ran back to the lap top and keyed in several commands. The large chamber she worked on before slowly slid upwards. It revealed a raised platform with a clear glass floor. Bobbi could easily see a mess of circuitry below the glass as well as some kind of inky black energy. It seemed to flow through the glass chamber as they approached it.

“Get on the platform,” older Bobbi said. “It’s only a psychometric effect of the energy flow. It can’t hurt you. The energy being is just there to power the time generator. Now in, in, in!”

Psalm and Bobbi looked to one another for a moment, back to the platform, then back to one another. Psalm shrugged. With a sigh, Bobbi took her hand and made her way up the time platform. One of the memories her older self had provided her was with a test run of the machine. Despites its appearance, the machine held up just fine. They watched the older Bobbi as she rushed around the room and made the final calculations.

Something banged against the large metal door. Another bang and another.

“Shit, they’re here!” The elder Bobbi frantically moved around the room, throwing levers, adjusting knobs, and always returning to the laptop. She looked up at Psalm and Bobbi. “I don’t have time for an exact return. You’re going to lose some time in the past, but it shouldn’t be more than a month. It should still be enough time for you to stop Nephthys but you must hurry.”

“We will,” young Bobbi said.

“Good.” Older Bobbi pulled a lever and a glass shield fell down around Psalm and Bobbi. It blocked all sound. They could hear nothing more as the older Bobbi made the final preparations.

The door exploded inward. Bobbi and Psalm could only watch as half-human, half-cybernetic soldiers marched in to the room. They were less disciplined than the ones they could remember from the Academy, but they were far less human and far better armed. Bobbi doubted her older self would stand a chance against them.

Older Bobbi ran back to the laptop. She keyed in the final command. The chamber holding young Bobbi and Psalm began to fill with a light mist. Electricity crackled up and down its outer shell. She caught her younger self’s eye. She just gave her a nod before she began to fade from view. She turned just as the first cyberion reached her. His blade sliced in to her gut. Blood flowed from her mouth and she knew she would soon be dead.

Young Bobbi watched it all through the mist. Psalm reached out and took her friend in her arms before they both disappeared from the future.

*****

Four weeks had passed since Athena and Bagheera’s unfortunate confrontation with Commander Savage and her new cyborgs. Upon their escape and subsequent return to Eastman Academy, Athena immediately put the entire facility on lockdown. But after a week of no attacks, she soon realized they weren’t coming. Whatever designs the new ACTION had for them, Athena realized they would attack in their own time. She downgraded the lockdown to a full alert. Members of both Epsilon and Flint’s Epsilon 3.0 unit worked regular patrols around the school on a twenty-four hour basis. None of the two man teams had come up with anything out of the ordinary yet.

Despite the changes life seemed to be getting back to normal at the Eastman Academy with one exception. Athena looked across the desk at Flint and the young man sitting next to him.

“Wave, do you know why you’re here today?”

“Are you kicking me out because I look too much like your old boss man? Because if you are, I got to say that’s way uncool.”

Athena shook her head. “We’re actually here to find ways to help you fit in better here, Wave. Despite your appearance and choice of names, I have no reason to believe that you are our former leader. I believe that you at least believe your story about growing up in San Francisco Degentown. But I also know the other students treat you as an object of wonder, not as a person. I want that to change.”

Wave looked at Flint before turning back to Athena. “So you think a private meeting with just the two headmasters is the way to go?”

Flint chuckled which drew a frown from Athena. “Not just us,” she said. “Flint, you want to bring in our fourth?”

Flint rose from his seat and walked to the door at the back of the room. Wave and Athena both watched as he opened the door and ushered a young woman in to the room.

Athena smiled at the young woman as she entered and took a seat to the left of the desk. She looked almost human if it wasn’t for the glassy patina that covered her entire skin. She wore only the barest form of a bikini on her lean muscular body, although it wasn’t really clothing at all. It was one of Smith’s finest pieces of design work, a kind of biomechanical paint. No clothing could stay on her diamond sharp skin, but the bio-paint would last until a solvent could be applied. Solid was thrilled when she first learned when she first arrived at the school. It was the very first time in her life she hadn’t needed to be naked.

