Kayden tried not to think about the blood and the carnage, but it was impossible - there was so much of it.  Focus, she thought.  Two people pierced through in the booth - start with them!  She ran to the booth, almost slipping in the pooling blood on the floor.  The woman was obviously more injured than her male partner, so she ran to her first.  She laid a hand on the woman’s shoulder, and the woman’s current injuries and their extent filled Kayden’s mind... she was dying, quickly.

 

The man next to her - her patient’s dining partner - groaned in pain.  “Who... who are you?”

 

“I...”  Kayden began, unsure of what to call herself.   “I’m trying to help.  If I don’t do this, your friend is going to die.”

 

“Please, help her... her name is Sally.”  The man struggled to speak, but the pain was too much and he fell back in his ruined seat and groaned in pain. 

 

Kayden laid her hand on Sally’s arm, and began to send her power - her healing energy - into Sally’s form.  It took long seconds - seconds during which Kayden could hear the super-brawl outside was still going on, causing more damage and possibly more casualties.  Sally’s internal wounds began to close together - and Kayden knew something was wrong.  Dammit - the wounds are closing over the metal shard!  I’m going to have to pull her off, but if I don’t heal her right away, the shock might kill her...  Dammit!

 

Kayden grabbed Sally under the armpits and around her waist.  “Sorry, Sally - this is going to hurt, a lot.”  Kayden placed her feet against the wall of the booth, and pulled, groaning in exertion; Sally’s body slid off the metal spike, and fell on top of her, covering her with blood.  Kayden rolled her over, and began healing once more.  The smell of the blood was coppery, tinged with bad smells that could only come from someone’s intestines and innards.  Kay swallowed her gorge, and kept working.   Miraculously, her wounds healed incredibly quickly - and less than thirty seconds later, she was fully healed, though still unconscious.

 

“What’s your name, sir?”  Kayden asked, turning to the impaled man who was Sally’s partner. 

 

“P..Peter Conway.” 

 

“I’m going to help your leg - but it’s going to hurt.  Okay?”

 

“Please!”

 

Kay took the man’s leg in her hands, and pulled with all her might - and his leg pulled free of the metal shard with a wet slick sound.  Blood poured out of the wound, and Kay could tell the worst was happening - removing the shard had opened his femoral artery – he’d bleed out in seconds.  Peter shrieked in pain as his leg came free of the shard, and Kayden held his leg tight, like a clamp, hoping her power would work fast enough... 

 

Come on!  Come on!  She thought.  Don’t die!   As she watched, she could feel from her power that his artery was sealing itself, and his wound on his leg was healing.  In about 10 seconds, Peter looked fine...  He was covered in blood and traumatized - but he was physically unhurt.  He rushed over to Sally, and held her.

 

“I... I don’t know who you are, ma’am - but thank you!”

 

Kayden nodded, unsure of what to say.   I think I can safely say I never expected to be in a situation like this before today.  Does this make me a superhero?  Oh hell!    “You’re welcome?  It was my pleasure, Peter.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, those assholes out there are still trashing stuff and hurting people.  I’ve gotta go.”

 

“Kick their asses for us, ma’am!”

 

“You’re damn right I will.”  Kayden replied, a bit unsure as to how exactly she was going to make that happen.  She stepped out of the hole in the wall, into the parking lot of the Pizza Hut, and looked at the scene of the battle.   

 

 

The parking lot was virtually destroyed - perhaps one car was untouched - the rest were crushed, speared with shrapnel and debris, or covered with broken glass and rubble from the wall having exploded outwards.  The battle had begun to move down the street, towards a gas station and a corner store - but thankfully, it looked like most of the civilians had cleared the area when the chainguns and metahuman powers started being tossed around.  There were doubtless some people who hadn’t been able to get away, hiding in the buildings.   Kayden could see Shrapnel standing above the man in tactical gear, holding a shard of the metal he was so easily able to shape and control.  The man in tactical gear was reaching for his weapon - a fraction of a foot too far for him to reach it.  Both sported a number of wounds, some of which looked fairly serious - and both looked winded.  Kay could hear the police and emergency services were on their way.

