(continued from Frayed Nerves)


Mars walked to the front doors changing in and out as he brushed up against Lenna’s radius, He didn’t really mind, he wanted to stay close just in case any one else did happen to mind. He walked up the wide steps to the golden doors and pulled the left one open wide for the ladies.

In the background the spray paint was flying and the Macy’s truck was becoming art work.


“Evening Lisa, let me know if the flat foots show before the three get the truck off the streets, I doubt they, will as they should know better, but if they are being stubborn today, feel free to rally the troops and set them loose on the porch. Tell them to pull the punches. And what not.”

He almost continued through the Lobby. “ Oh, Lisa this is…..” he was embarrassed he didn’t know his and Lori’s new friend’s name. if he had his mind was drawing a blank…

Awkwardly he waited until the introduction was resolved. “ Well, shall we grab a bite to eat or would you like the tour? Either or both is fine with me.”

The Ranger followed the ape-man from the semi and up the steps to the golden doors. S/He didn't hang onto the ape-man's arm as s/he had in the mall, but rather trailed behind him slightly finally walking in the heels without a wobble or the appearance of a newborn deer. Taking a look back the Ranger could see the transformation of a Macy's truck into a work of street art.

The ape-man opened the left door and the Ranger and L walked through the opening into the Sanctuary. Inside the building the ape-man addressed a woman named Lisa. He told her that should the "flat-foots" show, to rally the troops. For a place that was supposed to just be a mutant refuge they sure were able to mobilize

The ape-man then said “ Oh, Lisa this is…..” He blanked, L had never introduced herself to him.

"L." The Ranger chimed in supplying the name for the ape-man.

The Ranger took a quick look around the sanctuary as the ape-man said, “ Well, shall we grab a bite to eat or would you like the tour? Either or both is fine with me.”

"I am for gettin' some food." The Ranger decided that now that it was time to enlighten the others on the situation it would be best to do it sooner than later, and s/he would rather be sitting when discussing an uncomfortable matter.

>>“ Oh, Lisa this is…..”

>>"L." The Ranger supplied the receptionist with her alias. Lenna smiled thinly at 'Lisa', and extended a hand.

"Please, call me Lenna." She glanced back at Michael and big red with an innocent eyelash bat. It wasn't their fault she'd been avoiding a real handle all this time. Well, actually it was. Things would become far more confusing in a few minutes, though. Lenna made the call. They'd proven themselves trustworthy, through all the crap they went through, and now they were helping her out. The least she could do with give them a simple first name.

Lenna released Lisa's hand as the group made their delicate decision. It was time for delicacies. And Michael was so for 'gettin' some food.' Lenna adjusted the duffel bag on her right shoulder, and nodded to the group. "Sounds good. After all that, I could use a bite... I'm feeling frayed..."

**"L."

L, Was not a name, L, was a letter, it began a name, many names, but rarely was L. a name. He wouldn’t press the Issue with his mind tussled Lori though, perhaps she knew a reason,…Of course there was a reason, she was adapted and that more than likely meant she didn’t want to be know by first name in a house full of mutants.

**"I am for gettin' some food."

Mars nodded agreeing easily, he could go for a pizza or a few hamburgers…or a pile of tacos. It’d been a long day.

~~"Please, call me Lenna."


“Lenna.” He said sounding pleased. Now that was a name, and she was even willing to shake hands with Lisa, for whatever reason most residents were spooked by her, the Rumors about her “power” raged around the sanctuary. After all the Order must keep a solid line of defense up front right? The rumors were allowed to culiminate and spread as one it got her a lot less dirty looks from those mistreated by the human world and then those that didn’t want to find out if she was more dangerous than they were.

~~"Sounds good. After all that, I could use a bite... I'm feeling frayed..."

“Frayed is a good word for how this day is going. to the cafeteria we go.” Mars lead the ladies to the elevator and consequently the first floor under the building a short walk and they came to the large 24 hour semi self serve cafeteria. “If you two want to get settled, I’ll handle the food, Tell me what ya want and I can probably get it made.or if you prefer to be your own chef feel free.” He said as he made way to the sink, The cafeteria was set up like most schools with a slightly more sturdy look, It became obvious that more hardy materials were meant for the sanctuary after a week of making it mutant only.

