by Indiana Jones
I looked around to see what was going on but the chaos wouldn't let up. I could hear explosions and creatures were battling with humans. It was starting to get ugly and I didn't know if anyone else was as real as they looked. I decided a strategic retreat was in order until I could figure out what happened to me. I grabbed Kathleen and decided to check if this new body comes with the powers.
I thought about flying and I started to rise from the ground. I grabbed on to Kathleen and she rose along with me. I grabbed her and pulled her close. She was obviously uncomfortable, but she was too stunned to argue. I rose to the ceiling then thought about phasing. I could see my skin turn translucent and I could almost see right through Kathleen. We continued to rise through the ceiling and out into the night sky.
"All right!" I shouted as we floated above the Raucous Chicken.
"All right? What, you like this? This isn't healthy." Kathleen said.
"No, I feel so funky. I was just glad we got out of there and that I have these powers. Let's get out of here."
We started moving forward through the air and we headed towards home. As we passed over the alley we saw a beautiful Woman bust out into the alley.
"Wow! Is that Wonder Woman?" Kathleen asked as we went by. We saw her start to fly then crash to the ground. A man began to approach her in the alley. "Look that guy is trying something. Maybe we should help her!"
"I thought I saw Ed dressed up as Wonder Woman earlier. If the same thing happened to him that happened to us, I think she can take care of herself. I want to make sure you're safe!" I said and we headed straight for our place.
When we got there I phased us through the wall the same way we exited the club. I gently set Kathleen down and then settling to the ground myself. Kathleen just stares at me and gapes. She reaches out to me and then stops short and pulls back. "Is, Is that real?" she asked cautiously.
"I think it is. I... I don't know." I said. I walked over to the mirror on the wall next to door and took a long look at myself. There was a woman staring back at me and I was a bit unnerved at not seeing myself in the mirror. I made my arm move and the woman in the mirror reached out and pulled off the blue hood and long black hair fell out of it to cover the back of the cape. I saw the woman in the mirror pull off the cape at my command and then I felt the hair brush against my shoulders and back.
I drew down the shoulder armor and then slipped the shoulder straps off my shoulders. I let the soft metallic armor slip down off of my chest and down over my stomach. I felt the flesh instead of soft material, I felt soft smooth tanned flesh. That's when it hit me. This was me, I was the woman in the mirror. I stood six feet tall and pretty good musculature. I looked like a woman body builder, in very good shape indeed.
"Aaaaaaaaargh!" I cried seriously freaking Kathleen who had been sitting on the couch in shock. "I'm a woman!"
"Calm down it's not that bad. You're supposed to be a witch or sorceress right? Why not just change yourself back?" she said rather calmly.
"How can you be so calm? I've just been changed into a woman!" I shouted trying to remain calm. Then a thought hit me. "How are you feeling?" I asked her, wondering how all of this had affected her.
"I'm fine, and don't change the subject. Why don't you change yourself back?"
"It doesn't work that way. The character in the comics couldn't use her powers to change herself back either. She had to find the guy who put him in a woman's body named Archimage. I don't have that option." I told her. I was starting to freak out a little.
"Well how did you fly us out of there?" She asked me. I was glad someone was keeping their head. I was just too weirded out.
"I just thought about it and I started flying." I said still staring at myself in the mirror. I thought I was going to faint.
"Well try thinking yourself back to normal!" she said getting a little worried that I wasn't looking away from the mirror.
"Good Idea." I said while closing my eyes. I clenched my eyes tight and tried to concentrate. "Return to normal, return to normal." I kept thinking to myself. I could feel something happening. It started in my feet and started to work its way up. I opened my eyes. Just like in the comic book, the costume seemed to disappear on it's way up replacing itself with whatever I was wearing before. Unfortunately, as Mantra, I wasn't wearing anything before. The costume disappeared to reveal my birthday suit. I stood there gasping in the mirror at my exposed woman's body and instantly did what any woman would do. I used my arms to try and cover myself.
Kathleen just about died laughing as I turned several different shades of red. "When did you become so modest mister walk around in your underwear all the time?"
"I don't know ever since I started thinking about the character Mantra, I've just been feeling, I dunno, weird. Especially when I think about the similarity between our situations." I said still trying to cover myself.
"I've seen it all before, come on let's get you some clothes Indy. By the way, who is Mantra's alter-ego?" she said as she led me to our room.
"Her name, or his real name?"
"Both."
"His male name was Lukasz and her female name is Eden Blake." I said just as she started looking though her clothes.
"Here, a bra," she said and threw it at me,"panties, a T-shirt and jeans." She piled them on the bed.
I looked at the bra as if it were a mysterious object that only women should know about. "And just what am I supposed to do with this?" I asked in shock.