 

“So, Carnage!  You think you can muscle in on my turf, and take over my businesses.  Think again!  I’m going to kill you now.  What do you say to that, upstart?”

 

“Fuck you!”  Carnage yelled defiantly.

 

The cops won’t be able to deal with these two - all they’ll do is provide targets.  Someone has to take them down or drive them off...  Oh crap – that’s me, isn’t it.  Kayden felt a twisting in her gut, telling her she wasn’t ready - that she didn’t know how to do this, but somehow she forced it down into her stomach, and ignored the tiny little voice saying she was about to get killed.

 

“Hey!  Assholes!  Playtime’s over!”  Did I just say that?  She thought.  OMFG I’m going to die.      

 

Shrapnel paused before delivering his death blow.  His eight foot bulk shifted to get a better look at Kayden, and Kayden could see Shrapnel clearly for the first time - well, for the first time that wasn’t safely on television.  He was large, and covered in some sort of metal armor made from debris... probably made from his ability to control metal.  He looked humanoid, but gods knew what he looked like under his metal shell.  His metal shell was all points and edges and rust and chrome.  He looked dangerous and hungry for blood.

 

“Who the hell are you supposed to be, hero?” 

 

“I’m... I’m Virus, and you have the option to surrender!”  Kayden gulped, hoping her fear didn’t show on her face.  She felt it should, even through the mask she was wearing. 

 

“Like hell.  I’m not surrendering to some wet behind the ears novice.  You want me?  Come get me!”  Shrapnel ground Carnage down into the ground with one foot, and with a free hand tossed a jagged shard of metal shaped like a spear at Virus.  Even as the jagged spear left his hand, a new one grew from the metallic debris around him and Shrapnel was rearmed. 

 

The spear whizzed towards Virus but somehow, she managed to dodge it.  She gulped when it embedded itself three feet into the masonry walls of the Pizza Hut behind her.  Fuck! He’s strong!  She started sprinting towards Shrapnel, trying to formulate a plan.  What the hell do I do to him?  Punch him?  With that metal shell it would be a waste of time.  What do I do?

 

Carnage grunted under the weight of Shrapnel, and his hand inched further towards his minigun, unnoticed by the supervillain standing atop him.  Shrapnel flung another spear, this one breaking into a dozen flying shards as it flew towards Virus.  The storm of metal slashed into her in a half-dozen places, and she yelled in pain but kept coming, blood flowing freely from a number of wounds.

 

I can change other people, Kayden thought, remembering the homeless man she gave a new lease on life to.  If I can touch him, I can disable him, maybe...  But how to get through his damn shell?   Virus ran up towards Shrapnel, and slid like she was going for home base under and between his legs, ending her slide behind him.  She stood as he whirled to face her, and she stared face to face with him.  He was ready to kill her.

 

Shrapnel roared in anger, and swung a metal fist covered in spikes, rust and blades at her, and connected.  Kay screamed as the blades tore at her, and she felt the wind knocked out of her stomach - she fell back a few feet, staggered.  “Pathetic!  I don’t know why I even bothered!”

 

Pathetic!  I’ll show you pathetic, asshole!  Kay could feel her wounds already starting to heal - it would only be a moment before they were gone, so she decided to press the attack.  Kayden had taken some martial arts training when he was younger - but the martial arts he had taken wasn’t designed for street fighting - and Shrapnel was an experienced street fighter.  She could tell she couldn’t out fight him, as yet - so she would have to either delay him or trick him.   Let’s go with trick, she thought.  She rushed him - and like expected, he tried to backhand her away.  She dodged, somehow, and tried to punch him with all her strength.  She felt something tingle in her arms and shoulders, but when her hit landed, it did virtually nothing, except hurt her fist.  “Ouch!”

 

 

“Not too easy punching through a steel shell, is it Virus?”  Shrapnel gloated.  “I’m going to crush you like a bug.”  He reached out and grabbed her, closing his steel hand around her left arm, and dragging her close to him.  She was helpless in his grasp - his superior strength easily outclassing her abilities.  She dangled about three feet off the ground as he looked her eye to eye.  “Anything to say before I crush the life out of you, worm?”

