Chapter 22: Chapter Twenty-Two

(Hey guys! I know chapter 21 was twice the length of a standard chapter, but I couldn’t find a really satisfying spot to split it in half, so… you got an extra-long one! I may end up doing that again, but don’t hold your breaths! XD As always, I have a Patreon, please support me if you can, it means a lot! Anyway, on with the show!)

I squeal as my parents hug me. A new VR pod, AND a whole new wardrobe?! This is the best birthday EVER! Jeffrey chuckles as I let out a noise that could deafen any small animal within a hundred yards, half a slice of pizza disappearing into his mouth in two bites.

My mom pulls out her personal phone and makes a quick call, arranging our shopping trip as dad and I talk specifications for my new pod. “While you’re out shopping with your mom, I’ll edit the files to register you as female, then back up all your data and upload it into the new pod when it arrives, sound good? It should be ready by the time you mom’s finished giving you the princess treatment!”

I giggle, hugging him. “Thanks, dad. This is so awesome, I love you!” He chuckles and pats my shoulder. “So, you’ve been playing that new game, yeah? Come on, tell me about it!” Jeffrey grins and swallows his pizza. “Well, she’s become pretty popular as a streamer.” Mom hangs up and raises her eyebrows. My dad bursts out laughing. “Seriously?! You’re a streamer, huh? That’s pretty damn awesome, I’m impressed.”  As I immediately start spluttering in outrage at Jeffrey’s smirk, the smug git, he pulls up my first stream, mom giggling as she watches my antics.

The next few hours pass, pizza and fun filling the time, and I go to bed in a delighted, sleepy mood, curling up in my cozy flannel pyjamas, dreaming of flying through the clear blue skies of Vassimar, the land of Aegis Online, Asteria soaring beside me as I spiral lazily in an aileron roll, before my dream takes another turn. As the world around me shifts, I find myself back on that flat, scorched mountaintop, thunder boiling around me as I stare up into the crackling yellow eyes of the huge, horned lady from the last one. She seems to smile, and I sit slowly on a rock, furling my wings.

“Hello, my child. I see you have grown stronger, well done. It won’t be long before I, and the others, will call on each Argonaut. I cannot share too much, but you must be ready. My power is waning; you must work as quickly as you can. I cannot tell where you are, but I can sense your presence. You must take care…”

I smile up at her, and nod. “I don’t know what’s going on, but if you need my help, I’ll do my best!”

She ‘smiles’ again, and slowly reaches out with a single massive fingertip, touching me lightly on the forehead. “Wonderful, my child. I will see you soon, do not fret. When I call, you will know…”

My eyes drift open, and I yawn softly, blinking a couple of times, before falling back into a dreamless slumber…

 

When my eyes open again, sunlight is worming its way into my room via the gaps in the curtains, and my mom is standing in my doorway, smiling. “Good morning, Kylie! Are you ready for our shopping trip?” My morning drowsiness drains away and leaves me wide awake, and I bound out of bed, bouncing around my room eagerly like an overexcited rabbit. Mom raises an eyebrow and gently takes my elbow, halting my case of the binkies.

“Kylie, dear… where did you get those breasts?!” she giggles, and I look down. Ah, I must’ve forgotten to remove my bra and falsies last night! I turn crimson and explain, and mom tilts her head, smiling, before she adjusts my falsies for me. “You look lovely, sweetie. Now, go get dressed, we’re heading out soon!”

After a quick shower, shave, and breakfast, I brush my hair and adjust my skirt, climbing into mom’s car in the front passenger seat. Mom switches the audiocaster on, and the blood in my veins turns to ice water. On the audiocaster, the news reporter is saying, “This just in, we have confirmation of an arson attack committed last night. The target, a local coffee shop, known as ‘the High Ground’, owned by home-grown entrepreneur Sasha Collins, was attacked last night by masked individuals wielding heavy tools and firebombs, causing serious damage to the property. Several were apprehended by the Enforcers, and were taken into custody. More details as we confirm them!”

Mom must’ve seen my face, as she pulls over quickly. “What is it, Kylie? Is something wrong?!”  She reaches for my hand, and I squeeze her fingers. “I… I went to that café, I met someone who’s like me, and we went there, last week! Please! Take me there, I have to go there, now!”

Without hesitation, my mom nods, and twists the steering wheel, turning us onto a different street and powering down the road as close as she can to the speed limit, jinking around parked cars as we zip towards Stonehill park. Whipping my phone out, I frantically text Asteria, letting her know what I just heard. About five minutes later, I get a message from a number I don’t recognize.

‘Hey, Kylie! It’s Dana, Astie just texted me, saying that you told her the High Ground got fecked! I’m headin’ there now to scope the sitch!’

I blush a little as I fill in my mom, explaining who Dana is, then about Asteria, and how she got me into streaming, and how Asteria had somehow KNOWN I was transgender, even before I had been able to put the awful wrongness of who I was into words I could comprehend.  Mom smiles as she makes the turn onto the carpark where Dana had left her bike when we met. Sure enough, Dana’s massive grey motorbike is barrelling into the carpark, smoke drifting from her tyres.

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Her hair is undyed this week, the glossy red standing out like a flag as she dismounts in a practiced, fluid move, kicking the stand into position and removing her open-face helmet. “Kylie! You were right, it’s a total shite-show, but- oh! Is this your older sister?”