"What do you think, Everest or bust, you wear it. I don't know how THOSE," she said pointing at my impressive breasts,"are staying that pert, but you still might need one."
"I don't know how to put one of these on." I said holding it out to me.
"You should, you've taken mine off more times than I can count!" she said and walked over to help me get it on.
I got the Bra on and pulled the panties up, feeling weird about wearing women's clothes no matter what condition I was in. It also felt weird having a woman's chest and crotch. "It's a good thing Terry didn't go. If he hadn't been to busy working on those costumes, who knows what he might have ended up as. He's gonna be disappointed. If any of those people still have the cards, they probably aren't in the shape to use a costume or don't need one."
"I wonder if there's anything about this on TV. I hope Donna and Anita are all right."
"Last time I saw Donna she was a half snake and Anita's husband looked like something out of Legend of Zelda II." I said which got me to thinking. "Kathleen, who is the president of the United States?" I asked on a hunch.
"What? Why?" she looked back at me a bit miffed.
"Just humor me." I said in a very pleasant sounding voice.
"I'll never get used to you speaking in that voice. Okay the president is Bill Eisenhower. Or is it Dwight Clinton?" She said looking confused. Just as I suspected.
"Did you know that Elvis is dead?" I asked.
"Elvis is to young to be dead! What happened to him?" she said looking really confused. "No, he died just a few years ago.
What the hell...?"
"I think somehow you got Fifty-ized. You became the character you were dressed as. It just wasn't as pronounced as mine." I said as she sat down on the bed and turned on the TV.
"I don't know what to make of all this. I just need to lie down and take it all in." she said as a reporter came on talking about the Raucous Chicken. "Just let me think."
"I have to find Ed and see what he know about all of this. He shouldn't be too hard to find. At least not now anyway." I said and I willed my costume back. It replaced the jeans and T-shirt I was wearing and I flew up to the ceiling.
"Wait! Indy..." She started. She had been watching the TV and had been trying to warn me of something. I figured I could handle it whatever it was and kept going.
The TV showed several of the Party goers being hauled away by men in police uniforms. However, they were being loaded into black unmarked vans. Those were not police vans. Kathleen suddenly became worried about me and wished me good luck if I was going anyway. I didn't see the TV but somehow I heard hear wish me luck and I knew what she was worried about. It's a kind of magic. I guess.
I flew to the Raucous Chicken with the wind in my cape and my new head of hair flying behind me. I landed on the rooftop across from the club and I watched as the police and FBI agents were questioning people. The Governor's son was there and he was espousing political rhetoric. Rhetoric completely opposite of his 'Conservative' Liberal platform.
"Let's see if I can follow the trail of magic to Wonder Woman." with that a million strings of energy popped into view. It was beautiful, every color of the rainbow, in every shade sprung to life in an intricate pattern. I was physically taken back by the sight. Then one string in particular shone bright and leapt into my mind. All the other strings faded into the background and the lone bright green string trailed off into the distance. "Amazing," I said kind of dazed. "That must be the one."
I shook off the daze and decided to follow the string. Then there was a frenzy of cops as they rushed to their cars. "Either every donut in the city just went on sale, or something big is going down." I said smirking. One car in particular took on the same color aura as the string I was going to follow. I figured if I followed that car it would lead me where I wanted to go.
I started off the ledge into the air and I noticed there was still one black van left. They were trying to load a man into it. He obviously didn't want to go. Then I noticed it was Anita's husband, Horse-Head. It was taking six men to hold him and carry him. He was now obviously as strong and as stubborn as any horse. "Now, now boys, quit 'HORSING' around!" I shouted as I dove towards them. They looked up in shock and disbelief, a shock that lasted only briefly. Several of the men stepped away from horse-head and pulled tasers and nasty looking guns that were straight out of the Terminator.
"Set Phasers for stun! We want these people alive." The leader said.
"I'm gonna die! A bad guy with a sense of humor. You supposed to be Dead Pool or something?" I said as I reached down into myself and launched fireballs from my hands.
They struck several of the men who dropped the horse-man and started burning uncontrollably. But for some reason they weren't dropping. So I decided to switch tactics. I formed these balls of water in my hands and doused the flaming men with water. The results were explosive! The 'men' exploded, leaving bits of junk in their wake. By this time horse-head was overcoming the two men left to guard him and crunched them together like a couple of cymbals.
The leader obviously placed his safety above all else and exercised the better part of valor. I landed next to horse head as he examined the robot arms he just tore off the robot men he turned into junk.
"Dan right? What happened to Anita?" I asked as he looked at my. That horse stare really unnerved me.
"They took her!" He said amazingly eloquent. His voice sounded familiar. "They took her away in one of those vans Wilbur!"
I suddenly realized where I had heard the voice. "Mr. Ed?" I asked."