 

“Yes, actually.  Thank you.”  Before Shrapnel could reply, she used her free hand and jabbed her finger into the small open spot between his armor plating - his eye holes.  He gave a resounding shriek as she poked him hard in the eye, and worked her magic with her shapeshifting ability.  Shrapnel screamed, and clutched his face, tossing her aside.

 

“What did you do, you bitch?!  I can’t see!”  Shrapnel staggered around, looking confused.

 

Virus climbed to her feet, just in time to see Carnage level his retrieved minigun at Shrapnel’s back, and open fire.  The armor piercing bullets sprayed out, and Shrapnel screamed in agony before dropping to the ground, bleeding profusely. 

 

“Thanks for the help, Virus.”  Carnage said.  “You distracted him for me perfectly.”

 

“I didn’t do it for you, Carnage.  I did it to stop the fighting. Surrender - now...  Or you’ll regret it.”

 

“Really, Vi?  You’re 20 yards away from me - point blank range - and I could saw you in half before you reached me.  I have the upper hand.  So - either fuck off, and let me finish Shrapnel so I can claim his territory, or I’ll finish you off.  Your choice.”  Carnage was cocky - and didn’t seem to have any compunction about killing either Shrapnel or her.  Kayden believed he’d do it, too.

 

I wonder if his gun has any electronics in it?  She wondered.  She cast her mind towards Carnage’s minigun, and felt the touch of a tiny mind.  Hey little buddy, she said.  Would you mind shutting down for a maintenance check for a bit?  Just take the engine offline for five minutes, okay?

 

The electric motor on Carnages’ gun replied “No problem, ma’am.  Powering down!” and Virus smirked. 

 

Meanwhile, Carnage watched Viruses wounds heal at an astonishing speed.  “You can heal, huh?  Cool power.  It won’t save you.  Stand down.”

 

“No.  Last chance, Carnage - Surrender.”  Kay hoped her bravado carried her voice, cause inside she sure wasn’t feeling it. 

 

“Crazy bitch.” He said, fingering the trigger of his minigun.  Nothing happened.  “What the... shit!  Not now, dammit.”

He checked the gun over, but couldn’t see what was wrong with it, and then Virus was next to him.

 

“Nighty night.”  Virus grabbed his arm, and Carnage felt weak - like all his stamina was flowing out of him at an amazing speed. 

 

“What are you doing to me?  How!?” Carnage struggled to pull away from Virus’s grasp - but couldn’t he was so weak and tired. 

 

“I’m flooding your system with Seratonin, which is why you’re feeling weak and tired.  Your muscles are swimming in lactic acid from exertion, and losing potassium - and I’m making it ten times worse.  You’re basically suffering from temporary multiple sclerosis.  Do you surrender yet?”

 

Carnage struggled, and then stopped, blacking out.  His body went limp and collapsed on the ground, his minigun going sprawling. 

 

Oh my god!  I’m alive!  She thought.  I’m alive!   It fucking worked!  I can’t believe it!  Thank you, Discovery Science!  Thank you!  “Woohoo!” she yelled, pumping her fist in the air.  “Yeah!”   I am never going to blame myself for watching TV ever again.

 

“Maintenance cycle complete, ma’am!”  The tiny voice of the chain gun’s electric motor called out.

 

“Thanks, little buddy.”  Kayden smiled.   She went towards Shrapnel’s body.  “I suppose I should keep him from bleeding out, too.  Dammit.”  Kayden went over to tend the villain’s wounds.  Maybe he would think about his crimes while he was in jail?  she wondered.  Probably not - but at least he’s off the streets.  

 

 

Holy hell, he took a lot of damage, Kayden thought after two minutes of trying to heal Shrapnel.  He had had at least a dozen wounds, some more or less serious than others, but fixing them all took some time.  At the rate I seem to heal wounds in myself or others, I could probably heal a single gunshot in ten seconds, and a dozen in about two minutes.  Not too shabby, if I say so myself.  Nice.  She was just about to congratulate herself on taking down two villains, when a voice called out, distracting her.