"Please, call me Lenna." She said as she shook hands with Lisa.

Lenna, so that was her name. The Ranger assumed that the revealing of her name and not hiding behind her prior alias. There was also the chance that she was merely changing the alias she wanted to go by because her past alias was the same name as Elle and saying the same sounding name for two people would be confusing. Although the ape-man had called him/her Charge so Elle may go by that name.

After Lenna pulled her hand back from her handshake with Lisa she said, "Sounds good. After all that, I could use a bite... I'm feeling frayed..."

The ape-man replied with, “Frayed is a good word for how this day is going. to the cafeteria we go.” and then led them to the elevator and down one floor under ground. Upon reaching the cafateria the ape man started again, “If you two want to get settled, I’ll handle the food, Tell me what ya want and I can probably get it made.or if you prefer to be your own chef feel free.” And made his way to the sink.

The Ranger thought about it a moment, s/he was hungry and after having the past day be so hectic a good meal could at least make it somewhat better. "A bone-in ribeye, some mashed potatoes, green beans, and a buttered roll. Oh, white gravy too!" And what would be better than having a nice down home style meal.

The duffel bags plopped down on the floor as Lenna relaxed on the bench of a cafeteria table. She leaned back, resting her elbows on tabletop. As the two others conversed, Lenna took a moment to let her mind wander. It was nice sitting down after all that. Who would have thought a trip to the gas station pharmacy to pick up a prescription would have led to TASERs and red giants? Absently, she wondered how the Ranger's true body was faring. He'd escaped the scene with more than her share of money and trouble. Lenna had to wonder where it would lead him.

Maybe, they'd hit some clubs in town. Town bars and night clubs were usually a good place to bother people for information. Lenna knew next to nothing on this 'Charge' other than that they'd been all-too-quick to flirt and kiss, though. They'd have to pump the red man for further information.

Lenna's eyes drifted back to him as she considered it. He was volunteering to get them food. She thought a moment over what would taste good now. "How about a cheeseburger," she finally settled on. "And a cup of coffee to go with it. Black, with creme and one sugar. Thanks."

Mars nodded to the orders and walked off toward the kitchen for a moment and low and behold it was just who he wanted to see back there, Cornelius! The guy wondered in a few months ago and took over the cafeteria whenever he was there. All of the typical spots that would have been laden with cafeteria cooking were empty and clean and a tall lanky male stood behind a tray with a cover in hand waiting on the next one in line. He had short dirty blond hair and a face that had not a care in the world on it. Mars pushed three trays toward the mutant and grinned.

“ Cornelius, is there any thing we can do to make your stay more comfortable?”

Corneilius shook his head, “you know I am happy so long as you keep the scientists away. And even more so that I am not the only one that feels that way, What are ya havin…” he squinted as if blurring his vision would help his guess. “Sat….jupiter!”

Mars shook his head. Corn, tried to guess who he was an he tried to think of something Cornielius couldn’t make.

~~“I need a homesick country girl.” He nodded toward the first tray and Cornelius yawned, Smacking the cover down. He wiggled his nose, like the lady from bewitched. And there it was A bone-in ribeye, just how Mikey liked it, some mashed potatoes, green beans, and a buttered roll. Oh, white gravy too! And a glass of Texas sweet tea, just like mama made to boot.

“and a cranky vegetarian.”

The lid smacked down and bam.

A Large cheeseburger with everything precisely how Lenna would have made it if she could have made it perfectly. a “black” coffee accompanied it that had crème and sugar in it. despite the crème and sugar it looked like black coffee still. It also had a small sampling of sides that could go a long with it, a few onion rings, a few tatter tots a few strait fries and a few curly.

Mars glanced at his tray knowing he could have whatever he wanted on it in an instance. “ My long lost childhood, super sized.”