"Not really, I was making like Mr. Ed joking around and now that slips in every now and then. Do I know you?" He asked.
"I'm Indy Jones, Kathleen's significant other."
His eyes practically bulged. "Uhhhh, You're a guy?"
"I was, it's a long story. I'll tell you later. I'll try to find Anita I promise, but you should lay low." I said trying to sound confident.
"You have got to be joking!" he neighed.
"I don't have time for this! Be here tomorrow and I'll bring Anita if I can." I said as I flew off. He disappeared behind me as I followed the green energy to Wonder Woman. It turned out it was only a few blocks away.
"The cops were out of their cars and one was pointing a gun at an amazon who was holding another cop. I went in hoping that Ed was in control of himself and that I didn't have to fight him. My fears were proven to be unfounded as she put the cop down and the other officer holstered his weapon.
"Ed?" I asked still not sure that this was him. I floated down towards them, feeling a little self-conscious as the cops looked me over. I tried to pull my cape around me, but the wind seemed to blow it around to much. So I finally gave up.
"Indy?" Ed asked as I finally landed. I guess he did recognize me at the party.
"Yeah," I said glad I was wearing a mask or they would have seen me blushing. "After the change I dropped my girlfriend off and went searching for you!"
Ed introduced me to the officers who kept eyeing me like a piece of meat. "Officer, this is my friend Indiana Jones, well that's what I know him as anyway. He attended the party as Mantra, and I as Wonder Woman, now we've got their powers."
"And their bodies." I sighed wondering when they were going to stop eyeballing me. If they didn't stop looking at me like that I was going to fry them with a fireball. It had to be the armor. But Ed was wearing an outfit just as skimpy, and she was better built.
"Wait....you said him? You two were guys!?" He said a bit startled. That look of confusion and a bit of revulsion was worth all the stares and I decided to let him live. I smiled at him and he looked to Ed.
"Yeah, there were quite a few guys affected like that, I believe there's a Supergirl running around that had been a guy," Ed said. I couldn't tell what he was thinking.
Ramirez yelled out, "Hey Jones! We've got a guy, matching the description of.....oh you're gonna love this....of the Silver Surfer!".
"I saw him at the party," I said omitting the fact that I knew him, "He seemed like a jerk then too." I couldn't reveal his name for fear that my identity would be compromised.
Jones listened to the dispatch then growled, "If you two ladies are willing....we could use the help." He didn't know what to think obviously but he knew when to ask for assistance.
I didn't know how we could help. If this guy was the Surfer we might not be able to handle 'the power cosmic'.
"Of course," Ed said as he began to float above the ground. I said "What the hell!" and flew into the air as well.
I had serious misgivings. I was still unsure about my powers. I turned to Ed and asked, "Are you sure about this? We're dealing with some major league power if he's got half the power of the Surfer."
He didn't answer me as we approached the battle zone. Strange colored flashes of light were coming from the area. The sun rose and the flashes of light diminished as the light washed over it.
"See ya on the ground!" Ed yelled then dropped from the sky. I couldn't fathom what had possessed him, but I figured he knew what he was doing. He seemed to be falling straight forward towards the Surfer.
All the officers scrambled from behind cover. I didn't know if that was to distract the Surfer or because they were afraid of being at ground zero. "Incoming!" one cop screamed as Ed hurtled faster towards the pseudo-Surfer.
There was a thunderous crash as the immovable objects collided. Just the thought of that impact made me sick. I was worried for Ed though. The surfer was rising stunned but definitely kicking. Ed seemed to have gotten the worst of the deal. He wasn't moving at all. I had to do something. I kept descending as I considered my options. I hoped that my elemental powers would work right. I visualized a fist of stone to pummel the surfer.
"This should stop you!" I snarled then let loose the spell. The stone rose out of the ground and grabbed the surfer. Not the effect I wanted but it should hold him. He screamed in pain as I increased the grip on him. He mustered his energy and destroyed the elemental with a blast of energy. Once he was free he began to target me. I thought I was toast, but an officer fired his gun and hit the surfer in the face. It didn't have any effect but it stopped him from firing. I landed and thought about what to do next. Then I saw someone moving in the darkness of one of the alleys.
"Nobody hurts my lover except me!" Someone shouted from the shadows. Then a very well endowed woman hurtled herself at the Silver man. She looked like the woman Ed was with at the party.
"Eh?" the silver man wondered. Then instinctively he fired an energy bolt at the oncoming woman. She crumpled into a heap before the Silver man. Luckily she wasn't disintegrated but she was obviously hurt. 'Mitch, you jerk!' I thought in rage, 'If you hurt that woman, I'll...'