Athena made sure to turn her attention to Solid as she spoke. Her diamond coating sealed every non-essential cavity on her body. Hence the young woman could not hear. She did know how to read lips though, and Athena signed her words as she spoke.

“I want Solid and you to be training partners from now on, Wave. You both are often separated out from the main student body to no fault of your own, and you both have amazing powers that can be a real benefit to the team should you decide to stay past your schooling. And I think you can both use a friend, am I right?”

Wave looked between Solid and Athena. His mouth hung open and Athena wondered how long it would take the brash young man to find his words. Solid signed a few words in response.

Flint laughed. “Solid says that your excitement is somewhat underwhelming. She wants to reassure you that she’s not the biggest fan of a partnership with someone as arrogant as you either.”

“Arrogant!” Flint gestured for Wave to turn back towards Solid. Wave did so before he continued to speak. “I’m not arrogant. Just because I’m good in a fight and proud of it doesn’t make me arrogant!”

Solid signed back and again Flint interpreted. “I guess you’ll have a chance to prove it, partner.”

Wave started to speak up, but Athena interrupted. “Like it or not this is the way it’s going to be, Wave. I see so much potential in you, but you need to be a team player if you’re going to continue as a member of this team. Solid can teach you that, and you can teach her a thing or two about the world.”

“Fine,” Wave said. He looked at Solid. “But don’t expect me to like it.”

Solid stuck her tongue out at him.

Athena opened her desk drawer and pulled a thick book out. She dropped it in front of Wave. From here he could read the title: Lessons in American Sign Language. “You better get studying,” she said. “You’re going to need it if you want to communicate with your own partner.”

“And you will be tested,” Flint said. “You now have ASL classes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in my office at four p.m. sharp.” He gave Wave a pat on the shoulder as he left the room.

Wave crossed his arms as he turned back to Athena and Solid.

“What are you still doing here?” Athena said. “I do believe the both of you are due in the training room five minutes ago. I don’t think either of you wants to keep Bagheera waiting any longer.”

Wave and Solid’s eyes met for only a moment before both leaped from their chairs. They ran through the door. Athena sat back in to her chair as she watched them disappear down the hall. It’s moments like this she truly enjoyed being a teacher. She’d be damned if she would let ACTION or anyone take that away from her.

*****

Devil Boy looked at the watch on his left wrist. 16:07. Where in the hell is Cheetangus? He was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago for our watch.

He stood outside the main building of the academy and scratched the back of his head. Four hours of watch duty every day was bad enough, now he had to do it without someone else here.

“Just freaking great.” He turned away from the Academy building and started across the still damaged back lawn and towards the former stable that was now Epsilon’s hangar bay. He mumbled to himself as he walked. “I swear to God, that little bastard can run the speed of sound but he can’t even show up for his watch on time. When I see him next time, I’m going to kill him!”

“It’s not his fault. I told him I would take the watch.” Inches from his right side, the air suddenly shimmered. A moment later, Thief stood beside him.

“You already had watch eight hours ago. Athena will be pissed if she finds out you’re double working.”

“I don’t really care, DB. You and I need to talk. You’ve been avoiding me for weeks now. Weeks! I figured this would be the only way to get your undivided attention long enough for you to tell me what’s going on with you.”

“There’s nothing to talk about. I’m fine.”

“Really? You declared my love for me and when I come back I make it perfectly clear that I’m interested in taking our friendship in to something more. And what do I get out of you? Standoffishness and this sudden stubborn streak. It’s not like you, man. I want you to tell me what’s bothering you. Is it about the Brethren or my time with them? Whatever it is, just tell me what I’ve done and I’ll fix it. I… I want to be with you.”