The lid went down and twenty mc’nuggets and a large fry rested on a plate next to a cup with some sort of bright orange drink.

“Thanks again Cornelius. Mars by the way.”

The lanky man shook his head as if in disbelief. He could tell exactly what a stomach desired even more so then the person that was going to eat it at times. But he couldn’t tell seven guys that looked the same but acted as different as the planets they were named after.

Mars brought the trays over and set the food infront of them knowing full well that there would be questions. He glanced at Lenna’s food in front of her seeing how it would play out since it was mutant made…or was it, the food stayed right where it was. And that was when it hit him. it wasn’t made right there it was teleported…they had just swiped three meals from three people and while they were fresh and hot. Lenna didn’t effect it because the food had nothing to do with the mutation but was only transported there…..AH ha! He had a theory any way.

Following the Ranger relaying his/her order, Lenna gave the ape-man her's. The ape-man then left to handle the procurement of their food. The Ranger sat down at the table Lenna had parked herself at. S/He expected that it would take the ape-man a while to take care of the food. The Ranger placed his female elbows on the table, and making his female right hand into a loose fist and placing it inside the left, leaned forward and rested his female chin on the thumbs.

"The Sanctuary is different from what I had thought." The Ranger muttered to him/herself.

Before long the ape-man returned with the food. His return was so quick in fact the Ranger wondered if whether it had been prepared in advance which seemed rather impossible. Yet, this being a mutant sanctuary there were very few real impossibilities. The Ranger lifted his female head and removed his/her elbows from the table so the ape-man could set the food down. The, realizing that the purse was still hanging from his/her shoulder, plucked the purse off the shoulder and set it on the the table. A small thud came as the gun inside hit the table.

The Ranger looked at the steak before him/her, "A cowboy ribeye, and some sweet tea." Then looking at the ape-man, "Thank ya'."

Lenna watched the gathering of food with mild interest. It was strange how, in a place like this that likely housed many mutants, they could get by with a single guy in the kitchen. Stranger still, she couldn't smell the food until after someone had asked for it, then there it was. Obvious as obscene gestures in a game of charades.

>>"The Sanctuary is different from what I had thought." The Ranger muttered to him/herself.

Lenna glanced at him. "What were you expecting?" Her focus snapped back to the food-gathering mission. It went faster than expected...

One order up, two orders, three! The ape-man wheeled back to them with all three orders in-hand.

"Impressive," she quirked an eyebrow. He'd neither teetered, nor wobbled as he balanced all three trays. She'd known he was strong and smart, but graceful? That was a surprise. Her tray of food slid down in front of her. Lenna stared at the contents. It was... quite a bit of food, actually. It all looked great, but... "Wow." Again, she was impressed. "I... don't usually say that word... it doesn't feel right saying it... thank you..." She looked at the red man, and it dawned on her. In all that time, he hadn't answered the question... "Now, just what was your name?"

>>"The Sanctuary is different from what I had thought."
~~"What were you expecting?”


Mars settled down the food in front of the women. And then started popping chicken nuggets like pills, making short work of what would take most a while and possibly a bit of belly aching afterwards.

"A cowboy ribeye, and some sweet tea"Thank ya'."

~~"Impressive," "Wow." "I... don't usually say that word... it doesn't feel right saying it... thank you..."


“I’ll pass the compliments and gratitude along. “

~~"Now, just what was your name?"

ok, now he was just having fun. Mars leaned back away from the table dodging the question and called back to Cornelius, “the Ladies love your cookin’ and say thanks, I’m tella ya Cornelius, you could go places.” The man was inherently shy around women. He looked to the women and gave a slight bow and a smile. After which he quickly made himself distracted with the next pair of teens that came along, one ordering a cake and the other a pile of rice crispy squares.

“Eh, whats that?...”another grin. “ I am Mars.” He glanced at Lori to see if she would laugh and make him give is Chosen name to the new kid, but she did not….so much fishyness.

"What were you expecting?"

"More of a Salvation Army style set up, not elevators to cafeterias and a team of graffiti artists for semis."