 

“Ma’am?  ECPD.  Would you mind stepping away from the dangerous supervillain, and tell us what happened here?  I’m Detective Allan Taylor, ma’am.  Who might you be?”   The speaker was a rather tall and broad shouldered man in his late twenties or early thirties with sandy brown hair and blue eyes.  He was kind of cute, in a hard-boiled and weathered way - it looked like life in the Empire City Police Department was rougher on some people than it was for others.  He looked tired and weary - but at the same time resolute enough to go on, no matter the difficulty - someone either too stupid or too tough to give up and die.

 

“I...”  Kayden paused.  “I’m Virus.  I’m here to help.”   Even as Kayden said the words, she felt weak and shaky...  I fought two supervillains and survived - hell, I won!  What the hell was I thinking?   “I’m sorry - I don’t feel too well.”

 

“You’re probably going into shock, miss Virus.  First time?” Detective Taylor put away his gun, and offered Virus his coat. 

 

Virus accepted the coat, and nodded.  “Does it show that badly?”

 

“Not really, Miss – it’s just that I’ve seen that look before.  It’s the look a new cop has when he survives his first gunfight, or when he see’s his first murder victim.  It’s normal.  I hate to say it, but it does get better.” 

 

“I’m not sure if that’s good or bad.”  Virus said, smiling.  “Thanks, Detective.”  She walked with Detective Taylor over towards the waiting police cars and ambulances.  “I didn’t have a clue what I was doing.”

 

“As I understand it, a lot of heroes don’t their first time either.  You did good – you’ll learn.”  Detective Taylor smiled back.  “You saved a lot of lives today.  If those maniacs hadn’t been stopped, at least a dozen more people would have been hurt or killed.  As it was, I understand a lot of people owe you their lives and health to you today - two of which told us what you did inside the restaurant.”

 

“Peter and Sally?  I healed them...  Are they okay?”

 

“Yes – they’re physically fine, which is a miracle itself.  Healing is a rare gift, Virus.  You could write your own ticket, and help a lot of people, by becoming a metahuman doctor.  I think it’s admirable you didn’t do that.  It takes character to turn down wealth and easy living for working with the rough and scruff.”

 

Well damn, she thought.  “Do you mind if I sit down a moment?”

 

“No, not at all.  Are you hurt?  You’re covered in blood from the chest down.”  Detective Taylor looked concerned, but not worried - apparently Virus wasn’t the first metahuman he’d seen in a fight.  He apparently knew they could take far more of a beating than most normal people. 

 

“No - I mean, most of the blood is mine, but I’m not hurt.  I heal really quick.”

 

“Gotcha.  Take a breather a moment, Miss Virus.  I’ll need to take your statement and all that before we can part ways.  I’m sure you understand.”

 

“Yeah, thanks Detective.”  Kayden sat, resting and shaking as the enormity of what she’d actually done began to fall upon her in earnest.  I got into a fight with super villains - and I survived.  I saved people...  I kissed Darryl!?  What the hell was I thinking?  Oh shit...

 

*              *              *

 

She kissed me!  What the hell are you thinking, Kay?   Darryl paused in shock and surprise, the sweet taste of her lips still lingering on his.  She kissed me?!  When he came to his senses, she was gone, deeper into the ruins of the restaurant.  Darryl retreated, and tried to find some safe place to hide.

 

 

Outside the restaurant, dozens of people were limping, running and crawling away from the scene of the battle.  Darryl stopped and aided an older man who had lost his cane, and soon they got to relative safety a half block away.  A woman in a black costume marked with yellow accents had just emerged from the ruined Pizza hut and was moving to confront Carnage and Shrapnel.  Oh no!  She isn’t going to try and take them on, is she?  Oh no!  Worry hit Darryl like a punch in the gut, and he bent over, trying to breathe and make sure his friend Kay survived the battle to come.  I can’t watch this!  What if she gets hurt?

 

“Look!  She’s fighting with them!”  Someone yelled. 