Devil Boy shook his head. “It has nothing to do with you, okay? Can we just drop it?”

Thief grabbed Devil Boy’s arm. Devil Boy stopped his walk and turned to look at Thief.

“I can’t drop this,” Thief said. “If you want to be with me, you have to be honest with me. Tell me what it is.”

“I… maybe I was wrong. Maybe we shouldn’t do this. Hell, maybe I’m straight. I’m just a confused teenager and all that crap.”

“Don’t shut me out, DB. Please. I’m begging you.”

Devil Boy sighed. He just won’t take no for an answer. What’s wrong with him? Why won’t he listen to me?

He knew the answer already. It’s because he loves me, isn’t it. Mac loves me as much as I love him. And he’s right, I should be able to tell him everything. Even something I’ve never told anyone before.

“Fine,” Devil Boy said. “You win.”

“I don’t want to win. I want to help you.”

Devil Boy pointed to a bench outside the stable building. “Sit. This is something of a long story.”

Thief sat down on one end of the wooden bench. Devil Boy positioned himself at the other.

“I don’t even know where to start,” Devil Boy said. “But I’ll do my best.

“I wasn’t always like this. A degen, an epsilon, whatever you want to call it. I know most of us transform either at birth or when we were too young to remember it. Well, I do. I was eight. It haunts me.”

Devil Boy inhaled deeply. He could feel tears coming and he didn’t want them yet. He doubted he would get through the story without them, but he wouldn’t break down yet. “Mom and Dad never were what you would call loving, nurturing sorts. She spent most of her time drunk, and who could blame her. The way Dad wailed on her when he got mad, drunkenness was a wonderful diversion. And Dad got mad easy.

“One night when I was seven, Dad went on one of his rampages after work. By the time he was done, he had broken several of Mom’s ribs and her arm. She left a couple days later and I never saw her again.”

Thief inched closed on the bench. He reached out a hand to his friend. “I’m so sorry, man. I didn’t know.”

Devil Boy brushed away Thief’s hand as he his head. “I’ve barely even started. See with Mom gone, the only one Dad had to take his frustrations out on was me. He wasn’t as brutal with me as he had been with Mom, but he left bruises and scars I would still have today if it wasn’t for my transformation.

“But it was what else he wasn’t getting that ignited the transformation, or so they think. I can only remember glimpses of it and that’s enough to make me want to die. He came home one night from work drunk as she used to be. Before I knew it, he was fondling me, touching me in places even as an eight year old I knew was wrong. When he took out his…”

Tears came to his eyes now, and Devil Boy couldn’t hold them back any longer. They sizzled down his cheeks as he let them loose. Thief reached out and put his arm around his friend. “I’m here for you, DB. I’m here for you.”

“When he put it in my mouth, I remember gagging and coughing. My entire body seized up. It was the change. My teeth cut in to him. He screamed in pain and started to pull away from me. That’s when I breathed my first fire.

“He raped me, I know, but I still never wanted my father dead. I watched him burn alive in front of me. I couldn’t look away. Wave and Mindset found me like that the next day and brought me to Eastman. I’ve been here ever since.”

“I never knew, DB. I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Devil Boy said. “You didn’t do it and it was a long time ago. I barely ever think about it anymore. But when I’m with you… well, I can’t help but think about the things we would do together. And that makes me think of that day, whether I want to or not.”

Devil Boy slumped down in to Thief’s arms. Thief held him tightly as he continued to sob. “I’m here,” Thief said. “I’m here. And I would never make you do anything to hurt you. Never, okay?”

Devil Boy looked up at his friend, the love of his life. He wiped the smoldering tears from his cheeks.

“I want to be with you, DB, on your own terms, at your own pace. All I care about is that we’re—”

Devil Boy’s lips pressed up against his own, and Thief went quiet. They kissed for several moments as Devil Boy slowly ran his hands up Thief’s sides. After several short minutes, they broke their lock and looked in to one another’s eyes. Then they burst out laughing.