My mom giggles and raises her eyebrows. “Sylvia Porter, I’m Kylie’s mother. So, you’re the mysterious Dana McGregor, hmm? My daughter speaks highly of you!”

I splutter and huff as the two women start chatting, letting out a muffled “mlem!” as Dana teases me playfully, the three of us heading for the site of the High Ground. Sure enough, it’s a total wreck. The flower boxes are smashed to splinters, earth and crushed plants scattered around, and the façade of the building is scorched and abused with spray-paint. The inside, from what I can tell, is worse. There are slogans daubed everywhere, things like “ONE MAN, ONE WOMAN, ONE WAY TO LIVE”, and “YOUR KIND WILL NOT CORRUPT OUR WORLD ANY LONGER”.

Horrible stuff, and I hiss in distate. To one side, a counter’s been set up, with Sasha and Matt standing by it. A large coffee-machine stands on it, and Sasha grins as she catches sight of us. “Dana, how’re you? The usual?” Dana chuckles, “ya know me well, Sash. So, what ‘appened here?”

The barista rolls her eyes. “I guess those bastards from the Church of One got fed up with my continued business, despite their best efforts. Some of their younger members decided to take matters into their own hands and… well.”

She gestures at the ruined building. Matt speaks, quietly. “Aye. Two of my brothers were getting caffeine at the time, which the cultists weren’t expecting. Worked out for us, though.” He’s nursing a bandage on his right forearm. Two other men, almost as massive as the giant Matt, round the corner, dragging another. He’s unconscious, wearing a balaclava and nondescript clothing. The man on the left, with cropped black hair, holds up a crowbar and a big knife. “Caught one more of those Church fuckos. He wasn’t cooperative, so we gave him a little tap. The Enforcers are on the way.”

My mother turns, holding a disposable cup, steam wafting from it. Sasha smiles at me, patting the machine. “Caramel Latte, miss? I remember your order from last time. So, how did your date go?”

My face goes red as my mom raises her eyebrow. “It wasn’t a DATE, Sasha!”I pout, and Dana grins, draping her arm around my shoulder. “Nah, I was jest helping this baby trans figure herself out a bit.”

My mom smiles and rummages in her handbag, turning to Sylvia and handing her one of her business cards, before following Dana and I to an outside table, as a couple more customers order drinks. The Enforcers arrive, and a quartet of men in black-and-white body armour and full-face helmets emerge from their truck. Each one is holding a weapon, an M35-Alpha modular machine gun. The Church of One cultist is coming round, and, upon seeing the Enforcers, begins struggling and spitting curses.

Two of the Enforcers take over from Matt’s brothers, cuffing the masked lawbreaker and unmasking him, revealing a plain-looking boy with wild brown hair, his muddy-coloured eyes crazed and darting. As the third Enforcer reads him the Riot Act, the one with a fancier-looking badge approaches. “Morning, Ms. Collins. Sorry about all the trouble, but could I get half-a-dozen black coffees for the lads? Two with sugar, one with sweetener, thanks.” Tugging off his helmet, he smiles appreciatively at the punky barista.

As Sasha starts preparing the drinks, mom asks me, “So, Kylie, you came here to meet Dana? Was it helpful, did you… learn what you needed to, dear?” I nod, and she smiles thoughtfully, before reaching out and giving me a little hug. “That’s my girl, she always was very independent!”

Dana chuckles, her rich dry Gaelic accent warming the autumn air. “Aye, she’s a firecracker and no mistakin’ it! She had so many queries, I thought me brain would implode from tryin’ ta keep up!” I blush, and she reaches out to pat my shoulder. “Dinnae fash, though, it’s allus a privilege ta help a baby trans take their first steps towards really being themselves!”

When the Enforcer at the counter is finished with both placing his order and chatting with Sasha, he wanders over to us, his machine gun slung across his back. “Good morning, ladies. I have a few questions, if you have the time?” he asks politely, and my mother nods, smiling up at him. “Of course, officer, whatever you need.”

He sits down at the next table over, pulling out a small electronic pad and a stylus, and begins asking a few simple questions. Name, address, affiliation with Ms. Sasha Collins, the usual. My mother answers calmly and concisely, treating the whole ordeal like a business meeting, while Dana takes a quiet slurp from her mug. I find myself drawn to the redheaded girl, something about her warm and comforting, like cuddling a stuffed shark or something. As beautiful as she is, she doesn’t have that haughty, up-themselves attitude that hot people get when they realise their looks can get them whatever they want. Finally, the Enforcer stops writing, thanks my mother for her time, and turns to rejoin his men as they pile back into the armoured truck, coffee and a cultist in tow.

Dana slurps delicately from her cup again, and asks, “So, now that that unpleasantness is outta the way, what’re ye up to today, Kylie?” I smile and blush, “I’m getting a whole wardrobe of girl clothes! It was my birthday yesterday, and this is one of my presents!”  Dana grins, then asks, “if it’s alright wi’ the pair of yas, could I tag along? Yer ma has the eye for what’ll fit, but I possess the fashion-sense of today’s youth! Between us, we’ll put toge’er a slew o’ gear to make the angels weep for jealousy!”

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