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Lenna thanked the ape-man for her food, and was obviously impressed in the ability of the hulk to maneuver the quickly delivered food in such graceful manner. She then asked for his name, something the Ranger wanted to know. The ape-man did not immediately answer the question, rather he leaned back and addressed the cook. “the Ladies love your cookin’ and say thanks, I’m tella ya Cornelius, you could go places.” In response Cornelius gave a slight bow

Then, finally the ape-man replied, “Eh, whats that?...” “ I am Mars.” He then cast a glance to the Ranger as if looking for some form of a reaction. The Ranger merely mentally noted the name and dove into the steak. He would soon need to inform the ape-man of how he was not who he thought s/he was and uncomfortable moments are less fun with an empty stomach.

The food was virtually inhaled, the Ranger generally ate fast. And upon finishing s/he had to stop him/herself from following suit with his normal habits of wiping his mouth on a sleeve or hand and hands on pants legs. Instead, after almost doing so, s/he took hold of a napkin and used that. And after setting down the napkin on the plate decided that sooner was better than later and it was high time s/he enlightened Mars that the blond woman at the table was not who who he thought.

"I suppose it is time I tell you what is goin' on." The Ranger looked to Mars. "In short, I am not Charge. My name is Michael. I woke up in her body and after finding her in my body and attempting to find the cause of this situation she managed to escape off in my car with a bag of stolen money."

>>"More of a Salvation Army style set up, not elevators to cafeterias and a team of graffiti artists for semis."

"You have a point."

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Lenna mentally narrowed her eyes as the giant bucked the question. Not fair... Lenna mourned hypocritically. If someone asked you your name... you really ought to give it. Unless you were given good reason not to, of course, or didn't feel like it, or didn't trust the listener, or...

Cheeseburger. Lenna picked up the monster distraction from the question in her hands. It was big, alright. It practically oozed flavor. She tightened her grip, and focused on keeping a pickle from jumping ship. It was only when she'd busied herself with the burger that big red chose to give her a name.

>>“Eh, whats that?...” He grinned at her. Totally unconvincing, by the way, that absentminded grin. “I am Mars.”

Lenna smiled back jokingly. "Well then, hello Mars." The name fit him. He was red like Martian soil, and just as violent as the planet's weather systems. Her mouth closed in around the cheeseburger again, satisfied with his reply.

For a few minutes, there was just eating. The blond, with her steak, and Lenna, with her meal. Lenna dunked a tater tot in catsup, then popped it through the onion ring hoop. A few minutes later, she dabbed at her mouth with her napkin. The cheeseburger had been delicious. Everything else was great. She was full.

Lenna glanced towards the blond-man-in-a-woman as (s)he started speaking.

>>"I suppose it is time I tell you what is goin' on."

She smiled innocently. Oh, this would be good.

>>"In short, I am not Charge. My name is Michael. I woke up in her body and after finding her in my body and attempting to find the cause of this situation she managed to escape off in my car with a bag of stolen money."

"You neglected the part where she kissed me in your body, and we both got hit with a couple thousand volts..." Why that was relevant, she didn't know. Honestly, it just felt good to add.

~~"I suppose it is time I tell you what is goin' on." "In short, I am not Charge. My name is Michael. I woke up in her body and after finding her in my body and attempting to find the cause of this situation she managed to escape off in my car with a bag of stolen money."

His last Chicken nugget paused before it followed a bucket of fries and the other nineteen nuggets, It hung there paused in time as he tried to process what She had just said. His mind seemed to be misbehaving because the words were just not making sense and then all the little inconsistencies started to bubble up like little facts that made absolutely no sense. It was pop up video on his day. And then Lenna had something to add.

***"You neglected the part where she kissed me in your body, and we both got hit with a couple thousand volts..."

Mars looked back and forth between them. “so.” He paused thinking a little bit more. He ate the doomed nugget. “So you, Michael, a male? Are in Charges body, while she is in your body with a bag of stolen money. And she is in your body with said money,”his eyes switched targets “after making out with you.” A nod toward Lenna.