After they calmed themselves, Devil Boy took Thief by the hand and squeezed it tight. “Thank you for making me talk, Mac. I needed this. I’m sorry that I was such an ass to you for the last few days.”

“You’re forgiven. I could never not forgive you.”

Devil Boy looked down at his watch and groaned. “We’ve been here for nearly an hour. We better got the move on with the watch. If Bagheera catches us back here sitting he’ll cut us in to chopsuey.”

Thief stood without letting go of his friend’s hand. “Come on. Let’s go finish up the last three hours. Then we’re going back to the room, because we have a lot of lost time to make up for.”

Devil Boy couldn’t resist kissing Thief one more time before they started back on the watch.

*****

A cross between a human and a housefly whose skin was gold from head to toe streaked down at the man in the armor. He spit a stream of some kind of sticky fluid. He raised his arm to block the gooey liquid. It hissed as it struck the armor. He wondered for a moment if the substance was actually digestive fluid like a real fly.

He didn’t take time to ponder it further as a female degen with the head of a fox appeared on ground level. A shimmer of light came with her appearance. His sensors detected another metagene-active presence behind her for only a second before it disappeared again. He knew how they were moving so fast now. They had a teleporter.

The fox-degen’s hands shined brightly before she hurled a blast of energy towards him. The flash shielding in his helmet activated before it had a chance to strike. He felt the impact but at least he wasn’t blinded.

The bug-man moved to attack again. The armored man raised the death-staff and unleashed a burst of energy towards him. Another degen flashed down from the sky. The flyer had feathers on his lower arms and his hair was replaced by row after row of razors. He plucked a pair of raisers from his head and threw them downwards.

The armored man sidestepped, but he knew it was just a distraction. His sensors detected the teleporter and a much larger figure as they appeared behind him. He turned to see a tyrannosaurus Rex lunging for his head.

He dove forward and narrowly avoided the dinosaur’s monstrous jaws. The fox and bug again attacked as Balrog rose up again in front of him.

It’s too much for me to handle now. I can’t fight all of them. I can’t stay here any longer. I have no choice but to abort.

The armored man blasted skyward and at the same time he diverted every ounce of power not focused on his boot-jets in to the warp system. No time to be choosy, he thought. I’ll have to use preset coordinates.

He pushed himself farther skyward even as Balrog, the bug, and the spiked degen followed him. He counted down silently with the internal timer as the warp sphere began to glimmer around him. 5…4…3…2…1…

He disappeared in a flash of light…

…and reappeared seconds later several hundred feet above the Eastman Academy. His boot jets failed as the warp sphere failed. He plummeted towards the earth.

Every internal system had gone offline. He used a burst of energy from his death-staff to cut the speed of his descent.

He crashed in to the already damaged back lawn of the school. He could feel warm liquid coursing down his forehead. His vision faltered even as the armor’s systems started to come back online.

Possible concussion, but no broken bones or major contusions. Any landing you walk away from as they say. He pulled himself to his feet, just as the first figures appeared from in front of the school. He counted five of the six Epsilon members moving towards him: Athena, Flint, Alter, Bagheera, and Air Raid. The sixth was a Caribbean girl in her late teens, beautiful and obviously not a degen. Strange that she would be here at this school.

He tried to speak, but found the armor’s voice modulator was still offline. He could yell to his heart’s content, but they would never hear him through the suit. Just as unfortunately, the armor’s emergency defense system was online.

A blast of energy shot out from Athena’s hand and at his feet. The shoulder mounted mini-missile launchers slid out of their housings. A moment later they launched towards his attackers.

Sometimes you just can’t win.

Epsilon, Athena, Bagheera, Flint, Beauty, Air Raid, Thief, Devil Boy, Rubicon, and all related characters, and Metahuman Press are © and ™ 2005-2008 Nicholas Ahlhelm.