"Cindy!" Ed screamed in rage as she fell before the shiny powerhouse. He rushed the Surfer and kicked him in the face, and then slammed him into the ground. Even the real surfer could take only so much. He collapsed into a heap on the ground barely conscious.
Ed turned to the woman and helped her up. They were saying something but I couldn't make it out. I begin to approach the unconscious surfer to make sure he was down. Ed was so engrossed in his conversation he didn't notice the Surfer getting up. I started preparing a spell as Mitch got up. I tried to shout a warning and it broke my concentration. One of the officers yelled a warning but it was too late. Mitch busted Ed across the back of the head and she fell to the street.
"You Jackass!" I said angrily at Mitch. The emotion must have triggered something in me. The surfer dropped to his hands and knees to the ground. His face stretched outward and a tail jutted out from his spine. I don't know how I was doing it but I couldn't stop it. Eventually there was a metal skinned donkey standing where Mitch had just been.
I was so focused on the amazing magic act I had just performed, I didn't notice the black vans pull up. I rushed towards Ed to see if I could help. Her girlfriend was crying for help and desperately trying to revive the amazon. The police were already surrounding the donkey unsure what to do. Their relief however was something you could feel.
"Officers, call an ambulance!" I cried. Now that the surfer had been subdued they were back at playing the staring game. I would have loved to let them play the crying game.
"Keep those reporters back!" I heard an officer yell. The situation was quickly getting out of hand. Then I heard a crackle and felt a sharp pain and then numbness. I began to fall as I saw that Ed's girlfriend was already laying on top of bill. Before I blacked out, I saw a big man with black hair and dark sunglasses in a black suit smiling evilly at me. It was the leader of the men who had been after Dan at the club.
I awoke in a hospital with Wonder Woman and the woman who had been with us. Why they brought us to a hospital I'll never know. Ed was listening to something that I couldn't hear. I wanted to though. I was wearing the clothes Kathleen had given me. Somehow my armor must have disappeared when I passed out.
"Give her enough drugs to keep her easily handled, we'll take her into possession tomorrow," a man in a black suit said in a whisper. It was the same guy who had knocked me out. I don't know how I was doing this but it must be part of my powers. Maybe I was somehow tapping into Ed's mind.
"I'm not comfortable with this, she's innocent of any wrongdoing," the doctor mused.
"And powerful. With an army of people like her we can make our enemies bow in submission. We also need to get the sorceress with her. And that silver donkey, we'll have to get it restored. They are too powerful to exist at large," the man said.
Then the woman started shaking Ed. "Bill! Are you okay, you just kind of spaced out!".
"Yeah. You see that guy out in the hall with the doctor, he's planning on drugging me and turning me into some kind of secret weapon for the government I'd guess. Cindy, before it gets dark find someplace that your vampire self can't get out of. Indy, call the press....I've decided that the only way I can get free of them is if the public knows me. Supergirl did something similar I believe." Bill said. I was still reeling But I would do as he asked.
"Are you sure Ed?" I asked, "There's no turning back then, no personal life."
"I'll find a way. Otherwise I might as well surrender to the government now," Ed sighed.
"There was an abandoned bank back there where we fought, mi... the silver surfer. Maybe she can stay in that large steel vault. There's something not right about those men. And why would they bring us to a hospital instead of their base?" I asked trying to make sense of it all.
"I don't know, I don't want to think about it now. Please just call the conference." Ed said. He introduced Cindy to me and then he left with her. I made some phone calls. First I called and checked on Kathleen. She was worried sick and I was feeling really guilty. Then I called the vultures of the fourth estate.
The press were all over it when I told them that Ed was a Raucous Chicken Victim. The next hour was a blur. Ed told the people of the world what was going on with him and what he stood for. For the sake of those I cared for though, I didn't want to join him. I was still unsure about the motives of the dark man.
I sat there hoping it would be over soon. I wanted to get back home and see to Kathleen. She wasn't as bad off as I was but she might need help and she must have been dying of fright.
It was over and Ed flew out the window. I jumped up and made ready to follow, but I saw her energy trail lead around the building and in through another window. So I made my way through the building.
I got to the scene just in time to see Ed punch through the door and haul some guy through the door and into the air. I quickly switched to my costume in case she needed help and took to the sky. He pulled a gun that looked ordinary, but it had a weird energy string, like it was magic. Not taking any chances I blew the gun from his grasp.
Ed questioned the man and someone coldly took him out of the equation. Which was strange. I didn't scan the killer anywhere after the blast. This was getting ugly.
"Someone wants to keep this quiet awful bad," I observed still searching for the source of the gun shot.
"All the more reason to keep digging. Although I think we'll need help," Ed sighed.
"I'll meet you later, just think to me and I'll be able to hear it. I have
things to take care of. Later!" I said to him and flew off back home.