CURIOSITY, A BRIEFCASE, AND THE MYSTIC SHADOW PHOENIX

Hero Needed: Inquire Within

"Lookin' a little extra busty there, fatty, fatty. What'd you do; pack in a few extra candy bars this week or did you spring for some implants?" Dramond taunted, snickering at his own joke.

Looking closer, something caught Dramond eye. It was Ian's lashes. His eyes widened and he went on a verbal assault.

"Are you wearing blue mascara," he taunted loudly. "You're a little fruitcake aren't you. Are you one of those little sissy boys that want to be a girl?"

"What! No! What are you taking about?!?"

"Freaks like you make me angry," Vic added.

In no mood to handle harassment that day, Ian frowned while his eyes narrowed. The aching had lessened slightly, but hadn't left his body in the days since the injection, and he'd become increasingly irritable over time.

He'd snapped at people that were being reasonable several times because of it, so he was outright furious at someone who was being anything but.

In reality, though, he was afraid of Dramond and Vic, which actually helped Ian reel his anger in slightly. Besides, he knew he was looking more busty than usual.

His moobs had stayed roughly the same size, but he had lost weight overall the last few days, making them appear larger and more noticeable compared to the rest of him - a decidedly unflattering look for a boy.

However, to Ian, the physical changes meant progress toward a better place, a better person. Progress he was so very eager for. The moobs, he was sure they would be disappearing any day now, they just hadn't caught up with the rest of the changes. And the lashes, yeah, this morning he had noticed they looked a little more bluish than black. He had told himself that'd better be nothing more than a reaction to the serum that would return to normal.

"Just get out of my way, Dramond," Ian finally requested, only a hint of defiance in his voice rather than the heaping helping that he'd almost used.

Dramond noticed and his's eyes narrowed, but it was Vic that spoke up. "Sure, we'll get out of the way, once you pay the toll. Today's price is . . . Wait for it . . . your lunch money, as usual . . . and because something is different about you today, all the rest of the money in your wallet, too. Now."

"That is not going to happen, as- hole," Ian spat, his bad mood getting the better of his judgment. He wasn't sure what was happening, but he was talking back to his tormentors, something he'd never done before. "You should go make your own money and leave me alone."

Dramond didn't even wait for Vic to retort.

Instead, he just lashed out with a fist.

Having been on the receiving end of many punches, Ian managed to get his hands up to block in time, deflecting the fist wide enough so that it only clipped his ribs rather than smack right into his solar plexus.

While the block was good, the fact that Ian joined in the fight instead of just taking the punch, suprised Vic.

It even suprised Ian. He could not believe he had just fought back.

Vic lunged at Ian, grabbing an arm as he went.

Somehow, Ian managed to break free of the grip before Vic could yank him into a hold.

Was he moving faster and more accurately dodging punches than he could have even imagined before?

He had only a moment to marvel at that miracle before Dramond's follow up haymaker clocked him right in the jaw.

Stars sprang into Ian's vision as he went down hard. He wasn't completely out, but he definitely wasn't getting back up after a hit like that. A few kicks served as a follow up, before one of the two bullies fiddled around in Ian's pockets to grab his wallet.

They snatched two, one dollar bills and a five, all the money Ian had, and flung the wallet back down to smack Ian in the face.

Once the mugging was done, Dramond leaned down low in front of Ian, pulling a switchblade out to hold in front of the teen's face. The blade clicked out ominously.

"You ever speak like that to me again, you stupid f-ck, and I'll gut you like the fat little piggy you are."

After that, there was one last kick before the two boys left, leaving Ian groaning from his beating.

"Well that did not make me feel any better," Ian chided himself once he had finally recovered enough to get up. His body's ache had turned to a full on throbbing pain thanks to the assault.

Clearly, he wasn't ready to stand up for himself yet, but the confidence, speed, and strength he had felt and exhibited was a huge step in that direction. He could already tell he was stronger, faster, and tougher than he had been before taking the serum.

Soon, he told himself, they wouldn't be able to take him at all.