 

Together, the group of twelve or so survivors around Darryl watched the battle.  Darryl saw her get pierced and flayed by Shrapnel’s razors - and each time it happened, he winced in sympathy pain - and he cheered with the others at her audacity to poke him in the eye when she was at his mercy.   Please don’t get hurt, Kay! He thought. 

 

Darryl watched the battle between Kay and the two villains, and the thought that kept going through his mind was ‘please be safe’, over and over... When Shrapnel sucker punched her, he couldn’t help but gasp when he saw her blood spill from the blades on his fist.   No!  Kay!  He felt like he was dying inside...  He was confused and scared - terrified that for whatever reason, someone would take Kay away forever.  That he would never see her again.  Never kiss her again.  What the hell is happening between us?  He wondered.  How did we go from friends to whatever we are now?  Just be safe Kayden, please!

 

Shrapnel dropped from a burst of gunfire from Carnage - and then Kay just spoke to him.  Carnage didn’t shoot her - although it looked like he tried.  The gun seemed to malfunction - and then it was over.  Kay went over and just grabbed his arm - and a few moments later, Carnage was asleep on the ground. 

 

What just happened?  Darryl thought.  Did she just win?  “Fuck yeah!  Way to go!” He cheered.   Many of the other civilians he had helped flee the restaurant joined in with his cheers.  She won...  My god.  Darryl wanted badly to go see how she was doing, but held back, even though it killed him to do so.  Several times in the past, in Paragon and in other cities, a civilian had been known to care for a hero or heroine - and virtually every time, it led to kidnappings, disasters, and oftentimes death for either the hero, their beloved, or both.  The villains couldn’t help but try and use the beloved as a victim and hostage.  By not going over to check on Kay, he was doing them both a favor, even though it hurt beyond words. 

 

Paramedics began approaching the clusters of injured civilians and survivors of the attack, and Darryl could tell that it would be some time before they were all treated and released, gave statements to the police, and so on.  He settled down to wait, and as he did, he couldn’t help but notice the handsome detective Kayden was speaking with, without feeling a twinge of jealousy.  What the hell is wrong with me?  He wondered.  Kayden’s kiss was probably just some prank!  It wasn’t serious, right?!  As much as he tried to convince himself of that, he didn’t believe it.  He didn’t know what to believe...  Everything had been thrown topsy-turvy.  He slumped down and let the paramedics do their work.

 

 

*              *              *

 

It was a joke, right?  A spur of the moment thing?  Kayden wondered.  Was I serious?  I couldn’t have been, could I?  Her thoughts were awhirl about the battle, about Darryl, about the people she had saved - but mostly about Darryl.  Is it out of the realm of possibility that I could have feelings for him?  We’ve been friends for years - almost thirteen years - and I know him better than I think anyone does.  I love him like a brother... at least I thought I did.  Has that changed, along with me?   Kayden didn’t know what to think, so she sat, resting until Detective Taylor came to take her statement about the battle.  Looks like it’s time to deal with the police, she thought.  I guess I’d better try and at least look professional.

 

She stood up and went with Detective Taylor.  Darryl, and whatever was between them, if anything, would have to wait until she was done here.  She began to recount what happened while Detective Taylor took notes.  It took an hour before she was able to leave - and only because Detective Taylor helped her slip away to avoid the crowds of reporters and civilians that had come to see the scene and talk ‘with the new heroine.’   The last thing Kayden wanted right now was a press conference...  She just wanted to get home, get cleaned up, have a shower, and sort things out with her best friend.

 

Kayden’s mind was awhirl with possible disasters, ranging from Darryl freaking out and ending their friendship, to him enthusiastically returning said kiss and more - and to be honest, both scared Kayden in their implications about equally.  What have I done?  I can’t bear to lose Darryl as a friend - but what if that damned kiss screws everything up?  I’m so fucking stupid!

 

Kayden rushed away to find a place to change back from her Virus self to her Kayden self.  Maybe once she sat down with Darryl and talked, things would be okay.  Try as she might, she almost was able to believe it.