He paused again. “Well. That answers some questions I have been having all day long. And yet it makes some many more.”

He looked to his Charge and the imposter within. “How did this happen? And how can we fix it? is it your mutation to switch bodies?” Oh, he could have made a big deal out of all of this, he could have freaked out, but logic was what was required, not killing the woman he loved because someone else possessed her body at the moment. He Drank the rest of his Orange hi-c as he waited for what promised to be an interesting explanation.

So much for his name being the most interesting secret at the table.

After having given a quick synopsis of the situation Lenna chimed in,
"You neglected the part where she kissed me in your body, and we both got hit with a couple thousand volts..."

"And the couple thousand volts having given Charge the chance to escape with stolen money and my car." The Ranger added to put part of what Lenna had said into context. And finally Mars spoke.

“so.” Mars paused for a moment and then ate the chicken nugget he had been holding before continuing. “So you, Michael, a male? Are in Charges body, while she is in your body with a bag of stolen money. And she is in your body with said money,” Mars looked to Lenna “after making out with you.”

Following another pause, Mars added, “Well. That answers some questions I have been having all day long. And yet it makes some many more.” And then looking at The Ranger in Charge's body he asked, “How did this happen? And how can we fix it? is it your mutation to switch bodies?”

"I've no idea how it happened, I jus' know that one day I went to bed in a hotel and woke up the next, naked, a woman, and in bed with some fella that I don't know." The Ranger shuddered at the memory. "When I located Charge, in my body, she...he...whatever, was still asleep in the hotel room. When we finally got around ta talking, after a brief period of violence which ended in...I guess I'll jus' use 'her'... her winning due to the way my power works and my lack of knowledge of hers." He omitted what happened next, but he did pause briefly before continuing.

"Anyway, we discussed what might'a caused this. We didn't really reach any conclusions other than we had both been at that mutant brawl. Granted we only discussed places where those nearby wore their animosity on their sleeves. She ran off before we could get any answers." The Ranger looked down at his glass of tea, took a drink and then said. "My power is not, and no mutant I know has, the power to move consciousnesses. My power is simply that my muscles react to the demand placed on 'em. So when liftin' I can lift more, runnin' I can run faster, etc. It does not require one to know it's their and how to use it like this body's seems more ta be. The water touchin' thing aside." The Ranger gestured to his/herself when referencing Charge's body's power.

The Ranger continued the stare at the glass, the goal obviously being to avoid eye contact with Mars. Having revealed who he is inside this body and having no way to explain his actions in the store and truck cab left him/her even more uncomfortable than just being in CHarges body.

... Not the reaction she'd hoped(?) for expected. It seemed they were both unflappable. Neither party wanted to get upset in a situation so strange...

Probably for the best, Lenna settled. She took another staggered sip of her coffee, and held up a 'hold on a minute' hand. Her focus was momentarily divided. Let her finish before they got to the good part.

Okay. She set the cup down again as Michael continued. It seemed time waited for no man/woman/or child. Certainly not for beverages.

Her ears focused in on one thing he'd said, before she let the rest wash over her.

>>"...I jus' know that one day I went to bed in a hotel and woke up the next, naked, a woman, and in bed with some fella that I don't know."

Had to suck. And this whole day... she took another long sip. Well, hell. She'd have to go easy on the fella... the thought hung there for a moment, then burst like confetti into an inward laugh. Who was she kidding? He had tougher skin than that. Hard times... would continue. No matter what she said.

As 'he' finished, Lenna looked at 'her'. Finally, it looked like 'she' was showing her wear. Eyes were focused downwards. Michael didn't seem to want to look towards Mars.

Well... he'd made googoo eyes at the red giant. That was understandable... she supposed. She suddenly felt the need to clear her throat, and break up the awkward silence... for 'his' sake.

"So. You know what we have to do next, right?" A serious look towards Mars. "Find her. Bring her back. Protect both peoples' bodies while doing so. And..." Coffee was gone, now. Lenna crushed the cup in her hand. "We find whatever has caused this, and reverse it. Any objections?"

She highly doubted there would be one.